Blog Archives

Jericho

1/28/2018

Chapter 2 of Joshua is the continuing story of the Israelites' pilgrimage to the Promised Land. But, it's also a story about Rahab, a woman of ill repute. (This is a newspaper article. I thought it wise to soften the blow of Rahab's occupation.) Joshua and God's people are approaching Jericho. He sends out two spies to look the country over and report back to him.
     Now, back in Numbers 13, God instructs Moses to select one person from each tribe to search out the land. That's why Moses sends 12 spies. Ten of those spies returned and talked about the land flowing with milk and honey; but, that the inhabitants were like giants. They voted to not go into Canaan. It's no wonder that Joshua decided to go with only two spies. Because of the ten doubters the chosen people had been restrained from entering Canaan until they all died out except Joshua and Caleb and the little ones. (Numbers 14:30-31) That took forty years. Joshua had no desire to spend another forty years in the desert.
     All of Jericho and the surrounding area (Canaan) know the stories surrounding the Israelites. They know about the exit from Egypt, the Red Sea parting, the wandering in the wilderness and the victory over the Amorites. They also know that the Israelites' God has promised them Canaan. So, when Joshua sends the two spies, the word goes out that they are coming. They're at Rahab's place and the king wants them brought to him. Rahab knows the stories too. She tells her lodgers that the entire country is faint with fear over their coming. These were the same folks who were called "giants" by those ten spies forty years ago. Times have changed.
     Rahab hides the spies. Then, she reports to the king's men that, indeed, they have been there. But, they left the city right at dusk. If they hurry, they might catch them. At dusk, the sun is low enough that it makes it hard and almost impossible to see well. What a clever ploy! She was buying time for her two lodgers. This woman made a conscious decision to help God's people. What a transformation! Jericho is a wicked city that worships the goddess of the moon, Ashtaroth. They're Gentiles and they practice one of the most vile and degrading religions of that region.
     Rahab was smart enough to know that God was going to have His way. It had been forty years and here they were again. She knew she needed to make a decision--go with the goddess Ashtaroth or God. For whatever her reasons were, she knew. She also knew that she wanted to be saved and her household with her. She opted to save the spies and plead for their help.
     Rahab's house, because of her occupation, was part of the outside wall of Jericho. God thinks of everything, doesn't He? Rahab, part of the plan of God, lowers the men to safety by a scarlet cord. The men tell her to hang the same cord from her house and it will be spared. Judgment is coming to Jericho and she knows it. The two men tell her that on that day she is to stay in the house and not to leave it. As long as she stays in God's plan, she and those with her are safe. If she leaves, her safety goes with it. Stay in God's plan and He will stay with you.

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Whose Plan are You Following?

1/23/2018

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Returning from church and pulling into the driveway, I saw that all of the cows were lying down; which, reminds me of a story. A traveler and a farmer were having a conversation. The farmer assured the traveler that he could tell what the weather was going to be by watching his cows. If they were lying down, it was going to rain. If they were standing up, it wasn't. The traveler asked, "What happens if only half of them are lying down?" The farmer replied, "It means half of them are wrong."
     Predicting the weather is about as ridiculous as predicting your future. But, many people are consumed with trying to map our their own destiny. They have forgotten, or maybe they never knew, that their is One who has a plan bigger than ours. "For I know the plans I have for you," declares the Lord, "plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future." (Jeremiah 29:11, NIV)
     That assurance alone should put one on the path to finding out what the Lord's plans are. Joshua, from the Old Testament book of Joshua, was spoken to by God. In the opening verses of Chapter 1, He tells Joshua that he, Joshua, will lead the Israelites across the Jordan river. In verses 3, 4, and 5 he learns that all that his foot will tread upon will be given to him for the people. God even assures him that He, God, will not fail him nor forsake him. Be strong and of good courage. (Joshua 1:6)
We're modern-day believers but we receive the same message, "I will not fail thee, nor forsake thee. Be strong and of good courage." God has a plan which is really, really big. It's the destiny of the world and the ultimate outcast of evil. And all of us are a part of that plan. Yes, we have a part to play. God in His goodness has given us a choice: we can either seek and find the plan He has for us or we can go on our way and do a plan ourselves. The only thing is, if you decide to make your own plan, you won't be part of the plan God has specifically for you. You're the only one like you. That was on purpose. God fashioned you to carry out your part of the plan. Should you turn it down, God will find someone else. His plan is going to be carried out regardless.
     Choose to go with The Plan. Get into church. Study the Bible. Pray. Pray. Pray. Again, He will remind you, "Be strong and of good courage." (Joshua 1:9) Why is that? Like my father used to say, "God didn't promise you a bed of roses." There will be challenges, others who will tempt you away from your part. Old Satan has no desire for The Plan to work. It means his destruction.
     The Israelites listened to Joshua. They said they would follow him just as they did Moses. They knew that Moses was part of God's plan. And now, they knew the same with Joshua. Very 17 spells it out. They are going with Joshua because the Lord is with him just as the Lord was with Moses. They see God's plan and they are doing their part by following it. We see it again in verse 18, "only be strong and of a good courage." It was said three times in this chapter. Remember it when following God's plan.

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Keep Watching

1/19/2018

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Where is the promise of His coming? They were asking that in the first century after the crucifixion and they're still asking it today. Peter addresses the uneasiness of early-day Christians in II Peter Chapter 3. These believers looked for Christ's return in their lifetime. As the years passed, they began to wonder and have doubts. "The Lord is not slack concerning his promise, as some men count slackness; but is longsuffering to us-ward, not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance." (II Peter 3:9)
     For some, it probably fell on deaf ears. Time passes. People fall into a day-to-day world. Current matters are more pressing and need to be attended to. The focus on a return becomes remote. Doubters soon replace the faithful. God is not so omnipotent as they once believed. Everyone is still here and doing the same old things.
     What has happened? It's been hundreds of years since this promise to return. There's no big event. God begins to change. Not really, we change how we think about God. "For I am the Lord, I change not; therefore ye sons of Jacob are not consumed." (Malachi 3:6)
    How easy it is to forget that the world was spoken into existence and out of it by the word of God. Second Peter 3:5-6 says so. Peter goes on to say in verse 8 that one day with the Lord is as a thousand years and a thousand years as one day. It says much the same thing in Psalm 90:4. In one day, God can do the work of a thousand years!
     When God returns, He will be here. It says in the Bible that it'll be like a thief in the night. All of a sudden, GOD IS HERE! The warning of His return was made a long time ago. Be ready. Like Pastor Josh said in an evening sermon covering II Peter 3:9-13, "Plan for the forever--not for the now."

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The Faithful and the Faithless

1/12/2018

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A story of faith. A story of those who believe in a destiny designed by God. It's also a story of faithlessness. It's also a story of rebelling and paying the price for that rebellion. It all takes place in Numbers 14.
     Four hundred years they had been in captivity, slaves in a country not their own.   A man sent from God came to the leader of that country and said, "Let my people go." The leader didn't want to lose a valuable resource--slaves to do their bidding. Plagues visited the country until the leader said, "Take your people and go." So, they went.
     On the pilgrimage from the land that was not their own, their pursuers perished at the hand of God. When they were hungry, God rained down food for them. When they were thirsty, water flowed from rocks. All along the way, they were protected. Now it was time to enter the land God promised to them.
     Fear settled over the people. Why fearful? Couldn't they see that they had been protected and cared for? Now, at the moment of great blessing, they pull back. Trust fails them. God's not as great and good as they suppose. He's just brought them here to this wasteland to perish. Or so they thought.
     Nothing suited them. Two of the 12 spies they sent to look this promised land over were against turning back to slavery and the land that was not their own. The people want to kill them. God has had enough. He would destroy this group of stiff-necked disbelievers and find another group for his purpose. When they heard that, they were ready to change their tune. All of a sudden they were ready to go to the promised land. But this time they would go without God--but there is no way to the promised land except through God. A conundrum for sure.
     Their leader pleads for them not to be destroyed. He calls on God's mercy for this motley bunch. God relents but He also says, " I will not destroy them but they will not see the promised land. They will die wandering around in circles."
     Most people know that God exists. Many have even seen God working in people's lives. Some attend churches. They're good people but what happens when the going gets rough? Surely walking out of Egypt on the way to the promised land wasn't easy. Neither is living in a world that is cursed with sin. Joshua 24:15 says, "...choose you this day whom you will serve..." God didn't promise people a rose garden. Godly people are an enduring lot.
     There's a race to be won. (I Corinthians 9:24) Obtaining the prize takes strivers who give no thought to quitting. The ones who left Egypt quit. And they were only a stone's throw from heaven. How sad.

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Choose

1/1/2018

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Amalek is a grandson of Esau. (Genesis 36:12) Yes, that Esau, Jacob's brother. What an interesting side note to the story about to unfold. The story opens in Exodus 17. Moses is leading the Israelites out of Egypt. The Israelites get cranky and begin to complain that they have no water and they're thirsty. (Kind of sounds like the time that Esau came home from a hunt and was hungry. He was willing to trade his inheritance for a bowl of lentils.)
     The Lord told Moses to go to Horeb, smite the rock and there would be water. There was water and the next thing you know here comes Amalek. As soon as he heard about the water, he begins an unprovoked attack on the Israelites. Moses tells Joshua to pick some men and go fight Amalek.
     Regress a little bit. Esau had taken his family and his possessions and settled Edom (it means 'red'). Jacob remained in Canaan. Famine struck Egypt and Canaan. Because of Joseph, a son of Jacob's, the Israelites had a way out of the famine. They went to Egypt only to eventually become slaves. Edom which lay south of Judah and the Dead Sea had set up a monarchy which lasted for years. It's in Genesis 36:31-39.
     Twin brothers, one lived 'in the flesh' while the other lived 'in the spirit'. The account of what happens to Esau's bunch is in Obadiah. Also, another side note: Edom was also known as Idumea. Herod was an Idumean.
     Moses is now dealing with Amalek. Joshua has picked his men and the fight begins. Moses stands on the hilltop and raises his hands with the staff in it. As long as his hands are up, Joshua and his men are winning the battle. But, Moses becomes tired. He's stood for a long time and his arms are growing weary. When he put his hands down, the battle turned against them. He raises his arms. This time he has help from Hur and Aaron. They help to hold his arms up until the sun goes down and the battle is won.
     Joshua and his men won the battle. Or so it would seem. After the battle, the Lord tells Moses to write down an account of the battle and to recite what happened, what actually happened. The Lord fought with them and the battle was won. A great reminder when we get too big for our britches.
Up until this event, the Lord's people were much like sheep. Now, they must become His warriors. And Joshua was the man for the job. He would later be the one to take the place of Moses and lead them into the promised land. By the time the walls of Jericho fell, he knew that God would win the fight.
     God, our omnipotent God, gave man a choice. He gave His right to choose to us. We all have choices to make. The person who feels drawn to the Lord will make choices in favor of the Lord. Those who have no compelling force to draw them to Christ, will ultimately pay by losing the battle. Only God wins the battles. They grow weary like Moses did during the fight with the Amalekites. But Moses had a sustaining force to keep him going. We must have a sustaining force, too. Once we're drawn to the Lord, we appeal to Him for victory. Then, choose what to do. God will not fail you. He will answer you.

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Linda Johnson

Linda Johnson moved to Douglas County with her husband Tom 12 years ago after retiring from teaching. Following Tom's death in 2016, Linda began facilitating a grief support group called GriefShare through Sweden Church. She serves as the Sunday School teacher for our High School class. Her "Layman's Pen" articles are also published in the local paper, The Douglas County Herald.

Andrea Strong

Andrea is Pastor Joshua Strong's wife. She also serves Sweden Church as Church Secretary, website administrator, and Sunday School teacher to the Intermediate Class.