Joshua 10:7-11
(NASB) “So Joshua went up from Gilgal, he and all
the people of war with him and all the valiant warriors. The
LORD said to Joshua, "Do not fear them, for I have given them into your
hands; not one of them shall stand before you." So Joshua came upon them suddenly by marching
all night from Gilgal. And the LORD
confounded them before Israel, and He slew them with a great slaughter at
Gibeon, and pursued them by the way of the ascent of Beth-horon and struck them
as far as Azekah and Makkedah. As they
fled from before Israel, while
they were at the descent of Beth-horon, the LORD threw large stones from heaven
on them as far as Azekah, and they died; there were more who died from the hailstones than those whom the
sons of Israel killed with the sword.”
Who is Jesus to you?
Do you think of Jesus with the long flowing hair and smooth nearly
effeminate features hung on so many Sunday School walls when we were kids? Do you picture the Jesus who said, "Permit the children to come to Me, and do not hinder
them, for the kingdom of God belongs to such as these.” Luke 18:16b (NASB) Is God to you you a bit firmer as you consider passages such as, Matthew 21:12
(NASB) “And Jesus entered the temple and drove out all those who were buying
and selling in the temple, and overturned the tables of the money changers and
the seats of those who were selling doves.”
Is He more ? Is He safe passage? “Jesus
*said to him, "I am the way, and the truth, and
the life; no one comes to the Father but through Me.’” John 14:6 (NASB)
While all these pieces of
Jesus are true if left in isolation or even filled in with like passages it
paints an incomplete portrait of our Lord and Savior.
While it is true that
Jesus is love, (1 John 4:8) there is much more
to Him than our image of love. Love is
in fact more than warm and fuzzy. Love
is Holy. Holy is incapable of tolerating
anything unholy. Holy equals Righteous. And now you’re starting to get nervous – am I
right?
Well, we’ve glossed over
a few things that we have to go back and clear up. First, that passage we quoted that says,
Jesus is Love – actually says this, “The
one who does not love does not know God, for God is love.” 1 John 4:8 (NASB) So the first two points to make are first,
Jesus is not referenced by name, it is “God” with a capital G who is
mentioned. And second, if you do not
love, you do not know God.
So how can you get away with
saying “Jesus is Love” Dale? -- Here’s
how. John also writes, “In the
beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.” John 1:1 (NASB)
So, the Word equals God. So what
you say – that doesn’t make Jesus equal to God.
Read on my friend. “And the Word became flesh, and dwelt among
us, and we saw His glory, glory as of the only begotten from the Father, full
of grace and truth. John *testified
about Him and cried out, saying, "This was He of whom I said, 'He who
comes after me has a higher rank than I, for He existed before me.'" For
of His fullness we have all received, and grace upon grace. For the Law was given through Moses; grace
and truth were realized through Jesus Christ.” John
1:14-17 So, Jesus is God and Jesus is
Love.
Where did I come up with
this God is Holy stuff and who says anyone or anything is unholy? We can clear this one up pretty quick with a
New Testament quote from Peter, “Because
it is written, ‘YOU SHALL BE HOLY, FOR I AM HOLY.’" 1 Peter 1:16 (NASB) and the other part comes from Paul,
“For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God,” Romans 3:23 (NASB) Do we have to point out that sin is somehow
less than holy? That is clearly short of
God’s standard of holiness.
Ok – what has this got to
do with the passage from Joshua. Simply
this. Joshua picked up the mantle as it
were from Moses who had led God’s chosen people out of Egypt through the
wilderness and to the Promised Land.
Moses led them there not once but twice you might recall. On the first trip they arrived and sent twelve
spies into the land to check it out and only two came back with reports that
they should enter in. Those two were
Caleb and Joshua.
Because Moses failed to
lead God’s people into the Promised Land they had to wander the wilderness
another forty years and when they came back another generation had been raised
up. Only this new generation plus the
two Caleb and Joshua were allowed to enter in.
Only Caleb and Joshua who had given the report that the inhabitants of
the land could be defeated plus the new generation not yet circumcised until
just before entering in as a way to separate the generations.
What was God’s command to
Joshua and His people upon entering the Promised Land? "Moses My servant is dead; now
therefore arise, cross this Jordan, you and all this people, to the land which
I am giving to them, to the sons of Israel.
Every place on which the sole of your foot treads, I have given it to
you, just as I spoke to Moses. From the
wilderness and this Lebanon, even as far as the great river, the river
Euphrates, all the land of the Hittites, and as far as the Great Sea toward the
setting of the sun will be your territory.
No man will be able
to stand before you all the days of your life. Just as I have been with
Moses, I will be with you; I will not fail you or forsake you. Be strong and
courageous, for you shall give this people possession of the land which I swore
to their fathers to give them.” Joshua 1:2-6 (NASB)
He said take the land I
am giving to you. He said no one there
will stand against you. In later
passages as the various battles are depicted even more explicit instructions
are given about leaving no survivors.
This holy God commands utter destruction.
