Who fought the battle of Jericho?

"Joshua fit the battle of Jericho and the walls came tumbling down." Read the text and you will see that Joshua was just the follower of God's plan for taking the walled city. After the Israelites had crossed over the Jordan and camped near Jericho, Joshua saw a man with his sword raised. He approached the man asking if he was friend or foe. The man gives a reply that he was neither but rather commander of the Lord's army. Like Moses with the burning bush Joshua fell down and was told to take off his sandals because he was on holy ground. The commander then proceeded to give Joshua the instructions he would follow to conquer the city of Jericho. Joshua then told the people to get ready and away they marched going around the city one time each day for 6 days, carrying the Ark of the Covenant and blowing their horns but otherwise remaining silent. The city was shut up tight. The residents, we are told, melted in fear. Each day the tension grew. It was certainly a psychological battle. The residents knew how God had helped the Israelites over the past 40 years, crossing the red sea and feeding them and taking care of them as they wandered on their way to the Promised Land. For 40 years they knew about this God and yet they continued to worship the moon god and only Rahab put her faith in the God of the Israelites. The 7th day started out the same way, a march around the city but then they began to circle it again and again. 7 times on the 7th day and then the people were told to shout and God did the rest. We don't know how He did it but the city walls fell that day and the fighting men of Israel went in and destroyed every living thing in the city saving only Rahab and her family. All the plunder of precious metals was to be given to the Lord. Everything else was to be burned. God showed Himself again in a mighty way to the Israelites and to the various people living in the land promised to Abraham so many years before. God was victorious on that day and to Him belonged all the glory. Joshua, like Moses before him, followed the commands of the Lord and God blessed him for it. The next battle would not be so. There was to be trouble in the camp. God still fights battles today asking us to march and follow His directions.

From generation to generation

They are 13 and 10; my two oldest granddaughters. Both had decided that they wanted to follow our Lord in baptism. The 10 year old went first. She had written her testimony but decided to have her Dad read it for her as a few tears formed in my eyes. The pastor knelt beside her on the outside of the large hot tub they were using for a baptismal and quietly said a few words to her. Then she went under the water and back up to the applause of the congregation. The 13 year old read her own testimony, more tears and then the pastor, knealing, talked quietly with her and then she was baptized. I said a quick prayer of thanksgiving. I remember when their mother was baptized and my own baptism years before that. My parents, the great grandparents, were there also to see their great granddaughters take this step of faith. It is only through the grace of God that we experience such rare moments. It's all up to God in His sovereignty and He layed His hands on these two precious young souls who happen to be the daughters of my daughter and I praise Him for His wonderous ways.

Everlasting to Everlasting

Moses wrote in Psalm 90 that God is from everlasting to everlasting. Comprehend that if you can. He continues to contrast this to our lives, 70 years if we can make it, 80 if we have the strength. Moses compares us to the grass that springs up and then withers away. What then can we accomplish in such a short span of time that will amount to anything? Moses answers that at the end of the Psalm. He asks God to establish the work of our hands; in other words use what we do in His name to last for eternity. Jesus commented on this when He said that even the smallest of work done in His name, when we see someone hungry and give them to eat or thirsty and give them drink in His name we will have done it to Him and it will be remembered. It will count beyond this life. That can't be said of much that we labor day and night for. I'm reminded of the woman who annointed Christ with the expensive ointment. He said that wherever the Gospel of the Kingdom would be preached her story would be told. Lord, help us to do work that goes beyond this life.

Not Just Kings and Rulers

In Psalm 58 David writes (rails) against unjust rulers and kings. He was being held prisoner in his own house by King Saul at this time even though David was already annointed to be king. He calls on God to break the teeth of his oppressor and tear out their fangs. The important thing is that David calls on God to deal with the unjust oppressor. He finishes up by saying that the righteous will be glad when they see God deal with the oppressor. This is one of the "curse Psalms." Right on, David, I shout as I read this. Deal, Lord, with those unjust rulers and leaders that would lead us astray. We see this happen all around us and wonder where is justice. We know that God will judge them. I feel better. Then, I read Matthew 25:31-46. Whoa! Here Jesus is talking about others that will be judged right along with these unjust rulers that David wrote about. Only, Jesus brings it down to my level, an ordinary guy sailing along, living his life. Jesus speaks about those who show mercy and compassion to the less fortunate in His name have done it unto Him. He continues in verse 41. "Then he will say to those on his left, `Depart from me, you who are cursed, into the eternal fire prepared for the devil and his angels. 42. For I was hungry and you gave me nothing to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me nothing to drink, 43. I was a stranger and you did not invite me in, I needed clothes and you did not clothe me, I was sick and in prison and you did not look after me.' 44. "They also will answer, `Lord, when did we see you hungry or thirsty or a stranger or needing clothes or sick or in prison, and did not help you?' 45. "He will reply, `I tell you the truth, whatever you did not do for one of the least of these, you did not do for me.' 46. "Then they will go away to eternal punishment, but the righteous to eternal life." Lest we petition God to judge the wicked we need to see what are we doing in Jesus' name with the blessings that He gives to us. Evil and wickedness all around yet Jesus calls on us to be His representitive right where we live.

Shepherd, King, Musician

David wrote about all the aspects of being a shepherd when he wrote the 23rd Psalm. He, as a shepherd, was responsible for every aspect of the sheep's care. They depended on him for food, for water, for safety, for direction and for rescue when they strayed away. David did all this but who cared for him. Who provided for his safety, his food and water, showed him the way to go and watched over him as he slept? David knew that the Lord did all this for him. He knew that even though he was totally responsible for the care of the sheep there was one greater who in the same manner to an even greater degree cared for him. As king, David knew the pressures of being in charge of everything, leading men into war, protecting the people in his kingdom, leading the people in worship. As king he could have thought that he was a god, revered by all the people for his exploits, feared by his enemies and ultimately responsible for the welfare of the entire kingdom, but he wrote that the Lord was his shepherd. Here is the great king of Israel acknowledging that he was being led by the Great Shepherd of the sheep. As musician he wrote many Psalms attesting to this and many other ways in which he depended on and trusted the Lord but none quite so concise and reassuring as this one. Not many of us will be shepherds let alone king of a country or write or perform music. However, we do face, in our own worlds, the pressures of providing for our families, being in charge of other people's welfare in the business world or being pastor of a local church. With this comes the times that we truly question "who is looking out for me, guiding my footsteps, protecting me in the 'valley' times?" In the New Testament we see that this Shepherd is Jesus who tells us that as His sheep He knows us and that we know His voice. Jesus, Creator and Lord, King of Kings, Our Redeemer is our personal shepherd. The Lord is MY shepherd, that is all I need.

Pack a Lunch

We were discussing the middle of the 6th chapter of Mark, the hungry crowd, the remote place, the normal human condition; hunger and no food. At first read it appears the disciples were concerned about the crowds, they urged the Master to dismiss the crowd so that they could all go and get food before it got any later. On second and third read I believe that they wanted the crowd to go away, it was not a problem they wanted to deal with and it was late. There are times when it is late and someone needs help and it is easy to give them a map showing the way to the nearest town. I think that the disciples really thought they were doing the right thing but Jesus, plain and simple, tells them to give the crowd food. Right away they thought about the money. Maybe it was Judas who did the math and stated that it would cost eight month's wages. That is the normal, human response, what will it cost me? The second concern they had was Jesus had told them to give the crowd something to eat, not sell it to them. It is difficult to give away things that cost a great deal, like eight month's wages worth but Jesus was not even concerned with the money worry that they had. He just simply asked what do we have right here, right now. They hadn't thought to check. The big, costly solution isn't always the right one. Often he asks us what we have available right now and to give it to him. They find five loaves and two fish. In all that crowd just one boy with some food. I thought about this. My grandson just started school this fall and one of the things he was looking forward to about going to school was packing his lunch and then, of course, eating it at school. He brings home an empty lunch pail. He can't wait for lunch time so when I read that it was late (probably about 6pm) and this boy still had some food left I see the Lord's working here. A boy, some food left over from lunch and Jesus feeds everyone there with 12 basketfuls left over. He did all this just to feed them knowing that in the morning they would all be hungry again. He met their needs at that moment and many wanted to make him king right there because he fed them. People have "right now" needs and he wants to work through us show his love and compassion for the people we meet in the "remote" places.