TWO SIDES OF THE COIN (Joshua 14)

The best description of God's sovereignty I've heard says there is a signpost in heaven. The side facing heavenward reads "Chosen before the foundation of the world." The side facing us reads "Whosoever will may come."

The Christian faith has a lot of paradoxes like that. For instance, I live with an uneasy truce, by faith believing though not understanding how God is One and yet God is in Three Persons.

You may be thinking, Oh, no, she's getting all theological on us again. But not really. I only mention it because I discovered another one of those  two-sided explanation.

In Bible College, I was taught to look for words or phrases that are repeated for emphasis. One of the phrases I have noticed many times says something like, "The Levites will receive no inheritance among the people of Israel, for the Lord God is their inheritance." Talk about theological and spiritual!

Today I ran across a more prosaic explanation. One so practical, so downright human, that I wonder how I haven't noticed it before: Because the sons of Joseph had become two tribes, Manasseh and Ephraim, they gave no allotment to the Levites." (Joshua 14:3-4, MSG)

Oh. You can't divide twelve parcels of land among thirteen tribes. As simple as that.

I'm a little surprised that Joshua didn't say, "They gave no allotment to the Levites, as the Lord commanded, because the Lord God is their inheritance."  Maybe he thought we already knew that. Moses and Joshua repeated it often enough.

Instead, the leader Joshua offers a human reason. Maybe there were some Israelites who felt Joseph's double portion was unfair, and Joshua wanted to smooth over feelings. Maybe he had a light-bulb moment one day. So that's why God isn't giving the Levites a land inheritance. 

If we need proof that faith and reason don't contradict each other, we find an example here. When we have a decision to make, we seek God's will. Following God's will includes using the reason and mind that He has given to us.

Of course there are times God calls us to attempt the unreasonable (crossing a river at flood stage, on foot?).  But many others, He works within the natural order to bring His will about.

Turn your coin of decision over and consider both sides.

GENOCIDE? (Joshua 10-12)

If a country today did what Israel did when they conquered the promised land, the entire world would fight against and cry "genocide."

They fought 31 city-kings, and killed every man, woman and child.

I get it. Kind of. The Israelites had a hard time staying faithful to God in the best of times; they quickly slid into idolatry. The more Canaanites were left alive, the more opportunity for temptation and sin would increase. Another version of if your hand causes you to sin, chop it off. 

But where is the God who delayed punishment of Nineveh when they repented? 

Start with the fact that God never changes. He has always been full of compassion and mercy.

Centuries before, God had told Abraham that "the sin of the Amorites has not yet reached its full measure." (Genesis 15:16, NIV)  The wording makes me think of the flood, when men did evil, only evil, day after day, all day long, and God destroyed to destroy them all. 

I have to believe sin saturated the culture of the Amorites. It not only extended vertically, in their worship of idols, but also horizontally, in their treatment of each other. Perhaps they celebrated sin, and made heroes of whores and murderers. 

Four centuries earlier, they had heard and seen Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. Abimelech, at least, king of the Philistines, seemed to show respect for Abraham's God. 

In other words--they had had opportunity to see and know the truth, but instead rejected it. They threw themselves into sin with a whole heart. They earned every ounce of punishment that they received. 

Again I ask, though, were they that much more sinful than ancient Rome? or contemporary America? If someone were to write The Rise and Fall of the Amorites, what would it say?

I see a glimmer of "fair play" in the verse that says "they all stubbornly fought the Israelites." If they had come out from their cities under a flag of truce and offered to surrender, would God's orders have changed?

The problem is, that the verse also says it was God's idea that they would continue fighting, so they would be cursed and annihilated without mercy.

I suspect that wording, though, is a lot like Pharaoh's heart. In some cases, it says God hardened Pharaoh's heart. Other times, it says that Pharaoh hardened his own heart.  The locals  were all too eager to go to war against the invading Israelites.

And yet, still, how is what Israel did any different from what Hitler did in conquering Europe? What America did in subjugating Native Americans? What happened in Rwanda?

I  don't know. I don't have any quick, easy understanding. I do offer a few thoughts:

• God doesn't change.
• God takes sin seriously. 
• God is in charge. We are not equals on the playing field. His rules govern us.
• Often, when God in his grace extends the period for repentance, we see it as weakness and continue sinning more and more.
• God wants to perform radical surgery to remove sin not only from us but from tempting us.
• We don't have to have all the answers.

I will close with these words from Joel 2:13: 

Rend your heart and not your garments. Return to the Lord your God, for He is gracious and compassionate, slow to anger and abounding in love, and he relents from sending calamity.

OUTSIDE/INSIDE (Deuteronomy 9; Luke 1)

I didn't plan on discussing today's New Testament reading. I'm focusing on the Old Testament in the devotionals, and the two stories couldn't seem more different.

The Gibeonites deceived the Israelites into making a treaty.

The angel told Mary that she would give birth to the Messiah.

But I didn't have to meditate long before their connection became apparent.

• The Israelites made a snap decision based on their first impressions, what they saw on the outside of the Gibeonites.
• God saw that Mary was beautiful on the inside, and chose her to be the mother of His Son.

God always sees what is on the inside. He is the only One who sees everything on the inside, which is why, when we want to know the real truth, we should pray.

The story about the Gibeonites contains some of the saddest words in the Bible: "But they didn't ask God about it." (Joshua 9:14)

I couldn't help but think about my recent disastrous relationship. I looked at Rob (not his name) and accepted the evidence. He was thoughtful and generous. He would get assistance for me when I needed it, carry messages to the kitchen for me, buy items for me at the store. He was intelligent, a former city planner. He was a musician, one with a music scholarship to college. He was spiritual, with a clear understanding of salvation. 

So when he proclaimed his love to me, I responded in kind. 

Unlike Israel and the Gibeonites, I did ask God about it. Stop this before it goes too far. If this isn't Your will. . .God answered that prayer. I learned that Rob was married though separated, and dropped the relationship. 

I don't share this for you to say "oh, poor Darlene." (or even, oh, naive Darlene. :)  ) I share it to point out the importance of confirming the truth behind our first impressions before we make decisions. 

"The men of Israel looked them over and accepted the evidence."  That part of the verse makes me think of scientists, who only trust evidence they can duplicate a lab. Many don't believe in God and close themselves off from the truth behind the evidence of the five senses.

Look, examine . . . and pray for eyes to see beyond the surface.

WAITING TIME (Joshua 4-5)

The people came up out of the Jordan on the tenth day of the first month. (Joshua 4:19, MSG)

When I'm writing a book, I write the time at the beginning of each scene. For instance, the current scene for my work in progress takes place on Thursday, May 23rd. Otherwise I lose track of my timetable.  

Today I noticed the passage of time. The Israelites crossed the Jordan on the tenth day of the first month. Now I know, of course, that the Jewish calendar is nothing like the gregorian calendar which I'm familiar with. But for the sake of considering the timetable, I'll call it 1/10.

     1/10  The Israelites cross the Jordan River.
           The men were circumstanced and took a few days to heal.
     1/14  The Israelites celebrated the Passover - a week-long festival.
     1/22 The earliest that the Israelites began marching around Jericho. They marched every day for a week.
     1/29  The earliest that the Israelites marched around Jericho seven times and the wall fell.

As soon as Israel crossed the Jordan, God began a form of psychological warfare on the Amorites. They were terrified.  Joshua 5 says "the courage drained out of them just thinking about the people of Israel."

The people had crossed the river. 600,000 soldiers--did  an army that large ever go to battle? (You military history buffs will know.) 

Inside the walls of Jericho, the citizens watched. And waited. And waited some more. After three weeks or so, the men assembled and marched on the city. The citizens stiffened. At last the action would begin. Perhaps they even felt relieved that at last they would face the enemy.

But the Israelites did nothing but march and play trumpets. One day . . . two days . . . six. 

Doomsday fell on the seventh day.

Why the delay? Was it for the Amorites--to terrify them? Perhaps, to give them the opportunity to surrender, to announce their belief in Israel's God, such as Rahab did?

Was it for the Israelites--to teach them obedience? 

During the delay, first the Israelites took the step that set them apart as God's people, the rite of circumcision, marking them as children of the covenant.

They also worshipped. They remembered what God had done for them in the past. A God who had delivered from the thumb of the world's greatest power would have no trouble swatting a petty Amorite king. 

So often we are caught "in between."  In between the start of a new chapter. We have crossed our Jordan! We expect to jump into battle (and win) right away.  We keep asking--and God keeps saying "soon."

In case you don't know this already--God's idea of "soon" doesn't agree with ours. 

But never doubt God is at work during that in between time. Let Him prepare you--and others--for what lies ahead.  

TAKE COURAGE (Deuteronomy 34 - Joshua 2)

Joshua's knees were shaking.

That's the feeling I get as I read the first chapter of Joshua. He clearly had a hero worship for Moses (in describing him after his death, he said Moses' eyes were still clear and he walked. He pointed out that no other prophet knew God face to face like Moses.

Joshua was no slouch. He had been there from the time they left Egypt. He and Caleb came back from spying the land excited, ready to march to war. He went with Moses at least partway up the mountain.

And when God named Moses's successor, He called Joshua.

Still, Joshua quaked. Twice God admonished him, "Strength! Courage!" The people of Israel demanded the same thing, when they agreed to follow him.

How hard it must have been to lead, following in a giant's shoes. Harry Truman must have felt when taking over from FDR.  He originated the phrase, "the buck stops here," but Joshua would have agreed.

Called to lead, doubting his ability, Joshua needed something from God. And God delivered.

In chapter two, the Israelites crossed the Jordan River on dry ground. Anyone remember the Red Sea?

Courage Personified

But before that, God gave Joshua a promise.

• I won't give up on you. 
• I won't leave you.
• You are going to lead this people to inherit the land.

God trusted Joshua to finish the job.

God remained with Joshua. He didn't abandon him to do it alone.

The job of leading God's people belonged to Joshua--whether he wanted it or not. 

I love those three promises. At the moment, I'm struggling a bit with insecurity about my writing, longing for some concrete confirmation that God still has grand things ahead for me. (I'm hopeless. I've written twenty-five books. Why do I remain so frightened? Ask my fellow authors. I know I'm not alone.)

Strength of heart not of body

God won't give up on me. If He gives me something to do, He'll make it possible for me to do it. (Not saying it will be easy.).  He won't get up and leave midway through the process.  He'll be with me unto death and beyond. And whether I want to write or not--for now it's God's job for me. I can't escape Him or my calling. So, strength! Courage! The tangible confirmation will come, eventually. But for--God says to gather my strength and courage and get to work.

Whatever call God has made on your life--He makes those same three promises to you. 

So--strength! courage! Get going. 

The End - The first (Deuteronomy 32-34)

This is the first year I have reached the end of the five books of the law with regret. Genesis always gives me a buzz, but I slow down when I which the temple construction in Exodus and Leviticus has me reading words and not thinking.

But making myself really think about what I was reading has blessed me beyond measure, and I pray it has touched your lives as well.  The word of God is indeed a sharp, two-edged sword.  It is harsh and frightening--and it is close up and personal.

Choosing which words of wisdom from the end of Moses's sermon (and life) is like trying to choose from a box of chocolates. They're all so good, and they all reflect themes we've touched on over and over. So I'll give you yet another list.

OUR REASON FOR READING THESE OLD, DRY BOOKS: Read up on what happened before you were born; dig into the past, understand your roots. (Deuteronomy 32:6-7).  
     Oh boy, have I learned a lot about my roots. When I scratched the surface, I discovered truths as relevant today as they were 3400 years ago, and the same passionate God seeking a relationship with me.

BY THE END OF DEUTERONOMY, WE ARE READY TO FLY: He was like an eagle hovering over its nest, overshadowing its young, then spreading its wings, lifting them into the air, teaching them to fly. (Deuteronomy 32:10-14, MSG)
   But the only way I learn how to fly is to be dropped in mid-air--straight into the fight for the promised land. As a friend said, scary and exhilerating at the same time.

GOD IS GOD, AND WE CAN'T ESCAPE HIM. I bring death and I give life, I wound and I heal--there is no way of getting away from or around me! (Deuteronomy 32:39-42, MSG)
       Like it or not, God is there. We either join Him or fight Him, but we can't ignore Him.

GOD IS GOD, AND HE WILL NEVER ABANDON US. God's beloved; God's permanent residence. Encircled by God all day long, within whom God is at home. (Deuteronomy 33:12, MSG)

In summary  - God wishes for us to live with

THE SMILE OF THE BURNING-BUSH DWELLER

(Deuteronomy 32:13-17, MSG)

WITHIN REACH (Deuteronomy 30)

This commandment that I'm giving you today isn't too much for you, it's not out of your reach. The word is right here and now--as near as the tongue in your mouth, as near as the heart in your chest. (Deuteronomy 30:11,14, MSG)

God calls keeping the law easy. It's not too much. It's within your reach. Come on, you can do it.

I don't understand this statement any more easily than one I talked about yesterday. (In case you haven't guessed already, there's a lot about the Bible that I don't understand.)  Because as Paul argued in Romans, no one could keep the law. The law showed us our sin. I feel as if God is telling me I can fly to the moon if I flap my arms long enough.

But that's not God's intention at all. The intervening verses, that I didn't quote, say it's not on a high mountain or across an ocean. We don't need someone to fly to Mars, find it, bring it back and translate it into English for us to understand.

We have it even easier than the Israelites did. We can open up one of the several Bibles we have in our homes (if you have as many Bibles as I do) at any time and read.

God wants our obedience--but He knows we can't keep it perfectly, and He sent His son to make the way for us.

What God does want for us is to make His word part of our here and now. He wants us to keep it on our tongues and in our hearts. Those words that follow the great Shema in Deuteronomy 6 come to mind: Talk about them when you sit at home and when you walk along the road, when you lie down and when you get up. Tie them as symbols on your hands and bind them on your foreheads. Write them on the doorframes of your houses and on your gates.


Today we might say listen to Bible tapes, sing scripture songs, get a Bible tattoo, tape Bible verses to your bathroom mirror, hang them from your rearview mirror and post them on your refrigerator. Use a Bible tear off calendar to read something new each day. The point is, make the word of God part of your life everywhere you go and in everything you do.

That much is within our reach.  (P.S. I selected the image below because the Bible looked used. Open it up!)