Most of us haven’t been involved in conquering countries - leveling cities - crossing raging rivers on dry land at flood stage - stoning and burning people because of their sin.  All that isn’t normally part of our day-to-day routine.  And yet, how these people faced these issues - learning about trusting God - is the same for us today - when we come up against what are for us great challenges in life.

Chapters 1 to 21 focus on the importance of trusting the God who is worthy of trust.  What we’ve seen in chapters 1 to 21 is pretty basic.  We should have this memorized by now:  Trust self and get - what?  creamed.   Trust God and get - what?  victory.  Victory and blessing are an outcome of - what?   faithful obedience.  Faith - for the follower of Jesus Christ - is not a what? an option.  Faith is essential to being who God has called us to be.

Chapters 1 to 21 focus on the importance of trusting the God who is worthy of trust.  Chapters 22 to 24 - the section we started last Sunday - chapters 22 to 24 focus on what it means to live trusting God.  As those who enjoy a relationship with God through Jesus Christ - who’ve been blessed by God - who have seen Him at work in our lives - how do we live by faith now?

Last Sunday we saw that sincerity is no substitute for faith.  It doesn’t matter how sincerely we may be doing the stuff of a Christian - unless we’ve let go of doing life our way - trusting ourselves and the people and things we surround ourselves with - unless we choose to fully trust God - we will never fully experience God’s victory and blessing in our life.

Does that sound familiar?

In chapter 23 Joshua goes on with this theme of living by faith and how e do that.   How do we stay faithful to God - trusting Him - each day of our lives?

Verse 1:  Now it came about after many days, when the Lord had given rest to Israel from all her enemies on every side, and Joshua was old, advanced in years, that Joshua called for all Israel, for their elders and their heads and their judges and their officers, and said to them, “I am old, advanced in years.”

How old was Joshua?  Almost as old a dirt.  He’s old - advanced in years.  About 110 years old. 

Joshua’s lived through slavery in Egypt.  The 40 years of wandering in the wilderness.  He’s one of two men who stood for God - calling for trust in God - when 10 other highly respected men said to “sit down.”  He was a disciple of Moses and someone that God spoke to and through - which puts him in a league with the greatest of God’s leaders - guys like Abraham and David and Paul.  For about 25 plus years he’s been leading the nation of Israel - in conquest and peace.  Through all that - Joshua has learned to walk in faith - to live tight with God.

These last two chapters of Joshua are two final assemblies - one here in chapter 23 and the other in chapter 24 - two final assemblies where Joshua gathers Israel together and shares with the nation - advice - Godly wisdom - that comes from all these years of learning to walk faithfully with God.

Verse 3:  “And you have seen all that the Lord your God has done to all these nations because of you, for the Lord your God is He who has been fighting for you.”

The battle is who’s?  God’s  Who brings the victory?  God.  Who always fulfills His promises?  God.  God’s people had seen all this first hand. 

Verse 4:  “See, I have apportioned to you these nations which remain as an inheritance for your tribes, with all the nations which I have cut off, from the Jordan even to the Great Sea toward the setting of the sun.  The Lord your God, He will thrust them out from before you and drive them from before you; and you will possess their land, just as the Lord your God promised you.”

The conquest of the Promised Land is complete.  All the tribes have been allocated a portion of the land - Napthali in the north - Simeon in the south - and so on.  But there are still pockets of resistance - still danger from the Canaanites left in the land - the defeated but not destroyed.  The struggle isn’t over yet.

So, these words of wisdom.  God has kept His promises to you in the past.  He’ll keep His promises in the future.  But - here - now - dwelling in the Promised Land - because there’s danger to your relationship with God and to your living in His promises - you need to keep trusting Him.  Here’s how.

Verse 6:  “Be very firm, then, to keep and do all that is written in the book of the law of Moses, so that you may not turn aside from it to the right hand or to the left…”

There are five practical words of advice here in chapter 23 on how we can stay faithful to God.  (S4) The first is here in verse 6.

First:  Be Firm.   Say that with me, “Be firm.”

Last Sunday at the Mahoning Valley Country Club - in Pennsylvania - Sheila Drummond - in the midst of a rainy soggy day - Sheila teed off on the 144 yard, par 3, 4th hole of the course.  Her shot cleared a creek - split two bunkers - landed on the green - hit the flagstick and dropped in the cup for a hole-in-one.  Sheila heard her pink lucky ball hit the flagstick - but she never saw it drop in the cup.

26 years ago - after 5 surgeries - due to her diabetes - Sheila went blind.  She is one of three blind people in the US - and the only woman - to hit a hole in one.

Can you imagine this?  Most of us are challenged by those windmills and volcano things.  This is real golf.  The odds of a sighted amateur making a hole in one are 1 in 12,750.  Imagine the odds for blind golfer.

Sheila’s been golfing for 15 years.  A person playing with her said this, “Sheila works hard at the game.  Some days she gets frustrated.  But, she just comes back and tries again.” (1)  That’s devotion.  That’s doing what it takes.

“Be very firm” is the Hebrew word “chazaq.”  It has the idea of extreme devotion - doing whatever it takes - to be strong - to fortify ourselves for the long haul in our relationship with God.

The “book of the law” Joshua talks about here is what the nation received through Moses - what we have as the first 5 books of the Bible - Genesis to Deuteronomy - and all that’s contained within.  The 10 commandments.  How to relate to each other.  How to relate to God.  God’s expectations of us.  How to live life.

Torah - is the Hebrew word describing these first 5 books of the Bible.  Torah describes this “law” - the law of Moses.  Torah - comes from a Hebrew root word that was used by archers.  The word describes the archer giving direction to the arrow as it leaves the bow.

I used to be an archery instructor.  Believe that or not.  It was a dangerous job.  I’d show the students how to string their bows.  How to hold the bows and notch their arrows.  Draw back on their strings holding the arrow with one hand - and guiding it with the other.  Everything lined up perfectly towards the target.  Then they’d release the string and the arrow would shoot off in some wild direction and kill a cow or something.  Ever been there?

That last moment of release and guiding the arrow to the target is crucial to hitting the target.  That’s Torah.

Torah gives us direction on how to live our lives so that we hit the target of living rightly before God.

To live rightly - that takes skill - practice - devotion - to allowing God’s word to shape the direction of our lives.

Arthur Rubinstein - the world famous pianist - years ago wrote about the importance of practicing every day.  “If I don’t practice one day, nobody knows.  If I don’t practice two days, then I know.  But if I don’t practice three days, the whole world can tell.” (2)

If we want to stay faithful to God we’ve got to do whatever it takes - daily - consistently - to not allow ourselves to be distracted or get lazy - we’ve go to be in God’s word daily - consistently - studying - mediating - memorizing - praying for the Holy Spirit to apply it and direct our lives by it.

Joshua’s first practical word of advice - stay firm in the word of God.

Verse 7:  “So that you will not associate with these nations, these which remain among you, or mention the name of their gods, or make anyone swear by them, or serve them, or bow down to them.”

Second word of advice:  Don’t associate.  Say that with me, “Don’t associate.”

Way back when my grandparents were living in Turkey - in the towns they lived in - the Armenians lived in the Armenian section of town.  There was the Turkish section - with its mosque - and businesses and houses - and there was the Armenian section - with its churches and businesses and houses.

Many houses had a wall that formed the perimeter - with a door leading in to a large courtyard - and inside the perimeter wall - in this courtyard was where the family lived - going about the daily stuff of life.

The reason for the wall was safety - protection.  They were living in this town as a part of the community.  But as Christians living in a Muslim country - as Armenians living in Turkish occupied Armenia - they were often massacred - things were done to them - their women.  Men would have to go outside the wall to conduct business - work in the fields or in some shop.  But it wasn’t safe out there.

“To associate” is the Hebrew word “bo” meaning “to come in” or “to go in.”  Inviting into our homes as a welcome guest the culture and practices of the peoples around us.  Associating with the things of the world - the gods or things or attitudes or philosophies or culture that people devote themselves to without realizing the significant danger to our relationship with God.

We need to build a wall of protection around our lives - make wise choices about what we let in.  That may mean letting go of some things - what we focus our minds on - even some relationships.

Elie Wiesel tells a story about a man who came to Sodom hoping to save the city.   He goes from street to street, from marketplace to marketplace, shouting, “Men and women, repent.  What you are doing is wrong.  It will kill you; it will destroy you.”

They laugh.  But he goes on shouting.  Until one day a child stops him.  “Stranger, don’t you see it’s useless?”

“Yes,” the just man replies.

“Then why do you go on?”  the child asks.

“In the beginning,” he says, “I was convinced that I would change them. Now I go on shouting because I don’t want them to change me.” (3)

We’re already a part of this world.  Like Israel was in the land.  We’re living in the town.  Welcome to earth.  We’re located here.  But that doesn’t mean we have to live like here.  We have a much greater calling.

Our calling is to allow God to use us in His work of to changing the hearts of those around us - to change them towards God .  Not to allow the Adversary to use those around us to change our hearts away from God.

Staying faithful means being firm - devoted to God’s word.  Second - keep separate from the world.

Verse 8:  “But you are to cling to the Lord your God, as you have done to this day.  For the Lord has driven out great and strong nations from before you; and as for you, no man has stood before you to this day.  One of your men puts to flight a thousand, for the Lord your God is He who fights for you, just as He promised.”

Third word of advice:  Cling to the Lord your God.  Say that with me, “Cling to the Lord your God.”

On commuter flight from Lewiston, Maine, to Boston, Massachusetts, Henry Dempsey, the pilot heard an unusual noise near the rear of the small aircraft.  He turned the controls over to his co-pilot and went back to check it out.

As he reached the tail section, the plane hit an air pocket, and Dempsey was tossed against the rear door.  Which Dempsey quickly discovered was the source of the mysterious noise.  Apparently the rear door had not been properly latched prior to takeoff, and it flew open.  Dempsey was instantly sucked out of the plane.

The co-pilot, seeing the red light that indicated an open door, radioed the nearest airport, requesting permission to make an emergency landing.  He reported that the pilot had fallen out of the plane.

After the plane landed, they found Henry Dempsey - holding onto the outdoor ladder of the aircraft.  Somehow he had caught the ladder - held on for more that 15 minutes as the plane flew 200 mph at an altitude of 4,000 feet.  Then at landing - kept his head from hitting the runway - only twelve inches away.  Even after the emergency team told Henry it was safe - it took them several minutes to pry Dempsey’s fingers from the ladder. (4)

“Cling” is the Hebrew word “debaq.”  Same word used in Genesis 2:24, “For this reason a man shall leave his father and his mother, and be joined - debaq - to his wife; and they shall become one flesh.”  An intimate inseparable oneness of mind - body - soul.  Cling means to hang on - to stick like glue.  Like peanut butter and bread.

No matter what the turbulence in our lives - we need to cling to God like that - so that nothing can pry us away from our faith in Him.  We have to hang onto him like our life depends upon it.  Because it really does.

Be firm.  Don’t Associate.  Cling to God.

Verse 11:  “So take diligent heed to yourselves to love the Lord your God.  For if you ever go back and cling to the rest of these nations, these which remain among you, and intermarry with them, so that you associate with them and they with you, know with certainty that the Lord your God will not continue to drive these nations out from before you; but they will be a snare and a trap to you, and a whip on your sides and thorns in your eyes, until you perish from off this good land which the Lord your God has given you.”

Fourth word of advice:  Be Very Diligent.  Say that with me, “Be very diligent.”

A sheepfold is basically a walled area with one way in or out.  At night the shepherd would lead the sheep into the fold where they were protected from predators.  During the night the shepherd would lay across the opening as a kind of living gate.  Protecting the sheep with his life.

Do you remember Jesus using that picture to illustrate his relationship with us?  Someone trying to harm or steal the sheep would try to come in over the wall.  But, Jesus said, “I am the good - what? shepherd; the good shepherd lays down His life for the sheep.” (John 10:11)   

Point being that Jesus has given everything for us - laid down His life for us on the cross - continues to watch over and protect us.  That’s astounding isn’t it?  That Almighty should choose to love us like that?  Commit Himself to us with kind of sacrifice and dedication?

The word for “diligent” is the Hebrew word “shamar.”  It has the idea of guarding something - protecting something - like a flock of sheep.  Laying in the door way to protect what’s within.  To this Joshua adds the word “meod” - “very.”  Not just be diligent.  But, be very diligent.  Everything we are needs to be given to guarding what?

Our love of God.  Our relationship with Him - knowing Him - being devoted to Him - this oneness of mind - body - soul.

Jesus - the Good Shepherd - gives us the example of what that means - laying down His life for us.  With that kind of commitment and dedication and attention and work and perseverance - never slacking off - guard the love that you have in your heart for God.

It is way to easy to do the opposite. Isn’t it?  Don’t you find that true in your life?  I know its true for me.

If I’m slacking off in my daily Bible reading or prayer.  If I’m not consistently listening to God or talking with Him - or rather than saturating myself with the things of God - like His music - and I go through my day - exposed to the things of this culture - how people talk using colorful metaphors - the images around me - like the quantlet of soft-porn at the check-out counter - or the music Satan’s got playing just about everywhere - or what women euphemistically call “clothing” - are we together?

If I’m not diligent to protect my relationship with God - slacking off on what I know I must be doing 24/7/365 - and then I go out in the world and get coated with all that crud - it isn’t long before my eyes start looking at stuff they shouldn’t - before my mind starts thinking about stuff it shouldn’t - my actions take on actions that are not Godly.  Are we still together?

We live in a ongoing battle against those who would climb in over the wall to steal the sheep.  Following the example of God who has committed Himself so awesomely for us - with that kind of diligence we’ve got to proactively - daily - guard our love for God.

Verse 14:  “Now behold, today I am going the way of all the earth, and you know in all your hearts and in all your souls that not one word of all the good words which the Lord your God spoke concerning you has failed; all have been fulfilled for you, not one of them has failed.  It shall come about that just as all the good words which the Lord your God spoke to you have come upon you, so the Lord will bring upon you all the threats, until He has destroyed you from off this good land which the Lord your God has given you.  When you transgress the covenant of the Lord your God, which He commanded you, and go and serve other gods and bow down to them, then the anger of the Lord will burn against you, and you will perish quickly from off the good land which He has given you.”

Fifth - the consequences of transgression.  Say that with me, “The consequences of transgression.”

“Transgress” is the Hebrew word “abar.”  “abar” - “to transgress” has the idea of crossing - or passing - beyond the limits set by God’s law and so we fall into transgression or sin.  “Abar” is also the word used to describe the Hebrews crossing through the Jordan River into the Promised Land - passing into God’s promises.  With me? 

“abar” as a transgression is like being given the opportunity to be God’s people and to live - to pass forward - into God’s promises and passing on that opportunity.  Turning from that great opportunity - choosing to use our wisdom - trusting ourselves rather God - and to pass back into sin - to move beyond the boundaries that He lovingly sets up for us. 

Remember the tribes of Reuben, Gad, and one half Manasseh?  Remember they chose to live on the east side of the Jordan River?  Over where they found comfort and good grazing land.  Over where they were close to the sins of the past.  Close to the influence of the ungodly people outside the promised land.

They were so sincere in their faith - trying to do all the right things - but deep down it was an outward show - an attempt to convince themselves and others that they were living for God.  But deep down they were living for themselves.  Remember this?  God offered them the Promised Land and they’d passed.  They’d chosen to go elsewhere.

Ever wonder what happened to these guys?  During the time when the whole nation of Israel was slipping away from God - compromising with sin - God started cutting off portions of Israel.  Like a cutting a cancerous tumor out of the body.  Slice it off before it can damage more of the body.  Doing the cutting in such a way that it’s a warning to the rest of the nation not to go there.

2 Kings 10 tells us that the Reubenites, Gadites, and one half Manasseh were the first to be cut off from Israel.  They’d totally succumbed to the sin of the unGodly people around them.

How many of you remember The Cosby Show?  In this episode Cliff has been trying to convince Theo that getting “D’s” is not a good career move and that Theo needs to apply himself to school.

(video: The Cosby Show, episode 1, 16:40-18:51)

Question.  This line by Cliff:  “I brought you in this world and I’ll take you out.”  Does Cliff love Theo?  Of  course.  After all the discipline he’s hugging his son and letting Theo know that he - and maybe his mother - love him.

God establishes boundaries - warns of consequences - because He’s God - our Father - and He loves us.  Parents do that sort of thing.  God - who loves us - who’s been around the block a few more times than we have - God knows that transgression - sin - is self-destructive behavior.

These last 3 verses of chapter 23 are a warning.  What God promised about His victory and blessing - and delivered on - His promises concerning the consequences of disobedience are just as certain.  God means what He says.

God brought Israel into the land.  God - when Israel transgressed - first with Reuben and Gad and one half Manasseh - and then all of Israel and then Judah - God took His people off the land - into exile - to Babylon.  And then what?  He brings them back to the land - restores them. 

Why?  Because God loves His people.

Proverbs 3:12:  “For whom the Lord loves He - what? Disciplines [reproves], even as a father corrects the son in whom he delights.” (Hebrews 12:6)

Rather than letting His people totally self-destruct He disciplines them.  Lovingly teaching His people about the consequences of sin and the crucial importance of trusting Him.

Thinking about how we can remain faithful to God it is vitally crucial that we devote ourselves to obeying God - that we do not allow ourselves to be influenced by ungodly influences of the world we live in - that we cling tenaciously to God - that we are diligent in guarding our relationship with God - loving Him with all that we are.  And, when we fall short of that - transgress - we need to realize that God’s promises - for blessing and for discipline both flow from His love for us.

The Apostle John writes - 1 John 2 - My little children, I am writing these things to you so that you may not sin.  And if anyone sins - and we all do - if anyone sins we have an Advocate with the Father - a lawyer pleading our case before the throne of God - Jesus Christ the righteous; and He Himself is the propitiation for our sin - the means by which our sin are forgiven - His blood poured out on the cross pleads for the forgiveness of our sins - and not for ours only, but also for those of the whole world.

We desire to live according to Joshua’s advice.  That’s the way to live in the victory and blessings of God.  But, praise God - that when we fall short God still loves us - even provides the way to be restored in our relationship with Him.

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1. FOXSports.com and mcall.com
2. Quoted by Doug Goins, Joshua 23:1-16
3. Reader’s Digest, November 1987, Betty Wein retells an old tale she heard from Elie Wiesel
4. Lutheranhour.org and desiringgod.org - event occurred on Thursday 09.03.1987

Unless otherwise indicated, Scripture taken from the New American Standard Bible®, © 1960, 1962, 1963, 1968, 1971, 1972, 1973, 1975, 1977, 1995 by the Lockman Foundation.  Used by permission.