Audio Access Available Above
“Civility, Spirituality And The
Flesh!” • 2.9.14 • Calvary Christian Fellowship, Sunday Morning Service
Intro.
- We are in the final part of this section
covering Israel's co-regency of the promised land. Let's pick it up in verse 1.
Text
• Joshua
20:1-3 : "The Lord also spoke to Joshua, saying, 'Speak to the children of Israel,
saying: ‘Appoint for yourselves cities of refuge, of which I spoke to you
through Moses, that
the slayer who kills a person accidentally or unintentionally may flee there;
and they shall be your refuge from the avenger of blood." : The Lord had commanded the establishment of cities of refuge in
Numbers 35, Deuteronomy 4 and 19,
understanding the nature of law enforcement in the ancient world.
- With a lack of deputized civil authority,
each family designated a person who would take responsibility to seek justice
on behalf of a family.
- When an accidental death occurred, often the
"manslayer" would simply lose their lives, as justice was often
exchanged for vengeance.
- In God's community, vengeance was reserved
for God alone. Murder was expressly forbidden. Justice was to be meted out
fairly and a life taken was a life required.
- These cities of refuge provided asylum. If a
motive was discovered, then that person was to be executed on the spot.
- This was not a city of escape but a place
where a person could rightfully hope for God's justice against the avenger of
blood. This is God's provision. Note now the procedure.
• Joshua
20:4-6 : "And when he flees to one of those cities, and stands at the
entrance of the gate of the city, and declares his case in the hearing of the
elders of that city, they shall take him into the city as one of them, and give
him a place, that he may dwell among them. Then if the avenger of blood
pursues him, they shall not deliver the slayer into his hand, because he struck
his neighbor unintentionally, but did not hate him beforehand. And he shall dwell in that city
until he stands before the congregation for judgment, and until the death of
the one who is high priest in those days. Then the slayer may return and come
to his own city and his own house, to the city from which he fled.’" : The person guilty of killing would literally have to sprint to
a refuge city.
- This person would come to the city gate,
where his case would be heard.
- The elders of the city sat here throughout
the day for just such purposes.
- The elders were responsible to take the
person in as one of their own. He wasn't a stranger to them. He was a brother!
There was not ever to be a dismissive attitude among the elders.
- A person's life had been lost and another
person's life hung in the balance. It was their God given responsibility to
hear these cases.
- The slayer was to come in and dwell. If the
"avenger of blood" pursued, the people of the city were not to simply
deliver him over. He was to stand before a tribunal.
- If he was acquited, he was to remain in that
city until the high priest who presided over his case, died. When that
happened, the slayer could return to his original city.
- Incidently, if he left the city for any
reason during the life of the High Priest, then he would again be susceptible
to the avenger of blood. These were terms that he had to accept.
• Joshua
20:7-9 : "So they appointed Kedesh in Galilee, in the mountains of
Naphtali, Shechem in the mountains of Ephraim, and Kirjath Arba (which is Hebron)
in the mountains of Judah. And on the other side of the Jordan, by Jericho eastward, they
assigned Bezer in the wilderness on the plain, from the tribe of Reuben, Ramoth
in Gilead, from the tribe of Gad, and Golan in Bashan, from the tribe of
Manasseh. These
were the cities appointed for all the children of Israel and for the stranger
who dwelt among them, that whoever killed a person accidentally might flee
there, and not die by the hand of the avenger of blood until he stood before
the congregation." : These are the provinces
that were chosen. Six cities were assigned, three on the east side of the
Jordan and three on the west.
- Each city seems to be about 30-35 miles in
distance from one another providing a fair distance from any place in Israel to
get to.
- According to Deuteronomy 19:3, roads were to be prepared in order for clear and
direct access to each of the cities.
- Others have commented that there were clearly
marked signs and even people along the roads that encouraged the slayers to
keep going toward the cities of refuge!
- Consider the picture developing before us.
The guilty are called to run into a city of refuge. Everyone is allowed to run
there and have their case settled.
- The person is safe within the city limits so
long as the High Priest lives. Is this not a picture of the gospel of Christ!?
God calls the guilty to run into Him.
- When they do, as long as they remain in Him,
they are safe from the one who hunts for them!
- Jesus is our city of refuge and our High
Priest who will never die! We move from civil authority to spiritual authority.
• Joshua
21:1-3 : "Then the heads of the fathers’ houses of the Levites came near
to Eleazar the priest, to Joshua the son of Nun, and to the heads of the
fathers’ houses of the tribes of the children of Israel. And they spoke to them at Shiloh in
the land of Canaan, saying, 'The Lord commanded through Moses to give us cities to dwell in, with
their common-lands for our livestock.' So the children of Israel gave to the Levites from their
inheritance, at the commandment of the Lord, these cities and their common-lands:" : The Levites were not included in the allotment of territory,
but God made sure that each tribe devoted cities for their habitation.
- They would have 48 cities in all from the
other tribes, the six cities of refuge included. Verses 4-42 speak of all the common land assigned to the Levites.
- They were spread out throughout all of
Israel. There was not a town without spiritual aid, who could not call out to a
local Priest for ministry.
- God planted them throughout all of Israel,
just as He has planted each of us throughout this area. We are not here or at
any place in our lives by accident. God has planned it all!
• Joshua
21:43-45 : "So the Lord gave to Israel all the land of which He had sworn to give to
their fathers, and they took possession of it and dwelt in it. The Lord gave them rest all around,
according to all that He had sworn to their fathers. And not a man of all their
enemies stood against them; the Lord delivered all their enemies into their hand. Not a word failed of any good thing
which the Lord had spoken to the house of Israel.
All came to pass." : The people of Israel are
settled into their inheritance. It was a 700 year process from Abraham to
Joshua that was fulfilled!
- He gave them the land and He gave them rest
all around referring to a settled, after dinner state, when nothing is left to
do but enjoy the fruits of one's labor!
- In all their days of war, not a single man
was able to stand before them that God did not deliver into their hands.
Because of His presence with them, they were victorious.
- The Israelites, after all of their battles,
could say honestly, "Not a word failed!"
- Whatever God had spoken to Israel, no matter
how seemingly impossible the word was, it came to pass! It happened. Promise
fulfilled!
- God has not changed! As you follow Him and
yield yourself to His Word, He will faithfully perform all He promises to you
as well!
• Joshua
22:1-9 : "Then Joshua called the
Reubenites, the Gadites, and half the tribe of Manasseh, and
said to them: 'You have kept all that Moses the servant of the Lord
commanded you, and have obeyed my voice in all that I commanded you. You
have not left your brethren these many days, up to this day, but have kept the
charge of the commandment of the Lord
your God. And now the Lord
your God has given rest to your brethren, as He promised them; now therefore,
return and go to your tents and to the land of your possession, which Moses the
servant of the Lord
gave you on the other side of the Jordan. But
take careful heed to do the commandment and the law which Moses the servant of
the Lord
commanded you, to love the Lord
your God, to walk in all His ways, to keep His commandments, to hold fast to
Him, and to serve Him with all your heart and with all your soul.' So
Joshua blessed them and sent them away, and they went to their tents. Now to half the tribe of Manasseh
Moses had given a possession in Bashan, but to the other half of it Joshua gave
a possession among their brethren on this side of the Jordan, westward. And
indeed, when Joshua sent them away to their tents, he blessed them, and spoke to them, saying, 'Return
with much riches to your tents, with very much livestock, with silver, with
gold, with bronze, with iron, and with very much clothing. Divide the spoil of
your enemies with your brethren.' So the children of Reuben, the children of Gad, and half the
tribe of Manasseh returned, and departed from the children of Israel at Shiloh,
which is in the land of Canaan, to go to the country of Gilead, to the land of
their possession, which they had obtained according to the word of the Lord by the hand of Moses." The soldiers from the three eastern tribes had faithfully
discharged their duty and fulfilled their oath to Moses. Joshua sends them back
with a warning.
- They had settled apart from the presence of
the Lord, away from godly influence. Joshua warned them to be very careful to
do the commandment of God.
- God's Word is more than do's and dont's. The
commandment, His Word is the way of life given to them and us by God Himself!
- Knowing it is one thing. Doing it is another!
Joshua knew that their only hope of spiritual survival was to love the Lord and
to walk in His ways. Why love?
- When a person loves the Lord, they will only
do what God wants, thus God's commands are not a burdensome law, but a loving
response!
- Cling tightly to God and serve Him with all
your heart and soul! Is that your heart today?
- If this was their need then, being so close
to the physical presence of God and His people, how much more is this an urgent
need for you and I today!
- Joshua blessed them and they went away rich
men having shared in the spoil of the enemies of the Lord. They would divide
the riches with the brethren who had remained in the east.
• Joshua
22:10-12 : "And when they came to the region of the Jordan which is in the
land of Canaan, the children of Reuben, the children of Gad, and half the tribe
of Manasseh built an altar there by the Jordan—a great, impressive altar. Now the children of Israel heard
someone say, 'Behold, the children of Reuben, the children of Gad, and half the
tribe of Manasseh have built an altar on the frontier of the land of Canaan, in
the region of the Jordan—on the children of Israel’s side.' And when the children of Israel
heard of it, the whole congregation of the children of Israel gathered together
at Shiloh to go to war against them." : On their
way back to their territory, the three tribes built a very impressive altar by
the Jordan river.
- It was literally a sight to see, which
prompted the rest of the children of Israel to gather for war against the three
eastern tribes.
- Notice that all it took was for them to hear
that an altar was constructed and they gathered for war! These people have only
just left! They were honorably discharged and now this!
• Joshua
22:13-20 : "Then the children of Israel sent Phinehas the son of Eleazar the
priest to the children of Reuben, to the children of Gad, and to half the tribe
of Manasseh, into the land of Gilead, and with him ten rulers, one ruler each from the chief house of
every tribe of Israel; and each one was the head of the house of his father
among the divisions of Israel. Then they came to the children of
Reuben, to the children of Gad, and to half the tribe of Manasseh, to the land
of Gilead, and they spoke with them, saying, 'Thus says the whole congregation
of the Lord: ‘What treachery is this that you
have committed against the God of Israel, to turn away this day from following
the Lord, in that you have built for
yourselves an altar, that you might rebel this day against the Lord? Is the iniquity of Peor not enough
for us, from which we are not cleansed till this day, although there was a
plague in the congregation of the Lord, but that you must turn away this day from following the Lord? And it shall be, if you rebel
today against the Lord, that tomorrow He will be angry
with the whole congregation of Israel. Nevertheless, if the land of your
possession is unclean, then cross over to the land of the possession of the Lord, where the Lord’s tabernacle stands, and take
possession among us; but do not rebel against the Lord, nor rebel against us, by building
yourselves an altar besides the altar of the Lord our God. Did not Achan the son of Zerah
commit a trespass in the accursed thing, and wrath fell on all the congregation
of Israel? And that man did not perish alone in his iniquity.’" : The people of Israel sent out this delegation, led by Eleazar
the priest, to investigate what had happened as they had been commanded by
Moses.
- The consensus had been that this group of
people had committed a treachury and rebelled against the Lord, which was no
isolated incident, but a matter or national security!
- When one tribe involved themselves in sexual
sin, God allowed a plague to wipe out most of Simeon. When one man sinned, the
enemies of God were able to vanquish the people of God at Ai!
- Phinehas is saying to these tribes,
"Don't you see how your actions will affect us?"
- This altar would represent a rebellion
against where God chose to be worshipped!
•
Joshua 22:21-29 : "Then the children of Reuben, the
children of Gad, and half the tribe of Manasseh answered and said to the heads
of the divisions of Israel: 'The Lord God of gods, the Lord God of gods, He knows, and let
Israel itself know—if it is in rebellion, or if in treachery against the Lord, do not save us this day. If we have built ourselves an altar
to turn from following the Lord, or if to offer on it burnt offerings or grain offerings, or if
to offer peace offerings on it, let the Lord Himself require an account. But in fact we have done it for
fear, for a reason, saying, ‘In time to come your descendants may speak to our
descendants, saying, 'What have you to do with the Lord God of Israel? For the Lord has made the Jordan a border
between you and us, you children of Reuben and children of Gad. You have no
part in the Lord.' So your descendants would make
our descendants cease fearing the Lord.’ Therefore we said, ‘Let us now prepare to build ourselves an
altar, not for burnt offering nor for sacrifice, but that it may be a witness
between you and us and our generations after us, that we may perform the
service of the Lord before Him with our burnt
offerings, with our sacrifices, and with our peace offerings; that your
descendants may not say to our descendants in time to come, 'You have no part
in the Lord.' Therefore we said that it will be,
when they say this to us or to our generations in time to come, that we may
say, ‘Here is the replica of the altar of the Lord which our fathers made, though not
for burnt offerings nor for sacrifices; but it is a witness between you and
us.’ Far be it from us that we should
rebel against the Lord, and turn from following the Lord this day, to build an altar for
burnt offerings, for grain offerings, or for sacrifices, besides the altar of
the Lord our God which is before His
tabernacle.'" : The investigation led to
this explanation: The three eastern tribes wanted their families to enjoy the
benefit of being identified with God's people.
-
This altar wasn't for offering sacrifices. It was a replica that would stand as
a witness of the three tribes rightful relation to God's people as a whole.
They didn't want to be forgotten.
-
They had been blindsided by this accusation. To their credit, they didn't fire
back with further accusations. In fact, they graciously understood the source
of the issue and understood the position.
-
A soft answer turns away wrath. When a misunderstanding takes place, it is a
wise person who gives the benefit of the doubt and lovingly gives an
understanding audience.
•
Joshua 22:30-34 : "Now when Phinehas the priest and
the rulers of the congregation, the heads of the divisions of Israel
who were with him, heard the words that the children of Reuben, the children of
Gad, and the children of Manasseh spoke, it pleased them. Then Phinehas the son of Eleazar
the priest said to the children of Reuben, the children of Gad, and the
children of Manasseh, 'This day we perceive that the Lord is among us, because you have not
committed this treachery against the Lord. Now you have delivered the children of Israel out of the hand
of the Lord.' And Phinehas the son of Eleazar the
priest, and the rulers, returned from the children of Reuben and the children
of Gad, from the land of Gilead to the land of Canaan, to the children of
Israel, and brought back word to them. So the thing pleased the children of Israel, and the children of
Israel blessed God; they spoke no more of going against them in battle, to
destroy the land where the children of Reuben and Gad dwelt. The children of Reuben and the
children of Gad called the altar, Witness, 'For it is a witness
between us that the Lord is God.'" : This
ended much better than it might have and illustrates for us two foundational
principles. First, this whole episode takes place because of what someone
heard.
-
The tongue had proclaimed the act, given the truth of what had happened, but it
was the mind of the people that rushed to judge the intent of what the altar
had meant!
-
How much damage has been done in exactly the same manner among the people of
God!?
-
Second, this reveals to us just how much God's people needed cities of refuge
and Levitical oversight! There is a split second between harmony and all out
war!
-
These people who had been war buddies might also have been mortal enemies in
the same chapter!
-
The enemies of God were helpless against them, but a single word and a rash
accusation almost destroyed it all!
-
No matter the history of victory, the privliege of purpose, the nobility of
structure, the power of the tongue contains life and death!
Conclusion
- Let's pray.
No comments:
Post a Comment