Imagine you’re one of the Israelites in the OT times. (You tell this like a 1st person story)
• You’ve seen the transition from the trusted wise leader, Moses to the new, untested leader Joshua
• You’ve crossed the Jordan river while it’s been in full flood by following the priests who walked into the river
carrying the ark.
• When you reached the other side you sensed great excitement b/c God has promised you and the people you’re
with all the land that you’re going to be walking on. This was a case where the grass really did seem greener on
the other side.
• You were one of the people that walked around Jericho, the seemingly impenetrable city, with massive walls. You
looked up and wondering how it would be possible to even get into this city, never mind destroy it. You
remember the insults that were hurled down as you walked around and then 7 days later you saw the walls
come crashing down.
• Now, here you are looking at a small town called Ai, it looks easy to defeat compared to Jericho. Your new leader
Joshua announces that only a few thousand will attack this city, the rest of you need to get some rest from the
previous battle. Fortunately you are not chosen so you get to sit on the hill and watch the battle unfold below. ‘
This should be over soon’ you think.
• Next thing your army is running in retreat and the enemy is cheering. You are confused, scared, you have a
million questions running through your mind. How could this happen, did God not promise that He would
destroy the enemies. Your whole future is put on hold and you try make sense of this. That night in the camp -
somber mood.
• The next morning you hear how a guy called Achan had stolen clothing, gold, silver from Jericho despite
everyone being told not to take anything from the city. He had let his greed cloud his judgment and now would
be pay with his life.
• A few days later a new battle strategy is given and the city of Ai is captured. You are once again full of hope and
promise.
This is a true story found in Joshua 7 & 8. I used it to show you how important it is to obey everything God says, not only the parts you feel like obeying. Let’s pick up the biblical account …
Joshua 8:30-35
30 Then Joshua built on Mount Ebal an altar to the Lord, the God of Israel, 31 as Moses the servant of the Lord had commanded the Israelites. He built it according to what is written in the Book of the Law of Moses—an altar of uncut stones, on which no iron tool had been used. …….
34 Afterward, Joshua read all the words of the law—the blessings and the curses—just as it is written in the Book of the Law. 35 There was not a word of all that Moses had commanded that Joshua did not read to the whole assembly of Israel, including the women and children, and the foreigners who lived among them.
Joshua was so insistent to read all the words b/c God had made him a promise. He was a young leader, untested, taking over from a wise older leader who had successfully brought them through the wilderness to this point.
Joshua 1:5-9
5 No one will be able to stand against you all the days of your life. As I was with Moses, so I will be with you; I will never leave you nor forsake you. 6 Be strong and courageous, because you will lead these people to inherit the land I swore to their ancestors to give them.
7 “Be strong and very courageous. Be careful to obey all the law my servant Moses gave you; do not turn from it to the right or to the left, that you may be successful wherever you go. 8 Keep this Book of the Law always on your lips; meditate on it day and night, so that you may be careful to do everything written in it. Then you will be prosperous and successful. 9 Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged, for the Lord your God will be with you wherever you go.”
Psalms writes it like this:
Psalm 1:1-3
Blessed is the one who does not walk in step with the wicked or stand in the way that sinners take or sit in the company of mockers,
2 but whose delight is in the law of the Lord, and who meditates on his law day and night.
3 That person is like a tree planted by streams of water, which yields its fruit in season and whose leaf does not wither - whatever they do prospers.
I want us to look at Unity with the Bible – Our lives in unity with God’s word = Success.
If you rotate back to the word God spoke to this inexperienced leader called Joshua who had some really big shoes to fill, we see 3 key points that need to be followed.
1. v8 Keep this Book of the Law always on your lips
There’s something powerful about verbalising His word.
The bible is known as a sword, it’s an offensive weapon we have to fight the enemy with.
Heb 4:12 – The word of God is living and active, sharper than a 2 edged sword.
Jesus in the wilderness, He gets tested by the devil himself, Jesus always answers, ‘it is written…’
How that plays out in our lives is:
example - We are feeling lonely, defeated, condemned so we start to speak out God’s word (in our rooms/home,
privately) – I am a child of God, I am more than a conqueror through Jesus, I am a new creature in Christ, I am no
longer a slave but a heir of God, I am redeemed and forgiven, I am seated in heavenly places with Christ, I am
God’s workmanship created to produce good works. (all scriptures)
When God created the earth He spoke, Genesis1:3- ‘and God said’….9x
2. v8 Meditate on it day and night
Meditate = think about it, focus your mind on it, ponder it.
As we think about God’s word and how it tells us to respond something happens:
Romans 12:2 Do not conform to this world but be transformed by the renewing of your mind.
If our minds start thinking differently, we will start acting differently.
Illus: Back to the bible did a survey, they wanted to find out what specifically it was that caused life change in
Christians, and they found out that people who had the most life change were people that read the bible 4 or
more times per week. 3 didn’t do it but 4 or more was the magical number.
3. so that you may be careful to do everything written in it. v8
Illus: My first car was a hatchback. I knew that I needed to change the oil regularly but I was a poor bible College
student so I kept putting it off. The one day I was driving home and smoke started to fill the interior. I had seized
the motor. It no longer operated b/c I had neglected to put in fresh oil and change the oil filter.
To many christians know what to do but don’t do it. Obedience brings God’s blessing.
Many times God’s word is counter- intuitive to the world eg: Give and it will be given to you.
• God’s word is powerful, it’s the truth that sets you free and sets you up for success.
