Sermon Tone Analysis

Recommitment Required

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Joshua 8:30-35

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Stephen Caswell  © 1999

 

Renewing The Covenant

 

Illustration Of Renewing Your Wedding Vows

 

The story is told of a couple who had been married for some time.

One day, the husband came into the lounge room to find his wife crying.

He asked, what was wrong.

/She said Mike, do you love me? /The husband replied of course I love you; /Why do you ask?/

Because you never tell me that you love.

Mike quite upset about this, replied “ I told you I loved you when we got married twenty five years ago, if anything changes I will let you know.

” Unfortunately some people don’t express their love or commitment  to their spouses very well.

While others constantly express their love for their husband or wife, and this is good.

In fact some people who have been married for twenty-five years or more renew their commitment.

They take their vows again renewing their marriage covenant.

They commit themselves afresh to each other.

But their coveanant is motivated by love!

 

Introduction

 

Last time we looked at Joshua, we observed how Israel had victory at Ai.

They had put things right with the Lord and received His assistance again.

God’s providence used the defeat at Ai to assist in their ultimate victory.

Joshua and Israel were again confident that they would inherit all the land.

With God on their side they were invincible.

I am sure that they would have been keen to secure more territory in the central sector.

Yet that is not what happens.

Instead, Joshua lead Israel on a spiritual pilgrimage.

*Joshua 8:30 says:* /Then Joshua built an altar unto the LORD God of Israel in mount Ebal,/

 

/Why does he do this?/

This is military foolishness.

Human logic and wisdom are never God’s ways.

God considers the spiritual to be far more important than the physical./

/So after the victory at Ai, Joshua lead the children of Israel to Mount Ebal in Central Palestine.

This was a journey of some thirty miles northwards along the Jordan Valley.

Once Jericho, Ai and Bethel were conquered Israel was able to make this journey safely.

Joshua obeyed the Lord’s command and brought Israel to this designated place to observe the /Renewal of the Covenant.*

*/

*/Firstly he lead the people/* * To Remember Their Saviour*

 

*Joshua 8:30-31 says:* /Then Joshua built an altar unto the LORD God of Israel in mount Ebal, As Moses the servant of the LORD commanded the children of Israel, as it is written in the book of the law of Moses, an altar of whole stones, over which no man hath lift up any iron: and they offered thereon burnt offerings unto the LORD, and sacrificed peace offerings/.

a. Joshua Built An Altar

 

Joshua built the altar in Mount Ebal according to the commandments in the Law of Moses.

By doing this he was claiming the land of Canaan for the Lord.

Abraham did the same thing when God promised to give him the land in Genesis 12:7.

The Canaanite gods of Jerciho, Ai and Bethel had fallen.

God was proclaimed as the Lord of Canaan.

Israel would serve Him and must obey His laws.

/But why at this point?

Why didn’t Israel go back to their camp at Gilgal? /After all, they celebrated the feasts of Passover and Unleavened Bread there.

Israel was circumcised here.

At Gilgal they even set up an altar to remember crossing the Jordan.

The Significance of Mount Ebal

 

/Why here?

Why now?/ /What is the significance of  all this?/ Joshua was a man under God’s command.

His actions were therefore the right ones.

God had commanded Israel to come to this place once they had crossed the Jordan.

*Deuteronomy 27:4-6* *says:* /Therefore it shall be when ye be gone over Jordan, that ye shall set up these stones, which I command you this day, in mount Ebal, and thou shalt plaister them with plaister.

And there shalt thou build an altar unto the LORD thy God, an altar of stones: thou shalt not lift up any iron tool upon them.

Thou shalt build the altar of the LORD thy God of whole stones: and thou shalt offer burnt offerings thereon unto the LORD thy God: / */God brought them here for many reasons.

/*This place was the in centre of Canaan, it was strategically placed.

1.

From Mount Ebal and Mount Gerizim you can see most of the land of Canaan.

2.      Investigation there today reveals a natural amphitheatre.

3.      Whatever is said in the valley could be heard on the mountains on each side.

4.      The stones set up there would be a permanent reminder to all in the centre of Israel.

5.      God wanted all Israel to be a part of this solemn occasion.

6.

The Covenant Renewal was for all Israel.

After Joshua had completed the altar Israel offered 2 types of sacrifices upon it.

They brought/ Burnt offerings/ and /peace offerings./

Moses offered these same two sacrifices at Mount Sinai when the Law was given.

This was when Israel first entered into a covenant with the Lord.

b.

Joshua Presented Burnt Offerings - Atonement For Sin

 

Firstly /they offered *burnt offerings*/.

The burnt offering is described in detail in Leviticus ch 1

 

1.

Firstly the people brought their bullock, lamb or goat to the priests.

2.      The person then placed their hands upon its head, being identified with the sacrifice.

3.      The animal was killed and cut up into parts.

4.      Some it had to be cleansed first but the entire sacrifice was offered on the altar.

5.

This sacrifice speaks of atonement and expiation.

6.

This is a solemn occasion pointing to the price required to pay for sin.

The sacrificed animal took the place of the guilty sinner.

The sinner identified Himself with the sacrifice by placing his hands on its head.

This would have /reminded/ them of their deliverance from Egypt.

The angel of the Lord passed over their sin because the blood of the lamb was shed for them.

The lamb was their substitute.

God had saved them and brought them to Canaan to receive an inheritance.

This sacrifice /reminded/ them of the price of their salvation.

The death of a substitute was required.

This Sacrifice Points To Christ’s Substitution

 

This sacrifice points to Christ.

He is our substitute.

He took our place on the cross.

He offered Himself totally to God who was satisfied.

Christ brought atonement for our sin by paying the debt.

He redeemed us.

Christ also made expiation for us sin by removing our sin, and guilt.

Our sin also made us enemies of God.

Our relationship needed reconciling.

We were saved because someone died in our place.

Jesus Christ is the Lamb of God.

*Romans 3:23-25 says: */For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God; // Being justified freely by his grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus: Whom God hath set forth to be a propitiation through faith in his blood, to declare his righteousness for the remission of sins that are past, through the forbearance of God;/

 

Illustration of Appeasing the King

*/ /*

If you went into the kings field and ruined his crops he would be angry at you.