Surmounting Insurmountable Problems
class=MsoNormal align=right style='text-align:right'>1) 8-10-08…AM…SBC 2)“Surmounting Insurmountable Problems”
Joshua 12-14
Ø We pick up in Chapter 12 with a major transition in the book of Joshua
Ø Remember – we want to continually take a stain glass approach to the narrative stories in the Bible
Chapter 12
1- This chapter, summarizing the kings the Israelites killed and whose lands they took over, provides a transition between the conquest of the land (chs. 1–11) and its distribution (chs. 12–21).[1]
2- Chapter 12 confirms that God was faithful to his promises to give these lands to his people. He would fulfill his promises, right down to every last village or town and every last border, passing atop this hill over here and descending through that valley over there.[2]
3- Verse 6-7
A- Moses is called here in the text “the servant of the Lord” – context in v1-5 is the conquest east of the Jordan before crossing over into the Promised Land
1- we are told here that of Moses position before God – he was a servant
2- we are shown here that Moses, like Joshua in chapter 11, was obedient to God
3- this is consistent with the obedience seen in Joshua in chapter 11
4- Application
a- Joshua had to make his own choices and because of his depravity he didn’t always do that (9:14)
b- What Joshua did have was a role model of servitude towards God in Moses (1:1 – assistant)
c- Remember we must learn from the characters’ response to God’s activity
d- Who are you a role model for and how serious do you take that responsibility?
e- Titus 2 principle – be active in the life of others
f- Teach them about the activity of God in your life – 1 Thessalonians 5:11 (build up)
g- The future life of our church depends on you and I investing in the lives of the younger then us.
h- Edification and discipleship is every Christian’s responsibility
Galatians 6:1 Romans 5:14 1 Thessalonians 5:14
Application:
- These conquests reminds us as the church that the covenant-keeping God will give his people the new heavens and the new earth, as he promised, and correspondingly that they must wait patiently for their inheritance (Revelation 21).[3]
- Part of the Greatness of God is seen in his nearness to mankind
a- we are tempted to view pain and trials as bad for us when in reality it is a time to see the faithfulness of God displayed
b- if God is a God of Immutablity, Constancy, Faithfulness, Omnipotence then Romans 8:28 has to be true and we must see our painful trials as channel to the faithfulness of God – don’t get caught in Satan’s trap
c- we must be individuals, families and church that sees and savors the faithfulness of God
d- if we don’t live out the faithfulness of God how will the world ever see the hope they can have in Christ
Transition: Not only are we once again confronted with the faithfulness of God, but in Chapter 13 the text teaches us about the omnipotence of God on behalf of Israel
Chapter 13
v1
1- Joshua was an old man, ready to move off the scene.[4] – we will find his farewell speeches later in the book
a- However, at this juncture in 13:1, Joshua still needed to perform the critically important task of distributing the land,[5]
1. God was not finished with Joshua yet just because he was now closing in on death
2. Joshua teaches a great lesson of faithfulness and obedience in the later stages of life
3. Application
a. those later stages of life are difficult – my grandfather is in them right now
b. at times you may be tempted to think of yourself and all washed up and worthless
c. God never views you this way and it is a sin to adopt this view of man
d. Joshua provides the example of someone who saw the activity of God and served God up to his death
e. How are you finishing life? How will you finish your life? – Stronger than when you began? (Caleb was 85 was he took his inheritance by force)
f. Don’t take the view of retirement and later years of life as a time to be idle from serving your God
Transition: As you move along in the text you find down in v6 more activity from God on behalf of the children of Israel
v6b
2- The Omnipotence of God
- this verse can be literally read “I will cause them to be driven out” (Hiphil stem)
- this verse focuses not on the completed action but the agent completing the action (Imperfect)
- we see that this is God’s battle and Israel is the means by which he is accomplishing His plan
a- None of this battle is too difficult for a mighty God (Chorus from Jeremiah 32:17—“Ah Lord God”)
1. God has been dealing with insurmountable problems since the beginning of the book of Joshua
- Abraham and Sarah and childbirth (Genesis 18)
- The Exodus out of Egypt
- The Crossing of the Red Sea and the Jordan River
- Jericho, Ai, the Northern and Southern Coalition
Ø God determined to give Israel the Promised Land and it is by His omnipotence that He has power to do what He decides to do
b- The Bible indicates that God’s power is infinite – He not just limited to what he has done
(Mt 3:9, Ps 115:3, Ex 32:10)
1. God is able to do everything that is consistent with His character
2. he can’t lie (2 Tim 2:13, Titus 1:2, Heb 6:18)
3. it is not totally accurate to say that God can do anything
4. although God’s power is infinite His use of that power is qualified by his other attributes
· there is always a close working relationship between the attributes of God
· misunderstand results when one attribute is isolated from the rest of God’s character and characterized in a unequal way
· it is the totality of these attributes and their relationship together that gives us the picture of who God is
c- the beauty of God’s power is demonstrated in many ways
1. power of nature – Psalms, miracle accounts, floating ax head
2. power over history – Acts 17:26
3. power over the human nature – Zacheus, Paul, James his brother, etc, etc
· the real measure of God’s power is not in a large rock, but in a changed life
- this is why salvation can only be an act of God
- only God can be the determining factor in salvation because only God has the power to overcome man’s sinful nature
- man’s total depravity predetermines him to only be able to chose sin
Ø a person desiring to worship God finds in His power a wonderful source of strength for his daily life
Application:
- regardless of how bleak the circumstances are
- regardless of how insurmountable the task seems
- regardless of how feeble, weak and out of control you may be feeling
God’s power is displayed to encourage you to live by faith
Ø This passage and this book scream out to us about the goodness of God (wake up you dope!)
- when reading this account I believe that are to be more affected by the goodness of God in the lives of the Israelites then with the number of kings defeated or how bountiful the land was or how great the cities were
- the power of God in all of these battles demonstrates his goodness to them
Let us not forget that all of Scripture displays for us the unchangeable nature of God’s goodness to us.
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[1]D. A. Carson, New Bible Commentary : 21st Century Edition, Rev. Ed. of: The New Bible Commentary. 3rd Ed. / Edited by D. Guthrie, J.A. Motyer. 1970., 4th ed. (Leicester, England; Downers Grove, Ill., USA: Inter-Varsity Press, 1994), Jos 11:16.
[2]David M. Howard, Jr, vol. 5, Joshua, electronic ed., Logos Library System; The New American Commentary (Nashville: Broadman & Holman Publishers, 2001, c1998), 278.
[3]D. A. Carson, New Bible Commentary : 21st Century Edition, Rev. Ed. of: The New Bible Commentary. 3rd Ed. / Edited by D. Guthrie, J.A. Motyer. 1970., 4th ed. (Leicester, England; Downers Grove, Ill., USA: Inter-Varsity Press, 1994), Jos 11:16.
[4]David M. Howard, Jr, vol. 5, Joshua, electronic ed., Logos Library System; The New American Commentary (Nashville: Broadman & Holman Publishers, 2001, c1998), 297.
[5]David M. Howard, Jr, vol. 5, Joshua, electronic ed., Logos Library System; The New American Commentary (Nashville: Broadman & Holman Publishers, 2001, c1998), 297.