Why Change?

John the Baptist was a great man.  He is called “the Baptist,” because his ministry was characterized by a call for people to be baptized.  Luke 3:3 says, “Then John went from place to place on both sides of the Jordan River, preaching that people should be baptized to show that they had repented of their sins and turned to God to be forgiven.”[i]  This baptism is how we distinguish him from other men named John, such as John the Apostle. 

John the Baptist did not write any Scripture.  The gospel of John, 1^st, 2^nd, 3^rd John and Revelation were all written by the Apostle John.  John the Apostle started out as a political zealot and ended up as the Apostle of Love.  John the Baptist was a wild man.  By “wild man,” I mean that he lived in the wild.  He wore clothes made for rough country and ate what food he could find in wild places.

John the Baptist apparently isolated himself for a time.  There is no suggestion of the length of time he lived in the wilderness.  However, in Luke 3:2 we learn, “At this time a message from God came to John, son of Zechariah, who was living in the wilderness.”  Receiving this message from God may have been part of the fruit of his isolation.  The Scriptures do not say this, but I imagine part of John’s living in the wilderness was his personal seeking after God.

We also see in these early verses of Luke 3 that John lived in a politically charged time.  We see names that are famous even in our day.  Tiberius, Pilate, Herod, Annas and Caiaphas are names famous in the story of Jesus.

John was born as the forerunner of Jesus.  This is what Luke 3:4 is referring to when it quotes Isaiah saying, “He is a voice shouting in the wilderness.” This is the Advent Season and we are looking forward to the birth of Jesus.  The Advent is a time of preparing and anticipation.  It is a time for us to reflect and worship.  As we look at John as a forerunner, we are looking at this preparing aspect of his ministry.  However, historically the events we are looking at today actually took place almost 30 years after Jesus was born.  Historically, John and Jesus were born close in time with each other.

I began by saying, “John the Baptist was a great man.”  Jesus, Himself, said of John, “I tell you, of all who have ever lived, none is greater than John.”  (Luke 7:28)  Luke 1:17 and other passages say that John would be a man with the spirit and power of Elijah who would prepare people for the coming of the Messiah.  Elijah was a great Old Testament prophet, and John represented the last of the Old Testament prophets.  However, John the Baptist did not perform any recorded miracles.  Elijah did.  Elisha did.  Moses and Jesus did.  But, John did not.

John came with a very simple message.  He came preaching, “. . . people should be baptized to show that they had repented of their sins and turned to God to be forgiven.”  (Luke 3:3)  John said more.  His head was chopped off because he told the king that he had no business marrying his brother’s wife.  He said more, but his message was one simple idea.  “People should be baptized to show that they had repented of their sins and turned to God to be forgiven.”

John’s job as a forerunner was to announce the Good News.  He does this saying, “someone is coming soon who is greater than I am—so much greater that I’m not even worthy to be his slave and untie the straps of his sandals.”  (Luke 3:16)

John’s message was simple, and his announcement was equally simple and direct.  He did not perform miracles.  Without miracles or a flashy show, this wild man with a simple message and simple announcement drew large crowds.

In our day of marketing, media and flashing lights it is hard to imagine something so simple drawing huge crowds.  However, I think people today hunger for something simple and direct.  A man who has isolated himself from the corruption and glamour of the world and in a simple straightforward way tells the truth is appealing.  The Gospel is powerful.  Before marketing, before preaching, before speaking, we need to take the time to get alone with God and hear from Him.  Even Jesus, the Son of God, rose a great while before dawn to be alone with the Father.  John the Baptist spent time alone in the wilderness, and left the wilderness after hearing from God.

We are busy.  We are busy, but not busier than Jesus was.  We make time for what is important to us.  I have worked with men who worked 60 and 70 hours a week, who made time to watch their favorite football team.  60 or 70 hours a week may be a light week for you, but I would still ask, “Are you too busy to seek the Lord?” 

All of us are drawn to the simple, straightforward truth of the Gospel.  Crowds flocked to John the Baptist just to hear that the Savior was soon to appear.  But, the reception they received was less than inviting.  While we are drawn to the Gospel, we can be driven away by the truth about ourselves.

Verses 7, 8 and 9 of Luke 3 are harsh, very harsh.  It says:

⁷When the crowds came to John for baptism, he said, “You brood of snakes!  Who warned you to flee God’s coming wrath? ⁸Prove by the way you live that you have repented of your sins and turned to God.  Don’t just say to each other, ‘We’re safe, for we are descendants of Abraham.’  That means nothing, for I tell you, God can create children of Abraham from these very stones.  ⁹Even now the ax of God’s judgment is poised, ready to sever the roots of the trees.  Yes, every tree that does not produce good fruit will be chopped down and thrown into the fire.”

What a greeting!  “You brood of snakes.”  John was harsh.

These people were Jewish.  From the day they were born, they celebrated the Jewish Holidays.  They learned about the 10 plagues and the crossing of the Red Sea at Passover.  They learned about the 40 years in the wilderness and manna during the festival of Sukkot.  They knew the 10 commandments from the time they were children.  They knew God’s promise to Abraham, and were looking forward to the coming of the Messiah.  John assaults their confidence when he says, “Don’t just say to each other, ‘We’re safe, for we are descendants of Abraham.’  That means nothing.” 

We all put our confidence in something.  Many say, “I am a good person.  I have not done anything wrong.”  By wrong, they mean criminal.  We all like to consider ourselves good people.  But, our standard of good is based on our own ideas and not God’s.  Others count on the fact that they were baptized, or some other religious practice.

The people John the Baptist was talking to were the most religious people possible.  If anyone could be right with God by religious practice, surely they could have been.  However, all their religious practice proved is that one cannot be right with God by religious practice.  Galatians 3:11 says, “So it is clear that no one can be made right with God by trying to keep the law.”

Writing in 1948, well know author and preacher A. W. Tozer, writing in his introduction to the book The Pursuit of God said:

The truth of Wesley’s words is established before our eyes: “Orthodoxy, or right opinion, is at best, a very slender part of religion.  Though right tempers cannot subsist without right opinions, yet right opinions may subsist without right tempers.  There may be a right opinion of God without either love or one right temper toward Him.  Satan is a proof of this.”

Thanks to our splendid Bible societies and to other effective agencies for the dissemination of the Word, there are today many millions of people who hold “right opinions,” probably more than ever before in the history of the Church.  Yet I wonder if there was ever a time when true spiritual worship was at a lower ebb.  To great sections of the church the art of worship has been lost entirely, and in its place has come that strange and foreign thing called the “program.”  This word has been borrowed from the stage and applied with sad wisdom to the type of public service which now passes for worship among us.

The point is, all need a Savior.  There is no exception.  You and I, no matter how spiritual we may think we are, are entirely dependent on Jesus Christ for salvation.  That is why the coming of the Savior is such good news. 

John came with a simple message that drew hearts to hear more.  However, the nature of the message confronted all men with their sins.  The conclusion of the message was the need for change.

Change does not save us.  John says, “Prove by the way you live that you have repented of your sins and turned to God.”  (Luke 3:8)  Salvation is found in turning to God.  Repentance is changing one’s mind.  I once thought I did not need a Savior.  I now see that I need a Savior.  I have changed my mind.  I once thought I was good enough.  I now see that my righteousness is as filthy rags before God.  I have changed my mind.

John tells the multitude that baptism means nothing if the evidence of change is not there.

2 Corinthians 5:17 says, “This means that anyone who belongs to Christ has become a new person.  The old life is gone; a new life has begun!” 

We are talking about this kind of change.  James says it like this:

You say you have faith, for you believe that there is one God.  Good for you!  Even the demons believe this, and they tremble in terror.  How foolish!  Can’t you see that faith without good deeds is useless?  (James 2:19-20)

In John’s day as in ours, if we have truly repented and turned to God, our lives will show it.  Do we change in order to be saved?  No, rather, change is the evidence that we have repented and turned to God to be saved.

John came to prepare the way for the Lord’s arrival.  We still need his message today.

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[i]  Unless otherwise noted Scripture quotations are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation.  Copyright © 1996, 2004, 2007 by Tyndale House Foundation.  Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., Carol Steam, Illinois 60188.  All rights reserved.

The Morning Light from Heaven

Luke 1:67-79[i]

What does it look like when the world hates you?

The Nazi regime targeted the Jewish people during the WW II era.  Millions died.  The Nazi death camps are still well known, and horrifying pictures from those camps are still available.  Is this what it looks like when the world hates you?

In 2001 we watched in horror as airliners were flown into the twin buildings of the World Trade Center.  2,977 people died in those terrorists attacks.  Is this what it looks like when the world hates you?

In part, this is what it looks like when the world hates you.  Recently in California and Paris, we again saw the devastating effects of sin, evil and hate.

In 2011, there were 12,664 murders in the United States.[ii]  In the same year, there were 9,878 deaths from alcohol impaired driving.  These and other statistics like them are all the results of sin and evil in our world.

These numbers touch us all.  We all know someone who has lost a loved one.  Perhaps you have lost a loved one.

Jesus warned us, “You will be hated by all for my name’s sake.”  (Matthew 10:21, ESV)  And, John the Apostle wrote, “Do not be surprised, brothers, that the world hates you.”  (1 John 3:13, ESV)  The horrifying statics and the death on our news videos are the effects of sin and evidence of the truth of 1 Peter 5:8.

Your adversary the devil prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour.  ESV[iii]

If you are like me, we tend to think light of our sin.  Our anger or unforgiveness is justified.  Actually, we do not call it anger or unforgiveness when it occurs in ourselves.  However, we must consider the words of James 1:14-15.

¹⁴But each person is tempted when he is lured and enticed by his own desire.  ¹⁵Then desire when it has conceived gives birth to sin, and sin when it is fully grown brings forth death.  ESV

The connection between lured and enticed to burning buildings and highway deaths may seem farfetched, but this is where all evil starts.  It starts in the heart.

The passage we are looking at today reminded me of the darkness from which we are saved.  If there were not darkness, we would not need a Savior.  Our hope and rejoicing are great because the victory is great.  Our hope and rejoicing are great because our need is great.

Zechariah’s song, found in Luke 1:67-79, is a joyful, triumphant prophecy of the coming of a Savior.  Verse 67 tells us that Zechariah was filled with the Holy Spirit and gave this prophecy.  All true prophecy comes from the Holy Spirit.  Men moved by the Holy Spirit record the message God wants to deliver.  This is what prophecy is.  2 Peter 1:20-21 says:

²⁰knowing this first of all, that no prophecy of Scripture comes from someone’s own interpretation.  ²¹For no prophecy was ever produced by the will of man, but men spoke from God as they were carried along by the Holy Spirit.  ESV

Up to the time of Zechariah, Israel’s history included plenty of suffering.  Zechariah says, “Now we will be saved from our enemies and from all who hates us.” (vs 71)  He also says, “We have been rescued from our enemies.”  (vs 74)  Because of the suffering, because of the enemies and hate, Zechariah had reason to rejoice in being saved from these things. 

This is why I started with the question, “What does it look like when the world hates you?  Moved by the Holy Spirit, Zechariah addresses the issues of enemies and a world that hates God’s people.  The world hated God’s people in Zechariah’s day, and it hates God’s people in this present day.  As we look at Zechariah’s prophecy we will see how Jesus has overcome the world and its hate for God’s people.

We see this in the praise that Zechariah offers.  He says:

“Praise the Lord, the God of Israel, because he has visited and redeemed his people.”

There are two parts to this praise.  Part one is that God has visited his people, and part two is that God has redeemed his people.

This visitation is Immanuel, God with us.  In describing this visitation Zechariah says, “He has sent us a mighty Savior.”

John the Baptist was the forerunner of this visitation.  Zechariah describes John’s ministry as a forerunner when he says:

⁷⁶“And you, my little son, will be called the prophet of the Most High, because you will prepare the way for the Lord. ⁷⁷You will tell his people how to find salvation through forgiveness of their sins.  ⁷⁸Because of God’s tender mercy, the morning light from heaven is about to break upon us, ⁷⁹to give light to those who sit in darkness and in the shadow of death, and to guide us to the path of peace.”  (Luke 1:76-79)

“Because of God’s tender mercy, the morning light from heaven is about to break upon us.”  God’s visitation means the forgiveness of our sins.  To live in bondage to sin is to sit in darkness and in the shadow of death.  Because of Jesus Christ, we can be set free from bondage to sin.  He guides us to the path of peace.

Psalm 23 says:

“He leadeth me beside the still waters.  He restoreth my soul: he leadeth me in the paths of righteousness for his name's sake.  Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil: for thou art with me.”  KJV

This is what His visitation means.  In a world that hates us with an enemy that seeks to devour us, we have the presence and protection of a mighty Savior.

The second part of the praise is that He has redeemed His people.  This is what ties us to the promises.  This Savior sent from God is from the royal line of his servant David.  This means a lot to us because we have been bought with a price and are now part of the family of God.  2 Peter 1:18 speaks of this redemption when it says:

¹⁸knowing that you were ransomed from the futile ways inherited from your forefathers, not with perishable things such as silver or gold, ¹⁹but with the precious blood of Christ, like that of a lamb without blemish or spot.  ESV

 All the promises of God now apply to us because of our Lord Jesus Christ.  This is what 2 Corinthians 1:20 means when it says, “For all the promises of God find their Yes in him.”  ESV   

Just as God delivered Israel from Egypt at the cost of Egypt’s firstborn son, God has delivered us from slavery to sin at the cost of His first-born Son.  So, when Zechariah says, “He has been merciful to our ancestors by remembering his sacred covenant.”  We are partakers in those covenants.

So, in spite of the darkness and evil around us, we can join with Zechariah in praising God for the great salvation He has brought to us.

However, we must understand there is a now and a not-yet element to this prophecy. 

The now part of the prophecy is our spiritual salvation and inclusion in the covenants and promises of God.  Hallelujah, our sins are forgiven.  We have been given new life.  We have the Holy Spirit, and have even been made partakers in the divine nature.  Because of these things, we know that God causes all things to work together for the good of those that love Him.

The not-yet part of the promises are also many.

The fact that the Savior is from the royal line of David points to His rightful position on a throne.  Although He sits at the right hand of God and intercedes for us, all of His enemies have not yet been made a footstool for His feet.  (Hebrews 1:13, Colossians 3:1)  He does not yet sit on a throne on earth with all the world subject to Him.  This was foretold in Daniel 7:27, which says:

And the kingdom and the dominion and the greatness of the kingdoms under the whole heaven shall be given to the people of the saints of the Most High; his kingdom shall be an everlasting kingdom, and all dominions shall serve and obey him.  ESV

Isaiah 2: 2-4 also speaks of this future day when it says: 

²It shall come to pass in the latter days that the mountain of the house of the LORD shall be established as the highest of the mountains, and shall be lifted up above the hills; and all the nations shall flow to it, ³and many peoples shall come, and say: “Come, let us go up to the mountain of the LORD, to the house of the God of Jacob, that he may teach us his ways and that we may walk in his paths.”  For out of Zion shall go the law, and the word of the LORD from Jerusalem.  ⁴He shall judge between the nations, and shall decide disputes for many peoples; and they shall beat their swords into plowshares, and their spears into pruning hooks; nation shall not lift up sword against nation, neither shall they learn war anymore. ESV

There is a day coming when there will be no more crime, hate, murder and trouble on our streets.  There will be a day when there will be no more sin in our hearts.  This is the not-yet part of this prophecy. 

We still eagerly wait for this day.  Every year when we put up our Christmas trees and decorate our houses, we point to our eager hope and expectation that Jesus will come again.  This is what Philippians 3:20  is talking about when it says, “But we are citizens of heaven, where the Lord Jesus Christ lives. And we are eagerly waiting for him to return as our Savior.”

The world and its ruler are going to try to distract you from this hope and expectation.  Let the praise of Zechariah’s song remind you of why we celebrate.  Let this encourage your heart.

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[i] Unless otherwise noted Scripture quotations are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation.  Copyright © 1996, 2004, 2007 by Tyndale House Foundation.  Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., Carol Steam, Illinois 60188.  All rights reserved.

[ii] https://www.fbi.gov/about-us/cjis/ucr/crime-in-the-u.s/2011/crime-in-the-u.s.-2011/offenses-known-to-law-enforcement/expanded/expanded-homicide-data

[iii] Scripture quotations marked ESV are from The ESV Bible (The Holy Bible, English Standard Version) copyright 2001 by Crossway, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers.  Used by permission.  All rights reserved.

The Promises

People lose hope.

Christmas is the season of joy, peace and celebration.  However, many do not feel joyful during this season.  The reasons for this lack of joy are as varied as the individuals we are talking about. 

This year there will be some going through Christmas without a loved one.  Having observed the holiday for years with the same person, this year the loved one is no longer there.

This year some will be exhausted by the busyness of the season.  Concerts, children’s plays, family gatherings, church gatherings, shopping, decorating and the endless expectations rob the season of its joy.

Some do not have fond memories of holidays past.  Family conflict, splitting holidays between homes and other difficulties mar the season of joy and peace on earth.

We live in a world damaged and torn by sin.  Sickness and disease attack our bodies.  Hackers and viruses attack our computers.  Thieves steal our identities.  Terrorists attack our cities.

Jeremiah prophesied in Israel during a very dark time.  In Jeremiah 33 verse 1, we find Jeremiah confined in the courtyard of the guard.  He was in prison in Jerusalem.  He was in prison because he said they should surrender to the Babylonians.  The Babylonians had surrounded the city, and were building siege works.  Inside the city, the Israelites were tearing down houses and even the king’s palace for materials to strengthen the walls and fight the Babylonians.  It was a dark time, and Jeremiah spoke for the Lord saying:

You expect to fight the Babylonians, but the men of this city are already as good as dead, for I have determined to destroy them in my terrible anger.  I have abandoned them because of all their wickedness.  (Jeremiah 33:5)[i]

The Lord is frank with us about dark days.  The Bible speaks of the wrath of God being revealed against all the ungodliness and unrighteousness of men.  I will not try to look at all the verses that speak of darkness, but l will use Isaiah 8:20-22 as an example.  It says:

²⁰Look to God’s instructions and teachings!  People who contradict his word are completely in the dark.  ²¹They will go from one place to another, weary and hungry.  And because they are hungry, they will rage and curse their king and their God.  They will look up to heaven ²²and down at the earth, but wherever they look, there will be trouble and anguish and dark despair.  They will be thrown out into the darkness.

Trouble, anguish and dark despair describe much of what happens in our world.  This darkness makes the message of Christmas that much brighter.  If we were not in darkness, we would not need light.  As it is, Isaiah 9:2 says, “The people who walk in darkness will see a great light.  For those who live in a land of deep darkness, a light will shine.” 

With a backdrop of deep darkness, Jeremiah says, “The day will come, says the LORD, when I will do for Israel and Judah all the good things I have promised them.” (Jeremiah 33:14) 

Our hope is in the promises of God.  Jesus died for our sins, but we still wait for the day when we will be sinless.  Jesus promised to prepare a place for us, but we still wait for the day when He comes back to take us home. 

God promised to bless all the nations on earth through Abraham’s seed.  We now know that the promise is true through Jesus Christ our Lord.  God promised to remove our sins from us as far as the east is from the west.  We now know that this is accomplished through the death of Christ on the cross.

The Lord reminds us of His promises and says, “The day will come when I will do for Israel and Judah all the good things I have promised.”

Remembering the promises is the point of the season.  We need not lose hope.  God has triumphed over the darkness.

Jeremiah 33:15 points to the source of victory.  There is one central promise that is the key to all the other promises.  All the promises of God, hang on this one promise.  Jeremiah looks at the darkness surrounding his city.  He looks at the army getting ready to invade, and says, “We have reason to hope.”   Jeremiah 33:15 is talking about the great light those living in darkness will see.  It says:

In those days and at that time I will raise up a righteous descendant from King David’s line.  He will do what is just and right throughout the land.

This descendant of David is the key to the promises of God in which we hope.  This descendant of David is the one on whom all our hopes rest.  From the time of creation, this was God’s plan, and He made it happen.

When God created man and woman, He placed them in the Garden of Eden.  God placed the tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil in the middle of the garden, and forbade them to eat of it.  He did this to test them.  They chose to eat of the tree bringing down the curse about which God had warned them.  At that time, God made a promise.  He said, “And I will cause hostility between you and the woman, and between your offspring and her offspring.  He will strike your head, and you will strike his heel.”  Genesis 3:15

This offspring of the woman is the One we are talking about.

Later, God chose a man named Abram, who lived in Mesopotamia.  He chose this man and gave him a promise saying:

“I will bless those who bless you and curse those who treat you with contempt.  All the families on earth will be blessed through you."  Genesis 12:3

These blessings would come through Abraham’s offspring.

Abraham had a son named Isaac.  Isaac had a son named Jacob.  The family was aware of the promises God had made to Abraham.  So, when Jacob was on his deathbed he prophesied about his son Judah saying:

The scepter will not depart from Judah, nor the ruler's staff from his descendants, until the coming of the one to whom it belongs, the one whom all nations will honor.  Genesis 49:10

This one to whom the scepter belongs is the One we are talking about.

When Israel was preparing to invade the Promised Land, Balak King of Moab, hired a seer named Balaam to curse Israel.  Looking out over the camp of Israel from a mountaintop, Balaam was inspired by God to say:

"I see him, but not now; I behold him, but not near.  A star will come out of Jacob; a scepter will rise out of Israel.”  Numbers 24:7

What he saw is the star of Jesse, a descendant of Judah.

Many years after Jacob and Judah had passed and gone to heaven, a descendant of Judah named David was anointed king over all Israel.  God spoke to David saying:

Your house and your kingdom will continue before me for all time, and your throne will be secure forever.  2 Samuel 7:16

The songs of Israel are full of references to this ruler who was to come from David.  Just one example of many is Psalm 89:3-4:

“The LORD said, ‘I have made a covenant with David, my chosen servant.  I have sworn this oath to him: I will establish your descendants as kings forever; they will sit on your throne from now until eternity.’” 

In the dark days Israel was facing, Jeremiah took them back to these promises.

In those days and at that time I will raise up a righteous descendant from King David’s line.  He will do what is just and right throughout the land.  Jeremiah 33:15

The birth of Jesus, the shepherds, the wise men, the manger, the star and the angels are all about this One who was promised.

For the one who has lost a loved one, there is hope.  Because of Jesus, we will see our loved ones again.

For the one fighting sickness and disease, there is hope.  Jesus is our healer, and He promised He would never leave us.  He is with us in our suffering.

What about Peace on Earth?  We have peace in our hearts because of Jesus, but our world is not experiencing peace.  What about, “the government shall be on his shoulders?”  

Jesus is the descendant of David, promised so long ago, but His earthly kingdom will not be set up until He returns. 

Jeremiah 33:16 is about things yet to happen.  It says:

In that day Judah will be saved, and Jerusalem will live in safety.  And this will be its name: ‘The LORD Is Our Righteousness.’ 

 Do not give up hope.  “That day” has not yet arrived.  Our citizenship is in heaven and we eagerly await a Savior from there (Philippians 3:20).

Along with the promises of His birth and lineage, there are many promises still being fulfilled and yet to be fulfilled.  We will see Him coming on the clouds with glory.  He will set up His throne and rule with truth and justice.  Do not give up hope. 

The Lord isn't really being slow about his promise, as some people think.  No, he is being patient for your sake.  He does not want anyone to be destroyed, but wants everyone to repent.  2 Peter 3:9

Do not let television, movies, radio, music and the culture define for you what you should expect from Christmas.  There is no hope in that.  Please understand me.  I celebrate Christmas wholeheartedly: buying and giving gifts, decorating, baking, singing, lights, tinsel and candy canes.  And, the reason I celebrate is the hope that I have in Christ.  There is trouble in our world.  Jesus said, “Here on earth you will have many trials and sorrows.”  And, in the same breath he said, “But take heart, because I have overcome the world.”  (John 16:33)

I want to leave you with two thoughts.

First, Jesus said:

¹“Don’t let your hearts be troubled.  Trust in God, and trust also in me. ²There is more than enough room in my Father’s home.  If this were not so, would I have told you that I am going to prepare a place for you?  ³When everything is ready, I will come and get you, so that you will always be with me where I am.  John 14:1-3

Second, Paul said:

¹⁸Yet what we suffer now is nothing compared to the glory he will reveal to us later.  ¹⁹For all creation is waiting eagerly for that future day when God will reveal who his children really are.  ²⁰Against its will, all creation was subjected to God’s curse.  But with eager hope, ²¹the creation looks forward to the day when it will join God’s children in glorious freedom from death and decay.  Romans 8:18-21

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[i] Unless otherwise noted Scripture quotations are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation.  Copyright © 1996, 2004, 2007 by Tyndale House Foundation.  Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., Carol Steam, Illinois 60188.  All rights reserved.

The Walls of Jericho

Our world opposes God.

The theory of evolution attempts to explain our existence apart from God.  Science cannot explain many things, and our world is okay with that as long as the explanation does not involve God.  This is true when we try to explain consciousness, our thoughts and whether we have a soul.  This is true when we try to understand what life is.  It is glaringly obvious when we try to discuss origins and how to teach origins in our public schools.

This is not new.  Thousands of years ago, the Psalmist wrote:

¹Why are the nations so angry?  Why do they waste their time with futile plans?  ²The kings of the earth prepare for battle; the rulers plot together against the LORD and against his anointed one.  (Psalm 2:1-2)[i]

What happens in the public arena also happens in our private lives.  There are people and situations that oppose the knowledge of God in our lives.  There are attitudes and habits within us that oppose the knowledge of God in our lives.  2 Corinthians 10:5 speaks of this battle saying, “We destroy arguments and every lofty opinion raised against the knowledge of God, and take every thought captive to obey Christ.”  (ESV)  There are arguments and opinions raised against the knowledge of God.  These arguments and opinions exist within our hearts even as believers.

Today we are going to consider how we are to face and overcome these arguments and opinions using the walls of Jericho as a metaphor for the battle that must happen.

The Israelites crossed the Jordan River to take possession of a land promised by God to their ancestor Abraham.  The inhabitants of this Promised Land were not willing to give it up.  The first thing the Israelites faced when they crossed the Jordan River was the walled city of Jericho.  Jericho represented all the opposition they would face.  This was to be a decisive battle.  Defeat would mean annihilation for the Israelites.  Jericho had strong impenetrable walls.  As we look at how God led the Israelites to overcome Jericho’s defenses, we will learn how to overcome the obstacles to the knowledge of God in our own lives.

Joshua 6:1 says:

¹Now the gates of Jericho were tightly shut because the people were afraid of the Israelites.  No one was allowed to go out or in.

“The gates of Jericho were tightly shut.”

The city was ready for a siege.  It had a secure supply of water, which still exists to this day.  Joshua 3:15 tells us it was the harvest season so we can assume they had a ready supply of food.  Archaeological research has borne this out.[ii]  Grain, which normally would have been used by the conquerors, is found in abundance by modern archaeologists.  This picture is some of the grain stored in jars that was left behind when the Israelites burned Jericho.

[iii]

The gates were shut tight and they were set to last years against the Israelites.  The walls were massive.  Here is an artist’s conception of how the wall was built. 

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The wall was secure.  People lived in the area between the inner and outer wall with little fear of any attacker being able to get past the outer wall.

To be sure, Joshua’s army far outnumbered the residents of Jericho.  However, their defenses were solid.  Success was critical for Joshua.  There were no secure homes or places to fall back to for the Israelites.  Their options were victory or annihilation. 

This is true for us today.  The defiance of the world is represented by the tightly shut gates.  Our beliefs and confession of Jesus Christ as Lord are foolishness to the world.  However, our lives are the issue.  We choose to live in the camp of God with Israel rather than behind the seemingly secure walls of Jericho.

As Joshua approaches this fortress, He sees a man standing in the way with a sword.  Joshua 5:13-14 says:

¹³When Joshua was near the town of Jericho, he looked up and saw a man standing in front of him with sword in hand.  Joshua went up to him and demanded, “Are you friend or foe?”

¹⁴“Neither one,” he replied.  “I am the commander of the LORD’s army.”

Chapter 6 of Joshua and the conquest of Jericho rest upon this foundation.  “I am the commander of the LORD’s army.”

 

God is our Lord. 

Many, many years after Joshua, there was a governor of the land of Judah named Zerubbabel who was charged with rebuilding the temple of God.  It was an impossible task.  At that time, God said to Zerubbabel, “It is not by force nor by strength, but by my Spirit, says the LORD of Heaven’s Armies.”  (Zechariah 4:6)

This is the meaning of the man that Joshua met in the way.  

Joshua naturally wanted to know if this was friend or foe.  More accurately put, he said, “Are you for us, or for our adversaries?”  (ESV)[v] 

The answer he got was “Neither.” 

This is the first lesson we must learn about our walls.  The battle is not ours it is the Lord’s.  He is our Lord.  This means He is our master.  Therefore, we must bow to Him.  Joshua did this quite literally.  Joshua 5:14-15 says:

¹⁴“Neither one,” he replied.  “I am the commander of the LORD’s army.”

At this, Joshua fell with his face to the ground in reverence.  “I am at your command,” Joshua said.  “What do you want your servant to do?”

¹⁵The commander of the LORD’s army replied, “Take off your sandals, for the place where you are standing is holy.”  And Joshua did as he was told.

Joshua puts himself at the Lord’s disposal.  “I am at your command.”  What do you want your servant to do?”

The first command Joshua received was to take off his sandals.  He was instructed to show proper reverence to God.

Please follow me here, because I am going to make a jump.  However, it is connected.  When I think of showing proper reverence to God, the first thing I realize is that God does not want us to conquer all walls and barriers. 

Jesus could have called ten thousand angels so that He would not die on the cross, but it was God’s will for Him to suffer.

Paul prayed 3 times for his thorn in the flesh to be removed, but God said no.  It was God’s will for him to suffer the weakness Paul called a thorn. 

We have goals.  When our goals are blocked, we get angry.  We get frustrated.  When our goals are blocked, we can even go nuclear in hopes of clearing out the wall that is before us.  However, just because it is my goal does not mean it is God’s goal.  If even the Son of God had to pray, “Not my will but Thine be done,” how much more do I need to pray the same way?

We must bow to our Lord.  We must stop trying to recruit God for our side.  He is the Lord.  He is the master.  Some obstacles, walls or barriers are there because He has put them there.  We must learn the difference.

As Joshua took off his sandals and worshiped, he was then ready to face the tightly closed gates of Jericho.  He knew God wanted him to take Jericho.

God gave Joshua specific instructions.  Joshua 6:3-4 say: (Slide 10)

³You and your fighting men should march around the town once a day for six days.  ⁴Seven priests will walk ahead of the Ark, each carrying a ram’s horn.  On the seventh day you are to march around the town seven times, with the priests blowing the horns.

With 2 million people, each person could carry a stone and stacking it up against the wall build a siege ramp.  If they built ladders, they could simply overwhelm the city with numbers

Here is a picture of the ruins of ancient Jericho.  (Slide 11)

[vi]

If archaeologists are accurate, there would have been several thousand people in Jericho at the time.  While the walls were impressive, two million people should have been enough to figure out a way to get over the walls.

However, their orders were clear, “March around the town.”  This is the second lesson we learn.  God is our Lord.  We must bow before Him and then second we must wait upon God.

Wait upon God.

They did not sit in their tents to wait upon God.  They engaged in the pointless activity of walking around the city.

How do we wait upon God?

I use the word wait because of Isaiah 40:31 that says: (Slide 12)

But they that wait upon the LORD shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings as eagles; they shall run, and not be weary; and they shall walk, and not faint.  (KJV)

The idea in the passage is to look eagerly for a thing.  This waiting implies anticipation and expectancy.  While it implies trust, it does not imply passivity.  The Israelites took action.  Theirs was action taken in obedience.  It made no sense, but it was obedience.

This requires faith.  Hebrews 11:6 teaches us that without faith it is impossible to please God and that He rewards those that seek Him.

When we face walls in our lives we must first seek the Lord, and we must obey the Lord.  Some of the things we are told to do may seem pointless like walking around a wall.  And, some things may seem trivial.

God says not to lie, but do we tolerate little untruths in our lives? 

God says not to have even a hint of immorality among us, but do we allow our eyes to look at a woman to lust after her?

God says to forgive others, but do we harbor resentment?  

A struggle with a lack of faith or with doubt might be more about obedience than about the believability of the gospel.  The skeptic’s argument against Christianity may be more about morality and questions of integrity than about the truth of God’s existence.

Decisions are more about the heart than the brain.  In other words, decisions are emotional.  This is why God addresses the heart and the desires.  Waiting on the Lord, means setting our hearts on things above.  If Israel had not had their hearts set on God, they could have stormed the city, looted it and gone on, but at what cost?

The walls in our lives can be overcome by first recognizing that God is our Lord, bowing to Him, waiting on Him and then speaking for Him.

Joshua 6:15-16 says:

 ¹⁵On the seventh day the Israelites got up at dawn and marched around the town as they had done before.  But this time they went around the town seven times.  ¹⁶The seventh time around, as the priests sounded the long blast on their horns, Joshua commanded the people, “Shout!  For the LORD has given you the town!

The final day in the conquest of Jericho started with a long march.  They walked around the city 7 times.  Then they shouted.  This was the shout of victory.  It announced to the inhabitants of Jericho that their time was up.  It announced to the world that God was conqueror.

Romans 10:17 tells us “faith comes from hearing and hearing through the word of Christ.”  (ESV)  In Colossians 1:28 Paul says, “So we tell others about Christ, warning everyone and teaching everyone with all the wisdom God has given us.” 

The battle is not joined until words are spoken.  Romans 10:10 says, “For it is by believing in your heart that you are made right with God, and it is by confessing with your mouth that you are saved.”  The mouth speaks out of what fills the heart and our mouths are an important part of the battle.  With the words of our mouth, we commit ourselves to the Lord and His way.  I do not think there is any magic in this.  It only follows from God being Lord.  We bow to Him.  We wait on Him.  If we wait expectantly for Him, it follows that we will have His word in our hearts.  When the time comes, we will know what words to speak.  Eventually, every knee will have to bow to the confession that Jesus Christ is Lord.  Whether we speak to ourselves or to our neighbors, we must speak the truth of God’s word.

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[i] Unless otherwise noted Scripture quotations are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation.  Copyright © 1996, 2004, 2007 by Tyndale House Foundation.  Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., Carol Steam, Illinois 60188.  All rights reserved.

[ii] http://www.biblearchaeology.org/post/2008/06/The-Walls-of-Jericho.aspx

[iii] ibid

[iv] ibid

[v] Scripture quotations marked ESV are from The ESV Bible (The Holy Bible, English Standard Version) copyright 2001 by Crossway, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers.  Used by permission.  All rights reserved.

[vi] http://www.biblearchaeology.org/post/2008/06/The-Walls-of-Jericho.aspx