Address—Gordon Hayhoe
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Glory.
And go forever.
Down to praise are often gold and glowing.
I love the sweetheart of the real brave.
Shall we look to the Lord in prayer?
Our blessed God and our Father, we look up to thee, and thank thee, that thou hast brought us to the knowledge of thyself and of thy love, that love that was so fully revealed that Calvary without it. Give thy beloved Son to accomplish that work of redemption, not only to deliver us from the consequences of our sins, but to bring us into such a wonderful place of relationship with Thee, to know Thy love, to spend eternity in those courts of glory.
The objects of Thy love to enjoy for all eternity. We thank thee for this wondrous grace.
But Lord, we're still here in this wilderness world, and we need thy help and as we have been singing together.
We feel weaker than a bruise. That breed we can't do without thee. Now as said, without me you can do nothing.
And we pray that this little time over, thy precious word might speak to each one of our hearts, and encourage us in the pathway of faith. We thank thee for the privilege that we had this morning of being gathered around Thyself, Lord Jesus, a little foretaste of that coming glory. And we ask thee that our hearts may be more filled with Thy love, thy grace. So we just commend the meeting now to Thee. We think two of those who have started on their homeward journey, and pray that they might carry away a portion.
That will be a health and blessing to them. In the pathway of faith. We ask for thy care over them, and we ask for these things now. And the precious name of our Lord Jesus Christ. Amen.
Well, brethren, I'd like first of all just to begin by reading Romans 12 and the first verse.
Romans 12 and verse one. I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God.
That you present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God.
Which is your reasonable or intelligent service?
When we think, and I think all of us, especially this morning as we gathered around the Lord Jesus and remembered him and his death, were impressed with the thought of what he had done for us and the wondrous grace that had brought us to himself at so great a cost. And I trust it produced a response. I believe it did in each one of our hearts, that we might recognize that we are not our own. We're bought with such a tremendous price, and we belong to one who loved us but not only loved us but loves us.
And we'll never cease to love us for all eternity, and whose heart will never be satisfied until we are supremely blessed.
But we have in this wilderness world many lessons that we learn or should be learning, because in the sense we're in the school of God. When we get saved, we enter the school of God. We never graduate here. There are no diplomas, but there are lessons to be learned along the way. And I trust with the Lord's help, he will enable us to see a few of these lessons. And I'd like to just look at the life of Joshua.
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As the one who gives us some of these lessons, Lessons that we all have to learn.
Some are very humbling, some are very encouraging. And that's so in all our lives. There are those things that humble us, that prove us, that show what is in our hearts. But there are also those lessons that teach us of God's wonderful grace and patience and make him more precious to our hearts. And I trust that as we look at this life of Joshua, we will be encouraged as well as being warned by what we see brought out in his life.
Well, the first time we're introduced to Joshua is in the book of Exodus and the 17th chapter. But I won't begin just with this. I'd like to speak a little bit about what must have happened before this first mention of his name. We know that Joshua belonged to the nation of Israel, and we know that they were slaves there in the land of Egypt under the servitude, the Pharaoh king of Egypt. And it was a bitter and a hard *******.
But God, in his mercy and grace, provided a way that they would be sheltered from the judgment that fell upon Egypt and also delivered from Egypt, brought out through the wilderness and brought into the land that God had purpose for them to enter into and enjoy. And so, although there's no mention about Joshua personally, we know that he must have been one who was under the shelter of the blood, otherwise he wouldn't have been found there in the wilderness with the people of God.
And so I trust, as I begin to speak, that if there's anyone here who hasn't been sheltered by the precious blood of Christ, who doesn't yet know the Lord Jesus as your personal Savior, that this day might be the day the Lord said, this month shall be unto you the beginning of months, it shall be the first month of the year. To you take unto you every man a lamb. And so, if you appropriate the Lamb of God, the Lord Jesus is your Savior.
You will be sheltered from the judgment that God is pronounced upon this world.
God is appointed today in which you will judge the world in righteousness by that man whom he hath ordained.
He's a risen savior. He's the Lamb of God. How do you know him as your savior? Joshua did. Joshua was sheltered under the blood. But then God didn't intend that his people should stay in Egypt. Egypt pictures to us in the scripture, the world in all its glory. And you know, when we were first saved, sometimes the world holds out an attraction and we find it hard to break with those things. And Pharaoh suggested that they could worship in the land of Egypt.
He suggests that they only go a little way from the land of Egypt. He suggested to the parents that they leave their children there.
Let them make their own choice later if they wanted to go. But Moses said no. We'll take our little ones. We'll take our flocks and our herds. We won't leave anything behind. And the Lord Jesus died that he might deliver us from this present evil world according to the will of God and our Father. And so Joshua came out. He's identified, no doubt joining in the singing. Hello. His name is not mentioned.
When they sang on the banks of the Red Sea, the Lord hath triumphed gloriously the horse, and his writer has he thrown into the sea the Lord and even sung about the wilderness journey, if it were as if it were passed. It says, Thou hast guided them in thy strength unto thy holy habitation. Such was their confidence that they could speak of it as though the wilderness journey were all past, although there was such a.
A wonderful time there on the banks of the Red Sea and I think we had a very.
Very happy time here. This morning there was so much praise and the Lord drew our hearts out to himself and we realized that although we're still here in Vineland, that our home is not really here, it's in the glory. Well, the children of Israel had experiences and we have experiences too, in which we discover those two things. We discover our own weakness and we discover that the Lord is an all sufficient Savior.
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So if you turn to Exodus 17, we have the first mention of Joshua.
Verse 8. Exodus 17 verse 8.
Then came Amalek, and fought with Israel in Rapidum. And Moses said unto Joshua, Choose us out men, and go out fight with Amalek. Tomorrow I will stand.
On the top of the hill of God, with the rod of God in my hand. So Joshua did as Moses had said to him, and fought with Amalek and Moses. Aaron and her went up to the top of the hill, and it came to pass, when Moses held up his hand, that Israel prevailed.
And when he let down his hand, Amalek prevailed. Well, here we say, as here we see, as I say, the first introduction introduction to Joshua. There's a battle with Amalek, and I believe Amalek in the Scripture figures to us Satan's power over us through the fallen nature within Every one of us have that fallen nature within. And Satan cease to work upon that fallen nature, and he would like to overcome us. It's interesting in another place that tells us.
That Amalek smote behind her, most of them people that were out on the fringes that really weren't staying close to the center. They were the ones that were particularly caught with Amalek. But we're all in danger of it. It doesn't matter where we are. Amalek is a very real enemy.
And we all have to discover that the flesh profits nothing. The flesh in me is no better than the flesh in the vilest Sinner in this whole world.
I had two eggs here and I had two rotten eggs and I dropped one on the floor to make an awful smell.
But the other one that sits there, unbroken, is no better than the one that fell on the floor. It didn't all come out, but nevertheless it was all there.
And Janelle brethren, where none of us can boast and say I'm better than that other person, I wouldn't do that. Peter tried that, and he had to find out he was no better. Well, we have that lesson to learn. The flesh profit us nothing. And so, dear Joshua, he's chosen here to be a captain, to lead the people of God. But the victory depended on Moses and Aaron up in the hills.
And you know, that's the secret, brethren, that you and I cannot go on in the pathway of faith. We won't have strength to meet the difficulties. If it wasn't that there is a man in the glory. It says we have a great high priest. He's touched with the feeling of our infirmities. He says he supplies grace. We can come boldly to the throne of grace if I obtain mercy and find grace to help in time of need.
But when we don't avail ourselves of that, it's just like the time when Moses hand went down. And when Moses hand went down, Amalek was winning. Where we don't ask the Lord's help when we feel I'm young, I can handle this situation. I know how far to go. I I wouldn't do that. That's when we're in great danger. But when we get down on our knees, or even without getting on our knees, look up and say, Lord, keep me, preserve me, O God, for indeed do I put my trust.
He's able, brethren, to keep us. Amalek won't prevail. Amalek will be defeated. But that wasn't all. There's some other side tells us that Moses had two hands on the other hand. On the other side, there was a hand that never came down.
That was the hand of advocacy. And there might be some Christian here. And you say, well, I've made a kind of a mess of my life. I've spoiled it. But there's another hand. He restoreth my soul. He leadeth me in the paths of righteousness for his name's sake. And I want to encourage anyone that's getting away. There is one who is able to restore you if you have failed and I have failed. And we do to ask his help. We have a query. Self confident people by nature.
And when if we fail to ask his help, don't give up, don't give up, he restoreth my soul. Dear Peter, was restored, brought two beautiful epistles that bring before us the governmental ways of God. And so there is a blessing when we acknowledge that we have failed and come back and are in restored into happy communion. So it says the Lord will have war with Amalek from generation to generation.
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We're living in a different generation from that my father lived in. Some of you young people are living in a generation.
That I'm not long out going to leave, but it's a difficult generation.
But it doesn't matter what generation it is, the Lord is the same for every generation.
And as there are multiplied difficulties in 1995, why the Lord is sufficient for them. Don't. Don't think that because it's a different age that the Lord can't help you and give you the grace that you need and restore you if you failed. Here we find Joshua and I might mention too, he was a leader.
He was a leader, and you know, none of us liveth to himself and none of us dieth to himself, He might say, Well, it's my business, my nobody has anything to say about what I do. That's that's just my business. But we don't live to ourselves. Your life is either an influence, for good or otherwise. My life is either an influence for good or otherwise. We are not just individuals and in the truth of God, We're a part of the body of Christ.
The hand can't have no need of the foot and so we have to remember this.
And some young people are more leaders than others. Well, it's more important than. But you said a good example to the other young people and us older ones too. Well, these are the lessons we can learn because God not only teaches us by doctrine. That's what I enjoy about the word of God. Every time I read a story in the Bible, I try to fit myself as if I were Joshua, as if I was right there. And I felt all the pressures of the situation just as he felt them. And the whole thing becomes a reality.
It's just a mention of names, because God, as I say, not only teaches us by doctrine, but he teaches us by living examples, people of like passions with ourselves. And so this I trust we can see a little bit about Joshua, and perhaps that's the beginning.
As I say, this is the first time he's mentioned and he was under the shelter of the blood. He was delivered out of Egypt. He was with the people of God. But now he has to learn or in some measure learned This lesson. The flash profit of nothing, but also the lesson that there is help available. There is restoration available too. How blessed this is. Well, this is what we see as the first thing in the life of Joshua.
Now if you turn over to the book of numbers, we find him again.
Well, perhaps it's in Exodus first of all, Exodus.
Yes, Exodus Chapter 32.
Verse 17 And when Joshua heard the noise of the people as they shouted, he said unto Moses.
There is a noise of war in the camp, and he said it is not the voice of them that shout for mastery, neither is it the voice of them that cry for being overcome, but the noise of them that sing do I hear.
Well, I just mentioned this little particular instance. I think it's the next time we read about Joshua. We see him concerned about what was going on among the people of God, and that was a very good thing that he should be concerned. As I mentioned the verse, none of us live us to himself and no man dies to himself. We need to be concerned about the things that are going on among the people of God and whether we can be a help or a hindrance. We see how that there was a necessity here.
To be responsible and to be separate from that which was wrong, and it is important too, that.
Sometimes it's not easy to. It wasn't very easy on this occasion. Sometimes even their brothers and sisters, if I had read the whole chapter, would be against them.
And sometimes you have to stand kind of alone for the Lord. You just have to be faithful with love in your heart. You still have to be faithful. They use literal swords here. But the Bible says and take the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God. That's the only offensive weapon the believer has. You don't attack people. We just have the scripture and we take the word of God as our active weapon. And so here we find Joshua. Now is tested.
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About what's going on, but by the grace of God, he's faithful. Now we come to the next chapter.
In the seventh verse.
And Moses took the Tabernacle and pitched it without the camp, far off from the camp, and called it the Tabernacle of the congregation. And it came to pass that everyone which sought the Lord went out under the Tabernacle of the congregation, which was without the camp. And it came to pass, when Moses went out under the Tabernacle, that all the people rose up, and stood every man at his tent door, and looked after Moses until he was gone into the Tabernacle.
The 10th verse and all the people saw the cloudy pillars stand at the Tabernacle door.
And all the people rose up, and worshiped every man in his tent door. And the Lord spake unto Moses face to face, as a man speaketh unto his friend.
And he turned again into the camp. But his servant Joshua, the son of Nun, a young man, departed not out of the Tabernacle of the congregation fell. Here we find in what we just noticed before that they had to be faithful now because.
People had fallen into the worship of the golden calf, but now we find where the.
Tabernacle was pitched outside the camp, and we all are acquainted with that passage in Hebrews 13.
Let us go forth therefore unto him without the camp bearing his reproach.
It doesn't seem that there was very many that went out there. It says everyone that sought the Lord.
Most of them preferred to worship in their tent door. That is, they didn't go out to the place where the Lord was, because those that sought the Lord went out. Well, Joshua might have been influenced at this time. Maybe some of his friends chose not to go out there. But why did Joshua go there? He sought the Lord. He sought the Lord. And I would say that our purpose I trust in being gathered to the name of the Lord Jesus.
Isn't just that all our friends are there, that we like the people that are there because we might be disappointed sooner or later, but because the Lord is there. That's the thing and the only thing that will keep us. And I think if you had said to Joshua, why are you there? Don't you see? A lot of your friends don't prefer that place at all. It's a kind of a rejected place. You know, Joshua, he would say, well, the Lord is there. That's why I'm there. And that's the only thing.
Brethren, that will keep us. We do get disappointed.
We do get hurt and it's right that we should feel sad.
Because there are only perhaps two or three here. There's a nice company together. But as many of you return to the little assemblies where you are gathered, maybe there isn't very much company, much companionship and some of the actual Why are you there? Why are you there? Don't you like to have a lot of fellowship? Yes. Yeah, I like to have a lot of fellowship. I'm sure we've all enjoyed the fellowship of these meetings. Well, why? Well, the Lord said to Peter when some went back, he said.
Will ye also go away? And Peter said, Lord, to whom? Not where? To whom shall we go?
Thou has the words of eternal life, and we believe in our sure that Thou art the Christ. And so I believe the only thing that will keep us is the blessed knowledge of that and the enjoyment of that. Well, here we find Joshua put to the test. We've seen him put to the test about the flash. We've seen him put to the test when there was war in the camp, whether he was going to be faithful.
He was concerned and now he's put to the test as to separation, whether he's going to continue in the past that where the Tabernacle is. All those that sought the Lord went out onto the Tabernacle of the congregation which was without the camp. That was the drawing card. Who may the Lord grant that we'll value that great and wonderful privilege that is given to us to be where the Lord Jesus?
In the mid, well, we also find in numbers. Now let's turn over to numbers.
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And.
We find here.
In the 12Th chapter of Numbers.
And Melissa and Aaron. And Miriam. And Aaron spake against Moses because of the Ethiopian woman whom he had married. For he had married an Ethiopian woman. And they said at the Lord spoken only by Moses hath he not spoken also by us. And the Lord heard it. Why just mention this little case? Because it's a it's interesting that the name of Joshua is absent here. He didn't get mixed up in this affair.
There was a certain feeling, perhaps we could call it a personal feeling about a personal matter. And he was careful not to get involved. You know, there are tests come, and we can get very involved in people's personal affairs. And sometimes we just have to leave things with the Lord, not interfere in people's personal affairs. And I think it's interesting to see that Hello, poor Miriam and Aaron got mixed up in this, and the Lord has to have the deal. We find that.
Absence of Joshua in this situation.
Very often a lot of trouble comes because we get mixed up in other people's personal affairs rather than isn't it a warning to leave those things with the Lord? If it's a question of the holiness of God's house or something, then we have to be concerned, but not in things like that. Well, I think there's a little lesson for us and let's see the 13th chapter we see again.
The first verse And the Lord spake unto Moses, saying, Send thou man, that they may search the land of Canaan, which I give unto the children of Israel.
Of every tribe of their fathers shall he send a man, everyone a ruler among them.
And so we find the name of Joshua here in the eighth verse.
It says, oh geez, here, but it's really Joshua of the tribe of Ephraim.
Hosea or Joshua, it really is the Son of None. Well, this is a very beautiful occasion. We find that Moses was going to send in a representative from each of the 12 tribes to search out this good land that God was going to give to his people. They were still in the wilderness and we were still in the wilderness. But as we read, as we have been reading something of what we have in Christ, we're blessed with all spiritual blessings in the heavenly places in Christ.
We're members of the body of Christ or espoused as a chaste virgin to Christ.
We have been talking and enjoying what we have in Christ and the glorious future that is ahead of us, when the church will be presented A glorious church, not having spot or wrinkle or any such thing. And we find that Joshua was one who was chosen here to go and spy out the land. And they went into the land and they found two things in the land. But first of all, what I want to bring out is that he was one of the ones.
Who was sent? The scripture says where no vision is, the people perish.
And I think that because Joshua had seen that good land and had brought back some of the fruit of it, that it really so filled his heart that he could endure a lot of the difficulties of the wilderness. He dwelled upon that Good Lamb. We've been talking about the Good Lamb that God has given to us. We can dwell upon that, or we can dwell upon the hardships of trying to follow a rejected Christ. So there were 12 men that went in there.
And some of them were greatly impressed by the Gentile, by the giants that they saw.
The high wall cities and all the problems about ever possessing that land. But Joshua was impressed by all the good things that were in that land, and he said the Lord is well able to bring us into that land. Now let's see in the next chapter, we'll see a little bit about the report.
They read in the first verse of the 14th chapter and all the congregation. Well, perhaps I should read.
The 31St verse of the 13th chapter. But the man that went up with him said, we be not able to go up against the people, for they are stronger than we. And they brought up an evil report of the land which they had searched unto the children of Israel, saying, the land which we have gone to search, it is a land that eateth up the inhabitants thereof, and all the people that we saw in it were of our great stature.
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And there we saw the giants, the sons of Anak, which cometh the giants. And we were in our own sight as grasshoppers. And so we were in their sight. And all the congregation lifted up their voice and cried. And all the people wept that night. And all the children of Israel murmured against Moses and against Aaron. And the whole congregation said unto them, what God we had died in the land of Egypt, would God We had died in this wilderness.
The Lord brought us into this land to fall by the sword, that our wives and our children should be a prey. Were it not better for us to return into Egypt. And he said, one to another, let us make a captain, and let us return into Egypt. Then Moses and Aaron fell on their faces before all the assembly of the congregation of the children of Israel, and Joshua the son of Nun, and Caleb the son of Jefuna, which were of them that searched the land, rent their clothes, and they spake.
To all the company of the children of Israel saying the land which we passed through to search it is an exceeding good land.
If the Lord delight in us, then he will bring us into this land, and give it us a land which floweth with milk and honey. Only rebel not she against the Lord, neither fury the people of the land. For they are bred for us, and their defense is departed from them, and the Lord is with us, fear them not. And all the congregation bad stone them with stones, and the glory of the Lord appeared.
In the Tabernacle of the congregation before all the children of Israel.
What a difference in the report that some brought back. Some of them only saw the giants. Some of them only saw the walls, and they compared themselves to these giants. They felt like grasshoppers beside them. But Caleb and Joshua, particularly Joshua I speak of, he didn't compare himself to the giants that he saw. He compared the Lord to the giants. The giants were the grasshoppers compared with the Lord.
And you know, that's the thing. If we compare ourselves to the difficulties, sometimes they do seem insurmountable. There are some pretty big giants that really are a hindrance to us enjoying the things of God. Your giant may be different from mine. There were different giants in that land, you know.
And but as far as Caleb and Joshua, and I'm speaking particularly of Joshua, was concerned, he doesn't say anything about those people, he said. They're just bread for us. He said the Lord delights in us. He'll give us the land. He's stronger than all those giants. And so brazen, isn't it? So we can look at all the difficulties. One person said to me just recently, I believe brethren worship in the right way.
But there's too much trouble among them. And the person, this person has allowed themselves to get away from the Lord and the Lord's table because they saw the giants. I admit there are giants. There were giants. Goliath, slula. David slew one of them. And there were some real giants. But the Lord is greater. Greater is He that is in you than he that is in the world. And I beseech you, my brethren, and you, dear young people.
I know it's difficult to follow the Lord and it's becoming harder and it's going to become harder as the Lords coming draws nearer. We're going to face, I believe, more and more opposition. But is it? It's 1000 times worth of as dear Mr. Darby said, the walk of faith is 1000 times worthwhile, even if it were harder than it is because to walk in company with the Lord Jesus through this world, enjoying his company, enjoying his love and looking forward to the possession of that land.
That's everything. Well, they didn't just say this to themselves, but it's nice to see that they still the people. They talked about the good land. And So what is our conversation about? Well, you know, brethren, it's easy to get talking about all the problems and difficulties, isn't it? But it's good to talk about how richly we're blessed in Christ, the unsearchable riches of Christ. And I think every one of us have enjoyed these meetings, not because we've talked about the difficulties, but because we've talked about our portion in Christ.
And how?
It's a good land and they brought back some of the fruit of that land, you know that.
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Bunch of grapes that it took two men to carry and all the good fruit of the land for them to taste and enjoy.
Is that what? Is that what you and I carry?
When we carry, when we meet people, what do we carry? Do we carry something of the sweetness and preciousness of Christ, or do we get occupied with the giants? Well, may the Lord grant that we'll be like Joshua on this occasion. I think it's lovely to see the stand that he took and how he talked about all these wonderful things and still the people.
And how the Lord in his mercy undertook for them.
Well, and we find if we go over to the book of Deuteronomy 31.
The seventh verse.
And Moses called unto Joshua, and said unto him in the sight of all Israel.
Be strong, and if a good courage, for thou must go with his people unto the land which the Lord has sworn unto their fathers to give them, and thou shalt cause them to inherit it. And the Lord he it is that doth go before thee, He will be with thee. He will not fail thee, neither forsake thee.
Fear not, neither. Be discouraged. Well, I think this is lovely, Joshua. I mean, Moses was at the end of his life journey here. We know he wasn't able to enter the Promised land. And perhaps it's worth noticing the reason that he couldn't was because he lost his patience with the people of God. Just once, just once. He lost his patience with the people of God.
No matter how much is said and done, never ask the Lord to help you never lose your patience with the people of God because he's always patient with them and he's patient with us, and we need to exercise that Patience. Says you have needed patience that after ye have done the will of God that you might receive the promise. How easy it is to say, oh, everything just makes me so mad. That's why it says Prep. Not thyself in any wise to do evil.
We get worried and upset. First thing you know, we're going to say, oh, I just get so annoyed.
Don't. God loves his people. No matter what happens, he still loves them. Having loved his own which were in the world, he loved them unto the end. Moses, who was the representative of God to the people, lost his patience once. And the Lord said Moses, you can't lead the people in. I haven't lost my patience with the people. I love them still. I'm going to give them that good land, and you should represent me well. It's nice to see that Moses encouraged Joshua.
And Joshua was given grace to go on. And I'm sure if you think of Joshua as a person, it must have been very difficult for him at times to go on with the people and hear the murmuring and see all that was happening. But he always had in view that good land. And now John Moses is encouraging him. Now let's turn over to Joshua one.
Now after the death of Moses the servant of the Lord, it came to pass. The Lord spake unto Joshua the son of nun, Moses minister, saying, Moses, my servant is dead. Now therefore arise, go over this Jordan thou and all his people unto the land, which I do give to them, even to the children of Israel, every place that the sole of your foot shall tread upon that have I given.
Unto you as I said unto Moses, from the wilderness, and this Lebanon even unto the great river, the river Euphrates.
All the land of the Hittites, and under the great sea toward the going down of the sun, shall be your cause. There shall not any man be able to stand before thee all the days of thy life.
As I was with Moses, so I will be with thee. I will not fail thee, nor forsake thee. Be strong and of a good courage, for unto this people shalt thou divide for an inheritance the land which I swear unto their fathers. Well, in this chapter we see the Lord himself encouraging Joshua. You know Moses had died. Sometimes there is some person that we've leaned on. I often think of older ones that I could look to and.
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I could go and ask them advice. They're gone now. But the Lord is still there, brethren. And sometimes we say, oh, well, there used to be an older brother in the assembly. He was such a help. He's gone now. Yes. And who? Responsibility falls upon those who are younger and many of the ones who are coming into that, shall I say class. Where they feel well, the older ones are gone now. Isn't it nice to see?
Moses encouraged him before he was taken, but now the Lord encourages him, and I might say three times in this chapter.
Once by telling him that he needed to know how much of the land belonged to him, the next time encouraging him in the path of obedience, and the next time encourage him with a sense of his presence. Isn't that nice? We need to know the extent of the land that God has given to us. Blessed with all spiritual blessings in the heavenlies in Christ, we also need to walk in obedience or we won't have courage.
And then we also need to have the enjoyment of the Lord's company with us.
He'll never leave us, nor forsake us. Well, Joshua now is encouraged in this.
And he leads them in, just to notice another little instance here in the 5th chapter.
And it came to pass, when Joshua was by Jericho, that he lifted up his eyes, and looked, and behold, there stood a man over against him, with his sword drawn in his hand. And Joshua went unto him and said unto him, Art thou for us, or for our adversaries? And he said, Nay, but as captain of the Lord's host am I now come? And Joshua fell on his face, and did worship, and said unto him, What saith my Lord unto his servant?
And the captain of the Lord's host said unto Joshua, Lose thy shoe from off thy feet foot, for the place where I'm thou standest is holy. And Joshua did so. But this was surely a needed lesson for Joshua. He might at this point have felt very important that the Lord had chosen him to be a leader, that all the people look to him as the God appointed leader. But he needed to learn that he was nothing.
And that he must get all his directions from the Lord. He must get all his directions from the Lord. And so here the Lord appears to him, and He doesn't recognize him. And he said, Art thou for us or for our adversaries? Sometimes it might seem to us. And well, why doesn't the Lord seem to be for us when we're trying to do what we believe is pleasing to Him? He tests us, brethren, He tests us. But He's always for us. He's always for us, in the path of obedience.
And that was what Joshua needed to learn that we are nothing and it doesn't matter how long we've gone on.
In the path Joshua lived to be, well, 115 years old, I believe it is. We'll notice at the end of his life he lived to be 115 years old. It didn't matter how old he was. He was the captain, visibly we might say of the people, but the real captain was the Lord Jesus himself. It tells us in Hebrews that the Lord Jesus is the captain of our salvation, bringing many sons to glory. Let us never think that we're so important that we don't have to.
Acknowledge the Lord's authority in our lives and for our direction.
If we need him, we need thee here. Each hour of need shall need thee want thee to in glory. We're going to feel our need. And so I believe the Lord was teaching Joshua a lesson. He says take off your shoes, off your feet. Long ago, Moses had that experience too. He had to take off his shoes. If he was going to be use of God to lead the people out of Egypt, he hadn't better get occupied with. I'm a pretty important person. I was the one that brought them out.
He gets in bare feet, and the Lord said, you haven't seen everything. I have seen the affliction of my people.
I am come down to deliver them. I made man's mouth. I'll teach you what to say.
We have nothing of ourselves, and Joshua needed to learn. We all have to learn that lesson, brethren, that we're nothing in ourselves, and the Lord is teaching this to Joshua. Now we have another little lesson. I believe, that he learned in the 9th chapter.
00:45:05
Perhaps you could read this? Seems to me quite an important lesson read from the first verse.
And it came to pass, when all the kings that were on this side Jordan in the hills and in the valleys, and in all the coasts of of the great sea, over against Lebanon, the Hittite, the Amorite, the Canaanite, the Perazite, the Hiveite, the Jebusite, heard thereof. Yet they gathered themselves together to fight with Joshua, and with Israel with one accord. And when the inhabitants of Gibeon heard what Joshua had done unto Jericho, and at to AI.
They did work wildly, and went and made as if they were had been ambassadors, and took old sacks upon their ***** and wine bottles old and Brent.
And bound up in all shoes, and clouded upon their feet, and all garments upon them, and all the bread of their provision was dry and moldy. And they went to Joshua unto the camp of Gilgal, and said unto him, And to the men of Israel, we become from a far country. Now therefore make he a league with us. And the man of Israel said unto the Hiveites her adventure ye dwell among us, and how shall we make a league with you?
And they said unto Joshua, We are thy servants. And Joshua said unto them, Who are ye? And from whence come ye? And he said unto him, From afar very far country thy servants are come because of the name of the Lord thy God.
We have heard the fame of him and all that he did in Egypt and all that he did to the 2 Kings of the Amorites.
That were beyond Jordan, and to Sihan king of Heshbon, and to Ogg, king of Basian, which was at Ashtaroth, Where for our elders and all the inhabitants of our country speak to us, saying, take vittles, and with you and for the journey, and go to meet them, and say unto them we are your servants. Where therefore now making a league with us, It's our bread. We took hot for our provision out of our houses on the day that we came forth to go.
Unto you but now.
Behold, it is dry, and it is mouldy. And these bottles of wine which we felt were new, and behold, they are they be rent, and these are garments. And our shoes are become old by a reasonable, very long journey. And the man took of their vittles, and asked not counsel at the mouth of the Lord. And Joshua made peace with them, and made a league with them, and let them live in the Princess of the congregation. Swear unto them.
Well, perhaps this is one of the recorded failures in Joshua's life. And the Lord just before this met him with a drawn sword and told him to take his shoes off his feet and acknowledge that the Lord was the captain of the host. But it seems at this time that Joshua forgot that and he didn't consult the captain of the host who was really the Lord himself. The people asked not.
Counsel at the Lord.
Wasn't this a very good story, though? Didn't it seem very logical and very good and very right? Brother, Isn't it true? There's a lot of stories go around. A lot of stories sometimes were guilty of listening to stories and not asking counsel of the Lord who you see, I've got to hear the other side. Well, I'm not talking about hearing the other side. I'm talking about asking counsel at the Lord. That's the important thing, brethren, asking councils.
Because it's often said there's three sides. There's your side and my side, but there's the Lords side, and it's the Lords side that counts. It's what he says that counts. And this was the failure of Joshua? He asked. Not council. Wasn't he a very wonderful help to the people of God? Yes, he stands out in the divine record. His name means Jesus. He stands out in the divine record. But the flash is the flesh. And it doesn't matter who we are, we still have the flesh within us. Oh brethren, how important that we.
Turn to the word of God for our direction and ask counsel at the Lord.
Till these things come up in all our lives when we meet these kind of situations and we hear a lot of things. But let's rely upon this precious book that gives us direction and God has given us also prayer that we can we find in the book of Luke where the Lord Jesus is presented to us as the dependent man seven times the perfect dependent man is found in prayer. We find that precious one who could stay that.
00:50:02
That his his word.
Was the joy and rejoicing of his heart. The precious Savior said he wouldn't say a word. He said. He said, I have not spoken of myself, but the Father, which gave me a commandment for what I should say and what I should speak. Think of that Blessed One, the perfect example for us, who never said a word, never did anything about his meat, was to do the will of Him that sent him. Well, this was a real difficulty.
And we see how that Moses failed on this location later on.
Saul tried to set it right in a rash way, but sometimes there are things we have to submit to in the governmental ways of God.
There's some things we have to leave with the Lord. We may not be able to set them right. We know that. As I say, Saul tried to, and the Lord wasn't pleased with the effort he made to try and set things right on a fleshly way. The flesh profiteth nothing, but there's a bright note, brethren, According to what I understand, if I'm correctly informed, these afterwards are called an ethonyms, and the methonyms are seen because they were made assures of wood and drawers of water in the House of the Lord. They resigned themselves to this happy service.
And when there was a recovery from the land of Babylon and they came back, there was a lot of methods among them that were faithful to the Lord. There's always a bright note when we submit to the ways of God, when we submit and take directions from him. Just go on. It's a great thing, obedience and submission in our lives. And although we may not at once see the result, there always is a happy result. And so these dear anathems afterwards.
Became very useful, and you'll find the mentioned on several occasions. And they were faithful, sometimes more faithful than those who were in a more privileged position. Now let's turn over to the end of the book, because we just about finished, and I'd like to say a little bit here at the very end, the last chapter of Joshua.
And the 15th verse.
And it would seem evil unto you to serve. The Lord choose you this day, whom he shut will serve.
Whether the gods which your father's served that were on the other side of the flood, or the gods of the Amorites in whose land ye dwell.
But As for me and my house, we will serve the Lord.
That is, we find it was. I believe, if I could say this, it was a personal decision on the part of Joshua and his house. We can't decide for other people. We find that when Abram went out and helped a lot in his problem and delivered him when the Kings had come and carried Lottaway captive.
Then he was offered great things by the king of Babylon, and he said he he had lifted up his hand to the Lord, that he wouldn't take either a threat or a shoe latch it from them, he said.
Because he had received his riches from the Lord and so he wouldn't accept anything.
But he didn't decide for the others. He said Let the young man choose for themselves. And so, brethren, I can't choose for you and you can't choose for me. But you can seek with the Lord's help to say that you want to put the Lord first. Now I say it's a daily thing. It isn't something that we can say once for all, but we can look up to the Lord and say, Lord Jesus, I want to give thee first place in my life.
He is worthy. Sometimes there's a danger of trying to push other people beyond their exercises behind their faith. And so he said, As for me, in my house, he'll serve the Lord. I think he showed a very beautiful spirit here because sometimes people feel pushed by others, and I don't want to push anybody here, but I want to encourage you to make this decision. As for me, in my house we will serve the Lord. We can't do it in our own strength. Joshua learned that.
Just a short time before, he had not asked counsel at the Lord and he made a serious mistake. And it doesn't matter who we are. If we meet a situation that we don't ask counsel at the Lord. If we go in our own wisdom, say, well, I followed the Lord for many years. I'm sure I wouldn't make a bad decision at this point. We might. We might.
We're daily in need of Him. Preserve me, O God, for in thee do I put my trust should be our daily prayer.
00:55:03
For this one thing more we notice here.
On the 29th verse.
And it came to pass after these things, that Joshua the son of Nun, the servant of the Lord, died, being 110 years old, And they buried him in the border of his inheritance in Timna Sira, which is in mount Ephraim on the north side of the hail of Gayish. And Israel served the Lord all the days of Joshua, all the days of Joshua, and all the days of the elders that outlived Joshua, which had known all the works of the Lord, which he had done for them.
There seems to be a rather sad note there.
That they leaned on Joshua, and as long as he was alive, they served the Lord all the days of Joshua.
But if we were to go on, we'd see that after he was gone, then there was a change took place. Why did the change took place? Did it need to take place? No. They were leaning on Joshua. And, brethren, may the Lord teach us this lesson. We must lean on the Lord. He's the only one that we can safely lean upon. And if we lean upon him, he'll never fail. Trust ye and the Lord forever, for in the Lord Jehovah is everlasting strength. You can safely lean on him, But if there's some brother or some sister that you're leaning on.
We read in there, we've been reading at home in the Kings and we've noticed how sometimes it'll say.
If one of the kings, I think it was ASAP, I'm not too sure. But there was one of them and as long as there was a high priest that was a very godly man, he leaned on him. But when the priest was Jehoiada, but when Jehoiada died, then he departed. And I encourage you if there's some person that you're leaning on, some brothers, some sister, and you say, well, I can trust them, they're godly people.
The Lord may remove that crop. And the Lord is teaching you, and He's teaching me. We must lean upon him. It says the term God is thy refuge, and underneath are the everlasting arms you can never get below those everlasting arms. They're always there. But let's be sure we lean on them and not lean on a Joshua or a Moses or anyone. Only upon the Lord. He's worthy. He's given himself for us. We'll meet his little lessons from the life of Joshua.
God is teaching us through the lives of these men those things that we all need to learn in our pathway. Here may the Lord give us grace to sit at the feet of Jesus and learn of Him. We just close in prayer.
Gracious God, our Father, we thank you that whatsoever things were written aforetime were written for our learning, that we, through patience and comfort of the Scriptures, might have hope, and surely we have hope. Lord Jesus, thou does never change. We change, but thou does never change. Thou art the same yesterday and today and forever. Thy love, thy faithfulness, thy intercession, is ever there for us. We can say, like David, he restoreth my soul. He leadeth me in the paths of righteousness for his namesake.
And we thank you to the end of the journey, and I shall dwell in the House of the Lord forever. We do thank thee for all the wonderful provision that has been made for us. And we just pray, Lord, for each one of us speak for as well as hearers, that these lessons of thy word might touch our hearts, and that we might be constrained by thy love to live unto Thee. Lord Jesus, we ask it in thy precious and worthy name. Amen.