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If our study of Joshua 6 last week was one of triumph and celebration, Joshua 7 explores the costliness and danger of disobedience.
7:1-15 The Failure of Israel

Israel had just celebrated a dramatic victory over Jericho. God had delivered the entire city over to God’s people. However, Joshua 7 begins with an ominous note. The Israelites have broken faith with the LORD. Specifically, verse one tells us that one man — Achan took some of the “devoted things” from Jericho. In Joshua 6, God had commanded that Jericho and its inhabitants be completely destroyed. There was to be no taking of plunder by individuals. Only silver, gold, iron, and bronze was to be preserved as part of the treasury of the LORD. Achan acted alone, but his action damaged the entire community because his sin caused the LORD to become angry with God’s people. God’s people have a mission to fulfill. As we have seen in the previous lessons, the key to their success is the faithful obedience of the whole community.

Achan’s actions were unknown to Joshua and the Israelites so they carried on with their mission. The city of Ai was the next target. In verses 2-5, Joshua follows the same plan as used against Jericho. Spies are deployed. As before, the spies return to Joshua with a favorable report. In fact, the Israelites have grown in boldness and confidence. The spies recommend to Joshua that only two or three thousand people are needed to attack Ai. Joshua follows their advice but instead of victory the Israelites taste a bitter defeat. When the three thousand Israelites encountered the men of Ai, they fled before them. Moreover, thirty-six Israelites fall dead and the rest flee for their lives. Notice the end of verse five: The hearts of the people melted and turned to water. This is an astonishing detail. The Canaanites have now gained the upper hand. In 2:11 and 5:1, we learned that the Canaanite’s hearts had melted before Israel. Now it is Israel who is cowering. This episode is a reminder of the nature of the conflict in the book of Joshua. God is the ultimate decider of this war. It is not about human ability or military power of the sides. God is on a mission to give the land to God’s people as a means of blessing the nations, but for God’s people to succeed, they must practice faithful obedience. They represent a holy God before the nations so they must be holy in their actions.

Verses 6-9 narrate Joshua’s response. He assumes a position of repentance by tearing his clothes, putting dust upon his head, and falling with his face to the ground before the ark of the LORD. The elders of God’s people join him. Joshua prays fervently. He does not understand the reason for their defeat, but recognizes that the solution is found in God alone. Verse 9 brings Joshua’s lament to a climax. He fears that God’s people will be eliminated and that this will reflect badly on God’s honor before the nations.

In verses 10-15, the LORD answers Joshua’s plea. He commands Joshua to get on his feet. Joshua has work to do. Israel’s failure is the direct result of transgressing God’s covenant through disobedience. God had commanded that everyone and everything in Jericho be devoted to the LORD. Yet Israel had retained some items. This breech in the relationship between God and Israel is serious enough that God refuses to be powerfully present with God’s people unless there is immediate repentance in the form of destroying the items that were taken. God commands Joshua to call the people together in order to identify the person guilty of disobedience. The guilty party along with the stolen items would be destroyed.

Joshua 7:16-26 The Purging of the Community
In obedience to the LORD’s command, Joshua brought together God’s people tribe by tribe. In verses 16-18, the process of identification is conducted methodically. Out of the tribes, Judah is selected. Then out of the clans of Judah, the Zerahites are taken. Then each family of the Zerahites makes its way near Joshua. The family of Zabdi is picked. Then as the members of Zabdi’s family process by Joshua, Achan is identified. God surely knew the actions of Achan and could have informed Joshua without resorting to mustering all Israel. But the effect of the identification process was to emphasize the communal dimension of Israel’s life before the LORD. God’s people exist as a community of faith. The actions of one member affect the corporate witness of the whole. Moreover Achan is part of the tribe of Judah. Judah is the Israelites tribe out of which will arise King David a few centuries later. Yet, the sin of Achan does not blemish the tribe so as to negate its future.

In verses 19-21, Joshua confronts Achan, and Achan confesses his sin. Joshua’s words in v. 19 function as an exhortation to Achan to glorify and praise the LORD by coming clean regarding his offense. The phrase translated “make confession to him” in v. 19 literally reads “give praise to him.” By owning up to his transgression, Achan glorifies and praises God by confessing to the community that God’s actions are just and right. Achan admits fully his guilt. He took a mantle, silver, and gold from Jericho and hid them in the ground under his tent. In v. 21, Achan attributes his actions to covetousness. Achan coveted the devoted items. This led him to break the commands of the LORD. The Ten Commandments warn against coveting (Exod 20:17; Deut 5:21). At its core, to covet is to desire something or someone to which you have no intrinsic right or claim. Achan did not resist his impulse because the mantle was “beautiful” and the gold and silver were valuable.

Before acting further, Joshua sends messengers to confirm Achan’s words by retrieving the devoted items from Achan’s tent (vv. 22-23).

In verses 24-26, Achan, his immediate family, all his possessions, and the stolen items are brought before all Israel in the Valley of Achor. Upon arrival, Joshua pronounces judgment upon Achan and all Israel stones Achan and his family. Israel burns them along with all of their possessions and buries their ashes under a large piles of stones. The heap stands as a witness and warning to the community regarding the costliness of disobedience. The actions of Israel against Achan restore the favor of the LORD. This episode in Israel’s life causes the valley to be named “Achor” which in Hebrew means “trouble.” The judgment pronounced on Achan, which extended to his family as well as to his possessions, was heavy. It stands as a testimony to the seriousness of sin, the costliness of its effects on the community as a whole, and the necessity for God’s people to walk in faithful obedience to the LORD’s commands for the sake of God’s mission. Details matter in our walk of faith.

Josh 8:1-29 Israel’s Obedience and Victory at Ai
Joshua 8:1-29 narrate Israel’s victory over the city of Ai. In vv. 1-2, the LORD charges Joshua to go and capture Ai. God exhorts him to turn away from fear because God has granted Joshua and Israel victory. Joshua is commanded to destroy all the people of Ai as he did at Jericho, but unlike Jericho, Israel is able to keep all the possessions and livestock of Ai. God also orders an ambush as the tactic for capturing the city.

In verses 3-8, Joshua gives details of the battle plan to his army. He will send a detachment of warriors under the cover of darkness to hide near Ai. Then Joshua will approach Ai openly with the remaining forces. When the army of Ai comes out of the city to fight Joshua as they had before, Joshua will withdraw his forces to simulate a retreat. As the men of Ai pursue the retreating men of Joshua, those hiding in ambush will seize the now defenseless city and burn it.

In vv. 9-17, the Israelites carry out the ruse to perfection. After spending the night in camp, Joshua stations a group of 5000 warriors behind the city in ambush. Meanwhile, he led the remaining forces in plain sight against the city of Ai. As expected the king of Ai marched out to meet Joshua in battle. He arrogantly assumed that they would enjoy the same success as before (7:2-5). When the forces of Israel and Ai clashed, Joshua and Israel feigned defeat and began to flee away from Ai. The king of Ai then called for all inhabitants of the city to come out in pursuit of Israel. Verse 17 reports that there was not a man left in the town. The trap was now set.

At that moment (v. 18), the LORD commanded Joshua to stretch out his hand to the city and promises that Joshua will be victorious. Joshua immediately stretches out his hand with his sword pointed toward Ai. Don’t miss the importance of this statement. We have seen in our Bible lesson that God pays attention to details. Joshua does precisely as he was commanded. Our text mentions Joshua’s outstretched hand four times in vv. 18, 19, and 26. This emphasizes Joshua’s obedience and reminds us that the victory’s ultimate cause was God.

As soon as Joshua raised his hand, the soldiers waiting in ambush arose, entered the city, and put it to the flame (v. 19). The men of Ai saw the smoke, but it was too late (v. 20). They were now caught between forces in the open and were annihilated (vv. 22-26). Only the king of Ai was captured alive, and he was brought before Joshua (v. 23).

Verses 27-29 record the aftermath of the battle. They portray Israel in faithful obedience to the word of the LORD. First, God’s people collect the livestock and other treasures from Ai for themselves as God had permitted on this occasion (v. 27). Second, Joshua oversees the destruction of the city of Ai (v. 28). It is burned and turned into a heap of rubble. Our text mentions that it remained a site of destruction to the day of the author of Joshua. Last, Joshua hanged the king of Ai. The LORD had commanded the destruction of all of Ai’s inhabitants. The king had been captured alive. Joshua kills him in obedience to God. He is buried under a pile of stones as a reminder of God’s work at Ai.

Joshua 7:1—8:29 offers two contrasting portraits. This narrative exists to remind God’s people of the costliness of disobedience and spoils of obedience. Israel captures Ai by carefully following the instructions of God. Their victory depends not on their own power or resources but on the graciousness of God who works through the obedience of his people. Achan’s sin stands as a testimony of the grave effects of individual sin on the success of God’s mission through his people.

Tags: Biblical Studies, Community, Joshua, Leadership, Old Testament, church, courage, failure, fear by brian
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I preached today at Melbourne Community Church over on Florida’s Space Coast.

Here is the Scripture passage:
21 From that time on Jesus began to explain to his disciples that he must go to Jerusalem and suffer many things at the hands of the elders, chief priests and teachers of the law, and that he must be killed and on the third day be raised to life.

24 Then Jesus said to his disciples, “If anyone would come after me, he must deny himself and take up his cross and follow me. 25 For whoever wants to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for me will find it. 26 What good will it be for a man if he gains the whole world, yet forfeits his soul? Or what can a man give in exchange for his soul? 27 For the Son of Man is going to come in his Father’s glory with his angels, and then he will reward each person according to what he has done. 28 I tell you the truth, some who are standing here will not taste death before they see the Son of Man coming in his kingdom.”

Listen to the audio of the message. A new window will open.

Tags: Biblical Studies, Gospels, Matthew, Mission, conversion, courage, fear by brian
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Riding waves is exhilarating. I am addicted. Let me guide you through a rip. You can see the wave approaching. You paddle with all of your might. When the wave arrives, you can sense its presence. There is a brief moment of silence. Then you feel your body and your board lifting out of the ocean. You hear the rush of the wave and the wind. Your heart races. At the moment of lift off, you spring to your feet and glide down the face of the wave. You quickly assess the direction of the wave’s forward motion and angle your board to maximize speed and leverage the power of the ocean. As you slice through the surf, you sense an oneness with nature and recognize your own finitude in the presence of something bigger than yourself.

But I’m getting ahead of myself: If you want to surf, you have to learn to paddle through the breakers. I typically surf at a beach break. There is no reef to give the waves a particular shape. The waves are formed over the contours of shifting sand bars rather than coral, rocks, or some other permanent feature. The benefit is obvious. There are wider stretches of rideable waves available to surfers. You don’t have problems associated with overcrowding. The bad news is that there is no natural pathway out to the waves. At reef breaks or surf spots caused by some permanent feature, surfers can typically find a place to paddle out to the left or right of the waves. This permits one to stay out of the impact zone where the big waves crash. Not so at a beach break.

But even under the best conditions, surfers have to paddle through the waves crashing against the beach. Here is the problem: the bigger the waves, the more difficult the paddle. I have wiped out surfing hundreds of times now, but save for one bloodied lip, I am no worse for the wear. Not so true on paddling for breakers. I have injured both of my shoulders and been smacked countless times in the ears while attempting to navigate the breaking waves. When I first began surfing, I was often so tired from the paddle-out that I had little energy left to enjoy the surf. I have watched would-be surfers head back to shore or not even attempt to paddle out because of breakers.

As for me, I keep thinking about how great it will be to ride one of the waves. The payoff is worth the price.

As missional leaders, there is often no immediate or instant gratification. Kingdom work can be exhausting and Christ-followers may expend huge amounts of energy without sensing progress or experiencing any tangible success. Yet God has called us to realign with the values of the Kingdom and live lives that demand an explanation. Resiliency is critical. Big picture thinking is necessary. Knowing Jesus the Messiah is paramount.

What is keeping you from following Christ wholeheartedly? How do you navigate the challenges and hardships confronting you today?

© 2009 Brian D. Russell

Tags: Leadership, Mission, calling, emerging church, fear, humanity, learning, missional church, missional leadership, risk, surfing by brian
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Failure is part of life. It throttles some; it unleashes others. Want to succeed. Learn to use failure as a stepping stone to success. Check out the video:

What lessons are here for missional leadership? Is the Christ following movement afraid to fail?

Tags: blogosphere, church, commentary, creativity, culture, ethos, failure, fear, learning, risk, strengths, success, talents by brian
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NIV Matthew 1:18 This is how the birth of Jesus Christ came about: His mother Mary was pledged to be married to Joseph, but before they came together, she was found to be with child through the Holy Spirit. 19 Because Joseph her husband was a righteous man and did not want to expose her to public disgrace, he had in mind to divorce her quietly. 20 But after he had considered this, an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream and said, “Joseph son of David, do not be afraid to take Mary home as your wife, because what is conceived in her is from the Holy Spirit. 21 She will give birth to a son, and you are to give him the name Jesus, because he will save his people from their sins.” 22 All this took place to fulfill what the Lord had said through the prophet: 23 “The virgin will be with child and will give birth to a son, and they will call him Immanuel”–which means, “God with us.” 24 When Joseph woke up, he did what the angel of the Lord had commanded him and took Mary home as his wife. 25 But he had no union with her until she gave birth to a son. And he gave him the name Jesus.

One of the joys of parenthood is the opportunity to gaze upon a newborn child for the first time and dream about what he or she may become. Most parents have high hopes and expectations for their children. Along with dreams, one of the initial acts of parenting involves choosing a name. Many parents go to great links to select just the right ones. Shelves of local libraries and booksellers are always stocked full of books of names. If only each child born into our world were able to embody fully all of the hopes and dreams that inspired the name given at his or her birth! How much more did the birth of Jesus represent incredible possibilities?

The birth of Jesus represents the beginning stage of the climax of God’s mission. The God of the Scriptures is a God of mission. God seeks to bring renewal, hope, and restoration to all people and to all of creation. Amazingly God does not act alone. God calls women and men to serve in God’s ultimate cause. God advances his great work through the lives of faithful people who courageously follow God’s call on their lives.

In our text, Matthew recounts the in utero days of Jesus as well as the report of Jesus’ naming.
Our text covers familiar territory. Most of us have heard about the virgin birth, the appearance of angels, and stories of Mary and Joseph. But many of us miss the scandalous undercurrent of this passage. Jesus’ birth is not penned in the happiest terms. Jesus’ birth involved scandal and intrigue.

A Scandalous Discovery and a Noble Reaction

Our text opens with an unexpected pregnancy. A young woman named Mary was engaged to marry Joseph, a descendant of the line of King David. Yet before the marriage or any sexual contact between the two of them occurred, Mary was discovered to be with child. Our text adds the provocative note, “was found to be with child from the Holy Spirit” (emphasis added). How can this be? It is so easy for us moderns to assume that ancients were naive and easily bent to accept supernatural explanations for events. Our text does not tell us whether or not Mary had told Joseph the true cause of her pregnancy nor do we even know if Mary herself understood it. Joseph however was no fool. He had loved Mary. But he had been betrayed (or so he thought). Mary had brought shame into his life. Her pregnancy, ostensibly by the seed of another man, brought dishonor to Mary, but it also soiled the reputation of Joseph. He had every right to demand justice and a public accounting. But Joseph was a different sort of man. Verse 19 calls him “righteous.” In other words, Joseph was a person of integrity and compassion who sought to act rightly and justly in his relationships with God and with other people. He was the sort of person who sought to value and serve God and others above his own rights and prerogatives.

Joseph served as a conduit for God’s work. Think about it: How would history have been different if Joseph had made Mary’s pregnancy a public matter? What if Mary had faced open charges of adultery? What would have happened to God’s plans?

Of course, these questions are purely hypothetical because Joseph chose to act righteously. Remember this key fact: Joseph was acting justly apart from any supernatural revelation or insight into the true nature of Mary’s pregnancy. God had not uttered one syllable to Joseph but Joseph was already on board with God’s plan because of his own character. Joseph was one of the unsung heroes of the Scriptures.

God is still looking for modern day Josephs or Josephines–men and women who are fully committed to living lives that embody and reflect the character of God in their everyday dealings with others. As our text demonstrates, such lifestyles can change the course of human history. Never underestimate the importance or power of a God-centered, Christ-formed character. Joseph’s character empowered Joseph to act in accordance with God’s plan on instinct. Joseph had no idea that Mary’s pregnancy was God’s doing. Yet because he was a righteous person, that is, a person who acted justly, wisely, and in accordance with God’s character, he was able to open up the future to the powerful work that God was going to do through the child in Mary’s womb.

How many people would be able to describe you as a righteous man or a righteous woman?
In what ways would your life need to change for such a description to be true?
Are we willing to act faithfully in obscurity in order to advance the mission of God?

An Unbelievable Announcement

Joseph’s decision not to expose Mary to public disgrace opened up the future for God to act decisively. God was not finished with either Mary or Joseph. There was a plan to unleash and a mission to accomplish. Before Joseph broke his engagement with Mary, God sent a messenger to him in a dream. This angel exhorted Joseph to wed Marry despite her pregnancy. Joseph is informed that Mary has conceived through the power of the Holy Spirit. There has been no illicit behavior. God is behind this pregnancy.

The baby that Mary was carrying would be a special boy. The angel then offers two names for the boy that point poignantly to the child’s mission and future.

The child’s name will be Jesus for he will save his people from their sins. Jesus is derived from the Hebrew word for “The LORD saves.” In other words, the name Jesus points to Jesus’ mission. From birth, Jesus’ purpose was to act decisively to usher in the age of salvation.

Second, the angel alludes to a second purpose of Jesus’ coming by quoting from the prophet Isaiah. Jesus would embody the hope of “Immanuel” which means “God is with us.” Jesus manifested the presence of God in the world.

Jesus had quite a name to live up to. In Matthew’s Gospel, Jesus death and resurrection are in view from the very beginning of Jesus’ earthly existence. There is simply no way of understanding Jesus or his mission apart from the Cross. Jesus is the long awaited savior and king, but he is going to be a different sort of one. Jesus has come to give up his life so that others might live; Jesus will be raised up from the dead to unleash those who follow him to live as the people whom God created them to be.

As we know from the rest of the Gospel story, Jesus lived up to his name. Jesus died on the cross to deliver all who believe from the power of sin. Then he sends those whom he delivers back into the world to share this message with others. But his followers do not enter into this mission alone. The last line of Matthew’s Gospel (28:20) echoes the promise of Immanuel: And remember, I am with you always, to the end of the age.

Have you experienced Jesus as the one who brings salvation? Have you experienced Jesus as the who makes God’s presence a living reality in our lives?

The Courage to Act

Joseph was left with a choice. He is in on the secret that Mary has conceived from the Holy Spirit. He will marry her and serve as the father of the child. But don’t ever think for a moment that this was an easy choice for Joseph personally. It cost Joseph something of his reputation to follow God’s will on this. For who would believe such a story? Imagine the whispers as it became clear that Mary was already pregnant before the wedding. Even if Joseph shared with the accusers the truth, who would believe his story? Mary pregnant by the Holy Spirit? Yeah, right! Following Jesus Christ involves learning to live above self. This is the courage to act. Erwin Raphael McManus defines courage this way: Courage is not the absence of fear; it is the absence of self. This is also the essence of discipleship. Just as the baby Jesus would grow into the man who would go to the cross to open up a new future for humanity so too are his followers called to live courageously in full participation with God’s mission in the world. Jesus will later say this to his followers:

If any want to become my followers, let them deny themselves and take up their cross and follow me. (Matt 16:24)

Joseph chose to live above his own reputation in order to act in line with God’s plans. He takes Mary as his wife. He further honors God and baby whom Mary is carrying by refraining from sexual intercourse for the length of the pregnancy. Then as soon as the boy is born, Joseph receives him as his own son and gives him the name Jesus just as the angel had commanded.

How many of us live courageously and boldly in our walk with Jesus Christ? How would our impact on the world be different is we followed the model of Joseph?

Conclusion:
God is looking for heroes and heroines. Each of us was birthed into the world with high hopes and God-given potential. God is seeking women and men through whom He can work to shape a future in line with the character and purposes of God.

What if following Jesus Christ were the way to live a life that demands explanation–one that furthers God’s work and points others to hope and restoration available only through the Gospel?

What do you think?
© 2008 Brian D. Russell

Tags: Biblical Studies, Gospels, Holiness, Matthew, Mission, New Testament, Preaching, fear, humanity, incarnation, risk by brian
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Today’s psalms remind us of our desperate need for God’s presence. Life in our day as in all times is challenging. Active engagement in God’s mission in the world is the life to which we are called, but as we know or will soon learn, such a vocation does not render us immune to hardship. In fact, at times, our very faith in God can seemingly exacerbate our difficulties. If it isn’t enough to experience the struggles that we share with humanity, the person of faith must also integrate the reality of evil and suffering into his or her belief about God. Sometimes we can be tempted to cry out, “Why God? I’ve surrendered my life to you. I’ve sacrificed to answer your call to mission. How can you allow this suffering?”

Our psalms are all poignant laments, but all are founded in a deep trust in God’s ability to deliver and save. Ps 57:1 encapsulates the seasoned counsel and perspective of deep faith: “Be merciful to me, O God, be merciful to me, for in you my soul takes refuge; in the shadow of your wings I will take refuge, until the destroying storms pass by.” The psalmist is a neither a naïve nor hopelessly optimistic. Suffering and hardship are real. They are painful. But there is a way forward. This way forward has a name: The LORD God of the Scriptures.

Who is your refuge during the storms of life?

Tags: Biblical Studies, Mission, Old Testament, Prayer, asbury theological seminary, compassion, fear, humanity, memory, missional reading by brian
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