West Side Story Part 1

This week, we began a new series called “West Side Story.” It is the next section in our spiritual growth process from the captivity of Egypt (sin) to entering God’s rest in the Promised Land. So, we’ve crossed over to the west side of the Jordan River into Canaan and it is time to start taking territory.  Remember that, for us, the territory being taken is our hearts. There are enemies in our heart that need to be driven out so that we will flourish in God’s ways.

 The first enemy to conquer is Jericho. In Joshua 5:13-14, just before God instructs Joshua on how to overcome Jericho, Joshua encounters a mysterious man with a drawn sword. This is the commander of God’s army. Joshua asks him if he is “for us or against us.” The man/angel replies, “neither.” Neither? I thought this was God’s chosen people being led into His promises?  That “sword” is a picture of the Word. The Word of God is neither for you or against you. I know that sounds strange. What about “if God is for me, who can be against me?” Notice that begins with an IF. How do we determine whether God is for us? Actually our thoughts and actions determine it. If we are in agreement with and obedience to His Word, He is for us. He is ALWAYS FOR His will, not yours. When we choose to come into agreement with His Word, He is for us and NONE can be against us!

 Joshua chooses wisely and seeks to know what God’s plan is (and follows it) – making God for him and thereby making him undefeatable. This is why God begins His instruction in Joshua 6:2 by saying “SEE, I HAVE given…” God’s plan will lead us to victory. And actually, through Christ, it already HAS.

 Now, as we have been learning along the way, God’s plan often makes no logical sense. And Jericho is no different. How is marching around a wall going to do anything? Joshua and his fighting men must have had to resist the urge to “help” God with this. After they give full obedience, the wall falls down and Israel is triumphant.

But that is not the giant that had to be defeated. Joshua identified that one. He declares in Joshua 6:17-18 that none of the spoil from Jericho was to be kept. He declared it devoted to God. I’ve read this passage many times and never noticed that it was not God who commanded Joshua to devote Jericho to Him. However, back in Joshua 1:8, as he is taking command of Israel, God instructed Joshua to meditate on the Law day and night so that he would be careful to do all that is in it – thereby making his way prosperous and successful.  God didn’t remind Joshua what the Law said about first fruits. His study of the Law prompted him to know what to do. He knew he wanted the conquering of Canaan to be successful, so he declared Jericho to be first fruits devoted to God.

Then there is the issue of Achan. Achan kept some of the spoils for himself. In the end, he and his family paid the price. But there is an important lesson for us to learn. Before Joshua knew what Achan had done and full of confidence from the routing of Jericho, he sent men to Ai and they were defeated.  It is very easy to focus on the fact that they were defeated because of what Achan had done. But that was not God’s will or Him teaching them a lesson. If you read carefully, God did not send them to Ai, Joshua did. Sometimes we get out ahead of God and fail. God will never send you to defeat. We find it on our own when we step outside His will and He will use our mistakes to teach us. But he will not set you up to lose!

After the issue with Achan was settled, God told Joshua to go to Ai.  He actually used what happened the first time to their advantage and they won easily.   Giving to God is about our heart, not about how much or how often.  It is about us putting God first in our heart.  Then God can provide all kinds of other blessings, once we trust and do it His way.

  To listen to the entire sermon go to http://ahwatukeechurch.com/media.php.  To learn more about Living Word Ahwatukee, visit http://ahwatukeechurch.com/.