THE LOYALTY DARE

6/24/2012

1.     SENIOR HIGHLIGHTS (JOSHUA 13:1—15:63)

CHAPTER 13:

·         The wars of Canaan were largely at an end.

·         Israel had to a great extent found at least temporary rest in the land that God had promised them.

·         Up until this time portions of Canaan had been conquered without specific reference to tribes or areas.

·         Next, boundaries were set for the land to be conquered.

·         God sometimes fulfills his purposes for us after we have reached advanced years.

·         Joshua was an old man, and still god challenged him with the land that remained to be taken.

·         The Lord reminded Joshua that there remained much land to be possessed.

·         This is true of every servant of God for we will never accomplish all that we wish.

·         Those who spend much time in careful study and meditation over God's blessed scriptures realize that large portions of scripture are still largely unexplored.

·         By moving out and acting on God's promises from that point on will result in rewards untold from God's riches in Christ Jesus.

·         God did not leave Israel to conquer the land in their own strength.

·         In the same way, God did not leave us to evangelize the world in our own strength.

·         Now Joshua was told to allot areas west of the river to the other nine tribes and the other half of Manasseh.

·         The allotments were made by Eleazar (Aaron's son and successor as high priest).

1A. TESTIMONY OF LOYALTY (JOSHUA 14:6-12)

6 Then the sons of Judah drew near to Joshua in Gilgal, and Caleb the son of Jephunneh the Kenizzite said to him, "You know the word which the LORD spoke to Moses the man of God concerning you and me in Kadesh-barnea. 7 I was forty years old when Moses the servant of the LORD sent me from Kadesh-barnea to spy out the land, and I brought word back to him as it was in my heart. 8 Nevertheless my brethren who went up with me made the heart of the people melt with fear; but I followed the LORD my God fully. 9 So Moses swore on that day, saying, 'Surely the land on which your foot has trodden shall be an inheritance to you and to your children forever, because you have followed the LORD my God fully.' 10 "And now behold, the LORD has let me live, just as He spoke, these forty-five years, from the time that the LORD spoke this word to Moses, when Israel walked in the wilderness; and now behold, I am eighty-five years old today. 11 I am still as strong today as I was in the day Moses sent me; as my strength was then, so my strength is now, for war and for going out and coming in. 12 Now then, give me this hill country about which the LORD spoke on that day, for you heard on that day that Anakim were there, with great fortified cities; perhaps the LORD will be with me, and I shall drive them out as the LORD has spoken."

NASB

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JOSHUA 14:6-12 ASKING OF GOD OUTLINE OF A SERMON BY MILES SEABORN

WHEN CAN WE ASK GOD FOR THE MOUNTAIN?

1. WHEN WE ARE CONVINCED GOD WANTS US TO HAVE IT

2. WHEN WE HAVE BEEN DILIGENTLY FOLLOWING HIM IN ALL OTHER AREAS OF OUR LIVES

3. WHEN WE ARE WILLING TO PAY THE PRICE

4. WHEN WE REALIZE THE NECESSITY OF TOTAL DEPENDENCE UPON GOD

5. WHEN WE BELIEVE WE ARE READY TO RECEIVE IT

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1B. REWARD OF LOYALTY (JOSHUA 14:13-15)

13 So Joshua blessed him, and gave Hebron to Caleb the son of Jephunneh for an inheritance. 14 Therefore, Hebron became the inheritance of Caleb the son of Jephunneh the Kenizzite until this day, because he followed the LORD God of Israel fully. 15 Now the name of Hebron was formerly Kiriath-arba; for Arba was the greatest man among the Anakim. Then the land had rest from war.

NASB

·         Someday we will be rewarded.

·         We will be rewarded according to whether of not we "…followed the LORD God of Israel fully."

1C. CHALLENGE OF LOYALTY (JOSHUA 15:14-17)

14 And Caleb drove out from there the three sons of Anak: Sheshai and Ahiman and Talmai, the children of Anak. 15 Then he went up from there against the inhabitants of Debir; now the name of Debir formerly was Kiriath-sepher. 16 And Caleb said, "The one who attacks Kiriath-sepher and captures it, I will give him Achsah my daughter as a wife." 17 And Othniel the son of Kenaz, the brother of Caleb, captured it; so he gave him Achsah his daughter as a wife.

NASB

·         Eventually, Caleb took possession of it; drove the Anakims out of the city and changed its name to "Hebron."

·         "Hebron" means "fellowship" or "communion."

·         The name Caleb means "wholehearted" and aptly describes him.

·         He did not immediately get possession of Hebron; but he fought stubbornly and determinedly until he had driven out the ancient inhabitants and so took possession of it.

·         Later, it became a Levitical city and a city of refuge, but the suburbs belonged to Caleb and his descendants.

·         As we think about this passage maybe it will inspire us and lead us to act as Caleb did.

·         In the energy of faith, he took possession of that which god had promised to him.

2.     COMPLACENCY, COMPROMISE, AND COMPLAINT (JOSHUA 16:1—17:18)

• Chapter 16 deals with Ephraim's portion.
• Chapter 17 deals with Manasseh's portion.
• Ephraim was complaining because they had not been given a very large portion of land.
• In fact, Ephraim was given only about half of what Manasseh received.
• The land they inherited was mountainous.
• They were not satisfied.
• Joshua says, "If you don't like what you have, go up and possess the mountains. But remember, it's going to cost you something.
• This teaches us that it takes work to lay hold of spiritual possessions and blessings.

3.     COMMITMENT RENEWAL (JOSHUA 18:1—19:51)

Joshua 18:

·         The tabernacle is set up at Shiloh and the remaining land was apportioned.

·         Seven of the tribes were standing around with their hands in their pockets. They said to Joshua, "What are you going to give us?" Joshua told them, "You have been given a certain area. Go and possess your land. How long are you going to wait?"

·         This is also God's challenge to us. He has made available to us all spiritual blessings, but we are slack when it comes to claiming them.

·         After Joshua's challenge the tribes began to move out and possess the land which had been allocated to them.

Chapter 19:

·         This section reveals how much detail God gave concerning Israel and the land.

·         The land and the people go together.

·         God not only gave them the land of Canaan, he also gave a particular area to a particular tribe.

·         God was concerned about each individual and his possession.

·         It tells us that god is concerned about our personal lives.

·         It should tell us that there is nothing private about our lives for God knows and regulates it all when we are in his will.

·         Joshua did not ask for an inheritance.

·         Israel took the initiative in offering one to.

·         Joshua made his own choice.

o       It was a place called Timnath-Serah and was about eleven miles from Shiloh, and about ten miles northwest of Bethel.

o       It was a barren place, and one of the worst spots Joshua could have chosen.

o       The site is known today as Khirbet-Tebneh.

o       This area was dear to the heart of every Israelite.

o       Near Bethel, Abraham built his first altar in Canaan, claiming the land for his descendents.

o       Bethel derived its name "house of god" from Jacob's vision of heaven opening and a ladder descending from heaven.

o       Near there Jacob had bought a parcel of land.

o       His well is still there.

o       In keeping with his dying request, Joseph's bones eventually would be buried on this land.

4.     SAFE PLACES (JOSHUA 20:1—21:45)

Chapter 20:

·         The cities of refuge are established.

Chapter 21:

·         God's people were divided into three classes: priests, Levites, and warriors.

·         The priests were the worshipers and had to do with the way of approach to God.

·         The Levites were the ministers of the lord, serving, as we have seen, in various capacities.

·         The warriors fought to take possession of the land and to hold it against their enemies in days to come.

·         In the present dispensation of grace, the three groups are combined in each believer.

·         The Levites were scattered out so that they could minister to the people.

·         Thus it was the privilege of all to share with the Levites God had given them and which had appropriated in faith.

·         God had fulfilled his word to the letter.

·         It was now the responsibility of the people to hold their inheritance by obedience.

5.     CONFLICT RESOLUTION (JOSHUA 22:1-34)

·         The children of Israel now possessed some of the land of Canaan, but that was only a small segment of the land god had promised them.

·         They had possessed as much of the land as they chose to occupy, which was far short of all the land that God had promised to them.

·         And would have delivered to them had they been obedient to his command to possess all the land.

·         Israel failed to completely rid her possession of her enemies because of her unbelief.

·         They failed to believe god and appropriate his power.

Summarized Bible—It is a brand of failure upon the Christian, when through carelessness, cowardice or want of faith in God, he fails to drive out the Canaanite (world) as commanded.

·         Here are the main themes of the book of Joshua.

o       The land

o       Rest

o       Victory

o       God's faithfulness.