JOSHUA
LESSON #9
JOSHUA 8
LESSON #9
OVERCOME THROUGH FAITHFUL PERSEVERANCE
MEMORY VERSE: JOHN 4:24
READ JOS 8:1-13
VERSE 1 GOD'S REASSURANCE AND MERCY AFTER THE SIN OF ACHAN HAS BEEN TAKEN CARE OF.
THE FIRST ATTACK ON AI CONSISTED OF 3,000 MEN WHILE THIS ONE CONSISTS OF 30,000 MEN
1. GOD DOES THINGS HIS WAY AND NOT MAN'S WAY.
2. THE WAY BACK FROM SIN IS HARD.
IS THE SPIRITUAL BATTLE EVER THE SAME AFTER SIN AND DISOBEDIENCE HAVE BEEN DEALT WITH? WHY? OR WHY NOT?
1. TEMPTATION IS MORE PREVALENT.
2. FAITH IS WEAKER.
3. ASSURANCE IS LOW.
BUT THERE'S STILL VICTORY!
CONSIDER THAT QUESTION IN LIGHT OF PARTICULAR EXPERIENCES IN YOUR OWN LIFE
READ JOS 8:14-29
SPIRITUAL WARFARE STRATEGY:
MAKE THE ENEMY THINK YOU'RE WEAK AND THEN CLOBBER HIM.
WHAT NEW ATTITUDES MUST BE PRESENT TO GAIN VICTORY AFTER SIN?
1. A NEW RELIANCE ON GOD.
2. A NEW DETERMINATION FOR VICTORY.
3. A NEW RESOLVE TO OBEDIENCE.
4. PERSISTENT SPIRITUAL WARFARE.
EPH 6:12-18
NOTE THE VICTORY SPOILS (VERSE 27)
AI AND BETHEL ARE BURNED AS AN OFFERING TO GOD BUT THE MATERIAL BLESSINGS OF VICTORY BELONG TO THE PEOPLE...THE GLORY IS GOD'S BUT THE BLESSINGS ARE OURS.
JERICHO WAS THE FIRST FRUITS TITHE OFFERING TO GOD SO NO SPOIL WAS ALLOWED. IF ACHAN HAD BEEN PATIENT, HE WOULD HAVE BEEN BLESSED.
MEMORIAL #4
WHAT IS THE SIGNIFICANCE TO US TODAY OF THE FOURTH MEMORIAL JOSHUA ESTABLISHED IN JOS 8:29?
MARK THE PLACE WHERE GOD'S MERCY AND FAITHFULNESS RESTORE VICTORY AFTER REPENTED SIN
READ JOS 8:30-35
THEY TRAVEL FROM AI AND BETHEL NORTH INTO ENEMY TERRITORY TO WORSHIP. MOSES SAID THEY WERE TO GO THERE DEU 17:1-8.
CURSINGS AND BLESSINGS: JOS 8:30-35 AND DEU 27-28
MT. EBAL (THE MOUNTAIN OF CURSING):
THE ALTAR WAS BUILT HERE (JOS 8:30).
THE LAW WAS WRITTEN ON THE STONES (JOS 8:32).
A BURNT OFFERING AND A PEACE OFFERING WAS MADE (DEU 27:6-7).
CURSINGS ARE READ. (JOS 8:34) (DEU 27:15-26).
MT GERIZIM (THE MOUNTAIN OF BLESSING):
THEN BLESSINGS WERE READ FROM THIS MOUNTAIN. (JOS 8:34)
(DEU 28:1-14)
MT. EBAL (THE MOUNTAIN OF CURSING):
MORE CURSINGS ARE READ FROM THIS MOUNTAIN. (DEU 28:15-48)
THE SETTING:
THESE TWO MOUNTAINS ARE 1/2 MILE APART FORMING A NATURAL AMPHITHEATER. MT GERIZIM IS SHORTER. BOTH NAMES MEAN "BARREN".
ACCORDING TO DEU 27 AND 28 CURSES WERE READ FROM MT EBAL, BLESSINGS WERE READ FROM MT. GERIZIM.
WHY DID THEY BUILD THE ALTAR ON MT. EBAL?
IT WAS TO REMIND THE PEOPLE THEY WOULDN'T BE PERFECT AND WOULD NEED AN ALTAR TO TAKE CARE OF THE SIN THAT PRODUCED CURSES.
WHY WAS THE ALTAR MADE OF WHOLE UNCUT STONES?
NO HUMAN MARK UPON IT, SO WE MUST COME TO GOD HIS WAY THROUGH OUR OWN SINFULNESS AND NOT OF THE WORKS OF OUR OWN HANDS.
WHY WAS THE LAW WRITTEN ON THE STONES?
IT'S GOD'S BROKEN LAW THAT BRINGS CURSES.
A BURNT OFFERING WAS PERFORMED FOR DEALING WITH SIN. THEN A PEACE OFFERING WAS PERFORMED SIGNIFYING ACCEPTANCE OF FORGIVENESS--PEACE WITH GOD.
CURSINGS WERE READ, THEN BLESSINGS, THEN MORE CURSINGS.
NOTICE THERE ARE MORE CURSES THAN BLESSINGS.
NOTICE THAT MT. EBAL, THE MT. OF CURSINGS WAS TALLER THAN MT. GERIZIM.
LATER THE SAMARITANS WORSHIPPED FROM MT. GERIZIM. JESUS MET THE SAMARITAN WOMAN AT THE WELL THAT JACOB DUG NEAR MT. GERIZIM IN JOHN 4:20-22.
SHE ASKED WHICH WAS THE RIGHT PLACE TO WORSHIP, JERUSALEM WHERE THE JEWS WORSHIPED OR MT. GERIZIM WHERE THE SAMARITANS WORSHIPED.
JESUS' ANSWER:
SALVATION WAS OF THE JEWS. WORSHIP WAS TO BE IN SPIRIT AND TRUTH. THE SAMARITANS TRIED TO GET GOD'S BLESSINGS ON THEIR OWN WITHOUT GOING THROUGH THE ALTAR ON MT. EBAL AND STILL SACRIFICE THERE EVERY PASSOVER.
SCRIPTURAL EVENTS AT SHECHEM:
JACOB’S FAMILY CHOOSES GOD AS HIS LORD GEN 33:18-20.
MT. EBAL (MT. OF CURSING) AND MT. GERIZIM (MT OF BLESSING) LAY ON EITHER SIDE OF SHECHEM JOS 8:30-35). JOSHUA RENEWED THE COVENANT HERE.
JOSHUA SAYS TO "CHOOSE" GOD. JOS 24
THE DECISION WAS MADE TO SPLIT THE KINGDOM HERE. 1KI 12:25
THE NORTHERN KINGDOM ESTABLISHED THEIR CAPITAL HERE.
THIS BECAME THE CHIEF CITY OF THE SAMARITANS WITH THEIR TEMPLE ON MT. GERIZIM. JOH 4:20
SYCHAR IN JOH 4:5 IS SHECHEM WHERE JESUS CONFRONTS THE WOMAN AT THE WELL.
APPLICATION:
WHAT SIGNIFICANCE TO US TODAY IS THIS OBJECT LESSON OF THE TWO MOUNTAINS?
ARE WE TO KEEP THE LAW IN ORDER TO GAIN GOD'S BLESINGS? NO.
1. LET'S COME TO GOD HIS WAY THROUGH THE BLOOD SACRIFICE OF JESUS CHRIST AND NOT THROUGH WORKS, THAT WE MIGHT POSSESS GOD'S UNCONDITIONAL PROMISES.
2. LET'S LIVE IN OBEDIENCE TO GOD'S CHARACTER KEEPING THE MORAL INTENT OF GOD'S LAW AND THEREFORE REAP GOD'S CONDITIONAL PROMISES OF BLESSING.
3. LET'S BE OVERCOMERS THROUGH PERSEVERANCE IN SPIRITUAL WARFARE.
PRAYER:
ASK GOD TO HELP YOU BE A DOER OF THE WORD.
NEXT LESSON: IS BREAKING A PROMISE JUSTIFIED WHEN IT WAS OBTAINED DECEITFULLY BY OTHERS?
HOMEWORK FOR JOSHUA 9
THIS IS A SELF-STUDY. DO NOT SEND HOMEWORK TO THE TEACHER FOR CORRECTION.
APPLICATION OF JOSHUA 8
WRITE DOWN A TIME IN YOUR CHRISTIAN WALK WHEN GOD FORGAVE
YOU OF A SPECIFIC SIN, AND HOW HE GAVE YOU THE VICTORY OVER
THAT SIN AND TEMPTATION .
PREPARATION FOR JOSHUA 9:
READ JOSHUA 9:1-15
WAS THE TREATY WITH THE GIBEONITES GOD'S PERFECT WILL?
HOW DO YOU KNOW?
WHAT WAS THE NATURE OF THE TREATY?
READ JOSHUA 9:16-27
WHY DIDN'T JOSHUA CANCEL THE TREATY WHEN HE FOUND OUT IT WAS MADE THROUGH DECEPTION?
WHAT KIND OF SERVANT POSITION WERE THE GIBEONITES TO HAVE?
READ: PSA 15 MAT 5:33-37 EZE 17:16-20 HEB 6:13-20
IS IT EVER JUSTIFIED TO BREAK ONE'S PROMISE WHEN THAT PROMISE WAS OBTAINED DECEITFULLY BY OTHERS?
WHY DO YOU THINK AN OATH IS SO IMPORTANT TO GOD?
MEMORY VERSE: MAT 5:37