Joshua 22:10-34 The Eastern Tribe's Altar of Witness

After the war and the renewal of their covenant before Joshua, the Eastern tribes went back home. Unfortunately, the sense of separation that the Jordan river imposed between them and the other tribes led them to think of a way to proclaim their solidarity. They built a replica of the altar on their side of the promised land so that all who would see it would know that they believed and served the same God.

When the Western tribes saw the replica of the altar on the other side of the Jordan, they were indignant. They interpreted the altar as a breach of faith. The Israelites were not supposed to offer sacrifices anywhere else but where the ark, the presence of God, was. They were preparing to do war against the Eastern tribes. When given an opportunity to explain their actions, the Eastern tribes declare the altar a "Witness" of their faith between them and not a functional altar to offer sacrifices.

A Witness gives a testimony, evidence, proof of something. The Eastern tribes wanted to make sure that their faith was not questioned because of their living on the other side of the Jordan. Am I willing to offer a testimony of my faith publicly? What am I willing to do to offer my testimony to those who live around me? I am called to be a witness to the world!

I admire the readiness to wage war against a breach of faith. The Israelites had tasted the wrath of God as a consequence to their breaches of faith and they were not willing to go through that again. Am I ready to wage war against breaches of faith? I can't forget that God has equipped me to wage war against sin, the flesh, and the world. But I must pick up the full armor of God. I must be willing to prepare for an encounter at any moment.

Lord, may I never be ashamed of my faith. May I find ways to be a witness to those around me. Give me the power to fight against sin every day of my life and dread a breach of faith with all my heart and soul. Amen

Joshua 7:10-26 The Sin of Achan

Abstaining from the devoted things is important in holy war. I can't expect to conquer the promised land or establish God's kingdom upon the earth if I desire the devoted things. Achan was enticed by a cloak and some silver and gold. But it can be anything that distracts me from my conquest. It can be money, power, greed, relationships, etc... anything! The devoted things belong to this world and are appointed for destruction. If my heart desires after them, I will partake in their destruction.

Much of the trouble in my life, I have brought upon myself for taking of the devoted things of the world. I think I can hide it and get away with it. Unfortunately, my sin has personal as well as corporate effects. Not only is my life entangled in trouble individually when I set out to embrace the sin of this world, but I bring down my whole church in a corporate fashion. In my individualistic thinking, I don't give a thought to the corporate effects of sin. The truth is that I render my church ineffective against the enemy. My battles become at best, self-reliant efforts to keep the enemy at bay. They are fruitless.

"You cannot stand before your enemies until you take away the devoted things from among you." Yes, we are sinners. But it is quite different to sin inadvertently due to ones sinful nature than to set out to defy the commands of the Lord. My fight with my wife hinders my prayers. My grudge against my brother hinders God's forgiveness for me. My sexual immorality taints the whole community once it comes to light bringing down my leadership and the whole ministry. Holy war is not fought alone. It is the effort of a whole community. My personal sin has corporate repercussions. I cannot stand to the enemy while living in sin.

The anatomy of sin is well described in Achan's confession: I saw, I coveted, and I hid. I downplay too much the role that my senses have in stimulating my desires. My eyes were given by God to enjoy his creation, but when I stare a little too long at things that stimulate ungodly desires in my heart, I run into trouble; sin is at hand. It gets further complicated when I refuse to come immediately to God. The guilt and the shame drive me away from God and I want to hide. God is omniscient and omnipresent, which means nothing is hidden from his presence. Yet, in my sin, I think that I can avoid God, even hide from him.

Consecration is key in holy war. If I want to conquer the promised land, if I desire to establish God's kingdom upon the earth, I must be solely devoted to God and his purposes. I must be single-minded. I can't be dividing my attention among many things - especially the devoted things. The consequences for taking, holding, and hiding devoted things are devastating. The devoted things will only add trouble to my life. 

Lord, give me an undivided heart that I may fear your name. Cleanse me of my sin. Help me let go of the devoted things of this world. May I be totally consecrated to you.

Joshua 7:1-9 Israel Defeated at Ai

The conquest of the promised land, the establishment of God's kingdom upon the earth is a holy war. Literally, it is a war between the God of Israel and the gods of the nations established in the promised land. The culture of the day viewed conflict between nations as a religious contest between their gods. This is very evident in the conflict with Pharaoh as Moses leads Israel out of its slavery in Egypt. Though difficult for us to understand, the reality of holy war made its way into the New Testament as one of the main images of the Christian conflict against sin, Satan, and the world.

If I am to make progress in my holy war, I must "keep the faith" and never "break faith." One of the rules of holy war is that the booty acquired from the enemy becomes "devoted" to the deity you are fighting for. To keep something devoted to deity was considered to "break faith," in other words, it was a disobedience for which it was necessary to pay with one's life at times. The establishment of God's kingdom requires my full trust in my God. I must keep the faith at all times. I must trust that he has a plan and knows what he is doing even when I don't understand.

Success in holy war is not dependent upon my abilities. It is dependent on my faith in God. Overconfidence in my abilities is an insult to my God. Many times my defeats are just a discipline of the Lord for my life so I may trust him and not myself. Ai was nothing compared to Jericho, yet they defeated Israel. In this conquest, strength is not in the numbers, but in the faith. Not by might, nor by power, but by my Spirit says the Lord.

Joshua's prayer clearly shows that Israel's victory brings glory to God's name because God is the one who fights for Israel. But God has demonstrated time and again that he will not fight for those who are overconfident in their trust in themselves. I bring glory to God's name when I fight depending on his power and might and not on my own abilities. God is most glorified when I battle in his name using all his resources at my disposal in obedience to his plan and strategy.

God Almighty, grant me the faith to trust in you alone in all my battles against sin and the enemy. Fill me with your Spirit and teach me to use your whole armor. Shun in me overconfidence and self-reliance.