if you have just joined us for the first time tonight or it's been a while since you've been
here we've been working through the early chapters of Joshua in the Old Testament
last week we're in chapter 7 tonight we're in chapter 8 and chapter 7 was a brutal story of
God's judgment and chapters 7 and 8 go together as one story and so basically what that means is
we're back into blood and guts territory again tonight as we have just heard as James read out
to us all the people of AI are slaughtered 12,000 men and women are slaughtered it's a it's a massacre
and on one level we're kind of used to massacres to a degree I mean we live in a in a world that
as I read just very recently that since the end of World War II conflicts have trebled in number
around our world and all sorts of things like you know Kenya and Syria and Somalia and just massacred
hundreds of people dying all over the place and so on one level we're used to massacres even though
we're repulsed by them but what makes this one particularly hard is that God is caught up in
at all it's actually in fact on his orders and so the question that we have of texts like this as we
did last week and Chris alluded to this is what sort of God does that make him that I think is the
struggle that we have with this text the early sections of Joshua with the conquest of the land
of Canaan what sort of God is this well the the prominent atheist the tele-evangelist for atheism
Richard Dawkins has a little doubt on what sort of God this is he describes him in his book the God
delusion on page 31 as the God of the Old Testament is arguably the most unpleasant character in all
fiction a jealous and proud of it a petty unjust unforgiving control freak a vindictive bloodthirsty
ethnic cleanser a misogynist homophobic racist infants infanticidal genocidal filocidal pestilential
megalomaniacal sadomacistic capriciously malevolent bully there's a whole lot of adjectives that are
thrown together there some of which don't appear in the dictionary and it's the
what Dawkins Dawkins's problem is that he he knows what he thinks God is like the God of the Old
Testament and Dawkins's problem is not trying to understand God which is what we're trying to do
here tonight Dawkins's problem is trying to understand people who try to understand God
that's his problem and so this is just you know when you read that you hear that sort of stuff you
think he's gone way over the top he's in fact offensive which is what he's deliberately trying
to do in the God delusion he's trying to be offensive but as we face a chapter like this one
that we're looking at here in in Joshua 8 however much we want to sort of back away from from a Dawkins
and say that he's gone way over the top and we want to say that's in fact not my God we are still
I think in our modern context a little embarrassed about these sorts of chapters we're a little bit
uncomfortable with these chapters in fact if we you know jumping in to read the Bible the first time
with people we don't normally suggest you start at places like Joshua we go with more sort of you
know the birth of Jesus and work through the Gospels a year ago sorry a number of years ago a lady I know
rejected Christianity she'd become a Christian a couple of years earlier threw herself into the
life of the church and she rejected Christianity on the basis of reading Joshua 7 and 8 for the very
first time and she did that preparing for a Sunday school lesson and I remember her coming to me
what kind of God does this
that's the question I think behind many questions about God what kind of God is he and surprisingly
Joshua 7 and 8 don't just raise I think the question for us but actually come up with some of the answers
too if you were here last week then you would have had like Joshua gone through the chilling episode of
Achan sin in the camp the greed the theft the rejection of God's commands the exposure the
humiliation the execution the pile of rocks and the burning of the bodies and and Joshua I think
you know might have been wondering at that point who's next in fact what's next as Chris said it was
good news up to that point victory after victory victory and all of a sudden boom this this encounter
which just gutted the people of God and so the opening of chapter 8 is remarkably comforting and
reassuring God says to Joshua do not be afraid do not be discouraged and the Lord said that to
Joshua because understandably he was afraid he was discouraged what kind of God orders this
after the events of chapter 7 perhaps he was wondering if God in fact was still angry with him
you might know that feeling Chris in fact start off last week you know what it is to have someone
really angry with you you remember that feeling someone really angry with you and what I find is
not so much the person getting angry with me but it's the after effect it's the someone gets angry
with you and you have that feeling of uncertainty every time you see them that maybe there's probably
still that grudge there they've still got that issue with you they're brooding over the anger that is
the feeling that the anger just continues and continues and continues and I suspect that my
kids experience that for me sometimes I get angry with them about something and then you just can
tell by the way they approach you afterwards for some time as to is dad safe is he still angry with me
and you've got to kind of you know give them reassurance that it's all dealt with and stuff like that
I think that we often talk in terms of three strikes and you're out make three mistakes and that's the end of the
road for you and sometimes we even operate like that spiritually as if God is a one strike and you're out
kind of God and so after the disaster in the judgment of chapter 7 God makes it clear that he's not that
kind of God at all his anger with the death of Achan his anger is actually turned away
and so he approaches his people with reassurance he's a God of grace he's a God of the second chance
the you know 22nd chance of the 2222nd chance and so on and so on he is the God who embraces his
people in spite of the mistakes and the sins and the flaws he's the God who delivers on his promise in
spite of his people not deserving that promise his anger was satisfied with the death of Achan
and now he brings a word of comfort and reassurance his generosity in his goodness and his grace is
seen in fact in verse 1 as we continue on take the whole army with you and go up and attack Ai for I
have delivered into your hands the king of Ai his people his city and his land you shall do to Ai and
as king as you did to Jericho and his its king except that you may carry off their plunder and livestock for
yourselves see what they're saying if only Achan had waited
there was no need for the greed and the coveting of Jericho he could have freely enjoyed all of God's
provision at Ai
in Dale Ralph Davis's commentary on Joshua he has this intriguing phrase he uses to reflect on these
verses he calls it serpent theology he's picking up the image of the serpent the devil in Genesis 3
and serpent theology is thinking about God the way that the devil thinks about God as opposed to the
way that God has revealed himself to us and part of sinful serpent theology is to put our attention on
God's restrictions rather than his generous provision and that's what happens in Genesis chapter 3 in the
garden of Eden the serpent's word to Eve do you remember it did God really say that you must not eat of
any tree of the garden well no that's not what God said at all
but the devil wanted Eve and he wants us to imagine that that's exactly what God said he focuses on our
attention on what we can't do or what we shouldn't do as Christians rather than all that we enjoy as God's
people have you found yourself borrowing serpent theology at all it it's the theology that paints God as a
killjoy it puts the spotlight on the
restrictions it it blinds us to the God who generously provides it ignores the
beauty and the wonder and the provision and the perfection of the garden of Eden and it takes your attention off that and
focuses on one restriction do not eat from the fruit of that tree
Achan would have had every need met if only he had trusted every word that proceeded from the mouth of God and
obediently waited but he didn't
God never seeks to impoverish his people
it is only as his people lose sight of his generosity his provision his goodness that the cancer of covetedness
consumes them I actually think that recognizing God as a giving God is the prerequisite for our
faithfulness we need to understand that he's a giving generous merciful God it's a prerequisite to
faithfulness contentment with God's goodness is our antidote for faithlessness
so what kind of God are you we can see he is a generous and he's a merciful God
notice too that he is a sovereign God God's sovereignty is wonderfully displayed throughout this chapter
he's the he's the one with all the battle plans he gives all the orders
and yet it feels quite different than Jericho Jericho seemed more like a miracle than than AI if you like
it begins with God's instruction in verse 2 set an ambush behind the city and then you watch all of
Joshua's actions from chapter from verse 3 to 17 it is a classic lure and ambush strategy
Joshua hides a bunch of blokes behind the city to set a trap
and he grabs the rest of the blokes with him marches up to the front door knocks on the front door
they open it blows some raspberries ticks them off they grab their army they come off after him and he
retreats and they think oh this is fantastic we've just beaten the Israelites and we're gonna do it again
so let's finalize the deal and they send out everyone against the Israelites and it leaves
the city open and vulnerable and then we come to God's next instruction to Joshua in verse 18
hold out towards AI the javelin that is in your hand for into your hand I will deliver the city
so that's Joshua what he does he holds this stick this spear over there that's it that's the signal
does his instruction it's the signal springs the trap defeats the king the army in the city of AI
and when you read the story you notice that God is as every little bit as much in control and work here as he was in Jericho
what kind of God is he he's a sovereign powerful God with the power of God the great Jericho could be taken
without it the people of God couldn't even take the little outpost of AI
how utterly dependent his people are upon him upon his generosity and his power
so he's a God of generosity and goodness he's a God of sovereignty and power
and so now we come back to let's deal with the elephant in the room
it's hard to be to not notice God's awesome and destructive judgment in this chapter there is no denying it this this reads like a terrible massacre
verse 24 when Israel had finished killing all the men of AI in the fields and in the desert where they had chased them and when every one of them had beaten put
uh been put to the sword all the Israelites to return to AI and killed those who were in it
12,000 men and women fell that day all the people of AI
all of AI are dead and it's God it's people who are doing it under the orders of God
what kind of God are you
that's the question
that question is an enormous question and frankly we do not have the time
to sit here and to go through it all
so I'm going to encourage you to buy a book
called The God I Do Not Understand by Chris Wright
um it has a couple of very helpful chapters that addresses um several of the questions that people ask
and addresses specifically the conquest of Canaan
very very helpful little book
um there uh just as an advertisement point over here
uh there's not many hard copies available
but which is unusual for a book that was so helpful and it was only published in 2009
but there are e-book versions so you tech savvy people you can go to Kurong download the reader
if you haven't got the reader and buy the book very very helpful
alternatively if you are a small group leader here tonight
or you're particularly turned up about this question
um I've got two copies of the relevant chapters right here
two copies uh put them all together yesterday
really really helpful stuff so if you're a small group leader
and you're actually going through the book of Joshua
um come and grab a copy
or uh Chris can send you or I can send you an electronic version
it's it's substantial reading
but it is very very very helpful reading
about trying to understand
what's happening in the Canaan context
but I'll just mention one thing
to help us understand what's happening here
there is a backstory a behind the scenes story
to Joshua 7 and 8
and the clue comes for us surprisingly in verse 29
where we read that Joshua hung the body of the king of Ai on a tree
now there is more to that act than just mere intimidation
and gloating over a military victory
Joshua knows his bible
and the significance of what he's actually doing here
he would have known the words in Deuteronomy 22
that say
if a man guilty of a capital offense is put to death
and his body is hung on a tree
you must not leave his body on the tree overnight
which is why Joshua took it down and they buried it
be sure to bury him that same day
because anyone who is hung on a tree
is under God's curse
in other words
what's happening in this conquest
is God's judgment
it is his curse
divine judgment is being enacted here
now that doesn't make it any less violent or any nicer
but it does change the moral context
it changes the framework or the lens
through which we view this chapter
if you dig back further
you realise that
not only is this
God's judgment on the sins of these people
sins that range from sexual perversion to child sacrifice
but it's a judgment that's been a long time coming
you see a bit over 400 years before this is happening
Abraham lived here
he lived in this place called Canaan
and he was told by God when he lived there
that he would be the father of a nation
he was told that his descendants would be slaved
and mistreated in a foreign land for 400 years
and then God would bring them back
and that they would conquer this land
the promised land
and he was also told this
Genesis 15 verse 16
in the fourth generation
your descendants will come back here
for the sin of the Amorites
has not yet reached its full measure
see what it's saying there
400 years earlier
God acknowledged the sinfulness of the Amorites
and he could have judged them at that particular moment
but he didn't
their sin had not yet exhausted God's patience
and yet over 400 years
the sin didn't stop
another 400 years of sinning
and defying
and exploiting
ignoring all the warnings
before God said
that's enough
and judgment fell
so what king of God
what kind of God are you?
well the king of Ai
and that pile of rocks
over his body
in verse 29
reminds us that he's a God
who's not to be trifled with
he's not a God
to be messed around with
he's not a God
that we deal with him
on
our terms
he is a God
who delivers on his promise
to bring
not just mercy
but justice
to
and so here's another bit
of serpent theology
that often
infects our minds
it's the thinking
that God won't do
what he says
he will do
again remember
chapter 3 of Genesis
in the garden of Eden
the serpent tempting Eve
to take and eat
for the fruit
and she remembers
the warning of disobedience
you will surely die
and the serpent
mocks it out
no you won't
you won't die
don't believe it
God will not hold you
accountable
and the
getting kicked out
of the garden of Eden
and that pile of rocks
in chapter 8
verse 29
reminds us that God
does in fact
hold sin accountable
and that he will judge
and that he expects
every word that proceeds
from his mouth
to be obeyed
what kind of God
have you
he's not a safe one
it is unwise
to mistake
God's patience
for weakness
or for lack of resolve
don't make the mistake
of thinking
he hasn't
and so he won't
or
I've got away with it
and so I will
get away with it
don't make that mistake
but I think
there's some
in terms of the
back story here
there's a little bit
more for us
as Christians
reading a chapter
like this
we tend to put
ourselves in the
Israelite shoes
we tend to
identify with God's
people
looking
to step into
their inheritance
of all of God's
promises
and if we're not
careful
it can lead us
to a smug
or even a
patronizing
complacency
you know I'm part
of the people of God
that's good for me
but boo to everyone
else
we're the good guys
while they
over there
whoever they are
are in fact
the bad guys
and they deserve
this
but that's
not what this
chapter is teaching
it's not what the
back story teaches
us either
listen to
Deuteronomy
chapter 9
after the Lord
your God
has driven
them out
before you
that is
you've gone
into the land
and driven
out all the
inheritance
of Canaanites
king of I
all those
of Jericho
after the Lord
has driven
them out
before you
do not
say to yourself
the Lord
has brought
me here
to take
possession
of this
land
because of
my
righteousness
no
it is on
account of
the wickedness
of these
nations
the Lord
is going
to drive
them out
before you
it is not
because of
your righteousness
or your
integrity
that you
are going
in to take
possession
of the
land
but on
account
of the
wickedness
of these
nations
the Lord
your God
will drive
them out
before you
to accomplish
what he
swore to
your fathers
to Abraham
Isaac
and Jacob
understand
then
he says
it again
that it
is not
because of
your righteousness
that the
Lord
or your God
is giving
you this
good land
to possess
for you
are a
stiff
neck
people
why is it
happening
it's not
because they're
worse than
the people
of God
it's not
because
Israel's
any better
God
isn't a
God of
favourites
he isn't
a God
who turns
a blind
eye to
our faults
and failures
either
and so
these
chapters
must be
set
in the
context
of
God's
promises
his
sovereignty
his
mercy
his
justice
these
chapters
are not
as they
have been
used
in the
past
they
are
not
a
legitimising
of war
or
of
religious
terrorism
or of
ethnic
cleansing
that is
not what
they are
and this
is why
this chapter
ends the
way it
does
it doesn't
end so
much with
the awesome
judgment
of God
as with
the
humbling
words
of God
and so
you move
from 29
terrible
picture of
rocks being
piled up
over
Achan
just being
killed
and then
all of a
sudden
there's a
shift
into
verse 30
it's a
massive
shift
one minute
you're in
a fast
moving
born
you know
movie
with lots
of action
and adventure
and the next
year watching
him appraise
it's like
what happened
there
it's an
abrupt
shift
in verse
29
we're standing
at the gates
of Ai
rocks piled
over the
king
verse 30
we're 30
odd
kilometres
north
of Ai
in the
shadow
of Mount
Ebal
near
Shechem
as they
participate
in a
ceremony
of covenant
renewal
and the
hearing
of the
blessing
and cursing
of the
law
it is
significant
that the
covenant
renewal
ceremony
is held
right there
in Shechem
at the
foot of
Mount
Ebal
it was
here
in that
place
that
Abraham
first
received
the promise
of the
land
from God
and it
was here
in that
place
that
Jacob
returned
safely
after a
long
exile
from the
land
that he
had been
promised
and so
now here
in Joshua
8
it's
Abraham's
seed
it's the
family of
Jacob
at promised
place
experiencing
God's promise
of the land
at the very
least
what we're to
hear from
that is
that time
does not
in any
sense
invalidate
God's
promises
he is
true to
his
promise
the
climax
of the
ceremony
comes
with
Joshua's
reading
of the
law
and
everything
that
happens
in
verses
30
to
35
Moses
has
previously
commanded
Israel
to do
all the
details
Joshua
follows
every
detail
right down
to the
letter
even
the
place
they
deliberately
went
there
for this
ceremony
of
covenant
renewal
it's
like
they
needed
to go
from
Sydney
to
Brisbane
but they
went
via
Perth
because
it's
a really
important
thing
they
needed
to
do
in
Perth
notice
how the
text
emphasizes
that all
the word
of the
law
was
applicable
to
all
the
people
all
is
used
five
times
in
verses
33
to
35
the
Israelite
the
foreign
of the
leadership
the rank
and file
were all
meant to be
ruled by the
word of
God
what's the
point
given who
God is
covenant
obedience
is more
important than
military
victory
that's what
God really
desires of
his people
heeding
God's
word is
more important
than fighting
God's
war
obedience
to the
word of
God
is more
important
than
a whole
flurry
and
commitment
to
ministry
activity
Israel's
success
as the
people
of God
does not
primarily
consist in
knocking off
Canaanites
but in
everyone's
total submission
to the
word of
God
that's
where
success
will be
for the
people
of
God
a lesson
that was
brutally
experienced
for them
by
Achan
all the
people must
give all
obedience to
all the
word of
God
that is
the first
priority
for the
people of
God
and this
is true
for the
visitor in
the midst
as well as
for the
God's
people
it includes
men and
women
it includes
children and
foreigners
this is an
all age
and all
comers
service at
Mount
Ebal
verses
34 and
35
say that
Joshua
did not
leave
anything
out
in
reading
the
word
of
the
Lord
he
didn't
stick
to
his
favorite
bits
and he
didn't
sort of
say
things like
well that's
not suitable
for the
children
the children
heard
all of
God's
curses
as much
as they
heard
his
blessings
and the
foreigners
heard
at the
same
time
that they
too
could have
a place
in
God's
blessing
as
well
it
didn't
have
to be
all
about
it
didn't
have
the
result
for
them
didn't
have
to
be
like
it
was
for
AI
God's
word
keeps
us
humble
it
shows
the
foreigner
how
they
can
in
fact
be
safe
with
the
people
of
God
in
the
promises
and
the
blessings
of
God
and
it
shows
the
people
of
God
how
not
to
take
that
safety
for
granted
God's
word
keeps
us
humble
and so
what
kind
of
God
are
you
he's
a
God
of
extraordinary
generosity
what kind
of
God
are
you
he's
a
God
of
justice
unlike
us
he
isn't
a
God
who
draws
the
line
on
his
justice
he
doesn't
have
favorites
to
whom
he
turns
a
blind
eye
to
their
sin
as
Achan
found
out
and
Israel
will
soon
find
out
very
soon
what
kind
of
God
are
you
a
God
who
can
be
trusted
to
keep
his
word
whether
that's
a
word
of
blessing
how do
we
square
that
up
because
if
it
was
me
I
wouldn't
do
it
like
this
you
know
we're
all
drunk
peasants
we fall
off one
side of
the donkey
or the
other
because
God
keeps
it
together
he
can
hold
all
those
character
traits
together
competing
traits
are
sovereign
promise
keeping
God
of
justice
and
mercy
who
holds
people
accountable
well
thousands
of years
after
Joshua
another
king
was
hung
on a
tree
this
time
it
wasn't
the
king
of
Ai
it
was
the
king
of
the
Jews
the
promised
messiah
king
of
God
and
Jesus
willingly
placed
himself
under
God's
curse
not
for
his
sin
but
for
our
sin
in
fact
for
the
sin
of
the
world
he
did
it
not
because
we
are
righteous
but
because
we
are
wicked
not
because
we
deserve
God's
blessing
but
because
he
longs
for
us to
enjoy
God's
blessing
in spite
of who
we are
and what
we've
done
and the
only way
we can
enjoy
God's
blessing
is to
identify
with the
king
who took
the curse
of God
that we
deserved
psalm
psalm 2
read it
this
morning
summarizes
the
message
of
ai's
defeat
so
memorably
therefore
you
kings
be
wise
be
warned
you
rulers
of
the
earth
serve
the
lord
with
fear
rejoice
with
trembling
kiss
the
son
lest
he
be
angry
and
you
be
destroyed
in
your
way
for
his
wrath
can
flare
up
in
a
moment
blessed
are
all
who
take
refuge
in
him
the
same
son
is
the
one
whose
anger
and
wrath
can
pour
out
in
just
a
moment
and
yet
he's
a
place
of
refuge
and
safety
the
glorious
reality
is
that
we
can
take
refuge
in
him
because
he
hung
on
a
tree
for
us
outside
of
the
city
that
good
Friday
afternoon
and
because
he
took
our
place
he
atoned
for
our
sins
and
carried
our
guilt
we
do
not
have
to
face
the
fate
of
the
king
of
Ai
which
is
what
we
deserve
that
is
how
serious
our
sin
is
we
are
meant
to
look
at
that
pile
of
stones
in
chapter
8
verse
29
and
say
that
should
be
my
end
we're
meant
to
look
at
the
cross
of
Christ
which
let
me
be
frank
that
should
revile
us
as a
massacre
in the
same way
these
chapters
should
revile
us
as a
massacre
the
cross
of
Christ
was
a
massacre
on
an
innocent
individual
and we
should
see
that
cross
and we
should
see
the
seriousness
of
our
sin
and
the
awesome
justice
of
God
to
think
of
ourselves
in
any
other
way
regardless
of
how
long
we've
been
a
Christian
or
how
much
we've
served
and
contributed
to the
church
or how
much
money
we
give
is
to
be
too
busy
fighting
our
war
to
listen
to
the
word
of
God
and
yet
the
same
cross
that
reveals
the
awesome
justice
of
God
is
the
cross
that
reveals
the
incredible
patience
and
goodness
and
generosity
of
God
as
the
just
anger
of
God
is
poured
out
on
the
Lord
Jesus
in
such
a
way
that
God's
anger
towards
us
is
satisfied
and
the
death
of the
Lord
Jesus
turns
God's
anger
away
from
us
so
that
with
no
malice
no
grudges
he
can
say
things
to
us
like
do
not
be
afraid
do
not
be
discouraged
my
friends
being a
Christian
is not
about
playing
spiritual
games
it's
not
about
having
a
spare
time
religious
interest
called
Christianity
it
demands
the
whole
of
our
being
that's
what
we
see
at
the
end
of
Joshua
8
covenant
obedience
covenant
commitment
we
cannot
declare
allegiance
to
Christ
and
then
go
on
living
in
disobedience
which
is
exactly
what
I
can
did
because
the
two
attitudes
are in
fact
mutually
exclusive
but
if we
seek to
live in
obedience
although
we
will
often
fail
and
we
will
fall
if
our
lives
are
characterized
by
repentance
and
trust
and
obedience
God
is
with
us
as
the
old
song
goes
there's
no
other
way
to
be
happy
in
Jesus
than
to
trust
and
obey
this
God
is
committed
to
those
who
trust
and
obey
him
even
though
he's
a
God
who's
not
to
be
trifled
with
and
his
promised
victories
and
blessings
will
become
ours
because
that's
the
sort
of
God
he
actually
is
God
there's
God
Thank you.