Heaped Up

     A preacher was on his way to the little country church one blustery Sunday morning when he met up with one of the church's elders, who remarked,  "Pastor, I wish it weren’t so wintry."  "Oh," replied the minister, "I was just thanking God for keeping His Word."  The man stared at him and asked, "What do you mean?"  "Well, from the beginning, God promised that cold and heat would not cease, so I am encouraged by this weather for it emphasizes the sureness of His promises."  As we are about to enter into the first Lenten season of the 21st Century, let's take a look at the sureness of God and His Word.

     Oh, it must have been an awesome sight from nearby Jericho—2 million people standing on the banks of the Jordan River, and then it happened.  The people of the land had heard of the incident at the Red Sea, but never in their wildest imaginations did they think that they would see anything like it.  The Levites stepped into the water with the Ark of the Covenant, and no sooner had their sandals gotten wet, but that the rushing waters just heaped up.  As long as the Levites stood on the dry river bed with the Ark, which, of course, symbolizes the presence of God and His Word, the water stayed heaped up, giving plenty of opportunity for every last soul to pass over.  To commemorate the greatness of God and His promises, each tribe brought over a stone from the other side.  These 12 stones were then—you guessed it—heaped up—a monument for future generations to God's salvation and grace.    Under this banner, the people of Israel would now move on to possess the land.

     But that would mean that another people would be required to dispossess it.  Many today are turned off to the Bible and its message because there seems to be so much violence and bloodshed.  City after city falls, men, women, and children are utterly destroyed, and all of it at the command of God.  How can this be?  Many refuse to believe in such a God, but that is because they have failed to see the entirety of God and the surety of His Word.  Our God is indeed a loving God, but He is also holy and just—all sin is against Him, and it must be destroyed.  Joshua 10: 40 tells the story: "So Joshua smote all the country...and all of their kings: he left none remaining, but utterly destroyed all that breathed, as the Lord God of Israel commanded."  For centuries, these people across the Jordan had lived in sin, worshipping false gods, and refusing to turn to the One True God.  Now would come their judgment.  They had refused God's love and now they would pay the price.

     Jericho would be the first.  There would be three campaigns—the first against Jericho and Ai, which would split the land in two.  Then the South would be hit, followed by the North.  But before any of it, Joshua looked up and found himself face to face with a man with a sword in his hand.  Wondering whose side he was on, Joshua found him to be the captain of the host of the Lord.  "Captain" in the Hebrew means "head person, the one who has the rule and dominion, the governor, lord, prince and master."  This was quite likely not just an angel, but a pre-incarnate vision of the Christ Himself, the only Lord and Master.  Joshua was made aware of the unseen presence of God and His heavenly army, both prepared to do battle alongside God's faithful people.  We must all remember that God's born-again people do not face their struggles alone.  Seek Him, desire the fullness of His Holy Spirit, and know the battle is the Lord's, and the walls will come tumbling down.

     We must also remember that just as there are spiritual forces fighting on our behalf, there are demonic forces battling against us.  It is not enough to sit back and claim that all of God's warnings are directed at the unsaved—Satan loves to attack Christians, too.   The fall of Jericho left nothing but a heap of rubble, leaving the Israelites over-confident and they didn’t turn to the Lord for His direction concerning their next conquest—Ai.  Lo, and behold, Israel was defeated, but not just because they had failed to lean on the Lord's understanding.  No, there was sin in the camp, that is "church", and that will not be tolerated.  Achan, whose very name means "trouble," was the culprit.  The following is his confession: "When I saw among the spoils (of Jericho) a goodly Babylonish garment, and two hundred shekels of silver, and a wedge of gold of fifty shekels weight, then I coveted them, and took them; and behold, they are hid in the earth in the midst of my tent, and the silver under it." (Joshua 7: 21)  What a picture of the way of all sin!

     Sin begins when we see something of the world and call it good.  Soon, it lapses over into coveting—not only seeing it as good, but wanting it for yourself.  If you let that go on long enough, eventually you will take, and even hide it, so no one else can get it.  Oh, it could be material possessions, but it could also be worldly ideas, our own thoughts and plans, as well as our own strength and abilities.  James put it this way: "But every man is tempted, when he is drawn away of his own lust, and enticed.  Then when lust hath conceived, it bringeth forth sin: and sin, when it is finished, bringeth forth death." (1: 14,15)  Achan didn't get out of trouble because he finally admitted it—it was too late.  He wasn't repentant—he got caught red-handed and now would pay for his sin.   And Joshua said, "Why hast thou troubled us?  The Lord shall trouble thee this day.  And all Israel stoned him with stones, and burned them with fire, after they had stoned them with stones.  And they raised over him a great heap of stones unto this day."  Man's way taken over God's way can only mean trouble—big trouble.

     Once the sin was out of the camp, they could move on to the next battle—the city of Ai.  This time, they followed God's plan, and "Joshua burnt Ai, and made it an heap forever, even a desolation unto this day. "(vs. 28)  Furthermore, the king was hanged, his body was thrown where the gate used to be, and covered with a "great heap of stones, that remaineth unto this day." (vs. 29b)   Heap after heap after heap—it all sounds so violent and bloody.  But remember this—sin, all sin—even yours and mine—is against God and it must be paid for.  The heaps of stone, memorials unto the power, righteousness, and judgment of God, help us to see just that.  The 12 stones heaped up by the Jordan remind us of His promises to lead His people into the Promised Land of being baptized with His Holy Spirit and with fire—an ever deepening walk into His heart.  The other heaps of stone throughout the new land remind us of the judgment we encounter when we allow ourselves to be led by sin, instead of by His loving hand.

     Praise God!  In His grace and mercy, Jesus came and died on the cross of Calvary, and thereby paid the price of sin.  He became our sin and thereby took the wrath of God against it.  If we will just repent, surrender, and allow Him to change our hearts, the blood He shed washes all the sin away.  He has already done it, but it must be received personally—you must let His death be the price for your sin.  He has heaped mercy upon mercy over your life.  Praise God, He alone is the chief cornerstone—build your house on His foundation for it alone is true, straight, and sure.  But remember—that same cornerstone is the stone many builders have rejected—"...a stone of stumbling, and a rock of offense, even to them which stumble at the word, being disobedient." (1 Peter 2:8a)  If you do stumble over Him, pick yourself up and repent—you will then be able to be a part of His magnificent building.  But if you continue in your rejection of Him and His ways, that Rock will fall on you—"on whomever it shall fall, it will grind him to powder." (Matthew 21: 44)  Not good!  In this Lenten season, seek the true Rock of your salvation and heap up praise, honor, glory, and all thanksgiving upon Him who is Sure.  Sing with the psalmist, "From the end of the earth will I cry unto thee, when my heart is overwhelmed: lead me to the Rock that is higher than I."  (Psalm 61: 2)

 

Throughout the year 2000, we will be providing you with Bible readings from Genesis to Revelation to help you stand on the Rock, who is Christ.

March 1          1 Samuel 5-8                          16                    1 Kings 10-13

2                      1 Samuel 9-12                        17                    1 Kings 14-17

3                      1 Samuel 13-16                      18                    1 Kings 18-21

4                      1 Samuel 17-20                      19                    1 Kings 22-2 Kings 3

5                      1 Samuel 21-24                      20                    2 Kings 4-7

6                      1 Samuel 25-28                      21                    2 Kings 8-11

7                      1 Samuel 29-2 Samuel 1        22                    2 Kings 12-15

8                      2 Samuel 2-5                          23                    2 Kings 16-19

9                      2 Samuel 6-9                          24                    2 Kings 20-23

10                    2 Samuel 10-13                      25                    2 Kings 24-1 Chron. 2

11                    2 Samuel 14-17                      26                    1 Chron. 3-6

12                    2 Samuel 18-21                      27                    1 Chron. 7-10

13                    2 Samuel 22-1 Kings 1           28                    1 Chron. 11-14

14                    1 Kings 2-5                             29                    1 Chron. 15-18

15                    1 Kings 6-9                             30                    1 Chron. 19-22

                                                                        31                    1 Chron. 23-26

 

April 1             1 Chron. 27-2 Chron. 1           3                      2 Chron. 6-9

2                      2 Chron. 2-5                            4                      2 Chron. 10-13