Sermon Tone Analysis
Overall tone of the sermon
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Back East Boys
Almost immediately after “the Lord gave rest on every side” a crisis of division arises among God’s family.
The “Western” Israelites assume the “Eastern” Israelites have made an forbidden altar and prepare for war.
They seize the moral high ground.
Phinehas and the leaders pause and actually listen to the excellent explanation and the crisis is averted.
They take it upon themselves to judge their brother’s worship without knowing their story or their heart.
We do this constantly: it feels good and it feels like righteousness.
Be quick to hear, be quick to love.
His grace is enough.
May the Forth be with you
In the climactic battle between Anakin Skywalker and Obi Wan Kenobee, they make impossible leaps across floating islands of rock in a river of liquid magma.
The athleticism is intense, the swords blur and literally fly through the air, and they scream at one another in anger.
And then comes the pivotal moment.
Obi Wan leaps from one floating island to a slightly higher rock on the riverbed.
And he yells “It’s over Anakin!
I have the high ground.”
L
“Don’t try it.”
… but Anakin does and Obi Wan cuts off his legs.
In a world of space wizards, where they can move things with their mind, shoot lightning, and have laser swords, what is the unbeatable advantage?
The high ground.
Jedi - the high ground.
The Moral High Ground
In a world of space wizards, where they can move things with their mind, shoot lightning, and have laser swords, what is the unbeatable advantage?
The high ground.
It doesn’t matter in Star Wars.
But there is a high ground that is crucially important.
The moral high ground.
Moral high ground is when you are in the ethically or morally superior position.
You are the “good” guy doing the “right” thing.
Or at least, you are the better guy.
The person with the moral high ground is most likely to win the argument… or especially the election which is why we see politicians and pundits of all sides fighting one another to claim the moral high ground.
That is the position of power and victory… and it has the best view.
What’s more it feels good because you can get things done from that position.
Logan’s Secret Night time Watching
I’ll give you an example.
The other day (by which I mean any day not today, this was years ago) I awoke in the night to hear voices in my house.
Downstairs voices.
I was bleary and exhausted, a little freaked out, so I stumbled downstairs to see what was going on.
And there I find Logan at the computer watching some loud and obnoxious cartoon on YouTube.
“Logan!”
He jumps five feet in the air because he didn’t hear me coming.
“Unbelievable!
Turn it off and go to bed now!
No, I don’t want to hear a word, we will talk about it in the morning.
What the heck man!”
And I went back to bed.
Parenting accomplished, lesson taught, scare the righteousness of God right into him.
(and there is definitely not more to that story that will play in later).
Everyone go Home
In Joshua, every tribe and everyone has been assigned their inheritance.
Including Caleb and Joshua, called out for a special inheritance because they “wholly followed Yawheh” all their life.
Resettling in the Inheritance
Rest in the land
Joshua 21:43-
Isn’t that good news?
Every promise kept, everyone going home, literally “rest on every side”.
And they lived happily ever after.
Joshua 22:1-4
and he blessed them and sent them with much wealth and livestock from the newly conquered lands.
These were the guys who had left their inheritance, already conquered under Moses’ leadership, but they put it all on hold to help their fellow tribes conquer their inheritance.
For many years they have been fighting on the West side of the Jordan, now they get to go home to the East side.
They are the Back East Boys, all right!
and he blessed them and sent them with much wealth and livestock from the newly conquered lands.
Worship Betrayal
But oh no… immediately
Oh no!
They built an altar!
God said not to build altars, that’s illegal worship!
They are only supposed to worship in the tabernacle, only the one altar for the One God.
This is the first step towards idolatry and paganism!
Just wait until the rest of Israel hears about this!!!
Joshua 22:
Ready the dogs of war.
The “people” of Israel heard of it.
They didn’t all see it, but one friend told another friend.
Did you hear what they did back east?
They barely even waited a day before they descended into paganism and idolatry and false worship.
They send representatives from every tribe to say:
They send representatives from every tribe to say:
Joshua 22:16-
Don’t you remember how bad all this gets?
How could you!
What were you thinking??? Unbelievable!
The moral high ground.
Joshua 22:16
Creating the righteousness of God one pronouncement of judgment at a time.
They are even kind of nice about it.
Look, if you can’t handle your inheritance, if the temptation is too much, you can come back and settle with us.
Ah buddy… couldn’t handle it, huh?
I see that from my ludicrously high and righteous position.
Come and back, it’s embarrassing but we will get you sorted out.
What is missing.
Have we read a word about what God has to say on the matter?
How about what those Back East Boys have to say for themselves?
What’s their story?
You think we did what??? No. God witness us, no.
You want the truth?
We were afraid we would kind of grow apart since we are separated by this giant Death valley.
We built this monument as a signal that we would always be best buds!
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