Avoid the Willy-nilly Wonky Way
Notes
Transcript
Stories about traveling. I was recently traveling on a familiar route, I knew where I was going and so I did not bother to use a GPS or either of the apps I occasionally use when I am traveling. I sometimes use google maps, other times I use WAZE, which gives more specific details about speed and potential hazards or things to keep in mind, such as vehicles on the shoulder ahead, or police officers sitting in the median, or construction, slow moving vehicles etc. . . As I was traveling I cam across an accident, which cause the traffic on the road to be completely stopped in both directions. I ended up having to back track and detour around the accident scene.
But I have also had the opposite happen when I was using a map app, and it gave me instructions to exit the highway. This seemed to be a wrong decision, given the information in front of me. As it turned out, the active traffic data, was routing me around an accident that had closed the highway for a considerable amount of time and the traffic jam was several miles long. I was very thankful for the information that in the end saved me a lot of time.
The passage we are looking at this morning in , is going to show us the importance of always checking in with God as we go about our lives. We need to ask Him for wisdom and discernment about each and every decision we make. We need to look to the One who not only knows the future but also knows the heart of man.
This was so obvious to some people in the past.
Opposition
Opposition
1 As soon as all the kings who were beyond the Jordan in the hill country and in the lowland all along the coast of the Great Sea toward Lebanon, the Hittites, the Amorites, the Canaanites, the Perizzites, the Hivites, and the Jebusites, heard of this,
2 they gathered together as one to fight against Joshua and Israel.
Opposition
Opposition
God, through his work in the lives of Joshua and the people of Israel, had made a scene. The destruction of Jericho and Ai, and there incredibly large worship service and celebration on Mt Ebal was something that would not have been easily overlooked or unnoticed and the kings of the land were beginning to not only take notice but they were becoming anxious and concerned. They began to conspire to fight against Israel.
I don’t think it would be too far fetched to say that we too will experience opposition, probably even more as God works and moves in our presence and in our individual lives. We are essentially promised to have trials and testings as we follow Christ.
Sometimes these threats will be overt and though scary are blatantly visible to us.
Other times the opposition will be more covert, just as was the case for Joshua and the nation, as the Gibeonites plotted to deceive them into a treaty.
Deception
Deception
3 But when the inhabitants of Gibeon heard what Joshua had done to Jericho and to Ai,
4 they on their part acted with cunning and went and made ready provisions and took worn-out sacks for their donkeys, and wineskins, worn-out and torn and mended,
5 with worn-out, patched sandals on their feet, and worn-out clothes. And all their provisions were dry and crumbly.
6 And they went to Joshua in the camp at Gilgal and said to him and to the men of Israel, “We have come from a distant country, so now make a covenant with us.”
7 But the men of Israel said to the Hivites, “Perhaps you live among us; then how can we make a covenant with you?”
8 They said to Joshua, “We are your servants.” And Joshua said to them, “Who are you? And where do you come from?”
9 They said to him, “From a very distant country your servants have come, because of the name of the Lord your God. For we have heard a report of him, and all that he did in Egypt,
10 and all that he did to the two kings of the Amorites who were beyond the Jordan, to Sihon the king of Heshbon, and to Og king of Bashan, who lived in Ashtaroth.
11 So our elders and all the inhabitants of our country said to us, ‘Take provisions in your hand for the journey and go to meet them and say to them, “We are your servants. Come now, make a covenant with us.” ’
12 Here is our bread. It was still warm when we took it from our houses as our food for the journey on the day we set out to come to you, but now, behold, it is dry and crumbly.
13 These wineskins were new when we filled them, and behold, they have burst. And these garments and sandals of ours are worn out from the very long journey.”
14 So the men took some of their provisions, but did not ask counsel from the Lord.
15 And Joshua made peace with them and made a covenant with them, to let them live, and the leaders of the congregation swore to them.
16 At the end of three days after they had made a covenant with them, they heard that they were their neighbors and that they lived among them.
17 And the people of Israel set out and reached their cities on the third day. Now their cities were Gibeon, Chephirah, Beeroth, and Kiriath-jearim.
18 But the people of Israel did not attack them, because the leaders of the congregation had sworn to them by the Lord, the God of Israel. Then all the congregation murmured against the leaders.
19 But all the leaders said to all the congregation, “We have sworn to them by the Lord, the God of Israel, and now we may not touch them.
20 This we will do to them: let them live, lest wrath be upon us, because of the oath that we swore to them.”
21 And the leaders said to them, “Let them live.” So they became cutters of wood and drawers of water for all the congregation, just as the leaders had said of them.
Joshua 9:
The Gibeonites were very clever, almost as if they were sons of the devil himself. They had thoroughly thought through their plan of deception. They were purposeful and deliberate as they prepared to approach Joshua to request a treaty. This was not an act of faith in the Almighty God despite their words in verse 9, their behavior was an act of faith in their ability to deceive. They put on old clothes and packed up old moldy food. Used old worn out sacks on their donkeys.
CAUTION: Lest we judge them too harshly, it should be stated clearly, we are all guilty of sin and most frequently our sin arises from pride and belief in our own abilities and our own worth.
So where did Joshua and the leaders of the nation go wrong? How did they become entrapped by the Gibeonites?
The answer is in the passage we read earlier.
14 So the men took some of their provisions, but did not ask counsel from the Lord.
15 And Joshua made peace with them and made a covenant with them, to let them live, and the leaders of the congregation swore to them.
14 So the men took some of their provisions, but did not ask counsel from the Lord.
15 And Joshua made peace with them and made a covenant with them, to let them live, and the leaders of the congregation swore to them.
They
They did not seek the Lord’s Wisdom and insight as they began to negotiate a treaty with the Hivites.
Consideration
Consideration
14 So the men took some of their provisions, but did not ask counsel from the Lord.
Joshua
What a difficult indictment to face, as a leader of the people of God.
5 Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and do not lean on your own understanding.
6 In all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make straight your paths.
4 Delight yourself in the Lord, and he will give you the desires of your heart.
Wonky:
Wonky: Not on the straight and narrow. Lacking stability, lacking a firm focus.
1.
whether one likes it or not.
"he would be forced to collaborate willy-nilly"synonyms:whether one likes it or not, of necessity, necessarily; More
1. crooked; off-center; askew.
"you have a wonky nose and a crooked mouth"synonyms:crooked, off-center, lopsided, askew, skew; informal skew-whiff
"a wonky nose"
antonyms:straight
2. (of a thing) unsteady; shaky.
"they sat drinking, perched on the wonky stools"synonyms:wobbly, unsteady, unstable, shaky, rocky; bockety
"wonky stools"
antonyms:stable
3. not functioning correctly; faulty.
"your sense of judgment is a bit wonky at the moment"
2.
without direction or planning; haphazardly.
"politicians expanded spending programs willy-nilly"synonyms:haphazardly, at random, randomly, without planning, without method"cars and trucks were parked willy-nilly"
God allows these wonky ways to happen in our lives and often the reason He allows us to “go our own way” is to show us our desperate need for HIM!
2 Count it all joy, my brothers, when you meet trials of various kinds,
3 for you know that the testing of your faith produces steadfastness.
4 And let steadfastness have its full effect, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking in nothing.
5 If any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask God, who gives generously to all without reproach, and it will be given him.
6 But let him ask in faith, with no doubting, for the one who doubts is like a wave of the sea that is driven and tossed by the wind.
7 For that person must not suppose that he will receive anything from the Lord;
8 he is a double-minded man, unstable in all his ways.
9 Let the lowly brother boast in his exaltation,
10 and the rich in his humiliation, because like a flower of the grass he will pass away.
11 For the sun rises with its scorching heat and withers the grass; its flower falls, and its beauty perishes. So also will the rich man fade away in the midst of his pursuits.
12 Blessed is the man who remains steadfast under trial, for when he has stood the test he will receive the crown of life, which God has promised to those who love him.
13 Let no one say when he is tempted, “I am being tempted by God,” for God cannot be tempted with evil, and he himself tempts no one.
14 But each person is tempted when he is lured and enticed by his own desire.
15 Then desire when it has conceived gives birth to sin, and sin when it is fully grown brings forth death.
James 1:
If you lack wisdom, ask God, who gives to all men liberally, generously out of His abundance. This comes from a place of humility and neediness.
We are not self-sufficient, we are dependent upon others and upon God, which means we are also obligated, in some way. Obligated to seek help, obligated to partner with others. Here in we saw the leaders of Israel obligate themselves to another people, rather than seek God’s advice and wisdom.
Obligation
Obligation
Joshua and Israel’s leaders made a covenant, a treaty, which obligated them to assist the Gibeonites, which was something that affected them for years to come. Look at again.
15 And Joshua made peace with them and made a covenant with them, to let them live, and the leaders of the congregation swore to them.
Now turn over to , there we see the effects of their covenant with the Hivites, the people of Gibeon.
1 As soon as Adoni-zedek, king of Jerusalem, heard how Joshua had captured Ai and had devoted it to destruction, doing to Ai and its king as he had done to Jericho and its king, and how the inhabitants of Gibeon had made peace with Israel and were among them,
2 he feared greatly, because Gibeon was a great city, like one of the royal cities, and because it was greater than Ai, and all its men were warriors.
3 So Adoni-zedek king of Jerusalem sent to Hoham king of Hebron, to Piram king of Jarmuth, to Japhia king of Lachish, and to Debir king of Eglon, saying,
4 “Come up to me and help me, and let us strike Gibeon. For it has made peace with Joshua and with the people of Israel.”
5 Then the five kings of the Amorites, the king of Jerusalem, the king of Hebron, the king of Jarmuth, the king of Lachish, and the king of Eglon, gathered their forces and went up with all their armies and encamped against Gibeon and made war against it.
6 And the men of Gibeon sent to Joshua at the camp in Gilgal, saying, “Do not relax your hand from your servants. Come up to us quickly and save us and help us, for all the kings of the Amorites who dwell in the hill country are gathered against us.”
7 So Joshua went up from Gilgal, he and all the people of war with him, and all the mighty men of valor.
Josh 10:1-
1 As soon as Adoni-zedek, king of Jerusalem, heard how Joshua had captured Ai and had devoted it to destruction, doing to Ai and its king as he had done to Jericho and its king, and how the inhabitants of Gibeon had made peace with Israel and were among them,
2 he feared greatly, because Gibeon was a great city, like one of the royal cities, and because it was greater than Ai, and all its men were warriors.
3 So Adoni-zedek king of Jerusalem sent to Hoham king of Hebron, to Piram king of Jarmuth, to Japhia king of Lachish, and to Debir king of Eglon, saying,
4 “Come up to me and help me, and let us strike Gibeon. For it has made peace with Joshua and with the people of Israel.”
5 Then the five kings of the Amorites, the king of Jerusalem, the king of Hebron, the king of Jarmuth, the king of Lachish, and the king of Eglon, gathered their forces and went up with all their armies and encamped against Gibeon and made war against it.
6 And the men of Gibeon sent to Joshua at the camp in Gilgal, saying, “Do not relax your hand from your servants. Come up to us quickly and save us and help us, for all the kings of the Amorites who dwell in the hill country are gathered against us.”
7 So Joshua went up from Gilgal, he and all the people of war with him, and all the mighty men of valor.
8 And the Lord said to Joshua, “Do not fear them, for I have given them into your hands. Not a man of them shall stand before you.”
9 So Joshua came upon them suddenly, having marched up all night from Gilgal.
10 And the Lord threw them into a panic before Israel, who struck them with a great blow at Gibeon and chased them by the way of the ascent of Beth-horon and struck them as far as Azekah and Makkedah.
11 And as they fled before Israel, while they were going down the ascent of Beth-horon, the Lord threw down large stones from heaven on them as far as Azekah, and they died. There were more who died because of the hailstones than the sons of Israel killed with the sword.
12 At that time Joshua spoke to the Lord in the day when the Lord gave the Amorites over to the sons of Israel, and he said in the sight of Israel, “Sun, stand still at Gibeon, and moon, in the Valley of Aijalon.”
13 And the sun stood still, and the moon stopped, until the nation took vengeance on their enemies. Is this not written in the Book of Jashar? The sun stopped in the midst of heaven and did not hurry to set for about a whole day.
Josh 10:
This passage isn’t the last we hear of this treaty affecting the lives of the Israelites. The agreement that Joshua and the leaders made, without seeking the counsel of God resurfaces in the time of Saul and David. ,
Avoid the Willy-Nilly way
Avoid the Willy-Nilly way
involved but without any care or concern- uninterested, but necessarily committed.
1.
whether one likes it or not.
"he would be forced to collaborate willy-nilly"synonyms:whether one likes it or not, of necessity, necessarily; More
2.
without direction or planning; haphazardly.
"politicians expanded spending programs willy-nilly"synonyms:haphazardly, at random, randomly, without planning, without method"cars and trucks were parked willy-nilly"
We need to look to the Lord for wisdom and guidance. Praising Him, confessing our sins and our neediness to Him and asking in faith for His wisdom and guidance.
23 Search me, O God, and know my heart! Try me and know my thoughts!
24 And see if there be any grievous way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting!
PRAY:
Lord give us purity and humility of heart, that is sensitive to His leading and His will, and help us to avoid the careless, shortsighted and arrogant choices that our flesh so frequently desires. May He cause us to delight in Him, so that our ways are ever honoring and glorifying to HIM.