Sermon Tone Analysis

A Simple Solution to Complex Problems

This is not a math class, though when I was in high school, I would have enjoyed someone teaching me a simple solution to complex mathematic equations/problems.

I have seen Brent Friend do some amazing math work, during youth group, so if you ever need help, don’t ask Brent, ask Julie Stowell, who is a math teacher.

This morning we are continuing in our study of the book of Joshua.

Last week we were looking at , which is where we will begin this morning as well.

Last week we looked particularly at , which told us that Joshua was to begin distributing the Promised Land, among the tribes.

He was supposed to give each remaining tribe their portion of the land that God had promised to Abraham, Isaac & Jacob and we pulled some application from that verse and the context of the entire word of God, which helped us to see the blessing of our inheritance in Christ, and our responsibility of being good stewards of that inheritance.

2.5 Moses Allotted +1 Levi (no land) +9.5 (Joshua alloted= ?

(2.5) tribes on the East, plus (1) the tribe of Levi (given no land according to (except cities scattered throughout the land, the reason for which we will discuss in greater detail next week) plus (9.5) tribes, given land on the West side of the Jordan

plus (9.5) tribes, given land on the West side of the Jordan

Equals how many tribes?

13 This is due to the tribe of Joseph being divided into two (Ephraim and Manasseh)

Joshua 13:32

Side Note: speaking of math problems,

2.5 tribes to whom Moses allotted land +

1.0 Levi a tribe that recieved no land +

9.5 tribes to whom Joshua alloted land

=??

(2.5) tribes on the East, plus (1) the tribe of Levi (given no land according to (except cities scattered throughout the land, the reason for which we will discuss in greater detail next week) plus (9.5) tribes, given land on the West side of the Jordan

Equals how many tribes?

13 This is due to the tribe of Joseph being divided into two (Ephraim and Manasseh) according to Josh 14:4

A simple solution for complex problems

I believe this passage illustrates a very simple solution for a very complex problem and I believe that the solution, the method or the operation that was utilized in solving this complex problem is one which we can apply to our own complex problems.

How many of you have ever experienced complex problems?

What I mean by problems is making a difficult decision, making a choice between a myriad of possible answers or often complex problems arise during a conflict or a potential conflict wherein other people are involved.

Would you consider with me for a moment what Joshua and Eleazar were being asked to do in this passage?

To distribute portions of the Promised Land to the remaining tribes.

9.5 tribes, which could easily be estimated to consist of 500,000 people over the age of 22, so that doesn’t include infants, children and teenagers.

Add those figures in and you may have 1 to 2 million people, they were dealing with.

Joshua, Eliezar the priest and the heads of the tribes were tasked with allocating the land to the people.

(A blessed inheritance, of cities they did not build and houses they did not fill and cisterns they did not dig) Just imagine the tangled web of opinions and solutions that these leaders would have been faced with.

We are a small church and we get along very nicely, but I am sure there are times when we don’t always agree with one another, right?

So what is the simple solution to their complex problem?

Simple Solution = Cast Lots

Casting lots was a common means of making decisions and settling uncertain scenarios.

They allotted the land.

By casting Lots!

A Simple solution to a complex problem.

In conclusion, I am going to teach you how to cast lots, ok???

Not really!

Maybe I have your attention though.

God actually commanded that the distribution of the land, that these tribes, clans & families would live off of for generations and generations, was to be decided by something as simple as casting lots.

Does that not seem a little strange to you?

How many of you make important life decisions by casting lots?

A flip of a coin?

A roll of the dice?

This is where some explanation needs to take place before I have to begin counseling for all the people whose family members gamble away their possessions, because I said casting lots was a simple solution to handling complex problems.

Here is the reality, what often seems complex to us, really isn’t that complex.

We often tend to complicate things, far beyond how God intends for them to be.

What is God’s will?

The will of God is something that is not always easy to define, in fact, it is somewhat complicated to define because even God’s Word uses that terminology to describe several different things.

So lets see if we can make some sense of what God’s will is.

The Bible speaks of God’s will in two different ways.

God’s will of decree

This is what God has determined will happen.

As humans we can only know this aspect of God’s will in the past tense.

We can only recognize this after it has taken place.

He controls it all from the biggest events to the most intricate details and sub-atomic particles of our bodies.

We

Verse?????

God’s will of desire

God’s will of desire

This is what God has commanded, what he wants to happen, what He wants for His creation.

Verse???

Both God’s will of decree (sovereignty) and HIs will of desire (Man’s freedom of choice) are taught within Scripture.

It is difficult for us to reconcile how these work together.

Verse???

Both God’s will of decree (sovereignty) and HIs will of desire (Man’s freedom of choice) are taught within Scripture.

It is difficult for us to reconcile how these work together.

God’s will of direction

This is the aspect we often wrestle with.

We are looking for the perfect path, that God wants us to walk down and we assume if we walk through life without veering from this path, then life will work out perfectly.

We will be blessed and nothing will go wrong.

That is not the example we learn from Scripture.

(ie: Job, ie: David who was a murdering adulterer)

What do we need to do?

Trust God’s Decree= Faith in His Sovereignty

Seek to find God’s desire= Listen to His commands & principles (apply wisdom)

Walk in God’s direction= Obey with confidence, not anxiety/worry.

A Simple Solution for Complex problems

Joshua wasn’t just rolling the dice with these people’s future.

He was obeying the command of God and Moses.

He was trusting in God’s sovereignty over decisions as great as telling people where to settle for generations to come, and as small as where and when and how a tiny stone would land on the ground.

If you are operating within God’s desired will and applying His wisdom and principles in your life, then don’t be afraid to roll the dice.

Trust in His ability to direct your paths.

We aren’t talking about careless, haphazard living.

We aren’t talking about gambling foolishly, ignorantly and sinfully.

The simple solution for complex problems is to trust and obey our Creator God.