Sermon Tone Analysis

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8-24-08…AM…SBC     2)“Don’t Cross the Line”

Joshua 15-19

Introduction:              

 

1-      As you read and study the book it seems pretty clear (Ch 3-4) that Israel  was going out to war and then returning back to their central location of Gilgal

 

·         *Gilgal* between Jericho and the Jordan, the Israelites’ first encampment after crossing the Jordan (Josh.

3-4), which became Joshua’s base of operations.

[1]

 

·         The first campsite of the people of Israel after they crossed the Jordan River and entered the Promised Land (Josh.

4:19–20).

They took stones from the Jordan and set them up at Gilgal as a memorial to God’s deliverance.

*Many important events in Israel’s history are associated with this city.*

The first Passover in Canaan was held at Gilgal (Josh.

5:9–10).

It also became the base of military operations for Israel during the conquest of Canaan.

From Gilgal Joshua led Israel against the city of Jericho (Josh.

6:11, 14) and conducted his southern campaign (Joshua 10).

It was there that he began allotting the Promised Land to the tribes.[2]

·         Joshua may have moved them to Shiloh in chapter 18

 

2-      The Land had already been conquered – its large armies routed, its strongholds destroyed and its Kings killed

 

·         yet much of the original territory was still in the hands of its original inhabitants

·         the conquest had established Israel as a major player in the country, but they still had major populations which they had to drive out of the land

 

3-      After the initial conquest was completed it was necessary for the process of occupation to begin because the abandoned cities would soon be repossessed by people the longer Israel stayed out of them

 

Transition:  This leads us to where we are this morning – the Allotment of Israel’s Inheritance

 

*Go through the power point outline of Chapters 15-19*

 

Ø      Before we jump into the text, let’s recall God’s instructions to Israel in Deuteronomy 28

 

Deuteronomy 28

 

#.

Moses now unfolds the blessing of fidelity to the law and the curse of transgression in a longer address[3]

#.

Moses unfolds the blessing for keeping the covenant and the curses that would follow if it was broken

 

Blessings:        *v1-14*               Curses:            *v15-68*

* *

·         *read Deuteronomy 28:15, 20, 25, 45-48, 58-59*

·         Deuteronomy 28 makes it clear – loyalty to God’s Word is expected

 

What I want you to see specifically from the text this morning is that…

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*Proposition:  *Crossing the line from obedience into disobedience brings heartache.

Transition:  We see first of all this morning that…

 

1)      Maximum Happiness is found in being obedient to God               

*15:63               16:10               17:12-13          cf:  Judges*

* *

A-    Some of the tribes did not take their expected loyalty to God’s Word seriously

 

1- *15:63*

a.       *Judah could not **dislodge the Jebusites, who were living in Jerusalem *[4]

b.      the city was not taken decisively by Israelites until the time of David (2 Sam 5:5–10).[5]

c.       Was it that the men of Judah ”could not“ or that they ”would not“?[6]

d.      Was the failure because of lack of strength or a lack of faith?[7]

e.       Had they attempted it with vigor and determination, God would give them success; but they could not do it, because they would not.[8]

f.       Grammar

 

-          Conceptual Imperfect – the concept that they could have but didn’t

-          To use “could” (ESV) makes us ask the questions why couldn’t they?

 

o       did they lack the physical ability

o       if yes then God wasn’t powerful to give them this land

o       if no then their lack of faith was their sin

 

-          Conceptually they couldn’t because they lacked the faith

-          יוּכְלוּ is not one of the seven p verbs so that means that the y is the prefix to the imperfect

 

2-      *16:10*

a.       we are told that they too, like the Judahites, failed to drive out certain Canaanites from their territories[9]

* *

b.      though they hoped to satisfy the law by putting them under tribute, this made the matter worse, for it shows that they spared them out of covetousness, that they might be profited by their labors, and by dealing with them for their tribute they were in danger of being infected with their idolatry[10]

* *

c.       the Israelites were so far from restraining idolatry in others that they soon fell into it themselves.[11]

* *

3-      *17:12-13*

 

a.

The lack of faith’s obedience ultimately undermined Israel’s spiritual commitment and led to Israel’s inter-marriage with the Canaanites and to their undoing (see Dt. 7:1–6; 12:29–31; Jdg.

3:1–6).[12]

b.

At first the Israelites weren’t strong enough to drive them out but *v13 *tells us that when they were strong enough they still didn’t do it

 

* *

Ø      the context of these three passages tell us that it was the people that didn’t drive out the enemies

Ø      the Hiphil in *16:23 *put the responsibility on the people

Ø      it was not that God wasn’t strong enough to drive out the enemy (*13:6-7*), but that the people didn’t do it because they lacked the faith

Ø      they didn’t take their loyalty to God seriously and they harvested the consequences of it

Ø      all this lack of faith is contrasted by the faith of Caleb and Joshua

 

Transition:  Their disobedience led to a…

 

B-    Future Consequence – The Book of Judges[13]

 

1-      Joshua and Judges are two sides of one coin

2-      Joshua demonstrates victory and success result when God’s people obey

3-      Judges show that defeat, failure follow when God’s people fail to trust and obey Him

4-      Joshua emphasizes God’s faithfulness in giving Israel the Promised Land, Judges emphasizes Israel’s unfaithfulness in conquering the land

 

*Read Judges 2:1-5; 11-17*

* *

·         this failure led to sorrow and heartache and eventually expulsion from the land (Exile)

·         this failure to obey God didn’t lead to an easier life – Proverbs 13:15 (transgressor is hard)

·         their failure led them to worship other gods – “they probably said they would never do that”

·         their lack of faith didn’t lead to a very joyful life – disobedience to God’s Word never does  

 

*Psalm 16:11*

You make known to me the path of life; in your presence there is fullness of joy; at your right hand are pleasures forevermore.

Application:               

 

#. Life is not a game – you don’t get more life if you make it to level 5

 

a-      You only get once chance to seriously obey God on this earth

b-      How seriously do you take your loyalty to God’s Word? (fear of God vs fear of man)

c-      How are you investing that loyalty into someone else? (Evangelism, Discipleship)

 

 

Ø      don’t play games with your obedience to God

Ø      Maximum happiness cannot be found apart of joyful obedience to Word of God the God of the Word

 

Salvation Application:            The Son           (see illustrations in logos)

 

 

2)      Maximum Happiness is found in Growing with God - Sanctification

 

A-    Another important aspect of salvation is sanctification.[14]

1-      The word /sanctification /(Gk.

/hagiasmos/) means “to set apart.”

The same root word is found in the English words /saint/,/holy/, and /holiness./[15]

2-       Positional sanctification.

This is the believer’s position or standing before God, based on the death of Christ.

In positional sanctification the believer is accounted holy before God;[16]

 

3-      Experiential Sanctification.

Although the believer’s positional sanctification is secure, his experiential sanctification may fluctuate because it relates to his daily life and experience.[17]

§         This experiential sanctification grows as the believer dedicates his life to God (Rom.

6:13; 12:1–2) and is nourished by the Word of God (Ps.

119:9–16).[18]

·         What are you doing to know the God of the Bible more?

·         How important is this endeavor to you?

·         What can you do to invest this endeavor to someone else (pass the baton – US Track and Field)

 

Conclusion:

 

1-      The narrator clearly states why he defines the tribal inheritances in such detail: it is to show that God keeps his promises (21:43–45).

[19]

 

2-      These things were written for our example – 1 Corinthians 10:6-13