Ruminations on Advent

Posted by Lisa Laree to Beer Lahai Roi

Contrary to my intentions, I'm not doing an Advent series this year ....there are several reasons why I just couldn't get it done this trip around the sun.  I've done what I consider to be some pretty good ones in years past...they're linked up on the sidebar if you're feeling in need of some Advent tradition.  I'm kinda reading through them again myself, because, well, I need to read them again.

But I did have a thought hit me this morning as I pondered on how we, as a society, have pretty much given up Advent as a distinct season.  Oh, I know, there are still some liturgical leaning churches who do the Advent liturgy and such, but ask any passing Joe on the street what holiday season we're in and they're most likely to say 'Christmas'.  Unless, of course, they're Jewish and say 'Hannukah'.

I think it's kind of interesting that both Advent and Hannukah use candles to mark the time.  Not that that actually has anything to do with what I've been pondering, but it is a nice little side note.

No, what hit me this morning has to do with the eschatological  nature of Advent...that we are not just looking for the birth of the baby but the return of the King.  We use the approaching celebration of His birth to also prepare for the day when he comes again.

And suddenly, I wondered...have we as a culture given up the observation of Advent precisely because we can't tolerate the idea of that return?  That it's ok to focus on Christmas and the sweet baby but...thinking about the King returning is...well, too much?   That the season of preparation is much easier to handle if it's not so much for the returning King but the return of Santa Claus?

Because we would, like, have to live as though what we did matters.   Not just the kids, who are hoping to be on the nice list, but the adults. The Scripture has a repeating theme about servants called in to give an account of how they conducted the king's business in his absence.

Oh, I know, I'm probably overthinking the whole thing, but...maybe...we each do need to consider what account  he or she will present on that day.  With no self-deception to hide behind, none of us will be able to claim we didn't know the truth we were shown.

O Come, Thou Wisdom from on high
And order all things far and nigh
To us the path of knowledge show
And cause us in her ways to go.   ("Oh Come, Oh, Come Emmanuel, verse 3)

And he that testifies to these things  says, "Surely, I am coming soon."  Amen.  Come, Lord Jesus! - Rev. 22:20, ESV.

Is [Fill in the Blank] Sin?

Posted by Lisa Laree to Beer Lahai Roi

Ok, I know it wasn't an apple.  Work with me.

 My social media feeds are abuzz with controversy.  Who decides what's sinful and what isn't?  How can anyone possibly expect another human being to pronounce, 'Yes, [whatever] is sinful.'  It doesn't matter how many Bible verses spell out the certainty that [whatever] is clearly offensive to God and specifically named as not to be practiced by God's people, the public reaction is that '[Christian person] has declared that [whatever] is sinful!  How narrow minded and judgemental [Christian person] is!   Why, I know many people who [whatever] and they are fine, loving people!  Obviously, God won't condemn someone just because they [whatever]!'  On the other hand, if [Christian person] values relationship with folks who do [whatever] and wants to maintain that relationship with the possibility of having a positive influence on them and hedges around the question, the 'Christian public' responds just as negatively.  '[Christian person] missed a chance to Speak Up for Truth!  How could anyone who claims to be a Christian not know that [whatever] is clearly offensive to God! (lists Bible verses)'

To quote Admiral Ackbar, 'It's a trap!'

Stop expecting other people to make God-like pronouncements.  They are going to fail. Period.

Somebody could have asked Eve, 'Is it wrong to eat fruit?'

Oh, wait, someone did.  

And the answer, of course, was, 'No, it's not wrong to eat fruit. But it is wrong to eat  that fruit.'

Why was it wrong to eat that fruit?  How was it different than other fruit, which could be enjoyed freely?

That fruit, my friends, was poisonous.  It was forbidden because it was deadly. Hazardous.  Harmful.

Oh, it wasn't presented that way, no no no.  There was an agenda that resulted in it being presented as appetizing, aromatic, desirable. As something that would allow the partaker to become fully who they were meant to be.  

Which implied that God was trying to keep them from being fully who they were meant to be.  

The soul-killing sinful decision is hidden there.  And it is, really, at the core, completely a different issue than 'Is [whatever] sinful?' as if the action/attitude/ lifestyle, etc were the crux of the issue.  No, the crux of the issue is this...Who has the authority to determine what is right and what is wrong?  

If God is the authority, then it doesn't matter what the fruit is, what it does, how it smells or looks or tastes or anything else.  He said 'No', so we leave it alone.

If the individual is the authority for him/herself, then forbidding one fruit out of the whole orchard doesn't make sense.  If we can eat that one and that one and that one, why not that one?  If I think it's good for me,  well, isn't it?  It's not fair! Why should anyone...even God...tell me what is best for me?

And that, dear reader, is what is sinful.  Setting myself above God in the 'who knows best'  category.   EVERYONE has a [whatever] in his/her life.  Some are more visible than others, but we all have them.  And we all falter at them...sin is ubiquitous.  The question is...do we embrace the [whatever] as our identity and then get mad at God when He says [whatever] will keep us eternally separated from Him...and even more angry at the folks around us who are trying to point out that [whatever] is not good?  Or do we renounce [whatever] and believe that God has a better plan, even if we don't know what it looks like?

In the end, it's not about what you do...it's about who you embrace as God and the results of that decision. 

Embracing God does mean that you will leave that fruit...the [whatever] in your life...alone.  Because He really does know what's best.

For further reading, I suggest the first 3 chapters of Genesis, the Gospel of John and the book of Romans.

A Little Time Away

Posted by Lisa Laree to Beer Lahai Roi

Craziest thing in the world...head out of town between Thanksgiving and Christmas for a little 'Down Time'.

But sometimes, well, you take it when you can get it.  Our 38th wedding anniversary was in August, and, well, that was an exceptionally busy month,  followed by more busy months... around the middle of November I looked at the calendar and looked at My Sweet Babboo and said, 'If we're going to get away, we're gonna have to do it the week after Thanksgiving.  The next break after that will be February."

So he got online and began looking to see what was available.  He found a cabin on Lake Chewalca, a state park about 4 hours south of us.     We didn't know anything at all about the park, but it said the cabin had a lake view and, being a state park, it was affordable.  So he booked it, and last Thursday we headed out of town, with a rather rainy forecast.  But that was ok.  I was just ready to do nothing.

We had phone reception, but no WIFI.  Which was just fine.

The cabin was built in the 1930's.  The whole park, from the building of the dam for the lake to the cabins and other buildings, was a CCC project.

As it turned out, our lake view looked straight across the lake to the dam...which is barely discernible  in the gap in the trees.  We did a bit of hiking before the rain moved in, and discovered that the dam was actually at the top of a pretty little gorge, just above where a grist mill had been in the late 1800's.  We clambered over way more rocks than I probably should have, given that I'm on PT for Achilles tendonitis, going up and down some pretty steep inclines.  But it was surprisingly picturesque.

The gorge continued to drop at least twice as much again...the sound of the water rushing over the rocks was lovely.

We hung out in the cabin whilst it rained on Saturday.  It was, like, 70 degrees despite the rain, but the compressed fire logs add more ambiance than heat and we went through almost a whole box over the weekend.

Despite predictions of more rain, it was a gorgeous day on Sunday. After attending a church in the area pastored by some friends and having a lovely chat with them over lunch, we did a teeny bit more hiking, mostly to find evidence of how much the lake level had risen and dropped with Saturday's precip.  Looked to be about  6 - 8 inches...and it knocked a LOT of the color out of the trees.

Chewalca State Park is apparently a mountain bike racing venue;  there were  strange hazardous-looking features scattered throughout the trails, and I watched a couple of college guys go barreling down a trail that I couldn't have navigated on foot without a sturdy stick to help.  Amazing.

We really enjoyed our weekend and, despite some slight issues with the cabin, hope to go back sometime in the future.  When I'm not on walking restrictions for my ankles.

Now to shift focus to holiday happenings.  But at least I had a chance to destress and catch my breath a bit with my favorite guy.

I'm still here....

posted by Lisa Laree to Beer Lahai Roi

I did get to go to the retreat a couple of weekends ago; it was a beautiful day after a foggy drive over to Lake Guntersville and a marvelous time with ladies that, by and large, I'd never met before.

One other BSF buddy was there, and, of course, Suzanne.

What a treat to see them both and hear Suzanne teach again.

And, you know, she pointed out something that I had not considered when I was studying Joshua.

From a military standpoint, the reconnaissance that the spies did in chapter 2 was unnecessary.   God had the entire plan laid out for them; they didn't need to go in and look around.

But Rahab needed them to come in so she could escape the doom of the city.

I just hadn't realized that.  The whole episode was about Rahab...saving the one in the city who recognized and honored the God of the Israelites.  Oh, I'd seen that it was an incredible sequence of events that connected her to the spies, but I hadn't considered the true value of their adventure from a military standpoint.  They learned nothing that they needed to know.  But they met Rahab and cut a deal with her and as a result she and her whole family survived the fall of the city.

What lengths will God go to in order to deliver one who honors Him, even in the midst of a culture that wants nothing to do with Him?

There were stones with words etched in at each table for us to take as a remembrance.  I ended up with the stone that said 'Faith'.

The phrase that jumped out at me from the weekend...based on Rahab and her bold bid for survival... was 'Take the risk.'  I'm not sure how all of that is going to play into the expression of all that is in my heart, but I am encouraged that God is capable of sending someone on a boondoggle journey to give me the opportunity to step out into the unknown if that's what it takes.

The Book Stack

Posted by Lisa Laree to Beer Lahai Roi

Back in the day,  I was the one who read.  All. The. Time.

Those Summer Reading Clubs at the Library?  Encouraging kids to read six books over the summer?

Pfft.  I read six books the first week.

I got excited about a book that was really good.

To this day, I can still remember the sorrow I felt when I finished reading Heidi in second grade...not because it was a sad story but because it was over.  I remember the awe with which I finished A Wrinkle in Time in the 7th grade, the amazement at the end of Ben Hur in the tenth grade.  I remember the gratitude I felt...not to mention complete shock...when my sister handed me a copy of The Return of the King after happening to make a trip into town the afternoon after I finished The Two Towers ...she'd heard my lament at the cliffhanger ending.  Then there was the marathon reading session I did whilst down with a respiratory virus at college to finish a borrowed set of The Chronicles of Narnia and wondered where C.S. Lewis had been all my life....and prompted me to purchase the whole set of his Space Trilogy when I happened upon it in a bookstore shortly afterward.

Oh, yes, so many good books.

I remember my grandmother lamenting in her later years that she didn't have the patience to read anymore, and it made her sad.

I'll never be like that, I thought.  Reading is too rewarding.

But.  Y'all.  There are only 24 hours in a day.

And, just for grins, I took a picture of the Books Waiting to Be Read.

Sixteen books in that stack.  And there are a couple of others that I know of that were elsewhere and aren't in the stack. 

Some of them have been there for more than a year.  More than two years....And there are a couple of others that I've had for a long time and just haven't been able to get myself to get interested in them...recommendations from a friend or some such thing...and I've about decided it's to donate them to the library.

I actually have read a bit in a few of those books; the top book is the current study in our ladies' group at church and I'm probably two thirds through. But I never thought I'd have a stack of unread books.

I haven't kept track of the books I have read this year; maybe I should.  Kinda like I keep track of the yardage in/yardage out on the sewing blog.

Part of my problem is I like re-reading old favorites.  I've probably read The Lord of the Rings at least 15 times since that first agonizing trip through Middle Earth in 1977.   Brother Cadfael and I are well acquainted...and you know I've revisited Narnia over and over.  So sometimes, the reading time is spent in familiar territory.

But there is a wealth of wisdom, challenge and instruction in that stack.

I need to be more intentional about my reading.

Among other things...

Revisting Joshua

Posted by Lisa Laree to Beer Lahai Roi

So, my friend Suzanne, who was my BSF Teaching Leader ages and ages ago, posted an invitation to a day retreat at which she was teaching.

It's hosted by a local church, at a camp on Lake Guntersville. I've actually been there once before..it was where our Girls Ministry Leaders had a retreat the weekend after The Princess's wedding...back in 2011.

I wrote a blog post about my experience that weekend.

And...here's the kicker: Suzanne's going to be teaching from the book of Joshua.

I saw that and thought, oh, I should go.  I mean, Joshua.  Suzanne.  Lovely venue.

But, other than Suzanne, whom I haven't really seen in years, I probably won't know a soul.

So I waffled.  My Sweet Babboo has a Royal Ranger event that day, so he's not going to be around.

Joshua.  God has had me in Joshua for a reason.  I don't think it's a coincidence.

And how many times have I written about my need to intentionally go outside of my comfort zone?  Out of what's familiar?

So....I signed up.

Kinda planning to sit in the back and just...listen.  To see what it is that I need to make sure to get.

Because the nice thing about going to something like this...I am anonymous.  I have no responsibilities.  

Just to listen and learn.

One of those days...

Posted by Lisa Laree to Beer Lahai Roi

Yeah, even the cat is looking skeptical at this point.

Some days you get out of bed and tackle the day.

And some days, you trip over your own feet and smack into the door before you can even open it.

Ice pack, please.

Some days, you look in the mirror and think, that'll do.

And some days, you look in the mirror and think, oy, I'm overdue for a haircut.

Some days,  the flu shot is over and done.

And some days, you wonder why your arm aches and then you remember...oh, yeah. Flu shot.

Some days you  whip up a  fantastic meal that the family loves.

And some days you forget about the pot on the stove with the costly beef roast and the hard-to-come-by noodles...and find yourself wondering who's burning stuff outside...guess the stove  wasn't turned down as low as I thought...

Maybe two -thirds of the pot was salvageable.  With a slightly smokey flavor.  Of course, it's for my Sweet Baboo's birthday dinner.  Need to plan some hearty sides, I think.

Gonna take me a minute to get the pan clean, though.

And then...some days you scroll down face book and see lots of fun things.

And some days, friends post links to pages that each request prayer for a different youngster in end stage cancer.

Kinda puts things in perspective.

Lord, I thank you that I had a door to run into.  That I have the opportunity to get that immunization that will hopefully ward off nastiness.  That I have a Sweet Babboo to cook dinner for, and kids who will come and sit at the table with us.  That I have pans to cook in and hot water to clean them.  That I have friends who care about folks.  That I have a real bed to sleep in tonight.  Let me never forget to thank you for all my blessings.  And be the Comforter and the Healer to those who are desperately in need of both tonight.  Amen. 

Is this my idea...or...

That bracelet was a craft project during one of our Teen Girls Sleepovers...probably 5 or 6 years ago.  'Amats' is the Hebrew word for 'Courage'.

In sitting down and trying to figure out what's holding me back...you know, you get asked that question at almost all big conferences at some point...I've had to question my courage.

And I come down to this...if I knew, absolutely knew, that I had a word and direction from God, I could go after it with everything.

But I have been wrong so many times.

See, I kinda had the idea that if something occurred to me,  from out of the blue, so to speak, not as a product of my own reasoning ( or maybe as a product of some particularly non-typically brilliant reasoning) I figured it had to be God.  And I'd go tearing off that way...only to run into a brick wall.

Now, I understand timing and all, and I know Joseph's Words all seemed in direct contrast to everything that happened in his life until Pharoah pulled him out of jail, but those times are not of that nature. 

I got it wrong.

So I'm a little gun shy now.

And when a random idea related to something I feel I have a promise on landed in my brain this morning, I didn't jump up and  do it.

Because I am tired of running into walls.  I'm tired of offering my dreams up to a chorus of crickets...or, worse yet, outright disdain.  I'm tired of sending Ishmaels out...because it seemed like a good idea. 


Gideon said to God, " If you will save Israel by my hand as you have promised -- look I will place a wool fleece on the threshing floor.  If there is dew only on the fleece and all the ground is dry, then I will know that you will save Israel by my hand as you have said."  And that is what happened.  Gideon rose early the next day; he squeezed the fleece and wrung out the dew -- a bowl full of water.

Then Gideon said to God, "Do not be angry with me.  Let me make just one more request. Allow me one more test with the fleece.  This time make the fleece dray and the ground covered with dew."  That night God did so.  Only the fleece was dry; all the ground was covered with dew.  (Judges 6:36-40, NIV84)

Gideon gets a lot of flak for that. 'Putting out a fleece' has even entered the vernacular...and is rather disparaged.  But,  Gideon had a whole army to convince; I don't think the fleece was to convince himself; he knew he had had a word.  I think it was to convince the rest of the tribes that he had really heard a word.

If God will confirm a word to the people who need to hear it, who need to believe, I don't think it's out of line to ask Him to confirm a word that might be Him...or might be my own problem-solving  brain at work.

So, I'm asking for confirmation.  If that idea was a God- idea, I'll follow through.  If it wasn't...well, either there is another door down the road a bit...or maybe I've got the whole thing wrong and NONE of it was God...just my imagination.  God knows what I need. 

It's not a lack of faith in God...it's a lack of faith in my ability to wait for His voice and not go following my own.  I need a landmark so I know it really is Him.

I'll let you know if anything comes of it. ;-)

Between Studies

Posted by Lisa Laree to Beer Lahai Roi

The photo is not really related to the post, but Facebook wants a picture to post with the link, so...

I thought I'd do an update on the 3 + 1 (three chapters in the Old Testament, one in the new) reading...I'm kinda embarrassed to admit that I'm a total of at least 3 months behind.  Reading 6 days a week should have been easy, right?  Somehow, since it wasn't EVERY day, it got easy to overlook.  I'm still plugging away; I'm in 2 Samuel (David is thinking he's covered up everything with Bathsheba), just read Ps. 139...we are fearfully and wonderfully made...and grieved with the Ephesian believers as Paul told them 'you will never see my face again;' as I near the end of Acts.

It's a good plan to read through the Bible in a year.  Well less than a year, if you do it daily.  I tried backing it out to 6 days a week...which would still finish in a year...but, well, I got behind.  I thought about skipping Joshua, since I was doing the study on it, but part of the reason I am reading is to systematically mark the ESV I'm reading in...and I did the Joshua study from the NIV.  So I didn't skip it.

So, you know, it's going to take more than a year.  I'll just keep plugging away and maybe finish around Easter. Cause, you know, the important thing is to be intentional, not to finish on a schedule.  Having a goal is good...but the main thing is to keep going.

I'm not sure what the next study will be.  I'm still kinda mulling over the lessons from Joshua and letting those sink in.

I know I need to be much more intentional about 'inquiring of the LORD' before I undertake things.  I've found myself getting tripped up...again...by assuming I know what's going on and what I need to do and then finding out, well, I didn't.  My results weren't as dire as some of the results from running ahead in Joshua's day, but I'd still rather have not made those errors.  I got hurt and I hurt others.  No bueno.  

God gives us a promise, but we still have to do it His way.  Because His way really and truly is the best way in the long run.  And I generally don't figure out His way on my own.  It comes by asking.

So, yeah.  Still chewing on it...

Blogging Bible Study: Joshua 24 - Joshua's Farewell, Part 2

Posted by Lisa Laree to Beer Lahai Roi

Joshua 23 contains Joshua's last instructions to the leaders of the nation; chapter 24 is his farewell to the people. 

At least, that's the way it looks to me.  You could put a different spin on it and conclude that both chapters were to the entire nation, and if I dug into different translations that may bear it out.  But the NIV implies that chapter 23 is to the all the leaders of the entire nation, and chapter is to all the tribes...

[Joshua] summoned all Israel -- their elders, leaders, judges and officials -- and said to them... (23:2)

Joshua assembled all the tribes of Israel at Shechem.  He summoned the elders, leaders, judges and officials of Israel and they presented themselves before God. Joshua said to all the people.... (24: 1 - 2a)

It looks to me like he spoke first to the elders, and then addressed the whole assembly of tribes, with the leaders positioned in front.  But it could go either way.  In any case, with no jumbo trons or public address systems, the upshot was that only the leaders heard him anyway, and repeated to their tribes what he said.  And the words of chapter 24 are clearly meant for the entire nation.

Joshua first reviews the history of Israel, speaking to them the words God had laid on him to speak (notice the first person pronouns in verses 2 - 13):

I took your father Abraham...and led him...and gave him many descendants
I gave him Isaac, and to Isaac I gave Jacob and Esau.
I assigned Esau the hill country of Seir; Jacob and his sons went to Egypt.
I sent Moses and Aaron
I afflicted the Egyptians
You saw with your own eyes what I did to the Egyptians
I brought you to the land of the Amorites...I gave them into your hands.
I destroyed them before you.
I would not listen to Balaam, so he blessed you again and again.
I delivered you out of his hand.
I gave [the citizens of Jericho, the Amorites, Perizzites, Canaanites, Hittites, Gigashites, Hivites and Jebusites] into your hands.
I sent the hornet ahead of you, which drove them out before you.
I gave you a land on which you did not toil and cities you did not build; you live in them and eat from vineyards and olive groves that you did not plant. 

God did all of that.  ALL of that.  After reminding the people of all that God did, and that they are where they are solely because of what God did, Joshua gives them a challenge that is still ringing in our ears today.

"Now fear the LORD and serve him with all faithfulness.  Throw away the gods your forefathers worship beyond the River and in Egypt, and serve the LORD. But if serving the LORD seems undesirable to you, then choose for yourselves this day whom you will serve, whether the gods your forefathers served beyond the River, or the gods of the Amorites, in whose land you are living.  But as for me and my household, we will serve the LORD."  (24:15)

The people, of course, responded,

'Far be it from us to forsake the LORD to serve other gods!...We too will serve the LORD, because He is our God.'  (24:16, 18a)

Joshua, however, knew the fickleness of his people, and warned them,

'If you forsake the LORD and serve foreigh gods, he will turn and bring disaster on you and make an end of you, after he has been good to you.'

And the people declared again...and again...that they would serve the Lord.

Joshua then recorded all the decrees and laws, and had a large stone set near the Tabernacle at Shechem.  The stone, he stated, was to be a witness.

'This stone will be a witness against us.  It has heard all the words the LORD has said to us.  It will be a witness against you if you are untrue to your God." (v. 27).

Then the people were dismissed to go to their designated inheritance.

There is an epilogue of sorts, recording the death and burial of Joshua (at age 110), the burial of Joseph's embalmed body, as he had requested (Gen. 50:25), and the death and burial of Aaron's son Eleazar.

There is also a little declaration in verse 31:

Israel served the LORD throughout the lifetime of Joshua and of the elders who outlived him and who had experienced everything the LORD had done for Israel.

The first two chapters of Judges overlap the narrative in Joshua somewhat and reiterates that the people who were there that day served the Lord.  The later generations, however...well, their story is related in the rest of the book of Judges, dismal as it is.

Because, of course, we are notoriously bad at remembering what God has done for us. And we humans  have a history, down through the ages, of disregarding the lessons and wisdom of our elders.  Even as individuals, we tend to forget the awe of standing in the moment and seeing God move as we go about the normal tasks of everyday life.  We forget that the freedom and ability to actually go about those tasks...and not be hiding from marauders or scraping for food or trying to find a place to shelter for the night or dealing with disease or any of the hundreds of other things that would disrupt life to the point of just trying to survive...is one of God's richest blessings.  That was the covenant:  God said to serve Him alone as God, from a heart devoted to Him, and He would keep away the wild animals and the invading armies and the devouring locusts and all the other hazards.  It sounds so simple.

But it requires being different than the people who do not serve God.  Not obnoxious about it, but different.  They serve different gods.. they have different priorities...and, remember, those pagan societies killed their own children as sacrifices to their gods.  Serve the LORD, Moses said, So that you and your children might live.

So ultimately the book of Joshua reminds us that God is the one who fights our battles, if we serve Him, and every one of us has a choice to make.  Will we obey the God who loves and cares for us...or will we be like those around us?   There's nothing magical about crossing the Jordan to the Promised Land; once arrived there, it takes an intentional choice to live by God's heart.  It's easy to think we can handle it on our own;  living in a house we didn't build and eating food we didn't plant, but the truth is...we have to continue to choose to serve the LORD.

Blogging Bible Study: Joshua 23 - Joshua's Words to the Leadership

Posted by Lisa Laree to Beer Lahai Roi

After a long time had passed.... (Jos.23:1)

Years, since Joshua had sent the tribes to their territories to clean out the rest of the pagan population in their respective regions.  They had broken the military strength of their enemies; all that was left was to clear the rest of the folks out.

Joshua was now an old, old man.  He and Caleb were the only guys over 60 years old when they crossed the Jordan, all those years before, and he knows his time to depart is near.  He called in all the elders, leaders, judges and officials to him and reminded them of what they had lived through since they crossed the Jordan.

"I am old and well advanced in years.  You yourselves have seen everything the LORD your God has done to all these nations for your sake; it was the LORD your God who fought for you.  Remember how I have allotted as an inheritance for your tribes all the land of the nations that remain -- the nations I conquered -- between the Jordan and the Great Sea.  The LORD your God will drive them out of your way.  He will push them out before you, and you will take possession of their land, asl the LORD your God promised you." - 23:2a - 5

Then, he solemnly charges the leaders what to do after he's gone:

1) Be strong and courageous and live by the Law given by Moses (v.6)
2) Do not in any way serve or honor the gods of the pagans left among you (v. 7)
3) Do not associate with the people who do not honor God (v.7)
4) Hold fast to the LORD your God (v. 8)

He reminded them again, that it was the LORD who drove out their enemies; it was the LORD who made one man able to defeat a thousand enemies; they had not done it in their own strength. 

'So be very careful to love the LORD your God.' (v.11)

He continues with a warning of what will happen if they fail to follow those instructions.  And it's interesting to note what constituted failure: making alliances with the foreigners, intermarrying with them and socializing with them. And this wasn't about racial differences...it was about belief systems.  Because fraternizing with people whose beliefs are fundamentally opposed to the worship of God is a huge trap.  It began with the serpent in the Garden and it remains the same even today.  The arguments sound reasonable, even.  What could it hurt?  One bite?  One bit of incense?  A few little wooden images?  Is it really that big of a deal? 

Yes.  Because it always leads to death.  And what was the choice Moses gave them back in Deuteronomy 30? 'This day I call heaven and earth as witnesses against you that I have set before you life and death, blessings and curses. Now choose life, so that you and your children may live...' (Deut. 30:19)  That was no random selection of words...the pagan cultures ALL practiced child sacrifice.  Choosing the culture of death would literally kill their offspring.

Look at words of the warning:  'If you turn away and ally yourselves with the survivors of these nations that remain among you and if you intermarry with them, then you may be sure that the LORD your God will no longer drive out these nations before you.  Instead, they will become snares and traps for you, whips on your back and thorns in your eyes, until you perish from this good land, which the LORD your God has given you.' (Josh. 23:12-13)

It was a big deal.

And, just in case the message hadn't gotten through, he repeats it for emphasis, because, just as God has been faithful to keep His promises, He will also be faithful to execute His judgment.

'You know with all your heart and soul that not one of all the good promises that the LORD your God gave you has failed.  Every promise has been fulfilled; not one has failed.  But just as every good promise of the LORD your God has come true, so the LORD will bring on you all the evil he has threatened, until he has destroyed you from this good land he has given you.  If you violate the covenant of the LORD your God, which he commanded you, and go and serve other gods and bow down to them, the LORD's anger will burn against you, and you will quickly perish from the good land he has given you.'  - (vs. 14b -16)

It is a big deal. 

Of course, we all know the rest of the story; that the people of Israel repeatedly fell into the patterns of the people around them and repeatedly suffered for it, until the Babylonians finally destroyed their capital city and place of worship and drug all the leaders and their households off to exile.  Not because they refused to serve God, but because they kept trying to mix the worship of God with the worship of the gods of the unbelievers.  Because it was what the folks around them were doing.

Not this generation, or even the one after, but eventually...a generation grew up that didn't really believe what they'd been taught about what God had done and said.

But I'm getting ahead of myself.  Next week...Joshua's last words to the nation.

How much of the ungodly culture am I allowing to influence my worship? How can I remove the influences of the culture from my worship and still remain relevant enough to be an influence on folks who just don't get the whole One True God thing? 

..In the Midst of the Mess, Part 2

Posted by Lisa Laree to Beer Lahai Roi

Ok, I admit it.  Last night...I was ready to throw in the towel.  I mean, really throw in the towel.  I had decided that I was incapable of doing...well, what I was doing...and perhaps if I stepped down someone who had better people skills than me could take over.  And do a better job of pulling opposites together.  At least without inadvertently running roughshod over folks who were legitimately doing their best under circumstances I was clueless about.

I was ready to bail out,  run for cover, shut myself up at home because I didn't think I could EVER get this thing right.

But this morning...

Our first speaker was a lady I hadn't heard before, Amie Dockery.  I had no idea what she was going to talk about and, to be honest, I was expecting it to be good but not, you know, specifically applicable to my situation.

O mi goodness.

I do not know when I have EVER sat in a service in which the speaker described, right down to the words floating around in my brain in the last 18 hours, exactly what was going on in my life.

Now, there are a bazillion topics that she could have talked about in a women's meeting.  But she chose to talk about the lures the enemy uses to pull us away from God's purposes.  And these weren't the same ol' same ol' things normally heard.  No, she dug into the temptation of Jesus in a way I had never heard before.  I mean, I thought I knew what she was going to say...and she said nothing like I thought she was going to say.  She talked about three specific lures.

Not gonna go into her descriptions, but  all three lures had been cast at me since the sun went down last night.  And I was perilously close to falling for them.

That doesn't mean that I'm not a socially awkward person who routinely puts her foot in her mouth.  But what it does mean is that that is not a disqualification from service. I'm not allowed to quit just because I am flawed.

Ultimately, those flaws simply mean that I have to lean harder into God and my relationship with Him.

That's actually why they are there.

I told you.  Every year it happens this way...first breaking, then restoration and refreshing.  I should quit being surprised by it.

A not-Bible-Study-post in the midst of my mess

Posted by Lisa Laree to Beer Lahai Roi

I didn't get the Joshua post up today; it's Conference Weekend.

The weekend after Labor Day, in which we switch over the church to all things feminine and host a weekend for women.  It's always powerful, always stretching, always needed. What usually happens at the conference is a breaking and a restoring. The Spirit puts a finger on what's ugly, what's inhibiting growth, what's got. to. go.  And by the end of the weekend, the Spirit has also washed away the broken bits of the ugly and given a fresh perspective and purpose to take its place.

Now, as a staff person, I get a whole nuther aspect on the weekend.

And sometimes, the thing that unmakes me really has nothing to do with the service or the speaker.

Sometimes, in the logistics and the planning, I get my lessons.

Tonight was one of those times.

A friend held up a picture of how my attempts to help...to fix...to catch things...looks to other folks.

It wasn't a pretty picture.

Sort of like the picture above; my old attempt to re-liquify honey that had crystallized.  Only I made a mess instead.

The speaker was good, but I sat in my spot and processed the picture I'd seen.  It was a rough go, I'll be honest.

And that's one thing that I don't know how to fix. 

 So I'm looking for the second half...the restoration, the encouragement...tomorrow. I honestly don't know how God can redeem this mess...but I do know that He can.

I am really ready to stop being the bull in the china shop.  Just bein' real. 

So I'm putting a demand on the anointing for part two.  The redemption and refreshing. 

I'm ready.

Blogging Bible Study: Joshua 22 -- Disaster of Assumptions

Posted by Lisa Laree to Beer Lahai Roi

What an example we have here of the dangers of assumption and lack of communication.

The chapter starts off well enough; Joshua calls the Trans-Jordan tribes in, commends them for their faithful service, challenges them to be very careful to keep the commandment  and the law that Moses the servant of the LORD gave to you:  to love the LORD your God, to walk in all his ways, to obey his commands, to hold fast to him and to serve him with all your heart and your soul (22:5),  blesses them and sends them home to their families and possessions.

So the Reubenites, the Gaddites, and half the tribe of Manasseh headed home across the Jordan River.

Where they proceed to build an enormous altar.

Now, the law was clear that all the sacrifices were to be made at the tabernacle,  on the altar consecrated in the wilderness and carried about by the priests. So, to all appearances, this was flagrant disregard for the Law and all that Moses had instructed them about sacrifices and worship.

Now, the Trans-Jordan tribes had not discussed this altar with anyone on the west side of the Jordan.  They just built it.  The rest of the Israelites noticed the altar and immediately concluded that the folks across the river were in rebellion.

The whole assembly of Israel gathered at Shiloh to go to war against them.  (v. 12).

But someone thought a parlay might be worth a try, before they wiped out a sizeable portion of their nation.

Always good to get the other side of the story before taking action.

So the Israelites sent  Phinehas, son of Eleazer, the priest, to the land of Gilead -- to Reuben, Gad and the half-tribe of Manasseh.  With him, they sent ten of the chief men, one for each of the tribes of Israel, each the head of a family division among the Israelite clans. (v. 13).

When the deputation arrived, they got in the faces of the Trans-Jordan tribes:

How could you break faith with the God of Israel like this?  How could you turn away from the LORD and build yourselves an altar in rebellion against him now? (v. 16)

They  reviewed the history of rebellion in the people...they reminded them of the judgement that happened after the sin of Peor,  of what happened to the whole nation when Achan sinned at Jericho.

The accusation was clear.  Judgement was impending.  What could those folks say for themselves?

No!  We did it for fear that some day your descendants might say to ours, 'What do you have to do with the LORD,  the God of Israel?  The LORD has made the Jordan a boundary between us and you - you Reubenites and Gadites!  You have no share in the LORD.'  So your descendants might cause ours to stop fearing the LORD.  

That is why we said, 'Let us get ready and build an altar -- but not for burnt offerings or sacrifices.'
 On the contrary,  it is to be a witness between us and you and the generations that follow, that we will worship the LORD at his sanctuary with our burnt offerings, sacrifices and fellowship offerings.  Then in the future your descendants will not be able to say to ours, 'You have no share in the LORD.' (vs. 24-27).

There's more in the following verses, but it basically reiterates the declaration that the massive altar is there as a talisman of their devotion to God, not  meant to be any kind of substitution for the actual altar.

The delegation let out a big sigh of relief, I'm sure, after they heard this explanation.

Today, we know that the LORD is with us, because you have not acted unfaithfully toward the LORD in this matter.  Now you have rescued the Israelites from the LORD's hand. (v. 31)

To make it all official, the Trans-Jordan tribes named their altar 'A Witness Between Us that the LORD is God.' (v. 34), and everyone went home.

There's a lot to consider in this story. 

What strikes me immediately is how quickly both sides of the issue assumed the worst.  The Trans-Jordan tribes looked at the Jordan River -- which they had chosen to not cross -- and considered it a barrier between them and the rest of the nation. And they immediately were afraid that one day in the future their kids would be rejected by the rest of the nation because of that barrier.  Now, they had had lots of opportunities in dealing with both Moses and Joshua to come up with some sort of insurance that such a thing would not happen, but they did nothing about it until they got home from war.  And then they put up this really suspicious looking thing without any kind of explanation to anyone.

They did it because they were afraid of something that might happen in generations to come.  They did it because they felt their choice would be held against them in the future.  There were probably other ways to address the issue...all involving dialogue with the very folks they were ultimately afraid of.  Would that offend them?  Better to just do what we need to do, right?

The rest of the country reacted, based on what they observed.  They assigned the worst possible motives to the erection of the altar.  And they did not consult with the Lord or inquire of Him what should be done about it.  Which was part of the reason they had such disastrous outcomes regarding Achan and Baal Peor.  They were afraid, too....of the consequences of the sin of part of the nation on the whole body.  They were angry and offended anyway.

Wouldn't it have been better to discuss this before anyone took any action?

Fortunately, there was discussion.  And the explanation was deemed valid and not what had been anticipated.

The church split...er, war between the tribes...was averted.

We relive this scenario over and over again in modern Christianity.  Congregations split, folks get offended, often because no one wants to talk about things in the early stages.  Unfortunately, we rarely get the deputation to see what the truth about a dispute may be, and folks become more entrenched in their opinions....one side justifying their actions, incredulous that anyone would think they would be THAT wrong in their intentions, offended  because those others really believed they could have such devious motives, whilst the others can't believe their brothers and sisters could do something so...inconsiderate...of the body as a whole, offended that the others considered them so inconsequential that they weren't even worth TALKING to, for goodness sake...and opinions fly and feelings get hurt and ...in the worst cases, the local body collapses and the building goes up for sale.  At the very least relationships are severed and people are wounded and the body suffers.

Things are almost never as bad as they seem.  How can we all learn to take a breath and LISTEN to concerns  and pray with the folks who are seeing things from a different viewpoint so that we ALL can come to an agreement that's based on God's care for His people?  If both sides truly fear God and want His will...there will be an explanation and a way through that preserves the integrity...in every sense of the word... of the body.

Blogging Bible Study:Joshua 21 -- The Cities of the Levites

Posted by Lisa Laree to Beer Lahai Roi

After the cities of refuge were designated, the heads of the Levite clans came to Joshua and reminded him that the command of the Lord to Moses regarding the division of the land included cities for the Levites to possess and dwell in, since they were not given a territorial inheritance like the rest of the tribes.

The total number of cities given to the Levites is forty-eight, but even though that averages out to 4 cities per tribe, because of the difference in tribal allotments it didn't actually pan out quite  that way, although it was close.

There were three branches of Levites: the Kohathites (who included the descendants of Aaron), the descendants of Gershon and the descendants of Merari.  The descendants of Aaron, being the line of the priesthood, had a special designation and were allotted thirteen towns from the territories of  Judah/Simeon and Benjamin.  The rest of the Koathites were given ten towns, split up amongst the territories of Issachar, Naphtali, and the territory of Manasseh  that was on the west side of the Jordan. (twenty-three towns altogether, almost half of them, were for the Kohathites). The descendants of Gershon were allotted thirteen towns from the territories of Issachar, Asher, Naphtali and the east-of-the-Jordan territory of  Manasseh.  The final twelve towns, from the territories of Reuben, Gad and Zebulun went to the descendants of Merari.

Having split the Levites amongst the tribes, now they had to designate the cities from each of those areas.

From Judah/ Simeon (remember, Simeon's inheritance was within the borders of Judah), there were nine towns:  Hebron*, Libnah, Jattir, Eshtemoa, Holon, Debir, Ain, Juttah and Beth Shemesh.
From Benjamin, they designated four towns: Gibeon, Giba, Anathoth and Almon..
From Ephraim, four towns: Shechem*, Gezer, Kibzaim and Beth Horon.
From Dan, four towns: Eltekeh, Gibbethon, Aijalon and Gath Rimmon.
From the western bit of Manasseh, two towns: Taanach and Gath Rimmon.
From the eastern territory of Manasseh,  two towns: Golan* and Be Eshtarah.
From Issachar, four towns:  Kishion, Daberath, Jarmuth and En Gannim.
From Asher, four towns: Mishal, Abdon, Helkath and Rehob.
From Naptali, three towns: Kedesh Galilee*, Hammoth Dor and Kartan.
From Zebulon, four towns: Jokneam, Kartah, Dimnah and Nahalal.
From Reuben, four towns: Bezer*, Jahaz, Kedemoth and Mephaath.
And, finally, from  Gad, four towns: Ramoth Gilead*, Mahanaim, Heshbon and Jazer.

For all the towns, the Levites were given the town and the surrounding pastureland for their livestock so they could make their living when they were not serving.  It is interesting to note that all six of the cities of refuge were given to the Levites (the starred towns in the list).  The priests and servants of God were spread all through the nation.  I wonder if the intention was merely to split up the obligation among all the tribes, or if the idea of the Levites being all throughout the nation would encourage the people to be more intentional about following the decrees of God.  Or, maybe, a bit of both.

All the allotments were made; all special cities designated.  The land belonged to the Israelites.

So the LORD gave Israel all the land he had sworn to give their forefathers, and they took possession of it and settled there.  The LORD gave them rest on every side, just as he had sworn to their forefathers.  Not one of their enemies withstood them; the LORD handed all their enemies over to them.  Not one of all the LORD's good promises to the house of Israel failed, every one was fulfilled. (21:43-45).

What a statement.  NOT ONE had failed.  Despite the fact that the Israelites had rebelled again and again on the journey from Egypt; they tried to do things according to what made sense to them instead of making sure they were following God's instruction; they even failed to make sure all the cities in the realm had been defeated and the altars destroyed...IE, they gave up before God acted  (see Judges 2).  But  God gave them the land, he gave them peace in the land and, after it was all done, he gave them rest.  Rest was something they had not known for a really, really long time. But now it was time to live in the covenant and walk out the promises and simply keep the commandments God gave them.  That's all he asked of them. God had done his part.

It remained to be seen if the people would do theirs.

Have I truly pursued the heart of God in my own life?  Have I made provision to continue to follow God after He has blessed me? Will I intentionally seek out His way...or will I default to the way that makes sense to me?

Catching up

Posted by Lisa Laree to Beer Lahai Roi

We've had a busy couple of weeks.

The Grand Opening of the new sanctuary was August 5.  Packed house and a boatload of data entry.

Worked extra hours but still left work for my co-workers to cover, because we had to hit the road to Indiana to celebrate my parent's 60th wedding anniversary.  It was a pretty low-key celebration, actually, just a dinner with all the family who could make it, but it was a blessing to get to be there on their special day.

60 years looks good on them, don't you think?

And, it just so happened that My Sweet Babboo had a class reunion the following weekend, so we headed up to Elkhart for Saturday night.   The reunion somehow didn't get well publicized...or organized, which is odd because the previous ones have been well done.  If that had been the only reason for the trip north, I think we would have felt kinda miffed, but not only did we hit my folks' anniversary, there was also the 104th annual Pippenger family reunion on Sunday, so the trip was worth it nonetheless. 

We did miss the official dedication of the new sanctuary, but, thanks to the wonders of modern technology we were able to watch the video on You Tube from Elkhart

 We split the trip back home up, stopping at Mom & Dad's and picking up a cooler of sweet corn on the way.  Got in too late on Tuesday to freeze corn, so I threw some more ice in the cooler and planned to do it after work on Wednesday, feeling only a little remorseful for missing the Wednesday night service.

However, The Flute Player (whose job is toy sanitation in the staff day care) was playing catch up for missing the first two days of the week and we were very late getting out of the office.  So it was nearly midnight when all the corn was bagged and in the fridge to chill. 

Thursday was the 38th anniversary of the date that My Sweet Babboo and I tied the knot ourselves, but all we did was exchange cards; we both worked straight through to choir practice in the evening. I ended up going to the office to work for about 3 hours yesterday to get some documentation ready for training that starts Monday morning...which is why I didn't get the next Joshua post up.  I plumb forgot it was Friday.

We dodged some thunderstorms to get an anniversary dinner last night and I'm doing laundry like a crazy lady today.  Tomorrow, we're doing a community thank-you service and hosting a 'pep rally'/ tour for the alumni of the high school that has become our church.  Next Sunday will be a day of thanksgiving and praise, with guests David and Nicole Binion.  Labor Day weekend follows, with our annual women's conference (albeit a bit abbreviated version) the weekend after.  So...maybe we'll see life start falling into a normal routine again somewhere around the middle of September, lol.

So, catching my breath just a bit before wrapping up Joshua.  Should be back in that groove by Friday.  I think. 

Blogging Bible Study: Joshua 20 -- Cities of Refuge

Posted by Lisa Laree to Beer Lahai Roi

The 'Cities of Refuge' are an interesting study in judicial process.  There were no Miranda rights, not even a true police force to bring criminals to justice.  It was up to the tribes to police their own people.  There were penalties laid out in The Law for various crimes...both intentional and unintentional.  Chief among them was causing the death of another person.

There was a designated 'Avenger of Blood' if someone died as the result of the actions of another person.  Usually a near kinsman, the Avenger of Blood was to fulfill the 'life for a life' penalty; that is, the death penalty for murder.  But not all killing is murder, and there had to be some provision for accidents.  So the Cities of Refuge were designated; six cities that one who had caused a death could go to for protection while the event was investigated to determine if he was guilty of murder or unintentional manslaughter.

When he flees to one of these cities, he is to stand in the entrance of the city gate and state his case before the elders of that city.  Then they are to admit him into their city and give him a place to live with them.  If the avenger of blood pursues him, they must not surrender the one accused, because he killed his neighbor unintentionally and without malice aforethought.  He is to stay in that city until he has stood trial before the assembly and until the death of the high priest who is serving at that time.  Then he may go back to his own home in the town from which he fled.   -- 20:4 - 6.

This hearkens back to Numbers 35: 6 - 34.  If the accused person was found to be guilty of murder, he was to be handed over to the avenger of blood to execute.  If he was found innocent of murder, but guilty of manslaughter, he could live, but only within the confines of the city to which he had fled.  If he ever went outside the city limits, the avenger of blood could strike him down without penalty.  Assuming, of course, that the avenger of blood was hanging around the city waiting to catch the accused wandering about.  When the current high priest had died, the sentence was lifted and the accused could return to his home without fear; it would now be illegal for the avenger to kill him.

There were six such cities, spread across the whole nation, six on the west side of the Jordan and six on the east side:  Kedesh, in Galilee, in the hill country of Naphtali, Shechem in the hill country of Ephraim,  Hebron (AKA  Kirath Arba) in the hill country of Judah  on the west and, on the east, Bezer in the desert plateau of Reuben, Ramoth Gilead in the land of Gad and Golan Bashan in the land of Manasseh.

Complicated in some ways, simple in others.  Life was valuable to the Israelites and taking of life...even accidentally...had consequences.  The law applied equally to Israelites and aliens living among them. Anyone who accidentally caused the death of another could go...flee, the NIV reports...to these cities and be protected from vengeance until the assembly could hear the case.

But...the individual had to go immediately.  As fast as they could go, carrying only necessities.  No family, nothing that would slow the person down from getting to the safe place.  It was urgent, a matter of life and death; sure safety could only be found in one of those cities.

So, how fast am I to run to my City of Refuge when the accuser is pursuing?  How difficult is it to leave behind everything that would hinder my approach to the One who will give me safe haven? What trappings of my comfort zone am I trying to drag along with me...which slows my progress and leaves me vulnerable?

Blogging Bible Study: Joshua 18:12 - 19:51 - How long will you wait?

Posted by Lisa Laree to Beer Lahai Roi

The heart of this passage is in the first few verses of chapter 19:

The whole assembly of the Israelites gathered at Shiloh and set up the Tent of Meeting there.  The country was brought under their control, but there were still seven Israelite tribes who had not received their inheritance.  So Joshua said to the Israelites:  "How long will you wait before you begin to take possession of the land that the LORD, the God of your fathers, has given you?"  (18: 1-3).

Five tribes had claimed their territory:  Reuben and Gad on the east side of the Jordan, Manesseh straddled the river, Ephraim was just to their south and Judah in the southernmost territory.  The other seven tribes...Simeon, Naphtali, Asher, Dan, Zebulon, Issachar and Benjamin...had not yet claimed their land.  Levi, as we were reminded over and over, would not have a territory assigned to them.

So, since those seven tribes had not laid any claim to territory, Joshua proposes a solution.  He asked for three men from each tribe to form survey teams to go out and survey the whole of the land they had conquered and divvy it up into equal portions, then bring back descriptions of each portion, which would be assigned by lot to the seven tribes who had no designated territory.

It had to take a while.

So the men left and went through the land.  They wrote its description on a scroll, town by town, in seven parts and returned to Joshua in the camp at Shiloh.  Joshua then cast lots for them in Shiloh in the presence of the LORD, and there he distributed the land to the Israelites according to their tribal divisions. (18: 9 - 10)

First up, Benjamin, who drew the lot that was between Judah and Ephraim. Notable cities listed in the territory of Benjamin included Jericho,  Bethel,  Gibeon, and Jerusalem.

Second, Simeon.  But the surveyors had determined that Judah had more land than they could handle, so Simeon's portion was actually carved out of what had previously been assigned to Judah.  Their cities included Beersheba and Ziklag.

Zebulun came up next; their territory was just southwest of what was later known as the Sea of Galilee (note:  I'm going by the map in the footnote of my Bible).  Bethlehem is listed in the cities of Zebulun, but this is NOT the same Bethlehem that was later known as the City of David.  That was within walking distance of Jerusalem, a good distance to the south of the territory of Zebulun. 

Issachar was fourth, and their allotment came between Manesseh and Zebulun, and actually bordered on the Jordan River just south of the Sea of Galilee.  Their cities included  Jezreel and Shunem.

The fifth lot went to  Asher, and it ran along the coast of the Mediterranean Sea, bordered on the south by Zebulun.  Cities included in the inheritance of Asher included Carmel and Tyre.

Naphtali drew the lot between Asher and the Jordan River, north of the Sea of Galilee.  The towns listed for Naphtali are not well known.

The last portion was then given to Dan.  I actually pulled out the NIV Atlas of the Bible to make sure I could see what happened with Dan.   Dan was originally given the bit of territory wedged between Ephraim, Benjamin, the Mediterranean and the Philistines to the southwest; they had territory near Joppa.  But apparently they had problems clearing the towns, so at least a portion of the tribe went all the way up north to Leshem (also known as Laish), captured that city and named it 'Dan' and settled there.  Whether the tribe ended up split between the two territories or all moving north is hard to tell from the passage here.

Joshua was given a specific plot of ground for his inheritance...in the hill country of Ephraim (if you go back to Numbers 13, you will see that Joshua was actually an Ephraimite).

And so they finished dividing the land.  (19:51b).

I was most struck by the challenge in 18:3...How long will you wait before you begin to take possession of the land that the LORD your God has given you?

It occurred to me that 'Take possession" = "Take responsibility for".

There are things that the LORD our God has given us.  Gifts, talents, opportunities, positions...how long will we wait before we step up and take responsibility for those areas?  What is the 'land' that God has given me the I have yet to possess?  What is holding me back?  How much longer am I going to wait to step into it and claim it?

Blogging Bible Study: Joshua 16:1 -17:18 -- The Inheritance of Joseph

Posted by Lisa Laree to Beer Lahai Roi

Joseph, the favored son of Jacob/Israel, received a double portion inheritance among the people of Israel: the descendants of both his sons, Ephraim and Manasseh, received separate territory just as if they themselves had been sons of Jacob.  They pretty much split the land directly west of the Jordan, all the way to the Mediterranean, plus the allotment for half of the tribe of Manasseh on the east side of the Jordan, with the Reubenites and the Gadites.

But it wasn't described that way in the beginning, even though they were clearly divided into two portions, 16:1 describes it as 'the allotment for Joseph'.  That's certainly how the tribes of Ephraim and Manasseh saw it, despite the fact that the two of them together occupied more territory than any other of the tribes, they complained to Joshua that it wasn't enough.

'Why have you given us only one allotment and one portion for an inheritance?  We are a numerous people and the LORD has blessed us abundantly."  (17:14).

Joshua didn't argue with them.  He pointed them at some unclaimed land and said, 'Fine.  You can clear and claim that.'

That brought out a pout. 
'The hill country is not enough, and all the Canaanites who live in the plain have iron chariots.'  (17:16a).

Quite a contrast from Caleb's declarations in chapter 14, eh?

So Joshua wasn't having it; he reminded them of 1) their statement that they were numerous and 2) the ability given to the Israelites.

'You are numerous and very powerful.  You will have not only one allotment but the forested hill country as well.  Clear it, and its farthest limits will be yours; though the Canaanites have iron chariots and though they are strong, you can drive them out.' (17:18)

There are some other points in this passage that are worth discussing...the inheritance of the daughters of Zelophehad, the failure to completely drive out the pagan people from the territory...but I want to focus on this, the difference in attitude between Caleb and the children of Joseph.

Notice...they both came to Joshua asking for land.  They were both given land under the same conditions...that they clear it of the current inhabitants and remove the pagan influence.  Caleb said '..the LORD helping me, I will drive them out just as he said.'  The children of Joseph whined 'but they have iron chariots!'

Watch the tribes of Ephraim and Manasseh throughout the history of Israel as you read through the rest of the books of history.  This is a shadow of things to come.  The attitude doesn't just reflect the current generation, but it propagates on down.  The chip on the shoulder of the children of Joseph never really goes away.

That's a sobering lesson.  The seeds of division that will eventually rip the country in two are actually visible here, with the attitude of what certainly appears to be entitlement...the children of Joseph wanted their inheritance handed to them.  They didn't want to have to go out and earn it themselves.

Why did they have that attitude?  What was the root of that?  Hard to say at this point...but it may have something to do with whatever happened when the house of Joseph left the capital and made their home among the Hebrews in Goshen.  We don't know when that happened, but it had to be a difficult transition.  Joseph was second in command in Egypt; his boys grew up privileged.  At some point, that privilege was lost...they were numbered with the Hebrews by the time Moses showed up.  But there may have been smoldering resentment...or even just the expectation of it...and resulting offense that still remained all the generations later.

A true reminder to resolve any such issues before they get rooted in the next generation.

Blogging Bible Study: Joshua 14:1 -15:63; Caleb's Determination and the Inheritance of Judah

Posted by Lisa Laree to Beer Lahai Roi

In 14: 4b, we're reminded again that
The Levites received no share of the land but only towns to live in, with pasturelands for their flocks and herds.

Then we see that
The Israelites divided the land, just as the LORD had commanded Moses.  (14:15)

I don't think that was meant to imply that all the land was doled out at the same time; just a statement that it happened.  It kind of appears that some of the tribes were assigned territory, which they took, but the rest were not assigned theirs until later.  The land was divided...just not all in one go.

I think it's very interesting that the first, and most detailed, description of the allotments falls to Judah.   Later, we'll see that the tribe of Simeon is given their allotment within the borders of Judah's, since Judah's is so large, but none of the others require 11 verses to describe the boundaries, and 42 verses to list all the towns in the territory...111 if I've done my math right, plus the territories of Ekron, Ashdod and Gaza.

It's a pretty impressive description.  I don't know if  Judah got that inheritance purely by lot, or if it came as a result of Caleb's promise from Moses.

Let's go back to Numbers 13 and look at the record of the events that led to Caleb's request.

The twelve delegates who had traipsed through the land had returned with their report.
"We went into the lad to which you sent us, and it does flow with milk and honey!  Here is its fruit.  BUT..." (Num. 13 27-first bit of 28).

That 'BUT' caused all kinds of trouble for the Israelites.  The people in Canaan were strong, some exceptionally large, the cities fortified, the land occupied.

But, as you  know, two guys out of the group didn't agree with the 'BUT'.  Caleb heard the fear-based report and jumped up.

Then Caleb silenced the people before Moses and said, "We should go up and take possession of the land, for we can certainly do it."  (Num. 13:30)

The other ten shouted him down and convinced the rest that going into Canaan was a bad idea.  The argument continued to the next day; Joshua and Caleb both  protesting the negative expectations, saying,

"The land we passed through and explored is exceedingly good.  If the LORD is pleased with us, he will lead us into that land, a land flowing with milk and honey, and will give it to us.  Only do not rebel against the LORD.  And do not be afraid of the people of the land, because we will swallow them up.  Their protection is gone, but the LORD is with us.  Do not be afraid of them." (Num. 14:7-9)

Such talk nearly got them stoned.  But they alone of all the folks in the entire nation over age 20 on that day crossed the Jordan and took the land.  And now Caleb  came to Joshua and reminded him of what they had seen and endured and been promised.

"You know what the LORD said to Moses the man of God at Kadesh Barnea about you and me.  I was forty years old when Moses the servant of the LORD sent me from Kadesh Barnea to explore the land.  And I brought him back a report according to my convictions, but my brothers who went up with me made the hearts of the people melt with fear.  I, however,  followed the LORD my God wholeheartedly.  So on that day, Moses swore to me, 'The land on which your feet have walked will be your inheritance and that of your children forever, because you have followed the LORD my God wholeheartedly.' " (Josh. 6b-9)

But Caleb wasn't done.  He was just as avid to take the land as he was back at Kadesh Barnea.

"Now then, just as the LORD promised, he has kept me alive for forty-five years since the time he said this to Moses, while Israel moved about in the desert.  So here I am today, eighty-five years old!  I am still as strong today as the day Moses sent me out; I'm just as vigorous to go out to battle as I was then.  Now give me this hill country that the LORD promised me that day.  You yourself heard then that the Anakites were there and their cities were large and fortified, but, the LORD helping me, I will drive them out just as he said."  (Josh. 14:10 - 12)

What remarkable faith!  What tenacity!  Caleb had a promise...that he waited forty-five years to pursue...and then had to fight for.  And not just any little battle...he was going into the very focal point of the fear that had immobilized Israel forty-five years earlier.  Caleb NEVER gave up on the word he had from God, and he never doubted that God would give him the promise in full.

And Caleb had a daughter who followed in his footsteps.  In the process of claiming his inheritance, Caleb promised his daughter, Acsah, to the  man who would capture one of the cities.  Caleb's nephew Othniel captured the city, and so Acsah was given to him as wife.  And, apparently Caleb gave Acsah an inheritance.  Because she was bold enough to ask for more.

...when she got off her donkey, Caleb asked her, "What can I do for you?"  
She replied, "Do me a special favor.  Since you have given me land in the Negev, give me also springs of water."  So Caleb gave her the upper and lower springs.  (Josh. 15:18a-19)

It was remarkable enough that a daughter received an inheritance; the Negev was a very dry, desert-like area.  Without a constant water supply,  life would be a struggle of constant moving about to find water.  Springs would allow for settlement and cultivation.  Acsah wasn't just asking for water, she was asking for all that came with it...security and permanence.  And Caleb didn't just give her one, he gave her two.  Because she was bold enough to ask.

Here we have two accounts of asking in faith.  One was asking on the basis of a promise, the other on the basis of relationship.   Neither would have gotten the inheritance without asking.  What is in my heart that I need to believe enough to step forward and ASK to see come to pass?  Do I believe it should come?  Do I have a promise from God, is my relationship such that I can dare ask for the desires of my heart?  Do I even know the desires of my heart well enough to make the request?
Can I state, as Caleb did, that I have followed the LORD my God wholeheartedly?  If not, what is holding me back? How can I move beyond that into wholeheartedness?