a blog for Ashfield Baptist Church
The Bible readings for Saturday 22 and Sunday 23 September are -- Joshua 7:1-8:35; Ps 49:16-20; Pro 11:27-29; Lk 14:7-24.
Labels: death, fear, money, obedience/disobedience
posted by Ps John @ 5:20 PM
2 Comments
Hi and welcome. Ashfield Baptist Church is a "caring community church sharing God's love". We are very diverse in our nationalities, backgrounds and ages, but united in our desire to grow spiritually and to reach out and help others. Our vision is "to be a body of Christ-like people living out the great commandment and the great commission in the Holy Spirit's power". This blog is mainly for people connected with Ashfield Baptist Church. It has been set up as an "info & chat space" as we start the "THRU IN 2" challenge. This is our program for reading the Bible right through during 2007 & 2008. Many are using the Every Day With Jesus Bible which also has daily devotions from Selwyn Hughes. As we read through the Bible together over these two years, we can use this blog to share insights, stories, reflections, questions etc. The goal is to grow spiritually together. So leave your comments. Together we can help each other grow. Blessings. Ps John. To leave a comment about the readings for a particular day, or to view the comments of others, just click on "comments" at the bottom of the post.
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2 Comments:
Victory is sweet. But like a lot of sweet things, it can have negative side-effects. The stunning victory over Jericho made them complacent. They planned their next conquest with great self-confidence, but without reference to the One through whom they had defeated Jericho. With reckless bravado, they sent just a small contingent to attack Ai. They seriously underestimated the enemy and were routed.
Josh 7:5 tells us that "As a result, the people's hearts melted and became like water." Previously that had described their enemies - those in Jericho (2:11) and the Amorite and Canaanite kings (5:1). The Israelites were far from "strong and courageous"!
The LORD makes it clear that the main reason they lost was because of sin in their midst (7:11-12). The solution is consecration of the people (7:13) and elimination of the sin (7:15). Achan pays for his sin with his life, as God instructs. It was an indication of the seriousness of disobeying God, especially at this crucial time of possessing the Promised Land. The deaths of Ananias and Sapphira for trying to cover up their covetousness provide a parallel at the crucial time of the establishment of the early church, the new Israel. Perhaps this also helps to explain the widespread destruction we see in Joshua of those who opposed God, His plans and His people.
Psalm 49:17 is a timely warning - you can't take it with you! That was the title of my sermon on this psalm at the evening service on 23/9/07. As I said then, it reminded me very much of the parable of the rich/poor/foolish farmer and his barns in Lk 12:22-34.
The Proverbs reading has a related warning - "Anyone trusting in riches will fall." (Pro 11:28)
The story of Achan provides a third warning. He explains his sin thus - "When I saw among the spoils a beautiful cloak from Babylon, 200 silver shekels, and a bar of gold weighing 50 shekels, i coveted them and took them." (Josh 7:21) But he couldn't take them with him!
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