Participants: Kelly Mowrer
Series Code: HWAL
Program Code: HWAL000508
00:16 Hello, and welcome to His Words Are Life.
00:18 I'm Kelly Mowrer, and before we start to read the word of God 00:22 today, let's pray together. 00:23 Dear Lord, thank You for Your precious word that is a light 00:29 and life to us. 00:31 May we not just hear the word but may it take deep root in our 00:35 hearts and bear fruit to Your glory. 00:37 We love You so much and thank You for loving us. 00:40 Amen. 00:41 When we read last Joshua had sent a few of the children of 00:47 Israel up against Ai and had been completely 00:50 routed and defeated. 00:51 The Lord has told Joshua that the cause of this defeat is 00:55 because there is sin in the camp. 00:58 Someone has stolen and lied, and Joshua has gathered the 01:03 people together and he said prepare yourself. 01:04 Tomorrow I'm going to begin to draw names, and we're going to 01:08 start with the tribes, and with the families, and then to the 01:11 men within the individual families. 01:13 We're going to pick up now in the story; Joshua, chapter 7, 01:17 verse 16. 01:18 This is the King James Version. 01:20 So Joshua rose up early in the morning, and brought Israel by 01:24 their tribes; and the tribe of Judah was taken: and he brought 01:29 the family of Judah; and he took the family of the Zarhites: 01:32 and he brought the family of the Zarhites man by man; 01:36 and Zabdi was taken: and he brought his household man by 01:41 man; and Achan, the son of Carmi, the son of Zabdi, 01:45 the son of Zerah, of the tribe of Judah, was taken. 01:48 And Joshua said unto Achan, My son, give, I pray thee, glory to 01:54 the Lord God of Israel, and make confession unto him; and tell me 01:58 now what thou hast done; hide it not from me. 02:01 And Achan answered Joshua, and said, Indeed I have sinned 02:06 against the Lord God of Israel, and thus and thus have I done: 02:09 when I saw among the spoils a goodly Babylonish garment, 02:14 and two hundred shekels of silver, and a wedge of gold of 02:17 fifty shekels weight, then I coveted them, and took them; 02:21 and, behold, they are hid in the earth in the midst of my tent, 02:24 and the silver under it. 02:26 So Joshua sent messengers, and they ran unto the tent; and, 02:30 behold, it was hid in his tent, and the silver under it. 02:33 And they took them out of the midst of the tent, and brought 02:35 them unto Joshua, and unto all the children of Israel, 02:38 and laid them out before the Lord. 02:40 And Joshua, and all Israel with him, took Achan the son of 02:45 Zerah, and the silver, and the garment, and the wedge of gold, 02:48 and his sons, and his daughters, and his oxen, and his asses, 02:51 and his sheep, and his tent, and all that he had: 02:55 and they brought them unto the Valley of Achor. 02:58 And Joshua said, Why hast thou troubled us? the Lord shall 03:03 trouble thee this day. 03:04 And all Israel stoned him with stones, and burned them with 03:08 fire, after they had stoned them with stones. 03:11 And they raised over him a great heap of stones unto this day. 03:15 So the Lord turned from the fierceness of his anger. 03:17 Wherefore the name of that place was called, The valley of Achor, 03:21 unto this day. 03:23 We're continuing now in Joshua, chapter 8, and this is the 03:28 King James Version. 03:29 And the Lord said unto Joshua, Fear not, neither be thou 03:34 dismayed: take all the people of war with thee, and arise, 03:38 go up to Ai: see, I have given into thy hand the king of Ai, 03:44 and his people, and his city, and his land: and thou shalt do 03:47 to Ai and her king as thou didst unto Jericho and her king: 03:50 only the spoil thereof, and the cattle thereof, shall ye take 03:55 for a prey unto yourselves: lay thee an ambush 03:59 for the city behind it. 04:00 So Joshua arose, and all the people of war, to go up against 04:04 Ai: and Joshua chose out thirty thousand mighty men of valor, 04:09 and sent them away by night. 04:11 And he commanded them, saying, Behold, ye shall lie in wait 04:14 against the city, even behind the city: go not very far from 04:17 the city, but be ye all ready: and I, and all the people that 04:22 are with me, will approach unto the city: and it shall come to 04:24 pass, when they come out against us, as at the first, 04:27 that we will flee before them, (for they will come out after 04:31 us,) till we have drawn them from the city; 04:34 for they will say, They flee before us, as at the first: 04:36 therefore we will flee before them. 04:38 Then ye shall rise up from the ambush, and seize upon the city: 04:43 for the Lord your God will deliver it into your hand. 04:47 And it shall be, when ye have taken the city, that ye shall 04:50 set the city on fire: according to the Commandment 04:52 of the Lord shall ye do. 04:54 See, I have commanded you. 04:55 Joshua therefore sent them forth: and they went to lie in 04:59 ambush, and abode between Bethel and Ai, on the west side 05:03 of Ai: but Joshua lodged that night among the people. 05:07 And Joshua rose up early in the morning, and numbered the 05:10 people, and went up, he and the elders of Israel, before the 05:13 people to Ai. 05:14 And all the people, even the people of war that were with 05:17 him, went up, and drew nigh, and came before the city, 05:20 and pitched on the north side of Ai: now there was a valley 05:24 between them and Ai. 05:25 And he took about five thousand men, and set them to lie in 05:29 ambush between Bethel and Ai, on the west side of the city. 05:32 And when they had set the people, even all the host that 05:36 was on the north of the city, and their liers in wait on the 05:39 west of the city, Joshua went that night into the midst 05:42 of the valley. 05:43 And it came to pass, when the king of Ai saw it, that they 05:46 hasted and rose up early, and the men of the city went out 05:49 against Israel to battle, he and all his people, at a time 05:53 appointed, before the plain; but he wist not that there were 05:57 liers in ambush against him behind the city. 06:00 And Joshua and all Israel made as if they were beaten before 06:04 them, and fled by the way of the wilderness. 06:06 And all the people that were in Ai were called together to 06:10 pursue after them: and they pursued after Joshua, and were 06:13 drawn away from the city. 06:15 And there was not a man left in Ai or Bethel, that went not out 06:19 after Israel: and they left the city open, and pursued 06:23 after Israel. 06:24 And the Lord said unto Joshua, Stretch out the spear that is in 06:27 thy hand toward Ai; for I will give it into thine hand. 06:31 And Joshua stretched out the spear that he had in his hand 06:35 toward the city. 06:36 And the ambush arose quickly out of their place, and they ran as 06:41 soon as he had stretched out his hand: and they entered into the 06:43 city, and took it, and hasted and set the city on fire. 06:47 And when the men of Ai looked behind them, they saw, and, 06:51 behold, the smoke of the city ascended up to heaven, and they 06:55 had no power to flee this way or that way: and the people that 06:59 fled to the wilderness turned back upon the pursuers. 07:03 And when Joshua and all Israel saw that the ambush had taken 07:07 the city, and that the smoke of the city ascended, then they 07:10 turned again, and slew the men of Ai. 07:13 And the other issued out of the city against them; so they were 07:16 in the midst of Israel, some on this side, and some on that 07:18 side: and they smote them, so that they let none of them 07:21 remain or escape. 07:23 And the king of Ai they took alive, and brought him 07:25 to Joshua. 07:26 And it came to pass, when Israel had made an end of slaying all 07:30 the inhabitants of Ai in the field, in the wilderness wherein 07:33 they chased them, and when they were all fallen on the edge of 07:35 the sword, until they were consumed, that all the 07:38 Israelites returned unto Ai, and smote it with 07:41 the edge of the sword. 07:42 And so it was, that all that fell that day, both of men and 07:47 women, were twelve thousand, even all the men of Ai. 07:51 For Joshua drew not his hand back, wherewith he stretched out 07:55 the spear, until he had utterly destroyed all the 07:58 inhabitants of Ai. 07:59 Only the cattle and the spoil of that city Israel took for a prey 08:02 unto themselves, according unto the word of the Lord which he 08:05 commanded Joshua. 08:06 And Joshua burnt Ai, and made it a heap for ever, even a 08:11 desolation unto this day. 08:13 And the king of Ai he hanged on a tree until eventide: 08:18 and as soon as the sun was down, Joshua commanded that they 08:21 should take his carcass down from the tree, and cast it at 08:24 the entering of the gate of the city, and raise thereon a great 08:27 heap of stones, that remaineth unto this day. 08:30 Then Joshua built an altar unto the Lord God of Israel 08:34 in Mount Ebal, as Moses the servant of the Lord commanded 08:38 the children of Israel, as it is written in the book of the law 08:41 of Moses, an altar of whole stones, over which no man hath 08:45 lifted up any iron: and they offered thereon burnt offerings 08:49 unto the Lord, and sacrificed peace offerings. 08:52 And he wrote there upon the stones a copy of the law of 08:56 Moses, which he wrote in the presence 08:58 of the children of Israel. 08:59 And all Israel, and their elders, and officers, and their 09:02 judges, stood on this side the ark and on that side before the 09:06 priests the Levites, which bare the ark of the covenant of the 09:09 Lord, as well the stranger, as he that was born among them; 09:12 half of them over against mount Gerizim, and half of them over 09:16 against mount Ebal; as Moses the servant of the Lord had 09:19 commanded before, that they should bless 09:22 the people of Israel. 09:23 And afterward he read all the words of the law, the blessings 09:27 and cursings, according to all that is written 09:29 in the book of the law. 09:30 There was not a word of all that Moses commanded, 09:34 which Joshua read not before all the congregation of Israel, 09:37 with the women, and the little ones, and the strangers 09:40 that were conversant among them. 09:42 Continuing now with Joshua, chapter 9. 09:45 This is the King James Version. 09:47 And it came to pass, when all the kings which were on this 09:51 side Jordan, in the hills, and in the valleys, and in all the 09:54 coasts of the great sea over against Lebanon, the Hittite, 09:58 and the Amorite, the Canaanite, the Perizzite, the Hivite, 10:01 and the Jebusite, heard thereof; that they gathered themselves 10:04 together, to fight with Joshua and with Israel, 10:06 with one accord. 10:07 And when the inhabitants of Gibeon heard what Joshua had 10:11 done unto Jericho and to Ai they did work wilily, and went 10:16 and made as if they had been ambassadors, and took old sacks 10:20 upon their asses, and wine bottles, old, and rent, 10:24 and bound up; and old shoes and clouted upon their feet, 10:28 and old garments upon them; and all the bread of their provision 10:31 was dry and moldy. 10:32 And they went to Joshua unto the camp at Gilgal, and said 10:37 unto him, and to the men of Israel, We be come from a far 10:41 country: now therefore make ye a league with us. 10:44 And the men of Israel said unto the Hivites, Peradventure ye 10:49 dwell among us; and how shall we make a league with you? 10:51 And they said unto Joshua, We are thy servants. 10:55 And Joshua said unto them, Who are ye? and from whence come ye? 11:00 And they said unto him, From a very far country thy servants 11:04 are come, because of the name of the Lord thy God: for we have 11:07 heard the fame of him, and all that he did in Egypt, 11:09 and all that he did to the two kings of the Amorites, that were 11:12 beyond Jordan, to Sihon king of Heshbon, and to Og king of 11:16 Bashan, which was at Ashtaroth. 11:18 Wherefore our elders and all the inhabitants of our country spake 11:21 to us, saying, Take victuals with you for the journey, 11:24 and go to meet them, and say unto them, We are your servants: 11:27 therefore now make ye a league with us. 11:30 This our bread we took hot for our provision out of our houses 11:34 on the day we came forth to go unto you; but now, behold, 11:38 it is dry, and it is moldy: and these bottles of wine, which we 11:42 filled, were new; and, behold, they be rent: and these our 11:46 garments and our shoes are become old by reason of the 11:49 very long journey. 11:51 And the men took of their victuals, and asked not counsel 11:56 at the mouth of the Lord. 11:58 And Joshua made peace with them, and made a league with them, 12:02 to let them live: and the princes of the congregation 12:05 sware unto them. 12:06 And it came to pass at the end of three days after they had 12:10 made a league with them, that they heard that they were their 12:13 neighbors, and that they dwelt among them. 12:16 And the children of Israel journeyed, and came unto their 12:19 cities on the third day. 12:21 Now their cities were Gibeon, and Chephirah, and Beeroth, 12:25 and Kirjath-jearim. 12:27 And the children of Israel smote them not, because the princes of 12:31 the congregation had sworn unto them by the Lord God of Israel. 12:34 And all the congregation murmured against the princes. 12:38 But all the princes said unto all the congregation, 12:41 We have sworn unto them by the Lord God of Israel: 12:43 now therefore we may not touch them. 12:46 This we will do to them; we will even let them live, lest wrath 12:50 be upon us, because of the oath which we sware unto them. 12:53 And the princes said unto them, Let them live; but let them be 12:57 hewers of wood and drawers of water unto all the congregation; 13:01 as the princes had promised them. 13:03 And Joshua called for them, and he spake unto them, saying, 13:07 Wherefore have ye beguiled us, saying, We are very far from 13:12 you; when ye dwell among us? 13:14 Now therefore ye are cursed, and there shall none of you be 13:18 freed from being bondmen, and hewers of wood and drawers of 13:21 water for the house of my God. 13:23 And they answered Joshua, and said, Because it was certainly 13:27 told thy servants, how that the Lord thy God commanded his 13:30 servant Moses to give you all the land, and to destroy all the 13:33 inhabitants of the land from before you, therefore we were 13:36 sore afraid of our lives because of you, 13:38 and have done this thing. 13:40 And now, behold, we are in thine hand: as it seemeth good and 13:44 right unto thee to do unto us, do. 13:47 And so did he unto them, and delivered them out of the hand 13:51 of the children of Israel, that they slew them not. 13:53 And Joshua made them that day hewers of wood and drawers of 13:59 water for the congregation, and for the altar of the Lord, 14:01 even unto this day, in the place which he should choose. 14:05 Thank you for joining with me today to read the word 14:08 of God together. 14:09 As I was reading through this passage it struck me that even 14:13 with all of God's leading, and God's guidance, the princes of 14:17 of the congregation, and Joshua, did not seek the word of the 14:20 Lord when they were confronted with the decision. 14:22 They went ahead on their own and made a covenant with these 14:25 people who deceived them. 14:26 Until we meet again together, let's turn to God always, 14:29 for every council that we need that we won't be 14:32 deceived ourselves. 14:33 Goodbye. |
Revised 2014-12-17