Our God is the God of covenant.
He made a covenant with Abraham that he promised to give him and his
descendants the land of Canaan, punishing the nations of rebellion and
disobedience. God told Abraham to offer animal sacrifices to the Lord. When he
fell into a deep sleep, God sent a smoking firepot with a blazing torch to
consume the sacrifices in the alter (Genesis 15:17). In this way, Abraham and
his descendants became God’s covenant people. As God promised to Abraham, the
people of Israel escaped Egypt by the power of the Lord and crossed the Red Sea
on foot as on dry land. God gave his people the Ten Commandments through Moses
written on the stone tablets on the mount of Sanai. Giving the law upon his
people, God sealed them as a law abiding nation, not a lawless one any longer.
So, if they kept the law they would be blessed and prosperous in every way.
Otherwise, they would be cursed and punished and cut off from the face of the
earth.
The law was given twice, not
chronologically but purposefully—first on the stone tablets and second on their
hearts and minds. The purpose of giving the law to his people is revealed by
Apostle Paul in the Epistle to the Romans Chapter 3. It is to reveal the truth
that every one may be silenced and the whole world held accountable to God
under the law. This is the first purpose in giving the law. It says that what
we do is wicked and evil in the sight of God.
“Now we know that whatever the
law says, it says to those who are under the law, so that every mouth may be
silenced and the whole world held accountable to God.” (Romans 3:19)
And the second purpose is
revealed in Romans Chapter 7. The law reveals not only what we do is wrong but
also what we are is evil before the Holy One. In a mysterious way, when Adam
sinned we did with him. All man is so lost and fallen that we don’t even know
that we are without the light of the law of God. The law of God is like a
gigantic search light, shining upon us to see who we are and what we are in the
manner of total honesty and truth. When we see ourselves what we really are
before the Lord we can come and ask for his pity and mercy on us. When we do
that he is so compassionate and merciful that he helps us out no matter what.
“Did that which is good, then,
become death to me? By no means! Nevertheless, in order that sin might be
recognized as sin, it used what is good to bring about my death, so that
through the commandment sin might become utterly sinful. We know that the law
is spiritual; but I am unspiritual, sold as a slave to sin.” (Romans 7:13-14)
Israel crossed the Jordan River
and defeated the city of Jericho but they were defeated by the enemies in the
city of Ai. It’s because the people committed sin against the Lord. The whole
congregation beginning from Joshua suffered a great deal because the Lord God
stood against them right before the enemies. God revealed the sin of Israel and
commanded to deal with it with all honesty and truth. Joshua obeyed the Lord
and executed the removal process of the sins committed by the people of Israel
and God turned from his fierce anger. After that, Joshua defeated the city of
Ai completely, marching out with his whole army. Now it’s the time for Joshua
to renew the hearts and minds of the people through the renewal of the
covenant.
“Then Joshua built on Mount Ebal
an altar to the Lord, the God of Israel, as Moses the servant of the Lord had
commanded the Israelites. He built it according to what is written in the Book
of the Law of Moses—an altar of uncut stones, on which no iron tool had been
used. On it they offered to the Lord burnt offerings and sacrificed fellowship
offerings.” (Joshua 8:30-31)
Moses set before the people of
Israel a blessing and a curse—the blessing if they obey the commands of the
Lord and the curse if they disobey the commands of the Lord and turn from the
way that he commanded them by following other gods (Deuteronomy 11:26-27). Then
Moses commanded the people to proclaim on the mount of Gerizim the blessings
and on the mount of Ebal the curses when they entered the land to possess
(Deuteronomy 11:29). So, Joshua built an alter to the Lord on the mount of Ebal
according to what was written in the Book of the Law of Moses—an altar of uncut
stones, on which no iron tool had been used. Why must uncut stones be used?
Altar is the place of worship for the living God. God sees and knows the heart of worshipers
even before they come to the altar. Jesus says that God seeks those who worship
in spirit and truth (John 4:24). God accepts those who come before him as they
are without facades and pretense.
There the people offered their
God the burnt offerings and sacrificed fellowship offerings. God opened the way
for his people to access to him in the specially prescribed way. Otherwise they
would pay the price of life, let alone it wouldn’t be accepted. It was the
privileged open door for his beloved children to access to the throne of grace.
The Book of Leviticus describes the full instructions and regulations of
sacrifices and offerings. God welcomes his people to come and dine with him
anytime and whatever reasons all but with the strictly prescribed way given
through Moses. All offering requires the blood sacrifice which signifies the
death of our Lord Jesus Christ. Without blood no one can access to the Holy and
Living God. Animal’s blood is the picture and copy of the blood of Christ. Only
the blood of the Son can satisfy the demand of the Holy God in heaven where
Christ offered his body with blood once for all (Hebrews 9:11-12). Sacrifices
and offerings are the teaching tools for his children to learn how to come unto
him in the time of need. Christ who is the faithful and true witness and the
ruler of God’s creation spoke to the church in Laodicea whose deeds neither cold
or hot to listen and open their heart to have Christ Jesus within.
“Here I am! I stand at the door
and knock. If anyone hears my voice and opens the door, I will come in and eat
with that person, and they with me.” (Revelation 3:20)
Then Joshua renewed the covenant
in the presence of the Israelites. Notice the time that they renewed the
covenant of the Lord. They experienced both a blessing in Jericho and a curse
in Ai. God is always providing the reasons why his people are required to renew
the covenant again and again. It’s a reminder that God blesses if they
carefully follow and obey the laws of God and curses if they do not. Throughout
the Scriptures the message of blessings and curses are repeated over and over
again. That much our God wanted to impress the covenant into the people’s heart
and mind.
“There, in the presence of the
Israelites, Joshua wrote on stones a copy of the law of Moses. All the
Israelites, with their elders, officials and judges, were standing on both
sides of the ark of the covenant of the Lord, facing the Levitical priests who
carried it. Both the foreigners living among them and the native-born were
there. Half of the people stood in front of Mount Gerizim and half of them in
front of Mount Ebal, as Moses the servant of the Lord had formerly commanded
when he gave instructions to bless the people of Israel.” (Joshua 8:32-33)
Joshua wrote on stones a copy of
the law of Moses. All the Israelites both the leaders and the people were
standing on both sides of the ark of the covenant of the Lord, facing the
Levitical priests who carried it. Why did the writings on stones renew the
covenant? Writing on stones means that the law of God remains forever. Our Lord
Jesus says that not the smallest letter, not the least stroke of a pen will by
any means disappear from the Law until heaven and earth disappear (Matthew
5:18). All the people were standing while Joshua was writing on stones, which
indicates that the law of God was being written in their hearts and minds. There
also were both the foreigners and native-born.
Half of the people stood in
front of Mount Gerizim and half of them in front of Mount Ebal as Moses
commanded. The covenant always has two consequences—blessings and curses. If the
people carefully follow and obey the laws and decrees they will be blessed and
prosperous in the land they possess. However, if they do not carefully follow
and obey the laws and decrees they will be cursed and cut off from the face of
God. This is the truth that the law of God produces only two results, either
blessings or curses and nothing else. It is true in physical level as well as
in spiritual level. For example, if anyone jumps into the ground, thinking that
he can fly shall pay the price for the violation of the law of gravity. That’s
called jump into conclusions. No one can disobey the law of the universe in
physical level. Spiritually is true as well. There is no life in man who is
telling a lie but the terror of guilt grips and haunts him. That’s called the
wrath of God. There is no peace in man who commits murder. There is no joy in
man who is jealous and resentful toward others. No one can escape from the
coming of the wrath of God if they do not obey him.
“The wrath of God is being
revealed from heaven against all the godlessness and wickedness of people, who
suppress the truth by their wickedness, since what may be known about God is
plain to them, because God has made it plain to them.” (Romans 1:18-19)
There is always the consequence,
being revealed of the wrath of God if the law of God has been disobeyed by
anyone. Some may laugh at that, thinking that even if they commit sins nothing
has happened to them. Such people are fools like saying there is no sky by blocking
it with hands because they do not see the truth and reality. There is no other
way to be blessed than to obey the laws and decrees of God in perfection. That’s
why the Scriptures keep on urging us to carefully follow and obey all the laws
of God out of fear and awe. The Scripture says that there is no inheritance for
those who disobey the law of God.
“But among you there must not be
even a hint of sexual immorality, or of any kind of impurity, or of greed,
because these are improper for God’s holy people. Nor should there be
obscenity, foolish talk or coarse joking, which are out of place, but rather
thanksgiving. For of this you can be sure: No immoral, impure or greedy
person—such a person is an idolater—has any inheritance in the kingdom of
Christ and of God.” (Ephesians 5:3-5)
Then Joshua read all the words
of the law to the people both the blessings and the curses. He not only wrote
the laws of Moses on stones but also read in a loud voice for the people to
hear and understand, so that they may obey all of them carefully and cautiously.
“Afterward, Joshua read all the
words of the law—the blessings and the curses—just as it is written in the Book
of the Law. There was not a word of all that Moses had commanded that Joshua
did not read to the whole assembly of Israel, including the women and children,
and the foreigners who lived among them.” (Joshua 8:34-35)
How important it is to read the
words of God day and night! (Psalm 1:2) All the assembly of Israel including
the women and children, and the foreigners listened to the laws of God when
Joshua read them. This is the way Joshua renewed the covenant of the Lord,
planting the words of God in their hearts and minds. God cannot lie and he made
the covenant with oath. So, the covenant of the Lord shall be kept in full
forever and ever.
“Because God wanted to make the
unchanging nature of his purpose very clear to the heirs of what was promised,
he confirmed it with an oath. God did this so that, by two unchangeable things
in which it is impossible for God to lie, we who have fled to take hold of the
hope set before us may be greatly encouraged.” (Hebrews 6:17-18)
Prayer: Thank again Father for
telling us with all honesty and truth that there is no other way to blessed except
through the full obedience to the laws and decrees of the Lord. Thank you
Father for the covenant with oath that it never changes but remains forever. Thank
you Father for your mercy and compassion that if we listen to the words of God
and repent you accept us as your beloved children and pour out your love for
you are faithful and just forever. In Christ’s name. Amen.
April 19, 2016
© 2015-2016 David Lee Ministries – All
Rights Reserved.
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