Sunday Morning Podcast July 15, 2018. Bro. Dave Goble.
TEXT JOSHUA 6:26 And Joshua adjured them at that time, saying, Cursed be the man before the LORD, that riseth up and buildeth this city Jericho: he shall lay the foundation thereof in his firstborn, and in his youngest son shall he set up the gates of it.
JOSHUA 8:28 And Joshua burnt Ai, and made it an heap for ever, even a desolation unto this day.
JOSHUA 10:31-37
31 And Joshua passed from Libnah, and all Israel with him, unto Lachish, and encamped against it, and fought against it:
32 And the LORD delivered Lachish into the hand of Israel, which took it on the second day, and smote it with the edge of the sword, and all the souls that were therein, according to all that he had done to Libnah.
33 Then Horam king of Gezer came up to help Lachish; and Joshua smote him and his people, until he had left him none remaining.
34 And from Lachish Joshua passed unto Eglon, and all Israel with him; and they encamped against it, and fought against it:
35 And they took it on that day, and smote it with the edge of the sword, and all the souls that were therein he utterly destroyed that day, according to all that he had done to Lachish.
36 And Joshua went up from Eglon, and all Israel with him, unto Hebron; and they fought against it:
37 And they took it, and smote it with the edge of the sword, and the king thereof, and all the cities thereof, and all the souls that were therein; he left none remaining, according to all that he had done to Eglon; but destroyed it utterly, and all the souls that were therein.
Here is a series of battles going on, from the Israelite’s moving through the countries, and conquering them. In Deuteronomy 20:13-18 also, God tells them that they were to smite or kill every male of all the inhabitants in those nations, with the edge of the sword, “That they teach you not to do after their abominations, which they have done unto their gods; so should ye sin against the LORD your God.” Deuteronomy 20:18 It was taught in the law, that God’s people were to leave nothing alive, so there would nothing left to be an abomination that could also turn God’s children away to worshiping other things, …rather than only God. It can seem cruel what Israel was instructed to do, but they needed to take this action, to survive. God wanted them to displace, slay, and replace with only what He gave them for an inheritance. The enemies of these nations, were not God fearing, but idol worshiping and wicked people. God was giving His people the enemy’s land from an inherited promise He made to them. But the enemy and his influences had to be destroyed completely first, before God’s children could occupy it. This is because God is a Jealous God, for He deserves All of our worship, and devotion, not desiring to share with anyone. “For thou shalt worship no other god: for the LORD, whose name is Jealous, is a jealous God:” Exodus 34:14 For there is only One true God! Only with the complete destruction of the enemies and their territory, could Israel build and start fresh.
Destroying the “old” and building fresh, is the lesson God wants for us today. There is nothing from our unsaved life of the flesh and mentality that can help us “build,” after Salvation. We must destroy our past identity of sin, in order to build fresh, for a holy life by the power of God. For God won’t share His holiness in our heart, unless we have forsaken the old life of sin. And it won’t be an evolutionary or gradual experience. Salvation is a revolutionary or instantaneous transformation! When repenting and forsaking sin, God’s forgiveness and cleansing is immediate! All our old sinful desires are gone! Temptations still come, but the heart’s desires are changed so we won’t have to any longer yield to them! It is a true conversion. But to have this experience we must be born again to build fresh. In John 3rd chapter, Nicodemus, although a ruler of the Jews and a very educated man, could not grasp the spiritual concept of a new birth. So Jesus explained to him that, “that which is born of the flesh, is flesh. And that which is born of the Spirit, is spirit,” (verse 6). In verse 7, Jesus said “Ye must be born again.” Being a literal Jew also is not enough. Only a spiritual transformation through Salvation will suffice for God. Only then can we build fresh. Only becoming a new creature, (Galatians 6:15) . Are we only building with our own opinions, wisdom, or mere religion? Or are we through Salvation from sin, …building fresh?
We Must Build Fresh….