Whose Side Are You On? Joshua 5

 

So it was, when all the kings of the Amorites who were on the west side of the Jordan, and all the kings of the Canaanites who were by the sea, heard that the Lord had dried up the waters of the Jordan from before the children of Israel until we had crossed over, that their heart melted; and there was no spirit in them any longer because of the children of Israel.

 

When a siren blares, some folks feel relief; knowing, that help is on the way. Others, hearing the same siren, fear and flee.

Each week, many gather, from all over the globe, to hear God’s Word, and experience the joy of His presence. Whereas, demons, fear and tremble, in His presence. James 2:19.

Same scene. Same story. Yet, opposite reactions…depending on whose side, they’re on.

The children of Israel are finally on the other side of the river.

The invisible hand of God, stopped the powerful, flooding, rushing, raging Jordan river, and the children of Israel, crossed on dry ground.

Together. United. As one.

This sent chills up and down the spines of every devil dwelling in the Promise Land.

Israel, set up memorial stones to commemorate, and celebrate, the day the Lord parted the Jordan.

Others, (the Amorites and Canaanites), hearing of it, were terrified.  

The Amorites? The Canaanites? Weren’t the Israelites, afraid of them?

Well yes, they were; almost four decades earlier, when Moses sent twelve spies into the land.

Do you remember? Twelve spies went in, two spies came back—and ten chickens. You can read all about it in Numbers 13-14.

Two men, Joshua and Caleb, were bold and courageous, they saw what God called, a land flowing with milk and honey. Period. They returned with a good report. It’s awesome, the land is great, grab your gear, let’s go get it.

The other ten, saw the same land flowing with milk and honey, but… they also saw giants, (and turned into chickens). Not literal chickens, but chicken-hearted, scaredy cats, they followed fear, instead of faith.

They saw the, Amorites and Canaanites, the doctor’s report, the overdue bills, the hurricane headed this way, the trouble with the kids that keep repeating, the bad habits that just won’t break, the addictions, the lions, and tigers, and bears…and so, in their eyes, those giants, were bigger than God.

They chose fear over faith. They said, they’ll kill us and eat our kids for lunch.

Their fear, went viral, spread like fire, and before it was over the people were trying to stone to death, Joshua and Caleb.

God finally had enough of their whining and complaining and cluck, cluck, clucking. So, He told Moses to stand back and He would wipe them all out.

But Moses stood in the gap; told God, that if He did that, the whole world would say that God wasn’t strong enough to deliver them into the Promise Land.

So, God told Moses, He wouldn’t wipe them all out, at once, but those whining little brats would never enter the Promise Land.  Numbers 14:23.

You see this is the second attempt at getting into the Promise Land. Their refusal to trust God, resulted in a forty-year delay, until every.single.one from that generation, were gone, except two, Joshua and Caleb.  

They let fear, sit in the chair, where faith was supposed to be.

Have we done that? Allowed giants to live in our home? Our heart? Our mind? Our Promise Land? Have we ever allowed anxiety, to reside in a home meant for peace? Do we ever cling to being right, rather than extending an olive branch? Do we carry a grudge against someone, rather than carrying a burden, for them? Are we quick to put on the judge’s robe, without taking time to walk a mile in someone else’s shoes? Do we, harbor fear, where we’re called to be bold and courageous?

Maybe so. Perhaps we’ve done one of those things; or, all of them.

But no more. That’s not who we are. That’s not where we live.  Not today. Not tomorrow. No more.

This is a new chapter. Chapter five. The number for grace.

Those giants that were so scary, are the ones trembling now. Today their hearts are melting like the wicked witch on wizard of oz.

The eviction notice is served. We’re not backing down, stepping back, or giving up one square inch of the Promise God has given.

You see, this hits closer to home, than you may know. It was about a dozen years or so ago. I sat at a round table, surrounded by giants. They were rooted and grounded in the land. I was new. The youngest in the crew.

But I had a dream, a promise, a vision.

We should have Church, right here in the clubhouse.

One giant, vehemently, shot down the idea. The arrows that shot from her eyes, the sword that swung from her tongue, should never come from a human being, especially one who claims to be a Christian.

But arrows were shot, the sword was swung, and all the others, followed her lead; except one, sweet, powerfully precious, Caleb.  

When giants see God moving into territory they possess, their hearts melt for fear—but it usually comes out, looking like rage.

That day, fear, that looked and sounded a lot like hate, sent the whole idea back to the wilderness for about a decade, (glad it wasn’t forty years).

But today, we have Church, in that very same clubhouse.

I may be wrong, but from what I can remember, every.single.one at that table is gone, except two. That sweet, powerfully precious, Caleb, and me.  

Love won. Always will.

Let’s pray.

Lord, we want to be on Your side. Help us choose faith over fear. Thank You for revealing, that many of the giants in our life, are really just fear in disguise.