Sacred Lots Had Nothing To Do With Chance

These are the territories that Eleazar the priest, Joshua son of Nun, and the tribal leaders allocated as grants of land to the tribes of Israel by casting sacred lots in the presence of the LORD at the entrance of the Tabernacle at Shiloh. So the division of the land was completed. [Joshua 19.51] 

"Sacred lots" is used around 24 times in the Bible. The last usage of the sacred lots is recorded in the time of Ezra and Nehemiah when the exiles returned from Babylon to Judah.

We might conclude that the use of sacred lots was a practice of random chance, but there is one instance in the Bible that clearly indicates that it was not. It was after the LORD had abandoned King Saul:

He asked the LORD what he should do, but the LORD refused to answer him, either by dreams or by sacred lots or by the prophets. [1 Samuel 28.6]

This passage confirms that "sacred lots" was more involved that just random chance. In fact, "sacred lots" had nothing to do with chance. There was an unmistakable participation by God in the process (whatever it was). In other words, without God's miraculous participation, "sacred lots" simply did not work.

We also know that "sacred lots" involved two pieces, the Urim and Thummim.

Moses said this about the tribe of Levi: “O LORD, you have given your Thummim and Urim—the sacred lots— to your faithful servants the Levites. You put them to the test at Massah and struggled with them at the waters of Meribah. [Deuteronomy 33.8]

Furthermore we know from Scripture that the Urim and Thummin were of a size that enabled them both to be carried together in a pouch on the high priest's chest.

“Then, with great skill and care, make a chestpiece to be worn for seeking a decision from God. Make it to match the ephod, using finely woven linen embroidered with gold and with blue, purple, and scarlet thread. Make the chestpiece of a single piece of cloth folded to form a pouch nine inches square. Mount four rows of gemstones on it. The first row will contain a red carnelian, a pale-green peridot, and an emerald. The second row will contain a turquoise, a blue lapis lazuli, and a white moonstone. The third row will contain an orange jacinth, an agate, and a purple amethyst. The fourth row will contain a blue-green beryl, an onyx, and a green jasper. All these stones will be set in gold filigree. Each stone will represent one of the twelve sons of Israel, and the name of that tribe will be engraved on it like a seal. “To attach the chestpiece to the ephod, make braided cords of pure gold thread. Then make two gold rings and attach them to the top corners of the chestpiece. Tie the two gold cords to the two rings on the chestpiece. Tie the other ends of the cords to the gold settings on the shoulder-pieces of the ephod. Then make two more gold rings and attach them to the inside edges of the chestpiece next to the ephod. And make two more gold rings and attach them to the front of the ephod, below the shoulder-pieces, just above the knot where the decorative sash is fastened to the ephod. Then attach the bottom rings of the chestpiece to the rings on the ephod with blue cords. This will hold the chestpiece securely to the ephod above the decorative sash. “In this way, Aaron will carry the names of the tribes of Israel on the sacred chestpiece over his heart when he goes into the Holy Place. This will be a continual reminder that he represents the people when he comes before the LORD. Insert the Urim and Thummim into the sacred chestpiece so they will be carried over Aaron’s heart when he goes into the LORD’s presence. In this way, Aaron will always carry over his heart the objects used to determine the LORD’s will for his people whenever he goes in before the LORD. [Exodus 28.15-30] 

Another interesting bit of information is that the Urim specifically could be (and was) used independently of the Thummin.

Then Moses said to the LORD, “O LORD, you are the God who gives breath to all creatures. Please appoint a new man as leader for the community. Give them someone who will guide them wherever they go and will lead them into battle, so the community of the LORD will not be like sheep without a shepherd.” The LORD replied, “Take Joshua son of Nun, who has the Spirit in him, and lay your hands on him. Present him to Eleazar the priest before the whole community, and publicly commission him to lead the people. Transfer some of your authority to him so the whole community of Israel will obey him. When direction from the LORD is needed, Joshua will stand before Eleazar the priest, who will use the Urim—one of the sacred lots cast before the LORD—to determine his will. This is how Joshua and the rest of the community of Israel will determine everything they should do.” [Numbers 27.15-21] 

Now, there is a key phrase in the passage above that is used more than once in the Bible. The most important usage of the phrase was regarding Jesus Christ.

Jesus traveled through all the towns and villages of that area, teaching in the synagogues and announcing the Good News about the Kingdom. And he healed every kind of disease and illness. When he saw the crowds, he had compassion on them because they were confused and helpless, like sheep without a shepherd. He said to his disciples, “The harvest is great, but the workers are few. So pray to the Lord who is in charge of the harvest; ask him to send more workers into his fields.” [Matthew 9.35-38] 

Numbers 27.15-21 indicates that Joshua, a man with access to the miraculous power and direction of the Urim, would prevent Israel from being like sheep without a shepherd. Matthew 9.35-38 indicates that Jesus, a man with access to miraculous power and direction through the Holy Spirit, pointed out the need to pray for "more workers in the fields" to remedy the universal sheep without a shepherd problem. "More workers in the fields" can only be those submitted to Jesus Christ to take the miraculous power and direction of the Holy Spirit to all the world that God loves and desires to save (John 3.16), just like Jesus.

“I tell you the truth, anyone who believes in me will do the same works I have done, and even greater works, because I am going to be with the Father. [John 14.12]

What I see here is that God does not want people to be like sheep without a shepherd. As is consistent throughout the Bible, the remedy for this condition is a man with access to miraculous power and direction - sacred lots. "Sacred lots" speaks of God's indisputable direction, and therefore, power. Moses, Joshua, Jesus, and finally, Jesus' followers were and are God's workers sent into His fields. Moses and Joshua foreshadowed Jesus as God's workers sent into His fields. Jesus is God working His fields. And, Jesus' followers are His extension up to and beyond today of God's workers sent into His fields. 

I believe there is a great foreshadowing of Jesus and His followers in the Urim and Thummin (used as sacred lots). The Holy Spirit undoubtedly plays the key role in this. It remains unclear to me at this time, but I am confident, as I continue to intentionally absorb God's Word, that clarity will come. And, I look forward to it!

Father, although I am unclear on some details, I am confident that the Urim and Thummin represent Your unexplainable power necessary to confirm any man who is truly a worker in Your fields. I am also confident that that power is sacred and holy, and therefore is not available to anyone involved in idolatry. Wow. May I be found giving up my own way, taking up my cross, and following Jesus as a worker in Your fields. May Your unexplainable power identify every worker (including myself) genuinely sent into Your fields. So be it.

If It Feels Like God Has Abandoned Us Today, He Probably Has

Now that the land was under Israelite control, the entire community of Israel gathered at Shiloh and set up the Tabernacle. [Joshua 18.1] 

Although Joshua 18.1 is the first mention of "Shiloh" as a stand-alone word in the Bible, the compound "Taanath-shiloh" is first found in the description below of Ephraim's assigned territory in the Promised Land:

The following territory was given to the clans of the tribe of Ephraim. The boundary of their homeland began at Ataroth-addar in the east. From there it ran to Upper Beth-horon, then on to the Mediterranean Sea. From Micmethath on the north, the boundary curved eastward past Taanath-shiloh to the east of Janoah. From Janoah it turned southward to Ataroth and Naarah, touched Jericho, and ended at the Jordan River. [Joshua 16.5-7]

With what knowledge I have of the Bible to date, and, without resorting to extra-Biblical material, I can only conclude that Shiloh, where the Tabernacle was located in Ephraim's territory, is one and the same as Taanath-shiloh, first mentioned in the description of Ephraim's territory.

While this may seem to be only trivial information, it really is not. Shiloh, in Ephraim's territory, became the permanent home of the Tabernacle where God's presence dwelt.

As Bible history will play out, it is recorded later that Shiloh in Ephraim's territory lost its status as the place of God's dwelling, and, after time, the place of God's dwelling would be re-established in Jerusalem in the land of Judah.

Psalm 78 explains this transition in detail:

But they kept testing and rebelling against God Most High. They did not obey his laws. They turned back and were as faithless as their parents. They were as undependable as a crooked bow. They angered God by building shrines to other gods; they made him jealous with their idols. When God heard them, he was very angry, and he completely rejected Israel. Then he abandoned his dwelling at Shiloh, the Tabernacle where he had lived among the people. He allowed the Ark of his might to be captured; he surrendered his glory into enemy hands. He gave his people over to be butchered by the sword, because he was so angry with his own people—his special possession. Their young men were killed by fire; their young women died before singing their wedding songs. Their priests were slaughtered, and their widows could not mourn their deaths. Then the Lord rose up as though waking from sleep, like a warrior aroused from a drunken stupor. He routed his enemies and sent them to eternal shame. But he rejected Joseph’s descendants; he did not choose the tribe of Ephraim. He chose instead the tribe of Judah, and Mount Zion, which he loved. There he built his sanctuary as high as the heavens, as solid and enduring as the earth. He chose his servant David, calling him from the sheep pens. He took David from tending the ewes and lambs and made him the shepherd of Jacob’s descendants—God’s own  people, Israel. He cared for them with a true heart and led them with skillful hands. [Psalm 78.56-72]

We should take to heart the reason why God abandoned Shiloh as His dwelling place. In a word, that reason was idolatry. God's people had become unfaithful to God by worshiping idols and so, God "pulled out."

We should likewise then take to heart why God chose Jerusalem in the land of Judah as His new dwelling place. It was because of David's fierce devotion to God alone.

As simple as it gets, God's demand for undivided devotion to Him alone (Exodus 20.2-7) was ignored. The original place of His dwelling had become a hotbed for idolatry so He abandoned it for another place where undivided devotion prevailed. If God's people do not trust Him alone, He will have nothing to do with them. His jealousy will not allow it.

It must be understood that God's jealousy did not go away with the Old Testament! In fact, as genetics go, Jesus inherited every bit of God's jealousy. We need no further proof of this than Jesus' own well-known demand for exclusivity in the New Testament:

If any of you wants to be my follower, you must give up your own way, take up your cross, and follow me. [Matthew 16.24 (also, Mark 8.34 & Luke 9.23)]

For the modern Church to think that Jesus will stay around in the presence of idols any more than God would stay around in the presence of idols is ludicrous.

The fact that Jesus said, "follow Me" is evidence that He is moving. If we are not moving with Him. He is leaving us - abandoning us to whatever it is that we follow instead of Him alone. "Whatever it is" is an idol.

Before we start adamantly defending ourselves that Jesus has not abandoned us, we need to understand that Jesus' presence has not changed since His time on earth:

And you know that God anointed Jesus of Nazareth with the Holy Spirit and with power. Then Jesus went around doing good and healing all who were oppressed by the devil, for God was with him. [Acts 10.38]

Jesus' words must not be ignored regarding His work in and through us:

“I tell you the truth, anyone who believes in me will do the same works I have done, and even greater works, because I am going to be with the Father. [John 14.12] 

Are ALL who are oppressed by the devil being healed in today's churches? We all know the answer is "no!" And, we cannot deny that everything Paul warned Timothy about below better describes today's churches than do Acts 10.38 or John 14.12:

You should know this, Timothy, that in the last days there will be very difficult times. or people will love only themselves and their money. They will be boastful and proud, scoffing at God, disobedient to their parents, and ungrateful. They will consider nothing sacred. They will be unloving and unforgiving; they will slander others and have no self-control. They will be cruel and hate what is good. They will betray their friends, be reckless, be puffed up with pride, and love pleasure rather than God. They will act religious, but they will reject the power that could make them godly. Stay away from people like that! [2 Timothy 3.1-5] 

Why is this true? Because God always has, and always will, abandon idolatrous people. Idols are, at their very core, doubt in God. Doubt in God is not just a little indiscretion of the Church - it is a blasphemous declaration that God is insufficient! Doubt in our heart is faith in idols. Jealous God simply will not hang around for such. Jesus' addendum about forgiveness gives us a clue as to the origin of idolatry:

Then Jesus said to the disciples, “Have faith in God. I tell you the truth, you can say to this mountain, ‘May you be lifted up and thrown into the sea,’ and it will happen. But you must really believe it will happen and have no doubt in your heart. I tell you, you can pray for anything, and if you believe that you’ve received it, it will be yours. But when you are praying, first forgive anyone you are holding a grudge against, so that your Father in heaven will forgive your sins, too.” [Mark 11.22-25]

Forgiveness can only be selfless. There is no such thing as selfish forgiveness. "Self" is the platform (the origin) upon which all idolatry germinates and grows strong. 

NOTE: "Self-awareness" is what Satan sparked when he asked "Has God really said...?" and then, when Adam and Eve ate from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, they provided the fuel for the first flame of sin to burn in the world. The "original sin" was not eating the fruit, but doubt in the hearts of Adam and Eve. 

Unforgiveness then is pure idolatry to "self." Unforgiveness is doubt in our heart that God alone is judge of all men thus necessitating that we make judgement ourselves. Jesus is effectively communicating in Mark 11.25 that a person cannot believe who cannot forgive. The idol of "self" stands in the way.

Again, doubt in our heart is idolatry - doubt in our heart is faith in idols. Idols are therefore more of a problem today than they have been at any other time in history. We have unprecedented quantities of things to trust today instead of God. My short list is debt, insurance, medicine and technology.

God would have to apologize to the ancient people of Ephraim for abandoning Shiloh because of idolatry if today He moved in unrestrained power among His idolatrous people. Jesus only reiterated this truth:

If any of you wants to be my follower, you must give up your own way, take up your cross, and follow me. [Matthew 16.24 (also, Mark 8.34 & Luke 9.23)]

Until we associate "your own way" with "self" and, therefore, idolatry, we will never fully comprehend what Jesus demanded in this passage, let alone, the first three of the Ten Commandments. The story of Shiloh bears out this truth.

If it feels like God has abandoned us today, He probably has - because of our idolatry. Curses do not lie. We ARE the church Paul warned Timothy about. The doctrines of Baptist, Catholic, Methodist, Word of Faith, or any other denomination (including non-denominational) only frustrate those separated from God by their idolatry (whether they acknowledge it or not) because they categorically refuse to give up their own way, take up their cross, and follow Jesus.

Father, Your Light is Your Word, Jesus, showing us that we must give up our own way ("self"-serving idolatry), take up our cross (undiluted faith) and follow Him. May my only goal be to do so. So be it.

Dilution Is Deception Cloaked As Reason

But the tribe of Judah could not drive out the Jebusites, who lived in the city of Jerusalem, so the Jebusites live there among the people of Judah to this day. [Joshua 15.63]

They did not drive the Canaanites out of Gezer, however, so the people of Gezer live as slaves among the people of Ephraim to this day. [Joshua 16.10]

But the descendants of Manasseh were unable to occupy these towns because the Canaanites were determined to stay in that region. Later, however, when the Israelites became strong enough, they forced the Canaanites to work as slaves. But they did not drive them out of the land. [Joshua 17.12-13] 

In today's One Year Chronological Bible reading, the three passages above reveal significant information. To understand the significance of this information, it must be understood why it was important that this information was recorded. Here it is:

And I will fix your boundaries from the Red Sea to the Mediterranean Sea, and from the eastern wilderness to the Euphrates River. I will hand over to you the people now living in the land, and you will drive them out ahead of you. “Make no treaties with them or their gods. They must not live in your land, or they will cause you to sin against me. If you serve their gods, you will be caught in the trap of idolatry.” [Exodus 23.31-33]

When the LORD your God hands these nations over to you and you conquer them, you must completely destroy them. Make no treaties with them and show them no mercy. [Deuteronomy 7.2]

“Listen, O Israel! Today you are about to cross the Jordan River to take over the land belonging to nations much greater and more powerful than you. They live in cities with walls that reach to the sky! The people are strong and tall—descendants of the famous Anakite giants. You’ve heard the saying, ‘Who can stand up to the Anakites?’ But recognize today that the LORD your God is the one who will cross over ahead of you like a devouring fire to destroy them. He will subdue them so that you will quickly conquer them and drive them out, just as the LORD has promised. “After the LORD your God has done this for you, don’t say in your hearts, ‘The LORD has given us this land because we are such good people!’ No, it is because of the wickedness of the other nations that he is pushing them out of your way. It is not because you are so good or have such integrity that you are about to occupy their land. The LORD your God will drive these nations out ahead of you only because of their wickedness, and to fulfill the oath he swore to your ancestors Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. You must recognize that the LORD your God is not giving you this good land because you are good, for you are not—you are a stubborn people. [Deuteronomy 9.1-6]

I myself will turn against them and their families and will cut them off from the community. This will happen to all who commit spiritual prostitution by worshiping Molech. [Leviticus 20.5]

“You must keep all my decrees and regulations by putting them into practice; otherwise the land to which I am bringing you as your new home will vomit you out. Do not live according to the customs of the people I am driving out before you. It is because they do these shameful things that I detest them. [Leviticus 20.22-23]  

It was never God's intention for Israel to cohabit the Promised Land with anyone. The reason for this was two-fold: the inhabitants were idolatrous, and, idolatry is highly infectious. For these two reasons, God had a zero-tolerance policy for the inhabitants to remain in Canaan as cohabitants with Israel. This should come as no surprise in light of the first three of the Ten Commandments:

“I am the LORD your God, who rescued you from the land of Egypt, the place of your slavery. “You must not have any other god but me. “You must not make for yourself an idol of any kind or an image of anything in the heavens or on the earth or in the sea. You must not bow down to them or worship them, for I, the LORD your God, am a jealous God who will not tolerate your affection for any other gods. I lay the sins of the parents upon their children; the entire family is affected—even children in the third and fourth generations of those who reject me. But I lavish unfailing love for a thousand generations on those who love me and obey my commands. “You must not misuse the name of the LORD your God. The Lord will not let you go unpunished if you misuse his name. [Exodus 20.2-7]

Before we discount these Scripture as "Old Testament" we must understand something the apostle Paul made very clear in the New Testament:

Don’t team up with those who are unbelievers. How can righteousness be a partner with wickedness? How can light live with darkness? What harmony can there be between Christ and the devil? How can a believer be a partner with an unbeliever? And what union can there be between God’s temple and idols? For we are the temple of the living God. As God said: “I will live in them and walk among them. I will be their God, and they will be my people. Therefore, come out from among unbelievers, and separate yourselves from them, says the LORD. Don’t touch their filthy things, and I will welcome you. And I will be your Father, and you will be my sons and daughters, says the LORD Almighty.” [2 Corinthians 6.14-18]

Why this separation? Are not Christians more effective living among unbelievers? Yes, and no. Dilution is Satan's greatest strategy. Dilution starts with the smallest injection of doubt - it only takes the strategic suggestion of an idea like, "Has God really said...?" to set off an avalanche of disobedience to God.

Think about this: what set Jesus apart from the other religious leaders of His day? Both Jesus and religious leaders acknowledged God. They both quoted and taught the Bible. Both recognized man's sin-problem. But where they differed most was in the realm of the miraculous. Jesus' works of faith that defied reason provoked the ire of the religious leaders. In fact, it caused alarm among political leaders as well. The unexplainable works of pure faith that Jesus performed caused those "in control" to fear "losing control."

Basically, it was a thought diluted with doubt as to whether or not God could or would transcend reasonable science and religion as they control the human condition. The seed-thought of doubt is the beginning of a forest of idolatry. It was this very seed-thought of doubt (based on reason) that had infected Jesus's men in the story below:

Later, after they crossed to the other side of the lake, the disciples discovered they had forgotten to bring any bread. “Watch out!” Jesus warned them. “Beware of the yeast of the Pharisees and Sadducees.” At this they began to argue with each other because they hadn’t brought any bread. Jesus knew what they were saying, so he said, “You have so little faith! Why are you arguing with each other about having no bread? Don’t you understand even yet? Don’t you remember the 5,000 I fed with five loaves, and the baskets of leftovers you picked up? Or the 4,000 I fed with seven loaves, and the large baskets of leftovers you picked up? Why can’t you understand that I’m not talking about bread? So again I say, ‘Beware of the yeast of the Pharisees and Sadducees.’” Then at last they understood that he wasn’t speaking about the yeast in bread, but about the deceptive teaching of the Pharisees and Sadducees. [Matthew 16.5-12]

Dilution is deception cloaked as reason. Dilution is what idols are. Dilution is where idolatry begins and sin abounds. Deception cloaked as reason does what yeast does in bread: it permeates the entire lump of dough. For this reason, God is, was, and always will be intolerant of even the slightest dilution - the tiniest, most "harmless" idol of any kind - because the simplest dilution with reasonable idolatry ends in gross sin. Sadly, as Jesus' teaching moment with the disciples above indicates, religion had become the very garden where the seeds of idolatrous doubt were thriving. And, even more sad is the fact that religion is where idolatry thrives today...

As religion today embraces debt, insurance, medicine and technology (even blasphemously claiming they are gifts from God), the diluting yeast-like seeds of reasonable doubt - that God alone is NOT Provider, that God alone is NOT Protector, that God alone is NOT Healer, that God alone is NOT Everything - have grown into a mighty forest so overwhelming that only a mindless fool would attempt to start cutting trees!

God is a God of distinction and Jesus bore this out in no uncertain terms:

If any of you wants to be my follower, you must give up your own way, take up your cross, and follow me. [Matthew 16.24 (also, Mark 8.34 & Luke 9.23)]

"Your own way" is the way of reason. "Your own way" is the way of religion. "Your own way" is the diluted yeast-like seed of reasonable doubt. "Your own way" is NOTHING of God's way, and God will have nothing to do with it.

In Jesus' teaching moment with His disciples in Matthew 16.5-12, He scolded them because their faith waned and they began to reason (even argue among themselves) - and that was the yeast of the religious leaders - the diluting seed of reasonable doubt.

As this article proves, God's people (Old Testament AND New Testament) are to make every effort to prevent dilution of their precious God-given faith. It does not suggest that God's people should be out of this world, but absolutely confirms they are not to participate with its idolatry. Instead, as Jesus demonstrated, His followers are to prove their God-only faith by their works in their interactions with the idol-abundant world.

“I tell you the truth, anyone who believes in me will do the same works I have done, and even greater works, because I am going to be with the Father. [John 14.12]

Father, Your Word is true and every reasonable man a liar in comparison. May our eyes have the blinders of idolatry removed as we give up our own way, take up our cross, and follow Jesus. May our lives demonstrate the same distinction that Jesus demonstrated. So be it.

God Is A God Of Detail - Detail Matters

Today's One Year Chronological Bible reading is [Joshua 12.7-15.19].

Rather than springboard off one particular verse or passage today, I have chosen to write about the whole of today's reading.

Today's reading is full of details.

First, today's reading lists 31 kings who were defeated by Israel west of the Jordan River. From there, today's reading proceeds to give details about the areas not yet conquered. And finally, today's reading begins giving great detail about the areas allotted to each tribe of Israel.

God is a God of detail.

What is interesting about all this detail is that God went into great detail previously about the blessings for obedience and curses for disobedience (see Deuteronomy 28.1-68). God is a God of detail. Details matter.

The thirty-one kings defeated west of the Jordan River further defines God's detail regarding curses for disobedience. God did not just randomly displace these kings and their kingdoms - they were idolatrous and wicked nations.

“Listen, O Israel! Today you are about to cross the Jordan River to take over the land belonging to nations much greater and more powerful than you. They live in cities with walls that reach to the sky! The people are strong and tall—descendants of the famous Anakite giants. You’ve heard the saying, ‘Who can stand up to the Anakites?’ But recognize today that the LORD your God is the one who will cross over ahead of you like a devouring fire to destroy them. He will subdue them so that you will quickly conquer them and drive them out, just as the LORD has promised. “After the LORD your God has done this for you, don’t say in your hearts, ‘The LORD has given us this land because we are such good people!’ No, it is because of the wickedness of the other nations that he is pushing them out of your way. It is not because you are so good or have such integrity that you are about to occupy their land. The LORD your God will drive these nations out ahead of you only because of their wickedness, and to fulfill the oath he swore to your ancestors Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. You must recognize that the LORD your God is not giving you this good land because you are good, for you are not—you are a stubborn people. [Deuteronomy 9.1-6]

I myself will turn against them and their families and will cut them off from the community. This will happen to all who commit spiritual prostitution by worshiping Molech. [Leviticus 20.5]

“You must keep all my decrees and regulations by putting them into practice; otherwise the land to which I am bringing you as your new home will vomit you out. Do not live according to the customs of the people I am driving out before you. It is because they do these shameful things that I detest them. [Leviticus 20.22-23] 

In contrast, for Israel's obedience, God defines the boundaries of the land each tribe was to inherit in great real estate detail (including areas yet to be conquered). This is consistent with the great detail God gave regarding the blessings for obedience found in Deuteronomy 28. God is a God of detail. Details matter.

Why do details matter? Because without details to establish God's standards, man is left to abstraction. Without details, man is left to "imagining shapes in the clouds" (religious Pareidolia) regarding God and His will. And, that is precisely what man, willfully ignorant of God's Word, has done in religion. Without considering the details of all God's Word, religious people have isolated particular passages of the Bible and, in classic Pareidolia fashion, made religious doctrines of them without regard for the entirety of the Bible. This imaginative interpretation of God's Word is highly subject to human experience and emotion, which, in most cases, run contrary to the Truth of God's Word.

God is a God of detail. Details matter.

One of the most glaring examples of religious Pareidolia is man's abstract interpretation of curses today. In glaring contrast to the Bible's detailed descriptions of blessings for obedience and curses for disobedience, religious man gazes upon curses today as if they were clouds, imagining (and even teaching passionately) that they are random. Their human experience and emotion lead them to "see" (believe) what they want to see. What they fail to realize is that to make curses the random but universal result of sin is defiantly inconsistent with their likewise experience and emotion-driven belief that blessings are generally the result of hard work (and not random blessings because man is not inherently sinless). And, this is where abstract religious Pareidolia must be applied. There is no consistency - there is no solid truth. The winds of experience and emotion blow, and man's mind "sees" other shapes to justify his present circumstances. But, God is a God of detail ...because, details matter.

Religious Pareidolia is spiritual blindness. Spiritual blindness is the condition induced by idolatry (see Psalm 115.4-8 and Psalm 135.15-18). Idolatry was the exact condemning condition of the kings defeated (cursed) by God through Israel west of the Jordan River - their demise was not random, but specified in detail over 40 years before it occurred. God is a God of detail. Details matter.

For those chomping at the bit to decry what is being presented here with their rhetorical "New Testament!" defense, let us go right to the New Testament and see what it says:

But Christ has rescued us from the curse pronounced by the law. When he was hung on the cross, he took upon himself the curse for our wrongdoing. For it is written in the Scriptures, “Cursed is everyone who is hung on a tree.” [Galatians 3.13]

If curses are random, then Jesus' death on the cross was random. Aaaaaand then, the religious Pareidolia practice must necessarily begin all over again utilizing human experience and emotion to interpret why alleged "Christians" still experience curses just like those who do not profess Christ.

In light of all Jesus taught, demonstrated, and even commanded of His followers, Galatians 3.13 is a damning indictment upon "Christian religion" today. And still, in persistent religious Pareidolia, "Christians" comfort themselves that they are "blessed" when they still suffer nearly every curse written in Deuteronomy 28 upon disobedience. They rely on their emotional experience of "salvation" to justify their imagination while there is no distinction whatsoever between the curses they experience and the curses the world experiences. Distinction involves details. God is a God of detail. Details matter!

Jesus' miracles were NOT just a sideshow. Jesus' demand that His followers do the same and greater works was not just literary fluff. These were identifying details from God that matter! These details identified not only Jesus as being (from) God, but also identify us as being (from) Jesus. There is nothing abstract about it. God is a God of detail. Detail matters. 

It is furthermore not abstract that the overwhelming sin problem addressed in the Bible was idolatry. And, just like religious people today must randomize curses to justify themselves, so they must also randomize idolatry to justify themselves. The two work hand-in-hand as they always have.

Jesus on the cross was not abstract. The demands of Jesus upon His followers are not abstract. But, as long as religion makes curses and idolatry both abstract, religion will continue to send millions of people to hell. Man's religious Pareidolia interpretation of the Bible is seen nowhere more damning than its abstract interpretation of Jesus' words repeated in the New Testament:

If any of you wants to be my follower, you must give up your own way, take up your cross, and follow me. [Matthew 16.24 (also, Mark 8.34 & Luke 9.23)]

God is a God of detail. Details matter. 

Father, I didn't set out to demonize religion today, but it has effectively caused Your people to "see shapes in the clouds of Your Word" that are simply wrong. Help us to see curses and idolatry for what they really are, not what we want them to be. Help us give up our own way, take up our cross, and follow Jesus! Open our eyes please. So be it.

Amazing Victories - But Why?

So Joshua took control of the entire land, just as the LORD had instructed Moses. He gave it to the people of Israel as their special possession, dividing the land among the tribes. So the land finally had rest from war. [Joshua 11.23] 

In today's One Year Chronological Bible reading there are some amazing victories chronicled not the least of which are a significant weather event and an unprecedented pause in the earth's rotation. Wow... just, wow.

How might it have felt to be Israel at this time in history? It is with this thought that we often lose touch with what is actually being recorded in the Bible. We should be reminded at this point of Moses' prediction of this time of victory even though Israel was a stubborn people:

“Listen, O Israel! Today you are about to cross the Jordan River to take over the land belonging to nations much greater and more powerful than you. They live in cities with walls that reach to the sky! The people are strong and tall—descendants of the famous Anakite giants. You’ve heard the saying, ‘Who can stand up to the Anakites?’ But recognize today that the LORD your God is the one who will cross over ahead of you like a devouring fire to destroy them. He will subdue them so that you will quickly conquer them and drive them out, just as the LORD has promised. “After the LORD your God has done this for you, don’t say in your hearts, ‘The LORD has given us this land because we are such good people!’ No, it is because of the wickedness of the other nations that he is pushing them out of your way. It is not because you are so good or have such integrity that you are about to occupy their land. The LORD your God will drive these nations out ahead of you only because of their wickedness, and to fulfill the oath he swore to your ancestors Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. You must recognize that the LORD your God is not giving you this good land because you are good, for you are not—you are a stubborn people. [Deuteronomy 9.1-6]

Wait! What? God's promise to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob included using Israel to punish the idolatry of the people of Canaan who would be driven out.

“You must keep all my decrees and regulations by putting them into practice; otherwise the land to which I am bringing you as your new home will vomit you out. Do not live according to the customs of the people I am driving out before you. It is because they do these shameful things that I detest them. [Leviticus 20.22-23] 

What were the shameful and detestable customs of the people of Canaan? Leviticus 20.22-23 follows a list of these customs provided in the context of Leviticus 20 that is introduced in verse 5 below with the identification of idolatry: worshiping Molech.

I myself will turn against them and their families and will cut them off from the community. This will happen to all who commit spiritual prostitution by worshiping Molech. [Leviticus 20.5] 

So, back to Joshua and the miraculous and glorious victory he and all Israel enjoyed... It was not for them! Their "victory" was God's "punishment" upon the idolatry in Canaan which, uncoincidentally, also fulfilled God's Promise to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. Now...

Having established the context of Israel's victory above, it becomes clear why the commander of the LORD's army (Jesus, Whom Joshua encountered outside Jericho) identified Himself as such instead of "friend" or "foe" (see Joshua 5.13-14).

The point is, God has a plan. God's Covenant Promise to His people and His wrath upon idolatry (with all its list of debauchery) will both be fulfilled in entirety. The question is not whether Jesus is friend or foe to us, but are we friend or foe to Him?

You are my friends if you do what I command. [John 15.14]

Hmm..., what exactly did Jesus command that His followers must do? 

If any of you wants to be my follower, you must give up your own way, take up your cross, and follow me. [Matthew 16.24 (also, Mark 8.34 & Luke 9.23)]  

"Your own way" makes a person a foe of Jesus and the Kingdom of God. It puts a person in the same position as the residents of Canaan whom God detested and annihilated because of their gross idolatry (and all that went along with it). "Your own way" exposes a person to every curse of God whether he or she recognizes and admits it or not.

To "take up your cross" makes a person a friend of Jesus and the Kingdom of God. It puts a person in the same position as Joshua when he fell on his face before the commander of the LORD's army. To "take up your cross" exposes a person to every miraculous unexplainable blessing of God in the face of death itself - the way of genuine faith.

Joshua took control of the entire land, just as the LORD had instructed Moses NOT because he and Israel were so special, but because he and Israel chose to submit to the commander of the LORD's army Whose purpose was to annihilate the residents of Canaan and uphold God's Covenant Promise to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. Joshua's choice was clear in his response to the commander of the LORD's army:

“I am at your command,” Joshua said. “What do you want your servant to do?” [Joshua 5.14b]

The short answer to Joshua's question above can be paraphrased as follows: "Execute God's wrath upon the idolatrous people of the land and, in that obedience, enjoy the Covenant made with Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob (to be given a land filled with milk and honey - nothing but good things)." 

God would have annihilated the residents of Canaan and fulfilled His promise to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob with or without Joshua and Israel. They chose to submit.

God will annihilate idolatry and fulfill His Kingdom Promise with or without us. We must choose to submit. We must choose to give up our own way, take up our cross, and follow Jesus.

Father, thank You for clarifying that Your Kingdom does not depend on me. Thank You for reminding me that I am not entitled to anything. Thank You that Your character gives me the choice to submit or rebel. With all that I understand and can consciously "will," I submit to You - to Jesus - to give up my own way, take up my cross, and follow Him. And, in so doing, may the land I occupy realize the same "rest from war" that Israel enjoyed. So be it.

The Church Today: In Real Trouble?

Lord, what can I say now that Israel has fled from its enemies? [Joshua 7.8] 

Joshua went to the right person but with the wrong question. In fact, God effectively rebuked Joshua regarding his assumption that God was to blame for Israel's defeat:

But the LORD said to Joshua, “Get up! Why are you lying on your face like this? Israel has sinned and broken my covenant! They have stolen some of the things that I commanded must be set apart for me. And they have not only stolen them but have lied about it and hidden the things among their own belongings. That is why the Israelites are running from their enemies in defeat. For now Israel itself has been set apart for destruction. I will not remain with you any longer unless you destroy the things among you that were set apart for destruction. [Joshua 7.10-12]

Like so many do today, Joshua assumed Israel's defeat was God's doing. In a moment of emotion and defeat, Joshua inadvertently fell victim to Satan' greatest line, "Has God really said...?" and so Joshua went to God as if God had some explaining to do - never mind that the curse of "defeat" was already well-defined as the result of sin. 

Well..., God explained the problem, not once (Joshua 7.10-12), but reiterated it another time to be sure:

“Get up! Command the people to purify themselves in preparation for tomorrow. For this is what the LORD, the God of Israel, says: Hidden among you, O Israel, are things set apart for the LORD. You will never defeat your enemies until you remove these things from among you. [Joshua 7.13]

"Defeat" is a curse upon disobedience. Joshua should have recognized this immediately, but he did not. Instead of being on his face in a show of emotion, Joshua should have been looking for the culprit sin responsible for Israel's defeat so that it might be corrected. So, after God's second, "Get up!" Joshua 'got with the program.'

Israel's story here is not unlike our own except in one important detail: we are still groveling in emotion before God instead of purifying ourselves and getting rid of the sin. As long as there is defeat, there is sin.

"Now, wait just a minute!" one might argue, "that was Old Testament!"

Fair enough, but Who was it that Joshua encountered just outside Jericho Who instructed Joshua what to do regarding Israel's conquest of Jericho? It was Jesus, the commander of the LORD's army, Whose very presence made the ground Joshua met Him on holy. It was Jesus, Who gave Joshua specific instructions about the total annihilation of Jericho reserving all the precious metals as an offering to God. It was Jesus, Who in "Jesus fashion," gave His seven-day plan of action that appeared to have violated the Sabbath (there would have been a Sabbath in the seven-day period of marching). Jesus gives no consideration of the ceremony of Sabbath because He IS the Sabbath. The commander of the LORD's army is Jesus.

The Revelation of John gives us all the confirmation we need about what the commander of the LORD's army, Jesus, looks like and does:

Then I saw heaven opened, and a white horse was standing there. Its rider was named Faithful and True, for he judges fairly and wages a righteous war. His eyes were like flames of fire, and on his head were many crowns. A name was written on him that no one understood except himself. He wore a robe dipped in blood, and his title was the Word of God. The armies of heaven, dressed in the finest of pure white linen, followed him on white horses. From his mouth came a sharp sword to strike down the nations. He will rule them with an iron rod. He will release the fierce wrath of God, the Almighty, like juice flowing from a winepress. On his robe at his thigh was written this title: King of all kings and Lord of all lords. [Revelation 19.11-16] 

"Defeat" remains the result of sin today and Jesus' Words remind us that our emotion (broken-hearted as it may be) is not the solution! Repentance is not emotion - repentance is action. The action Jesus requires is:

If any of you wants to be my follower, you must give up your own way, take up your cross, and follow me. [Matthew 16.24 (also, Mark 8.34 & Luke 9.23)]  

Just as Israel was held to the standard of obedience in Jesus' presence, so we are held to obedience in Jesus' presence! And, just as Israel eventually recognized that their defeat was the direct result of "sin in the camp," so we MUST realize that our defeat signals sin in our own camp - sin that requires NOT broken-hearted emotion, but instead, the action of getting rid of the sin and complying with the Commander's instructions: giving up our own way, taking up our cross, and following Him!

Israel's sin was that Achan had taken forbidden things unto himself. Our sin today is that we take forbidden things unto ourselves. We do so every time we depend on ourselves and our ways for benefits that God said come only from Him by obedience to Him. What are those benefits? They are the blessings of Deuteronomy 28.1-14 that result from obedience to God. 

The very act of attempting to obtain the blessings of God described in Deuteronomy 28 apart from obedience to God is sin. Anything we depend on for Deuteronomy 28 blessings, other than God alone, is an idol. And, God's tolerance for idols is "zero."

Just to be sure He is not misunderstood, God gave the curses for disobedience in Deuteronomy 28.15-68 as a contrast to the blessings. Every curse listed in Deuteronomy 28 serves as a "sign" that there is "sin in our camp." "Defeat," specifically and in general, is found in those curses. To fall on our faces and cry out to God in the midst of these curses is the same thing Joshua did. But God told Joshua to get up and get rid of the sin! Jesus tells us to give up our own way (the sin), take up our cross (we must 'get up' to do that), and follow Him.

Instead of recognizing the presence of sin in our camp today, we lean hard upon the very idols that are the sin in our camp. And, instead of repenting (getting rid) of the sin (idols) responsible for our curses, we run to those idols claiming they are gifts from God! In broad categories, these idols are debt, insurance, medicine and technology. Is it any wonder the Church today is, for all practical purposes, powerless? But, no one is asking that question!

Faith in Christ to Whom we are disobedient is pure foolishness. If we have not given up our way, the way of man and his man-made solutions to sin problems (curses), and taken up our cross, the way of pure unadulterated faith and love even unto the death, then we are NOT followers of Jesus.

The lesson of Achan's story is that curses point out sin and that sin is to be gotten rid of! Where there are curses, there is sin and need for repentance that is action, not emotion. Any other explanation for curses that does not require removing the sin from the camp, is denial. It is Godless religion. Any other explanation for curses that does not require giving up our own way, taking up our cross, and following Jesus, is also, denial. It is Godless religion.

If what I am suggesting here is true, it might be argued that the Church today is in real trouble because curses abound today in the religious Church just like they do in the Godless world. We are left with two options; ignore the curses and continue to justify ourselves as 'okay' with complicated religious mumbo-jumbo, or, give up our own way (get rid of the sin), take up our cross (obedience/faith/love) and follow Jesus, knowing we have effectively done so when our lives and works actually look like Jesus' life and works.

It would be much easier just to declare me a lunatic. But what do the Scriptures say?

Father, may the truth of Your Word strike a chord in our hearts today. May the truth of curses lead us to getting rid of our own way, taking up our cross, and following Jesus. So be it.

Friend? Foe? Or Covenant Relationship?

When Joshua was near the town of Jericho, he looked up and saw a man standing in front of him with sword in hand. Joshua went up to him and demanded, “Are you friend or foe?” “Neither one,” he replied. “I am the commander of the LORD’s army.” At this, Joshua fell with his face to the ground in reverence. “I am at your command,” Joshua said. “What do you want your servant to do?” The commander of the LORD’s army replied, “Take off your sandals, for the place where you are standing is holy.” And Joshua did as he was told. [Joshua 5.13-15]

Based on the very next verses, it would seem that the "commander of the LORD's army" was likely God Himself manifest as commander of His own army because Joshua 6.2 says, "the LORD said to Joshua..."

Having established this, is it not interesting that the commander of the LORD's army was neither "friend" nor "foe" to Joshua and Israel?

What is more interesting is what Joshua did upon hearing the commander's reply:

At this, Joshua fell with his face to the ground in reverence. “I am at your command,” Joshua said. “What do you want your servant to do?” [Joshua 5.14b]

Joshua quickly realized he was not encountering a casual acquaintance but the Covenant God of the universe. I chose the adjective "Covenant" because it makes God indeed "neutral" as far as "friend or foe" goes, but explicitly pro-covenant in His dealings with people. This makes God completely "neutral" to all mankind, but reveals His exclusive preference toward those who obey His Covenant terms.

God was not interested in the color of their skin or their dialect. Regarding Joshua and the people with him, God was interested only in their obedience to His Covenant. Any other representation of God would have made Him less than God.

God's Covenant is His Word. Jesus is the Word of God. A person's religious affiliation, denomination, or preferences mean nothing to God's Kingdom. Jesus said it like this:

“I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one can come to the Father except through me. [John 14.6]

Of further interest is the description of Jesus in the Revelation of John: 

Then I saw heaven opened, and a white horse was standing there. Its rider was named Faithful and True, for he judges fairly and wages a righteous war. His eyes were like flames of fire, and on his head were many crowns. A name was written on him that no one understood except himself. He wore a robe dipped in blood, and his title was the Word of God. The armies of heaven, dressed in the finest of pure white linen, followed him on white horses. From his mouth came a sharp sword to strike down the nations. He will rule them with an iron rod. He will release the fierce wrath of God, the Almighty, like juice flowing from a winepress. On his robe at his thigh was written this title: King of all kings and Lord of all lords. [Revelation 19.11-16] 

It sounds to me like Joshua encountered this same commander! And, like Joshua, when we truly encounter the commander of the LORD's army, we too will fall at His feet in worship. We will then understand that the only qualification He seeks is Covenant relationship. 

The Covenant mentioned here is demonstrated in those who repent, turning away from all other gods and believe treating all others as they wish themselves to be treated (love and forgiveness) (the first three and the last six of the Ten Commandments).

It is not ironic that Jesus (the Sabbath 4th Commandment) taught Covenant relationship through repentance and faith:

“The time promised by God has come at last!” he announced. “The Kingdom of God is near! Repent of your sins and believe the Good News!” [Mark 1.15]

It is also not ironic that Jesus detailed what Covenant relationship specifically looks like:

If any of you wants to be my follower, you must give up your own way, take up your cross, and follow me. [Matthew 16.24 (also, Mark 8.34 & Luke 9.23)]  

Giving up our own way is repentance (turning away) from all other gods so that the LORD God might be our only God. Taking up our cross is so believing the Good News of Jesus that loving and forgiving others becomes our own cross to bear. Following Jesus, the Covenant Sabbath Rest Commander of the LORD's army, is all that matters. And, that is precisely what Joshua did! He was leading the most feared people in the world at that moment and yet he fell to his face in full Covenant submission to Jesus.

Wow.

Father, may we be as aware of Jesus as Commander of the LORD's army as Joshua. May we understand the covenant significance (foreshadowed by the Ten Commandments) of giving up our own way (no other god but You), taking up our cross (treating (forgiving) others as we wish to be treated), and following Jesus (entering the Sabbath Rest)! So be it.