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Joshua’s Farewell

Joshua 20-24 and Psalm 36

Joshua implements the Cities of Refuge as the closing chapters begin and since the Levites are not allowed a territory as an inheritance, they are provided with specific towns and pastures.

The Trans-Jordanian tribes (Reuben, Gad and half-tribe of Manasseh) are honored:

For a long time now–to this very day–you have not deserted your fellow Israelites but have carried out the mission the Lord your God gave you. Now that the Lord your God has given them rest as he promised, return to your homes in the land that Moses the servant of the Lord gave you on the other side of the Jordan. Joshua 22:3-4

Those tribes who went back across the Jordan setup an “imposing altar” as a symbol of their faith, but this was misunderstood by the rest of Israel…at first: “the whole assembly of Israel gathered at Shiloh to go to war against them” (Joshua 22:12).

A Witness Between Us — that the Lord is God

Fortunately, cooler heads prevailed and they were able to explain the meaning of the altar: It stands as a reminder for generations to come that the Lord is God. “Far be it from us to rebel against the Lord and turn away from him today” (Joshua 22:29).

Joshua’s Farewell to the Leaders:

Every promise has been fulfilled; not one has failed. But…if you violate the covenant of the Lord your God…the Lord’s anger will burn against you, and you will quickly perish from the good land he has given you. Joshua 23:14-16

Joshua summarizes the history of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob; highlights Balaam (again), and warns them not to stray from all that has been taught. The people firmly and openly commit themselves to the Lord God. A ripe old age of 110, Joshua died in peaceful times for Israel.

Joshua is one of the most remarkable characters in the Bible.  He emerged as a loyal follower of Moses, dedicated to the Lord his entire life with few mistakes through incredible trials. This pass through the Bible, he really sticks out in my mind.

And so the story begins…

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Gibeonite Deception and God’s Faithfulness

Joshua 9-19

The Gibeonites devised a ruse to trick Joshua into making a treaty with them. They sent a contingent with donkeys, old wineskins, moldy bread, and sold the Israelites on their story, “Your servants have come from a very distant country because of the fame of the Lord your God.”  (Joshua 9:9)

It took three days before the deception was revealed and the people gave their leaders a hard time about their hasty decision. The key problem, “The Israelites sampled their provisions but did not inquire of the Lord.” (Joshua 9:14

Joshua’s response is to let them live, but curse them to serve as woodcutters and water carriers for the Israelites. They were simply trying to survive. Israel’s reputation was clear: wipe out the land for which they are occupying. They would rather live as servants than die as foes.

The Sun Stands Still

Five kings of neighboring lands joined forces to attack Gibeon because of their treaty with Joshua. They sent word to Joshua and he responded (with the Lord’s assurance) by attacking the kings and repelling their advance on Gibeon.

Joshua said the the Lord in the presence of Israel: “Sun, stand still over Gibeon, and you, moon, over the Valley of Aijalon.” So the sun stood still, and the moon stopped, till the nation avenged itself on its enemies, as it is written in the Book of Jashar. Joshua 10:12-13

The NIV Study Bible notes indicate there is confusion over this:

Some believe that God extended the hours of daylight for the Israelites to defeat their enemies. Others suggest that the sun remained cool (perhaps as the result of an overcast sky) for an entire day, allowing the fighting to continue through the afternoon. The fact is that we do not know what happened, except that it involved divine intervention.

The five kings were found hiding in a cave and were subsequently put to death then thrown back into the cave, sealed by a large stone. So the reputation of Joshua and the Israelites continues to spread. “No survivors” is the theme for the rest of Chapter 10. Makkedah, Libnah, Lachish, Eglon, Hebron, Debir, Negev — the southern cities from

Kadesh Barnea to Gaza and from the whole region of Goshen to Gibeon. All these kings and their lands Joshua conquered in one campaign, because the Lord, the God of Israel, fought for Israel. Joshua 10:41

Kings from the northern regions decided to attack Israel (bad idea), so…”he captured all their kings and put them to death.” (Joshua 11:17)

So Joshua took the entire land, just as the Lord had directed Moses, and he gave it as an inheritance to Israel according to their tribal divisions. Then the land had rest from war. Joshua 11:23

Chapter 12 lists the defeated kings…a long list. Chapters 13 through 19 provide details of how the land was allotted to Caleb, the tribes and finally to Joshua himself.

God’s faithfulness is revealed through Joshua and the Israelite occupation of The Promised Land. The battles are harsh and difficult to appreciate from a peace-loving perspective. One day I hope to understand and appreciate the need for such violence. My biggest prayer is this doesn’t become a stumbling block (or excuse) for those who are far from God; rather, it shows a time of war, of bloodshed, that is in our history and as such in the past. If it’s any consolation, it’s better to lose a few compared to flooding the entire planet!

We must learn. This is no license to repeat the days of Joshua, only to see God’s hand at work in planting the seeds of a nation that would ultimately give birth to Jesus.

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The Battles of Jericho and Ai

Joshua 5-8

The reputation of the Israelites preceded them as they begin to occupy the Promised Land, “they no longer had the courage to face the Israelites” (Joshua 5:1). Joshua was visited by “the commander of the Lord’s army” (5:13-15) and given an odd battle plan which he carried out in detail quite successfully. Rahab the prostitute and her family was spared (as promised) and they were rescued from the onslaught.

So the Lord was with Joshua, and his fame spread throughout the land. Joshua 6:27

Chapter 7 begins with “But the Israelites were unfaithful in regard to the devoted things…the Lord’s anger burned against Israel.” Crazy to think, but easy to understand, one man from the tribe of Judah fell into temptation and took idols for his own. Even Rahab was wise enough to leave all of that behind, but not Achan!

Joshua sent spies to Ai to help set his battle plan. The spies reported the little town would require a relatively small group to overtake, so Joshua sent 3,000 men into battle.

but they were routed by the men of Ai, who killed about thirty-six of them. They chased the Israelites from the city gate as far as the stone quarries and struck them down on the slopes. At this the hearts of the people melted in fear and became like water. Joshua 7:4-5

Joshua’s response: whine to the Lord! Seriously. After all that they’ve been through, Joshua’s response is weak, “What can I say, now that Israel has been routed by its enemies?” (Joshua 7:8). God is not impressed:

Stand up! What are you doing down on your face? Joshua 7:10

Achan’s sin is revealed as the thing that offended God and caused Him to remove his favor from Israel. So Achan, the silver, his sons and daughters and all that he had were exposed and “all Israel stoned him” and the rest of his family then burned everything else. The cancer was removed from Israel.

God provided instructions for luring the men of Ai out of the city and into a trap, an ambush. Ai was sure of their victory, given the previous success, and chased the Israelites leaving the city unguarded. Joshua and his 12,000+ men destroyed Ai and by the time the army realized the deception, they too were ambushed. And so Ai was destroyed completely.

 

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Crossing the Jordan

Joshua 1-4 and Psalm 35

In the first 9 verses of Joshua we read, “be strong and very courageous” three times, then once again in verse 18! The Lord promises Joshua he will be with him, but reminds him over and over again that this isn’t going to be easy. It’s not easy, but it is wonderful!

As I was with Moses, so I will be with you; I will never leave you nor forsake you. Be strong and courageous…Joshua 1:4

Rahab and the Spies

Joshua sent two spies across the Jordan, especially Jericho, to provide their intelligence assessment and prepare the army for battle. Rahab provides a hiding place for the spies and lets them know that the people are truly afraid of the Israelites. I’ve heard lots of sermons on Rahab, but it’s still hard to understand why these guys sought out a prostitute or somehow knew this was the right thing to do.

Crossing the Jordan

They camped for three days along the Jordan, no need to hurry after 40 years of wandering! God provides another miraculous sign for the crossing of the Jordan:

…as soon as the priests who carried the ark reached the Jordan and their feet touched the water’s edge, the water from upstream stopped flowing. It piled up in a heap a great distance away…so the people crossed over opposite Jericho…The priests who carried the ark of the covenant of the Lord stopped in the middle of the Jordan and stood on dry ground… Joshua 3:15-17

If the people in Jericho were afraid because of the stories they heard, this must be a terrifying sight to see! Last time we heard about the population, the Israelites were some 2 million people strong, plus livestock and possessions. This is not stealthy crossing! This is a mass of humanity walking across a dry riverbed during flood stage. Amazing stuff!!

 

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Covenant Renewed; Moses’ Song, Blessing, Death

Deuteronomy 29-34

Moses reviews the terms of the covenant with the people in the closing chapters of Deuteronomy. He explains why and how (briefly) and reminds the people:

to confirm you this day as his people, that he may be your God as he promised you and as he swore to your fathers, Abraham, Isaac and Jacob. Deuteronomy 29:13

It amazes me that the people are able to look back at their ancestry well over 400 years in the past. These ancient times relied on oral histories and rare written parchments. Looking that far back is incredible. Moses brings the past to the present at the end of chapter 29:

The secret things belong to the Lord our God, but the things revealed belong to us and to our children forever, that we may follow all the words of this law. Deuteronomy 29:29

Even when we screw up (not if), the Lord will “gather you and bring you back” (30:4) — what an amazing promise! Moses prophesies that these same people will rebel against the Lord, they will in fact turn to idols and disaster will follow. We know that because we have the advantage of historical perspective, but those hearing Moses’ song, his prophetic words, must not have been able to fathom such dissension in the group. After all, they’re about to enter an incredible land!

Moses provides a song and challenges them to remember the words,

they are not just idle words for you–they are your life. By them you will live long in the land you are crossing the Jordan to possess. Deuteronomy 32:47

Moses blesses each of the 12 tribes. It’s a ritual that we’ve long since forgotten, but I wonder if we could learn something from this process. Words are powerful. Speaking into someone’s life is trivial unless it is someone with whom we have walked through great struggles, lived through trials. When that person speaks over me, I will listen. These words are not there to make me feel good, they are there for me to cherish. Two lessons: 1) know someone well enough to walk through trials with and 2) speak words of blessings over them.

Moses died and was buried in some place no one knows about. Israel mourned for 30 days. The legacy will be remembered forever, but now is the time to move forward. Time for Joshua.

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Blessings and Curses

Deuteronomy 27-28 and Psalm 33

Be silent, Israel, and listen! You have now become the people of the Lord your God. Deuteronomy 27:9

We don’t see the phrase, “shut up and listen” too often, nor do we result to this tough position, but here we have Moses and the Levitical priests adding some punch to their words. Listen up people, here are your blessings and curses: curses for idol makers and commandment breakers, blessings for those who are obedient. Each of the curses are punctuated with an Amen! from the people. Lord, I hope that I will shut up and listen to you!!

I love the imagery in this description of those who are blessed for obedience:

The Lord will grant that the enemies who rise up against you will be defeated before you. They will come at you from one direction but flee from you in seven. Deuteronomy 28:7

That verse is so appropriate for many of my friends who are working so hard to serve Christ’s church. I thought about texting that to each one individually…still thinking about several. I pray that they will find comfort in the promise of the Christmas season. When we get down and feel beaten, I pray these words will pop up in their minds. Come Holy Spirit, come! Scatter my enemies!

No king is saved by the size of his army;
no warrior escapes by his great strength.
May your unfailing love be with us, Lord,
even as we put our hope in you. Psalm 33:16,22

 

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Exclusion, Various Laws and Firstfruits

Deuteronomy 23-26

“…turned the curse into a blessing for your, because the Lord your God loves you” (Deuteronomy 23:5). Moses is referring back to the time when Balaam was hired to curse the Israelites, but God turned it around. The phrase I bolded makes me pause. Here we are a week away from Christmas, reading about our ancient forefathers and some of the most brutal times I know when suddenly this phrase, “because the Lord your God loves you.” Just a bit further, as we read more rules, “For the Lord your God moves about in your camp to protect you and to deliver your enemies to you” (Deuteronomy 23:14).

The takeaway for me is simple: there are good reasons “why” all of this stuff is happening and those reasons center on the fact that God, the Creator of all, loves us. He cares about us and is working in our lives to protect us. Crazy!

The Christmas tree looks great and our girls are excited to celebrate together. I hope and pray we can somehow grasp this concept that God is moving in our lives.

Yesterday the passage discussed not going to war if you were engaged to be married. This law adds another dimension to God’s desire for us to have a healthy marriage:

If a man has recently married, he must not be sent to war or have any other duty laid on him. For one year he is to be free to stay at home and bring happiness to the wife he has married. Deuteronomy 24:5

What a concept: stay at home and bring happiness. This is certainly a gem to extract from the reading today!

 

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Capital Punishment, War, Marriage Laws

Deuteronomy 19-22 and Psalm 32

Cities of refuge are required and defined to provide a place for those to accidentally kill someone to hide. Given the size of the growing population of Israelites there are enough people that this is a real possibility. Even further as the population continues to grow. “Set aside for yourselves three cities in the land…set aside three more cities…” Deuteronomy 19:2,9

Moses recaps rules about witnesses as well, “A matter must be established by the testimony of two or three witnesses” Deuteronomy 19:15. People are prone to evil. Establishing a well defined legal system is there to protect society, to define rules and limits.

Going to War. It’s interesting that there are four provisos for opting out of a particular battle: 1) new house, 2) new vineyard, 3) pledged in marriage and 4) fainthearted. If you’ve built a house, but haven’t moved in; planted a vineyard, but haven’t enjoyed it’s harvest; or haven’t married the woman you have been pledge to–don’t go to war. You’ll be distracted with thoughts of home. This is one of the hardest things about being in the military, but we learn to suck it up and endure the separation. Not good, but not the end of the world.

The last one, however, is really significant: “Is anyone afraid or fainthearted? Let him go home so that his fellow soldiers will not become disheartened too.” Deuteronomy 20:8 Seriously. Don’t go into battle half-hearted. I can’t pretend to understand battles or war in ancient times, and honestly, I don’t want to dwell in that space, but I can imagine that having someone next to me in battle that is filled with fear would be devastating. Even in much less dangerous situations (e.g., work, school, etc.), being around those who are fainthearted has great negative consequences. Lift each other up, encourage each other. We don’t have to do this alone. These are all good ideas as long as they start with confidence that what we are doing is in the will of God. If we are attuned to His way of thinking, we should attack whatever challenge we have with confidence.

“You must purge evil from among you” is found four times in this reading. Seriously, let’s remove evil from our midst. As a society that has gravitated to selfish desires, it’s easy to see how this will become a significant problem. On the other hand, if we learn how to live in community, how to get along with our neighbors; if we build trust and act with integrity, then we will enjoy our time here on earth. We may even be the beacon of hope we preach about! What a concept! No, I don’t think it’s a good idea to stone everyone who makes mistakes, but I do see a lot of practical wisdom this morning.

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Legal, Financial and Ritual Concerns

Deuteronomy 15-18

Chapter 15 begins, “At the end of every seven years you must cancel debts.” Wouldn’t that be amazing! The idea that “there need be no poor people among you,” is a worthy goal; even though, “there will always be poor people in the land.” Even today we see this reality and we know we must “not be hardhearted or tightfisted toward them.” Lord, I pray we can “be openhanded” and truly loving to those in our community.

Reading through this part of the Old Testament is challenging. On one hand we see timeless wisdom in the statements above, then in the next section we read about our wonderful slaves. Puzzling for those who want to believe we Christians have it right, those who are seeking what we claim is the ultimate prize: Jesus Christ.

Rejoice! “Remember that you were slaves…” Judges, don’t accept bribes, don’t worship other gods or listen to occult practices. Purge the evil among the people. No more grumbling or complaining (I’m really preaching to myself). The Lord is my inheritance…no need for more!

There is a lot of wisdom in this section, but scary consequences for those who are “to be put to death.” In our posh and super civilized culture, this extreme measure makes no sense. What we must do is understand the historical significance and look for those themes that remain constant. This is not a call for capital punishment. It is, however, a call to be blameless before the Lord.

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Bootstrap Modals with Angular

The not-so-simple approach — embedding a template into the html itself. This is probably not a recommended solution, but I was pressed for time. Anyway, the docs say you need: 1) a template and 2) a controller.  

Then…you need to listen to the controller

Then…you need to do something about the response

Ok, it’s not that easy, but I’m catching on!!

*** STEP 1 ***

For the HTML side of things (should be it’s own file):

<script type="text/ng-template" id="myModalContent.html">
 <div class="modal-header">
   <h3 class="modal-title" id="modal-title">Send this goal</h3>
 </div>
 <div class="modal-body" id="modal-body">
   <p>Email (s): <input class="form-control" type="text" ng-model="$ctrl.details.emailto" placeholder="Enter email(s) here" /></p>
   <p>Add comments for the beginning of your email here:</p>
   <textarea ng-model="$ctrl.details.emailnotes" class="form-control"></textarea>
 </div>

 <div class="modal-footer">
   <button class="btn btn-primary" type="button" ng-click="$ctrl.ok()">Send</button>
   <button class="btn btn-warning" type="button" ng-click="$ctrl.cancel()">Cancel</button>
 </div>
</script>

*** STEP 2 ***

Somewhere on the html document, call the method that fires up the modal:

<button class="btn btn-warning" title="Email Goal" ng-click="emailGoal(goal)"><i class="glyphicon glyphicon-envelope"></i> Email</button>

*** STEP 3 ***

In the controller for the page, respond to the click event:

$scope.emailGoal = function (goal) {
  $ctrl.details.goal = goal;
  var modalInstance = $uibModal.open({
    animation: true,
    component: 'modalComponent',
    resolve: {
       details: function () {
          return $ctrl.details;
       }
    }
  });
  modalInstance.result.then(function (details) {
    $ctrl.details = details;
    // process the request to send email
    $scope.shareGoal( details );
  }, function () {
    // unless it gets dismissed, then do nothing!
    console.info('modal-component dismissed at: ' + new Date());
  });
};

*** STEP 4 ***

Of course, you have to have a modalComponent built in order for this to work. In my case, I have a separate file (cc-modals.js) for this purpose. Basically, it handles the bindings and passes the data back to the resolve “promise” above.

angular.module('ccModals').component('modalComponent', {
  templateUrl: 'myModalContent.html',
  bindings: {
    resolve: '<',
    close: '&',
    dismiss: '&'
  },
  controller: function () {
    'use strict';
    var $ctrl = this;
    $ctrl.$onInit = function() {
      $ctrl.details = $ctrl.resolve.details;
    };
    $ctrl.ok = function () {
      // console.log('send details: ' + JSON.stringify($ctrl.details));
      $ctrl.close({$value: $ctrl.details});
    };
    $ctrl.cancel = function () {
      $ctrl.details.emailto='';
      $ctrl.details.emailnotes='';
      $ctrl.dismiss({$value: 'cancel'});
    };
  }
});

*** STEP 5 ***

This is called in STEP 3 modalInstance.result.then

with the details. Basically, we just process the request now that the modal is closed

$scope.shareGoal = function( details ){
  console.log('shareGoal called '); // + JSON.stringify( details ) );
  GoalsService.SendGoal( details, function(results){
    if ( results.success ) {
      console.log('dashboard controller: Successfully sent email');
      $scope.buttonMessage = '<span class="alert alert-success">Successfully emailed this goal.</span>';
    } else {
      console.error('dashboard controller: unable to send email');
      $scope.buttonMessage = '<span class="alert alert-warning">Unable to send this goal. Please check your email and try again.</span>';
    }
  });
  $timeout(function () { $scope.buttonMessage = ''; }, 3000);
};

Simple, right?

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