March 11, 2011 The Hard Truth

The Hard Truth
Read Joshua 7-9

Josh 8:25 Twelve thousand men and women fell that day — all the people of Ai.

SOMEONE said in church this week about the bible, “It’s not all easy to read.” This passage is one of those. You read and read it again; you put it down; you pick it up; you read it again, and you wonder, “Is this the God of forgiveness, of ‘love your enemies’ of salvation and renewal?”
Actually it is. But how can the great Deliverer command his own people to kill thousands of citizens, ransack cities and seemingly bully their way into the Promised Land?
The reason he does this? Sin is the reason. It is the stuff you and I are guilty of each day. Sin filled the lives of the people who were living in the land. They worshiped false gods, and their sin destroyed them.
The bible stories are full of people living far from God. And God cleanses the earth as he judges them. Yes, this scripture is hard for two reasons: First, we hate that God directs his people to kill others. We have compassion for these people.
The second reason is we are reminded of God the Judge. Ultimately he will come over the entire earth, and “Out of his mouth comes a sharp sword with which to strike down the nations.” Rev 19:15
Yes, God will ultimately cleanse the earth. If we really have compassion for people, then we must tell our friends about God, the Judge and God the Deliverer. Those who don’t know Jesus as Lord are in danger of destruction.


Pause and Consider: it’s grand to tell people about God the Deliverer.