First Things First

3

In the sixth month, the angel Gabriel was sent by God to a town in Galilee called Nazareth, to a virgin engaged to a man named Joseph, of the house of David. The virgin's name was Mary. Luke 1:26-27 HCSB

As a teenager I delivered the Gainesville Sun newspaper to people in my neighborhood in Gainesville, Florida. I would load up the big basket on the front of my bicycle and ride down the middle of the street throwing papers to the houses on both sides of the street. One year I won the Newspaper Boy of the Year award. In a sense, I was a messenger of the news. Unlike today when we have the internet to provide our news as soon as it breaks, in those days the newspaper was a major source of information.

Gabriel the angel was a messenger sent from God. He was delivering the message or news from God to Mary. “In the sixth month” is referring to the pregnancy of Elizabeth rather than the sixth month of the year. The name “angel” actually means messenger in Greek. Gabriel's main job seemed to be delivering important messages from God. More than 500 years earlier, Gabriel delivered a message to the prophet Daniel (Daniel 8:15-17, 9:21).

Challenge: As a Christian, God has sent you to be a messenger of the Good News of Jesus Christ. His final command to the disciples of Jesus was to “Go and make disciples.” That is still God's command. We are to go and share the message and teachings of Jesus Christ. How well are you serving as a messenger for God? He is depending on you and me to deliver the Good News to those we encounter each day.

On the day the Lord gave the Amorites over to the Israelites, Joshua spoke to the Lord in the presence of Israel: “Sun, stand still over Gibeon, and moon, over the Valley of Aijalon.” And the sun stood still and the moon stopped until the nation took vengeance on its enemies. Isn't this written in the Book of Jashar? So the sun stopped in the middle of the sky and delayed its setting almost a full day. Joshua 10:12-13 HCSB

There is an account of how NASA used computers to calculate the position of the planets and discovered a day missing. They noted that there was 23 hours and 20 minutes missing from Joshua's time and then the other 40 minutes was accounted for in the story of when King Hezekiah asked for the shadow of the sun to go back 10 degrees. This story is false and does not provide any scientific evidence that the sun actually stood still in Joshua's time.

It is believed that Joshua asked God for more daylight so they would have the time needed to defeat the enemy. Answers in Genesis says: “We know the accounts in Joshua and 2 Kings are real events in history. In no way do we dispute the historical accuracy of the Bible. However, the tale of the scientific discovery of Joshua’s lost day and Hezekiah’s extra minutes is a fable—another argument a Christian should not use.” Creation Ministries says: “The Word of God can, and must, be defended. But let us make sure we do not defend it with a “broken sword.”

Challenge: Just as we accept the fact that the Red Sea was parted and the Israelites walked through on dry ground, we must accept this story as true and factual even if there is no scientific evidence that the sun actually stopped for almost a day. There are many miracles in the Bible that we must accept on faith. God is an awesome and powerful God who is capable of creating the universe and everything in it. Therefore, He is also more than capable of parting waters, stopping the sun, and even walking on the water and calming the storms. Praise God for who He is – the Great I Am!

So Joshua caught them by surprise, after marching all night from Gilgal. Joshua 10:9 HCSB

Those who are a bit older might remember the old television show named Gomer Pyle. Actor Jim Nabors played the main character, Gomer, a small town country man who joined the United States Marine Corps and had a tough Drill Sargent. The only thing that Gomer wanted to do was please Sargent Carter and when he would do something special for him he would often say, “Surprise, Surprise, Surprise”.

Joshua could have said the same thing when he attacked the enemy soldiers of the Amorite kings. The Scripture points out that Joshua's army traveled all night from Gilgal. That would be the distance of approximately 17 miles over rough terrain. Additionally, they would have climbed some 3,000 feet in elevation – not an easy trip at any time but especially difficult at night. The element of surprise can be a big advantage in a military battle. Joshua got the upper hand and was able to defeat the enemy troops. I am sure Joshua's soldiers thought Joshua was crazy making them march all night, but they were most likely praising him for his wisdom when they easily won the battle with God's help.

Challenge: Sometimes we have to accomplish difficult tasks to reap the rewards that God has in store for us. You may not have to walk 17 miles in the dark but nothing worth having comes easily. Things of value usually take time and hard work to accomplish.What has God called you to do? Would you be willing to walk in the dark for 17 miles to accomplish something great for God? Listen to Gomer Pyle say, “Surprise, Surprise, Surprise” on YouTube at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2TnkJ8_BmSI

So Joshua caught them by surprise, after marching all night from Gilgal. Joshua 10:9 HCSB

Those who are a bit older might remember the old television show named Gomer Pyle. Actor Jim Nabors played the main character, Gomer, a small town country man who joined the United States Marine Corps and had a tough Drill Sargent. The only thing that Gomer wanted to do was please Sargent Carter and when he would do something special for him he would often say, “Surprise, Surprise, Surprise”.

Joshua could have said the same thing when he attacked the enemy soldiers of the Amorite kings. The Scripture points out that Joshua's army traveled all night from Gilgal. That would be the distance of approximately 17 miles over rough terrain. Additionally, they would have climbed some 3,000 feet in elevation – not an easy trip at any time but especially difficult at night. The element of surprise can be a big advantage in a military battle. Joshua got the upper hand and was able to defeat the enemy troops. I am sure Joshua's soldiers thought Joshua was crazy making them march all night, but they were most likely praising him for his wisdom when they easily won the battle with God's help.

Challenge: Sometimes we have to accomplish difficult tasks to reap the rewards that God has in store for us. You may not have to walk 17 miles in the dark but nothing worth having comes easily. Things of value usually take time and hard work to accomplish.What has God called you to do? Would you be willing to walk in the dark for 17 miles to accomplish something great for God? Listen to Gomer Pyle say, “Surprise, Surprise, Surprise” on YouTube at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2TnkJ8_BmSI

The Lord said to Joshua, “Do not be afraid of them, for I have handed them over to you. Not one of them will be able to stand against you.” Joshua 10:8 HCSB

What would you attempt to do if you knew for certain that you would not fail? There are so many things I could imagine doing: Getting a doctor's degree, writing a book, running for political office, becoming an architect, becoming a professional golfer. The list could go on and on, but God has a plan for each person (Jeremiah 29:11), and He is constantly working out His plan in each of our lives. I believe that God has a perfect plan and a permissive plan for our lives. He allows each of us the freedom of choice, therefore there may be times we do not select the perfect plan. God allows us to make choices that may not be the best, but because He is God He can take even our unwise choices and make good out of them.

God assured Joshua that he would succeed and defeat the Amorite kings. As a famous United States president once said, “We have nothing to fear but fear itself.” God promised that He would give Joshua a victory. In this verse we discover that God can use anyone or any event to accomplish His plan. God had already determined what would happen; then the only thing that Joshua had to do was follow through and do what God instructed.

Challenge: What would you do if you knew you would not fail and that God would help you accomplish the task? Seek God's advice and direction in every area of your life. God has a perfect plan for your life. Do not be afraid. Seek Him and He will show you the way.

Then the men of Gibeon sent word to Joshua in the camp at Gilgal. "Don't abandon your servants. Come quickly and save us! Help us, for all the Amorite kings living in the hill country have joined forces against us.” So Joshua and his whole military force, including all the fighting men, came from Gilgal. Joshua 10:6-7 HCSB

I just attended the graduation ceremony for my daughter-in-law at Middle Tennessee State University in Murfreesboro, Tennessee. The commencement speaker was U.S. Army Col. Jeff Davidson (Retired) and Rutherford County Deputy Mayor. He was a 1985 graduate of MTSU. He challenged the graduates by telling them they needed Integrity, Intelligence, and Energy to succeed in life. All three are important, but without integrity the other two are of no value. Col. Davidson gave an example of a very promising military officer who compromised his integrity by trying to coverup a war crime that two men under his command had committed, which caused him to lose his military position.

My father always told me, “You are only as good as your word.” Integrity is important. Without integrity there is no trust and there cannot be any peace or stability. Joshua's response shows his integrity. Even though the Gibeonites had deceived Joshua and the leaders and may not have deserved any help, Joshua immediately responded to their cry for help because he had made a vow and he intended to keep his word.

Challenge: How willing would you be to help someone who had been dishonest or deceived you? God always keeps His Word. We should all take our word as seriously as Joshua did. Read these other examples in the Bible of the importance of keeping a vow: Genesis 27:33-38; Psalm 15:1-4; Ecclesiastes 5:4-5; Matthew 5:33-37; and James 5:12.

They completely destroyed everything in the city with the sword – every man and woman, both young and old, and every ox, sheep, and donkey. Joshua 6:21 HCSB

My father died eleven years ago and my mother came to live with us. She has her own apartment space in our home with a bedroom, kitchen, bathroom, dining area, living room, and laundry room. Today is her 93rd birthday. For someone who is 93, she is in relative good health and still enjoys brief outings. In her living quarters she has many pieces of antique furniture, glassware, pictures, and other heirlooms that are important to her and bring back many good memories of days gone by.

Many of us own a keepsake box with items that are important to us that bring back memories of past activities. The people of Jericho were evil people in the eyes of the Lord and had rejected Him for multiple pagan gods. They practiced immoral behaviors as a form of worship and perverted the ways of God. The destruction of everything was a judgment against these evil practices. Their behavior was a threat to the Israelites and the right way to live for God. His purpose was to keep His people from being contaminated by the evil practices of the Canaanites. Obviously if any Canaanites lived, they would have been a negative influence on the Israelites. Even animals and objects would be a reminder of the Canaanites and their wickedness.

Challenge: God desires for us to be pure and clean. We must not allow the evil of this world to distract us from our spiritual purpose of living for God. We must reject any objects that are reminders of the evil in our lives before we became believers in Jesus Christ.

“But keep yourselves from the things set apart, or you will be set apart for destruction. If you take any of those things you will set apart the camp of Israel for destruction and bring disaster on it. For all the silver and gold, and the articles of bronze and iron, are dedicated to the Lord and must go into the Lord's treasury.” Joshua 6:18-19 HCSB

There is an old saying, “One bad apple spoils the whole bunch,” meaning that one bad person can ruin those around him. This saying comes from the fact that as fruit ripens it produces a gaseous hormone called ethylene, which is a ripening agent. The riper the fruit, the more ethylene it produces causing the other fruits around it to ripen faster. One apple can push all the fruit around it to ripen and eventually rot. It actually does take just one single apple to start a domino effect that ruins the rest of the bunch.

It was tempting for the Israelites to keep some of the goods that they found as they plundered the city of Jericho, but they were warned that they must leave those things that God said to destroy and they must not take anything of value because it was to go into the Lord's treasury. There was no temple but the items taken from the ruined city were probably stored near the temporary tabernacle. If just one person kept just one item it would mark the whole camp of Israel for destruction.

Challenge: Those with whom you select to spend time on a regular basis will impact your life. I have found from experience that it seems the bad always affects the good rather than the good influencing the bad. Be careful who you select as your friends. Know that it is important to follow God's instructions exactly and not partially.

But the city and everything in it are set apart to the Lord for destruction. Only Rahab the prostitute and everyone with her in the house will live, because she hid the men we sent. Joshua 6:17 HCSB

I grew up in a pastor's home and came to know the Lord as my Savior when I was ten years old. I did not live a wicked and destructive life before coming to Christ. Through the years I have heard testimonies of prostitutes, drug dealers, and murderers who have come to know Jesus as Lord and Savior. Their testimonies seem more exciting and compelling than mine, but the bottom line is that we are all sinners regardless of the type of sin and fall short of God's glory.

It is interesting that God's Word points out that Rahab was a prostitute. She obviously was not Jewish, but at some point she had a conversion experience. Rahab was accepted into the family of the Israelites because of her faith and belief in God. For some reason she rejected the logic that the city of Jericho was well fortified and the people who lived there were much larger than the Israelites. Rahab believed that the God of the Israelites was powerful and could accomplish anything, including the destruction of Jericho. She is even listed in the “Hall of Faith” in Hebrews 11:31. It is amazing how God can transform a person from the worst and most wicked backgrounds into someone who lives to please Him.

Challenge: God can and will transform your life if you will only let Him. He is in the life-changing business and wants to make you into the person He created you to be. Let go and trust Him even when it does not seem to make sense. He will protect you and show you His ways.

Early on the seventh day, they started at dawn and marched around the city seven times in the same way. That was the only day they marched around the city seven times. After the seventh time, the priests blew the trumpets, and Joshua said to the people, “Shout! For the Lord has given you the city. Joshua 6:15-16 HCSB

I have had the opportunity to visit Israel twice and I am planning to go again in March of next year. On my last visit I purchased a souvenir called a Shophar which is actually a ram's horn. One can blow from the small end to make a sound. It can only play afew notes and is primarily used for making noise rather than for music. At one of the visits to a national park in Israel, I observed a young lady blowing a Shophar. It was her cry for peace in the land.

The trumpets that the priests blew were actually Shophars. The priests blew these all seven days while everything else was silent until the last day when Joshua commanded the people to shout. We can only imagine what the Israelites were thinking. I am sure some were thinking, “We have marched around the city for seven days and now we have marched around the city seven times today yet nothing has happened.” Certainly, there had to be many who were ready to stop and go back to camp. Some may have wanted to go back to Egypt. God often works in mysterious ways and sometimes uses unusual methods to accomplish His will.

Challenge: Are you willing to follow God's plan for your life, even when it does not make sense? Shout to God verbally or in your heart to proclaim Him as Lord and Savior. You have something to shout about: Through Jesus Christ, God provided a way for you to defeat your enemy, Satan, and gain eternal life in heaven.