Joshua 8:30-35

³⁰ Then Joshua built on Mount Ebal an altar to the Lord, the God of Israel, ³¹ as Moses the servant of the Lord had commanded the Israelites. He built it according to what is written in the Book of the Law of Moses—an altar of uncut stones, on which no iron tool had been used. On it they offered to the Lord burnt offerings and sacrificed fellowship offerings. ³² There, in the presence of the Israelites, Joshua wrote on stones a copy of the law of Moses. ³³ All the Israelites, with their elders, officials and judges, were standing on both sides of the ark of the covenant of the Lord, facing the Levitical priests who carried it. Both the foreigners living among them and the native-born were there. Half of the people stood in front of Mount Gerizim and half of them in front of Mount Ebal, as Moses the servant of the Lord had formerly commanded when he gave instructions to bless the people of Israel.
³⁴ Afterward, Joshua read all the words of the law—the blessings and the curses—just as it is written in the Book of the Law. 35 There was not a word of all that Moses had commanded that Joshua did not read to the whole assembly of Israel, including the women and children, and the foreigners who lived among them.

Introduction

Moses expected the Israelites to enter Canaan. He warned and gave instruction in Deuteronomy 11:26-29, ²⁶ See, I am setting before you today a blessing and a curse— ²⁷ the blessing if you obey the commands of the Lord your God that I am giving you today; ²⁸ the curse if you disobey the commands of the Lord your God and turn from the way that I command you today by following other gods, which you have not known. ²⁹ When the Lord your God has brought you into the land you are entering to possess, you are to proclaim on Mount Gerizim the blessings, and on Mount Ebal the curses.

Do you believe that we receive blessing if we obey the commands of the Lord?
Do you believe that we receive curse if we disobey the commands of the Lord?
Why does God bless us if we obey? Why should God not curse us if disobey?

It says in Romans 11:17-21, ¹⁷ If some of the branches have been broken off, and you, though a wild olive shoot, have been grafted in among the others and now share in the nourishing sap from the olive root, ¹⁸ do not consider yourself to be superior to those other branches. If you do, consider this: You do not support the root, but the root supports you. ¹⁹ You will say then, “Branches were broken off so that I could be grafted in.” ²⁰ Granted. But they were broken off because of unbelief, and you stand by faith. Do not be arrogant, but tremble. ²¹ For if God did not spare the natural branches, he will not spare you either.

When we put our trust in Jesus, by faith, we are grafted into God’s family. We share with the blessing ‎that the original branches receive from God. If we share in the blessing of the Israelites who obey God, should we not also share in the discipline and curses for the disobedient Israelites who disobey God?
‎ Joshua built altar to the Lord as instructed by Moses. Before the proclamation, Joshua copied ‎and wrote on stone the ‎Laws of Moses.‎‏

1. Write

‏
³⁰ Then Joshua built on Mount Ebal an altar to the Lord, the God of Israel, ³¹ as Moses ‎the servant of the Lord had commanded the Israelites. He built it according to what is ‎written in the Book of the Law of Moses—an altar of uncut stones, on which no iron ‎tool had been used. On it they offered to the Lord burnt offerings and sacrificed fellowship offerings. ³² There, in the presence of the Israelites, Joshua wrote on stones ‎a copy of the law of Moses. ³³ All the Israelites, with their elders, officials and judges, ‎were standing on both sides of the ark of the covenant of the Lord, facing the Levitical ‎priests who carried it. Both the foreigners living among them and the native-born were ‎there. Half of the people stood in front of Mount Gerizim and half of them in front of ‎Mount Ebal, as Moses the servant of the Lord had formerly commanded when he gave ‎instructions to bless the people of Israel.‎

While Joshua was copying on stones the Laws of Moses, the elders, officials, judges, Levitical priests, foreigners and native-born who were living among them observed but did not oppose what Joshua was doing. They never complained or rejected.
Joshua did not preach from memory. He wrote it first and read what he had written. Joshua copied, wrote and preached on the Law of Moses to those who were standing before him but God had in mind the future generation including Christians.

Among those who heard when Moses warned the Israelites, God chose Joshua as the next leader of Israel. He was attentive listener. Writing down the Laws of Moses proves that he remembered what he heard from Moses. Joshua never opposed Moses. He never complained. Attentiveness to Moses has prepared Joshua to be a great leader.

Jesus told a parable in Matthew 21:28-32, ²⁸ “What do you think? There was a man who had two sons. He went to the first and said, ‘Son, go and work today in the vineyard.’
²⁹ “‘I will not,’ he answered, but later he changed his mind and went.
³⁰ “Then the father went to the other son and said the same thing. He answered, ‘I will, sir,’ but he did not go. ³¹ “Which of the two did what his father wanted?” “The first,” they answered. Jesus said to them, “Truly I tell you, the tax collectors and the prostitutes are entering the kingdom of God ahead of you. ³² For John came to you to show you the way of righteousness, and you did not believe him, but the tax collectors and the prostitutes did. And even after you saw this, you did not repent and believe him.

The second son represented the chief priests and the elders of the people who ignored John the Baptist. Many people respond like the second son. They ignore God-sent messengers. The first son represented sinners who obey God-sent messengers.
Fathers or parents are God-chosen leaders of the family. Children who listen to their fathers or parents are ‎better prepared to become leaders when their time comes. ‎
Read your Bibles to know when to obey or reject. Should we obey government officials? How about church leaders or God’s messengers? Who are God’s messengers?

2. Read

‎ ³⁴ Afterward, Joshua read all the words of the law—the blessings and the curses—just ‎as it is written in the Book of the Law. ³⁵ There was not a word of all that Moses had ‎commanded that Joshua did not read to the whole assembly of Israel, including the women and children, and the foreigners who lived among them.‎

Moses has warned them about the blessings and the curses. Joshua wrote and read the same blessings and curses. As members of God’s family, does the warning about God’s blessing for obedience and curse for disobedience apply to us? What should we obey and disobey? Who should we obey: church leaders or ordinary church members?
There are beautifully articulated ideologies that can easily misled the unsuspecting mind. Don’t just believe any popular dogmas. Seek wisdom and revelation from the Lord. ‎Pray fervently. Ask God to know, understand and decide on things acceptable to Him.
It says in Deuteronomy 28:1-6, ¹ If you fully obey the Lord your God and carefully follow all his commands I give you today, the Lord your God will set you high above all the nations on earth. ² All these blessings will come on you and accompany you if you obey the Lord your God: ³ You will be blessed in the city and blessed in the country. ⁴ The fruit of your womb will be blessed, and the crops of your land and the young of your livestock—the calves of your herds and the lambs of your flocks. ⁵ Your basket and your kneading trough will be blessed. ⁶ You will be blessed when you come in and blessed when you go out.

Is it proper for us to claim this promise of God for obedient Israel? Are we not adopted members of the family of God when we believe in Christ? It is not about being proper application. It is about how we obey the Lord.
Human effort fails to obey God. Obedience to the Lord’s commands exhibits our active faith as the Holy Spirit empowers us. Pray to be empowered by the Holy Spirit. The Lord said in Ezekiel 36:26-27, ²⁶ I will give you a new heart and put a new spirit in you; I will remove from you your heart of stone and give you a heart of flesh. ²⁷ And I will put my Spirit in you and move you to follow my decrees and be careful to keep my laws.

We can follow the Lord’s decrees only with the help of the Holy Spirit. Careful obedience to God manifests the active work of Christ’s Spirit in our life.
Is it easy to lead people who oppose and complain? Moses the greatest leader of Israel needed the Lord when he led the complaining Israelites. In Exodus 33:14, ¹⁴ The Lord replied, “My Presence will go with you, and I will give you rest.”

Leaders experience heavier burden than ordinary people. Who was the ordinary believer who was called great follower? Does greatness apply to ordinary human? Greatness demands great testing. Moses the greatest leader of Israel had to carry the burden of leading more than a million disobedient Israelites but found rest in the Lord.
The Lord who gave rest to Moses in wilderness is the same Christ Jesus who said in Matthew 11:27-29, ²⁷ “All things have been committed to me by my Father. No one knows the Son except the Father, and no one knows the Father except the Son and those to whom the Son chooses to reveal him.²⁸ “Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. ²⁹ Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls.

All believers experience problems common to man. ‎Did Jesus say He will remove burdens? All things, all burdens, we can find rest in Christ. Christ offers rest. Why won’t Christ not just remove our burden? No burden is reserved for heaven. Struggles are avenues to practice faith and obedience to Christ for Him to bless and reward us.

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