As we skimmed over 12 whole chapters of Joshua, there were two things we want to look at more closely. The first one is back in ch 10 - Joshua’s Day [10.12-14]. This is the promise of [hearing]…
A day “like no other" - Joshua’s Day stands as perhaps the single most inexplicable event in all of Scripture, at least from a standpoint of physics. Never mind that we’ve already seen two huge physics-defying events (aka miracles) just in this one book: the total flow-stoppage of a massive flooded mile-wide [river], and then the utter destruction of the fortified walls of [Jericho] simply by walking and shouting and trumpets. No weapons whatsoever. Of course God’s Word is chock full of miracles - but what can we say about this day?
A couple things to keep in mind: A) The big truth behind this scene in the broader context of the whole book is that God is fully vested in fighting for His people [v11,15]; remember, the Lord strongly supports those who trust Him. 2) God inspired the writers of Scripture to use figurative language over and over throughout His Word: Judg. 5:20 “The stars fought from heaven, from their courses they fought against Sisera. Hab. 3:11 Sun and moon stood in their places; they went away at the light of Your arrows, at the radiance of Your gleaming spear. Psa. 98:8 Let the rivers clap their hands, let the mountains sing together for joy. I.e. the language in Joshua 10 COULD be figurative… But two other thoughts to consider:
C) One could suggest that these three verses perhaps add very little to the full story. We could go right from 11 to 15 with no substantive change to the account. Yet God included it. To me, the inclusion of this one-of-a-kind day reinforces my conviction that ALL THIS is true. If I was making This up, NOT being inspired by God’s Holy Spirit, I’d for sure NOT include a passage which is so seemingly inexplicable.
D) Difficult to understand ≠ untrue. Isn't that right, professors? Think about ALL that This Word asks us to believe: a God Who creates [everything] out of nothing, Who creates [glorious life] out of dust, Who feeds 1000s on a hillside with a [few loaves and some fish] and feeds millions in the [wilderness] for 40 years, Who [raises] to life that which is 100% dead. God in His Word doesn’t ask us to suspend disbelief, rather He shows us a Glorious Almighty Being Who is far beyond our finite ability to fully figure out. God can do what is beyond what WE know of the laws of physics because HE’s the one Who established those laws in the first place. He doesn’t have to obey the laws of physics - the “laws” of physics obey Him. Is the God of creation able to make the physics work out? Maybe in a way that we cannot fully explain or understand? [Look into Job 38-42, esp 38.22-23 and 42.1-6] But This is not about the physics. It’s never about the physics. Even the tiniest miracle in Scripture - which one? Jesus turning the [water into wine] - a beginner’s miracle maybe? Simply put, we believe in a God Who does the impossible, things that we assume are impossible. And this God asks us to simply trust Him. That’s the real issue - it’s not about the science, it’s about the will. Will I simply trust Him?
So, how does all this relate to "the promise of hearing"? v14 says "the Lord heard" the voice of a man - a man who was hearing, who was listening intently to Him. And which is the bigger miracle, which is more difficult to achieve - God hearing us, or us hearing Him? The Hebrew for “hear” is shama [Deut. 6:4 “Hear, O Israel! The LORD is our God, the LORD is one!]. Hearing, the promise of hearing cuts both ways. Is. 59:1-2 Behold, the LORD’S hand is not so short that it cannot save; nor is His ear so dull that it cannot hear. But your iniquities have made a separation between you and your God, and your sins have hidden His face from you so that He does not hear. God hears us when we hear Him. And my willingness to trust Him is directly correlated to my willingness to hear Him. The people who have the biggest problems trusting what God says are those who are less inclined to listen to Him. Will I listen (surrender)?
I personally am inclined to trust what God says. And so I think either the Lord did stop the earth rotating entirely, or [more likely?] that He slowed it down. And He made all the physics - both the primary and secondary components of that - work out. Most commentators seem to be divided between one of these two positions, all the while acknowledging that yes there are questions about the physics.
The 2nd thing we look at today is somewhat related. The promise of refuge [Josh 20.1-6]. Life is full of storms, isn’t it? Some storms are out of our control. We know this first hand here in Texas! Some storms are of our own making. But when there’s a storm, we need shelter. Refuge. And here Israel as commanded by God is designating six new cities of refuge [map]. This is a special word in the Hebrew - miqlat. These cities of miqlat are safe places where people can flee if they kill another person. A place of asylum, of refuge from the avenger, or goel. The goel would be a close relative/kinsman of the victim. Num. 35:12 “The cities shall be to you as a refuge from the avenger, so that the manslayer will not die until he stands before the congregation for trial.” This is a beautiful picture of God’s grace and compassion on behalf of His people.
But we also see God’s justice. Life - and human life in particular as that which specifically bears the image of the Creator - is indeed a sacred [miracle, Ps 139]. As such the shedding of human blood is a transgression against the Creator and Lord of human life [Gen. 9:6 “Whoever sheds man’s blood, by man his blood shall be shed, for in the image of God He made man. cf Gen 4.10]. God ordained that a man-killer had to be executed in order to purify the people from blood-guilt. As such, at that time if you killed someone, whether on purpose or by accident, their relatives would appoint someone to avenge the death. A goel. A kinsman avenger. And these peoples had learned [too well?] the sanctity of life. An eye for an eye, a life for a life - that’s how the people of Abraham rolled. But what if you killed that person on accident? Now these cities become safe havens for you. [Where you are not free but you can remain alive… But then - you know when you could go free from this living prison? When the high priest died. And now, Who is OUR High Priest…?]
AND - Who is our Miqlat, our place of refuge from the avenger? Our Shelter in the storm? This God Who speaks out of the whirlwind, Who commands the dawn and stores up the storm, Who leaps tall laws of physics in a single bound, the God of wonders beyond knowing and of declarations beyond understanding, He is our shelter in the storm. He is our refuge. The promise of refuge.
Are you facing a storm? Sometimes God allows the storm, because He’s trying to get our attention. He wants us to realize, perhaps at a deeper level that He IS our refuge, that we need Him, that we can’t do anything apart from Him.
But He IS our Refuge. We have a place to run to. When life sends a storm. When we’re guilty. When we mess up. When we’re in trouble. Sadly we don’t really need much help getting into trouble - we’re born into it. Unavoidable. We’re born separated from the Lord. Alienated. Hence need to come back to Him in our hearts. The need for a Miqlat. Jesus. He is the Miqlat/refuge for His people. AND He is the High Priest - Who dies to release us from bondage. Bondage to both the power and penalty of sin. Yeshua. The God Who saves. And while the Jews had these six cities of refuge (which for some would have been at quite a distance), God our promise of Refuge is not far from any of us. In fact, He’s knocking on the door of our hearts [Rev 3.20]. He’s standing at your door as we speak. Trying to get your attention. The question is not if I hear, but will I open...?
Relevant verses from this message:
Psa. 139:13-16 For You formed my inward parts; You wove me in my mother’s womb. I will give thanks to You, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made; wonderful are Your works, and my soul knows it very well. My frame was not hidden from You, when I was made in secret, and skillfully wrought in the depths of the earth; Your eyes have seen my unformed substance; and in Your book were all written the days that were ordained for me, when as yet there was not one of them.
Is. 64:8 But now, O LORD, You are our Father, we are the clay, and You our Potter; and all of us are the work of Your hand.
Is. 45:9 Will the clay say to the Potter, ‘What are you doing?’
Ex. 15:26 And He said, “aIf you will give earnest heed to the voice of the LORD your God, and do what is right in His sight, and give ear bto His commandments, and keep all His statutes, cI will put none of the diseases on you which I have put on the Egyptians; for I, dthe LORD, am your healer.”
Ex. 19:5 ‘Now then, aif you will indeed obey My voice and bkeep My covenant, then you shall be cMy 1own possession among all the peoples, for dall the earth is Mine;
Ex. 22:22 “aYou shall not afflict any widow or orphan. 23 “If you afflict him at all, and aif he does cry out to Me, bI will surely hear his cry
Ex. 22:26 “If you ever take your neighbor’s cloak aas a pledge, you are to return it to him before the sun sets, 27 for that is his only covering; it is his cloak for his 1body. What else shall he sleep in? And it shall come about that awhen he cries out to Me, I will hear him, for bI am gracious.
Deut. 5:28 “The LORD heard the voice of your words when you spoke to me, aand the LORD said to me, ‘I have heard the voice of the words of this people which they have spoken to you. They have done well in all that they have spoken. 29 ‘aOh that they had such a heart in them, that they would fear Me and bkeep all My commandments always, that cit may be well with them and with their sons forever!
Is. 57:13 “When you cry out, alet your collection of idols deliver you.
But the wind will carry all of them up,
And a breath will take them away.
But he who btakes refuge in Me will cinherit the land
And will dpossess My holy mountain.”
Psa. 18:2 The LORD is amy 1rock and bmy fortress and my cdeliverer,
My God, my rock, in whom I take refuge;
My dshield and the ehorn of my salvation, my fstronghold.
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