23 July 2010
Psalm 40, 54; Joshua 9:22-10:15; Rom. 15:14-24; Matt. 27:1-10

The treaty is tested when the kings of five nations gather against Gibeon to destroy it. Will Joshua and the Israelites honor the treaty when there is a cost to do so? The potential exists that Israel could be defeated here because they have been disobedient to the command of God concerning their relations with the people of the land. On the way, the Lord speaks to Joshua and gives him comfort concerning the success of this mission. Assured of that success, Joshua hastens to get to Gibeon and then routs the enemies. His prayer that the sun stand still in the sky is answered in order that the victory be completed and in addition the Lord sends hailstones to destroy the enemies. One of the plagues of Egypt, the plague of hail, is re-visited.

Even in death Jesus was fulfilling the prophetic words spoken long before with the money given to Judas being used exactly as Jeremiah had seen. Judas, seeing Jesus condemned, repented of what he had done. He knows it is too late to do anything to stop the process and yet the guilt he felt overwhelmed him and he tried to get the blood of Jesus off his hands by returning the money. The Jewish leaders refuse to take his money back, the guilt for what he had done remained on him, not them. The ones who paid the blood money now wish to absolve themselves of guilt by refusing to place it into the treasury, how quaint a notion. Do they believe they have no guilt in having paid blood money? They have all made their deal with the devil.

Paul has one aim and one message, the work of Christ. That is who we are to be as the church but we have allowed ourselves to be distracted by a great many things like politics, financial gain, and nearly countless other issues. We can bring the Gospel to issues like peace, justice, abortion, parenting, finances, and show the world that there is a genuinely Christian way of thinking about them but they cannot usurp the mission of the church to proclaim Jesus Christ as the Way, the Truth and the Life. Ultimately the things of this world will pass away and we must ensure that we have done all we can to prepare people to receive that new kingdom with anticipation and joy while doing all we can to restore it in the present. We acknowledge that because of sin we cannot truly hope to see the establishment of God’s kingdom without a new creation, this one is beyond repair, but we can show the world a better way through the fellowship and work of the church.

O Lord, open my lips,
and my mouth will declare your praise.