Lenten Thoughts - Week 4

Family,

As I was reading through the book of Joshua this morning I was struck again by how jolting the story of Israel’s conquest of Jericho and the subsequent sin of Achan is for us. The Lord commanded Joshua to tell Israel that everything in the city was devoted to destruction. This meant men and women, young and old, sheep, and donkeys (Jos. 6:21). Only the silver, gold, and bronze vessels were to be kept for the treasury of the Lord (Jos. 6:19). Israel did as they were commanded and killed every living thing, human and animal. But Achan saw, coveted, and took what was forbidden (just like Adam and Eve in the Garden of Eden; Gen. 3:6; Jos. 7:20-21). When he was found out he and all that belonged to him, his stolen goods, his sons, his daughters, his oxen, his donkeys, his sheep, even his tent became devoted to destruction. He and his family were stoned to death and the everything was burned with fire (Jos. 7:24-26).

We need not deny or ignore how troubling texts like these are to our sensibilities. How is it that the God of all creation, who is love, could approve of, even command, such brutal acts of war? Surely this is out of character for a God who is merciful and gracious, slow to anger, abounding in steadfast love and faithfulness (Ex. 34:6-7).

I don’t think that God is surprised that texts like these offend us. He wants to shock us out of our ho-hum approach to sin. He puts on display for us his absolute and holy justice so that we will be absolutely clear on the proper penalty for sin against a holy God. It is precisely this justly deserved penalty of judgment, condemnation, and destruction that Jesus Christ saves us from. A proper understanding of God’s justice does not allow us (as Pastor Jeff reminded us on Sunday) to think we’re OK, not that bad.

While the display of God’s justice is meant to shock us out of our ho-hum approach to our sin and the sin around us, so also the display of God’s great mercy towards us in the portrayal of Jesus Christ on the cross (Gal. 3:1), taking the immeasurable weight and pain of our judgment upon himself, is meant to drive us to our knees in repentance, thanksgiving, praise, faith, and commitment to him.

“Jesus I am resting, resting in the joy of what Thou art.” Are you resting in him today?

In Christ,

Irwyn Ince
Pastor