[Christ Our Rock] Easter in Reverse: Up To And Including My Life (May 09)
Christ Our Rock Bible Church
The man soon saw that none of the recruits had ordered lunch, so he approached the stewardess and gave her $50.00—a lunch for all ten of the soldiers. With tears in her eyes, she thanked him and said, “My son was a soldier in Iraq, and its almost like you are doing it for him.” A little later, a hot meal from first class came to the man, by way of a “thank you.” After all had finished their lunches, the man made his way to the rest room in the back of the plane, and somebody handed him $25.00, saying, “I saw what you did, and I just want to be a part of it.” A little later, the captain came back and said, “I just wanted to shake your hand—when I came home from Nam, someone bought me a lunch and I never forgot it.”
A little later, the civilian walked towards the front of the plane to stretch his legs, and somebody else shook his hand, leaving $25.00 in his palm. When they landed, another person slipped a folded $25.00 into the man's shirt pocket—without a word. Once in the terminal, he gave the soldiers all the money, and said, “It is still quite a trip to the base—have another sandwich.” As the man walked to his parked car, he whispered a prayer for their safety, and added, “Every one of these soldiers has written a blank check made payable to 'The United States of America' for an amount of 'up to and including my life.'” With Memorial Day just around the corner, it is crucial that we see it as much more than the “unofficial” start of a summer of frolicking. We must remember the sacrifices that have been—and are being—made for our freedom. Of course, the ultimate sacrifice was at the Cross of Calvary and the empty tomb of Easter— all of it paying the price for our sin—“up to and including His life.” When we repent and enter into this plan of salvation, eternal freedom is ours!
Remember—Jesus once said, “Greater love hath no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends. Ye are my friends if ye do whatsoever I command you.” (John 15:13,14) The key is surrender, and its fruit—obedience. Allow me to shift into reverse here, to make my point—even to the point of seeing Easter in reverse. You see, when God brought His people out of bondage in Egypt, the first thing they did was gripe and complain. Their focus was on themselves, not God! So the Lord made them wander for 40 years in the wilderness, only allowing the next generation to enter the Promised Land. And don't think that was because these younger ones were so great--”Not for thy righteousness, or for the uprightness of thine heart, dost thou go to possess their land: but for the wickedness of these nations the Lord thy God doth drive them out from before thee...” (Deut. 9:5) The current inhabitants of the land had rejected God all along, and now their time was up! Disobedience has a price—a very big price!
In Joshua 10, we find Adonizedec, the king of Jerusalem—before it was Israel's capital—becoming very fearful due to the Lord's victories over Jericho and Ai. So, he rallied several other like-minded kings and nations to his side in an effort to defeat Gibeon, an ally of Israel. Verse 3 tells us who they were —”Wherefore Adonizedec king of Jerusalem sent unto Hoham king of Hebron, and unto Piram king of Jarmuth, and unto Japhia king of Lachish, and unto Debir king of Eglon...” In the Hebrew, the original language of the Old Testament, these names are very revealing—“Adonizedec” literally means the lord of righteousness and justice, but its a worldly morality that tries to rule in a place of false peace. You see, the city's name refers to a duality, an allusion to it's two main hills—no singleness of Godly purpose, but a focus on getting everything we want!
But that's not all! The word, “Hoham,” is actually of uncertain derivation—that is, with no known pedigree—a mutt, so to speak. His town, “Hebron,” in the Hebrew, points to a seat of association or a society—a charming. enchanting, and fascinating society, that lures others into joining. What a picture of our self-focused society, luring many to reject obedience to God! But even that's not all—”Piram” describes a running wild, like a donkey in heat, looking to “bear fruit” after its own kind—stubborn and prideful. And his city, “Jarmuth,” is an elevated place—elevated through self-exaltation and haughtiness, which, of course, results in pride. Furthermore, “Japhia,” the king of Lachish—another place of uncertainty—means bright and shining, basking in the perverted glow of showing off self. Lastly, there was “Debir,” which refers to the state of being “pastureless,” or without pasture—that is, trying to live without proper nourishment. Ironically, his town is a place for frisky male calves—almost fully grown and insisting that they know what life is all about—confident that they know everything. And there they are, by definition—dancing, revolving, and circling around, without a care in the world—not even aware that they are in a “pastureless” place. In verse 5, we see their source—they were the “five kings of the Amorites.” In the Hebrew, it refers to an appointment and a call that boasts of the self-life. Such is our self-oriented society.
And so, the battle began—the self-life pitted against God's life in His people, and God, of course, wins the battle. Verses 15-19 tell us, “And Joshua returned, and all Israel with him, unto the camp at Gilgal. But these five kings fled, and hid themselves in a cave at Makkedah...And Joshua said, roll great stones upon the mouth of the cave, and set men by it for to keep them: And stay ye not, but pursue after your enemies, and smite the hindmost of them; suffer them not to enter into their cities: for the Lord your God hath delivered them into your hand.” Praise God—the kings of the self-life have been captured, but the battle is not over until all of the inhabitants are destroyed. (Vss. 28-43; Judges 1)
Joshua told his men to roll away the stones and let the kings out. He then ordered his captains to put their feet on the king's necks, as a symbol of God's victory over the self-life. “And Joshua said unto them, Fear not, nor be dismayed, be strong and of good courage: for thus shall the Lord do to all your enemies against whom ye fight.” (vs.25) You see, the problem today is that many—even in the church— do not see “self” as an enemy, and, furthermore, they do not see that they need to be in the Lord's battle against that self-life. The “old man”, or “sin nature,” will always keep trying to rise up, in order to rule and reign over the life of God indwelling in us through the Holy Spirit. Don't struggle against it in legalism or self-determination—that is “self,” too. No, let it be crucified—dead and buried—“up to and including your life.” Verses 26 and 27 tell us, “And afterward Joshua smote them, and slew them, and hanged them on five trees: and they were hanging upon the trees until the evening. And it came to pass at the time of the going down of the sun, that Joshua commanded, and they took them down off the trees, and cast them into the cave wherein they had been hid, and laid great stones in the cave's mouth, which remain until this very day.” Doesn't it remind you of Easter, only in reverse?—the empty tomb before the Cross? Oh, how it points to the real thing!
Praise God—in Christ, our self-focus has been crucified, but will we bury it and pile up the rocks? Do you see it? Joshua, or “Yeshua”—the Hebrew word for “Jesus”, was the one who buried the kings in the first place. The stones were then rolled away so the kings could be killed and then buried again—this time for good. There is much slain at the Cross of Christ—our own righteousness and rule; our wild running, stubbornly refusing to give birth, and then growth, to the life of God within us; our lack of pasture that comes in not feeding on the Word of God, and not fellowshipping with other surrendered and committed Christians; our frisky associations with those not committed that draw us away; and, yes, our own attempts at being the bright and shining star to others, drawing attention to ourselves, rather than to Jesus. These kings must be buried for good, and obedience is the key—obedience out of love for Him. Go ahead, write the blank check, but make it payable to JESUS, “up to and including your life!” Even though both Memorial Day and Pentecost will be here before the end of the month, you don't need to wait! Repent right now and give your whole life to Him— let the fullness of Pentecost's Holy Spirit indwell you.
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Posted By Christ Our Rock Bible Church to Christ Our Rock at 5/01/2009 01:00:00 PM