The Baptist Bible Hour now comes to you under the direction of Elder Lassare Bradley, Jr. O for a thousand tongues to sing my great Redeemer's praise, the glories of my God and King, the triumphs of His grace. This is Lassare Bradley, Jr., inviting you to stay tuned for another message of God's sovereign grace. Holy Spirit, lead us, we pray. We need thy diamonds all through the day.
If Thou but teach us to know Thy ways, We follow glad Thee and sing Thy praise. We need thy power along thy sway. Come, gracious Spirit, of thy today. In due with love, almighty one, O help us now to say, I will be done. Comfort of all hearts, hear us, we pray Hear us, I say, from day to day If we must follow, make thee our guide.
Thy peace will be ours and joy abide. Thy peace will be ours And joy of mine We continue today with our series from the book of Joshua, this section entitled Watch and Pray. I pray that the message will be a blessing to you. And if it is, let us hear from you. Our mailing address is Baptist Bible Hour, Box 17037, Cincinnati, Ohio, 45217.
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So if you'd like to help in this work to make the program still be available to you and available to many others, We hope that you will pray the Lord to guide you in what you can give. You can make a donation by going to our website at BaptistBibleHour.org or you can send it through the mail to Baptist Bible Hour, Box 17037, Cincinnati, Ohio 45217. Today we look at Joshua chapter 9. it's an Old Testament story about deception and it brings to mind the words of a New Testament text 1 Peter chapter 4 verse 7 we're admonished to watch and pray the failure of Joshua and the leaders in Israel to do just that to watch and pray, made it possible for the Gibeonites to deceive them. As we look at this chapter, we need to remember Romans chapter 15, verse 4.
For whatsoever things were written aforetime were written for our learning, that we through patience and comfort of the scriptures might have hope. these things that are written concerning God's dealing with his people in olden times are there not just as a historical record but are there for our spiritual benefit that we might learn and then first Corinthians chapter 10 verse 11 says these things are written for our admonition.
So as we look at these two passages, we learn that what we read and study in the Old Testament is written, that we might learn, that we might be admonished, and that we might have hope.
Now the first two verses of this chapter 9 describe that the kings of the land came together to fight Joshua. It's interesting to note that enemies can join forces. Enemies can decide in order to face a common enemy, we're going to unite. And we'll see some significance to that when we get to chapter 10, and we'll come back and look at the first two verses. But looking at this chapter, we see first a deceitful enemy.
So I want to begin reading with verse 3 of Joshua chapter 9. And when the inhabitants of Gibeon heard that Joshua had done unto Jericho and to Ai, they did work willily and went and made as if they had been ambassadors and took old sacks upon their asses and wine bottles old and rent and bound up and old shoes and clouted upon their feet and old garments upon them and all the bread of their provision was dry and moldy And they went to Joshua into the camp of Gilgal and said unto him and to the men of Israel we be come from a far country Now therefore make ye a league with us. And the men of Israel said unto the Hivites, now in case you wonder, the Gibeonites were a part of the Hivites.
So he addresses them as Hivites here saying, prayer adventure, ye dwell among us and how shall we make a league with you?
So obviously there was some skepticism, there was concern. Are these people being straightforward and honest? And they said unto Joshua, we are thy servants. And Joshua said unto them, who are ye? And from whence come ye?
And they said unto him, from a very far country.
Now, first they said, we're from a far country. This time they said, we're from a very far country. See, when people start lying, they just really get into it. And the farther they go, the bigger it gets. And so they're doing everything they can to make the point that they're from a distance.
There's no reason for Joshua to wipe them out as he had the inhabitants of Jericho and Ai. We're from a very far country. Thy servants have come because of the name of the Lord thy God. For we have heard the fame of him and all that he did in Egypt. And all that he did to the two kings of the Amorites that were beyond Jordan.
To Shion, king of Heshbon. And of Og, king of Bashan. which was at Asheroth. Wherefore our elders and all the inhabitants of our country spake to us saying, take vittles with you for the journey and go and meet them and say unto them, we are your servants. Therefore now make ye a league with us.
This our bread we took hot for our provision out of our homes. Isn't this an interesting story that they present? Here they come saying, we took bread hot out of the oven when we started on this trip, but look at it now. It's all crusty and moldy and so trying to convince them that they've come from a distance. And so it's now dry and molding.
Verse 13, and these bottles of wine which we filled were new, and behold, they be rent, and these are garments, and our shoes are become old by reason of the very long journey.
Now, since we know the facts and how this story turns out, we can see some discrepancies in the story as they present it. First of all, if they were ambassadors officially sent from another country, they wouldn't come with such shabby garments. They would have tried to come dressed in some attire that would have been impressive. If indeed they were the officials sent by a foreign government, they would have had servants accompanying them.
So if the bread had gotten moldy, the servants would have made them new bread, and they wouldn't be dragging on this old crusty moldy bread. Just so many things about the story you can see just didn't match up. But when an effort is being made to deceive somebody, their testimony can sound very convincing, and some of these details can be overlooked. And so the Gibeonites are coming, making this request that Joshua enter into a covenant with them, an agreement that they will not be harmed. And Joshua is deceived.
Now, as we think about the deception brought by the Gibeonites, we think about the deception of our enemy. the Gibeonites were actually enemies of Joshua and Israel but appeared to be congenial and just people from a distance who would never really have any interaction with them in fact Joshua did have the right according to the information that was given to him through Moses that if there were people at a distance not a part of the land of Canaan he could enter into a peaceful agreement with them. But as it turns out, these Gibeonites were not from a very far country. They lived only 25 miles away. They were their next door neighbor.
But oh, think about the deception that our enemy seeks to use with us. 2 Corinthians chapter 2 verse 11, lest Satan should get an advantage of us for we are not ignorant of Satan's devices. Satan is our enemy. He is constantly implementing many different devices, many different schemes to ensnare us, to confuse us, to lead us down the wrong path. In 2 Corinthians 11, 3, then Paul says, but I fear less by any means as the serpent beguiled Eve through his subtlety, so your mind should be corrupted from the simplicity that is in Christ.
Writing to this church, he says, I'm concerned about you. Just as Satan appeared to Eve and deceived her, he was very subtle in his approach. He used deceptive devices to lead her down the wrong path. I'm concerned lest your mind should be corrupted from the simplicity that is in Christ Jesus. And then verse 13, for such are false apostles, deceitful workers, transforming themselves into the apostles of Christ.
Verse 14, and no marvel for Satan himself transformed himself into an angel of light.
Now we read that at times Satan comes as a roaring lion seeking whom he may devour. And when that's the case, he can easily be detected. You hear his roar. You see evidence of his work. But at other times he transforms himself into an angel of light.
This is where deception takes its toll. What could be wrong with what this individual is saying? This person seems to have a lot of light. This person seems to appear as an angel, as a messenger of God.
So he transforms himself into an angel of light to deceive us.
So just as there are false apostles and false prophets there are members of churches that are false professors because he deceives deceives individuals that will be his agents False apostles, false teachers who would teach the doctrine that Satan would like to be taught. False professors who would have all the outward appearance of being a true follower of Jesus Christ, but no real change of heart, no real devotion to Christ, no real commitment to him. And then we go to the book of Ephesians, chapter two, looking at verse two, where in time past, ye walked according to the course of this world, according to the prince of the power of the air, the spirit that now worketh in the children of disobedience, among whom also we had our conversation in times past and the lust of our flesh, fulfilling the desires of the flesh and of the mind and were by nature the children of wrath, even as others. The course of this world. What's he referring to?
Before your conversion, he says, you walked according to the course of this world. You were under the influence of Satan, who is described as being the prince of the power the air, the spirit that now works in the children of disobedience.
Well, the course of this world simply is the world's view. The world's view of what is right and wrong, of what is good and bad. In the day in which we're living, we see that the world's view is becoming more corrupt all the time. far removed from biblical truth, from biblical principles. And so the world under the influence of Satan is dominating society today.
People are influenced by the philosophies that men have devised but are in such opposition to biblical truth.
so the world under the influence of satan and satan is not omnipresent as is god but satan has many demons that work with him and through his own effort to influence and the work of his demons to attack individuals.
Now, I don't believe any child of God can be demon-possessed. It is possible for unbelievers to actually be demon-possessed. We haven't seen much evidence of that in this country, but when I talk to people from other lands, Elder Guna in particular, who has come into face-to-face combat with those who were demon-possessed. We know that Satan is indeed at work. And so in order to be prepared, Ephesians chapter 6 verse 11 says, put on the whole armor of God that he may be able to stand against what?
The wiles of the devil. The wiles, the schemes, the trickery, all of the effort he puts forth to deceive, to confuse, to ensnare, to lead people down the wrong path, leading them to question the very existence of God or to challenge the authority of scripture or to hold the view that's popular today that whatever I believe is truth is truth for me. It may not be for you, but it's for me and refuse to bow to any authoritative source that we believe the Bible is that given us by divine inspiration. They're very much like Pharaoh when Moses came before him demanding that the people let go be let go and he says who is the Lord that I should obey him and is that not the attitude and spirit of multitudes in this day?
So what are some of the present day philosophies espoused by Satan, deceiving many, confusing many?
Well, the whole idea of humanism puts man above everything. Man is exalted as being his own authority. He's his own boss. He sets his own standard. He decides what's right and what's wrong.
Well, obviously that appeals to fallen sinful nature.
So when that thinking is prevalent, when much of that is taught in the school systems and certainly in the colleges and universities of this day, multitudes of people have bought into it. And then the whole idea of evolution, failing to recognize that man was created by God, created in God's image. And because of that, then God's authority is rejected. And that's the reason that so many can now defend the idea that abortion is a woman's right. How sad to see the multitudes confused, failing to recognize that human life is valuable.
I saw a movie recently that was very vivid in depicting what happens in an abortion. And to see the picture of that little infant in its mother's womb, its motions very much alive, and then to see its life snuffed out. And even in some circles today, it's decided that even after birth, even after delivery, if the mother decides, I don't want that baby, the doctor has a right to kill it. Murder. Because there's failure to recognize the sovereign God as the creator of heaven and earth, the giver of life.
Under Satan's influence, culture today, in many cases, has rejected God's definition of marriage and decide we have the right to set our own rules.
now if you accept the bible as being authoritative you say on any subject that may be discussed if you're talking about it to somebody at work or some relative or friend or whatever and you take that position i believe the bible i believe it all i believe it's the inspired word of God So my position on any subject is going to be based on what god word says you will be looked on by many as being a narrow bigot in fact they will describe some of your conversation as being hate talk there's nothing hateful about it it's love for god and love for god's word but under the influence of Satan. Multitudes today have strayed so far from the basic truth of the word of God. And certainly when it comes to matters of what you believe about salvation, to say that I believe there is only salvation by believing on Jesus Christ. No other way. nor the name given under heaven whereby we must be saved.
Jesus makes it clear. He that believeth on the Son hath everlasting life. He that believeth not is condemned already because he has not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God. You say, that's what I believe. And they say, you're narrow-minded.
How can you believe that? And the strange thing is that there are people who will say, oh, I believe Jesus was a great teacher and yet reject what he taught. Jesus is the one that taught this he says I am the way the truth and the life so many are deceived in thinking today that there are various ways by which a person may ultimately make their way to heaven and then not only must we be aware and alert to the fact that Satan is the great deceiver Jesus said he's a liar from the beginning and he promotes error, evil in many forms. We also have to be careful not to deceive ourselves. James chapter 1 verse 22 says, but be ye doers of the word and not hearers deceiving yourselves.
So if you're one that comes to hear a message and you would say, well, that man preached the truth. but you never do anything about it. You never make any application of it. You're deceiving yourself. Or you pick up the Bible and maybe you're diligent to read it every day.
You read it, you see your own failure, you see your own sin, you see your shortcoming but you do nothing about it. He says you're deceiving yourself. Jeremiah chapter 17 verse 9 says, The heart is deceitful of all things and desperately wicked. Who can know it? I've had people say to me at times, well, if I know my own heart, well, I can tell you, you don't.
Because God's Word says you don't. Our heart is deceitful. As human beings, we have the tendency to make out a better case for ourselves than what is justified. By an outward appearance, a person may seem to be very humble. that would have been the judgment you would have made if you had been here when these Gibeonites came to talk to Joshua they looked like very humble people their clothes and their shoes were all looking aged and outward appearance yes we'd say we feel that they are humble but a person can give the outward appearance of humility can speak softly, gently, and yet within be full of pride.
Hebrews chapter 3 verse 13 says, but exhort one another daily while it is called today, lest any of you be hardened through the deceitfulness of sin. How is it that your heart becomes hard? through the deceitfulness of sin. That there are sins you would certainly condemn. You'd be appalled to see certain sins in the lives of others and yet some of the sins in your own life you defend and excuse and ignore.
And as that goes on over a period of time, your heart becomes hard. How is it? Through the deceitfulness of sin. As I walk, let me walk close to thee. It is a joy to observe the victories Israel enjoyed under Joshua's leadership when they followed God's direction.
But it is sad to see the defeat that came when they failed to depend on the Lord. We have drawn from their experiences many practical lessons which apply in our life today. Again, I encourage you to write us. Until next week at this same time, may the Lord richly bless you all. the Lord.
Guide me gently, safely, Lord, till I kingdom store, till I store. The Baptist Bible Hour has come to you under the direction of Elder Lissaire Bradley, Jr. Address all mail to the Baptist Bible Hour, Cincinnati, Ohio 45217. That's the Baptist Bible Hour, Cincinnati, Ohio 45217. Let it be walking close to Thee.
Let it be, dear Lord, let it be.
