Justice and Mercy - Part 2 of 2

The Baptist Bible Hour now comes to you under the direction of Elder LeSaire Bratley, 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 LeSaire Bratley, Jr. inviting you to stay tuned for the message of God's sovereign grace. Come, thou fount of every blessing, to my heart to sing thy praise! Streams of mercy never ceasing, call for songs of loudest praise!

Teach me some manner yet sonnet, sung by flaming tongues above! Praise the mount of fits beyond it, mount of God's unchanging love! Here I raise my ever-nestle, give the ride I've held by call! And I hope by thy good pleasure, safely to arrive at home! Jesus sought me when a stranger, wandering from the fold of God! He to save my soul from danger, interposed His precious Lord! O to grace, how great a ghetto, daily I'm constrained to be! Let thy grace, Lord, like a fetter, bind my wandering heart to thee! Prone to wander, Lord, I feel it!

Prone to be the God I love! Here's my heart, for take and seal it! Seal it for thy courts above!

The summer months are always particularly challenging in keeping up with the expense of the program, so if you can help us at this time, we'll greatly appreciate it. Mention the call letters of the station over which you hear the program when writing us. Our address is Baptist Bible Hour, Box 17037, Cincinnati, Ohio 45217. O God, our health in ages past, our hope for years to come! Our shelter from the stormy past, and our eternal home! Under the shadow of thy throne, still may we dwell secure!

Sufficiently tied, all alone, and our defense is sure! Before the hills in order, turn for her, proceed her frame! From everlasting, the Lord God, through endless years, God save! O God, our health in ages past, our hope for years to come! Be thou my guide, while life shall last, and our eternal home! We continue with the message, Justice and Mercy. This is from the book of Joshua, chapter 6, verse 17. And the city shall be accursed, even it, and all that are therein to the Lord.

Only Rahab the harlot shall live, she and all that are in her house, because she hid the messengers that were sent. A person might ask, why are we spending time over here in the book of Joshua? Because in this modern day, there are so many current issues to face. Well, for one reason, it is the inspired Word of God. And all Scripture is given by inspiration and is profitable. Furthermore, we learn a lot about God. We learn about His wrath, His power, and His mercy.

Not only a declaration of it, but a visible evidence of it. And then we learn something about human failure, and also the successes that come through obedience to God's command. The fact is, God is at war with sin.

2 Peter, chapter 2, verse 4. For if God spared not the angels that sinned, but cast them down to hell, and delivered them into chains of darkness, to be reserved unto judgment, and spared not the old world, but saved Noah the eighth person, a preacher of righteousness, bringing in the flood upon the world of the ungodly, and turning the cities of Sodom and Gomorrah into ashes, condemned them with an overthrow, making them an ensemble unto those that after should live ungodly, and delivered just Lot vexed with the filthy conversation of the wicked, the Lord knoweth how to deliver the godly out of temptation, and to reserve the unjust unto the day of judgment to be punished. God at war with sin.

It was said in the book of Genesis that every imagination and thought of man's heart was only evil continually. And God sent that flood that drowned all the inhabitants of the earth, saved the eight souls in Noah's ark who were saved by grace. God sent that fiery judgment upon Sodom and Gomorrah and destroyed those cities, and only Lot, by the grace of God, was rescued. As God has punished sin, he will yet punish it. Second Thessalonians chapter one, verse six. Seeing it as a righteous thing with God to recompense tribulation to them that trouble you. He's talking about God's people in a time of tribulation, a time of persecution. He will deal with those. He will recompense tribulation to them that trouble you. And to you who are troubled, rest with us.

Now get this. When the Lord Jesus shall be revealed from heaven with his mighty angels in flaming fire, taking vengeance on them that know not God and that obey not the gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ, who shall be punished with everlasting destruction from the presence of the Lord and from the glory of his power. That's sobering, isn't it? Jesus Christ coming back, coming back to take vengeance on those that know not God and obey not the gospel. They'll be punished with everlasting destruction. And finally, Revelation chapter 21, verse 8. But the fearful and the unbelieving and abominable and murderers and whoremongers and sorcerers and idolaters and all liars shall have their part in the lake which birth with fire and brimstone, which is the second death.

You might be thinking, I really don't enjoy hearing about this. I prefer to hear about the love of God. I like to hear words of comfort. And I like to preach, bringing words of comfort. But if I'm going to be faithful to preach the whole counsel of God, then when we come to this book of Joshua and we find evidence of God's wrath on the evil doers and idolaters of that land, we need to acknowledge what the Bible says and what broad lessons are brought to our attention when we observe it. So first, we have seen God's wrath on a wicked city. And if you feel like you need a little hope at the moment, we find that when we see God's mercy on a sinful woman. God not only is a God who is holy, who is just, a God of wrath, a God who is angry with the wicked every day. He is a God of mercy and aren't you glad He is? Psalm 116 verse 5, gracious is the Lord and righteous, yea, our God is merciful. Psalm 136 verse 1, oh give thanks unto the Lord for His mercy endureth forever. And that is restated in all the 26 verses of that Psalm. His mercy endureth forever. The fact that it's repeated throughout the Psalm. He says the mercy of the Lord endureth forever, that's consoling isn't it?

That gives us hope. In view of the fact that God hates sin and we by nature are sinners, how wonderful to know that He also is merciful. So in Hebrews 4 16 He says, let us come boldly to the throne of grace that we may obtain mercy. If you know you're a sinner you know you need mercy. If you know you violated the law of God you don't want justice, you want mercy.

And He says you come to the throne of grace and you will obtain it. Oh how beautiful to see God's mercy on Rahab. We see His sovereignty in choosing this woman.

We don't know what the population of the city was. But out of all the inhabitants of the city God chose Rahab. Here's His sovereign grace. Here's His mercy displayed in choosing her just as He has chosen a people and given them to His son Jesus Christ to be the benefits of His mercy and live with Him forever. God's sovereignty in choosing her. God's sovereignty and blessing is seen in the fact that she was able to grasp the truth about God. Back in chapter 2 of Joshua verse 11 is what this woman said. This is what Rahab said to the spies that came in and visited her.

As soon as we heard these things our hearts did melt. Neither did there remain any more courage in any man because of you. For the Lord your God He is God in heaven above and in earth beneath. What a testimony.

Coming to this wicked pagan city filled with worshippers of idols. And this one woman says I've heard about your God. He is God in heaven above and the earth beneath. Yes God blessed her to see truth. And He blessed her with faith.

When we go to the book of Hebrews chapter 11 verse 31 says, By faith the harlot Rahab perished not with them that believed not when she received the spies in peace. Faith is not something that a person can generate on their own. According to Ephesians chapter 2 verse 8, By grace are you saved through faith and that not of yourselves. It is the gift of God not of works less than a man should boast. So if you have faith you know you didn't produce it.

God blessed you with it. It's the gift of God and God blessed this woman with faith. And so by faith she believed in God and God spared her. And then we see that in spite of her past life, in spite of the fact that she was known as a harlot, she was saved by the grace of God. Nothing about her could merit his favor.

Nothing is said of anything that could even be commendable. Her sin was the way in which she was identified, Rahab the harlot. But it was grace, grace. Aren't you thankful for the mercy and grace of God? Suppose you were going to be dealt with strictly on the basis of God's justice.

Where do you think it would be? If you see yourself as you are you know that you would be justly condemned. But grace is bestowed on fallen, ruined sinners. And he blessed her and her family so that they came to live with the Israelites.

She married into the Israelite family and was in the ancestry of Jesus Christ. What a remarkable thing. What a beautiful display of grace. As we review the fact that the scriptures are very plain and telling us that God in his holiness hates sin and his wrath is meted out upon the wicked, we surely should thank him over and over again in our prayers, in our songs. So we sing, amazing grace, how sweet the sound that saved what a wretch like me.

Yes, grace is marvelous. And we think about God's mercy and other notable sinners. The woman that came into the house of Simon the Pharisee when Jesus was visiting there and she began to weep at his feet. She had a sense of her sin. She was grieved because of her sinfulness. And Jesus said, Thy sins are forgiven. Isn't that good news to a sinner?

If you ever struggled over your sin, if you felt extremely guilty and unworthy and wondered if God would hear you at all, what good news when Jesus himself said, Thy sins are forgiven. And then we think about the woman at Jacob's well. Jesus took a different path that day than he would ordinarily travel because there was a lost sheep that he had gone to find. And that woman who also had a sorry past, Jesus begins to converse with her.

This was unusual too because a man ordinarily did not initiate a conversation with a woman that he did not know. And Jesus speaks to her and she is amazed to tell others that this man has told me all about myself. And while she was willing to provide water from Jacob's well, Jesus provided water of much greater value, living water. And then we see it in the parable of the Pharisee and the publican. Jesus said that they went up to the temple to pray and the Pharisee is boastfully saying, I thank thee that I am not this other man. But the publican smites upon his breast and says, God be merciful to me, the sinner.

And he says, this man went down to his house justified. He knew he was a sinner. He knew he needed mercy. And it is good news to know that when a guilty sinner, seeing himself as he really is at the sight of a holy God, knows that he needs mercy and he cries out for mercy that God hears him. And then we think of the experience of Saul of Tarsus.

He was a man that was self-righteous, a Pharisee of the Pharisees, despising the gospel, hating the name of Jesus Christ. But God intervened and saved him. Paul says in 1 Timothy 1.15, this is a faithful saying and worthy of all acceptation that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners of whom I am chief. This beautiful account of God's mercy.

And then think of God's mercy for you. After recognizing the truth that he is a holy God, that he's a just God, that he's a God of wrath, surely can you not today rejoice in his mercy and praise him for it? Psalm 107 verse 1 says, Oh give thanks unto the Lord for he is good, for his mercy endureth forever.

Thank him today. Praise God that there is hope for sinners. That while God hates sin and will punish sin, his wrath was poured out on Jesus Christ at Calvary.

And those who come by faith to believe in him, only the benefits of his redemptive work, sin, cancel, put away, paid for. So today if you're resting in Jesus Christ, your place in him is secure. And then finally, we see God's blessing on a faithful servant. The Lord was with Joshua. He had promised that he would be with him. Look in chapter 1 verse 5, he says, There shall not any man be able to stand before thee all the days of thy life, as I was with Moses, so I will be with thee.

I will not fail thee, nor forsake thee. God had promised he would be with him. Verse 9, Have not I commanded thee, be strong and of good courage, be not afraid, neither be dismayed, for the Lord thy God is with thee whithersoever thou goest.

No wonder he could go forward with courage. No wonder he could be confident and not be fearful of the task that was before him because the God of heaven says, I will be with you wherever you go. Victory then came at Jericho, not because of Joshua's ability as a military leader, but because of God's blessing, because God's presence was there, because he was carrying out the instructions that God had given.

God was with him just as he had promised. Chapter 4 verse 14 says, On that day the Lord magnified Joshua in the sight of all Israel, and they feared him as they feared Moses all the days of his life. God blessed him in such a way that the people came to respect him and acknowledge, yes, just as we had to recognize God was with Moses in that day, God is certainly now with Joshua our leader. Chapter 6 verse 27, So the Lord was with Joshua, and his fame was noise throughout all the countries. And that didn't mean that the Lord was lifting up Joshua in such a way that he as a man might be honored, but he blessed so that his fame was noise abroad, so that the inhabitants of the land knew when Joshua led the Israelites toward their city that they were in deep trouble, but also blessed him in the way that the people of Israel might acknowledge God is with this man. Now, that was the concern of Elijah when on Mount Carmel, and he prayed, Lord, rain down fire from heaven that this people may know thou art God, and I'm thy servant.

Not trying to take any of the glory that belongs to God, but if I'm going to proclaim a message that these people will receive, I want them to know I'm your servant. Lord, bless that they acknowledge thou art God, I am thy servant. Joshua was obedient. He recognized God's authority over him.

In chapter 5, verse 13, and he said, as he met this stranger in the nighttime when he was out exploring the territory, Nay, but as captain of the host of the Lord, am I come. And Joshua fell on his face to the earth and did worship, and said unto him, What sayeth my Lord unto his servant? Joshua didn't argue. Joshua didn't say, I'm not satisfied with these instructions.

I don't think they're going to work. He bowed in humility to the Lord. He was submissive, and he obeyed. Verse 15, and the captain of the Lord's host said unto Joshua, Loose thy shoe from off thy foot for the place where on thou standest is holy ground, and Joshua did so. Joshua was obedient. The Lord says, Take your shoe off, Joshua did it. He was an obedient servant. And the Lord gave him instruction regarding the march around the city.

He didn't argue, he didn't complain, he didn't question it. The captain of the host of the Lord has spoken. The Lord himself has declared, Here's the plan, march around the city.

And he did it. The instructions that he gave the people were the very instructions that he received from the Lord. And when his servants give instruction to the Lord's people that come from his word, they have an obligation to receive them. The apostle Paul spoke of the fact that he rejoiced when he preached to those at Thessalonica that they received the message as it was, a message from God. Because he was preaching the word. So the people received the instruction given by Joshua because they knew the source of it. That the captain had given him these instructions. The Lord honored him as a leader. And so his fame was throughout all the countries. How beautiful, really.

What an amazing thing. In a single chapter here in the Old Testament to see something that from the human standpoint is difficult to grasp. And that is the holy God meeting out judgment on a sinful idolatrous people because he's just he dealt with them what they deserved.

But on the other hand displaying his mercy and his grace in the saving of a woman with a sinful reputation. These truths need to be embraced. You may not understand all of the details of it. These are higher than our ways. But may we receive what is revealed to us. According to John chapter 3 verse 36. The wrath of God abides on those that have not believed on the son Jesus Christ. This wrath that we've read about. This wrath that's revealed in scripture. The wrath of God abides on the one who has not believed on the son of God. And there is a day of terrible wrath to come. There's only one place to hide and that's in the savior of sinners.

The one who suffered the wrath of God at Calvary. Do you not see your need of him today? Is it not an alarming thing to think that one day the wrath of God is going to be meted out and if you don't have a hiding place if you don't have a refuge if you don't have one to plead your case if you don't have an intercessor what a horrible horrible time it will be. Do you see your need of him? Come to him today by faith and he will not cast you out. Savior I come to Thee, on Thee I come. Thou art my home and me, Jesus my home. Thou o'er my refuge art, comfort thou me. Heal thou my aching heart, thine would I be. Surely we know that the only hope for fallen ruined sinners to escape the wrath of God to be meted out upon the wicked forever is through the substitutionary death of Jesus Christ. And how wonderful that he says, Him that cometh unto me I will have no eyes cast out.

Till next week at this same time may the Lord richly bless you all. Blessed are my care, Jesus my King. Lo, as the grief I bear, to Thee I cling. Savior I come to Thee, be thou my light. Upward my footsteps lead out of the night. Into the heavenly day, bright with thy love, lead me, O Lord, I pray, homeward above.