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Better is one day in your courts, than a thousand elsewhere. Joshua 9 Dr. Joseph Chang/BOLGPC 8/18/2013. Elysium (a movie). Elysium (a movie). The Holy City, the New Jerusalem.
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Better is one day in your courts, than a thousand elsewhere. Joshua 9 Dr. Joseph Chang/BOLGPC 8/18/2013
The Holy City, the New Jerusalem • 2I saw the Holy City, the new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride beautifully dressed for her husband. . . . 16The city was laid out like a square, as long as it was wide. He measured the city with the rod and found it to be 12,000 stadia in length, and as wide and high as it is long. (Rev 21:2, 16)
Elysium/New Jerusalem, + • 1. It is a place that everyone wants to go. • 2. There is complete healing up there. • 1Then the angel showed me the river of the water of life, as clear as crystal, flowing from the throne of God and of the Lamb 2down the middle of the great street of the city. On each side of the river stood the tree of life, bearing twelve crops of fruit, yielding its fruit every month. And the leaves of the tree are for the healing of the nations. (Rev 22:1-2) • 3.It is the Administration center of the entire earth.
Elysium/New Jerusalem - • 1.Not a place for wealthy, but a place for victorious Christians. • 2. Only those with resurrected bodies. • 3. A place without sin.
Earth - • 1A shoot will come up from the stump of Jesse; from his roots a Branch will bear fruit. 2The Spirit of the LORD will rest on him-- the Spirit of wisdom and of understanding, the Spirit of counsel and of power, the Spirit of knowledge and of the fear of the LORD-- 3and he will delight in the fear of the LORD. He will not judge by what he sees with his eyes, or decide by what he hears with his ears; 4but with righteousness he will judge the needy, with justice he will give decisions for the poor of the earth. He will strike the earth with the rod of his mouth; with the breath of his lips he will slay the wicked. 5Righteousness will be his belt and faithfulness the sash around his waist. (Isa 11:1-5)
Earth - • 6The wolf will live with the lamb, the leopard will lie down with the goat, the calf and the lion and the yearling together; and a little child will lead them. 7The cow will feed with the bear, their young will lie down together, and the lion will eat straw like the ox. 8The infant will play near the hole of the cobra, and the young child put his hand into the viper's nest. 9They will neither harm nor destroy on all my holy mountain, for the earth will be full of the knowledge of the LORD as the waters cover the sea. (Isa 11:6-9)
Earth - • 20"Never again will there be in it an infant who lives but a few days, or an old man who does not live out his years; he who dies at a hundred will be thought a mere youth; he who fails to reach a hundred will be considered accursed. (Isa 65:20)
Today’s story of salvation is the Beginning of The future New Heavens and New Earth
Joshua 9 • 1Now when all the kings west of the Jordan heard about these things--those in the hill country, in the western foothills, and along the entire coast of the Great Sea as far as Lebanon (the kings of the Hittites, Amorites, Canaanites, Perizzites, Hivites and Jebusites)-- 2they came together to make war against Joshua and Israel. 3However, when the people of Gibeon heard what Joshua had done to Jericho and Ai, 4they resorted to a ruse: They went as a delegation whose donkeys were loaded with worn-out sacks and old wineskins, cracked and mended.
Joshua 9 • 5The men put worn and patched sandals on their feet and wore old clothes. All the bread of their food supply was dry and moldy. 6Then they went to Joshua in the camp at Gilgal and said to him and the men of Israel, "We have come from a distant country; make a treaty with us." 7The men of Israel said to the Hivites, "But perhaps you live near us. How then can we make a treaty with you?" 8"We are your servants," they said to Joshua. But Joshua asked, "Who are you and where do you come from?"
Joshua 9 • 9They answered: "Your servants have come from a very distant country because of the fame of the LORD your God. For we have heard reports of him: all that he did in Egypt, 10and all that he did to the two kings of the Amorites east of the Jordan--Sihon king of Heshbon, and Og king of Bashan, who reigned in Ashtaroth. 11And our elders and all those living in our country said to us, 'Take provisions for your journey; go and meet them and say to them, "We are your servants; make a treaty with us."' 12This bread of ours was warm when we packed it at home on the day we left to come to you. But now see how dry and moldy it is.
Joshua 9 • 13And these wineskins that we filled were new, but see how cracked they are. And our clothes and sandals are worn out by the very long journey." 14The men of Israel sampled their provisions but did not inquire of the LORD. 15Then Joshua made a treaty of peace with them to let them live, and the leaders of the assembly ratified it by oath. 16Three days after they made the treaty with the Gibeonites, the Israelites heard that they were neighbors, living near them.
Joshua 9 • 17So the Israelites set out and on the third day came to their cities: Gibeon, Kephirah, Beeroth and KiriathJearim. 18But the Israelites did not attack them, because the leaders of the assembly had sworn an oath to them by the LORD, the God of Israel. The whole assembly grumbled against the leaders, 19but all the leaders answered, "We have given them our oath by the LORD, the God of Israel, and we cannot touch them now. 20This is what we will do to them: We will let them live, so that wrath will not fall on us for breaking the oath we swore to them."
Joshua 9 • 21They continued, "Let them live, but let them be woodcutters and water carriers for the entire community." So the leaders' promise to them was kept. 22Then Joshua summoned the Gibeonites and said, "Why did you deceive us by saying, 'We live a long way from you,' while actually you live near us? 23You are now under a curse: You will never cease to serve as woodcutters and water carriers for the house of my God.”
Joshua 9 • 24They answered Joshua, "Your servants were clearly told how the LORD your God had commanded his servant Moses to give you the whole land and to wipe out all its inhabitants from before you. So we feared for our lives because of you, and that is why we did this. 25We are now in your hands. Do to us whatever seems good and right to you." 26So Joshua saved them from the Israelites, and they did not kill them. 27That day he made the Gibeonites woodcutters and water carriers for the community and for the altar of the LORD at the place the LORD would choose. And that is what they are to this day.
I. Does God give us a second chance? • Yes • Rahab • Noah’s Ark (Gen 6:3; 7:16) • But Ark’s door will one day be closed.
II. Is the second chance always a smooth one? • No! • Priceless mistaken as cheap. • A.Canaanite woman • 21Leaving that place, Jesus withdrew to the region of Tyre and Sidon. 22A Canaanite woman from that vicinity came to him, crying out, "Lord, Son of David, have mercy on me! My daughter is suffering terribly from demon-possession." 23Jesus did not answer a word. So his disciples came to him and urged him, "Send her away, for she keeps crying out after us.“ (Matt 15:21-23)
II. Is the second chance always a smooth one? • 24He answered, "I was sent only to the lost sheep of Israel." 25The woman came and knelt before him. "Lord, help me!" she said. 26He replied, "It is not right to take the children's bread and toss it to their dogs." 27"Yes, Lord," she said, "but even the dogs eat the crumbs that fall from their masters' table." 28Then Jesus answered, "Woman, you have great faith! Your request is granted." And her daughter was healed from that very hour. (Matt 15:24-28)
II. Is the second chance always a smooth one? • B. Gibeonites • 1.have no kings • 2. Come toward the Lord. • 9They answered: "Your servants have come from a very distant country because of the fame of the LORD your God. For we have heard reports of him: all that he did in Egypt, 10and all that he did to the two kings of the Amorites east of the Jordan--Sihon king of Heshbon, and Og king of Bashan, who reigned in Ashtaroth. (Josh 9:9-10)
II. Is the second chance always a smooth one? • B. Gibeonites • 1.have no kings • 2. Come toward the Lord. • 9They answered: "Your servants have come from a very distant country because of the fame of the LORD your God. For we have heard reports of him: all that he did in Egypt, 10and all that he did to the two kings of the Amorites east of the Jordan--Sihon king of Heshbon, and Og king of Bashan, who reigned in Ashtaroth. (Josh 9:9-10)
II. Is the second chance always a smooth one? • B. Gibeonites • 24They answered Joshua, "Your servants were clearly told how the LORD your God had commanded his servant Moses to give you the whole land and to wipe out all its inhabitants from before you. So we feared for our lives because of you, and that is why we did this. (Josh 9:24) • 19but all the leaders answered, "We have given them our oath by the LORD, the God of Israel, and we cannot touch them now. 20This is what we will do to them: We will let them live, so that wrath will not fall on us for breaking the oath we swore to them." (Josh 9:19-20)
III. A true conversion will bring a true change. • Wood cutter and water carrier=?. • (1). They kept the covenant faithfully (Judges 3:3, 5). • (2). Kiriath-Jearim kept the ark of the covenant (1 Sam 6:21-7:1) • (3).Returning from exile, Gibeonites joined the construction of the temple (Neh 7:25, 29; Ezra 2:25), and the city wall (Neh 3:7).
Conclusion • 10Better is one day in your courts than a thousand elsewhere; I would rather be a doorkeeper in the house of my God than dwell in the tents of the wicked. (Ps 84:10)