THE CHARGE TO EARNESTLY CONTEND AND PRESERVE THE FAITH

Text: Joshua 22:1-34.

Joshua was the captain of an army with different sections and compartments. The two-and-a-half tribes and the rest of the nine-and-a-half tribes had conquered and possessed quite a lot of ground. When the time came for the two-and-half tribes— Reuben, Gad, and half tribe of Manasseh—to return to their possession on the other side of Jordan, Joshua had to remind them of the oneness of Israel and charged them to keep to the covenant that God had commanded them. In our days, we have the charge to earnestly contend for the faith once delivered to the saints. “Beloved, when I gave all diligence to write unto you of the common salvation, it was needful for me to write unto you, and exhort you that ye should earnestly contend for the faith which was once delivered unto the saints.” (Jude 1:3). The preacher must give all diligence to preach and send forth the word, and the hearers must also give all diligence to obey and carry out the word that they hear; diligence should not be one-sided. The preacher must be diligent in studying to show himself a workman who will not be ashamed and rightly divide the word of God.

 

1.      CONSERVING THE COMMONWEALTH IN GOD’S FULL REVELATION

Joshua 22:1-8; Ephesians 2:12-22.

 

 As the two and a half tribes returned to their possession on the other side of Jordan, they were to conserve the full revelation that the Lord had given them.

• The Charge and Charter for Commendable Conquerors – Joshua 22:1-4; Numbers 32:5-6,17-23; Joshua 1:12-18; Numbers 9:23. During the time of Moses, the tribes of Reuben, Gad, and half tribe of Manasseh had requested for the well-watered lands on the other side of Jordan because of their cattle.   Whenever we make a promise, a vow, a decision, or a consecration to the Lord, we must keep it firm firmly. To do otherwise would be to sin against God.

 

• The Challenge of Continuing with Courageous Consecration – Joshua 22:3-5; Deuteronomy 4:4-6,2; 2 Timothy 3:14-17; 1 Timothy 4:15-16. Any consecration that does not have an element of impossibility except there is courage is no consecration. If our consecration does not require effort, or demand self-denial and cross-bearing, it is not true consecration.  Too much sugar in the preaching will give you spiritual diabetes. There must be a balance of doctrine, reproof, correction, and instruction in righteousness. The purpose of preaching the word is to make us perfect. 

 

• The Changelessness and Conservation of the Complete Command –

Deuteronomy 5:32-33; Proverbs 30:5-6; 1 Peter 1:23-25; Revelation 22:18-19. The word of God and the ministry He has given us remains changeless. “Ye shall observe to do therefore as the LORD your God hath commanded you: ye shall not turn aside to the right hand or to the left. Ye shall walk in all the ways which the LORD your God hath commanded you, that ye may live, and that it may be well with you, and that ye may prolong your days in the land which ye shall possess.” (Deuteronomy 5:32-33). The Lord has given us long life and we will have a long life in Jesus Name.  If the evangelist under fear of man corrupts the seed of the word, souls will not be born again. If the preachers and the teachers of the word become afraid by looking at the faces of the people, and they corrupt the seed of the word because of that fear, the members will not be sanctified. If the leaders and the teachers of the people corrupt the seed of the word of God that we sow because they cannot bear the criticisms of people, we will not edify and mature the church. What saves, what sanctifies, what edifies, and what makes the church remain strong is the incorruptible seed of the word. The complete message that Christ has given to His church on earth is changeless, and we must conserve it in that changelessness.

 

2.     CONTENDING AGAINST THE CORRUPTION OF ‘GOOD’, ‘FRESH’ REVELATION

Joshua 22:9-24; 2 Corinthians 11:2-4.

 

The two and half tribes of the children of Israel that returned to the other side of Jordan built an altar similar to the one the other nine and half tribes had built.

 

• Diligent Inquisition at the Commencement with Fair Confrontation – Joshua 22:9-20; Deuteronomy 13:12-15; Judges 20:12; Psalm 106:30-31. When the children of Israel learnt of the altar built by the two and a half tribe of Manasseh, they sent some of their leaders to investigate.. The children of Israel responded to the challenge as God commanded them by sending chosen men to make diligent inquisitions. After their diligent inquisition, they were expected to act according to what was written in the word of God. “Then stood up Phinehas, and executed judgment: and so the plague was stayed. And that was counted unto him for righteousness unto all generations for evermore.” (Psalms 106:30-31). Taking evil away is counted as righteousness to the person who does it. Revealing evil and stopping corruption from coming into the pure water of the gospel is counted as righteousness for the person who does it.

 

• Delicate Interest and Complicity Without Firm Correction– Joshua 22:21-30; Proverbs 3:5-6; Jeremiah 10:23; John 8:28-29. The result of the investigation was that the people explained that the altar was not for prayer but as a memorial for the coming generation. If people who are sent to investigate a matter have a delicate interest in the people they are investigating, they tend to be complicit in the compromise. We must have the firmness to rebuke corruption regardless of who is involved. Sometimes, bold talk does not mean an honest heart. When people change the doctrine, it is usually because there is fear somewhere. We must not corrupt the word of God because of our children; faith in God must take pre-eminence over the academic interest of our children or their preferences. The people who were sent to investigate were pleased by the explanation of their brethren without prayer, without any enquiry from the Lord, without any word of revelation from on high, and the word of knowledge, word of wisdom or discerning of knowledge. There are people who abandon the standard and strategy of God as they get older, and they begin to use human reasoning against the word of God to permit what they think does not pose any present danger.

 

• Devastating Idolatry in Captivity for Filthy Corruption – 1 Chronicles 5:2526; Proverbs 14:12; Psalm 106:39-42; 1 Corinthians 10:12-14. The tribes of Reuben, Gad and half tribe of Manasseh who were spared earlier eventually went into captivity for idolatry. The inventions of the two and half tribes on the other side of Jordan that were reasoned away by the leaders sent to investigate them eventually sent them into captivity while their future children for whom they were concerned became idol worshippers. “Wherefore let him that thinketh he standeth take heed lest he fall.” (1 Corinthians 10:12).

 

3.    COMPREHENSION AND CONSTANCY OF GOD’S FIRM/FINAL REVELATION

Joshua 22:25-34; 1 Thessalonians 5:22-24.

 

• Similar Acts, Not Equally Approved of God – Numbers 25:6-12; John 18:7-11; Philippians 1:16-17; 1 John 3:14-16. We must go beyond the outward similarity, the external expression, and the outward appearance; things may look similar but as we dig deep into the heart and the source of the act, we will understand that not all the acts that are similar are approved of God. While Phinehas was commended for his act of smiting the Israelite and the Midianitish woman with a sword which was counted unto him for righteousness, Peter was condemned for a similar act of cutting off the ear of the high priest’s servant and his act was not approved of God because it was contrary to God’s purpose for Christ.

 

• Similar Altars, Not Both Appointed by God – Joshua 4:1-7; 22:21, 24-28; 2 Samuel 24:18, 24-25; 2 Chronicles 26:16-21a. The altars built on both sides of Jordan appeared similar in size, height, and solidity, yet not both of them were not appointed by God.

 

• Similar Assertions, Not All Appreciated by God – Numbers 22:38; 1 Kings

22:14; Jeremiah 42:4; Acts 4:19-20; Acts 5:28-31; 20:26-27; Galatians 1:10. “And Balaam said unto Balak, Lo, I am come unto thee: have I now any power at all to say any thing? the word that God putteth in my mouth, that shall I speak.” (Numbers 22:38). “And Micaiah said, As the LORD liveth, what the LORD saith unto me, that will I speak.” (1 Kings 22:14). The assertions, confessions, and utterances of both Balaam and Micaiah looked similar, but Micaiah’s assertion was appreciated by God, Balaam’s was not. The assertions we make must have the consent of the heart. Consecrations, decisions, devotions, utterances, and the work we are doing may look similar, but not all may be appreciated by God. Man hears the outward assertions, but it is the heart that God looks at.