Title: Warfare Faith/Hebrews 11:30-31
Content Ⅰ. entry
When is faith needed?
II. text observation
1. Joshua's faith (Hebrews 11:30; Joshua 5:13-6:16)
40 Years of the Lost Wilderness - Ages of Unbelief (During the training period, the writer of Hebrews is interested in faith, so the periods of unbelief are skipped)
The situation of the people of Israel - 40 years of training in the wilderness
Comparison: Num 13:28,31 Jos 2:23-24
Meaning of Canaan - Not a land flowing with salt and honey, but a land to be conquered by war. From an objective battlefield, Jericho was a perfectly organized fortress and a powerful army armed with iron culture.
God's method of warfare - Joshua 6:1-5
Joshua (6:6-11) and the people of Israel (6:11-16) responding to God's method The writer of Hebrews' evaluation of this response
* The issue to be addressed was a war situation at the time, and the method that God suggested was a method that could be viewed with a lot of complaints from a human point of view. The city of Jericho was fortified, and Joshua and the people attacking the city only went around once a day for a week, and seven times on the sixth day. If they were the Israelites of the past, resentment and complaints would have erupted. However, he endured seven days of silence.
Ⅲ. Conclusion and application
We cannot diagnose our beliefs in our daily lives. Because in a comfortable time, everyone seems to have a good faith. However, in a situation of crisis, a situation of war, and a war where there is no chance of winning, true faith and false belief are bound to be revealed. Joshua and the people of Israel joined the heroes of faith by demonstrating their faith brilliantly in the circumstances of the first battle of Canaan.
How are we? At least, the situation our church is currently facing is seen as a war situation. The craze of evangelism that has swept through us, who have been immersed in inertia and have led a relatively easy life of faith, will applaud and cheer for the church that is now moving in the right direction, and pray for others, but some feel that it is not pleasant at all. There will be people who have complaints and dissatisfaction sprouting up in their hearts. One way or another, the Christian life is a series of spiritual warfare. Joshua ordered the Israelites to be silent as they went around Jericho. This is thought to be the reason similar to the prohibition of conversations in the Jesus Evangelism Society. Even if they had complaints and dissatisfaction in their hearts, consistent obedience brought them a splendid victory. Faith is shown in obedience and silence if it is in the heart of Christ, even if it does not suit my inclinations, and if it is the way God directs it, even if it seems foolish.
God still chooses the foolish things of this world to shame the wise, and the weak things to shame the strong (1 Corinthians 1:26-29). He also defeated Goliath by lifting David's slingshot. He also fed five thousand people by using a young boy's five byeong ears. God wants to use you now to spread the gospel. How will you act?
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