Daughter of Deliverance by Gilbert Morris

Author:Gilbert Morris [Morris, Gilbert]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Tags: FIC026000, FIC014000
ISBN: 9781441262417
Publisher: Baker Publishing Group
Published: 2012-08-20T04:00:00+00:00

Chapter 16

The dirt on Joshua’s face was creased by the tears that had made tracks down his cheeks. He had torn his clothes and was still crying out in agony. “Ah, Sovereign Lord, why did you ever bring this people across the Jordan to deliver us into the hands of the Amorites to destroy us? If only we had been content to stay on the other side of the Jordan!”

Joshua did not care that many of his soldiers were close enough to hear his voice. His heart was broken, and he continued to cry out, “O Lord, what can I say, now that Israel has been routed by its enemies? The Canaanites and the other people of the country will hear about this and they will surround us and wipe out our name from the earth. What then will you do for your own great name?”

Joshua had prayed like this for many hours and the heavens seemed to be made of brass. There was no answer from God.

Finally, totally exhausted, Joshua lay on his face. He had cried out to God with all of his heart, and now he had completely run out of anything to say. A silence had fallen upon the camp, at least the part where Joshua lay before the ark. Then the voice of the Lord came to him. Joshua lay very still, afraid to move.

“Stand up! What are you doing down on your face? Israel has sinned; they have violated my covenant, which I commanded them to keep. They have taken some of the devoted things; they have stolen, they have lied, they have put them with their own possessions. That is why the Israelites cannot stand against their enemies; they turn their backs and run because they have been made liable to destruction. I will not be with you anymore unless you destroy whatever among you is devoted to destruction.

“Go, consecrate the people. Tell them, ‘Consecrate yourselves in preparation for tomorrow; for this is what the Lord, the God of Israel, says: That which is devoted is among you, O Israel. You cannot stand against your enemies until you remove it.

“‘In the morning, present yourselves tribe by tribe. The tribe that the Lord takes shall come forward clan by clan; the clan that the Lord takes shall come forward family by family; and the family that the Lord takes shall come forward man by man. He who is caught with the devoted things shall be destroyed by fire, along with all that belongs to him. He has violated the covenant of the Lord and has done a disgraceful thing in Israel!’”

As always, when Joshua heard the voice of the Lord, he was stunned and could not move for a long time. Finally he got to his feet. Caleb had been standing at some distance, and now he came forward and studied Joshua’s face. “What is it, my lord?” he asked quietly.

“The Lord has spoken, Caleb.”

“And what has the Lord God said?”

“Someone in Israel has sinned and has taken part of the spoils of Jericho for his own use.

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