Joshua 22-Judges 2 - Spiritual Drift

Welcome to Midweek

Well, it’s good to be with you tonight. If we have not met, my name is Brad, and I get the privilege of hanging out with you here on this wonderful midweek evening. I’m especially excited because Nee’s Avenue is now open! Some of you drove here thinking it was still closed, but it’s open now. We’re very thankful for that. This entrance and exit off of Nee’s is available, though the city is still doing something with the curbing on the other one.

To those who are guests with us, I’m just glad you’re here. A little bit about us: we care deeply about the Bible. At The Well, we handle the Word of God every week. We try to learn from God’s Word because we just don’t think human opinion matters much in the long run. We believe that chapter and verse, being inspired by God, is where life is truly found.

You’ve come at a very interesting time because we are doing the final installments of a series in the Book of Joshua, covering chapters 22 through 24. I also want to say welcome to those of you who usually attend this campus on Sunday mornings. As you know, it is beautiful chaos on Sundays. It’s a great problem to have, and we are so thankful for the many people checking things out, but welcome to Midweek—the best-kept secret at The Well Community Church. This is a phenomenal group of people, and because it’s a little smaller, you actually have a chance to get to know one another over a street taco.

I also see some families here who serve at our Fig Garden campus. Remember, we are one church in multiple locations. To those who serve over there and come to be a part of the community here tonight, I’m honored to spend this time with you.

The Altar and the Crisis of Misunderstanding

As you’re flipping to Joshua 22, I have to share something. Somebody asked me the other day, “Brad, you and Mike Sladen teach in rotation, but it seems like Mike had to give the message on genocide, and then he had to teach ten chapters last week. Do you purposefully give him the harder messages?” The answer is: absolutely. Yes, I definitely give Mike the difficult ones!

In all seriousness, as I sat and listened to Mike last week, I was reflecting on his third point: the idea that our inheritance as followers of Jesus isn’t necessarily heaven or streets of gold—it’s that we get God.

John 17:3 (NASB)

’This is eternal life, that they may know You, the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom You have sent.

If you have never trusted in Jesus Christ, we want you to know that the most life-giving thing you will ever experience is coming into a deep and abiding relationship with Him, because in that moment, you get God.

In Joshua 22, the two and a half tribes that lived in the Trans-Jordan—Reuben, Gad, and the half-tribe of Manasseh—are finally being sent home. Joshua commends them for being faithful, for crossing the Jordan, and for not forsaking their brothers. He reminds them to observe the commandments, to love God, and to hold fast to Him. It’s like sending a kid off to college. You say, “Oh God, be with my child,” because Joshua knows they won’t have the same influence or proximity anymore. He sends them off with a blessing, and they head home.

But then, a profound misunderstanding occurs.

Joshua 22:10 (NASB)

When they came to the region of the Jordan which is in the land of Canaan, the sons of Reuben and the sons of Gad and the half-tribe of Manasseh built an altar there by the Jordan, a large altar in appearance.

They build a large altar by the Jordan. To the people remaining in the land of Canaan, this looks like a disaster.

Joshua 22:11 (NASB)

And the sons of Israel heard [it] said, ‘Behold, the sons of Reuben and the sons of Gad and the half-tribe of Manasseh have built an altar at the frontier of the land of Canaan, in the region of the Jordan, on the side [belonging to] the sons of Israel.’

When the rest of Israel hears about it, they gather for war. Why? Because the land they lived in was full of paganism. People worshiped Baal, Asherah, Chemosh, and Molech—deities that required detestable acts, including child sacrifice. So, when an altar goes up, the immediate question is: “Who is that for?” They interpreted it as idol worship and compromise. They were triggered in the best of ways to defend the glory of God. They sent a delegation to investigate.

Joshua 22:16 (NASB)

’Thus says the whole congregation of the LORD, ’What is this unfaithful act which you have committed against the God of Israel, turning away from following the LORD this day, by building yourselves an altar, to rebel against the LORD this day?

They remind these tribes of Achan, who sinned and brought judgment on the whole community. They were saying, “We are in this together. We won’t let you drift.”

Thankfully, the tribes of Reuben and Gad explain that the altar wasn’t for sacrifice, but as a witness so their children wouldn’t forget they belonged to the Lord.

Joshua 22:29 (NASB)

‘Far be it from us that we should rebel against the LORD and turn away from following the LORD this day, by building an altar for burnt offering, for grain offering or for sacrifice, besides the altar of the LORD our God which is before His tabernacle.’

Crisis averted. But I want you to notice the passion these people had. They were ready to go to war over the possibility of a foreign altar. That passion becomes very critical in a moment.

A Legacy Focused on the Lord

In chapters 23 and 24, Joshua gives his farewell address. Joshua is a lot like us. He had high moments and embarrassing moments. Thankfully, it’s not how you start; it’s how you finish. Joshua had to be humbled as a leader, and that humility shows in his old age. You know how it is—when you’re 18, you think you know everything. The older you get, the more you realize how ignorant you actually were. Joshua has earned his gray hair, and he’s finishing well.

There’s a principle in Bible study called repetition. If you count the number of times the name “The Lord” is used in chapters 23 and 24, it appears 38 times. At the end of Joshua’s life, the focus isn’t on Joshua; it’s on the Lord.

Joshua 23:1 (NASB)

Now it came about after many days, when the LORD had given rest to Israel from all their enemies on every side, and Joshua was old, advanced in years,

He has realized that the Lord delivers, the Lord fights the battles, and the Lord goes before us.

Joshua 23:14-16 (NASB)

’Now behold, today I am going the way of all the earth, and you know in all your hearts and in all your souls that not one word of all the good words which the LORD your God spoke concerning you has failed; all have been fulfilled for you, not one of them has failed. ’It shall come about that just as all the good words which the LORD your God spoke to you have come upon you, so the LORD will bring upon you all the threats, until He has destroyed you from off this good land which the LORD your God has given you. ‘When you transgress the covenant of the LORD your God, which He commanded you, and go and serve other gods and bow down to them, then the anger of the LORD will burn against you, and you will perish quickly from off the good land which He has given you.’

Joshua’s dying words are a testimony of faithfulness. He tells them, “Not one word of the good words which the Lord spoke has failed.” That’s how you die—you gather your family and say, “I’m going the way of all the earth, and God has been so good to us.” But he also gives a caution: “Don’t get cocky. If you drift, if you serve other gods, the Lord will no longer be for you; He will be against you.”

In chapter 24, he gives a survey of Israel’s history—Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, Moses, and the crossing of the Jordan. He reminds them that they are living in cities they didn’t build and eating from vineyards they didn’t plant. Then come his famous final words.

Joshua 24:14-15 (NASB)

’Now, therefore, fear the LORD and serve Him in sincerity and truth; and put away the gods which your fathers served beyond the River and in Egypt, and serve the LORD. ‘If it is disagreeable in your sight to serve the LORD, choose for yourselves today whom you will serve: whether the gods which your fathers served which were beyond the River, or the gods of the Amorites in whose land you are living; but as for me and my house, we will serve the LORD.’

He’s saying, “Choose today. I’ve made my choice. My family is going to serve the Lord. That’s what we’re about. That’s our reputation.”

The people respond with a resounding, “Yes and amen! We will serve the Lord!” But Joshua pushes back. He says, “You aren’t able to serve Him because He is holy and jealous, and you’re still fickle.” He tells them to put away the foreign gods that are in their midst.

Isn’t it interesting? These people were ready to go to war over a suspicious altar at the border, yet they had idols hidden in their own homes. They were triggered by public compromise while harboring private idolatry. Joshua sees right through it. He tells them to quit half-stepping and incline their hearts to God. They make a covenant, Joshua writes it down on a stone tablet, and then, at 110 years old, the servant of the Lord dies.

Joshua 24:31 (NASB)

Israel served the LORD all the days of Joshua and all the days of the elders who survived Joshua, and had known all the deeds of the LORD which He had done for Israel.

The Tragic Shift: From Joshua to Judges

Joshua was faithful. His contemporaries were faithful. It seems like a positive ending. But what happened next? If you turn just a couple of pages to the book of Judges, you see a downward spiral.

Judges 2:1-4 (NASB)

Now the angel of the LORD came up from Gilgal to Bochim. And he said, ’I brought you up out of Egypt and led you into the land which I have sworn to your fathers; and I said, ‘I will never break My covenant with you, and as for you, you shall make no covenant with the inhabitants of this land; you shall tear down their altars.’ But you have not obeyed Me; what is this you have done? ’Therefore I also said, ‘I will not drive them out before you; but they will become [as thorns] in your sides and their gods will be a snare to you.’’ When the angel of the LORD spoke these words to all the sons of Israel, the people lifted up their voices and wept.

God tells them, “I told you to tear down their altars, but you haven’t obeyed me. Now these nations will be thorns in your side.” The people wept, but the pattern of Judges is a cycle of sin, oppression, crying out, and deliverance. It gets worse and worse.

Judges 2:10 (NASB)

All that generation also were gathered to their fathers; and there arose another generation after them who did not know the LORD, nor yet the work which He had done for Israel.

How does this happen? How does a generation fired up for God pass on something so tepid to their kids that the third generation doesn’t even know who God is? The book of Judges ends with everyone doing what was right in their own eyes.

The Danger of Spiritual Drift

I want to suggest two reasons for this shift. First, they were distracted by the things of this world.

Joshua 24:13 (NASB)

‘I gave you a land on which you had not labored, and cities which you had not built, and you have lived in them; you are eating of vineyards and olive groves which you did not plant.’

Remember, these were the sons of slaves born in the wilderness. They had spent forty years walking in the dirt. They had never owned a house, a garden, or a vineyard. Now, suddenly, they have shade, wine, figs, and comfort. They are “satisfied,” and as Deuteronomy warns, it is easy to forget the Lord when you are satisfied.

Deuteronomy 6:10-12 (NASB)

’Then it shall come about when the LORD your God brings you into the land which He swore to your fathers, Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, to give you, great and splendid cities which you did not build, and houses full of all good things which you did not fill, and hewn cisterns which you did not dig, vineyards and olive trees which you did not plant, and you eat and are satisfied, then watch yourself, that you do not forget the LORD who brought you from the land of Egypt, out of the house of slavery.

Their hearts didn’t turn away overnight. It was a drift. When I was a kid, we had a pontoon boat at Pine Flat. I’d go out in one of those big black inner tubes. The wind would be blowing so softly you couldn’t even feel it. You’d doze off, and the next thing you knew, you were on the other side of the lake. You didn’t want to be there; you just lost focus.

That is life. You aren’t necessarily planting vineyards, but you’re hustling. You’re late for meetings, the kids have practice, Nee’s Avenue was closed (until today!), and you’re just grinding. You do that for days and weeks, and suddenly your heart is miles away from the Lord. It’s not that what you’re doing is evil; it’s just that there’s no spiritual life in it. It’s just Groundhog Day.

The solution is intentionality. Joshua said, “Choose this day.” We need a “prayer of intention.” Every morning when my feet hit the floor, I try to say, “Lord, I want to serve You today. I am Your servant. I want to be about Jesus today, whether it’s with the guy who flips me off in traffic or the person at the coffee shop.” Throughout the day, when you get a cup of coffee or hang up your keys, just take a breath and say, “God, I want to be with You.” Those simple intentions keep you from drifting.

The Trap of Comfort and Ease

Second, I think they became too comfortable in this world. Joshua’s generation was raised in the wilderness. Hard experiences made strong people. But their children were raised in ease.

There’s a quote I found: “Tough times create strong men. Strong men create easy times. Easy times create weak men. And weak men create tough times.”

We try to remove every difficulty from our lives and our kids’ lives, but difficulty is often what God uses to make us strong. Spiritual strength doesn’t come from ease. It comes from the discipline of prayer, study, and walking with God through trials. Scripture tells us that testing produces endurance, and tribulations develop character.

I wonder if our culture of ease has made us spiritually weak. It’s easy to go the way of the culture. It’s easy to stay silent when the world redefines marriage or gender or morality in ways that contradict the Word of God. The easy thing is to go along to get along. The hard thing—the thing that develops strong men and women—is to stand against the current and say, “No, I can’t go there, because the Bible says…”

Choosing This Day

Love rejoices in the truth. We aren’t trying to be hurtful or triggering; we are trying to be faithful. We have an obligation to speak the truth in love because we have a faithful God who has gone before us.

It won’t always be easy, but it will always be worth it. Joshua finished well by choosing whom he would serve. My challenge to you tonight is to do the same. Don’t let the distraction of your “vineyards” or the comfort of your “cities” pull you away from the One who gave them to you.

Let’s pray.

Father, thank You for this book and for the chance to learn. May we never be distracted by the things of this world or become too comfortable in it. We are aliens and strangers here, called to be distinct. Lord, help us to look and live differently. Help us to stand for what is true, honorable, and right. May we finish like Joshua—faithful to the end. We choose this day to serve You. Be with us every step of the way. We pray this in Jesus’ name. Amen.