For some reason today I could not help but remember Psalm
136 as I was looking at Joshua 8. Every verse in Psalm 136 ends with, “His
mercy endures forever”, or as in some translations, “His steadfast love
endures forever”. I am so thankful that after all our failures, like the
defeat at Ai (Joshua 7), the Lord because of His love, His mercy, and His
forgiveness, He gives us the opportunity of a new beginning (Joshua 8; 1 John
1:7-9). To find peace with God, to renew fellowship with God, to get back on
our feet and face whatever challenges or battles that still lie ahead of us.
God gives us a new beginning, a new guidance and wisdom, and new victories as
we continue our journey, our pilgrimage through this world of sin.
Now, in verses 30-35, of Joshua 8, we find that the people
of Israel make a new commitment as they build this altar. At some time
following the victory at Ai, Joshua led the people thirty miles north to
Shechem, which lies in the valley between Mt. Ebal and Mt. Gerizim. Here the
nation obeyed what Moses had commanded them to do in his farewell speech. “Therefore
it shall be, when you have crossed over the Jordan, that on Mount Ebal you
shall set up these stones, which I command you today, and you shall whitewash
them with lime. And there you shall build an altar to the LORD your God, an
altar of stones; you shall not use an iron tool on them. You shall build with
whole stones the altar of the LORD your God, and offer burnt offerings on it to
the LORD your God. You shall offer peace offerings, and shall eat there, and
rejoice before the LORD your God. And you shall write very plainly on the
stones all the words of this law." (Deuteronomy 27:4-8)
“Now Joshua built an altar” (v.
30). “Now”, not shortly, not later, not tomorrow, but “now” is
always the time to make sure of our relationship and fellowship with the Lord! Joshua
interrupted the military activities to give Israel the opportunity to make a
new commitment to the authority of Jehovah as expressed in His law. Since
Abraham had built an altar at Shechem (Gen. 12:6-7), and Jacob had lived there
a short time (chap. 33-34), the area had strong historic ties to Israel.
Joshua's altar was built on Mt. Ebal, "the mount of cursing,"
because only a sacrifice of blood can save sinners from the curse of the law
(Gal. 3:10-14).
In building the altar, Joshua was careful to obey Exodus
20:25 and not apply any tool to the stones picked up in the field. No human
work was to be associated with the sacrifice lest sinners think their own works
can save them (Eph. 2:8-9). God asked for a simple stone altar, not one that
was designed and decorated by human hands, "that no flesh should glory in
His presence" (1 Cor. 1:29). It's not the beauty of manmade religion that
gives the sinner forgiveness, but the blood on the altar (Lev. 17:11).
In verse 31, the priests offered burnt offerings to the
Lord as a token of the nation's total commitment to Him (Leviticus1). The peace
offerings, or "fellowship offerings," were an expression of gratitude
to God for His goodness (Leviticus 3; 7:11-34). A portion of the meat was given
to the priests and another portion to the offeror, so that he could eat it
joyfully with his family in the presence of the Lord (Leviticus 7:15-16, 30-34;
Deut. 12:17-18). By these sacrifices, the nation of Israel was assuring God of
their commitment to Him and their fellowship with Him.
Today, we can renew fellowship with the Lord at His altar
of the sacrifice of Jesus Christ on Calvary! There we can confess our sins and be
assured that, “If we walk in the light as He is in the light, we have
fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus Christ His Son cleanses us
from all sin” (1 John 1:7).
God Bless!
