Life Learning Series

In addition to custodianship over Israel, Joshua was destined to link Israel with the other nations of the world.  To set this in motion, the LORD instigated a candidate connection.  The candidate connection is the type that would be formed in reaction to fear.  The LORD gave Joshua some practice in being that kind of intercessor for a certain one of the other nations; starting here.

And it came to pass, when all the kings which were on this side Jordan, in the hills, and in the valleys, and in all the coasts of the great sea over against Lebanon, the Hittite, and the Amorite, the Canaanite, the Perizzite, the Hivite, and the Jebusite, heard thereof; That they gathered themselves together, to fight with Joshua and with Israel, with one accord.

And when the inhabitants of Gibeon heard what Joshua had done unto Jericho and to Ai, They did work wilily, and went and made as if they had been ambassadors, and took old sacks upon their asses, and wine bottles, old, and rent, and bound up; And old shoes and clouted upon their feet, and old garments upon them; and all the bread of their provision was dry and mouldy.

(Joshua 9:1-5)

The candidate connection was not, just for a confederation.  What is a confederation?  Here is an example of an interaction in a confederation, as might be applied to international affairs.

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– Explore Collateral Damage and the Heart of God: Part Ten –

To reach someone’s intellect, we must have a component to which they can relate.  In the beginning of the LORD God’s introduction to the peoples of the world, God extended the following portion of His Self; a portion of interaction, to which the world would relate, from that time, forward.

And the LORD said unto Moses, When thou goest to return into Egypt, see that thou do all those wonders before Pharaoh, which I have put in thine hand: but I will harden his heart, that he shall not let the people go.  And thou shalt say unto Pharaoh, Thus saith the LORD, Israel is my son, even my firstborn:  And I say unto thee, Let my son go, that he may serve me: and if thou refuse to let him go, behold, I will slay thy son, even thy firstborn.

(Exodus 4:21-23)

In the beginning of the LORD’S introduction to the broader population of the world of Moses’ day; the people of the world formed only a very cautious connection to the people of Israel.  That connection was based on fear, primarily.  This atmosphere went forward, across the wilderness journey, and onward, into the adventures in the land of Canaan.  In the time of Joshua, fear was a powerful parameter in the other nations’ assessment of Israel.  We see this, clearly, in the following interaction.

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– Explore Collateral Damage and the Heart of God: Part Nine –

Almost always, the first ripple of the pebble of iniquity, as it enters the water of our possible reactions to adversity, is personal.  Let us move, slowly, to understanding of this dynamic.  First, realize that, your action (or inaction) is the pebble.  Therefore, you–the pebble–receive the inward directed pressure of the recompense that precedes the outward ripple, or ripples.  Your personal ripple is of this sort.

And the LORD passed by before him, and proclaimed, The LORD, The LORD God, merciful and gracious, longsuffering, and abundant in goodness and truth, Keeping mercy for thousands, forgiving iniquity and transgression and sin, and that will by no means clear the guilty;

. . .

(Exodus 34:6-7a)

. . . Once that inward pressure has been applied; ripples proceed outward, thusly:  visiting the iniquity of the fathers upon the children, and upon the children’s children, unto the third and to the fourth generation.  (Exodus 34:7b)

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– Explore Collateral Damage and the Heart of God: Part Eight

In the LORD, collateral damage has a definite purpose:  however, it may not give us any comfort to know what it is.  But, we will still pursue the knowledge of this portion of the way of the LORD.  So, I guess we will just have to be uncomfortable, some more.

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One of the purposes for collateral damage is to broaden the base of understanding.  Among the more public times that, that purpose was evident, is this one.

And Moses and Aaron did as the LORD commanded them, so did they.  And Moses was fourscore years old, and Aaron fourscore and three years old, when they spake unto Pharaoh.

And the LORD spake unto Moses and unto Aaron, saying, When Pharaoh shall speak unto you, saying, Shew a miracle for you: then thou shalt say unto Aaron, Take thy rod, and cast it before Pharaoh, and it shall become a serpent.

And Moses and Aaron went in unto Pharaoh, and they did so as the LORD had commanded: and Aaron cast down his rod before Pharaoh, and before his servants, and it became a serpent.

Then Pharaoh also called the wise men and the sorcerers: now the magicians of Egypt, they also did in like manner with their enchantments.  For they cast down every man his rod, and they became serpents: but Aaron’s rod swallowed up their rods.

And he hardened Pharaoh’s heart, that he hearkened not unto them; as the LORD had said.

(Exodus 7:6-13)

Oh, the calamity for the poor serpents.  They were not involved in the decision to be destroyed for the sake of understanding.  No, this is not just a calamity for serpents and other creatures.  In time, we will see the human collateral that was damaged.  Please note the beginning of collateral damage that is in this portion of the event:  he hardened Pharaoh’s heart.  As proceeding from that damage to Pharaoh; Pharaoh stretched his influence out, and dragged much collateral into several episodes of damage.  Those episodes of damage are enumerated in the plagues of Egypt, as occurred during the redemption of the children of Israel.  Here is an overview of that time, as speaking of the LORD, and telling . . .

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– Explore Collateral Damage and the Heart of God: Part Seven –

Prior to the settling of the New Age pioneers of the teaching ministry of faith, there are twenty four other pioneers that need our attention.  Scripture describes these pioneers as being integral to the structure upon which we will all depend, in the Spirit.  This is the awesome way that these twenty four pioneers are described.

And he carried me away in the spirit to a great and high mountain, and showed me that great city, the holy Jerusalem, descending out of heaven from God, Having the glory of God: and her light was like unto a stone most precious, even like a jasper stone, clear as crystal;

And had a wall great and high, and had twelve gates, and at the gates twelve angels, and names written thereon, which are the names of the twelve tribes of the children of Israel:

On the east three gates; on the north three gates; on the south three gates; and on the west three gates.

And the wall of the city had twelve foundations, and in them the names of the twelve apostles of the Lamb.

(Revelation 21:10-14)

These all rest on the construction that is the body of this Heavenly Pioneer.

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– Explore Collateral Damage and the Heart of God: Part Six –