Breach

Day 43:  Joshua 16–20; Isaiah 1–6; Romans 7–9

Joshua continues passing out the inheritance to the remaining 7 tribes.  In order for him to do that he has men go and map the remaining territory. There are still Canaanites inhabiting cities within their borders they fail to drive out.  Joshua casts lots to see who gets what portions of the land at Shiloh where the tabernacle is set up.  This section is like reading property details at a courthouse.  Not too life changing, if you know what I mean?

But if you were to look closely and pull out a map and try to follow the landmarks mentioned in each passage you will find breaches, open spots or vague boundaries that blend into the other tribal areas.  One commentator interprets this not to be sloppiness on the part of the writer of Joshua, but purposeful.  It communicates the loose attention to covenant keeping. 

Since the remaining tribes inhabit the north for the most part, they belong to that group who will secede from Judah and become an independent state.  The 10 tribes to the north break from Judah and Simeon within Judah's borders after King Solomon's death.  The vagueness in the boundaries may point to this sad rebellion in the future.

But there are clear breaches in faithfulness already here in Joshua.  The Epharaimites and Manassehites fuss over their inheritance and complain about the Canaanites with their horses and chariots.  They don't seem to want to work to settle their portion.  They want it easy. They want it handed to them (Josh 17:14-18).  Is this an example of being "strong and courageous?"

I began reading the Prophets today.  Isaiah is a whopping 66 chapters spanning the rule of 4 kings: Uzziah, Jotham, Ahaz and Hezekiah.  Some think of Isaiah as three different books...chapters 1-39 as book one, 40-55 as book two and 56-66 as book three. The writings address pre-exilic and during exile and post-exilic communities, some scholars say. There's a breach  in the unity of Isaiah as a singular text, you might say. 

Isaiah is calling Israel from its terrible breach in covenant. 

God calls them disobedient children, evildoers, depraved.  He reasons, "Why do you want more beatings? Why do you keep on rebelling?" (Isa. 1:5)  

God compares Israel with Sodom and Gomorrah which He destroyed for their wickedness.  Because they do not practice justice and mercy toward the poor, orphaned and widowed, God is no longer interested in their sacrifices and offerings.  They are useless to Him (Isa 1:11-15).  Their lack of obedience has brought them to empty religion...the ritual without the divine substance.  There's a breach in the relationship between God and His people.

But promises to fix the breach and cleanse Israel.  It will happen through God's mighty hand to correct them by letting the consequences of their rebellion consume them.  They will be denied of sleep and they will have mere children and fools govern them. War will come from foreign enemies and God will not protect them or hear their prayers.  God has handed them over to their sins.  The covenant breach allows chaotic poisons to flow into them and they will suffer.

But the prophet lifts a beautiful vision for a redeemed and restored Israel.

In the last days
    the mountain of the LORD's house will be established
    at the top of the mountains
    and will be raised above the hills.
    All nations will stream to it,
and many peoples will come and say,
    "Come, let us go up to the mountain of the LORD,
    to the house of the God of Jacob.
    He will teach us about His ways
    so that we may walk in His paths."
    For instruction will go out of Zion
    and the word of the LORD from Jerusalem. (Isa. 2:2-3)

God cares for Israel, disobedience and complacent as she is, like a gardener tends a vineyard.  He planted, nurtured and protected the vineyard (Israel), but it did not produce (Isa. 5:1-4).   So now he will take away the protection, tear out the hedge and break down the wall (Isa. 5:5). But this is all designed to correct a disobedient child, cleanse a poisoned body.  The remnant that survives will be the start of a restored and redeemed people.

Paul tells how sin is a breach in our very flesh.  It's like our skin is torn and an infection has taken over our minds and hearts making us weak and disobedient (Rom 7:14-25).  We are helpless against sin apart from the power of the Spirit of Jesus Christ given to us.  Sin leads us to death, but the Spirit gives life!  And those controlled by the Spirit (not sin) are empowered to be obedient to God (Rom. 8:7-10).

We often hear people blame God for the mess the world is in.   Some doubt a good God exists or believe in none at all because of the world gone wrong.  If only they could hear the gospel.  It is a breach in our relationship with our creator.  As a result we have "worshipped the creature rather than the creator (Rom 1:25)."  And so God has given us over to futility "in the hope that the creation itself will also be set free from the bondage of corruption into the glorious freedom of God's children (Rom 8:20b-21)."

Just as God hands Israel over to enemies for purging the evil from her, He hands the world over to its fallen futile decadent life in order that the misery might turn us toward hope in His mercy.  Paul writes from the heart with such power and beauty about God's faithfulness and love for us.  "If God is for us, who is against us?" No "created thing will have power to separate us from the love of God this is in Christ Jesus, our Lord (Rom. 8:31b, 39b)!"

Lastly there is a breach in Paul's own heart.  He is a Jew and yet many of his own people reject the gospel. He would willingly be cut off from Jesus if it would serve his brothers (Rom 9:1-3).  He will lay out for us his hope in God's promises to Israel which can never be broken.  God is showing mercy to Gentiles to draw Jews from works righteousness to a righteousness that comes by faith.

The breach has been healed in the broken and bleeding body of Jesus. But will we, Jew and Gentile alike, be ever listening, but not understanding? Will we keep looking, but not perceive (Isa. 6:9)?

It is the mercy of God on which we must depend, not on our own feeble abilities.  Faith in God's mercy through Jesus heals the breach.