Restore

Think of a time that you experienced the restoration of a damaged relationship. How did healing come about after recognizing the area of conflict? What responsibility did you have in restoring the relationship? Joshua and the Israelites were restored from their sin, and they defeated their enemy by the power of God. The proper response to this restoration and victory was to worship the Lord for what He did and renew their commitment to His commands, given through Moses. In Worship this weekend, we will be discussing how we should respond in times of restoration and the renewed obedience that should follow. Christ-followers should be marked by a willingness to follow the Lord. No matter what has happened in the past, and without worrying about what is to come. We worship a God who is in control of all things. We need only to be faithful. As we conclude Chapter 8, we will read and learn that Joshua and the Israelites were restored from their sin against God and defeated their enemy by the power of God. The proper response to this restoration and victory was to worship the Lord for what He did and renew their commitment to His commands, given through Moses. Our application will be to see how we should respond in times of restoration and the renewed obedience that should follow.

30 At that time Joshua built an altar to the Lord, the God of Israel, on Mount Ebal, 31 just as Moses the servant of the Lord had commanded the people of Israel, as it is written in the Book of the Law of Moses, “an altar of uncut stones, upon which no man has wielded an iron tool.” And they offered on it burnt offerings to the Lord and sacrificed peace offerings. Joshua 8:30-31 (ESV)

How do we typically respond in moments of success? Are we prone to take credit for ourselves, or do we thank God for His work in our lives? Joshua’s responded with a moment of Worship; he built an altar. Our first reaction to victory should praise our God, who orders our steps. Moments of joy and the fulfillment of the promises of God in our lives should be used as markers to remind us of God’s faithfulness. So Joshua built an altar to the Lord as a memory marker of what was accomplished. This was an act of praise, a permanent monument to the glory of the Lord.  What kinds of things can we do to praise the Lord and commit to memory the things that He has done in our lives? 

The Israelites used memorization, recitation, and meditation to remember and act upon the work of the Lord. These remain essential practices for God’s people, along with other ways in which we can praise the Lord and remember His marvelous deeds. These include song, spoken testimony, and even how we live our daily lives. We share our faith with others through these means as we talk about the truth about God and exhibit good works for the world to see. 

Joshua’s commitment to Moses’ instructions in building the altar reflected his desire to show complete obedience to God’s commands. As he was commanded, he used no iron tool on the stones but put them together in the form of an altar. Then the nation of Israel worshiped and offered sacrifices to the Lord in praise and a renewed commitment to the law of God. 

How might we show renewed commitment to the Lord in our lives? Is there any area of your life that you are holding back from obedience to the authority of God? What is in the way of your obedience to the Lord? What steps do you need to take toward further surrender? 

As you ready yourself for Worship this weekend, thank God that He provides restoration for His people, even in our sin. Remember and thank God for His times of discipline that has led you to repentance and nearness to Him. Ask that God reveal to you the areas where you need to pursue obedience to Him and that He would give you the boldness to pursue that now.