The Tabernacle, Temple, and Sanctuary: The Books of Joshua and Judges

By Dennis Herman

There is no time like the present to study the books of Joshua and Judges. What lessons do we learn from Joshua, Israel's new leader taking God's people into the physical promised land after wandering around the wilderness for almost a generation? Why did God take Moses out of the picture and appoint a new leader to take Israel into the promised land? Why did God open the Jordan River? Was it important to remind Israel about that Red Sea crossing at the beginning of their journey? What was the spiritual lesson? What do those lessons, and the fact God recreated the miracle have to do with the closing of earth's history?
A verse by verse study through the Book of Joshua not only opened up new insights into the event, the author explained exactly what Bible Study rules were followed, and how scripture explained each of those rules of context in a manner that makes it easy to learn each step in the study process.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Lulu.com
• Release date: Nov 20, 2016
• ISBN: 9781365549175

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The Tabernacle, Temple, and Sanctuary: The Books of Joshua and Judges

The Tabernacle, Temple, and Sanctuary

The Books of Joshua and Judges

Written by Dennis Herman

Copyright © 2016 Dennis Herman

All rights reserved

ISBN-978-1-365-54917-5

The Tabernacle, Temple, and Sanctuary: The Books of Joshua and Judges

by Dennis Herman

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Bibles:

NLTse New Living. Translation®. SECOND EDITION Tyndale House Publishers, Inc

KJV King James Version

MKJV Modern King James Version Sovereign Grace Publishers

Scripture quotations marked (NLT) (NLTse) are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2007 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.

Introduction

With so many people talking about the Promised Land these days, Joshua's book should be a major focus of study. What do we learn from the story of Israel actually setting foot in the land God promised them? After a forty year journey through the wilderness, Israel stood and listened to last minute instructions from Moses before he climbed that mountain to die. God chose Joshua as Israel's next leader, then spent a great deal of time encouraging, training, and building Joshua's confidence. It was a slow process covered by a number of chapters in scripture.

What did Israel feel when they finally reached the Jordan River with the promised land in site? The older generation was gone. Many remembered the mistake their parents made forty years earlier, and weren't about to suffer the same fate. Finally God opened up the Jordan River, and they all stood on the soil God took them out of Egypt to occupy and enjoy. What did it feel like to reach the end of a journey that took most of your life?

God taught a number of lessons before and during that river crossing. That began a number of other lessons while Israel camped outside Jericho's walls. What did those people think about a nation sitting outside their gates? What did Jericho hear about the Israelites, and where did they decide to place their faith? What kind of faith was Israel building outside those walls?

Conquering the promised land began much easier than anyone in Israel imagined. That was the beginning. It didn't take long for Israel to experience set backs. How did Israel deal with those set backs, or better yet, how did God deal with early mistakes Israel made?

A verse by verse study of the books of Joshua, and a few stories in Judges shows how God dealt with mistakes His chosen people made. A close look at the patterns of experiencing success with God, and set backs when Israel forgot about God reveal some of the mistakes Christians repeat today. This books, as with the entire series, goes beyond stories showing exactly what Bible Study methods and rules were followed to come to conclusions, and opens up avenues of thought and discussion like few books are able to achieve.

What lessons can we learn from Israel in the promised land, and how do we apply those lessons to this generation waiting to cross into the spiritual Promised Land? There are parallels. Many of the events Israel experienced in the physical promised land are illustrations to teach lessons about our generation wandering through our own wilderness. Often a wilderness of our own making. How do we avoid the mistakes Israel made? How do we know we are getting close to the spiritual Promised Land on our individual journey through this world?

Chapter 1 Joshua Takes Command Joshua 1

Joshua 1:2-9 NLTse  Moses my servant is dead. Therefore, the time has come for you to lead these people, the Israelites, across the Jordan River into the land I am giving them.  (3)  I promise you what I promised Moses: 'Wherever you set foot, you will be on land I have given you--  (4)  from the Negev wilderness in the south to the Lebanon mountains in the north, from the Euphrates River in the east to the Mediterranean Sea in the west, including all the land of the Hittites.'  (5)  No one will be able to stand against you as long as you live. For I will be with you as I was with Moses. I will not fail you or abandon you.  (6)  Be strong and courageous, for you are the one who will lead these people to possess all the land I swore to their ancestors I would give them.  (7)  Be strong and very courageous. Be careful to obey all the instructions Moses gave you. Do not deviate from them, turning either to the right or to the left. Then you will be successful in everything you do.  (8)  Study this Book of Instruction continually. Meditate on it day and night so you will be sure to obey everything written in it. Only then will you prosper and succeed in all you do.  (9)  This is my command--be strong and courageous! Do not be afraid or discouraged. For the LORD your God is with you wherever you go."

After writing about Deuteronomy for a number of months, it's become evident there is a connection between God's law, known as the Commandments, and the promised land. My intent was to finish Deuteronomy., then skip over to items and details associated with the Tabernacle. I know the Ark played a vital role in the invasion of Jericho. There is an important rule of context telling us, we couldn't hope to understand any story in the Bible until we understand how the author led into that story. This is the beginning of Joshua's book. The introduction is always the most important part of any book. So here we are, looking at Joshua's introduction.

When looking at any work of literature, we have to realize, it was written in a series of events that occurred in a particular order. The Bible is the world's greatest work of literature every collected. The Bible was written by a group of authors inspired by God. We can think of God as the Author, and His prophets as the hands that held the pens.

Many people speculate about how much of the author's personality is contained in scripture. Me, I look at God's personality in scripture. To me, the entire Bible was written by the same Inspiring Author. I can see the same patterns and style used in every book and chapter. I've highlighted two Bible versions showing how authors used key words in particular patterns. You won't see those patterns until you take a year or two to highlight key words in scripture yourself. God's Spirit has to give you that guiding influence, just like He inspired those authors generations before. It is a pattern God's Spirit is willing to repeat, show, and teach to anyone.

I can't explain it to you. I written books with entire books from the Bible highlighted. And books showing hundreds of other chapters highlighted to show key words. Those will show you the process to use to connect with God's Spirit on a level few people have taken time to obtain. But you have to put in the time to experience it for yourself. Reading the process in a book is not the same as putting lessons in practice.

You can't buy a book or Bible highlighted for you. I've looked at other books, and Bibles that claim to have key words highlighted for you. I tell you the truth when I say, I cannot figure out what those authors are trying to teach or convey. After doing it myself and putting in the time, I can tell you, without God's Spirit at your side, taking those short cuts will get you no where. There was no short cut for Israel to cross that wilderness. And there is no short cut to finding God's personality in scripture.

Israel now finds themselves with a new leader and still waiting for orders to go into the promised land. To review a few details from the previous book, God has good reasons to make people wait. Even and entire nation with now nearly a million fighting men. Time forces people to exhaust every conceivable method to approach or solve a problem before God steps in to show how easy it can be solved. And God is always right. Waiting builds confidence in God by removing every other possible man nade solution.

When Joshua began leading Israel, the first thing God reminded him of was the promise He gave to Moses. No one would be able to stand against Joshua as long as he lived. Wherever Joshua went, he was secure. God promised to never fail or abandon Joshua.

There were conditions to that promise. Joshua had to obey all the laws and commandments Moses taught him. That was not new to Joshua. Notice the personal way this message was given. That didn't mean that message was only for Joshua. But as with most nations, the leader determined how the people reacted to most situations, including religion.

As a leader, Joshua was told to study the Book of Instruction continually. Not just once, but continually. That was a command directly from God to Joshua who was supposed to meditate on everything in that book night and day. That was the key to not only Joshua's, but Israel's success, and also the key to being strong and courageous.

Joshua Calls the Leaders Together

Joshua 1:10-18 NLTse  Joshua then commanded the officers of Israel,  (11)  Go through the camp and tell the people to get their provisions ready. In three days you will cross the Jordan River and take possession of the land the LORD your God is giving you.  (12)  Then Joshua called together the tribes of Reuben, Gad, and the half-tribe of Manasseh. He told them,  (13)  Remember what Moses, the servant of the LORD, commanded you: 'The LORD your God is giving you a place of rest. He has given you this land.'  (14)  Your wives, children, and livestock may remain here in the land Moses assigned to you on the east side of the Jordan River. But your strong warriors, fully armed, must lead the other tribes across the Jordan to help them conquer their territory. Stay with them  (15)  until the LORD gives them rest, as he has given you rest, and until they, too, possess the land the LORD your God is giving them. Only then may you return and settle here on the east side of the Jordan River in the land that Moses, the servant of the LORD, assigned to you.  (16)  They answered Joshua, We will do whatever you command us, and we will go wherever you send us.  (17)  We will obey you just as we obeyed Moses. And may the LORD your God be with you as he was with Moses.  (18)  Anyone who rebels against your orders and does not obey your words and everything you command will be put to death. So be strong and courageous!

Joshua called the leaders together to tell them a little about the promised land and their responsibilities while entering the land. This was the first time Israel was going back to the promised land for over four hundred years. To those people, it was like entering a new land. In a way it was.

I had this dream last night. I was told to go to a shop to look at some custom doors. When I finally found the shop, a man told me to follow him to a place he kept the best doors. Just the doors I was looking for. He took me out a back door, across a yard, and up along a hill. Everything was covered with a fresh snow as if it was winter, but felt like early spring. The man stopped and showed be some shinny silver covers on the ground. He removed one and showed me a weed growing in a hole dug into the ground. The weed was huge, green and appeared to be flourishing. The way the weed was situated in the hole, I could see the entire plant, roots and all. The man made a comment about how the hole and cover were designed to show how those weeds live and flourish underground during the winter. I stayed at that spot studying the weed for a minute or two while the man continued on. I looked up to see the man was gone. No problem. All I had to do was follow the fresh footprints in the snow.

At first it was easy to follow the man's footprints since they were the only prints in the snow. I didn't see the man but felt certain I would catch up to him at the building he had those doors stored.

As I went over another hill, I saw a group of buildings that all looked the same. As I got closer, while still following the man's tracks in the snow, they began to cross other footprints. It became more difficult for me to follow the man's tracks. Soon it was impossible to find the man's footprints among all the other footprints in the snow. I felt like I was lost, not knowing where to go.

When I woke up, I praised God for the dream. After talking to a few friends about dreams they had, I knew I couldn't interpret the dream myself. How could I praise God for giving me a dream, then tell God I didn't need Him to provide the interpretation? I prayed and waited for God to answer. The weeds were obvious. They were hidden and ready to break out at any moment. We all have weeds in our lives. The doors were custom. Representing new details God has to teach us. They were not located in the store all the other people shopped, but stored in a special place that required a journey. The snow made it easy for me to follow the person until I ran into traffic. As long as I was on a path other people don't travel, I was okay. But as soon as I approached an area many other people traveled, I was lost.

To Israel, they were about to enter a place they were about to travel the first time. Their path was led by the Ark carried by Levites appointed to the task. As long as they kept their eyes on the Ark, they were okay. The first part of their journey was easy. They could see where they were going and understood how God was leading. But weeds were hiding everywhere in the promised land. Weeds ready to spring up and choke them out.

The further they got into the promised land, the harder it was for Israel to follow God's distinct path. Footprints were more difficult to find. The enemy suggested many misleading paths. The entire journey into the promised land was to find new doors to open. Don't forget, Israel was supposed to be so successful, nations from all over the world were supposed to flock there to learn about God.

Our lives are a lot like that. Where are those doors. We don't see anything like physical doors to walk through. But there are spiritual doors to pass through. We don't know where they are, so we need God to show us. We aren't going to find those spiritual doors by following the world. When we do, we get confused and lost.

The next morning I had a second dream. I had a house out in the woods. From the porch I could look out over the woods. There was a story about some deer causing trouble and was viewed as a threat to the local people. I saw a group of hunters. They were all older men in their forties and fifties. Each had a riffle and walked in a line to drive out that deer to shoot it. They told me they were looking for that deer and had to kill it. They were dressed in flannel shirts, blue green jackets, and some of them in light or dark brown jackets. Not at all like the blaze orange safety colors deer hunters are required to dress in. None of them wore those highlighted, identifying colors.

Later I was looking out over the woods and saw a very young and small boy walking through the woods carrying a large double barrel shot gun. The gun was far too large for the boy about three to three and a half feet tall. He was wearing a flannel shirt and blue green pants and jacket. He pointed the shot gun straight out in front of him. I noticed that gun was pointed at me and my house, so I shouted to the boy, hold the gun it the air. Point the barrel up in the air! The boy did not comply, but pointed it straight at me. I repeated the demand.

A group of men from before came up behind the boy as I repeated the command a third time. The men told me I had no business telling the boy what to do. I told those men if the boy would not comply, I had no choice but to report the matter to the police.

I walked to town to report the issue. On the way I saw a man dressed like a policeman. I stopped him, but he was only a security guard working for some company. As I continued on, I saw a second man dressed like a policeman with a badge sown in his sleeve. He was a scout master dressed in a blue uniform. I went into town and walked in the police station. A police woman was seated at a desk. I told her the story. She told me that is not part of her job, I would have to talk to another officer or the chief.

The boy with the shot gun showed how ill-equiped and unprepared Israel was to enter the promised land. They were hardened warriors with a number of battles under their belts, but had no idea what it meant to be a nation led by God. When we look at Israel's history after they entered the promised land, the command was given, Jericho and everything in it must be completely destroyed as an offering to the LORD. Only Rahab the prostitute and the others in her house will be spared, for she protected our spies. (Joshua 6:17 NLTse).

Many lessons were taught over the previous forty years. Many lessons were taught in the days leading up to Jericho's fall. But what did Israel learn? They had no idea what any of those symbols in the Tabernacle meant. They had no idea who Jesus, the Messiah, and Lamb was. Israel had no idea what God's plan of salvation was. But that group of people thought they were ready to go in, conquer the promised land, and take it for themselves.

I see much the same attitude today. Preachers and teachers take a little part of scripture and make some kind of doctrine out of it. They can't see how ill-equiped they are. They are not able to properly train members to be God's kingdom of priests.

I've been seeing this sense of fear in preachers and religious leaders these days. They are afraid to teach members how to read and understand scripture. They are afraid to teach people how God communicates through His Word. They are afraid to teach any type of communication with God.

Their main excuse seems to be a fear members will be misled if left to their own in God's Word, or talking with God. Church leaders are afraid they will waste too much time answering questions. And there is a fear people will be misled by what they read in scripture and leave their churches. Why all this fear?

I've seen that fear in church leaders for years. At first I didn't understand it. I thought and always believed, when we read scripture and allow God's Word and His Spirit to interpret scripture, we couldn't help but be on the same page. But I was wrong. Their pages seem to be doctrines and tradition. Things people have to learn to leave behind, or seriously test before they can begin to understand lessons just below the surface in scripture.

I've seen a rash of comments on the Internet this past week. People insisting we need to go back to the old ways in religion. To go back to the old way of teaching and reaching out to the world. Most people seem to be all tied up in future prophecies and tied down by