We are continuing our series on Jericho, keeping in view the study on 2 Kings 2, the journey of Elisha and Elijah from Gilgal to Bethel to Jericho and finally to and across the river Jordan. You may find the earlier studies in other blogs in the htt://procyon6x.blogspot.com and procyon7x sites.
Jericho speaks of the world. In fact, Jericho is one of the oldest cities in the world. Achan put his hands upon the sinister things of the world. It was not just a beautiful garment; it had the touch of 'Babylon' upon it. See Joshua 7.
Babylon is the great city that rules over all the earth. There is a political Babylon, a religious Babylon and a commercial Babylon. Check out Rev 13, 17 and 18. We know that Cain went out from the presence of the Lord, Gen 4.16. He never came back into the Lord's presence. He built a city, Gen 4.17. He was a man of much skill and talent. His progency were the inventors of music and technology. He himself was an expert farmer and his descendant was the father of animal husbandry. Eve appears to have been struck by his external appearance, Gen 4.1.
Cain's descendant, Nimrod, was the author of Babylon. In Gen 11.4, they said, 'Come, let us build ourselves a city, with a tower that reaches to heaven!' That speaks a lot about man's civilization - his pride and his [vain]glory. O what a wonderful piece of work is man! With his skill and talent, he has created the arts, and science and modern civilization. Politics, education, philosophy, religion, science, art, music, law, commerce, culture - all have evolved from man.
What a politician was Pilate, Luke 23.12, but in the end he committed suicide. Today's favorite child of education [coming from the Tree of Knowledge itself] is psychology [the study of the psyche or soul of man, without any understanding of the spirit and spiritual things!]. Colossians 2.8 warns us of hollow and deceptive philosophy, depending on human tradition and the basic principles of a world alienated from Christ. As for religion, it is "Mystery, Babylon the Great, the Mother of Prostitutes and of the Abominations of the Earth", Rev 17.5. Today's god is Science, which has deified evolution and descended into the horrors of cloning and chemical bombing. Art has been depraved by idolatry; so-called Christian art is mostly idolatry. We have law and jurisprudence, without justice or equity. How can commerce and business flourish without dishonesty? Even music, for all its brilliance, cannot satisfy the spirit; contemporary Christian music is a great snare of the enemy.
We are living in a worldly atmosphere. We have to be careful of the 'earth touch'. [No wonder in the presence of God we have to take our shoes off our feet!] We have worldly conversation [chitchat, gossip], worldly friendships, wordly customs and traditions, worldly fashions, etc. The smallest 'touch' of the world can grieve the Spirit. How many of us spend more time with the newspaper in the morning than with our Bibles!
Jesus warned us of the cares of the world, Matt 13.22, Mark 4.19 and Luke 8.14. The seed was sown among thorns [thorns and thistles produced by a cursed world]; thorns that speak of worries and cares, riches, desires and pleasures; thorns that choke the 'word' and kill the spirit. As Watchman Nee rightly said, the question we should ask is not 'Whether it is good or bad?', but 'Is it of the world or of God?' Woe to the world because of stumbling-blocks, Matt 18.7. The cares of the world weigh down upon us; we worry and have no time to rejoice or worship. The world's 'gravity' pulls us down. Jesus warned, "A man's life does not consist in the abundance of his possessions." Read the entire section from Luke 12.15-34. What happened to the life of the pilgrim? the tent-life of Abraham?
In the last days, it is going to be like the days of Noah and Lot. People will be caught up in eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage. [In the West, nobody believes in the institution of marriage, but they keep changing 'wives'] They will be obsessed by buying and selling [speculation?], and planting and building. Sodom, in Ezekiel 16.49, had abundant food and careless ease and much arrogance [NASB]; [not very different from America or Canada or any of the prosperous West]. But she did not care for the poor and needy [a growing problem in China and India, even as these countries prosper].
Remember Lot's wife, Luke 17.32. Remember Demas, 2 Tim 4.10. More than anything else, remember our Lord's warning that the world will hate the children of God.
We have been warned; but will we listen?
