31 Keys to Possessing Your Promise

By Rodney Burton

Text Copyright © 2012 Rodney Burton

All Rights Reserved

To my wife, Kim, and son, Josiah, for their endless love and support.  Without them I wouldn’t be able to do what I do with the same joy and satisfaction.

To the wonderful people of Calvary Church who have taught me so much in such a short time.  Their love for God and His Word has stretched me to grow in my own relationship with God.  For that I am eternally grateful.

Table of Contents

Preface

Key 1 – Overcoming the Darkness (Jericho)

Key 2 – Understanding the Renewal of God (Ai)

Key 3 – Learning to Embrace Peace (Jerusalem)

Key 4 – Joining With the Right Side (Hebron)

Key 5 – Overcoming the Enemy’s Deception (Jarmuth)

Key 6 – Knowing You are Victorious (Lachish)

Key 7 – Avoiding Idolatry (Eglon)

Key 8 – Choosing to Fully Commit (Gezer)

Key 9 – Inviting God’s Presence by our Obedience (Debir)

Key 10 – Not Being Intimidated (Geder)

Key 11 – Being Faithful to God (Hormah)

Key 12 – Keeping Your Emotions in Check (Arad)

Key 13 – Being Transparent and Real (Libnah)

Key 14 – Justice (Adullam)

Key 15 – The Shepherd’s Involvement (Makkedah)

Key 16 – God’s House (Bethel)

Key 17 – Fruitfulness (Tappuah)

Key 18 – Going Deeper (Hepher)

Key 19 – God’s Strength (Aphek)

Key 20 – The Choice Flower (Lasharon)

Key 21 – Overcoming Strife (Madon)

Key 22 – Pulling Down Strongholds (Hazor)

Key 23 – What is Being Built? (Shimronmeron)

Key 24 – Breaking Witchcraft (Achshaph)

Key 25 – Avoiding Maintenance Mode (Taanach)

Key 26 – Do Not Follow the Crowd (Megiddo)

Key 27 -- Holy Place or Sanctuary (Kedesh)

Key 28 – Dealing with Grief (Jokneam)

Key 29 – Stand for Your Generation (Dor)

Key 30 – Embracing Freedom (Nations of Gilgal)

Key 31 – The Favor of God (Tirzah)

Study Guide

Preface

God had given a promise to Abraham that his descendants would possess a vast land (see Genesis 12).  As time passed, it began to seem less possible for the descendants of Abraham to receive their promised inheritance.  They spent years in slavery in Egypt until God raised up Moses as a deliverer.  As they journeyed from their place of bondage to their land of inheritance, it was necessary for them to defeat the armies that inhabited the land they had been promised to be given as their possession.

In Joshua we read that the children of Israel defeated thirty-one kings and cities/regions in order to inherit their promise. From the names of those cities/regions we will consider our own keys to inheriting God’s promise.  From the definition of these cities we will draw out a thirty-one key devotional journey to our inheritance.  Some of the keys will involve what we must overcome or gain victory over; other keys will be principles or characteristics that are important for us to embrace.  Together we can discover and use the keys, enabling us to possess our promised inheritance.

Our passage is found in Joshua 12:

And these are the kings of the country which Joshua and the children of Israel smote on this side Jordan on the west, from Baalgad in the valley of Lebanon even unto the mount Halak, that goeth up to Seir; which Joshua gave unto the tribes of Israel for a possession according to their divisions;  In the mountains, and in the valleys, and in the plains, and in the springs, and in the wilderness, and in the south country; the Hittites, the Amorites, and the Canaanites, the Perizzites, the Hivites, and the Jebusites:  The king of Jericho, one; the king of Ai, which is beside Bethel, one; The king of Jerusalem, one; the king of Hebron, one; The king of Jarmuth, one; the king of Lachish, one; The king of Eglon, one; the king of Gezer, one; The king of Debir, one; the king of Geder, one; The king of Hormah, one; the king of Arad, one; The king of Libnah, one; the king of Adullam, one; The king of Makkedah, one; the king of Bethel, one; The king of Tappuah, one; the king of Hepher, one; The king of Aphek, one; the king of Lasharon, one; The king of Madon, one; the king of Hazor, one; The king of Shimronmeron, one; the king of Achshaph, one; The king of Taanach, one; the king of Megiddo, one; The king of Kedesh, one; the king of Jokneam of Carmel, one;  The king of Dor in the coast of Dor, one; the king of the nations of Gilgal, one; The king of Tirzah, one: all the kings thirty and one.

Joshua 12:7-24

Key 1 – Overcoming the Darkness (Jericho)

Many have heard the story of the fall of the walls of Jericho.  God had given instructions to Joshua and the children of Israel to march around the city in silence one time for six days in a row; and to march around the city seven times on the seventh day, shouting and blowing the trumpets on the seventh time around.  When they did what God had told them to do, the walls of Jericho fell down flat and the children of Israel went into the city and destroyed it.  With that the conquest of the land had begun (see Joshua 6).

But why was Jericho first?  Is there any significance other than geographical as to why Jericho was the first city of conquest?  The name Jericho means “city of the moon,” which depicts night and darkness, a time of limited activity and limited vision.  Jericho was first spiritually, because darkness is the first thing any of us must overcome in order to possess our true inheritance.

Inability to get beyond the darkness will keep you from obtaining what God has for you.  I see this as the primary reason for Judas Iscariot’s betrayal of Christ.  He was unable to get beyond the darkness.  Scripture points out,

Jesus answered, “It is the one to whom I will give this piece of bread when I have dipped it in the dish.” Then, dipping the piece of bread, he gave it to Judas, the son of Simon Iscariot.  As soon as Judas took the bread, Satan entered into him.  So Jesus told him, “What you are about to do, do quickly.”  But no one at the meal understood why Jesus said this to him.  Since Judas had charge of the money, some thought Jesus was telling him to buy what was needed for the festival, or to give something to the poor.  As soon as Judas had taken the bread, he went out. And it was night.

John 13:26-30

Judas stepped out into the night to betray Christ.  He wasn’t able to get beyond the darkness.  There is a darkness or iniquity within each of us, and it will manifest itself in and through our lives if we do not overcome it.  Jericho had to be defeated first so that the children of Israel could begin to walk in the light of God’s inheritance.

Remember too, that Jericho and everything in Jericho were to be devoted unto the Lord (see Joshua 6:17).  When God delivers you from your darkness, don’t hold onto anything associated with that darkness.  Destroy those things completely just as the Lord told the Israelites.  Many get themselves in trouble by keeping a connection with the darkness.  As Paul teaches in Ephesians, have nothing to do with the fruitless deeds of darkness (Ephesians 5:11).

The challenge before us today is to prayerfully and honestly consider the area(s) of darkness we need to overcome in our own lives.  If you keep a journal, I would encourage you to write down what you sense the Lord speaking to you about in terms of darkness in your life.  Along with that, write down some action steps you can take to see your own walls of darkness fall.  I heard it said that the children of Israel marched around the walls of Jericho so they could get a full view of the wall they were facing.  Today’s challenge is for us to get a full view of the darkness we are facing in our lives, and then do as Paul instructed the Romans:

And do this, understanding the present time: The hour has already come for you to wake up from your slumber, because our salvation is nearer now than when we first believed. The night is nearly over; the day is almost here. So let us put aside the deeds of darkness and put on the armor of light.  Let us behave decently, as in the daytime, not in carousing and drunkenness, not in sexual immorality and debauchery, not in dissension and jealousy. Rather, clothe yourselves with the Lord Jesus Christ, and do not think about how to gratify the desires of the flesh.  Romans 13:11-14

May God shed light upon those dark places in our hearts, that we may step into our inheritance and walk in His light.  There is a whole new world of promises and possibilities available as we overcome the darkness.

Key 2 – Understanding the Renewal of God (Ai)

Following the dramatic victory over Jericho, the children of Israel came to a small area known as Ai.  Joshua sent some men to spy the land and the report was that Ai was small, and that it would only take a portion of the army of Israel to defeat them.  Joshua sent only some of the fighting men against Ai; yet surprisingly the children of Israel found themselves defeated by this inferior army.  The reason for their defeat was that Achan had taken some things from Jericho when God had clearly told the entire camp not to do so (see Joshua 7).

In Key One we focused on the importance of breaking away from darkness (Jericho) and not taking or keeping anything as a token or trophy from that place of victory.  We see in the battle against Ai why this is so important.  By the choice of one man, Achan, an entire army was put into a precarious position and thirty-six men lost their lives.  Until Israel fully distanced themselves from the darkness, they were unable to progress and thus possess their inheritance.

After the sin had been dealt with, however, they gained victory against Ai: which means “a heap of ruins.”  Oftentimes after a person overcomes darkness and sin, they are confronted with a life and circumstances that appear to be a heap of ruins.  How many times have you asked, “What can God possibly make of or do with me?”  In order for us to march forward and possess what God has for us, we must overcome our own perspective.  A person is not defined by where they have been.  God defines a person by where He wants to take them.

The enemy would love to convince you and me that we are a heap of ruins and that we have no potential to be used by God in any way.  But we must deal with that lie in the same way that Joshua dealt with the city of Ai.

And Joshua burnt Ai, and made it an heap for ever, even a desolation unto this day.   Joshua 8:28

God wants to take you to great places in Him, to put you into a position to do great things for Him.  Do not allow the enemy to deceive you into believing differently.  Ai is located next to Bethel.  In Key Sixteen we will discuss Bethel, which means house of God.  The heap of ruins was near the house of God.  Isn’t it interesting how the enemy often tries to get us to give up when we are so close to where we need to be?  The enemy fears that we will realize who we are in Christ and wreak havoc on his kingdom.  May our hearts be awakened today with the truth and knowledge of who we are in Christ.  I am not a heap of ruins.  You are not a heap of ruins.  We are exactly what God is looking for to use in His Kingdom.

While the enemy is working hard to convince us that we are nothing, that we are a heap of ruins, God sees us differently.  If we make ourselves available to Him, there is nothing that He cannot do in and through our lives.  Listen to the words of the prophet Isaiah:

“Come now, let us settle the matter,”

says the LORD.

“Though your sins are like scarlet,

they shall be as white as snow;

though they are red as crimson,

they shall be like wool.

If you are willing and obedient,

you will eat the good things of the land;

but if you resist and rebel,

you will be devoured by the sword.”

For the mouth of the LORD has spoken.  Isaiah 1:18-20

God has made the “good things of the land” available to you and me, if we are willing and obedient.  Not only are we not a heap of ruins, but in Christ we are made a heap of blessings – both blessings that we can enjoy from the Lord as well as those we can be for the Lord.

Key 3 – Learning to Embrace Peace (Jerusalem)

And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.   Philippians 4:7

As word was spreading of Israel’s conquest, many of the surrounding people began to fear for their own lives and cities.  Adonizedec, the king of Jerusalem (see Joshua 10) gathered around him the kings of Hebron, Jarmuth, Lachish and Eglon to fight against Israel.  They were hoping to join together and prevent God’s people from taking their land.  Yet Joshua 10 tells us about the mighty victory Israel gained against these kings and their armies.  We see a fascinating image of Joshua personally dealing with the kings in this manner:

And it came to pass, when they brought out those kings unto Joshua, that Joshua called for all the men of Israel, and said unto the captains of the men of war which went with him, Come near, put your feet upon the necks of these kings. And they came near, and put their feet upon the necks of them.   And Joshua said unto them, Fear not, nor be dismayed, be strong and of good courage: for thus shall the LORD do to all your enemies against whom ye fight.  And afterward Joshua smote them, and slew them, and hanged them on five trees: and they were hanging upon the trees until the evening.  And it came to pass at the time of the going down of the sun, that Joshua commanded, and they took them down off the trees, and cast them into the cave wherein they had been hid, and laid great stones in the cave's mouth, which remain until this very day.  Joshua 10:24-27

Jerusalem means “teaching of peace” and that is exactly what this victory was.  As the enemy had tried to join together and cause intimidation and fear, God brought a great victory and taught His people to be at peace.  Peace is a powerful key to victory.  When you can learn to be at peace even in the midst of attack or turmoil, you are able to be victorious even before the battle is over – a person at peace is confident of the outcome.

Philippians 4:7 says it is a peace that “transcends all understanding.”   In our own minds and understanding, the things God has called us to may not line up or make sense.  As we trust Him we don’t lean to our own understanding (see Proverb 3:5-6).  And here He calls us to have a peace beyond understanding.  God wants us to learn to have and walk in His peace.

One caution is to not mistake relief for peace.  Many times we can feel relief and assume it to be peace, but they are not the same.  Consider the definitions of each (taken from dictionary.com):

Peace is the cessation of or freedom from any strife or dissension.

Relief is the alleviation, ease, or deliverance through the removal of pain, distress or oppression..

Relief can be deceiving in that you feel better just because the feeling of pain, distress or oppression is gone.  Peace is a genuine condition of the heart and spirit that can be present even if the pain, distress or oppression remains.  Relief may be the “removal of” these feelings or conditions, but peace is “freedom from” not only the conditions, but also the strife that accompanies the conditions.  The peace of God does not allow conditions and circumstances to have place over you.

As the children of Israel gained victory over Jerusalem they learned a valuable lesson on peace.  Years later, during the reign of King David, Jerusalem became the capital of the united kingdom of Israel (see 2 Samuel 5) and is the site of the temple built by Solomon (see 2 Chronicles 3-7).  Where God taught His people peace is where He chose to have His House built and to have His presence dwell.  Jerusalem also is the site of the crucifixion of Christ (see Luke 23).  The place where peace was taught and established became the birthplace of our salvation.  God has always established peace as a key to our inheritance.

I found the following description of peace on www.interlinearbible.org.    Peace is God’s gift of wholeness or when all essential parts are joined together.  My prayer today is that in all of our lives we would enjoy God’s gift of wholeness.  I pray there would be peace in your home and family as you join together as one to fight against the attacks of the enemy.  I pray that in your churches, precious time and resources would not be wasted by fighting against one another, but instead that you would join together in peace to see the Kingdom of God advance.  As Paul taught the Colossians, may the peace of God rule in our hearts (Colossians 3:15), and may it do so in every facet of our lives.

Key 4 – Joining With the Right Side (Hebron)

As discussed in Key Three, Hebron is mentioned as having joined with Jerusalem to fight against the children of God.  Hebron means “joining or association,” and we learn from this story the importance of carefully choosing who you join or associate with.  The first mention of Hebron is found in Genesis:

Then Abram removed his tent, and came and dwelt in the plain of Mamre, which is in Hebron, and built there an altar unto the LORD.  Genesis 13:18

Hebron was initially a place where man joined with God.  Over time, when the enemy had taken the area as his own possession, it became a place that joined forces against God’s people.  The enemy loves to steal away what God has done and then to use those very things against God and God’s people.  Yet as we follow the story we find that Hebron became part of Caleb’s inheritance when the land was divided.  Of the twelve spies sent to scout out the Promised Land, only Caleb and Joshua believed God’s people could take possession of the land (see Numbers 13).  Look at what Joshua says about Caleb and Hebron:

And Joshua blessed him, and gave unto Caleb the son of Jephunneh Hebron for an inheritance.  Hebron therefore became the inheritance of Caleb the son of Jephunneh the Kenezite unto this day, because that he wholly followed the LORD God of Israel.  Joshua 14:13-14

Caleb was a man who had joined with God and therefore he was given back what the enemy had stolen and was trying to use against God’s people.  God’s original intention with Hebron was for it to be a place representing a joining WITH HIM and not as the enemy had made it a joining AGAINST HIM.

God’s ultimate plan has always involved man joining with Him and seeing His Kingdom and plan established.  God has never wanted for man to go against Him and join forces with the enemy.  Through lies, deception and empty promises, however, the enemy has convinced many that going against God is a recipe for success and a route toward possessing all that is good.  The enemy wants to distort reality and deceive us into believing his lies.  The end result for the king of Hebron was fear, humiliation and death.  There is no blessing in joining or associating with the enemy against God.

In Caleb – the inheritor of Hebron – we see God’s recipe for blessing.  As we join ourselves with God we will experience God’s blessing and favor; and we will take possession of His promised inheritance.  Caleb joined with God and stayed joined to God throughout his life and his faithfulness was rewarded.  I am sure there were times for him that staying joined with God may have seemed much more difficult than it was worth.  For many of us the same can be said.  But God’s blessing is upon those who endure to the end and remain faithful unto Him.

When God allotted various cities to the Levite priests, He gave them forty-eight cities in all, six of which became cities of refuge.  A city of refuge was the city where a person who had killed someone accidentally could flee to avoid being put to death.  It served as a safe place.  It represented forgiveness and salvation.  Hebron was one of the six cities chosen as a city of refuge (Joshua 21:13).  God’s greatest desire is for us to join with Him in repentance and forgiveness.  Jesus Christ is our person of refuge.  He is our ever present help in times of trouble or need (Psalm 46:1).  As we no longer join with the enemy and instead join ourselves with God, we find His forgiveness, blessing and favor in and for our lives.

It is also important to join with brothers and sisters in Christ that can strengthen and encourage you.  So many times we get ourselves into a place of defeat by becoming isolated.  Joining with Christ and joining with His Body are essential in our lives if we are to walk in victory and inherit our promise.  I leave you with these verses and encourage you to surround yourself with faith-minded people today.

And let us consider how we may spur one another on toward love and good deeds,  not giving up meeting together, as some are in the habit of doing, but encouraging one another —and all the more as you see the Day approaching.  Hebrews 10:24-25

How could one man chase a thousand,

or two put ten thousand to flight,

unless their Rock had sold them,

unless the LORD had given them up?

For their rock is not like our Rock,

as even our enemies concede.

Deuteronomy 32:30-31

Though one may be overpowered,

two can defend themselves.

A cord of three strands is not quickly broken.

Ecclesiastes 4:12

Key 5 – Overcoming the Enemy’s Deception (Jarmuth)

Jarmuth was the second city that Jerusalem joined with to fight against the children of Israel.  Jarmuth means “heights.”  Jarmuth represents the heights or lofty ways the enemy uses to convince us we cannot be victorious.  These are the mountains that appear before you to distract you or get you off course.  The enemy loves to cause us to lose perspective and get our focus off of God and onto the mountain or challenge before us.

I see this as an attempt by the enemy to once again bring intimidation against the children of Israel.  The generation before had spied out the land and saw themselves as weak and insignificant in comparison with the enemy.  Here, by joining with Jarmuth, the king of Jerusalem (peace) was trying to steal away any sense of peace and confidence, and cause the people of God to see the size of the mountain and once again feel insignificant.

This is one of the greatest tools of the enemy.  He loves to cause us to feel insignificant and inadequate.  He loves to make us feel as though we cannot stand up to him and his kingdom.  If he can get our eyes off Who we are serving and cause us to see the obstacle in front of us, he could bring us to a place of defeat.  Even Peter began to sink when he took his eyes off Jesus while walking on the water (Matthew 14:30).

But what does Jesus teach us about mountains?

If ye have faith as a grain of mustard seed, ye shall say unto this mountain, Remove hence to yonder place; and it shall remove; and nothing shall be impossible unto you.

Matthew 17:20

When Jesus taught this lesson, He was standing next to the mountain on which He had just been transfigured before Peter, James and John.  The mountain served as a visual for all those who stood there and heard what Jesus said.  What I hear Jesus saying is, “No matter the mountain that is standing before you, I have given you the faith necessary in that moment to overcome that mountain and see it fall before you.”  The challenge then is to never allow what God calls an opportunity to become an obstacle.

Jarmuth ultimately became a dwelling place for the Levites (Joshua 21:29).  The Levites were the priests and as such they weren’t given their own inheritance.  However, they were given cities and lands from the other tribes as cities in which to dwell.  They were given forty-eight cities in all and Jarmuth was one of the cities God chose for His priests to dwell.  The same “heights” that the enemy used in an attempt to detour the people of God became a city in which the priests of God dwelt.  Not only does God want to see the mountains leveled before you, He wants to ultimately give you that land in which to dwell and serve Him.

What mountains in your life are in need of leveling?  What things are you looking at that seem impossible or impassible?  God is able, through you, to see those things removed.  Let me encourage you to note those mountains today and then ask the Lord to give you the battle plan or strategy to see those mountains leveled before you.  The victory is available to you.  Don’t settle for less than what God has for you.

Key 6 – Knowing You are Victorious (Lachish)

The third king and city to partner with Jerusalem and come against the people of God was Lachish.  Lachish means “invincible or obstinate.”  It represents something that is hard to be captured.  Lachish speaks of that which the enemy wants you to view as impossible or beyond your grasp.  Do you notice that in the cities that joined together, the enemy was constantly trying to convince God’s people that they were incapable of being victorious?  The enemy longs to make God’s people feel defeated even before the battle begins.  If we go into battle with a mindset of defeat, we will come out of the battle defeated.

What are you facing that seems invincible?  What immovable object seems to be in your path?  Yesterday we considered Jarmuth and heights or mountains and how God desires to level the mountain and give you possession of the land.  But today the question is what in your life seems as though it is unmovable?

Some years ago the Lord dropped a word of encouragement in my spirit that applies today.  “Those things that you thought would always be are about to cease or no longer be.  And those things that you thought would never be are about to become.”  What God desires to do in your life is often met with an invincible or obstinate situation before you realize what God is going to do.  Pastor John Carnett, who I served as an associate for in St. Peters, MO, often said that “a wall is just a door that has yet to realize its full potential”.

Nothing we face in life is bigger than God in us.  The challenge that is ever before us is to not allow Lachish to stop us or cause us to retreat.  The difficulty of the battle makes the victory all the more sweet.  We cannot afford to allow our vision to be interrupted by obstinate matters.  We cannot allow ourselves to shrink back or to stop, but must always be pressing forward.

As the children of Israel were journeying from Egypt they came face to face with the Red Sea.  They stopped and waited and expected the miraculous to take place.  Yes, the waters did part and yes, they did cross on dry land.  However, the point to realize is that God was not surprised by the Red Sea being in their path.  God never intended for them to stop, but to keep moving.  The apparently invincible Sea was never supposed to be a stop sign, just a part of the journey.  When Moses told the people to stand still and watch what God did, God replied to Moses:

And Jehovah said unto Moses, Wherefore criest thou unto me? speak unto the children of Israel, that they go forward.   Exodus 14:15

The message for us is clear.  No matter how invincible the opposition or obstacle may seem, we are to continue to move forward.  As Joshua led the Israelites forward, they saw the defeat of all five of the kings that had joined together to oppose them.  God will always respond to the forward move of faith shown by His people.

Key 7 – Avoiding Idolatry (Eglon)

Eglon was the fourth and final king and city to join with Jerusalem in opposing the people of God.  Eglon means “calf-like.”  It is geographically near Lachish and later became the lowlands of Judah’s possession.   I want to connect the definition of this city with what would be a symbol of idolatry to the children of Israel and for us as we read the Old Testament.

As the children of Israel were journeying in the wilderness, God came down on the mountain and spoke with Moses.  It was during this encounter that God gave Moses and His people the Ten Commandments.  However, it was also during this time that the children of Israel came to Aaron and said,

Up, make us gods, which shall go before us; for as for this Moses, the man that brought us up out of the land of Egypt, we wot not what is become of him. Exodus 32:1

In their impatience and desire to make things happen when they did not appear to be happening, the people of God became guilty of idolatry.  Now as we see Eglon joining forces against Israel, I see the “calf-like” approach of the enemy to try and cause the people of God to once again become impatient or jumpy and act without God.  Many Scriptural examples can be found of God’s people acting out of impatience and thus turning away from God or getting away from His plans.  One example to consider is found in Judges following the death of Joshua:

And Joshua the son of Nun, the servant of the LORD, died, being an hundred and ten years old.  And they buried him in the border of his inheritance in Timnathheres, in the mount of Ephraim, on the north side of the hill Gaash.  And also all that generation were gathered unto their fathers: and there arose another generation after them, which knew not the LORD, nor yet the works which he had done for Israel.  And the children of Israel did evil in the sight of the LORD, and served Baalim:  And they forsook the LORD God of their fathers, which brought them out of the land of Egypt, and followed other gods, of the gods of the people that were round about them, and bowed themselves unto them, and provoked the LORD to anger.  And they forsook the LORD, and served Baal and Ashtaroth.  Judges 2:8-13

The children of Israel forsook the Lord and chose to give themselves over to idols.  It is eerily similar to the golden calf story in that when the leader was not present, the people were quick to get into idolatry.  While leadership is important, we must each have a personal understanding of God in order to stand against the temptation of idolatry. The less you or I know about God and His truth, the more susceptible we become to the dangers of worshiping something other than God.

What Eglon or “calf-like” things is the enemy trying to place in your path today to get you off course?  What things do you find it easy to follow after instead of following after God?  Are there areas and examples of idolatry in your life that the enemy continually brings back against you in an effort to once again trip you up?

History tells us that in Eglon ruins are found.  According to Wikipedia “The ancient name is preserved at the ruins of Khirbet Ajlan, a few km distant.” Idolatry is a deceptive thing.  It gives the appearance of beauty and allure but what is often not seen until it is too late is the amount of ruin and desolation attached to and brought on by idolatry.  If the enemy can distract us with other “gods” he can ruin what God desires to do and is doing in our lives.

Key 8 – Choosing to Fully Commit (Gezer)

After having dealt with the five cities and kings that came together, Israel next had to defeat the king of Gezer and take possession of this part of their inheritance.  Gezer means “a portion, piece or past.”  What is the significance of this meaning?  It represents God’s people only going halfway in their conquest.  This is one of the most dangerous pitfalls in taking possession of your inheritance.  Gezer is our first example of the children of Israel riding the fence.  They only had a piece or portion of Gezer because:

Neither did Ephraim drive out the Canaanites that dwelt in Gezer; but the Canaanites dwelt in Gezer among them.   Judges 1:29

Prior to their entering into the Promised Land, God had given strict orders to the children of Israel concerning the inhabitants of the land they were taking as their possession.  God instructed them that:

But if you do not drive out the inhabitants of the land from before you, then it shall come about that those whom you let remain of them will become as pricks in your eyes and as thorns in your sides, and they will trouble you in the land in which you live.  And as I plan to do to them, so I will do to you.  Numbers 33:55-56

The decision was to not completely drive out the Canaanites.  God’s people were going against His plan to separate themselves from the world and from the enemy’s army.  They were choosing to allow a portion of opposition to remain in the midst of their promised possession.  We find this ultimately caused an unraveling among the people of God in their land.

Allowing the enemy to hang around is a dangerous game that God’s people should never play.  Jesus came to destroy the works of the devil (1 John 3:8) – to do so completely.  I don’t want just a portion of God.  I want all of Him and all that He has for me.  That means I must embrace His plan and calling to fully separate from and destroy the works of the enemy in my life.

God’s warning has always been the same in that He will not share space or glory with anyone, whether human, angel or spirit.  When the Israelites didn’t completely destroy and remove the Canaanites, the consequences became devastating.

And an angel of the LORD came up from Gilgal to Bochim, and said, I made you to go up out of Egypt, and have brought you unto the land which I sware unto your fathers; and I said, I will never break my covenant with you.  And ye shall make no league with the inhabitants of this land; ye shall throw down their altars: but ye have not obeyed my voice: why have ye done this?  Wherefore I also said, I will not drive them out from before you; but they shall be as thorns in your sides, and their gods shall be a snare unto you.  Judges 2:1-3

Are we guilty of only going half-way in our own lives?  Does God have all of you?  It is common to pray for more of God in our lives, but in reality it is often more appropriate for us to give more of ourselves to God.  A valuable key to possessing all that God has for you is to fully embrace Him and remove the evidence of the enemy in our lives.  God calls us to come out from among the world and be separate (see 2 Corinthians 6:17).  I often find in my life that the things I don’t give up to God take the place of the things He wants to give to me.  Allow God to show you today where you have gone half-way, and then make a full commitment to drive out those things from your life.

Key 9 – Inviting God’s Presence by our Obedience (Debir)

Today we find a sharp contrast from yesterday.  With Gezer, some of the inhabitants of the land were allowed to remain.  Yet with Debir we read the following:

Then Joshua and all Israel with him returned to Debir, and they fought against it. He captured it and its king and all its cities, and they struck them with the edge of the sword, and utterly destroyed every person who was in it. He left no survivor. Just as he had done to Hebron, so he did to Debir and its king, as he had also done to Libnah and its king.  Thus Joshua struck all the land, the hill country and the Negev and the lowland and the slopes and all their kings. He left no survivor, but he utterly destroyed all who breathed, just as the LORD, the God of Israel, had commanded.

Joshua 10:38-40

Joshua led a strong conquest here against Debir and left no survivor or trace of the inhabitants of the land.  Debir means “sanctuary or the inmost recess.”  It refers to the holy place or the meeting place with God.  It speaks of where we can go and what we can possess when we are obedient to what God has said.

For the LORD God is a sun and shield; The LORD gives grace and glory; No good thing does He withhold from those who walk uprightly.  Psalm 84:11

The blessing and presence of God accompanies our obedience to God.  How often have we wondered why we were lacking or missing out on something from God only to find the reason was our lack of obedience?  How often do we forfeit blessings and the presence of God by not being obedient?

Debir also became one of the forty-eight cities in which the Levites dwelt (see Joshua 21).  Today, you and I are the priests of God and He desires that we dwell in His sanctuary and in His presence, made possible by and through our obedience.  Peter declares it this way:

But you are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people for God’s own possession, so that you may proclaim the excellencies of Him who has call you out of darkness into His marvelous light; for you once were not a people, but now you are the people of God; you had not received mercy, but now you have received mercy.

1 Peter 2:9-10

God calls us His own people, and He desires His people to dwell in His presence.  As we are obedient and completely separate ourselves from the enemy inhabitants in our land, we won’t just live in Gezer or a portion of what God has.  Rather, we will live in Debir, in the very presence of God

Key 10 – Not Being Intimidated (Geder)

The Bible doesn’t speak much about Geder other than to indicate it as one of the towns defeated by the children of Israel.  Geder means “wall or fence.”  It speaks of a barrier to either allow or prevent access.  Let us focus on the idea of a fence.  A fence is put in place to either keep people in or keep them out.  Typically when we read about a fence or gate in Scripture the image is that of keeping someone or something out.  Geder speaks of the enemy’s attempt to prevent access by the people of God.  Seeing as we don’t find much information about Geder, we can assume that the fence is more of a façade or a deceptive barrier.  Geder was not the obstacle it portrayed itself to be.

The enemy loves to give an appearance of strength and cause us to feel that we cannot penetrate or take possession of the land.  However, the reality is that the enemy is hoping that the people of God do not realize their potential and ability in God.  That potential is to not only gain access to the land but to also conquer the land.  Consider what Jesus said following the revelation Peter had concerning Who He was.

And I say also unto thee, That thou art Peter, and upon this rock I will build my church; and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it.   Matthew 16:18

Historically speaking, the “gates” of a city or region represent their point of strength.  A city or region would often make their gates the strongest point so as to have greater control over who came in or who went out.  Jesus declared that the gates or strongest area of the enemy’s kingdom shall not prevail against the church.  This is the enemy’s fear – that the church would realize this truth.

What is it that you are facing today that seems like a fenced or gated city or situation?  Realize that the enemy is trying to discourage, distract or intimidate you because he realizes your potential for accessing and conquering the land or things he feels entitled to own.  The promise given through the prophet Isaiah is applicable to you and me today.

This is what the Lord says to his anointed, to Cyrus, whose right hand I take hold of to subdue nations before him and to strip kings of their armor, to open doors before him so that gates will not be shut:  I will go before you and will level the mountains; I will break down gates of bronze and cut through bars of iron.  I will give you the treasures of darkness, riches stored in secret places, so that you may know that I am the Lord, the God of Israel, who summons you by name.

Isaiah 45:1-3

Key 11 – Being Faithful to God (Hormah)

The next conquest for the children of Israel came against a place called Hormah.  We read in Judges 1 that

And Judah went with Simeon his brother, and they slew the Canaanites that inhabited Zephath, and utterly destroyed it. And the name of the city was called Hormah. Judges 1:18

By utterly destroying the inhabitants of the city, the children of Israel were showing themselves faithful to God and His plan.  Prior to this conquest, Hormah found an early place in the story of the children of Israel.  The name means “devotion or a devoting.”  It derives its name from the following passage:

And Israel vowed a vow unto the LORD, and said, If thou wilt indeed deliver this people into my hand, then I will utterly destroy their cities.  And the LORD hearkened to the voice of Israel, and delivered up the Canaanites; and they utterly destroyed them and their cities: and he called the name of the place Hormah.  Numbers 21:2-3

Hormah speaks of that which was completely devoted to the Lord in response to His delivering the children of Israel from the hand of the enemy.  The key to derive from this is the importance of how we respond to what God does on our behalf.  How many times have you said to God that if He did this or that then you would do something in return?  How many times have you vowed to serve Him or give something to Him in response to what you ask Him to do?  This is what the Israelites did regarding Hormah.  They promised to utterly destroy the cities and devote them unto the Lord if He would deliver the people into their hand.

So the question is whether making a promise or vow to the Lord is a good idea or not.  What does God say about vowing to Him?

When you make a vow to God, do not be late in paying it; for He takes no delight in fools. Pay what you vow! It is better that you should not vow than that you should vow and not pay.  Ecclesiastes 5:4-5

It is perfectly appropriate to make a vow to God, but we must be sure that we fulfill our wow.  How many times have you or I been guilty of vowing something unto the Lord only to forget our vow when God responds?  An important key for taking possession of your promise is to prove yourself faithful and trustworthy to the Lord.  No matter what life may present, one thing will always stand true – God will be trustworthy.  The question is never His trustworthiness.  The question is will you be faithful to respond to God in thanks and faithfulness when He acts on your behalf?

Key 12 – Keeping Your Emotions in Check (Arad)

Arad is another city that we don’t read much about in the Bible.  In Judges 1, we read that the descendants of Moses’ father-in-law went and dwelt in the land in and around Arad (Judges 1:15-17).  We see again here that they “went and dwelt among the people.”  As we discussed with Gezer, there is a real danger in allowing the enemy inhabitants to remain when you take possession of a new land given to you by God.  This was a common mistake made by the children of Israel and it can also be a mistake made by us today.

Arad means “a wild donkey.”  The name depicts that which is out of control or unable to be tamed.  What I want us to address today as a key to possessing your promised inheritance is controlling and taming your emotions.  Our emotions can be a dangerous thing (to allow to remain) unchecked, and they can steal away so much from our lives if we allow them to do so.

One of my favorite things to do is to ride a roller coaster.  I thoroughly enjoy the thrill and the rush they can give you.  The ups and downs, the bounces, and the speed changes all appeal to me on so many levels.  But I don’t want to live my life on a roller coaster of emotion.  We all know and understand that life presents plenty of ups and downs, bounces, and speed changes.  There are plenty of opportunities for us to be carried along by the changing tide of life, and it can make you sick.  As much as I love riding roller coasters, I also enjoy getting off of them and getting stabilized on solid ground.  I don’t think I would enjoy roller coasters as much if I rode them more frequently.  I much prefer the unstable ride of a coaster to be the exception and not the rule.

Think about the children of Israel after God brought them out of Egypt.  We find a constant roller coaster ride of emotion going on among these people.  It seemed that no matter what God did in and for their lives they were never satisfied.  They were constantly allowing themselves to be tossed back and forth by the here and now, not allowing themselves to see the bigger picture.

This is so important in our possessing all that God has for us.  Rather than allowing our emotions, feelings or opinions to toss us about, we need to learn to allow God’s truth to direct our lives.  Yet how often do we find ourselves hot and cold, in and out, up and down, changing speeds, bouncing or being bounced?  How often do we allow the wild donkeys of our emotions to stay where they are comfortable and thus have more control over our lives than they should?

May we stay steady in our understanding of truth and may we put our trust in the Lord from our hearts, knowing He is able to see us through.  Allow God to prepare you and bring you to a place that is steady in Him.  You don’t have to be overwhelmed or controlled by any situation you are in.  You can “stand firm”, be clothed with the armor of God and be victorious (Ephesians 6:10-19).

Key 13 – Being Transparent and Real (Libnah)

Today with the city of Libnah we find another city that Joshua led a complete conquest against.

Then Joshua and all Israel with him moved on from Makkedah to Libnah and attacked it. The LORD also gave that city and its king into Israel’s hand. The city and everyone in it Joshua put to the sword. He left no survivors there. And he did to its king as he had done to the king of Jericho.   Joshua 10:29-30

What had been done to the king of Jericho was done to the king of Libnah: he and everything in his city was destroyed.  We also find in Joshua 21 that Libnah became one of the forty-eight cities given to the Levites as a dwelling place.  What can we learn from Libnah?  Libnah means “transparency.”  Libnah speaks of that which is genuine and fully exposed before God.

If we are going to possess all that God has for us, we must learn the importance of being open, honest and transparent both with God and with ourselves.  I have talked with people so many times about this that believe or have been told that you can’t tell God how you really feel about something.  I can even remember hearing this a few times myself.  For a long time it was a common belief and teaching that a person was not allowed to be raw and genuine before God.  However, friend, that is so far from the truth.  God loves and responds to honesty.  He desires to know what you are really feeling and thinking.  Plus, it is of great benefit to our souls to honestly express ourselves before the Lord.

It does nobody any good to hide behind that which is false.  In fact, I dare say that more harm has been done to the church throughout history by this very approach.  Far too many take the approach that you have to put on your church face and your church best and hide the real you.  How many of you reading this now don’t even realize that you are doing this very thing?  The idea is that somehow a person can separate his sacred life from his secular life, and as long as the two don’t cross paths then everything will be fine.  However nothing could be further from the truth.

If you are a believer in Christ, then EVERYTHING about your life is sacred.

We must be transparent and real.  I have a deep statement that I don’t want you to miss.  Who you are is who you are.  Did you realize that?  When we try to be someone who we are not, it is detrimental to us and in reality we are telling God He didn’t make us right the first time.  God has never made a mistake and He didn’t do so with you.  He has created you on purpose and with a purpose and the sooner we step into that reality and approach both Him and our lives with honesty, the sooner we will find success in life.

The way God made something the first time is the way God makes it every time.  He doesn’t change and shift and adjust.  With people, for example, the specific elements of personality and the essence of who each of us is will be different.  However, the basic elements of being created in His image, being made male or female, having an inner understanding of eternity and truth, being created on purpose and with a purpose – those things never change.  God is not schizophrenic.  God does not differ from His original design, and He does not make mistakes.  God is perfect.

The primary reason people try and hide themselves is because they don’t know who they are or they are afraid to be who they are made to be.  Many people hide behind the image they think they should portray or the image that others expect from them.  I firmly believe that until a person becomes transparent and authentic with God and themselves, they will struggle to find joy, peace or even success.  Knowing who God has made us to be makes it much easier to be transparent.

Libnah means “transparent.”  I continue to find it interesting which of the cities were given to the priests.  The priests were given forty-eight cities in all, and Libnah was one of the cities.  Transparency brings us into that place of being able to truly minister before both God and man.  Don’t hide.  Be who God created you to be and walk in transparency before Him.

Key 14 – Justice (Adullam)

Today we consider the defeat of Adullam and its king.  The Bible doesn’t speak much about Adullam in terms of its conquest.  However, we do find that Adullam and its cave would become a strategic place in the life of David, even before he became king.  Consider this passage:

David therefore departed thence, and escaped to the cave Adullam: and when his brethren and all his father's house heard it, they went down thither to him.  And every one that was in distress, and every one that was in debt, and every one that was discontented, gathered themselves unto him; and he became a captain over them: and there were with him about four hundred men.  1 Samuel 22:1-2

This occurred as David was trying to avoid King Saul.  As king, Saul was ruling the people harshly and was allowing his emotions and personal agenda to lead him.  Saul had become quite jealous of David, as David represented the Lord’s intention for how a king should both be and lead.  Saul was looking for an opportunity to kill David, so we read about David constantly needing to avoid Saul.  This passage in 1 Samuel tells us that he escaped to the cave Adullam – the same name as the city we are looking at today, the fourteenth city defeated by the children of Israel in taking possession of what God had promised.

It is interesting to note those who came to David in the cave.  Those who were in distress, in debt and discontented gathered themselves to him.  This is a picture of the position the people found themselves in under the leadership of Saul.  They were hurting and essentially like sheep without a shepherd.  Adullam means “justice of the people” and we find here that at Adullam these men were looking for some justice.  Look at what is said about the reign of David:

And David reigned over all Israel; and David executed judgment and justice unto all his people.  2 Samuel 8:15

I see justice as the application of God’s standard.  So many people view that idea as the “thou shalt not” statements and the things you cannot do.  However, God’s standard gives us so much more in terms of life, peace, freedom, joy and the like.  The application of God’s standard brings life that is truly life.  The men that came to David in the cave were living outside of justice, outside of God’s standard, and they were in distress, in debt and discontented.  God’s standard of justice brings an opportunity that is better than the alternative.  What does God say?

“For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the LORD, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.”   Jeremiah 29:11

God truly has your best in mind.  Most of what we are living with and living in is not His plan.  We are not seeing justice served.  Don’t you think it is time to allow justice – God’s standard – to be realized in our lives once again?

Key 15 – The Shepherd’s Involvement (Makkedah)

The next place defeated by the Israelites was Makkedah.  In Joshua 10 and the story of the five kings that joined against Israel, we find that as the battle is going on the kings hid themselves in the cave in Makkedah (Joshua 10:16).  In their effort to come against the people of God, they found it was a futile attempt.  After the battle, Joshua led the people back to Makkedah to deal with the five kings and we find this report:

The whole army then returned safely to Joshua in the camp at Makkedah, and no one uttered a word against the Israelites.    That day Joshua took Makkedah. He put the city and its king to the sword and totally destroyed everyone in it. He left no survivors. And he did to the king of Makkedah as he had done to the king of Jericho. Joshua 10:21, 28

At Makkedah we find how God deals with our enemies (see Joshua 10:24-25).  Makkedah means “place of shepherd” and from this we find a major key to possessing God’s promise – the role of the Shepherd in our lives.  Many live with and in defeat by not allowing the Shepherd to have a prominent role in their lives.  Let us consider a well-known passage (Psalm 23) in helping us understand the role that the Shepherd is willing and able to have in our lives, if we allow Him to do so.

The LORD is my shepherd;

I shall not want.

He makes me to lie down in green pastures;

He leads me beside the still waters.

He restores my soul;

He leads me in the paths of righteousness

For His name’s sake.

Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death,

I will fear no evil;

For You are with me;

Your rod and Your staff, they comfort me.

You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies;

You anoint my head with oil;

My cup runs over.

Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me

All the days of my life;

And I will dwell in the house of the LORD

Forever.

This is who the Shepherd desires to be in your life.  Consider the wording used to describe the role and provisions of the Shepherd.

       We shall not want.  God does not leave His children lacking.

       We shall lie down in green pastures.  God provides for His children that which is needed and does so in peace.

       He leads beside still waters.  God leads in ways that bring peace to our hearts and lives.

       He restores the soul.  It is God’s desire that your soul prosper and be whole.

       He leads in paths of righteousness for His name’s sake.  God sets you up for success and the abundant life He promises and desires for you.

       Even in trouble I will not fear because He is with me to comfort me.  God doesn’t leave or abandon us in trial.  Circumstances don’t dictate His involvement in our lives.

       He prepares a table in the presence of our enemies.  Just as we see in Joshua 10 at Makkedah, God deals with the enemies who oppose His people.  We shall be nourished instead of destroyed in the presence of our enemies.

       He anoints our head with oil.  God desires to place His presence in and on our lives.

       Goodness and mercy shall follow us all the days of our lives.  God will pursue us and even overtake us by that which is good.

       We will dwell in the house of the Lord forever.  God doesn’t just want an occasional visit.  He desires a dwelling together.  We can be in His presence at all times.

Is not this the perfect Shepherd?  May we always accept and embrace all that He is and all that He desires to do in our lives so that we can fully possess what He has promised as our inheritance.

Key 16 – God’s House (Bethel)

The sixteenth key to possessing our inheritance is found in the defeat of Bethel.  Bethel means “house of God” and is well represented throughout Scripture.  In Genesis 12, it was near Bethel when God spoke to Abraham that He would give the land to Abraham’s descendants (Gen 12:7-9).  Bethel is also the place where Jacob had the dream of the ladder extending to Heaven, with the angels of God ascending and descending upon it (Gen 28:11-19).  In Genesis 35, we also read about God’s appearing to Jacob at Bethel to confirm his name change, and to renew the covenant and the promise of land to his descendants.

God had established His desire for His house through Bethel.  It was to be a place of meeting with God – it was a representation of His house and what He desired His house to be used for among His people.  In each of the instances mentioned above, the patriarchs built an altar unto the Lord in Bethel.  Not only was it God’s house and where God met with them, it was also the place where worship was offered unto God.  God clarified His intent for His house in Isaiah:

Mine house shall be called an house of prayer for all people.   Isaiah 56:7

To have all that God desires for us we must properly approach and handle His House.  What happens when we misuse His house?  He makes provision to restore the proper use.  God’s house will be used for what He intends.  If man chooses to misuse it, God will send someone to repair it or He will do so Himself.  Remember when Jesus went into the temple and overturned the tables of the moneychangers? (See Matthew 21:12-16).  He declared that God’s house was to be a house of prayer.  This is evidence of God coming Himself to restore His house to its proper use.

There was a time following the reign of Solomon where his son Rehoboam chose to lead the people with heavier handedness than his father had done.  As a result, Jeroboam led a split of the kingdom (see 1 Kings 12). But, Jeroboam was afraid that if the people under his rule went to worship and sacrifice in Jerusalem, they would return unto Rehoboam and he would lose his authority and position.  As a result, he made two calves of gold and established them as gods and placed one in Dan and one in Bethel.

And Jeroboam ordained a feast in the eighth month, on the fifteenth day of the month, like unto the feast that is in Judah, and he offered upon the altar. So did he in Bethel, sacrificing unto the calves that he had made: and he placed in Bethel the priests of the high places which he had made.  So he offered upon the altar which he had made in Bethel the fifteenth day of the eighth month, even in the month which he had devised of his own heart; and ordained a feast unto the children of Israel: and he offered upon the altar, and burnt incense.  And, behold, there came a man of God out of Judah by the word of the LORD unto Bethel: and Jeroboam stood by the altar to burn incense.  And he cried against the altar in the word of the LORD, and said, O altar, altar, thus saith the LORD; Behold, a child shall be born unto the house of David, Josiah by name; and upon thee shall he offer the priests of the high places that burn incense upon thee, and men's bones shall be burnt upon thee.  And he gave a sign the same day, saying, This is the sign which the LORD hath spoken; Behold, the altar shall be rent, and the ashes that are upon it shall be poured out.   And it came to pass, when king Jeroboam heard the saying of the man of God, which had cried against the altar in Bethel, that he put forth his hand from the altar, saying, Lay hold on him. And his hand, which he put forth against him, dried up, so that he could not pull it in again to him.  1 Kings 12:32-13:4

Bethel (House of God) was being misused.  Jeroboam was leading the people into idolatry in Bethel.  God’s house was being used for things that it was never intended to stand for.  God declared through a prophet that a king would rise up by the name of Josiah who would destroy this false idol and restore God’s house (see 2 Chronicles 34 for the fulfillment of this prophecy).  When God finds someone like Josiah who will deal properly with His house, He will bless and prosper them.

We have a responsibility to properly handle and use God’s house.  He does not take it lightly to have His house misused.  The split of the kingdom and the idolatry that was introduced during this time led to so many problems for the people.  It even played a part in causing them to lose what they had been given from God.  Maintaining proper perspective and use of God’s house is a necessary key to us not only possessing what God has promised, but maintaining what we possess as well.  May we ever make His house a place where He is able to dwell.

Key 17 – Fruitfulness (Tappuah)

The next city of conquest for the Israelites is Tappuah.  Tappuah means “the apple city.”  This name was derived from the scent given off by and associated with this city. We find that at the time of the division of the land,

Manasseh had the land of Tappuah, but Tappuah on the border of Manasseh belonged to the children of Ephraim.  Joshua 17:8

This is interesting when you consider the significance of the names of Manasseh and Ephraim – the two sons of Joseph (see Genesis 41:50-52).  Manasseh meant that God had caused Joseph to forget his past and Ephraim meant God had made Joseph fruitful in the land of his suffering.  We see here the value of these two being together again.  As we allow ourselves to be freed from and to forget our past it allows for fruitfulness to develop in and through our lives.  And here we see these two men connected to this important principle by sharing the apple city.  God very much desires for us to both understand fruitfulness and to be fruitful.

By its very name Tappuah speaks of being fruitful as well as having our fruit effectively and positively impact others.  Tappuah is known as the apple city because of the scent it gave off.  It attracted the attention of passers-by.  In the same way this is Christ’s desire for us.  He says this:

You did not choose Me, but I chose you and appointed you that you should go and bear fruit, and that your fruit should remain, that whatever you ask the Father in My name He may give you.   John 15:16

Jesus declares His desire that we bear fruit that remains – fruit that has a lasting impact both in and through our lives.  In the beginning of John 15 Jesus declares that He is the vine and we are the branches, and that our fruitfulness is produced as we remain in Him.  The reality is that what we allow to be produced in our lives is what is going to be reproduced through our lives.   As we stay connected to Christ, we allow Him to produce the fruit of the Spirit in us so that He can reproduce that fruit through us.

Fruit is that which is nourishing, healthy and beneficial to those who partake of it.  So we must honestly ask ourselves what we are feeding others.  Galatians 5:22-23 outlines the fruit of the Spirit as love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, meekness and temperance.  These things are appetizing and appealing to those around you.  As you remain and grow in Christ, you will find this fruit being the output of your life.

Key 18 – Going Deeper (Hepher)

The next city in the list of the conquest is Hepher.  We don’t read much about the city other than to find that it became a part of the inheritance of Manasseh (Joshua 17).  Hepher means “a well.”   Any time that I think of a well I automatically think of depth and the refreshment that comes from that depth.  The Psalmist declares:

Deep calls to deep at the sound of Your waterfalls;  All Your breakers and Your waves have rolled over me.

Psalm 42:7

A beautiful thing about Christianity (and moving on in our relationship with God) is that God is not shallow, and He is not looking for a shallow relationship with you and me.  A relationship is shallow when one or both parties are only in it for themselves, having no genuine care for the well-being of the other person.  It is selfish.  On the other hand, a relationship that is deep is one in which each party is approaching the relationship with a genuine desire to bless and make the other person happy.  There is a healthy balance of give and take.

Today’s key for possessing all that God has for you is going deeper in your relationship with God.  Friends, salvation is not the destination or the end of the journey.  Rather, salvation is the starting point, the very beginning of the journey.  From that point forward we are given a wonderful opportunity to grow in our relationship with the Lord.  As stated earlier we find He is not into shallow relationships.  His desire is to bless you.  His desire is to provide for and take care of you.  And His desire is that you and I desire the same thing.

There is an important realization for all of us to make: we have not arrived.  There is much more we can learn, much more growth we can attain, and much more of ourselves we can give to God.  We can go deeper.  It can be so tempting to settle into a good place, a comfort zone, and feel as though you have made it.  It can be so easy to set the cruise control of your life and not have the same level of the pursuit of God that you once had.  But at what expense?  I constantly remind myself that no matter how much of God I think I have; no matter how far in God I think I have gone there is more!  If anyone could have felt as though they had arrived it was the Apostle Paul.  However, this is what he says about the matter.

But whatever things were gain to me, those things I have counted as loss for the sake of Christ. More than that, I count all things to be loss in view of the surpassing value of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord, for whom I have suffered the loss of all things, and count them but rubbish so that I may gain Christ,  and may be found in Him, not having a righteousness of my own derived from the Law, but that which is through faith in Christ, the righteousness which comes from God on the basis of faith, that I may know Him and the power of His resurrection and the fellowship of His sufferings, being conformed to His death; in order that I may attain to the resurrection from the dead.  Not that I have already obtained it or have already become perfect, but I press on so that I may lay hold of that for which also I was laid hold of by Christ Jesus. Brethren, I do not regard myself as having laid hold of it yet; but one thing I do: forgetting what lies behind and reaching forward to what lies ahead,  I press on toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus. Let us therefore, as many as are perfect, have this attitude; and if in anything you have a different attitude, God will reveal that also to you;  however, let us keep living by that same standard to which we have attained.  Philippians 3:7-16

This is one of my favorite passages.  It epitomizes the hunger we need for going deeper in God.  It doesn’t matter where we have been, neither the good nor the bad.  From the place we are now we must press on, and in our walk with Christ, forward and deeper is the only real direction.  Just like when Ezekiel measured the river that flowed from under the altar, the further he walked, the deeper the water became (see Ezekiel 47).  The water starts under the altar (at salvation) and as we begin our journey there and move on in Christ, the water grows deeper, and so should our relationship with Christ.

Key 19 – God’s Strength (Aphek)

The next listed city of conquest for the Israelites is Aphek.  Aphek was later allotted as part of the inheritance of Asher (see Joshua 19:29-31).  Aphek means “enclosure, strength or fortress.”  It speaks of God’s strength and protection for His people.  We gain a better understanding of this as we look at years after the conquest, when the Israelites were attacked by the Syrians at Aphek.

And it came to pass at the return of the year, that Benhadad numbered the Syrians, and went up to Aphek, to fight against Israel. And the children of Israel were numbered, and were all present, and went against them: and the children of Israel pitched before them like two little flocks of kids; but the Syrians filled the country.  And there came a man of God, and spake unto the king of Israel, and said, Thus saith the LORD, Because the Syrians have said, The LORD is God of the hills, but he is not God of the valleys, therefore will I deliver all this great multitude into thine hand, and ye shall know that I am the LORD.  And they pitched one over against the other seven days. And so it was, that in the seventh day the battle was joined: and the children of Israel slew of the Syrians an hundred thousand footmen in one day.  But the rest fled to Aphek, into the city; and there a wall fell upon twenty and seven thousand of the men that were left. And Benhadad fled, and came into the city, into an inner chamber.

1 Kings 20:26-30

Here we see God reiterating and reemphasizing what Aphek means by showing His strength on behalf of His people.  Israel was in a perceived no-win situation.  They were “like two little flocks of kids; but the Syrians filled the country.”   It would seem that there was no way they could stand up against the enemy.  However, God doesn’t see things as man does.  God doesn’t compare strength based on human standards or understanding.  God’s word to His people was “therefore will I deliver all this great multitude into thine hand, and ye shall know that I am the Lord.”  By God’s strength one hundred thousand Syrian soldiers were killed in one day.  The rest of the Syrian army fled to Aphek and again encountered the protective strength of God as twenty-seven thousand men died as a wall of Aphek fell on them.

God will go to great lengths to protect His own.  And His strength is not lacking.  Samuel referred to God as the strength of Israel (see 1 Samuel 15:29).   God is the strength of His people.  A valuable key to possessing and maintaining God’s inheritance is to realize the strength of God and to allow Him to display that strength on your behalf.  There are so many times that we fight battles or try and make it through situations in our own strength.  May this passage from Psalms be your guide this day as you embrace and rest in the strength of the Lord.

I will love thee, O LORD, my strength. The LORD is my rock, and my fortress, and my deliverer; my God, my strength, in whom I will trust; my buckler, and the horn of my salvation, and my high tower.  I will call upon the LORD, who is worthy to be praised: so shall I be saved from mine enemies.

Psalm 18:1-3

Key 20 – The Choice Flower (Lasharon)

Next on the list of the cities defeated by the children of Israel is Lasharon. Lasharon means “a plain or plain country,” and it is located near the Mediterranean Sea between Caesarea and Joppa.  It was a plain known as remarkable for the fertility of its fields and pastures.  The reference mentioning Lasharon in Joshua 12 is the only place this name of the city appears in the Bible.  Six other times this city is referred to as Sharon, with the most recognized reference being

I am the rose of Sharon, and the lily of the valleys.

Song of Solomon 2:1

“Rose of Sharon is a common name that applies to several different species of flowering plants that are highly valued throughout the world” (Wikipedia). In the Song of Solomon we find a fascinating love story and discussion, which is often concluded to be a representation of the love between God and His people.  Within that context, God is here referring to Himself as the rose of Sharon.  He is the desired and beautiful flower in the fertile plain.  In the midst of the plain where the fields are fertile and much grows and is produced, God is the choice product.

From a symbolic standpoint, the rose has always held special place in different cultures and for different reasons.  Many associate a rose with love.  When you consider all the good things that come both from God and in life, love is the one that far surpasses all other things.  As Paul outlines the fruit of the Spirit in Galatians 5, love finds itself as the first listed.

But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, forbearance, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control.  Galatians 5:22-23

In ancient writings, the most important part of a list would be found at the beginning.  Also, as Paul is teaching on love in 1 Corinthians 13, he tells us that of faith, hope and love the greatest is love (see 1 Corinthians 13:13).  In 1 John 4 we are told that “God is love” (1 John 4:8).  Above all that God is in and for our lives, He is love.

A rose is also often associated with beauty.  It is often common to associate beauty with outward, physical appearance.  However, genuine beauty as portrayed and described by God goes much further.  Beauty is much more about who a person is than what a person looks like.  God is God and as such He is beautiful.  The Psalmist declared:

One thing I have desired of the LORD,

That will I seek:

That I may dwell in the house of the LORD

All the days of my life,

To behold the beauty of the LORD,

And to inquire in His temple.   Psalm 27:4

One other association I want to consider is that in Rome, a wild rose would be placed on the door of a room where secret or confidential matters were discussed.   As the rose of Sharon, God is the hidden treasure or secret that is available to all, yet not known by all.  I have often heard it said that God has a secret and is looking for someone to share that secret with.

The secret things belong unto the LORD our God: but those things which are revealed belong unto us and to our children for ever, that we may do all the words of this law.   Deuteronomy 29:29

As the rose of Sharon, God is the greatest treasure or product in any fertile land.  He is love.  He is beauty.  And He is the great secret looking for someone to whom He can reveal Himself.  The key here is to desire God for Who He is and allow Him to reveal Himself in His fullness.  May we embrace the choicest of all – Christ Jesus Himself.

Key 21 – Overcoming Strife (Madon)

Next on the list of cities that the children of Israel had to defeat in order to possess their promised inheritance was Madon.  In Joshua 11 we read about another joining together of enemy forces, in an attempt to come against the Israelites.  Madon was part of this second group.  Within these next four keys we will see what things were joining together to try and stop the people of God.

Madon means “strife,” which can be defined as a bitter, sometimes violent conflict or dissension (Merriam-Webster).  In terms of the meaning of Madon, I find it interesting that Madon came so late in the conquest.  Coming off the heels of great victories and conquests, the trick of the enemy here is to bring strife among the people.  What can quickly become the undoing of a victorious people is attacks and battles from within, rather than attacks and battles from without.  Madon represents the strife and challenges that the enemy loves to bring to get our eyes off of God and out of focus.

Take note, however, of how the Lord responded to this attempt of the enemy to join together and intimidate or defeat His people.

But the LORD said to Joshua, “Do not be afraid because of them, for tomorrow about this time I will deliver all of them slain before Israel. You shall hamstring their horses and burn their chariots with fire.”   Joshua 11:6

God’s intent is for us to deal violently with the enemy of our souls.  This is especially true when the enemy tries to destroy the people of God from the inside out.  I cannot help but wonder how many great churches, ministries and moves of God have been interrupted or derailed because of strife.  It is so important that as individuals, as local churches and as the greater Body of Christ we guard against the dangers of strife.  Listen to this caution from James:

For where envying and strife is, there is confusion and every evil work.   James 3:16

I also find it interesting that at the time Madon came against the children of Israel, their king was named Jobab (Joshua 11:1).  Jobab means “desert.”  Do you see what that is saying?  The king of strife is represented by a desert.  Strife will always be associated with and bring dryness, barrenness and death.  Those who dwelt in Madon were ruled by Jobab.  Today this is still the same.  Those who dwell in strife are ruled by the desert.  May we live in such a way that we “let nothing be done through strife or vainglory” (Philippians 2:3).

We will find going forward that strife rarely works alone, but is typically accompanied by other issues and challenges.  Yet strife works very hard to knock people off course and keep you and I from embracing all that God has for us.  The challenge that is ever before us is to stay in a love relationship with God and with our brothers and sisters in Christ.  We need not give the enemy a foothold or the room to come in and destroy what God desires to do.  Take a look at your own life and if you see evidence of strife coming in or working in your heart or in your relationships, place that on the altar before the Lord.  Don’t let it linger and do more damage.  Do as God instructed Joshua, “hamstring their horses and burn their chariots with fire” (Joshua 11:6).  In other words, destroy the work of strife from your life and don’t give the enemy place.

Key 22 – Pulling Down Strongholds (Hazor)

Next on the list is Hazor.  As mentioned with Madon, there was another group of kings and cities that came together to fight against the Israelites (see Joshua 11), and Hazor and king Jabin were the ones who organized the group.  Hazor means “castle” and it speaks of kingdom and authority.  Hazor is a picture of spiritual warfare and the need for God’s people to pull down strongholds to effectively and completely possess all that God has promised.  In the story in Joshua 11 there are a couple of things that I want us to make sure and understand.

Then Joshua turned back at that time, and captured Hazor and struck its king with the sword; for Hazor formerly was the head of all these kingdoms.  They struck every person who was in it with the edge of the sword, utterly destroying them; there was no one left who breathed. And he burned Hazor with fire.  Joshua captured all the cities of these kings, and all their kings, and he struck them with the edge of the sword, and utterly destroyed them; just as Moses the servant of the LORD had commanded.  However, Israel did not burn any cities that stood on their mounds, except Hazor alone, which Joshua burned.  Joshua 11:10-13

Hazor was the head of all the kingdoms, and they were clearly known and recognized as the authority or stronghold.  Within the spirit realm things are established in terms of a kingdom and there is no question about hierarchy and authority.  When the enemy joins together to come against the people of God, there is no question who is in authority or who the stronghold is among the enemy group.

At the same time, Joshua’s reaction and the way he dealt with Hazor shows that he and the people of God also knew who was in authority.  The people of God need not be clueless or uninformed in terms of spiritual authority.  Like Joshua, we can have a clear understanding of the stronghold that is at work.

It is also important to note that Hazor was dealt with differently than the other kingdoms.  Hazor was the only one that was burned with fire.  The other cities and kings that had come together were captured and struck with the sword.  But Hazor, the stronghold, was dealt with violently.  Once the head of the kingdoms was utterly destroyed I can imagine that the capture of the other kingdoms happened much more quickly.  One of the reasons the people of God often struggle to completely take possession of all that God has is that we do not always properly deal with strongholds in our lives or in our regions.  God has given us authority to violently destroy the strength that the enemy has set up, and to take possession of all that God has promised.  This is God’s call and plan for His people.

But if I cast out demons with the finger of God, surely the kingdom of God has come upon you.  When a strong man, fully armed, guards his own palace, his goods are in peace.  But when a stronger than he comes upon him and overcomes him, he takes from him all his armor in which he trusted, and divides his spoils.  Luke 11:20-22

God has called us to be the “stronger than he.”  We do not need to be fearful or back down.  God has given us the authority and the victory.  Let us not allow the kingdom of darkness to keep our light from shining.  Let us rather step into and walk in victory.

Ask God to reveal the strongholds in your life, in your family and in your region.  Be honest with yourself to accept what He reveals to you and then deal aggressively with those things.  Because of what Jesus Christ has done for us, we do not have to live in defeat.  We can be victorious.  As we focus on God and what He has done for us and no longer allow the enemy place or authority in our lives, we will begin to see true freedom come and the strongholds of the enemy defeated.

Key 23 – What is Being Built? (Shimronmeron)

The next city of conquest and the third one mentioned that was part of the group that came together against Israel was Shimron (meron).   It is said about this group that:

And they went out, they and all their hosts with them, much people, even as the sand that is upon the sea shore in multitude, with horses and chariots very many.  Joshua 11:4

Shimron means “watch-height” and “the city is identified with the tell called Tel Samunia in Arabic. The tel rises 60 meters above its surroundings.  A tell is a hill created by different civilizations living and rebuilding in the same spot.”  (Wikipedia).  Shimron was named and known by what man had attempted to build and design.  The heights reached did not necessarily show any accomplishment, but rather represented an ongoing attempt to improve on what was already in place.  According to Wikipedia and history, today this tel is not settled.  With all of the attempts to build and improve upon themselves, the city ultimately had nothing to show for itself.  They suffered defeat at the hands of the Israelites and became an unsettled land.

The key for us to understand is that “unless the LORD builds the house, the builders labor in vain” (Psalm 127:1).  How many of us are working and toiling to build a life based on human foundations and standards?  How many times do we raise a tel in our lives; when something doesn’t seem to work for us any longer we add something new over the top of it?  Like an old saying I have heard many times, it is almost like putting lipstick on a pig.  Jesus said it like this:

“Therefore everyone who hears these words of mine and puts them into practice is like a wise man who built his house on the rock.  The rain came down, the streams rose, and the winds blew and beat against that house; yet it did not fall, because it had its foundation on the rock.  But everyone who hears these words of mine and does not put them into practice is like a foolish man who built his house on sand.  The rain came down, the streams rose, and the winds blew and beat against that house, and it fell with a great crash.”

Matthew 7:24-27

If you research a tel you will find that new methods of dealing with them have been created, because excavation of a tel can be a very destructive process.  Archaeologists are forced to work through layers and years of building and rebuilding to uncover what has been hidden over time.  This is the reason many get stopped from laying a new foundation.  It can be painfully difficult to work through the layers we have built in our lives.  Many have spent so much time trying to cover over things they want to forget and they would rather not re-expose.  Shimron represents the enemy’s desire to keep you trapped inside of all that you have built in life in an attempt to make something of significance.  But, if we come out and no longer inhabit this place, we can begin to have and experience true life built upon the foundation of God and His Word.

There is nothing wrong with working to make something of yourself in life.  The Bible clearly instructs us to work hard and always put our best forward.  The issue arises when we build and continue to build upon the wrong foundation.  No matter how strong or secure the building is it is not going to stand or hold up if the foundation is weak.  Most often in our lives we falter and stumble and fail because we have the wrong foundation.  Consider Paul’s teaching to the Corinthians:

According to the grace of God which was given to me, like a wise master builder I laid a foundation, and another is building on it. But each man must be careful how he builds on it.  For no man can lay a foundation other than the one which is laid, which is Jesus Christ.   1 Corinthians 3:10-11

The only foundation that is going to stand is the foundation of Christ.  Upon Him we must build our lives.  The challenge today is to ensure that Christ is our foundation.  If not, pray that He would help you to tear away the layers that have been built and get to the place of relaying the proper foundation for the building of your life.

Key 24 – Breaking Witchcraft (Achshaph)

The twenty-fourth city mentioned is Achshaph.  Achshaph was also the fourth city to join together against the children of Israel in Joshua 11.  Achshaph means “I shall be bewitched” and it speaks of the key and need to break witchcraft.  Now hear me out.  Witchcraft is a much bigger deal in the spiritual realm and even within the people of God than we might realize.  I am not saying that some of the people you sit in church with rode in on a broom – don’t get a distorted view in your mind of what I want us to deal with in this important key.  I want us to consider some elements of witchcraft and how deceitfully they can work to keep God’s people from fully embracing all that God has promised.

There are a couple of ways in which witchcraft can manifest that are quite rampant in our society today.  These manifestations are what I want to focus on as our key to walking in God’s inheritance.  It is imperative that we break free from witchcraft and anything that resembles that which is in opposition to God.

1.       Rebellion

So Samuel said:

“Has the LORD as great delight in burnt offerings and sacrifices,

As in obeying the voice of the LORD?

Behold, to obey is better than sacrifice,

And to heed than the fat of rams.

For rebellion is as the sin of witchcraft,

And stubbornness is as iniquity and idolatry.

Because you have rejected the word of the LORD,

He also has rejected you from being king.”

1 Samuel 15:22-23

Samuel declares to Saul that rebellion is as the sin of witchcraft.  I once heard it said that rebellion is a direct reflection of the devil’s methods, and that a rebellious person is the closest earthly manifestation we have to Satan himself.  We often don’t address or speak of rebellion, however, because in many ways it is heralded and promoted in our culture.  The drive and push to make something of yourself and be your own person can be very beneficial and good, but sometimes it is taken too far.  For many, it has become necessary to do whatever they must do to get whatever it is that they want.  This is often the catalyst for rebellion.

Even in a spiritual sense there is a great rebellion against God and His Word.  The spirit of the antichrist that is at work to oppose God and His ways has brought about a great misunderstanding and distrust of God’s Word, leading many to rebel against the standards established by God.  Rebellion is an active resistance to established authority.  Samuel declared what he did to Saul because he had actively resisted God’s plan and directive.  Rebellion is as witchcraft, and witchcraft will destroy the people of God and keep them from fully partaking in all that God intends.

2.       Manipulation and Control

To the elders among you, I appeal as a fellow elder and a witness of Christ’s sufferings who also will share in the glory to be revealed:  Be shepherds of God’s flock that is under your care, watching over them—not because you must, but because you are willing, as God wants you to be; not pursuing dishonest gain, but eager to serve;  not lording it over those entrusted to you, but being examples to the flock.  And when the Chief Shepherd appears, you will receive the crown of glory that will never fade away.  In the same way, you who are younger, submit yourselves to your elders. All of you, clothe yourselves with humility toward one another, because, “God opposes the proud but shows favor to the humble.”   Humble yourselves, therefore, under God’s mighty hand, that he may lift you up in due time.  1 Peter 5:1-6

Peter gives an important warning in this passage.  As believers, our primary responsibility is to be humble examples of what God has done in our lives.  Out of that example, God is able to minister to others who allow Him to work in their lives as well.  I don’t like to admit it, but I used to take the approach that if I wanted someone to know their place I would do my best to put them in it.  I was often guilty of manipulating or controlling others to get what I thought they needed.  It seemed like a good thing to do, but in reality it was witchcraft masquerading as religious duty.

God has given each person free will, and he allows each of us to choose whatever we wish.  He is not lording over us and forcing us to do anything.  For us to take it upon ourselves to do the opposite of what God does is to partner with God’s opposition.  I know there are times where you wish someone would do something differently or develop at a quicker pace than what you see.  I know there can be a real desire and temptation to help them along in the process.  However, there is a real danger of becoming controlling and manipulative in the process.  Despite how some may feel, manipulation and control are neither gifts nor fruit of the Spirit.

If we are going to enjoy the fullness of what God has for us, we must be free from witchcraft.  We must not allow the works of the devil to overtake the works of God.  Ask God today to show you any ways in which you have participated in the dangerous ways of witchcraft.

Key 25 – Avoiding Maintenance Mode (Taanach)

The next city that we find the children of Israel having to defeat was Taanach.  Unfortunately, Taanach is another city where the children of Israel did not completely remove the inhabitants of the land, but instead allowed some of them to stay (see Judges 1:27).  To reiterate its importance, remember what God said concerning this:

And an angel of the LORD came up from Gilgal to Bochim, and said, I made you to go up out of Egypt, and have brought you unto the land which I sware unto your fathers; and I said, I will never break my covenant with you.  And ye shall make no league with the inhabitants of this land; ye shall throw down their altars: but ye have not obeyed my voice: why have ye done this?  Wherefore I also said, I will not drive them out from before you; but they shall be as thorns in your sides, and their gods shall be a snare unto you.  Judges 2:1-3

If you follow out the various stories and examples of when the children of Israel did not obey this command of the Lord, you will see the array of problems it caused for them.  It is no different with Taanach, which means “sandy or sandy soil.”  According to gardenality.com sandy soil has the following disadvantages:

-          It has a lower moisture-holding capacity than other soil types and therefore must be watered more frequently.

-          It has a lower nutrient-holding capacity than other soil types and must be fertilized more often.

-          When vegetative cover is lacking, it is subject to wind and water erosion.

This tells us that sandy soil takes much more maintenance and is much more unstable than natural soil.  In fact, with sandy soil what often happens is so much time is spent on maintenance that it limits the time spent in development and cultivation.  When you are forced to spend so much time trying to maintain and keep things up, it can be very easy to give up and move on to something else.

The key for us to understand here is that the enemy would love to reduce us to maintenance Christians.  He would love for us to become so distracted and caught up with the basic maintenance needs that we aren’t able to allow God to develop, cultivate and produce in our lives.  When you become maintenance focused and maintenance driven, it becomes all about the things you have GOT to do and it is no longer about the things you GET to do.  It becomes a vicious cycle and you find it much easier to back off and take it easy, because it seems that no matter how much effort you put into it, the work never ends.

The real danger is that we can slip into the mode of doing Christianity and lose site on the joys of being a Christian.  This picture is best illustrated and contrasted in the story of Mary and Martha.

Now as they were traveling along, He entered a village; and a woman named Martha welcomed Him into her home. She had a sister called Mary, who was seated at the Lord’s feet, listening to His word.  But Martha was distracted with all her preparations; and she came up to Him and said, “Lord, do You not care that my sister has left me to do all the serving alone? Then tell her to help me.”   But the Lord answered and said to her, “ Martha, Martha, you are worried and bothered about so many things;  but only one thing is necessary, for Mary has chosen the good part, which shall not be taken away from her.”  Luke 10:38-42

Martha found herself in the sandy soil of life.  She was busy and distracted with maintaining and doing, to the point that she forgot how to be and how to enjoy what was really important.  The old saying is to stop and smell the roses.   Contrary to what some think, the Bible does not say that busyness is next to godliness.  There is value in resting in the Lord and allowing His presence to be the “one thing (that) is necessary” as Jesus said to Martha.  There is definitely a time and a place to maintain and to work and get things done.  However, if we allow that to become all that we are and all that we do, then we miss being effective and productive for the sake of maintaining.

Key 26 – Do Not Follow the Crowd (Megiddo)

Next up we find Israel defeating the king of Megiddo.  However, once again we see that they did not completely drive out the inhabitants of the land (See Judges 1:27).  As tempting as this may be for us to look back at all the times they did this and question or speak against this decision, we also have to wonder how many times we have done similar things in our own lives.  How many times have you allowed things to remain that God said to destroy or remove?  It can be a sobering thought.  And throughout this study we have seen evidence of the danger of not obeying God by not completely destroying what God said to destroy.

Megiddo means “place of the crowds,” and as a city it holds a strategic and important place historically, geographically and theologically.  Megiddo is another tel, which as we considered in Key 23 (Shimron) is the building of mounds over the top of existing places, creating a tall or ongoing hill.  Excavation history tells us that twenty-six layers of ruins have been unearthed at Megiddo (Wikipedia) indicating the long history and significance of this area.  As the place of the crowds, throughout history it has drawn many people for many reasons.

A common happening at Megiddo involving crowds is that of war. From an ancient Biblical standpoint (Judges 5:19, 2 Kings 9, 2 Kings 23, 2 Chronicles 35), the battles were numerous and fierce.  We also have historical evidence of significant wars at Megiddo.  Wikipedia outlines that famous battles fought here include:

-          Battle of Megiddo (15th century BC): fought between the armies of the Egyptian pharaoh Thutmose III and a large Canaanite coalition led by the rulers of Megiddo and Kadesh.

-          Battle of Megiddo (609 BC): fought between Egypt and the Kingdom of Judah, in which King Josiah fell.

-          Battle of Megiddo (1918): fought during World War I between Allied troops, led by General Edmund Allenby, and the defending Ottoman army.

Megiddo has lived up to its name.  It often embodied a crowd coming together for war, rioting, death, and everything in opposition to life.  What I want us to understand from today’s key is that following the crowd is not always going to take us to the places we want or expect to go.  In fact, following the crowd can sometimes take us to a place of destruction.  How many times have we heard the saying, “everyone else is doing it?”  I remember a poster hanging in the youth room of the church when I first got involved in church life that read: “What is popular is not always right and what is right is not always popular.”  That stuck with me then and continues to stick with me today.

God responds to those who take a stand for Him.  Listen to the instruction given to the church in Corinth and to us as well.

Do not be yoked together with unbelievers. For what do righteousness and wickedness have in common? Or what fellowship can light have with darkness? What harmony is there between Christ and Belial? Or what does a believer have in common with an unbeliever? What agreement is there between the temple of God and idols? For we are the temple of the living God. As God has said: “I will live with them and walk among them, and I will be their God, and they will be my people.” Therefore, “Come out from them and be separate, says the Lord.  Touch no unclean thing, and I will receive you.”  And, “I will be a Father to you, and you will be my sons and daughters, says the Lord Almighty.”

2 Corinthians 6:14-18

God is looking for those who will separate from the world and unto Him, and He will be their Father and reveal Himself to them.  It can be so easy to get caught up in the crowds and lose sight of who we are and all that God has available for us.  Let us keep our eyes focused on Jesus and not get swept away with the crowd.

I will leave you with this thought.  Megiddo in the Greek is translated as Armageddon, which will be the site of one final crowd being brought together for war.  If you or I get caught up following the wrong crowd in our lives today, we will find ourselves on the wrong side of that battle.  I don’t want to be one who follows the crowd into a life of sin and find myself on the opposite side of Christ in the final war.

Key 27 -- Holy Place or Sanctuary (Kedesh)

The twenty-seventh city we are told that the Israelites defeated was Kedesh.  Kedesh is located in Galilee and it became one of the six cities of refuge (see Joshua 21:32).  As outlined in Key 4 in looking at Hebron, we find that a city of refuge was an important part of the early history for the children of Israel.  When God allotted various cities to the Levite priests, He gave them forty-eight cities in all, six of which became cities of refuge.  A city of refuge was the city where a person who had killed someone accidentally could flee to avoid being put to death.  It served as a safe place.  It represented forgiveness and salvation.  Kedesh was chosen as one of these six cities, and Kedesh by name means “holy place or sanctuary.”  God was declaring that in the holy place or sanctuary was a safe place where forgiveness and salvation could be found.

From the beginning, the holy place or sanctuary has been designated as the place of meeting with God and being in His presence (beginning with Exodus 15:17).  The Psalmist declared it in this way:

O God, You are my God; I shall seek You earnestly;

My soul thirsts for You, my flesh yearns for You,

In a dry and weary land where there is no water.

Thus I have seen You in the sanctuary,

To see Your power and Your glory.

Because Your lovingkindness is better than life,

My lips will praise You.

So I will bless You as long as I live;

I will lift up my hands in Your name.  Psalm 63:1-4

The Psalmist declared that his soul was thirsty for God and his flesh was yearning for Him.  The land around was dry and weary; yet in the sanctuary he had seen God, he had seen His power and glory.  The declaration here is that when life and all around you seems dry and weary, and it seems as though you cannot find nourishment or strength, you can find His presence in His sanctuary.

And the beauty is that His sanctuary can be found by anyone today.  During the days of the Law, only the appointed priests could enter the sanctuary or holy place.  But, because of the sacrifice of Christ we can now come before the Lord to meet with Him in the holy place (see Hebrews 9-10).  Listen to what the writer of Hebrews says:

Therefore, brethren, having boldness to enter the Holiest by the blood of Jesus, by a new and living way which He consecrated for us, through the veil, that is, His flesh, and having a High Priest over the house of God, let us draw near with a true heart in full assurance of faith, having our hearts sprinkled from an evil conscience and our bodies washed with pure water.  Hebrews 10:19-22

This may very well be the most important key we discuss in this devotional: the key of coming into His sanctuary, into His presence.  A moment in the presence of the Lord can accomplish more than a lifetime in any other place.  Even the Psalmist declared, “For a day in Your courts is better than a thousand outside” (Psalm 84:10).  I encourage you this day to seek Him in that holy place in which He dwells.  God’s sanctuary is not based on earthly location.  You and I are God’s temple and He dwells within.  Therefore, we can meet with Him in that holy place right now, right where we find ourselves.

Today I pray that God is your refuge and your strength.  I pray that even if you are in the midst of a dry and weary land, you would find the sweetness and beauty of God’s presence today as you seek Him.  Allow God to be your refuge and your strength.  Allow God today to be real and complete in your life.  May you discover once again that in the presence of the Lord is fullness of joy (Psalm 16:11).

Key 28 – Dealing with Grief (Jokneam)

Next in the list of cities defeated by Israel we find Jokneam.  Jokneam is said to be located by Carmel, having Mt. Carmel as one of its borders.  Jokneam means “the people lament,” and it speaks of expressing grief or disappointment.   This city became one of the forty-eight to be inhabited by the Levite priests (see Joshua 21:34).  We are told that it was given to “the sons of Merari” of the Levites.  Merari means “bitter or unhappy”.  I find it fascinating that the city meaning lamenting or grief was given to the people that represented bitterness or unhappiness.  God was making an important point – grief, bitterness, and unhappiness must be dealt with if you are going to fully possess all that God has for you.

Dealing with grief and bitterness is a very important and serious issue.  You don’t have to be around very long to realize that offense, disappointment, dejection and the like are going to happen.  Life isn’t about what happens to us; life is about how we respond to what happens to us.  God gives a very important caution concerning this:

See to it that no one comes short of the grace of God; that no root of bitterness springing up causes trouble, and by it many be defiled;   Hebrews 12:15

The enemy would love nothing more than to get us into a place of disappointment, sorrow, pain and the like and cause us to feel trapped and unable to escape.  This can take a deep root in our hearts and in our lives, and it can eat away at us and destroy us from the inside out.

Both science and society tell us that there are five stages of grief – Denial, Anger, Bargaining, Depression, and Acceptance.  This view is applied to any type of personal loss or disappointment.  I have personally seen this play out in my own life and in the lives of others around me.  I have seen people get stuck in one of these stages and never progress to a place of peace, thus allowing bitterness and deeper issues to spring up.  Now, while I do adhere to this as being helpful, I don’t subscribe to any scientific formula as the best way to overcome and deal with things in our lives.  I do believe that we need to progress and work through feelings and emotions in our lives.  However, from where I stand there is still one ultimate solution to hurt, grief, sorrow and pain.  Isaiah declared this about the Messiah:

He was despised and forsaken of men,

A man of sorrows and acquainted with grief;

And like one from whom men hide their face

He was despised, and we did not esteem Him.

Surely our griefs He Himself bore,

And our sorrows He carried;

Yet we ourselves esteemed Him stricken,

Smitten of God, and afflicted.

But He was pierced through for our transgressions,

He was crushed for our iniquities;

The chastening for our well-being fell upon Him,

And by His scourging we are healed.

Isaiah 53:3-5

Jesus took our grief and our sorrow upon Himself on the cross so that we can be free and healed.  We can deal with and overcome grief and disappointment because of Him!  I know from experience that dealing with unhappiness, grief and disappointment is not easy.  However, I also know from experience that with Christ it is possible.  We can cast our cares on Him.  We can take up His yoke and burden.  We don’t have to be overwhelmed by the emotions of life.  We can respond victoriously by applying the work of the cross in and to our situation and need.

I have seen it so many times: when a person breaks out of the shell of grief and disappointment, he rises to a place of life and authority he had forgotten was even available.  I highly encourage you today to place these feelings at the foot of the cross and allow Christ’s power to heal and deliver you.  As you overcome and deal with grief and disappointment, you will begin to take possession of all that God has for you.

Key 29 – Stand for Your Generation (Dor)

The twenty-ninth city listed as one of the cities defeated by Joshua and the children of Israel was Dor.  Previously we discussed the group of four cities and kings (Hazor, Madon, Shimron, and Achshaph) that came together to fight the Israelites.  Within that context found in Joshua 11, we also see that they extended the request for help to the people of Dor.  Yet again with Dor, we find that Manasseh did not drive out the inhabitants of the land, but allowed them to remain (see Judges 1:27).  It is amazing to find this issue recurring as often as it does for the children of Israel.  And, as we have discussed many times, they often paid for their disobedience to God’s command about how to deal with the inhabitants of the land (see Numbers 33:55-56).

With Dor we find one more important lesson about this decision to allow the people to remain.  Dor means “generation” and the implication for us is to stand for our generation.  John Wesley said, “What one generation tolerates, the next generation will embrace.”  Many times over we see this played out in the lives and history of the children of Israel.  By not destroying the inhabitants of the land, each generation that followed was forced to deal with more and more problems as a result.  Look again at Numbers 33 for what God had warned.

“But if you do not drive out the inhabitants of the land from before you, then it shall come about that those whom you let remain of them will become as pricks in your eyes and as thorns in your sides, and they will trouble you in the land in which you live. And as I plan to do to them, so I will do to you.’”   Numbers 33:55-56

The last statement is alarming.  What God had planned to do to the enemy who had previously inhabited the Promised Land, He was going to do to His own people in response to their disobedience.  While at the time the Israelites may not have seen their decision as a big deal, in reality it was setting up heartache, disappointment and problems for their children and future generations.

Disobedience and sin will never just affect the person(s) involved.  It will always have a lasting effect.  In His very name, God declared that the sins of the fathers would be visited on the children and the grandchildren to the third and fourth generation (see Exodus 34:6-7).  If we do not stand up for our generation and for future generations then who will?  Listen to the cry of the Psalmist:

O my people, hear my teaching; listen to the words of my mouth.  I will open my mouth in parables, I will utter hidden things, things from of old – what we have heard and known, what our fathers have told us.  We will not hide them from their children; we will tell the next generation the praiseworthy deeds of the Lord, his power, and the wonders he has done.  He decreed statutes for Jacob and established the law in Israel, which he commanded our forefathers to teach their children, so the next generation would know them, even the children yet to be born, and they in turn would tell their children.  Then they would put their trust in God and would not forget his deeds but would keep his commands.  They would not be like their forefathers – a stubborn and rebellious generation, whose hearts were not loyal to God, whose spirits were not faithful to him.  Psalm 78:1-8

We have the authority, opportunity and responsibility to change the tide in our generation.  What has flowed to us does not have to flow through us to the next generation.  We can reverse things from a curse to a blessing.  Through the power and authority of Christ, we can say thus far and no more!  All generational lines of iniquity and sinful inclination were forever broken on the cross of Christ.  We can make the choice to walk in the obedience of Christ and not fulfill the direction that the enemy would love to see us take and continue in.

I want to make this very personal.  Consider this chart and prayer to close out this day.  What things will you refuse to see passed on to future generations?  Let us take a stand for our generation, and future generations, today!

FATHER’S SIDE

MOTHER’S SIDE

PRAYER OF FREEDOM:

Father, in the Name of Jesus Christ, we call forth these inclinations and iniquities that have been at work and allowed through generations.  We break all holds and command that in the Name of Jesus Christ __________________________ (specific inclination or iniquity listed above) must flee!  We command that these things go to dead and dry places and we speak that from this day forward it has no right in my family to go into or affect any future generations.  Its power and its hold are broken forever.  Father, in the Name of Jesus Christ we also ask that you restore all things that have been stolen.  Restore any ground that Satan may have stolen.  Restore the years that the locusts have eaten from our lives or our families in accordance with your promise to us in Joel 2:25.  Thank you; Lord, for the freedom you are bringing even now.  In Jesus’ Name, Amen.

Key 30 – Embracing Freedom (Nations of Gilgal)

Next for the Israelites we find the defeat of the nations of Gilgal.  I must admit that this is one of my favorite keys to possessing the promise of God.  Gilgal means “rolling away” and it holds an important place in the history of the children of Israel.  Gilgal exemplifies God’s people finally embracing the freedom they had been given by God.

After the children of Israel crossed over the Jordan and began to move into their land of promise, God told Joshua it was time to renew the covenant and to circumcise the men (see Joshua 5).  All of the previous generation who did not listen to or trust the Lord had died, and the new generation that had been born and raised in the wilderness had not yet been circumcised.  But, now that the entire remnant of disobedience had been removed, the people of God were in a place to finally embrace their freedom and their inheritance.  And, here is where we encounter Gilgal.

Now when they had finished circumcising all the nation, they remained in their places in the camp until they were healed. Then the LORD said to Joshua, “Today I have rolled away the reproach of Egypt from you.” So the name of that place is called Gilgal to this day.  Joshua 5:8-9

This is a beautiful declaration by the Lord.  He was telling His people that He was rolling away or removing Egypt from them.  Egypt was a clear representation of bondage and years of hurt.  However, in this moment, it was completely being erased.  What was going on was not that God was bringing the people out of Egypt – He had done so forty years earlier.  What was happening was that God was removing Egypt from the people.  Truly embracing freedom isn’t about being delivered from a place, a sin, an issue, a thought or anything, but it is having that thing delivered from you.

The generation that died in the wilderness was constantly holding on to Egypt, and when things would become difficult they would cry out to Moses to go back.  There was an ongoing desire to get back to what was comfortable or known to them, even if it did involve bondage.  Often a person or a group can become so familiar with and used to their bondage that they don’t even know how to be free.  In reality it took longer for God to get Egypt out of Israel than it did for Him to get Israel out of Egypt.  The biggest barrier to our freedom is often our desire to hold on to our bondage.   Paul said it like this:

It was for freedom that Christ set us free; therefore keep standing firm and do not be subject again to a yoke of slavery.  Galatians 5:1

What about you and me today?  What has God delivered you from that He still needs to deliver out of you?  What has God given you freedom from that for various reasons you are holding onto, and not allowing yourself to embrace total freedom?  You might ask: is this really that big of a deal?  I am telling you YES YES YES!!!!  Do you realize what happens when you allow God to get Egypt out of you?  It is at that point when you are able to begin to enjoy the promises of God in their fullness.

Up until this point, all the people of God had experienced from the Promised Land was the cluster of grapes brought back by the twelve spies (see Numbers 13).  However, when Egypt was rolled away or removed from the people, this is what we find:

While the sons of Israel camped at Gilgal they observed the Passover on the evening of the fourteenth day of the month on the desert plains of Jericho. On the day after the Passover, on that very day, they ate some of the produce of the land, unleavened cakes and parched grain.  The manna ceased on the day after they had eaten some of the produce of the land, so that the sons of Israel no longer had manna, but they ate some of the yield of the land of Canaan during that year.  Joshua 5:10-12

The people began to partake of the promise.  They began to enjoy the fruit and the produce of God’s best.  So often, they had complained about the manna and longed for something more from God, while all along God wanted to give them something more.  How many of us today are eating the manna in the wilderness and complaining that God isn’t giving us more, when the abundance He has for us is attainable – if we will just let go of the bondage that has held us for so long?

Step into your place of life and freedom today.  Let go of the bondage and take hold of the promises of God.  Don’t just come out of Egypt, but let all of Egypt come out of you!

Key 31 – The Favor of God (Tirzah)

The final city that we find on the list of the cities defeated by Joshua and the Israelites is Tirzah.  We don’t read much about the conquest of Tirzah by the Israelites, but we do know that it later became the capital city of the northern kingdom of Israel.  Tirzah means “favorable,” and it speaks of God’s favor.  The last city mentioned for conquest speaks of the favor of God.  The implication is that once we embrace and develop the previous keys in our lives, we will step into the powerful place of the favor of God.

God desires that His people experience and walk in the favor of the Lord.  Favor is defined as “the state of being approved or held in regard” (dictionary.com).  To be in God’s favor means that you have His approval in and on your life.  It is like having His smile upon you, and having His blessing accompany you in all that you do.  It isn’t something that is reserved for a select few, but it is available to all that commit themselves to Him.  Listen to what the Psalmist declared:

For the LORD God is a sun and shield: the LORD will give grace and glory: no good thing will he withhold from them that walk uprightly.  Psalm 84:11

This is the favor of the Lord.  God has promised to not withhold any good thing from the one who walks uprightly before Him.  God wants you and me to walk in His favor, and to experience all the fullness of His Kingdom in our lives.  Why does God want us to walk in His favor?

May the favor of the Lord our God rest on us;

establish the work of our hands for us—

yes, establish the work of our hands.  Psalm 90:17

The favor of the Lord establishes the works of our hands.  And as we are walking uprightly before Him and enjoying His favor, the works of our hands are going to be those things that bring glory and honor to Him and His Kingdom.  God pours out and places His favor upon His people because it strengthens their work and their witness for Him.  And in that situation both sides win.  If you want the favor of the Lord on your life, then find and do the things that God blesses.  Psalms opens with these powerful words:

Blessed is the one

who does not walk in step with the wicked

or stand in the way that sinners take

or sit in the company of mockers,

but whose delight is in the law of the LORD,

and who meditates on his law day and night.

That person is like a tree planted by streams of water,

which yields its fruit in season

and whose leaf does not wither—

whatever they do prospers.  Psalm 1:1-3

The one who refuses to walk with the wicked will walk in the favor of the Lord.  The one who does not stand with or for sinners will stand in the favor of God.  The one who delights in the Word of God, and who spends time in His Word will delight in and spend time in His favor.  His favor will be that this individual will be a firmly planted and well-watered tree that is alive, productive and prosperous.  That is the favor of the Lord, and that is where the Lord desires us to live.

Study Guide

Key 1:

1.       How do you define darkness?

2.       Do you notice areas of darkness in your own life?  What are they?

3.       In what ways do these areas of darkness seem like a huge wall that cannot be penetrated or overcome?

4.       How can you view these areas of darkness differently?

5.       Write down personal action steps you can take in seeing these areas of darkness overcome.

Key 2

1.       Write out a definition of how you see yourself.

2.       Read the following passages of Scripture to see how God defines you.  From these passages write out God’s definition of you.

a.       1 John 4:4

b.      Romans 8:37-39

c.       2 Timothy 1:7

d.      Jeremiah 29:11

3.       Do the two definitions line up?  If not, how can you begin to redefine yourself to match what God says about you?

Key 3

1.       Philippians 4:7 speaks about “peace that passes understanding.”  What does that mean to you?

2.       Do you notice peace stealers in your life?  What are they?  How can you take steps to remove them from your life?

3.       Describe a time in your life where you embraced relief while mistaking it for peace.

4.       Share a personal testimony about a time when even in the midst of turmoil or difficulty you experienced peace.  How did that impact you and others around you?

Key 4

1.       Can you think of situations in your life that have been impacted by who you joined yourself with?

2.       Be honest with yourself: are you currently joining yourself with anyone that is not having a positive impact or influence on your life?

3.       How can you better join with God?

4.       Are there things in your life that the enemy has tried to steal away and use against you?

5.       In what ways can you more effectively join with fellow Christians to be encouraged and to be an encourager?

Key 5

1.       What perceived mountain has the enemy put in your path to try and keep you from being victorious?.

2.       “The challenge then is to never allow what God calls an opportunity to become an obstacle.”  What does this quote from Key 5 mean to you?

3.       What battle plan or strategy is the Lord giving you to see the mountains leveled or removed?

Key 6

1.       “The enemy longs to make God’s people feel defeated even before the battle begins.”  Discuss how you have seen this played out in your own life.

2.       Are there things in your life that seem hard or obstinate?

3.       In many of the keys we see how the enemy is constantly trying to intimidate and discourage.  What are some ways you continue to see him doing this very thing in your life?  How can you better recognize when he is using these tactics?

Key 7

1.       Are there idols in your life?  What are they?

2.       Idolatry can be blatant or subtle.  Which do you find yourself dealing with most frequently?

3.       Are there moments or situations in your life when you find yourself to be more susceptible to idolatry?

Key 8

1.       In what ways have you not fully committed in your relationship with God?

2.       What things have you allowed to remain that have become a thorn in your side? (see Numbers 33:55-56).

3.       How much of God do you want in your life?  Are you willing to take the necessary steps to fully commit to Him?  What steps or things do you feel you need the most work on?

Key 9

1.       “How often do we forfeit blessings and the presence of God by not being obedient?”  Consider this question honestly.

2.       How would you describe God’s presence in your life?

3.       Are there ways in which you have room for growth in the area of obedience to God?

Key 10

1.       What names are found on the gates in your life?

2.       In what ways can you enter through those gates into a place of victory?

3.       “Jesus declared that the gates or strongest area of the enemy’s kingdom shall not prevail against the church.  This is the enemy’s fear – that the church would realize this truth.”  What does this mean to you?

4.       Read Isaiah 45:1-3 again.  In what ways can you begin to apply this passage to your own life?

Key 11

1.       Do you have unfulfilled promises to God?

2.       What things have you faithfully devoted to the Lord?  In what ways has God blessed you as a result?

3.       “No matter what life may present, one thing will always stand true – God will be trustworthy.”  Is this always an easy truth to embrace?  Why or why not?

Key 12

1.       Is there one particular emotion that you struggle to keep in check?

2.       How has your life been like a roller coaster of circumstances and emotions?

3.       In what ways can you better level out your life?  What steps can you take to avoid being tossed about so easily by emotions and things of life?

4.       What truth(s) of God can you more fully accept and embrace that would help you control your emotions?

Key 13

1.       In what ways do you struggle to be transparent and honest with God?

2.       In what ways do you struggle to be transparent and honest with yourself?

3.       “If you are a believer in Christ, then everything about your life is sacred.”  Do you agree?

Key 14

1.       Compare and contrast the following:

a.       How God defines justice.

b.      How society defines justice.

c.       How you define justice.

2.       Jeremiah 29:11 is such a powerful truth.  Do you believe it applies to your life?  How can you more fully embrace this truth?

Key 15

1.       In western culture it is difficult to grasp the image of a shepherd.  What does it mean to you that the Lord is your shepherd?

2.       What is your favorite part about Psalm 23?

3.       Which of the promises from Psalm 23 do you struggle with the most to embrace and apply in your life?

Key 16

1.       Do you have a Bethel: a place where the Lord often meets with you and ministers to you?

2.       Describe your ideal church.  What could you do to help your current church improve?

3.       In what ways do you feel God’s House has been misused or abused?

4.       If you were God how would you repair Your House?

Key 17

1.       Read Galatians 5:22-23.  Which of the nine listed elements of the fruit of the Spirit is a strong point for you?  Which is a weak point?

2.       “The reality is that what we allow to be produced in our lives is what is going to be reproduced through our lives.”  How have you seen this play out in your life?

3.       Tappuah was known as the apple city for the aroma it gave off.  Do you easily recognize fruit in others?  Do you clearly give evidence of fruit in your own life?

Key 18

1.       Are you as deep in your relationship with God as you want to be?

2.       How can you take steps or make choices to go deeper in your relationship with God?

3.       How can you go deeper in your relationships with others?

4.       Philippians 3:7-16 is a powerful declaration by Paul.  What does this passage speak to you?

Key 19

1.       “God doesn’t see things as man does.  God doesn’t compare strength based on human standards or understanding.”  What does this mean to you?  How can this help you view yourself differently?

2.       Recall a time when God showed His strength on your behalf.  What impact did that have on you?

3.       Why is it difficult at times to allow God to show Himself strong on your behalf?

4.       Read Psalm 18:1-3 again.  What lessons can you learn and understand from this passage?

Key 20

1.       When life is fertile and productive, what things in your life do you find trying to replace God?

2.       How has God proven His love to you?

3.       In what ways have you seen or experienced the beauty of God?

4.       What steps can you take in your life to begin to learn more about God?  What “secret things” about Him would you like to know?

Key 21

1.       How have you effectively dealt with strife?

2.       How have you failed in dealing with strife?

3.       From what source do you find strife to be the most difficult to deal with?

4.       If you find yourself in a dry or desert-like time, is strife at work in your life?

Key 22

1.       Who or what in your life has the most authority?  Do you find that to be a stronghold in your life?

2.       “The people of God need not be clueless or uninformed in terms of spiritual authority.”  Do you understand your own authority?

3.       Why is it so important to deal aggressively with strongholds?

4.       “Ask God to reveal the strongholds in your life, in your family and in your region.  Be honest with yourself to accept what He reveals to you and then deal aggressively with those things.”  How can you come to a place of victory over what God shows you?

Key 23

1.       What is your foundation?

2.       What have you tried to build in your life that has not been effective or good?

3.       “It can be painfully difficult to work through the layers we have built in our lives.”  How true do you find this statement to be in your life?

Key 24

1.       When you hear or consider witchcraft, what do you think of?

2.       Do you recognize evidence of rebellion in your own life?  If so, how can you erase or overcome it?

3.       Are you being manipulative toward anyone in your life?

4.       Are you being manipulated by anyone in your life?

5.       What is your plan for dealing with either type of manipulation you are dealing with?

Key 25

1.       In what ways have you been reduced to maintenance mode?  How can you reverse that trend?

2.       Why is it more important to “be” than it is to “do?”

3.       “When you become maintenance focused and maintenance driven, it becomes all about the things you have GOT to do and it is no longer about the things you GET to do.”  Do you agree or disagree with this statement?

4.       How can you effectively balance the role of Mary and the role of Martha in your life?

Key 26

1.       In various keys we saw how Israel failed to completely destroy the enemy.  In Key 26 this question was posed: “How many times have you allowed things to remain that God said to destroy or remove?”  Take time to consider this question.

2.       Do you find that you have two different crowds in your life?  If so, which do you spend the most time with?  How does it affect your life?

3.       “It can be so easy to get caught up in the crowds and lose sight of who we are and all that God has available for us.”  How true have you found this to be in your life?

Key 27

1.       “In the holy place or sanctuary was a safe place where forgiveness and salvation could be found.”  Do you agree?  Have you seen this play out in your life?

2.       What things in your life have you turned to in hopes of finding nourishment or strength?  Have they worked?

3.       When is the last time you truly entered into God’s presence?  What happened as a result?  What is keeping you from doing so now?

Key 28

1.       What is the most grieving or difficult thing you have faced in life?  Have you properly dealt with it?

2.       “Life isn’t about what happens to us; life is about how we respond to what happens to us.”  What does this statement mean to you?

3.       Are you stuck in something from the past?  How can you find health and healing today?

4.       Read Isaiah 53.  How can Christ help you overcome your grief?

Key 29

1.       John Wesley said, “What one generation tolerates, the next generation will embrace.”  How true do you see this statement?

2.       Have you considered the chart from Key 29?  What inclinations have been passed to you from previous generations?  How can you break them in your generation?

3.       What choices can you make in your life that will declare you will not walk in the sinful ways of those who have gone before you?

Key 30

1.       Has God set you free from your own Egypt?

2.       Have you allowed God to remove Egypt from you?

3.       Do you understand what it means to be free and how to be free?  If not, how can you learn what it means?

4.       Who in your life is an example of someone living in freedom?  What can you learn from them?

Key 31

1.       What does God’s favor mean to you?

2.       How can you experience God’s favor?

3.       What things are you doing in your life that bring glory and honor to God?  What things don’t?

4.       Which part of Psalm 1 describes you – verses 1-3 or verses 4-6?

5.       Key 1 is overcoming darkness and Key 31 is experiencing God’s favor.  In the journey from darkness to favor where do you find yourself?  Which part of the journey do you find the most difficult?

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Table of Contents

Copyright

Dedication

Preface

Key 1 – Overcoming the Darkness (Jericho)

Key 2 – Understanding the Renewal of God (Ai)

Key 3 – Learning to Embrace Peace (Jerusalem)

Key 4 – Joining With the Right Side (Hebron)

Key 5 – Overcoming the Enemy’s Deception (Jarmuth)

Key 6 – Knowing You are Victorious (Lachish)

Key 7 – Avoiding Idolatry (Eglon)

Key 8 – Choosing to Fully Commit (Gezer)

Key 9 – Inviting God’s Presence by our Obedience (Debir)

Key 10 – Not Being Intimidated (Geder)

Key 11 – Being Faithful to God (Hormah)

Key 12 – Keeping Your Emotions in Check (Arad)

Key 13 – Being Transparent and Real (Libnah)

Key 14 – Justice (Adullam)

Key 15 – The Shepherd’s Involvement (Makkedah)

Key 16 – God’s House (Bethel)

Key 17 – Fruitfulness (Tappuah)

Key 18 – Going Deeper (Hepher)

Key 19 – God’s Strength (Aphek)

Key 20 – The Choice Flower (Lasharon)

Key 21 – Overcoming Strife (Madon)

Key 22 – Pulling Down Strongholds (Hazor)

Key 23 – What is Being Built? (Shimronmeron)

Key 24 – Breaking Witchcraft (Achshaph)

Key 25 – Avoiding Maintenance Mode (Taanach)

Key 26 – Do Not Follow the Crowd (Megiddo)

Key 27 -- Holy Place or Sanctuary (Kedesh)

Key 28 – Dealing with Grief (Jokneam)

Key 29 – Stand for Your Generation (Dor)

Key 30 – Embracing Freedom (Nations of Gilgal)

Key 31 – The Favor of God (Tirzah)

Study Guide