【Original Audio Bible Study Recording - Mandarin Version - Theme: Blessings and Curses Determine Victory and Defeat - Shared on July 31, 2019】

Introduction

The theme of Joshua chapter 8 is that blessings and curses determine victory and defeat. When we study the Bible, we must learn to examine carefully and understand the essence of things. Not understanding the essence of things can be a fatal matter, especially when reading God's Word!

For example, from Joshua chapters 1 to 8, what can we read? What kind of essence can we discern? We must grasp the essence and not just the superficialities. As for me, I dislike sharing superficial interpretations like: Look! Joshua extended his short spear! Let's each make a short spear! If we were in that era and raised the short spear like Joshua, we would be victorious. This is useless!

Sometimes, after reading the Bible, brothers and sisters become rigid and can only grasp superficial phenomena. Joshua led the Israelites around Jericho, and a pastor teaches people to keep going around in circles, which doesn't do much good. So when we read the Bible, we must not rigidly grasp only the superficial phenomena.

The Essence of Things Lies in Blessings and Curses

If we grasp the essence, you will discover that the most essential thing is blessings and curses! There is a book I particularly like, in two volumes, called Blessings and Curses. I wrote it while leading everyone in studying Deuteronomy. Deuteronomy is a good book, discussing the matter of blessings and curses.

If we grasp blessings and curses, and then extrapolate, we will grasp the most essential thing: keeping and obeying God's Word brings blessings, while disobeying God's Word brings curses. So let's train ourselves to grasp the essence in everything, and not try to grasp technical things. Grasping technical things basically only grasps the appearance.

If you carefully observe the words of the Lord your God, is there any need to panic and be afraid? You need not panic nor fear, because God will personally lead us to victory. Brothers and sisters, think about it, if Joshua led the Israelites to Canaan to do business, would God make him victorious? Definitely not.

That's why we often fall into the appearance of a problem. If Joshua led the Israelites into Canaan to do business, he would surely be defeated and killed! Why? Because that is not God's plan! But many of our brothers and sisters often pray for such things, don't they?

If you come from outside churches, you will find that we emphasize blessings and curses, but emphasizing blessings is essentially emphasizing carefully observing the words of the Lord your God. Then, what does emphasizing observing God's Word lead to? It is to love the Lord your God with all your heart, soul, and strength! If you love God to the point of madness, how could you not carefully observe His Word? The relationship between man and God is very important!

In this chapter, we can already see that the Israelites conquered Ai not because of their numerous soldiers, nor because of their brave warriors, nor because they laid an ambush, nor because they used some clever strategy to lure the people of Ai. It was none of these.

Because these are all technical things. Do technical things have their use? Yes, but that is definitely not the essence. If there were devoted things among the Israelites, if there were still many among the Israelites who did not carefully observe the words of the Lord their God, then even if they arranged troops and deployed forces, even if they invited Zhuge Liang, it would be useless.

Brothers and sisters must know that the result of our battle, whether it is victory or defeat, depends on blessings and curses! That's why in verses 30-33 of this chapter, it says:

Then Joshua built an altar to the Lord, the God of Israel, on Mount Ebal, as Moses the servant of the Lord had commanded the Israelites. He built it according to what is written in the Book of the Law of Moses—an altar of uncut stones, on which no iron tool had been used. On it they offered burnt offerings to the Lord and sacrificed fellowship offerings. There, in the presence of the Israelites, Joshua wrote on stones a copy of the law of Moses, which he had written. All Israel, including the foreigners who lived among them, with their elders, officials and judges, were standing on both sides of the ark of the covenant of the Lord, facing the Levitical priests who carried it. Half of the people stood in front of Mount Gerizim and half in front of Mount Ebal to pronounce the blessings and curses according to all that Moses the servant of the Lord had formerly commanded. (Joshua 8:30-33)

Brothers and sisters, if you can grasp blessings and curses today, many of your problems need not be asked. Why is your business so bleak? Why does your business fail? Why do you owe so much debt? Why do you have so many family members with cancer? The reason for falling into such difficult circumstances is closely related to blessings and curses.

Some people ask, What about you? I am the same. I am not God, I cannot replace God, nor can I change God's Word. I am just sharing God's Word with everyone. We must submit to the spiritual law of God's blessings and curses. It's not because I am a model of blessing that I share these things with you, nor because I am a model of curse, but because God's Word is such. We are just implementing God's Word in our lives in this way.

God Has a Great Plan for Us

I think that attacking the land of Canaan was definitely in God's plan. Brothers and sisters, are you walking in God's plan, or is there something else? I can tell you frankly that you must walk in God's will. You can see that in every prayer, we end by saying: Your kingdom come, your will be done on earth as it is in heaven... This is not to come down in another place, but to come down on us, to come down on the ground we tread! This is to fulfill God's will.

The Chinese Mingding Destiny that we speak of means that God has a great plan for us, and this plan is our Mingding (destiny). Did God bring us into this world for a wife? For work? To have children? No, it is to fulfill God's will in you.

Then you say, is providing for parents and taking care of wives and children God's will? It is part of God's will, but that is not the most important will! God's most important will is for us to be a blessing to all nations and peoples on earth, as said in Genesis chapter 12, verses 1-3, which God said to Abraham. Once we grasp the essence, we know what we came into this world to do.

I sent a brother to the airport. Before he took off, I treated him to a meal, and I frankly told him what I wanted to say. What did I tell him? It was to tear down all worldly dreams! Worldly dreams are useless! The only thing that can help us is to walk in God's plan and receive God's blessing! Blessings and curses are too important for us!

If a person is cursed, he is destined to fail no matter what he does. Some people say: No, look, some people are cursed, but their business is doing well! I think, it's because you haven't watched long enough. Wait and see. What can these people prove? The devil can also add wealth to people! Does this mean that God's Word has been abolished? God's Word will not be abolished. So when you observe, you will find that blessings and curses are crucial. If you grasp the essence, will it still be difficult to understand?

I tell you, and I tell some of the brothers and sisters among us, if there are very deep curses in your family, then in any case, you must begin to break this curse on yourself! In any case, choose to carefully observe the words of God, in any case, begin to let the words of God be engraved on the tablets of your heart. This is grasping the essence.

Let's look at Ai. From Joshua chapter 1 to chapter 8, you will find that the Israelites first crossed the Jordan River with God's help, and then they were circumcised in that place. This circumcision was like a small operation on every man, and after the operation, they could not fight. It was because of God that the enemy did not attack them when they were in pain and unable to fight.

Later, when Joshua was about to attack Jericho, he saw a mighty angel in front of him and asked him, Are you here to help us or to help our enemies? The angel replied, I have come as the commander of the army of the Lord. This is God! Our God is our commander. Fulfilling this matter is God's will. Even if all the people in Ai were killed, not one left, that would still be God's will. In fact, everyone should know that the people in this place had done many evils and had accumulated wrath for a long time.

If you are a good person, you may discern good and evil towards God. These people in the city were killed just like that? You seem to sympathize with these people. If you sympathize with these people, how can you complete God's plan? Our God is really not Santa Claus. Don't provoke Him. Our God is not a soft, weak person who is nice to everyone and only says nice things.

Our God does not acquit the guilty. God will punish the guilty for their sins, down to the third and fourth generations. I think Ai has one characteristic: there was not a single Rahab in the whole city. At least one Rahab appeared in Jericho, but this small city of twelve thousand people had to oppose the Israelites? Had they not heard the story of Rahab? I think they should have heard some rumors.

Since this is the case, why do they still oppose the Israelites? In fact, they are opposing God! Brothers and sisters must not discern good and evil with God. If you are a good person, you will not understand why God destroyed the whole city. In fact, Deuteronomy chapter 9, verse 5 says that you are not entering to take possession of their land because of your righteousness or your integrity, but because of the wickedness of these nations, the Lord your God is driving them out before you, to confirm the oath he swore to your fathers, to Abraham, Isaac and Jacob. That's the point; that's God's plan.

It is not because of your righteousness or your integrity that you are going in to take possession of their land; but on account of the wickedness of these nations, the Lord your God is driving them out before you, to accomplish what he swore to your fathers, to Abraham, Isaac and Jacob. (Deuteronomy 9:5)

God wanted to destroy Canaan through the Israelites because the people in this place were too evil. This was God's judgment on that land. If we sympathize with those who are judged, isn't that fatal? Brothers and sisters, if you observe everything on earth, you will find that it is all related to blessings and curses.

Of course, some people may refute me and say: No, look at that blind man in the Bible! Jesus' disciples asked him, 'Was it because of his own sin, or his father's curse? Or the sins of his ancestors?' Jesus said, 'This man was born blind so that the works of God might be displayed in him.'

Brothers and sisters, although Jesus said that this man was born blind so that the glory of God might be revealed, it does not mean that this was a good thing. Being blind is not a good thing, but when it comes to God, God will guide us to see his grace and mercy. God healed this blind man in order to show God's glory.

In fact, Jesus said this not to make us forget blessings and curses, but to make us begin to see God's glory. So brothers and sisters, begin to see the victories and failures of the Israelites along the way. In the previous battle, the Israelites were defeated, and in the latter battle, the people of Ai were defeated.

Walking in God’s Will

Brothers and sisters, what can we summarize from the Israelites’ defeat and victory in the battle with the people of Ai? We thought that the previous battle was due to wrong tactics, or that the victory in the latter battle was due to the right tactics and strategies, but that was not the case. The key is whether we are walking in God’s will. Think about it, is this the essential issue that we need to summarize? We must be especially careful in our service, and not neglect the fundamental and pursue the superficial. What does it mean to neglect the fundamental and pursue the superficial? It means to abandon the big and pick up the small.

Joshua was also amazing. After fighting the battle and killing the people of Ai, he built an altar to the Lord, the God of Israel, on Mount Ebal, and copied all the laws written by Moses on the stones. Why? Because he read these words every day, including Genesis, Exodus, Leviticus, and Deuteronomy, which were all Moses' spiritual assets left to Joshua. He opened Deuteronomy 27 and saw:

That day Moses commanded the people: When you have crossed the Jordan, these tribes shall stand on Mount Gerizim to bless the people: Simeon, Levi, Judah, Issachar, Joseph and Benjamin. And these tribes shall stand on Mount Ebal to pronounce curses: Reuben, Gad, Asher, Zebulun, Dan and Naphtali. (Deuteronomy 27:11-14)

When he arrived at that place, he stood there and did this. And I have found that many people will have this situation: Oh, I accidentally forgot. That memory! I don't know why it's so bad. They don't forget other things, but they forget the key things, and they forget when it comes to carefully observing the words of God.

Is today the Lord's Day? How could I forget? I had an appointment with friends for tea. Well, having tea is important, isn't it? Hehe. I think forgetting like this is just an excuse. Look at how Joshua meticulously observed and obeyed God's words. After the victory, he, as God commanded Moses and himself, proclaimed the blessings and curses on Mount Ebal and Mount Gerizim. This shifted the people's focus away from mere technical skills.

Many people focus on the technical aspects: Wow, that was a great hit! Look at Joshua's short spear, how cool! But the victory had little to do with that spear. Yes, God commanded Joshua to stretch out his short spear towards Ai, but why not the staff from the crossing of the Red Sea? Because whether it's a staff or a short spear, that's not important. What matters is meticulously observing and obeying God's words.

Brothers and sisters, you can see that Joshua did something, what did he do? Joshua shifted the Israelites' focus, leading them away from things like short spears and ambushes, and instead towards blessings and curses. I want to encourage our brothers and sisters, if you really think it's good, you can help me make a little advertisement. The book Blessings and Curses should be read carefully!

I often feel emotional. I met a Christian whose child has autism, and the mother has Alzheimer's. Alas, I wonder, would a blessed person be like this? Would a victorious Christian be like this? Absolutely not.

Blessings and Curses are Key to Victory

It is very tough for someone to deal with all these burdens. I want brothers and sisters to understand, blessings and curses determine victory and defeat. So wherever I go, I will tell of what God has done. I still want to convey a concept: Do our brothers and sisters know why they live? Are you walking in God's plan? Are our brothers and sisters living a trivial life? Or are you living a life with Mingding Destiny?

If you are walking in God's plan, God will not be able to give you revelations, nor will He command you to stretch out your short spear towards Ai, because it is useless, you are not in God's plan at all. If we live in God's plan and act according to His will, that is called Mingding Destiny.

We live for God and die for God; that is a matter of course. Blessing and curse determine the failure of things. Joshua meditated on God's words day and night. He wouldn't say he accidentally forgot; there is no such thing! So what did God say to Joshua in the first chapter of Joshua? He said this:

No one will be able to stand against you all the days of your life. As I was with Moses, so I will be with you; I will never leave you nor forsake you. Be strong and courageous, because you will lead these people to inherit the land I swore to their ancestors to give them. Be strong and very courageous. Be careful to obey all the law my servant Moses gave you; do not turn from it to the right or to the left, that you may be successful wherever you go. Keep this Book of the Law always on your lips; meditate on it day and night, so that you may be careful to do everything written in it. Then you will be prosperous and successful. (Joshua 1:6-8)

If you ask me how to live a victorious life, I would say: meticulously observe and obey God's words! Do you understand? So our brothers and sisters must come out of a superficial appearance. The essence is to meticulously observe and obey God's words. I often hear brothers and sisters ask: How should I pray?

Actually, how to pray is not important. What is important is how to get out of the curse. A sister insisted on seeing me because she thought I was a good pastor. In fact, when I talk about the good shepherd, it's not for you to find a good pastor to pray for you, but to hope that you can rise up and become a good shepherd.

Many people only think about their own little things. But the problem is, if you are a very selfish person, even if I serve you, it is useless, because I have served many selfish people, and in the end, they are still the same. Because people live under a curse, they don't know it's because they haven't meticulously observed and obeyed God's words.

What is a Curse?

Don't think that becoming a Christian will somehow make you immune; whether you are a resident alien or a native, the curse will affect you. So, our brothers and sisters, don't think that because I am a Christian, I will naturally be blessed. Being blessed has nothing to do with whether you are a Christian, but with whether you meticulously observe and obey God's words.

Be a resounding Christian, meticulously observe and obey God's words, walk in God's will, and carefully observe and obey everything God commands me. This is our resolve! Many of us are contaminated by some wrong ideas. What I cannot tolerate most is that God clearly proclaims a curse, but a group of people say that this is their local culture. That is your culture, but not the word of God! Should Christians abide by local culture or the word of God?

Cursed is anyone who makes an idol—a thing detestable to the Lord—a thing made by the hands of a craftsman and sets it up in secret. Then all the people shall say, Amen! (Deuteronomy 27:15)

Speaking of treating parents lightly, that is terrible! I will say it again here, many people are blessed in taking care of their parents, and many people are cursed in not taking care of their parents. Because if we still discern good and evil with our parents, how can we not discern good and evil with others?

Cursed is anyone who dishonors their father or mother. Then all the people shall say, Amen. (Deuteronomy 27:16)

Our parents raised us from childhood, and in the end, you say: I can't let taking care of my mother affect my life, right? Just because your husband said: I married you, not your mother. But before he married you, wasn't it her mother who raised her? I am telling you to honor your parents, not out of human morality and ethics, but because this is the word of God. Cursed is anyone who treats their parents lightly. Honoring parents is an important indicator in the Ten Commandments.

Cursed is anyone who moves their neighbor’s boundary stone. Then all the people shall say, Amen. (Deuteronomy 27:17)

Many people are cursed because they take advantage of others.

Cursed is anyone who leads the blind astray on the road. Then all the people shall say, Amen! Cursed is anyone who withholds justice from the foreigner, the fatherless or the widow. Then all the people shall say, Amen! Cursed is anyone who sleeps with his father’s wife, for he dishonors his father’s bed.Then all the people shall say, Amen! (Deuteronomy 27:18-20)

I am here to tell everyone what a curse is. A curse is that you are usually doing okay, and then a disaster can bring you back to square one. A disaster can put an end to your life... Do you understand? What does returning to square one mean? It means working for nothing. Did you make money? Yes, but while making money, all the money went down the drain, and then you return to square one at thirty, and you return to square one again at fifty, and some people return to square one at sixty.

I served a person who returned to square one at sixty. This person is indeed very tired! It's not that he can't do things, but no matter how capable he is, he can't overcome God! If you go against God, what can you do? Our brothers and sisters must not fall into the curse. If you fall into the curse, it will either put an end to you or bring you back to square one.

In my many years of believing in the Lord, I have personally seen one cursed thing after another. This is the end of an unvictorious Christian. The end of an unvictorious Christian is really miserable. Standing next to their coffin, I secretly told myself, I shouted my name loudly in my heart, saying: You must meticulously observe and obey the words of the Lord your God, love God, and love the Lord your God with all your heart, all your soul, and all your strength, forever!

I often tell myself, don't love this world! Don't love this world! Don't love this world! Living in the world is a very simple thing, that is, to meticulously observe and obey God's words, and to love the Lord your God with all your heart, all your soul, and all your strength. I think Joshua must have told the Israelites the content of Deuteronomy 28. Verses 1-14 talk about blessings, and everything after verse 14 talks about curses. So I talk about curses a little more. Why? Because you can't touch the curse. Once you touch it, it will put an end to you, and you will lie in the coffin. That is really sad.

Everyone should take a good look at the part of Deuteronomy 28 that talks about curses. If people don't know God's glorious and awesome name and don't meticulously observe and obey God's words, then God will surely bring terrible plagues and severe and prolonged illnesses on you and your descendants. Alas, it is really a tragedy.

Walk the Blessed Path, Don't Walk the Cursed Path

I wonder if our brothers and sisters can love the Lord your God with all their heart, with all their soul, and with all their strength? This is just a choice. In fact, it is not difficult to choose, because this is a choice that brings benefits, an extremely cost-effective choice. Don't think that you can take a little advantage of others. If you take a little advantage, you take a little curse. If you take more advantage, you take more curse! Don't think that living depends on that little thing. Living depends on blessings!

How good it would be if people had blessings! If people have curses, they will have bad luck in everything! Brothers and sisters, think carefully. In any case, don't become God's enemy, don't fight against God. Why fight against God? If you ask me how to see blessings and curses, it is to look at the things you have experienced in your life. You can definitely summarize something from it. If you observe the history of the family, you will definitely sum up something. Don't think that not investing in stocks well or not doing things well are technical issues.

I failed because I didn't fight this battle well, I didn't throw that punch well... No! That's because of blessings and curses, and meticulously observing and not meticulously observing, and loving God or not loving God. If a person does not love God, he is cursed.

Many Christians tell me: There is no curse in the New Testament! I think ignorance is really a tragedy. You must know that Joshua as well as Deuteronomy have never been separated from the word curse. Many people are struggling in curses. How long are they going to struggle? It will continue until you are destroyed!

So I am sharing with everyone with a loud voice, sharing what? Sharing the blessings and curses that Joshua proclaimed on Mount Ebal and Mount Gerizim, I am bearing witness to everyone with a loud voice, just hoping that you will be blessed, saved, and able to walk the blessed path, not the cursed path, because that is not a path at all!

I want to let everyone know to enter into God's will, walk in God's Mingding Destiny, and then love the Lord our God with all your heart, all your soul, and all your strength. I often say: Living is a very simple thing. The reason it is simple is not because of anything else, but because no matter how you live, you will die anyway.

If you see through it, you can live very simply. If you don't see through it, you will keep making money, as if you can't live without money... But remember, it is not enough to have money! How many problems can money solve? So curse and blessing are the key!

Then I will say some more blessed words. I think you also like to hear them. God said: If you meticulously observe and obey the words of the Lord your God, then God will surely make you the head and not the tail, and you will be above and not below. How good these words sound, don't forget the root! Be sure to grasp the essence. It is not because our muscles are great, but because we meticulously observe and obey the words of the Lord.

So there is no need to fear or be alarmed. In every battle and struggle, we will see God's mighty arm constantly manifested. I am very gratified about one thing, that is, to be able to know our God while living. I thank God! Because He often manifests His power through me, and I also hope that our brothers and sisters, no matter what you do, can repent of our sins, turn back to God, and begin to learn to be blessed people!

Summary

Others often read the Bible for me, and they will say: Look, the Bible says this, so you have to serve me like this. I said: That's great. He said: But why don't you do it?

I was serving at the time and couldn't serve two people at once. The words in the Bible are not for you to demand of me, but for you to rise up and be like me and start serving together, do you understand? Because even if I serve to the death alone, I can't serve everyone and finish everything. But if I can train batches and batches of disciples who can be like Jesus Christ, wouldn't that be a blessing to many people?

After reading the word of God, I hope the reaction of brothers and sisters is not to demand of others, but to demand of themselves. So whether you are a native or a resident alien, no matter who you are, remember one thing, the blessings and curses that God proclaims are deadly! Don't read my words literally either. I have seen all kinds of people and birds, because I have served too many people.

I think, if you are willing to be a blessed person, start being raised up with me, take on God's Mingding Destiny, and then become a blessing to all nations on earth, strike the devil and enemy, release the captive people, and let God's people see God's glory through us. How could you not be blessed then? We will definitely be the head and not the tail, and we will be above and not below, because we are people who meticulously observe and obey God's words.

May God bless everyone!

Joshua List