Oak Hill Alliance Church

Today we worshiped at Oak Hill Alliance Church, 2782 Rochester Road, Cranberry Twp., PA 16066, 724.776.4350, www.oakhillcma.org, Pastor Dan Aluise.

Scripture – NIV

Joshua 9:1-27 –

Now when all the kings west of the Jordan heard about these things—the kings in the hill country, in the western foothills, and along the entire coast of the Mediterranean Sea as far as Lebanon (the kings of the Hittites, Amorites, Canaanites, Perizzites, Hivites and Jebusites)— they came together to wage war against Joshua and Israel.

However, when the people of Gibeon heard what Joshua had done to Jericho and Ai, they resorted to a ruse: They went as a delegation whose donkeys were loaded with worn-out sacks and old wineskins, cracked and mended. They put worn and patched sandals on their feet and wore old clothes. All the bread of their food supply was dry and moldy. Then they went to Joshua in the camp at Gilgal and said to him and the Israelites, “We have come from a distant country; make a treaty with us.”

The Israelites said to the Hivites, “But perhaps you live near us, so how can we make a treaty with you?”

“We are your servants,” they said to Joshua.

But Joshua asked, “Who are you and where do you come from?”

They answered: “Your servants have come from a very distant country because of the fame of the Lord your God. For we have heard reports of him: all that he did in Egypt, and all that he did to the two kings of the Amorites east of the Jordan—Sihon king of Heshbon, and Og king of Bashan, who reigned in Ashtaroth. And our elders and all those living in our country said to us, ‘Take provisions for your journey; go and meet them and say to them, “We are your servants; make a treaty with us.” ’ This bread of ours was warm when we packed it at home on the day we left to come to you. But now see how dry and moldy it is. And these wineskins that we filled were new, but see how cracked they are. And our clothes and sandals are worn out by the very long journey.”

The Israelites sampled their provisions but did not inquire of the Lord. Then Joshua made a treaty of peace with them to let them live, and the leaders of the assembly ratified it by oath.

Three days after they made the treaty with the Gibeonites, the Israelites heard that they were neighbors, living near them. So the Israelites set out and on the third day came to their cities: Gibeon, Kephirah, Beeroth and Kiriath Jearim. But the Israelites did not attack them, because the leaders of the assembly had sworn an oath to them by the Lord, the God of Israel.

The whole assembly grumbled against the leaders, but all the leaders answered, “We have given them our oath by the Lord, the God of Israel, and we cannot touch them now. This is what we will do to them: We will let them live, so that God’s wrath will not fall on us for breaking the oath we swore to them.” They continued, “Let them live, but let them be woodcutters and water carriers in the service of the whole assembly.” So the leaders’ promise to them was kept.

Then Joshua summoned the Gibeonites and said, “Why did you deceive us by saying, ‘We live a long way from you,’ while actually you live near us? You are now under a curse: You will never be released from service as woodcutters and water carriers for the house of my God.”

They answered Joshua, “Your servants were clearly told how the Lord your God had commanded his servant Moses to give you the whole land and to wipe out all its inhabitants from before you. So we feared for our lives because of you, and that is why we did this. We are now in your hands. Do to us whatever seems good and right to you.”

So Joshua saved them from the Israelites, and they did not kill them. That day he made the Gibeonites woodcutters and water carriers for the assembly, to provide for the needs of the altar of the Lord at the place the Lord would choose. And that is what they are to this day.

Psalm 27:1-2, 5-6 –

The Lord is my light and my salvation— whom shall I fear?

The Lord is the stronghold of my life— of whom shall I be afraid?

When the wicked advance against me to devour me, it is my enemies and my foes who will stumble and fall.

For in the day of trouble he will keep me safe in his dwelling;

he will hide me in the shelter of his sacred tent

and set me high upon a rock.

Then my head will be exalted

above the enemies who surround me;

at his sacred tent I will sacrifice with shouts of joy;

I will sing and make music to the Lord.

2 Timothy 3:16-17 –

All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness, so that the servant of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work.

Proverbs 15:22 –

Plans fail for lack of counsel, but with many advisers they succeed.

1 Chronicles 10:13-14 –

Saul died because he was unfaithful to the Lord; he did not keep the word of the Lord and even consulted a medium for guidance, and did not inquire of the Lord. So the Lord put him to death and turned the kingdom over to David son of Jesse.

Bob’s thoughts:

We were welcomed by many in the congregation and all were genuinely friendly, not perfunctory greetings.

I was pleased to see more than one cross; I also appreciated the prayer page. At times God speaks to me as I pray for people I probably don’t know (or haven’t met yet).

The songs were not listed so I was taken aback by “As the Deer.” After our son was killed, we found out it was one of his favorites and including it in the memorial service changed its effect on us. We were blessed by a young family sitting in front of us whose son reminded me so much of how hard it was to get Dan to sit still that I smiled in spite of the hymn.

The message, “The Art of Making Foolish Decisions,” was not the personal critique of my life that I thought it would be. In my walk with Christ it has been hard at times to seek God’s direction first but it has always been rewarding when I do. The sermon was well supported by Scripture, and a caution that stuck with me was, “Don’t be blinded by your desires.”

Jan’s thoughts:

A young man held the door for us as we entered the building, and numerous people greeted us and took the time to chat.

Just prior to the start of the service, as I was reading over the two-page prayer list, we noticed the pastor and several others forming a prayer circle at the front.

The music was led with vigor, and I enjoyed singing several songs I like but haven’t encountered recently. One of the songs was “As the Deer,” which brings bittersweet memories for us.

The message was intriguingly titled “The Art of Making Foolish Decisions” and centered on the consequences of Joshua’s choices in the above Scripture. The sermon notes included in the bulletin laid out how to make foolish decisions along with the application, instructions on making wise decisions.

Make foolish decisions by:

1 – failing to gather all the information;

2 – making big decisions quickly;

3 – not inquiring of the Lord.

Make wise decisions by:

1 – gathering as much true information as possible before deciding;

2 – waiting on the Lord;

3 – praying. Stop and ask God for direction.

It is important to make wise decisions because:

1 – there are lifelong consequences or blessings;

2 – people are looking to you as an example;

3 – you will want God’s best.

He added one final note: God can and does redeem our poor decisions by His grace and mercy. However, we must repent. He courageously used a personal story to illustrate this point, adding that the right decision is often not the easy one.

Our prayer for this church:

Father, we pray this church – and we – remember to seek Your answer first to all questions. Amen.