March 2021 – If Not For Grace

31 Mar 202130 Mar 2021

The process of saving us from patterns of sin

“Awake, awake, Deborah! Awake, awake, sing a song!” Judges 5:12 NKJV

Deborah was a very “woke” prophetess of the Lord and Judge over the children of God. Yet here she says she had to speak to herself and tell herself to wake up! But she was already “woke”. No matter how much we think we know – we should hunger after God for more. We should remain humble and low and not consider ourselves woke as Deborah did not consider herself woke. It is only through humility and relating to the sinners in this book that we will understand the grace and longsuffering of our God – that we will understand His power and ability to meet our every need, including saving us from our sins.

Dear Heavenly Father – Please wake us up!!!! Give us a hunger for your word and for you!!! As always, please open eye to see and our ears to hear what you are saying! Lord – open our understanding that we may know you. Please do not let us miss out on what you want and need from us today. And please keep us and bless us and shine your face upon us and pour out grace over us and give us peace! Thank you! – In Jesus name we pray, Amen

Today’s reading, we begin the book of Judges with chapters 3-5 (embedded below for your convenience).

Some interesting facts about the book: Judges has 12 judges (Othniel, Ehud, Shamgar, Deborah, Gideon, Tola, Jair, Jephthah, Ibzan, Elon, Abdon, and Samson), in 21 chapters, 618 verse, unknown author (some say it was Samson), and happened approximately 1380 to 1050 BC. This book is considered a historical book meaning that reading it and studying the dates and researching the archeological expeditions to uncover these stories are all fun ways to make this book more deep and meaningful. (I almost got lost down that rabbit hole!)

Today jumps right in and we cover a bunch of judges quickly!

Judge Othniel – Judges 3:7-11
Summary: the people worship false gods, they get sold to another people, they cry out to God for help, God raises up a judge, the judge brings salvation, the land has rest, and then repeat…

Judge Ehud – Judges 3:12-30
Summary: the people worship false gods, they get sold to another people, they cry out to God for help, God raises up a judge, the judge brings salvation, the land has rest, and then repeat…

Judge Shamgar – Judges 3:31
Summary: God raises up a judge, the judge brings salvation, and then repeat…

Judge Deborah – Judges 4-5
Summary: the people worship false gods, they get sold to another people, they cry out to God for help, God raises up a judge who is a woman, a prophet, and a psalmist, the judge brings salvation, the land has rest, and then repeat…

Preachers and those teaching on Judges haven’t said much about Othniel, because not much was written (as well as Shamgar). A few have taught on Ehud. But there are volumes and volumes of study guides, devotionals, etc on Deborah. I am limited to a space with few words – so let’s focus on Ehud.

As a child I pictured a round-ball shaped king much like if you stretched and glued the portrait of the English king, Henry the Eighth over a ball. I was told the upper room, where the king was sitting in the afternoon when Ehud went to him, was a bathroom. So the story became a comical cartoon in an English castle and of a king interrupted while “reading the newspaper” so to speak. Which can help children not focus on the violent entrails falling out or the fact that the king was left to bleed out and die in anguish.
Now let’s get a little Bible geeky and talk about writing patterns and structure of the Bible. What is interesting is that even though the scriptures have multiple human hands putting the ink on paper – they all have a few major consistencies. One of which is imagery – for example… people are almost NEVER described, but when they are – it usually relays a character trait. Especially in the Old Testament where Hebrew words structurally build on a root and become an image of what they are – so the language developed with an added layer of abstraction that is just understood. What I mean is that “fat” would not just be a visual explanation of what the king looked like – it would also be an abstract symbol with a meaning of its own that speaks to the character of the king and/or nation.
We see this with Jacob’s first wife who was described as cross-eyed (and that was the nicest thing they could say about her looks). So without ever saying it, we relate to her experience as not being noticed or looked at longingly. We understand her loneliness and drive to please and eagerness to serve so she can be loved – the idea that love comes by good works and not through grace. Without saying much about her struggle, we know why her own father rejected her and treated her poorly and why Jacob didn’t choose her.

Back to the King of Moab – In Judges 3:17 the king of Moab, באָ֑וֹמ (mō·w·’āḇ), is described as obese: ׃דאֹֽמְ (mə·’ōḏ). Moab means “sons of Lot” and for those of you who enjoy Hebrew word play and the root words and how they build on each other: mō·w·’āḇ became mə·’ōḏ. You can see a similar sequence of letter in each word (for those of you who aren’t as familiar with the Hebrew language) and similarities in sound. Mə·’ōḏ is an adverb, not an adjective and it means vehemently, wholly and speedily when translated. We are not describing the man but the actions of the man.
We see the word “fat” again in verse 22 but here it is the Hebrew word: ב֙לֶחֵ֙הַ (ha·ḥê·leḇ) – which can be translated as the riches, the choice part – and we think about the “fat of the land” (same word), where there is abundance and blessings and goodness.
Also fat is forbidden in Levitical Law and cannot be consumed and it is unclean. Which is interesting because many scholars and translations have taken the word “entrails” in this verse and translated it to refuse, waste, excrements, and dirt. Definitely unclean.

So the fat king is a symbol of goodness and riches becoming unclean dirt and men who had God’s protection acting wholly on their own being vain in their ways and not doing what was pleasing to the Lord. These are the images of the king and nation of Moab.

Moab fell from God’s grace as well as Israel fell into the wrath of God. God used both nations to judge each other – the sons of Lot over the sons of Abraham – then through Ehud, the sons of Abraham rose against the sons of Lot in God’s judgement for their transgressions as a “fat kingdom” whose prosperity and abundance became their downfall. Like modern USA and other self-exalted and prosperous nations in our world.

“For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God” Romans 3:23 NKJV

This verse in Roman follows a whole section about how we are all a hot mess like these Hebrews and these Moabites (go read all of Romans 3 if you want more good stuff!) We are all worthy of God’s wrath. Those who fear the Lord DO WELL! But do not let that fear bind you!! Because GRACE!!! Because Jesus was the propitiation by His blood – also referred as mercy seat – literal translation is substitute for wrath. This is the personal savior – not just a sacrificial lamb for everyone’s sins like the sons of Aaron sacrificed for each tribe. This brings it to the personal. He replaced me. And you can say that for yourself.
Without the fear of the Lord – How does grace (favor) have any meaning or power?! How can we let grace transform us if we aren’t UNWORTHY of all of this – if we aren’t humbled by the reality of our NEED for a Christ?!
I mean, we call ourselves “saved” but what are we saved from if God is not a just God sending those who are unclean to hell through the curse He placed on man when we sinned our first sin in the garden. If we are worthy of our own accord, and our way is sufficient, and God is nicey-nice forbearing all wrath – then we have no need of His love and mercy and grace. We do not even have a need to have a relationship with Him.
(Romans 3:21-26)

RELATIONSHIP:
Do you already have a relationship with a powerful God who cares about your every need because He loves you? Did you know my God can communicate with you and protect you – He has a plan for you to prosper if you just submit to His will and let His plan play out in your life!!! God wants a relationship with you and has already made a plan for your life. He loves you so much He sent His son to this world, to die as a sacrifice for your sins and rise from death with victory over sin and the ability to have a personal relationship with you.
“⁹If you declare with your mouth, “Jesus is Lord,” and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. ¹⁰For it is with your heart that you believe and are justified, and it is with your mouth that you profess your faith and are saved.” Romans 10:9-10 NIV
Here is a prayer for you to pray:
Jesus, I believe you are the way, the truth, the life, and the only way to the Father. I believe you are the son of God, you came to Earth and lived. That you died on the cross as a sacrifice for my sins, and rose again so that I may be saved from my sins and be able to get to know you. I declare: Jesus, you are Lord!
Therefore, I confess that I am a sinner and I ask that you forgive me of my sins and come into my life. Help me to turn away from my sins and transform me into what you have lovingly created me to be. Help me through a real personal relationship grow and accept your will for my life – that I may live in your blessings. Please walk with me, and talk with me – I accept a relationship with you and with our Father God, through you. In the name of Jesus I pray ~ Amen

MEMORY WORK: 2 Peter 1:3

Today is the last day – How did you do?! Is it memorized? did you at least meditate on it and all that it means in your life?! Do you know that you know that God has given you everything you need so when the enemy tells you that you aren’t enough you can swing back and say – Oh no! I am enough – because God gave me EVERYTHING I need!

NKJV – “as His divine power has given to us all things that pertain to life and godliness, through the knowledge of Him who called us by glory and virtue,”
NAS – “for His divine power has granted to us everything pertaining to life and godliness, through the true knowledge of Him who called us by His own glory and excellence.”
ESV – “His divine power has granted to us all things that pertain to life and godliness, through the knowledge of him who called us to his own glory and excellence,”
NLT – “By his divine power, God has given us everything we need for living a godly life. We have received all of this by coming to know him, the one who called us to himself by means of his marvelous glory and excellence.”
NIV – “His divine power has given us everything we need for a godly life through our knowledge of him who called us by his own glory and goodness.”

Thank you for reading.
May the God of peace keep you and bless you. May you stay focused on Christ and covered in grace.
Maranatha ~ Come Lord Jesus!

BIBLE READING: Judges 3-5 NKJV

The Nations Remaining in the Land

3 Now these are the nations which the Lord left, that He might test Israel by them, that is, all who had not ^[a]known any of the wars in Canaan ²(this was only so that the generations of the children of Israel might be taught to know war, at least those who had not formerly known it), ³namely, five lords of the Philistines, all the Canaanites, the Sidonians, and the Hivites who dwelt in Mount Lebanon, from Mount Baal Hermon to the entrance of Hamath. ⁴And they were left, that He might test Israel by them, to ^[b]know whether they would obey the commandments of the Lord, which He had commanded their fathers by the hand of Moses.

⁵Thus the children of Israel dwelt among the Canaanites, the Hittites, the Amorites, the Perizzites, the Hivites, and the Jebusites. ⁶And they took their daughters to be their wives, and gave their daughters to their sons; and they served their gods.

Othniel

⁷So the children of Israel did evil in the sight of the Lord. They forgot the Lord their God, and served the Baals and ^[c]Asherahs. ⁸Therefore the anger of the Lord was hot against Israel, and He sold them into the hand of Cushan-Rishathaim king of Mesopotamia; and the children of Israel served Cushan-Rishathaim eight years. ⁹When the children of Israel cried out to the Lord, the Lord raised up a deliverer for the children of Israel, who delivered them: Othniel the son of Kenaz, Caleb’s younger brother. ¹⁰The Spirit of the Lord came upon him, and he judged Israel. He went out to war, and the Lord delivered Cushan-Rishathaim king of Mesopotamia into his hand; and his hand prevailed over Cushan-Rishathaim. ¹¹So the land had rest for forty years. Then Othniel the son of Kenaz died.

Ehud

¹²And the children of Israel again did evil in the sight of the Lord. So the Lord strengthened Eglon king of Moab against Israel, because they had done evil in the sight of the Lord. ¹³Then he gathered to himself the people of Ammon and Amalek, went and ^[d]defeated Israel, and took possession of the City of Palms. ¹⁴So the children of Israel served Eglon king of Moab eighteen years.

¹⁵But when the children of Israel cried out to the Lord, the Lord raised up a deliverer for them: Ehud the son of Gera, the Benjamite, a left-handed man. By him the children of Israel sent tribute to Eglon king of Moab. ¹⁶Now Ehud made himself a dagger (it was double-edged and a cubit in length) and fastened it under his clothes on his right thigh. ¹⁷So he brought the tribute to Eglon king of Moab. (Now Eglon was a very fat man.) ¹⁸And when he had finished presenting the tribute, he sent away the people who had carried the tribute. ¹⁹But he himself turned back from the ^[e]stone images that were at Gilgal, and said, “I have a secret message for you, O king.”

He said, “Keep silence!” And all who attended him went out from him.

²⁰So Ehud came to him (now he was sitting upstairs in his cool private chamber). Then Ehud said, “I have a message from God for you.” So he arose from his seat. ²¹Then Ehud reached with his left hand, took the dagger from his right thigh, and thrust it into his belly. ²²Even the ^[f]hilt went in after the blade, and the fat closed over the blade, for he did not draw the dagger out of his belly; and his entrails came out. ²³Then Ehud went out through the porch and shut the doors of the upper room behind him and locked them.

²⁴When he had gone out, ^[g]Eglon’s servants came to look, and to their surprise, the doors of the upper room were locked. So they said, “He is probably attending^[h] to his needs in the cool chamber.” ²⁵So they waited till they were embarrassed, and still he had not opened the doors of the upper room. Therefore they took the key and opened them. And there was their master, fallen dead on the floor.

²⁶But Ehud had escaped while they delayed, and passed beyond the ^[i]stone images and escaped to Seirah. ²⁷And it happened, when he arrived, that he blew the trumpet in the mountains of Ephraim, and the children of Israel went down with him from the mountains; and ^[j]he led them. ²⁸Then he said to them, “Follow me, for the Lord has delivered your enemies the Moabites into your hand.” So they went down after him, seized the fords of the Jordan leading to Moab, and did not allow anyone to cross over. ²⁹And at that time they killed about ten thousand men of Moab, all stout men of valor; not a man escaped. ³⁰So Moab was subdued that day under the hand of Israel. And the land had rest for eighty years.

Shamgar

³¹After him was Shamgar the son of Anath, who killed six hundred men of the Philistines with an ox goad; and he also delivered Israel.

Deborah

4 When Ehud was dead, the children of Israel again did evil in the sight of the Lord. ²So the Lord sold them into the hand of Jabin king of Canaan, who reigned in Hazor. The commander of his army was Sisera, who dwelt in Harosheth Hagoyim. ³And the children of Israel cried out to the Lord; for Jabin had nine hundred chariots of iron, and for twenty years he had harshly oppressed the children of Israel.

⁴Now Deborah, a prophetess, the wife of Lapidoth, was judging Israel at that time. ⁵And she would sit under the palm tree of Deborah between Ramah and Bethel in the mountains of Ephraim. And the children of Israel came up to her for judgment. ⁶Then she sent and called for Barak the son of Abinoam from Kedesh in Naphtali, and said to him, “Has not the Lord God of Israel commanded, ‘Go and ^[k]deploy troops at Mount Tabor; take with you ten thousand men of the sons of Naphtali and of the sons of Zebulun; ⁷and against you I will deploy Sisera, the commander of Jabin’s army, with his chariots and his multitude at the River Kishon; and I will ^[l]deliver him into your hand’?”

⁸And Barak said to her, “If you will go with me, then I will go; but if you will not go with me, I will not go!”

⁹So she said, “I will surely go with you; nevertheless there will be no glory for you in the journey you are taking, for the Lord will sell Sisera into the hand of a woman.” Then Deborah arose and went with Barak to Kedesh. ¹⁰And Barak called Zebulun and Naphtali to Kedesh; he went up with ten thousand men under^[m] his command, and Deborah went up with him.

¹¹Now Heber the Kenite, of the children of Hobab the father-in-law of Moses, had separated himself from the Kenites and pitched his tent near the terebinth tree at Zaanaim, which is beside Kedesh.

¹²And they reported to Sisera that Barak the son of Abinoam had gone up to Mount Tabor. ¹³So Sisera gathered together all his chariots, nine hundred chariots of iron, and all the people who were with him, from Harosheth Hagoyim to the River Kishon.

¹⁴Then Deborah said to Barak, ^[n]“Up! For this is the day in which the Lord has delivered Sisera into your hand. Has not the Lord gone out before you?” So Barak went down from Mount Tabor with ten thousand men following him. ¹⁵And the Lord routed Sisera and all his chariots and all his army with the edge of the sword before Barak; and Sisera alighted from his chariot and fled away on foot. ¹⁶But Barak pursued the chariots and the army as far as Harosheth Hagoyim, and all the army of Sisera fell by the edge of the sword; not a man was left.

¹⁷However, Sisera had fled away on foot to the tent of Jael, the wife of Heber the Kenite; for there was peace between Jabin king of Hazor and the house of Heber the Kenite. ¹⁸And Jael went out to meet Sisera, and said to him, “Turn aside, my lord, turn aside to me; do not fear.” And when he had turned aside with her into the tent, she covered him with a ^[o]blanket.

¹⁹Then he said to her, “Please give me a little water to drink, for I am thirsty.” So she opened a jug of milk, gave him a drink, and covered him. ²⁰And he said to her, “Stand at the door of the tent, and if any man comes and inquires of you, and says, ‘Is there any man here?’ you shall say, ‘No.’ ”

²¹Then Jael, Heber’s wife, took a tent peg and took a hammer in her hand, and went softly to him and drove the peg into his temple, and it went down into the ground; for he was fast asleep and weary. So he died. ²²And then, as Barak pursued Sisera, Jael came out to meet him, and said to him, “Come, I will show you the man whom you seek.” And when he went into her tent, there lay Sisera, dead with the peg in his temple.

²³So on that day God subdued Jabin king of Canaan in the presence of the children of Israel. ²⁴And the hand of the children of Israel grew stronger and stronger against Jabin king of Canaan, until they had destroyed Jabin king of Canaan.

The Song of Deborah

5 Then Deborah and Barak the son of Abinoam sang on that day, saying:

²“When^[p] leaders lead in Israel,
When the people ^[q]willingly offer themselves,
Bless the Lord!

³“Hear, O kings! Give ear, O princes!
I, even I, will sing to the Lord;
I will sing praise to the Lord God of Israel.

⁴“Lord, when You went out from Seir,
When You marched from the field of Edom,
The earth trembled and the heavens poured,
The clouds also poured water;
⁵The mountains ^[r]gushed before the Lord,
This Sinai, before the Lord God of Israel.

⁶“In the days of Shamgar, son of Anath,
In the days of Jael,
The highways were deserted,
And the travelers walked along the byways.
⁷Village life ceased, it ceased in Israel,
Until I, Deborah, arose,
Arose a mother in Israel.
⁸They chose new gods;
Then there was war in the gates;
Not a shield or spear was seen among forty thousand in Israel.
⁹My heart is with the rulers of Israel
Who offered themselves willingly with the people.
Bless the Lord!

¹⁰“Speak, you who ride on white donkeys,
Who sit in judges’ attire,
And who walk along the road.
¹¹Far from the noise of the archers, among the watering places,
There they shall recount the righteous acts of the Lord,
The righteous acts for His villagers in Israel;
Then the people of the Lord shall go down to the gates.

¹²“Awake, awake, Deborah!
Awake, awake, sing a song!
Arise, Barak, and lead your captives away,
O son of Abinoam!

¹³“Then the survivors came down, the people against the nobles;
The Lord came down for me against the mighty.
¹⁴From Ephraim were those whose roots were in Amalek.
After you, Benjamin, with your peoples,
From Machir rulers came down,
And from Zebulun those who bear the recruiter’s staff.
¹⁵And ^[s]the princes of Issachar were with Deborah;
As Issachar, so was Barak
Sent into the valley ^[t]under his command;
Among the divisions of Reuben
There were great resolves of heart.
¹⁶Why did you sit among the sheepfolds,
To hear the pipings for the flocks?
The divisions of Reuben have great searchings of heart.
¹⁷Gilead stayed beyond the Jordan,
And why did Dan remain ^[u]on ships?
Asher continued at the seashore,
And stayed by his inlets.
¹⁸Zebulun is a people who jeopardized their lives to the point of death,
Naphtali also, on the heights of the battlefield.

¹⁹“The kings came and fought,
Then the kings of Canaan fought
In Taanach, by the waters of Megiddo;
They took no spoils of silver.
²⁰They fought from the heavens;
The stars from their courses fought against Sisera.
²¹The torrent of Kishon swept them away,
That ancient torrent, the torrent of Kishon.
O my soul, march on in strength!
²²Then the horses’ hooves pounded,
The galloping, galloping of his steeds.
²³‘Curse Meroz,’ said the ^[v]angel of the Lord,
‘Curse its inhabitants bitterly,
Because they did not come to the help of the Lord,
To the help of the Lord against the mighty.’

²⁴“Most blessed among women is Jael,
The wife of Heber the Kenite;
Blessed is she among women in tents.
²⁵He asked for water, she gave milk;
She brought out cream in a lordly bowl.
²⁶She stretched her hand to the tent peg,
Her right hand to the workmen’s hammer;
She pounded Sisera, she pierced his head,
She split and struck through his temple.
²⁷At her feet he sank, he fell, he lay still;
At her feet he sank, he fell;
Where he sank, there he fell dead.

²⁸“The mother of Sisera looked through the window,
And cried out through the lattice,
‘Why is his chariot so long in coming?
Why tarries the clatter of his chariots?’
²⁹Her wisest ^[w]ladies answered her,
Yes, she ^[x]answered herself,
³⁰‘Are they not finding and dividing the spoil:
To every man a girl or two;
For Sisera, plunder of dyed garments,
Plunder of garments embroidered and dyed,
Two pieces of dyed embroidery for the neck of the looter?’

³¹“Thus let all Your enemies perish, O Lord!
But let those who love Him be like the sun
When it comes out in full strength.”

So the land had rest for forty years.

Footnotes

Judges 3:1 experienced
Judges 3:4 find out
Judges 3:7 Name or symbol for Canaanite goddesses
Judges 3:13 struck
Judges 3:19 Tg. quarries
Judges 3:22 handle
Judges 3:24 Lit. his
Judges 3:24 Lit. covering his feet
Judges 3:26 Tg. quarries
Judges 3:27 Lit. he went before them
Judges 4:6 march
Judges 4:7 Lit. draw
Judges 4:10 Lit. at his feet
Judges 4:14 Arise!
Judges 4:18 rug
Judges 5:2 Or When locks are loosed
Judges 5:2 volunteer
Judges 5:5 flowed
Judges 5:15 So with LXX, Syr., Tg., Vg.; MT And my princes in Issachar
Judges 5:15 Lit. at his feet
Judges 5:17 Or at ease
Judges 5:23 Or Angel
Judges 5:29 princesses
Judges 5:29 Lit. repeats her words to herself

30 Mar 202130 Mar 2021

Strongholds and patterns of sin

“In those days there was no king in Israel; everyone did what was right in his own eyes.” Judges 21:25 NKJV

This book concludes with a statement that summarizes the book nicely so I thought I would present it at the beginning. It reminds me of the world we live in right now. Israel has no king – actually it is having all sorts of issues with setting up and working its government. How many elections have they had in the last few years?! And those of us with a government are still running amuck, each government and each person, individually, doing what is right in their own eyes.

Dear Heavenly Father – As always, please open eye to see and our ears to hear what you are saying! Lord – open our understanding that we may know you. Please do not let us miss out on what you want and need from us today. And please keep us and bless us and shine your face upon us and pour out grace over us and give us peace! Thank you! – In Jesus name we pray, Amen

Today’s reading, we begin the book of Judges with chapters 1-2 (embedded below for your convenience).

Overview: Judges has 21 chapters, 11 or 12 judges (because some people do not count Ehud), 618 verse, unknown author, and happened approximately 1380 to 1050 BC. The book begins with references to Joshua so we know it is a sequel and a reminder that Joshua did NOT completely drive out the Canaanites – so the stage is set for more conflict in the land. And in chapter two (as we read today) the structure of the book is laid out for us. And the word Judge means a leader who can judge, rule, punish, and most importantly – rescue Israel from their enemies. Sadly, no one could rescue them from themselves. The pattern laid out in chapter 2 is repeated 12 times (in whole or in part) throughout the book in the story of the rise of each judge.

In chapter 2 we see the pattern of the Israelites sins and why God raised up Judges – the people worship false gods, they get sold to another people, they cry out to God for help, God raises up a judge, the judge brings salvation, the land has rest, and then repeat.

What we have is a sin struggle – a propensity to repeat the same sin – a sin, asked forgiveness of, so many times it is embarrassing! What we see is a Nation, a symbol of a child of God – while we are in fact a child of God by adoption and therefore we can see the consequences of a sin stronghold in our lives while reading about their struggle with idolatry and close association with influences that encourage us to compromise.

“³For though we walk in the flesh, we do not war according to the flesh. ⁴For the weapons of our warfare are not carnal but mighty in God for pulling down strongholds, ⁵casting down arguments and every high thing that exalts itself against the knowledge of God, bringing every thought into captivity to the obedience of Christ,” 2 Corinthians 10:3-5 NKJV

They battled physically – we do not. But in their battles we can see some principles of spiritual warfare – so keep an eye out for them while reading the book. Sadly, this book only gets worse and worse and there is NO complete deliverer. There is only fallible human, flawed and sinful as well, unable to truly redeem the people yes, as the chapters progress the flaws of the Judges become more and more prevalent. So if we are looking for our deliverance from sin patterns we will not find it in this book but in Jesus Christ Himself. Which is kind of the point to this structure – we see man cannot save us. In this book we will find mirrored images of ourselves trying hard and failing, yet God rescuing us repeatedly.

I know this sounds grim. It isn’t a feel good book – towards the end are some of the most difficult passages I have ever read and references to other passages that we thought were rough when we read them like the description of the days of Noah and Sodom & Gomorrah. This shows us that a pattern of sin not properly corrected will lead to the corruption and depravity of the days of Noah and Sodom & Gomorrah – it will lead to that last verse which I opened with today – it will lead to the state of the world we live in. But on an individual level we can fight it in ourselves and in our family and in our churches and in our communities. There is still hope and even if God said it will only get worse – we must fight for ourselves and others so that we will not miss the mark and possibly bring more into the kingdom with us as we go!

MEMORY WORK: 2 Peter 1:3
NKJV – “as His divine power has given to us all things that pertain to life and godliness, through the knowledge of Him who called us by glory and virtue,”
NAS – “for His divine power has granted to us everything pertaining to life and godliness, through the true knowledge of Him who called us by His own glory and excellence.”
ESV – “His divine power has granted to us all things that pertain to life and godliness, through the knowledge of him who called us to his own glory and excellence,”
NLT – “By his divine power, God has given us everything we need for living a godly life. We have received all of this by coming to know him, the one who called us to himself by means of his marvelous glory and excellence.”
NIV – “His divine power has given us everything we need for a godly life through our knowledge of him who called us by his own glory and goodness.”

Thank you for reading.
May the God of peace keep you and bless you. May you stay focused on Christ and covered in grace.
Maranatha ~ Come Lord Jesus!

BIBLE READING: Judges 1-2 NKJV

The Continuing Conquest of Canaan

1 Now after the death of Joshua it came to pass that the children of Israel asked the Lord, saying, “Who shall be first to go up for us against the Canaanites to fight against them?”

²And the Lord said, “Judah shall go up. Indeed I have delivered the land into his hand.”

³So Judah said to Simeon his brother, “Come up with me to my allotted territory, that we may fight against the Canaanites; and I will likewise go with you to your allotted territory.” And Simeon went with him. ⁴Then Judah went up, and the Lord delivered the Canaanites and the Perizzites into their hand; and they killed ten thousand men at Bezek. ⁵And they found Adoni-Bezek in Bezek, and fought against him; and they defeated the Canaanites and the Perizzites. ⁶Then Adoni-Bezek fled, and they pursued him and caught him and cut off his thumbs and big toes. ⁷And Adoni-Bezek said, “Seventy kings with their thumbs and big toes cut off used to gather scraps under my table; as I have done, so God has repaid me.” Then they brought him to Jerusalem, and there he died.

⁸Now the children of Judah fought against Jerusalem and took it; they struck it with the edge of the sword and set the city on fire. ⁹And afterward the children of Judah went down to fight against the Canaanites who dwelt in the mountains, in the ^[a]South, and in the lowland. ¹⁰Then Judah ^[b]went against the Canaanites who dwelt in Hebron. (Now the name of Hebron was formerly Kirjath Arba.) And they killed Sheshai, Ahiman, and Talmai.

¹¹From there they went against the inhabitants of Debir. (The name of Debir was formerly Kirjath Sepher.)

¹²Then Caleb said, “Whoever attacks Kirjath Sepher and takes it, to him I will give my daughter Achsah as wife.” ¹³And Othniel the son of Kenaz, Caleb’s younger brother, took it; so he gave him his daughter Achsah as wife. ¹⁴Now it happened, when she came to him, that ^[c]she urged him to ask her father for a field. And she dismounted from her donkey, and Caleb said to her, “What do you wish?” ¹⁵So she said to him, “Give me a blessing; since you have given me land in the South, give me also springs of water.”

And Caleb gave her the upper springs and the lower springs.

¹⁶Now the children of the Kenite, Moses’ father-in-law, went up from the City of Palms with the children of Judah into the Wilderness of Judah, which lies in the South near Arad; and they went and dwelt among the people. ¹⁷And Judah went with his brother Simeon, and they attacked the Canaanites who inhabited Zephath, and utterly destroyed it. So the name of the city was called Hormah. ¹⁸Also Judah took Gaza with its territory, Ashkelon with its territory, and Ekron with its territory. ¹⁹So the Lord was with Judah. And they drove out the mountaineers, but they could not drive out the inhabitants of the lowland, because they had chariots of iron. ²⁰And they gave Hebron to Caleb, as Moses had said. Then he ^[d]expelled from there the three sons of Anak. ²¹But the children of Benjamin did not drive out the Jebusites who inhabited Jerusalem; so the Jebusites dwell with the children of Benjamin in Jerusalem to this day.

²²And the ^[e]house of Joseph also went up against Bethel, and the Lord was with them. ²³So the ^[f]house of Joseph sent men to spy out Bethel. (The name of the city was formerly Luz.) ²⁴And when the spies saw a man coming out of the city, they said to him, “Please show us the entrance to the city, and we will show you mercy.” ²⁵So he showed them the entrance to the city, and they struck the city with the edge of the sword; but they let the man and all his family go. ²⁶And the man went to the land of the Hittites, built a city, and called its name Luz, which is its name to this day.

Incomplete Conquest of the Land

²⁷However, Manasseh did not drive out the inhabitants of Beth Shean and its villages, or Taanach and its villages, or the inhabitants of Dor and its villages, or the inhabitants of Ibleam and its villages, or the inhabitants of Megiddo and its villages; for the Canaanites were determined to dwell in that land. ²⁸And it came to pass, when Israel was strong, that they put the Canaanites ^[g]under tribute, but did not completely drive them out.

²⁹Nor did Ephraim drive out the Canaanites who dwelt in Gezer; so the Canaanites dwelt in Gezer among them.

³⁰Nor did Zebulun drive out the inhabitants of Kitron or the inhabitants of Nahalol; so the Canaanites dwelt among them, and ^[h]were put under tribute.

³¹Nor did Asher drive out the inhabitants of Acco or the inhabitants of Sidon, or of Ahlab, Achzib, Helbah, Aphik, or Rehob. ³²So the Asherites dwelt among the Canaanites, the inhabitants of the land; for they did not drive them out.

³³Nor did Naphtali drive out the inhabitants of Beth Shemesh or the inhabitants of Beth Anath; but they dwelt among the Canaanites, the inhabitants of the land. Nevertheless the inhabitants of Beth Shemesh and Beth Anath were put under tribute to them.

³⁴And the Amorites forced the children of Dan into the mountains, for they would not allow them to come down to the valley; ³⁵and the Amorites were determined to dwell in Mount Heres, in Aijalon, and in ^[i]Shaalbim; yet when the strength of the house of Joseph became greater, they ^[j]were put under tribute.

³⁶Now the boundary of the Amorites was from the Ascent of Akrabbim, from Sela, and upward.

Israel’s Disobedience

2 Then the Angel of the Lord came up from Gilgal to Bochim, and said: “I led you up from Egypt and brought you to the land of which I swore to your fathers; and I said, ‘I will never break My covenant with you. ²And you shall make no ^[k]covenant with the inhabitants of this land; you shall tear down their altars.’ But you have not obeyed My voice. Why have you done this? ³Therefore I also said, ‘I will not drive them out before you; but they shall be thorns^[l] in your side, and their gods shall ^[m]be a snare to you.’ ” ⁴So it was, when the Angel of the Lord spoke these words to all the children of Israel, that the people lifted up their voices and wept.

⁵Then they called the name of that place ^[n]Bochim; and they sacrificed there to the Lord. ⁶And when Joshua had dismissed the people, the children of Israel went each to his own inheritance to possess the land.

Death of Joshua

⁷So the people served the Lord all the days of Joshua, and all the days of the elders who outlived Joshua, who had seen all the great works of the Lord which He had done for Israel. ⁸Now Joshua the son of Nun, the servant of the Lord, died when he was one hundred and ten years old. ⁹And they buried him within the border of his inheritance at Timnath Heres, in the mountains of Ephraim, on the north side of Mount Gaash. ¹⁰When all that generation had ^[o]been gathered to their fathers, another generation arose after them who did not know the Lord nor the work which He had done for Israel.

Israel’s Unfaithfulness

¹¹Then the children of Israel did evil in the sight of the Lord, and served the Baals; ¹²and they forsook the Lord God of their fathers, who had brought them out of the land of Egypt; and they followed other gods from among the gods of the people who were all around them, and they bowed down to them; and they provoked the Lord to anger. ¹³They forsook the Lord and served ^[p]Baal and the ^[q]Ashtoreths. ¹⁴And the anger of the Lord was hot against Israel. So He delivered them into the hands of plunderers who despoiled them; and He sold them into the hands of their enemies all around, so that they could no longer stand before their enemies. ¹⁵Wherever they went out, the hand of the Lord was against them for calamity, as the Lord had said, and as the Lord had sworn to them. And they were greatly distressed.

¹⁶Nevertheless, the Lord raised up judges who delivered them out of the hand of those who plundered them. ¹⁷Yet they would not listen to their judges, but they played the harlot with other gods, and bowed down to them. They turned quickly from the way in which their fathers walked, in obeying the commandments of the Lord; they did not do so. ¹⁸And when the Lord raised up judges for them, the Lord was with the judge and delivered them out of the hand of their enemies all the days of the judge; for the Lord was moved to pity by their groaning because of those who oppressed them and harassed them. ¹⁹And it came to pass, when the judge was dead, that they reverted and behaved more corruptly than their fathers, by following other gods, to serve them and bow down to them. They did not cease from their own doings nor from their stubborn way.

²⁰Then the anger of the Lord was hot against Israel; and He said, “Because this nation has transgressed My covenant which I commanded their fathers, and has not heeded My voice, ²¹I also will no longer drive out before them any of the nations which Joshua left when he died, ²²so that through them I may test Israel, whether they will keep the ways of the Lord, to walk in them as their fathers kept them, or not.” ²³Therefore the Lord left those nations, without driving them out immediately; nor did He deliver them into the hand of Joshua.

Footnotes

Judges 1:9 Heb. Negev, and so throughout the book
Judges 1:10 attacked
Judges 1:14 LXX, Vg. he urged her
Judges 1:20 drove out from there
Judges 1:22 family
Judges 1:23 family
Judges 1:28 to forced labor
Judges 1:30 became forced laborers
Judges 1:35 Shaalabbin, Josh. 19:42
Judges 1:35 became forced laborers
Judges 2:2 treaty
Judges 2:3 LXX, Tg., Vg. enemies to you
Judges 2:3 entrap you
Judges 2:5 Lit. Weeping
Judges 2:10 Died and joined their ancestors
Judges 2:13 A Canaanite god
Judges 2:13 Canaanite goddesses

29 Mar 202129 Mar 2021

Concluding by stumbling all over our own failings

“¹⁹But Joshua said to the people, “You cannot serve the Lord, for He is a holy God. He is a jealous God; He will not forgive your transgressions nor your sins. ²⁰If you forsake the Lord and serve foreign gods, then He will turn and do you harm and consume you, after He has done you good.”
²¹And the people said to Joshua, “No, but we will serve the Lord!”
²²So Joshua said to the people, “You are witnesses against yourselves that you have chosen the Lord for yourselves, to serve Him.”
And they said, “We are witnesses!” Joshua 24:19-22 NKJV

Wow did Joshua know these people and their constant failings! It is almost like he has read the rest of the Bible. But if we are going to be honest, we are kinda… sorta… maybe…. or even exactly, like this as well!

Today’s reading is Joshua 23 & 24 (embedded below for your convenience) which concludes the Book.
Joshua chapters 1-5 are the introductions to Joshua and establishing him as Moses-like, as we discussed. The next section includes chapters 6-12 – battle after battle after battle. In chapter 6 we see the contrast of God’s way vs. man’s way. The Battle at Jericho where the Lord did a work and the people were obedient to the work vs. the Battle against AI which was just embarrassing. Chapter 12 summarizes who was defeats (and if by Moses or by Joshua). Chapters 13-22 describe how Joshua divides up the land and the details of God’s promise poured out. And the final section includes chapters 23 and 24 which are two final speeches of Joshua.

In both Joshua, worships the God of promise and recalls the covenant asking the tribes to renew their vows to God – which they eagerly do. And here we can almost imagine Joshua shaking his head.

Listen folks, I know something more about human character than you – you can’t do it.
It is like Joshua had a talk with Paul in the New Testament:
“I don’t really understand myself, for I want to do what is right, but I don’t do it. Instead, I do what I hate.” Romans 7:15 NLT

Part of me thinks – well, at least they were eager to please God – they wanted to do right – but then I stumble over a parable that Jesus himself taught:
“²⁸“But what do you think? A man had two sons, and he came to the first and said, ‘Son, go, work today in my vineyard.’ ²⁹He answered and said, ‘I will not,’ but afterward he regretted it and went. ³⁰Then he came to the second and said likewise. And he answered and said, ‘I go, sir,’ but he did not go. ³¹Which of the two did the will of his father?”
They said to Him, “The first.”
Jesus said to them, “Assuredly, I say to you that tax collectors and harlots enter the kingdom of God before you. ³²For John came to you in the way of righteousness, and you did not believe him; but tax collectors and harlots believed him; and when you saw it, you did not afterward relent and believe him.” Matthew 21:28-32 NKJV

I know I have and can get swept up while worshiping God and say things like “I surrender all”! Then when God demands all – what a struggle it was to follow through with. I recall it was last spring sometime, my accountability partner and I were talking about “dangerous prayers” like “surrendering all” or “God, break me” (which I personally have issues with the semantics of, but that is another discussion for another day). She and I were so eager to be brave and pray ALL the dangerous prayers we could think of – we were all in!!!

Honestly that hasn’t changed, I am still all in! But those who have been reading this for a while, remember the rollercoaster ride it was and when God required me to be humble – woe, that hurt. And when He required all. And when I had decided that it was true that He provided for me; not me (I did not provide for me), not my employer and not the government! (You can go back and read it.) And then He took my job, the unemployment payments didn’t go through for a long time and I was living completely on faith. AND during this time I was only invited out/over to someone’s house to eat two times (one of which I was fasting and couldn’t eat). And a few times food was brought to my house (one was my birthday and the other was the monthly night my son brings dinner). But the point is that God would not let me even rely on man that there was some miraculous out reach to me for my provisions by mans hand. Oh and the food bank is only open once a week – and we had snow storms, emergencies, and other things happen on those days so I was unable to even access food through that!

Like the two sons – in the end you either learn to overcome “self”, surrendering to God and keep His covenant, or you don’t. Paul’s answer was that we can only over come through GRACE! We cannot even serve God without God’s help. And (as if I wasn’t before) I am living by grace through this very process – although this might test some men’s faith, I find myself enveloped in grace.

Back in today’s reading – just like Jacob and all of the leader through Moses, Joshua has a death bed speech with a reminder of the blessings and a warning to remember the curses. This is a covenant which means there are consequences to not holding up our end of the deal.

¹⁴“Behold, this day Iam going the way of all the earth. And you know in all your hearts and in all your souls that not one thing has failed of all the good things which the Lord your God spoke concerning you. All have come to pass for you; not one word of them has failed. ¹⁵Therefore it shall come to pass, that as all the good things have come upon you which the Lord your God promised you, so the Lord will bring upon you all harmful things, until He has destroyed you from this good land which the Lord your God has given you. ¹⁶When you have transgressed the covenant of the Lord your God, which He commanded you, and have gone and served other gods, and bowed down to them, then the anger of the Lord will burn against you, and you shall perish quickly from the good land which He has given you.” Joshua 23:14-16 NKJV

With it being Passover and Holy week, it is a great time to recommit ourselves to the Lord and our relationship with Him. It is a great time to forgive and ask for forgiveness and start fresh. We should understand the struggles of our nature, which is bent towards sin, and know without grace we would not be forgiven – but we would also not be transformed from sinner and given power to overcome fleshly desires and be transformed into a new creature in the Lord.

Thank you for reading.
May the God of peace keep you and bless you. May you stay focused on Christ and covered in grace.
Maranatha ~ Come Lord Jesus!

BIBLE READING: Joshua 23-24 NKJV

Joshua’s Farewell Address

23 Now it came to pass, a long time after the Lord had given rest to Israel from all their enemies round about, that Joshua was old, advanced in age. ²And Joshua called for all Israel, for their elders, for their heads, for their judges, and for their officers, and said to them:

“I am old, advanced in age. ³You have seen all that the Lord your God has done to all these nations because of you, for the Lord your God is He who has fought for you. ⁴See, I have divided to you by lot these nations that remain, to be an inheritance for your tribes, from the Jordan, with all the nations that I have cut off, as far as the Great Sea westward. ⁵And the Lord your God will expel them from before you and drive them out of your sight. So you shall possess their land, as the Lord your God promised you. ⁶Therefore be very courageous to keep and to do all that is written in the Book of the Law of Moses, lest you turn aside from it to the right hand or to the left, ⁷and lest you go^[a] among these nations, these who remain among you. You shall not make mention of the name of their gods, nor cause anyone to swear by them; you shall not serve them nor bow down to them, ⁸but you shall hold fast to the Lord your God, as you have done to this day. ⁹For the Lord has ^[b]driven out from before you great and strong nations; but as for you, no one has been able to stand against you to this day. ¹⁰One man of you shall chase a thousand, for the Lord your God is He who fights for you, as He promised you. ¹¹Therefore take careful heed to yourselves, that you love the Lord your God. ¹²Or else, if indeed you do go back, and cling to the remnant of these nations—these that remain among you—and make marriages with them, and go in to them and they to you, ¹³know for certain that the Lord your God will no longer drive out these nations from before you. But they shall be snares and traps to you, and scourges on your sides and thorns in your eyes, until you perish from this good land which the Lord your God has given you.

¹⁴“Behold, this day I^[c] am going the way of all the earth. And you know in all your hearts and in all your souls that not one thing has failed of all the good things which the Lord your God spoke concerning you. All have come to pass for you; not one word of them has failed. ¹⁵Therefore it shall come to pass, that as all the good things have come upon you which the Lord your God promised you, so the Lord will bring upon you all harmful things, until He has destroyed you from this good land which the Lord your God has given you. ¹⁶^[d]When you have transgressed the covenant of the Lord your God, which He commanded you, and have gone and served other gods, and bowed down to them, then the anger of the Lord will burn against you, and you shall perish quickly from the good land which He has given you.”

The Covenant at Shechem

24 Then Joshua gathered all the tribes of Israel to Shechem and called for the elders of Israel, for their heads, for their judges, and for their officers; and they presented themselves before God. ²And Joshua said to all the people, “Thus says the Lord God of Israel: ‘Your fathers, including Terah, the father of Abraham and the father of Nahor, dwelt on the other side of ^[e]the River in old times; and they served other gods. ³Then I took your father Abraham from the other side of ^[f]the River, led him throughout all the land of Canaan, and multiplied his ^[g]descendants and gave him Isaac. ⁴To Isaac I gave Jacob and Esau. To Esau I gave the mountains of Seir to possess, but Jacob and his children went down to Egypt. ⁵Also I sent Moses and Aaron, and I plagued Egypt, according to what I did among them. Afterward I brought you out.

⁶‘Then I brought your fathers out of Egypt, and you came to the sea; and the Egyptians pursued your fathers with chariots and horsemen to the Red Sea. ⁷So they cried out to the Lord; and He put darkness between you and the Egyptians, brought the sea upon them, and covered them. And your eyes saw what I did in Egypt. Then you dwelt in the wilderness a long time. ⁸And I brought you into the land of the Amorites, who dwelt on the other side of the Jordan, and they fought with you. But I gave them into your hand, that you might possess their land, and I destroyed them from before you. ⁹Then Balak the son of Zippor, king of Moab, arose to make war against Israel, and sent and called Balaam the son of Beor to curse you. ¹⁰But I would not listen to Balaam; therefore he continued to bless you. So I delivered you out of his hand. ¹¹Then you went over the Jordan and came to Jericho. And the men of Jericho fought against you—also the Amorites, the Perizzites, the Canaanites, the Hittites, the Girgashites, the Hivites, and the Jebusites. But I delivered them into your hand. ¹²I sent the hornet before you which drove them out from before you, also the two kings of the Amorites, but not with your sword or with your bow. ¹³I have given you a land for which you did not labor, and cities which you did not build, and you dwell in them; you eat of the vineyards and olive groves which you did not plant.’

¹⁴“Now therefore, fear the Lord, serve Him in sincerity and in truth, and put away the gods which your fathers served on the other side of ^[h]the River and in Egypt. Serve the Lord! ¹⁵And if it seems evil to you to serve the Lord, choose for yourselves this day whom you will serve, whether the gods which your fathers served that were on the other side of ^[i]the River, or the gods of the Amorites, in whose land you dwell. But as for me and my house, we will serve the Lord.”

¹⁶So the people answered and said: “Far be it from us that we should forsake the Lord to serve other gods; ¹⁷for the Lord our God is He who brought us and our fathers up out of the land of Egypt, from the house of bondage, who did those great signs in our sight, and preserved us in all the way that we went and among all the people through whom we passed. ¹⁸And the Lord drove out from before us all the people, including the Amorites who dwelt in the land. We also will serve the Lord, for He is our God.”

¹⁹But Joshua said to the people, “You cannot serve the Lord, for He is a holy God. He is a jealous God; He will not forgive your transgressions nor your sins. ²⁰If you forsake the Lord and serve foreign gods, then He will turn and do you harm and consume you, after He has done you good.”

²¹And the people said to Joshua, “No, but we will serve the Lord!”

²²So Joshua said to the people, “You are witnesses against yourselves that you have chosen the Lord for yourselves, to serve Him.”

And they said, “We are witnesses!”

²³“Now therefore,” he said, “put away the foreign gods which are among you, and incline your heart to the Lord God of Israel.”

²⁴And the people said to Joshua, “The Lord our God we will serve, and His voice we will obey!”

²⁵So Joshua made^[j] a covenant with the people that day, and made for them a statute and an ordinance in Shechem.

²⁶Then Joshua wrote these words in the Book of the Law of God. And he took a large stone, and set it up there under the oak that was by the sanctuary of the Lord. ²⁷And Joshua said to all the people, “Behold, this stone shall be a witness to us, for it has heard all the words of the Lord which He spoke to us. It shall therefore be a witness to you, lest you deny your God.” ²⁸So Joshua let the people depart, each to his own inheritance.

Death of Joshua and Eleazar

²⁹Now it came to pass after these things that Joshua the son of Nun, the servant of the Lord, died, being one hundred and ten years old. ³⁰And they buried him within the border of his inheritance at Timnath Serah, which is in the mountains of Ephraim, on the north side of Mount Gaash.

³¹Israel served the Lord all the days of Joshua, and all the days of the elders who outlived Joshua, who had known all the works of the Lord which He had done for Israel.

³²The bones of Joseph, which the children of Israel had brought up out of Egypt, they buried at Shechem, in the plot of ground which Jacob had bought from the sons of Hamor the father of Shechem for one hundred ^[k]pieces of silver, and which had become an inheritance of the children of Joseph.

³³And Eleazar the son of Aaron died. They buried him in a hill belonging to Phinehas his son, which was given to him in the mountains of Ephraim.

Footnotes

Joshua 23:7 associate with
Joshua 23:9 dispossessed
Joshua 23:14 I am going to die.
Joshua 23:16 Or if ever
Joshua 24:2 The Euphrates
Joshua 24:3 The Euphrates
Joshua 24:3 Lit. seed
Joshua 24:14 The Euphrates
Joshua 24:15 The Euphrates
Joshua 24:25 Lit. cut a covenant
Joshua 24:32 Heb. qesitah, an unknown ancient measure of weight

28 Mar 202126 Mar 2021

Weekend Reading (March 28)

Dear Heavenly Father, Please open my understanding as I read the Bible so that I may be able to know you better. Please help your word be planted in my mind, so I may recall it as needed. Bless me with wisdom and knowledge, please. In the name of Jesus we pray ~ amen

MEMORY WORK: 2 Peter 1:3
NKJV – “as His divine power has given to us all things that pertain to life and godliness, through the knowledge of Him who called us by glory and virtue,”
NAS – “for His divine power has granted to us everything pertaining to life and godliness, through the true knowledge of Him who called us by His own glory and excellence.”
ESV – “His divine power has granted to us all things that pertain to life and godliness, through the knowledge of him who called us to his own glory and excellence,”
NLT – “By his divine power, God has given us everything we need for living a godly life. We have received all of this by coming to know him, the one who called us to himself by means of his marvelous glory and excellence.”
NIV – “His divine power has given us everything we need for a godly life through our knowledge of him who called us by his own glory and goodness.”

Thank you for reading.
May the God of peace keep you and bless you. May you stay focused on Christ and covered in grace.
Maranatha ~ Come Lord Jesus!

BIBLE READING: Joshua 19-22 NKJV

Simeon’s Inheritance with Judah

19 The second lot came out for Simeon, for the tribe of the children of Simeon according to their families. And their inheritance was within the inheritance of the children of Judah. ²They had in their inheritance Beersheba (Sheba), Moladah, ³Hazar Shual, Balah, Ezem, ⁴Eltolad, Bethul, Hormah, ⁵Ziklag, Beth Marcaboth, Hazar Susah, ⁶Beth Lebaoth, and Sharuhen: thirteen cities and their villages; ⁷Ain, Rimmon, Ether, and Ashan: four cities and their villages; ⁸and all the villages that were all around these cities as far as Baalath Beer, Ramah of the South. This was the inheritance of the tribe of the children of Simeon according to their families.

⁹The inheritance of the children of Simeon was included in the share of the children of Judah, for the share of the children of Judah was ^[^a^]too much for them. Therefore the children of Simeon had their inheritance within the inheritance of ^[^b^]that people.

The Land of Zebulun

¹⁰The third lot came out for the children of Zebulun according to their families, and the border of their inheritance was as far as Sarid. ¹¹Their border went toward the west and to Maralah, went to Dabbasheth, and extended along the brook that is east of Jokneam. ¹²Then from Sarid it went eastward toward the sunrise along the border of Chisloth Tabor, and went out toward Daberath, bypassing Japhia. ¹³And from there it passed along on the east of Gath Hepher, toward Eth Kazin, and extended to Rimmon, which borders on Neah. ¹⁴Then the border went around it on the north side of Hannathon, and ^[^c^]it ended in the Valley of Jiphthah El. ¹⁵Included were Kattath, Nahallal, Shimron, Idalah, and Bethlehem: twelve cities with their villages. ¹⁶This was the inheritance of the children of Zebulun according to their families, these cities with their villages.

The Land of Issachar

¹⁷The fourth lot came out to Issachar, for the children of Issachar according to their families. ¹⁸And their territory went to Jezreel, and included Chesulloth, Shunem, ¹⁹Haphraim, Shion, Anaharath, ²⁰Rabbith, Kishion, Abez, ²¹Remeth, En Gannim, En Haddah, and Beth Pazzez. ²²And the border reached to Tabor, Shahazimah, and Beth Shemesh; their border ended at the Jordan: sixteen cities with their villages. ²³This was the inheritance of the tribe of the children of Issachar according to their families, the cities and their villages.

The Land of Asher

²⁴The fifth lot came out for the tribe of the children of Asher according to their families. ²⁵And their territory included Helkath, Hali, Beten, Achshaph, ²⁶Alammelech, Amad, and Mishal; it reached to Mount Carmel westward, along the Brook Shihor Libnath. ²⁷It turned toward the sunrise to Beth Dagon; and it reached to Zebulun and to the Valley of Jiphthah El, then northward beyond Beth Emek and Neiel, bypassing Cabul which was on the left, ²⁸including ^[^d^]Ebron, Rehob, Hammon, and Kanah, as far as Greater Sidon. ²⁹And the border turned to Ramah and to the fortified city of Tyre; then the border turned to Hosah, and ended at the sea by the region of Achzib. ³⁰Also Ummah, Aphek, and Rehob were included: twenty-two cities with their villages. ³¹This was the inheritance of the tribe of the children of Asher according to their families, these cities with their villages.

The Land of Naphtali

³²The sixth lot came out to the children of Naphtali, for the children of Naphtali according to their families. ³³And their border began at Heleph, enclosing the territory from the terebinth tree in Zaanannim, Adami Nekeb, and Jabneel, as far as Lakkum; ^[^e^]it ended at the Jordan. ³⁴From Heleph the border extended westward to Aznoth Tabor, and went out from there toward Hukkok; it adjoined Zebulun on the south side and Asher on the west side, and ended at Judah by the Jordan toward the sunrise. ³⁵And the fortified cities are Ziddim, Zer, Hammath, Rakkath, Chinnereth, ³⁶Adamah, Ramah, Hazor, ³⁷Kedesh, Edrei, En Hazor, ³⁸Iron, Migdal El, Horem, Beth Anath, and Beth Shemesh: nineteen cities with their villages. ³⁹This was the inheritance of the tribe of the children of Naphtali according to their families, the cities and their villages.

The Land of Dan

⁴⁰The seventh lot came out for the tribe of the children of Dan according to their families. ⁴¹And the territory of their inheritance was Zorah, Eshtaol, Ir Shemesh, ⁴²Shaalabbin, Aijalon, Jethlah, ⁴³Elon, Timnah, Ekron, ⁴⁴Eltekeh, Gibbethon, Baalath, ⁴⁵Jehud, Bene Berak, Gath Rimmon, ⁴⁶Me Jarkon, and Rakkon, with the region ^[^f^]near ^[^g^]Joppa. ⁴⁷And the border of the children of Dan went beyond these, because the children of Dan went up to fight against Leshem and took it; and they struck it with the edge of the sword, took possession of it, and dwelt in it. They called Leshem, Dan, after the name of Dan their father. ⁴⁸This is the inheritance of the tribe of the children of Dan according to their families, these cities with their villages.

Joshua’s Inheritance

⁴⁹When they had ^[^h^]made an end of dividing the land as an inheritance according to their borders, the children of Israel gave an inheritance among them to Joshua the son of Nun. ⁵⁰According to the word of the Lord they gave him the city which he asked for, Timnath Serah in the mountains of Ephraim; and he built the city and dwelt in it.

⁵¹These were the inheritances which Eleazar the priest, Joshua the son of Nun, and the heads of the fathers of the tribes of the children of Israel divided as an inheritance by lot in Shiloh before the Lord, at the door of the tabernacle of meeting. So they made an end of dividing the country.

The Cities of Refuge

20 The Lord also spoke to Joshua, saying, ²“Speak to the children of Israel, saying: ‘Appoint^[ⁱ^] for yourselves cities of refuge, of which I spoke to you through Moses, ³that the slayer who kills a person accidentally or unintentionally may flee there; and they shall be your refuge from the avenger of blood. ⁴And when he flees to one of those cities, and stands at the entrance of the gate of the city, and ^[^j^]declares his case in the hearing of the elders of that city, they shall take him into the city as one of them, and give him a place, that he may dwell among them. ⁵Then if the avenger of blood pursues him, they shall not deliver the slayer into his hand, because he struck his neighbor unintentionally, but did not hate him beforehand. ⁶And he shall dwell in that city until he stands before the congregation for judgment, and until the death of the one who is high priest in those days. Then the slayer may return and come to his own city and his own house, to the city from which he fled.’ ”

⁷So they appointed Kedesh in Galilee, in the mountains of Naphtali, Shechem in the mountains of Ephraim, and Kirjath Arba (which is Hebron) in the mountains of Judah. ⁸And on the other side of the Jordan, by Jericho eastward, they assigned Bezer in the wilderness on the plain, from the tribe of Reuben, Ramoth in Gilead, from the tribe of Gad, and Golan in Bashan, from the tribe of Manasseh. ⁹These were the cities appointed for all the children of Israel and for the stranger who ^[^k^]dwelt among them, that whoever killed a person accidentally might flee there, and not die by the hand of the avenger of blood until he stood before the congregation.

Cities of the Levites

21 Then the heads of the fathers’ houses of the Levites came near to Eleazar the priest, to Joshua the son of Nun, and to the heads of the fathers’ houses of the tribes of the children of Israel. ²And they spoke to them at Shiloh in the land of Canaan, saying, “The Lord commanded through Moses to give us cities to dwell in, with their common-lands for our livestock.” ³So the children of Israel gave to the Levites from their inheritance, at the commandment of the Lord, these cities and their common-lands:

⁴Now the lot came out for the families of the Kohathites. And the children of Aaron the priest, who were of the Levites, had thirteen cities by lot from the tribe of Judah, from the tribe of Simeon, and from the tribe of Benjamin. ⁵The rest of the children of Kohath had ten cities by lot from the families of the tribe of Ephraim, from the tribe of Dan, and from the half-tribe of Manasseh.

⁶And the children of Gershon had thirteen cities by lot from the families of the tribe of Issachar, from the tribe of Asher, from the tribe of Naphtali, and from the half-tribe of Manasseh in Bashan.

⁷The children of Merari according to their families had twelve cities from the tribe of Reuben, from the tribe of Gad, and from the tribe of Zebulun.

⁸And the children of Israel gave these cities with their common-lands by lot to the Levites, as the Lord had commanded by the hand of Moses.

⁹So they gave from the tribe of the children of Judah and from the tribe of the children of Simeon these cities which are ^[^l^]designated by name, ¹⁰which were for the children of Aaron, one of the families of the Kohathites, who were of the children of Levi; for the lot was theirs first. ¹¹And they gave them ^[^m^]Kirjath Arba (Arba was the father of Anak), which is Hebron, in the mountains of Judah, with the common-land surrounding it. ¹²But the fields of the city and its villages they gave to Caleb the son of Jephunneh as his possession.

¹³Thus to the children of Aaron the priest they gave Hebron with its common-land (a city of refuge for the slayer), Libnah with its common-land, ¹⁴Jattir with its common-land, Eshtemoa with its common-land, ¹⁵Holon with its common-land, Debir with its common-land, ¹⁶Ain with its common-land, Juttah with its common-land, and Beth Shemesh with its common-land: nine cities from those two tribes; ¹⁷and from the tribe of Benjamin, Gibeon with its common-land, Geba with its common-land, ¹⁸Anathoth with its common-land, and Almon with its common-land: four cities. ¹⁹All the cities of the children of Aaron, the priests, were thirteen cities with their common-lands.

²⁰And the families of the children of Kohath, the Levites, the rest of the children of Kohath, even they had the cities of their ^[ⁿ^]lot from the tribe of Ephraim. ²¹For they gave them Shechem with its common-land in the mountains of Ephraim (a city of refuge for the slayer), Gezer with its common-land, ²²Kibzaim with its common-land, and Beth Horon with its common-land: four cities; ²³and from the tribe of Dan, Eltekeh with its common-land, Gibbethon with its common-land, ²⁴Aijalon with its common-land, and Gath Rimmon with its common-land: four cities; ²⁵and from the half-tribe of Manasseh, Tanach with its common-land and Gath Rimmon with its common-land: two cities. ²⁶All the ten cities with their common-lands were for the rest of the families of the children of Kohath.

²⁷Also to the children of Gershon, of the families of the Levites, from the other half-tribe of Manasseh, they gave Golan in Bashan with its common-land (a city of refuge for the slayer), and Be Eshterah with its common-land: two cities; ²⁸and from the tribe of Issachar, Kishion with its common-land, Daberath with its common-land, ²⁹Jarmuth with its common-land, and En Gannim with its common-land: four cities; ³⁰and from the tribe of Asher, Mishal with its common-land, Abdon with its common-land, ³¹Helkath with its common-land, and Rehob with its common-land: four cities; ³²and from the tribe of Naphtali, Kedesh in Galilee with its common-land (a city of refuge for the slayer), Hammoth Dor with its common-land, and Kartan with its common-land: three cities. ³³All the cities of the Gershonites according to their families were thirteen cities with their common-lands.

³⁴And to the families of the children of Merari, the rest of the Levites, from the tribe of Zebulun, Jokneam with its common-land, Kartah with its common-land, ³⁵Dimnah with its common-land, and Nahalal with its common-land: four cities; ³⁶^[^o^]and from the tribe of Reuben, Bezer with its common-land, Jahaz with its common-land, ³⁷Kedemoth with its common-land, and Mephaath with its common-land: four cities; ³⁸and from the tribe of Gad, Ramoth in Gilead with its common-land (a city of refuge for the slayer), Mahanaim with its common-land, ³⁹Heshbon with its common-land, and Jazer with its common-land: four cities in all. ⁴⁰So all the cities for the children of Merari according to their families, the rest of the families of the Levites, were by their lot twelve cities.

⁴¹All the cities of the Levites within the possession of the children of Israel were forty-eight cities with their common-lands. ⁴²Every one of these cities had its common-land surrounding it; thus were all these cities.

The Promise Fulfilled

⁴³So the Lord gave to Israel all the land of which He had sworn to give to their fathers, and they took possession of it and dwelt in it. ⁴⁴The Lord gave them rest all around, according to all that He had sworn to their fathers. And not a man of all their enemies stood against them; the Lord delivered all their enemies into their hand. ⁴⁵Not a word failed of any good thing which the Lord had spoken to the house of Israel. All came to pass.

Eastern Tribes Return to Their Lands

22 Then Joshua called the Reubenites, the Gadites, and half the tribe of Manasseh, ²and said to them: “You have kept all that Moses the servant of the Lord commanded you, and have obeyed my voice in all that I commanded you. ³You have not ^[^p^]left your brethren these many days, up to this day, but have kept the charge of the commandment of the Lord your God. ⁴And now the Lord your God has given rest to your brethren, as He promised them; now therefore, return and go to your tents and to the land of your possession, which Moses the servant of the Lord gave you on the other side of the Jordan. ⁵But take^[^q^] careful heed to do the commandment and the law which Moses the servant of the Lord commanded you, to love the Lord your God, to walk in all His ways, to keep His commandments, to hold fast to Him, and to serve Him with all your heart and with all your soul.” ⁶So Joshua blessed them and sent them away, and they went to their tents.

⁷Now to half the tribe of Manasseh Moses had given a possession in Bashan, but to the other half of it Joshua gave a possession among their brethren on this side of the Jordan, westward. And indeed, when Joshua sent them away to their tents, he blessed them, ⁸and spoke to them, saying, “Return with much riches to your tents, with very much livestock, with silver, with gold, with bronze, with iron, and with very much clothing. Divide the ^[^r^]spoil of your enemies with your brethren.”

⁹So the children of Reuben, the children of Gad, and half the tribe of Manasseh returned, and departed from the children of Israel at Shiloh, which is in the land of Canaan, to go to the country of Gilead, to the land of their possession, which they had obtained according to the word of the Lord by the hand of Moses.

An Altar by the Jordan

¹⁰And when they came to the region of the Jordan which is in the land of Canaan, the children of Reuben, the children of Gad, and half the tribe of Manasseh built an altar there by the Jordan—a great, impressive altar. ¹¹Now the children of Israel heard someone say, “Behold, the children of Reuben, the children of Gad, and half the tribe of Manasseh have built an altar on the ^[^s^]frontier of the land of Canaan, in the region of the Jordan—on the children of Israel’s side.” ¹²And when the children of Israel heard of it, the whole congregation of the children of Israel gathered together at Shiloh to go to war against them.

¹³Then the children of Israel sent Phinehas the son of Eleazar the priest to the children of Reuben, to the children of Gad, and to half the tribe of Manasseh, into the land of Gilead, ¹⁴and with him ten rulers, one ruler each from the chief house of every tribe of Israel; and each one was the head of the house of his father among the ^[^t^]divisions of Israel. ¹⁵Then they came to the children of Reuben, to the children of Gad, and to half the tribe of Manasseh, to the land of Gilead, and they spoke with them, saying, ¹⁶“Thus says the whole congregation of the Lord: ‘What treachery^[^u^] is this that you have committed against the God of Israel, to turn away this day from following the Lord, in that you have built for yourselves an altar, that you might rebel this day against the Lord? ¹⁷Is the iniquity of Peor not enough for us, from which we are not cleansed till this day, although there was a plague in the congregation of the Lord, ¹⁸but that you must turn away this day from following the Lord? And it shall be, if you rebel today against the Lord, that tomorrow He will be angry with the whole congregation of Israel. ¹⁹^[^v^]Nevertheless, if the land of your possession is unclean, then cross over to the land of the possession of the Lord, where the Lord’s tabernacle stands, and take possession among us; but do not rebel against the Lord, nor rebel against us, by building yourselves an altar besides the altar of the Lord our God. ²⁰Did not Achan the son of Zerah ^[^w^]commit a trespass in the ^[^x^]accursed thing, and wrath fell on all the congregation of Israel? And that man did not perish alone in his iniquity.’ ”

²¹Then the children of Reuben, the children of Gad, and half the tribe of Manasseh answered and said to the heads of the ^[^y^]divisions of Israel: ²²“The Lord God of gods, the Lord God of gods, He knows, and let Israel itself know—if it is in rebellion, or if in treachery against the Lord, do not save us this day. ²³If we have built ourselves an altar to turn from following the Lord, or if to offer on it burnt offerings or grain offerings, or if to offer peace offerings on it, let the Lord Himself require an account. ²⁴But in fact we have done it ^[^z^]for fear, for a reason, saying, ‘In time to come your descendants may speak to our descendants, saying, “What have you to do with the Lord God of Israel? ²⁵For the Lord has made the Jordan a border between you and us, you children of Reuben and children of Gad. You have no part in the Lord.” So your descendants would make our descendants cease fearing the Lord.’ ²⁶Therefore we said, ‘Let us now prepare to build ourselves an altar, not for burnt offering nor for sacrifice, ²⁷but that it may be a ^[^aa^]witness between you and us and our generations after us, that we may perform the service of the Lord before Him with our burnt offerings, with our sacrifices, and with our peace offerings; that your descendants may not say to our descendants in time to come, “You have no part in the Lord.” ’ ²⁸Therefore we said that it will be, when they say this to us or to our generations in time to come, that we may say, ‘Here is the replica of the altar of the Lord which our fathers made, though not for burnt offerings nor for sacrifices; but it is a witness between you and us.’ ²⁹Far be it from us that we should rebel against the Lord, and turn from following the Lord this day, to build an altar for burnt offerings, for grain offerings, or for sacrifices, besides the altar of the Lord our God which is before His tabernacle.”

³⁰Now when Phinehas the priest and the rulers of the congregation, the heads of the ^[^ab^]divisions of Israel who were with him, heard the words that the children of Reuben, the children of Gad, and the children of Manasseh spoke, it pleased them. ³¹Then Phinehas the son of Eleazar the priest said to the children of Reuben, the children of Gad, and the children of Manasseh, “This day we perceive that the Lord is among us, because you have not committed this treachery against the Lord. Now you have delivered the children of Israel out of the hand of the Lord.”

³²And Phinehas the son of Eleazar the priest, and the rulers, returned from the children of Reuben and the children of Gad, from the land of Gilead to the land of Canaan, to the children of Israel, and brought back word to them. ³³So the thing pleased the children of Israel, and the children of Israel blessed God; they spoke no more of going against them in battle, to destroy the land where the children of Reuben and Gad dwelt.

³⁴The children of Reuben and the children of ^[^ac^]Gad called the altar, Witness, “For it is a witness between us that the Lord is God.”

Footnotes

Joshua 19:9 too large
Joshua 19:9 Lit. them
Joshua 19:14 Lit. the goings out of it were
Joshua 19:28 So with MT, Tg., Vg.; a few Heb. mss. Abdon (cf. 21:30 and 1 Chr. 6:74)
Joshua 19:33 Lit. its goings out were
Joshua 19:46 over against
Joshua 19:46 Heb. Japho
Joshua 19:49 finished
Joshua 20:2 Designate
Joshua 20:4 states
Joshua 20:9 As a resident alien
Joshua 21:9 Lit. called
Joshua 21:11 Lit. City of Arba
Joshua 21:20 allotment
Joshua 21:36 So with LXX, Vg. (cf. 1 Chr. 6:78, 79); MT, Bg., Tg. omit vv. 36, 37
Joshua 22:3 forsaken
Joshua 22:5 be very careful to do
Joshua 22:8 plunder
Joshua 22:11 Lit. front
Joshua 22:14 Lit. thousands
Joshua 22:16 unfaithful act
Joshua 22:19 However
Joshua 22:20 act unfaithfully
Joshua 22:20 devoted thing
Joshua 22:21 Lit. thousands
Joshua 22:24 Lit. from fear
Joshua 22:27 testimony
Joshua 22:30 Lit. thousands
Joshua 22:34 LXX adds and half the tribe of Manasseh

27 Mar 202126 Mar 2021

Weekend Reading (March 27)

Thank you for reading.
May the God of peace keep you and bless you. May you stay focused on Christ and covered in grace.
Maranatha ~ Come Lord Jesus!

BIBLE READING: Joshua 16-18 NKJV

Ephraim and West Manasseh

16 The lot ^[^a^]fell to the children of Joseph from the Jordan, by Jericho, to the waters of Jericho on the east, to the wilderness that goes up from Jericho through the mountains to ^[^b^]Bethel, ²then went out ^[^c^]from Bethel to Luz, passed along to the border of the Archites at Ataroth, ³and went down westward to the boundary of the Japhletites, as far as the boundary of Lower Beth Horon to Gezer; and ^[^d^]it ended at the sea.

⁴So the children of Joseph, Manasseh and Ephraim, took their ^[^e^]inheritance.

The Land of Ephraim

⁵The border of the children of Ephraim, according to their families, was thus: The border of their inheritance on the east side was Ataroth Addar as far as Upper Beth Horon.

⁶And the border went out toward the sea on the north side of Michmethath; then the border went around eastward to Taanath Shiloh, and passed by it on the east of Janohah. ⁷Then it went down from Janohah to Ataroth and ^[^f^]Naarah, reached to Jericho, and came out at the Jordan.

⁸The border went out from Tappuah westward to the Brook Kanah, and ^[^g^]it ended at the sea. This was the inheritance of the tribe of the children of Ephraim according to their families. ⁹The separate cities for the children of Ephraim were among the inheritance of the children of Manasseh, all the cities with their villages.

¹⁰And they did not drive out the Canaanites who dwelt in Gezer; but the Canaanites dwell among the Ephraimites to this day and have become forced laborers.

The Other Half-Tribe of Manasseh (West)

17 There was also a lot for the tribe of Manasseh, for he was the firstborn of Joseph: namely for Machir the firstborn of Manasseh, the father of Gilead, because he was a man of war; therefore he was given Gilead and Bashan. ²And there was a lot for the rest of the children of Manasseh according to their families: for the children of ^[^h^]Abiezer, the children of Helek, the children of Asriel, the children of Shechem, the children of Hepher, and the children of Shemida; these were the male children of Manasseh the son of Joseph according to their families.

³But Zelophehad the son of Hepher, the son of Gilead, the son of Machir, the son of Manasseh, had no sons, but only daughters. And these are the names of his daughters: Mahlah, Noah, Hoglah, Milcah, and Tirzah. ⁴And they came near before Eleazar the priest, before Joshua the son of Nun, and before the rulers, saying, “The Lord commanded Moses to give us an ^[ⁱ^]inheritance among our brothers.” Therefore, according to the commandment of the Lord, he gave them an inheritance among their father’s brothers. ⁵Ten shares fell to Manasseh, besides the land of Gilead and Bashan, which were on the other side of the Jordan, ⁶because the daughters of Manasseh received an inheritance among his sons; and the rest of Manasseh’s sons had the land of Gilead.

⁷And the territory of Manasseh was from Asher to Michmethath, that lies east of Shechem; and the border went along south to the inhabitants of En Tappuah. ⁸Manasseh had the land of Tappuah, but Tappuah on the border of Manasseh belonged to the children of Ephraim. ⁹And the ^[^j^]border descended to the ^[^k^]Brook Kanah, southward to the brook. These cities of Ephraim are among the cities of Manasseh. The border of Manasseh was on the north side of the brook; and it ended at the sea.

¹⁰Southward it was Ephraim’s, northward it was Manasseh’s, and the sea was its border. Manasseh’s territory was adjoining Asher on the north and Issachar on the east. ¹¹And in Issachar and in Asher, Manasseh had Beth Shean and its towns, Ibleam and its towns, the inhabitants of Dor and its towns, the inhabitants of En Dor and its towns, the inhabitants of Taanach and its towns, and the inhabitants of Megiddo and its towns—three hilly regions. ¹²Yet the children of Manasseh could not drive out the inhabitants of those cities, but the Canaanites were determined to dwell in that land. ¹³And it happened, when the children of Israel grew strong, that they put the Canaanites to forced labor, but did not utterly drive them out.

More Land for Ephraim and Manasseh

¹⁴Then the children of Joseph spoke to Joshua, saying, “Why have you given us only one ^[^l^]lot and one share to inherit, since we are a great people, inasmuch as the Lord has blessed us until now?”

¹⁵So Joshua answered them, “If you are a great people, then go up to the forest country and clear a place for yourself there in the land of the Perizzites and the giants, since the mountains of Ephraim are too confined for you.”

¹⁶But the children of Joseph said, “The mountain country is not enough for us; and all the Canaanites who dwell in the land of the valley have chariots of iron, both those who are of Beth Shean and its towns and those who are of the Valley of Jezreel.”

¹⁷And Joshua spoke to the house of Joseph—to Ephraim and Manasseh—saying, “You are a great people and have great power; you shall not have only one ^[^m^]lot, ¹⁸but the mountain country shall be yours. Although it is wooded, you shall cut it down, and its ^[ⁿ^]farthest extent shall be yours; for you shall drive out the Canaanites, though they have iron chariots and are strong.”

The Remainder of the Land Divided

18 Now the whole congregation of the children of Israel assembled together at Shiloh, and set up the tabernacle of meeting there. And the land was subdued before them. ²But there remained among the children of Israel seven tribes which had not yet received their inheritance.

³Then Joshua said to the children of Israel: “How long will you neglect to go and possess the land which the Lord God of your fathers has given you? ⁴Pick out from among you three men for each tribe, and I will send them; they shall rise and go through the land, survey it according to their inheritance, and come back to me. ⁵And they shall divide it into seven parts. Judah shall remain in their territory on the south, and the house of Joseph shall remain in their territory on the north. ⁶You shall therefore ^[^o^]survey the land in seven parts and bring the survey here to me, that I may cast lots for you here before the Lord our God. ⁷But the Levites have no part among you, for the priesthood of the Lord is their inheritance. And Gad, Reuben, and half the tribe of Manasseh have received their inheritance beyond the Jordan on the east, which Moses the servant of the Lord gave them.”

⁸Then the men arose to go away; and Joshua charged those who went to ^[^p^]survey the land, saying, “Go, walk through the land, survey it, and come back to me, that I may cast lots for you here before the Lord in Shiloh.” ⁹So the men went, passed through the land, and ^[^q^]wrote the survey in a book in seven parts by cities; and they came to Joshua at the camp in Shiloh. ¹⁰Then Joshua cast lots for them in Shiloh before the Lord, and there Joshua divided the land to the children of Israel according to their ^[^r^]divisions.

The Land of Benjamin

¹¹Now the lot of the tribe of the children of Benjamin came up according to their families, and the territory of their lot came out between the children of Judah and the children of Joseph. ¹²Their border on the north side began at the Jordan, and the border went up to the side of Jericho on the north, and went up through the mountains westward; it ended at the Wilderness of Beth Aven. ¹³The border went over from there toward Luz, to the side of Luz (which is Bethel) southward; and the border descended to Ataroth Addar, near the hill that lies on the south side of Lower Beth Horon.

¹⁴Then the border extended around the west side to the south, from the hill that lies before Beth Horon southward; and ^[^s^]it ended at Kirjath Baal (which is Kirjath Jearim), a city of the children of Judah. This was the west side.

¹⁵The south side began at the end of Kirjath Jearim, and the border extended on the west and went out to the spring of the waters of Nephtoah. ¹⁶Then the border came down to the end of the mountain that lies before the Valley of the Son of Hinnom, which is in the Valley of the ^[^t^]Rephaim on the north, descended to the Valley of Hinnom, to the side of the Jebusite city on the south, and descended to En Rogel. ¹⁷And it went around from the north, went out to En Shemesh, and extended toward Geliloth, which is before the Ascent of Adummim, and descended to the stone of Bohan the son of Reuben. ¹⁸Then it passed along toward the north side of ^[^u^]Arabah, and went down to Arabah. ¹⁹And the border passed along to the north side of Beth Hoglah; then ^[^v^]the border ended at the north bay at the Salt Sea, at the south end of the Jordan. This was the southern boundary.

²⁰The Jordan was its border on the east side. This was the inheritance of the children of Benjamin, according to its boundaries all around, according to their families.

²¹Now the cities of the tribe of the children of Benjamin, according to their families, were Jericho, Beth Hoglah, Emek Keziz, ²²Beth Arabah, Zemaraim, Bethel, ²³Avim, Parah, Ophrah, ²⁴Chephar Haammoni, Ophni, and Gaba: twelve cities with their villages; ²⁵Gibeon, Ramah, Beeroth, ²⁶Mizpah, Chephirah, Mozah, ²⁷Rekem, Irpeel, Taralah, ²⁸Zelah, Eleph, Jebus (which is Jerusalem), Gibeath, and Kirjath: fourteen cities with their villages. This was the inheritance of the children of Benjamin according to their families.

Footnotes

Joshua 16:1 Lit. went out
Joshua 16:1 LXX Bethel Luz
Joshua 16:2 LXX to Bethel,
Joshua 16:3 Lit. the goings out of it were at the sea
Joshua 16:4 possession
Joshua 16:7 Naaran, 1 Chr. 7:28
Joshua 16:8 Lit. the goings out of it were at the sea
Joshua 17:2 Jeezer, Num. 26:30
Joshua 17:4 possession
Joshua 17:9 boundary
Joshua 17:9 Wadi
Joshua 17:14 allotment
Joshua 17:17 allotment
Joshua 17:18 Lit. goings out
Joshua 18:6 describe in writing
Joshua 18:8 describe in writing
Joshua 18:9 described it in writing
Joshua 18:10 portions
Joshua 18:14 Lit. its goings out were
Joshua 18:16 Lit. Giants
Joshua 18:18 Beth Arabah, Josh. 15:6; 18:22
Joshua 18:19 Lit. the goings out of the border were

26 Mar 202125 Mar 2021

The truth of God’s promises

“God is not a man, that He should lie, Nor a son of man, that He should repent. Has He said, and will He not do? Or has He spoken, and will He not make it good?” Number 23:19 NKJV

The truth is God’s promises are fulfilled. If you, and I, are writing on a promise – no worries, they will be fulfilled down to the every last detail. We see the promise of the promise land fulfilled and the promise of the Messiah fulfilled – why would we then doubt that the promises He gave to you and me won’t be fulfilled.

Today’s reading is Joshua 12-15 (embedded below for your convenience). Joshua chapters 1-5 are the introductions to Joshua and establishing him as Moses-like, as we discussed. The next section includes chapters 6-12 – battle after battle after battle. In chapter 6 we see the contrast of God’s way vs. man’s way. The Battle at Jericho where the Lord did a work and the people were obedient to the work vs. the Battle against AI which was just embarrassing. Chapter 12 (which we read today) summarizes who was defeats and if by Moses or by Joshua.

The next section of the book of Joshua are chapters 13-22 and describe how Joshua divides up the land. And the final section includes chapters 23 and 24 which are two final speeches of Joshua.
Let’s be honest about this third section we are in currently – it is confusing to read and a little boring. It is like reading a map without the picture. However, we can read it while looking forward to Joshua’s big speeches – YAY! We can also read it searching for those sweet nuggets of truth (as every pastor who ever once thought it was a good idea to do a Bible study of Joshua) has struggled to do – while also trying to keep the people awake while reading these chapters.

I’m just being honest – so grab an extra cup of coffee because I am not going to give you a map and help explain it and I am not digging out obscure relational truths in each chapter. BUT you should still read it. And read every word if you are following it or not. And if it is easier there are apps and websites that will read the bible to you for free like youversion and biblegateway.

You see chapters 13-22 are important – extremely important. Here is the fulfillment of the promise laid out in every tiny detail!!! This showed the people of Israel and shows us today that when God fulfills His promises He does so down to the tiniest detail – leaving nothing unblessed, undone or unfulfilled. Our God is a God of order and detail.

Let’s take a quick look at the promise of the Messiah:

In Jeremiah 31:15 it says He would be victim of a plot to murder Him – wherein we can have hope and in Matthew 2:16-18 we see Herod plotted to kill Him and did murder all the male children in Bethlehem.
And then in Jeremiah 31:31 where a New Covenant was promised and fulfilled in action throughout the gospels but also directly in Hebrews 12:24.

Isaiah 35:5-6 says the Messiah would perform signs of healing – and we know Jesus healed many and is still healing today (There are many New Testament verses of witnesses to these works.)

John had many deep revelations of Jesus Christ as the Messiah – in John 2 17 he wrote that the “disciples remembered that it was written” and referred back to psalm 69 – which happens to be the most quoted Psalm in the New Testament in relation to Jesus!

Always the promises of God are fulfilled right down to the details.
I am awaiting the fulfillment of a promise – many of us are. In the waiting it is tempting try to conquer the land our own way like the Battle of Ai – oh if we just wait upon the Lord, His timing and do it according to His will – then He will have every last detail in place. If God has promised, than surely He will deliver!

Thank you for reading.
May the God of peace keep you and bless you. May you stay focused on Christ and covered in grace.
Maranatha ~ Come Lord Jesus!

BIBLE READING: Joshua 12-15 NKJV

The Kings Conquered by Moses

12 These are the kings of the land whom the children of Israel defeated, and whose land they possessed on the other side of the Jordan toward the rising of the sun, from the River Arnon to Mount Hermon, and all the eastern Jordan plain: ²One king was Sihon king of the Amorites, who dwelt in Heshbon and ruled half of Gilead, from Aroer, which is on the bank of the River Arnon, from the middle of that river, even as far as the River Jabbok, which is the border of the Ammonites, ³and the eastern Jordan plain from the ^[a]Sea of Chinneroth as far as the ^[b]Sea of the Arabah (the Salt Sea), the road to Beth Jeshimoth, and ^[c]southward below the^[d] slopes of Pisgah. ⁴The other king was Og king of Bashan and his territory, who was of the remnant of the giants, who dwelt at Ashtaroth and at Edrei, ⁵and reigned over Mount Hermon, over Salcah, over all Bashan, as far as the border of the Geshurites and the Maachathites, and over half of Gilead to the border of Sihon king of Heshbon.

⁶These Moses the servant of the Lord and the children of Israel had conquered; and Moses the servant of the Lord had given it as a possession to the Reubenites, the Gadites, and half the tribe of Manasseh.

The Kings Conquered by Joshua

⁷And these are the kings of the country which Joshua and the children of Israel conquered on this side of the Jordan, on the west, from Baal Gad in the Valley of Lebanon as far as ^[e]Mount Halak and the ascent to Seir, which Joshua gave to the tribes of Israel as a possession according to their divisions, ⁸in the mountain country, in the lowlands, in the Jordan plain, in the slopes, in the wilderness, and in the South—the Hittites, the Amorites, the Canaanites, the Perizzites, the Hivites, and the Jebusites: ⁹the king of Jericho, one; the king of Ai, which is beside Bethel, one; ¹⁰the king of Jerusalem, one; the king of Hebron, one; ¹¹the king of Jarmuth, one; the king of Lachish, one; ¹²the king of Eglon, one; the king of Gezer, one; ¹³the king of Debir, one; the king of Geder, one; ¹⁴the king of Hormah, one; the king of Arad, one; ¹⁵the king of Libnah, one; the king of Adullam, one; ¹⁶the king of Makkedah, one; the king of Bethel, one; ¹⁷the king of Tappuah, one; the king of Hepher, one; ¹⁸the king of Aphek, one; the king of ^[f]Lasharon, one; ¹⁹the king of Madon, one; the king of Hazor, one; ²⁰the king of Shimron Meron, one; the king of Achshaph, one; ²¹the king of Taanach, one; the king of Megiddo, one; ²²the king of Kedesh, one; the king of Jokneam in Carmel, one; ²³the king of Dor in the heights of Dor, one; the king of the people of Gilgal, one; ²⁴the king of Tirzah, one—all the kings, thirty-one.

Remaining Land to Be Conquered

13 Now Joshua was old, advanced in years. And the Lord said to him: “You are old, advanced in years, and there remains very much land yet to be possessed. ²This is the land that yet remains: all the territory of the Philistines and all that of the Geshurites, ³from Sihor, which is east of Egypt, as far as the border of Ekron northward (which is counted as Canaanite); the five lords of the Philistines—the Gazites, the Ashdodites, the Ashkelonites, the Gittites, and the Ekronites; also the Avites; ⁴from the south, all the land of the Canaanites, and Mearah that belongs to the Sidonians as far as Aphek, to the border of the Amorites; ⁵the land of the ^[g]Gebalites, and all Lebanon, toward the sunrise, from Baal Gad below Mount Hermon as far as the entrance to Hamath; ⁶all the inhabitants of the mountains from Lebanon as far as the ^[h]Brook Misrephoth, and all the Sidonians—them I will drive out from before the children of Israel; only divide^[i] it by lot to Israel as an inheritance, as I have commanded you. ⁷Now therefore, divide this land as an inheritance to the nine tribes and half the tribe of Manasseh.”

The Land Divided East of the Jordan

⁸With the other half-tribe the Reubenites and the Gadites received their inheritance, which Moses had given them, beyond the Jordan eastward, as Moses the servant of the Lord had given them: ⁹from Aroer which is on the bank of the River Arnon, and the town that is in the midst of the ravine, and all the plain of Medeba as far as Dibon; ¹⁰all the cities of Sihon king of the Amorites, who reigned in Heshbon, as far as the border of the children of Ammon; ¹¹Gilead, and the border of the Geshurites and Maachathites, all Mount Hermon, and all Bashan as far as Salcah; ¹²all the kingdom of Og in Bashan, who reigned in Ashtaroth and Edrei, who remained of the remnant of the giants; for Moses had ^[j]defeated and ^[k]cast out these.

¹³Nevertheless the children of Israel did not drive out the Geshurites or the Maachathites, but the Geshurites and the Maachathites dwell among the Israelites until this day.

¹⁴Only to the tribe of Levi he had given ^[l]no inheritance; the sacrifices of the Lord God of Israel made by fire are their inheritance, as He said to them.

The Land of Reuben

¹⁵And Moses had given to the tribe of the children of Reuben an inheritance according to their families. ¹⁶Their territory was from Aroer, which is on the bank of the River Arnon, and the city that is in the midst of the ravine, and all the plain by Medeba; ¹⁷Heshbon and all its cities that are in the plain: Dibon, Bamoth Baal, Beth Baal Meon, ¹⁸Jahaza, Kedemoth, Mephaath, ¹⁹Kirjathaim, Sibmah, Zereth Shahar on the mountain of the valley, ²⁰Beth Peor, the slopes of Pisgah, and Beth Jeshimoth— ²¹all the cities of the plain and all the kingdom of Sihon king of the Amorites, who reigned in Heshbon, whom Moses had struck with the princes of Midian: Evi, Rekem, Zur, Hur, and Reba, who were princes of Sihon dwelling in the country. ²²The children of Israel also killed with the sword Balaam the son of Beor, the ^[m]soothsayer, among those who were killed by them. ²³And the border of the children of Reuben was the bank of the Jordan. This was the inheritance of the children of Reuben according to their families, the cities and their villages.

The Land of Gad

²⁴Moses also had given an inheritance to the tribe of Gad, to the children of Gad according to their families. ²⁵Their territory was Jazer, and all the cities of Gilead, and half the land of the Ammonites as far as Aroer, which is before Rabbah, ²⁶and from Heshbon to Ramath Mizpah and Betonim, and from Mahanaim to the border of Debir, ²⁷and in the valley Beth Haram, Beth Nimrah, Succoth, and Zaphon, the rest of the kingdom of Sihon king of Heshbon, with the Jordan as its border, as far as the edge of the ^[n]Sea of Chinnereth, on the other side of the Jordan eastward. ²⁸This is the inheritance of the children of Gad according to their families, the cities and their villages.

Half the Tribe of Manasseh (East)

²⁹Moses also had given an inheritance to half the tribe of Manasseh; it was for half the tribe of the children of Manasseh according to their families: ³⁰Their territory was from Mahanaim, all Bashan, all the kingdom of Og king of Bashan, and all the towns of Jair which are in Bashan, sixty cities; ³¹half of Gilead, and Ashtaroth and Edrei, cities of the kingdom of Og in Bashan, were for the children of Machir the son of Manasseh, for half of the children of Machir according to their families.

³²These are the areas which Moses had ^[o]distributed as an inheritance in the plains of Moab on the other side of the Jordan, by Jericho eastward. ³³But to the tribe of Levi Moses had given no inheritance; the Lord God of Israel was their inheritance, as He had said to them.

The Land Divided West of the Jordan

14 These are the areas which the children of Israel inherited in the land of Canaan, which Eleazar the priest, Joshua the son of Nun, and the heads of the fathers of the tribes of the children of Israel distributed as an inheritance to them. ²Their inheritance was by lot, as the Lord had commanded by the hand of Moses, for the nine tribes and the half-tribe. ³For Moses had given the inheritance of the two tribes and the half-tribe on the other side of the Jordan; but to the Levites he had given no inheritance among them. ⁴For the children of Joseph were two tribes: Manasseh and Ephraim. And they gave no part to the Levites in the land, except cities to dwell in, with their common-lands for their livestock and their property. ⁵As the Lord had commanded Moses, so the children of Israel did; and they divided the land.

Caleb Inherits Hebron

⁶Then the children of Judah came to Joshua in Gilgal. And Caleb the son of Jephunneh the Kenizzite said to him: “You know the word which the Lord said to Moses the man of God concerning you and me in Kadesh Barnea. ⁷I was forty years old when Moses the servant of the Lord sent me from Kadesh Barnea to spy out the land, and I brought back word to him as it was in my heart. ⁸Nevertheless my brethren who went up with me made the ^[p]heart of the people melt, but I wholly followed the Lord my God. ⁹So Moses swore on that day, saying, ‘Surely the land where your foot has trodden shall be your inheritance and your children’s forever, because you have wholly followed the Lord my God.’ ¹⁰And now, behold, the Lord has kept me alive, as He said, these forty-five years, ever since the Lord spoke this word to Moses while Israel ^[q]wandered in the wilderness; and now, here I am this day, eighty-five years old. ¹¹As yet I am as strong this day as on the day that Moses sent me; just as my strength was then, so now is my strength for war, both for going out and for coming in. ¹²Now therefore, give me this mountain of which the Lord spoke in that day; for you heard in that day how the Anakim were there, and that the cities were great and fortified. It may be that the Lord will be with me, and I shall be able to drive them out as the Lord said.”

¹³And Joshua blessed him, and gave Hebron to Caleb the son of Jephunneh as an inheritance. ¹⁴Hebron therefore became the inheritance of Caleb the son of Jephunneh the Kenizzite to this day, because he wholly followed the Lord God of Israel. ¹⁵And the name of Hebron formerly was Kirjath Arba (Arba was the greatest man among the Anakim).

Then the land had rest from war.

The Land of Judah

15 So this was the ^[r]lot of the tribe of the children of Judah according to their families:

The border of Edom at the Wilderness of Zin southward was the extreme southern boundary. ²And their southern border began at the shore of the Salt Sea, from the bay that faces southward. ³Then it went out to the southern side of the Ascent of Akrabbim, passed along to Zin, ascended on the south side of Kadesh Barnea, passed along to Hezron, went up to Adar, and went around to Karkaa. ⁴From there it passed toward Azmon and went out to the Brook of Egypt; and the border ended at the sea. This shall be your southern border.

⁵The east border was the Salt Sea as far as the mouth of the Jordan.

And the border on the northern quarter began at the bay of the sea at the mouth of the Jordan. ⁶The border went up to Beth Hoglah and passed north of Beth Arabah; and the border went up to the stone of Bohan the son of Reuben. ⁷Then the border went up toward Debir from the Valley of Achor, and it turned northward toward Gilgal, which is before the Ascent of Adummim, which is on the south side of the valley. The border continued toward the waters of En Shemesh and ended at En Rogel. ⁸And the border went up by the Valley of the Son of Hinnom to the southern slope of the Jebusite city (which is Jerusalem). The border went up to the top of the mountain that lies before the Valley of Hinnom westward, which is at the end of the Valley of ^[s]Rephaim northward. ⁹Then the border went around from the top of the hill to the fountain of the water of Nephtoah, and extended to the cities of Mount Ephron. And the border went around to Baalah (which is Kirjath Jearim). ¹⁰Then the border ^[t]turned westward from Baalah to Mount Seir, passed along to the side of Mount Jearim on the north (which is Chesalon), went down to Beth Shemesh, and passed on to Timnah. ¹¹And the border went out to the side of Ekron northward. Then the border went around to Shicron, passed along to Mount Baalah, and extended to Jabneel; and the border ended at the sea.

¹²The west border was the coastline of the Great Sea. This is the boundary of the children of Judah all around according to their families.

Caleb Occupies Hebron and Debir

¹³Now to Caleb the son of Jephunneh he gave a share among the children of Judah, according to the commandment of the Lord to Joshua, namely, Kirjath Arba, which is Hebron (Arba was the father of Anak). ¹⁴Caleb drove out the three sons of Anak from there: Sheshai, Ahiman, and Talmai, the children of Anak. ¹⁵Then he went up from there to the inhabitants of Debir (formerly the name of Debir was Kirjath Sepher).

¹⁶And Caleb said, “He who ^[u]attacks Kirjath Sepher and takes it, to him I will give Achsah my daughter as wife.” ¹⁷So Othniel the son of Kenaz, the brother of Caleb, took it; and he gave him Achsah his daughter as wife. ¹⁸Now it was so, when she came to him, that she persuaded him to ask her father for a field. So she dismounted from her donkey, and Caleb said to her, “What do you wish?” ¹⁹She answered, “Give me a blessing; since you have given me land in the South, give me also springs of water.” So he gave her the upper springs and the lower springs.

The Cities of Judah

²⁰This was the inheritance of the tribe of the children of Judah according to their families:

²¹The cities at the limits of the tribe of the children of Judah, toward the border of Edom in the South, were Kabzeel, Eder, Jagur, ²²Kinah, Dimonah, Adadah, ²³Kedesh, Hazor, Ithnan, ²⁴Ziph, Telem, Bealoth, ²⁵Hazor, Hadattah, Kerioth, Hezron (which is Hazor), ²⁶Amam, Shema, Moladah, ²⁷Hazar Gaddah, Heshmon, Beth Pelet, ²⁸Hazar Shual, Beersheba, Bizjothjah, ²⁹Baalah, Ijim, Ezem, ³⁰Eltolad, Chesil, Hormah, ³¹Ziklag, Madmannah, Sansannah, ³²Lebaoth, Shilhim, Ain, and Rimmon: all the cities are twenty-nine, with their villages.

³³In the lowland: Eshtaol, Zorah, Ashnah, ³⁴Zanoah, En Gannim, Tappuah, Enam, ³⁵Jarmuth, Adullam, Socoh, Azekah, ³⁶Sharaim, Adithaim, Gederah, and Gederothaim: fourteen cities with their villages; ³⁷Zenan, Hadashah, Migdal Gad, ³⁸Dilean, Mizpah, Joktheel, ³⁹Lachish, Bozkath, Eglon, ⁴⁰Cabbon, ^[v]Lahmas, Kithlish, ⁴¹Gederoth, Beth Dagon, Naamah, and Makkedah: sixteen cities with their villages; ⁴²Libnah, Ether, Ashan, ⁴³Jiphtah, Ashnah, Nezib, ⁴⁴Keilah, Achzib, and Mareshah: nine cities with their villages; ⁴⁵Ekron, with its towns and villages; ⁴⁶from Ekron to the sea, all that lay near Ashdod, with their villages; ⁴⁷Ashdod with its towns and villages, Gaza with its towns and villages—as far as the Brook of Egypt and the Great Sea with its coastline.

⁴⁸And in the mountain country: Shamir, Jattir, Sochoh, ⁴⁹Dannah, Kirjath Sannah (which is Debir), ⁵⁰Anab, Eshtemoh, Anim, ⁵¹Goshen, Holon, and Giloh: eleven cities with their villages; ⁵²Arab, Dumah, Eshean, ⁵³Janum, Beth Tappuah, Aphekah, ⁵⁴Humtah, Kirjath Arba (which is Hebron), and Zior: nine cities with their villages; ⁵⁵Maon, Carmel, Ziph, Juttah, ⁵⁶Jezreel, Jokdeam, Zanoah, ⁵⁷Kain, Gibeah, and Timnah: ten cities with their villages; ⁵⁸Halhul, Beth Zur, Gedor, ⁵⁹Maarath, Beth Anoth, and Eltekon: six cities with their villages; ⁶⁰Kirjath Baal (which is Kirjath Jearim) and Rabbah: two cities with their villages.

⁶¹In the wilderness: Beth Arabah, Middin, Secacah, ⁶²Nibshan, the City of Salt, and En Gedi: six cities with their villages.

⁶³As for the Jebusites, the inhabitants of Jerusalem, the children of Judah could not drive them out; but the Jebusites dwell with the children of Judah at Jerusalem to this day.

Footnotes

Joshua 12:3 Sea of Galilee
Joshua 12:3 Lit. Sea of the Plain, the Dead Sea
Joshua 12:3 Or Teman
Joshua 12:3 Or Ashdoth Pisgah
Joshua 12:7 Lit. The Bald Mountain
Joshua 12:18 Or Sharon
Joshua 13:5 Or Giblites
Joshua 13:6 Heb. Misrephoth Maim, lit. Burnings of Water
Joshua 13:6 apportion
Joshua 13:12 Lit. struck
Joshua 13:12 dispossessed
Joshua 13:14 no land as a possession
Joshua 13:22 diviner
Joshua 13:27 Sea of Galilee
Joshua 13:32 apportioned
Joshua 14:8 courage of the people fail
Joshua 14:10 Lit. walked
Joshua 15:1 allotment
Joshua 15:8 Lit. Giants
Joshua 15:10 turned around
Joshua 15:16 Lit. strikes
Joshua 15:40 Or Lahmam

25 Mar 202124 Mar 2021

Our balanced God always wins the battle

“On the same day the Lord made a covenant with Abram, saying: “To your descendants I have given this land, from the river of Egypt to the great river, the River Euphrates — the Kenites, the Kenezzites, the Kadmonites, the Hittites, the Perizzites, the Rephaim, the Amorites, the Canaanites, the Girgashites, and the Jebusites.” Genesis 15:18-20 NKJV

From the book of Genesis it would seem God had it out for the Canaanites. He promised their land to another people who did not chase them out – instead these people were told to utterly destroy them! Let’s discuss our tender, kind, and loving Father and resolve this, seemingly contradictory character trait.

Today’s reading is Joshua 9 – 11 (embedded below for your convenience). Joshua chapters 5-12 are all the battles – battle after battle after battle. The battle for Jericho (which we read yesterday) takes up two chapters and has the most detail. But for the chapters we read today, decade’s worth of events and chasing out the Canaanites are compressed into short stories in chapters 5-12. We see the fulfillment of God’s promise. But there is some pretty strong words like “utterly destroyed” and killing women and children – How can the God we know and love tell His children to destroy? What happened to: Love your neighbor?!

We have been living in a time period that Paul calls the dispensation of grace (in Ephesians). During this time we have learned that our father is tender loving and merciful. We have experienced grace and the fullness of all that is pleasant in our good, good father.

But He is good and righteous and just and holy – therefore we must resolve in our minds that He is BOTH longsuffering AND He will roll out His judgments as needed (especially now as we draw closer and closer to Christ’s return).

We often think of the days of Noah and Sodom and Gomorrah when we think of God’s judgment – and then think of floods and fires. But God uses His people to correct and to bring judgment and these cities were full of evil practices including child sacrifice and unimaginably sinful rituals and ways. Therefore God had after longsuffering from the days when He first told Abraham (Genesis chapter 12) until God promised in chapter 15 – until many generations later when we are reading about their destruction in Joshua. God is the same yesterday today and forever – He is still longsuffering, but when it is time for judgment it is time for judgement.

These battles and decades of time are compressed into these few chapters because God is not trying to promote military might and fighting – He just needed to use this as a means to bring judgment and give the land to His people.

Besides learning that God’s goodness is balanced it is it GOOD in His eyes to bring justice so love may prevail – the second lesson in these battles that you should look for while reading is principles of spiritual warfare. If you look at these stories as if the devil and his minions were ruling the Canaanites, you can see the literal plays of the enemy in the spiritual battle against us – it is always to lie, steal and kill. You can also see the grace of God and His supernatural hand reaching in and always overcoming. You can see humans always fail when we do it our way – or make the battle ours instead of the Lords.

He is the Captain of the Host – the battle is His – we just need to get into His presence and His will and do as He tells us.

Thank you for reading.
May the God of peace keep you and bless you. May you stay focused on Christ and covered in grace.
Maranatha ~ Come Lord Jesus!

BIBLE READING: Joshua 9-11 NKJV

The Treaty with the Gibeonites

9 And it came to pass when all the kings who were on this side of the Jordan, in the hills and in the lowland and in all the coasts of the Great Sea toward Lebanon—the Hittite, the Amorite, the Canaanite, the Perizzite, the Hivite, and the Jebusite—heard about it, ²that they gathered together to fight with Joshua and Israel with one ^[a]accord.

³But when the inhabitants of Gibeon heard what Joshua had done to Jericho and Ai, ⁴they worked craftily, and went and ^[b]pretended to be ambassadors. And they took old sacks on their donkeys, old wineskins torn and ^[c]mended, ⁵old and patched sandals on their feet, and old garments on themselves; and all the bread of their provision was dry and moldy. ⁶And they went to Joshua, to the camp at Gilgal, and said to him and to the men of Israel, “We have come from a far country; now therefore, make a ^[d]covenant with us.”

⁷Then the men of Israel said to the Hivites, “Perhaps you dwell among us; so how can we make a covenant with you?”

⁸But they said to Joshua, “We are your servants.”

And Joshua said to them, “Who are you, and where do you come from?”

⁹So they said to him: “From a very far country your servants have come, because of the name of the Lord your God; for we have heard of His fame, and all that He did in Egypt, ¹⁰and all that He did to the two kings of the Amorites who were beyond the Jordan—to Sihon king of Heshbon, and Og king of Bashan, who was at Ashtaroth. ¹¹Therefore our elders and all the inhabitants of our country spoke to us, saying, ‘Take provisions with you for the journey, and go to meet them, and say to them, “We are your servants; now therefore, make a covenant with us.” ’ ¹²This bread of ours we took hot for our provision from our houses on the day we departed to come to you. But now look, it is dry and moldy. ¹³And these wineskins which we filled were new, and see, they are torn; and these our garments and our sandals have become old because of the very long journey.”

¹⁴Then the men of Israel took some of their provisions; but they ^[e]did not ask counsel of the Lord. ¹⁵So Joshua made peace with them, and made a covenant with them to let them live; and the rulers of the congregation swore to them.

¹⁶And it happened at the end of three days, after they had made a covenant with them, that they heard that they were their neighbors who dwelt near them. ¹⁷Then the children of Israel journeyed and came to their cities on the third day. Now their cities were Gibeon, Chephirah, Beeroth, and Kirjath Jearim. ¹⁸But the children of Israel did not ^[f]attack them, because the rulers of the congregation had sworn to them by the Lord God of Israel. And all the congregation complained against the rulers.

¹⁹Then all the rulers said to all the congregation, “We have sworn to them by the Lord God of Israel; now therefore, we may not touch them. ²⁰This we will do to them: We will let them live, lest wrath be upon us because of the oath which we swore to them.” ²¹And the rulers said to them, “Let them live, but let them be woodcutters and water carriers for all the congregation, as the rulers had promised them.”

²²Then Joshua called for them, and he spoke to them, saying, “Why have you deceived us, saying, ‘We are very far from you,’ when you dwell near us? ²³Now therefore, you are cursed, and none of you shall be freed from being slaves—woodcutters and water carriers for the house of my God.”

²⁴So they answered Joshua and said, “Because your servants were clearly told that the Lord your God commanded His servant Moses to give you all the land, and to destroy all the inhabitants of the land from before you; therefore we were very much afraid for our lives because of you, and have done this thing. ²⁵And now, here we are, in your hands; do with us as it seems good and right to do to us.” ²⁶So he did to them, and delivered them out of the hand of the children of Israel, so that they did not kill them. ²⁷And that day Joshua made them woodcutters and water carriers for the congregation and for the altar of the Lord, in the place which He would choose, even to this day.

The Sun Stands Still

10 Now it came to pass when Adoni-Zedek king of Jerusalem heard how Joshua had taken Ai and had utterly destroyed it—as he had done to Jericho and its king, so he had done to Ai and its king—and how the inhabitants of Gibeon had made peace with Israel and were among them, ²that they feared greatly, because Gibeon was a great city, like one of the royal cities, and because it was greater than Ai, and all its men were mighty. ³Therefore Adoni-Zedek king of Jerusalem sent to Hoham king of Hebron, Piram king of Jarmuth, Japhia king of Lachish, and Debir king of Eglon, saying, ⁴“Come up to me and help me, that we may attack Gibeon, for it has made peace with Joshua and with the children of Israel.” ⁵Therefore the five kings of the Amorites, the king of Jerusalem, the king of Hebron, the king of Jarmuth, the king of Lachish, and the king of Eglon, gathered together and went up, they and all their armies, and camped before Gibeon and made war against it.

⁶And the men of Gibeon sent to Joshua at the camp at Gilgal, saying, “Do not forsake your servants; come up to us quickly, save us and help us, for all the kings of the Amorites who dwell in the mountains have gathered together against us.”

⁷So Joshua ascended from Gilgal, he and all the people of war with him, and all the mighty men of valor. ⁸And the Lord said to Joshua, “Do not fear them, for I have delivered them into your hand; not a man of them shall stand before you.” ⁹Joshua therefore came upon them suddenly, having marched all night from Gilgal. ¹⁰So the Lord routed them before Israel, killed them with a great slaughter at Gibeon, chased them along the road that goes to Beth Horon, and struck them down as far as Azekah and Makkedah. ¹¹And it happened, as they fled before Israel and were on the descent of Beth Horon, that the Lord cast down large hailstones from heaven on them as far as Azekah, and they died. There were more who died from the hailstones than the children of Israel killed with the sword.

¹²Then Joshua spoke to the Lord in the day when the Lord delivered up the Amorites before the children of Israel, and he said in the sight of Israel:

“Sun, stand still over Gibeon;
And Moon, in the Valley of Aijalon.”
¹³So the sun stood still,
And the moon stopped,
Till the people had revenge
Upon their enemies.

Is this not written in the Book of Jasher? So the sun stood still in the midst of heaven, and did not hasten to go down for about a whole day. ¹⁴And there has been no day like that, before it or after it, that the Lord heeded the voice of a man; for the Lord fought for Israel.

¹⁵Then Joshua returned, and all Israel with him, to the camp at Gilgal.

The Amorite Kings Executed

¹⁶But these five kings had fled and hidden themselves in a cave at Makkedah. ¹⁷And it was told Joshua, saying, “The five kings have been found hidden in the cave at Makkedah.”

¹⁸So Joshua said, “Roll large stones against the mouth of the cave, and set men by it to guard them. ¹⁹And do not stay there yourselves, but pursue your enemies, and attack their rear guard. Do not allow them to enter their cities, for the Lord your God has delivered them into your hand.” ²⁰Then it happened, while Joshua and the children of Israel made an end of slaying them with a very great slaughter, till they had finished, that those who escaped entered fortified cities. ²¹And all the people returned to the camp, to Joshua at Makkedah, in peace.

No one ^[g]moved his tongue against any of the children of Israel.

²²Then Joshua said, “Open the mouth of the cave, and bring out those five kings to me from the cave.” ²³And they did so, and brought out those five kings to him from the cave: the king of Jerusalem, the king of Hebron, the king of Jarmuth, the king of Lachish, and the king of Eglon.

²⁴So it was, when they brought out those kings to Joshua, that Joshua called for all the men of Israel, and said to the captains of the men of war who went with him, “Come near, put your feet on the necks of these kings.” And they drew near and put their feet on their necks. ²⁵Then Joshua said to ^[h]them, “Do not be afraid, nor be dismayed; be strong and of good courage, for thus the Lord will do to all your enemies against whom you fight.” ²⁶And afterward Joshua struck ^[i]them and killed them, and hanged them on five trees; and they were hanging on the trees until evening. ²⁷So it was at the time of the going down of the sun that Joshua commanded, and they took them down from the trees, cast them into the cave where they had been hidden, and laid large stones against the cave’s mouth, which remain until this very day.

Conquest of the Southland

²⁸On that day Joshua took Makkedah, and struck it and its king with the edge of the sword. He utterly destroyed ^[j]them—all the people who were in it. He let none remain. He also did to the king of Makkedah as he had done to the king of Jericho.

²⁹Then Joshua passed from Makkedah, and all Israel with him, to Libnah; and they fought against Libnah. ³⁰And the Lord also delivered it and its king into the hand of Israel; he struck it and all the people who were in it with the edge of the sword. He let none remain in it, but did to its king as he had done to the king of Jericho.

³¹Then Joshua passed from Libnah, and all Israel with him, to Lachish; and they encamped against it and fought against it. ³²And the Lord delivered Lachish into the hand of Israel, who took it on the second day, and struck it and all the people who were in it with the edge of the sword, according to all that he had done to Libnah. ³³Then Horam king of Gezer came up to help Lachish; and Joshua struck him and his people, until he left him none remaining.

³⁴From Lachish Joshua passed to Eglon, and all Israel with him; and they encamped against it and fought against it. ³⁵They took it on that day and struck it with the edge of the sword; all the people who were in it he utterly destroyed that day, according to all that he had done to Lachish.

³⁶So Joshua went up from Eglon, and all Israel with him, to Hebron; and they fought against it. ³⁷And they took it and struck it with the edge of the sword—its king, all its cities, and all the people who were in it; he left none remaining, according to all that he had done to Eglon, but utterly destroyed it and all the people who were in it.

³⁸Then Joshua returned, and all Israel with him, to Debir; and they fought against it. ³⁹And he took it and its king and all its cities; they struck them with the edge of the sword and utterly destroyed all the people who were in it. He left none remaining; as he had done to Hebron, so he did to Debir and its king, as he had done also to Libnah and its king.

⁴⁰So Joshua conquered all the land: the mountain country and the ^[k]South and the lowland and the wilderness slopes, and all their kings; he left none remaining, but utterly destroyed all that breathed, as the Lord God of Israel had commanded. ⁴¹And Joshua conquered them from Kadesh Barnea as far as Gaza, and all the country of Goshen, even as far as Gibeon. ⁴²All these kings and their land Joshua took at one time, because the Lord God of Israel fought for Israel. ⁴³Then Joshua returned, and all Israel with him, to the camp at Gilgal.

The Northern Conquest

11 And it came to pass, when Jabin king of Hazor heard these things, that he sent to Jobab king of Madon, to the king of Shimron, to the king of Achshaph, ²and to the kings who were from the north, in the mountains, in the plain south of Chinneroth, in the lowland, and in the heights of Dor on the west, ³to the Canaanites in the east and in the west, the Amorite, the Hittite, the Perizzite, the Jebusite in the mountains, and the Hivite below Hermon in the land of Mizpah. ⁴So they went out, they and all their armies with them, as many people as the sand that is on the seashore in multitude, with very many horses and chariots. ⁵And when all these kings had ^[l]met together, they came and camped together at the waters of Merom to fight against Israel.

⁶But 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.” ⁷So Joshua and all the people of war with him came against them suddenly by the waters of Merom, and they attacked them. ⁸And the Lord delivered them into the hand of Israel, who defeated them and chased them to ^[m]Greater Sidon, to the ^[n]Brook Misrephoth, and to the Valley of Mizpah eastward; they attacked them until they left none of them remaining. ⁹So Joshua did to them as the Lord had told him: he hamstrung their horses and burned their chariots with fire.

¹⁰Joshua turned back at that time and took Hazor, and struck its king with the sword; for Hazor was formerly the head of all those kingdoms. ¹¹And they struck all the people who were in it with the edge of the sword, utterly destroying them. There was none left breathing. Then he burned Hazor with fire.

¹²So all the cities of those kings, and all their kings, Joshua took and struck with the edge of the sword. He utterly destroyed them, as Moses the servant of the Lord had commanded. ¹³But as for the cities that stood on their ^[o]mounds, Israel burned none of them, except Hazor only, which Joshua burned. ¹⁴And all the spoil of these cities and the livestock, the children of Israel took as booty for themselves; but they struck every man with the edge of the sword until they had destroyed them, and they left none breathing. ¹⁵As the Lord had commanded Moses His servant, so Moses commanded Joshua, and so Joshua did. ^[p]He left nothing undone of all that the Lord had commanded Moses.

Summary of Joshua’s Conquests

¹⁶Thus Joshua took all this land: the mountain country, all the South, all the land of Goshen, the lowland, and the Jordan ^[q]plain—the mountains of Israel and its lowlands, ¹⁷from ^[r]Mount Halak and the ascent to Seir, even as far as Baal Gad in the Valley of Lebanon below Mount Hermon. He captured all their kings, and struck them down and killed them. ¹⁸Joshua made war a long time with all those kings. ¹⁹There was not a city that made peace with the children of Israel, except the Hivites, the inhabitants of Gibeon. All the others they took in battle. ²⁰For it was of the Lord ^[s]to harden their hearts, that they should come against Israel in battle, that He might utterly destroy them, and that they might receive no mercy, but that He might destroy them, as the Lord had commanded Moses.

²¹And at that time Joshua came and cut off the Anakim from the mountains: from Hebron, from Debir, from Anab, from all the mountains of Judah, and from all the mountains of Israel; Joshua utterly destroyed them with their cities. ²²None of the Anakim were left in the land of the children of Israel; they remained only in Gaza, in Gath, and in Ashdod.

²³So Joshua took the whole land, according to all that the Lord had said to Moses; and Joshua gave it as an inheritance to Israel according to their divisions by their tribes. Then the land rested from war.

Footnotes

Joshua 9:2 Lit. mouth
Joshua 9:4 acted as envoys
Joshua 9:4 Lit. tied up
Joshua 9:6 treaty
Joshua 9:14 Lit. did not inquire at the mouth of
Joshua 9:18 strike
Joshua 10:21 criticized, lit. sharpened his tongue
Joshua 10:25 The captains
Joshua 10:26 The kings
Joshua 10:28 So with MT and most authorities; many Heb. mss., some LXX mss., and some Tg. mss. it
Joshua 10:40 Heb. Negev, and so throughout the book
Joshua 11:5 Lit. assembled by appointment
Joshua 11:8 Heb. Sidon Rabbah
Joshua 11:8 Heb. Misrephoth Maim, lit. Burnings of Water
Joshua 11:13 Heb. tel, a heap of successive city ruins
Joshua 11:15 Lit. He turned aside from nothing
Joshua 11:16 Heb. arabah
Joshua 11:17 Lit. The Smooth or Bald Mountain
Joshua 11:20 Lit. to make strong

24 Mar 202124 Mar 2021

Cursed objects and the snowball of sin

“¹⁰So the Lord said to Joshua: “Get up! Why do you lie thus on your face? ¹¹Israel has sinned, and they have also transgressed My covenant which I commanded them. For they have even taken some of the accursed things, and have both stolen and deceived; and they have also put it among their own stuff. ¹²Therefore the children of Israel could not stand before their enemies, but turned their backs before their enemies, because they have become doomed to destruction. Neither will I be with you anymore, unless you destroy the accursed from among you. ¹³Get up, sanctify the people, and say, ‘Sanctify yourselves for tomorrow, because thus says the Lord God of Israel: “There is an accursed thing in your midst, O Israel; you cannot stand before your enemies until you take away the accursed thing from among you.” ¹⁴In the morning therefore you shall be brought according to your tribes. And it shall be that the tribe which the Lord takes shall come according to families; and the family which the Lord takes shall come by households; and the household which the Lord takes shall come man by man. ¹⁵Then it shall be that he who is taken with the accursed thing shall be burned with fire, he and all that he has, because he has transgressed the covenant of the Lord, and because he has done a disgraceful thing in Israel.’” Joshua 7:10-15 NKJV

Joshua is an action packed book! Yesterday we began the intro of the book setting Joshua up as a Moses-like leader, the crossing of the Jordan and how it resembles the red-sea and concluding today with sanctifying the of the people, and the appearance of God as the captain of the guards and telling Joshua to take off his sandals because (like Moses’s experience) he was standing on holy ground.

Today’s reading is Joshua 5 – 8 (embedded below for your convenience). Today is also the very well-known battle of Jericho and how the walls fell. And the people forget to stay humble and failed then followed God and succeeded which will be a repeated pattern through ALL of mankind’s history as well as in this book!

Let’s look at Achan and the cursed objects. Achan was tempted by some valuable items during a battle. They were told to take the plunder for God and Achan became greedy then chose to be disobedient (and this began the snowball effect of sin). On top of disobedience, came lies and manipulation and hiding… There is a lesson in this alone. There is a warning here of how sin can seem small and harmless and it leads to us committing more and more sins and just hiding something you should not have taken leads to Achan and his ENTIRE HOUSEHOLD (including the animals) being stoned to death. If I was in his household I might have picked up a few stone and tossed them at him as well, as I died! This is NO small sin.

Which leads to a deeper truth here – Cursed objects!

We have discussed if objects can be possessed or not already on this blog and I do not intend to revisit the debate. But the Bible is very clear that objects CAN be cursed.

“Nor shall you bring an abomination into your house, lest you be doomed to destruction like it. You shall utterly detest it and utterly abhor it, for it is an accursed thing.” Deuteronomy 7:26 NKJV

This is part of the Mosaic law (not the Levitical law) – this having to do with idolatry. Remember I said there are deep truths of the spirit world in Deuteronomy – here is one. As we see, we obey the 10 commandments and we are blessed – we break the idolatry one and we are doomed to destruction like it.

So you jump up ready to beat me to the part about grace – because we are under grace and not the law. Like we can eat any meat – even if it was offered to idols as long as it doesn’t cause our brother to sin! But friend – that is a Levitical law. We are freed from Levitical law, not Mosaic law according to Paul and Peter’s writings.

But let us look a little deeper – because Grace’s job is to transform not eliminate so Levitical law must have been transformed.

“Teacher, which is the greatest commandment in the Law?” Jesus replied: “‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.’This is the first and greatest commandment. And the second is like it: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’All the Law and the Prophets hang on these two commandments.” Matthew 22:36-40 NIV

The first command is the first of the 10 commandments and the second is from Levitical Law (Leviticus 19:18). This shows that the grace of Christ transformed Levitical law into love while the Mosaic command remains the same. Which is why we can eat meat, UNLESS it will cause our brother to sin.

“Christ redeemed us from the curse of the law by becoming a curse for us—for it is written, “Cursed is everyone who is hanged on a tree” Galatians 3:13 ESV

Speaking of curses and grace – Jesus became cursed, took on our sin and shame and all of the curses that were placed upon us. This is why we can be delivered! This is why we can be curse free. This is why when people try to curse me it doesn’t work – as authority to curse comes from law! Oh the grace of the cross transforms my sin and curse into my salvation through Christ! Oh the grace of it that the law exposes the truth about the principles of the spirit realm!

Did Jesus die for objects? Can object still be cursed? We know when we believe in things we give it power. And since this is from Mosaic Law – I will have to say we must remove all accursed thing from our house. We may not be stoned like Achan and his family – but we can begin to understand the harshness of the punishment. ALL of the children of Israel would have been guilty and destroyed if they did not. Thank God we are under grace! But remove them anyway.

Thank you for reading.
May the God of peace keep you and bless you. May you stay focused on Christ and covered in grace.
Maranatha ~ Come Lord Jesus!

BIBLE READING: Joshua 5-8 NKJV

The Second Generation Circumcised

5 So it was, when all the kings of the Amorites who were on the west side of the Jordan, and all the kings of the Canaanites who were by the sea, heard that the Lord had dried up the waters of the Jordan from before the children of Israel until ^[a]we had crossed over, that ^[b]their heart melted; and there was no spirit in them any longer because of the children of Israel.

²At that time the Lord said to Joshua, “Make flint knives for yourself, and circumcise the sons of Israel again the second time.” ³So Joshua made flint knives for himself, and circumcised the sons of Israel at ^[c]the hill of the foreskins. ⁴And this is the reason why Joshua circumcised them: All the people who came out of Egypt who were males, all the men of war, had died in the wilderness on the way, after they had come out of Egypt. ⁵For all the people who came out had been circumcised, but all the people born in the wilderness, on the way as they came out of Egypt, had not been circumcised. ⁶For the children of Israel walked forty years in the wilderness, till all the people who were men of war, who came out of Egypt, were ^[d]consumed, because they did not obey the voice of the Lord—to whom the Lord swore that He would not show them the land which the Lord had sworn to their fathers that He would give us, “a land flowing with milk and honey.” ⁷Then Joshua circumcised their sons whom He raised up in their place; for they were uncircumcised, because they had not been circumcised on the way.

⁸So it was, when they had finished circumcising all the people, that they stayed in their places in the camp till they were healed. ⁹Then the Lord said to Joshua, “This day I have rolled away the reproach of Egypt from you.” Therefore the name of the place is called Gilgal^[e] to this day.

¹⁰Now the children of Israel camped in Gilgal, and kept the Passover on the fourteenth day of the month at twilight on the plains of Jericho. ¹¹And they ate of the produce of the land on the day after the Passover, unleavened bread and ^[f]parched grain, on the very same day. ¹²Then the manna ceased on the day after they had eaten the produce of the land; and the children of Israel no longer had manna, but they ate the food of the land of Canaan that year.

The Commander of the Army of the Lord

¹³And it came to pass, when Joshua was by Jericho, that he lifted his eyes and looked, and behold, a Man stood opposite him with His sword drawn in His hand. And Joshua went to Him and said to Him, “Are You for us or for our adversaries?”

¹⁴So He said, “No, but as Commander of the army of the Lord I have now come.”

And Joshua fell on his face to the earth and worshiped, and said to Him, “What does my Lord say to His servant?”

¹⁵Then the Commander of the Lord’s army said to Joshua, “Take your sandal off your foot, for the place where you stand is holy.” And Joshua did so.

The Destruction of Jericho

6 Now Jericho was securely shut up because of the children of Israel; none went out, and none came in. ²And the Lord said to Joshua: “See! I have given Jericho into your hand, its king, and the mighty men of valor. ³You shall march around the city, all you men of war; you shall go all around the city once. This you shall do six days. ⁴And seven priests shall bear seven trumpets of rams’ horns before the ark. But the seventh day you shall march around the city seven times, and the priests shall blow the trumpets. ⁵It shall come to pass, when they make a long blast with the ram’s horn, and when you hear the sound of the trumpet, that all the people shall shout with a great shout; then the wall of the city will fall down flat. And the people shall go up every man straight before him.”

⁶Then Joshua the son of Nun called the priests and said to them, “Take up the ark of the covenant, and let seven priests bear seven trumpets of rams’ horns before the ark of the Lord.” ⁷And he said to the people, “Proceed, and march around the city, and let him who is armed advance before the ark of the Lord.”

⁸So it was, when Joshua had spoken to the people, that the seven priests bearing the seven trumpets of rams’ horns before the Lord advanced and blew the trumpets, and the ark of the covenant of the Lord followed them. ⁹The armed men went before the priests who blew the trumpets, and the rear guard came after the ark, while the priests continued blowing the trumpets. ¹⁰Now Joshua had commanded the people, saying, “You shall not shout or make any noise with your voice, nor shall a word proceed out of your mouth, until the day I say to you, ‘Shout!’ Then you shall shout.” ¹¹So he had the ark of the Lord circle the city, going around it once. Then they came into the camp and ^[g]lodged in the camp.

¹²And Joshua rose early in the morning, and the priests took up the ark of the Lord. ¹³Then seven priests bearing seven trumpets of rams’ horns before the ark of the Lord went on continually and blew with the trumpets. And the armed men went before them. But the rear guard came after the ark of the Lord, while the priests continued blowing the trumpets. ¹⁴And the second day they marched around the city once and returned to the camp. So they did six days.

¹⁵But it came to pass on the seventh day that they rose early, about the dawning of the day, and marched around the city seven times in the same manner. On that day only they marched around the city seven times. ¹⁶And the seventh time it happened, when the priests blew the trumpets, that Joshua said to the people: “Shout, for the Lord has given you the city! ¹⁷Now the city shall be doomed by the Lord to destruction, it and all who are in it. Only Rahab the harlot shall live, she and all who are with her in the house, because she hid the messengers that we sent. ¹⁸And you, by all means abstain from the accursed things, lest you become accursed when you take of the accursed things, and make the camp of Israel a curse, and trouble it. ¹⁹But all the silver and gold, and vessels of bronze and iron, are ^[h]consecrated to the Lord; they ^[i]shall come into the treasury of the Lord.”

²⁰So the people shouted when the priests blew the trumpets. And it happened when the people heard the sound of the trumpet, and the people shouted with a great shout, that the wall fell down flat. Then the people went up into the city, every man straight before him, and they took the city. ²¹And they utterly destroyed all that was in the city, both man and woman, young and old, ox and sheep and donkey, with the edge of the sword.

²²But Joshua had said to the two men who had spied out the country, “Go into the harlot’s house, and from there bring out the woman and all that she has, as you swore to her.” ²³And the young men who had been spies went in and brought out Rahab, her father, her mother, her brothers, and all that she had. So they brought out all her relatives and left them outside the camp of Israel. ²⁴But they burned the city and all that was in it with fire. Only the silver and gold, and the vessels of bronze and iron, they put into the treasury of the house of the Lord. ²⁵And Joshua spared Rahab the harlot, her father’s household, and all that she had. So she dwells in Israel to this day, because she hid the messengers whom Joshua sent to spy out Jericho.

²⁶Then Joshua ^[j]charged them at that time, saying, “Cursed be the man before the Lord who rises up and builds this city Jericho; he shall lay its foundation with his firstborn, and with his youngest he shall set up its gates.”

²⁷So the Lord was with Joshua, and his fame spread throughout all the country.

Defeat at Ai

7 But the children of Israel ^[k]committed a trespass regarding the accursed^[l] things, for Achan the son of Carmi, the son of ^[m]Zabdi, the son of Zerah, of the tribe of Judah, took of the accursed things; so the anger of the Lord burned against the children of Israel.

²Now Joshua sent men from Jericho to Ai, which is beside Beth Aven, on the east side of Bethel, and spoke to them, saying, “Go up and spy out the country.” So the men went up and spied out Ai. ³And they returned to Joshua and said to him, “Do not let all the people go up, but let about two or three thousand men go up and attack Ai. Do not weary all the people there, for the people of Ai are few.” ⁴So about three thousand men went up there from the people, but they fled before the men of Ai. ⁵And the men of Ai struck down about thirty-six men, for they chased them from before the gate as far as Shebarim, and struck them down on the descent; therefore the^[n] hearts of the people melted and became like water.

⁶Then Joshua tore his clothes, and fell to the earth on his face before the ark of the Lord until evening, he and the elders of Israel; and they put dust on their heads. ⁷And Joshua said, “Alas, Lord ^[o]God, why have You brought this people over the Jordan at all—to deliver us into the hand of the Amorites, to destroy us? Oh, that we had been content, and dwelt on the other side of the Jordan! ⁸O Lord, what shall I say when Israel turns its ^[p]back before its enemies? ⁹For the Canaanites and all the inhabitants of the land will hear it, and surround us, and cut off our name from the earth. Then what will You do for Your great name?”

The Sin of Achan

¹⁰So the Lord said to Joshua: “Get up! Why do you lie thus on your face? ¹¹Israel has sinned, and they have also transgressed My covenant which I commanded them. For they have even taken some of the ^[q]accursed things, and have both stolen and deceived; and they have also put it among their own stuff. ¹²Therefore the children of Israel could not stand before their enemies, but turned their backs before their enemies, because they have become doomed to destruction. Neither will I be with you anymore, unless you destroy the accursed from among you. ¹³Get up, sanctify^[r] the people, and say, ‘Sanctify yourselves for tomorrow, because thus says the Lord God of Israel: “There is an accursed thing in your midst, O Israel; you cannot stand before your enemies until you take away the accursed thing from among you.” ¹⁴In the morning therefore you shall be brought according to your tribes. And it shall be that the tribe which the Lord takes shall come according to families; and the family which the Lord takes shall come by households; and the household which the Lord takes shall come man by man. ¹⁵Then it shall be that he who is taken with the accursed thing shall be burned with fire, he and all that he has, because he has transgressed^[s] the covenant of the Lord, and because he has done a disgraceful thing in Israel.’ ”

¹⁶So Joshua rose early in the morning and brought Israel by their tribes, and the tribe of Judah was taken. ¹⁷He brought the clan of Judah, and he took the family of the Zarhites; and he brought the family of the Zarhites man by man, and Zabdi was taken. ¹⁸Then he brought his household man by man, and Achan the son of Carmi, the son of Zabdi, the son of Zerah, of the tribe of Judah, was taken.

¹⁹Now Joshua said to Achan, “My son, I beg you, give glory to the Lord God of Israel, and make confession to Him, and tell me now what you have done; do not hide it from me.”

²⁰And Achan answered Joshua and said, “Indeed I have sinned against the Lord God of Israel, and this is what I have done: ²¹When I saw among the spoils a beautiful Babylonian garment, two hundred shekels of silver, and a wedge of gold weighing fifty shekels, I ^[t]coveted them and took them. And there they are, hidden in the earth in the midst of my tent, with the silver under it.”

²²So Joshua sent messengers, and they ran to the tent; and there it was, hidden in his tent, with the silver under it. ²³And they took them from the midst of the tent, brought them to Joshua and to all the children of Israel, and laid them out before the Lord. ²⁴Then Joshua, and all Israel with him, took Achan the son of Zerah, the silver, the garment, the wedge of gold, his sons, his daughters, his oxen, his donkeys, his sheep, his tent, and all that he had, and they brought them to the Valley of Achor. ²⁵And Joshua said, “Why have you troubled us? The Lord will trouble you this day.” So all Israel stoned him with stones; and they burned them with fire after they had stoned them with stones.

²⁶Then they raised over him a great heap of stones, still there to this day. So the Lord turned from the fierceness of His anger. Therefore the name of that place has been called the Valley of ^[u]Achor to this day.

The Fall of Ai

8 Now the Lord said to Joshua: “Do not be afraid, nor be dismayed; take all the people of war with you, and arise, go up to Ai. See, I have given into your hand the king of Ai, his people, his city, and his land. ²And you shall do to Ai and its king as you did to Jericho and its king. Only its spoil and its cattle you shall take as booty for yourselves. Lay an ambush for the city behind it.”

³So Joshua arose, and all the people of war, to go up against Ai; and Joshua chose thirty thousand mighty men of valor and sent them away by night. ⁴And he commanded them, saying: “Behold, you shall lie in ambush against the city, behind the city. Do not go very far from the city, but all of you be ready. ⁵Then I and all the people who are with me will approach the city; and it will come about, when they come out against us as at the first, that we shall flee before them. ⁶For they will come out after us till we have drawn them from the city, for they will say, ‘They are fleeing before us as at the first.’ Therefore we will flee before them. ⁷Then you shall rise from the ambush and seize the city, for the Lord your God will deliver it into your hand. ⁸And it will be, when you have taken the city, that you shall set the city on fire. According to the commandment of the Lord you shall do. See, I have commanded you.”

⁹Joshua therefore sent them out; and they went to lie in ambush, and stayed between Bethel and Ai, on the west side of Ai; but Joshua lodged that night among the people. ¹⁰Then Joshua rose up early in the morning and mustered the people, and went up, he and the elders of Israel, before the people to Ai. ¹¹And all the people of war who were with him went up and drew near; and they came before the city and camped on the north side of Ai. Now a valley lay between them and Ai. ¹²So he took about five thousand men and set them in ambush between Bethel and Ai, on the west side of ^[v]the city. ¹³And when they had set the people, all the army that was on the north of the city, and its rear guard on the west of the city, Joshua went that night into the midst of the valley.

¹⁴Now it happened, when the king of Ai saw it, that the men of the city hurried and rose early and went out against Israel to battle, he and all his people, at an appointed place before the plain. But he did not know that there was an ambush against him behind the city. ¹⁵And Joshua and all Israel made as if they were beaten before them, and fled by the way of the wilderness. ¹⁶So all the people who were in Ai were called together to pursue them. And they pursued Joshua and were drawn away from the city. ¹⁷There was not a man left in Ai or Bethel who did not go out after Israel. So they left the city open and pursued Israel.

¹⁸Then the Lord said to Joshua, “Stretch out the spear that is in your hand toward Ai, for I will give it into your hand.” And Joshua stretched out the spear that was in his hand toward the city. ¹⁹So those in ambush arose quickly out of their place; they ran as soon as he had stretched out his hand, and they entered the city and took it, and hurried to set the city on fire. ²⁰And when the men of Ai looked behind them, they saw, and behold, the smoke of the city ascended to heaven. So they had no power to flee this way or that way, and the people who had fled to the wilderness turned back on the pursuers.

²¹Now when Joshua and all Israel saw that the ambush had taken the city and that the smoke of the city ascended, they turned back and struck down the men of Ai. ²²Then the others came out of the city against them; so they were caught in the midst of Israel, some on this side and some on that side. And they struck them down, so that they let none of them remain or escape. ²³But the king of Ai they took alive, and brought him to Joshua.

²⁴And it came to pass when Israel had made an end of slaying all the inhabitants of Ai in the field, in the wilderness where they pursued them, and when they all had fallen by the edge of the sword until they were consumed, that all the Israelites returned to Ai and struck it with the edge of the sword. ²⁵So it was that all who fell that day, both men and women, were twelve thousand—all the people of Ai. ²⁶For Joshua did not draw back his hand, with which he stretched out the spear, until he had utterly destroyed all the inhabitants of Ai. ²⁷Only the livestock and the spoil of that city Israel took as booty for themselves, according to the word of the Lord which He had commanded Joshua. ²⁸So Joshua burned Ai and made it a heap forever, a desolation to this day. ²⁹And the king of Ai he hanged on a tree until evening. And as soon as the sun was down, Joshua commanded that they should take his corpse down from the tree, cast it at the entrance of the gate of the city, and raise over it a great heap of stones that remains to this day.

Joshua Renews the Covenant

³⁰Now Joshua built an altar to the Lord God of Israel in Mount Ebal, ³¹as Moses the servant of the Lord had commanded the children of Israel, as it is written in the Book of the Law of Moses: “an altar of whole stones over which no man has wielded an iron tool.” And they offered on it burnt offerings to the Lord, and sacrificed peace offerings. ³²And there, in the presence of the children of Israel, he wrote on the stones a copy of the law of Moses, which he had written. ³³Then all Israel, with their elders and officers and judges, stood on either side of the ark before the priests, the Levites, who bore the ark of the covenant of the Lord, the stranger as well as he who was born among them. Half of them were in front of Mount Gerizim and half of them in front of Mount Ebal, as Moses the servant of the Lord had commanded before, that they should bless the people of Israel. ³⁴And afterward he read all the words of the law, the blessings and the cursings, according to all that is written in the Book of the Law. ³⁵There was not a word of all that Moses had commanded which Joshua did not read before all the assembly of Israel, with the women, the little ones, and the strangers who were living among them.

Footnotes

Joshua 5:1 So with Kt.; Qr., some Heb. mss. and editions, LXX, Syr., Tg., Vg. they
Joshua 5:1 their courage failed
Joshua 5:3 Heb. Gibeath Haaraloth
Joshua 5:6 destroyed
Joshua 5:9 Lit. Rolling
Joshua 5:11 roasted
Joshua 6:11 spent the night
Joshua 6:19 set apart
Joshua 6:19 shall go
Joshua 6:26 warned
Joshua 7:1 acted unfaithfully
Joshua 7:1 devoted
Joshua 7:1 Zimri, 1 Chr. 2:6
Joshua 7:5 the people’s courage failed
Joshua 7:7 Heb. YHWH, Lord
Joshua 7:8 Lit. neck
Joshua 7:11 devoted
Joshua 7:13 set apart
Joshua 7:15 overstepped
Joshua 7:21 desired
Joshua 7:26 Lit. Trouble
Joshua 8:12 Ai

23 Mar 202122 Mar 2021

Don’t stop in the crossing over

“for the Lord your God dried up the waters of the Jordan before you until you had crossed over, as the Lord your God did to the Red Sea, which He dried up before us until we had crossed over, that all the peoples of the earth may know the hand of the Lord, that it is mighty, that you may fear the Lord your God forever.” Joshua 4:23-24 NKJV

For New Year’s (this past December & January) the Lord gave me the passage about crossing the red sea. With the global pandemic response and the pressures of the trials I suffered, I felt the enemy’s army coming down upon me and realized many of us felt the same. Our back were to the river and we had nowhere to go. Then the river opened and we crosses and in the midst of the miracle it no longer felt like we were fleeing the enemy but instead we were charging headlong into an adventure that will lead to our blessing!

Today’s reading is Joshua 1 – 4 (embedded below for your convenience).

From Red Sea to the Jordan was much more of an adventure that maybe it could have been. Hopefully after reading the last few books, we have learned that complaining delays things and can even disqualify us, personally, for blessings. And finally after a few “strong and courageous” (which is a major theme of Joshua) the Israelites are finally ready to cross the Jordan and go into the promise!!

First they had to step into the water in faith, that the Lord would dry the water. The parallels to my life are uncanny. I had to step out in faith when God has been directing a new career path and business endeavor.

But then the waters dried up. And today this speaks to me. I am so hungry and thirsty for the Lord! Because the natural waters dried up – I thirst. Sometime the Lord sends a drought (and as we read it, you see another area was flooded because of this shift). What if the priests stayed in the middle of the river? What if they said this is good because it will be easier to go back and forth over the Jordan? What if they stayed in that dry place because it is also good to thirst after the Lord!?!

“Behold, I am doing a new thing; now it springs forth, do you not perceive it? I will make a way in the wilderness and rivers in the desert.” Isaiah 43:19 ESV

He did make a way in the wilderness and it is time for the river to flow again. We need to step out of the dry place!

“But whoever drinks of the water that I will give him will never be thirsty again. The water that I will give him will become in him a spring of water welling up to eternal life.” John 4:14 ESV

Sometimes during your relationship with the Lord, you get to a point where you are regularly thinking: oh we are doing this now. And you can become complacent and stay longer than you should in a passage way or a dry river bed instead of picking up the stones you needed and getting to the other side. I do not feel I am stuck, but I am in a transitional place. It is dry and I thirst. But I am working diligently to grab the stones that He requires me to grab and get to the other side so the waters – living waters can flow again in my life! It is a warning, not a correction. It is a notification that the blessings are about to pour out!!! He is about to do more, do new, again!

Thank you for reading.
May the God of peace keep you and bless you. May you stay focused on Christ and covered in grace.
Maranatha ~ Come Lord Jesus!

BIBLE READING: Joshua 1-4 NKJV

God’s Commission to Joshua

1 After the death of Moses the servant of the Lord, it came to pass that the Lord spoke to Joshua the son of Nun, Moses’ assistant, saying: ²“Moses My servant is dead. Now therefore, arise, go over this Jordan, you and all this people, to the land which I am giving to them—the children of Israel. ³Every place that the sole of your foot will tread upon I have given you, as I said to Moses. ⁴From the wilderness and this Lebanon as far as the great river, the River Euphrates, all the land of the Hittites, and to the Great Sea toward the going down of the sun, shall be your territory. ⁵No man shall be able to stand before you all the days of your life; as I was with Moses, so I will be with you. I will not leave you nor forsake you. ⁶Be strong and of good courage, for to this people you shall ^[a]divide as an inheritance the land which I swore to their fathers to give them. ⁷Only be strong and very courageous, that you may observe to do according to all the law which Moses My servant commanded you; do not turn from it to the right hand or to the left, that you may ^[b]prosper wherever you go. ⁸This Book of the Law shall not depart from your mouth, but you^[c] shall meditate in it day and night, that you may observe to do according to all that is written in it. For then you will make your way prosperous, and then you will have good success. ⁹Have I not commanded you? Be strong and of good courage; do not be afraid, nor be dismayed, for the Lord your God is with you wherever you go.”

The Order to Cross the Jordan

¹⁰Then Joshua commanded the officers of the people, saying, ¹¹“Pass through the camp and command the people, saying, ‘Prepare provisions for yourselves, for within three days you will cross over this Jordan, to go in to possess the land which the Lord your God is giving you to possess.’ ”

¹²And to the Reubenites, the Gadites, and half the tribe of Manasseh Joshua spoke, saying, ¹³“Remember the word which Moses the servant of the Lord commanded you, saying, ‘The Lord your God is giving you rest and is giving you this land.’ ¹⁴Your wives, your little ones, and your livestock shall remain in the land which Moses gave you on this side of the Jordan. But you shall ^[d]pass before your brethren armed, all your mighty men of valor, and help them, ¹⁵until the Lord has given your brethren rest, as He gave you, and they also have taken possession of the land which the Lord your God is giving them. Then you shall return to the land of your possession and enjoy it, which Moses the Lord’s servant gave you on this side of the Jordan toward the sunrise.”

¹⁶So they answered Joshua, saying, “All that you command us we will do, and wherever you send us we will go. ¹⁷Just as we heeded Moses in all things, so we will heed you. Only the Lord your God be with you, as He was with Moses. ¹⁸Whoever rebels against your command and does not heed your words, in all that you command him, shall be put to death. Only be strong and of good courage.”

Rahab Hides the Spies

2 Now Joshua the son of Nun sent out two men from ^[e]Acacia Grove to spy secretly, saying, “Go, view the land, especially Jericho.”

So they went, and came to the house of a harlot named Rahab, and ^[f]lodged there. ²And it was told the king of Jericho, saying, “Behold, men have come here tonight from the children of Israel to search out the country.”

³So the king of Jericho sent to Rahab, saying, “Bring out the men who have come to you, who have entered your house, for they have come to search out all the country.”

⁴Then the woman took the two men and hid them. So she said, “Yes, the men came to me, but I did not know where they were from. ⁵And it happened as the gate was being shut, when it was dark, that the men went out. Where the men went I do not know; pursue them quickly, for you may overtake them.” ⁶(But she had brought them up to the roof and hidden them with the stalks of flax, which she had laid in order on the roof.) ⁷Then the men pursued them by the road to the Jordan, to the fords. And as soon as those who pursued them had gone out, they shut the gate.

⁸Now before they lay down, she came up to them on the roof, ⁹and said to the men: “I know that the Lord has given you the land, that the terror of you has fallen on us, and that all the inhabitants of the land are fainthearted because of you. ¹⁰For we have heard how the Lord dried up the water of the Red Sea for you when you came out of Egypt, and what you did to the two kings of the Amorites who were on the other side of the Jordan, Sihon and Og, whom you utterly destroyed. ¹¹And as soon as we heard these things, our hearts melted; neither did there remain any more courage in anyone because of you, for the Lord your God, He is God in heaven above and on earth beneath. ¹²Now therefore, I beg you, swear to me by the Lord, since I have shown you kindness, that you also will show kindness to my father’s house, and give me ^[g]a true token, ¹³and spare my father, my mother, my brothers, my sisters, and all that they have, and deliver our lives from death.”

¹⁴So the men answered her, “Our lives for yours, if none of you tell this business of ours. And it shall be, when the Lord has given us the land, that we will deal kindly and truly with you.”

¹⁵Then she let them down by a rope through the window, for her house was on the city wall; she dwelt on the wall. ¹⁶And she said to them, “Get to the mountain, lest the pursuers meet you. Hide there three days, until the pursuers have returned. Afterward you may go your way.”

¹⁷So the men said to her: “We will be blameless^[h] of this oath of yours which you have made us swear, ¹⁸unless, when we come into the land, you bind this line of scarlet cord in the window through which you let us down, and unless you ^[i]bring your father, your mother, your brothers, and all your father’s household to your own home. ¹⁹So it shall be that whoever goes outside the doors of your house into the street, his blood shall be on his own head, and we will be ^[j]guiltless. And whoever is with you in the house, his ^[k]blood shall be on our head if a hand is laid on him. ²⁰And if you tell this business of ours, then we will be ^[l]free from your oath which you made us swear.”

²¹Then she said, “According to your words, so be it.” And she sent them away, and they departed. And she bound the scarlet cord in the window.

²²They departed and went to the mountain, and stayed there three days until the pursuers returned. The pursuers sought them all along the way, but did not find them. ²³So the two men returned, descended from the mountain, and crossed over; and they came to Joshua the son of Nun, and told him all that had befallen them. ²⁴And they said to Joshua, “Truly the Lord has delivered all the land into our hands, for indeed all the inhabitants of the country are fainthearted because of us.”

Israel Crosses the Jordan

3 Then Joshua rose early in the morning; and they set out from ^[m]Acacia Grove and came to the Jordan, he and all the children of Israel, and lodged there before they crossed over. ²So it was, after three days, that the officers went through the camp; ³and they commanded the people, saying, “When you see the ark of the covenant of the Lord your God, and the priests, the Levites, ^[n]bearing it, then you shall set out from your place and go after it. ⁴Yet there shall be a space between you and it, about two thousand cubits by measure. Do not come near it, that you may know the way by which you must go, for you have not passed this way before.”

⁵And Joshua said to the people, “Sanctify^[o] yourselves, for tomorrow the Lord will do wonders among you.” ⁶Then Joshua spoke to the priests, saying, “Take up the ark of the covenant and cross over before the people.”

So they took up the ark of the covenant and went before the people.

⁷And the Lord said to Joshua, “This day I will begin to exalt^[p] you in the sight of all Israel, that they may know that, as I was with Moses, so I will be with you. ⁸You shall command the priests who bear the ark of the covenant, saying, ‘When you have come to the edge of the water of the Jordan, you shall stand in the Jordan.’ ”

⁹So Joshua said to the children of Israel, “Come here, and hear the words of the Lord your God.” ¹⁰And Joshua said, “By this you shall know that the living God is among you, and that He will without fail drive out from before you the Canaanites and the Hittites and the Hivites and the Perizzites and the Girgashites and the Amorites and the Jebusites: ¹¹Behold, the ark of the covenant of the Lord of all the earth is crossing over before you into the Jordan. ¹²Now therefore, take for yourselves twelve men from the tribes of Israel, one man from every tribe. ¹³And it shall come to pass, as soon as the soles of the feet of the priests who bear the ark of the Lord, the Lord of all the earth, shall rest in the waters of the Jordan, that the waters of the Jordan shall be cut off, the waters that come down from upstream, and they shall stand as a heap.”

¹⁴So it was, when the people set out from their camp to cross over the Jordan, with the priests bearing the ark of the covenant before the people, ¹⁵and as those who bore the ark came to the Jordan, and the feet of the priests who bore the ark dipped in the edge of the water (for the Jordan overflows all its banks during the whole time of harvest), ¹⁶that the waters which came down from upstream stood still, and rose in a heap very far away ^[q]at Adam, the city that is beside Zaretan. So the waters that went down into the Sea of the Arabah, the Salt Sea, failed, and were cut off; and the people crossed over opposite Jericho. ¹⁷Then the priests who bore the ark of the covenant of the Lord stood firm on dry ground in the midst of the Jordan; and all Israel crossed over on dry ground, until all the people had crossed completely over the Jordan.

The Memorial Stones

4 And it came to pass, when all the people had completely crossed over the Jordan, that the Lord spoke to Joshua, saying: ²“Take for yourselves twelve men from the people, one man from every tribe, ³and command them, saying, ‘Take for yourselves twelve stones from here, out of the midst of the Jordan, from the place where the priests’ feet stood firm. You shall carry them over with you and leave them in the lodging place where you lodge tonight.’ ”

⁴Then Joshua called the twelve men whom he had appointed from the children of Israel, one man from every tribe; ⁵and Joshua said to them: “Cross over before the ark of the Lord your God into the midst of the Jordan, and each one of you take up a stone on his shoulder, according to the number of the tribes of the children of Israel, ⁶that this may be a sign among you when your children ask in time to come, saying, ‘What do these stones mean to you?’ ⁷Then you shall answer them that the waters of the Jordan were cut off before the ark of the covenant of the Lord; when it crossed over the Jordan, the waters of the Jordan were cut off. And these stones shall be for a memorial to the children of Israel forever.”

⁸And the children of Israel did so, just as Joshua commanded, and took up twelve stones from the midst of the Jordan, as the Lord had spoken to Joshua, according to the number of the tribes of the children of Israel, and carried them over with them to the place where they lodged, and laid them down there. ⁹Then Joshua set up twelve stones in the midst of the Jordan, in the place where the feet of the priests who bore the ark of the covenant stood; and they are there to this day.

¹⁰So the priests who bore the ark stood in the midst of the Jordan until everything was finished that the Lord had commanded Joshua to speak to the people, according to all that Moses had commanded Joshua; and the people hurried and crossed over. ¹¹Then it came to pass, when all the people had completely crossed over, that the ark of the Lord and the priests crossed over in the presence of the people. ¹²And the men of Reuben, the men of Gad, and half the tribe of Manasseh crossed over armed before the children of Israel, as Moses had spoken to them. ¹³About forty thousand ^[r]prepared for war crossed over before the Lord for battle, to the plains of Jericho. ¹⁴On that day the Lord exalted^[s] Joshua in the sight of all Israel; and they feared him, as they had feared Moses, all the days of his life.

¹⁵Then the Lord spoke to Joshua, saying, ¹⁶“Command the priests who bear the ark of the Testimony to come up from the Jordan.” ¹⁷Joshua therefore commanded the priests, saying, “Come up from the Jordan.” ¹⁸And it came to pass, when the priests who bore the ark of the covenant of the Lord had come from the midst of the Jordan, and the soles of the priests’ feet touched the dry land, that the waters of the Jordan returned to their place and overflowed all its banks as before.

¹⁹Now the people came up from the Jordan on the tenth day of the first month, and they camped in Gilgal on the east border of Jericho. ²⁰And those twelve stones which they took out of the Jordan, Joshua set up in Gilgal. ²¹Then he spoke to the children of Israel, saying: “When your children ask their fathers in time to come, saying, ‘What are these stones?’ ²²then you shall let your children know, saying, ‘Israel crossed over this Jordan on dry land’; ²³for the Lord your God dried up the waters of the Jordan before you until you had crossed over, as the Lord your God did to the Red Sea, which He dried up before us until we had crossed over, ²⁴that all the peoples of the earth may know the hand of the Lord, that it is mighty, that you may fear the Lord your God ^[t]forever.”

Footnotes

Joshua 1:6 give as a possession
Joshua 1:7 have success or act wisely
Joshua 1:8 you shall be constantly in
Joshua 1:14 cross over ahead of
Joshua 2:1 Heb. Shittim
Joshua 2:1 Lit. lay down
Joshua 2:12 a pledge of truth
Joshua 2:17 free from obligation to this oath
Joshua 2:18 Lit. gather
Joshua 2:19 free from obligation
Joshua 2:19 guilt of bloodshed
Joshua 2:20 free from obligation to
Joshua 3:1 Heb. Shittim
Joshua 3:3 carrying
Joshua 3:5 Consecrate
Joshua 3:7 make you great
Joshua 3:16 Qr., many mss. and vss. from Adam
Joshua 4:13 equipped
Joshua 4:14 made Joshua great
Joshua 4:24 Lit. all days

22 Mar 202122 Mar 2021

Blessing for your inheritance

“He shall cover you with His feathers, And under His wings you shall take refuge;” Psalm 91:4a NKJV

And today we conclude our reading of Deuteronomy and we also read the final Psalm of Moses, Psalm 91. Over the last few days we have read a few chapters with blessings then curses and then more blessings and more curses which were all directly from the Lord. And today we read Moses’s final blessing over the people – this was Moses giving the heritage blessing.

Today’s reading is Deuteronomy 33-34 and Psalm 91 (embedded below for your convenience).

Deuteronomy is a beautiful book revealing many deep spiritual truths about blessings, curses, and deliverance. I hope while reading you took the time to dig in deeper. Like the fact that quoting the word of God is a sword and when the Word (Jesus) was tempted, He quoted the WORD to fight the devil and what did He quote?! He quoted Deuteronomy!!! I am telling you the truth! There are some deep and powerful things in this book!

If God grants me the time, I may write another book studying it deeper, highlighting all the parallels in Jesus’s teachings. I love that the book ends with Moses’s blessings for their inheritance.

“To redeem those who were under the law, so that we might receive adoption as sons. And because you are sons, God has sent the Spirit of his Son into our hearts, crying, “Abba! Father!” So you are no longer a slave, but a son, and if a son, then an heir through God.” Galatians 4:5-7 ESV

Since we are heirs with Christ Jesus, these blessing are for you and me as well, when rightly divided. Over the last 12 months or so, I have seen or heard most of these blessing proclaimed and prayed over those who believe. Once church recited Psalm 91 in prayer 3 or more times a week, together, online during the lock down – what a powerful prayer of provision, protection and comfort.

A doctor cried out to the Lord for the blessing of Reuben on God’s people during this pandemic; saying: “You will live and not die” (Deut. 33:6). And wow, how we needed prayers like that spoken over us!

As I read chapter 33 and Psalm 91 – I tend to personalize it. I need these blessings more this year than ever – and more right now than ever before.
Lord hear me. Be sufficient for me in all things! And help me against my enemy!
Bless my substance and the work of my hands…

When we seek God’s presence, where there is fullness, we see that all we need to do is love God in return, pray for His intervention and ask Jesus to interceded on our behalf – and all these things are added:
The lord fights for us – we just need to be still.
The Lord protect us. The Lord keeps us. We just need to focus on Him and worship Him.

You want to be great in the kingdom of God? It is a good goal to grow towards – all it entails is getting in His presence and surrendering and humbling yourself. Get alone with God, get low and get quiet to listen to His voice.

And as much as I want to pray for these blessings (I have not because I ask not) I just keep getting lost in His presence and in love with Him. I just want to decrease – be emptied of me and grow more in Him and let Him increase.
As much as I need the blessings, minimally that of my daily provisions – Every time I go to eat there is somehow food. And every time I need to purchase something God provides. I am so overwhelmed by His constant goodness and love that I just swell up and get lost in His presence.

God told me to open a business making feather earrings out of leather. It is the verse above, which I opened with – ‘Covered with His feathers’ that kept coming to mind. Without a husband or father and my brother refuses to be my spiritual covering, I keep my head covered in a scarf – appropriately. And now with feathers dripping down from my ears, framing my face, and reminding me – God Himself is my covering. God is my husband and I am the bride. I am covered also by the blood which through grace (that glorious transforming power of grace) has washed me clean and made me a new creature – a creature as ferocious as the lion of Judah and as gentle as a lamb and need protection and care. I have taken upon me the covenant – He is my God and I shall be His people. And I just let myself get lost in Him. With full confidence He will work all things for my good and His glory! This is our heritage and it is ours to partake in now (and it shall be much better when it is time to inherit the full kingdom!)

Thank you for reading.
May the God of peace keep you and bless you. May you stay focused on Christ and covered in grace.
Maranatha ~ Come Lord Jesus!

BIBLE READING: Deuteronomy 33-34 and Psalm 91 NKJV

Moses’ Final Blessing on Israel

33 Now this is the blessing with which Moses the man of God blessed the children of Israel before his death. ²And he said:

“The Lord came from Sinai,
And dawned on them from Seir;
He shone forth from Mount Paran,
And He came with ten thousands of saints;
From His right hand
Came a fiery law for them.
³Yes, He loves the people;
All His saints are in Your hand;
They sit down at Your feet;
Everyone receives Your words.
⁴Moses ^[a]commanded a law for us,
A heritage of the congregation of Jacob.
⁵And He was King in Jeshurun,
When the leaders of the people were gathered,
All the tribes of Israel together.

⁶“Let Reuben live, and not die,
Nor let his men be few.”

⁷And this he said of Judah:

“Hear, Lord, the voice of Judah,
And bring him to his people;
Let his hands be sufficient for him,
And may You be a help against his enemies.”

⁸And of Levi he said:

“Let Your ^[b]Thummim and Your Urim be with Your holy one,
Whom You tested at Massah,
And with whom You contended at the waters of Meribah,
⁹Who says of his father and mother,
‘I have not seen them’;
Nor did he acknowledge his brothers,
Or know his own children;
For they have observed Your word
And kept Your covenant.
¹⁰They shall teach Jacob Your judgments,
And Israel Your law.
They shall put incense before You,
And a whole burnt sacrifice on Your altar.
¹¹Bless his substance, Lord,
And accept the work of his hands;
Strike the loins of those who rise against him,
And of those who hate him, that they rise not again.”

¹²Of Benjamin he said:

“The beloved of the Lord shall dwell in safety by Him,
Who shelters him all the day long;
And he shall dwell between His shoulders.”

¹³And of Joseph he said:

“Blessed of the Lord is his land,
With the precious things of heaven, with the dew,
And the deep lying beneath,
¹⁴With the precious fruits of the sun,
With the precious produce of the months,
¹⁵With the best things of the ancient mountains,
With the precious things of the everlasting hills,
¹⁶With the precious things of the earth and its fullness,
And the favor of Him who dwelt in the bush.
Let the blessing come ‘on the head of Joseph,
And on the crown of the head of him who was separate from his brothers.’
¹⁷His glory is like a firstborn bull,
And his horns like the horns of the wild ox;
Together with them
He shall push the peoples
To the ends of the earth;
They are the ten thousands of Ephraim,
And they are the thousands of Manasseh.”

¹⁸And of Zebulun he said:

“Rejoice, Zebulun, in your going out,
And Issachar in your tents!
¹⁹They shall call the peoples to the mountain;
There they shall offer sacrifices of righteousness;
For they shall partake of the abundance of the seas
And of treasures hidden in the sand.”

²⁰And of Gad he said:

“Blessed is he who enlarges Gad;
He dwells as a lion,
And tears the arm and the crown of his head.
²¹He provided the first part for himself,
Because a lawgiver’s portion was reserved there.
He came with the heads of the people;
He administered the justice of the Lord,
And His judgments with Israel.”

²²And of Dan he said:

“Dan is a lion’s whelp;
He shall leap from Bashan.”

²³And of Naphtali he said:

“O Naphtali, satisfied with favor,
And full of the blessing of the Lord,
Possess the west and the south.”

²⁴And of Asher he said:

“Asher is most blessed of sons;
Let him be favored by his brothers,
And let him dip his foot in oil.
²⁵Your sandals shall be iron and bronze;
As your days, so shall your strength be.

²⁶“There is no one like the God of Jeshurun,
Who rides the heavens to help you,
And in His excellency on the clouds.
²⁷The eternal God is your refuge,
And underneath are the everlasting arms;
He will thrust out the enemy from before you,
And will say, ‘Destroy!’
²⁸Then Israel shall dwell in safety,
The fountain of Jacob alone,
In a land of grain and new wine;
His heavens shall also drop dew.
²⁹Happy are you, O Israel!
Who is like you, a people saved by the Lord,
The shield of your help
And the sword of your majesty!
Your enemies shall submit to you,
And you shall tread down their ^[c]high places.”

Moses Dies on Mount Nebo

34 Then Moses went up from the plains of Moab to Mount Nebo, to the top of Pisgah, which is across from Jericho. And the Lord showed him all the land of Gilead as far as Dan, ²all Naphtali and the land of Ephraim and Manasseh, all the land of Judah as far as the ^[d]Western Sea, ³the South, and the plain of the Valley of Jericho, the city of palm trees, as far as Zoar. ⁴Then the Lord said to him, “This is the land of which I swore to give Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, saying, ‘I will give it to your descendants.’ I have caused you to see it with your eyes, but you shall not cross over there.”

⁵So Moses the servant of the Lord died there in the land of Moab, according to the word of the Lord. ⁶And He buried him in a valley in the land of Moab, opposite Beth Peor; but no one knows his grave to this day. ⁷Moses was one hundred and twenty years old when he died. His ^[e]eyes were not dim nor his natural vigor ^[f]diminished. ⁸And the children of Israel wept for Moses in the plains of Moab thirty days. So the days of weeping and mourning for Moses ended.

⁹Now Joshua the son of Nun was full of the spirit of wisdom, for Moses had laid his hands on him; so the children of Israel heeded him, and did as the Lord had commanded Moses.

¹⁰But since then there has not arisen in Israel a prophet like Moses, whom the Lord knew face to face, ¹¹in all the signs and wonders which the Lord sent him to do in the land of Egypt, before Pharaoh, before all his servants, and in all his land, ¹²and by all that mighty power and all the great terror which Moses performed in the sight of all Israel.

Footnotes

Deuteronomy 33:4 charged us with
Deuteronomy 33:8 Lit. Perfections and Your Lights
Deuteronomy 33:29 Places for pagan worship
Deuteronomy 34:2 Mediterranean
Deuteronomy 34:7 eyesight was not weakened
Deuteronomy 34:7 reduced

Psalm 91

Safety of Abiding in the Presence of God

91 He who dwells in the secret place of the Most High
Shall abide under the shadow of the Almighty.
²I will say of the Lord, “He is my refuge and my fortress;
My God, in Him I will trust.”

³Surely He shall deliver you from the snare of the ^[a]fowler
And from the perilous pestilence.
⁴He shall cover you with His feathers,
And under His wings you shall take refuge;
His truth shall be your shield and ^[b]buckler.
⁵You shall not be afraid of the terror by night,
Nor of the arrow that flies by day,
⁶Nor of the pestilence that walks in darkness,
Nor of the destruction that lays waste at noonday.

⁷A thousand may fall at your side,
And ten thousand at your right hand;
But it shall not come near you.
⁸Only with your eyes shall you look,
And see the reward of the wicked.

⁹Because you have made the Lord, who is my refuge,
Even the Most High, your dwelling place,
¹⁰No evil shall befall you,
Nor shall any plague come near your dwelling;
¹¹For He shall give His angels charge over you,
To keep you in all your ways.
¹²In their hands they shall ^[c]bear you up,
Lest you ^[d]dash your foot against a stone.
¹³You shall tread upon the lion and the cobra,
The young lion and the serpent you shall trample underfoot.

¹⁴“Because he has set his love upon Me, therefore I will deliver him;
I will ^[e]set him on high, because he has known My name.
¹⁵He shall call upon Me, and I will answer him;
I will be with him in trouble;
I will deliver him and honor him.
¹⁶With ^[f]long life I will satisfy him,
And show him My salvation.”

Footnotes

Psalm 91:3 One who catches birds in a trap or snare
Psalm 91:4 A small shield
Psalm 91:12 lift
Psalm 91:12 strike
Psalm 91:14 exalt him
Psalm 91:16 Lit. length of days