This is the inheritance Moses had given when he was in the plains of Moab across the Jordan east of Jericho. But to the tribe of Levi, Moses had given no inheritance; the LORD, the God of Israel, is their inheritance, as he promised them. - Joshua 13:32 NIV
The tribe of Levi, the priests and all of those set aside to take care of the tabernacle and the worship of the Lord, received no inheritance. God, the Lord God of Israel was to be their only inheritance. They were provided for, but owned nothing. They were caretakers and were dependent on their own caretaker. If, under the new covenant, our body is the temple and we are the priests, should we be content with the same thing?
Friday, April 20, 2012
Thursday, April 19, 2012
Joshua 8-14: If God is for Us
Then Joshua summoned the Gibeonites and said, “Why did you deceive us by saying, ‘We live a long way from you,’ while actually you live near us? 23 You are now under a curse: You will never be released from service as woodcutters and water carriers for the house of my God.”
They answered Joshua, “Your servants were clearly told how the LORD your God had commanded his servant Moses to give you the whole land and to wipe out all its inhabitants from before you. So we feared for our lives because of you, and that is why we did this. We are now in your hands. Do to us whatever seems good and right to you.” - Joshua 9:22-25 NIV
There were a lot of different kings and cities in the land which God gave to the children of Israel. Of them all, only the Gibeonites recognized that the power of God was behind Israel and all of their conquests. They realized that God had given the Israelites the land and there was nothing they could do to prevent it from happening. Their only chance for survival was to fall on the mercy of the Israelites and their God.
The other kings thought that if they banded together, they could defeat Israel, but they were wrong, very wrong. Even when they left their people to fend for themselves and huddled together in a cave, they were found and met the same untimely end as the people they left behind, and the one that God intended.
It didn't matter then how powerful they were, and it doesn't matter now. It's a simple matter of "If God be for us, who can be against us." The only requirement is that we hear the voice of the Lord and follow his direction.
Wednesday, April 18, 2012
Joshua 5-8: Do Words Really Matter?
But Joshua had commanded the army, “Do not give a war cry, do not raise your voices, do not say a word until the day I tell you to shout. Then shout!” So he had the ark of the LORD carried around the city, circling it once. Then the army returned to camp and spent the night there. - Joshua 6:10 NIV
The Battle of Jericho was not a war of words. In fact, for the first six days, they were completely silent. Not only were they silent, but they were recently circumcised, they had celebrated Passover and the manna had stopped. One could guess they were still feeling the residual effects of all that had recently transpired, but that was of little consequence. The only thing that mattered was that God had sent his messenger once again. This time, the messenger was the 'Commander of the Army of the Lord'. The people did as he told them to do, they marched silently around Jericho for six days with only the sound of the trumpets. Then on the seventh day, when the trumpets blew they shouted and Jericho fell.
Such was not the case with the next city they tried to conquer. After Jericho, Ai looked like an easy target, but their was sin in their midst. One of the Israelites had been tempted by the plunder of Jericho and it affected all of their actions. They would not be successful until they gave back that which was devoted to God and God only.
I wonder, if the Commander of the Army of the Lord appeared in our midst today, what he would say. Perhaps, we should use less words and more soul searching if we want to be victorious.
The Battle of Jericho was not a war of words. In fact, for the first six days, they were completely silent. Not only were they silent, but they were recently circumcised, they had celebrated Passover and the manna had stopped. One could guess they were still feeling the residual effects of all that had recently transpired, but that was of little consequence. The only thing that mattered was that God had sent his messenger once again. This time, the messenger was the 'Commander of the Army of the Lord'. The people did as he told them to do, they marched silently around Jericho for six days with only the sound of the trumpets. Then on the seventh day, when the trumpets blew they shouted and Jericho fell.
Such was not the case with the next city they tried to conquer. After Jericho, Ai looked like an easy target, but their was sin in their midst. One of the Israelites had been tempted by the plunder of Jericho and it affected all of their actions. They would not be successful until they gave back that which was devoted to God and God only.
I wonder, if the Commander of the Army of the Lord appeared in our midst today, what he would say. Perhaps, we should use less words and more soul searching if we want to be victorious.
Saturday, April 14, 2012
Joshua 2-4: Melting in Fear
I have longed for the discipline of putting my thoughts down daily as I read through the Bible, but have procrastinated resuming this blog because I didn't know how to start again. I am not going to explain where I have been for the past few months, that would take too long and I'm not sure I have an explanation. It was a spiritual journey; I will leave it at that. Instead, I am going to take up where I would have been had I not taken a prolonged sabbatical.
They said to Joshua, “The LORD has surely given the whole land into our hands; all the people are melting in fear because of us.” - Joshua 2:24 NIV
It strikes me that even today, God's people are often more unaware of God's power than the outsiders looking on. Here is Israel, who wandered in the wilderness for forty years because they didn't believe God's promise and there are the citizens of Jericho who had observed the events from a distance and saw that the Israelites God was something to fear. It wasn't the Israelites that the people of Jericho feared, it was their God.
In this age of posturing and yelling, with everyone trying to make their position clear to the opposition, we would do well to remember that it's not our words or deeds that will be victorious. It's the works of God. Perhaps we need to listen to him more and to our critics less. After all, whether they admit it or not, they will melt in fear when they come face to face with God Almighty.
They said to Joshua, “The LORD has surely given the whole land into our hands; all the people are melting in fear because of us.” - Joshua 2:24 NIV
It strikes me that even today, God's people are often more unaware of God's power than the outsiders looking on. Here is Israel, who wandered in the wilderness for forty years because they didn't believe God's promise and there are the citizens of Jericho who had observed the events from a distance and saw that the Israelites God was something to fear. It wasn't the Israelites that the people of Jericho feared, it was their God.
In this age of posturing and yelling, with everyone trying to make their position clear to the opposition, we would do well to remember that it's not our words or deeds that will be victorious. It's the works of God. Perhaps we need to listen to him more and to our critics less. After all, whether they admit it or not, they will melt in fear when they come face to face with God Almighty.
Friday, April 6, 2012
Deuteronomy 16: Passover
Observe the month of Aviv and celebrate the Passover of the LORD your God, because in the month of Aviv he brought you out of Egypt by night. Sacrifice as the Passover to the LORD your God an animal from your flock or herd at the place the LORD will choose as a dwelling for his Name. Do not eat it with bread made with yeast, but for seven days eat unleavened bread, the bread of affliction, because you left Egypt in haste—so that all the days of your life you may remember the time of your departure from Egypt. Let no yeast be found in your possession in all your land for seven days. Do not let any of the meat you sacrifice on the evening of the first day remain until morning. You must not sacrifice the Passover in any town the LORD your God gives you except in the place he will choose as a dwelling for his Name. There you must sacrifice the Passover in the evening, when the sun goes down, on the anniversary of your departure from Egypt. Roast it and eat it at the place the LORD your God will choose. Then in the morning return to your tents. For six days eat unleavened bread and on the seventh day hold an assembly to the LORD your God and do no work. - Deut. 16:1-8 NIV
It has been three months since I posted anything and I have not kept up as diligently with my devotional reading as when I was writing every day. It's fitting, however, that my reading today brings me to this portion of scripture where the laws for celebration of the various feasts were laid down. The first one mentioned is Passover. Passover, where they were commanded to do away with any sort of levening for seven days so that they would remember their suffering. It was a death of sorts, they were not permitted anything that would rise as a remembrance of the price that was paid for their passage out of Egypt.
Passover begins this evening and so does our remembrance of the price that was paid for our passage out of bondage. A sacrifice always has to be made. Perhaps instead of all the new frocks, the colorful baskets, the Easter eggs, all of the frivolity this holiday has become, we should be taking up unleavened bread. Perhaps we should let go of anything that makes us want to rise up and instead ponder the sacrifice that was paid.
It has been three months since I posted anything and I have not kept up as diligently with my devotional reading as when I was writing every day. It's fitting, however, that my reading today brings me to this portion of scripture where the laws for celebration of the various feasts were laid down. The first one mentioned is Passover. Passover, where they were commanded to do away with any sort of levening for seven days so that they would remember their suffering. It was a death of sorts, they were not permitted anything that would rise as a remembrance of the price that was paid for their passage out of Egypt.
Passover begins this evening and so does our remembrance of the price that was paid for our passage out of bondage. A sacrifice always has to be made. Perhaps instead of all the new frocks, the colorful baskets, the Easter eggs, all of the frivolity this holiday has become, we should be taking up unleavened bread. Perhaps we should let go of anything that makes us want to rise up and instead ponder the sacrifice that was paid.
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