THE CHRISTIAN WALK

SUBJECT YOURSELF TO GOD

Fri, 10 Oct 2008 20:12:02 GMT

Can I pray for you in any way? Send any prayer requests to faithhopegodlove@aol.com In Christ, Mark

The scriptures. May God bless the reading of His holy word.

Once again the Israelites did evil in the eyes of the Lord, and because they did this evil the Lord gave Eglon, king of Moab, power over Israel. Getting the Ammonites and Amalekites to join him, Eglon came and attacked Israel, and they took possession of the City of Palms. The Israelites were subject to Eglon king of Moab for eighteen years.

Again the Israelites cried out to the Lord, and he gave them a deliverer — Ehud, a left-handed man, the son of Gera the Benjamite. The Israelites sent him with tribute to Eglon king of Moab. Now Ehud had made a double-edged sword about a foot and a half long, which he strapped to his right thigh under his clothing. He presented the tribute to Eglon king of Moab, who was a very fat man. After Ehud had presented the tribute, he sent on their way the men who had carried it. At the idols near Gilgal he himself turned back and said, "I have a secret message for you, O king."

The king said, "Quiet!" And all his attendants left him.

Ehud then approached him while he was sitting alone in the upper room of his summer palace and said, "I have a message from God for you." As the king rose from his seat, Ehud reached with his left hand, drew the sword from his right thigh and plunged it into the king's belly. Even the handle sank in after the blade, which came out his back. Ehud did not pull the sword out, and the fat closed in over it. Then Ehud went out to the porch; he shut the doors of the upper room behind him and locked them.

After he had gone, the servants came and found the doors of the upper room locked. They said, "He must be relieving himself in the inner room of the house." They waited to the point of embarrassment, but when he did not open the doors of the room, they took a key and unlocked them. There they saw their lord fallen to the floor, dead.

While they waited, Ehud got away. He passed by the idols and escaped to Seirah. When he arrived there, he blew a trumpet in the hill country of Ephraim, and the Israelites went down with him from the hills, with him leading them.

"Follow me," he ordered, "for the Lord has given Moab, your enemy, into your hands." So they followed him down and, taking possession of the fords of the Jordan that led to Moab, they allowed no one to cross over. At that time they struck down about ten thousand Moabites, all vigorous and strong; not a man escaped. That day Moab was made subject to Israel, and the land had peace for eighty years.

After Ehud came Shamgar son of Anath, who struck down six hundred Philistines with an oxgoad. He too saved Israel.

Judges 3:12-31

This ends this reading from God's holy word. Thanks be to God.

Earlier in Chapter 3, we studied about Othniel, the man who was selected by God to be Israel’s first judge…the deliverer who rescued them from the hands of Cushan-Rishathaim, king of Aram, after the Lord had given the king into his hands. Israel would enjoy 40 years of peace but unfortunately not learn from their past errors.

For after Othniel died, scripture tells us Israel "once again…did evil in the eyes of the Lord" and once again the Lord punished them giving "Eglon, king of Moab" power over them. King Eglon enlisted "the Ammonites and Amalekites to join him" before attacking Israel and taking "possession of the City of Palms" better known as Jericho. Israel, who had endured eight years of hardship under Cushan-Rishathaim prior, now saw their penalty significantly longer as they were "subject to Eglon, king of Moab, for eighteen years".

In the midst of the eighteenth year, Israel had once again had enough. And so they went back to what worked before, crying out to the Lord and seeing Him answer again with another deliverer. This time it was a "left-handed man" named Ehud who was the "the son of Gera the Benjamite".

We read where it was around the time for Israel to bring the king their annual tribute so Ehud accompanied the Israelites to meet with Eglon, carrying with him a "double-edged sword about a foot and a half long" which he had made and "strapped to his right thigh under his clothing". After presenting the tribute to Eglon, described as a "very fat man", Ehud sent the rest of the Israelites on their was and followed them to "the idols near Gilgal" where he turned back toward the king and exclaimed, "I have a secret message for you, O king."

Knowing that the Israelites were a people who served a powerful God, King Eglon was anxious to hear the divine message Ehud was about to deliver to him. So he ordered everyone to be quiet before dismissing "all his attendants". Now alone with Eglon, Ehud "approached him while he was sitting alone in the upper room of his summer palace" and said, "I have a message from God for you." And "as the king rose from his seat" to receive what he thought would be a divine message, Ehud instead surprised him and "reached with his left hand", drawing the "sword from his right thigh" and plunging it "into the king's belly" so far that the "handle sank in after the blade which came out his back". As a testimony to just how obese Eglon was, scripture tells us that "Ehud did not pull the sword out and the fat closed in over it". Leaving Eglon for dead, "Ehud went out to the porch…shut the doors of the upper room behind him and locked them". He escaped as Eglon’s servants were unable to discover his death because "the doors of the upper room" were locked. Not wanting to disturb their king, they "waited to the point of embarrassment" before getting a key, unlocking the door and finding "their lord fallen to the floor, dead".

In the meantime, Ehud "passed by the idols" before arriving in Seirah where he "blew a trumpet in the hill country of Ephraim" and assembled the Israelites for battle with Moab. He told his forces, "Follow me for the Lord has given Moab, your enemy, into your hands." And Israel obeyed Ehud, following him and "taking possession of the fords of the Jordan that led to Moab" where they "allowed no one to cross over". Israel "struck down about ten thousand Moabites…not allowing a single man to escape and initiating a classic role reversal with Moab now subject to them. The Lord’s blessing of victory through the leadership of the second appointed judge, Ehud, resulted in Israel enjoying "peace for eighty years".

Chapter 3 concludes with brief mention of Israel’s third judge, Shamgar, who delivered Israel from the Philistines by striking down 600 men with an oxgoad, a long spiked stick used to drive oxen.

Our passage today touches on the matter of being subjected. As Israel disobeyed the Lord, they angered Him and were made subject to King Eglon of Moab for eighteen years.

So what did being subject to Eglon mean?

The dictionary gives us the following definition for the verb "subject":

1: to bring under control or dominion. 2: to make (as oneself) amenable tothe discipline and control of a superior. 3: to cause or force to undergo or endure something unpleasant, inconvenient, or trying.

In other words, God was turning over His people to another authority, subjecting them to human authority…authority that was far from holy and righteous in nature. No…Israel was at the hands of their earthly ruler and subject to their discipline and control. And as a result, they suffered as they endured trying times that were often unpleasant.

Of course, it didn’t have to be that way. All Israel had to do is obey God and His commands and expectations. But since Israel acted as if following God’s stringent guidelines was too hard for them then God allowed them to fall under the rule of someone else…just to show them how truly good they had it with God on their side. It was if God was saying to Israel, "If you think it’s hard living with Me, try living without Me and see how hard it is."

The same applies today. People too often decide that they want to control their lives vice have to follow what God expects them to do. So God allows them to try and go it on their own without Him until they find themselves oppressed by some life circumstance or circumstances. And when they find out what God already knew…that they can’t make it without Him…then they, like Israel, cry out to Him for rescue and God eventually sends them deliverance from their hardship.

Of course, it didn’t have to be that way. All we have to do is obey God and His commands and expectations. But since we act as if following God’s stringent guidelines is too hard for us then God allowed us to take control and try to manage things alone…just to show us how truly good we had it with God on our side. And we can almost hear God sending a subliminal message to us just as He did Israel saying, "If you think it’s hard living with Me, try living without Me and see how hard it is."

Friends, God doesn’t want us to go through hardship but He equally doesn’t want us to live in disobedience. He wants us to make the right choice…to choose Him and His will every single time we need to choose, subjecting ourselves to His will in every situation we find ourselves in. For when we do this, we will find ourselves not only in His favor but living fully in righteousness, joy and peace. Amen.

In Christ,

Mark

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HOLY DELIVERANCE

Thu, 09 Oct 2008 22:46:04 GMT

Can I pray for you in any way? Send any prayer requests to faithhopegodlove@aol.com In Christ, Mark

The scriptures. May God bless the reading of His holy word.

The Israelites did evil in the eyes of the Lord; they forgot the Lord their God and served the Baals and the Asherahs. The anger of the Lord burned against Israel so that he sold them into the hands of Cushan-Rishathaim king of Aram Naharaim, to whom the Israelites were subject for eight years. But when they cried out to the Lord, He raised up for them a deliverer, Othniel son of Kenaz, Caleb's younger brother, who saved them. The Spirit of the Lord came upon him, so that he became Israel's judge and went to war. The Lord gave Cushan-Rishathaim king of Aram into the hands of Othniel, who overpowered him. So the land had peace for forty years, until Othniel son of Kenaz died.

Judges 3:7-11

This ends this reading from God's holy word. Thanks be to God.

This book of the bible is called Judges, named for the leaders appointed by God to save Israel after their sinfulness led the Lord to hand them over to oppressors and plunderers. In today’s passage, we meet the first judge, Othniel.

You’ll recall Othniel was Caleb’s brother and Caleb was a part of the group of spies who crossed into Canaan the first time Israel was on the brink of entering the Promised Land. Upon returning from the scouting mission, Joshua and Caleb were the only ones who stood confident that the Lord would be with Israel despite the opposition that awaited them. You’ll remember that the rest of the spies convinced the people that the way ahead was too dangerous and the enemies too formidable. So the people rebelled against the Lord and His will and in return, He refused to allow them to enter Canaan. Instead, they were made to wander the desert for 40 years. Still, God never forgot Caleb’s faithfulness and once Israel, led by Joshua, did cross the Jordan and conquer the land, Caleb was given "a portion in Judah — Kiriath Arba"…better known as Hebron.

After defeating the "three Anakites — Sheshai, Ahiman and Talmai", Caleb led his men to Debir, also known as Kiriath Sepher where he said, "I will give my daughter Acsah in marriage to the man who attacks and captures Kiriath Sepher." And this is where we meet Othniel for the first time. For scripture tells us that "Othniel son of Kenaz, Caleb's brother" defeated Kiriath Sepher and thus "Caleb gave his daughter Acsah to him in marriage". (Joshua 15:13-17) We don’t hear from Othniel again until our passage today in Judges but one can only assume that he was a faithful, trusted servant for the Lord because He raised up Othniel as a deliverer for Israel.

Why did Israel need a deliverer? Because they "did evil in the eyes of the Lord", forgetting Him and serving false gods such as Baal and Asherah. This angered God so much that "He sold them into the hands of Cushan-Rishathaim king of Aram Naharaim" who kept Israel in oppression for eight years, leading to Israel crying out to the Lord for relief. And the Lord sent relief in the form of Othniel who saved them after the "Spirit of the Lord came upon him" and "gave Cushan –Rishathaim, king of Aram, into his hands. Through the Lord’s power, Othniel overpowered Israel’s oppressor, bringing peace to the land for forty years at which time Othniel died.

I got thinking about this period in the history of Israel and couldn’t help but wonder what Israel’s plight might have been if they hadn’t received a deliverer. My guess is that they would have remained in a state of perpetual hardship and oppression, suffering greatly with little or no hope for escape or rescue.

This wasn’t the first time that Israel had been in this position. You’ll recall their time in Egypt under Pharoah. It was a terrible plight for Israel with no end in sight until Moses came along…a man appointed by God to lead His people out of oppression and into freedom. Moses became Israel’s deliverer then. Othniel was there deliverer in today’s passage. And there was yet to come an even greater deliverer for God’s people…and He still delivers even today. His name is Jesus.

For Israel’s problems were deeper than being under an oppressor. I say this because it was sin that got Israel into oppression in the first place. Either unable or unwilling to stand firm against temptation, Israel decided to worship other gods, showing their total lack of faith and allegiance to the one true God…the maker of heaven and earth. It was this oppressor, sin, that Israel needed rescued from or else they would be destined to continue to repeat the same mistakes over and over and over. And this is just what happened throughout the entire Old Testament, Israel choosing disobedience over obedience and finding themselves needing deliverance over and over again.

Something needed to change. God had told Israel time and time again about how He expected them to live but they failed to listen. And so in the New Testament, He decided to send His Son Jesus…perfect like He was in every way…to walk among the people and not only tell them how to live but show them as well. He taught them to pray to the Lord asking Him to not lead them into temptation but deliver them from the evil one. (Matthew 6:13) And then He became a deliverer for all mankind…past, present and future…when He gave His life on the cross. You see the only way we could be rescued from sin was if God would send someone to free us from it…a holy deliverer powerful enough to ensure victory.

And so just as Israel was freed from the hands of Cushan-Rishathaim king of Aram Naharaim by their deliverer Othniel and led into freedom and peace so too are we freed from the hands of sin by Jesus Christ and led into the freedom and peace of knowing that sin has no power over us as long as we keep His Holy Spirit within us.

Question: Do you know Jesus Christ, your deliverer? Do you understand the price He paid on the cross so that you might be rescued from sin and set free to live and love and learn under the guidance of His Holy Spirit? Do you invite His Holy Spirit into your heart every second of every minute of every hour of every day?

Friends, we have good news today, even in the midst of what might seem to be an evil world we live in. We have a deliverer! Alleluia! We have freedom from sin’s bondage! Alleluia! And we have salvation through the One who not only delivered us from sin but also gave us victory over death. All we need to do is believe and trust in Him…Jesus Christ…our precious Savior, Redeemer and Friend. Amen.

In Christ,

Mark

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TURN TO GOD AND GOD ALONE

Wed, 08 Oct 2008 23:31:49 GMT

Can I pray for you in any way? Send any prayer requests to faithhopegodlove@aol.com In Christ, Mark

The scriptures. May God bless the reading of His holy word.

Then the Lord raised up judges, who saved them out of the hands of these raiders. Yet they would not listen to their judges but prostituted themselves to other gods and worshiped them. Unlike their fathers, they quickly turned from the way in which their fathers had walked, the way of obedience to the Lord's commands. Whenever the Lord raised up a judge for them, He was with the judge and saved them out of the hands of their enemies as long as the judge lived; for the Lord had compassion on them as they groaned under those who oppressed and afflicted them.

But when the judge died, the people returned to ways even more corrupt than those of their fathers, following other gods and serving and worshiping them. They refused to give up their evil practices and stubborn ways.

Therefore the Lord was very angry with Israel and said, "Because this nation has violated the covenant that I laid down for their forefathers and has not listened to me, I will no longer drive out before them any of the nations Joshua left when he died. I will use them to test Israel and see whether they will keep the way of the Lord and walk in it as their forefathers did." The Lord had allowed those nations to remain; He did not drive them out at once by giving them into the hands of Joshua.

These are the nations the Lord left to test all those Israelites who had not experienced any of the wars in Canaan (he did this only to teach warfare to the descendants of the Israelites who had not had previous battle experience): the five rulers of the Philistines, all the Canaanites, the Sidonians, and the Hivites living in the Lebanon mountains from Mount Baal Hermon to Lebo Hamath. They were left to test the Israelites to see whether they would obey the Lord's commands, which he had given their forefathers through Moses.

The Israelites lived among the Canaanites, Hittites, Amorites, Perizzites, Hivites and Jebusites. They took their daughters in marriage and gave their own daughters to their sons, and served their gods.

Judges 2:16-23, 3:1-6

This ends this reading from God's holy word. Thanks be to God.

When Israel needed someone to deliver them from the oppression of the Egyptians, the Lord selected Moses and partnered with him to lead the Israelites to the brink of the Promised Land. Before Moses died, the Lord selected Joshua to lead Israel across the Jordan River and into battle, partnering with him to lead Israel into victory against their adversaries so they could take custody of the land He was giving them. Once the fighting was nearly over and the land was divided amongst the twelve tribes, Joshua too died. So who would next lead Israel? Or did Israel not need a leader now that they were settled into their respective cities and territories?

Our scripture from Judges, chapter 2, answers both of these questions.

First, we read where "the Lord raised up judges, who saved Israel from their oppressors. Once appointed, these judges would govern Israel as God’s appointed leaders…just as Moses and Joshua had been appointed before them. In fact, Israel would be ruled by judges from this point forward until Israel decides they would rather have a king and get what they ask for in their first king, King Saul. So the answer to who would lead Israel next is the judges.

Secondly, we read where Israel was a stubborn, obstinate, people who could never seem to attain any semblance of spiritual integrity, instead deciding to consistently fail in the area of obedience. Scripture tells us that when a judge would die, "the people returned to ways even more corrupt than those of their fathers"...following "other gods and serving and worshiping them" while refusing to "give up their evil practices and stubborn ways".

But Israel’s sinful behavior was not just limited to when the judge died. No, our passage tells us that "even when the judges were in charge, Israel refused "to listen…and "prostituted themselves to other gods and worshiped them". They "turned from the way in which their fathers had walked" which was "the way of obedience to the Lord's commands".

So did Israel really need a judge? The answer has to be a resounding Yes! For Israel needed spiritual leadership from someone who was well versed in God’s ways…someone who could be the voice of the Lord to the people. And we know the judge could be just that for the Lord was always with him…with Him to save him "out of the hands of their enemies as long as the judge lived."And he did so because He had "compassion on them as they groaned under those who oppressed and afflicted them".

Well as you can bet, the Lord wasn’t very pleased with His people. In anger, He told them, "Because this nation has violated the covenant that I laid down for their forefathers and has not listened to me, I will no longer drive out before them any of the nations Joshua left when he died. I will use them to test Israel and see whether they will keep the way of the Lord and walk in it as their forefathers did." And so, the Lord "allowed…nations to remain" and "did not drive them out". Those nations included:

"…the five rulers of the Philistines, all the Canaanites, the Sidonians, and the Hivites living in the Lebanon mountains from Mount Baal Hermon to Lebo Hamath".

Scripture explains that these nations were left by the Lord to "test the Israelites to see whether they would obey the Lord's commands" and they failed miserably. We know this because Israel "lived among the Canaanites, Hittites, Amorites, Perizzites, Hivites and Jebusites", taking "their daughters in marriage" and giving "their own daughters to their sons" while serving "their gods".

Israel had been warned that allowing survivors during their conquest of Canaan would result in them being adversely assimilated into sinful Canaanite worship practices (i.e. worshipping foreign gods). God could see the danger ahead well before anyone else but Israel failed to heed His warning…and found themselves out of God’s favor as a result.

This left me pondering the world we live in. After all, it isn’t like God has taken away anything that might adversely influence us either. Far from it. We are surrounded by sinners and sinful behaviors and practices. There is always a constant temptation to turn from God’s commands, expectations and will to adopt the ways of the world…ways that would serve to do nothing but lead us down the road of destruction and out of favor with God…just as Israel did.

So how do we withstand the constant urges that would entice us to abandon God’s way for the ways of sin? The bad news is that we can’t if we turn from God because it’s Him and Him alone who can provide us with the strength to stand against Satan and his tempting ways. Don’t try to fight sin on your own because you will fail and fail miserably. Instead, turn to God at all times and in all situations. He will never guide you wrong…He will always protect you…and in Him, you can be assured you are living a life that is pleasing in His eyes. And friends, there is no better life for us…no other life that God desires…than that. Amen.

In Christ,

Mark

PS: Please share this with anyone you feel might be blessed by it.

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THE COST OF LOSING A GENERATION

Wed, 08 Oct 2008 00:07:25 GMT

Can I pray for you in any way? Send any prayer requests to faithhopegodlove@aol.com In Christ, Mark

The scriptures. May God bless the reading of His holy word.

After the death of Joshua, the Israelites asked the Lord, "Who will be the first to go up and fight for us against the Canaanites?"

The Lord answered, "Judah is to go; I have given the land into their hands."

Then the men of Judah said to the Simeonites their brothers, "Come up with us into the territory allotted to us, to fight against the Canaanites. We in turn will go with you into yours." So the Simeonites went with them.

When Judah attacked, the Lord gave the Canaanites and Perizzites into their hands and they struck down ten thousand men at Bezek. It was there that they found Adoni-Bezek and fought against him, putting to rout the Canaanites and Perizzites. Adoni-Bezek fled, but they chased him and caught him, and cut off his thumbs and big toes.

Then Adoni-Bezek said, "Seventy kings with their thumbs and big toes cut off have picked up scraps under my table. Now God has paid me back for what I did to them." They brought him to Jerusalem, and he died there.

The men of Judah attacked Jerusalem also and took it. They put the city to the sword and set it on fire.

After that, the men of Judah went down to fight against the Canaanites living in the hill country, the Negev and the western foothills. They advanced against the Canaanites living in Hebron (formerly called Kiriath Arba) and defeated Sheshai, Ahiman and Talmai.

From there they advanced against the people living in Debir (formerly called Kiriath Sepher). And Caleb said, "I will give my daughter Acsah in marriage to the man who attacks and captures Kiriath Sepher." Othniel son of Kenaz, Caleb's younger brother, took it; so Caleb gave his daughter Acsah to him in marriage.

One day when she came to Othniel, she urged him to ask her father for a field. When she got off her donkey, Caleb asked her, "What can I do for you?"

She replied, "Do me a special favor. Since you have given me land in the Negev, give me also springs of water." Then Caleb gave her the upper and lower springs.

The descendants of Moses' father-in-law, the Kenite, went up from the City of Palms with the men of Judah to live among the people of the Desert of Judah in the Negev near Arad.

Then the men of Judah went with the Simeonites their brothers and attacked the Canaanites living in Zephath, and they totally destroyed the city. Therefore it was called Hormah. The men of Judah also took Gaza, Ashkelon and Ekron—each city with its territory.

The Lord was with the men of Judah. They took possession of the hill country, but they were unable to drive the people from the plains, because they had iron chariots. As Moses had promised, Hebron was given to Caleb, who drove from it the three sons of Anak. The Benjamites, however, failed to dislodge the Jebusites, who were living in Jerusalem; to this day the Jebusites live there with the Benjamites.

Now the house of Joseph attacked Bethel, and the Lord was with them. When they sent men to spy out Bethel (formerly called Luz), the spies saw a man coming out of the city and they said to him, "Show us how to get into the city and we will see that you are treated well." So he showed them, and they put the city to the sword but spared the man and his whole family. He then went to the land of the Hittites, where he built a city and called it Luz, which is its name to this day.

But Manasseh did not drive out the people of Beth Shan or Taanach or Dor or Ibleam or Megiddo and their surrounding settlements, for the Canaanites were determined to live in that land. When Israel became strong, they pressed the Canaanites into forced labor but never drove them out completely. Nor did Ephraim drive out the Canaanites living in Gezer, but the Canaanites continued to live there among them. Neither did Zebulun drive out the Canaanites living in Kitron or Nahalol, who remained among them; but they did subject them to forced labor. Nor did Asher drive out those living in Acco or Sidon or Ahlab or Aczib or Helbah or Aphek or Rehob, and because of this the people of Asher lived among the Canaanite inhabitants of the land. Neither did Naphtali drive out those living in Beth Shemesh or Beth Anath; but the Naphtalites too lived among the Canaanite inhabitants of the land, and those living in Beth Shemesh and Beth Anath became forced laborers for them. The Amorites confined the Danites to the hill country, not allowing them to come down into the plain. And the Amorites were determined also to hold out in Mount Heres, Aijalon and Shaalbim, but when the power of the house of Joseph increased, they too were pressed into forced labor. The boundary of the Amorites was from Scorpion Pass to Sela and beyond.

The angel of the Lord went up from Gilgal to Bokim and said, "I brought you up out of Egypt and led you into the land that I swore to give to your forefathers. I said, 'I will never break my covenant with you, and you shall not make a covenant with the people of this land, but you shall break down their altars.' Yet you have disobeyed me. Why have you done this? Now therefore I tell you that I will not drive them out before you; they will be thorns in your sides and their gods will be a snare to you."

When the angel of the Lord had spoken these things to all the Israelites, the people wept aloud, and they called that place Bokim. There they offered sacrifices to the Lord.

After Joshua had dismissed the Israelites, they went to take possession of the land, each to his own inheritance. The people served the Lord throughout the lifetime of Joshua and of the elders who outlived him and who had seen all the great things the Lord had done for Israel.

Joshua son of Nun, the servant of the Lord, died at the age of a hundred and ten. And they buried him in the land of his inheritance, at Timnath Heres in the hill country of Ephraim, north of Mount Gaash.

After that whole generation had been gathered to their fathers, another generation grew up, who knew neither the Lord nor what he had done for Israel. Then the Israelites did evil in the eyes of the Lord and served the Baals. They forsook the Lord, the God of their fathers, who had brought them out of Egypt. They followed and worshiped various gods of the peoples around them. They provoked the Lord to anger because they forsook him and served Baal and the Ashtoreths. In his anger against Israel, the Lord handed them over to raiders who plundered them. He sold them to their enemies all around, whom they were no longer able to resist. Whenever Israel went out to fight, the hand of the Lord was against them to defeat them, just as he had sworn to them. They were in great distress.

Judges 1, 2:1-15

This ends this reading from God's holy word. Thanks be to God.

After Joshua’s death, we see where there is some unfinished business for Israel as there were still some Canaanites living in the land. The Tribes of Judah is selected to go into battle and the tribe of Simeon is asked to join in. We read where the Lord gives "the Canaanites and Perizzites into their hands" as the Israelite forces "struck down ten thousand men at Bezek". During the fighting, the enemy king, Adoni-Bezek, "fled, but (the forces) chased him…caught him, and cut off his thumbs and big toes". Why? Adoni-Bezek offered the answer when he said, "Seventy kings with their thumbs and big toes cut off have picked up scraps under my table. Now God has paid me back for what I did to them." Adoni-Bezek’s crippling fate was the same as he had inflicted on many other kings. Scripture tells is that he was taken to Jerusalem where he died before the "men of Judah attacked Jerusalem…and took it", putting "the city to the sword" and setting it on fire.

After Bezek and Jerusalem, "the men of Judah went down to fight against the Canaanites living in the hill country, the Negev and the western foothills", advancing "against the Canaanites living in Hebron (formerly called Kiriath Arba)" and defeating "Sheshai, Ahiman and Talmai" before going against "the people living in Debir (formerly called Kiriath Sepher)". After this series of victories, "the men of Judah" joined up with the "descendants of Moses' father-in-law, the Kenite" who "went up from the City of Palms…to live among the people of the Desert of Judah in the Negev near Arad".

We see where it was back to war for the men of Judah and Simeon as they "attacked the Canaanites living in Zephath", totally destroying the city before also conquering "Gaza, Ashkelon and Ekron — each…with its territory". All along the way, "the Lord was with the men of Judah" who "took possession of the hill country, but…were unable to drive the people from the plains, because they had iron chariots’.

So not all Canaanites were removed from the Promised Land as God had commanded. In addition to Judah, our passage tells us that the tribes of Benjamin, Manasseh, Ephraim, Zebulun, Asher, and Naphtali also failed to completely get rid of them. This failure to comply with the Lord’s commands brought very serious consequences for the people of Israel as an "angel of the Lord" went up from Gilgal to Bokim to deliver the following message:

"I brought you up out of Egypt and led you into the land that I swore to give to your forefathers. I said, 'I will never break my covenant with you, and you shall not make a covenant with the people of this land, but you shall break down their altars.' Yet you have disobeyed me. Why have you done this? Now therefore I tell you that I will not drive them out before you; they will be thorns in your sides and their gods will be a snare to you."

The words from the angel brought great fear and distress to the Israelites who "wept aloud" and "offered sacrifices to the Lord".

Indeed, the remaining Canaanites would be a thorn in the side of Israel, consistently leading them into sinful living and disfavor with God. But something else happened that was as bad if not worse that the judgment passed.

For scripture tells us that "after that whole generation had been gathered to their fathers, another generation grew up, who knew neither the Lord nor what he had done for Israel". In other words, the Israelites not only ignored God’s command to have no other gods before Him but they also failed to teach their children about the rich heritage and history of their ancestors, ancestors who had been blessed so dearly by God. As a result, a whole generation lived that didn’t know the Lord. What a sad and dark time in the history of Israel that this must have been!

So how much better off are we today? How many children are being raised with NO knowledge of the Lord in their life and thus growing up with NO knowledge about what He has done? I think the numbers would be staggering and just as disturbing as they were back in the days of Israel. And the unfortunate consequences match up as well.

For we see where not knowing the Lord led the Israelites to do "evil in the eyes of the Lord", serving the false gods Baal (fertility god of the Canaanites) and Ashtoreth. The people of Israel forsake "the Lord, the God of their fathers", deciding to follow and worship "various gods of the peoples around them". Not surprisingly, their actions "provoked the Lord to anger" which led Him to hand them "over to raiders who plundered them" and sell them to "their enemies all around, whom they were no longer able to resist". The Lord’s hand went against Israel "whenever (they) went out to fight", leaving them "in great distress"

Back to present times. Do we not have a preponderance of evil in our world today? You need only read a newspaper or watch the news to know there is. So why is this happening? For the same reason it happened over 2,000 years ago…because people who don’t know the Lord are destined to do evil in His eyes. We can only have one master and we have two choices: the Lord or Satan. Each competes for our souls. We make the choice as to which wins out. And when that choice is Satan…stand by because consequence will not be too far behind and we, like Israel, will find ourselves left in great distress.

There is little doubt that we need to wake up and start to learn from the past. It’s time to turn the tide on the evil in the world and it starts by educating everyone from the youngest to the oldest on the ways of the Lord. EVERYONE should know Him…EVERYONE should know what He has done, what He is doing and what He is yet to do…and if both of these things happen, EVERYONE will begin to turn from evil and toward the righteous, holy living that comes when we are living for the Lord and Him alone. The time is now. We can’t afford to lose even one more generation.

In Christ,

Mark

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YIELD YOUR HEART…AND EVERYTHING ELSE TO GOD

Mon, 06 Oct 2008 22:49:48 GMT

Can I pray for you in any way? Send any prayer requests to faithhopegodlove@aol.com In Christ, Mark

The scriptures. May God bless the reading of His holy word.

Then the people answered, "Far be it from us to forsake the Lord to serve other gods! It was the Lord our God himself who brought us and our fathers up out of Egypt, from that land of slavery, and performed those great signs before our eyes. He protected us on our entire journey and among all the nations through which we traveled. And the Lord drove out before us all the nations, including the Amorites, who lived in the land. We too will serve the Lord, because he is our God."

Joshua said to the people, "You are not able to serve the Lord. He is a holy God; he is a jealous God. He will not forgive your rebellion and your sins. If you forsake the Lord and serve foreign gods, he will turn and bring disaster on you and make an end of you, after he has been good to you."

But the people said to Joshua, "No! We will serve the Lord."

Then Joshua said, "You are witnesses against yourselves that you have chosen to serve the Lord."

"Yes, we are witnesses," they replied.

"Now then," said Joshua, "throw away the foreign gods that are among you and yield your hearts to the Lord, the God of Israel."

And the people said to Joshua, "We will serve the Lord our God and obey him."

On that day Joshua made a covenant for the people, and there at Shechem he drew up for them decrees and laws. And Joshua recorded these things in the Book of the Law of God. Then he took a large stone and set it up there under the oak near the holy place of the Lord.

"See!" he said to all the people. "This stone will be a witness against us. It has heard all the words the Lord has said to us. It will be a witness against you if you are untrue to your God."

Then Joshua sent the people away, each to his own inheritance.

After these things, Joshua son of Nun, the servant of the Lord, died at the age of a hundred and ten. And they buried him in the land of his inheritance, at Timnath Serah in the hill country of Ephraim, north of Mount Gaash.

Israel served the Lord throughout the lifetime of Joshua and of the elders who outlived him and who had experienced everything the Lord had done for Israel.

And Joseph's bones, which the Israelites had brought up from Egypt, were buried at Shechem in the tract of land that Jacob bought for a hundred pieces of silver from the sons of Hamor, the father of Shechem. This became the inheritance of Joseph's descendants.

And Eleazar son of Aaron died and was buried at Gibeah, which had been allotted to his son Phinehas in the hill country of Ephraim.

Joshua 24:16-33

This ends this reading from God's holy word. Thanks be to God.

As the Book of Joshua ends, it does so with the passing of Joshua. As leaders of Israel go, Joshua was about as good as they got, staying obedient and faithful to the Lord’s service while not only guiding Israel into Canaan but seeing them through the conquest of the land…a land that was their inheritance from God.

It was this God that Joshua spent his final moments exhorting and urging Israel to do likewise. You’ll recall how Joshua told Israel at the start of this chapter that they had a choice to make. They could decide to follow God or choose to follow any of a number of false gods. Indeed, they could choose to follow who they wanted to but Joshua left no doubt before his people as to who he was going to follow. For you’ll recall he said, "As for me and my household, we will serve the Lord." (verse 15)

Feeling challenged and maybe a bit obligated to openly confess their loyalty to God, we read where the Israelites told Joshua, "Far be it from us to forsake the Lord to serve other gods! It was the Lord our God himself who brought us and our fathers up out of Egypt, from that land of slavery, and performed those great signs before our eyes. He protected us on our entire journey and among all the nations through which we traveled. And the Lord drove out before us all the nations, including the Amorites, who lived in the land. We too will serve the Lord, because he is our God."

Joshua knew Israel’s ways all too well. This wouldn’t have been the first time they said they would do something only to just turn around and not make good on their word. So Joshua tested them with his reply saying, "You are not able to serve the Lord." In other words, you haven’t shown the consistent ability to follow God’s will and way, remaining obedient to His desires over your own.

I can’t help but wonder if Joshua’s words don’t resonate with many believers today as well. How often do we say we will serve God and follow His ways only to turn around and serve our own selfish desires instead? Sometimes I think God must just look down on us and shake His head in frustration and disappointment.

For God deserves better from us. In fact, God gives us His best so why is it so hard to give Him anything less than ours? Joshua’s further words tell Israel and us why God why God should be respected, revered and followed unconditionally. For God, Joshua say is a holy and jealous God. He commanded us to serve Him and Him alone. And He has shown He will not tolerate insubordination on our part, refusing to overlook rebellion and sins. When Israel forsake God by worshipping foreign gods, they saw disaster fall upon them. We shouldn’t expect to be any less disciplined by our Heavenly Father today if we so choose to go the same path that Israel too often chose…the path of destruction through willing sinful behavior.

Well, the people of Israel did not allow Joshua’s testing to deter them. They replied with certainty, "No! We will serve the Lord." And so Joshua, knowing he wouldn’t be around to remind them of what they had said on that day made all of Israel witnesses against themselves…witnesses to their promise to serve the Lord and the Lord alone. He then left them with a final challenge to "throw away the foreign gods that are among you and yield your hearts to the Lord, the God of Israel."

Yield your hearts to the Lord. Awesome powerful words spoken by Joshua to Israel and to us. For isn’t this really where the rubber meets the road in regard to faithful, obedient service?

Friends, the only way we can truly serve God fully in accordance with His will for us, is if we surrender our hearts to Him and not just some of our heart but all of it. After all, isn’t this at the center of the greatest commandment…the one given by Jesus when He was asked about it during His ministry? Remember what He said?

"Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength." Mark 12:30

In other words, love Him with all that you are…just as He loves you with all that He is.

Joshua died knowing he was committed fully to God as was his household. How about you? Where do you stand? Have you fully yielded your heart to the Lord? Do you love Him with all your heart and soul and mind and strength?

My prayer is that we all might renew our covenant with God this very day and commit to Him everything that we are. And when we do so, my hope is that we will exclaim the same words of Israel…"We will serve the Lord our God and obey him"…only in our case, really carry them out. God expects nothing less. Amen.

In Christ,

Mark

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LEAD BY EXAMPLE

Sun, 05 Oct 2008 18:49:18 GMT

Can I pray for you in any way? Send any prayer requests to faithhopegodlove@aol.com In Christ, Mark

The scriptures. May God bless the reading of His holy word.

Then Joshua assembled all the tribes of Israel at Shechem. He summoned the elders, leaders, judges and officials of Israel, and they presented themselves before God.

Joshua said to all the people, "This is what the Lord, the God of Israel, says: 'Long ago your forefathers, including Terah the father of Abraham and Nahor, lived beyond the River and worshiped other gods. But I took your father Abraham from the land beyond the River and led him throughout Canaan and gave him many descendants. I gave him Isaac, and to Isaac I gave Jacob and Esau. I assigned the hill country of Seir to Esau, but Jacob and his sons went down to Egypt.

" 'Then I sent Moses and Aaron, and I afflicted the Egyptians by what I did there, and I brought you out. When I brought your fathers out of Egypt, you came to the sea, and the Egyptians pursued them with chariots and horsemen as far as the Red Sea. But they cried to the Lord for help, and he put darkness between you and the Egyptians; he brought the sea over them and covered them. You saw with your own eyes what I did to the Egyptians. Then you lived in the desert for a long time.

" 'I brought you to the land of the Amorites who lived east of the Jordan. They fought against you, but I gave them into your hands. I destroyed them from before you, and you took possession of their land. When Balak son of Zippor, the king of Moab, prepared to fight against Israel, he sent for Balaam son of Beor to put a curse on you. But I would not listen to Balaam, so he blessed you again and again, and I delivered you out of his hand.

" 'Then you crossed the Jordan and came to Jericho. The citizens of Jericho fought against you, as did also the Amorites, Perizzites, Canaanites, Hittites, Girgashites, Hivites and Jebusites, but I gave them into your hands. I sent the hornet ahead of you, which drove them out before you—also the two Amorite kings. You did not do it with your own sword and bow. So I gave you a land on which you did not toil and cities you did not build; and you live in them and eat from vineyards and olive groves that you did not plant.'

"Now fear the Lord and serve him with all faithfulness. Throw away the gods your forefathers worshiped beyond the River and in Egypt, and serve the Lord. But if serving the Lord seems undesirable to you, then choose for yourselves this day whom you will serve, whether the gods your forefathers served beyond the River, or the gods of the Amorites, in whose land you are living. But as for me and my household, we will serve the Lord."

Joshua 24:1-15

This ends this reading from God's holy word. Thanks be to God.

As the final chapter of Joshua opens, we see Israel’s appointed leader assemble "all the tribes of Israel at Shechem", calling all "elders, leaders, judges and officials of Israel" who "presented themselves before God". It’s before this gathering that Joshua shares his last message from God…a message intending to remind Israel about what God had done for them and what He would expect from them in return. God’s message was as follows:

"Long ago your forefathers, including Terah the father of Abraham and Nahor, lived beyond the River and worshiped other gods. But I took your father Abraham from the land beyond the River and led him throughout Canaan and gave him many descendants. I gave him Isaac, and to Isaac I gave Jacob and Esau. I assigned the hill country of Seir to Esau, but Jacob and his sons went down to Egypt.

Then I sent Moses and Aaron, and I afflicted the Egyptians by what I did there, and I brought you out. When I brought your fathers out of Egypt, you came to the sea, and the Egyptians pursued them with chariots and horsemen as far as the Red Sea. But they cried to the Lord for help, and he put darkness between you and the Egyptians; he brought the sea over them and covered them. You saw with your own eyes what I did to the Egyptians. Then you lived in the desert for a long time.

I brought you to the land of the Amorites who lived east of the Jordan. They fought against you, but I gave them into your hands. I destroyed them from before you, and you took possession of their land. When Balak son of Zippor, the king of Moab, prepared to fight against Israel, he sent for Balaam son of Beor to put a curse on you. But I would not listen to Balaam, so he blessed you again and again, and I delivered you out of his hand.

Then you crossed the Jordan and came to Jericho. The citizens of Jericho fought against you, as did also the Amorites, Perizzites, Canaanites, Hittites, Girgashites, Hivites and Jebusites, but I gave them into your hands. I sent the hornet ahead of you, which drove them out before you—also the two Amorite kings. You did not do it with your own sword and bow. So I gave you a land on which you did not toil and cities you did not build; and you live in them and eat from vineyards and olive groves that you did not plant." (Joshua 24:2-13)

Indeed, God had done much for Israel to be where there were and have what they had. God didn’t want them to forget that their blessings had come from Him and Him only.

Joshua underscored God’s message with powerful words, particularly as they apply to following God. Let’s look at the major elements of what he said:

Fear the Lord.

The Lord deserved Israel’s full respect and honor for no other reason outside of Him being the Lord….the Lord who was always with them…the Lord who never went back on His promises. That the Lord had to demand Israel’s loyalty and obedience is amazing but it just goes to show that Israel didn’t fully grasp the awesome power of the Lord they served. For if they did, they wouldn’t have ever considered blatantly sinning against Him by worshipping other gods. They would have been too afraid of what He might do to them in response. Scripture later in the Psalms would add this important verse for all believers:

"The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom" Psalm 110.10

Truly, we all could stand to be a little wiser and respect the Lord out or respect for who He is and fear over the power He can wield over us if He so chooses.

Serve Him with all faithfulness.

Note that this doesn’t say to follow the Lord with just some of our faithfulness. No…we are to follow Him in complete, unfailing, unwavering faithfulness. Friends, we serve an almighty, all powerful Lord who never fails to keep His promises…a Lord who has shown time and time again how deeply committed and faithful He to each and every one of us. The least we can do is have more faith in Him than anything else in our lives. For it’s then and only then that we will be serving Him with ALL faithfulness.

Worship and serve God only.

Israel had a history of turning from God and worshipping other gods, a clear violations of His commands. Why? Because worshipping these gods would often support a sinful behavior that pleased the worshipper. These gods seemed less restrictive than the God of Israel and often appealed to ones own free will instead of God’s. Thus it was very tempting for people to turn from God…to follow the path of least resistance…the path that led them toward sin and away from righteousness. Truly, Israel had options before them and God wanted them to know He understood that. He also wanted them to understand which option He expected them to select.

Life’s about choices…make the right ones.

Joshua said to the Israelites, "But if serving the Lord seems undesirable to you, then choose for yourselves this day whom you will serve, whether the gods your forefathers served beyond the River, or the gods of the Amorites, in whose land you are living." God didn’t coerce His believers into following Him but rather commanded that they do it, leaving the choice of the matter up to each and every individual. God doesn’t want someone to follow Him simply because they have to. No! He wants someone to follow Him because they WANT to follow Him…because they DESIRE it more than anything else in life. For when we want to follow Him and desire to follow Him with all our heart, then our choice is easy…a true no-brainer. Friends, life is all about choices and the only way we can ensure we ALWAYS make the right ones is if we obediently and faithfully make the choice to follow the only One who will make sure we always choose right…the choice to follow God and God alone.

Lead by example.

Immediately after telling Israel that they had a choice to make as to whether they would follow the one and only God or any of the numerous false gods worshipped by nations outside of Israel, Joshua shows us one of the greatest attributes of a good leader. For he showed his commitment to lead by example. Listen to his words again:

"But as for me and my household, we will serve the Lord."

In other words, Joshua is saying in essence, "You can choose whatever you want to choose but I’ve got my mind made up. My family and I are serving God and God alone."

Imagine the impact this must have had on the Israelites. Joshua was a highly respected leader who Israel looked up to, especially given His special relationship with God…a relationship that modeled the one God had with Moses. So when Joshua spoke, Israel listened. And in him saying that He was going to follow God, I can’t help but think that a lot of Israelites decided to do likewise…following his lead. Good leaders lead by example. We need to keep this in mind as we step forward in ministry and service to others while representing the Lord.

So there they are…five important elements from some of the final words of Joshua…elements that were intended to help Israel succeed spiritually long after he had died….elements that can continue to help us this very day well over 2,000 years later. Just like Israel, we would be well served to follow Joshua’s wisdom and guidance for it will only help us develop a deeper, stronger faith relationship with our Father above. Amen.

In Christ,

Mark

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POINTS TO PONDER

Sat, 04 Oct 2008 14:53:58 GMT

Can I pray for you in any way? Send any prayer requests to faithhopegodlove@aol.com In Christ, Mark

The scriptures. May God bless the reading of His holy word.

After a long time had passed and the Lord had given Israel rest from all their enemies around them, Joshua, by then old and well advanced in years, summoned all Israel — their elders, leaders, judges and officials — and said to them: "I am old and well advanced in years. You yourselves have seen everything the Lord your God has done to all these nations for your sake; it was the Lord your God who fought for you. Remember how I have allotted as an inheritance for your tribes all the land of the nations that remain — the nations I conquered — between the Jordan and the Great Sea in the west. The Lord your God himself will drive them out of your way. He will push them out before you, and you will take possession of their land, as the Lord your God promised you.

"Be very strong; be careful to obey all that is written in the Book of the Law of Moses, without turning aside to the right or to the left. Do not associate with these nations that remain among you; do not invoke the names of their gods or swear by them. You must not serve them or bow down to them. But you are to hold fast to the Lord your God, as you have until now.

"The Lord has driven out before you great and powerful nations; to this day no one has been able to withstand you. One of you routs a thousand, because the Lord your God fights for you, just as he promised. So be very careful to love the Lord your God.

"But if you turn away and ally yourselves with the survivors of these nations that remain among you and if you intermarry with them and associate with them, then you may be sure that the Lord your God will no longer drive out these nations before you. Instead, they will become snares and traps for you, whips on your backs and thorns in your eyes, until you perish from this good land, which the Lord your God has given you.

"Now I am about to go the way of all the earth. You know with all your heart and soul that not one of all the good promises the Lord your God gave you has failed. Every promise has been fulfilled; not one has failed. But just as every good promise of the Lord your God has come true, so the Lord will bring on you all the evil he has threatened, until he has destroyed you from this good land He has given you. If you violate the covenant of the Lord your God, which he commanded you, and go and serve other gods and bow down to them, the Lord's anger will burn against you, and you will quickly perish from the good land he has given you."

Joshua 23

This ends this reading from God's holy word. Thanks be to God.

Before Moses died, Joshua was appointed as the new leader of Israel and tasked by God to "cross the Jordan River into the land" He was giving Israel. God promised Joshua He would "give (him) every place where (he) set (his) foot, as (He had) promised Moses". Israel’s territory would "extend from the desert to Lebanon, and from the great river, the Euphrates — all the Hittite country — to the Great Sea on the west" and no opposition would be able to "stand up against (Israel) all the days of (their lives)". Additionally, God told Joshua to, "Be careful to obey all the law my servant Moses gave you; do not turn from it to the right or to the left, that you may be successful wherever you go. Do not let this Book of the Law depart from your mouth; meditate on it day and night, so that you may be careful to do everything written in it. Then you will be prosperous and successful." (Joshua 1:1-5, 7-8)

Well, Joshua did all that God commanded. He took Israel across the Jordan and into the Promised Land. He was strong and courageous, confidently leading Israel to victory in every conflict because he knew that God had assured him that He would be there. He made sure Israel didn’t forget God’s laws, commandments and the expectations brought by both. And after all of Canaan had been defeated, Joshua presided over the division of the land between the twelve tribes of Israel. Indeed, Joshua had done a lot and did it all obedient to God’s will.

As Chapter 23 opens, we see where Joshua’s life is drawing to a close. He has run the good race and persevered through difficult, challenging times but knows that time is running out.

Scripture tells us that "a long time had passed" since "the Lord had given Israel rest from all their enemies around them" and this had left Joshua "old and well advanced in years". The leader of Israel, sensing his death was imminent, "summoned all Israel — their elders, leaders, judges and officials" and gave to them what would essentially be his farewell address saying:

"I am old and well advanced in years. You yourselves have seen everything the Lord your God has done to all these nations for your sake; it was the Lord your God who fought for you. Remember how I have allotted as an inheritance for your tribes all the land of the nations that remain — the nations I conquered — between the Jordan and the Great Sea in the west. The Lord your God himself will drive them out of your way. He will push them out before you, and you will take possession of their land, as the Lord your God promised you. Be very strong; be careful to obey all that is written in the Book of the Law of Moses, without turning aside to the right or to the left. Do not associate with these nations that remain among you; do not invoke the names of their gods or swear by them. You must not serve them or bow down to them. But you are to hold fast to the Lord your God, as you have until now. The Lord has driven out before you great and powerful nations; to this day no one has been able to withstand you. One of you routs a thousand, because the Lord your God fights for you, just as he promised. So be very careful to love the Lord your God. But if you turn away and ally yourselves with the survivors of these nations that remain among you and if you intermarry with them and associate with them, then you may be sure that the Lord your God will no longer drive out these nations before you. Instead, they will become snares and traps for you, whips on your backs and thorns in your eyes, until you perish from this good land, which the Lord your God has given you. Now I am about to go the way of all the earth. You know with all your heart and soul that not one of all the good promises the Lord your God gave you has failed. Every promise has been fulfilled; not one has failed. But just as every good promise of the Lord your God has come true, so the Lord will bring on you all the evil he has threatened, until he has destroyed you from this good land He has given you. If you violate the covenant of the Lord your God, which he commanded you, and go and serve other gods and bow down to them, the Lord's anger will burn against you, and you will quickly perish from the good land he has given you."

In this address, Joshua hits on several key points that not only were intended for Israel to remember but us as well. Let’s take a look at them:

1. The Lord fights for us.

Scripture assures us that the battle is not our but the Lord’s. (1 Samuel 17:47). We need not feel like we walk onto this battlefield of life with out the most powerful Ally one could ever have fighting alongside. Just as Israel had been already guaranteed victory because God was with them, so too do we ever have the victory as long as we are strong and courageous, buoyed up with the confidence that God is with us…24/7…365 days a year. Friends, we need not fear ANYTHING here on earth for no one or no thing is greater than the Lord…the Lord who never is afraid to enter battle for us.

2. Be strong and careful to obey.

Strength and obedience are critically important partners. You can’t be obedient to the level God expects unless you have strength because Satan wants just the opposite from what God does. He sole purpose is to weaken you so you will fall into disobedience and violate any or all of God’s expectations. So we must be strong if we’re going to even have a chance to obey. And where do we get the strength to withstand Satan? Definitely not from ourselves that’s for sure. Paul definitely knew that because he wrote these words in his letter to the church in Philippi:

"I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me". (Philippians 4:13)

Paul knew that through Christ’s strength he could do anything. We can too, including withstanding Satan and remaining obedient to the Lord.

3. Do not turn aside to the right or to the left.

Joshua gave Israel a stern warning to not allow the people who had survived the conquest of Canaan to adversely influence them into worshipping false gods. He knew because God knew that Israel were going to ultimately pay the price for not wiping out everything in Canaan. When they left a remnant, they opened themselves up for being enticed and tempted to adopt the sinful actions of the Canaanite survivors, turning from God and losing His help in defeating any future adversaries. Why would Israel end up seeing their northern and southern kingdoms decimated and defeated by the Assyrians and Babylonians respectively? Because they turned aside to the right or the left from God to worship gods that didn’t even exist.

Today, we still deal with temptations and enticements that would seek to turn us aside from God. In fact, we will never be free from them until the blessed day when Jesus calls us home. So how do we ensure we stay on the straight and narrow path of righteousness? We can refer back to points one and two.

First, we need to remember that God is walking right along with us. We need only to turn to Him and He will make sure we stay on the right path of life…the same path that He walks.

Secondly, we will walk this path for a long time and will need strength to persevere and ward off Satan’s attempts to try and get us to go astray. The good news is that through Christ Jesus, we have all the strength we will ever need. We need only remember that and turn to Him always.

4. Hold fast to the Lord.

Israel faced a myriad of challenges as they entered the Promised Land to carry out God’s command. They were in an unknown place and were expected to battle and fight unknown enemies with their only assurance being that God was with them and would aid them in everything He called them to do. If Israel were to be successful, they had to hold fast to the Lord.

Our lives are full of challenges as well. In fact, we never know what any day might bring. But isn’t it comforting to know that God is ever with us? We never need to feel like we’re alone because we’re not. He is there, every step of the way. We only need to hold fast to Him, just as a young child holds fast to the hand of a parent. To let go might mean they could become lost and vulnerable to danger. Nothing changes as we become adults except we’re bigger children who ever need to hold onto the hand of our Heavenly Father. Rest assured, He will never let go of your hand as long as you hold fast.

5. Be careful to love the Lord.

When it all comes down to it, everything point mentioned in this devotional comes down to one word…love. For if we truly love the Lord with all our heart…with all our mind…with all our soul…and with all our strength…then we will understand the power and strength in the Lord’s love for us, a love reflected in the death and resurrection of Jesus, our Savior. We will obey the Lord because we love Him so much we never would want to disappoint Him…we will not turn from Him because we desire His love more than anything else…and in not turning from Him we will hold fast onto Him, holding on so hard that no one will ever be able to wrestle us away.

Joshua left Israel with these cautions because he wanted Israel to continue to experience the rest they were now enjoying after all the battles they had endured. He knew that if they only heeded what he said, then they would remain in God’s favor and providence.

My prayer in writing this today is that you will experience your own personal rest…a rest found in the peace of knowing you are led, strengthened and loved by such a wonderful, powerful, loving Lord who wants the best for you always. May you heed His word and will and always follow in His ways so that you, like Israel, might remain in His favor and providence all the days of your life.

In Christ,

Mark

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A GOD OF ASSURANCES

Mon, 29 Sep 2008 01:30:01 GMT

Can I pray for you in any way? Send any prayer requests to faithhopegodlove@aol.com In Christ, Mark

The scriptures. May God bless the reading of His holy word.

Now the five kings had fled and hidden in the cave at Makkedah. When Joshua was told that the five kings had been found hiding in the cave at Makkedah, he said, "Roll large rocks up to the mouth of the cave, and post some men there to guard it. But don't stop! Pursue your enemies, attack them from the rear and don't let them reach their cities, for the Lord your God has given them into your hand."

So Joshua and the Israelites destroyed them completely—almost to a man—but the few who were left reached their fortified cities. The whole army then returned safely to Joshua in the camp at Makkedah, and no one uttered a word against the Israelites.

Joshua said, "Open the mouth of the cave and bring those five kings out to me." So they brought the five kings out of the cave—the kings of Jerusalem, Hebron, Jarmuth, Lachish and Eglon. When they had brought these kings to Joshua, he summoned all the men of Israel and said to the army commanders who had come with him, "Come here and put your feet on the necks of these kings." So they came forward and placed their feet on their necks.

Joshua said to them, "Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged. Be strong and courageous. This is what the Lord will do to all the enemies you are going to fight." Then Joshua struck and killed the kings and hung them on five trees, and they were left hanging on the trees until evening.

At sunset Joshua gave the order and they took them down from the trees and threw them into the cave where they had been hiding. At the mouth of the cave they placed large rocks, which are there to this day.

That day Joshua took Makkedah. He put the city and its king to the sword and totally destroyed everyone in it. He left no survivors. And he did to the king of Makkedah as he had done to the king of Jericho.

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

Then Joshua and all Israel with him moved on from Libnah to Lachish; he took up positions against it and attacked it. The Lord handed Lachish over to Israel, and Joshua took it on the second day. The city and everyone in it he put to the sword, just as he had done to Libnah. Meanwhile, Horam king of Gezer had come up to help Lachish, but Joshua defeated him and his army—until no survivors were left.

Then Joshua and all Israel with him moved on from Lachish to Eglon; they took up positions against it and attacked it. They captured it that same day and put it to the sword and totally destroyed everyone in it, just as they had done to Lachish.

Then Joshua and all Israel with him went up from Eglon to Hebron and attacked it. They took the city and put it to the sword, together with its king, its villages and everyone in it. They left no survivors. Just as at Eglon, they totally destroyed it and everyone in it.

Then Joshua and all Israel with him turned around and attacked Debir. They took the city, its king and its villages, and put them to the sword. Everyone in it they totally destroyed. They left no survivors. They did to Debir and its king as they had done to Libnah and its king and to Hebron.

So Joshua subdued the whole region, including the hill country, the Negev, the western foothills and the mountain slopes, together with all their kings. He left no survivors. He totally destroyed all who breathed, just as the Lord, the God of Israel, had commanded. Joshua subdued them from Kadesh Barnea to Gaza and from the whole region of Goshen to Gibeon. All these kings and their lands Joshua conquered in one campaign, because the Lord, the God of Israel, fought for Israel.

Then Joshua returned with all Israel to the camp at Gilgal.

When Jabin king of Hazor heard of this, he sent word to Jobab king of Madon, to the kings of Shimron and Acshaph, and to the northern kings who were in the mountains, in the Arabah south of Kinnereth, in the western foothills and in Naphoth Dor on the west; to the Canaanites in the east and west; to the Amorites, Hittites, Perizzites and Jebusites in the hill country; and to the Hivites below Hermon in the region of Mizpah. They came out with all their troops and a large number of horses and chariots—a huge army, as numerous as the sand on the seashore. All these kings joined forces and made camp together at the Waters of Merom, to fight against Israel.

The Lord said to Joshua, "Do not be afraid of them, because by this time tomorrow I will hand all of them over to Israel, slain. You are to hamstring their horses and burn their chariots."

So Joshua and his whole army came against them suddenly at the Waters of Merom and attacked them, and the Lord gave them into the hand of Israel. They defeated them and pursued them all the way to Greater Sidon, to Misrephoth Maim, and to the Valley of Mizpah on the east, until no survivors were left. Joshua did to them as the Lord had directed: He hamstrung their horses and burned their chariots.

At that time Joshua turned back and captured Hazor and put its king to the sword. (Hazor had been the head of all these kingdoms.) Everyone in it they put to the sword. They totally destroyed them, not sparing anything that breathed, and he burned up Hazor itself.

Joshua took all these royal cities and their kings and put them to the sword. He totally destroyed them, as Moses the servant of the Lord had commanded. Yet Israel did not burn any of the cities built on their mounds—except Hazor, which Joshua burned. The Israelites carried off for themselves all the plunder and livestock of these cities, but all the people they put to the sword until they completely destroyed them, not sparing anyone that breathed. As the Lord commanded his servant Moses, so Moses commanded Joshua, and Joshua did it; he left nothing undone of all that the Lord commanded Moses.

So Joshua took this entire land: the hill country, all the Negev, the whole region of Goshen, the western foothills, the Arabah and the mountains of Israel with their foothills, from Mount Halak, which rises toward Seir, to Baal Gad in the Valley of Lebanon below Mount Hermon. He captured all their kings and struck them down, putting them to death. Joshua waged war against all these kings for a long time. Except for the Hivites living in Gibeon, not one city made a treaty of peace with the Israelites, who took them all in battle. For it was the Lord himself who hardened their hearts to wage war against Israel, so that he might destroy them totally, exterminating them without mercy, as the Lord had commanded Moses.

At that time Joshua went and destroyed the Anakites from the hill country: from Hebron, Debir and Anab, from all the hill country of Judah, and from all the hill country of Israel. Joshua totally destroyed them and their towns. No Anakites were left in Israelite territory; only in Gaza, Gath and Ashdod did any survive. So Joshua took the entire land, just as the Lord had directed Moses, and he gave it as an inheritance to Israel according to their tribal divisions.

Then the land had rest from war.

Joshua 10:16-43, 11

This ends this reading from God's holy word. Thanks be to God.

When Israel entered Canaan, they had direct orders from God to conquer all nations currently residing in Canaan so they could claim the land Promised to them…a land that was their inheritance.

We have seen already where Joshua and Israel defeated all nations in the central part of Canaan, gaining victory over Jericho and Ai. We have also seen where victory was gained over a combined army from the south, organized by Jerusalem’s king, Adoni-Zedek, after these forces attacked the Gibeonites.

As Chapter 10 finishes, Joshua executes the five kings (the kings of Jerusalem, Hebron, Jarmuth, Lachish and Eglon.) that participated on the attack on Gibeon and sets out to defeat the southern portion of Canaan. His conquest included victories over the cities of Makkedah, Libnah, Lachish, Eglon, Hebron and Debir. Indeed, scripture tells us that "Joshua subdued the whole region, including the hill country, the Negev, the western foothills and the mountain slopes, together with all their kings" and "left no survivors…totally destroy(ing) all who breathed, just as the Lord, the God of Israel, had commanded". Joshua "subdued them from Kadesh Barnea to Gaza and from the whole region of Goshen to Gibeon" and "all these kings and their lands (were) conquered in one campaign, because the Lord, the God of Israel, fought for Israel". And after the southern conquest, "Joshua returned with all Israel to the camp at Gilgal".

Joshua and Israel were on a roll…all with God’s help. Anyone who came out to oppose them and attempt to stop them from carrying out God’s plan were thwarted because God had assured Israel that He would be with them and would deliver their enemies into their hands. And as He always does, God made good on His word.

But Israel wasn’t finished because there was some unfinished work to be done in the north, who were anticipating what was to come. Surely word had spread and spread quickly of how Israel had conquered the central and southern sections of Canaan. We know because Chapter 11 opens with "Jabin, king of Hazor", hearing about what had transpired, prompting him to send word to "Jobab king of Madon, to the kings of Shimron and Acshaph, and to the northern kings who were in the mountains, in the Arabah south of Kinnereth, in the western foothills and in Naphoth Dor on the west; to the Canaanites in the east and west; to the Amorites, Hittites, Perizzites and Jebusites in the hill country; and to the Hivites below Hermon in the region of Mizpah". Just as the south had tried to do, the northern kings combined forces and "came out with all their troops and a large number of horses and chariots — a huge army, as numerous as the sand on the seashore". And all the kings and their forces met at the "Waters of Merom" where they "made camp together…to fight against Israel".

So another fight with a different foe was on the horizon but one thing remained the same: The Lord reassured Joshua telling him yet again, "Do not be afraid of them, because by this time tomorrow I will hand all of them over to Israel, slain. You are to hamstring their horses and burn their chariots."

So we read that "Joshua and his whole army" attacked the northern enemy forces "suddenly at the Waters of Merom…and the Lord gave them into the hand of Israel". Israel defeated their opponents, ensuring "no survivors were left" while Joshua "hamstrung their horses and burned their chariots" as "the Lord had directed".

Joshua then did as he did with the south. He began to systematically defeat the cities, taking control of what God had given to his hand in victory. He began with Hazor, putting its "king to the sword" as well as everyone else there. The city was "totally destroyed…not sparing anything that breathed" before being burned to the ground.

Joshua followed this by taking "all…royal cities and their kings" putting them to the sword and totally destroying them. The only thing done differently than Hazor was that Israel "did not burn any of the cities built on their mounds". But Israel did carry off "all the plunder and livestock of (the) cities" before putting all the people to the sword, "not sparing anyone that breathed". In doing this, Joshua "left nothing undone of all that the Lord commanded Moses".

So to recap what Joshua did in the north…he "took…the hill country, all the Negev, the whole region of Goshen, the western foothills, the Arabah and the mountains of Israel with their foothills, from Mount Halak, which rises toward Seir, to Baal Gad in the Valley of Lebanon below Mount Hermon". He also "destroyed the Anakites from the hill country: from Hebron, Debir and Anab, from all the hill country of Judah, and from all the hill country of Israel…leaving "no Anakites…in Israelite territory". And "only in Gaza, Gath and Ashdod did any survive". Joshua "captured all their kings…putting them to death". And no treaty was made with anyone, except the Gibeonites who had done so prior.

When all was said and done, "Joshua took the entire land, just as the Lord had directed Moses, and he gave it as an inheritance to Israel according to their tribal divisions" (more to come on this in later chapters) and "the land had rest from war".

As we consider all that has happened in Joshua in just 11 chapters, we can’t help but be amazed. Israel had went from desert wanderers to victorious warriors, rarely losing momentum after crossing the Jordan and setting out to claim the land that God had given to them. They had successfully conquered most of the land (God will fill Joshua in soon on what’s left to gain) and were now poised to enjoy the spoils of their victory with the land being divided up amongst the tribes. And most importantly, we’re told the land could finally rest from war.

There are three important take aways from today’s scripture and Israel’s overall triumph over Canaan…take aways that we need to always remember as we go forth to do God’s will each and every day:

God keeps His promises. Rest assured that if God said He would do something for us, then He will see that through. God doesn’t lie or deceive. For that is sinful action and there is nothing about God that is sinful. We serve a God of truth and a God of His word. We need to remember this as we go through life and its challenges day after day.

God delivers us from our enemies. As we go through life, rest assured that there will be those who would want to come against us in some way. Satan is ever trying to get at every servant of God any way he can and will do his best work sometimes through other people, sometimes people who appear on the surface to be our friends when underneath they are everything but. Maybe you can relate to having been fooled by someone you considered to be a friend only to find out otherwise. The good news is that God will always expose anyone who is trying to do us harm. For everything done in the dark will be exposed and brought to light, illuminated by the One who is truth and desires us to not only be truthful but experience truth ourselves. So ever turn to the Lord and seek His guidance in all matters, including your relations in life. He will clearly warn you if there is an enemy near and, more importantly, help you gain victory over those who would oppose you.

God is always with us. Joshua and Israel went forward with an awesome confidence because God was with them. They knew this because He told them so. We know this because He has told us so as well. He promised He would never leave us nor forsake us. And remember…God always keeps His promises.

Friends, we have an awesome assurance in life…an assurance that liberates and sets us free to boldly and confidently go forth in God’s service to accomplish His will. For we serve a God who keeps His promises, delivers us from our enemies and is always with us. Is this not reason for us to be thankful and in a spirit of rejoicing? The answer is a resounding "YES"! Amen.

In Christ,

Mark

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NEVER ASSUME

Fri, 03 Oct 2008 22:59:28 GMT

Can I pray for you in any way? Send any prayer requests to faithhopegodlove@aol.com In Christ, Mark

The scriptures. May God bless the reading of His holy word.

Then Joshua summoned the Reubenites, the Gadites and the half-tribe of Manasseh and said to them, "You have done all that Moses the servant of the Lord commanded, and you have obeyed me in everything I commanded. For a long time now—to this very day—you have not deserted your brothers but have carried out the mission the Lord your God gave you. Now that the Lord your God has given your brothers rest as he promised, return to your homes in the land that Moses the servant of the Lord gave you on the other side of the Jordan. But be very careful to keep the commandment and the law that Moses the servant of the Lord gave you: to love the Lord your God, to walk in all his ways, to obey his commands, to hold fast to him and to serve him with all your heart and all your soul."

Then Joshua blessed them and sent them away, and they went to their homes. (To the half-tribe of Manasseh Moses had given land in Bashan, and to the other half of the tribe Joshua gave land on the west side of the Jordan with their brothers.) When Joshua sent them home, he blessed them, saying, "Return to your homes with your great wealth—with large herds of livestock, with silver, gold, bronze and iron, and a great quantity of clothing—and divide with your brothers the plunder from your enemies."

So the Reubenites, the Gadites and the half-tribe of Manasseh left the Israelites at Shiloh in Canaan to return to Gilead, their own land, which they had acquired in accordance with the command of the Lord through Moses.

When they came to Geliloth near the Jordan in the land of Canaan, the Reubenites, the Gadites and the half-tribe of Manasseh built an imposing altar there by the Jordan. And when the Israelites heard that they had built the altar on the border of Canaan at Geliloth near the Jordan on the Israelite side, the whole assembly of Israel gathered at Shiloh to go to war against them.

So the Israelites sent Phinehas son of Eleazar, the priest, to the land of Gilead—to Reuben, Gad and the half-tribe of Manasseh. With him they sent ten of the chief men, one for each of the tribes of Israel, each the head of a family division among the Israelite clans.

When they went to Gilead—to Reuben, Gad and the half-tribe of Manasseh—they said to them: "The whole assembly of the Lord says: 'How could you break faith with the God of Israel like this? How could you turn away from the Lord and build yourselves an altar in rebellion against him now? Was not the sin of Peor enough for us? Up to this very day we have not cleansed ourselves from that sin, even though a plague fell on the community of the Lord! And are you now turning away from the Lord?

" 'If you rebel against the Lord today, tomorrow he will be angry with the whole community of Israel. If the land you possess is defiled, come over to the Lord's land, where the Lord's tabernacle stands, and share the land with us. But do not rebel against the Lord or against us by building an altar for yourselves, other than the altar of the Lord our God. When Achan son of Zerah acted unfaithfully regarding the devoted things, did not wrath come upon the whole community of Israel? He was not the only one who died for his sin.' "

Then Reuben, Gad and the half-tribe of Manasseh replied to the heads of the clans of Israel:

"No! We did it for fear that some day your descendants might say to ours, 'What do you have to do with the Lord, the God of Israel? The Lord has made the Jordan a boundary between us and you—you Reubenites and Gadites! You have no share in the Lord.' So your descendants might cause ours to stop fearing the Lord.

"That is why we said, 'Let us get ready and build an altar—but not for burnt offerings or sacrifices.' On the contrary, it is to be a witness between us and you and the generations that follow, that we will worship the Lord at his sanctuary with our burnt offerings, sacrifices and fellowship offerings. Then in the future your descendants will not be able to say to ours, 'You have no share in the Lord.'

"And we said, 'If they ever say this to us, or to our descendants, we will answer: Look at the replica of the Lord's altar, which our fathers built, not for burnt offerings and sacrifices, but as a witness between us and you.'

"Far be it from us to rebel against the Lord and turn away from him today by building an altar for burnt offerings, grain offerings and sacrifices, other than the altar of the Lord our God that stands before his tabernacle."

When Phinehas the priest and the leaders of the community—the heads of the clans of the Israelites—heard what Reuben, Gad and Manasseh had to say, they were pleased. And Phinehas son of Eleazar, the priest, said to Reuben, Gad and Manasseh, "Today we know that the Lord is with us, because you have not acted unfaithfully toward the Lord in this matter. Now you have rescued the Israelites from the Lord's hand."

Then Phinehas son of Eleazar, the priest, and the leaders returned to Canaan from their meeting with the Reubenites and Gadites in Gilead and reported to the Israelites. They were glad to hear the report and praised God. And they talked no more about going to war against them to devastate the country where the Reubenites and the Gadites lived.

And the Reubenites and the Gadites gave the altar this name: A Witness Between Us that the Lord is God.

Joshua 22

This ends this reading from God's holy word. Thanks be to God.

The fighting was over and Israel had claimed all the land God had promised them after crossing the Jordan…land that had been divided up amongst all the tribes except for the tribes of Reuben, Gad and a half of the tribe of Manasseh. You’ll recall that God had given them the land on the east side of the Jordan when Moses was leading Israel and before they crossed into Canaan.

You’ll also remember that there was a stipulation attached to them being granted land on the east side of the Jordan. Their men had to join forces with the fighting men of the other tribes to cross the Jordan and battle to gain control of the land God promised, only allowed to return back across the Jordan to their families after victory had been won for all of Israel. That time had come now.

For we see in Joshua, Chapter 22, where "…Joshua summoned the Reubenites, the Gadites and the half-tribe of Manasseh" saying to them, "You have done all that Moses the servant of the Lord commanded, and you have obeyed me in everything I commanded. For a long time now—to this very day—you have not deserted your brothers but have carried out the mission the Lord your God gave you. Now that the Lord your God has given your brothers rest as he promised, return to your homes in the land that Moses the servant of the Lord gave you on the other side of the Jordan. But be very careful to keep the commandment and the law that Moses the servant of the Lord gave you: to love the Lord your God, to walk in all his ways, to obey his commands, to hold fast to him and to serve him with all your heart and all your soul." And with that, Joshua "blessed them" saying, "Return to your homes with your great wealth—with large herds of livestock, with silver, gold, bronze and iron, and a great quantity of clothing—and divide with your brothers the plunder from your enemies." And with that, the Reubenites, the Gadites and the half-tribe of Manasseh began to return home.

All seemed like it was going to be fine. All the people of Israel were at rest in Canaan and the tribes of Reuben, Gad and half of Manasseh were on their way to the same rest in their lands. But something happened that disrupted the calm and created a disturbing stir amongst the Israelites in Canaan.

For on the way home, the Reubenites, the Gadites and the half-tribe of Manasseh decided to build an "imposing altar…by the Jordan" at Geliloth. World traveled quickly back to the Israelites who "heard that (the Reubenites, the Gadites and the half-tribe of Manasseh) had built the altar on the border of Canaan at Geliloth near the Jordan on the Israelite side". They were so upset about this that they assembled at "Shiloh to go to war against them". Why? Because Israel had made a common mistake…one that people all too often make. They assumed they knew something that wasn’t even close to the truth.

Have you ever done that? Heard about something and automatically assumed something had happened or somebody had done something before you really knew all the facts? There has been a long standing saying about what happens when you assume things but I won’t share it here. The main point is that when we assume before we know all the facts, we too often end up looking extremely foolish and can end up taking actions that are not only unnecessary but often embarrassing and/or damaging.

Israel assumed that the Reubenites, the Gadites and the half-tribe of Manasseh had constructed the altar for themselves, ready to perform some improper worship or sacrifice on it and thus angering God to the point where He would exert His wrath on all of Israel. Their paranoia was fueled by the prior actions of Achan who you’ll remember decided to keep a few items from the conquest of Jericho when all things were to be given to God. His sin resulted in thirty-six Israelites dying as they attempted to attack Ai for the first time. Israel wasn’t spared until Achan was executed for his actions.

So Israel left Shiloh and went to Gilead where they asked the tribes of Reuben, Gad and the half-tribe of Manasseh, "The whole assembly of the Lord says: 'How could you break faith with the God of Israel like this? How could you turn away from the Lord and build yourselves an altar in rebellion against him now? Was not the sin of Peor enough for us? Up to this very day we have not cleansed ourselves from that sin, even though a plague fell on the community of the Lord! And are you now turning away from the Lord? If you rebel against the Lord today, tomorrow he will be angry with the whole community of Israel. If the land you possess is defiled, come over to the Lord's land, where the Lord's tabernacle stands, and share the land with us. But do not rebel against the Lord or against us by building an altar for yourselves, other than the altar of the Lord our God. When Achan son of Zerah acted unfaithfully regarding the devoted things, did not wrath come upon the whole community of Israel? He was not the only one who died for his sin.' "

There accusations must have taken "Reuben, Gad and the half-tribe of Manasseh" by surprise and they responded with the following defense "to the heads of the clans of Israel":

"The Mighty One, God, the Lord! The Mighty One, God, the Lord! He knows! And let Israel know! If this has been in rebellion or disobedience to the Lord, do not spare us this day. If we have built our own altar to turn away from the Lord and to offer burnt offerings and grain offerings, or to sacrifice fellowship offerings on it, may the Lord himself call us to account. No! We did it for fear that some day your descendants might say to ours, 'What do you have to do with the Lord, the God of Israel? The Lord has made the Jordan a boundary between us and you—you Reubenites and Gadites! You have no share in the Lord.' So your descendants might cause ours to stop fearing the Lord. That is why we said, 'Let us get ready and build an altar—but not for burnt offerings or sacrifices.' On the contrary, it is to be a witness between us and you and the generations that follow, that we will worship the Lord at his sanctuary with our burnt offerings, sacrifices and fellowship offerings. Then in the future your descendants will not be able to say to ours, 'You have no share in the Lord.' And we said, 'If they ever say this to us, or to our descendants, we will answer: Look at the replica of the Lord's altar, which our fathers built, not for burnt offerings and sacrifices, but as a witness between us and you.' Far be it from us to rebel against the Lord and turn away from him today by building an altar for burnt offerings, grain offerings and sacrifices, other than the altar of the Lord our God that stands before his tabernacle."

The Reubenites, the Gadites and the half-tribe of Manasseh spoke with confidence because they knew they had done nothing wrong. In fact, they had given the altar the name, "A Witness Between Us that the Lord is God." They further validated their actions by affirming the real reason why they built the altar…to glorify God and let it serve as a reminder that Israel was one nation under God, regardless which side of the Jordan you lived on. They asserted to Israel that God knew the motives of their hearts and, with that, they had nothing to fear.

Well, imaging how Israel must have felt after they heard this. Relieved? Yes. But they had marched so far with warring thoughts every step of the way only to find out that the altar wasn’t intended to be used anywhere near in the way they were thinking it would be. That had to be just a bit embarrassing. Why didn’t Israel ask God if the altar was meant to be used in an adverse way against Him? God surely would have told Israel to not waste their time marching so far because there was nothing to go to war about. But Israel didn’t do that…they decided to take matters into their own hands.

We read where "Phinehas the priest and the leaders of the community—the heads of the clans of the Israelites" were pleased after they "heard what Reuben, Gad and Manasseh had to say", saying to them, "Today we know that the Lord is with us, because you have not acted unfaithfully toward the Lord in this matter. Now you have rescued the Israelites from the Lord's hand." The truth of the matter was that Israel was never in danger in the first place.

So "Phinehas son of Eleazar, the priest, andthe leaders returned to Canaan from their meeting…and reported to the Israelites" who were "glad to hear the report and praised God", taking "no more about going to war against them to devastate the country where the Reubenites and the Gadites lived".

Friends, we see in Israel’s case that we error when we make assumptions void of all the facts. We should never operate off of gossip, innuendo, or guess work but instead truth…always. And the only way we can be assured we have the truth, is to seek it through the One who is THE Way and THE Truth and THE Life…THE only One who will always ensure we understand completely what is going on and, best of all, guide us to either act or not act depending on His will for the situation. Thanks be to the Lord for being our ever present help…our precious Redeemer, Counselor and Friend. Amen.

In Christ,

Mark

PS: Please share this with anyone you feel might be blessed by it.

http://www.faithhopeandlove.info/

Send any prayer requests to faithhopegodlove@aol.com