Devotionary

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Ep 573 – Joshua 24:1-13 Jul 12, 2018

Show notes

The grace of God. That phrase is so familiar to many of us that we take it for granted. It's familiarity creates a certain sense of complacency and ingratitude, so that we no longer appreciate the sheer magnitude of what it truly means. The same was true of the people of Israel during the days of Joshua. In Joshua 24:1-13, God provides them with a powerful reminder of His matchless grace. He reminds them of all the ways in which He has graciously gone before them, preparing the way for them. He had called them, rescued them, led them and provided them with a land to call their own. Their story as a nation was filled with example after example of God's gracious activity. They had no reason to brag. They had no cause to think highly of themselves. Their entire existence was the result of God's grace. And God had a far greater purpose for their creation as a nation than they could have ever imagined.

Ep 572 – Joshua 23:1-16 Jul 11, 2018

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Joshua is growing old and becoming increasingly more aware that his days on earth are coming to an end. So, he tries to prepare the people of Israel for his eventual departure. He has led them for many years, ever since he assumed the mantel of leadership from Moses. And as Joshua attempts to leave the people with a few words of encouragement and admonition, it's interesting to see what he focused his attention on. He knew his flock well and was fully aware of their weaknesses and shortcomings. He had spent decades attempting to lead them and keep them faithful to God, and it had not always been easy. So, he knew that upon his departure, they would be prone to follow their own desires. Joshua 23:1-16 is a powerful message from a loving shepherd to his sheep, calling them to remain true to their God. Joshua knew that disobedience to the will of God would bring the discipline of God. And he longed for his people to remain true so that they could continue to enjoy the blessings of God for generations to come.

Ep 571 – Joshua 22:10-34 Jul 10, 2018

Show notes

Miscommunication. It can be deadly. And in Joshua 22:10-34, we're going to see just how bad it can get. After the three tribes whose land was located east of the Jordan had returned home, they made a decision to build an altar. Now, at first glance, this probably doesn't seem like that big of a deal. After all, it seems like Abraham, Jacob, and even Moses were constantly building altars somewhere. But as this passage will reveal, this altar was going to cause a huge firestorm of controversy that almost boiled over into civil war. Wrong assumptions were made. Accusations were leveled. Tempers flared and swords were drawn, ready to mete out justice on what appeared to be three rebellious tribes. But it had all been a huge misunderstanding. Some poor decisions, coupled with even worse communication, had led to a near disaster. These 12 tribes, having a common bond of heritage and a sharing a mutual inheritance in the land of promise, found out that maintaining unity was going to be a real challenge.

Ep 570 – Joshua 21:43-22:9 Jul 09, 2018

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By this time in the book of Joshua, it would be easy to assume that the whole storyline is nothing more than a synopsis of the Israelite's conquering of the land of Canaan. After all, for 21 chapters, we have seen little more than battles and skirmishes taking place between the people of Israel and the nations occupying the land of Canaan. And as the book begins to come to a close, it would appear that the days of conquest are coming to a close. Instead of battles, the people should be planting crops, raising flocks, expanding their cities and enjoying the fruit of all their labors. But the battle was far from over. There were still enemies in the land. They couldn't afford to rest on their laurels or go into early retirement. God had done His part and fulfilled His promise to give them the land. But now it was up to them to occupy the land, which included the continued work of clearing the land of any and all enemies. But by this point, they should have been confident in their prospects because of the miracles God had already performed on their behalf.

Ep 569 – Joshua 21:1-42 Jul 08, 2018

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The tribe of Levi wasn't just another tribe like all the others. It had been set apart by God and given a very special role to play in the lives of the people of Israel. Unlike the rest of the tribes, they were not given their own portion of the land of promise, but instead, were provided with a series of cities in which they could live among the rest of the tribes. Their role was to act as the spiritual leadership of the people of Israel, instructing them in the law and overseeing the tabernacle and the sacrificial system. These men were dedicated to God and would find that their daily provision would be His responsibility. They answered to God and would be held responsible for the spiritual and moral well-being of His people. Not exactly an easy task when you consider their track record up to this point. But God has always provided His people with spiritual leadership. Like sheep, they require guidance and instruction, protection and, at times, discipline. And the Levites had their work cut out for them.

Ep 568 – Joshua 20:1-9 Jul 07, 2018

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In Joshua 20:1-9, we find a reference to what were known as the cities of refuge. These were six cities, designated by God, that were to serve as places of shelter for anyone who might be accused of murder. This aspect of the judicial system of Israel, while fascinating, seems a bit out of place in the context of the book of Joshua. Why did God choose to add a reference to these cities at this particular juncture? Part of the reason is that it reveals God's understanding of human nature – especially man's sin nature. Even though the members of the 12 tribes, as descendants of Abraham, shared a common blood line, God knew there would conflict between individuals and even entire tribes. Sin was going to happen, so God made provision for it. Even for cases of murder. But there is an even more significant purpose for God's creation of the cities of refuge and their inclusion in the book of Joshua. They point to Christ. They provide us with a picture of the refuge from guilt and condemnation that would one day come through Jesus Christ. He would become the place where sinners found safety and eventually redemption for their sins. Jesus, our refuge.

Ep 567 – Joshua 19:1-51 Jul 06, 2018

Show notes

In Joshua 19:1-51, we come to a section of Scripture that tends to leave us a little bit confused as to why it is part of the Bible. It appears to provide little or no spiritual insight that we can apply to our 21st-Century lives as followers of Jesus Christ. But if you look closely, you'll discover that there is a lot we can glean from this list of difficult-to-pronounce city names and obscure geographic references. This entire chapter is about the allotment of the land of promise to the remaining tribes and every single acre of land was going to be doled out according to the sovereign will of God. Nothing was going to be left to chance. The eventual location of each and every tribe was predetermined by God and they all received exactly what God had deemed appropriate for their needs. There was no favoritism involved. And no tribe was treated unfairly or suffered inequity at the hands of God. The entire conquest of Canaan and the eventual dispersal of the land between the tribes was the sovereign work of God.

Ep 566 – Joshua 18:11-28 Jul 05, 2018

Show notes

In the Bible, names hold a special significance. And in Joshua 18:11-28, we will see that the name given by Jacob to his youngest son, Benjamin had a particularly prophetic meaning. This story is just one more vignette that reveals the sovereign hand of God working behind the scenes in ways that are invisible to most of those involved. The birth of Benjamin was especially meaningful to Jacob because he would be the last child born to him by Rachel. She would die in childbirth. And Benjamin became the son to replace Joseph, whom Jacob thought to be dead, but who had actually been sold into slavery by his own brothers. All of these events, as dark as they appear to be, were in the hands of God. He was orchestrating the storyline in such a way that Jacob's naming of his youngest son would take on a meaning and significance that Jacob himself was completely oblivious to. God was taking all that had happened to Jacob and transforming it into a beautiful story of redemption and blessing. Jacob had lost a son and a wife. He had been forced to take his family to Egypt to escape a famine. But God would restore them to the land of Canaan, greater in number and with a special inheritance reserved for the son of his right hand.

Ep 565 – Joshua 18:1-10 Jul 04, 2018

Show notes

There's a familiar saying: No rest for the weary. It attempts to convey the truism that those who work hard often find themselves never finished with their efforts. Their weariness is, more often than not, met with additional work rather than rest. Their job never seems to be completed. But in the Bible, rest is a common theme. After six days of creation, God rested on the seventh day. And He established the seventh day of the week as a sabbath, a day of rest for His people. God had also promised to bring the people of Israel into their rest, by leading them into the land He had promised to give to Abraham. There they would enjoy rest, not a cessation from work or effort, but an end to their years of slavery, wanderings, and nomadic lifestyle. They would come into their own, a land provided for them by God. And in Joshua 18:1-10, Joshua encourages the people by setting up the tabernacle of God in a place called Shiloh, which means, "place of rest." The tabernacle, representing God's abiding presence was to bring comfort and peace to His people as they continued their work of possessing the land He had given them. Their work was far from done, but they could rest in God's presence and power.

Ep 564 – Joshua 17:3-18 Jul 03, 2018

Show notes

One of the key themes found in the book of Joshua is the provision of the Lord, in keeping with His promise to Abraham to give to his descendants a land, a seed and a blessing. God had kept His Word and had brought the people of Israel into the promised land and was in the process of dividing up the land among the 12 tribes. And in Joshua 17:3-18, we will see further proof that God provides for His own. And in ways that we may not always recognize. God was willing to meet the needs of His people, coming alongside those in need and making sure that those needs were met. And in the case of those to whom much had been given, God expected much in the way of obedience and faithfulness to His will. He was willing to provide, but expected His people to do their part. And faith on the part of His people is always a major expectation of God for His people. They needed to trust Him enough to obey Him, doing their part in keeping with His faithful provision of their needs.

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