Category: 260 Devotional

 

Read chapter in full: http://www.biblica.com/en-us/bible/online-bible/niv/ephesians/6/cuvs/

 

EPHESIANS CHAPTER 6  (ESV)

Before you begin today’s reading and reflection, take a few minutes to create or find a “sacred space”. If you’re in your room, make yourself a small space with as few distractions as possible. Put aside any books, music, magazines; turn off your phone; get away from your email/facebook; turn off your music; etc.

 Now, pull out your Bible, and as you take some deep breaths, pray this short prayer: “Lord, help me be still and listen to your voice now and throughout this day and the next. Amen.”

(You can choose to read the whole chapter, or just the passage that is shown)

 

¹⁰ Finally, be strong in the Lord and in the strength of his might. ¹¹ Put on the whole armor of God, that you may be able to stand against the schemes of the devil. ¹² For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the cosmic powers over this present darkness, against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly places. ¹³ Therefore take up the whole armor of God, that you may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand firm. ¹⁴ Stand therefore, having fastened on the belt of truth, and having put on the breastplate of righteousness, ¹⁵ and, as shoes for your feet, having put on the readiness given by the gospel of peace. ¹⁶ In all circumstances take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming darts of the evil one; ¹⁷ and take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God, ¹⁸ praying at all times in the Spirit, with all prayer and supplication. To that end keep alert with all perseverance, making supplication for all the saints, ¹⁹ and also for me, that words may be given to me in opening my mouth boldly to proclaim the mystery of the gospel, ²⁰ for which I am an ambassador in chains, that I may declare it boldly, as I ought to speak.

 

Reflection

1. Paul examines mutual responsibilities of children and parents (v1-4), and of slaves and masters (v5-9). Paul reviewed the teaching of this letter, picturing the resources God had provided as a soldier’s armor (v10-20), and closes with brief greetings (v21-24).
2. Ephesians is a book about the church. In it Paul presented Christ’s church as a body, a family, and a holy temple. Each of these images calls for Christians to live together in love and unity. It is this dominant theme of the book that helps us understand the nature of the devil’s schemes, and the armor God has provided us to use in withstanding them. Simply, the devil’s schemes in Ephesians are his strategies for disrupting the unity of the church. And the armor of God is God’s resource for maintaining unity.
3. Use the following as you pray about your fight in spiritual warfare.

Dear God,

Keep my mind free from worry and from being controlled by my own plans.  Instead, I ask for the mind of Christ.  (Helmet of salvation)

Thank you that Jesus died for me that I can be righteous in your sight.  Please give me a heart of love like Christ’s. (Breastplate of Righteousness)

Please help me see the truth about myself and the situations around me through the mirror of your Scriptures.  (Belt of Truth)

Help me to be aware of the nudges of the Holy Spirit today everywhere I go and help me to be ready to share the gospel on these nudges.  (Shoes of Gospel of Peace)  

Help me to trust you and believe that you are always with me. (Shield of Faith)

Come Holy Spirit and empower me today.  (Sword of the Spirit)

 

Prayer & Journaling:

Stay with God for a little longer.  Continue to converse with God and listen to what he wants to tell you. 

If you have a prayer journal, as you listen to God, write down a few thoughts, questions, words, names, drawings, or anything that has come to your mind during this time.

Family Time (Begin this time by reading the passage above using a children’s Bible. If your children are younger, you may read vv16-18a only.)

 Help children to name each of the armor of God. Here is a video on the Belt of Truth: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xDCvZhS0MHs  Discuss the importance of knowing God’s truth and putting other armor.

Proverbs for Today 22:1-4

¹ A good name is to be chosen rather than great riches,
    and favor is better than silver or gold.
² The rich and the poor meet together;
    the Lord is the maker of them all.
³ The prudent sees danger and hides himself,
    but the simple go on and suffer for it.
⁴ The reward for humility and fear of the Lord
    is riches and honor and life.

 

 

Read chapter in full: http://www.biblica.com/en-us/bible/online-bible/niv/ephesians/5/cuvs/

 

EPHESIANS CHAPTER 5  (ESV)

Before you begin today’s reading and reflection, take a few minutes to create or find a “sacred space”. If you’re in your room, make yourself a small space with as few distractions as possible. Put aside any books, music, magazines; turn off your phone; get away from your email/facebook; turn off your music; etc.

 Now, pull out your Bible, and as you take some deep breaths, pray this short prayer: “Lord, help me be still and listen to your voice now and throughout this day and the next. Amen.”

(You can choose to read the whole chapter, or just the passage that is shown)

 

¹ Therefore be imitators of God, as beloved children. ² And walk in love, as Christ loved us and gave himself up for us, a fragrant offering and sacrifice to God.

³ But sexual immorality and all impurity or covetousness must not even be named among you, as is proper among saints. ⁴ Let there be no filthiness nor foolish talk nor crude joking, which are out of place, but instead let there be thanksgiving. ⁵ For you may be sure of this, that everyone who is sexually immoral or impure, or who is covetous (that is, an idolater), has no inheritance in the kingdom of Christ and God. ⁶ Let no one deceive you with empty words, for because of these things the wrath of God comes upon the sons of disobedience. ⁷ Therefore do not become partners with them; ⁸ for at one time you were darkness, but now you are light in the Lord. Walk as children of light ⁹ (for the fruit of light is found in all that is good and right and true), ¹⁰ and try to discern what is pleasing to the Lord. ¹¹ Take no part in the unfruitful works of darkness, but instead expose them. ¹² For it is shameful even to speak of the things that they do in secret. ¹³ But when anything is exposed by the light, it becomes visible, ¹⁴ for anything that becomes visible is light. Therefore it says,

“Awake, O sleeper,
    and arise from the dead,
and Christ will shine on you.”

 

Reflection

1. Paul continued on the subject of walking in a manner worthy of the calling, he urged them to follow God’s example and live loving (v1), holy lives (v2-14), responsive to the Holy Spirit (v15-18) and to one another (v19-20). Christlikeness is especially to be demonstrated by mutual submission in the Christian home (v21-33).
2. We are encouraged to follow the example set by God himself. This would be impossible if it were not for the fact that we are his “beloved children” (v1). As God’s children, his own life is planted deep within us. Because of this new life, it is now possible for us to actually be like God or to become like God. Therefore, we are to decide if we will become what we are in Christ, or if we will settle back down into living a mere human life.
3. Stay quietly for a few moments dwell on the words “imitator of God”. What comes to mind, Excitement? Joy? Shame? Disappointment? Frustration? Fear?  Talk to God about it. 
4. Talk to God as a child to a father. Tell him how you would like to imitate him.

 

Prayer & Journaling:

Stay with God for a little longer.  Continue to converse with God and listen to what he wants to tell you. 

If you have a prayer journal, as you listen to God, write down a few thoughts, questions, words, names, drawings, or anything that has come to your mind during this time.

Family Time (Begin this time by reading the passage above using a children’s Bible. If your children are younger, you may read vv1-2 only.)

 Paul encouraged Christians to follow God’s example.  Play the “Mirror Game”. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NeCR6-hGx0Y Talk about the game and what each has learned about it.  Pray that Holy Spirit will help each one to follow God’s example in your lives.

 

Proverbs for Today 21:29-31

²⁹ A wicked man puts on a bold face,
    but the upright gives thought to his ways.
³⁰ No wisdom, no understanding, no counsel
    can avail against the Lord.
³¹ The horse is made ready for the day of battle,
    but the victory belongs to the Lord.

 

Read chapter in full: http://www.biblica.com/en-us/bible/online-bible/niv/ephesians/4/cuvs/

 

EPHESIANS CHAPTER 4  (ESV)

Before you begin today’s reading and reflection, take a few minutes to create or find a “sacred space”. If you’re in your room, make yourself a small space with as few distractions as possible. Put aside any books, music, magazines; turn off your phone; get away from your email/facebook; turn off your music; etc.

 Now, pull out your Bible, and as you take some deep breaths, pray this short prayer: “Lord, help me be still and listen to your voice now and throughout this day and the next. Amen.”

(You can choose to read the whole chapter, or just the passage that is shown)

 

⁷ But grace was given to each one of us according to the measure of Christ’s gift. ⁸ Therefore it says,

“When he ascended on high he led a host of captives,
    and he gave gifts to men.”

⁹ (In saying, “He ascended,” what does it mean but that he had also descended into the lower regions, the earth? ¹⁰ He who descended is the one who also ascended far above all the heavens, that he might fill all things.) ¹¹ And he gave the apostles, the prophets, the evangelists, the shepherds and teachers, ¹² to equip the saints for the work of ministry, for building up the body of Christ, ¹³ until we all attain to the unity of the faith and of the knowledge of the Son of God, to mature manhood, to the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ, ¹⁴ so that we may no longer be children, tossed to and fro by the waves and carried about by every wind of doctrine, by human cunning, by craftiness in deceitful schemes. ¹⁵ Rather, speaking the truth in love, we are to grow up in every way into him who is the head, into Christ, ¹⁶ from whom the whole body, joined and held together by every joint with which it is equipped, when each part is working properly, makes the body grow so that it builds itself up in love.

 

Reflection

1. Paul encouraged them to preserve unity (v1-3), he laid down the foundation for unity (v4-6), listed the many gifts God has given to the church (v7-11), and explained how to use these gifts in love and truth in order to build up the body of Christ into maturity (v12-16). Starting verse 17, Paul began to admonish believers who have put off the old self and put on the new self to start living the new life in true righteousness and holiness. The last part of this chapter, Paul encouraged believers to live a holy life.
2. The church is a diverse body composed of many different people who must give attention to preserve their unity. The Spirit gives gifts to every believer so that, by all of us exercising these gifts, we will build each other up to be more and more like Christ, thus to preserve the unity of the church.
3. This list of gifts (v11) is by no means exhaustive. Similar lists appear in Paul’s other letters.  Here, Paul says that the purpose of these gifts is “to train Christ’s followers, so that the body of Christ may be built up”. 
4. What gifts has God given you? How are you using them?  Thank God for the gifts he’s given you and other members of the church.  Pray that you will do your part to help build up the church.

 

Prayer & Journaling:

Stay with God for a little longer.  Continue to converse with God and listen to what he wants to tell you. 

If you have a prayer journal, as you listen to God, write down a few thoughts, questions, words, names, drawings, or anything that has come to your mind during this time.

Family Time (Begin this time by reading the passage above using a children’s Bible. If your children are younger, you may read vv11-13 only.)

 In v11, Paul identified five things God prepares Christians to do. What are they?  What other kinds of work might God prepare Christians to do? (Check Rom 12:4-8) What do you think God may be preparing you to do with your life?

 

Proverbs for Today 21:25-28

²⁵ The desire of the sluggard kills him,
    for his hands refuse to labor.
²⁶ All day long he craves and craves,
    but the righteous gives and does not hold back.
²⁷ The sacrifice of the wicked is an abomination;
    how much more when he brings it with evil intent.
²⁸ A false witness will perish,
    but the word of a man who hears will endure.

 

 

Read chapter in full: http://www.biblica.com/en-us/bible/online-bible/niv/ephesians/3/cuvs/

 

EPHESIANS CHAPTER 3  (ESV)

Before you begin today’s reading and reflection, take a few minutes to create or find a “sacred space”. If you’re in your room, make yourself a small space with as few distractions as possible. Put aside any books, music, magazines; turn off your phone; get away from your email/facebook; turn off your music; etc.

 Now, pull out your Bible, and as you take some deep breaths, pray this short prayer: “Lord, help me be still and listen to your voice now and throughout this day and the next. Amen.”

(You can choose to read the whole chapter, or just the passage that is shown)

 

¹⁴For this reason I kneel before the Father, ¹⁵from whom his whole family in heaven and on earth derives its name. ¹⁶I pray that out of his glorious riches he may strengthen you with power through his Spirit in your inner being, ¹⁷so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith. And I pray that you, being rooted and established in love, ¹⁸may have power, together with all the saints, to grasp how wide and long and high and deep is the love of Christ, ¹⁹and to know this love that surpasses knowledge—that you may be filled to the measure of all the fullness of God.  ²⁰Now to him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to his power that is at work within us, ²¹to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, forever and ever! Amen.

 

Reflection

1. In the second half of the previous chapter, Paul looks at the salvation for the Gentiles. Through Christ’s dying on the cross, Gentiles and Jews are reconciled and became one in the new community – church. In this chapter, Paul explained that the goal of his ministry is to display God’s wisdom in bringing different peoples into a unified church (v1-13). Since God has blessed us so greatly, Paul prayed that believers (and all Christians) would comprehend fully the extent of God’s love for them (vv. 14-21).
2. Paul repeatedly mentions “love” and “power” in this passage. He earnestly desired that God’s people be “rooted and established in love” in order that we have power “together with all the saints” to grasp and know the love of Christ (vv18-19).  How can we grasp or understand love?  By experiencing the width and length and height and depth of the love of Christ.  What do you learn about power and love in these verses?
3. The mark of a truly spiritual church is still, “See how they love one another.” With today’s passage in mind, pray for your church that you, as a church family, may bear the mark of “loving one another” and may experience deeply the love of Christ.

 

Prayer & Journaling:

Stay with God for a little longer.  Continue to converse with God and listen to what he wants to tell you. 

If you have a prayer journal, as you listen to God, write down a few thoughts, questions, words, names, drawings, or anything that has come to your mind during this time.

Family Time (Begin this time by reading the passage above using a children’s Bible. If your children are younger, you may read vv16-18 only.)

Read the following and discuss how each of you can be Jesus’ hand, feet, eye, etc. to show God’s love to people around you, or in your community.

“Christ has no body now on earth but yours;
Yours are the only hands with which He can do His work,
Yours are the only feet with which He can go about the world,
Yours are the only eyes through which His compassion can shine forth upon a troubled world,
Christ has no body now on earth but yours” – Teresa of Avila

 

 

 

Proverbs for Today 21:21-24

²¹ Whoever pursues righteousness and kindness
    will find life, righteousness, and honor.
²² A wise man scales the city of the mighty
    and brings down the stronghold in which they trust.
²³ Whoever keeps his mouth and his tongue
    keeps himself out of trouble.
²⁴ “Scoffer” is the name of the arrogant, haughty man
    who acts with arrogant pride.

 

 

Read chapter in full: http://www.biblica.com/en-us/bible/online-bible/niv/ephesians/2/cuvs/

 

EPHESIANS CHAPTER 2  (ESV)

Before you begin today’s reading and reflection, take a few minutes to create or find a “sacred space”. If you’re in your room, make yourself a small space with as few distractions as possible. Put aside any books, music, magazines; turn off your phone; get away from your email/facebook; turn off your music; etc.

 Now, pull out your Bible, and as you take some deep breaths, pray this short prayer: “Lord, help me be still and listen to your voice now and throughout this day and the next. Amen.”

(You can choose to read the whole chapter, or just the passage that is shown)

 

¹ And you were dead in the trespasses and sins ² in which you once walked, following the course of this world, following the prince of the power of the air, the spirit that is now at work in the sons of disobedience— ³ among whom we all once lived in the passions of our flesh, carrying out the desires of the body and the mind, and were by nature children of wrath, like the rest of mankind. ⁴ But God, being rich in mercy, because of the great love with which he loved us, ⁵ even when we were dead in our trespasses, made us alive together with Christ—by grace you have been saved— ⁶ and raised us up with him and seated us with him in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus, ⁷ so that in the coming ages he might show the immeasurable riches of his grace in kindness toward us in Christ Jesus. ⁸ For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God, ⁹ not a result of works, so that no one may boast. ¹⁰ For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them.

 

Reflection

• Paul explained how all spiritual blessings given by God (ch 1) actually became reality to each believer. He contrasted what the believer was before regeneration with what he or she is after. All the glory for the change goes to God who provided salvation for people. God gave us life and called us to good works, that his grace might be displayed. We do not need to do good works to merit salvation.
• One of the best-known verses in the book of Ephesians is 2:8, “By grace you have been saved, through faith.”
• Focus on God’s graciousness to you in the past days, weeks and months. Allow yourself to experience the depth of his goodness. Respond to him in prayer and praise.
• Sing “Amazing Grace” meditatively and continue conversation with God.

Amazing Grace, how sweet the sound, that saved a wretch like me
I once was lost but now am found, was blind, but now, I see.

T’was Grace that taught my heart to fear. And Grace, my fears relieved.
How precious did that Grace appear the hour I first believed.

Through many dangers, toils and snare, we have already come.
T’was Grace that brought us safe thus far and Grace will lead us home

When we’ve been here ten thousand years, bright shining as the sun.
We’ve no less days to sing God’s praise than when we’ve first begun.

 

Prayer & Journaling:

Stay with God for a little longer.  Continue to converse with God and listen to what he wants to tell you. 

If you have a prayer journal, as you listen to God, write down a few thoughts, questions, words, names, drawings, or anything that has come to your mind during this time.

Family Time (Begin this time by reading the passage above using a children’s Bible. If your children are younger, you may read v8-9 only.)

 Talk about what grace is. “Grace is kindness from God we don’t deserve. There is nothing we have done, nor can ever do to earn this favor. It is a gift from God.” Sing together “Amazing Grace” in praising and thanking God for His Amazing Grace to each one of you.

 

Proverbs for Today 21:18-20

¹⁸ The wicked is a ransom for the righteous,
    and the traitor for the upright.
¹⁹ It is better to live in a desert land
    than with a quarrelsome and fretful woman.
²⁰ Precious treasure and oil are in a wise man’s dwelling,
    but a foolish man devours it.

 

Read chapter in full: http://www.biblica.com/en-us/bible/online-bible/niv/ephesians/1/cuvs/

 

EPHESIANS

Introducing Ephesians

Let’s face it. Most of us are problem centered. How will I get all my work done on time? What can I do to be a better witness? Why do I get angry so easily?

Solving all these problems is good. But so often we lack a broader perspective. We put Band-Aids over gaping wounds instead of looking for long-term solutions. We lack vision, so we fail to ask why we are involved in certain activities at all.

I have enjoyed going back again and again to Paul’s letter to the Ephesians because it communicates the Christian vision more powerfully and succinctly than any of his other letters. Most of Paul’s other letters are directed to the particular problems of a given church. For example, he wrote to the Galatians about the threat of legalism. He addressed a variety of problems at the church at Corinth. But his letter to the Ephesians is blissfully free from turmoil.

Some believe the letter has this quality because it was not written solely for the church at Ephesus. Rather, it was probably a circular letter sent to the Christian communities of Asia and other provinces, especially where Paul was not personally known. While most of his letters are full of personal greetings, no individuals are mentioned here or greeted by name. In fact the oldest and best manuscripts even lack the words in Ephesus (1:1). They are addressed generally “to the saints who are also faithful in Christ Jesus.” But at an early date the letter became associated with the Ephesian church, so most later manuscripts have “to the saints in Ephesus, the faithful in Christ Jesus.”

Ultimately, however, this letter is written to us, whoever the original readers were. It enables us to see the full sweep of God’s program from before creation to the ultimate union of everyone and everything in Jesus Christ. It puts our problems and our entire lives in the context of eternity.

May Ephesians expand your vision of what God is doing in history and give you wholeness in this broken world.

http://www.ivpress.com/bible/ephesian/

 

CHAPTER 1 (ESV)

Before you begin today’s reading and reflection, take a few minutes to create or find a “sacred space”. If you’re in your room, make yourself a small space with as few distractions as possible. Put aside any books, music, magazines; turn off your phone; get away from your email/facebook; turn off your music; etc.

 Now, pull out your Bible, and as you take some deep breaths, pray this short prayer: “Lord, help me be still and listen to your voice now and throughout this day and the next. Amen.”

(You can choose to read the whole chapter, or just the passage that is shown)

 

¹⁵ For this reason, because I have heard of your faith in the Lord Jesus and your love toward all the saints, ¹⁶ I do not cease to give thanks for you, remembering you in my prayers, ¹⁷ that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, may give you the Spirit of wisdom and of revelation in the knowledge of him, ¹⁸ having the eyes of your hearts enlightened, that you may know what is the hope to which he has called you, what are the riches of his glorious inheritance in the saints, ¹⁹ and what is the immeasurable greatness of his power toward us who believe, according to the working of his great might ²⁰ that he worked in Christ when he raised him from the dead and seated him at his right hand in the heavenly places, ²¹ far above all rule and authority and power and dominion, and above every name that is named, not only in this age but also in the one to come. ²² And he put all things under his feet and gave him as head over all things to the church, ²³ which is his body, the fullness of him who fills all in all.

 

Reflection

1. Paul began the body of his letter by revealing the spiritual blessings that God has planned for believers in His Son. (v3-14) He then prayed that they would appreciate and appropriate these good things in their own lives. He moved from benediction to intercession.(v15-23)
2. Paul’s prayer for the believers is that they might come to know God intimately (v17). This is so that we might better appreciate all spiritual blessings God’s given us:

the past: calling to salvation that gives us hope (v18), the future: inheritance that we constitute for God (v18), and the present: power of God available to us (v19).

God manifested this power in the past in Christ’s resurrection and ascension (v20-21). He will manifest it in the future by making Jesus Christ the head over all creation (v22). He is now manifesting this power in Jesus Christ’s headship over the church (v23).

3. When you pray for fellow Christians, how do you usually pray for them? In what ways would you like your prayers be more like Paul’s?
4. Use Paul’s prayer in vv17-19 to pray for the individuals in your church. How does praying this prayer affect your appreciation of God, yourself, the individuals you are praying for?  What will happen if your group prayed these verses every week for each other? Try it and see.

 

Prayer & Journaling:

Stay with God for a little longer.  Continue to converse with God and listen to what he wants to tell you. 

If you have a prayer journal, as you listen to God, write down a few thoughts, questions, words, names, drawings, or anything that has come to your mind during this time.

Family Time (Begin this time by reading the passage above using a children’s Bible. If your children are younger, you may read vv15-17 only.)

Paul knew Christians and he wanted to pray for them. Who are the Christians that are special to you? Write thank-you notes to each of these people.  End your family time by praying by name for each person.  Record these names in your Family Devotional Journal.

 

Proverbs for Today 21:15-17

¹⁵ When justice is done, it is a joy to the righteous
    but terror to evildoers.
¹⁶ One who wanders from the way of good sense
    will rest in the assembly of the dead.
¹⁷ Whoever loves pleasure will be a poor man;
    he who loves wine and oil will not be rich.

 

 

 

Joshua Chapter 24 (ESV)

 

Choose Whom You Will Serve

¹⁴ “Now therefore fear the Lord and serve him in sincerity and in faithfulness. Put away the gods that your fathers served beyond the River and in Egypt, and serve the Lord.¹⁵ And if it is evil in your eyes to serve the Lord, choose this day whom you will serve, whether the gods your fathers served in the region beyond the River, or the gods of the Amorites in whose land you dwell. But as for me and my house, we will serve the Lord.”

¹⁶ Then the people answered, “Far be it from us that we should forsake the Lord to serve other gods, ¹⁷ for it is the Lord our God who brought us and our fathers up from the land of Egypt, out of the house of slavery, and who did those great signs in our sight and preserved us in all the way that we went, and among all the peoples through whom we passed. ¹⁸ And the Lord drove out before us all the peoples, the Amorites who lived in the land. Therefore we also will serve the Lord, for he is our God.”

Joshua’s Death and Burial

²⁹ After these things Joshua the son of Nun, the servant of the Lord, died, being 110 years old. ³⁰ And they buried him in his own inheritance at Timnath-serah, which is in the hill country of Ephraim, north of the mountain of Gaash.

³¹ Israel served the Lord all the days of Joshua, and all the days of the elders who outlived Joshua and had known all the work that the Lord did for Israel.

 

MEDITATION:

Joshua gave his people the choice to serve the God who had chosen, liberated, and provided for them or to fall back into worship of the false gods of their ancestors on the side of the Euphrates before God called Abraham. In v15, Joshua declared his intention to serve the Lord and told the people to choose whom they would serve. This choice is the one for us as well; we must “choose this day whom we will serve”. If we choose false gods, such lapses today are a reversion to what we too had once been but for the grace of God.

Meditate on the phrase, “As for me and my household, we will serve the Lord.” What does it mean for a family to “serve the Lord”? Where should we begin? When? How? Use this song Hi-Ne-Ni as your response to God’s calling you through Joshua.

PRAYER: 

The Lord is my portion and my inheritance. As for me and my household, we will serve the Lord. You will honor those who honor You, but those who despise You will be disdained. (Num 18:20, Josh 24:15, 1 Sam 2:30)

 

 

Joshua Chapter 23 (ESV)

 

Joshua’s Charge to Israel’s Leaders

¹ A long time afterward, when the Lord had given rest to Israel from all their surrounding enemies, and Joshua was old and well advanced in years, ² Joshua summoned all Israel, its elders and heads, its judges and officers, and said to them, “I am now old and well advanced in years. ³ And you have seen all that the Lord your God has done to all these nations for your sake, for it is the Lord your God who has fought for you. ⁴ Behold, I have allotted to you as an inheritance for your tribes those nations that remain, along with all the nations that I have already cut off, from the Jordan to the Great Sea in the west. ⁵ The Lord your God will push them back before you and drive them out of your sight. And you shall possess their land, just as the Lord your God promised you. ⁶ Therefore, be very strong to keep and to do all that is written in the Book of the Law of Moses, turning aside from it neither to the right hand nor to the left, ⁷ that you may not mix with these nations remaining among you or make mention of the names of their gods or swear by them or serve them or bow down to them, ⁸ but you shall cling to the Lord your God just as you have done to this day. ⁹ For the Lord has driven out before you great and strong nations. And as for you, no man has been able to stand before you to this day. ¹⁰ One man of you puts to flight a thousand, since it is the Lord your God who fights for you, just as he promised you. ¹¹ Be very careful, therefore, to love the Lord your God. ¹² For if you turn back and cling to the remnant of these nations remaining among you and make marriages with them, so that you associate with them and they with you, ¹³ know for certain that the Lord your God will no longer drive out these nations before you, but they shall be a snare and a trap for you, a whip on your sides and thorns in your eyes, until you perish from off this good ground that the Lord your God has given you.

¹⁴ “And now I am about to go the way of all the earth, and you know in your hearts and souls, all of you, that not one word has failed of all the good things that the Lord your God promised concerning you. All have come to pass for you; not one of them has failed. ¹⁵ But just as all the good things that the Lord your God promised concerning you have been fulfilled for you, so the Lord will bring upon you all the evil things, until he has destroyed you from off this good land that the Lord your God has given you, ¹⁶ if you transgress the covenant of the Lord your God, which he commanded you, and go and serve other gods and bow down to them. Then the anger of the Lord will be kindled against you, and you shall perish quickly from off the good land that he has given to you.”

 

MEDITATION:

Once again, Joshua called the nation in his farewell speech to keep the law, just as he too was challenged in his commissioning service (1:7-9).

God has promised Joshua, “No man shall be able to stand before you all the days of your life. Just as I was with Moses, so I will be with you. I will not leave you or forsake you” (1:5). Joshua confirmed it in this passage, “One man of you puts to flight a thousand, since it is the Lord your God who fights for you, just as he promised you” (v10). The presence of God had made such a powerful difference that even the weakest of the Israelites seemed to be an unmatched hero.

PRAYER:

God, I thank you, for I am confident that “I can do all this through him who gives me strength.” Just as you fought for the Israelites, you will grant me strength to face my challenges today if I obey your will and live accordingly.  (ref. Phil 4:13)

 

 

 

Joshua Chapter 22 (ESV)

 

²¹ Then the people of Reuben, the people of Gad, and the half-tribe of Manasseh said in answer to the heads of the families of Israel, ²² “The Mighty One, God, the Lord! The Mighty One, God, the Lord! He knows; and let Israel itself know! If it was in rebellion or in breach of faith against the Lord, do not spare us today ²³ for building an altar to turn away from following the Lord. Or if we did so to offer burnt offerings or grain offerings or peace offerings on it, may the Lord himself take vengeance. ²⁴ No, but we did it from fear that in time to come your children might say to our children, ‘What have you to do with the Lord, the God of Israel? ²⁵ For the Lord has made the Jordan a boundary between us and you, you people of Reuben and people of Gad. You have no portion in the Lord.’ So your children might make our children cease to worship the Lord.²⁶ Therefore we said, ‘Let us now build an altar, not for burnt offering, nor for sacrifice, ²⁷ but to be a witness between us and you, and between our generations after us, that we do perform the service of the Lord in his presence with our burnt offerings and sacrifices and peace offerings, so your children will not say to our children in time to come, “You have no portion in the Lord.”’ ²⁸ And we thought, ‘If this should be said to us or to our descendants in time to come, we should say, “Behold, the copy of the altar of the Lord, which our fathers made, not for burnt offerings, nor for sacrifice, but to be a witness between us and you.”’ ²⁹ Far be it from us that we should rebel against the Lord and turn away this day from following the Lord by building an altar for burnt offering, grain offering, or sacrifice, other than the altar of the Lord our God that stands before his tabernacle!”

³⁰ When Phinehas the priest and the chiefs of the congregation, the heads of the families of Israel who were with him, heard the words that the people of Reuben and the people of Gad and the people of Manasseh spoke, it was good in their eyes. ³¹ And Phinehas the son of Eleazar the priest said to the people of Reuben and the people of Gad and the people of Manasseh, “Today we know that the Lord is in our midst, because you have not committed this breach of faith against the Lord. Now you have delivered the people of Israel from the hand of the Lord.”

³² Then Phinehas the son of Eleazar the priest, and the chiefs, returned from the people of Reuben and the people of Gad in the land of Gilead to the land of Canaan, to the people of Israel, and brought back word to them. ³³ And the report was good in the eyes of the people of Israel. And the people of Israel blessed God and spoke no more of making war against them to destroy the land where the people of Reuben and the people of Gad were settled. ³⁴ The people of Reuben and the people of Gad called the altar Witness, “For,” they said, “it is a witness between us that the Lord is God.”

 

MEDITATION:

The tribes which had been given land on the east side of the Jordan had fulfilled their commitment to the rest of Israel. They had entered the Promised Land and fought with rest tribes. Now it was time for them to return to their own homes. But since the Israelites would be living on both sides of the river, the Jordan Rift Valley became a natural barrier which hindered the unity of the twelve tribes.

When the returning tribes built an altar by the Jordan, their brothers interpreted it as an act of rebellion against the Lord, and they were ready to go to war rather than risk divine punishment (vv19-20).

The eastern tribes then explained their reason for building the altar was to be a memorial.  This explanation was accepted by the western tribes. A potential conflict and division was resolved.

It is easy to misunderstand another person’s actions. Both groups acted wisely. The western tribes decided to talk before acting. The easterners didn’t take offense, but instead humbly explained what they had done.

It’s good to remember that before we accuse, we need to go to the persons involved and talk about what has happened. And if anyone misunderstands an act of ours, rather than be upset, we need to be humble and willing to explain.

PRAYER:  Is there an unresolved conflict between you and another person?
Lord, when I am ready for worship or to serve in the church, help me to examine my heart. Prompt me to seek reconciliation before coming to worship/serve. For I know that if I have cherished in sin, the Lord will not have listened. But you have indeed listened and have heard my prayer. (ref. Matt 5:1-5, Ps 66:18-20).

 

 

 

 

Joshua Chapter 21 (ESV)

 

⁴¹ The cities of the Levites in the midst of the possession of the people of Israel were in all forty-eight cities with their pasturelands. ⁴² These cities each had its pasturelands around it. So it was with all these cities.

⁴³ Thus the Lord gave to Israel all the land that he swore to give to their fathers. And they took possession of it, and they settled there. ⁴⁴ And the Lord gave them rest on every side just as he had sworn to their fathers. Not one of all their enemies had withstood them, for the Lord had given all their enemies into their hands. ⁴⁵ Not one word of all the good promises that the Lord had made to the house of Israel had failed; all came to pass.

 

MEDITATION:

This passage concludes the first two main sections of the book, the conquest and the division of the land. God had proven Himself the faithful God who had not forgotten any of the promises made to the patriarchs or Moses. Moreover, God had also given the people “rest on every side” (v44). In principle, everything promised had come to pass.

God has accomplished all that He has promised the Israelites in bringing them in the Promised Land. Do you think God always do what He promised? What promises of God do you have?

How does faith differ from wishful thinking? Why should we expect God to answer our prayers, to provide us with food and clothing, or to be involved in jobs or family? How do we know our faith isn’t simply foolishness?

Scripture tells us that true faith must be grounded in God’s promises. If God has promised to do something, then we can trust Him wholeheartedly. If He has not promised to do something, then all the faith in the world won’t make it happen.

PRAYER:
Invite the Holy Spirit to remove any obstacle in you so that you may see God’s unfailing love and praise with the Psalmist in Ps 73:25-26.

Whom have I in heaven but you? And there is nothing on earth that I desire besides you. My flesh and my heart may fail, but God is the strength[b] of my heart and my portion forever.

 

 

Joshua Chapter 20 (ESV)

 

The Cities of Refuge

¹ Then the Lord said to Joshua, ² “Say to the people of Israel, ‘Appoint the cities of refuge, of which I spoke to you through Moses, ³ that the manslayer who strikes any person without intent or unknowingly may flee there. They shall be for you a refuge from the avenger of blood. ⁴ He shall flee to one of these cities and shall stand at the entrance of the gate of the city and explain his case to the elders of that city. Then they shall take him into the city and give him a place, and he shall remain with them. ⁵ And if the avenger of blood pursues him, they shall not give up the manslayer into his hand, because he struck his neighbor unknowingly, and did not hate him in the past. ⁶ And he shall remain in that city until he has stood before the congregation for judgment, until the death of him who is high priest at the time. Then the manslayer may return to his own town and his own home, to the town from which he fled.’”

⁷ So they set apart Kedesh in Galilee in the hill country of Naphtali, and Shechem in the hill country of Ephraim, and Kiriath-arba (that is, Hebron) in the hill country of Judah.⁸ And beyond the Jordan east of Jericho, they appointed Bezer in the wilderness on the tableland, from the tribe of Reuben, and Ramoth in Gilead, from the tribe of Gad, and Golan in Bashan, from the tribe of Manasseh. ⁹ These were the cities designated for all the people of Israel and for the stranger sojourning among them, that anyone who killed a person without intent could flee there, so that he might not die by the hand of the avenger of blood, till he stood before the congregation.

 

MEDITATION:

Cities of refuge are places where someone who killed another person accidentally might flee to. God deems it important to protect the innocent when dealing with criminal matters. We need to be careful that in our concern for justice, we do not violate the rights of the innocent.

Verse 6 describes what an accused criminal had to do to gain protection from an avenger. One had to stay in the city of refuge for protection. Leaving the city meant leaving the protection of the law.

What are some areas of our lives in which limits are set for our protection? Who sets these boundaries? Why?

Where do you go (or to whom do you turn) when you feel in danger?

In what way could your church be like a city of refuge for the needy?

PRAYER:

In you, LORD, I have taken refuge; let me never be put to shame; deliver me in your righteousness. Turn your ear to me, come quickly to my rescue; be my rock of refuge,
a strong fortress to save me. Since you are my rock and my fortress, for the sake of your name lead and guide me. Keep me free from the trap that is set for me, for you are my refuge. Into your hands I commit my spirit; deliver me, LORD, my faithful God. (ref. Ps 31:1-5)

 

 

 

 

 

Joshua Chapter 19 (ESV)

 

The Inheritance for Joshua

⁴⁹ When they had finished distributing the several territories of the land as inheritances, the people of Israel gave an inheritance among them to Joshua the son of Nun. ⁵⁰ By command of the Lord they gave him the city that he asked, Timnath-serah in the hill country of Ephraim. And he rebuilt the city and settled in it.

⁵¹ These are the inheritances that Eleazar the priest and Joshua the son of Nun and the heads of the fathers’ houses of the tribes of the people of Israel distributed by lot at Shiloh before the Lord, at the entrance of the tent of meeting. So they finished dividing the land.

 

MEDITATION:

Finally with victories won and the land divided, Joshua settled down on his own inheritance. However, Joshua’s retirement wasn’t simply a well-merited reward for his decades of exemplary service. He was retired, also, for the benefit of Israel!

When the Manasseh needed more land (ch 17), they hurried to Joshua and complained. Josh wisely told them “You can drive them out”. It was time for Israel to stop depending on Joshua and to step out on their own. Manasseh, and all the other tribes, needed to trust God for themselves.

There comes a time when each of us needs to step down and tell those we have nurtured, “You can do it. It’s time that I retire. And time to learn what God can do for and through you.”

In what relationships do you need to retire and let others be responsible for themselves?

PRAYER: (In 1994 Richard Foster compiled a book entitled Prayers From the Heart.  In it is a Prayer of Relinquishment (printed below) that he uses in his time of prayer.  Take a deep breath, sit back and read it slowly as you let the words become your own.) 

Today, O Lord, I yield myself to You. May Your will be my delight today.
May You have perfect sway in me. May your love be the pattern of my living.
I surrender to You my hopes, my dreams, my ambitions.
Do with them what You will, when You will, as You will.
I place into Your loving care my family, my friends, my future.
Care for them with a care that I can never give.
I release into Your hands my need to control, my craving for status, my fear of obscurity.
Eradicate the evil, purify the good, and establish Your Kingdom on earth.
For Jesus’ sake, Amen.

 (http://www.stonebridgecharlotte.com/page80/extras.html)

 

 

 

Joshua Chapter 18 (ESV)

 

Allotment of the Remaining Land

¹ Then the whole congregation of the people of Israel assembled at Shiloh and set up the tent of meeting there. The land lay subdued before them.

² There remained among the people of Israel seven tribes whose inheritance had not yet been apportioned. ³ So Joshua said to the people of Israel, “How long will you put off going in to take possession of the land, which the Lord, the God of your fathers, has given you? ⁴ Provide three men from each tribe, and I will send them out that they may set out and go up and down the land. They shall write a description of it with a view to their inheritances, and then come to me. ⁵ They shall divide it into seven portions. Judah shall continue in his territory on the south, and the house of Joseph shall continue in their territory on the north. ⁶ And you shall describe the land in seven divisions and bring the description here to me. And I will cast lots for you here before the Lord our God. ⁷ The Levites have no portion among you, for the priesthood of the Lord is their heritage. And Gad and Reuben and half the tribe of Manasseh have received their inheritance beyond the Jordan eastward, which Moses the servant of the Lord gave them.”

⁸ So the men arose and went, and Joshua charged those who went to write the description of the land, saying, “Go up and down in the land and write a description and return to me. And I will cast lots for you here before the Lord in Shiloh.” ⁹ So the men went and passed up and down in the land and wrote in a book a description of it by towns in seven divisions. Then they came to Joshua to the camp at Shiloh, ¹⁰ and Joshua cast lots for them in Shiloh before the Lord. And there Joshua apportioned the land to the people of Israel, to each his portion.

 

MEDITATION:

Read this passage slowly understanding the progress of the takeover of the Promised Land by the Israelites.

Joshua has led the people of a series of successful conquest. Each tribe was then responsible to conquer and colonize its designated territory.

Five tribes have been settled on land on either side of the Jordan River. Joshua in this passage rebuked the remaining tribes for their procrastination in failing to act as they had been instructed (v3).

What in your life have you begun but never finished? What will it take to get you going?

PRAYER:

God, I will keep my eyes on Jesus, who both began and finished this race I’m in. God who started this great work in me would keep at it and bring it to a flourishing finish on the very day Christ Jesus appears. (cf. Heb 12:2, Phil 1:6)

 

 

 

 

 

Joshua Chapter 17 (ESV)

 

¹ Then allotment was made to the people of Manasseh, for he was the firstborn of Joseph. To Machir the firstborn of Manasseh, the father of Gilead, were allotted Gilead and Bashan, because he was a man of war. ² And allotments were made to the rest of the people of Manasseh by their clans, Abiezer, Helek, Asriel, Shechem, Hepher, and Shemida. These were the male descendants of Manasseh the son of Joseph, by their clans.

³ Now Zelophehad the son of Hepher, son of Gilead, son of Machir, son of Manasseh, had no sons, but only daughters, and these are the names of his daughters: Mahlah, Noah, Hoglah, Milcah, and Tirzah. ⁴ They approached Eleazar the priest and Joshua the son of Nun and the leaders and said, “The Lord commanded Moses to give us an inheritance along with our brothers.” So according to the mouth of the Lord he gave them an inheritance among the brothers of their father.⁵ Thus there fell to Manasseh ten portions, besides the land of Gilead and Bashan, which is on the other side of the Jordan, ⁶ because the daughters of Manasseh received an inheritance along with his sons. The land of Gilead was allotted to the rest of the people of Manasseh.

⁷ The territory of Manasseh reached from Asher to Michmethath, which is east of Shechem. Then the boundary goes along southward to the inhabitants of En-tappuah.⁸ The land of Tappuah belonged to Manasseh, but the town of Tappuah on the boundary of Manasseh belonged to the people of Ephraim. ⁹ Then the boundary went down to the brook Kanah. These cities, to the south of the brook, among the cities of Manasseh, belong to Ephraim. Then the boundary of Manasseh goes on the north side of the brook and ends at the sea, ¹⁰ the land to the south being Ephraim’s and that to the north being Manasseh’s, with the sea forming its boundary. On the north Asher is reached, and on the east Issachar. ¹¹ Also in Issachar and in Asher Manasseh had Beth-shean and its villages, and Ibleam and its villages, and the inhabitants of Dor and its villages, and the inhabitants of En-dor and its villages, and the inhabitants of Taanach and its villages, and the inhabitants of Megiddo and its villages; the third is Naphath.^[a] 12 Yet the people of Manasseh could not take possession of those cities, but the Canaanites persisted in dwelling in that land.¹³ Now when the people of Israel grew strong, they put the Canaanites to forced labor, but did not utterly drive them out.

 ¹⁴ Then the people of Joseph spoke to Joshua, saying, “Why have you given me but one lot and one portion as an inheritance, although I am a numerous people, since all along the Lord has blessed me?” ¹⁵ And Joshua said to them, “If you are a numerous people, go up by yourselves to the forest, and there clear ground for yourselves in the land of the Perizzites and the Rephaim, since the hill country of Ephraim is too narrow for you.” ¹⁶ The people of Joseph said, “The hill country is not enough for us. Yet all the Canaanites who dwell in the plain have chariots of iron, both those in Beth-shean and its villages and those in the Valley of Jezreel.” ¹⁷ Then Joshua said to the house of Joseph, to Ephraim and Manasseh, “You are a numerous people and have great power. You shall not have one allotment only,¹⁸ but the hill country shall be yours, for though it is a forest, you shall clear it and possess it to its farthest borders. For you shall drive out the Canaanites, though they have chariots of iron, and though they are strong.”

 

MEDITATION:

Despite victory, there was disobedience among the tribes of Israel which indicated future disasters. When the population of Manassah grew, the tribe subdued several Canaanite towns in its territory. But rather than drive these people out as God had commanded, the Manassites enslaved them.

Again, when the Manassah tribal members were challenged to conquer extra land, they failed to trust God, instead they responded, “The hill country is not enough for us. Yet all the Canaanites who dwell in the plain have chariots of iron” (v16). Despite the unbroken record of military victories won with God’s aid, their vision of God were blocked by the iron chariots.

PRAYER:  Are you complaining about something right now? What is it? Why? Wait and listen to what God is telling you about it.

 

 

 

Joshua Chapter 16 (ESV)

 

The Allotment for Ephraim and Manasseh

¹ The allotment of the people of Joseph went from the Jordan by Jericho, east of the waters of Jericho, into the wilderness, going up from Jericho into the hill country to Bethel.² Then going from Bethel to Luz, it passes along to Ataroth, the territory of the Archites. ³ Then it goes down westward to the territory of the Japhletites, as far as the territory of Lower Beth-horon, then to Gezer, and it ends at the sea.

⁴ The people of Joseph, Manasseh and Ephraim, received their inheritance.

⁵ The territory of the people of Ephraim by their clans was as follows: the boundary of their inheritance on the east was Ataroth-addar as far as Upper Beth-horon, ⁶ and the boundary goes from there to the sea. On the north is Michmethath. Then on the east the boundary turns around toward Taanath-shiloh and passes along beyond it on the east to Janoah, ⁷ then it goes down from Janoah to Ataroth and to Naarah, and touches Jericho, ending at the Jordan. ⁸ From Tappuah the boundary goes westward to the brook Kanah and ends at the sea. Such is the inheritance of the tribe of the people of Ephraim by their clans, ⁹ together with the towns that were set apart for the people of Ephraim within the inheritance of the Manassites, all those towns with their villages.¹⁰ However, they did not drive out the Canaanites who lived in Gezer, so the Canaanites have lived in the midst of Ephraim to this day but have been made to do forced labor.

 

MEDITATION:

God has commanded the Israelites to drive out all Canaanites when they capture the cities, and they must not let Canaanites live among them. However out of convenience and for their own personal benefit, the Ephraims are already disobeying God’s order. At the time it may appeared to be trivial, but as we will find out, this causes big problem for the Ephraims and all of Israel down the road.

Were there times when out of your own interest or simply for your own convenience, you disobeyed what the Lord has commanded you? Do you also overlook ‘trivial’ things and choose to disobey God?

Repent and confess the times when you rebelled and disobeyed God. Ask God’s forgiveness.

PRAYER: “Search me, God, and know my heart; test me and know my anxious thoughts. See if there is any offensive way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting.” (ref. Ps 139:23-24)

 

 

 

 

 

Joshua Chapter 15 (ESV)

 

The Allotment for Judah

¹The allotment for the tribe of the people of Judah according to their clans reached southward to the boundary of Edom, to the wilderness of Zin at the farthest south. ² And their south boundary ran from the end of the Salt Sea, from the bay that faces southward. ³ It goes out southward of the ascent of Akrabbim, passes along to Zin, and goes up south of Kadesh-barnea, along by Hezron, up to Addar, turns about to Karka, ⁴ passes along to Azmon, goes out by the Brook of Egypt, and comes to its end at the sea. This shall be your south boundary. ⁵ And the east boundary is the Salt Sea, to the mouth of the Jordan. And the boundary on the north side runs from the bay of the sea at the mouth of the Jordan. ⁶ And the boundary goes up to Beth-hoglah and passes along north of Beth-arabah. And the boundary goes up to the stone of Bohan the son of Reuben. ⁷ And the boundary goes up to Debir from the Valley of Achor, and so northward, turning toward Gilgal, which is opposite the ascent of Adummim, which is on the south side of the valley. And the boundary passes along to the waters of En-shemesh and ends at En-rogel. ⁸ Then the boundary goes up by the Valley of the Son of Hinnom at the southern shoulder of the Jebusite (that is, Jerusalem). And the boundary goes up to the top of the mountain that lies over against the Valley of Hinnom, on the west, at the northern end of the Valley of Rephaim. ⁹ Then the boundary extends from the top of the mountain to the spring of the waters of Nephtoah, and from there to the cities of Mount Ephron. Then the boundary bends around to Baalah (that is, Kiriath-jearim). ¹⁰ And the boundary circles west of Baalah to Mount Seir, passes along to the northern shoulder of Mount Jearim (that is, Chesalon), and goes down to Beth-shemesh and passes along by Timnah. ¹¹ The boundary goes out to the shoulder of the hill north of Ekron, then the boundary bends around to Shikkeron and passes along to Mount Baalah and goes out to Jabneel. Then the boundary comes to an end at the sea. ¹² And the west boundary was the Great Sea with its coastline. This is the boundary around the people of Judah according to their clans.

 

MEDITATION:

Judah was the southernmost tribe west of the Jordan. Caleb’s family and the Simeonites lived within Judah’s territory. The boundaries of the whole tribal territory was recorded first. The description proceeds counterclockwise from south (vv. 2-4) to east (v. 5) to north (vv. 5-11) to west (v. 12).

The multitudes of the Judah tribe living in this vast area would be responsible for cultivating, irrigating, and planting in order to have grain, trees and orchard. Every area has its riches and its hardship. It is through their diligent cultivating and harvesting, that the Land of Milk and Honey will appear.

For in faithfully obeying God’s commands to them, the Israelites will be blessed by God as He has promised.

PRAYER: Father, in my life, there are times in need, but at other times I have plenty. No matter what, pray to give me a thankful heart, and reverent spirit to enjoy the blessings you have prepared for me.

 

 

 

 

Joshua Chapter 14 (ESV)

 

Caleb’s Request and Inheritance

⁶ Then the people of Judah came to Joshua at Gilgal. And Caleb the son of Jephunneh the Kenizzite said to him, “You know what the Lord said to Moses the man of God in Kadesh-barnea concerning you and me. ⁷ I was forty years old when Moses the servant of the Lord sent me from Kadesh-barnea to spy out the land, and I brought him word again as it was in my heart. ⁸ But my brothers who went up with me made the heart of the people melt; yet I wholly followed the Lord my God. ⁹ And Moses swore on that day, saying, ‘Surely the land on which your foot has trodden shall be an inheritance for you and your children forever, because you have wholly followed the Lord my God.’ ¹⁰ And now, behold, the Lord has kept me alive, just as he said, these forty-five years since the time that the Lord spoke this word to Moses, while Israel walked in the wilderness. And now, behold, I am this day eighty-five years old. ¹¹ I am still as strong today as I was in the day that Moses sent me; my strength now is as my strength was then, for war and for going and coming. ¹² So now give me this hill country of which the Lord spoke on that day, for you heard on that day how the Anakim were there, with great fortified cities. It may be that the Lord will be with me, and I shall drive them out just as the Lord said.”

¹³ Then Joshua blessed him, and he gave Hebron to Caleb the son of Jephunneh for an inheritance. ¹⁴ Therefore Hebron became the inheritance of Caleb the son of Jephunneh the Kenizzite to this day, because he wholly followed the Lord, the God of Israel. ¹⁵ Now the name of Hebron formerly was Kiriath-arba. (Arba was the greatest man among the Anakim.) And the land had rest from war.

 

READ: MEDITATION:

Caleb was one of the 12 spies who had scouted Canaan some 45 years earlier (ce. Num 13-14). Only he and Joshua had urged Israel to trust God and invade Canaan then. Now, at 85, Caleb still actively trusted God. He asked for a parcel of land still occupied by an especially warlike people, the Anakites, and confidently said, “If God goes with me, I will drive them out, just as God said.” (v12, MSG)

One of the gifts God gives to Christians today is the privilege of being in a church where the older folks were models of the kind of faith Caleb had. Too often we tend to segregate older believers from young. Yet the young people in our church need to be exposed to godly older men and women.

Caleb was still going strong at age 85. Will you be like him? What quality of his life do you want for yourself and your family? Are you or will you be a model for the younger Christians?

PRAYER: Do you know a good Christian man or woman who is about 85 years old, or 75 years old, etc.? What is the relationship you have with him/her? Pray for this person and ask God to bless him/her.

 

 

Joshua Chapter 13 (ESV)

 

Land Still to Be Conquered

¹ Now Joshua was old and advanced in years, and the Lord said to him, “You are old and advanced in years, and there remains yet very much land to possess. ² This is the land that yet remains: all the regions of the Philistines, and all those of the Geshurites ³ (from the Shihor, which is east of Egypt, northward to the boundary of Ekron, it is counted as Canaanite; there are five rulers of the Philistines, those of Gaza, Ashdod, Ashkelon, Gath, and Ekron), and those of the Avvim, ⁴ in the south, all the land of the Canaanites, and Mearah that belongs to the Sidonians, to Aphek, to the boundary of the Amorites, ⁵ and the land of the Gebalites, and all Lebanon, toward the sunrise, from Baal-gad below Mount Hermon to Lebo-hamath, ⁶ all the inhabitants of the hill country from Lebanon to Misrephoth-maim, even all the Sidonians. I myself will drive them out from before the people of Israel. Only allot the land to Israel for an inheritance, as I have commanded you. ⁷ Now therefore divide this land for an inheritance to the nine tribes and half the tribe of Manasseh.”

The Inheritance East of the Jordan

⁸ With the other half of the tribe of Manasseh the Reubenites and the Gadites received their inheritance, which Moses gave them, beyond the Jordan eastward, as Moses the servant of the Lord gave them: ⁹ from Aroer, which is on the edge of the Valley of the Arnon, and the city that is in the middle of the valley, and all the tableland of Medeba as far as Dibon; ¹⁰ and all the cities of Sihon king of the Amorites, who reigned in Heshbon, as far as the boundary of the Ammonites; ¹¹ and Gilead, and the region of the Geshurites and Maacathites, and all Mount Hermon, and all Bashan to Salecah; ¹² all the kingdom of Og in Bashan, who reigned in Ashtaroth and in Edrei (he alone was left of the remnant of the Rephaim); these Moses had struck and driven out. ¹³ Yet the people of Israel did not drive out the Geshurites or the Maacathites, but Geshur and Maacath dwell in the midst of Israel to this day.

¹⁴ To the tribe of Levi alone Moses gave no inheritance. The offerings by fire to the Lord God of Israel are their inheritance, as he said to him.

 

MEDITATION:

The power of the Canaanites had been broken by the power of united Israel. But there were still pockets of resistance in each area allotted to the various tribes.

The Israelites population was not large enough to fill the whole land. Each tribe was responsible to take additional land as its population grew.

If you had been a Gadite or Reubenite, what would have been the first thing you do in your new land: Build a house to live in? Have a big feast? Check out the neighbors? Look for water? (e) Gather for worship? Why?

What have you received that you feel is a specific inheritance (gift) from the Lord? What have you done with it?

Prayer: My choice is you, God, first and only. And now I find I’m your choice! You set me up with a house and yard. And then you made me your heir! I give you my most sincere thanks. (ref. Ps 16:5-6, The Message)

 

 

 

 

Joshua Chapter 12 (ESV)

 

Kings Defeated by Joshua

⁷ And these are the kings of the land whom Joshua and the people of Israel defeated on the west side of the Jordan, from Baal-gad in the Valley of Lebanon to Mount Halak, that rises toward Seir (and Joshua gave their land to the tribes of Israel as a possession according to their allotments, ⁸ in the hill country, in the lowland, in the Arabah, in the slopes, in the wilderness, and in the Negeb, the land of the Hittites, the Amorites, the Canaanites, the Perizzites, the Hivites, and the Jebusites): ⁹ the king of Jericho, one; the king of Ai, which is beside Bethel, one; ¹⁰ the king of Jerusalem, one; the king of Hebron, one; ¹¹ the king of Jarmuth, one; the king of Lachish, one; ¹² the king of Eglon, one; the king of Gezer, one; ¹³ the king of Debir, one; the king of Geder, one; ¹⁴ the king of Hormah, one; the king of Arad, one;¹⁵ the king of Libnah, one; the king of Adullam, one; ¹⁶ the king of Makkedah, one; the king of Bethel, one; ¹⁷ the king of Tappuah, one; the king of Hepher, one; ¹⁸ the king of Aphek, one; the king of Lasharon, one; ¹⁹ the king of Madon, one; the king of Hazor, one; ²⁰ the king of Shimron-meron, one; the king of Achshaph, one; ²¹ the king of Taanach, one; the king of Megiddo, one; ²² the king of Kedesh, one; the king of Jokneam in Carmel, one; ²³ the king of Dor in Naphath-dor, one; the king of Goiim in Galilee, one; ²⁴ the king of Tirzah, one: in all, thirty-one kings.

 

MEDITATION:

Read the names of these kings and see if you remember any of them from study of the previous chapters 1-11. This chapter is the conclusion of the first half of the book of Joshua.

Most scholars believe that the Conquest described so graphically in these chapters, actually took about seven years to accomplish. When total victory had finally been won, Joshua carefully listed the 31 Canaanite city-states that were defeated. Israel could look back on this impressive list and be encouraged. God, who had promised victory, had kept His word. Surely God could be trusted for victory in battles yet to come.

Has God helped in your life to conquer anything: Bad temper? Shyness? Certain phobia? Smoking? Serious illness? Addiction? Marriage problems? Obesity? Poor self-image? The list could go on. Pause and recall. Write down what comes to mind in your Journal Book. If ready, share it with another Christian or in your cell.

Prayer: God, I thank you because I know in all things I am more than conquerors through him who loved me.  For I am sure that neither death nor life, nor angels nor rulers, nor things present nor things to come, nor powers, nor height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate me from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord. (ref. Rom 8:37-39)

 

 

 

Joshua Chapter 11 (ESV)

 

Conquests in Northern Canaan

¹ When Jabin, king of Hazor, heard of this, he sent to Jobab king of Madon, and to the king of Shimron, and to the king of Achshaph, ² and to the kings who were in the northern hill country, and in the Arabah south of Chinneroth, and in the lowland, and in Naphoth-dor on the west, ³ to the Canaanites in the east and the west, the Amorites, the Hittites, the Perizzites, and the Jebusites in the hill country, and the Hivites under Hermon in the land of Mizpah. ⁴ And they came out with all their troops, a great horde, in number like the sand that is on the seashore, with very many horses and chariots. ⁵ And all these kings joined their forces and came and encamped together at the waters of Merom to fight against Israel.

⁶ And the Lord said to Joshua, “Do not be afraid of them, for tomorrow at this time I will give over all of them, slain, to Israel. You shall hamstring their horses and burn their chariots with fire.” ⁷ So Joshua and all his warriors came suddenly against them by the waters of Merom and fell upon them. ⁸ And the Lord gave them into the hand of Israel, who struck them and chased them as far as Great Sidon and Misrephoth-maim, and eastward as far as the Valley of Mizpeh. And they struck them until he left none remaining. ⁹ And Joshua did to them just as the Lord said to him: he hamstrung their horses and burned their chariots with fire.

¹⁰ And Joshua turned back at that time and captured Hazor and struck its king with the sword, for Hazor formerly was the head of all those kingdoms. ¹¹ And they struck with the sword all who were in it, devoting them to destruction; there was none left that breathed. And he burned Hazor with fire. ¹² And all the cities of those kings, and all their kings, Joshua captured, and struck them with the edge of the sword, devoting them to destruction, just as Moses the servant of the Lord had commanded. ¹³ But none of the cities that stood on mounds did Israel burn, except Hazor alone; that Joshua burned. ¹⁴ And all the spoil of these cities and the livestock, the people of Israel took for their plunder. But every person they struck with the edge of the sword until they had destroyed them, and they did not leave any who breathed. ¹⁵ Just as the Lord had commanded Moses his servant, so Moses commanded Joshua, and so Joshua did. He left nothing undone of all that the Lord had commanded Moses.

²³ So Joshua took the whole land, according to all that the Lord had spoken to Moses. And Joshua gave it for an inheritance to Israel according to their tribal allotments. And the land had rest from war.

 

MEDITATION:

It is important to note while facing the greatest warfare, Joshua followed every detailed command by the Lord. ‘He (Joshua) left nothing undone of all that the Lord commanded Moses (v15)”.Joshua carried out fully the specific orders given by God. And “the Lord gave them into the hand of Israel” (v8). We are to fight wisely and obediently, but the outcome of the battle is still entirely up to the Lord.

Do you measure yourself or other people with achievements or accomplishments? Or the faithfulness and obedience to the Lord during the process?

Prayer: Lord, do you delight in my offering of money, time and energy, as much as in my obeying your word? To you, to obey you is better than my busy ministry, and to heed your word is better than my money offering. For rebellion is like the sin of divination, and arrogance like the evil of idolatry. If I have rejected your word, then you will reject all that I have done for your sake. (ref. 1 Sam 15:22-23)

 

 

 

 

Joshua Chapter 10 (ESV)

 

⁶ And the men of Gibeon sent to Joshua at the camp in Gilgal, saying, “Do not relax your hand from your servants. Come up to us quickly and save us and help us, for all the kings of the Amorites who dwell in the hill country are gathered against us.” ⁷ So Joshua went up from Gilgal, he and all the people of war with him, and all the mighty men of valor. ⁸ And the Lord said to Joshua, “Do not fear them, for I have given them into your hands. Not a man of them shall stand before you.” ⁹ So Joshua came upon them suddenly, having marched up all night from Gilgal. ¹⁰ And the Lord threw them into a panic before Israel, who struck them with a great blow at Gibeon and chased them by the way of the ascent of Beth-horon and struck them as far as Azekah and Makkedah. ¹¹ And as they fled before Israel, while they were going down the ascent of Beth-horon, the Lord threw down large stones from heaven on them as far as Azekah, and they died. There were more who died because of the hailstones than the sons of Israel killed with the sword.

¹² At that time Joshua spoke to the Lord in the day when the Lord gave the Amorites over to the sons of Israel, and he said in the sight of Israel,

“Sun, stand still at Gibeon,
    and moon, in the Valley of Aijalon.”
¹³ And the sun stood still, and the moon stopped,
    until the nation took vengeance on their enemies.

Is this not written in the Book of Jashar? The sun stopped in the midst of heaven and did not hurry to set for about a whole day. ¹⁴ There has been no day like it before or since, when the Lord heeded the voice of a man, for the Lord fought for Israel.

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

 

MEDITATION:

Joshua is fighting a coalition of five city-state kings in the south and God led him to great victories. God intervened for Israel in two circumstances: hailstones killed many of the enemy, and the “sun stopped in the middle of the sky and delayed going down about a full day” so the slaughter of the Amorites could be completed.

Whether Joshua was asking for the sun to stop moving or to cease shining is hotly debated. Regardless of which answer is adopted, what we are sure of is that God intervened in the course of events at the precise moment help was needed.

Have you experienced God’s intervention in your life? Or do you sense it right now?

Prayer:

The Lord is my rock and my fortress and my deliverer, my God, my rock, in whom I take refuge, my shield, and the horn of my salvation, my stronghold. I call upon the Lord, who is worthy to be praised, and I am saved from my enemies. In my distress I called upon the Lord; to my God I cried for help. From his temple he heard my voice, and my cry to him reached his ears. （ref. Ps 18:2, 3, 6）

 

 

 

Joshua Chapter 9 (ESV)

 

³ But when the inhabitants of Gibeon heard what Joshua had done to Jericho and to Ai, ⁴ they on their part acted with cunning and went and made ready provisions and took worn-out sacks for their donkeys, and wineskins, worn-out and torn and mended, ⁵ with worn-out, patched sandals on their feet, and worn-out clothes. And all their provisions were dry and crumbly. ⁶ And they went to Joshua in the camp at Gilgal and said to him and to the men of Israel, “We have come from a distant country, so now make a covenant with us.” ⁷ But the men of Israel said to the Hivites, “Perhaps you live among us; then how can we make a covenant with you?” ⁸ They said to Joshua, “We are your servants.” And Joshua said to them, “Who are you? And where do you come from?” ⁹ They said to him, “From a very distant country your servants have come, because of the name of the Lord your God. For we have heard a report of him, and all that he did in Egypt, ¹⁰ and all that he did to the two kings of the Amorites who were beyond the Jordan, to Sihon the king of Heshbon, and to Og king of Bashan, who lived in Ashtaroth. ¹¹ So our elders and all the inhabitants of our country said to us, ‘Take provisions in your hand for the journey and go to meet them and say to them, “We are your servants. Come now, make a covenant with us.”’ ¹² Here is our bread. It was still warm when we took it from our houses as our food for the journey on the day we set out to come to you, but now, behold, it is dry and crumbly. ¹³ These wineskins were new when we filled them, and behold, they have burst. And these garments and sandals of ours are worn out from the very long journey.” ¹⁴ So the men took some of their provisions, but did not ask counsel from the Lord. ¹⁵ And Joshua made peace with them and made a covenant with them, to let them live, and the leaders of the congregation swore to them.

 

MEDITATION:

When the people of Gibeon, who lived just a few miles from the Israelite camp, heard about Israel’s conquest of Jericho and Ai, they were afraid. The Gibeonites successfully tricked Joshua and the Israelites into a treaty by presenting moldy bread and sour wine as evidence that they lived outside of Canaan. The Israelites were fooled because they “did not inquire of the LORD” (v. 14).

Deceit is Satan’s primary strategy. He often seduces us into believing that a lie is truth and evil is good.

What tricks does Satan use to keep us from seeking God’s guidance? In what areas are we often tempted to make peace with the sinful world?

Prayer:  Ask God to show you where, if at all, you have rushed into any commitment without investigating further, especially by asking God about the situation? Pray for God’s mercy and wisdom to make things right with people and God.

 

 

 

 

 

Joshua Chapter 8 (ESV)

 

¹⁸ Then the Lord said to Joshua, “Stretch out the javelin that is in your hand toward Ai, for I will give it into your hand.” And Joshua stretched out the javelin that was in his hand toward the city. ¹⁹ And the men in the ambush rose quickly out of their place, and as soon as he had stretched out his hand, they ran and entered the city and captured it. And they hurried to set the city on fire. 

Joshua Renews the Covenant

³⁰ At that time Joshua built an altar to the Lord, the God of Israel, on Mount Ebal, ³¹ just as Moses the servant of the Lord had commanded the people of Israel, as it is written in the Book of the Law of Moses, “an altar of uncut stones, upon which no man has wielded an iron tool.” And they offered on it burnt offerings to the Lord and sacrificed peace offerings. ³² And there, in the presence of the people of Israel, he wrote on the stones a copy of the law of Moses, which he had written. ³³ And all Israel, sojourner as well as native born, with their elders and officers and their judges, stood on opposite sides of the ark before the Levitical priests who carried the ark of the covenant of the Lord, half of them in front of Mount Gerizim and half of them in front of Mount Ebal, just as Moses the servant of the Lord had commanded at the first, to bless the people of Israel. ³⁴ And afterward he read all the words of the law, the blessing and the curse, according to all that is written in the Book of the Law. ³⁵ There was not a word of all that Moses commanded that Joshua did not read before all the assembly of Israel, and the women, and the little ones, and the sojourners who lived among them.

 

MEDITATION:

After the great victory at Ai, Joshua fulfilled a command given by Moses (Deut 27). Joshua set the people on two opposing mountainsides, and after sacrificing to the Lord, had them shout aloud the curses (disastrous consequences) of disobeying God’s law.

This ceremony established Jehovah as “the God of Israel” (v. 30) in the sight of the Canaanites as well as the Israelites. The people offered burnt and peace offerings on Mt. Sinai when God first gave the Law to Israel. Their offering again here recalled that previous incident and showed that this ceremony constituted a covenant renewal.

It is important for God’s people to declare their allegiance to His revealed will publicly among the unbelievers with whom we live. This helps them understand why we live as we do, and it brings glory to God when His people then proceed to live upright lives and demonstrate His supernatural power. A wedding ring similarly declares one’s commitment to their spouse publicly, and each one memorializes God’s leading and provision. Baptism and the Lord’s Supper are likewise memorials for Christians.

Prayer: Dear God in Heaven, I pledge my allegiance to You. I give You my life, my work and my heart. In turn, give me the grace of obeying Your every direction to the fullest possible extent. Amen.

 

 

Joshua Chapter 7 (ESV)

 

Israel Defeated at Ai

¹ But the people of Israel broke faith in regard to the devoted things, for Achan the son of Carmi, son of Zabdi, son of Zerah, of the tribe of Judah, took some of the devoted things. And the anger of the Lord burned against the people of Israel.

² Joshua sent men from Jericho to Ai, which is near Beth-aven, east of Bethel, and said to them, “Go up and spy out the land.” And the men went up and spied out Ai. ³ And they returned to Joshua and said to him, “Do not have all the people go up, but let about two or three thousand men go up and attack Ai. Do not make the whole people toil up there, for they are few.” ⁴ So about three thousand men went up there from the people. And they fled before the men of Ai, ⁵ and the men of Ai killed about thirty-six of their men and chased them before the gate as far as Shebarim and struck them at the descent. And the hearts of the people melted and became as water.

⁶ Then Joshua tore his clothes and fell to the earth on his face before the ark of the Lord until the evening, he and the elders of Israel. And they put dust on their heads. ⁷ And Joshua said, “Alas, O Lord God, why have you brought this people over the Jordan at all, to give us into the hands of the Amorites, to destroy us? Would that we had been content to dwell beyond the Jordan! ⁸ O Lord, what can I say, when Israel has turned their backs before their enemies! ⁹ For the Canaanites and all the inhabitants of the land will hear of it and will surround us and cut off our name from the earth. And what will you do for your great name?”

The Sin of Achan

¹⁰ The Lord said to Joshua, “Get up! Why have you fallen on your face? ¹¹ Israel has sinned; they have transgressed my covenant that I commanded them; they have taken some of the devoted things; they have stolen and lied and put them among their own belongings. ¹² Therefore the people of Israel cannot stand before their enemies. They turn their backs before their enemies, because they have become devoted for destruction. I will be with you no more, unless you destroy the devoted things from among you. ¹³ Get up! Consecrate the people and say, ‘Consecrate yourselves for tomorrow; for thus says the Lord, God of Israel, “There are devoted things in your midst, O Israel. You cannot stand before your enemies until you take away the devoted things from among you.” ¹⁴ In the morning therefore you shall be brought near by your tribes. And the tribe that the Lord takes by lot shall come near by clans. And the clan that the Lord takes shall come near by households. And the household that the Lord takes shall come near man by man.¹⁵ And he who is taken with the devoted things shall be burned with fire, he and all that he has, because he has transgressed the covenant of the Lord, and because he has done an outrageous thing in Israel.’”

 

MEDITATION:

When Israel was defeated at Ai, Joshua’s prayer (vv7-9) clearly revealed his panic and worry about what might lie ahead. God’s words to Joshua put a new perspective on the situation. “Israel has sinned”. Joshua was not to worry about possible consequences of defeat, but to look for the cause of defeat. Why Israel lost the battle was far more important than what the loss might mean in terms of enemy morale.

When we experience a setback, it’s better for us too to look for the cause than to worry about consequences. If we examine ourselves and find no known sin, then we can advance with confidence. If we do find sin, even unintentional sin, we need to deal with it immediately.

Are you aware of the sins you have committed? Is there any secret sins you harbor? Sit silently and invite the Holy Spirit to illumine you. If so, honestly admit them to God and ask humbly for God’s gracious forgiveness.

Prayer: Search me, God, and know my heart; test me and know my anxious thoughts. See if there is any offensive way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting. If I had cherished sin in my heart, the Lord would not have listened; but God has surely listened and has heard my prayer. Praise be to God, who has not rejected my prayer or withheld (your) love from me! (ref. Ps 139:23-24; 66:18-20)

 

 

 

 

Joshua Chapter 6 (ESV)

 

The Fall of Jericho

¹ Now Jericho was shut up inside and outside because of the people of Israel. None went out, and none came in.² And the Lord said to Joshua, “See, I have given Jericho into your hand, with its king and mighty men of valor. ³ You shall march around the city, all the men of war going around the city once. Thus shall you do for six days.⁴ Seven priests shall bear seven trumpets of rams’ horns before the ark. On the seventh day you shall march around the city seven times, and the priests shall blow the trumpets. ⁵ And when they make a long blast with the ram’s horn, when you hear the sound of the trumpet, then all the people shall shout with a great shout, and the wall of the city will fall down flat, and the people shall go up, everyone straight before him.” ⁶ So Joshua the son of Nun called the priests and said to them, “Take up the ark of the covenant and let seven priests bear seven trumpets of rams’ horns before the ark of the Lord.” ⁷ And he said to the people, “Go forward. March around the city and let the armed men pass on before the ark of the Lord.”

⁸ And just as Joshua had commanded the people, the seven priests bearing the seven trumpets of rams’ horns before the Lord went forward, blowing the trumpets, with the ark of the covenant of the Lord following them. ⁹ The armed men were walking before the priests who were blowing the trumpets, and the rear guard was walking after the ark, while the trumpets blew continually. ¹⁰ But Joshua commanded the people, “You shall not shout or make your voice heard, neither shall any word go out of your mouth, until the day I tell you to shout. Then you shall shout.” ¹¹ So he caused the ark of the Lord to circle the city, going about it once. And they came into the camp and spent the night in the camp.

¹² Then Joshua rose early in the morning, and the priests took up the ark of the Lord. ¹³ And the seven priests bearing the seven trumpets of rams’ horns before the ark of the Lord walked on, and they blew the trumpets continually. And the armed men were walking before them, and the rear guard was walking after the ark of the Lord, while the trumpets blew continually. ¹⁴ And the second day they marched around the city once, and returned into the camp. So they did for six days.

¹⁵ On the seventh day they rose early, at the dawn of day, and marched around the city in the same manner seven times. It was only on that day that they marched around the city seven times. ¹⁶ And at the seventh time, when the priests had blown the trumpets, Joshua said to the people, “Shout, for the Lord has given you the city. ¹⁷ And the city and all that is within it shall be devoted to the Lord for destruction. Only Rahab the prostitute and all who are with her in her house shall live, because she hid the messengers whom we sent. ¹⁸ But you, keep yourselves from the things devoted to destruction, lest when you have devoted them you take any of the devoted things and make the camp of Israel a thing for destruction and bring trouble upon it. ¹⁹ But all silver and gold, and every vessel of bronze and iron, are holy to the Lord; they shall go into the treasury of the Lord.” ²⁰ So the people shouted, and the trumpets were blown. As soon as the people heard the sound of the trumpet, the people shouted a great shout, and the wall fell down flat, so that the people went up into the city, every man straight before him, and they captured the city. 21 Then they devoted all in the city to destruction, both men and women, young and old, oxen, sheep, and donkeys, with the edge of the sword.

 

MEDITATION:

God’s command to Joshua – to have the people march silently around Jericho for six days, and then after seven circuits on the seventh day to shout – was strange indeed. Yet Joshua followed His instructions to the letter.

When the people finally did shout, the massive fortifications crumbled, and Israel won an easy victory. The victory at Jericho teaches us that obedience, even when God’s commands seem foolish, brings victory. It is the same with us today. Spiritual battles require obedience, unified vision and team work.

Are you a good soldier for the Lord? Are you obedient to the spiritual leaders God has entrusted to your church? Do you submit to the church leadership and embrace their vision? Do you enjoy other members of the church and work well with them?

Prayer: Teach me, LORD, the way of your decrees, that I may follow it to the end. Give me understanding, so that I may keep your law and obey it with all my heart. Direct me in the path of your commands, for there I find delight. (ref. Ps 119:33-35)

 

 

 

Joshua Chapter 5 (ESV)

 

First Passover in Canaan

¹⁰ While the people of Israel were encamped at Gilgal, they kept the Passover on the fourteenth day of the month in the evening on the plains of Jericho. ¹¹ And the day after the Passover, on that very day, they ate of the produce of the land, unleavened cakes and parched grain. ¹² And the manna ceased the day after they ate of the produce of the land. And there was no longer manna for the people of Israel, but they ate of the fruit of the land of Canaan that year.

The Commander of the Lord’s Army

¹³ When Joshua was by Jericho, he lifted up his eyes and looked, and behold, a man was standing before him with his drawn sword in his hand. And Joshua went to him and said to him, “Are you for us, or for our adversaries?” ¹⁴ And he said, “No; but I am the commander of the army of the Lord. Now I have come.” And Joshua fell on his face to the earth and worshiped and said to him, “What does my lord say to his servant?” ¹⁵ And the commander of the Lord’s army said to Joshua, “Take off your sandals from your feet, for the place where you are standing is holy.” And Joshua did so.

 

MEDITATION:

The Israelites celebrated Passover by looking back to their redemption from Egypt, and remembered God’s provision. From now on, Israel would live by faith, not by sight. The manna now ceased. No fiery pillar would lead. Daily, visible evidence of God’s presence would be absent for the first time in the memory of many of the Israelites. Yet the people under Joshua would trust and obey God. Seen or unseen, God is with His people. We can trust Him to lead us to victory.

“Take off your sandals” (v15) is almost identical to the command given to Moses at the burning bush (Ex 3:5). Thus, Joshua was confronted with the living God, as Moses had been (Ex 33:9-11).

List as many different postures of worship recorded in the Bible as you can recall. What posture is the most common today? Most uncommon?

Sometime this week in a place where you won’t be disturbed, try to choose the posture that is most unfamiliar to you and worship God in this way until the time is over.

Prayer: Holy, holy, holy is the Lord God Almighty, who was, and is, and is to come. You are worthy, (my) Lord and God, to receive glory and honor and power, for you created all things, and by your will they were created and have their being. (ref. Rev 4:8,11)

 

 

 

Joshua Chapter 4 (ESV)

 

⁸ And the people of Israel did just as Joshua commanded and took up twelve stones out of the midst of the Jordan, according to the number of the tribes of the people of Israel, just as the Lord told Joshua. And they carried them over with them to the place where they lodged and laid them down there. ⁹ And Joshua set up twelve stones in the midst of the Jordan, in the place where the feet of the priests bearing the ark of the covenant had stood; and they are there to this day. ¹⁰ For the priests bearing the ark stood in the midst of the Jordan until everything was finished that the Lord commanded Joshua to tell the people, according to all that Moses had commanded Joshua.

The people passed over in haste. ¹¹ And when all the people had finished passing over, the ark of the Lord and the priests passed over before the people. ¹² The sons of Reuben and the sons of Gad and the half-tribe of Manasseh passed over armed before the people of Israel, as Moses had told them. ¹³ About 40,000 ready for war passed over before the Lord for battle, to the plains of Jericho. ¹⁴ On that day the Lord exalted Joshua in the sight of all Israel, and they stood in awe of him just as they had stood in awe of Moses, all the days of his life.

¹⁵ And the Lord said to Joshua, ¹⁶ “Command the priests bearing the ark of the testimony to come up out of the Jordan.” ¹⁷ So Joshua commanded the priests, “Come up out of the Jordan.” ¹⁸ And when the priests bearing the ark of the covenant of the Lord came up from the midst of the Jordan, and the soles of the priests’ feet were lifted up on dry ground, the waters of the Jordan returned to their place and overflowed all its banks, as before.

¹⁹ The people came up out of the Jordan on the tenth day of the first month, and they encamped at Gilgal on the east border of Jericho. ²⁰ And those twelve stones, which they took out of the Jordan, Joshua set up at Gilgal. ²¹ And he said to the people of Israel, “When your children ask their fathers in times to come, ‘What do these stones mean?’²² then you shall let your children know, ‘Israel passed over this Jordan on dry ground.’ ²³ For the Lord your God dried up the waters of the Jordan for you until you passed over, as the Lord your God did to the Red Sea, which he dried up for us until we passed over, ²⁴ so that all the peoples of the earth may know that the hand of the Lord is mighty, that you may fear the Lord your God forever.”

 

MEDITATION:

The heap that Joshua formed from the 12 stones, representing the 12 tribes, were taken from the Jordan River and placed on the west bank. This was to be a memorial to future generations. In later days when the children asked what these stones meant, the parents were to tell the story of how God caused the river to stop flowing and allowed the people to cross the river (v21-23). They were also to give glory to God (v24), and remind future generations that such “remembering” called for appropriate actions of love and obedience to such a great living God.

God knows it is easy for the Israelites and us to forget His almighty power and His grace once we settle into a comfortable and self-sufficient state.

Take a moment to reflect on God’s grace and what the Lord has done for you in the past week, month, year. Record what was brought to your mind in this remembering and reflection. Recognizing and remembering God’s grace motivates us to serve Him and love Him more.

Prayer:  But this I call to mind, and therefore I have hope:  The steadfast love of the Lord never ceases; his mercies never come to an end; they are new every morning; great is your faithfulness.  “The Lord is my portion,” says my soul, “therefore I will hope in him.” (ref. Lam 3:21-24) 

 

 

Joshua Chapter 3 (ESV)

 

Israel Crosses the Jordan

¹ Then Joshua rose early in the morning and they set out from Shittim. And they came to the Jordan, he and all the people of Israel, and lodged there before they passed over.² At the end of three days the officers went through the camp ³ and commanded the people, “As soon as you see the ark of the covenant of the Lord your God being carried by the Levitical priests, then you shall set out from your place and follow it. ⁴ Yet there shall be a distance between you and it, about 2,000 cubits in length. Do not come near it, in order that you may know the way you shall go, for you have not passed this way before.” ⁵ Then Joshua said to the people, “Consecrate yourselves, for tomorrow the Lord will do wonders among you.” ⁶ And Joshua said to the priests, “Take up the ark of the covenant and pass on before the people.” So they took up the ark of the covenant and went before the people.

⁷ The Lord said to Joshua, “Today I will begin to exalt you in the sight of all Israel, that they may know that, as I was with Moses, so I will be with you. ⁸ And as for you, command the priests who bear the ark of the covenant, ‘When you come to the brink of the waters of the Jordan, you shall stand still in the Jordan.’” ⁹ And Joshua said to the people of Israel, “Come here and listen to the words of the Lord your God.” ¹⁰ And Joshua said, “Here is how you shall know that the living God is among you and that he will without fail drive out from before you the Canaanites, the Hittites, the Hivites, the Perizzites, the Girgashites, the Amorites, and the Jebusites. ¹¹ Behold, the ark of the covenant of the Lord of all the earth is passing over before you into the Jordan. ¹² Now therefore take twelve men from the tribes of Israel, from each tribe a man. ¹³ And when the soles of the feet of the priests bearing the ark of the Lord, the Lord of all the earth, shall rest in the waters of the Jordan, the waters of the Jordan shall be cut off from flowing, and the waters coming down from above shall stand in one heap.”

¹⁴ So when the people set out from their tents to pass over the Jordan with the priests bearing the ark of the covenant before the people, ¹⁵ and as soon as those bearing the ark had come as far as the Jordan, and the feet of the priests bearing the ark were dipped in the brink of the water (now the Jordan overflows all its banks throughout the time of harvest), ¹⁶ the waters coming down from above stood and rose up in a heap very far away, at Adam, the city that is beside Zarethan, and those flowing down toward the Sea ofthe Arabah, the Salt Sea, were completely cut off. And the people passed over opposite Jericho. ¹⁷ Now the priests bearing the ark of the covenant of the Lord stood firmly on dry ground in the midst of the Jordan, and all Israel was passing over on dry ground until all the nation finished passing over the Jordan.

 

MEDITATION:

Joshua has led the Israelites to the riverbank of Jordan River. On the eve of entering God’s promised land, Joshua asked his people to first make themselves clean both physically and spiritually.(v5) Joshua also told the people to “Come here and listen to the words of the Lord your God.” (v9)

The ark of the covenant represented the mighty presence of God. Later, it is referred to as a portable throne of the invisible God, who was seated between the cherubim above the ark (Ps 80:1; 99:1). The ark contained a jar of manna which was a reminder of the grace of God in the wilderness; it also functioned as a teaching device that “one does not live by bread alone, but by every word that comes from the mouth of the Lord” (Deut 8:3).

How important is God’s Word to you? When was the last time you experienced the guidance of His Word in your life? What was the experience? How did it impact you?

Prayer: God, your word is the lamp to my feet and the light for my path. Oh, how I love your law! I meditate on it all day long.(ref. Ps 119:105,97)

Spend some time to memorize these two verses.

 

 

Joshua Chapter 2 (ESV)

 

Rahab Hides the Spies

¹ And Joshua the son of Nun sent two men secretly from Shittim as spies, saying, “Go, view the land, especially Jericho.” And they went and came into the house of a prostitute whose name was Rahab and lodged there. ² And it was told to the king of Jericho, “Behold, men of Israel have come here tonight to search out the land.” ³ Then the king of Jericho sent to Rahab, saying, “Bring out the men who have come to you, who entered your house, for they have come to search out all the land.” ⁴ But the woman had taken the two men and hidden them. And she said, “True, the men came to me, but I did not know where they were from. ⁵ And when the gate was about to be closed at dark, the men went out. I do not know where the men went. Pursue them quickly, for you will overtake them.” ⁶ But she had brought them up to the roof and hid them with the stalks of flax that she had laid in order on the roof. ⁷ So the men pursued after them on the way to the Jordan as far as the fords. And the gate was shut as soon as the pursuers had gone out.

⁸ Before the men lay down, she came up to them on the roof ⁹ and said to the men, “I know that the Lord has given you the land, and that the fear of you has fallen upon us, and that all the inhabitants of the land melt away before you. ¹⁰ For we have heard how the Lord dried up the water of the Red Sea before you when you came out of Egypt, and what you did to the two kings of the Amorites who were beyond the Jordan, to Sihon and Og, whom you devoted to destruction. ¹¹ And as soon as we heard it, our hearts melted, and there was no spirit left in any man because of you, for the Lord your God, he is God in the heavens above and on the earth beneath. ¹² Now then, please swear to me by the Lord that, as I have dealt kindly with you, you also will deal kindly with my father’s house, and give me a sure sign ¹³ that you will save alive my father and mother, my brothers and sisters, and all who belong to them, and deliver our lives from death.” ¹⁴ And the men said to her, “Our life for yours even to death! If you do not tell this business of ours, then when the Lord gives us the land we will deal kindly and faithfully with you.”

¹⁵ Then she let them down by a rope through the window, for her house was built into the city wall, so that she lived in the wall. 

 

MEDITATION:

Jericho was a walled city that controlled passes leading up into Canaan’s central highlands. Two spies who slipped into the city were sheltered by Rahab, a prostitute who very likely, as was quite common in those days, operated an inn. Rahab hid the spies and asked them to spare her life when Israel took the city.

Was it ok for Rahab to lie? Besides, Rahab made her living through immoral behavior. Some wonder if it is fitting to include Rahab, a prostitute, as a main character in the story of the conquest. Even more unsettling to some is the fact that she later married a prince in Judah and became the great-grandmother of King David.

We do not say that prostitution is ok because Rahab did it. Neither should we say that lying is ok because Rahab did it. God rewarded Rahab for her faith. But she, like us, made mistakes. We all have to strive toward purity, and repent when we fail. We can learn from Rahab’s mistakes as well as from her obedience

This incident shows us that in Old Testament times as well as today, everyone can receive salvation through God’s grace. This also reminds us that our past does not stand in the way of a personal relationship with God.

Prayer:
Bless the Lord, O my soul, and all that is within me, bless his holy name!
Bless the Lord, O my soul, and forget not all his benefits, who forgives all my iniquity, who heals all my diseases, who redeems my life from the pit, who crowns me with steadfast love and mercy, who satisfies me with good so that my youth is renewed like the eagle’s. (ref. Ps 103:1-5)

 

 

Joshua Chapter 1 (ESV)

 

God Commissions Joshua

¹ After the death of Moses the servant of the Lord, the Lord said to Joshua the son of Nun, Moses’ assistant, ² “Moses my servant is dead. Now therefore arise, go over this Jordan, you and all this people, into the land that I am giving to them, to the people of Israel. ³ Every place that the sole of your foot will tread upon I have given to you, just as I promised to Moses. ⁴ From the wilderness and this Lebanon as far as the great river, the river Euphrates, all the land of the Hittites to the Great Sea toward the going down of the sun shall be your territory. ⁵ No man shall be able to stand before you all the days of your life. Just as I was with Moses, so I will be with you. I will not leave you or forsake you. ⁶ Be strong and courageous, for you shall cause this people to inherit the land that I swore to their fathers to give them. ⁷ Only be strong and very courageous, being careful to do according to all the law that Moses my servant commanded you. Do not turn from it to the right hand or to the left, that you may have good success wherever you go. ⁸ This Book of the Law shall not depart from your mouth, but you shall meditate on it day and night, so that you may be careful to do according to all that is written in it. For then you will make your way prosperous, and then you will have good success. ⁹ Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be frightened, and do not be dismayed, for the Lord your God is with you wherever you go.”

 

MEDITATION:

Israel grieved the loss of its trusted leader, Moses. But with every ending comes a new beginning. In the midst of the mourning, God approached Joshua and assured him that he was the man to lead the people into the Promised Land.

He promised to be with Joshua and the land will be given to the nation of Israel. God further commanded Joshua to be courageous and commanded him to remain committed to the study of his Word.

Prayer:

May I be strong and courageous, being careful to obey Your Word. May I turn to the right or to the left for the Lord my God will be with me wherever I go. (ref. Josh 1:7,9)