Highlights:
Two and one-half tribes build an altar near the Jordan River on the west side of Jordan (Josh. 22:10), then return east of the Jordan; civil war averted; Joshua's final proclamation to the Israelites to live holy lives and not be friends with the Canaanites.
Verses for Today:
Be very courageous to keep and to do all that is written in the Book of the Law of Moses, that ye turn not aside therefrom to the right hand or to the left. . . . For the Lord hath driven out from before you great nations and strong. . . . One man of you shall chase a thousand: for the Lord your God, He it is that fighteth for you (Josh. 23:6-10).
When God told Joshua: Every place that the sole of your foot shall tread upon, that have I given unto you, as I said unto Moses (1:3), Joshua did not merely "trust the Lord" that He would force the Canaanites to voluntarily give up their land. The fact is, the Israelites received their inheritance by faith that God would help them conquer every foot of land that He had promised them (see the Key to Success in 1:8). After about seven years, the Israelites, under the leadership of Joshua, had conquered Canaan. And the Lord gave them rest round about, according to all that He sware unto their fathers . . . the Lord delivered all their enemies into their hand (21:44).
The Israelites' greatest danger was yet to be faced. Joshua said unto the people. . . . If ye forsake the Lord, and serve strange (foreign) gods, then He will . . . do you hurt (bring disaster), and consume (destroy) you, after that He hath done you good. . . . Now therefore put away . . . the strange gods which are among you, and incline (yield) your heart unto the Lord God of Israel (24:19-20,23). "Jesus" (the same as "Joshua" in Hebrew) freed us from death for our sins by His substitutionary death on the cross and His triumphant physical resurrection.
We too need to be reminded daily to incline (our) heart unto the Lord. What a tragedy that so many assume that, once a person has accepted Jesus Christ as Savior, he has nothing to do but "just leave everything up to the Lord." But the Lord has left it up to us. Wherefore take unto you the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to withstand in the evil day. . . . Stand therefore, having your loins girt (belted) about with Truth, and having on the breastplate of righteousness; And your feet shod with the preparation of the Gospel of peace; Above all, taking the shield of faith, wherewith ye shall be able to quench all the fiery darts (arrows, shots) of the wicked. And take the helmet of salvation, and the Sword of the Spirit, which is the Word of God (Eph. 6:13-17).
Thought for Today:
But whoso keepeth his Word, in him verily is the love of God perfected: hereby know we that we are in Him (I John 2:5).
Christ Revealed:
Through the Peace Offering (Josh. 22:27). Our Lord offered Himself to God as our means of peace with the Father. Being justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ (Rom. 5:1).
Word Studies:
22:9 were possessed =had acquired; 22:10 to see to =for all to see; 22:19 unclean =unfit, defiled; 22:20 accursed =belonged to the Lord — all Israel became accursed if anyone took something for himself (6:17-19); 22:23 require it =call us to account; 22:25 fearing =having reverential heartfelt submission to and respect for; 23:1 waxed =grew; 23:4 cut off =destroyed; 23:7 swear =make a vow; 23:9 stand before =withstand; 23:12 go in unto =associate with; 23:13 shall be snares . . . unto you =shall catch you unawares; scourges in =whip lashes on; 24:2 flood =Euphrates River; 24:20 strange =foreign; 24:23 incline =field; 24:33 pertained =belonged.
Prayer Needs:
Pray for Government Officials: Rep. Paul Hodes (NH) and Rep. James Matheson (UT) • Country: Canada (31 million) in North America • Major languages: English and French • Religious freedom • 47% Roman Catholic; 37% Protestant; 3% Eastern Orthodox; 2% cults; 1% Jewish • Prayer Suggestion: Pray for safety in your travels (Rom. 1:10).
Optional Reading: John 12
Memory Verse for the Week: Matthew 5:9-10