Short Reflection from Joshua 11-24

[Originally posted in a WhatsApp group (PG) as a daily reading update (reflection) from each chapter of the Bible]

𝕁𝕠𝕤𝕙𝕦𝕒 𝟙𝟙:𝟚𝟘

“For it was of the LORD to harden their hearts, to meet Israel in battle in order that he might utterly destroy them, that they might receive no mercy, but that he might destroy them, just as the LORD had commanded Moses.”

Wow! God hardened the hearts of the enemies that they might go out to fight and die by the sons of Israel.

God hardened the heart of Pharaoh. He perished at the Sea in his pursuit of the Israelites.

God hardened the heart of Judas Iscariot to betray Christ, and the death of Christ brought Salvation to many.

Problems, Troubles, Challenges in a life of a Christian are to (allow us to) experience God in a different way. Even Job's suffering was the defeat of Satan.

May I not be dismayed nor discouraged when the tough time comes. O Lord, may I be like David, not like Saul. May I be courageous, not a coward!

 

𝕁𝕠𝕤𝕙𝕦𝕒 𝟙𝟚:𝟞

"Moses the servant of the LORD and the sons of Israel defeated them; and Moses the servant of the LORD gave it to the Reubenites and the Gadites and the half-tribe of Manasseh as a possession."

Moses is mentioned twice in this verse (and that's all in this chapter). Each time he is mentioned, he is identified as "the servant of the LORD," not a mighty man, a faithful man, or a great man of God. The world (even the churches and Christians) loves to give and receive flaunty titles.

May I make my ambition to not desire after any title than that a minister of God is an unprofitable servant just doing his duty!

 

𝕁𝕠𝕤𝕙𝕦𝕒 𝟙𝟛:𝟙

"Now Joshua was old and advanced in years when the LORD said to him, 'You are old and advanced in years, and very much of the land remains to be possessed.'"

Works are not yet done, not yet over, not yet completed! Only God is my strength and comfort!

 

𝕁𝕠𝕤𝕙𝕦𝕒 𝟙𝟜:𝟙𝟚

"Now then, give me this hill country about which the LORD spoke on that day, for you heard on that day that Anakim were there, with great fortified cities; perhaps the LORD will be with me, and I will drive them out as the LORD has spoken."

An 85 years old man still fighting the Canaanites while the younger generations were living along with them. What a contrast!

 

𝕁𝕠𝕤𝕙𝕦𝕒 𝟙𝟝:𝟞𝟛

"Now as for the Jebusites, the inhabitants of Jerusalem, the sons of Judah could not drive them out; so the Jebusites live with the sons of Judah at Jerusalem until this day."

These guys might be braver than me but they are cowards in the eyes of God and compared to Caleb. Cowardice to Conquer brought them Judgment upon the land.

Centuries later, David, a brave warrior conquered it. God made his Kingdom everlasting through his descendant, Messiah!

 

𝕁𝕠𝕤𝕙𝕦𝕒 𝟙𝟞:𝟙𝟘

"But they 𝕕𝕚𝕕 𝕟𝕠𝕥 𝕕𝕣𝕚𝕧𝕖 𝕠𝕦𝕥 𝕥𝕙𝕖 𝕔𝕒𝕟𝕒𝕒𝕟𝕚𝕥𝕖𝕤 who lived in Gezer, so the Canaanites live in the midst of Ephraim to this day, and they became forced laborers."

Cowards. Easily satisfied. Compromised. 𝚃𝚑𝚎 𝚜𝚊𝚖𝚎 𝚌𝚘𝚞𝚕𝚍 𝚋𝚎 𝚜𝚊𝚒𝚍 𝚘𝚏 𝚖𝚢 𝚐𝚎𝚗𝚎𝚛𝚊𝚝𝚒𝚘𝚗!😬

 

𝕁𝕠𝕤𝕙𝕦𝕒 𝟙𝟟:𝟙𝟚

"But the sons of Manasseh could not take possession of these cities, because the Canaanites persisted in living in that land."

The next generation enjoying the achievement and inheritance left behind by the previous generations. They were just irresponsible and not leaving anything for the coming generation!

The adage "No pain no gain" was true, is true, and will still be true!

 

𝕁𝕠𝕤𝕙𝕦𝕒 𝟙𝟠:𝟛

"So Joshua said to the sons of Israel, 'How long will you put off entering to take possession of the land which the LORD, the God of your fathers, has given you?'"

Another chapter, another reminder of the same lesson!

 

𝕁𝕠𝕤𝕙𝕦𝕒 𝟙𝟡:𝟜𝟡

“When they finished apportioning the land for inheritance by its borders, the sons of Israel gave an inheritance in their midst to Joshua the son of Nun.”

After everything is done, a leader also needs to be rewarded well!

 

𝕁𝕠𝕤𝕙𝕦𝕒 𝟚𝟘:𝟛

"that the manslayer who kills any person unintentionally, without premeditation, may flee there, and they shall become your refuge from the avenger of blood."

There will not be perfect justice on earth, but God has given us some standards of justice.

Navigating what's just and what's not is tough. When I am guilty, I want mercy. When I am a victim, I want justice. The others want the same!

 

𝕁𝕠𝕤𝕙𝕦𝕒 𝟚𝟙:𝟜𝟝

"Not one of the good promises which the LORD had made to the house of Israel failed; all came to pass."

What a testimony of the faithfulness of God! Sometimes I doubt the promise of God, not because God is untrustworthy but because of my failures and unworthiness!

 

𝕁𝕠𝕤𝕙𝕦𝕒 𝟚𝟚:𝟝

"Only be very careful to observe the commandment and the law which Moses the servant of the LORD commanded you, to love the LORD your God and walk in all His ways and keep His commandments and hold fast to Him and serve Him with all your heart and with all your soul."

Can we be too careful? Certainly not!

 

𝕁𝕠𝕤𝕙𝕦𝕒 𝟚𝟛:𝟙𝟝

"It shall come about that just as all the good words which the LORD your God spoke to you have come upon you, so the LORD will bring upon you all the threats, until He has destroyed you from off this good land which the LORD your God has given you."

This verse stands out in chapter 23. What a fearful God I serve!

 

𝕁𝕠𝕤𝕙𝕦𝕒 𝟚𝟜:𝟙𝟘

"But I was not willing to listen to Balaam. So he had to bless you, and I delivered you from his hand."

I won't be surprised if some people expect or wish me to fall, and I won't be surprised if they get disappointed because of God who holds me fast!

Short Reflection from Joshua 1-10

[Originally posted in a WhatsApp group (PG) as a daily reading update (reflection) from each chapter of the Bible]

[2:14 pm, 01/01/2022] S.R:

𝕁𝕠𝕤𝕙𝕦𝕒𝟙:𝟙𝟠

"Anyone who rebels against your command and does not obey your words in all that you command him, shall be put to death; only be strong and courageous."

The first chapter of the historical section of the Hebrew Bible emphasizes the value of courage. The last verse repeated that command again. Winston Churchill is right when he said, "Courage is the first of human qualities because it is the quality that guarantees all the others."

As I grow older, I want to be more courageous this year! And I have learned from the Scriptures and by experience that it takes a strong conviction and a strong character to be courageous for God!

 

𝕁𝕠𝕤𝕙𝕦𝕒 𝟚:𝟚𝟜

"They said to Joshua, 'Surely the LORD has given all the land into our hands; moreover, all the inhabitants of the land have melted away before us.'"

Not only was Joshua told to be courageous, but was reported that their enemies have lost their courage!

It's amazing how God has set the stage for Joshua to conquer. I am sure when God requires us to be courageous, He has frightened our opposition. We either conquer them or let them regain their courage and beat us! 😬

 

𝕁𝕠𝕤𝕙𝕦𝕒 𝟛:𝟙

"Then Joshua rose early in the morning; and he and all the sons of Israel set out from Shittim and came to the Jordan, and they lodged there before they crossed."

There seems to be no better portrayal for alertness, readiness, discipline, and excitement than waking up early in the morning!

I am not a morning person, not even a morning aspiring person, but a morning admiring person. I hardly get up early, though several times I try to. I love those who rise early!

As the English poet, John Milton said, "Morning shows the day," Joshua and his men had a great day!

 

𝕁𝕠𝕤𝕙𝕦𝕒 𝟜:𝟚𝟜

"that all the peoples of the earth may know that the hand of the LORD is mighty, so that you may fear the LORD your God forever."

The purpose of a memorial stone. It points to the awesomeness of God. It was made to fear God. To instill the fear of God into the coming generations.

As a leader, I have that same responsibility to instill the fear of God in people. The fear that develops because of the goodness and awesomeness of God!

 

𝕁𝕠𝕤𝕙𝕦𝕒 𝟝:𝟡

"Then the LORD said to Joshua, ‘Today I have rolled away the reproach of Egypt from you.’ So the name of that place is called Gilgal to this day."

Hmm! I have got to improve my vocabulary. I have to look back and see how many Gilgals I should have listed down in my life so far! The Lord is good!

 

𝕁𝕠𝕤𝕙𝕦𝕒 𝟞:𝟙

"Now Jericho was tightly shut because of the sons of Israel; no one went out and no one came in."

Indeed, a man's heart is like a Jericho, especially in this generation. There's no way to transform a man than to let God transform him.

Like Joshua and his men, who did nothing strategic, but seemingly foolish actions of marching around proclaiming what God commanded made Jericho's wall fall down.

Oh! May I be found faithful proclaiming His words, even if it looks like a fool to other 'great' warriors!

 

𝕁𝕠𝕤𝕙𝕦𝕒 𝟟:𝟙𝟡

"Then Joshua said to Achan, 'My son, I implore you, 𝕘𝕚𝕧𝕖 𝕘𝕝𝕠𝕣𝕪 𝕥𝕠 𝕥𝕙𝕖 𝕃𝕆ℝ𝔻, the God of Israel, and give praise to Him; and tell me now what you have done. Do not hide it from me.'"

In effect, Joshua was telling, "tell the truth,” thus, implying telling the truth is one way we glorify God.

If he meant, "confess/admit before God" it implies the same thing, admitting/confession is always the truth.

Achan was given a chance to glorify God while he would be damned! And he did it, but too late. Philippians 2 reminds us that in the end, everyone will bow and confess Jesus is Lord, while some confessing will be damned eternally! No matter what, God shall be glorified by all!

 

𝕁𝕠𝕤𝕙𝕦𝕒 𝟠:𝟙

"Now the LORD said to Joshua, 'Do not fear or be dismayed. Take all the people of war with you and arise, go up to Ai; see, I have given into your hand the king of Ai, his people, his city, and his land.'"

Had Joshua been a brave man, there wouldn't be this many commandments to him to be brave!

Another guy in the New Testament, who was not brave is Timothy! Timothy was warned by Apostle Paul.

I don't want to be like them, but I haven't even set my foot on their battlefield yet.

 

𝕁𝕠𝕤𝕙𝕦𝕒 𝟡:𝟙𝟜

"So the men of Israel took some of their provisions, and did not ask for the counsel of the LORD."

What a tragedy!

In some ways, I find it relevant to my walk. Any day I decide to go out of my room without a prayer, trouble is not far!

 

𝕁𝕠𝕤𝕙𝕦𝕒 𝟙𝟘:𝟙𝟛

"So the sun stood still, and the moon stopped, Until the nation avenged themselves of their enemies. Is it not written in the book of Jashar? And the sun stopped in the middle of the sky and did not hasten to go down for about a whole day."

I think it's good to recall the mighty acts of God like this one and pray in trying circumstances for God's intervention!

Bible Reading Reflection from Joshua 19-24

[Originally posted in a WhatsApp group (SSEU), a reading update (reflection) from one chapter of the Bible a day]

𝕁𝕆𝕊ℍ𝕌𝔸 𝟙𝟡:𝟜𝟡-𝟝𝟘

"When they finished apportioning the land for inheritance by its borders, the sons of Israel gave an inheritance in their midst to Joshua the son of Nun. In accordance with the command of the LORD they gave him the city for which he asked, Timnath-serah in the hill country of Ephraim. So he built the city and settled in it."

This chapter is about the distribution of inheritance. At last, Joshua got a special inheritance! However, not because he was a supreme leader, but because of what he did in the past as an ordinary guy. Caleb and Joshua got a special inheritance! A nice reminder. Faithfulness always pays here on earth and the kingdom to come.

What a stark contrast recorded here. Normally people expect (legitimately or illegitimately) that CEOs, Presidents, etc., have better salaries, facilities, etc. for the positions they serve.

Well, Joshua's special inheritance was not given because of his extraordinary leadership at the top level, but because of his extraordinary service when he was an ordinary soldier!

Something to chew on!

 

𝕁𝕠𝕤𝕙𝕦𝕒 𝟚𝟘:𝟞

"He shall dwell in that city until he stands before the congregation for judgment, until the death of the one who is high priest in those days. Then the manslayer shall return to his own city and to his own house, to the city from which he fled."

No mob justice. No vigilante. No clan justice. No revenge. God has ordained rulers, civil government, and authorities, to administer justice in a society. They will never be perfect, but God ordains them to administer, not us, common people, the public. They will never be perfect, but God will bring perfect justice in His own way and time, trust Him.

Rather, the Scriptures command us to pray for them. The Scriptures assure us that their hearts are controlled by God. Moreover, the Scriptures reveal that prayer is the means of how God accomplishes many things in life.

If the high priest dies within a month, the killer is lucky; he can go back to normal life. If the high priest continues to live, the killer has to live in exile. Sounds unfair? But that's ordained by God. And again, reminding us that Vengeance is not ours, it's God.

 

𝕁𝕆𝕊ℍ𝕌𝔸 𝟚𝟙:𝟜𝟝

"Not one of the good promises which the LORD had made to the house of Israel failed; all came to pass."

Good promises, all of them didn't fail; all were fulfilled.

God is a promise-maker. Eh! A good promise-maker. Eh, never a promise-breaker. Certainly not promises-breaker (plural).

He is a promise keeper, a good promise-keeper. The good promises-keeper!

What about this: The good promises maker keeper is Yahweh! 🙂

 

𝕁𝕆𝕊ℍ𝕌𝔸 𝟚𝟚:𝟙𝟚

"When the sons of Israel heard of it, the whole congregation of the sons of Israel gathered themselves at Shiloh to go up against them in war."

They stood with each other [together] to drive out the heathens. These 3 tribes left their families behind to fight for the cause of [the other 10 tribes of] Israel. They had just come back from that military campaign.

And now another war, not against the enemies but within [themselves, Israelites] is looming. Well, in this case, it's more positive because they were concerned about the purity of doctrine that Yahweh alone is God and He alone is to be worshipped. They contended is that there shouldn't be any other altar of worship!

In response, that altar wasn't even to worship Yahweh but to witness Yahweh is God. Not every conflict in a Christian community is a bad one.

 

𝕁𝕆𝕊ℍ𝕌𝔸 𝟚𝟛:𝟞-𝟟, 𝟙𝟙-𝟙𝟚

6-7 "Be very firm, then, to 𝕜𝕖𝕖𝕡 𝕒𝕟𝕕 𝕕𝕠 𝕒𝕝𝕝 𝕥𝕙𝕒𝕥 𝕚𝕤 𝕨𝕣𝕚𝕥𝕥𝕖𝕟 𝕚𝕟 𝕥𝕙𝕖 𝕓𝕠𝕠𝕜 𝕠𝕗 𝕥𝕙𝕖 𝕝𝕒𝕨 𝕠𝕗 𝕄𝕠𝕤𝕖𝕤, so that you may not turn aside from it to the right hand or to the left, so that you will not 𝕒𝕤𝕤𝕠𝕔𝕚𝕒𝕥𝕖 𝕨𝕚𝕥𝕙 𝕥𝕙𝕖𝕤𝕖 𝕟𝕒𝕥𝕚𝕠𝕟𝕤, these which remain among you, or mention the name of their gods, or make anyone swear by them, or serve them, or bow down to them."

☝️👉You either Live with the Book or Live with the World.

11-12 "So take diligent heed to yourselves to 𝕃𝕠𝕧𝕖 𝕋𝕙𝕖 𝕃𝕆ℝ𝔻 𝕐𝕠𝕦𝕣 𝔾𝕠𝕕.  For if you ever go back and ℂ𝕝𝕚𝕟𝕘 𝕋𝕠 𝕋𝕙𝕖 ℝ𝕖𝕤𝕥 𝕆𝕗 𝕋𝕙𝕖𝕤𝕖 ℕ𝕒𝕥𝕚𝕠𝕟𝕤, these which remain among you, and intermarry with them, so that you associate with them and they with you."

☝️👉 You either Love God or Love the World!

No neutral ground. Every ground we stand, though looks still, is as the rotation of the earth (rotating but never seeming so), we are weighing on one of its sides.

 

𝕁𝕆𝕊ℍ𝕌𝔸 𝟚𝟜:𝟙𝟠

"The LORD drove out from before us all the peoples, even the Amorites who lived in the land. We 𝕒𝕝𝕤𝕠 will serve the LORD, for He is our God."

"Also" that's an interesting word. They also wanted to follow because Joshua had announced his intention to follow Yahweh. And they did follow Yahweh imitating Joshua, but after he died, they stopped following.

A leader who has charisma, charm, and soothing words, attracts a lot of superficial crowds. Once the leader is gone, so is the crowd. Well, this is not a criticism of Joshua's leadership, but about the reality of the superficial crowd. Jesus had lots. Sometimes Jesus ran away from such crowd! Sad is he who has such crowd surrounding him!

That's one of the reasons why I don't trust compliments or criticisms of most people. We need only a few good people! One writer said that it's impossible to have 3 best friends, 2 friends are too many, and one is enough! Hmmm!