The Day The Sun Stood Still
Today’s Passage – Joshua 10 – 12 (Click on the references to listen to the audio – Click here to view the passage from Blue Letter Bible)
(Second Milers also read – 1 Timothy 1 – 6; Proverbs 15; Psalms 71 – 75)
Listen to this morning’s Scripture song – Deuteronomy 32:4
Read a previous post from this passage – “Face Your Fears“
Read the “0315 Evening and Morning” devotion for today, by the late Charles Haddon Spurgeon.
“And the sun stood still, and the moon stayed, until the people had avenged themselves upon their enemies. Is not this written in the book of Jasher? So the sun stood still in the midst of heaven, and hasted not to go down about a whole day. And there was no day like that before it or after it, that the LORD hearkened unto the voice of a man: for the LORD fought for Israel.” – (Joshua 10:13-14)
In Joshua 10 – 12 we have the nation of Israel now inside of the Promised Land, and they are in the process of ridding the land of all of the unwanted tennants. After the Battles of Jericho and Ai, and after the treaty made with the people of Gideon, it became clear to the people of Canaan that Israel was a powerful force and a threat that needed to be taken seriously. The kings of the land joined forces together to fight against Israel. They probably should have just moved out of the area, but instead they came out together to do battle. God, however, is once again with Israel and he defeats these kingdoms easily; but as these people are retreating, Joshua is afraid that the sun would go down before he got to all of them, so he asks the Lord to stop the earth’s rotation, and the sun and moon stand still until all of the enemies are defeated. The Bible says that there has never been a day like this before or since.
Have you ever wished that God would stop time for you? I know there have been many times when I was in school that I have wished that God would speed time up. However, except for this one time in the history of the world, God keeps time clicking away very steadily. The seconds, minutes, hours, days, weeks, months, years, decades, centuries, and millennia just seem to fly on by. And the funny thing about time is that once it is gone, you cannot get it back. It seems like yesterday when I was just starting out with my wife and family. It seems like just a few days has gone by since God brought us to Galloway, NJ to be serve at Jersey Shore. Where does the time go? I had all kinds of dreams and visions about what I wanted to do, about where I wanted to be by now, but many of those things never came to pass. There is so much more that I would like to do before I die.
There is one thing that we can learn from this passage of Scripture. It is that time is very precious. It is probably the most valuable thing that we possess, and we really don’t know how much of it we actually have left. We need to make the most of the time that we have left on this earth. What do you have left to finish in your life. What battles are you in the middle of fighting for the Lord. How about your family? Have you given your spouse, or your parents, or your children the time that you would like to have given them. Soon enough, either you or them will be gone forever; at least as far as our time on earth is concerned. Get busy! The sun is beginning to set on many of us.
“Redeeming the time, because the days are evil.” – (Ephesians 5:16)
“Walk in wisdom toward them that are without, redeeming the time.” – (Colossians 4:5)
This evening, sometime around 6 PM, take a look outside, and you will see the dusky colors of a setting sun. Night will be right behind it, and soon the day will be over. This is a miniature picture of our lives. Soon, the sun will also set on our lives, and time will be up. What will you leave undone of your goals and dreams? More importantly, what will you have left unfinished of what God has called you to do?
Posted in Thoughts from Joshua by Phil Erickson with 2 comments.
Moldy Bread, Broken Bottles, and Old Shoes
Today’s Passage – Joshua 8 – 9 (Click on the references to listen to the audio – Click here to view the passage from Blue Letter Bible)
(Second Milers also read – 1 Timothy 1 – 3; Proverbs 14; Psalms 66 – 70)
Listen to this morning’s Scripture song – 1 John 4:7 & 8
Read the “0314 Evening and Morning” devotion for today, by the late Charles Haddon Spurgeon.
“And the men took of their victuals, and asked not counsel at the mouth of the LORD.” – (Joshua 9:14)
In Joshua chapter nine, we see the children of Israel after their second successful battle in the land of Canaan. They had just destroyed the cities of Jericho and Ai, and they were on their way to conquer all of the other cities of Canaan that were in their path. The inhabitants of the land realized that this new nation coming in could not be beaten in battle, so they resorted to trickery in order to save themselves. The Gibeonites that inhabited four cities nearby that would have soon been destroyed came to the Joshua and the princes of Israel and pretended to be from a very far country, presumably outside of the land of Canaan. They even brought props with them in order to convince the Israelites that what they were saying was true. They brought with them mouldy bread, old and worn out shoes, and broken wine bottles; all designed to convince the Israelites that had travelled from far away. They were very deceptive, yet very convincing. They desired that Israel would make a covenant of peace with them, and Israel does. Without consulting the Lord, Israel takes the victuals that these people offer them, and promise them that they will not be destroyed.
The part about this story that I have the toughest time with is that even though the people of Israel were deceived, God still expected them to honor their covenant with these Gibeonites. It would seem to me that because the Gibeonites had not been truthful about where they came from, God would not expect His people to live up to their end of the bargain. I have struggled with this passage of Scripture for years, but I think I have it figured out now. You see, the people did not consult with God before they entered into this covenant. Had they talked to God about it, He would have told them not to believe the Gibeonites. As a result, Israel makes a tragic mistake, and God is going to make them live with their choice.
By the way, this is the second time that the Joshua Administration had acted without consulting God first. Remember when they went into the city of Ai the first time? They were defeated. Why? Because Achan stole the accursed thing back in the battle of Jericho. Again, it almost looked as if God was punishing the whole nation unfairly for the act of one man, which nobody else in Israel even knew about. But God knew, and God would have told Joshua, too, had Joshua only prayed before going into the battle with Ai. It seems that God’s people have this bad habit of praying after tragedy strikes, rather than doing a little preventive praying. Have you prayed today? Satan might right now be preparing a trap for you. You’d better be careful. What decisions are you about to make without a consultation with God, or perhaps at least a look into God’s principles found in His Word? What actions are you about to take? You had better take them to God first. You just may be on the verge of making a tragic mistake. God knows, and He can help you prevent it, but He wants you to come to Him first.
Posted in Thoughts from Joshua by Phil Erickson with 2 comments.
Sin in the Camp
Today’s Passage – Joshua 5 – 7 (Click on the references to listen to the audio – Click here to view the passage from Blue Letter Bible)
(Second Milers also read – 2 Thessalonians 1 – 3; Proverbs 13; Psalms 61 – 65)
Listen to this morning’s Scripture song – 1 John 3:1
Read the “0313 Evening and Morning” devotion for today, by the late Charles Haddon Spurgeon.
“And Joshua sent men from Jericho to Ai, which is beside Bethaven, on the east side of Bethel, and spake unto them, saying, Go up and view the country. And the men went up and viewed Ai. And they returned to Joshua, and said unto him, Let not all the people go up; but let about two or three thousand men go up and smite Ai; and make not all the people to labour thither; for they are but few. So there went up thither of the people about three thousand men: and they fled before the men of Ai. And the men of Ai smote of them about thirty and six men: for they chased them from before the gate even unto Shebarim, and smote them in the going down: wherefore the hearts of the people melted, and became as water.” – (Joshua 7:2-5)
In our passage today, we read of the great victory of the Lord’s people in the Battle of Jericho. The large, fortress city of Jericho fell completely without one casualty in the army of Israel. It was perhaps the greatest military victory in history. Unfortunately, soon after the conquest of Jericho, the people of God suffered an horrible, embarrassing defeat against the much smaller city of Ai. Israel fled from the army of Ai, and mourned the loss of thirty-six men. Why would God give Israel such a tremendous victory at Jericho, and then remove his blessing from them so that they would lose so easily against a much smaller foe? I believe there are three reasons: three accursed things found within the camp of Israel that caused God to allow Israel to be punished before their enemy.
1 Disobedience – There was sin in the camp.
“But the children of Israel committed a trespass in the accursed thing: for Achan, the son of Carmi, the son of Zabdi, the son of Zerah, of the tribe of Judah, took of the accursed thing: and the anger of the LORD was kindled against the children of Israel.” – (Joshua 7:1)
Achan took a garment from Jericho, which seems like a small thing; yet, God was very upset about it. He had given clear instructions that nothing from Jericho was to be taken, save the silver and gold, which was to be brought into Israel’s treasury. Not only did Achan take the garment, but he also stole some silver and gold for himself. The sin of one man can greatly affect the blessing of God on an entire congregation. You might think that God was unfair to judge the whole nation for the sin of one man, but you may change your mind when you consider the next two reasons.
2 Overconfidence – The people of Israel underestimated the power of the enemy, and overestimated their own strength. They thought Ai was too small to worry about. They were wrong. Christians often do the same thing today. We underestimated our enemies: the flesh, the world, and the devil; and we overestimate our own strength. Jesus said, “without me ye can do nothing”. (John 15:5)
3 Independence – When you review the account of the victory of Jericho, you will see that “the Captain of the host of the Lord” had given Joshua complete detailed instructions as to what Israel should do. However, when you look at the battle of Ai, you will see that not once does God speak to Joshua about going into Ai; nor does Joshua pray to God about going in. Now, we know that Ai was one of the many cities that God wanted the children of Israel to conquer, but they should have consulted the Lord first as to when and how they should do it. They didn’t, and as a result, Israel was on their own in this battle, without God. They didn’t think they needed God for this little city. Boy were they mistaken. I’m willing to bet that if Joshua would have just asked God about Ai before going in, God would have told Joshua about Achan’s sin. One little prayer would have prevented the demoralizing defeat as well as the death of thirty-six men. How often have you and I done things without consulting the Lord first?
When we think of Ai, we often think of “the accursed thing”, but as we have learned, there were really three of them. There was more than just one sin in the camp. Along with the sin of taking the garment and the gold there was also the sin of trusting in their own fleshly abilities, and the sin of not praying to God. Let’s not you and I make these same mistakes in our lives.
Posted in Thoughts from Joshua by Phil Erickson with 3 comments.
What Mean Ye By These Stones?
Today’s Passage – Joshua 1 – 4 (Click on the references to listen to the audio – Click here to view the passage from Blue Letter Bible)
(Second Milers also read – 1 Thessalonians 1 – 5; Proverbs 12; Psalms 56 – 60)
Listen to this morning’s Scripture song – James 4:10
Read the “0312 Evening and Morning” devotion for today, by the late Charles Haddon Spurgeon.
Read a previous post from this passage – “Where are the Strong and Courageous Men?”
“That this may be a sign among you, that when your children ask their fathers in time to come, saying, What mean ye by these stones? Then ye shall answer them, That the waters of Jordan were cut off before the ark of the covenant of the LORD; when it passed over Jordan, the waters of Jordan were cut off: and these stones shall be for a memorial unto the children of Israel for ever.” (Joshua 4:6-7)
God is all about remembering.
The Passover is a Memorial:
“And thus shall ye eat it; with your loins girded, your shoes on your feet, and your staff in your hand; and ye shall eat it in haste: it is the LORD’S passover. For I will pass through the land of Egypt this night, and will smite all the firstborn in the land of Egypt, both man and beast; and against all the gods of Egypt I will execute judgment: I am the LORD. And the blood shall be to you for a token upon the houses where ye are: and when I see the blood, I will pass over you, and the plague shall not be upon you to destroy you, when I smite the land of Egypt. And this day shall be unto you for a memorial; and ye shall keep it a feast to the LORD throughout your generations; ye shall keep it a feast by an ordinance for ever.” – (Exodus 12:11-14)
The Lord’s Supper is a Memorial:
“And when he had given thanks, he brake it, and said, Take, eat: this is my body, which is broken for you: this do in remembrance of me. After the same manner also he took the cup, when he had supped, saying, This cup is the new testament in my blood: this do ye, as oft as ye drink it, in remembrance of me. For as often as ye eat this bread, and drink this cup, ye do shew the Lord’s death till he come.” – (1 Corinthians 11:24-26)
All throughout the Bible there are examples of God commanding His people to remember:
“And it shall be, when the LORD thy God shall have brought thee into the land which he sware unto thy fathers, to Abraham, to Isaac, and to Jacob, to give thee great and goodly cities, which thou buildedst not, And houses full of all good things, which thou filledst not, and wells digged, which thou diggedst not, vineyards and olive trees, which thou plantedst not; when thou shalt have eaten and be full; Then beware lest thou forget the LORD, which brought thee forth out of the land of Egypt, from the house of bondage.” – (Deuteronomy 6:10-12)
God doesn’t like it when we forget what He has done for us. That is why He has set up occasions for memorials – reminders.
By the way – God doesn’t forget us either.
“For God is not unrighteous to forget your work and labour of love, which ye have shewed toward his name, in that ye have ministered to the saints, and do minister.” – (Hebrews 6:10)
According to Hebrews 6:10 – it is unrighteous – it is sin – to forget what God and others have done for us.
Forgetting begins with a lack of reflection; and results in a lack of appreciation, and ultimately leads to rebellion:
“Because that, when they knew God, they glorified him not as God, neither were thankful; but became vain in their imaginations, and their foolish heart was darkened.” (Romans 1:21)
All of the sins listed in Romans one were preceded by a lack of thanksgiving by a people who “knew God,” but failed to remember Him or give Him the glory that He deserves.
Don’t be guilty of forgetting about God, and all of the wonderful things that He has done for you.
Posted in Thoughts from Joshua by Phil Erickson with 5 comments.
Well Done!
Today’s Passage – Deuteronomy 32 – 34 (Click on the references to listen to the audio – Click here to view the passage from Blue Letter Bible)
(Second Milers also read – Colossians 1 – 4; Proverbs 11; Psalms 51 – 55
Listen to this morning’s Scripture song – 1 Timothy 1:17
Read the “0311 Evening and Morning” devotion for today, by the late Charles Haddon Spurgeon.
“So Moses the servant of the LORD died there in the land of Moab, according to the word of the LORD. … And there arose not a prophet since in Israel like unto Moses, whom the LORD knew face to face,” – (Deuteronomy 34:5, 10)
“And as it is appointed unto men once to die, but after this the judgment:” – (Hebrews 9:27)
“For David, after he had served his own generation by the will of God, fell on sleep, and was laid unto his fathers, and saw corruption:” – (Acts 13:36)
“I have fought a good fight, I have finished my course, I have kept the faith:” – (2 Timothy 4:7)
In Deuteronomy 34 we see the death of one of God’s choicest servants, Moses. Moses had served in the will of God for forty years, leading a stiffnecked and rebellious group of people through the wilderness, finally delivering them to the border of the land that God had given them. Moses had finished what God had called him to do. God was well pleased with the service of Moses, and I am sure that he heard the Lord say, “Well done, thou good and faithful servant: thou hast been faithful over a few things, I will make thee ruler over many things: enter thou into the joy of thy lord.” – (Matthew 25:21)
I think if we look back on Moses’ life, we can certainly see that he had a fulfilling life. Most people never find that kind of fulfillment. They live their lives trying to accumulate toys and experience all the pleasures of this world, but in them they never find the fulfillment which fills that empty cavern in the center of their souls. Too often, people die with many regrets, many unrealized dreams. They often wish that had a chance to do it over again or at least were granted a little more time to make things right. I don’t think that Moses had many regrets. I am sure there are some things that he would like to have redone. I bet he wished that he had kept better control of his temper at Kadesh, but for the most part, I believe that Moses was ready to go home to the Lord.
Moses found the will of God for his life and he fulfilled it. I think that statement really sums up the secret to living a life that ends without regret. By the way, he also poured his life into others before he left so that they could carry on the work when he was gone. What are you living for? I think most of us who know the Lord really have a desire built in us to accomplish great things for Him but we often put God’s will on the back burner so that we can do our own thing for a little while. The devil tricks us into thinking that there will always be time later on in life to get busy serving the Lord but all too often the days just race by and before we realize it, our lives are at the end. Time flies by, doesn’t it? Let me encourage you to not wait another minute to start the process of finding God’s will for your life and then fulfilling it. What does God want you to do? Get busy! You will someday be on top of Mt. Nebo yourself and then you will realize that your time is up. Like Moses, you will be able to see from that vantage point, not only what had been accomplished, but also what could have been accomplished. We will all have some regrets, but if we get busy now, we can die with the joy of knowng that we fulfilled God’s purpose for our lives.
Posted in Thoughts from Deuteronomy by Phil Erickson with 4 comments.
I Will Be With Thee
Today’s Passage – Deuteronomy 29 – 31 (Click on the references to listen to the audio – Click here to view the passage from Blue Letter Bible)
(Second Milers also read – Philippians 1 – 4; Proverbs 10; Psalms 46 – 50)
Listen to this morning’s Scripture song – Ephesians 4:32
Read the “0310 Evening and Morning” devotion for today, by the late Charles Haddon Spurgeon.
“And Moses called unto Joshua, and said unto him in the sight of all Israel, Be strong and of a good courage: for thou must go with this people unto the land which the LORD hath sworn unto their fathers to give them; and thou shalt cause them to inherit it. And the LORD, he it is that doth go before thee; he will be with thee, he will not fail thee, neither forsake thee: fear not, neither be dismayed. … And he gave Joshua the son of Nun a charge, and said, Be strong and of a good courage: for thou shalt bring the children of Israel into the land which I sware unto them: and I will be with thee.” – (Deuteronomy 31:7-8, 23)
Perhaps no greater source of encouragement can be found for the Christian today than the words contained in these verses. In our passage today we see Moses in his final days upon the earth. He has fulfilled God’s will for his life by leading the people of Israel out of bondage, and has brought them to the border of the Land of Promise. He is passing the baton over to Joshua, who had faithfully served Moses for the forty years of Moses ministry. Joshua has an extremely difficult task in front of him. He is following behind one of the greatest leaders in the history of mankind, and he has been places in charge of a people that have demonstrated on numerous occasions that they can be very rebellious. In fact, on the very day that Joshua is appointed his new position God tells him that the people are going to rebel. How would you like to be given the job of leading people who you already know are going to eventually stop following. If I were Joshua I would not only be fearful of the task ahead, but perhaps even a little discouraged. However, twice in this passage Joshua is reminded that it’s going to be OK, because God will be with him.
What a blessing it is to know that as we serve God today in the center of His will, that He promises to go with us as well.
“Let your conversation be without covetousness; and be content with such things as ye have: for he hath said, I will never leave thee, nor forsake thee.” – (Hebrews 13:5)
“Teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you: and, lo, I am with you alway, even unto the end of the world. Amen.” – (Matthew 28:20)
Sometimes it can be very difficult living for the Lord in the world that we live in. It is not easy being a good, godly parent; a witness on the job; a servant in the church; a light to the community: all of which God calls us to be. But God is with us. He goes before us, and then helps us as we strive to be His ambassador in this dark world. Sometimes, we may feel like we are all alone, but we are never alone, because God is always with us.
Did you recognize His presence in your life today? Did you talk to Him yet this morning? He desires to have intimate fellowship with you, and to use you to fulfil His purpose in your world. What a wonderful and awesome priveledge it is to know and serve the King of the Universe! Lift your head up high. You’ve got connections. You know the right Person. You are personally acquainted with God, and you represent Him to those who don’t know Him.
Posted in Thoughts from Deuteronomy by Phil Erickson with 3 comments.
And Such Were Some of You
Today’s Passage – Deuteronomy 23 – 26 (Click on the references to listen to the audio – Click here to view the passage from Blue Letter Bible)
(Second Milers also read – Ephesians 1 – 3; Proverbs 8; Psalms 36 – 40)
Listen to this morning’s Scripture song – Matthew 6:33
Read the “0308 Evening and Morning” devotion for today, by the late Charles Haddon Spurgeon.
“And thou shalt speak and say before the LORD thy God, A Syrian ready to perish was my father, and he went down into Egypt, and sojourned there with a few, and became there a nation, great, mighty, and populous:” – (Deuteronomy 26:5)
“He brought me up also out of an horrible pit, out of the miry clay, and set my feet upon a rock, and established my goings.” – (Psalm 40:2)
“And others save with fear, pulling them out of the fire; hating even the garment spotted by the flesh.” – (Jude 1:23)
“Know ye not that the unrighteous shall not inherit the kingdom of God? Be not deceived: neither fornicators, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor effeminate, nor abusers of themselves with mankind, Nor thieves, nor covetous, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor extortioners, shall inherit the kingdom of God. And such were some of you: but ye are washed, but ye are sanctified, but ye are justified in the name of the Lord Jesus, and by the Spirit of our God.” – (1 Corinthians 6:9-11)
Read again Deuteronomy 26:1 – 11
In this passage, the Israelite was commanded to bring a firstfruit offering to the House of God and then he was to recite a statement to the priests acknowledging that he remembered where he was when God found him. Actually, he was really speaking on behalf of the nation in that he was recognizing that God took Abraham out of Ur of the Chaldees and brought him into the Promised Land. He also was acknowledging that all of the blessings that he was enjoying was given to him by God.
There are a lot of ways that we can apply the principle found in this passage. First, I believe that God would want us to keep fresh in our minds what it was like for us when we were not saved. I think as time goes on in our Christian life, we tend to forget about where God delivered us from. We were lost, without direction, without purpose, without eternal hope, and without God’s blessings on our lives. God truly did bring us up out of “an horrible pit,” and literally plucked us from the fire. Don’t let time dim the memory of where you came from.
Secondly, because we remember what it was like before God saved us, we need to express our appreciation to Him for all of the things that He has done for us now that we are His children. Besides just a future home in Heaven, God abundantly provides for our needs here on the earth and He protects us from many of the harmful things that plague those that don’t have a relationship with Christ. He also give us purpose, a reason for living. We have been priveledged with the task of being His ambassadors to this fallen world. All because of salvation. Don’t forget where you came from. Realize that if it wasn’t for the marvelous grace of God, you could still be there.
Posted in Thoughts from Deuteronomy by Phil Erickson with 5 comments.
God Is With You
Today’s Passage – Deuteronomy 19 – 22 (Click on the references to listen to the audio – Click here to view the passage from Blue Letter Bible)
(Second Milers also read – Galatians 4 – 6; Psalms 31 – 35; Proverbs 7)
Listen to this morning’s Scripture song – SSMicah 6:8
Read the “0307 Evening and Morning” devotion for today, by the late Charles Haddon Spurgeon.
Read a previous post from this passage – “Feminine and Modest.”
“1 When thou goest out to battle against thine enemies, and seest horses, and chariots, and a people more than thou, be not afraid of them: for the LORD thy God is with thee, which brought thee up out of the land of Egypt. 2 And it shall be, when ye are come nigh unto the battle, that the priest shall approach and speak unto the people, 3 And shall say unto them, Hear, O Israel, ye approach this day unto battle against your enemies: let not your hearts faint, fear not, and do not tremble, neither be ye terrified because of them; 4 For the LORD your God is he that goeth with you, to fight for you against your enemies, to save you.” (Deuteronomy 20:1-4)
In the reading today from Deuteronomy 19 – 22, Moses is continuing to give various laws that the people of God would be following when they moved into the land of Canaan. Some of these laws make perfect sense to us but others seem strange for us today and some of them come across as very stern, but they were given by God to ensure that Israel was truly a nation set apart by the Lord, very different from the lawless and godless people who lived in the land before Israel. A place where things were done decently and in order; a nation where crime was dealt with severely and where neighbors truly acted in kindness and love toward one another.
One particular passage that drew my attention was Deuteronomy 20:1 – 9 which discusses what the people should do when they were at war with another nation. God wanted Israel to be assured that though an opposing army had more numbers, better weapons, and superior equipment, that did not mean that they would win. Why? Because God promised to fight for Israel. Israel had God on their side. One proverb states:
“The horse is prepared against the day of battle: but safety is of the LORD.” (Proverbs 21:31)
There is a story in 2 Kings 6 that illustrates this principle perfectly. Elisha and his servant were in the city of Dothan when an army from Syria with many horses and chariots surrounded the city intending to attack it and capture Elisha. The servant was very afraid but Elisha told him: “… Fear not: for they that be with us are more than they that be with them” (2 Kings 6:16). Then Elisha prayed that God would open the eyes of the servant so that he could see the army of angels that were protecting them:
“16 And he answered, Fear not: for they that be with us are more than they that be with them. 17 And Elisha prayed, and said, LORD, I pray thee, open his eyes, that he may see. And the LORD opened the eyes of the young man; and he saw: and, behold, the mountain was full of horses and chariots of fire round about Elisha.” (2 Kings 6:16-17)
The Syrians had that superior earthly army but was powerless against Israel when God and His army of angels was fighting for them. That is exactly the idea that is conveyed in Deuteronomy 20.
Though this promise of superior military power was given to Israel as they were possessing the land that God promised them, I believe it could also be applied today to the nation today that is fighting for righteousness and living for God.
“12 Blessed is the nation whose God is the LORD; and the people whom he hath chosen for his own inheritance.” (Psalm 33:12)
America was once a nation like that. However, though we were founded upon biblical principles and framed our constitution with laws that reflected God’s righteousness, we have gradually moving away from where we started, and certainly away from God.
I believe this principle could also be applied to the church or even the individual Christian who is fighting against the world and the Devil (and sometimes even his own flesh) and is trying to fulfill God’s will. If you are doing what God wants you to do in the place that God has called you to, you can be assured that God will be with you; He will help you to do His work.
Before we conclude the discussion of this passage, let’s read a little further and see what God has to say about some within the congregation who may have been excused from the fighting:
“5 And the officers shall speak unto the people, saying, What man is there that hath built a new house, and hath not dedicated it? let him go and return to his house, lest he die in the battle, and another man dedicate it. 6 And what man is he that hath planted a vineyard, and hath not yet eaten of it? let him also go and return unto his house, lest he die in the battle, and another man eat of it. 7 And what man is there that hath betrothed a wife, and hath not taken her? let him go and return unto his house, lest he die in the battle, and another man take her. 8 And the officers shall speak further unto the people, and they shall say, What man is there that is fearful and fainthearted? let him go and return unto his house, lest his brethren’s heart faint as well as his heart. 9 And it shall be, when the officers have made an end of speaking unto the people, that they shall make captains of the armies to lead the people.” (Deuteronomy 20:5-9)
These verses remind us that there are sometimes good reasons for a person to be exempted from fighting or service. It must be emphasized, however, that these were not merely lame excuses like sometimes people might use today to get out of jury duty. They were legitimate hardships that would temporarily prevent someone from serving. There might be some other legitimate reasons for exemption not specifically covered by the four mentioned here as well.
By the way, the last exemption given in this passage regarding being “fearful and fainthearted,” was not for people who were a little apprehensive or nervous about fighting. Any normal person would be at least a little bit fearful when going to war. The passage here is referring to people who were so debilitatingly afraid to the extreme that their fear would potentially endanger the soldiers around them. They were not mentally fit to fight.
Posted in Devotions by Phil Erickson with 1 comment.
The Lord Blesses Those Who Bless Others
Today’s Passage – Deuteronomy 15 – 18 (Click on the references to listen to the audio – Click here to view the passage from Blue Letter Bible)
(Second Milers also read – Galatians 1 – 3; Proverbs 6; Psalm 26 – 30)
Listen to this morning’s Scripture song – Isaiah 51:11
Read the “0306 Evening and Morning” devotion for today, by the late Charles Haddon Spurgeon.
Read a previous post from this passage – “Did You Write Your Bible Today?”
“1 At the end of every seven years thou shalt make a release. 2 And this is the manner of the release: Every creditor that lendeth ought unto his neighbour shall release it; he shall not exact it of his neighbour, or of his brother; because it is called the LORD’S release. 3 Of a foreigner thou mayest exact it again: but that which is thine with thy brother thine hand shall release; 4 Save when there shall be no poor among you; for the LORD shall greatly bless thee in the land which the LORD thy God giveth thee for an inheritance to possess it: 5 Only if thou carefully hearken unto the voice of the LORD thy God, to observe to do all these commandments which I command thee this day. 6 For the LORD thy God blesseth thee, as he promised thee: and thou shalt lend unto many nations, but thou shalt not borrow; and thou shalt reign over many nations, but they shall not reign over thee. 7 If there be among you a poor man of one of thy brethren within any of thy gates in thy land which the LORD thy God giveth thee, thou shalt not harden thine heart, nor shut thine hand from thy poor brother: 8 But thou shalt open thine hand wide unto him, and shalt surely lend him sufficient for his need, in that which he wanteth.” (Deuteronomy 15:1-8)
In our reading today, God, through Moses, is continuing to prepare the Israelites for life in their new home. They are about ready to cross the Jordan River and possess the Land of Canaan. God promises them that He is going to bless them abundantly and that they would have way more than they needed; so much so, that God commands them to release anybody that owed them money of the debt that they owed every seven years. Every seventh year, all debts would be forgiven. The reason why the creditors could do this was because God was going to see to it that they would make so much in the first six years that the loss they took in the seventh year would not matter. The shrewd and selfish businessman might think that he would only lend out money in the early part of the six years so that he could make the most interest on the debt as possible, but God commanded them to make sure the poor people got the money they needed even if it was close to the seventh year. The fact is that God made sure that His people were very prosperous, though He acknowledged that there would always be a few poor among them. However, in a godless society there is more than just a few poor, there will be many who are poor and few that are prosperous. The blessings that God gave Israel made the whole nation prosperous with few exceptions, which allowed them to be very generous with the relatively small number of poor people who were among them.
“11 For the poor shall never cease out of the land: therefore I command thee, saying, Thou shalt open thine hand wide unto thy brother, to thy poor, and to thy needy, in thy land.” (Deuteronomy 15:11)
“7 For ye have the poor with you always, and whensoever ye will ye may do them good: but me ye have not always.” (Mark 14:7)
How much is enough? When will you have enough that you finally get to the place where you can start giving some of the excess away to others that have a need? I am reminded of the conversation that Esau had with his brother Jacob. Jacob had prepared a valuable gift of livestock for his brother, but Esau said: “I have enough, my brother; keep that thou hast unto thyself” (Genesis 33:9). The problem with most of us is that we think that we will never have enough and that what we have will run out, and that fear keeps us from giving away anything. The truth is, however, that when we realize that God is the source of everything that we have and that God wants us to be generous to others, we can then let go; and when we finally let go, God blesses us with more. I have had this struggle my whole life. I worry about running out, but God keeps giving us more. God just keeps giving to us, but He expects us to keep giving back to Him by giving to the work of the Lord and by giving to people who have need.
Consider the following verses from Proverbs:
“He that oppresseth the poor reproacheth his Maker: but he that honoureth him hath mercy on the poor.” (Proverbs 14:31)
“He that hath pity upon the poor lendeth unto the LORD; and that which he hath given will he pay him again.” (Proverbs 19:17)
“Whoso stoppeth his ears at the cry of the poor, he also shall cry himself, but shall not be heard.” (Proverbs 21:13)
“He that hath a bountiful eye shall be blessed; for he giveth of his bread to the poor.” (Proverbs 22:9)
“He that giveth unto the poor shall not lack: but he that hideth his eyes shall have many a curse.” (Proverbs 28:27)
“The righteous considereth the cause of the poor: but the wicked regardeth not to know it.” (Proverbs 29:7)
Posted in Devotions by Phil Erickson with 1 comment.
Rejoice Before the Lord
Today’s Passage – Deuteronomy 12 – 14 (Click on the references to listen to the audio – Click here to view the passage from Blue Letter Bible)
(Second Milers also read – 2 Corinthians 9 – 13; Proverbs 5; Psalms 21 – 25)
Listen to this morning’s Scripture song – Isaiah 40:31
Read the “0305 Evening and Morning” devotion for today, by the late Charles Haddon Spurgeon.
“And there ye shall eat before the LORD your God, and ye shall rejoice in all that ye put your hand unto, ye and your households, wherein the LORD thy God hath blessed thee.” (Deuteronomy 12:7)
“And ye shall rejoice before the LORD your God, ye, and your sons, and your daughters, and your menservants, and your maidservants, and the Levite that is within your gates; forasmuch as he hath no part nor inheritance with you.” (Deuteronomy 12:12)
“But thou must eat them before the LORD thy God in the place which the LORD thy God shall choose, thou, and thy son, and thy daughter, and thy manservant, and thy maidservant, and the Levite that is within thy gates: and thou shalt rejoice before the LORD thy God in all that thou puttest thine hands unto.” (Deuteronomy 12:18 KJV)
“And thou shalt bestow that money for whatsoever thy soul lusteth after, for oxen, or for sheep, or for wine, or for strong drink, or for whatsoever thy soul desireth: and thou shalt eat there before the LORD thy God, and thou shalt rejoice, thou, and thine household,” (Deuteronomy 14:26)
In each of the verses above the people of God were commanded by the Lord to come to the place that the Lord would choose, and there they were to bring their offerings, whether they be the “firstlings” of their flocks, or the tithe of their crops, or even in some cases they were to bring an equivalent value of their offering in money, with which they could then purchase an appropriate offering. The place of the Lord’s choosing was wherever the Tabernacle of the congregation would be set up. Eventually, the Temple would be built in Jerusalem, which would be the permanent place for the Lord’s people to assemble. Anyway, once at the temple they were to eat “before the Lord” of the sacrifices that they had brought, and rejoice.
Here is how the process worked: God gave the people commandments to live by in their new land. As long as the people obeyed the Lord and kept Him first in their lives, He would bless them with abundant provision and prosperity. Every once in a while, God wanted them to gather together, and sort of have a celebration with Him, rejoicing in all that He had done for them. He wanted them to come to where He decided, and celebrate His abundant provision with Him.
I see a beautiful parallel today to the local church. God has ordained that we gather together often, and we too are to bring with us a portion of what the Lord has blessed us with, and we are also to rejoice before the Lord because of His abundant provision. It’s easy to rejoice when we reflect upon all that we have in Christ. Besides the eternal blessings of salvation, we also enjoy the protection and provision of a wonderful Heavenly Father who takes care of us. God wants us to gather together often and rejoice before Him, praising Him for all that He has done. Let’s not forsake the “assembling of ourselves together”, but let us get together as often as we can, and when we do, let us bring back to Him some of what He has blessed us with, and then let’s be sure to “rejoice before the Lord”.
Posted in Thoughts from Deuteronomy by Phil Erickson with 3 comments.