I Will Be King
Today’s Passage – 1 Kings 1 – 2 (Click on the references to listen to the audio – Click here to view the passage from Blue Letter Bible)
(Second Milers also read – Mark 3 – 4 ; Proverbs 16; Psalms 76 – 80)
Listen to this morning’s Scripture song – Psalm 61:1 – 3
Read the “0416 Evening and Morning” devotion for today, by the late Charles Haddon Spurgeon.
“Then Adonijah the son of Haggith exalted himself, saying, I will be king: and he prepared him chariots and horsemen, and fifty men to run before him.” – (1 Kings 1:5)
In our passage today, we have King David on his death bed, and the kingdom unsure about who will take his place after he passes on. God had made it clear to David that his son Solomon was to be his successor (1 Chronicles 22:9), but David had been very quiet about revealing the will of God to the people. As a result, one of the king’s other sons, Adonijah, saw an opportunity to seize power. He made a conspiracy with Joab and Abiathar to take control of the kingdom. With the backing of the military and the temple, it would be difficult to stop him. He called all the king’s sons (except Solomon), and all of the important men of Judah (except Nathan the prophet and Benaiah, one of David’s mighty men) to announce that he was king. Solomon’s mother, Bathsheba, finds out about the conspiracy and reveals it to the king. Now David has to act. He commands Zadok the priest and Nathan the prophet to anoint Solomon to be king over Israel. Had David been clear to the people about the Lord’s will previously, the kingdom would have avoided all of this unnecessary turmoil.
My thought this morning is about the phrase spoken by Adonijah, “I will be king.” This is similar to what was stated about Lucifer’s thoughts when he rebelled against God:
“12 How art thou fallen from heaven, O Lucifer, son of the morning! how art thou cut down to the ground, which didst weaken the nations! 13 For thou hast said in thine heart, I will ascend into heaven, I will exalt my throne above the stars of God: I will sit also upon the mount of the congregation, in the sides of the north: 14 I will ascend above the heights of the clouds; I will be like the most High. 15 Yet thou shalt be brought down to hell, to the sides of the pit.” (Isaiah 14:12-15)
Isn’t it inside all of us to seize control of our lives away from the reign of God? God wants to be the King in our lives, but we constantly try to knock God off the throne and assume power. Recognizing that this little battle rages within us, we must daily acknowledge and submit to God’s authority in our lives. Every time self begins to elevate itself, we must consciously abase him, and yield our allegiance to the Holy Spirit of God. We are really no different than Adonijah. Our pride causes us to lust for the dominion and power that does not rightfully belong to us. The key to successful Christian living is submission to the will of God. He is the only King.
“For whosoever exalteth himself shall be abased; and he that humbleth himself shall be exalted.” – (Luke 14:11)
“18 For I know that in me (that is, in my flesh,) dwelleth no good thing: for to will is present with me; but how to perform that which is good I find not.” (Romans 7:18)
Posted in Thoughts from 1 Kings by Phil Erickson with 3 comments.
How Many?
Today’s Passage – 2 Samuel 23 – 24 (Click on the references to listen to the audio – Click here to view the passage from Blue Letter Bible)
(Second Milers also read – Mark 1 – 2; Proverbs 15; Psalms 71 – 75
Listen to this morning’s Scripture song – Psalm 55:17
Read the “0415 Evening and Morning” devotion for today, by the late Charles Haddon Spurgeon.
“And again the anger of the LORD was kindled against Israel, and he moved David against them to say, Go, number Israel and Judah.” – (2 Samuel 24:1)
“And Satan stood up against Israel, and provoked David to number Israel.” (1 Chronicles 21:1)
“And David spake unto the LORD when he saw the angel that smote the people, and said, Lo, I have sinned, and I have done wickedly: but these sheep, what have they done? let thine hand, I pray thee, be against me, and against my father’s house.” – (2 Samuel 24:17)
This is one of those passages of Scripture that I have a difficult time understanding. The Scripture clearly says in verse 1 (above) that God moved David against Israel; but then in verse 17, David confesses what he had done against Israel to the Lord as sin. Here we have another example of the sovereignty of God in conjunction with the free will of man. To complicate matters even more, look at what it says in 1 Chronicles 21 about the same event: the blame here is placed upon Satan. In our passage today it certainly looks as if God was forcing David to sin against Him, which in turn brings about the wrath of God upon the people of Israel. What is going on here? Did God command it, or did Satan tempt David to do it? I believe that it was in David’s heart to number the people long before the actual numbering took place. Man’s heart is desperately wicked. There are all kinds of sins inside of it. The idea to number the people originated with Satan, because he wanted to get David to take his eyes off of God, and instead trust in his military strength. I think that God kept David from fulfilling what was in his heart for a while, but then because of His anger at Israel (and David), He eventually allows it. I believe the same thing happened with Pharaoh of Egypt. The Scripture says that God hardened Pharaoh’s heart, but it also says that Pharaoh’s heart was already hardened. I don’t think that God caused Pharaoh to hate Israel. He already did. God finally just removed the restraint that was keeping Pharaoh back. Satan is on a leash too. He can only do what God allows him to do.
This brings me to an application of this principle in our lives. The Bible teaches that the Holy Spirit of God is the restraining power that keeps all evil from breaking loose on the earth. The bottom line in all of this is that Satan will tempt you to sin, but God will not cause you to sin; but He will allow you to sin, and allow you to be tempted. However, I also believe that there are many times when He keeps us from sinning against Him through His indwelling Holy Spirit.
“Let no man say when he is tempted, I am tempted of God: for God cannot be tempted with evil, neither tempteth he any man: But every man is tempted, when he is drawn away of his own lust, and enticed.” – (James 1:13-14)
By the way. You may be wondering why God would be against the numbering of the people. The reason is simple. He did not want Israel trusting in their numbers. He wanted them to trust in Him. They could beat any opposing army out there, regardless of size, as long as they were right with God.
Additional Thought:
“So the LORD sent a pestilence upon Israel from the morning even to the time appointed: and there died of the people from Dan even to Beersheba seventy thousand men.“ (2 Samuel 24:15)
Cindy and I were discussing this passage and we both agreed that verse fifteen bears a striking resemblance to our situation today. God sent pestilence (disease) into Israel because David had committed the sin of numbering the people. This pestilence resulted in the deaths of seventy-thousand men. The Covid-19 pandemic had killed millions throughout the world. I think we should ask ourselves why is God allowing this to happen to our world. Is God trying to get our attention? Is He chastening us for our sin? Is he purifying His people? Perhaps the answer is: “all of the above.”
“If my people, which are called by my name, shall humble themselves, and pray, and seek my face, and turn from their wicked ways; then will I hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin, and will heal their land.” (2 Chronicles 7:14)
Posted in Thoughts from 2 Samuel by Phil Erickson with 3 comments.
Obsession
Today’s Passage – 1 Samuel 19 – 21 (Click on the references to listen to the audio – Click here to view the passage from Blue Letter Bible)
(Second Milers also read – Matthew 7 – 8; Proverbs 4; Psalms 16 – 20)
“And the king said to Doeg, Turn thou, and fall upon the priests. And Doeg the Edomite turned, and he fell upon the priests, and slew on that day fourscore and five persons that did wear a linen ephod. And Nob, the city of the priests, smote he with the edge of the sword, both men and women, children and sucklings, and oxen, and asses, and sheep, with the edge of the sword.” – (1 Samuel 22:18-19)
Chapter 22 of 1 Samuel is perhaps one of the saddest chapters in the Bible. King Saul commands that all the priests of Nob be slain because he thinks that they are conspiring with David against him. Saul is now totally out of control. He is obsessed with David, and he is allowing his imaginations to completely run wild. Let me back up and review the story. David is on the run from King Saul. He enters Nob, the city where the priests of God lived, looking for bread for himself and his men. David does not tell Ahimelech the priest the truth about why he is there, which was wrong. He tells the priest that he is on a top-secret mission for the king which required haste, and because he and his men left in such a hurry, he did not have time to get food before he left. Ahimelech and the other priests are completely innocent. The priests give David some of the old shewbread from off the altar and they also give him the sword of Goliath which was being stored in the city of Nob. There was an evil man, named Doeg, in the city that day and he observed what had happened and then went to tell Saul.
Saul sends for Ahimelech and the rest of the priests and asks them what had happened. Ahimelech rehearses the matter before Saul exactly as it did happen, but Saul does not believe him. Saul then orders the death of all the priests of God. Saul’s insecurity regarding David has completely usurped his ability to reason logically. His imagination is in total control and his imaginations are being fed by the Wicked One. The Bible says that we are to cast down imaginations:
“Casting down imaginations, and every high thing that exalteth itself against the knowledge of God, and bringing into captivity every thought to the obedience of Christ;” – (2 Corinthians 10:5)
Saul’s insecurity began and took root as jealousy because of David’s successes. God obviously had his hand upon David and Saul knew it. Saul also knew that God no longer had his hand upon him. Saul’s insecurity affected the entire kingdom. Many people died because of it. Notice that Saul’s insecurity caused him to imagine that these priests were his enemies, and they were not. His insecurity also caused him to forget about his real enemies, which were the Philistines and some of the other nations surrounding Israel.
Can you relate to any of this? Have you ever imagined that people were against you without really knowing that they were? Have you ever saw a group of people gathered without you, and imagined that they were talking about you? Have you forgotten that your enemy is Satan, not your friends and family members? Perhaps you are a little insecure yourself. You need to confess that as sin, because it is sin, and ask God to help you deal with it. Remember that God loves you just as much as he loves everyone else, and he has a wonderful plan for your life. Keep your eyes upon him and forget about what He is doing with other people. As Jesus told Peter, “What is that to thee?” Get control of your imaginations before you totally lose it too.
Posted in Thoughts from 1 Samuel by Phil Erickson with 1 comment.
Things Are Looking Up!
Today’s Passage – Ruth 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 – Revelation 7 – 9; Proverbs 28; Psalms 136 – 140)
Listen to this morning’s Scripture song – Psalm 92:1 – 4
Read the “0328 Evening and Morning” devotion for today, by the late Charles Haddon Spurgeon.
“And she said unto them, Call me not Naomi, call me Mara: for the Almighty hath dealt very bitterly with me. I went out full, and the LORD hath brought me home again empty: why then call ye me Naomi, seeing the LORD hath testified against me, and the Almighty hath afflicted me?” – (Ruth 1:20-21)
“And the women said unto Naomi, Blessed be the LORD, which hath not left thee this day without a kinsman, that his name may be famous in Israel. And he shall be unto thee a restorer of thy life, and a nourisher of thine old age: for thy daughter in law, which loveth thee, which is better to thee than seven sons, hath born him.” – (Ruth 4:14 & 15)
I have read this story of Ruth and Naomi many times, but every time I have written or preached on the subject my focus would either be on Ruth or Boaz, the kinsman redeemer. However, this morning I got to thinking about Naomi. Naomi was a great lady who in many ways was a victim of circumstance. Things just didn’t work out for her in life as she had probably hoped and dreamed they would. I can relate to that. Sometimes I reflect on my own life and wish that I could re-do some things and perhaps make some better choices. Hindsight always reveals the wisdom of our choices. Anyway, Naomi left the land of Canaan with her husband and two sons many years prior to the time of our text. They intended only to sojourn in the land of Moab for a short time until the famine was over in their homeland. It appears that they stayed a lot longer than they intended. While living in Moab, her two sons marry women from Moab, which was also not according to God’s perfect plan because these women were not worshippers of the God of Israel. To make matters worse, her husband and both of her sons die while she is there. Now she is left in a strange land with two daughters-in-law that were in many ways still strangers to her.
Naomi is faced with a decision. Life is not working out for her in Moab, and she realizes she needs to get back to her people and to the worship of her God. Good decision. But what was she to do with her daughters-in-law? She understands they feel obligated to her and in a very real way both of them had become very attached to her. She must have demonstrated much love toward them because both of them loved her and one of them (Ruth) was willing to forsake her own happiness in order to go with Naomi. In fact, Ruth was willing to become a worshipper of Naomi’s God. It appears that Naomi represented her God very well.
The point of all of this is that though Naomi didn’t make all of the right decisions through the years and although things did not work out for her as she would have hoped, God was still very gracious to her and was willing to use her and bless her life. She left Canaan full: full of dreams and full of hope. She left Moab empty: empty of a husband, empty of her sons, and empty of material possessions; but she did have Ruth. God had graciously given her a wonderful daughter-in-law in, who proved to be more of a blessing to her than her sons ever were. I bet if there were another chapter to the Book of Ruth we would hear Naomi say, “change my name back to Naomi, I was ‘Mara’ for a while, but things are looking up.
Can you notice a pattern here that you and I can relate to? Life sometimes starts with hopes, dreams, and ambitions. They rarely work out the way we want them to. We make many mistakes along the way that further complicate things. But God just may turn our lives around before it’s all over. We may find that delight (Naomi means delight) after all, and it may just come through an unexpected source. Don’t lose hope. Keep following God. Better days are coming.
I will add one more thought regarding this passage, which may not be hermeneutically correct. I see in this story a picture of God’s love both for Israel and the Church. Naomi was from Israel. She and her family had wandered away from the “house of bread” (Bethlehem), which pictures the will of God, the place of blessing. They ended up in Moab, which has been referred to in Scripture as God’s “washpot” (Psalms 60:8; 108:9), which does not sound nearly as nice as the house of bread. But Naomi finally came to the place where she realized that she needed to get back to where she started. Israel has also wandered out of the will of God but someday they will return to the Lord (Romans 11:26) when they realize that Jesus is their Messiah and they place their faith in Him.
Ruth, on the other hand, is a picture of the Church. She is a Moabite, an “alien from the commonwealth of Israel, and stranger from the covenants of promise, having no hope, and without God in the world” (Ephesians 2:12). But God, who is rich in mercy (Ephesians 2:4), saved her, and brought her into the fold of God’s people. Again, this is only a picture or type that I see in Ruth. Ruth actually became a part of Israel by marrying into the family of Boaz. She also was the great-grandmother of David and in the lineage of the Lord Jesus Christ. However, the Church is made up of many Gentiles, like Ruth, who were gloriously saved through faith in the Lord Jesus Christ.
Posted in Thoughts from Ruth by Phil Erickson with 1 comment.
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 4 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.
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.
What Do They See?
Today’s Passage – Deuteronomy 27 – 28 (Click on the references to listen to the audio – Click here to view the passage from Blue Letter Bible)
(Second Milers also read – Ephesians 4 – 6; Proverbs 9; Psalm 46 – 50
Listen to this morning’s Scripture song – SSEphesians 4:32
Read another post from this passage – “Choose Wisely“
Read the “0309 Evening and Morning” devotion for today, by the late Charles Haddon Spurgeon.
“And all people of the earth shall see that thou art called by the name of the LORD; and they shall be afraid of thee.” – (Deuteronomy 28:10)
I was captivated by the verse above. Notice that it says that people will see that the Israelites were called by the name of the Lord. It does not say that the people will hear mere words. The people were not to just talk about their relationship with God, they were to live it; and live it so powerfully that the surrounding nations would fear them.
It is rare today that the world looks into the life of a Christian and sees the hand of God working so evidently and powerfully in them that they are actually feared. For the most part Christians today are mocked and made fun of, but not feared. Why are we the laughingstock of the world today? There are many reasons, but I believe the main one is that our lives do not demonstrate the power and abundance of the life of faith. We dabble in God, but we don’t let Him get all of us, and unless He has all of us He cannot demonstrate His power in our lives.
Christians should be walking billboards illustrating the power and blessing of an omnipotent God. People should be able to take one look at us and tell that there is something radically different about us; something almost intimidating. The story is told of the great preacher, Charles Finney, who visited a factory one day in New York, and after merely making eye contact with a woman in the factory, she began to weep uncontrollably. That is pretty powerful. Our lives should declare loudly and boldly that we are the children of an awesome and all powerful God. People may not agree with us, but if our lives are fully surrendered to the Lord, they should respect us. Do the people around you fear you because of the presence of God in your life, or do they mock you? Sobering thought.
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.