I Want That Mountain
Today’s Passage – Joshua 13 – 15
(Second Milers also read – 2 Timothy 1 – 4; Proverbs 16; Psalms 76 – 80)
Scripture Memorization for March – Psalm 1
Listen to this morning’s Scripture song – Psalm 61:1 – 3
View “Update from Costa Rica” by Pastor Paul Chappell
“Now therefore give me this mountain, whereof the LORD spake in that day; for thou heardest in that day how the Anakims were there, and that the cities were great and fenced: if so be the LORD will be with me, then I shall be able to drive them out, as the LORD said.” – (Joshua 14:12)
One of my favorite men in the Bible is Caleb. He had an unshakable and an unwavering faith in the Lord. He wholly followed the Lord his God, and there was no obstacle that was too large, and no enemy that was too powerful, to keep Caleb from fulfilling God’s will for his life. You will remember that when the spies were sent in to check out the land of Canaan there were only two of them that came back with a positive report; only two that knew that God was much bigger than and giant Canaanite. One of those two men was Caleb. Ten of those spies came back and said, “It can’t be done; it’s too hard; we’re not ready yet. Not Caleb. He and Joshua were ready for a fight:
“And Joshua the son of Nun, and Caleb the son of Jephunneh, which were of them that searched the land, rent their clothes: And they spake unto all the company of the children of Israel, saying, The land, which we passed through to search it, is an exceeding good land. If the LORD delight in us, then he will bring us into this land, and give it us; a land which floweth with milk and honey. Only rebel not ye against the LORD, neither fear ye the people of the land; for they are bread for us: their defence is departed from them, and the LORD is with us: fear them not.” – (Numbers 14:6-9)
In our passage today, it is now forty-five years after the spies came back, and Caleb is an old man; yet, he still has a lot of fight left in him. He is not thinking about retirement. He is still looking to conquer more giants for the Lord. We need more Calebs in the church today! Men and women who trust the Lord wholly to do “greater works than these”. We need people who are willing to fight for what is right; people who still see areas that need to be conquered for the Lord.
What does God want you to conquer for Him? What giant obstacle is in your path that God is waiting for you to trust Him to remove in His power? What neighborhood, or city remains unreached with the gospel? What are you afraid of. I know it’s not going to be easy. I know that there are giants trying to stop you, but your God is greater than any Giant. Trust Him and take the mountain!
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Things Aren’t Always As They Seem
Today’s Passages – Joshua 8 – 9
(Second Milers also read – 2 Thessalonians 1 – 3; Proverbs 14; Psalms 66 – 70)
Scripture Memory for March – Psalm 1
Listen to this morning’s Scripture song – Psalm 51
Watch Pastor Chappell’s – “Update from El Salvador”
“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 has 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.
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Three Accursed Things
Today’s Passage – Joshua 5 – 7
(Second Milers also read – 1 Thessalonians 1 – 5; Proverbs 13; Psalms 61 – 65)
Scripture Memory for March – Psalm 1
Listen to this morning’s Scripture song – Psalm 48:1 & 2
“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 with 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 suffered 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 Wickedness – 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 an 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 conquor, 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 first 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 our own flesh, 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 7 comments.
Where Are The Strong and Courageous Men Today?
Today’s Passage – Joshua 1 – 4
(Second Milers also read – Colossians 1 – 4; Proverbs 12; Psalms 56 – 60)
“There shall not any man be able to stand before thee all the days of thy life: as I was with Moses, so I will be with thee: I will not fail thee, nor forsake thee. Be strong and of a good courage: for unto this people shalt thou divide for an inheritance the land, which I sware unto their fathers to give them. Only be thou strong and very courageous, that thou mayest observe to do according to all the law, which Moses my servant commanded thee: turn not from it to the right hand or to the left, that thou mayest prosper whithersoever thou goest. This book of the law shall not depart out of thy mouth; but thou shalt meditate therein day and night, that thou mayest observe to do according to all that is written therein: for then thou shalt make thy way prosperous, and then thou shalt have good success.” – (Joshua 1:5-8)
Three times in Joshua chapter one, God admonishes Joshua to be strong and courageous. Joshua had a very difficult task ahead of him: he was to take over for perhaps the greatest leader the world had ever seen – Moses. He was to bring the congregation of Israel into the land of promise, and he was to lead them in battle against all of the inhabitants of the land. This was a huge job for any man, and God wanted to make sure that Joshua was mentally prepared for what lay ahead for him.
Joshua had already demonstrated courage strength in his life prior to his being given the position as the leader of the nation. Consider the following qualifications that Joshua already had going for him:
1 He served the man of God. He was “Moses minister”. It takes a strong and secure man to serve another man faithfully. Joshua was the “behind the scenes guy” in much of the first five books of the Bible, but we never read of Joshual murmering or rebelling in any way against the leadership of Moses. He served Moses for 40 years as they wandered through the wilderness.
2 He stood for right. When the rest of the congregation, including Aaron, was worshipping a golden calf, Joshua was separated from them, waiting patiently for the return of Moses. When ten of the spies came back with an evil report after spying the land, Joshua and Caleb came back ready to fight. They knew that their God was far superior to any giants that were opposing them in the land of Canaan.
3 He studied the Scriptures. He was an expert in the Law that God had given Moses. God stated that the “Book of the Law” was in his mouth. He knew the Bible. He had studied the Scriptures with his mentor for 40 years.
Those three things listed above are the ingredients of a great leader. Joshua was someone who knew what was right to do, and was strong enough to do it, even when the rest of the crowd might be pushing him in the other direction. We could use some more Joshuas in America today.
Listen to the song – A Few Good Men sung by The Clark Family
What this dying world could use is a willing man of god
Who dares to go against the grain and works without applause;
A man who’ll raise the shield of faith, protecting what is pure;
Whose love is tough and gentle; a man whose word is sure.
God doesn’t need an orator who knows what just to say;
He doesn’t need authorities to reason him away;
He doesn’t need an army to guarantee a win;
He just needs a few good men.
Men full of compassion, who laugh and love and cry-
Men who’ll face eternity and aren’t afraid to die-
Men who’ll fight for freedom and honor once again-
He just needs a few good men.
He calls the broken derelict whose life has been renewed;
He calls the one who know His Son to stand up for the truth.
Enlistment lines are open and he wants you to come in-
He just needs a few good men.
Men full of compassion, who laugh and love and cry-
Men who’ll face eternity and aren’t afraid to die-
Men who’ll fight for freedom and honor once again-
He just needs a few good men.
Men full of compassion, who laugh and love and cry-
Men who’ll face eternity and aren’t afraid to die-
Men who’ll fight for freedom and honor once again-
He just needs a few good men.
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Almost Home
Today’s Passage – Deuteronomy 32 – 34
(Second Milers also read – Philippians 1 – 4; Proverbs 11; Psalms 51 – 55)
Scripture Memorization for March – Psalm 1
Listen to this morning’s Scripture Song – Psalm 34:6
“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 with 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 of 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 today 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 who know the Lord really have a desire built in us to accomplish great things for the Lord, 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 finging 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.
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CHOOSE LIFE – THE SATURDAY MORNING POST BY PASTOR TED STAHL
Good morning. If you choose wisely, you will choose life. Jesus said, “I am come that they might have life, and that they might have it more abundantly.” (John 10:10). Deuteronomy 30:20 tells us that the Lord is our life and the length of our days. By choosing life there are three actions we display in our lives…
We will love the Lord. A lawyer asked Jesus what the great commandment in the law was. Jesus said unto him, “Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind. This is the first and great commandment. And the second is like unto it, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself. On these two commandments hang all the law and the prophets.” (Matthew 22:37-40). And “We love him, because he first loved us.” (1John 4:19). Many times our love for the Lord will manifest itself in the love we have for others. This love will also lead us to the second action we show in our lives. Jesus said, “If ye love me, keep my commandments.” (John 14:15)…
We will obey the Lord. We learned through Saul, the first king of Israel that obedience is better than sacrifice. (1Samuel 15:13-24). And the Lord has given us His Holy Spirit to guide us in the way we should go. “This I say then, Walk in the Spirit, and ye shall not fulfil the lust of the flesh.” (Galatians 5:16). When our lusts, or the whiles of the devils try to get us to stumble, our lives will show the third action…
We will cleave to the Lord. The word cleave is an action word in itself. Cleave means to catch by pursuit. In pursuit, and catching, we draw close to the Lord.
HOW TO CHOOSE LIFE.
Realize you are a sinner. Romans 3:10, and 3:23 tell us that, “As it is written, There is none righteous, no, not one…” and “For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God…”
And because you are a sinner, you cannot save yourself: you need a Saviour. Romans 5:8 says, “But God commendeth his love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.” You see, “For the wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.” (Romans 6:23).
Romans 10:13 says, “For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved.” Jesus said, “My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me: And I give unto them eternal life; and they shall never perish, neither shall any man pluck them out of my hand. My Father, which gave them me, is greater than all; and no man is able to pluck them out of my Father’s hand. I and my Father are one.” (John 10:27-30). Choose life.
Peace. (John 14:27)
Posted in Devotions by Phil Erickson with no comments yet.
Choose Wisely
Today’s Passage – Deuteronomy 27 – 28
Second Milers also read – Galatians 1 – 6 (Galatians 1 – 3, Galatians 4 – 6); Proverbs 9; Psalms 41 – 45
Listen to this morning’s Scripture song – Psalm 34
Scripture Memory for March – Psalm 1
Read last year’s post from this passage – “What Do They See?”
This?
“And it shall come to pass, if thou shalt hearken diligently unto the voice of the LORD thy God, to observe and to do all his commandments which I command thee this day, that the LORD thy God will set thee on high above all nations of the earth: And all these blessings shall come on thee, and overtake thee, if thou shalt hearken unto the voice of the LORD thy God. Blessed shalt thou be in the city, and blessed shalt thou be in the field. Blessed shall be the fruit of thy body, and the fruit of thy ground, and the fruit of thy cattle, the increase of thy kine, and the flocks of thy sheep. Blessed shall be thy basket and thy store. Blessed shalt thou be when thou comest in, and blessed shalt thou be when thou goest out.” – (Deuteronomy 28:1-6)
Or This?
“But it shall come to pass, if thou wilt not hearken unto the voice of the LORD thy God, to observe to do all his commandments and his statutes which I command thee this day; that all these curses shall come upon thee, and overtake thee: Cursed shalt thou be in the city, and cursed shalt thou be in the field. Cursed shall be thy basket and thy store. Cursed shall be the fruit of thy body, and the fruit of thy land, the increase of thy kine, and the flocks of thy sheep. Cursed shalt thou be when thou comest in, and cursed shalt thou be when thou goest out.” – (Deuteronomy 28:15-19)
The Choice Is Yours To Make
Choose Wisely
“See, I have set before thee this day life and good, and death and evil;” – (Deuteronomy 30:15)
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Your Game Face
Today’s Passage – Deuteronomy 19 – 22
(Second Milers also read – 2 Corinthians 5 – 8; Proverbs 7; Psalms 31 – 35)
Scripture Memory for the month of March – Psalm 1
Listen to this morning’s Scripture song – Psalm 19
“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.” – (Deuteronomy 20:8)
In Deuteronomy chapter twenty, God gives instructions to the people of Israel regarding going into battle. Before going into the fight, God weeded out anybody whose hearts and minds would not be in the fight(vv 5 – 8). If these soldiers were not not fully committed and focussed on the battle ahead, they may be a danger to the other men. If they were consumed with fear, God knew that their fear may spread to the others and discourage them as well. God wants those who fight for him to be “in the fight”.
These verses bring several thoughts to mind, but the one I will share with you is one that I have given quite a bit of consideration to lately. In Christianity today, there is an awful lot of “half-hearted” effort in the battle to fulfill the Great Commission. So many are distracted, and so many more just do not seem to care at all. We need men and woman who are willing to give their all to and for the Lord. Consider these verses:
“So then because thou art lukewarm, and neither cold nor hot, I will spue thee out of my mouth.” – (Revelation 3:16)
“And Jesus said unto him, No man, having put his hand to the plough, and looking back, is fit for the kingdom of God.” – (Luke 9:62)
“Whether therefore ye eat, or drink, or whatsoever ye do, do all to the glory of God.” – (1 Corinthians 10:31)
“Whatsoever thy hand findeth to do, do it with thy might; for there is no work, nor device, nor knowledge, nor wisdom, in the grave, whither thou goest.” – (Ecclesiastes 9:10)
We are in a battle today: against the devil; against the evil of this world. We are fighting for the souls of men, and God needs us to be focussed and determined as we fight. We need to decide whether or not we want to be in the battle or not, because turning back is not an option. We need to get in all the way or get out of the way. By the way, I understand that there will be times when we need to break from the battle temporarily for rest and restoration, but that does not mean we give up altogether. Sometimes we will have to fight on even when we are weary, but we must keep fighting. The time of eternal rest will come soon enough, but right now we have something to fight for. Christian, put your game face on!
I heard Brother Roloff (via a tape) sing this song years ago:
I Came Here To Stay Well the champion marched, for forty dayssaid “Gimmie a man to fight!”
The Israelites said “We got a brave heart,
but our feet are sorta full of fright!”
Then a boy with a sling and a pocket full of rocks,
who knew how to trust and pray said:
“If you’re gonna run, may as well start now cuz I came here to stay!”
Run if you want to run if you will
cuz I came here to stay
If I fall down, gonna get a right up
cuz I didn’t start out to play
Its a battlefield brother, not a recreation room
Its a fight and not a game
Run if you want to, run if you will,
but I came here to stay
The kids wouldn’t bow, the king got mad
said: “Turn that ol’ furnace up high!”
“Tie ’em up, throw ’em on in,
those Hebrew boys are gonna fry!”
A little while later, they looked in the furnace,
they heard brother Shadrach say:
“Pull up a chair boys, warm your hands,
we came in here to stay!”
Run if you want to run if you will
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Writing Scripture
Today’s Passage – Deuteronomy 15 – 18
(Second Milers also read – 2 Corinthians 1 – 4; Proverbs 6; Psalms 26 – 30)
Scripture Memory for March – Psalm 1
Listen to this morning’s Scripture song – Psalm 18:3 & 46
“And it shall be, when he sitteth upon the throne of his kingdom, that he shall write him a copy of this law in a book out of that which is before the priests the Levites: And it shall be with him, and he shall read therein all the days of his life: that he may learn to fear the LORD his God, to keep all the words of this law and these statutes, to do them: That his heart be not lifted up above his brethren, and that he turn not aside from the commandment, to the right hand, or to the left: to the end that he may prolong his days in his kingdom, he, and his children, in the midst of Israel.” – (Deuteronomy 17:18-20)
A few years back, our church began using a one-on-one discipleship program called “Daily in the Word”, which is a tremendous tool for teaching new believers the foundational truths of Christianity. One of the things that I like about this training is that it emphasizes the practice of writing Scripture. I had read the Bible many times, and had memorized and studied portions of the Scripture prior to taking this course, but I must confess that I had never made it a practice to write out portions of Scripture; and to be honest, I was skeptical about the benefit that I would receive by it. However, I have been amazed at how writing the Scripture has helped me to see some things that I had never seen before, and has also helped me to retain much more than just reading alone. I have actually filled up whole notebooks with the Books of the Bible that I have now written. Recently, I purchased an expensive leather journal, and I am writing the Book of Psalms in it. I intend to pass this along to one of my children when I am finished.
Our passage this morning tells us in Deuteronomy 17:18 – 20 that the kings of Israel were required to write out a copy of the law for themselves, and they were to keep that copy with them so that they would know what to do. I don’t believe that all of the kings actually did this because many of them certainly did not follow the precepts contained in the law, and as a result were not very successful at ruling the people of God. However, some of the kings, like David, Hezekiah, Josiah, and others did know the Word, and followed it closely as they ruled over the people. During their reigns the kingdom had the blessing of God evidenced by His abundant provision as well as His protection from enemies. God’s Word certainly made a big difference in the nation when it was revered and obeyed.
We need to place a high priority on the Scripture today. I believe we ought to set aside a special time when we read, listen to and write the Word of God. I believe the more Scripture we absorb into our hearts and minds, the more our faith will be increased (Romans 10:17), and the better we will be able to fulfil the will of God for our lives; not to mention the fact that we will enjoy more prosperity and less problems in life simply because we will know what we should do.
Have you ever thought about writing the Bible? If the Lord tarries, I would love to eventually write out a complete copy of the Word of God. I know the time and effort that I put into it will reap a far greater return.
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Biblical Separation
Today’s Passage – Deuteronomy 12 – 14
(Second Milers also read – 1 Corinthians 13 – 16 (1 Corinthians 13 – 14, 1 Corinthians 15 – 16); Proverbs 5; Psalms 21 – 25)
Scripture Memorization for March – Psalm 1
Listen to this morning’s Scripture song – Deuteronomy 32:4
“If thy brother, the son of thy mother, or thy son, or thy daughter, or the wife of thy bosom, or thy friend, which is as thine own soul, entice thee secretly, saying, Let us go and serve other gods, which thou hast not known, thou, nor thy fathers; Namely, of the gods of the people which are round about you, nigh unto thee, or far off from thee, from the one end of the earth even unto the other end of the earth; Thou shalt not consent unto him, nor hearken unto him; neither shall thine eye pity him, neither shalt thou spare, neither shalt thou conceal him: But thou shalt surely kill him; thine hand shall be first upon him to put him to death, and afterwards the hand of all the people. And thou shalt stone him with stones, that he die; because he hath sought to thrust thee away from the LORD thy God, which brought thee out of the land of Egypt, from the house of bondage. And all Israel shall hear, and fear, and shall do no more any such wickedness as this is among you.” – (Deuteronomy 13:6-11)
You will notice from the passage above that God was very serious about this matter of separation. He didn’t want any hint of the false gods of the heathen inhabitants of the land of Canaan to enter into the lives of the people of Israel. God was so adamant about this that He demanded the death penalty for anyone (even a close friend or family member) that attempted to lure an Israelite into worshipping other gods. It goes on to say later on in the chapter that whole cities should be completely destroyed if the people of that city begin to worship Belial. They weren’t allowed to take any of the spoil from these cities: everything and everybody was to be destroyed. I will reiterate: God is very serious about separation.
Separation was not just a doctrine for the Old Testament Jew, either. God expects the New Testament Christian to be separated from sin and the world, unto the gospel (Romans 1). Consider the following verses:
“And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God.” – (Romans 12:2)
“Be ye not unequally yoked together with unbelievers: for what fellowship hath righteousness with unrighteousness? and what communion hath light with darkness? And what concord hath Christ with Belial? or what part hath he that believeth with an infidel? And what agreement hath the temple of God with idols? for ye are the temple of the living God; as God hath said, I will dwell in them, and walk in them; and I will be their God, and they shall be my people. Wherefore come out from among them, and be ye separate, saith the Lord, and touch not the unclean thing; and I will receive you, And will be a Father unto you, and ye shall be my sons and daughters, saith the Lord Almighty.” – (2 Corinthians 6:14-18)
“Love not the world, neither the things that are in the world. If any man love the world, the love of the Father is not in him. For all that is in the world, the lust of the flesh, and the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life, is not of the Father, but is of the world. And the world passeth away, and the lust thereof: but he that doeth the will of God abideth for ever.” – (1 John 2:15-17)
In these latter days, separation has almost become extinct. Even Christians who believe in separation are not really very separated. If we were to be completely truthful, we would have to admit that this world of pleasure and possessions has cast quite a spell upon the church. I believe the only way to break the spell is to intentionally limit the influencing media that the world uses to pull us in, and then draw closer to the Truth of God’s Word. Some day, very soon, the Lord will come and take those who belong to Him home to Heaven. Nothing from this world will matter to us then. We might as well get used to eternity now. Let us draw closer to the Lord, and let all of the ungodly distractions of this world to be moved far away from our lives.
By the way. I am not suggesting isolation. There is a vast difference between isolation and separation. Jesus said that we are to “in” the world, just not “of” the world. God loves the people of this world, and wants us to influence them and reach them with the gospel of Christ. He just doesn’t want us to get caught up at all in the sinful pleasures of this world system, or too caught up in amoral things (things that are not necessarily wrong, but may be weights) that are not eternal.
“If ye then be risen with Christ, seek those things which are above, where Christ sitteth on the right hand of God.” – (Colossians 3:1)
“Finally, brethren, whatsoever things are true, whatsoever things are honest, whatsoever things are just, whatsoever things are pure, whatsoever things are lovely, whatsoever things are of good report; if there be any virtue, and if there be any praise, think on these things.” – (Philippians 4:8)
There are a lot of beautiful things, people, and places on this earth that are not wrong for us to be around; but there is also a lot of evil out there; a lot of distractions, and God wants us to be separated from them, so that we will be able to see Him clearly, and do His will more effectively. Christians are to be different from the rest of the world out there because we are supposed to be shining the light of the gospel to them. Our lights have become very dim as the world has gotten darker, when we really should be shining more brightly than ever before. Just a thought.
Posted in Thoughts from Deuteronomy by Phil Erickson with no comments yet.