Bible study Daily, explanation and encouragement - Joshua
- The success of Joshua's mission depended on his obedience to God's Law. MEDITATE - ponder, think. An activity that involves reading and repeating the Word in a low voice. (Ps 1:2 But his delight is in the law of the Lord, and on his law he meditates day and night).
- Regularly practice scripture memorization and meditation. Putting it into practice guarantees success.
- We need to know the Word God very well to apply it in life situations. God promises that this kind of faithfulness to his Word will result in a life of prosperity and success.
BE STRONG AND BRAVE!
As a leader, he did not just have to be brave; he also needed to inspire courage into the people.
When God told him not to fear, He was not telling him not to be afraid, but to not allow fear to make him retreat.
In other words, He said do what you have to do, even though you are afraid. And Joshua did it.
I pray that, like Joshua, you will be strong and courageous in your daily life and inspire others to be courageous as well.
Do not give in to fear, but take action despite it. Go boldly, towards all that God has for you, and do not allow fear to rob you of any of the blessings that God wants to give you.
Joshua 1:9
Have I not commanded you? Be strong and of good courage; be not frightened, neither be dismayed; for the LORD your God is with you wherever you go (Joshua 1:9).
- Have you noticed how often the question of fear arises when God is preparing His people to move farther in His name?
- You will find it in God's conversations with Abraham, Jacob, Moses, Gideon, and David, as well as in Jesus' conversations with "Do not fear" by the disciples. He repeats many times after His resurrection.
- And lo, I am with you always, to the close of the age (Matt. 28:20).
- Feelings of fear and the act of crossing a new frontier go together. We can go forward by watching His promises and enjoying His closeness !!!
These words of Joshua 2:11 were spoken by Rahab in a conversation with the spies.
How did those spies find this unique believer? Was it by chance?
The text says that "the footsteps of the spies were clearly ordered by the Lord".
Would the Lord use a prostitute for His purposes? We believe that God was more interested in what she would become than what she was at that moment.
Rahab was part of the society around her. However, she became an ardent believer in the true God.
God works His wonders with those who pay attention to His revelation of Himself. Some of those people who pay attention to God's revelations come from the “bad side” (1 Cor 6:9-11; Mt 21:32).
Rahab had faith. Her faith was rewarded; she was assured of security for herself and her family. The fact is that Rahab exercised the kind of faith that God was constantly trying to find in the children of Israel and Christians.
May we seek to practice the kind of faith that pleases God!
Before the divine guidance is effective, the people should sanctify themselves.
Although the Old Testament does not often use the term “sanctify” in the full spiritual meaning of the New Testament, an eternal principle is launched here: God can only bring to the "land of promise" those who separate themselves from all that corrupts and defiles (sins) them (Ex. 19:10).
The Lord can do little for people that refuses to present a life totally dedicated to Him. Only after man "sanctifies himself/herself" can God fill with the Holy Spirit.
As soon as the priests took the ark and headed for the overflowing Jordan, the people were in a state of great anxiety. They knew that the Lord would do wonders among you. When there is a sanctified people, with sanctified leaders, God can "by the power at work within us is able to do far more abundantly than all that we ask or think" (Eph. 3:20).
Is a good leader ready born or made? Some people are born with natural leadership qualities, but they still need to go through a development process that transforms everything into they can become.
That talent still “raw” is being practiced in order to repair errors, gain more resourcefulness and therefore improve.
In the case of Josué, who has leadership, it is not something that is only achieved by special people, with great talent.
As you develop the leadership qualities that God has placed in you, you will be investing in your future.
The main secret to getting from where you are to where you want to go, is to "keep moving forward".
Joshua knew that Egypt's reproach was realized only because God's instructions were rejected.
Joshua was happy that the days when Egypt had shamed them were over.
Days of disobedience and rebellion have always brought sadness and sorrow. "the wages of sin is death" (Rom. 6:23).
"But the people who know their God shall stand firm and take action" (Daniel 11:32).
No one ever loses something of eternal value when he seeks "first the kingdom of God and His righteousnes" (Mt 6:33).
The word reproach means "guilt, disgrace, or shame". When God said He had "removed" the reproach suffered in Egypt from the Israelites, He was being very emphatic. Egypt represents the world. After a few years in the world behaving in a worldly way, we all need the world's reproach to be removed from us.
Jesus loves you so much !!!
Among the new experiences of this life in Canaan was a change of menu: the manna had ceased. And they ate the wheat of the earth (verse 11). In the original, wheat means "the seeds of small grains, such as wheat, oats, rye or barley", and not just the wheat that we know.
Here are some important lessons:
- Help was given to those who, at that time, were unable to help themselves. The manna was interrupted only when Israel was able to meet his need. It did not stop a day ahead of time and did not continue for another day.
- Manna and the provision of wheat constitute a visible manifestation of God's activity in human affairs.
- The benefits that arrived at the appropriate time were not granted indiscriminately. Those who maintained a very special relationship with God, were given. The disobedient and rebellious people had already perished. They could not inherit the promises.
So let us remain attached to the Lord of our life. He takes care of His own people.
- Our victories result from surrendering to the Lordship of Jesus and allowing Him to work through us to overcome our obstacles and adversities.
- Joshua's private meeting with the commander of the LORD's army brought about Israel's victory over Jericho. He discovered that there was a prince, more powerful than he, who stands ready to guide us in the conquest!
- Take the sandal off your feet… Just like taking off your hat, this was a sign of respect.
- YOU ARE NOT ALONE IN THIS BATTLE! VICTORY IS CERTAIN!!
And he said, "No; but as commander of the army of the LORD I have now come." And Joshua fell on his face to the earth, and worshiped, and said to him, "What does my lord bid his servant?" (Joshua 5:14)
Just as Israel needed to face the enemy with unshakable confidence and sing victory even before winning the battle. Likewise the Christian. He does not advance to any uncertain outcome conflict. The outcome of the battle is not doubtful. The commander of salvation is on his side, and in the midst of the most arduous conflict he may say, "Thank God that He gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ."
THE DESTINY OF THOSE WHO DO NOT REPENT.
God has plans against those who do not repent. He has others who will carry out His plans. He is the "prince of the Lord's army" who gives orders and it is Joshua who executes them. No fortified city can withstand such a combination of forces.
Presumptuous mundanes think that their trenches and barricades can prevent God's vengeance; their blindness prevents them from seeing ahead of circumstances: the Almighty's supreme hand does not appear in step with their fears. Every carnal heart is a dumb Jericho. God sits before her and shows mercy and judgment in view of his walls. She stiffens in stubborn security and says: "I shall not be defeated".
Day after day the inhabitants of Jericho were warned, called to consider this living God and were witnesses. God's patience and long-suffering were shown to you. The seventh day brought even more intense warnings. The end of grace and mercy has finally come. The wages of sin fell on idolaters.
They could have recognized the danger that threatened them because of the armed men who led that march. It is God's will that every man should be warned, for he has no "pleasure in the death of the wicked", but that the wicked be turned out of his way and live (Ezek 33:11; Ezek 18: 23,32).
Let us pray that people who practice evil will repent of their ways and be saved.
Achan stands before the whole congregation as a condemned man. Up to this point, God had used casting lots to find this man. Now, he confirms the Lord's discovery through his own confession.
This confession reveals three well-known steps that lead to ruin:
1- Achan saw.
2- Coveted
3- He took what was not his.
This also reveals that he used an inappropriate method of dealing with sin: he tried to hide.
✔️ THE CONSEQUENCES:
Achan discovered that sin is a passing emotion. There was the thrill of getting something secretly. He had the thrill of knowing something that others did not know. He had the thrill of being sought. Finally, the excitement of being the center of attention, of being "the headline of the day", came. There are people willing to trade their lives for these compensations.
What he was proud of became shame. His joy turned to sadness. His momentary emotion ended in a violent death. With him, both what he had stolen and what was legitimately his perished. He received the wages of sin. He left "without missing you".
This event evidences the principle that only those who live submissive lives before God receive help from the Lord.
The fact that "None of us lives to himself, and none of us dies to himself" (Rom. 14:7) is illustrated by the life of Achan. A man can defile a community for both good and evil.
Achan's life also teaches us that sin is NEVER hidden from God. The Lord knows what the eyes see, what the heart desires and what the fingers manipulate. Sooner or later, a human being must face his actions and be accountable for all of them to God.
No matter what we face in life, Jesus is the mighty warrior. He is our leader, and He is leading His people to victory. Do not live in fear. God promised to supply those who are His. Just as He did with Joshua, He guaranteed that we will be victorious if we listen and obey Him.
Whatever obstacles are in front of you today, DO NOT BE AFRAID OR DISMANTLED, BECAUSE GOD IS WITH YOU!
The Gibeonites were aware of God's activities and believed in what the Lord could do. They wanted to be at peace with God's people. Up to this point, they resemble Rahab. The difference is that they used trickery to achieve their goal.
God's people learned several practical lessons from the Gibeonites' fraud:
- It is the fact that the eyes do not reveal the whole truth, because appearances are deceiving.
- Good men can be deceived by the antics of those who want to take advantage of them. It is clear that people who belong to God must be "prudent as serpents" (Mt 10:16).
- The appearance of the spiritual can also cause good people to be deceived. The Gibeonites claimed that they came to Joshua BECAUSE OF THE NAME OF THE LORD, YOUR GOD. There are people who join churches making the same false claims. The most common is that, sooner or later, these people become a problem for the God people.
Sometimes marriages are performed as a result of this type of deception, and then the result is not a cause of gain for pity.
Another thing is that the mistake is short-lived, in their case, within three days came the truth. But not always the liar is discovered so quickly, but it is certain that one day will come.
The HUGE mistake of the people of Israel was to act WITHOUT consulting God. Breaking the vow would bring disgrace to the name of God among the Canaanites.
Joshua had already made his choice. He had already set the kind of example he wanted others to follow. He would exercise all the influence he had to help them make the right choice: my house and I will serve the Lord.
Joshua was willing to give anyone the freedom to choose for or reject God. He concluded that the merits of the Lord were so well known that no person with the least discernment would fail to make the right choice.
The Israelites testified that the gods caused the people to dissipate their soul-power and destroy people's consciences and intellect.
Indecision would be a fatal error, a sure cause of failure. So, chose today.