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Glad you’re joining us again this week or if it’s you’re first time reading our devotion, we welcome you to an effort in recalling some Bible story basics that will hopefully give insight into how God led thru His people, no matter what stage of life they were in! This week we have a MONDAY thru FRIDAY format covering the books of Joshua and Judges from a 30k feet. God has used every experience in Moses’ life from his palace training as a prince in Egypt, to starting over as a fugitive/shepherd in Midian & finally as a deliverer FROM Egypt leading the wanderings in the desert”, due to the lack of faith the Israelites had. He dies and God buries him secretly so the nation will not enshrine his grave committing idolatry. And now here we are, with Joshua in charge ready to lead the people into the Promised Land. So here we go, here we go, here we go….. MONDAY….”The COURAGE to CONQUER” (Joshua 1-12) There were 9 major events in these chapters. #1…The Commission & the Promise God tells Joshua to be strong & courageous & not deviate from His instructions. God has “definite details” for Joshua…to continually study & meditate on this Book & ensure the people obey everything in it as well. #2…the Spies & Rahab Notice Josh only sends out 2. He learned the hard lesson of “too many spies bring fearful & faithless opinions”. And Rahab saves the day with her covert operation, regardless of her occupation at the time. She cuts a deal with the spies for her family when they come back & she even winds up mentioned in the “Family Tree of Jesus” (Matthew 1:5) #3…Crossing the Jordan & a Memorial In 3:5, Joshua has the people purify themselves the day before God does this incredible thing. God made Joshua “great in the eyes of the people” and reminds him that “just as He was with Moses, He’d be with him!” But God doesn’t part the waters this time until the priests “get their feet wet”! Faith has to go first this time!! And just like the Red Sea parting, so does the Jordan River. Right after the “crossing”, Josh builds a 12-stone memorial representing the tribes to serve as a reminder for their kids & grandkids. We’re rockin’ now! The “Covenant Ceremonies” all are reinstituted & even “circumcision” is reintroduced which always is a tough sell….there’s a reason God said it’s to be done on the 8th day! #4…the Commander of the Lord’s Army Now before the first battle, God’s Army captain flashes his fiery sword to indicate to Joshua that God is not on anyone person’s side but rather THEY need to be on HIS! (5:13-15) #5…Jericho Down The conquest starts off kind of odd with marching around a town a few times everyday. No, it’s not a “prayer walk”, but I’m sure the Israelites were praying, “I sure hope this works!” Only Rahab & her family are to be spared and they are not to loot the place and keep stuff for themselves. Some will be kept for the Lord’s Treasury, but that’s it! And Josh now is known and feared! #6…Achan & Ai There’s always someone who gets the memo, but pretends they didn’t and everyone suffers for it. That’s Achan in chapter 7. Israel loses the next battle because there was “sin in the camp”. Turns out, God means what He says! Joshua’s faith is shaken at the loss in battle and God says, “Get up, you’ve got to find out where the sin is at and we can deal with that person, rather than have everyone suffer”. It’s not a pretty sight, but the whole family of Achan is executed as a warning. God has been known to “nip it in the bud, Andy, nip it in the bud”. While that’s a quote from the Andy Griffith Show, the only quoting done after this incident was “God means business!” After a “rematch” w/the city of Ai, Josh builds an altar of “uncut stones”, which I believe teaches us God wants us to approach Him “as we are” without pretense, or at least, don’t turn it into a production, but honor Me immediately before it becomes all about you. The whole group of people then “face each other” while Joshua reads the blessings & curses once again so they might sink in better. (You’ve gotta look for those ‘teachable moments” w/your kids & grandkids!) #7…the Gibeonite Deception Some folks who feared the Israelites & lived nearby dress up and pretend to be from a long distance away and deceive God’s people in making a treaty with them. Their lives were spared, but Joshua made them woodcutters & water carriers (9:27). #8…the South AIN’T gonna rise again! Now comes the battles and this one brings on a lot of fighting & chasing, which will become a typical day for the people under Joshua’s leadership. #9…Daylight Savings Time & on to the North & the East As the battles continue an incredible miracle happens….the Sun Stands Still! Don’t ask me how, because God can do what only God can do (10:12). This section ends halfway thru the Book of Joshua with a listing of the kings that were defeated West of the Jordan. Joshua and his men have been busy as they faithfully forge ahead to drive out as best they could these pagan people, who if they remained, would pull the hearts of God’s people away from His holiness. But we’ll get to that part soon enough! 2 QUESTIONS to REFLECT ON….. #1…Are you convinced God will be with you if you follow Him? (1:5). What maybe is a situation you need “assurance of His presence”? #2…Are you expecting God to be on your side, or do you realize you have to be on HIS side? (5:13-15) Thanks for following along with us. Catch you tomorrow as we see Joshua “finish well” as he has a “come to Jesus meeting” ( long before Jesus) with the people before he dies. TUESDAY….”A Time to DIVIDE and a Time to DECIDE (Joshua 13-24) After the victories, Joshua leads in the “dividing up the land”. Each tribe gets an allotment. In chapter 14, Caleb (one of the original good spies / good guys) makes an interesting request. He’s 85 years old and asks for the toughest assignment in the nation, the HILL COUNTRY! It’s the “land of the GIANTS” and he does not shy away from a challenge! He still feels as strong as he did “back in the day”. It seems that “wholehearted followers” of God keep on going and going and going! In chapters 15-19, more land and towns get allotted, even to Joshua after everyone else has been given theirs. And in chapter 20, the “cities of REFUGE” (which have become popular again these past few years) are set up, as well as the towns for the LEVITES, who’ve done w/o land since the beginning of the priesthood. A few more tribes return & now we’re ready for Joshua’s FINAL WORDS as his mission & life are about to end in the last 2 chapters. There have been some great national / military SPEECHES by great leaders throughout history. FDR on the verge of WW2, saying “we have nothing to fear, but fear itself”. Churchill in the same era, saying, “wars are not won by evacuation”. In the movies, maybe a few more speeches, like Bill Pullman in INDEPENDENCE DAY before attacking the aliens, and who could forget the late Gene Hackman in the movie, HOOSIERS, at the final time out, letting the team convince him to let Jimmy get the ball, because, “I’ll make it, Coach”, to which he simply agrees & tells his players he loves them. Biblically there are some great ones, like PETER on the Day of Pentecost, STEPHEN’s message to the Sanhedrin in Acts 7 that cost him his life, RUTH’s speech to her mother-in-law, Naomi, telling her that she would go, lodge, & die wherever Naomi did & may God deal with her ever so severely if anything but death separated them! And I love PAUL’s speech to the philosophers in Athens in Acts 17, telling them that in the past, God “winked” at such ignorance but now commands EVERYONE EVERYWHERE to repent! But Joshua’s talk in chapters 23/24 is absolutely amazing! Here’s the highlights….. In 23, the elders, leaders, judges and officers are all called in for the farewell speech from Joshua as those “closest to him”. They’d seen all that God had done and he reminds them that it was GOD who “fought for them” and they didn’t pull this off on their own! So they needed to be VERY CAREFUL to follow God and not associate with other nations or even mention their gods but CLING TIGHTLY to the Lord (verse 8). He warns them explicitly that if they intermarry and refuse to drive out the other nations, those people will become a TRAP to them and they will wind up breaking the covenant of God by worshiping other gods and His anger will burn against them! Joshua doesn’t “pull any punches”, but lays it out pretty clearly. So in chapter 24, they PRESENT themselves to God and Joshua gives the PUBLIC speech to the whole nation with a great history lesson, reminding them it was NOT THEIR SWORDS that brought victory, but GOD GAVE THE LAND to them. They “ate food that they never planted”, which indicates it was God who gave the vineyards and olive groves. And in verse 14, the speech comes to a CLIMACTIC moment, calling for a decision. I mean it’s like singing “Just As I Am” at a Billy Graham Crusade. Joshua says to “fear the Lord and serve Him WHOLEHEARTEDLY and put away the idols of their ancestors. And if they REFUSE, then CHOOSE who they will serve! It’ll either be the gods on the other side of the river or the God of all Creation who rescued them! And here it comes….the “quotable & notable” verse 15….”BUT AS FOR ME AND MY HOUSE, WE WILL SERVE THE LORD”. Boom-shaka-laka! And he doesn’t stop there! He’s got more in the tank as he warns them passionately of what will happen if they DEFECT. And the book ends with what I would call a GREAT EPITAPH. Remember the old pizza commercial as a prison guard asks the fellow in the jail cell, “What do you want on your TOMBSTONE?” Verse 31 is the amazing commentary that could have appeared on Joshua’s tombstone. “The people of Israel served the Lord throughout the lifetime of Joshua and of the elders who outlived him—those who had personally experienced all the Lord had done for Israel”. OK, that might be a little too long & not fit on a tombstone or even an Instagram for that matter! Every pastor I know would hope and pray that would be the commentary on their years of ministry. That the leaders & people they spiritually cared for REMAINED FAITHFUL long after they were gone! So as we reflect on the 2nd half of Joshua’s book, let’s ask ourselves….. What would WHOLEHEARTED obedience look like in our lives at the age we’re at and the stage we’re in? Take a moment and write down 2 or 3 things that you might want to INCORPORATE or ELIMINATE in your life to make that “wholeheartedness” a reality….. Love you guys. And talk to you tomorrow as we take 3 days to know about the book of JUDGES. Here’s a song for Joshua (link…..BE BOLD by Morris Chapman) WEDNESDAY…”Deborah ALWAYS got it”… (Judges 1-5) The Book of Judges has some incredible accounts of the nation of Israel’s struggle with following God consistently. Time after time they fell away from a close relationship with the God who rescued them. They actually had a pattern you might call…REBEL / REGRET / REPENT……REPEAT. One of the phrases that bears repeating is found in Judges 2:21, which indicates God would no longer drive out the nations that Joshua left unconquered in order to TEST ISRAEL and see whether or not they would follow the ways of the Lord as their ancestors did. Nothing like a POP QUIZ to see if we did our homework! And Israel struggled with the temptations that the surrounding cultures exposed them to. Now there were 2 judges, Othniel & Ehud, who got things started after Joshua died & the nation disobeyed. But the drama really begins with a woman named Deborah, who was a prophet that also served as a judge. She sent for a military leader named Barak one day and told him God had said to call 10k warriors from 2 tribes and call out their enemy led by Sisera, who was a ruthless oppressor. Interestingly enough, Barak was eager to go but didn’t want to go without Deborah. Seems kind of strange, but if you see her character throughout the story, you’ll see she was a great spiritual leader and perhaps Barak felt God wouldn’t let anything happen if she was along! Who knows what he was thinking! So they go to battle & Deborah already has told Barak he won’t receive any glory by needing her to tag along, because God would use a WOMAN to save the day, so to speak. And He does! A lady named JAEL is the one who winds up taking out the arch enemy, Sisera, by driving a tent peg thru his temple while he was sleeping in her tent as a refuge from battle. Now notice in chapter 5 what Deborah does after they win the battle. She and Barak both join together singing a celebrational song. There’s nothing like a VICTORY LAP in the parking lot after a Christmas or Easter service! And the lyric that catches my attention is in verse 2, ”when Israel’s leaders take charge & the people gladly follow…..PRAISE THE LORD!” ‘Nuff said! She is absolutely right! The unity of God’s people in any project is the sweetness you savor for a long time. When leaders in a local church LEAD & choose not to simply REFLECT the fear or critical spirit of a congregation & “represent the constituency”, that’s when Church life is good and God moves without hindrance. At least that’s been our experience in the 6 churches over 47 years we’ve got to do ministry. What a thrill for “any church of any size” that passionately follows the heart of God as they see it! So Deborah serves as a great judge and leader. And get this….after that event, the land had PEACE for 40 years! Now next up tomorrow will be Gideon who will be in sharp contrast to Deborah, and Samson,who appears after him. So before we go today, let’s reflect on a few questions. #1--What has been one of the most MEANINGFUL moments in your Christian life you felt the unity of the godly leaders in your church? #2--Was it a long term volunteer ministry you were a part of? #3--Was it a major PROJECT that the church had to come together to make happen where everyone was needed on some level? #4--Or maybe was it something as simple as a humble Nursing Home service you volunteered to serve at where you got to talk with & pray with an older person on the verge of tears because they couldn’t recall the last time any of their family visited them? When there is a CONCERTED EFFORT on the part of several, if not all the members of the church, you feel not only the strength in numbers, but the joy of unity. That type of experience goes a long way in encouraging us to stay at it and keep our hand to the plow! So take a moment to join Deborah & Barak in a song of thanking God for how He prompted the hearts of your church family or small group…..recently or “many moons ago”, to step up, sacrifice and lead for the glory of God! God has been SO good to us thru the years. I love the song, “The Goodness of God”, which says, “all my life You have been faithful / all my life You have been so, so good / with every breath that I am able / I will sing of the goodness of God”! So “rest up & pray up” because in tomorrow’s devo, God goes out of His way to bring Gideon along……ONE FLEECE AT A TIME! THURSDAY…”Gideon EVENTUALLY got it”…..(6-12) Hope the week has been a good one so far for you! There’s always “blessing & testing” that the Lord brings & I hope you’re doing well in both areas! In chapter 6 today, after 40 years of peace, Israel returns to it’s former rebellious state and God hands them over to the Midianites, who were numerous & ruthless in their cruelty, starving the nation until they once again, “cried out to the Lord for help”. And the next leader/prophet for Israel was a very unassuming guy who was actually hiding from the oppression while threshing wheat at the bottom of a winepress when God sent an angel to call him to the next “rescue mission”. His name was Gideon. Yep, the guy who put all the Bibles in motels for years! Just making sure you’re with me! Gideon was a low self-esteem fellow who needed affirmation that God really intended to use him to make a difference in Israel’s history. He’s remembered for asking God for a sign 2 different times. Both involved a FLEECE that he would leave out overnight, asking God to make the fleece wet but the ground dry, which God did. Then he asked Him to make the fleece DRY & the ground WET the next morning, which God did. Now you’d think having an angel visit with fire from heaven would have been enough affirmation for Gideon, but remember, this guy has no experience of leading anything. I’ve found though that sometimes, that’s the person God calls to serve in the strength He gives rather than in that person’s great leadership ability! But before Gideon went in to battle, his first assignment was to tear down his father’s idol to Baal and cut down the Asherah pole beside it, which were both sexual idolatry in nature. It took Gideon & the help of 10 of his servants, but he did it at night and when it was discovered by the people the next day, it brings on a “mob movement” to kill Gideon. But he simply defends his actions saying let Baal defend himself. This got Gideon a new name and obviously a certain amount of “street credibility”. So after that came his fleece-prayers” and now we’re ready for Gideon to go into battle against the Midianites. And if you know this story, God has to whittle down his army from 30k to 300 guys with jars with fire, trumpets, and loud voices. The “Army Reduction” plan involved “vetting” them by who wants to go home and how they drank water at a stream. God once again gives added affirmation to Gideon by letting him “overhear” a conversation by the enemy about a dream one of the soldiers had, telling his interpretation was that Gideon was going to defeat the Midianites. Now he’s ready and confident with the worst odds as the biggest underdog going in to battle! Just looking at the numbers, he was a “LONG SHOT” to win the battle. But rather than fight, God simply has them approach the enemy at night…blow their horns….shout….& stand & watch God TURN THE ENEMY against itself and win the battle. Then they could chase the retreating army while recruiting help from other places. And God proved once again HE is the one who FIGHTS FOR THEM and wins the battle. Gideon’s remaining time as the leader was a little “checkered” in that he didn’t want to be their RULER but he would be accepting donations of GOLD EARRINGS, which he would shape into an EPHOD (wanting to retire his own jersey, I guess) and it became an idolatrous trap for the nation. Seems like our “victory lap” can get us into trouble every time. And while there was PEACE for 40 years (a common amount of time for a “generation”), and he had 70 sons born to him which is no small feat, Israel “prostituted” themselves by going back to worshiping Baal as soon as Gideon died. And the last couple of verses of chapter 8 is very telling & depressing…. “They forgot the Lord their God who had rescued them from all their enemies surrounding them. Nor did they show any loyalty to Gideon’s family despite all the good he had done for Israel.” (8:34-35) As we end our devo time today, don’t worry. We have a lot to summarize tomorrow with Samson & a few other “lowlights”. But let’s take a moment to focus our reflection….. QUESTIONS….. Q#1--Have you ever felt God didn’t need or want you to be a apart of His “rescue mission”, falsely assuming you had nothing to bring to the table? Moses said he couldn’t talk very well….. Gideon said he wouldn’t be seen as a leader…. Peter told Jesus to depart from him because he knew how bad a person he was…. Isaiah implied he was unworthy & just as sinful as the culture around him…. So is there a reason or excuse that you & I have kind of hidden from the next thing God is calling us to? Maybe it’s right there in front of us and involves serving God quietly without fanfare? Maybe it’s behind the scenes? If it is, don’t shy away, but embrace the “undercover calling”that He might be leading you to…. Q#2--Have you ever needed to get rid of some “things that preoccupy us”, as in Gideon’s case, the purity of his extended family’s household, such as a form of an idol that identified with the culture more than the Kingdom? Q#3--Have you ever needed FURTHER AFFIRMATION in what God seemed to be calling you to do? Like Gideon asking for a fleece or 2….. If so, you have stood in Gideon’s sandals, because that is exactly how he felt! The key verse for me in Gideon’s calling is early on in 6:14, when the angel said to him, “Go in the strength you have, and rescue Israel from the Midianites. I am sending you”. God promised to be with him, but make no mistake, Gideon’s humble strength that he saw as weakness was enough for God to use on this rescue mission! The reason being is God’s STRENGTH always tips the scales. We are to show up AS WE ARE with WHAT WE HAVE and simply offer it to God. He directs our mission, whether it’s influencing world leaders or nurturing our grandkids, which who knows, might someday be the same thing! God doesn’t say get in shape, get awareness, or get fully equipped before I can use you. He says get in the game, get in the conversation, get close to Me and I’ll use you to accomplish My purposes! That’s why we call what Jesus said at the end of Matthew 28, the “GREAT CO-MISSION”. We get to reach the world TOGETHER for Him, but make no mistake… He does the heavy lifting! Love you guys….and let’s finish this week together tomorrow! FRIDAY….”Samson NEVER got it”……(13-21) Deborah began our week in Judges with an incredible victory & reputation as a leader. Gideon followed with a slow response, needing affirmation, “stepping up by tearing down” his father’s idols & leading into battle, though drifting into “facilitating idolatry” thru that gold ephod, for some strange egocentric reason. And today we look at Samson. While Deborah got it QUICKLY… and Gideon got it EVENTUALLY…. Samson NEVER DID seem to get what God’s purpose was for him. Now let’s quickly condense the in-between parts of chapters 9-12 of Judges. It begins with ABIMELECH leading after Gideon, which blew up in his face in light ofJotham’s curse & resentment. God sent a “spirit that stirred up trouble” between Abimelech & the citizens, which led to Zebul “calling him out” like it was a hockey game! The fight is on and Abimelech goes down when a woman drops a MILLSTONE off a roof and nails him on the head. Being the proud man that he was, he had his armor-bearer kill him so it couldn’t be said that a woman killed him! But the Bible says that Abimelech “had it coming”and God was punishing him for killing all 70 of his brothers! Tola led next for 23 years / then Jair for 22 years / then the Ammonites powered up and oppressed Israel for 18 years before the nation cried out for God’s help. The Lord decides NOT to rescue them, but they continue to respectfully plead and He eventually relents, but INSISTS they put aside their FOREIGN gods and serve Him. For those of us who love HIDDEN VERSES in the longer narrative, notice 10:16, which says “God was grieved by their misery”. That’s good to take note of. Much like the old hymn, “Does Jesus Care?” Remember the chorus? Oh, yes, He cares, I know He cares, His heart is touched by my grief. When the days are dreary, the long nights weary I know my Savior cares.” Every once in a while you have to recall an old hymn! Chapter 11 has one of the saddest accounts of a passionate warrior in the story of Jephathah, who carelessly made a vow to sacrifice whatever came to meet him after the battle, if they won. I know….crazy. It happened to be his daughter (an only child) whom he sacrificed to the Lord. Moments like this I wonder why God didn’t interrupt and release him from that vow, but for some reason He didn’t. People who made vows to the Lord back then took them seriously. Chapter 12 is about the fight with Ephraim & Jephthah with 42k Ephraimites being killed during Jephthah’s 6 year reign as judge. Izban ruled for 7 years, followed by Elon (yes, that appears to be a Biblical name) for 10 years, followed by Abdon for 8 years, which brings us to the “lustful & preoccupied hero” getting our attention today, Samson. His life started great with a promise to his parents in chapter 13. And verse 8 is a classic where his parents ask for a RETURN VISIT by the angel who told them they’d have a son. Their request was simply for MORE INSTRUCTION on how to raise him. Now that’s a God-honoring request! The Lord’s Spirit begins to STIR Samson before the chapter ends, but within a few verses of 14, it appears Samson is entitled and demanding when it comes to telling his parents what he wants and they’d better come thru! Without going thru the whole story of Samson, let’s simply look at a verse that indicates he was unfortunately spiritually NUMB & DUMB. I really don’t know how else to put it! He loses his bride at the altar because he tries to embarrass the Philistines with a riddle, not counting on the fact that the PHILISTINE NATION watches out for one another and also threatens one another! So when he loses the bet, he pouts, leaves her at the altar, and she’s given to the best man as a bride! I’m not making this up…..(14:20) But “vengeance is mine says, Samson” and he retaliates with the best of them, which ironically is what God wanted all along….the punishment of the Philistines for their oppression of Israel. Samson just wound up being the “bully on the playground” and if you remember, the strength of his Nazarite vow was in the sacred vow of never cutting his hair. And that secret is about to be exposed. You’d think he’d anticipated deception & retaliation but let’s be honest, he was blinded by the beauty of the Philistine women it appears. You only hear Samson praying 1 time @the very end of his life. I’m afraid that’s waiting a little bit TOO LONG to say your prayers! I’m assuming you know the story of Delilah and the haircut, which didn’t occur until she wore him out with questions, which she was put up to by the Philistine rulers and threatened with the murder of her family if she didn’t “persuade” him to tell her the secret of his strength. Now here’s the verse I’ve been ramping up to mention. In Judges 16:20, one of the most disheartening verses appears after the haircut…..let’s pick it up there….. “Then she cried out, ‘Samson, the Philistines have come to capture you!’. When he woke up, he thought, ‘I will do as before and shake myself free.’ BUT HE DIDN’T REALIZE THE LORD HAD LEFT HIM”. I know. That’s one sad commentary on his spiritual sensitivity. Thru the years, I’ve contrasted that verse with Genesis, 28:16, when Jacob had his dream where God appeared to him and he said, “Surely the Lord was in this place and I didn’t realize it!” Do you see the sharp contrast between those 2 spiritual conditions? Jacob is surprised at God’s presence, while Samson was surprised at His ABSENCE. Let’s wind down our week with that thought. QUESTIONS…. #1--Have you ever been like Jacob and surprised when you saw God show up? He’s a lot more present than I have given Him credit for! I’ve had conversations with folks thru the years that I was amazed at their godly example. I had assumed since they were pretty quiet, they struggled with their faith, only to find out that they just NEEDED PERMISSION to give glory to God thru their testimony. Somebody just had to ask them! #2—Have you ever been like Samson & surprised when you saw God wasn’t present? Yep. Sometimes God’s people become so passive that they can’t take the initiative to stand or speak on His behalf. Samson must’ve thought God will cover everything and surely, He won’t take my strength away! You see Samson had already violated the Nazarite vow in touching the dead lion which was forbidden under that vow. And nothing seemed to happen then, so I guess I’m exempt from any penalty or punishment that was mentioned earlier! Nope. Not the case, big guy. My hope & prayer is we’ll do our best to “finish well” w/one another in our church fellowships, cheering one another on so we might become SENSITIVE TO THE PRESENCE & MOVEMENT OF THE HOLY SPIRIT IN OUR LIVES. And that is no easy task. It takes a consistent effort in reading his Word, offering our prayers & encouraging His people. It took a godly dream to sharpen Jacob’s sensitivity. But it wasn’t until the loss of Samson’s eyesight (the Philistines gouge them out) before he sought the presence & blessing of God Almighty. May we seek His presence every day, every moment and in every relationship! Next week we’ll cover 1 Samuel w/a focus on the characters of Eli, Samuel, Saul & a little bit of David. And the next week we’ll focus on Easter / Passover. Until then….keep looking to see how God is developing YOUR STORY for HIS GLORY all throughout the week! Love you guys….gr
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