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Day 72 – A Year in the Bible – Judges 7-9

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JUDGES 7 – THE SWORD OF THE LORD AND OF GIDEON

The LORD Set Every Man’s Sword Against His Fellow
And the three companies blew the trumpets, and brake the pitchers, and held the lamps in their left hands, and the trumpets in their right hands to blow withal: and they cried, The sword of the LORD, and of Gideon. And they stood every man in his place round about the camp: and all the host ran, and cried, and fled. And the three hundred blew the trumpets, and the LORD set every man’s sword against his fellow, even throughout all the host: and the host fled to Beth-shittah in Zererath, and to the border of Abel-meholah, unto Tabbath. And the men of Israel gathered themselves together out of Naphtali, and out of Asher, and out of all Manasseh, and pursued after the Midianites. – Judges 7:20-23

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JUDGES 8 – GIDEON DIED

Gideon Died and the Children of Israel Turned From God
And it came to pass, as soon as Gideon was dead, that the children of Israel turned again, and went a whoring after Baalim, and made Baal-berith their god. And the children of Israel remembered not the LORD their God, who had delivered them out of the hands of all their enemies on every side: neither shewed they kindness to the house of Jerubbaal, namely, Gideon, according to all the goodness which he had shewed unto Israel. – Judges 8:33-35

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JUDGES 9 – GOD SENT AN EVIL SPIRIT

Choose Your Leaders Wisely
And Abimelech the son of Jerubbaal went to Shechem unto his mother’s brethren, and communed with them, and with all the family of the house of his mother’s father, saying, Speak, I pray you, in the ears of all the men of Shechem, Whether is better for you, either that all the sons of Jerubbaal, which are threescore and ten persons, reign over you, or that one reign over you? remember also that I am your bone and your flesh. And his mother’s brethren spake of him in the ears of all the men of Shechem all these words: and their hearts inclined to follow Abimelech; for they said, He is our brother. And they gave him threescore and ten pieces of silver out of the house of Baal-berith, wherewith Abimelech hired vain and light persons, which followed him. And he went unto his father’s house at Ophrah, and slew his brethren the sons of Jerubbaal, being threescore and ten persons, upon one stone: notwithstanding yet Jotham the youngest son of Jerubbaal was left; for he hid himself. And all the men of Shechem gathered together, and all the house of Millo, and went, and made Abimelech king, by the plain of the pillar that was in Shechem. – Judges 9:1-6

God Sent an Evil Spirit Between Abimelech and the Men of Shechem
Then God sent an evil spirit between Abimelech and the men of Shechem; and the men of Shechem dealt treacherously with Abimelech: that the cruelty done to the threescore and ten sons of Jerubbaal might come, and their blood be laid upon Abimelech their brother, which slew them; and upon the men of Shechem, which aided him in the killing of his brethren. – Judges‬ ‭9:23-24‬ ‭

Upon Them Came the Curse of Jotham the Son of Jerubbaal (Gideon)
And a certain woman cast a piece of a millstone upon Abimelech’s head, and all to brake his skull. Then he called hastily unto the young man his armourbearer, and said unto him, Draw thy sword, and slay me, that men say not of me, A woman slew him. And his young man thrust him through, and he died. And when the men of Israel saw that Abimelech was dead, they departed every man unto his place. Thus God rendered the wickedness of Abimelech, which he did unto his father, in slaying his seventy brethren: and all the evil of the men of Shechem did God render upon their heads: and upon them came the curse of Jotham the son of Jerubbaal. – Judges‬ ‭9:53-57‬ ‭

Day 71 – A Year in the Bible – Judges 4-6

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JUDGES 4 and 5 – DEBORAH

And Deborah Judged Israel
And Deborah, a prophetess, the wife of Lapidoth, she judged Israel at that time. And she dwelt under the palm tree of Deborah between Ramah and Beth-el in mount Ephraim: and the children of Israel came up to her for judgment. And she sent and called Barak the son of Abinoam out of Kedesh-naphtali, and said unto him, Hath not the LORD God of Israel commanded, saying, Go and draw toward mount Tabor, and take with thee ten thousand men of the children of Naphtali and of the children of Zebulun? And I will draw unto thee to the river Kishon Sisera, the captain of Jabin’s army, with his chariots and his multitude; and I will deliver him into thine hand. And Barak said unto her, If thou wilt go with me, then I will go: but if thou wilt not go with me, then I will not go. And she said, I will surely go with thee: notwithstanding the journey that thou takest shall not be for thine honour; for the LORD shall sell Sisera into the hand of a woman. And Deborah arose, and went with Barak to Kedesh. And Barak called Zebulun and Naphtali to Kedesh; and he went up with ten thousand men at his feet: and Deborah went up with him. – Judges‬ ‭4:4-10‬ ‭

Is Not the LORD Gone Out Before Thee?
And Deborah said unto Barak, Up; for this is the day in which the LORD hath delivered Sisera into thine hand: is not the LORD gone out before thee? So Barak went down from mount Tabor, and ten thousand men after him. And the LORD discomfited Sisera, and all his chariots, and all his host, with the edge of the sword before Barak; so that Sisera lighted down off his chariot, and fled away on his feet. But Barak pursued after the chariots, and after the host, unto Harosheth of the Gentiles: and all the host of Sisera fell upon the edge of the sword; and there was not a man left. – Judges‬ ‭4:14-16‬ ‭

I Deborah Arose
The inhabitants of the villages ceased, they ceased in Israel, Until that I Deborah arose, That I arose a mother in Israel. – Judges‬ ‭5:7

Awake
Awake, awake, Deborah: awake, awake, utter a song: arise, Barak, and lead thy captivity captive, thou son of Abinoam. – Judges 5:12

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Jael
Howbeit Sisera fled away on his feet to the tent of Jael the wife of Heber the Kenite: for there was peace between Jabin the king of Hazor and the house of Heber the Kenite. And Jael went out to meet Sisera, and said unto him, Turn in, my Lord, turn in to me; fear not. And when he had turned in unto her into the tent, she covered him with a mantle. And he said unto her, Give me, I pray thee, a little water to drink; for I am thirsty. And she opened a bottle of milk, and gave him drink, and covered him. Again he said unto her, Stand in the door of the tent, and it shall be, when any man doth come and enquire of thee, and say, Is there any man here? that thou shalt say, No. Then Jael Heber’s wife took a nail of the tent, and took an hammer in her hand, and went softly unto him, and smote the nail into his temples, and fastened it into the ground: for he was fast asleep and weary. So he died. And, behold, as Barak pursued Sisera, Jael came out to meet him, and said unto him, Come, and I will shew thee the man whom thou seekest. And when he came into her tent, behold, Sisera lay dead, and the nail was in his temples. – Judges‬ ‭4:17-22‬ ‭

Blessed Above Women Shall Jael Be
Blessed above women shall Jael The wife of Heber the Kenite be, Blessed shall she be above women in the tent. He asked water, and she gave him milk; She brought forth butter in a Lordly dish. She put her hand to the nail, And her right hand to the workmen’s hammer; And with the hammer she smote Sisera, she smote off his head, When she had pierced and stricken through his temples. At her feet he bowed, he fell, he lay down: At her feet he bowed, he fell: Where he bowed, there he fell down dead. – Judges‬ ‭5:24-27‬ ‭

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JUDGES 6 – GIDEON

God Sent a Prophet
And it came to pass, when the children of Israel cried unto the LORD because of the Midianites, that the LORD sent a prophet unto the children of Israel, which said unto them, Thus saith the LORD God of Israel, I brought you up from Egypt, and brought you forth out of the house of bondage; and I delivered you out of the hand of the Egyptians, and out of the hand of all that oppressed you, and drave them out from before you, and gave you their land; and I said unto you, I am the LORD your God; fear not the gods of the Amorites, in whose land ye dwell: but ye have not obeyed my voice. – Judges‬ ‭6:7-10‬

The LORD is with Thee, Thou Mighty Man of Valour
And the angel of the LORD appeared unto him, and said unto him, The LORD is with thee, thou mighty man of valour. And Gideon said unto him, Oh my Lord, if the LORD be with us, why then is all this befallen us? and where be all his miracles which our fathers told us of, saying, Did not the LORD bring us up from Egypt? but now the LORD hath forsaken us, and delivered us into the hands of the Midianites. And the LORD looked upon him, and said, Go in this thy might, and thou shalt save Israel from the hand of the Midianites: have not I sent thee? And he said unto him, Oh my Lord, wherewith shall I save Israel? behold, my family is poor in Manasseh, and I am the least in my father’s house. And the LORD said unto him, Surely I will be with thee, and thou shalt smite the Midianites as one man. – Judges‬ ‭6:12-16

Shew Me a Sign that Thou Talkest with Me
And he said unto him, If now I have found grace in thy sight, then shew me a sign that thou talkest with me. Depart not hence, I pray thee, until I come unto thee, and bring forth my present, and set it before thee. And he said, I will tarry until thou come again. – Judges‬ ‭6:17-18‬ ‭

Doesn’t that sound just like us? God assures us He is with us and we say, IF He is with us….why???

I Have Seen an Angel of the LORD Face to Face
And Gideon went in, and made ready a kid, and unleavened cakes of an ephah of flour: the flesh he put in a basket, and he put the broth in a pot, and brought it out unto him under the oak, and presented it. And the angel of God said unto him, Take the flesh and the unleavened cakes, and lay them upon this rock, and pour out the broth. And he did so. Then the angel of the LORD put forth the end of the staff that was in his hand, and touched the flesh and the unleavened cakes; and there rose up fire out of the rock, and consumed the flesh and the unleavened cakes. Then the angel of the LORD departed out of his sight. And when Gideon perceived that he was an angel of the LORD, Gideon said, Alas, O Lord GOD! for because I have seen an angel of the LORD face to face. And the LORD said unto him, Peace be unto thee; fear not: thou shalt not die. – Judges‬ ‭6:19-23‬ ‭

Gideon Took Ten Men and Did as the LORD Had Said
And it came to pass the same night, that the LORD said unto him, Take thy father’s young bullock, even the second bullock of seven years old, and throw down the altar of Baal that thy father hath, and cut down the grove that is by it: and build an altar unto the LORD thy God upon the top of this rock, in the ordered place, and take the second bullock, and offer a burnt sacrifice with the wood of the grove which thou shalt cut down. Then Gideon took ten men of his servants, and did as the LORD had said unto him: and so it was, because he feared his father’s household, and the men of the city, that he could not do it by day, that he did it by night. – Judges‬ ‭6:25-27‬

A Fleece
And Gideon said unto God, If thou wilt save Israel by mine hand, as thou hast said, Behold, I will put a fleece of wool in the floor; and if the dew be on the fleece only, and it be dry upon all the earth beside, then shall I know that thou wilt save Israel by mine hand, as thou hast said. And it was so: for he rose up early on the morrow, and thrust the fleece together, and wringed the dew out of the fleece, a bowl full of water. And Gideon said unto God, Let not thine anger be hot against me, and I will speak but this once: let me prove, I pray thee, but this once with the fleece; let it now be dry only upon the fleece, and upon all the ground let there be dew. And God did so that night: for it was dry upon the fleece only, and there was dew on all the ground. – Judges‬ ‭6:36-40‬ ‭

Day 70 – A Year in the Bible – Judges 1-3

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Judges
In our daily Bible reading today, we begain the book of Judges. As we ended the book of Joshua, Joshua had died. The children of Israel, under his leadership, crossed the Jordan and entered the Promised Land. They settled there, though they hadn’t taken all the lands promised to them.

Once Joshua died, no one man was their leader, and the tribes of the children of Israel began to rebel against God. They began to do whatever seemed right in their own eyes. The book of Judges is the recordings of the period following the death of Joshua and the rebellion and abandonment of God by the Israelites.

This book gives a clear picture of where rebellion leads and its consequences.

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JUDGES 1 – GIVE ME A BLESSING

As I Have Done, So God Hath Requited Me
And they found Adoni-bezek in Bezek: and they fought against him, and they slew the Canaanites and the Perizzites. But Adoni-bezek fled; and they pursued after him, and caught him, and cut off his thumbs and his great toes. And Adoni-bezek said, Threescore and ten kings, having their thumbs and their great toes cut off, gathered their meat under my table: as I have done, so God hath requited me. And they brought him to Jerusalem, and there he died. – Judges‬ ‭1:5-7

Why did they cut off his thumbs and his great toes? For two reasons:

1. Because he had mutilated 70 other kings in this manner
2. To render him unfit for further warfare: he could not use a bow or sword, or move quickly

Othniel
and Caleb said, He that smiteth Kirjath-sepher, and taketh it, to him will I give Achsah my daughter to wife. And Othniel the son of Kenaz, Caleb’s younger brother, took it: and he gave him Achsah his daughter to wife. And it came to pass, when she came to him, that she moved him to ask of her father a field: and she lighted from off her ass; and Caleb said unto her, What wilt thou? And she said unto him, Give me a blessing: for thou hast given me a south land; give me also springs of water. And Caleb gave her the upper springs and the nether springs. – Judges‬ ‭1:12-15‬ ‭

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JUDGES 2 – THEY FORSOOK THE LORD

The People Lifted Up Their Voice, and Wept
And an angel of the LORD came up from Gilgal to Bochim, and said, I made you to go up out of Egypt, and have brought you unto the land which I sware unto your fathers; and I said, I will never break my covenant with you. And ye shall make no league with the inhabitants of this land; ye shall throw down their altars: but ye have not obeyed my voice: why have ye done this? Wherefore I also said, I will not drive them out from before you; but they shall be as thorns in your sides, and their gods shall be a snare unto you. And it came to pass, when the angel of the LORD spake these words unto all the children of Israel, that the people lifted up their voice, and wept. And they called the name of that place Bochim: and they sacrificed there unto the LORD. – Judges‬ ‭2:1-5‬ ‭

There Arose Another Generation Which Knew Not the LORD
And also all that generation were gathered unto their fathers: and there arose another generation after them, which knew not the LORD, nor yet the works which he had done for Israel. – Judges‬ ‭2:10‬ ‭

They Forsook the Lord
And the children of Israel did evil in the sight of the LORD, and served Baalim: and they forsook the LORD God of their fathers, which brought them out of the land of Egypt, and followed other gods, of the gods of the people that were round about them, and bowed themselves unto them, and provoked the LORD to anger. – Judges 2:11-12

The reading today tells us the Children of Israel forsook the LORD! Moses and Joshua warned them, but they didn’t heed the warnings. The passage made me think of the word “forsook.” What does it mean to forsake or to have it said of you that you forsook something?

Forsake – to quit or leave entirely; abandon; desert; to give up or renounce (a habit, way of life, etc.)

Forsook – to have left in an abandoned condition; to have abandoned; to have rejected

When the disciples followed Jesus, the Bible says they forsook all and followed Him. They abandoned the world for Jesus. When the disciples left Jesus as He went to the cross, they forsook Him. They abandoned Jesus for the world. Two very different views on the word “forsook.” There have been times in my life when I forsook Jesus just as the disciples did. Oh, what a hard road that is to take. It seems easy at the time you do it, but the consequences are hard ones. Thank God for His mercy and grace and love that draws us back to Himself. I pray that for all the remaining days of my life, it can be said of me that I forsook the world to follow my Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ.

Other Bibles Verses Regarding the Word – Forsook
And so was also James, and John, the sons of Zebedee, which were partners with Simon. And Jesus said unto Simon, Fear not; from henceforth thou shalt catch men. And when they had brought their ships to land, they forsook all, and followed him. – Luke 5:10-11

But all this was done, that the scriptures of the prophets might be fulfilled. Then all the disciples forsook him, and fled. – Matthew 26:56

And they all forsook him, and fled. – Mark 14:50

They had almost consumed me upon earth; but I forsook not thy precepts. – Psalm 119:87

But he forsook the counsel which the old men gave him, and took counsel with the young men that were brought up with him, that stood before him. – 2 Chronicles 10:8

By faith he forsook Egypt, not fearing the wrath of the king: for he endured, as seeing him who is invisible. – Hebrews 11:27

At my first answer no man stood with me, but all [men] forsook me: [I pray God] that it may not be laid to their charge. – 2 Timothy 4:16

Nevertheless the Lord Raised Up Judges
Nevertheless the LORD raised up judges, which delivered them out of the hand of those that spoiled them. And yet they would not hearken unto their judges, but they went a whoring after other gods, and bowed themselves unto them: they turned quickly out of the way which their fathers walked in, obeying the commandments of the LORD; but they did not so. – Judges 2:16-17

And when the LORD raised them up judges, then the LORD was with the judge, and delivered them out of the hand of their enemies all the days of the judge: for it repented the LORD because of their groanings by reason of them that oppressed them and vexed them. And it came to pass, when the judge was dead, that they returned, and corrupted themselves more than their fathers, in following other gods to serve them, and to bow down unto them; they ceased not from their own doings, nor from their stubborn way. – Judges‬ ‭2:18-19‬

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JUDGES 3 – A GENERATION WHICH KNEW NOT THE LORD

Othniel
And when the children of Israel cried unto the LORD, the LORD raised up a deliverer to the children of Israel, who delivered them, even Othniel the son of Kenaz, Caleb’s younger brother. And the Spirit of the LORD came upon him, and he judged Israel, and went out to war: and the LORD delivered Chushan-rishathaim king of Mesopotamia into his hand; and his hand prevailed against Chushan-rishathaim. And the land had rest forty years. And Othniel the son of Kenaz died. – Judges‬ ‭3:9-11‬ ‭

Ehud
But when the children of Israel cried unto the LORD, the LORD raised them up a deliverer, Ehud the son of Gera, a Benjamite, a man lefthanded: and by him the children of Israel sent a present unto Eglon the king of Moab. But Ehud made him a dagger which had two edges, of a cubit length; and he did gird it under his raiment upon his right thigh. And he brought the present unto Eglon king of Moab: and Eglon was a very fat man. And when he had made an end to offer the present, he sent away the people that bare the present.

But he himself turned again from the quarries that were by Gilgal, and said, I have a secret errand unto thee, O king: who said, Keep silence. And all that stood by him went out from him. And Ehud came unto him; and he was sitting in a summer parlour, which he had for himself alone. And Ehud said, I have a message from God unto thee. And he arose out of his seat. And Ehud put forth his left hand, and took the dagger from his right thigh, and thrust it into his belly: and the haft also went in after the blade; and the fat closed upon the blade, so that he could not draw the dagger out of his belly; and the dirt came out. Then Ehud went forth through the porch, and shut the doors of the parlour upon him, and locked them.

When he was gone out, his servants came; and when they saw that, behold, the doors of the parlour were locked, they said, Surely he covereth his feet in his summer chamber. And they tarried till they were ashamed: and, behold, he opened not the doors of the parlour; therefore they took a key, and opened them: and, behold, their Lord was fallen down dead on the earth.

And Ehud escaped while they tarried, and passed beyond the quarries, and escaped unto Seirath. And it came to pass, when he was come, that he blew a trumpet in the mountain of Ephraim, and the children of Israel went down with him from the mount, and he before them.

And he said unto them, Follow after me: for the LORD hath delivered your enemies the Moabites into your hand. And they went down after him, and took the fords of Jordan toward Moab, and suffered not a man to pass over. And they slew of Moab at that time about ten thousand men, all lusty, and all men of valour; and there escaped not a man. So Moab was subdued that day under the hand of Israel. And the land had rest fourscore years. – Judges‬ ‭3:15-30‬ ‭

Shamgar
And after him was Shamgar the son of Anath, which slew of the Philistines six hundred men with an ox goad: and he also delivered Israel. – Judges‬ ‭3:31‬ ‭

Day 69 – A Year in the Bible – Joshua 22-24

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JOSHUA 22 – THIS DAY WE PERCEIVE THE LORD IS AMONG YOU

Our Sin Affects the Entire Congregation
Notwithstanding, if the land of your possession be unclean, then pass ye over unto the land of the possession of the LORD, wherein the LORD’s tabernacle dwelleth, and take possession among us: but rebel not against the LORD, nor rebel against us, in building you an altar beside the altar of the LORD our God. Did not Achan the son of Zerah commit a trespass in the accursed thing, and wrath fell on all the congregation of Israel? and that man perished not alone in his iniquity. – Joshua 22:19-20

The congregation of Israel stood against (what they believed was) sin among their people and reminded them of how Achan sinned against the Lord, and God’s wrath came against them all. Truly, if they sinned or we sin, it does not just affect us and us alone, but it hurts the entire congregation (Body of Christ).

The Risk of Making Assumptions
Therefore we said, Let us now prepare to build us an altar, not for burnt offering, nor for sacrifice: but that it may be a witness between us, and you, and our generations after us, that we might do the service of the LORD before him with our burnt offerings, and with our sacrifices, and with our peace offerings; that your children may not say to our children in time to come, Ye have no part in the LORD. Therefore said we, that it shall be, when they should so say to us or to our generations in time to come, that we may say again, Behold the pattern of the altar of the LORD, which our fathers made, not for burnt offerings, nor for sacrifices; but it is a witness between us and you. God forbid that we should rebel against the LORD, and turn this day from following the LORD, to build an altar for burnt offerings, for meat offerings, or for sacrifices, beside the altar of the LORD our God that is before his tabernacle. – Joshua 22:26-29

This Day We Perceive that the LORD is Among Us
And when Phinehas the priest, and the princes of the congregation and heads of the thousands of Israel which were with him, heard the words that the children of Reuben and the children of Gad and the children of Manasseh spake, it pleased them. And Phinehas the son of Eleazar the priest said unto the children of Reuben, and to the children of Gad, and to the children of Manasseh, This day we perceive that the LORD is among us, because ye have not committed this trespass against the LORD: now ye have delivered the children of Israel out of the hand of the LORD. – Joshua‬ ‭22:30-31‬ ‭

Ed: For It Shall Be a Witness Between Us that the LORD is God
And the children of Reuben and the children of Gad called the altar Ed: for it shall be a witness between us that the LORD is God. – Joshua‬ ‭22:34‬ ‭

We read in Numbers 32 that the Tribes of Reuben, Gad, and half of Manasseh asked Moses for the land on the eastern side of the Jordan River. That piece of land was not the Promised Land but the land right before the Promised Land. They saw that it suited their lifestyle, and Moses allowed them to have it, but with the condition that they go with the other tribes and fight alongside the other tribes, they also might have their land. The Tribes of Reuben, Gad, and half of Manasseh agreed.

In our reading in Joshua today, the men of these 2 ½ tribes had fulfilled the obligations as Moses commanded and went back across the Jordan to establish their own homes. The leaders of Israel heard that those tribes had built an altar on the Eastern side of the Jordan River. Only one altar was to be made by the Children of Israel to worship God. So that reporting assumed the Tribes of Reuben, Gad, and half of Manasseh were breaking their covenant with God and with them, and assuming this breach, they gathered to destroy them for it. But before battle, they sent envoys to verify the reports. They found that the truth was those tribes hadn’t built an altar to God but had built an altar that future generations from both sides of the Jordan would remember that though they settled east of the Jordan, they were entitled to worship the same LORD as their brothers and sisters on the western side. So rather than an altar of worship built with a rebellious spirit, it was a memorial and reminder that both sides would never forget that the Jordan River was not a barrier between the Children of Israel but that they were all still one family.

Wouldn’t it have been sad if the Western tribes had not verified what was going on before they went into battle? How often do we jump to conclusions and assign motives? Assumptions and the rumors we spread when making them are dangerous and can destroy relationships. Had the Western tribes jumped into battle based on assumptions, it would have resulted in a civil war for no reason. When we act on rumors, the same things happen, whereas when we stop for a minute to find out the truth, we often find we have created an issue in our minds that wasn’t reality.

What a lesson for today!!! Seek the truth. Reject assumptions. Know the joyful sound. 

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JOSHUA 23 – THE LORD YOUR GOD FIGHTETH FOR YOU

One Man of You Shall Chase a Thousand
Be ye therefore very courageous to keep and to do all that is written in the book of the law of Moses, that ye turn not aside therefrom to the right hand or to the left; that ye come not among these nations, these that remain among you; neither make mention of the name of their gods, nor cause to swear by them, neither serve them, nor bow yourselves unto them: but cleave unto the LORD your God, as ye have done unto this day. For the LORD hath driven out from before you great nations and strong: but as for you, no man hath been able to stand before you unto this day. One man of you shall chase a thousand: for the LORD your God, he it is that fighteth for you, as he hath promised you. Take good heed therefore unto yourselves, that ye love the LORD your God. – Joshua‬ ‭23:6-11‬ ‭

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JOSHUA 24 – WITNESS AGAINST YOURSELVES

Land For Which Ye Did Not Labour
And I have given you a land for which ye did not labour, and cities which ye built not, and ye dwell in them; of the vineyards and olive yards which ye planted not do ye eat. Now therefore fear the LORD, and serve him in sincerity and in truth: and put away the gods which your fathers served on the other side of the flood, and in Egypt; and serve ye the LORD. And if it seem evil unto you to serve the LORD, choose you this day whom ye will serve; whether the gods which your fathers served that were on the other side of the flood, or the gods of the Amorites, in whose land ye dwell: but as for me and my house, we will serve the LORD. – Joshua 24:13-15

Ye Are Witnesses Against Yourselves
And Joshua said unto the people, Ye are witnesses against yourselves that ye have chosen you the LORD, to serve him. And they said, We are witnesses. Now therefore put away, said he, the strange gods which are among you, and incline your heart unto the LORD God of Israel. And the people said unto Joshua, The LORD our God will we serve, and his voice will we obey. – Joshua 24:22-24

Today we have not only reached the end of the book of Joshua, but in the last verses, we see that Joshua died at the age of 110. He lived his life as a good and faithful servant. Joshua, like Moses, reminded the children of Israel who they were, where God brought them from, and where they were going. Before he died, he commanded the leaders to serve the Lord and reject other gods. The people spoke and affirmed their allegiance to God. Joshua says to them,“Ye are witnesses against yourselves that ye have chosen you the LORD, to serve Him.”

In other words, you are the witnesses to your decision. No one else needed to judge them. Their lives would tell the truth about whether they served the Lord or didn’t. They had agreed that their faithfulness’s verdict would be their own lives.

Isn’t this true of our own lives today? The way we walk through our lives shows what is in our hearts. We can make people think that we are one way or another, but what is in the heart comes out through our actions or words and becomes a witness either for or against us. A witness to what we believe and know of God. It is my prayer that I can say by my life, The Lord my God will I serve, and His voice will I obey.

Day 68 – A Year in the Bible – Joshua 19-21

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JOSHUA 19 – BE CAREFUL WITH WHOM YOU UNITE AND ASSEMBLE

Their Inheritance was Within the Inheritance of the Children of Judah
And the second lot came forth to Simeon, even for the tribe of the children of Simeon according to their families; and their inheritance was within the inheritance of the children of Judah – Joshua 19:1

Out of the portion of the children of Judah was the inheritance of the children of Simeon: for the part of the children of Judah was too much for them: therefore the children of Simeon had their inheritance within the inheritance of them. – Joshua 19:9

As their father, Jacob, spoke and we read in the book of Genesis, Simeon and Levi would not get an independent inheritance but rather would inherit scattered lands because the killed the men of Shechem. Those scattered lands for Simeon were cities within Judah’s allotment. Levi’s inheritance was cities scattered among all the tribes of Israel.

Simeon and Levi are brethren; Instruments of cruelty are in their habitations. O my soul, come not thou into their secret; Unto their assembly, mine honour, be not thou united: For in their anger they slew a man, And in their self will. They digged down a wall. Cursed be their anger, for it was fierce; And their wrath, for it was cruel; I will divide them in Jacob, And scatter them in Israel. – Genesis 49:5-7

These words come to me as a warning. Be careful with whom you unite and assemble. Be careful not to come into the secrets of others that are cruel, filled with anger and selfwill. If you do come into their secrets, you will also come into their curse. 

Please help me to heed Your warning, Father.

The Children of Israel Gave an Inheritance to Joshua
When they had made an end of dividing the land for inheritance by their coasts, the children of Israel gave an inheritance to Joshua the son of Nun among them: according to the word of the LORD they gave him the city which he asked, even Timnath-serah in mount Ephraim: and he built the city, and dwelt therein. – Joshua‬ ‭19:49-50‬ ‭

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JOSHUA 20 – CITIES OF REFUGE

Your Refuge from the Avenger of Blood
The LORD also spake unto Joshua, saying, Speak to the children of Israel, saying, Appoint out for you cities of refuge, whereof I spake unto you by the hand of Moses: that the slayer that killeth any person unawares and unwittingly may flee thither: and they shall be your refuge from the avenger of blood. And when he that doth flee unto one of those cities shall stand at the entering of the gate of the city, and shall declare his cause in the ears of the elders of that city, they shall take him into the city unto them, and give him a place, that he may dwell among them. And if the avenger of blood pursue after him, then they shall not deliver the slayer up into his hand; because he smote his neighbour unwittingly, and hated him not beforetime. And he shall dwell in that city, until he stand before the congregation for judgment, and until the death of the high priest that shall be in those days: then shall the slayer return, and come unto his own city, and unto his own house, unto the city from whence he fled. – Joshua‬ ‭20:1-6‬ ‭

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JOSHUA 21 – ALL CAME TO PASS

There Failed Not Ought of Any Good Thing Which the LORD had Spoken
And the LORD gave unto Israel all the land which he sware to give unto their fathers; and they possessed it, and dwelt therein. And the LORD gave them rest round about, according to all that he sware unto their fathers: and there stood not a man of all their enemies before them; the LORD delivered all their enemies into their hand. There failed not ought of any good thing which the LORD had spoken unto the house of Israel; all came to pass.– Joshua‬ ‭21:43-45‬ ‭

Day 67 – A Year in the Bible – Joshua 16-18

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JOSHUA 16 – DISOBEDIENCE

They Drave Not Out the Canaanites
And they drave not out the Canaanites that dwelt in Gezer: but the Canaanites dwell among the Ephraimites unto this day, and serve under their tribute – Joshua 16:10

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JOSHUA 17 – IF THOU BE A GREAT PEOPLE …

But Zelophehad had No Sons, but Daughters
But Zelophehad, the son of Hepher, the son of Gilead, the son of Machir, the son of Manasseh, had no sons, but daughters: and these are the names of his daughters, Mahlah, and Noah, Hoglah, Milcah, and Tirzah. And they came near before Eleazar the priest, and before Joshua the son of Nun, and before the princes, saying, The LORD commanded Moses to give us an inheritance among our brethren. Therefore according to the commandment of the LORD he gave them an inheritance among the brethren of their father. And there fell ten portions to Manasseh, beside the land of Gilead and Bashan, which were on the other side Jordan; because the daughters of Manasseh had an inheritance among his sons: and the rest of Manasseh’s sons had the land of Gilead. – Joshua‬ ‭17:3-6‬ ‭

If Thou Be a Great People, Then Get Thee Up
And the children of Joseph spake unto Joshua, saying, Why hast thou given me but one lot and one portion to inherit, seeing I am a great people, forasmuch as the LORD hath blessed me hitherto? And Joshua answered them, If thou be a great people, then get thee up to the wood country, and cut down for thyself there in the land of the Perizzites and of the giants, if mount Ephraim be too narrow for thee. And the children of Joseph said, The hill is not enough for us: and all the Canaanites that dwell in the land of the valley have chariots of iron, both they who are of Beth-shean and her towns, and they who are of the valley of Jezreel. And Joshua spake unto the house of Joseph, even to Ephraim and to Manasseh, saying, Thou art a great people, and hast great power: thou shalt not have one lot only: but the mountain shall be thine; for it is a wood, and thou shalt cut it down: and the outgoings of it shall be thine: for thou shalt drive out the Canaanites, though they have iron chariots, and though they be strong. – Joshua‬ ‭17:14-18‬

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JOSHUA 18 – HOW LONG ARE YE SLACK …

How Long are Ye Slack to Go to Possess the Land?
And Joshua said unto the children of Israel, How long are ye slack to go to possess the land, which the LORD God of your fathers hath given you? Give out from among you three men for each tribe: and I will send them, and they shall rise, and go through the land, and describe it according to the inheritance of them; and they shall come again to me. And they shall divide it into seven parts: Judah shall abide in their coast on the south, and the house of Joseph shall abide in their coasts on the north. Ye shall therefore describe the land into seven parts, and bring the description hither to me, that I may cast lots for you here before the LORD our God. But the Levites have no part among you; for the priesthood of the LORD is their inheritance: and Gad, and Reuben, and half the tribe of Manasseh, have received their inheritance beyond Jordan on the east, which Moses the servant of the LORD gave them. – Joshua‬ ‭18:3-7‬

How long will you sit there in complacency and fear? How long will you wait on the Lord to do what He has clearly told you to do? Stop being slack and get up and go occupy what God has given to you!!!

Day 66 – A Year in the Bible – Joshua 13-15

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JOSHUA 13 – MUCH LAND TO BE POSSESSED

There Remaineth Yet Very Much Land to Be Possessed
Now Joshua was old and stricken in years; and the LORD said unto him, Thou art old and stricken in years, and there remaineth yet very much land to be possessed. – Joshua‬ ‭13:1

The LORD God of Israel was Their Inheritance
But unto the tribe of Levi Moses gave not any inheritance: the LORD God of Israel was their inheritance, as he said unto them.
‭‭Joshua‬ ‭13‬:‭33‬ ‭

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JOSHUA 14 – WHOLLY FOLLOWING GOD

Rewards of Wholly Following God
Then the children of Judah came unto Joshua in Gilgal: and Caleb the son of Jephunneh the Kenezite said unto him, Thou knowest the thing that the LORD said unto Moses the man of God concerning me and thee in Kadesh-barnea. Forty years old was I when Moses the servant of the LORD sent me from Kadesh-barnea to espy out the land; and I brought him word again as it was in mine heart. Nevertheless my brethren that went up with me made the heart of the people melt: but I wholly followed the LORD my God.And Moses sware on that day, saying, Surely the land whereon thy feet have trodden shall be thine inheritance, and thy children’s for ever, because thou hast wholly followed the LORD my God. And now, behold, the LORD hath kept me alive, as he said, these forty and five years, even since the LORD spake this word unto Moses, while the children of Israel wandered in the wilderness: and now, lo, I am this day fourscore and five years old. As yet I am as strong this day as I was in the day that Moses sent me: as my strength was then, even so is my strength now, for war, both to go out, and to come in. 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. And Joshua blessed him, and gave unto Caleb the son of Jephunneh Hebron for an inheritance. Hebron therefore became the inheritance of Caleb the son of Jephunneh the Kenezite unto this day, because that he wholly followed the LORD God of Israel. – Joshua 14:6-14

Caleb wholly followed the Lord God of Israel and gave a good, encouraging report of the land he spied out. It was the Promised Land. Because of his obedience, God promised that he would live to receive an inheritance of the land where he walked faithfully. The inheritance he asked for was one of his rewards and his promise from God, but there were other rewards as well. The Bible says in this passage that though he was an older man, his strength was the same as in his younger years. Obedience and faithfulness to wholly follow the Lord still bring great rewards.

The Land Had Rest from War
And the name of Hebron before was Kirjath-arba; which Arba was a great man among the Anakims. And the land had rest from war. – Joshua‬ ‭14‬:‭15‬ ‭

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JOSHUA 15 – GIVE ME A BLESSING

Caleb Drove Thence
And unto Caleb the son of Jephunneh he gave a part among the children of Judah, according to the commandment of the LORD to Joshua, even the city of Arba the father of Anak, which city is Hebron. And Caleb drove thence the three sons of Anak, Sheshai, and Ahiman, and Talmai, the children of Anak. And he went up thence to the inhabitants of Debir: and the name of Debir before was Kirjath-sepher.

And Caleb said, He that smiteth Kirjath-sepher, and taketh it, to him will I give Achsah my daughter to wife. And Othniel the son of Kenaz, the brother of Caleb, took it: and he gave him Achsah his daughter to wife. And it came to pass, as she came unto him, that she moved him to ask of her father a field: and she lighted off her ass; and Caleb said unto her, What wouldest thou? Who answered, Give me a blessing; for thou hast given me a south land; give me also springs of water. And he gave her the upper springs, and the nether springs. – Joshua 15:13-19

Drove – to send, expel, or otherwise cause to move by force of compulsion
Thence – from that place

Caleb was given his part of the Promised Land as God had commanded. What struck me was that though Caleb was given what he had been promised, he still had to drive out the inhabitants to conquer the land. Caleb promised his daughter as a wife to whoever conquered Kirjath-sepher. His brother’s son took the land for Caleb and was given Achsah, Caleb’s daughter. How often do we doubt that the promises of God in our lives because they haven’t just “fallen” on us? Have you ever considered that the promise will come when you fight for it? When you get up and drive out, what stands in the way of your promise? What an encouragement the Word of God is. Right there in the middle of list after list of towns and villages.

Day 65 – A Year in the Bible – Joshua 10-12

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JOSHUA 10 – THE SUN STOOD STILL

And the Sun Stood Still
Then spake Joshua to the LORD in the day when the LORD delivered up the Amorites before the children of Israel, and he said in the sight of Israel,
Sun, stand thou still upon Gibeon;
and thou, Moon, in the valley of Ajalon.
And the sun stood still, and the moon stayed,
until the people had avenged themselves upon their enemies.
Is not this written in the book of Jasher?
So the sun stood still in the midst of heaven,
and hasted not to go down about a whole day.
And there was no day like that before it or after it, that the LORD hearkened unto the voice of a man: for the LORD fought for Israel. – Joshua 10:12-14

Five Kings Fled
But these five kings fled, and hid themselves in a cave at Makkedah. – Joshua 10:16

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JOSHUA 11 – TOMORROW WILL I DELIVER THEM UP

Be Not Afraid for Tomorrow Will I Deliver Them Up
And when all these kings were met together, they came and pitched together at the waters of Merom, to fight against Israel. And the LORD said unto Joshua, Be not afraid because of them: for to morrow about this time will I deliver them up all slain before Israel: thou shalt hough their horses, and burn their chariots with fire. So Joshua came, and all the people of war with him, against them by the waters of Merom suddenly; and they fell upon them. – Joshua‬ ‭11:5-7‬ ‭

It Was of the LORD to Harden Their Hearts
There was not a city that made peace with the children of Israel, save the Hivites the inhabitants of Gibeon: all other they took in battle. For it was of the LORD to harden their hearts, that they should come against Israel in battle, that he might destroy them utterly, and that they might have no favour, but that he might destroy them, as the LORD commanded Moses. – Joshua‬ ‭11:19-20‬ 

Took, Gave, Rested
So Joshua took the whole land, according to all that the LORD said unto Moses; and Joshua gave it for an inheritance unto Israel according to their divisions by their tribes. And the land rested from war. – Joshua 11:23

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JOSHUA 12 – THE KINGS

These are the Kings the Israelites Smote on the West Side of Jordan
And these are the kings of the country which Joshua and the children of Israel smote on this side Jordan on the west, from Baalgad in the valley of Lebanon even unto the mount Halak, that goeth up to Seir; which Joshua gave unto the tribes of Israel for a possession according to their divisions; In the mountains, and in the valleys, and in the plains, and in the springs, and in the wilderness, and in the south country; the Hittites, the Amorites, and the Canaanites, the Perizzites, the Hivites, and the Jebusites: – Joshua 12:7-8

Thirty-one Kings on the West of Jordan
1. The king of Jericho (Josh. 12:9)
2. The king of Ai
3. The king of Jerusalem (Josh. 12:10)
4. The king of Hebron
5. The king of Jarmuth (Josh. 12:11)
6. The king of Lachish
7. The king of Eglon (Josh. 12:12)
8. The king of Gezer
9. The king of Debir (Josh. 12:13)
10. The king of Geder
11. The king of Hormah (Josh. 12:14)
12. The king of Arad
13. The king of Libnah (Josh. 12:15)
14. The king of Adullam
15. The king of Makkedah (Josh. 12:16)
16. The king of Bethel
17. The king of Tappuah (Josh. 12:17)
18. The king of Hepher
19. The king of Aphek (Josh. 12:18)
20. The king of Lasharon
21. The king of Madon (Josh. 12:19)
22. The king of Hazor (Josh. 12:20)
23 The king of Shimron-meron
24. The king of Achshaph
25. The king of Taanach (Josh. 12:21)
26. The king of Megiddo
27. The king of Kedesh (Josh. 12:22)
28. Jokneam, the king of Carmel
29. The king of Dor (Josh. 12:23)
30. The king of Gilgal
31. The king of Tirzah (Josh. 12:24)

Day 64 – A Year in the Bible – Joshua 7-9

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JOSHUA 7 – THEY WERE WARNED

Let Not all the People Go and Smite Ai for They are But Few
And Joshua sent men from Jericho to Ai, which is beside Beth-aven, on the east side of Beth-el, 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. – Joshua‬ ‭7:2-3

The Men of Ai Smote Them
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. And Joshua rent his clothes, and fell to the earth upon his face before the ark of the LORD until the eventide, he and the elders of Israel, and put dust upon their heads. – Joshua‬ ‭7:5-6‬ ‭

Get Thee Up, Israel Hath Sinned
And the LORD said unto Joshua, Get thee up; wherefore liest thou thus upon thy face? Israel hath sinned, and they have also transgressed my covenant which I commanded them: for they have even taken of the accursed thing, and have also stolen, and dissembled also, and they have put it even among their own stuff. Therefore the children of Israel could not stand before their enemies, but turned their backs before their enemies, because they were accursed: neither will I be with you any more, except ye destroy the accursed from among you. Up, sanctify the people, and say, Sanctify yourselves against to morrow: for thus saith the LORD God of Israel, There is an accursed thing in the midst of thee, O Israel: thou canst not stand before thine enemies, until ye take away the accursed thing from among you. – Joshua‬ ‭7:10-13‬ ‭

He That Hasthe Accursed Thing Shall Be Burnt with Fire
In the morning therefore ye shall be brought according to your tribes: and it shall be, that the tribe which the LORD taketh shall come according to the families thereof; and the family which the LORD shall take shall come by households; and the household which the LORD shall take shall come man by man. And it shall be, that he that is taken with the accursed thing shall be burnt with fire, he and all that he hath: because he hath transgressed the covenant of the LORD, and because he hath wrought folly in Israel. – Joshua‬ ‭7:14-15‬ ‭

“I Saw Them, Coveted Them, Took Them, and Hid Them”
And Joshua said unto Achan, My son, give, I pray thee, glory to the LORD God of Israel, and make confession unto him; and tell me now what thou hast done; hide it not from me. And Achan answered Joshua, and said, Indeed I have sinned against the LORD God of Israel, and thus and thus have I done: when I saw among the spoils a goodly Babylonish garment, and two hundred shekels of silver, and a wedge of gold of fifty shekels weight, then I coveted them, and took them; and, behold, they are hid in the earth in the midst of my tent, and the silver under it. So Joshua sent messengers, and they ran unto the tent; and, behold, it was hid in his tent, and the silver under it. And they took them out of the midst of the tent, and brought them unto Joshua, and unto all the children of Israel, and laid them out before the LORD. And Joshua, and all Israel with him, took Achan the son of Zerah, and the silver, and the garment, and the wedge of gold, and his sons, and his daughters, and his oxen, and his asses, and his sheep, and his tent, and all that he had: and they brought them unto the valley of Achor. And Joshua said, Why hast thou troubled us? the LORD shall trouble thee this day. And all Israel stoned him with stones, and burned them with fire, after they had stoned them with stones. And they raised over him a great heap of stones unto this day. So the LORD turned from the fierceness of his anger. Wherefore the name of that place was called, The valley of Achor, unto this day. – Joshua 7:19-26

The children of Israel were defeated at Ai because a man named Achan had stolen plunder from Jericho, despite God’s command that everything be destroyed. Achan broke a covenant with God when he allowed lust for possessions to lead him to covet and take what he knew God had forbidden. Anything in our lives that we exalt above God and His commands will lead us further and further from God and our relationship with Him if left unchecked. Anything we have to work to hide lest someone finds out should be a big red flag that something isn’t quite right in our lives. Achan sure helped to teach some lessons today!

Help Us to Take Your Warnings Seriously, Father!
Jesus spoke of this also in Luke 16:13, No servant can serve two masters: for either he will hate the one, and love the other; or else he will hold to the one, and despise the other. Ye cannot serve God and mammon.

As we read through our passages, we see a theme of obedience and faithfulness being irreplaceable qualities to God. This is our warning not to underestimate the consequences of this issue.

Continually, we ask God to give us what we want and need, but we too often want things without having to obey or be faithful. But God won’t usually provide us with something that will gain control over us and replace His sovereignty in our lives. He knows those are the things that are apt to destroy us. Not everything we want is truly best for us. As we petition the Lord for intervention in our lives, we must also consider our faithfulness to God? Can we truly handle what we’re asking for

Father, Help all of my requests to be accompanied by the Words of Jesus flowing from my mouth and heart – Nevertheless, not my will, but Thy will be done.

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JOSHUA 8 – FEAR NOT

Fear Not, Neither Be Thou Dismayed
And the LORD said unto Joshua, Fear not, neither be thou dismayed: take all the people of war with thee, and arise, go up to Ai: see, I have given into thy hand the king of Ai, and his people, and his city, and his land: and thou shalt do to Ai and her king as thou didst unto Jericho and her king: only the spoil thereof, and the cattle thereof, shall ye take for a prey unto yourselves: lay thee an ambush for the city behind it. – Joshua‬ ‭8:1-2‬ ‭

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JOSHUA 9 – THEY DID NOT ASK THE LORD FOR GUIDANCE

The Kings Gathered Together To Fight Joshua and Israel
And it came to pass, when all the kings which were on this side Jordan, in the hills, and in the valleys, and in all the coasts of the great sea over against Lebanon, the Hittite, and the Amorite, the Canaanite, the Perizzite, the Hivite, and the Jebusite, heard thereof; that they gathered themselves together, to fight with Joshua and with Israel, with one accord. – Joshua‬ ‭9:1-2‬ ‭

The Men Asked Not Counsel at the Mouth of the LORD
And the men took of their victuals, and asked not counsel at the mouth of the LORD. And Joshua made peace with them, and made a league with them, to let them live: and the princes of the congregation sware unto them.– Joshua‬ ‭9:14-15‬ ‭

Day 63 – A Year in the Bible – Joshua 4-6

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JOSHUA 4 – REMEMBER

Joshua Set Up Twelve Stones in the Midst of Jordan
And Joshua set up twelve stones in the midst of Jordan, in the place where the feet of the priests which bare the ark of the covenant stood: and they are there unto this day. For the priests which bare the ark stood in the midst of Jordan, until every thing was finished that the LORD commanded Joshua to speak unto the people, according to all that Moses commanded Joshua: and the people hasted and passed over. – Joshua‬ ‭4:9-10‬ ‭

On that Day the LORD Magnified Joshua in the Sight of All Israel
On that day the LORD magnified Joshua in the sight of all Israel; and they feared him, as they feared Moses, all the days of his life. – Joshua‬ ‭4:14‬ ‭

What Mean These Stones?
And he spake unto the children of Israel, saying, When your children shall ask their fathers in time to come, saying, What mean these stones? Then ye shall let your children know, saying, Israel came over this Jordan on dry land. For the LORD your God dried up the waters of Jordan from before you, until ye were passed over, as the LORD your God did to the Red sea, which he dried up from before us, until we were gone over: that all the people of the earth might know the hand of the LORD, that it is mighty: that ye might fear the LORD your God for ever. – Joshua‬ ‭4:21-24‬ 

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JOSHUA 5 – HOLY GROUND

The Cause Why Joshua Did Circumcise
And this is the cause why Joshua did circumcise: All the people that came out of Egypt, that were males, even all the men of war, died in the wilderness by the way, after they came out of Egypt. Now all the people that came out were circumcised: but all the people that were born in the wilderness by the way as they came forth out of Egypt, them they had not circumcised. For the children of Israel walked forty years in the wilderness, till all the people that were men of war, which came out of Egypt, were consumed, because they obeyed not the voice of the LORD: unto whom the LORD sware that he would not shew them the land, which the LORD sware unto their fathers that he would give us, a land that floweth with milk and honey. – Joshua‬ ‭5:4-6‬ ‭

This Day Have I Rolled Away the Reproach of Egypt from Off You
And their children, whom he raised up in their stead, them Joshua circumcised: for they were uncircumcised, because they had not circumcised them by the way. And it came to pass, when they had done circumcising all the people, that they abode in their places in the camp, till they were whole. And the LORD said unto Joshua, This day have I rolled away the reproach of Egypt from off you. Wherefore the name of the place is called Gilgal unto this day. – Joshua‬ ‭5:7-9‬

Loose Thy Shoe for the Place Whereon Thou Standest is Holy
And it came to pass, when Joshua was by Jericho, that he lifted up his eyes and looked, and, behold, there stood a man over against him with his sword drawn in his hand: and Joshua went unto him, and said unto him, Art thou for us, or for our adversaries? And he said, Nay; but as captain of the host of the LORD am I now come. And Joshua fell on his face to the earth, and did worship, and said unto him, What saith my Lord unto his servant? And the captain of the LORD’s host said unto Joshua, Loose thy shoe from off thy foot; for the place whereon thou standest is holy. And Joshua did so. – Joshua‬ ‭5:13-15‬

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JOSHUA 6 – SEVEN PRIESTS, TRUMPETS, DAYS, TIMES AROUND

Seven Priests, Seven Trumpets, Seven Days, Seven Times Around
And Joshua rose early in the morning, and the priests took up the ark of the LORD. And seven priests bearing seven trumpets of rams’ horns before the ark of the LORD went on continually, and blew with the trumpets: and the armed men went before them; but the rereward came after the ark of the LORD, the priests going on, and blowing with the trumpets. And the second day they compassed the city once, and returned into the camp: so they did six days. And it came to pass on the seventh day, that they rose early about the dawning of the day, and compassed the city after the same manner seven times: only on that day they compassed the city seven times. And it came to pass at the seventh time, when the priests blew with the trumpets, Joshua said unto the people, Shout; for the LORD hath given you the city. – Joshua 6:12-16

Only Rahab the Harlot and Her Household Lived
And the city shall be accursed, even it, and all that are therein, to the LORD: only Rahab the harlot shall live, she and all that are with her in the house, because she hid the messengers that we sent. – Joshua‬ ‭6:17‬ ‭

Keep Yourselves from the Accursed Thing
And ye, in any wise keep yourselves from the accursed thing, lest ye make yourselves accursed, when ye take of the accursed thing, and make the camp of Israel a curse, and trouble it. But all the silver, and gold, and vessels of brass and iron, are consecrated unto the LORD: they shall come into the treasury of the LORD. – Joshua‬ ‭6:18-19‬