If anyone knows Melissa…

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

Day 62 – A Year in the Bible – Joshua 1-3
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JOSHUA 1 – BE STRONG AND COURAGEOUS

Every Place Your Foot Shall Tread Upon I Have Given You
Now after the death of Moses the servant of the LORD it came to pass, that the LORD spake unto Joshua the son of Nun, Moses’ minister, saying, Moses my servant is dead; now therefore arise, go over this Jordan, thou, and all this people, unto the land which I do give to them, even to the children of Israel. Every place that the sole of your foot shall tread upon, that have I given unto you, as I said unto Moses. From the wilderness and this Lebanon even unto the great river, the river Euphrates, all the land of the Hittites, and unto the great sea toward the going down of the sun, shall be your coast. – Joshua 1:1-4

This Book of Law Shall Not Departed Out of Thy Mouth
There shall not any man be able to stand before thee all the days of thy life: as I was with Moses, so I will be with thee: I will not fail thee, nor forsake thee. Be strong and of a good courage: for unto this people shalt thou divide for an inheritance the land, which I sware unto their fathers to give them. Only be thou strong and very courageous, that thou mayest observe to do according to all the law, which Moses my servant commanded thee: turn not from it to the right hand or to the left, that thou mayest prosper whithersoever thou goest. This book of the law shall not depart out of thy mouth; but thou shalt meditate therein day and night, that thou mayest observe to do according to all that is written therein: for then thou shalt make thy way prosperous, and then thou shalt have good success. Have not I commanded thee? Be strong and of a good courage; be not afraid, neither be thou dismayed: for the LORD thy God is with thee whithersoever thou goest. – Joshua 1:5-9

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JOSHUA 2 – ALL THE INHABITANTS OF THE COUNTRY DO FAINT BECAUSE OF US

Rahab
And Joshua the son of Nun sent out of Shittim two men to spy secretly, saying, Go view the land, even Jericho. And they went, and came into an harlot’s house, named Rahab, and lodged there. And it was told the king of Jericho, saying, Behold, there came men in hither to night of the children of Israel to search out the country. And the king of Jericho sent unto Rahab, saying, Bring forth the men that are come to thee, which are entered into thine house: for they be come to search out all the country. And the woman took the two men, and hid them, and said thus, There came men unto me, but I wist not whence they were: and it came to pass about the time of shutting of the gate, when it was dark, that the men went out: whither the men went I wot not: pursue after them quickly; for ye shall overtake them. But she had brought them up to the roof of the house, and hid them with the stalks of flax, which she had laid in order upon the roof. – Joshua‬ ‭2:1-6‬

Our Life for Yours, if Ye Utter Not This Our Business
And as soon as we had heard these things, our hearts did melt, neither did there remain any more courage in any man, because of you: for the LORD your God, he is God in heaven above, and in earth beneath. Now therefore, I pray you, swear unto me by the LORD, since I have shewed you kindness, that ye will also shew kindness unto my father’s house, and give me a true token: and that ye will save alive my father, and my mother, and my brethren, and my sisters, and all that they have, and deliver our lives from death. And the men answered her, Our life for your’s, if ye utter not this our business. And it shall be, when the LORD hath given us the land, that we will deal kindly and truly with thee. – Joshua‬ ‭2:11-14

Truly the LORD Hath Delivered Into Our Hands All the Land
And they went, and came unto the mountain, and abode there three days, until the pursuers were returned: and the pursuers sought them throughout all the way, but found them not. So the two men returned, and descended from the mountain, and passed over, and came to Joshua the son of Nun, and told him all things that befell them: and they said unto Joshua, Truly the LORD hath delivered into our hands all the land; for even all the inhabitants of the country do faint because of us. – Joshua‬ ‭2‬:‭22‬-‭24‬ ‭

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JOSHUA 3 – THIS DAY WILL I BEGIN TO MAGNIFY THEE

Tomorrow the LORD will do Wonders Among You
And Joshua said unto the people, Sanctify yourselves: for tomorrow the LORD will do wonders among you. – Joshua 3:5

As I Was With Moses, So I Will Be With You
And the LORD said unto Joshua, This day will I begin to magnify thee in the sight of all Israel, that they may know that, as I was with Moses, so I will be with thee. – Joshua 3:7

As the Soles of the Priest Rest in the Waters of Jordan
And thou shalt command the priests that bear the ark of the covenant, saying, When ye are come to the brink of the water of Jordan, ye shall stand still in Jordan. And Joshua said unto the children of Israel, Come hither, and hear the words of the LORD your God. And Joshua said, Hereby ye shall know that the living God is among you, and that he will without fail drive out from before you the Canaanites, and the Hittites, and the Hivites, and the Perizzites, and the Girgashites, and the Amorites, and the Jebusites. Behold, the ark of the covenant of the Lord of all the earth passeth over before you into Jordan. Now therefore take you twelve men out of the tribes of Israel, out of every tribe a man. And it shall come to pass, as soon as the soles of the feet of the priests that bear the ark of the LORD, the Lord of all the earth, shall rest in the waters of Jordan, that the waters of Jordan shall be cut off from the waters that come down from above; and they shall stand upon an heap. – Joshua‬ ‭3‬:‭8‬-‭13‬ ‭

The Priests that Bare the Ark Stood Firm on Dry Ground
And it came to pass, when the people removed from their tents, to pass over Jordan, and the priests bearing the ark of the covenant before the people; and as they that bare the ark were come unto Jordan, and the feet of the priests that bare the ark were dipped in the brim of the water, (for Jordan overfloweth all his banks all the time of harvest,) that the waters which came down from above stood and rose up upon an heap very far from the city Adam, that is beside Zaretan: and those that came down toward the sea of the plain, even the salt sea, failed, and were cut off: and the people passed over right against Jericho. And the priests that bare the ark of the covenant of the LORD stood firm on dry ground in the midst of Jordan, and all the Israelites passed over on dry ground, until all the people were passed clean over Jordan. – Joshua‬ ‭3‬:‭14‬-‭17‬ ‭

Day 61 – A Year in the Bible – Deuteronomy 32-34

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DEUTERONOMY 32 – CONSIDER YOUR LATTER END

Give Ear, O Ye Heavens, and I Will Speak
Give ear, O ye heavens, and I will speak; And hear, O earth, the words of my mouth. My doctrine shall drop as the rain, My speech shall distil as the dew, As the small rain upon the tender herb, And as the showers upon the grass: – Deuteronomy‬ ‭32:1-2

His Work in Me is Perfect
Because I will publish the name of the LORD: ascribe ye greatness unto our God. He is the Rock, his work is perfect: for all his ways are judgment: a God of truth and without iniquity, just and right is he.- Deuteronomy 32:3-4

Consider Your Latter End
For they [Israel] are a nation void of counsel, neither is there any understanding in them. O that they were wise, that they understood this, that they would consider their latter end! – Deuteronomy 32:28-29

Consider Your latter end. Consider your eternity!!!

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DEUTERONOMY 33 – BLESSINGS

This is the Blessing
And this is the blessing, wherewith Moses the man of God blessed the children of Israel before his death. – Deuteronomy‬ ‭33:1‬

Sit and Receive
Yea, he loved the people; all his saints are in thy hand: and they sat down at thy feet; every one shall receive of thy words. – Deuteronomy 33:3

To me, this is a beautiful picture of God and His children. He loves His children and cares for them, provides for them. His children sit at His feet, listen to His Words, and receive all they need. Doesn’t that remind you of Mary, who sat at Jesus’ feet listening to Him talk while her sister Martha cooked and cleaned? Martha complained that Mary wasn’t helping. And what did Jesus say of Mary? He said She has chosen the good part.

Now it came to pass, as they went, that he entered into a certain village: and a certain woman named Martha received him into her house. And she had a sister called Mary, which also sat at Jesus’ feet, and her his word. But Martha was cumbered about much serving, and came to him, and said, Lord, dost thou not care that my sister hath left me to serve alone? Bid her therefore that she help me. And Jesus answered and said unto her, Martha, Martha, thou are careful and troubled about many things: But one thing is needful: and Mary hath chosen that good part, which shall not be taken away from her. – Luke 10:38-42

God still wants us to choose to sit down at His feet and receive from His Words. God still wants us to choose Him and those things He wants to share with us above all the cares of this world. Why? Because:

It is the spirit that quickeneth; the flesh profiteth nothing: the words that I speak unto you, they are spirit, and they are life. – John 6:63

For the word of God is quick, and powerful, and sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing even to the dividing asunder of soul and spirit, and of the joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart. – Hebrews 4:12

But he answered and said, It is written, Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceedeth out of the mouth of God. – Matthew 4:4

Every One Shall Receive of Thy Words
And he said, The LORD came from Sinai, And rose up from Seir unto them; He shined forth from mount Paran, And he came with ten thousands of saints: From his right hand went a fiery law for them. Yea, he loved the people; All his saints are in thy hand: And they sat down at thy feet; Every one shall receive of thy words. Moses commanded us a law, Even the inheritance of the congregation of Jacob. And he was king in Jeshurun, When the heads of the people And the tribes of Israel were gathered together. – Deuteronomy‬ ‭33:2-5‬

Reuben
Let Reuben live, and not die; And let not his men be few. – Deuteronomy‬ ‭33:6‬

Judah
And this is the blessing of Judah: and he said, Hear, LORD, the voice of Judah, And bring him unto his people: Let his hands be sufficient for him; And be thou an help to him from his enemies. – Deuteronomy‬ ‭33:7‬ ‭

Levi
And of Levi he said, Let thy Thummim and thy Urim be with thy holy one, Whom thou didst prove at Massah, And with whom thou didst strive at the waters of Meribah; Who said unto his father and to his mother, I have not seen him; Neither did he acknowledge his brethren, Nor knew his own children: For they have observed thy word, And kept thy covenant. They shall teach Jacob thy judgments, And Israel thy law: They shall put incense before thee, And whole burnt sacrifice upon thine altar. Bless, LORD, his substance, And accept the work of his hands: Smite through the loins of them that rise against him, And of them that hate him, that they rise not again. – Deuteronomy‬ ‭33:8-11‬ ‭

Benjamin
And of Benjamin he said, The beloved of the LORD shall dwell in safety by him; And the LORD shall cover him all the day long, And he shall dwell between his shoulders. – Deuteronomy‬ ‭33:12‬ ‭

Joseph
And of Joseph he said, Blessed of the LORD be his land, For the precious things of heaven, for the dew, And for the deep that coucheth beneath, And for the precious fruits brought forth by the sun, And for the precious things put forth by the moon, And for the chief things of the ancient mountains, And for the precious things of the lasting hills, And for the precious things of the earth and fulness thereof, And for the good will of him that dwelt in the bush: Let the blessing come upon the head of Joseph, And upon the top of the head of him that was separated from his brethren. His glory is like the firstling of his bullock, And his horns are like the horns of unicorns: With them he shall push the people together to the ends of the earth: And they are the ten thousands of Ephraim, And they are the thousands of Manasseh. – Deuteronomy‬ ‭33:13-17

Zebulun and Issachar
And of Zebulun he said, Rejoice, Zebulun, in thy going out; And, Issachar, in thy tents. They shall call the people unto the mountain; There they shall offer sacrifices of righteousness: For they shall suck of the abundance of the seas, And of treasures hid in the sand. – Deuteronomy‬ ‭33:18-19‬ ‭

Gad
And of Gad he said, Blessed be he that enlargeth Gad: He dwelleth as a lion, And teareth the arm with the crown of the head. And he provided the first part for himself, Because there, in a portion of the lawgiver, was he seated; And he came with the heads of the people, He executed the justice of the LORD, And his judgments with Israel.– Deuteronomy‬ ‭33:20-21

Dan
And of Dan he said, Dan is a lion’s whelp: He shall leap from Bashan. – Deuteronomy‬ ‭33:22‬

Naphtali
And of Naphtali he said, O Naphtali, satisfied with favour, And full with the blessing of the LORD: Possess thou the west and the south. – Deuteronomy‬ ‭33:23‬

Asher
And of Asher he said, Let Asher be blessed with children; Let him be acceptable to his brethren, And let him dip his foot in oil. Thy shoes shall be iron and brass; And as thy days, so shall thy strength be. – Deuteronomy‬ ‭33:24-25‬ ‭

O Israel: Who is Like Unto Thee
There is none like unto the God of Jeshurun, Who rideth upon the heaven in thy help, And in his excellency on the sky. The eternal God is thy refuge, And underneath are the everlasting arms: And he shall thrust out the enemy from before thee; And shall say, Destroy them. Israel then shall dwell in safety alone: The fountain of Jacob Shall be upon a land of corn and wine; Also his heavens shall drop down dew. Happy art thou, O Israel: Who is like unto thee, O people saved by the LORD, The shield of thy help, And who is the sword of thy excellency! And thine enemies shall be found liars unto thee; And thou shalt tread upon their high places. – Deuteronomy‬ ‭33:26-29‬

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DEUTERONOMY 34 – MOSES WHOM THE LORD KNEW FACE TO FACE

This is the Land Which I Sware Unto Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob
And the LORD said unto him, This is the land which I sware unto Abraham, unto Isaac, and unto Jacob, saying, I will give it unto thy seed: I have caused thee to see it with thine eyes, but thou shalt not go over thither. – Deuteronomy‬ ‭34:4

His Eye was Not Dim
And Moses was an hundred and twenty years old when he died: his eye was not dim, nor his natural force abated. – Deuteronomy‬ ‭34:7‬

A Prophet Whom the LORD Knew Face to Face
And there arose not a prophet since in Israel like unto Moses, whom the LORD knew face to face, – Deuteronomy‬ ‭34:10‬

Day 60 – A Year in the Bible – Deuteronomy 29-31

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DEUTERONOMY 29 – THAT THOU SHOULDEST ENTER INTO COVENANT

The LORD Hath Not Given You an Heart to Perceive
And Moses called unto all Israel, and said unto them, Ye have seen all that the LORD did before your eyes in the land of Egypt unto Pharaoh, and unto all his servants, and unto all his land; the great temptations which thine eyes have seen, the signs, and those great miracles: yet the LORD hath not given you an heart to perceive, and eyes to see, and ears to hear, unto this day. – Deuteronomy‬ ‭29:1-4‬ ‭

Ye Stand Before the LORD that Thou Shouldest Enter Into Covenant
Ye stand this day all of you before the LORD your God; your captains of your tribes, your elders, and your officers, with all the men of Israel, your little ones, your wives, and thy stranger that is in thy camp, from the hewer of thy wood unto the drawer of thy water: that thou shouldest enter into covenant with the LORD thy God, and into his oath, which the LORD thy God maketh with thee this day: that he may establish thee to day for a people unto himself, and that he may be unto thee a God, as he hath said unto thee, and as he hath sworn unto thy fathers, to Abraham, to Isaac, and to Jacob. – Deuteronomy‬ ‭29:10-13‬ ‭

Those Things Revealed Belong Unto Us and Our Children Forever
The secret things belong unto the LORD our God: but those things which are revealed belong unto us and to our children for ever, that we may do all the words of this law. – Deuteronomy‬ ‭29:29‬

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DEUTERONOMY 30 – CHOOSE LIFE

I Have Set Before Thee Life and Good and Death and Evil
See, I have set before thee this day life and good, and death and evil; in that I command thee this day to love the LORD thy God, to walk in his ways, and to keep his commandments and his statutes and his judgments, that thou mayest live and multiply: and the LORD thy God shall bless thee in the land whither thou goest to possess it. But if thine heart turn away, so that thou wilt not hear, but shalt be drawn away, and worship other gods, and serve them; I denounce unto you this day, that ye shall surely perish, and that ye shall not prolong your days upon the land, whither thou passest over Jordan to go to possess it. – Deuteronomy‬ ‭30:15-18‬ ‭

Therefore Choose Life
I call heaven and earth to record this day against you, that I have set before you life and death, blessing and cursing: therefore choose life, that both thou and thy seed may live: that thou mayest love the LORD thy God, and that thou mayest obey his voice, and that thou mayest cleave unto him: for he is thy life, and the length of thy days: that thou mayest dwell in the land which the LORD sware unto thy fathers, to Abraham, to Isaac, and to Jacob, to give them. – Deuteronomy‬ ‭30:19-20‬ ‭

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DEUTERONOMY 31 – THAT THIS SONG MAY BE A WITNESS

Be Strong and of Good Courage
And Moses called unto Joshua, and said unto him in the sight of all Israel, Be strong and of a good courage: for thou must go with this people unto the land which the LORD hath sworn unto their fathers to give them; and thou shalt cause them to inherit it. And the LORD, he it is that doth go before thee; he will be with thee, he will not fail thee, neither forsake thee: fear not, neither be dismayed. – Deuteronomy‬ ‭31:7-8‬‬

Write Ye This Song That This Song May Be a Witness
And the LORD said unto Moses, Behold, thou shalt sleep with thy fathers; and this people will rise up, and go a whoring after the gods of the strangers of the land, whither they go to be among them, and will forsake me, and break my covenant which I have made with them. Then my anger shall be kindled against them in that day, and I will forsake them, and I will hide my face from them, and they shall be devoured, and many evils and troubles shall befall them; so that they will say in that day, Are not these evils come upon us, because our God is not among us? And I will surely hide my face in that day for all the evils which they shall have wrought, in that they are turned unto other gods. Now therefore write ye this song for you, and teach it the children of Israel: put it in their mouths, that this song may be a witness for me against the children of Israel. – Deuteronomy‬ ‭31:16-19‬