Category: Joshua

Indecisive Israel #9

Thursday, September 14, 2017

“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 24:14,15 KJV).

Whom shall Israel follow? (It depends on their circumstances!)

In Judges chapter 10, Israel begs JEHOVAH God for deliverance from her enemies. Yet, unlike previous times, He refuses. She has worshipped more and more idols. He thus replies: “…and ye cried to me, and I delivered you out of their hand. Yet ye have forsaken me, and served other gods: wherefore I will deliver you no more. Go and cry unto the gods which ye have chosen; let them deliver you in the time of your tribulation” (verses 12-14). Notice the contrasting of “I” and “them.” Did Israel’s idols rescue her from her enemies? No! The LORD God did. Her silly idols were useless in her time of need! The nation Israel recognizes those deities cannot help her even now.

“[15] And the children of Israel said unto the LORD, We have sinned: do thou unto us whatsoever seemeth good unto thee; deliver us only, we pray thee, this day. [16] And they put away the strange gods from among them, and served the LORD: and his soul was grieved for the misery of Israel.” Verse 17 says the children of Ammon are advancing to fight against Israel. Will God send a deliverer?

JEHOVAH God raises Jephthah, rescuing Israel from the children of Ammon, Jephthah reigning six years (11:1–12:7). Ibzon judges Israel seven years (12:8-10). Elon judges Israel 10 years (12:11,12). Abdon judges Israel eight years (12:13-15). Once Abdon dies, the sixth and final cycle commences. Israel, while apostatizing and reforming over the centuries up to this point in Judges, is declining overall. Having disregarded Joshua’s parting instructions to her, she is very far from today’s Scripture….

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Indecisive Israel #8

Wednesday, September 13, 2017

“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 24:14,15 KJV).

Whom shall Israel follow? (It depends on their circumstances!)

Gideon the Judge dies, leaving an idol for Israel to worship. His son Abimelech usurps leadership, and reigns three years (Judges 9:1-57). With Abimelech’s death, Tola judges Israel 23 years (10:1,2). Jair judges Israel 22 years (10:3-5). With Jair’s demise, Israel apostatizes even more! The fifth cycle begins.

Chapter 10, verse 6, says: “And the children of Israel did evil again in the sight of the LORD, and served Baalim, and Ashtaroth, and the gods of Syria, and the gods of Zidon, and the gods of Moab, and the gods of the children of Ammon, and the gods of the Philistines, and forsook the LORD, and served not him.” Friends, there is unparalleled idolatry in Israel now. She has multiplied idols beyond belief!

God brings in the Philistines and the children of Ammon to oppress Israel 18 years (verses 7-9). We keep reading: “[10] And the children of Israel cried unto the LORD, saying, We have sinned against thee, both because we have forsaken our God, and also served Baalim. [11] And the LORD said unto the children of Israel, Did not I deliver you from the Egyptians, and from the Amorites, from the children of Ammon, and from the Philistines? [12] The Zidonians also, and the Amalekites, and the Maonites, did oppress you; and ye cried to me, and I delivered you out of their hand. [13] Yet ye have forsaken me, and served other gods: wherefore I will deliver you no more. [14] Go and cry unto the gods which ye have chosen; let them deliver you in the time of your tribulation.”

Let us see what Israel will do now….

 

Indecisive Israel #7

Tuesday, September 12, 2017

“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 24:14,15 KJV).

Whom shall Israel follow? (It depends on their circumstances!)

The fourth cycle starts after Deborah’s demise. Israel does evil in the sight of the LORD again, so He causes the Midianites to dominate her seven years. Israel cries for help, and JEHOVAH God sends a prophet to them: “[8] Thus saith the LORD God of Israel, I brought you up from Egypt, and brought you forth out of the house of bondage; [9] 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; [10] 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 chapter 6).

God pities Israel. Raising up a prophet and judge, Gideon, He gives them an amazing military victory over the Midianites. Israel’s land rests 40 years. (Judges 6:1–8:32) Nevertheless….

Chapter 8 reports: “[27] And Gideon made an ephod [image/idol] thereof, and put it in his city, even in Ophrah: and all Israel went thither a whoring after it: which thing became a snare unto Gideon, and to his house…. [33] 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 Baalberith their god. [34] 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:….”

Surprisingly, dear friends, Israel will grow even worse….

Indecisive Israel #6

Sunday, September 10, 2017

“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 24:14,15 KJV).

Whom shall Israel follow? (It depends on their circumstances!)

Surveying the Book of Judges, we see the following events repeated six times: (1) Israel committing evil by worshipping and serving pagan idols, (2) JEHOVAH God allowing Gentiles to punish and oppress them, (3) Israel crying out to God for help, (4) God sending a judge/delivered/ruler, (5) Israel having peace, (6) the judge dying, and (7) Israel returning to idolatry. One recurrent phrase is, “And the children of Israel did evil in the sight of the LORD” (2:11; 3:7,12; 4:1; 6:1; 10:6; 13:1).

The first cycle begins with Israel doing evil in the sight of the LORD. They intermarry with the Gentiles and serve their idols. God has Chushanrishathaim, king of Mesopotamia, oppress Israel for eight years. The Jews cry to the LORD for help, so he sends a judge, Othniel, to deliver them. Israel has peace 40 years. (Judges 3:5-11)

With Othniel’s death, the second cycle starts. Israel again does evil in the sight of the LORD. God sends Eglon, king of the Moabites, to tyrannize the Jews 18 years. Israel cries for help, God delivers them using Ehud the Judge, and they have rest 80 years. (Judges 3:15-30)

Once Ehud dies, the third cycle commences. Israel again does evil in the sight of the LORD. God brings in Jabin, king of the Canaanites, to “mightily oppress” Israel 20 years. God raises up Deborah the Prophetess and Judge, and gives Israel victory over her enemies. The land of Israel has peace 40 years. (Judges 4:1–5:31)

Notice how Israel’s apostasy originated because of two factors. Firstly, they left their heathen neighbors in their land. Secondly, they intermarried with them!

(We temporarily break away from this devotionals arc to bring a special-edition devotional tomorrow.)

Indecisive Israel #5

Saturday, September 9, 2017

“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 24:14,15 KJV).

Whom shall Israel follow? (It depends on their circumstances!)

During Joshua’s lifetime, Israel failed to dispossess the land of Canaan from all aboriginal pagans (see Joshua 15:63; 16:10; 17:12,13; cf. Judges 1:19,21,27-33). The Israelites, sadly, allowed some heathen and their idols to remain in the land with them! Hence, prior to death, Joshua scolded Israel: “Know for a certainty that the LORD your God will no more drive out any of these nations from before you; but they shall be snares and traps unto you, and scourges in your sides, and thorns in your eyes, until ye perish from off this good land which the LORD your God hath given you” (Joshua 23:13).

After Joshua’s decease, the angel of the LORD told Israel: “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” (Judges 2:3). Verse 21: “I also will not henceforth drive out any from before them of the nations which Joshua left when he died:….”

Joshua 23:6-8 was part of Joshua’s final plea: “[6] 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; [7] 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: [8] But cleave unto the LORD your God, as ye have done unto this day.” Thus explains Israel’s fickle spirituality throughout (subsequent) Judges….

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Indecisive Israel #4

Friday, September 8, 2017

“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 24:14,15 KJV).

Whom shall Israel follow? (It depends on their circumstances!)

After presenting Israel’s decline into Baal and Ashtaroth (idol) worship, Judges chapter 2 continues: “[14] And the anger of the LORD was hot against Israel, and he delivered them into the hands of spoilers that spoiled them, and he sold them into the hands of their enemies round about, so that they could not any longer stand before their enemies. [15] Whithersoever they went out, the hand of the LORD was against them for evil, as the LORD had said, and as the LORD had sworn unto them: and they were greatly distressed.

“[16] Nevertheless the LORD raised up judges, which delivered them out of the hand of those that spoiled them. [17] 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. [18] 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. [19] 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.”

This introduces the rest of Judges… Israel’s repeated falling into idolatry, subsequent rising to reformation, and then apostatizing again….

Indecisive Israel #3

Thursday, September 7, 2017

“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 24:14,15 KJV).

Whom shall Israel follow? (It depends on their circumstances!)

Despite remembering and voicing what the LORD God did for them (delivering them from Egyptian slavery, conquering their enemies, and so on—verses 16-18), Israel had retained their idols! Amazingly, while aged Joshua addressed the Jews for the last time, he had to instruct them to discard their idols and serve JEHOVAH God (cf. today’s Scripture). Verse 23: “Now therefore put away, said he, the strange gods which are among you, and incline your heart unto the LORD God of Israel.” Israel agreed to make a covenant with Joshua to serve the LORD (verses 21-28).

The Book of Judges, chapter 2, picks up: “[8] And Joshua the son of Nun, the servant of the LORD, died, being an hundred and ten years old…. [10] 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. [11] And the children of Israel did evil in the sight of the LORD, and served Baalim: [12] 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. [13] And they forsook the LORD, and served Baal and Ashtaroth.”

How tragic! Once Joshua and his generation die, Israel returns to idols. The older generation failed to faithfully communicate sound Bible doctrine to the younger Israelites. Now begins Israel’s spiritual “rollercoaster ride” in the Book of Judges….

 

Indecisive Israel #2

Wednesday, September 6, 2017

“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 24:14,15 KJV).

Whom shall Israel follow? (It depends on their circumstances!)

“[16] And the people answered and said, God forbid that we should forsake the LORD, to serve other gods; [17] For the LORD our God, he it is that brought us up and our fathers out of the land of Egypt, from the house of bondage, and which did those great signs in our sight, and preserved us in all the way wherein we went, and among all the people through whom we passed: [18] And the LORD drave out from before us all the people, even the Amorites which dwelt in the land: therefore will we also serve the LORD; for he is our God.

“[19] And Joshua said unto the people, Ye cannot serve the LORD: for he is an holy God; he is a jealous God; he will not forgive your transgressions nor your sins. [20] If ye forsake the LORD, and serve strange gods, then he will turn and do you hurt, and consume you, after that he hath done you good. [21] And the people said unto Joshua, Nay; but we will serve the LORD.

“[22] 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. [23] Now therefore put away, said he, the strange gods which are among you, and incline your heart unto the LORD God of Israel. [24] And the people said unto Joshua, The LORD our God will we serve, and his voice will we obey. [25] So Joshua made a covenant with the people that day, and set them a statute and an ordinance in Shechem.”

Israel starts off well, but….

Indecisive Israel #1

Tuesday, September 5, 2017

“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 24:14,15 KJV).

Whom shall Israel follow? (It depends on their circumstances!)

Many years ago, a friend bought a couch from a local furniture dealer. A leg had broken off the couch within a week! She vowed to never buy from that store again. Several years later, she went to the same store building (the same owners, just a different franchise name). Thinking the passage of time and name change made a difference in products, my friend purchased a reduced mattress set. When the deliverymen came to her house, the mattress had raveling (stringy) edges! She wanted a replacement. When they returned with the substitute, the box springs unit was one color and the mattress itself was another color! She phoned the store and demanded a full refund, telling them all about her bad experience at their store years previous.

Touching spiritual or religious things, vacillation is very hazardous. If something is true and reliable, we need to stick with it and never let it go. However, if it proves to be untrue and faulty, we should abandon it forever. It is unwise to waffle between the choices—“Yes, I will follow it” and “No, I will not.” In today’s Scripture, part of Joshua’s final address to Israel, he shows that there are two ways to go now that they are in the Promised Land. Firstly, they can serve JEHOVAH God, who delivered them out of the land of Egypt so they could do His will in His land. Secondly, they can serve all the idols of their pagan ancestors and heathen neighbors. Whatever they do, they cannot follow both religious systems.

Let us see what Israel does….

In Caleb’s Heart

Monday, May 8, 2017

“Forty years old was I when Moses the servant of the LORD sent me from Kadeshbarnea to espy out the land; and I brought him word again as it was in mine heart” (Joshua 14:7 KJV).

What was really in Caleb’s heart?

Anyone familiar with Scripture knows of the 12 spies whom Moses sent to scout the Promised Land. The most well-known reconnoiterers were Joshua (Oshea/Jehoshua) and Caleb—the only two with favorable reports. See Numbers chapter 13 for details. Notice the highlights: “[30] And Caleb stilled the people before Moses, and said, Let us go up at once, and possess it; for we are well able to overcome it. [31] But the men that went up with him said, We be not able to go up against the people; for they are stronger than we.”

Originally, God had told Moses in verse 2: “Send thou men, that they may search the land of Canaan, which I give unto the children of Israel….” Here, and other places, God promised to give Israel the land of Canaan. There was no question that Israel could defeat the gigantic inhabitants: God would give them the victory. Alas, 10 spies discouraged Israel—“Those living in Canaan are just too big for us to overcome!” (In other words, they caused Israel to doubt God’s promise!)

As chapter 14 goes on to say, Israel spent the next 40 years wandering in the wilderness, until that evil, unbelieving generation of Jews died off. All those aged 20 and over perished, never entering the Promised Land (verse 29)—the two exceptions were Joshua and Caleb (verse 30). God comments in verse 24: “But my servant Caleb, because he had another spirit with him, and hath followed me fully, him will I bring into the land whereinto he went; and his seed shall possess it.”

Today’s Scripture is Caleb speaking, now age 85 (verse 10). What was in Caleb’s heart? Why, compare Scripture with Scripture! It was faith in God’s promise that He would give Israel the Promised Land. Caleb indeed went in, fought for, and received his inheritance in the land he knew God had given him and Israel (verses 11-15)! “…Thou hast wholly followed the LORD my God” (verse 9).

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