In a way, we're all going to miss Joshua. He
is one of the most "sterling" followers of God in the Old Testament.
Of course God has only given us a little information about Joshua, so he looks
a little one-dimensional, but we will have all eternity to get to know him.
This chapter will show us something of his heart. This morning I was reading
about Jesus saying, whoever would be great among you must be your servant, and whoever would be first
among you must be your slave (Matt.
20:26-27). So…Joshua 24:29 says that Joshua was a great man.
Another reason we will miss Joshua is that
Judges introduces us to the power of sin in Israel.
Joshua 24
Vs. 1-5 The focus here is on the covenant to
Abraham and how it flowed through Abe to Isaac and to Esau and Jacob. Moses
became the continuation of the promise to Abraham.
V. 1 This location had a lot of significance.
Shechem was where God met with Abraham and promised his descendants the land.
If you do a word search, you'll find this place mentioned often. Now, neither
you nor I would know this, if not for helps like the Bible Knowledge
Commentary, but Shechem is between Mt. Ebal and Mt. Gerizim, from Joshua
8:30-35. This is where Joshua set up the stones upon which he wrote the law.
The people were on the mountains opposite each other pronouncing the blessing
and the curses involved with obeying or disobeying God's law. So, this is a
pretty important place.
Note also that it says they presented
themselves before God. This was to be a renewal of the covenant.
V. 2 It is interesting that Joshua speaks in
the 1st person as God, or it is God speaking though him.
Note that God refers back to Abraham's
father, Terah, that those men served other gods. Noah was still alive during
this time. Noah didn't serve other gods, but sin in man creates an incredible
impulse in man to stray from God. Rebellion in us because of the power of sin
is almost irresistible. I think Abe was chosen because he learned from Noah
(Abe might have known Noah or Noah’s son Shem). We wonder why Abraham was
different than his father and his culture. I'd bet it was because of his
association with a man like Noah or Shem who didn't worship other gods, but
rather the true God. It's interesting to think of that possible connection
between Noah, Shem and Abe in terms of discipleship. The mission of redemption
was kept alive in the heart of this one disciple.
Vs. 6-13 All of these references to God's
protection also reflect the inability of the false gods to stand against God.
These peoples, particularly Egypt, were known for their gods. Balaam's inability
to work against Israel, again, shows that Israel's God is the only God, and
He's for them.
In giving Israel what it didn't build or
plant, there is not only a reference to blessing, but also a reference to God's
judgment of the Canaanites. Their worship before God was sick and their culture
was terminal. The Canaanites lost everything because of their sin. Now it
belonged to Israel. Notice v. 22 in today’s reading of Proverbs.
Vs. 14-15 This seems pretty strong and you
notice that Joshua is pushing them to a point of commitment. It seems to me,
that Israel was already straying and he knew it. The last part of v. 15 would
make a good wall plaque and song.
Vs. 16-18 Notice the interaction between
Joshua and the people. The people seem committed and emotional in their
acknowledgement of God's help and power in all they have experienced. They
declare that they too will serve the Lord.
Vs. 19-20 Joshua was not to be swayed by
their emotion. We read that God is a jealous God, but we cannot emotionally enter
into the idea of Him being jealous. Jealousy is an awesome emotion that brings
everything to a standstill. Just as "a little unfaithfulness" would
destroy most marriages, God's blessing would halt if they were unfaithful. In
fact, God would work to take away the good He had given them. In our day and
age, we don't think this applies to us in the church, but I think we will have
a rude awakening when the Lord helps us understand the influence our culture
and society has had on His church and His followers.
Vs. 21-22 It is interesting that the people
are insistent and call their own words to witness against themselves.
V. 23 I think both Joshua and God are telling
the people to investigate their lives closer. Apparently there were already
idols among them. Whatever it was, it must have been semi-secret or revolved
around some gray area. The people had no problem moving against 2.5 tribes when
the issues seemed clear-cut. And, Joshua doesn't seem like the kind of guy to
sit still if there was open, blatant idolatry. But something was going on and
the root of infection and destruction was already there.
V. 24 And the people were not able to grasp
what he was saying. Maybe they were in denial. In any case they are saying they
are true to the Lord.
Vs. 25-28 The covenant in v. 25 is followed very strongly by Joshua setting up a
monument and writing out the details of this meeting and covenant. Sadly,
Joshua was right.
We never think of idols and worshipping
falsely today, especially in the church. Paul accused the Corinthians of
idolatry in 1 Corinthians 10, and Paul redefined covetousness as idolatry in
Ephesians 5. Israel gathered pretty looking stuff, some of which was used in
foreign worship before they acquired it. Maybe they kept the precious figurines
saying there was no God but Yahweh. It was simply art of value. I wonder if
that stuff began to entice them. I wonder if the stuff that we have has taken
such importance in our lives, that without realizing it, we are no longer
devoted to Christ.
I was reading this morning where Jesus says, whoever loves father and mother, …son or
daughter more than Me, is not worthy of Me. I wonder if we have lost our
affection for Him and we don't realize it.
Vs. 29-33 The book of Joshua ends with three
burials. Sounds like a movie, "A Covenant and Three Burials." It is
interesting that they mention the burial of the bones of Joseph. The land was
Israel's so now it was time to bury them. I wonder, since they were buried at
Shechem, if Joshua did this at the end of that ceremony.
V. 29 Notice that Joshua is called the servant of the Lord, and in v. 31
his legacy is that Israel served the Lord.
Joshua's influence was great. This sounds like what the Lord has asked us to
do. We become disciples of Jesus whose legacy is that we make disciples who
follow Jesus and make disciples.
Luke 21:1-28
Vs. 1-4 There is an interesting connection
between this event and what Jesus has been saying. Jesus has just condemned the
rich scribes and now He is contrasting them to this simple, but fully devout,
woman. The fact that Luke was a missionary who traveled with Paul adds to the
impact of this story. Jesus' disciples were told to give everything in order to
work in the harvest.
Vs. 5-10 Up to v. 10 the two signs given,
false Messiahs and wars, will come before the destruction of the temple and
Jerusalem in 70 A.D. and before Jesus returns at the end of the Tribulation.
Interestingly, in talking about the Tribulation alone, it never talks about
that temple being destroyed. Since there is no temple today in Jerusalem it
means it would have to be rebuilt, but that could happen easily during the
first 3.5 years of the Tribulation when there is a peace treaty with Israel.
The temple needs no electricity, plumbing or windows, and the foundation is
already there. I'll bet "Extreme Makeover: Temple Edition" could put
it up in a week.
Vs. 11-19 These verses seem to be more
focused on the future Tribulation of Israel. Much of what is said here, the
disciples have heard before when Jesus sent out the Twelve. The same things
will be true for His future disciples during those seven years on earth.
Vs. 13-15 Jesus is telling them to expect
that God will use His sovereignty to put His followers into positions where
they will give testimony. The Spirit will speak through them. Then, some might
remain on earth, but probably most will appear in the presence of God, honored
and safe.
V. 18 To understand this, read what Paul says
just before his death in 2 Timothy 4:18. Paul speaks of rescue, meaning the
rescue of leaving his body and appearing before the Lord in heaven.
V. 19 The call for endurance, in my thinking, means "salvation" from the
fear and emotional terror of those times. See 1 Timothy 4:16.
Vs. 20-24 This description was as valid for
the past onslaught of the Romans on the temple and Jerusalem, as it is valid
for the future persecution of the Jews at the midway point of the Tribulation.
Vs. 25-28 Of course this time won't be all
fun and games and killing God's people.
V. 25 This seems to describe the first 3.5
years of the Tribulation. The universe will be out of whack and it will show on
the earth, especially in the oceans. These disasters will create mass terror
and fear (and probably ruin a lot of good vacation spots), but not for those
who understand that it is all exactly as God has planned. In essence, the
planet will become much more primitive as the world tries to deal with
unprecedented natural disasters. This will make it easier for God's people and
followers to hide during the second half of the Tribulation. There will still
be destruction in the final 3.5 years of the Tribulation, but most of the
destruction in the first 3.5 years will be called down on the earth by the two
witnesses who will be like Moses and Aaron in Egypt.
V. 27 However this is to happen, it will be a
world event and visible to all. Everyone will be commenting on that sign in the
heavens and everyone around Jerusalem will be talking about those strange
clouds.
V. 28 Those followers of Christ will be
weighed down, working undercover and praying. But like Jesus in those last
challenges by the Pharisees, these disciples will have boldness to risk
everything to bring one more disciple into the kingdom. For us in the harvest,
now is the time to cut loose and go for it.
Psalm 89:38-52
The psalmist is asking God to look down and
have mercy on David.
Vs. 38-45 Notice the word You. For a time, David had to leave
Jerusalem. He and his kingdom were in ruins. God was letting this happen to
David as punishment for his taking of Bathsheba and his murder of Uriah.
Vs. 46-48 David's sin had been years earlier.
The guilt and the sin still hounded David. David's family had been ruined; his
conscience was damaged; and now Absalom was dishonoring his father's wives and
throne.
Vs. 49-52 Once again, God's steadfast love and faithfulness are appealed to. Verse 51 could be referring to how
David was mocked and humiliated by Shimei when He fled from Jerusalem. If
you're interested, read 2 Samuel 16:5-23 and you'll get the sense of what is
being said here.
Proverbs 13:20-23
For the first three verses I'd just say,
"Amen, amen and amen!" But, then you have v. 23. Maybe it is somehow
saying that the byproduct of having the righteous in the land is that they
protect the poor from injustice. In a land of righteous people, the poor would
have plenty.
If you’re reading along and don’t have a One Year
Bible, click on this link http://www.esvbible.org/devotions/every-day-in-the-word/. If that doesn't
work, go to http://www.esvbible.org/devotions/
and click on “Every
Day in the Word.”
I'm writing these comments to and for those who are
following a One Year Bible and interested in growing deeper as a disciple,
following Jesus in the harvest. My hope is to see the growth of a discipleship
culture in the church. Groups of 3-4 disciples, meeting weekly, encouraging
each other to follow Christ and work to reach out and make disciples who make
disciples. The Bible itself is the most universal manual we have and key to our
growth and service in Christ. Nothing keeps us more focused on why we are here
or what we are to be doing. My comments are only meant to provide some
explanation of the events or to show the flow of God's plan of redemption. My
comments are in no way exhaustive, but are designed to keep us focused on
Christ and our role in His harvest. My hope is that the people in these groups
will grow in Christ and be willing, after a year, to find 3 others to meet with
and encourage in their growth as disciples, disciples making disciples in the
harvest.
If you would like a complete description of this model
of being and making disciples you can find it in my book: Simply
Disciples*Making Disciples. http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B011WJIDQA?*Version*=1&*entries*=0
If you would like a more descriptive commentary that is
still readable and concise, I'd recommend the Bible Knowledge Commentary. It's
keyed to the NIV, so the result is the commentators are constantly telling you
what the Greek or Hebrew is. That never hurts.
I am not endorsing any particular One Year Bible; in
fact, I read something you don't, die revidierte Lutherbibel 1984.
Anyone reading along with us is welcome to do so and is
encouraged to take their own notes and make their own observations. If the
comments made do not agree with your particular tradition or understanding,
that's OK. Nothing I've written is meant to criticize any point of view, but
only to express the truth of what God has written to us, as I understand it.
Send comments or feedback to dgkachikis@gmail.com.
If you would like documents containing an entire month
of the Reading Notes, go to https://sites.google.com/site/dlkachikis/reading-notes. You can download
these to use on your computer or to print.
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