Joshua 9
Kings of west organize to fight Joshuaverses 1-2
And it came to pass – when all the kings which were on this side Jordan
in the hills – valleys – in all the coasts of the great sea over
against Lebanon – the Hittites – Amorite – Canaanite
Perizzite – Hivite – Jebusite – heard thereof
That they gathered themselves together
to fight with Joshua and with Israel – with ONE ACCORD
Gibeonites deceive Israelitesverses 3-6
And when the inhabitants of Gibeon heard what Joshua had done to
Jericho and to Ai
They did work wilily – and went and made as if they had been ambassadors
and took old sacks on their asses – and wine bottles – old and rent
and bound up – and old shoes and clouted on their feet
and old garments upon them
and all the bread of their provision
was dry and moldy
And they went to Joshua to the camp at Gilgal
and said to him and to the men of Israel
We be come from a FAR country
now therefore make you a LEAGUE with us
Israelites question Gibeonitesverses 7-8
And the men of Israel said to the Hivites
Peradventure you dwell among us
and how shall we make a LEAGUE with you?
And they said to Joshua
We are your servants
And Joshua said to them
Who are you? and from whence come you?
Gibeonites lie to Joshuaverses 9-13
And they said to him
From a very FAR country thy servants are come
BECAUSE of the name of the LORD your God
FOR we have heard the fame of HIM
and all that HE did in Egypt
and all that HE did to the two kings of the Amorites
that were beyond Jordan – to Sihon – king of Heshbon
and to Og – king of Bashan
which was at Ashtaroth
Wherefore our elders and all the inhabitants of our country
spoke to us – saying
Take victuals with you for the journey – and go to meet them
and say to them – We are your servants
therefore now make you a LEAGUE with us
This our bread we took hot for our provision out of our houses on the day
we came forth to go to you – BUT- now
behold it is dry and it is moldy
and these bottles of wine which we filled were new
and – behold – they be rent
and these our garments and our shoes are become
old by reason of the very long journey
Israelites don’t consult the LORDverse 14
And the men took of their victual
AND ASKED NOT COUNSEL AT THE
MOUTH OF THE LORD
Joshua makes a treaty with Gibeonitesverse 15
And Joshua made PEACE with them
and made a LEAGUE with them
to let them live
and the princes of the congregation swore to them
Israelites find out the truth three days laterverses 16-18
And it came to pass at the end of three days
after they had made a LEAGUE with them
that they heard that they were their neighbors
and that they dwelt among them
and the children of Israel journeyed
and came unto their cities on the third day
Now their cities were Gibeon – Chephirah – Beeroth
Kirjath-jearim and the children of Israel smote them not
BECAUSE the princes of the congregation had sworn
to them by the LORD God of Israel
And all the congregation MURMURED against the princes
Leaders say they must honor their treatyverses 19-21
BUT all the princes said to all the congregation
We have sworn to them by the LORD God of Israel
now therefore we may not TOUCH them
This we will do to them – we will even let them live
LEST wrath be on us – BECAUSE of the oath
which we swore to them
And the princes said to them
Let them live – BUT let them be hewers of wood and
drawers of water to all the congregation
as the princes had promised them
Gibeonites to be servants to the Israelitesverses 22-23
And Joshua called for them – and he spoke to them
saying
Wherefore have you BEGUILED us
saying
We are very far from you
when you dwell among us?
Now therefore you are CURSED
and there shall none of you be freed from being bondmen
and hewers of wood
and drawers of water for the house of my God
Gibeonites give reason for their actionsverses 24-25
And they answered Joshua
and said
BECAUSE it was certainly told your servants
how that the LORD your God commanded HIS servant Moses
to give you all the land – and to destroy all the
inhabitants of the land from before you
THEREFORE we were sore afraid of our lives because of you
and have done this thing
And now behold – were are in your hand
as it seems good and right unto thee to do to us – DO
Joshua protected Gibeonitesverses 26-27
And so did he to them
and delivered them out of the hand of the children of Israel
that they slew them not
And Joshua made them that day hewers of wood and drawers of water
for the congregation – and for the altar of the LORD
even to this day – in the place which HE should choose
COMMENTARY:
DAILY SPIRITUAL BREAKFAST: Young Believers
: 2 That they gathered themselves together, to fight with Joshua and with Israel, with one accord. (3898 “fight” [lacham] means to war, to engage in battle, to come to blows, carry on a fight, come to close quarters, attack, or struggle.)
DEVOTION: Six nations were gathering together against the children of Israel. These nations outnumbered the army of Israel. They had heard of what Joshua and his army had done against the cities of Jericho and Ai.
They were going to combine their armies and try to win a victory against God and HIS people. It was a wrong decision. They were not going to win but they thought they could.
When a group doesn’t understand the power that is available to those who are genuine believers in Jesus Christ they wonder if they can have any victories in this sin filled world.
We have to continually remind ourselves of who we are worshiping each Sunday. We have to realize that we are not a defeated group no matter how large the group is that is against us.
Too often we see all those around us as those who hate the LORD. It is not true of all of them. Some of them are still searching for truth. Others know the truth but don’t want to follow it. Still others are willing to change their behavior to please the LORD if we show them the way.
Never look at all those around you as enemies. Look at some that way but look at others as a mission field that is white unto the harvest. The harvest of souls is not done yet.
Try to reach those who are willing to listen. The majority are walking away from the LORD but there are a few that through your witness and the influence of the Holy Spirit will become followers of the LORD.
The army of the enemy is very large but the POWER of the LORD can defeat any size army that is going against HIS people.
CHALLENGE: Our enemies are real as the LORD told Israel. HE is giving us the same warning. Our enemies should cause us to seek the strength of the LORD each day.
DAILY SPIRITUAL LUNCH: Transitional Believers
: 14 And the men took of their victuals, and asked not counsel at the mouth of the LORD. (6718 “victuals” [tsayid] means venison, provision, food, a supply of something, or sustenance for a journey)
DEVOTION: We are not to walk by sight but by faith. All of time here on this earth should be filled with consulting the LORD regarding any decision we make. Here we find that NO ONE consulted the LORD regarding the people who had come into the camp.
Too often we move ahead without asking the LORD if it is time to move ahead. We think that we know what the LORD wants us to do without having to pray about it. This always causes believers to move in a wrong direction.
The children of Israel looked at their provision and listened to them speak and thought they knew enough to make a good decision. They were wrong. It was the leadership who made the decision without consulting the LORD.
So the people were mad that the elders and Joshua had made an oath to these people. Do we all make quick decisions that we regret later? The answer is YES. We need to learn from this passage that making quick decisions is not the best way to go when we are deciding for a large group of people.
Asking counsel of the LORD is very important in every decision we make. It is especially important when a church makes a decision. We need to memorize this verse for future reference. It will help to so realize that decisions need the wisdom of the LORD at all times.
Are you asking the LORD for wisdom in your decision making process? HE promises to give wisdom to those who ask. Is your church making wise decisions? They need to call for a time of prayer and fasting when there is a major decision to be made.
CHALLENGE: True wisdom only comes for the LORD.
: 20 This we will do to them we will even let them live, lest wrath be on us, because of the oath which we swore to them. (7621 “oath” [shabuw’ah] means a solemn promise, execration, imprecation, swearing truth, attesting of innocence, or friendship.)
DEVOTION: Once we give our word to someone, we should keep it. Here we have an illustration of someone lying to a group or individual, in order to, get their way with the individual or group.
The problem is that there was no checking out of the story that was given to them. They took this group by their word. They looked at their provisions and didn’t wait for a final check of their story.
We need to make sure that we trust people the best we can but we also need to check out what they say to see if it is the truth. We are all capable of lying at any given point in our life. We should ask the LORD’S help to be able to always tell the truth or not say anything at all.
Once we give our word to someone, we should make sure that we keep our word. Here is an instead where the word for given too soon but the obligation was necessary because the word was given. They were not willing to go back on their word.
Now once the word was given, they could not kill them but they could make them serve them for the rest of their lives. That is what they did because they had to keep their promise.
Our word is our bond to most people we call friends. If we give them a promise we need to keep our promise. It is better not to promise than to promise and not keep it. We need to pray before giving a promise to anyone.
The LORD will give us wisdom regarding what we should do if we wait on HIM for answers. So if anyone asks us something that we are not sure of what we should do, we need to tell them that we will pray about it and give them an answer in the near future. Set a time and keep you word.
CHALLENGE: Any promise we give as a believer should be kept. So don’t make any promises lightly.
DAILY SPIRITUAL SUPPER: Mature Believers
: 22 And Joshua called for them, and he spoke to them, saying, Wherefore, have you beguiled us, saying, We are very far from you; when you dwell among us? (7411 “beguiled” [ramah] means deal treacherously with, beguile, to delude, mislead, trick, betray, or deceive)
DEVOTION: Joshua was victorious in two battles now and ready to face more battles. The kings of the west were gathering together to fight with the children of Israel. While this was taking place some people came into the camp and told them they were from a far country.
They asked them questions. They had good answers. They checked their food supply that they said was fresh when they left their homes. It was old and moldy. Everything seemed to be in order.
They wanted the Israelites to make a league or treaty with them. They thought after they had examined them that it would be good to make a treaty with them. They made the treaty.
However, three days later they found out the truth. They had already made a treaty with them. They had forgot the most important thing they were supposed to do before making a final decision: they didn’t consult the LORD. They made a decision on what they were told and what they saw. It was the wrong decision.
Joshua asked them why they deceived them. Their answer was that they didn’t want to be killed. They had the witness of what had happened to all the kings that went against them and they didn’t want to have the same fate. They were willing to be their servants. They were told by Joshua that they would be hewers of wood and drawers of water for the house of the LORD.
We often look at circumstances and make a decision. We see here that Joshua and the princes looked at circumstances and made a decision. The world is full of liars. The world is full of deceivers. Every human being at one time or another has believed another person who was not telling them the truth.
This chapter gives us a key solution to this problem. This key is found in verse fourteen. They didn’t ask God before they made a decision and it cost them. We sometimes make decisions without consulting God and it costs us.
The principle is that if we want to do what is right and good, we need to consult God before we make decisions. The Bible tells us that in the multitude of counselors there is wisdom. Are we consulting God now? Are we close enough to God to consult HIM? Are we keeping short accounts with HIM regarding our daily confession of sin?
The Scripture teaches that we are to pray without ceasing. The world, the flesh and the devil want to deceive us daily but with the LORD’S help we can make good decisions.
The LORD Jesus consulted the Father on a regular basis while HE was here on this earth. IF God the Son talked with God the Father on a regular basis – should not we???
CHALLENGE: Before making decisions pray. If we are going to spend a lot of money we need to go home and pray before this decision. Take the time to consult the LORD!!! It will save many heartaches.
: 27 And Joshua made them that day hewers of wood and drawers of water for the congregation, and for the altar of the LORD, even to this day, in the place which HE should choose. (5712 “congregation” [‘edah] means company, assembly, multitude, gathering, or appointed meeting)
DEVOTION: The children of Israel were divided in their responsibility. There was a leader named Joshua. There were elders that were over each tribe. Finally, there was the general public.
The elders had made a covenant or oath with the Gibeonites. They had looked at their provisions without consulting the LORD and made a promise to them that they would not fight against them.
So, the general public was upset with their leaders for making a covenant. They complained. The elders were going to keep their oath as it was a sin to break an oath. They were deceived.
Many times, the general membership of a church doesn’t agree with the leadership. There can be conflict. However, that conflict should not cause there to be division in the church. That is what the enemy wants in every assembly of the righteous.
There should be a meeting of the minds within a group. This was done when Joshua made the Gibeonites the gathers of wood and drawers of water. The issue needed to be dealt with by the leadership and once it was the rest of the people should agree to work with the solution.
They had not arrived at the chosen place of Jerusalem yet but they were still conquering the land.
However, the statement that their service continued at least to the end of Joshua’s life is a testimony to a resolution of the problem of disobedience to the LORD.
CHALLENGE: Sometimes leadership make foolish decisions without consulting the LORD. It doesn’t mean that there has to be rebellion in the group.
DISCIPLINES OF THE FAITH:
BODY
Chastity (Purity in living)
Fasting (Time alone with LORD without eating or drinking)
Sacrifice (Giving up something we want to serve the LORD)
Submission (Willing to listen to others and LORD)
Solitude (Going to a quiet place without anyone)
SOUL
Fellowship (Gathering together around the Word of God)
Frugality (wise use of resources)
Journalizing (Writing down what you have learned from the LORD)
Study and Meditation (Thinking through your study in the Word)
Secrecy (Doing your good deeds without others knowing but God)
SPIRIT
Celebration (Gathering around a special occasion to worship LORD)
Confession (Tell the LORD we are sorry for our sins on a daily basis)
Prayer (Conversation with God on a personal level)
Silence (Letting the LORD deal with some problems and needs)
Worship (Time to praise the LORD alone or in a group)
Altar of the LORDverse 27
DOCTRINES OF THE FAITH:
Scripture (66 inerrant books of the Bible)
Mosesverse 24
God the Father (First person of the Godhead)
LORD (Jehovah)verses 9, 14, 18, 19, 24, 27
God (Elohim)verses 9, 18, 19, 23, 24
LORD thy Godverses 9, 24
Mouth of the LORDverse 14
LORD God of Israelverses 18, 19
House of my Godverse 23
Altar of the LORDverse 27
God the Son (Second person of the Godhead – God/man, Messiah)
God the Holy Spirit (Third person of the Godhead – our comforter)
Trinity (Three persons of the Godhead who are co-equal = ONE God)
Angels (Created before the foundation of the world – Good and Evil)
Man (Created on the sixth twenty-four hour period of creation)
Hittitesverse 1
Amoriteverses 1, 10
Canaaniteverse 1
Perizziteverse 1
Hiviteverses 1, 7
Jebusiteverse 1
Gibeon (Hivites)verse 3
Did work wility
Ambassadors
Old shoes and things
Far country
Wanted league with Israel
Heard of Egypt
Wanted league with Israel
Israel found out they were near neighbors
Chephirah
Beeroth
Kirjath-jearim
Not touch them
Made them hewers of wood
drawers of water
Bondmen
Egyptverse 9
Ashtarothverse 10
Sihon – king of Heshbon
Og – king of Bashan
Sin (Missing the mark set by God on man and angels)
Fight against Israelverse 2
Wililyverse 4
Lying to Joshuaverse 6
Asked NOT counsel of the LORDverse 14
Making league with enemyverse 15
Murmuredverse 18
Breaking an oathverse 20
Beguiledverse 22
Cursedverse 23
Afraidverse 24
Salvation (Provided by Christ’s death on the cross for our sins)
Counsel at the mouth of the LORDverse 14
Oathverse 20
Servantverse 24
Goodverse 25
Rightverse 25
Israel (Old Testament people of God)
Joshuaverses 2-27
Made peace with Gibeon
Made them workers for the LORD
Israelverse 2
Camp of Gilgalverse 6
Men of Israelverse 7
Princes of the congregationverses 15, 18, 19, 21
Children of Israelverses 17, 18, 26
Afraid because of oathverse 20
Mosesverse 24
Church (New Testament people of God)
Last Things (Future Events)
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QUOTES regarding passage
19 The “oath” was made in the name of the Lord. Consequently, fidelity was owed, not to the Gibeonites, but to the Lord. The form of the oath called on the Lord to punish the Israelites if they failed to keep their agreement (cf. vv.18–20). This explains why Israel felt bound to the treaty even though it had been made under false pretenses (cf. Gen 27:35; Ps 15:4). (Madvig, D. H. (1992). Joshua. In F. E. Gaebelein (Ed.), The Expositor’s Bible Commentary: Deuteronomy, Joshua, Judges, Ruth, 1 & 2 Samuel (Vol. 3, p. 299). Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan Publishing House)
Josh. 9:18. “The Israelites smote them not,” sc., with the edge of the sword, “because the princes of the congregation had sworn to them,” sc., to let them live (v. 15); but, notwithstanding the murmuring of the congregation, they declared that they might not touch them because of their oath. “This (sc., what we have sworn) we will do to them, and let them live (הַחֲיֵה, inf. abs. with special emphasis instead of the finite verb), lest wrath come upon us because of the oath.” Wrath (sc., of God), a judgment such as fell upon Israel in the time of David, because Saul disregarded this oath and sought to destroy the Gibeonites (2 Sam. 21:1ff.).
But how could the elders of Israel consider themselves bound by their oath to grant to the Gibeonites the preservation of life which had been secured to them by the treaty they had made, when the very supposition upon which the treaty was made, viz., that the Gibeonites did not belong to the tribes of Canaan, was proved to be false, and the Gibeonites had studiously deceived them by pretending that they had come from a very distant land? As they had been absolutely forbidden to make any treaties with the Canaanites, it might be supposed that, after the discovery of the deception which had been practiced upon them, the Israelitish rulers would be under no obligation to observe the treaty which they had made with the Gibeonites in full faith in the truth of their word. And no doubt from the stand-point of strict justice this view appears to be a right one. But the princes of Israel shrank back from breaking the oath which, as is emphatically stated in v. 19, they had sworn by Jehovah the God of Israel, not because they assumed, as Hauff supposes, “that an oath simply regarded as an outward and holy transaction had an absolutely binding force,” but because they were afraid of bringing the name of the God of Israel into contempt among the Canaanites, which they would have done if they had broken the oath which they had sworn by this God, and had destroyed the Gibeonites. They were bound to observe the oath which they had once sworn, if only to prevent the sincerity of the God by whom they had sworn from being rendered doubtful in the eyes of the Gibeonites; but they were not justified in taking the oath. They had done this without asking the mouth of Jehovah (v. 14), and thus had sinned against the Lord their God. But they could not repair this fault by breaking the oath which they had thus imprudently taken, i.e., by committing a fresh sin; for the violation of an oath is always sin, even when the oath has been taken inconsiderately, and it is afterwards discovered that what was sworn to was not in accordance with the will of God, and that an observance of the oath will certainly be hurtful (vid., Ps. 15:4). By taking an oath to the ambassadors that they would let the Gibeonites live, the princes of Israel had acted unconsciously in violation of the command of God that they were to destroy the Canaanites. As soon therefore as they discovered their error or their oversight, they were bound to do all in their power to ward off from the congregation the danger which might arise of their being drawn away to idolatry—the very thing which the Lord had intended to avert by giving that command. If this could by any possibility be done without violating their oath, they were bound to do it for the sake of the name of the Lord by which they swore; that is to say, while letting the Gibeonites live, it was their duty to put them in such a position, that they could not possibly seduce the Israelites to idolatry. And this the princes of Israel proposed to do, by granting to the Gibeonites on the one hand the preservation of their lives according to the oath they had taken, and on the other hand by making them slaves of the sanctuary. That they acted rightly in this respect, is evident from the fact that their conduct is never blamed either by the historian or by the history, inasmuch as it is not stated anywhere that the Gibeonites, after being made into temple slaves, held out any inducement to the Israelites to join in idolatrous worship, and still more from the fact, that at a future period God himself reckoned the attempt of Saul to destroy the Gibeonites, in his false zeal for the children of Israel, as an act of blood-guiltiness on the part of the nation of Israel for which expiation must be made (2 Sam. 21:1ff.), and consequently approved of the observance of the oath which had been sworn to them, though without thereby sanctioning the treaty itself. (Keil, C. F., & Delitzsch, F. (1996). Commentary on the Old Testament (Vol. 2, pp. 73–74). Peabody, MA: Hendrickson.)
9:18–19. How provoked the Israelites were when they discovered they had been duped! The people in fact wanted to disregard the treaty and destroy the Gibeonites, but Joshua and his staff said that the enemies’ deception did not nullify the treaty. The agreement was sacred because it had been ratified by an oath in the name of the Lord, the God of Israel (cf. v. 15). To break it would bring down the wrath of God on Israel, a tragedy that later came to pass during David’s reign because Saul disregarded this oath (cf. 2 Sam. 21:1–6). (Campbell, D. K. (1985). Joshua. In J. F. Walvoord & R. B. Zuck (Eds.), The Bible Knowledge Commentary: An Exposition of the Scriptures (Vol. 1, p. 349). Wheaton, IL: Victor Books.)
But that wasn’t the end of the story. Joshua and his associates teach us an important lesson: If you make a mistake, admit it; and then make your mistake work for you! The leaders put the Gibeonites to work hauling water and fuel for the service of the tabernacle, where both water and wood were used in abundance. In later years the Gibeonites were called the Nethinim (“given ones” = given to assist the priests) and labored as servants in the temple (1 Chron. 9:2; Ezra 2:43, 58; Neh. 3:26). In Joshua 10, we shall see that God overruled Joshua’s mistake and used it to give him a signal victory over five kings at one time.
Of course, the Gibeonites would rather submit to humiliating service than be destroyed as were the inhabitants of Jericho and Ai. There’s no evidence in Scripture that the descendants of the Gibeonites created any problems for the Jews. It’s likely that their service in the tabernacle, and later in the temple, influenced them to abandon their idols and worship the God of Israel. The fact that over 500 hundred Nephilim returned to Jerusalem after the Babylonian Captivity (Ezra 2:43–58; 8:20) suggests that they were devoted to the Lord and His house. (Wiersbe, W. W. (1996). Be Strong (pp. 111–112). Wheaton, IL: Victor Books.)
Ver. 19. But all the princes said to all the congregation, &c.] That is, all the princes that went to Gibeon addressed all the Israelites that were there: we have sworn unto them by the Lord God of Israel; by the Word of the Lord God, as the Targum; an oath is a solemn sacred thing, and not to be broken, and a good man will make conscience of it, and keep it, though he has sworn to his own hurt: and now therefore we may not touch them; neither take away their lives nor their substance. (Gill, J. (1810). An Exposition of the Old Testament (Vol. 2, p. 214). London: Mathews and Leigh.)
FROM MY READING:
(Remember the only author that I totally agree with is the HOLY SPIRIT in the inerrant WORD OF GOD called THE BIBLE! All other I try to gleam what I can to help me grow in the LORD!!)
Here are seven reasons Spurgeon longed for heaven, and why you can long for heaven, too.
1. Jesus Christ is there.
“There cannot be heaven without Christ. He is the sum total of bliss; the fountain from which heaven flows, the element of which heaven is composed. Christ is heaven and heaven is Christ.”
“Oh, to think of heaven without Christ! It is the same thing as thinking of hell.”
2. Family and friends are there.
“I believe that heaven is a fellowship of the saints, and that we shall know one another there.”
“We should see so many there we did not expect to see.”
3. Christian heroes are there.
“I reckon on meeting David, whose psalms have so often cheered my soul. I long to meet with Martin Luther and Calvin, and to have the power of seeing such men as Whitefield and Wesley, and walking and talking with them in the golden streets.”
“Heaven has been the beloved theme of God’s sons and will be ’till time shall end.”
4. Perfect holiness is there.
“I must frankly confess that of all my expectations of heaven, I will cheerfully renounce ten thousand things if I can but know that I shall have perfect holiness. . . . If we shall have that, surely we shall have everything.”
5. Safety and security are there.
“The rougher the voyage the more the mariners long for port, and heaven becomes more and more ‘a desired haven,’ as our trials multiply.”
6. Rewards for faithfulness are there.
“There is a crown there which nobody’s head but yours can ever wear. There is a seat in which none but yourself can sit. There is a harp that will be silent till your fingers strike its strings. There is a robe, made for you, which no one else can wear.”
“Heaven at any price is well secured.”
“The head may be crowned with thorny troubles now, but it shall wear a starry crown ere long; thy hand may be filled with cares—it shall sweep the strings of the harp of heaven soon.”
7. Marriage is there.
“In heaven they marry not, but are as the angels of God; yet there is this one marvelous exception to the rule, for in heaven Christ and His Church shall celebrate their joyous nuptials.”
A Final Word
Charles Spurgeon passed away on January 31, 1892, in Menton, France. He was fifty-seven years old.
Like the dying woman Spurgeon comforted, the Prince of Preachers also slipped to sleep one night and opened his eyes in the presence of Christ.
For Spurgeon, the afterlife was not an afterthought. Heaven always occupied his mind.
Neve be afraid to try something new. Remember amateurs built the Ark … professionals built the Titanic.
Revelation 4
John describes an astounding vision of the throne of God in heaven.
INSIGHT
At Christmas our thoughts are on Jesus’ birth, focusing on His humanity. By radical contrast, this Christmas Day we see the throne room of heaven and the surroundings which magnify His deity. In the center is a throne – behind which an emerald-colored rainbow arises. Dignitaries dressed in white robes and gold crowns are seated around the throne. The floor of the massive room is like crystal. Unusual looking creatures constantly give verbal praise to God and the dignitaries form a celestial choir, worshiping and praising God. This is the normal abode of God’s Son. Yet we usually think of Jesus as a child in Bethlehem, a teacher on a hillside, or the One who bore our sins alone on a cross. Revelation balances that picture with a glimpse of Jesus’ majesty and grandeur.
(Quiet Walk)
Who Needs Me?
When you get there, anoint Hazael king over Aram.
1 Kings 19:15
While on a red-eye flight to Washington, DC, opinion writer Arthur Brooks overheard an elderly woman whisper to her husband, “It’s not true that no one needs you anymore.” The man murmured something about wishing he were dead, and his wife replied, “Oh, stop saying that.” When the flight ended, Brooks turned around and immediately recognized the man. He was a world-famous hero. Other passengers shook his hand, and the pilot thanked him for the courage he displayed decades ago. How had this giant sunk into despair?
The prophet Elijah bravely and single-handedly defeated 450 prophets of Baal—or so he thought (1 Kings 18). Yet he hadn’t really done it alone; God was there all along! But later, feeling all alone, he asked God to take his life.
God lifted Elijah’s spirits by bringing him into His presence and giving him new people to serve. He must go and “anoint Hazael king over Aram,” Jehu “king over Israel,” and Elisha “to succeed you as prophet” (19:15-16). Invigorated with renewed purpose, Elijah found and mentored his successor.
Your great victories may lie in the rearview mirror. You may feel your life has peaked, or that it never did. No matter. Look around. The battles may seem smaller, the stakes less profound, but there are still others who need you. Serve them well for Jesus’ sake, and it will count. They’re your purpose—the reason you’re still here.
By Mike Wittmer (Daily Bread)
A PRAYER OF A BACKSLIDER
For I acknowledge my transgressions: and my sin is ever before me.
Psalm 51:3
The fifty-first Psalm is what you might call, if you like, “a prayer of a backslider.” Here we are shown the steps through which a man inevitably passes when he becomes convinced and convicted of his sin.
The first is this: He comes to a knowledge of and an acknowledgment of the fact that he has sinned. Listen to David: “For I acknowledge my transgressions: and my sin is ever before me.” The first thing that happens to a man when he becomes convinced and convicted of sin is that he faces his sin and really looks at what he has done in an honest manner. This whole story [of David and Bathsheba] tells us that was exactly what David had previously not done.
Is there not something almost incredible about this, that a man could do the things that David did and yet really not face them? Surely David must have felt he was doing wrong; yet he did it! But he did not face the fact of wrongdoing, and he went on refusing to face it. And having done these terrible things, David would still not have faced them were it not that God sent the prophet Nathan to him and made him face them by giving him details of the same thing as had happened but in a different form. Thus David saw the truth, and he was humbled to the dust. That is how he came to write this fifty-first Psalm. This is always the first step. We must stop and think; we must pause for a moment and face ourselves and face the life we have lived and what we have done and what we are doing.
Now I know this is very unpleasant, and people dislike a gospel that says a thing like that. But if you want to know God’s salvation, you have to repent; and the first step is conviction of sin, and the first way to become convicted of sin is to stop and look at yourself
A Thought to Ponder: The first step is conviction of sin.
(From Out of the Depths, pp. 22-23, by Dr. Martyn Lloyd-Jones)
The Trinity in Ephesians
“There is one body, and one Spirit, even as ye are called in one hope of your calling; One Lord, one faith, one baptism, One God and Father of all, who is above all, and through all, and in you all.” (Ephesians 4:4-6)
Paul’s letter to the church at Ephesus is surely one of the most profoundly doctrinal—yet intensely practical—books of the Bible, and it is not surprising that the doctrine of the triune God breaks into his message so frequently. For example, note Ephesians 2:18: “For through [Christ] we both have access by one Spirit unto the Father.”
More often, however, it appears not in a succinct formula like this but rather in interconnected references to the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit, always implying that each is deity, but never that they are three different “gods.” Paul prayed that “the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, may give unto you the spirit of wisdom and revelation in the knowledge of him” (Ephesians 1:17).
He also prayed “unto the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ,…That he would grant you,…to be strengthened with might by his Spirit in the inner man; That Christ may dwell in your hearts by faith” (Ephesians 3:14, 16-17). Thus, the believer is “filled with all the fulness of God” (v. 19).
We are exhorted to “grieve not the holy Spirit of God,…even as God for Christ’s sake hath forgiven you” (Ephesians 4:30, 32). And “be filled with the Spirit;…Giving thanks always for all things unto God and the Father in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ” (Ephesians 5:18, 20).
There are others, but note especially our text, speaking of our unity in Him and His triunity in us. “There is…one Spirit…One Lord,…One God and Father of all, who is above all [i.e., the Father], and through all [the Son], and in you all [the Spirit].” All this is a magnificent mystery, but a wonderful reality!
(HMM, The Institute for Creation Research)
Nathan W writes (MI): “The tongue has the power of life and death…” Pro 18:21a
All too often we buy into the fallacy that it is more important that our voices be heard than that we actually have something to say. It’s impossible to both speak life while being more concerned about being heard than being helpful.
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