God Chose Israel (Josh. 24:1-4)

11/19/2009 8:35 AM

 

SPIRITUAL DIARY

 

My Worship Time                                        Focus:  God chose Israel

 

Bible Reading & Meditation                        Reference:  Joshua 24:1-4

 

            Message of the verses:  “1 ¶  Then Joshua gathered all the tribes of Israel to Shechem, and called for the elders of Israel and for their heads and their judges and their officers; and they presented themselves before God. 2  Joshua said to all the people, "Thus says the LORD, the God of Israel, ‘From ancient times your fathers lived beyond the River, namely, Terah, the father of Abraham and the father of Nahor, and they served other gods. 3  ‘Then I took your father Abraham from beyond the River, and led him through all the land of Canaan, and multiplied his descendants and gave him Isaac. 4  ‘To Isaac I gave Jacob and Esau, and to Esau I gave Mount Seir to possess it; but Jacob and his sons went down to Egypt.”

            This section is about God choosing Israel, for Abraham was not looking for God, but Abraham was an idol worshiper when he lived beyond the Jordan River, both he and his father were worshiper of idols when God called Abraham.  Abraham had two sons Ishmael and Isaac, but God chose Isaac, and then Isaac had two sons Esau and Jacob but God chose Jacob.  Paul gives insight on this in Romans 9:11:  “for though the twins were not yet born and had not done anything good or bad, so that God’s purpose according to His choice would stand, not because of works but because of Him who calls.”  The highlighted part of this verse is what gives insight to God’s calling, for it was according to His purpose.  It was God’s purpose to choose Israel and it is because of Israel that I have a Bible now, and more importantly I have a Savior now.  Dr. Wiersbe writes that one of his teachers said something to the effect that if you try to explain election you may loose your mind, but if you try to explain it away you will loose your soul and with that I will leave this important subject.

            Joshua is now giving his farewell speech and it is at Shechem.  Shechem is mentioned 58 times in the Bible and 56 of them are in the OT.  It is first mentioned in Genesis and so Shechem was a very important part of the Holy Land and a good place for Joshua to make this speech.  He would die after giving this speech and this second generation of Israel that came out of Egypt would continue to live a godly life but after Joshua comes Judges and it is a steady downhill slide spiritually after that with some peaks, but few and far between.

 

            Spiritual meaning for my life today:  Joshua finished his life just as he began it and that is strong, he was a great man of God.  I would like to be like Joshua even though I did not begin my life strong, for I was twenty-six when the Lord saved me, and I know from my salvation experience that God choose me to be one of His own and I will praise the Lord for this throughout eternity.

 

 

My Steps of Faith for Today:

 

1. Trust the Lord that He will get me through the experience of taking my mother to the doctor and then back home again.  This is just one of the trials that I go through because of IBS, but I know that through God’s wisdom that He has allowed me to experience this for my good and for His glory.
2. Put on the spiritual armor because I am in a war:  The belt of truth, the breastplate of righteousness, the shoes of the gospel of peace, the shield of faith, the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the Word of God.
3. Continue to be taught and for me to learn contentment.
4. Trust the Lord to guide my path today.

 

11/19/2009 9:26 AM