The Appeal (Josh. 22:15-20)

11/10/2009 8:52 AM

 

SPIRITUAL DIARY

 

My Worship Time                                                 Focus:  The appeal

 

Bible Reading & Meditation                        Reference:  Joshua 22:15-20

 

            Message of the verses:  “15  They came to the sons of Reuben and to the sons of Gad and to the half-tribe of Manasseh, to the land of Gilead, and they spoke with them saying, 16  "Thus says the whole congregation of the LORD, ‘What is this unfaithful act which you have committed against the God of Israel, turning away from following the LORD this day, by building yourselves an altar, to rebel against the LORD this day? 17  ‘Is not the iniquity of Peor enough for us, from which we have not cleansed ourselves to this day, although a plague came on the congregation of the LORD, 18  that you must turn away this day from following the LORD? If you rebel against the LORD today, He will be angry with the whole congregation of Israel tomorrow. 19  ‘If, however, the land of your possession is unclean, then cross into the land of the possession of the LORD, where the LORD’S tabernacle stands, and take possession among us. Only do not rebel against the LORD, or rebel against us by building an altar for yourselves, besides the altar of the LORD our God. 20  ‘Did not Achan the son of Zerah act unfaithfully in the things under the ban, and wrath fall on all the congregation of Israel? And that man did not perish alone in his iniquity.’"

            The speech that was given to the two and a half tribes of Israel by the tribes who lived on the east side of the Jordan River was well though out by them and one can tell that they wanted to bring honor and glory to the Lord as the words are read.  They were rebuking these two and a half tribes for building an altar in the land that should not have been built, for there was to be only one altar in Israel and that was the one that the Lord had revealed to Moses on the mountain how to build, and it was also where the glory of the Lord was present at that time. 

            In there speech there was the mention of two sins that had occurred before in the lives of the children of Israel, the sin of Peor, where some of the son’s of Israel had gone to a heathen worship orgy and had sinned against the Lord by even bringing some of these women home with them to marry, and 23,000 were killed because of the sin.  Then the sin of Achan is also mentioned as he coveted some articles of Jericho after that great victory by the Lord and thirty-six soldiers were killed at AI because of his sin and then all of his family was also killed.  The men reminded the two and a half tribes that they could move on the other side of the Jordan River and live where the true altar of God was, and it is a shame that they did not do this.

 

            Spiritual meaning for my life today:  I think that what I have learned from this passage is that Phinehas had a good plan that he followed and did not turn from the plan, and this is a good idea to follow, making sure that I have a plan and then follow that plan.  Now he would eventually listen to those tribes and make the decision to leave the altar, for it was not something that would be a concern.  What I see here is patience on the part of Phinehas and the elders of the tribes on the  west side of the Jordan.

 

My Steps of Faith for Today:

 

1. Think before acting.
2. Take off the old and put on the new.
3. Put on the spiritual armor:  The belt of truth, the breastplate of righteousness, the shoes of the gospel of peace, the shield of faith, the helmet of salvation, and take up the Sword of the Spirit.
4. Continue to learn contentment.
5.  Put on Christ’s yoke in order to be yoked with Him to find rest because of the inheritance that I already have in Him.
6. Give myself to the Lord for worship and service for today.
7. Trust the Lord to guide my path today.

 

11/10/2009 9:50 AM