The Leader Encourages the Officers (Jos. 1:10-15)

8/1/2009 9:21 AM

SPIRITUAL DIARY

My Worship Time                    Focus:  The leader encourages the officers

Bible Reading & Meditation               Reference:  Joshua 1:10-15

            Message of the verses:  “10 ¶  Then Joshua commanded the officers of the people, saying, 11  "Pass through the midst of the camp and command the people, saying, ‘Prepare provisions for yourselves, for within three days you are to cross this Jordan, to go in to possess the land which the LORD your God is giving you, to possess it.’" 12  To the Reubenites and to the Gadites and to the half-tribe of Manasseh, Joshua said, 13  "Remember the word which Moses the servant of the LORD commanded you, saying, ‘The LORD your God gives you rest and will give you this land.’ 14  "Your wives, your little ones, and your cattle shall remain in the land which Moses gave you beyond the Jordan, but you shall cross before your brothers in battle array, all your valiant warriors, and shall help them, 15  until the LORD gives your brothers rest, as He gives you, and they also possess the land which the LORD your God is giving them. Then you shall return to your own land, and possess that which Moses the servant of the LORD gave you beyond the Jordan toward the sunrise.”

            It can be seen that the nation of Israel had a good communication system in place as Joshua told his commanding officers what to tell the people and it was done right away.  Joshua told his commanding officers to have food ready as they were to cross the Jordan in three days.  Joshua probably did not know how all of the people were going to get across the Jordan River, for after all it was the time of the year when the Jordan would be in flood stage and would be moving very fast.  The Jordan river is a fast moving river for it drops quite fast from where it begins until it stops in the Dead Sea.  “The river drops rapidly in a 75 kilometer run to swampy Lake Hula, which is slightly above sea level. Exiting the lake, it drops much more in about 25 kilometers to the Sea of Galilee. The last section has less gradient, and the river begins to meander before it enters the Dead Sea, which is about 400 meters below sea level and has no outlet. Two major tributaries enter from the east during this last phase: the Yarmouk River and Jabbok River.”  This description is from Wikipedia.

            Joshua then reminds the two and a half tribes who are living on the East side of the Jordan River their promise to Moses that they would help the other tribes in the battle.  There were almost 140,000 soldiers in these two and a half tribes but only 40,000 went out to do battle with the other tribes against their enemies in the Promised Land.  When I first read about these two and a half tribes living on the West side of the Jordan I was not convinced that this was the right thing to do and years latter I still don’t think it was the best thing for them to do for they were not getting the inheritance that God had intended for them to have, for they cared more about making a living than being near where they should have been worshiping God in the Promised Land, and there was almost a war between them and the other tribes after they finished their conquest of the Promised Land.

            Spiritual meaning for my life today:  I see obedience to the Lord in this section of Scripture and also encouragement from their leader Joshua because Joshua was close to the Lord and he knew the Lord’s will for this people.

My Steps of Faith for Today:

1. Stay close to the Lord through Bible reading, and also meditation on the Word of God.
2. 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.
3. Give myself to the Lord for worship and service.
4. Continue to learn contentment.
5. Keep a short list with the Lord.
6. Trust the Lord to guide my path today.

8/1/2009 10:17 AM