10/10/2009 6:07 AM
SPIRITUAL DIARY
My Worship Time Focus: Enlisting the enemy
Bible Reading &
Meditation Reference: Joshua 9:16-27
Message of the verses: “16 It
came about at the end of three days after they had made a covenant with them,
that they heard that they were neighbors and that they were living within their
land. 17 Then the sons of Israel set out
and came to their cities on the third day. Now their cities were Gibeon and Chephirah and Beeroth and Kiriath-jearim.
18 The sons of Israel did not
strike them because the leaders of the congregation had sworn to them by the
LORD the God of Israel. And the whole congregation grumbled against the
leaders. 19 But all the leaders said to
the whole congregation, "We have sworn to them by the LORD, the God of
Israel, and now we cannot touch them. 20
"This we will do to them, even let them live, so that wrath will
not be upon us for the oath which we swore to them." 21 The leaders said to them, "Let them
live." So they became hewers of wood and drawers of water for the whole
congregation, just as the leaders had spoken to them.
22 ¶ Then Joshua called for them and spoke to
them, saying, "Why have you deceived us, saying, ‘We are very far from
you,’ when you are living within our land? 23 "Now therefore, you are cursed, and you
shall never cease being slaves, both hewers of wood and drawers of water for
the house of my God." 24 So they
answered Joshua and said, "Because it was certainly told your servants
that the LORD your God had commanded His servant Moses to give you all the
land, and to destroy all the inhabitants of the land before you; therefore we
feared greatly for our lives because of you, and have done this thing. 25 "Now behold, we are in your hands; do as
it seems good and right in your sight to do to us." 26 Thus he did to them, and delivered them from
the hands of the sons of Israel,
and they did not kill them. 27 But
Joshua made them that day hewers of wood and drawers of water for the
congregation and for the altar of the LORD, to this day, in the place which He
would choose.”
This is one
of the stories in the Bible that is kind of hard for me to understand. Let me explain why it is hard to
understand. Joshua did something wrong
as was written in the Law by making a covenant with these people and yet as I
read in Dr. Wiersbe’s commentary on this that these people were never seen as
giving trouble to Israel and they submitted to what they were told to do, that
is working with the priests in both the tabernacle and also in the temple and
eventually they were called Nethinim (given
ones), and when Israel returned from the Babylonian captivity there were five
hundred from Nethinim who returned with them.
It is obvious that God had worked this out for good even though a law
had been broken. The same holds true
with the story of Ruth who is actually in the blood line of Jesus Christ and
she can be traced back to Lot who had sexual relations with both of his
daughters and one of the nations who came out of those relationships was the
ancestors of Ruth.
Spiritual meaning for my life today: God is sovereign and man is sinful and even
the sinfulness of man cannot stop the plans of a sovereign God. This does not mean that I am to deliberately
sin to show this point in my life, but I am to work out my own salvation with
fear and trembling as Paul writes to the Philippians. I am to be filled with the Holy Spirit to do
the work that the Lord has planned for me to do before the foundations of the
world.
My Steps of Faith for
Today:
- Romans 12:1-2 “1 ¶
I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that ye
present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which
is your reasonable service. 2 And
be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of
your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and
perfect, will of God.
- Proverbs 3:5-6 “5 Trust in the LORD with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding. 6 In all thy ways acknowledge him, and he shall direct thy paths.”
- Psalm 139:23-24 “23 Search me, O God, and know my heart; Try me and know my anxious thoughts; 24 And see if there be any hurtful way in me, And lead me in the everlasting way.”
- Philippians 4:11 “11 Not that I speak from want, for I have learned to be content in whatever circumstances I am.”
- Ephesians 6:14-18 “14 Stand firm therefore, HAVING GIRDED YOUR LOINS WITH TRUTH, and HAVING PUT ON THE BREASTPLATE OF RIGHTEOUSNESS, 15 and having shod YOUR FEET WITH THE PREPARATION OF THE GOSPEL OF PEACE; 16 in addition to all, taking up the shield of faith with which you will be able to extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one. 17 And take THE HELMET OF SALVATION, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God. 18 With all prayer and petition pray at all times in the Spirit, and with this in view, be on the alert with all perseverance and petition for all the saints.”
- Since, then, you have been raised with Christ, set your hearts on things above, where Christ is seated at the right hand of God. 2 Set your minds on things above, not on earthly things. 3 For you died, and your life is now hidden with Christ in God.
- Get a plan together from the promises of the Lord to defeat the spiritual battle that I am facing and then follow it to ensure the victory. There may be some battles that seem to be lost, but to continue to work and trust the Lord and His Word.
10/10/2009 6:49 AM
No comments:
Post a Comment