11/11/2009 8:53 AM
SPIRITUAL DIARY
My Worship Time Focus: The argument
Bible Reading & Meditation Reference: Joshua 22:21-29
Message of the verses: “21 ¶
Then the sons of Reuben and the sons of Gad and the half-tribe of
Manasseh answered and spoke to the heads of the families of Israel. 22 "The Mighty One, God, the LORD, the
Mighty One, God, the LORD! He knows, and may Israel itself know. If it was in
rebellion, or if in an unfaithful act against the LORD do not save us this day!
23 "If we have built us an altar to
turn away from following the LORD, or if to offer a burnt offering or grain
offering on it, or if to offer sacrifices of peace offerings on it, may the
LORD Himself require it. 24 "But
truly we have done this out of concern, for a reason, saying, ‘In time to come
your sons may say to our sons, "What have you to do with the LORD, the God
of Israel? 25 "For the LORD has made the Jordan
a border between us and you, you sons of Reuben and sons of Gad; you
have no portion in the LORD." So your sons may make our sons stop fearing
the LORD.’ 26 "Therefore we said,
‘Let us build an altar, not for burnt offering or for sacrifice; 27 rather it shall be a witness between us and
you and between our generations after us, that we are to perform the service of
the LORD before Him with our burnt offerings, and with our sacrifices and with
our peace offerings, so that your sons will not say to our sons in time to
come, "You have no portion in the LORD."’ 28 "Therefore we said, ‘It shall also come
about if they say this to us or to our generations in time to come, then we
shall say, "See the copy of the altar of the LORD which our fathers made,
not for burnt offering or for sacrifice; rather it is a witness between us and
you."’ 29 "Far be it from us
that we should rebel against the LORD and turn away from following the LORD
this day, by building an altar for burnt offering, for grain offering or for
sacrifice, besides the altar of the LORD our God which is before His
tabernacle.’”
I
have never felt that what these two and a half tribes of Israel did was right
when they choose to live on the east side of the Jordan River, not knowing what
they had done wrong, but knowing that they did do something wrong. I wish to make several quotes from “Be Strong”
which is Warren Wiersbe’s commentary on Joshua:
“They put their cattle ahead of their children and their fellow Jews,
but they blamed God and the other tribes for the problem they had created.” This was in view of verse 25: “"For the LORD has made the Jordan a border between us and you,
you sons of Reuben and sons of Gad; you have no portion in the LORD." So
your sons may make our sons stop fearing the LORD.’” The Lord did not do this but they did it to
them selves because of their desire to live in a place that was accommodating
for their cattle.
Speaking
on the kind of witness they gave Dr. Wiersbe writes: “No, it was a witness to expediency, the wisdom of man in trying to enjoy ‘the best of both
worlds.’ The two and a half tribes
talked piously about their children, but it was their wealth that really
motivated their decision to live east of the Jordan.”
Writing
about the altar that Joshua had erected when Israel came out of the Jordan
river and the altar that the two and a half tribes built Warren Wiersbe
writes: “Their ‘altar’ contradicted the
altar that Joshua had erected to the glory of God. “If then you were raised
with Christ, seek those things which are above, where Christ is, sitting at the
right hand of God’ (Col. 3:1, NKJV).”
Spiritual meaning for my life today: There are times when living on this earth as
a believer in Jesus Christ that I have to do what I believe the Lord desires me
to do even though at the time these things are not truly what it is that I want
to do. What I am speaking of is living
in NE Ohio, and in particular in North
Ridgeville on Tree Moss Lane. I am very thankful for the house that the
Lord has provided for us to live in and the Lord has provided four our needs
and even wants very well, but I have always wanted to live either in the south
or western part of our country, but that does not seem to be where the Lord
wants us to live at this time of our life and so I am trying to be content with
where we are living even though at times it is difficult for me to do so. This passage about the two and a half tribes
living on the east side of the Jordan has showed me that it is good for me to
live where I am living until such time as the Lord shows me and also shows my
wife that HE wants us to move.
My Steps of Faith for Today:
- 1. Think before acting.
- Take off the old and put on the new.
- 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.
- Continue to learn contentment.
- 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.
- Give myself to the Lord for worship and service for today.
- Trust the Lord to guide my path today.
11/11/2009 09:46 AM
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