365 Reflections

Joshua 13:14 (ESV) To the tribe of Levi alone Moses gave no inheritance. The offerings by fire to the LORD God of Israel are their inheritance, as he said to him. Could you imagine being Levi during the land allotment? What gives? Everyone gets something to call their own except us??? Yet instead of focusing on what they don't get, look at what they do get! It is an interesting way to phrase Levi's inheritance among God's people. They will have the "offerings by fire to the Lord God." What exactly is this gift?  Whenever any worshipper wanted to come before the Lord for worship, the Levites were to be there to make sure the entire process was handled properly. These offerings were the best of the entire nation's increase including their first born flocks. The offerings made by fire are considered a "pleasing aroma" to the Lord.  Leviticus 1:17 (ESV) He shall tear it open by its wings, but shall not sever it completely. And the prie...

Joshua 13:1 (ESV) Now Joshua was old and advanced in years, and the LORD said to him, “You are old and advanced in years, and there remains yet very much land to possess. Joshua 13:7 (ESV) Now therefore divide this land for an inheritance to the nine tribes and half the tribe of Manasseh.” It's one of the hardest facts of life to embrace. This world will continue when you're dead. It will continue and you will not be there to make sure it continues. The Bible keeps making clear people die and a new generation always comes up and takes their place in history. There was a time when Joshua was the new kid on the block, the successful military leader who believed God and made it to the promised land when his entire generation could not believe. There was a time when Joshua was full of life and ready to take on the giants of life. There was a time when Joshua was winning battle after battle. Now here in Joshua 13, he's old and God has to tell him, there's t...

Are you living on the East or West of the Jordan river? Joshua 12:6–7 (ESV) 6 Moses, the servant of the Lord , and the people of Israel defeated them. And Moses the servant of the Lord gave their land for a possession to the Reubenites and the Gadites and the half-tribe of Manasseh. 7 And these are the kings of the land whom Joshua and the people of Israel defeated on the west side of the Jordan, from Baal-gad in the Valley of Lebanon to Mount Halak, that rises toward Seir (and Joshua gave their land to the tribes of Israel as a possession according to their allotments, The Jordan symbolizes crossing over into total victory. When we cross through it, we identify with the victory our true Joshua comes to give us.  Moses took the people out of Egypt and to the edge of the land. He also took SOME of the first fruits of the inheritance for Israel by war and conquest. Joshua, however, led the people through the Jordan as an entrance into a victorious c...

In the middle of recounting the conquest of Joshua and Israel's armies over the inhabitants of Canaan, we read a solemn verse that could confuse many but should serve as a solemn warning to all: Joshua 11:19–20 (ESV) There was not a city that made peace with the people of Israel except the Hivites, the inhabitants of Gibeon. They took them all in battle. 20 For it was the Lord ’s doing to harden their hearts that they should come against Israel in battle, in order that they should be devoted to destruction and should receive no mercy but be destroyed, just as the Lord commanded Moses. Consider the statement of the 19th verse. Not a single city in Canaan offered terms of peace with Israel outside of Gibeon. Then it states the Lord hardened their hearts that they should come against Israel. Left to that we may be tempted to think that God caused these nations to come out and war to destroy them. This is quite accurate except for the fact that God had given these nations 40...

After gaining a ton of momentum in the previous victory from Gibeon, Joshua proceeds to take out one army after another in Joshua 10. However, with every new success comes fresh new and more difficult challenges. This time the kings of the Northern country come out against Joshua in an alliance and with more difficult opposition - chariots. The good news is, God wants His people getting stronger and more victorious, the bad news is, it will require greater obstacles in their future. Joshua 11:4–5 (ESV) And they came out with all their troops, a great horde, in number like the sand that is on the seashore, with very many horses and chariots. 5 And all these kings joined their forces and came and encamped together at the waters of Merom to fight against Israel. Isn't this just like life? We start to really roll and think we've made it only to face another challenge we've never experienced before. This time, instead of God drowning chariots in the Red Sea, He's going ...

Having made a peace treaty with Gibeon, Joshua is now called upon by them to fight their battles against 5 kings coming to attack them. This whole event is the result of a foolish decision to make a covenant with a people who misled God's people and now the chickens have come home to roost. It is one of the most common experiences of those who fail to heed God: exhaustion. I can think of many of God's best men who were totally wiped out while trying to do things in their own efforts without talking to Him first. Consider Elijah who runs from Jezebel's threat. His words to the Lord are telling. He feels all alone and is upset with the results of his efforts. God says He has 7000 reserved and there are many more prophets lined up to do the work of God for God's people. Elijah became exhausted because Elijah failed to turn to God. Through this war, Israel's strength is greatly tested. Joshua 10:9–10 (ESV) So Joshua came upon them suddenly, having marched up all ni...

The Gibeonite deception in Joshua 9 is pretty scary. No, no one is killed and no judgment or plague befalls Israel. But it teaches the lesson that we must never overlook even the little things that come into our lives. It's not going to be the big lies we fall for as we grow strong in Christ, it will be the little ones. The Gibeonites came to Joshua and the people with old bread and clothes even though they were nearby to make peace with Israel out of fear. There is a little verse we must pay attention to: Joshua 9:14 (ESV) So the men took some of their provisions, but did not ask counsel from the LORD. Long story short, the people make a treaty with Gibeon and eventually find out they were from nearby and were deceived. Now Israel is bound by a covenant foolishly entered into by leadership who did not seek God in a very innocent moment. It makes me think. When are we most susceptible to deception? I believe three times in our lives: When we are at our lowest and want...

Joshua 8:30–31 (ESV) At that time Joshua built an altar to the Lord , the God of Israel, on Mount Ebal, 31 just as Moses the servant of the Lord had commanded the people of Israel, as it is written in the Book of the Law of Moses, “an altar of uncut stones, upon which no man has wielded an iron tool.” And they offered on it burnt offerings to the Lord and sacrificed peace offerings. The nation of Israel had recovered well from the Achan episode militarily. But there's a nuance in the text after Ai's king is buried from right before this verse that was used in regard to Achan's burial. The text says both graves were visible at the time of the writing of Joshua so people were well aware what had happened.  The visual image of death that would have appeared in their minds would quickly be replaced with the emphasis on the Altar of meeting and the Words of the Covenant. Joshua doesn't let the nation dwell on the death of Achan nor the burial of Ai's king. As ...