Burunche’s Blog

1 Samuel 1:19 – “Early the next morning they arose and worshiped before the Lord and then went back to their home at Ramah. Elkanah made love to his wife Hannah, and the Lord remembered her. So, in the course of time Hannah became pregnant and gave birth to a son. She named him Samuel,(meaning “heard by God”) saying, “Because I asked the Lord for him.”

When her husband Elkanah went up with all his family to offer the annual sacrifice to the Lord and to fulfill his vow, Hannah did not go. She said to her husband, “After the boy is weaned, I will take him and present him before the Lord, and he will live there always.”

 “Do what seems best to you,” her husband Elkanah told her. “Stay here until you have weaned him; only may the Lord make good his word.” So, the woman stayed at home and nursed her son until she had weaned him.

After he was weaned, she took the boy with her, young as he was, along with a three-year-old bull, an ephah of flour and a skin of wine, and brought him to the house of the Lord at Shiloh.When the bull had been sacrificed, they brought the boy to Eli, and she said to him, “Pardon me, my lord. As surely as you live, I am the woman who stood here beside you praying to the Lord.I prayed for this child, and the Lord has granted me what I asked of him. So now I give him to the Lord. For his whole life he will be given over to the Lord.” And he worshiped the Lord there.”

Hannah was an incredible woman! By this point, Samuel was only about three years old; yet, she was sending her toddler live in the house of the Lord forever. What a sacrifice! The bull, the flour, and the wine that Hannah brought paled by comparison. There are few things more appealing than a small child when he or she is asleep in your arms. The soft skin, the downy hair, the curve of the cheeks and the lips, the delicate tracery of the little ears, the trusting little hands reaching to be held – surely Hannah must have admired Samuel many times as she held him…. And yet she gave him up to God’s service, not knowing if she would ever have another child. There are very few mothers who would have been willing to do what Hannah did. When Eli realized the depth of Hannah’s sacrifice, he worshiped the Lord, for he couldn’t do anything else at that point.

APPLICATION: Sometimes modern culture puts so much emphasis on feeling good that we forget that sacrifices may also be a part of life. Hannah’s sacrifice was to bring untold blessings, not only to her family and her, but also to the entire nation of Israel. It was Samuel who would anoint both King Saul and King David. It was Samuel who would try to point the Israelites back to God, and if they failed to return to righteousness, it was certainly not Samuel’s fault. The foundation for Samuel’s ministry was laid by his mother’s sacrifice.

Hudson Taylor was another child for whom his parents had prayed and whom they dedicated to the Lord from the womb. Taylor was a giant of the faith who founded the China Inland Mission, a mission group that grew to a huge number of stations spread across all of China. The work of CIM was always supported by faith contributions. Taylor was fond of asserting that “God’s work done God’s way will never lack God’s supply.”

Sometimes when we lose loved ones, we accuse God of being unkind or unjust, forgetting that God Himself gave His only Son, Jesus, to be born as a man and to die a cruel undeserved death – all for the sins of the entire world.

John 3:16 – 17 says, “For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life. For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him.” God sent Jesus, knowing beforehand that Jesus would be betrayed by one of his close followers, handed over to religious authorities, and crucified. The translation from The Message perhaps says it best, “Even the first plan required a death to set it in motion. After Moses had read out all the terms of the plan of the law—God’s “will”—he took the blood of sacrificed animals and, in a solemn ritual, sprinkled the document and the people who were its beneficiaries. And then he attested its validity with the words, “This is the blood of the covenant commanded by God.” He did the same thing with the place of worship and its furniture. Moses said to the people, “This is the blood of the covenant God has established with you.” Practically everything in a will hinges on a death. That’s why blood, the evidence of death, is used so much in our tradition, especially regarding forgiveness of sins.” (Hebrews 9:22)

Hannah gave up her only son as a living sacrifice so that he could serve the Lord for his whole life. God gave Jesus as a living sacrifice to die for the sins of the entire world. Nicodemus was a ruler in the synagogue, but he was also in search of God’s truth. Nicodemus came to Jesus by night to ask him questions. When Jesus was explaining things to Nicodemus, he told him, “Whoever believes in him (God’s son) is not condemned, but whoever does not believe stands condemned already because they have not believed in the name of God’s one and only Son. This is the verdict: Light has come into the world, but people loved darkness instead of light because their deeds were evil. Everyone who does evil hates the light, and will not come into the light for fear that their deeds will be exposed. But whoever lives by the truth comes into the light, so that it may be seen plainly that what they have done has been done in the sight of God.” (John 3:18 – 21)

Each one of us must answer this question: who do we say Jesus is? Do we truly believe that Jesus is the Son of God? Then we are not condemned. But if we do not believe that Jesus is the Son of God, then we stand condemned already, just as Jesus told Nicodemus. Do we love light or darkness? Do we love truth or lies? If we live by the truth, we will come into the light.

Perhaps you realize that you have not believed in Jesus. Perhaps you feel that everything about Jesus is a fairy tale for weak people. Try this experiment: ask God to show you whether or not Jesus is real. If you are not afraid to do so, tell God that you are willing to be made willing to believe in Jesus. Then see what God will do. If you are serious about that prayer, God will definitely reveal Himself to you.

PRAYER: Father God, help everyone who reads these words to trust You, the Source of light and life. Reveal Yourself in such a mighty way that there will be no doubt that You ARE the One True Living God and that Jesus IS Your only Son. In the matchless Name of King Jesus. Amen.

I Samuel 1:1 – 18: “Now there was a man named Elkanah who was from Ramathaim-zophim in the hill country of Ephraim. He was the son of Jeroham, the son of Elihu, the son of Tohu, the son of Zuph, an Ephraimite. He had two wives, one named Hannah and the other Peninnah. And Peninnah had children, but Hannah had none.
Year after year Elkanah would go up from his city to worship and sacrifice to the LORD of Hosts at Shiloh, where Eli’s two sons, Hophni and Phinehas, were priests to the LORD. And whenever the day came for Elkanah to present his sacrifice, he would give portions to his wife Peninnah and to all her sons and daughters. But to Hannah he would give a double portion, for he loved her even though the LORD had closed her womb.
Because the LORD had closed Hannah’s womb, her rival would provoke her and taunt her viciously. And this went on year after year. Whenever Hannah went up to the house of the LORD, her rival taunted her until she wept and would not eat. “Hannah, why are you crying?” her husband Elkanah asked. “Why won’t you eat? Why is your heart so grieved? Am I not better to you than ten sons?”

So, after they had finished eating and drinking in Shiloh, Hannah stood up. Now Eli the priest was sitting on a chair by the doorpost of the temple of the LORD. In her bitter distress, Hannah prayed to the LORD and wept with many tears. And she made a vow, pleading, “O LORD of Hosts, if only You will look upon the affliction of Your maidservant and remember me, not forgetting Your maidservant but giving her a son, then I will dedicate him to the LORD all the days of his life, and no razor shall ever come over his head.”
As Hannah kept on praying before the LORD, Eli watched her mouth. Hannah was praying in her heart, and though her lips were moving, her voice could not be heard.
So, Eli thought she was drunk and said to her, “How long will you be drunk? Put away your wine!”
“No, my lord,” Hannah replied. “I am a woman oppressed in spirit. I have not had any wine or strong drink, but I have poured out my soul before the LORD. Do not take your servant for a wicked woman; for all this time I have been praying out of the depth of my anguish and grief.”
“Go in peace,” Eli replied, “and may the God of Israel grant the petition you have asked of Him.”
“May your maidservant find favor with you,” said Hannah. Then she went on her way, and she began eating again, and her face was no longer downcast.”

CHILDLESSNESS!!! For women throughout the world, there are few sorrows worse than being unable to conceive or to carry a pregnancy to term. Even in industrialized countries, barren women may find themselves facing divorces because their husband want offspring so badly. In less developed countries, children are even more important because they are needed to help families and because many children die before the age of five. But for women in polygamous marriages, the situation is much worse. Now there is competition among the wives to see who can bear the most children the quickest. That was the situation in which Hannah found herself.

“Hannah had a rival.” This is the way a Ghanaian lady would have described the situation. And the rival had already borne several children. In the world of polygamous marriages, this gave the rival an incredible advantage; if she wanted something, she could argue that she should be given extra attention because of her fruitfulness. In a society in which women needed men for protection, Hannah might have been lucky if her husband didn’t simply divorce her or give her the poorest part of the house in which to live or allow her rival to nearly starve her. But Hannah was fortunate; Elkanah loved her so much that he would give her a double share of the meat from the routine sacrifices.

Why did Eli think Hannah was drunk? Well, Eli himself was not a good role model. Later on, we learn that Eli’s sons had been routinely profaning sacrifices by fishing out the choicest parts of the meat before the sacrifice was offered to the Lord, rather than being satisfied with the portion allotted to the priest. Eli knew about this and did nothing to correct his sons. It’s possible that Eli’s sons had been entering the Tabernacle when they were drunk. Despite all these failings, however, Eli was still able to pronounce a blessing over Hannah, a blessing that would be fulfilled.
APPLICATION: Why does the Bible spend so much time describing Elkanah and Hannah? These people were to become the parents of Samuel, one of the most important prophets in the Old Testament. God wants us to know how virtuous these people were so that we might understand that part of the power of Samuel’s ministry came from his parents and the way they raised him.

“And she made a vow, pleading, “O LORD of Hosts, if only You will look upon the affliction of Your maidservant and remember me, not forgetting Your maidservant but giving her a son, then I will dedicate him to the LORD all the days of his life, and no razor shall ever come over his head.” This statement seems baffling, unless you realize that Hannah is promising to dedicate her son to the Lord and to raise him as a Nazarite, specially dedicated to the Lord. Hannah isn’t sure that she can even bear one child, let alone others; but yet she is willing to give that one child, the first fruits of her womb, back to the Lord. As a potential mother of an only child, Hannah is vowing to make the supreme sacrifice. Hannah is giving her son away even before he has been conceived.

Would we have as much faith and courage as Hannah? Many times, parents want to protect their children to keep them safe; however, the Gospel must reach the unsafe parts of the world also. We have friends who have a son ministering to Indians in a remote part of South America. This young man routinely travels by canoe and sleeps in rough jungle huts unprotected from mosquitoes. As I am writing this, a fellow missionary working in Ukraine has moved to a slightly safer area but is still caring for the disabled. The town in which our colleague has sheltered could be attacked at any point. It has been said that the only things we can give our children are roots and wings. The parents of these missionaries have succeeded in doing both. May God help all of us to do the same for our children.

PRAYER: Father God, thank You for loving us and for caring for us. Lord, let everyone who reads this devotional realize that children are only on loan to us and that they are safest when we give them back to You. Help us to trust You for the safety and well being of our children, but let us not hold them back from following hard after You. In the mighty Name of King Jesus. Amen.

Joshua 24:29 – 33 “After these things, Joshua, son of Nun, the servant of the Lord, died at the age of a hundred and ten. And they buried him in the land of his inheritance, at Timnath Serah in the hill country of Ephraim, north of Mount Gaash. Israel served the Lord throughout the lifetime of Joshua and of the elders who outlived him and who had experienced everything the Lord had done for Israel.  And Joseph’s bones, which the Israelites had brought up from Egypt, were buried at Shechem in the tract of land that Jacob bought for a hundred pieces of silver from the sons of Hamor, the father of Shechem. This became the inheritance of Joseph’s descendants. And Eleazar son of Aaron died and was buried at Gibeah, which had been allotted to his son Phinehas in the hill country of Ephraim.”

Joshua is dead! After so many years of bearing with the complaints and foibles of the Israelites, Joshua has delivered the final message from God to the Israelites and has finally settled in Timnath Serah. At age 110, Joshua has fulfilled God’s purpose for his life. Hudson Taylor, founder of the China Inland Mission, was fond of saying that “Man is immortal until his work is done.” Joshua’s work is completed, and now he is joining Moses, his mentor, in the presence of God.

Eleazar has succeeded Aaron as high priest; however, now Eleazar too is dead. Israel has lost both a prophetic leader as well as a true – hearted high priest. And finally, the bones of Joseph that have been carried along throughout the journey from Egypt are buried in his father Jacob’s land at Shechem. The Israelites have fulfilled their obligation to Joseph. Joseph had the faith to believe that God would return the Israelites to Canaan and therefore ordered them to bring his bones with them to be buried in his father’s land.  

Joseph, Joshua, and Eleazar – each of these men served God whole – heartedly. But what happens now? Who will take up the mantle of leadership? Has anyone been availing themselves of the opportunities to be mentored by Joshua or Eleazar? Once all of the elders who were witnesses to God’s glory died off, Israel descended into chaos. Despite all the admonitions of Moses that the Israelites should teach their children the Word of God, the Israelites have taken God for granted and have been busy amassing riches and houses and lands. It’s quite possible that the Israelites have convinced themselves that they really DESERVE all these goodies and that somehow, despite their fickle natures, they are still God’s favorites.

Remember what Moses said in Deuteronomy 6:1 – 9? “These are the commands, decrees and laws the Lord your God directed me to teach you to observe in the land that you are crossing the Jordan to possess, so that you, your children and their children after them may fear the Lord your God as long as you live by keeping all his decrees and commands that I give you, and so that you may enjoy long life. Hear, Israel, and be careful to obey so that it may go well with you and that you may increase greatly in a land flowing with milk and honey, just as the Lord, the God of your ancestors, promised you.

Hear, O Israel: The Lord our God, the Lord is one. Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength. These commandments that I give you today are to be on your hearts. Impress them on your children. Talk about them when you sit at home and when you walk along the road, when you lie down and when you get up. Tie them as symbols on your hands and bind them on your foreheads. Write them on the doorframes of your houses and on your gates.”

APPLICATION: Most people have very short attention spans. It is a proven fact that we become what we focus on the most. God wanted the Israelites to focus on Him and to be a holy nation, dedicated to Him. Some of the Israelites probably caught that vision; however, there were a lot of them who were still hauling around Egyptian idols after 50 or 60 years. These people’s children may have known more about the Egyptian gods than they did about the God of Israel.

The problem with charismatic leaders is that once that leader is gone, those who have been sitting back doing as little as possible are totally unprepared for leadership. Look at the leadership training that Joshua went through. Joshua began as Moses’ assistant, even accompanying Moses to Mount Sinai and into the Tabernacle. When Moses needed a spy from Joshua’s tribe, Joshua was selected. When Moses needed someone to stand with him, Joshua was there, facing the criticism right along with Moses. Before Joshua ever became a leader, he had already paid a high price. Joshua knew the problems and pitfalls of leadership.

Why didn’t someone step forward to understudy Joshua? There’s nothing to indicate that Joshua had a megalomaniac tyrannical personality that would discourage helpers. But none of the Israelites wanted to risk anything. Besides, it was so comfortable having Moses and Joshua giving orders.

Are we pursuing God’s best for our lives, or are we settling for comfort? God’s best is frequently VERY uncomfortable; yet, if we refuse to try, we are falling short of a glorious future. God is not worried about your age, your financial status, your mental ability, or any of the other things you might be using as an excuse. God simply wants you to make yourself AVAILABLE. If you will let God control your life, you will be amazed at the results.

PRAYER: Father God, thank You that You want far more for us than we do for ourselves. Help us to love You extravagantly and to follow hard after You all the days of our lives. In the mighty and precious Name of King Jesus. Amen.

Joshua 24:1 – 28 “Then Joshua assembled all the tribes of Israel at Shechem. He summoned the elders, leaders, judges and officials of Israel, and they presented themselves before God. Joshua said to all the people, “This is what the Lord, the God of Israel, says: ‘Long ago your ancestors, including Terah the father of Abraham and Nahor, lived beyond the Euphrates River and worshiped other gods. But I took your father Abraham from the land beyond the Euphrates and led him throughout Canaan and gave him many descendants. I gave him Isaac,and to Isaac I gave Jacob and Esau. I assigned the hill country of Seir to Esau, but Jacob and his family went down to Egypt.

“‘Then I sent Moses and Aaron, and I afflicted the Egyptians by what I did there, and I brought you out. When I brought your people out of Egypt, you came to the sea, and the Egyptians pursued them with chariots and horsemen as far as the Red Sea.But they cried to the Lord for help, and he put darkness between you and the Egyptians; he brought the sea over them and covered them. You saw with your own eyes what I did to the Egyptians. Then you lived in the wilderness for a long time.

“‘I brought you to the land of the Amorites who lived east of the Jordan. They fought against you, but I gave them into your hands. I destroyed them from before you, and you took possession of their land. When Balak son of Zippor, the king of Moab, prepared to fight against Israel, he sent for Balaam son of Beor to put a curse on you. But I would not listen to Balaam, so he blessed you again and again, and I delivered you out of his hand.

“‘Then you crossed the Jordan and came to Jericho. The citizens of Jericho fought against you, as did also the Amorites, Perizzites, Canaanites, Hittites, Girgashites, Hivites and Jebusites, but I gave them into your hands.I sent the hornet ahead of you, which drove them out before you—also the two Amorite kings. You did not do it with your own sword and bow. So, I gave you a land on which you did not toil and cities you did not build; and you live in them and eat from vineyards and olive groves that you did not plant.’

 “Now fear the Lord and serve him with all faithfulness. Throw away the gods your ancestors worshiped beyond the Euphrates River and in Egypt, and serve the Lord. But if serving the Lord seems undesirable to you, then choose for yourselves this day whom you will serve, whether the gods your ancestors served beyond the Euphrates, or the gods of the Amorites, in whose land you are living. But as for me and my household, we will serve the Lord.”

Then the people answered, “Far be it from us to forsake the Lord to serve other gods!It was the Lord our God himself who brought us and our parents up out of Egypt, from that land of slavery, and performed those great signs before our eyes. He protected us on our entire journey and among all the nations through which we traveled.And the Lord drove out before us all the nations, including the Amorites, who lived in the land. We too will serve the Lord, because he is our God.”

  Joshua said to the people, “You are not able to serve the Lord. He is a holy God; he is a jealous God. He will not forgive your rebellion and your sins.If you forsake the Lord and serve foreign gods, he will turn and bring disaster on you and make an end of you, after he has been good to you.” But the people said to Joshua, “No! We will serve the Lord.” Then Joshua said, “You are witnesses against yourselves that you have chosen to serve the Lord.” “Yes, we are witnesses,” they replied. “Now then,” said Joshua, “throw away the foreign gods that are among you and yield your hearts to the Lord, the God of Israel.”And the people said to Joshua, “We will serve the Lord our God and obey him.”

On that day Joshua made a covenant for the people, and there at Shechem he reaffirmed for them decrees and laws. And Joshua recorded these things in the Book of the Law of God. Then he took a large stone and set it up there under the oak near the holy place of the Lord. “See!” he said to all the people. “This stone will be a witness against us. It has heard all the words the Lord has said to us. It will be a witness against you if you are untrue to your God.”Then Joshua dismissed the people, each to their own inheritance.”

This passage is a bit long, but it is really impossible to chop it into little bits that will still make sense. The first thing to notice is that for one of the few times in Joshua’s life, he is speaking as a prophet. Moses routinely spoke for God; however, this is the longest recorded passage in which Joshua is speaking on behalf of God. Joshua begins with a brief overview of the history of the Israelites, reminding them of their origins, of their sojourn in Egypt, of their deliverance from the Egyptians, and of all the victories that God has allowed them to celebrate.

One shocking thing to note is that despite all Moses’ warnings, despite all Joshua’s warnings, despite all the evidence that idols are worthless, the Israelites are still carrying idols around. Joshua tells the people, “…throw away the foreign gods that are among you and yield your hearts to the Lord, the God of Israel.”WHAT??? Even after all the miraculous things God has done, the Israelites are still hiding idols in their homes, most likely Egyptian idols their parents brought with them when they fled Egypt.

Four times, the Israelites promise to serve the Lord…. But notice that they don’t promise to throw away their idols! Even as the Israelites are promising to serve God and to obey Him, they are still acting in disobedience. If the Israelites really had been serious about putting away their idols, they should have brought them out of their tents and made one of the biggest bonfires in history as they burned them. The gold, silver, and bronze from those idols could have been stripped off, melted down, and given to the Tabernacle as a special offering. Finally, Joshua erects a large standing stone under the oak near Shechem as a witness against the Israelites. Rocks don’t change, and this large rock is there to remind the Israelites of their vows.

APPLICATION: Partial obedience is no obedience, and talk is cheap! The Israelites make all kinds of promises but conveniently ignore Joshua’s exhortations that they throw away those idols. Joshua isn’t even dead yet and the Israelites are already trying to twist God’s words. You can almost hear the muttering and mumbling in the back of the crowd, “Throw away that idol of Isis? But that’s what protected my wife during childbirth! Certainly not!”

Joshua is no fool; that’s why he throws down the challenge in verse 15: “But if serving the Lord seems undesirable to you, then choose for yourselves this day whom you will serve, whether the gods your ancestors served beyond the Euphrates, or the gods of the Amorites, in whose land you are living. But as for me and my household, we will serve the Lord.” Joshua is basically telling the Israelites that he has made his choice; if they are foolish enough to refuse to serve God, they will reap the consequences!

What’s the purpose of the standing stone? Such stones were erected as signs of important covenants. The idea was that even if people would prove fickle, the rocks would still remain and the rocks would bear witness against the covenant – breakers. But can stones speak? When Jesus entered Jerusalem on Palm Sunday, the religious authorities begged him to silence the people. But Jesus told them, “I tell you, “He replied, “if they keep quiet, the stones will cry out.” How would stones cry out? Perhaps by shaking in an earthquake. Was there a point at which the standing stone at Shechem silently cried out to God? Did the stone fall over in an earthquake?

Joshua’s challenge remains for each of us today: Whom will we serve? Will we whole – heartedly serve the One True Living God, or will we attempt to compromise as we cling to idols of our own creation? Choose wisely! You are choosing for eternity! But remember, the rocks may still witness against you.

PRAYER: Father God, thank You for loving us and for caring for us. Lord, let everyone who reads this devotional choose to serve You whole – heartedly all the days of their lives, along with their families. In the matchless Name of King Jesus. Amen.

Joshua 23:1 – 16

 “After a long time had passed and the Lord had given Israel rest from all their enemies around them, Joshua, by then a very old man, summoned all Israel—their elders, leaders, judges and officials—and said to them: “I am very old. You yourselves have seen everything the Lord your God has done to all these nations for your sake; it was the Lord your God who fought for you.  Remember how I have allotted as an inheritance for your tribes all the land of the nations that remain—the nations I conquered—between the Jordan and the Mediterranean Sea in the west. The Lord your God himself will push them out for your sake. He will drive them out before you, and you will take possession of their land, as the Lord your God promised you.

 “Be very strong; be careful to obey all that is written in the Book of the Law of Moses, without turning aside to the right or to the left. Do not associate with these nations that remain among you; do not invoke the names of their gods or swear by them. You must not serve them or bow down to them. But you are to hold fast to the Lord your God, as you have until now.

“The Lord has driven out before you great and powerful nations; to this day no one has been able to withstand you.  One of you routs a thousand, because the Lord your God fights for you, just as he promised.So be very careful to love the Lord your God.

 “But if you turn away and ally yourselves with the survivors of these nations that remain among you and if you intermarry with them and associate with them, then you may be sure that the Lord your God will no longer drive out these nations before you. Instead, they will become snares and traps for you, whips on your backs and thorns in your eyes, until you perish from this good land, which the Lord your God has given you.

 “Now I am about to go the way of all the earth. You know with all your heart and soul that not one of all the good promises the Lord your God gave you has failed. Every promise has been fulfilled; not one has failed. But just as all the good things the Lord your God has promised you have come to you, so he will bring on you all the evil things he has threatened, until the Lord your God has destroyed you from this good land he has given you.  If you violate the covenant of the Lord your God, which he commanded you, and go and serve other gods and bow down to them, the Lord’s anger will burn against you, and you will quickly perish from the good land he has given you.”

Joshua knows that his time is limited, and he’s going to die quite soon. Joshua also has no illusions regarding the character of the Israelites; they are as fickle as the sheep that Moses used to herd. But words spoken by an elder at the end of his life still hold great significance in this culture, so Joshua is doing his best to instruct, encourage, and warn the Israelites one last time. What are Joshua’s messages to his people?

•  It is the Lord who has fought for the Israelites and who has empowered Joshua to accomplish the things he has done.
• The Israelites need to follow God’s commands given to Moses explicitly, not joking with them or attempting to modify them.
• The Israelites must be extremely careful to avoid all the practices of the Canaanites; if they are stupid enough to embrace Canaanite practices, God will destroy them and they will perish from the land!

APPLICATION: Few things are scarier than having to turn over an organization, an institution, or a business, to one’s successors. You might have begun with the most sterling of values and the highest of motives; however, unless you succeed in getting others to catch your vision, the whole focus can change once you are out of the picture.

Here Joshua is doing his best to advise the Israelites and to warn them. But it’s possible that even as Joshua is saying these words, there are already young men standing at the back of the crowd, just waiting for him to be gone so that they can take over and do things the way they want. Although Moses mentored Joshua, there is no record of Joshua mentoring any one person. Who knows? It’s quite possible that Joshua may have made several attempts to find someone to serve as his assistant and his trainee, only to be disappointed. When all men can think of is loot, their ideas of leadership narrow down to how much larger their shares might be if they were leaders. Even though Joshua has gathered all the elders, leaders, judges, and officials together, there is nothing to indicate that any of them will be capable of succeeding Joshua. It’s likely that Joshua realizes that God is the only One who can develop a successor.

SERVANTHOOD LEADERSHIP! Jesus Christ gave us the best example of a servant/leader. Matthew 20:28 says, “the Son of Man came not to be ministered unto, but to minister, and to give his life a ransom for many.” Jesus came into the world, already knowing that he would die for the sins of those around him. On the night that Jesus was betrayed, he washed the feet of all the disciples, including those of Judas Iscariot, who was just waiting to run to the high priests so he could earn his thirty pieces of silver.

As we are winding up our studies in Joshua, let’s remember that Joshua’s name could equally be spelled “Jesus.” There is no record of Joshua amassing large amounts of loot; the only town Joshua wanted was Timnath Serah. Throughout Joshua’s life, he did what was necessary, facing overwhelming odds and discouragement. And yet, Joshua is one of the finest men portrayed in the Bible. If Joshua’s battle accounts may have made things seem a bit rosier than they actually were, he was only following the common practices of that day.

Each of us has a choice: we can be Joshua and Jesus – style leaders, or we can take advantage of our situations to amass as much wealth and power as possible. But remember what Proverbs 27:23 – 24 tells us. “Be sure you know the condition of your flocks, give careful attention to your herds; for riches do not endure forever, and a crown is not secure for all generations.”

Psalms 90:12 tells us, “Teach us to number our days, that we may gain a heart of wisdom.” Joshua lived out his days with a heart of wisdom. May all of us follow his sterling example!

PRAYER: Father God, help us to realize that You are the most important possession we can have and that the knowledge of You is better than any wealth. Help all in authority to be servant leaders and not tyrants. In the matchless Name of King Jesus. Amen.

Joshua 22:10 – 34 “When they came to Geliloth near the Jordan in the land of Canaan, the Reubenites, the Gadites and the half-tribe of Manasseh built an imposing altar there by the Jordan. And when the Israelites heard that they had built the altar on the border of Canaan at Geliloth near the Jordan on the Israelite side, the whole assembly of Israel gathered at Shiloh to go to war against them.

So the Israelites sent Phinehas son of Eleazar, the priest, to the land of Gilead—to Reuben, Gad and the half-tribe of Manasseh. With him they sent ten of the chief men, one from each of the tribes of Israel, each the head of a family division among the Israelite clans.

 When they went to Gilead—to Reuben, Gad and the half-tribe of Manasseh—they said to them: “The whole assembly of the Lord says: ‘How could you break faith with the God of Israel like this? How could you turn away from the Lord and build yourselves an altar in rebellion against him now?  Was not the sin of Peor enough for us? Up to this very day we have not cleansed ourselves from that sin, even though a plague fell on the community of the Lord!And are you now turning away from the Lord?

“‘If you rebel against the Lord today, tomorrow he will be angry with the whole community of Israel.If the land you possess is defiled, come over to the Lord’s land, where the Lord’s tabernacle stands, and share the land with us. But do not rebel against the Lord or against us by building an altar for yourselves, other than the altar of the Lord our God. When Achan son of Zerah was unfaithful in regard to the devoted things, did not wrath come on the whole community of Israel? He was not the only one who died for his sin.’”

Then Reuben, Gad and the half-tribe of Manasseh replied to the heads of the clans of Israel: “The Mighty One, God, the Lord! The Mighty One, God, the Lord! He knows! And let Israel know! If this has been in rebellion or disobedience to the Lord, do not spare us this day.If we have built our own altar to turn away from the Lord and to offer burnt offerings and grain offerings, or to sacrifice fellowship offerings on it, may the Lord himself call us to account.

“No! We did it for fear that someday your descendants might say to ours, ‘What do you have to do with the Lord, the God of Israel?The Lord has made the Jordan a boundary between us and you—you Reubenites and Gadites! You have no share in the Lord.’ So your descendants might cause ours to stop fearing the Lord.“That is why we said, ‘Let us get ready and build an altar—but not for burnt offerings or sacrifices.’ On the contrary, it is to be a witness between us and you and the generations that follow, that we will worship the Lord at his sanctuary with our burnt offerings, sacrifices and fellowship offerings. Then in the future your descendants will not be able to say to ours, ‘You have no share in the Lord.’

“And we said, ‘If they ever say this to us, or to our descendants, we will answer: Look at the replica of the Lord’s altar, which our ancestors built, not for burnt offerings and sacrifices, but as a witness between us and you.’ “Far be it from us to rebel against the Lord and turn away from him today by building an altar for burnt offerings, grain offerings and sacrifices, other than the altar of the Lord our God that stands before his tabernacle.”

 When Phinehas the priest and the leaders of the community—the heads of the clans of the Israelites—heard what Reuben, Gad and Manasseh had to say, they were pleased.And Phinehas son of Eleazar, the priest, said to Reuben, Gad and Manasseh, “Today we know that the Lord is with us, because you have not been unfaithful to the Lord in this matter. Now you have rescued the Israelites from the Lord’s hand.” Then Phinehas son of Eleazar, the priest, and the leaders returned to Canaan from their meeting with the Reubenites and Gadites in Gilead and reported to the Israelites. They were glad to hear the report and praised God. And they talked no more about going to war against them to devastate the country where the Reubenites and the Gadites lived. And the Reubenites and the Gadites gave the altar this name: A Witness Between Us—that the Lord is God.”

PEOPLE HAVE SHORT MEMORIES!!! The Reubenites, Gadites, and half the tribe of Manasseh had crossed the Jordan River ahead of the other Israelites and had been in the vanguard of every battle in Canaan. But now these men were returning to their homes on the east side of the Jordan. Suddenly these men realized that with a river between them, it would be very easy for the rest of the Israelites to forget all their struggles during the conquest of Canaan and to disown them, cutting them off from Israel.

Perhaps these tribes should have discussed it with the others, but after they crossed the Jordan, they erected a huge altar, presumably made from uncut stones. The Israelites on the west side of the Jordan were understandably worried; were these tribes already trying to separate themselves from the nation of Israel? At this point, the Tabernacle had been erected in Shiloh, and Shiloh had become the focus for worship. What were these men trying to do?

The passage is a little long; however, the story is worth examining. This altar was actually a memorial, sort of a giant collection of standing stones. The altar had to be large enough to be seen from the opposite side of the Jordan, even when the Jordan was in flood, and it had to be built far enough away from the river bank that floods would not carry away those stones. Once the other Israelites had fully investigated, they realized that this altar was merely a memorial and not something more sinister.

APPLICATION: Are memorials a good idea? People have been erecting memorials of some kind for thousands of years. Memorials commemorate major battles, major achievements, major historical figures, etc. Recently, there has been a move to destroy memorials in the U.S.; however, such moves are foolish. Rather than destroying memorials, it would be far better to teach the history surrounding those memorials, even if succeeding generations have come to realize that the men and women depicted might not have been as heroic as previously assumed. You do not wipe out evil simply because you destroy a statue or a plaque.

The tribes on the east side of the Jordan had a valid worry. Even when there are memorials, unless succeeding generations learn the meaning of those memorials, people’s memories fade. “Out of sight, out of mind” is still quite true. The only way the tribes on the east side of the Jordan were really going to be able to remain part of Israel was by taking an active part in worship. Moses had commanded the men to come together at least three times a year, and each time Reubenites, Gadites, and Manassehites from the east side of the Jordan came to worship, they would be able to reinforce the idea that they too were Israelites.

These tribes on the east side of the Jordan had made enormous sacrifices, risking their lives to help the other tribes. Sadly, there is no indication that the other tribes ever fully appreciated what had been done for them. Sometimes God calls us to make sacrifices, not so that someone will erect a memorial or praise us, but so that His kingdom can go forward. Our task is to follow God, for if we do, one day He will commend us.

PRAYER: Father God, help us to be faithful and to do Your perfect Will, even when those who are benefiting don’t notice. Help us to remember that we are working for You and You alone. Thank You for calling us to Your kingdom work. In the mighty and precious Name of King Jesus. Amen.

Joshua 22:1 – 34 “Then Joshua summoned the Reubenites, the Gadites and the half-tribe of Manassehand said to them, “You have done all that Moses the servant of the Lord commanded, and you have obeyed me in everything I commanded. For a long time now—to this very day—you have not deserted your fellow Israelites but have carried out the mission the Lord your God gave you. Now that the Lord your God has given them rest as he promised, return to your homes in the land that Moses the servant of the Lord gave you on the other side of the Jordan. But be very careful to keep the commandment and the law that Moses the servant of the Lord gave you: to love the Lord your God, to walk in obedience to him, to keep his commands, to hold fast to him and to serve him with all your heart and with all your soul.”

Then Joshua blessed them and sent them away, and they went to their homes. (To the half-tribe of Manasseh Moses had given land in Bashan, and to the other half of the tribe Joshua gave land on the west side of the Jordan along with their fellow Israelites.) When Joshua sent them home, he blessed them, saying, “Return to your homes with your great wealth—with large herds of livestock, with silver, gold, bronze and iron, and a great quantity of clothing—and divide the plunder from your enemies with your fellow Israelites.”

So, the Reubenites, the Gadites and the half-tribe of Manasseh left the Israelites at Shiloh in Canaan to return to Gilead, their own land, which they had acquired in accordance with the command of the Lord through Moses.

FIGHTING FOR SOMETHING THAT WOULD NEVER BE THEIRS! This was the task Moses and Joshua assigned to the Reubenites, the Gadites, and the half – tribe of Manasseh when they asked for land on the east side of the Jordan. In those days, there were vast grazing lands on the east side of the Jordan, and after the Israelites had conquered King Og and King Sihon, these tribes asked for those lands because they had huge herds of livestock. Moses gave them those lands but demanded that they should settle their families, their flocks, and herds and then the fighting men should accompany the rest of the Israelites across the Jordan and help conquer Canaan.

Joshua 1:12 – 15 “But to the Reubenites, the Gadites and the half-tribe of Manasseh, Joshua said, “Remember the command that Moses the servant of the Lord gave you after he said, ‘The Lord your God will give you rest by giving you this land.’Your wives, your children and your livestock may stay in the land that Moses gave you east of the Jordan, but all your fighting men, ready for battle, must cross over ahead of your fellow Israelites. You are to help them until the Lord gives them rest, as he has done for you, and until they too have taken possession of the land the Lord your God is giving them. After that, you may go back and occupy your own land, which Moses the servant of the Lord gave you east of the Jordan toward the sunrise.”

Notice that when the Israelites crossed the Jordan, the tribes of Reuben, Gad, and the half – tribe of Manasseh actually preceded the rest of the people as a guard against possible attack as soon as they crossed the Jordan. The families of these tribes were already safely ensconced in their cities, so those families were not at risk.

Throughout all the campaigns in Canaan, the fighting men of these tribes were constantly involved. It’s likely that this conquest took as many as seven or more years, during which time these men served faithfully. Now it was time for the fighting men of Reuben, Gad, and the half – tribe of Manasseh to return home; however, they were not returning empty – handed. “When Joshua sent them home, he blessed them, saying, “Return to your homes with your great wealth—with large herds of livestock, with silver, gold, bronze and iron, and a great quantity of clothing—and divide the plunder from your enemies with your fellow Israelites.” Who were these fellow Israelites? It is likely that when the fighting men left their families behind, they left a contingent to guard their newly – won lands. Had these men accompanied the rest of the Israelites, they too could have gotten great wealth. This is why Joshua is ordering those returning to the east of the Jordan to share generously. Hundreds of years later, King David issued a similar order when he insisted that those who remained behind with the luggage should share equally with those who had gone into battle.

“Families don’t do this sort of thing! Oh no, my brothers!” said David as he broke up the argument. “You can’t act this way with what God gave us! God kept us safe. He handed over the raiders who attacked us. Who would ever listen to this kind of talk? The share of the one who stays with the gear is the share of the one who fights—equal shares. Share and share alike!” From that day on, David made that the rule in Israel—and it still is.” 1 Samuel 30:24 The Message

APPLICATION: One of the challenges of being a missionary is that you are constantly having to re – invent yourself. Those tasks that you did a few years ago must be taken up by others if any organization is to develop. Twenty – nine years ago, I was the only doctor in a small clinic; eventually I also became the first surgeon and the first laboratory technician. At times, I was also the chief midwife, handling all the difficult deliveries. At times during my career, I have served as both Medical Superintendent and Administrator out of sheer necessity. Sometimes I have also handled most of the official correspondence for the hospital. At this point, we have entire departments to handle the duties I used to shoulder alone. My husband has had similar experiences. At one point, my husband handled all the preaching for a local church for a year until they were able to secure another pastor. When we were first in Saboba, my husband headed the maintenance section; now there are several workers.

There is a saying painted on buses and tro – tros’s here that reads, “No condition is permanent.” Changes and transformations are a part of life. There is another saying we encountered when we were first being trained to learn languages, “Blessed are the flexible, for they shall never be bent out of shape.”

I wonder how the Reubenites, the Gadites, and the men from the half – tribe of Manasseh must have felt the morning that Joshua told them they could go home. Were they happy? Relieved? Worried about what they would find when they crossed the Jordan? After all, many of these men had probably left young families. Now they were returning to wives and half – grown children whose memories of them might be quite dim.

These men were returning with great wealth, easily enough to share with those left behind. And these men were returning to take up lives of peace. No longer would they have to wake up each morning, wondering where the next battle would be fought, how many giants there might be, and how rough the terrain would be. Now these men would be able to rest, although they would still have to be on guard for raiding parties. But these were serious fighting men who knew how to protect themselves and their families. All those battles in Canaan had taught them how to wage war when necessary, skills they could pass on to their sons.

The Reubenites, the Gadites, and those from the half – tribe of Manasseh now faced the challenge of raising families and livestock while maintaining the worship of the One True Living God who had sustained them during all those years of fighting. Were there ever times when these men longed to be back in battle where the choices were far simpler? About the time that their kids were asking “Why?” for the hundredth time, battle might have looked pretty good! Did any of these men suffer from PTSD? If they heard any sudden loud noises, did they begin looking for attackers? Did they have nightmares? We don’t know. What we do know is that these men made it home to their families with God’s blessing.

Have you been serving in a difficult situation? Are there times when you long for rest? Take heart! If God has called you there, God will keep you there until He chooses to move you somewhere else. All of us face the challenge of perpetually reinventing ourselves; the day we stop is the day we die spiritually, mentally, and emotionally. But remember this: God is still on the throne! God sees your efforts! And if you are fulfilling God’s perfect will for your life, one day you will hear the most wonderful words anyone has ever imagined. “‘Well done, good and faithful servant! You have been faithful with a few things; I will put you in charge of many things. Come and share your master’s happiness!’” Matthew 25:21

PRAYER: Father God, thank You for loving us and for caring for us! Help us to follow hard after You all the days of our lives. Help us to be good and faithful servants, knowing that You are a loving and faithful master and that one day we will share Your joy. In the mighty and precious Name of King Jesus. Amen.

Joshua 21:1 – 43 “Now the family heads of the Levites approached Eleazar the priest, Joshua son of Nun, and the heads of the other tribal families of Israel at Shiloh in Canaan and said to them, “The Lord commanded through Moses that you give us towns to live in, with pasturelands for our livestock.” So, as the Lord had commanded, the Israelites gave the Levites the following towns and pasturelands out of their own inheritance:

The first lot came out for the Kohathites, according to their clans. The Levites who were descendants of Aaron the priest were allotted thirteen towns from the tribes of Judah, Simeon and Benjamin. The rest of Kohath’s descendants were allotted ten towns from the clans of the tribes of Ephraim, Dan and half of Manasseh. The descendants of Gershon were allotted thirteen towns from the clans of the tribes of Issachar, Asher, Naphtali and the half-tribe of Manasseh in Bashan. The descendants of Merari, according to their clans, received twelve towns from the tribes of Reuben, Gad and Zebulun. So, the Israelites allotted to the Levites these towns and their pasturelands, as the Lord had commanded through Moses.

From the tribes of Judah and Simeon they allotted the following towns by name (these towns were assigned to the descendants of Aaron who were from the Kohathite clans of the Levites, because the first lot fell to them): They gave them Kiriath Arba (that is, Hebron), with its surrounding pastureland, in the hill country of Judah. (Arba was the forefather of Anak.) But the fields and villages around the city they had given to Caleb son of Jephunneh as his possession. So to the descendants of Aaron the priest they gave Hebron (a city of refuge for one accused of murder), Libnah, Jattir, Eshtemoa,  Holon, Debir, Ain, Juttah and Beth Shemesh, together with their pasturelands—nine towns from these two tribes.

 And from the tribe of Benjamin, they gave them Gibeon, Geba, Anathoth and Almon, together with their pasturelands—four towns. The total number of towns for the priests, the descendants of Aaron, came to thirteen, together with their pasturelands. The rest of the Kohathite clans of the Levites were allotted towns from the tribe of Ephraim: In the hill country of Ephraim they were given Shechem (a city of refuge for one accused of murder) and Gezer, Kibzaim and Beth Horon, together with their pasturelands—four towns.

Also, from the tribe of Dan they received Eltekeh, Gibbethon, Aijalon and Gath Rimmon, together with their pasturelands—four towns. From half the tribe of Manasseh they received Taanach and Gath Rimmon, together with their pasturelands—two towns.  All these ten towns and their pasturelands were given to the rest of the Kohathite clans.

The Levite clans of the Gershonites were given: from the half-tribe of Manasseh, Golan in Bashan (a city of refuge for one accused of murder) and Be Eshterah, together with their pasturelands—two towns; from the tribe of Issachar, Kishion, Daberath, Jarmuth and En Gannim, together with their pasturelands—four towns; from the tribe of Asher, Mishal, Abdon, Helkath and Rehob, together with their pasturelands—four towns; from the tribe of Naphtali, Kedesh in Galilee (a city of refuge for one accused of murder), Hammoth Dor and Kartan, together with their pasturelands—three towns. The total number of towns of the Gershonite clans came to thirteen, together with their pasturelands.

The Merarite clans (the rest of the Levites) were given: from the tribe of Zebulun, Jokneam, Kartah,  Dimnah and Nahalal, together with their pasturelands—four towns; from the tribe of Reuben, Bezer, Jahaz, Kedemoth and Mephaath, together with their pasturelands—four towns; from the tribe of Gad, Ramoth in Gilead (a city of refuge for one accused of murder), Mahanaim, Heshbon and Jazer, together with their pasturelands—four towns in all. The total number of towns allotted to the Merarite clans, who were the rest of the Levites, came to twelve.

The towns of the Levites in the territory held by the Israelites were forty-eight in all, together with their pasturelands. Each of these towns had pasturelands surrounding it; this was true for all these towns. So, the Lord gave Israel all the land he had sworn to give their ancestors, and they took possession of it and settled there. The Lord gave them rest on every side, just as he had sworn to their ancestors. Not one of their enemies withstood them; the Lord gave all their enemies into their hands. Not one of all the Lord’s good promises to Israel failed; every one was fulfilled.”

One last time, Joshua went through the ordeal of casting lots for land ownership. This time, the land went to the Levites. God had already ordered Moses to allot a certain amount of land in each portion of Israel so that the Levites would be able to sustain themselves and so that all the Levites wouldn’t cluster in one place. And once more, Joshua had to give very specific descriptions of the villages with their lands that would be allotted to the Levites. One allotment that I have always felt was unfair is the city of Hebron. Remember that 85 year – old Caleb went down to Hebron and demolished the giants who were living there. Before Caleb knew what was happening, Hebron got designated as one of the cities of refuge. While that designation wasn’t too bad, now Joshua was allotting the town of Hebron to the priests, although Caleb and his descendants still owned the fields and villages around the city. At that point, Caleb really couldn’t protest, even though he might have wanted to.

APPLICATION: The two verses that are most important for those of us reading this passage are these: “The Lord gave them rest on every side, just as he had sworn to their ancestors. Not one of their enemies withstood them; the Lord gave all their enemies into their hands. Not one of all the Lord’s good promises to Israel failed; every one was fulfilled.”

 Who doesn’t want God’s promises to be completely fulfilled? Who doesn’t want rest on every side? We might be tempted to wonder if those statements weren’t merely an extension of the conquest stories. But perhaps at this point, God really had given the Israelites victory and rest. Certainly, if anyone failed, it was not God but rather the Israelites.

Hudson Taylor, the founder of the China Inland Mission, was fond of saying that “God’s work, done God’s way, will never lack God’s supply.” Certainly, Joshua had done his very best to try to conquer Canaan and to make fair allotments of the land to the tribes and to the Levites. At this point, Joshua was drawing to the end of his career and was probably relieved to have this final land distribution over and done with. Despite the fact that Joshua could have claimed a large chunk of land for himself, the only town he claimed was Timnath Serah in the land belonging to the Tribe of Ephraim. As far as we know, Joshua was the author of the book bearing his name, so these verses would have stood as part of his final comments to the Israelites.

Was Joshua a perfect leader? No. There are no perfect leaders; there are only imperfect people trying to do the best job they can under trying circumstances. But Joshua was a man who loved God and who continued to seek God’s guidance all his life. Next to the towering figure of Moses, Joshua measures up well.

It’s a fascinating thing that it takes one kind of individual to pioneer a work and another kind to help it continue. Moses was perfect for leading the Israelites out of Egypt. Joshua was equally suited for leading the Israelites into Canaan. Two different men, two different sets of talents, but one holy calling: leading God’s people.

No matter what work we pursue, if we are fulfilling God’s will for our lives, we are always fulfilling a holy calling. May God help us to realize how precious that calling really is!

PRAYER; Father God, thank You for loving us and for caring for us. Help us to follow hard after You all the days of our lives and to value the calling that You have given us as a holy one. In the matchless Name of King Jesus. Amen.

Joshua 20:1 – 9 “Then the Lord said to Joshua: “Tell the Israelites to designate the cities of refuge, as I instructed you through Moses, so that anyone who kills a person accidentally and unintentionally may flee there and find protection from the avenger of blood. When they flee to one of these cities, they are to stand in the entrance of the city gate and state their case before the elders of that city. Then the elders are to admit the fugitive into their city and provide a place to live among them. If the avenger of blood comes in pursuit, the elders must not surrender the fugitive, because the fugitive killed their neighbor unintentionally and without malice aforethought. They are to stay in that city until they have stood trial before the assembly and until the death of the high priest who is serving at that time. Then they may go back to their own home in the town from which they fled.”

So they set apart Kedesh in Galilee in the hill country of Naphtali, Shechem in the hill country of Ephraim, and Kiriath Arba (that is, Hebron) in the hill country of Judah. East of the Jordan (on the other side from Jericho) they designated Bezer in the wilderness on the plateau in the tribe of Reuben, Ramoth in Gilead in the tribe of Gad, and Golan in Bashan in the tribe of Manasseh. Any of the Israelites or any foreigner residing among them who killed someone accidentally could flee to these designated cities and not be killed by the avenger of blood prior to standing trial before the assembly.”

Cities of refuge! Why were these cities so important? In those days, the law of lex talionis, “an eye for an eye and a tooth for a tooth,” generally prevailed throughout the Middle East. If someone was killed, it was imperative that a member of the family, “the avenger of blood,” should hunt down the person and kill him. But what if there was an accident? For example, two men might be cutting down trees, and the axe head from one man’s axe might fly off, striking the second man in the head and killing him. What happens to the innocent man who had no intent to harm his friend? At that point, the innocent man who was grieving the tragic loss of his friend would have to hide himself someplace if he were to avoid being killed by the avenger of blood. Then, as now, accidents could easily happen. The cities of refuge were intended for those innocently involved in such an accident.

Notice that those fleeing to cities of refuge were still made to stand trial before the city elders. Even if such people were found to be blameless, they would still have to remain within the city of refuge until the current high priest died. Why base a return to a home town on the life of the high priest? By indicating that the length of stay in the city of refuge was dependent on the remaining number of years the high priest would live, this law removed the burden of the decision about the length of stay from the city elders. Since the city elders obviously had no control over the high priest’s life, this law clearly placed the amount of time the fugitive would spend in a city of refuge squarely on God. Even the most argumentative Israelite would hesitate to argue with God.

APPLICATION: Accidents can happen! As a child growing up on a midwestern farm, I had farm safety drilled into my head by my parents from an early age. Working with livestock and machinery affords unlimited opportunities for terrible things to occur. In my home area, one farmer and his son died tragically because they were pushing a portable grain elevator across the farm yard when it came into contact with a high – tension wire. Both men were electrocuted. A few months ago, several young men in our northern Ghanaian village drowned in the River Oti when they mis – judged the depth of the water and attempted to land at the wrong spot, stepping out of their canoe into a deep hole.  

The fundamental ideas behind the cities of refuge were two – fold: the ideas that accidents happen and that those surviving might be completely innocent of any malicious intent. If you return to the description of the cities of refuge given in Deuteronomy 19:1 – 13, you will see that anyone who was actually found guilty of murder would be handed over by the city elders and not given extended shelter.

One interesting question is this: suppose someone was innocently involved in a death and served their time at the city of refuge. Now the high priest has died, and that person is free to return to their home city. How will such a person be received when they return to their home town? One can only hope for that individual that having fulfilled his debt to society, his former friends and relations would receive him kindly.

How proficient are we at forgiving those who have injured or killed our loved ones? The summer I was 7, my father nearly died in a head – on collision caused by a drunk driver. While the drunk driver escaped unscathed, my father came so close to dying that he literally was at the gates of heaven, seeing his dead grandparents when my mother’s prayers called him back to life. At the time, I failed to take notice; however, now I realize that my mother never uttered a word of complaint or criticism about this man who had so nearly deprived her of her husband and the father of her children. Rather than become bitter, my mother focused all her efforts on supporting my father and helping him get well. Eventually, he made a complete recovery.

Years later, as a general surgery resident, I found myself at the bedside of an eleven year – old boy who had suffered brain damage as a result of a drunk driver. The boy’s father was full of bitterness and could speak of little else apart from planning his revenge on this man. I found myself telling this father that he needed to forgive the man who had done this before he could expect his son to be healed. I felt at the time that this insight was from the Lord. Unforgiveness blocks far more blessings than we can possibly realize.

Have you locked up someone emotionally and refused to forgive them? Sad to say, the person you are hurting most is yourself. As long as you focus on the degree of hurt and refuse to forgive, you are like someone in spiritual and emotional handcuffs. Forgiveness is the key to freedom. It’s your choice. What will you do now?

PRAYER: Father God, many of us are treasuring hurts, not realizing that by doing so, we are only damaging ourselves. Help us to freely forgive those who have hurt us in any way, realizing that through Jesus Christ you have already forgiven us. In the mighty and precious Name of King Jesus. Amen.

Joshua 19:1 – 51 “The second lot came out for the tribe of Simeon according to its clans. Their inheritance lay within the territory of Judah.  It included: Beersheba (or Sheba), Moladah, Hazar Shual, Balah, Ezem, Eltolad, Bethul, Hormah, Ziklag, Beth Markaboth, Hazar Susah, 6 Beth Lebaoth and Sharuhen—thirteen towns and their villages; Ain, Rimmon, Ether and Ashan—four towns and their villages— and all the villages around these towns as far as Baalath Beer (Ramah in the Negev). This was the inheritance of the tribe of the Simeonites, according to its clans. The inheritance of the Simeonites was taken from the share of Judah, because Judah’s portion was more than they needed. So the Simeonites received their inheritance within the territory of Judah.

The third lot came up for Zebulun according to its clans: The boundary of their inheritance went as far as Sarid.  Going west it ran to Maralah, touched Dabbesheth, and extended to the ravine near Jokneam.  It turned east from Sarid toward the sunrise to the territory of Kisloth Tabor and went on to Daberath and up to Japhia. Then it continued eastward to Gath Hepher and Eth Kazin; it came out at Rimmon and turned toward Neah. There the boundary went around on the north to Hannathon and ended at the Valley of Iphtah El. Included were Kattath, Nahalal, Shimron, Idalah and Bethlehem. There were twelve towns and their villages. These towns and their villages were the inheritance of Zebulun, according to its clans.

The fourth lot came out for Issachar according to its clans. Their territory included: Jezreel, Kesulloth, Shunem, Hapharaim, Shion, Anaharath, Rabbith, Kishion, Ebez, Remeth, En Gannim, En Haddah and Beth Pazzez. The boundary touched Tabor, Shahazumah and Beth Shemesh, and ended at the Jordan. There were sixteen towns and their villages. These towns and their villages were the inheritance of the tribe of Issachar, according to its clans.

The fifth lot came out for the tribe of Asher according to its clans. Their territory included: Helkath, Hali, Beten, Akshaph, Allammelek, Amad and Mishal. On the west the boundary touched Carmel and Shihor Libnath. It then turned east toward Beth Dagon, touched Zebulun and the Valley of Iphtah El, and went north to Beth Emek and Neiel, passing Kabul on the left. It went to Abdon, Rehob, Hammon and Kanah, as far as Greater Sidon. The boundary then turned back toward Ramah and went to the fortified city of Tyre, turned toward Hosah and came out at the Mediterranean Sea in the region of Akzib, Ummah, Aphek and Rehob. There were twenty-two towns and their villages. These towns and their villages were the inheritance of the tribe of Asher, according to its clans.

The sixth lot came out for Naphtali according to its clans: Their boundary went from Heleph and the large tree in Zaanannim, passing Adami Nekeb and Jabneel to Lakkum and ending at the Jordan. The boundary ran west through Aznoth Tabor and came out at Hukkok. It touched Zebulun on the south, Asher on the west and the Jordan on the east. The fortified towns were Ziddim, Zer, Hammath, Rakkath, Kinnereth, Adamah, Ramah, Hazor, Kedesh, Edrei, En Hazor, Iron, Migdal El, Horem, Beth Anath and Beth Shemesh. There were nineteen towns and their villages. These towns and their villages were the inheritance of the tribe of Naphtali, according to its clans.

The seventh lot came out for the tribe of Dan according to its clans. The territory of their inheritance included: Zorah, Eshtaol, Ir Shemesh, Shaalabbin, Aijalon, Ithlah, Elon, Timnah, Ekron, Eltekeh, Gibbethon, Baalath, Jehud, Bene Berak, Gath Rimmon, Me Jarkon and Rakkon, with the area facing Joppa. (When the territory of the Danites was lost to them, they went up and attacked Leshem, took it, put it to the sword and occupied it. They settled in Leshem and named it Dan after their ancestor.) These towns and their villages were the inheritance of the tribe of Dan, according to its clans.

When they had finished dividing the land into its allotted portions, the Israelites gave Joshua son of Nun an inheritance among them, as the Lord had commanded. They gave him the town he asked for—Timnath Serah in the hill country of Ephraim. And he built up the town and settled there.” These are the territories that Eleazar the priest, Joshua son of Nun and the heads of the tribal clans of Israel assigned by lot at Shiloh in the presence of the Lord at the entrance to the tent of meeting. And so they finished dividing the land.”

WOW! Just reading these lists of place names, villages, big trees, special rocks and streams is enough to make your brain go numb. Why was it so important for Joshua to include such specific lists in this book? Land disputes are as old as time. Proverbs 22:28 warns against moving ancient landmarks: “Do not move an ancient boundary stone which your fathers have placed.” Joshua had been with the Israelites ever since they left Egypt. Joshua knew full well just how argumentative the Israelites could be. If there were no absolutely clear record of the land boundaries, inevitably, somebody would be out there trying to change them, moving boundary stones and trying to claim that this was REALLY what Joshua had intended.

Ever notice something? Joshua didn’t get his inheritance until after everybody else had already been given theirs. By this point, Joshua might have been in his eighties or nineties; certainly, he was a senior citizen. Joshua could have claimed a large chunk of land; instead, he only claimed one town, Timnath Serah. Joshua “built up the town and settled there.” What a relief! By this point, Joshua might have been living in tents for 60 years, never knowing where God would have him move next. Finally, Joshua was able to settle in one place. Joshua had fulfilled God’s calling on his life, and now it was up to the Israelites to get things done for themselves.

APPLICATION: Sometimes we wonder if God really cares for us or even notices what is happening in our lives. While these lists in Joshua make for tedious reading, we should be grateful for what they represent. These lists should remind us that God knows all the most intimate details of our lives and is more abreast of what is going on with us than we are ourselves. When Joshua was casting lots for the various tribes to collect land, God was already guiding the process. God knew everyone in those tribes, their faults, their talents, their abilities. God was in every one of the details when those lands were assigned.

Next to Moses, nobody had suffered through more with the Israelites than had Joshua. Joshua came out of Egypt with Moses as a young man. Joshua was one of the two faithful spies who tried to get the Israelites to enter Canaan, only for the other ten spies to terrorize the people with accounts of giants. When Moses ascended Mount Sinai, Joshua was there. When Moses entered the Tent of Meeting, Joshua accompanied him and remained there. After Moses died, Joshua was the one tasked with leading a bunch of whining, feuding Israelites across the Jordan River and into battle. Little wonder if after all these years, Joshua just wanted to settle down in Timnath Serah and have some peace.

Do you feel as if God has abandoned you and doesn’t really care about your life? Nothing could be further from the truth! The same God who guided Joshua to divide up that land, drawing minutely specific boundaries with trees, streams, towns, and even large rocks, is the same God who cares for you today. God has not changed, but have you? When was the last time that you sat quietly and asked God to show you His Will for your life? When was the last time that you sat down quietly, period? These days with electronic media, silence is a scarce commodity. Many of us are so distracted by cell phones, television, etc., that we don’t know how to be quiet. Living in a noisy environment for most of our waking hours, we become uncomfortable when the noise stops.

PRAYER: Father God, thank You for loving us and for caring for us. Lord, so many of us live in noisy environments where it is nearly impossible to hear Your Voice. Help us to learn to be still and to KNOW that You truly are God. Help us to trust that You love us and know more about us than we do about ourselves. In the matchless Name of King Jesus. Amen.