Bible League: Living His Word "... as Commander of the army of the LORD I have now come."— Joshua 5:14 NKJV It was a critical juncture in the history of the Israelites, the old covenant people of God. They had left Egypt. They had wandered in the wilderness for 40 years. They had finally crossed the Jordan River into the promised land. Now they were about to go to war against the city of Jericho. It would be the first and the most important battle in the promised land. If ever they needed help from the Lord, it was now. If ever they needed instructions on how to conduct a battle, it was now. In the history of the people of God, some times are more significant than other times. At those times the opposition is strong and the stakes are high. For the Israelites, a loss at Jericho would have cast them out of the promised land. It would have been a major disaster and a failure of God's promises to them. That's why Jesus showed up. The pre-incarnate Jesus Christ, the commander of the army of the Lord, showed up personally to help. This time, He did not stay in heaven. This time, He came to personally lead and direct the battle. The stakes were too high and the opposition too strong to leave it to His underlings. He gave Joshua the instructions for battle that He needed and it resulted in a miraculous victory (Joshua 6). Jericho was not the only critical juncture in the history of the people of God. There have been, and there will be, other ones. When the early church, for example, was undergoing severe persecution from the hand of Saul, Jesus showed up personally again. He appeared to Saul on the road to Damascus and He stopped the persecutions by blinding him. He graciously turned Saul's heart around and later healed him. Saul the persecutor was turned into Paul the Apostle of the Gospel. In our own day, the critical junctures seem to be coming in swarms and they seem to be happening all over the world. The people of God are under severe duress. No doubt, Jesus is showing up personally to help. No doubt, He comes as commander of the army of the Lord. He helps His people overcome. He will not allow the spread of the Gospel and the advance of the Kingdom of God to be stopped by the opposition (Acts 1:8). Indeed, one day He will come back on the clouds and lead the army of the Lord in the definitive and final battle against the enemies of the people of God (Revelation 19:11-21). Bible in a Year Old Testament ReadingPsalm 59, 60, 61 Psalm 59 -- David's Psalm of Deliverance (1Sa 20) NIV NLT ESV NAS GWT KJV ASV ERV DRB Psalm 60 -- David's Psalm of Victory (2Sa 8) NIV NLT ESV NAS GWT KJV ASV ERV DRB Psalm 61 -- Hear my cry, God. Listen to my prayer. NIV NLT ESV NAS GWT KJV ASV ERV DRB New Testament Reading Acts 28:16-31 Acts 28 -- Paul Ashore at Malta; Preaches at Rome NIV NLT ESV NAS GWT KJV ASV ERV DRB Reading Plan Courtesy of Christian Classics Etherial Library. Tyndale Life Application Daily Devotion When Jesus heard his answer, he said, “There is still one thing you haven't done. Sell all your possessions and give the money to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven. Then come, follow me.”But when the man heard this he became very sad, for he was very rich. Insight This man's wealth made his life comfortable and gave him power and prestige. When Jesus told him to sell everything he owned, Jesus was touching the very basis of his security and identity. The man did not understand that he would be even more secure if he followed Jesus than he was with all his wealth. Jesus does not ask all believers to sell everything they have, although this may be his will for some. He does ask us all, however, to get rid of anything that has become more important than God. Challenge If your basis for security has shifted from God to what you own, it would be better for you to get rid of those possessions. Morning and Evening by Spurgeon Mark 14:72 And when he thought thereon, he wept.It has been thought by some that as long as Peter lived, the fountain of his tears began to flow whenever he remembered his denying his Lord. It is not unlikely that it was so, for his sin was very great, and grace in him had afterwards a perfect work. This same experience is common to all the redeemed family according to the degree in which the Spirit of God has removed the natural heart of stone. We, like Peter, remember our boastful promise: "Though all men shall forsake thee, yet will not I." We eat our own words with the bitter herbs of repentance. When we think of what we vowed we would be, and of what we have been, we may weep whole showers of grief. He thought on his denying his Lord. The place in which he did it, the little cause which led him into such heinous sin, the oaths and blasphemies with which he sought to confirm his falsehood, and the dreadful hardness of heart which drove him to do so again and yet again. Can we, when we are reminded of our sins, and their exceeding sinfulness, remain stolid and stubborn? Will we not make our house a Bochim, and cry unto the Lord for renewed assurances of pardoning love? May we never take a dry-eyed look at sin, lest ere long we have a tongue parched in the flames of hell. Peter also thought upon his Master's look of love. The Lord followed up the cock's warning voice with an admonitory look of sorrow, pity, and love. That glance was never out of Peter's mind so long as he lived. It was far more effectual than ten thousand sermons would have been without the Spirit. The penitent apostle would be sure to weep when he recollected the Saviour's full forgiveness, which restored him to his former place. To think that we have offended so kind and good a Lord is more than sufficient reason for being constant weepers. Lord, smite our rocky hearts, and make the waters flow. Daily Light on the Daily Path Colossians 3:1 Therefore if you have been raised up with Christ, keep seeking the things above, where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God.Proverbs 4:5 Acquire wisdom! Acquire understanding! Do not forget nor turn away from the words of my mouth. James 3:17 But the wisdom from above is first pure, then peaceable, gentle, reasonable, full of mercy and good fruits, unwavering, without hypocrisy. Job 28:14 "The deep says, 'It is not in me'; And the sea says, 'It is not with me.' Romans 6:4,5 Therefore we have been buried with Him through baptism into death, so that as Christ was raised from the dead through the glory of the Father, so we too might walk in newness of life. • For if we have become united with Him in the likeness of His death, certainly we shall also be in the likeness of His resurrection, Hebrews 12:1 Therefore, since we have so great a cloud of witnesses surrounding us, let us also lay aside every encumbrance and the sin which so easily entangles us, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, Ephesians 2:4-6 But God, being rich in mercy, because of His great love with which He loved us, • even when we were dead in our transgressions, made us alive together with Christ (by grace you have been saved), • and raised us up with Him, and seated us with Him in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus, Hebrews 11:14 For those who say such things make it clear that they are seeking a country of their own. Zephaniah 2:3 Seek the LORD, All you humble of the earth Who have carried out His ordinances; Seek righteousness, seek humility. Perhaps you will be hidden In the day of the LORD'S anger. New American Standard Bible Copyright © 1960, 1962, 1963, 1968, 1971, 1972, 1973, 1975, 1977, 1995 by The Lockman Foundation, La Habra, Calif. All rights reserved. For Permission to Quote Information visit http://www.lockman.org. |
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