Take Possession

The book of Joshua has encouragement and wisdom for the soldiers of the Cross more than any other book. This is the book of conquest or the battlefield of Canaan. In this book, Israel not only overcomes the enemy, but also occupies the land God promised them. Joshua completes what Moses began. The nation that was led out by Moses was led in by Joshua. This book focuses on overcoming the enemy and occupying the land.

The beginning of the book we see the children of Israel right on the border of the land of promise, near the banks of Jordan. Canaanites, the people of the land, were the descendants of Canaan, the son of Ham (Noah’s son). They were wicked and idolatrous. God tells Joshua, the leader to get ready to cross the Jordan River (Joshua 1:2). God said to him to be strong and courageous and not be discouraged as God will be with him wherever he go (Joshua 1:5,9). Joshua sent men through the camp to tell them that in three days they would cross the Jordan, and to be prepared for the journey (Joshua 1:10-11).  Joshua sends two scouts to bring a report of the land. Read the story of Rahab. the prostitute in Joshua 2. Rahab helped the spies and hid them and let them escape through the window of her house which was part of the city wall. Rahab hung a scarlet cord out of her window so that her house might be marked and spared when the city was destroyed by Israel. This same woman’s name is found in the genealogy of Jesus (Mathew 1:5).

Joshua instructed the people to sanctify themselves, for on the morrow the Lord would do wonders among them (Joshua 3:5). The children of Israel had followed the cloud in the wilderness. Now they would follow the Ark of the Covenant, which represented the presence of Jehovah. Joshua told the priests to take up the Ark and step into the Jordan. When the soles of their feet touched the waters of the Jordan, they stood on dry ground (Joshua 3:9-17). After they crossed the Jordan River, from the river bed where the priests stood, stones were taken and piled up on the other shore as a lasting memorial of the wonders God did for them (Joshua 4:3).

Children of Israel needed to break the walls of Jericho to proceed to conquer the Promised Land, for Jericho was the key to southern Canaan. For bringing the wall down, God’s directions seemed strange, but they obeyed him. They marched around the city with the priests, Ark and trumpets for six days. (Joshua 6). On the seventh day they shouted glory to God with trumpets and the wall fell down for them to conquer the city. God knew that a certain vibration would destroy the wall. It was struck in the sound of the trumpet and shout. God accomplished the destruction with or without scientific means. God gives us victories through ways that seem utterly foolish to the world.

The capture of Jericho gave the Israelites a chance to enter central Canaan. The next place was Ai, which is the entrance into the valley leading into western Canaan. As he had done in the case of Jericho, Joshua sent spies to Ai to learn the situation. Made overconfident by their recent success, they gave poor counsel on their return that they can capture Ai with less people (Joshua 7:3). A small force was sent and they were attacked and saw the withdrawal of God’s guiding hand. They understood that one man (Achan) was the cause of the defeat as he hid a wedge of Gold (Joshua 7). It states us clear that every sin you commit will hunt you down, find you out and make you pay. You cannot escape the law of God.

Israelites went out a second time to Ai and they were victors. The fame of Israel began to spread far and wide. The kings of Canaan formed a league against them. But Joshua routed the allied army (Joshua 10: 10-13), where even the sun stood still over Gibeon for their victory.

Finally we see the land rested from war (Joshua 11:23). We see the name Jerusalem mentioned this time. It is a city with great past history and a bright future history. Here Christ will reign when he comes again in power and great glory (Luke 21:27).

Joshua 13 to 24, we see the division of the land. Although all this land was allotted to the various tribes, all of it was not conquered until the time of David. In Joshua 14, we see Caleb asking his friend Joshua for the high walled cities as his portion. Joshua gave his as his will as he valued Caleb’s part and hard work in capturing the Promised Land.

In Joshua 24 we see him old. He called first the leaders and then all the people together and urged them to remember the power and faithfulness of God and asked them to be faithful to him (Joshua 24:14). The book closes with his death at the age of 110 years.

This book gives us an account of how God will lead and guide his children to overcome all the odds, if they are truthful to him. Even though this book is about children of Israel, through Jesus Christ whoever believes in the sacrifice of Christ is New Israel and God is going to guide them to victory over all enemies. The enemies may be an addiction, or a sickness, or an abuse, through Christ Jesus, the victory will come to you when you believe in him and his salvation.

May the Spirit of God lead you to understand the sacrifice of Christ Jesus and help you to born again in Christ Jesus and possess the victory as New Israel.

Rules and Regulations

The book of Deuteronomy is a collection of orations and songs of Moses he gave as his farewell to the children of Israel. This book shows the blessings of obedience and the curse of disobedience. Everything depends on obedience – life itself, possession of the Promised Land, victory over foes, prosperity and happiness. Moses did this to remind the people what God had done for them and what they were to do to serve him when they reached the Promised Land.

As the book opens we see the children of Israel on the border of the land of Canaan, in a place where 11 days journey, some 40 years before, could have brought them. Yet it had taken them 40 years. How slowly they covered the ground. How often we have to go over the same ground again and again. We marvel at Israel’s slowness. We can rather marvel at our own. We, like they, are kept back by unbelief. We should be ashamed at the time it takes us to learn or lessons. God is a faithful teacher. He never lets us pass to another grade until we are ready.

Here God is putting before the children of Israel the conditions summed up in one great word, Obedience. The children of Israel entered the Promised Land under the conditions of Law. Moses gives the children of Israel a look back. He recalls the history of Israel and reviews their wanderings. He reminds them of Gods faithfulness and urges them to be grateful and obedient. He likens God’s care of them to a loving father who cherishes his little ones lest they should be lost in the wilderness or be injured by the heat of the sun. He supplied all their needs; they lacked nothing (Deuteronomy 2:7).

Moses repeatedly reminds them that they are a people of holy to the Lord (Deuteronomy 7:6; 14:2, 21; 26:19). Because Gods people are his, he wants them to walk in the world in the way that befits them, separating themselves from evil (Deuteronomy 14). They should show charity toward their fellow humans (Deuteronomy 15). They must gather together to worship (Deuteronomy 16).

We see Moses giving the people some solemn warnings. He first spoke of the blessings the children of Israel could enjoy if they would be obedient. He then told them the results of disobedience. Misfortune would follow them in everything they would undertake – in business, in farming and in health. They would suffer for their disobedience to God.

Deuteronomy 28 is a most remarkable chapter. It traces what Israel might have been through obedience (Deuteronomy 28:1-14) and is yet to be in the millennial age to come (Isiah 60-62; Zechariah 14:8-21; Jeremiah 31:1-9; Deuteronomy 30:1-10; Romans 11:25-31). Deuteronomy 28:47-49 refers to the Roman invasion (70 AD) which can be found in history. Deuteronomy 28: 63-67 describes the Jewish people in last century. God spoke these more than 3000 years ago.

The end of the book is the calling of Joshua. The charge that Moses gave to the people and to Joshua was built on one great fact, “The Lord is with you; be strong”. If God is present, fear is baseless.

In Deuteronomy 32, Moses closed his life’s work with a song.  After the song, in Deuteronomy 34, Moses went up to Mount Nebo (Pisgah) and there God showed him the Promised Land and there he died and Lord buried him.

In Deuteronomy 30:1-10, we see the present Israel. Everything which was said about their future got fulfilled and they cried and called the Lord and the Lord brought them back to their land. Now they are prosperous.

History and Old Testament tells about Israel’s curses and blessings. As believers of Christ, the New Testament Israel should analyse their life on what they are going through. If these curses are there in their life, do what children of Israel did – cry and call unto the Lord. Confess the sins, accept Christ as saviour and live a holy life. Whatever blessings the country of Israel is enjoying, the same can be inherited through the son of God Jesus Christ.

May God help you to analyse your life and confess before him and enjoy his blessings of salvation.

The BOOK – Dark Age

Judges covers the period after the death of the great leader, Joshua to the ascension of Israel’s first King, Saul. During this period, the people of Israel were ruled by Judges whom God raised up to deliver them. This book is filled with struggles and disasters, but also with the moral courage of a select few. 

There are fourteen Judges mentioned, starting from, Othniel, Ehud, Shamgar, Deborah, Gideon, Tola, Jair, Jephthah, Ibzan, Elon, Abdon, Samson, Eli and Samuel.  Gideon and Samson were warrior judges, Eli was a priest judge, and Deborah and Samuel were Prophet Judges. The Chief Judges were Deborah, Samson, Gideon and Samuel. 

The People of God went away from Jehovah by worshipping the gods of the nation’s round about them. They forgot that God had chosen them for a purpose – to tell the world the truth that there is but one true God. In punishment for their sins God would deliver them into the hand of other nations. Then under the oppression of these new enemies they would cry to God for mercy and God would hear them and send a Judge to deliver them.

Human pride would love to believe that humanity’s trend is upward. But God’s word shows us that the natural course is downward.

Judges 1 to 3 we see Israel’s failure after Joshua’s death. Israel’s troubles were due directly to their disobedience to God. Instead of exterminate enemies from the land, they worshipped the idols of those people and became corrupted in their mind. Chapter 1 records a series of disobedience and Chapter 2 see defeat and failure. Children of God brought on their own judgement upon themselves and became their own executioners. 

God does not forget his covenant, but he allows our very weakness, our guilty weakness, to drive us back to him. God wanted the chosen people to realize that they were a holy people. They must not mix with the wicked nations about them. They must continuously separate themselves. People who believe in Christ Jesus today must remember that they cannot mix with the world. They must keep close to God and war against sin and unrighteousness. God wants us to be good warriors. 

I pray that this study will make you think about the desires you had with the world. Those same desires, God wants to take away from your mind and soul to make you separate and keep you beside him. May you surrender to Christ and leave the worldly life style and obey him to see his blessings upon your life, Amen.

The BOOK – Farewell

When the Israelites walked into the Promised Land, Joshua had a friend Caleb, who along with him trusted God in taking Promised Land. These were the only 2 people in their generation who could enter the Promised Land because of their obedience. Now you see in Joshua 14:12, Caleb, who was 85 years old asks for high and walled cities, which Joshua gave him as granted. Caleb might be the happiest man in the camp because he had overcome so much and yet had fields to conquer. “Difficulties are things which show what men are”. In your life when you see the glory of God come and change your life in the midst of trials and tribulations, you will trust God all through your life, even in the hardest times. 

Lord never promised his children that they will have an easy time serving him. “In this world you will have trouble” – John 16:33. We see Paul encouraging Timothy, “Endure hardship with us like a good soldier of Christ Jesus” – 2 Timothy 2:3. Caleb knew since he is obedient to God, God had given him the land, as he had seen it before. Even when you face diseases, sickness, financial problems or any earthly problems where the whole world comes around to take you out, if you are faithful to God, you will see your saviour fighting the battle on your behalf and giving you the victory.

Like Moses, Joshua also gave the people some last words when he became very old. He called the leaders and then people and told them not to forget the power and faithfulness of God and told them to be faithful to God. “Now fear the Lord and serve him with all faithfulness” – Joshua 24:14. He also warned them about choosing whom to serve, whether to serve the gods of their forefathers or the true living God, and confessed he and his family will serve the Lord. “But as for me and my household, we will serve the Lord” – Joshua 24:15

It is good to make open confessions and commit ourselves to a solemn purpose. People of Israel also said they will serve the Lord. When you confess your weakness and how you overcame it through the power of Jesus, your followers will also do the same and become a testimony. If you live a life of hypocrisy, your followers will also come as hypocrites, and even they will not be faithful to you.

At the age of 110, Joshua died. His greatest achievement Certificate is seen in Joshua 24:31 – “Israel served the Lord throughout the lifetime of Joshua”. A leader or a minister should be faithful to Lord and his people and be a testimony to each of his followers. 

You cannot run away from your sins. Be sure, your sin will find you out. In the midst of a sinful life, it is better to leave everything and confess it before God and ask for the forgiveness. Most of the people hate this step – confession. Yes everyone have a problem of confessing before men, but they take the same attitude before God also. We should understand the sins which happened through our mind, mouth and even physically, God was a witness. So confessing before God does not make you a small being, as we are already small and nothing before the Holy God. But for coming out of the sinful world, you need to confess the sins before God and believe in faith that for all the sins you have done, Christ came and took the punishment. Now as you take Christ in your heart, you are free, but you will sin no more. 

Joshua served the Lord and walked with him. He led a testimonial life so that the people who followed him did as he did. Today, without our knowledge our children or other people near to us, follows us and does what we do. It is a choice for every one of us how you want them to be as their life depends on your holiness and faithfulness. May Almighty empowers you to lead a holy life in Christ Jesus and be testimony for him as Joshua was. Amen

The BOOK – Division of Land

When Joshua was about 90 years old, he decided to divide the land which they had taken and to-be taken among the Israelites. They divided it in a way – This is Judah’s, this is Asher’s and so on. They said this even while most of the portions were occupied with Amorites, Jebusites and Hittites. This division of the land was the announcement of faith that under God’s guidance they will occupy the land. When you read the life of great men of God, most of the decisions taken by them were with faith and then depend on God’s providence. 

I am reading about a book on Oral Roberts, a great healing evangelist in the 50’s and 60’s. Everything he did in life was with prayer and faith. He prayed and heard the word of God and in faith took decisions. It started with his ministry and even with that faith he started the Oral Roberts University. They fast, they pray and then by the word and faith they start impossible and God will guide them to move forward. 

Although all this land was allotted to various tribes, all of it was not conquered until the time of David. Division happened according to the will of God, and so the strong did not take the best part leaving the fragments to weak, neither did the rich purchase the choicest spot, leaving the poor more undesirable sites. 

When God takes control, there is no rich or poor. I have heard preaching that poor will be the privileged people in God’s kingdom. God does consider everyone sinners with respect to his holiness. Whosoever confess their sins and accept Jesus and believes that through accepting Christ his sins are forgiven and forgotten are taken equally into God’s Kingdom, whether it is rich or poor, strong or weak. 

I pray that you understand the faith which people of Israel had at the time of division, and have that faith with prayer and a personal relationship with God and do the things which are impossible according to the world, Amen.

The BOOK – Campaign

From Joshua 10 to 12 we see God helping his people to capture and take over the land. Taking of Ai shows a real military strategy. Fame of Israel began to spread far and wide. Kings of Canaan formed a league against the children of God who came to possess their land. One by one came against Israel and were defeated. In Joshua 10 we read about how on the word of Joshua, the sun stood still, or in modern scientific terms, earth stood still. Ordinary things come to a standstill when God’s work is on.

We can see people around us worshipping the sun and see the stars to check their future. They don’t know we worship the creator who made this sun and the stars. So if you are a follower of Christ, kindly don’t follow and check with the people who bow down before the sun and check their life status according to the stars. If you are a believer, your life is saved when Christ died for your sins on the cross. So if you walk with God and obey him, your life will be fruitful. 

The Northern Kings joined together and came against Israel and by the power of God, Joshua routed them all. This did not happen at once. The word says that it took a long time. “At last the land rested from war” – Joshua 11:23

Jerusalem, possibly one of the most famous places in the world is first mentioned in this book of Joshua. This is a city with a great past history and a bright future history. Here Christ will reign when he comes again in power and great glory (Luke 21:27).

Once they occupied the Promised Land, the next assignment to Joshua was to divide the land and give it to the tribes, which we can see in the next chapters. 

In 2016, when the Gaza war was going on between Palestine and Israel, I saw lots of forwards and mails criticizing UN on why they gave the Jewish people the land. They were writing that the land belongs to the Palestine. But the oldest record, or the oldest library, history – The Bible reveals us that long before the Palestinians, say more than 3000 years ago, Israel occupied the land. How they lost the land? They disobeyed God and God punished them and scattered them.

Bible is not the book of past. It shows us the future and present. In the scriptures the prophets mentions that there will be a time when the Jewish people will call upon the name of God and God will help them and unite them together. In 1948, Jewish people got their state surrounded by the Arab countries. The Arab countries took the decision to wipe out Israel from the Earth and for that they tried to capture Israel. But when you look history, the small nation surrounded by big Arab nations, fought and survived, even they captured some enemy territory. How is it possible? With the God who called them anything is possible.

If you are going through a rough time, if you see people surrounding you are against you criticizing, harassing and humiliating you, don’t give up. Believe in Christ Jesus, accept him as your saviour and have a personal relationship with him in prayer and obey the word. Holy Spirit will energize you and provide ways for you to go and recapture your joy and life back. May Lord be with you and fight wars for you and give you victory, Amen.