Lessons and more lessons reading on from where we left off yesterday.

Chapter 22, verse 10 of Joshua records for us that the Reubenites, Gadites, and the half-tribe of Manasseh built an imposing altar by the Jordan in the Land of Canaan. And when the other tribes heard of it, a delegation was sent to see what this imposing altar was about.  It turned out well and people were helped and satisfied.

My takeaway?
Accountability. It is almost non-existent in 21st-century Christianity — here in America, at least.
If you have a person in your life who checks in with you, watches over you, is courageous enough, and loves you enough to confront you when they see you making choices, taking Biblically questionable actions — this is rare, bloody rare, I think.
So, if we don’t have this, we need to earnestly pray, beseeching ADONAI to bring a brother or sister to us who will love us this much. Or perhaps we need to beseech The LORD to bring someone to us that we can shepherd.

Then in chapter 23, Joshua is old and well along in years it reads so he summoned all Israel. He had something to say and say he did.
It’s been opined that we do not really need the Old Testament anymore because we have the New Testament.  Silly people.  The Old Testament is a Treasure filled with gold, silver, and precious nuggets of every kind for us to learn holy and practical ways to walk this earthly journey.

One of those nuggets is this:

11  Therefore watch yourselves carefully, that you love the LORD your God.

Watch yourselves carefully that you love the LORD your GOD.
Do we?

In verses 14 through 16, Joshua reminds the people again that ALL the promises GOD made to them getting them to the Promised Land had come to be.

GOD keeps His promises for blessings or wrath. We can count on it.

Until Next Time, with Holy hugs, Kathie 

I am here to be real in Joshua.

Chapters 15 to the last few verses of Chapter 21 — to me are Greek or any other language I have not learned. Boundaries, cities, pasturelands, and the like. In these chapters, the Tribes of Israel are given their allotments, their portion of the promised land wherein they and their families for generations will abide. I am thankful to have these chapters and for those who have comprehended them for these millenniums since their recordings.

Chapter 17.
I gathered from this chapter, GOD always does RIGHT; well, I get that from all the Bible but chapter 17 was a part of today’s reading. Zelophehad had only daughters, no sons. When they requested land as sons would have been given, GOD said yes; moreover, He commanded and the land was given.

Chapter 21, last three verses.

43 Thus the LORD gave Israel all the land He had sworn to give their fathers, and they took possession of it and settled in it.  44 And the LORD gave them rest on every side, just as He had sworn to their fathers. None of their enemies could stand against them, for the LORD delivered all their enemies into their hand. 45 Not one of all the LORD’s good promises to the house of Israel had failed; everything was fulfilled.

Not one of all the LORD’s good promises failed.  Not one.
Does that encourage you?

Two stops in Chapter 22 and I’ll be finished for today.

Chapter 22.
And there is verse 5. It’s timeless. Still active. Still operational for us. It continues to be the message Father GOD has for us today.

5 But be very careful to observe the commandment and the law that Moses the servant of the LORD gave you: to love the LORD your God, to walk in all His ways, to keep His commandments, to hold fast to Him, and to serve Him with all your heart and with all your soul.”  

Finally, in verse 8, the soldiers from the tribes of Reuben, Gad, and the half-tribe of Manasseh were returning home and Joshua gave them a command.

 8 saying, “Return to your homes with your great wealth, with immense herds of livestock, with silver, gold, bronze, iron, and very many clothes. Divide with your brothers the spoil of your enemies.”

Divide with your brothers.
I placed a note in the margin: You give to us so we can give to others.

I took this to mean a real dividing, not a token, not a small portion, but rather a splitting of the candy bar to share with a sibling.
And from there I thought of the vast wealth of prominent Christians – houses with thousands of square feet more than needed or used except to house more worldly goods than can be consumed in a lifetime. Don’t get me wrong, I like nice things. I like comfort. I like pretty. I really like comfort. And in moderation, I think Father does not mind.
But, Folks, we can’t take it with us and it is likely what we leave behind at death, our heirs will fight over; so why?
Why not divide our spoils with our brothers and sisters who are in honest need of some modest good old American comfort?
Just being real here, that’s what came to mind.

Until Next time, with holy hugs, Kathie