JOSHUA & JUDGES

It is Thursaday morning, and I just finished reading Joshua and Judges through chapter 10.  Here are some of my thoughts:   1) 5 Things to take Diligent Heed of:  Joshua 22:5 says:  "But take diligent heed to do the commandments and the law"  and then it gives us five things to do with these commandments:  To love, to walk, to keep, to cleave, and to serve "him with all your heart and with all your soul."  It would do us well to take diligent heed to observe these same five things.  "to walk in all his ways, and to keep his commandments, and to cleave unto him, and to serve him with all your heart and with all your soul."  Let us be found doing so.   2) WE WILL SERVE THE LORD- In Joshua 24:15, Joshua said:  "but as for me and my house, we will serve the LORD."  Joshua had decided that he would make a difference.  He would serve God regardless of what others chose to do.  Isn't that what we too should do?  Of course it is!  But notice this:  When one man stands.... others stand along side of him.  The people of Israel said in verse 21: "we will serve the LORD", and in verse 24: "The LORD our God will we serve, and his voice will we obey."  Joshua took his stand for God and his stand caused others to take a stand for the LORD as well.  Now notice this as well:  In verse 31 it reads:  "And Israel served the LORD all the days of Joshua, and all the days of the elders that overlived Joshua, and which had known all the works of the LORD, that he had done for Israel."  Joshua took a stand... "as for me and my house, we will serve the LORD".  Then the people stood up for the LORD as well:  "we will serve the LORD".  AND... they did so till Joshua died, and all who knew him died as well!  What powerful influence for the cause of the LORD!!  May we also take our stand when it seems we will stand alone... we can inspire others!!   3) THE BONES OF JOSEPH- I love this truth.  In Gen. 50, Joseph asks that his bones not be buried in Egypt, but taken to Canaan to be buried.  In Joshua 24:32 it reads:  "And the bones of Joseph, which the children of Israel brought up out of Egypt, buried they in Shechem, in a parcel of ground which Jacob bought of the sons of hamour the father of Shechem for an hundred pieces of silver:  and it became the inheritance of the children of Joseph."  He was embalmed in Egypt, stored in Egypt, carried out of Egypt, carried through the wilderness, brought into the promised land, and now buried in the burial field that earlier Jacob had purchased and was himself buried in.  It happened 404 years after Joseph was embalmed!!!!  Four hundred years earlier!!  Our country is about 235 years old.  Our KJV Bible was given to us 400 years ago in 1611 as of next year.  Imagine taking care of someone's bones for over 400 years!  The Israelites were in Egypt for 430 years! Joseph was in Egypt for 71 years after Jacob showed up and then died at 110 years old.  Wow!!   4) OFF AND ON- This is the story of Judges.  The Israelites were off and on when it came to serving God.  Not off and on every year, but every generation rotated between serving God and serving idols.  When they served idols, they were in bondage as God's judgment.  When they cried out to God, they were given a deliverer who gave the land rest.  Off and on... let us not be found to be that way with our love for Christ.   5) DOUBTING GOD'S WORD- Gideon may have been said to doubt himself and his abilities, but in essence, he was doubting God's Word.  Judges 6:36 says:  "And Gideon said unto God, If thou wilt save Israel by mine hand, as thou hast said,"  He was questioning what God said:  "IF thou wilt save Israel by mine hand, as thou hast said".  Don't be doubting God and His Word!  Believe!!