Devoted to Scripture

Day 74 of the podcast, reading Joshua 18-20 NET, read along at:

This is day 74 of our journey.

In order to give the remaining 7 tribes their inheritance, Joshua sends out surveyors to walk the land and divide it into pieces.  He then casts lots to determine which land belongs to each of the tribes.  After completing the division of the land, Joshua defines the 3 cities of refuge west of the Jordan to complement the 3 cities of refuge to the east.

Join me in Joshua 18-20 to learn of the inheritance of the remaining 7 tribes.

Key verses:

Joshua 18:10

Joshua 19:51

Joshua 20:3

All Scriptures are from the NET.

Day 73 of the podcast, reading Joshua 15-17 NET, read along at:

This is day 73 of our journey.

Today we learn about the inheritance of Judah & Joseph (Ephraim & Manasseh). Joshua gives a detailed list of the cities and borders of their respective regions.  We also begin to hear a repeated refrain as the tribes are unable to drive the Canaanites completely from their land and begin to live among them.  This is ominous foreshadowing considering the command given by God through Moses.  A command with a warning: "Completely drive them out or they will be a stumbling block and cause you to worship other gods."

Join me in Joshua 15-17 as the Israelites doubt the power of God and settle for less than their full inheritance.

Key verses:

Joshua 15:63

Joshua 16:10

Joshua 17:13

All Scriptures are from the NET.

Day 72 of the podcast, reading Joshua 12-14 NET, read along at:

This is day 72 of our journey.

Today, we see a list of all the kings who were defeated by Moses (2) and Joshua (31).  This is followed by a description of the inheritance of the tribes of Reuben, Gad, and half Manasseh on the east side of the Jordan.  As Joshua prepares to divide up the land on the west of the Jordan, the 85 year old Caleb approaches to remind his leader of God's promise that Hebron would be Caleb's inheritance.  He trusts God to help him clear the inhabitants of the region and claim the land as his own.

Join me in Joshua 12-14 as the people are beginning to settle down.

Key verses:

Joshua 12:7

Joshua 13:32

Joshua 14:14

All Scriptures are from the NET.

Day 71 of the podcast, reading Joshua 9-11 NET, read along at:

This is day 71 of our journey.

Today we read of the annihilation of many Canaanite people.  Two different coalitions of kings gather armies to fight against Israel and, both times, God delivers Israel and leads them to conquer the cities of these kings, killing everyone.  As we read about these deaths, we must remember that this conquest is not simply about God giving the land to Israel but also a holy act of God's judgement against the wickedness of the Amorite people. (see Genesis 15:16)

Before the Canaanite kings rallied together to fight Israel, the king of Gibeon took another tactic by sending men with a tribute to Israel who were disguised to look like they had traveled from far away.  Instead of calling on God's wisdom, the Israelite leaders relied upon their own wisdom to determine the validity of these disguised Gibeonites false claims.  As a result, they were deceived and made an alliance with one of the nations they had been commanded by God to cast out of the holy land...thus allowing an enemy of the Lord to live and permitting a pagan nation to maintain a foothold in their Land.

Join me in Joshua 9-11 as God brings judgment on wicked nations by the hand of Joshua.

Key verses:

Joshua 9:14

Joshua 10:13

Joshua 11:23

All Scriptures are from the NET.

Day 70 of the podcast, reading Joshua 6-8 NET, read along at:

This is day 70 of our journey.

The conquest of the Promised Land begins.  God commands Joshua and the Israelites to march around Jericho for 7 days, then the walls simply collapse and the city is defeated.  Everything in Jericho is to be dedicated to God and destroyed.  Unfortunately, one man breaks this command and takes treasures for himself.  Because of his sin, Israel is defeated in their next battle. They mourn the loss, but God commands them to root out the sin in their midst.  Once the guilty man (and his family) has been executed, Israel is able to avenge their defeat.  Now, with a foothold in the land, Joshua reads the entire law to the people once more, reminding them of their covenant and calling them to obedience.

Join me in Joshua 6-8 to witness God's power as the first 2 Canaanite cities fall.

Key verses:

Joshua 6:16

Joshua 7:12

Joshua 8:34

All Scriptures are from the NET.

Day 69 of the podcast, reading Joshua 1-5 NET, read along at:

This is day 69 of our journey.

With the death of Moses, leadership of the people of Israel has passed to Joshua. As we begin this book of Joshua we see God's encouragement of his new leader: "Be strong and brave" for "I am with you".  Joshua sends spies into the land and, unlike the first reconnaissance mission 40 years prior, these spies return with a good report. They proclaim the fear of the Canaanite people by exclaiming to the Israelites that "no one could even breathe for fear of you." God miraculously stops the water of the Jordan river and allows the Israelites to cross over on dry ground.  As they take their first steps into Canaan, the Israelites take 12 stones from the middle of the river and pile them up as a reminder to all generations of what the Lord has done for them.  The people circumcise themselves, an act that has been neglected for the past 40 years, devoting themselves to walk in God's ways.  Then, as they camp on the shores of the Jordan, the Israelites finally eat the produce of the land! With God's promises being fulfilled, the daily appearance of manna stops since the people will no longer need this provision.

Join me in Joshua 1-5 as the people finally enter the Promised Land!

Key verses:

Joshua 1:9

Joshua 2:11

Joshua 3:17

Joshua 4:6

Joshua 5:12

All Scriptures are from the NET.

Day 68 of the podcast, reading Deuteronomy 32-34 NET, read along at:

This is day 68 of our journey.

Today we will read the final words of Moses.  First, God gives him a song to sing to the people. A song that proclaims the greatness of God and the power of his might, but also recounts the unfaithfulness of Israel and the judgement that will come upon them.  As the song ends, Moses speaks a blessing on each of the tribes.  Finally, after completing everything God has called him to do, Moses goes up on a mountain to view the promised land before dying.  His epitaph: "No prophet ever again arose in Israel like Moses, who knew the Lord face to face."

Join me in Deuteronomy 32-34 to hear the last words of Moses, the greatest prophet of all.

Key verses:

Deuteronomy 32:47

Deuteronomy 33:26

Deuteronomy 34:10

All Scriptures are from the NET.

Day 67 of the podcast, reading Deuteronomy 29-31 NET, read along at:

This is day 67 of our journey.

Moses continues to call Israel to be faithful and he explains that God knows the secret things beyond our comprehension while we, as humans, only know what has been revealed to us. We must learn to trust him to show us what is best.  All throughout the book, Moses has set before them the covenant and, with it, he has given a choice: life or death, blessings or curses.  He pleads with them to "choose life" so that they can live well in the land. Then, in his final act, Moses commissions Joshua as the next leader of Israel.  He must be strong and courageous to lead them into the land God has promised to them.

Join me in Deuteronomy 29-31 to learn the joys of serving God and the trials of rejecting him.

Key verses:

Deuteronomy 29:29

Deuteronomy 30:19

Deuteronomy 31:7

All Scriptures are from the NET.

Day 66 of the podcast, reading Deuteronomy 27-28 NET, read along at:

This is day 66 of our journey.

The sermons of Moses are nearing their close and the people have heard the commandments and statutes of the Lord.  Now, they were faced with the same decision that we all must one day make: whether they would follow God faithfully or reject Him in favor of their own way.  Moses spoke to them again of God's blessings if they are faithful and of curses if they are not.  These blessings and curses cover every aspect of life.  If they would be faithful, God would bless their fields and their mixing bowls, their children and their armies, their comings and their goings.  But if they reject God, he will curse their fields and their mixing bowls, their children and their armies, their comings and their goings.  The same choice that Moses laid out for Israel is also given to you and I. As you listen to today's reading, prayerfully reflect on that decision in your own life: will you serve God fully and receive his blessing or will you reject him to be cursed?

Join me in Deuteronomy 27-28 to hear the contrast between the life of the faithful and the life of the unfaithful.

Key verses:

Deuteronomy 27:9-10

Deuteronomy 28:1

Deuteronomy 28:15

All Scriptures are from the NET.

Day 65 of the podcast, reading Deuteronomy 23-26 NET, read along at:

This is day 65 of our journey.

Today we will read a continued variety of commandments that speak to the physical and spiritual purity of the Israelite people. These includes basic sanitation practices as well as regulations regarding who may serve in the assembly.  In all these laws, the emphasis is the holiness of God and the proper treatment of others: do not take their means of profit as security, do not prevent them from gleaning your fields, do not return them to their slavemaster.  If these laws are fulfilled, God promised that "he will elevate you above all the nations he has made".

Join me in Deuteronomy 23-26 to learn what it means to "be a people holy to the Lord your God."

Key verses:

Deuteronomy 23:21

Deuteronomy 24:6

Deuteronomy 25:16

Deuteronomy 26:19

All Scriptures are from the NET.