March 2, 2014 - Sunday

Start Time: 5:54 A.M.

End Time: 6:22 A.M.

Title: Joshua’s Farewell to the Leaders

Scripture: Joshua 23:1 – 16

God’s Message / God’s Promise / God’s Commands:

→ After a long time had passed and the Lord had given Israel rest from all their enemies around them, Joshua, by then a very old man, summoned all Israel—their elders, leaders, judges and officials—and said to them: “I am very old. You yourselves have seen everything the Lord your God has done to all these nations for your sake; it was the Lord your God who fought for you.  Remember how I have allotted as an inheritance for your tribes all the land of the nations that remain—the nations I conquered—between the Jordan and the Mediterranean Sea in the west.  The Lord your God himself will push them out for your sake. He will drive them out before you, and you will take possession of their land, as the Lord your God promised you. “Be very strong; be careful to obey all that is written in the Book of the Law of Moses, without turning aside to the right or to the left. Do not associate with these nations that remain among you; do not invoke the names of their gods or swear by them. You must not serve them or bow down to them. But you are to hold fast to the Lord your God, as you have until now.

NOTES:

Ø God wants our allegiance, loyalty and commitment to Him and Him only!  God has taken the responsibility of becoming our Lord and King and it is only natural for Him to expect our allegiance, loyalty and commitment.  He took the 1^st step and fought for us and conquered lands that He promised for us.  He gave us rest after each battle and has given all our enemies to us and has allowed us to live in His land.  In return, we ought to pledge our allegiance to Him, trusting in His words and serving Him alone.  We are to be strong and stand firm on our allegiance and obey His words without any hesitations or doubts.  We are not to associate ourselves from the people God, Himself, drove away from us…but instead we are to hold fast to God and keep our commitment to Him.

→ “The Lord has driven out before you great and powerful nations; to this day no one has been able to withstand you. One of you routs a thousand, because the Lord your God fights for you, just as he promised. So be very careful to love the Lord your God.  “But if you turn away and ally yourselves with the survivors of these nations that remain among you and if you intermarry with them and associate with them, then you may be sure that the Lord your God will no longer drive out these nations before you. Instead, they will become snares and traps for you, whips on your backs and thorns in your eyes, until you perish from this good land, which the Lord your God has given you.

NOTES:

Ø God’s every command has a purpose!  When God told His people to keep His commands and not intermarry with foreigners, it was for a purpose!  It was all because for our own good!  Note that these foreigners will become snares and traps for us, whips on our backs and thorns in our eyes, and ultimately we perish from the land He promised because of our association with the foreigners.  So when God tells us to do something, we can be assured that it is for a purpose and not with any other ulterior motive (negative) for our God is a good God and He is good all the time!  Thank You Lord for this.  Let me know every time that Your commands are all for my good even at times I think those are not for me, help me to realize or remind me at all times that all the things He commands is with a purpose and it is for my own good.

→ “Now I am about to go the way of all the earth. You know with all your heart and soul that not one of all the good promises the Lord your God gave you has failed. Every promise has been fulfilled; not one has failed.  But just as all the good things the Lord your God has promised you have come to you, so he will bring on you all the evil things he has threatened, until the Lord your God has destroyed you from this good land he has given you.  If you violate the covenant of the Lord your God, which he commanded you, and go and serve other gods and bow down to them, the Lord’s anger will burn against you, and you will quickly perish from the good land he has given you.”

NOTES:

Ø God’s every word is true!  When God spokes it is bound to happen!  Every promise, every warning, every command, every word that comes out from the Lord will come to pass.  Every He said He will do, He did; everything He promised were fulfilled; every warnings He gave out brings weight and are true!  We are to take heed and give value to the word of the Lord for in due time, it will come to pass.

Prayer:

Lord Jesus thank You because You are our God and You are our Savior.  Thank You Lord because You fought for us and You did not allow our enemies to win against us.  Lord thank You because You are stronger and mightier than any battles and You are our victory.  Thank You because of Your goodness and love, we give our allegiance, our loyalty and commitment to You.  Thank You because everything You say or every command You give out has a purpose and these things always turn out for our good.  Thank You Jesus because every word You speak is true and it is of value.  I am grateful that I have a God whose words I can trust and whose promises are true.  Lord remind me always that Your word is powerful and it is alive and in times when I feel like Your command is too difficult, remind me that Your commands come with a purpose and it is always for my good.  Thank You Jesus, Thank You Lord.  In Jesus’ Name, Amen!