Monday, March 22, 2010

March 22nd

Today's reading from the One Year Chronological Reading Plan, is Deuteronomy 33-34:12; Joshua 1-2:24.

There is a lot going on in today's passage as the torch is now passed from Moses to Joshua.

This is what the Life Application study bible has to say about the blessings God gave each tribe in Chapter 33, Moses' final words to the Israelites before his death...

Note the difference in blessings God gave each tribe. To on he gave the best land, to another strength, to another safety. Too often we see someone with a particular blessing and think that God must love that person more than others. Think rather that God draws out in all people their unique talents. All these gifts are needed to complete his plan. Don't be envious of the gifts others have. Instead, look for the gifts God has given you, and resolve to do the tasks he has uniquely qualified you to do.

I find the story of Moses and the growth in his relationship with God to be fascinating. From a man who did not want to be sent to Egypt because he was "slow of speech" (Ex 4:10), he becomes an incredibly strong and vocal leader of over 2 million people, giving passionate speeches and songs. He was courageous and wise, and yet humble. He was the only person who ever spoke with God face to face (Ex 33:11, Numb 12:8). He was called Israel's greatest prophet.

And yet, despite being this great man of God, this close friend of God, he was not allowed to enter the promised land due to disobedience to God. What a great reminder that we have never "arrived" in our relationship with God. We are alway vulnerable to sin. Even this great man of God sinned and received discipline from God. But he didn't turn away from God in anger, embarrassment or resentment. Instead he turned toward God with love, openness and a desire to do better. Not only can we learn from Moses by observing all his postivie traits, we can also learn from his responses to his own sin.

This is one person I definitely am looking forward to meeting in heaven!

Another thing that I find very interesting is that Moses died alone with God, and that God himself buried him. What a close, intimate relationship he had with the Lord!

And then we come to the book of Joshua and the beginnings of what must have been an intimidating job to say the least! Talk about having big shoes to fill with a monumental task - conquering the promised land - right off the hop. No wonder God encouraged him several times to be strong and courageous. I love those verses.

Be strong and courageous, because you will lead these people to inherit the land I swore to their forefathers to give them. Be strong and very courageous. Be careful to obey all the law my servant Moses gave you; do not turn from it to the right or to the left, that you may be successful wherever you go. Do not let this Book of the Law depart from your mouth: meditate on it day and night, so that you may be careful to do everything written in it. Then you will be prosperous and successful. Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be terrified; do not be discouraged, for the Lord your God will be with you wherever you go. Joshua 1:6-9

God encourages Joshua and tells him that in order to succeed he would need to be strong and courageous (for it would not be easy), to obey God's law, and to constantly read and study it. We need to follow God's words for Joshua in order to find success in our lives as well.

Joshua lived a life of obedience to God and he found success. He had learned well from Moses and he was a great leader - during his lifetime Israel would remain faithful to God. What a huge testimony to his character.

A great quote in the Life Application Study Bible....

Who is your Moses? Who is your Joshua? Youa re part of teh chain of God's ongoing work in the world. You are modeling yourself after others, and others are patterning their lives after you. How important is God to those you want to be like? Do those who are watching you see God reflected in every area of your life? Ask God to lead you to a trustworthy Moses. Ask him to make you a good Joshua.

Chapter 2 begins the story of Rahab. Her faith in a God she knew little about is inspiring. We know so much more than she, shouldn't we be that much more faithful?

What are your thoughts about the lie Rahab told on behalf of the spies? Lying is a sin, and yet Hebrews 11:31 commends Rahab for her faith in God. Was God forgiving her lie because of her faith? Was she justified in lying because she was simply deceiving her enemy, an acceptable practice in time of war? Was she not held responsible for upholding God's law because she was not a Jew and therefore didn't know? Did she break a lesser principle (by telling a lie) in order to uphold a higher principle (protecting God's chosen people)?

Tomorrow's passage: Joshua 3-6

6 comments:

tammi said...

In John MacArthur's book Twelve Extraordinary Women, he says this:

I see no need to try and justify Rahab's lie. Was it necessary for a greater good? Certainly not. Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego might have escpaed punishment by lying too. And they might have argued convincingly that it was for a "greater good." But there is no greater good than the truth, and the cuase of truth can never be served by lying. Shadrach and friends told the truth ~ in fact they seized the opportunity to glorfy God's name ~ and God was still able to save them from the furnace. He certainly could have saved Rahab and the spies without a lie.

Still, that isn't the point of Rahab's story. There's no need for clever rationalization to try to justify her lie. Scripture never commends
the lie. Rahab isn't applauded for her ethics. Rahab is a positive example of faith.

At this moment her faith was newborn, weak, and in need of nurture and growth. Her knowledge of YHWH was meager... She most likely had no understanding of the value He put on truthfulness. Meanwhile, she was a product of a currupt culture where ethics were virtually nonexistent. Lying was a way of life in her society ~ and especially in her profession. The way she responded is just what we might expect from a brand-new believer under those circumstances.

The point is that Rahab's faith, undeveloped as it was, immediately bore the fruit of action... The proof of her faith was not the lie she told, but the fact the "she received the messengers and sent them out another way" (James 2:25 NKJV) ~ when she might have handed them over for money instead. The
lie is not what made her actions commendable. It was the fact that she turned down an easy reward, put herself in jeopardy, and thus staked everything on the God of Israel." (pp. 59-60, emphasis in the original)

Miriam said...

I also noted that Moses died alone with God and God buried him. I don't know if I knew that before and just forgot or if that was something entirely new to me, but either way, it really struck me.

Does anyone else remember GT and the Halo Express? They're kids' tapes we had when I was younger that set scripture verses to song in order to help kids memorize them. I particularly remember Joshua 1:9 being one of the verses they sang: "Joshua, Joshua, Joshua 1 verse 9: Have I not commanded you be strong and courageous. Have I not commanded you be strong and courageous. Do not be terrified; do not be discouraged; for the Lord your God will be with you wherever, wherever, wherever you go." Hmm. I wonder if one can still get those?

The story of Rahab brought to mind World War II in Europe for me. How many people hid Jews, or lied, or did various other things that are sin but were done to save the life of another person? It's difficult to reconcile. Sin is sin. There are no degrees of sin or justifications. And as the book quoted above states, God is certainly able to save people with other means. At the same time, I know I would have a very hard time standing by as such horrible atrocities were committed. I think if I were in a situation where I was able to save someone by telling a lie, I would probably lie. I'm not saying it's the right thing to do.

Mrs.Oz said...

I'm not certain that all lying is sin. Lying to protect oneself or to further selfish motives is sin. I think misspeaking truth for noble motives is a different kind of lying. I may get shot at for this but I think it's true. When our children draw scribbles on a page and ask us if it looks beautiful, don't we somewhat lie? To us yes it is beautiful, but really? Is it REALLY beautiful!? We are actually motivated by love to tell them it is. I may be wrong in this too, but didn't Moses ask for the people to be let go so they could worship God in the wilderness? He did not as for them to be let go in the truest sense did he? THis is just a brainstorm, I could be wrong.
Hiding some truths, or changing them is sometimes done for the good of persons involved. Man looks at the outward, God looks at the heart. I don't think it was sinful for people to lie when they hid the Jews. Hiding a truth for someones safety is not wrong. Okay, you can start shooting now:)
I was also surprised that God burried Moses himself. THat was a new thing to me too. John MacArthur says in his study bible that Satan and Michael the angel fought (see Jude verse 9) over Moses body. He gives some resoning as to why it was important for God alone to know where Moses was burried. If the people had his body, they may idolize it and it's burrial. JM says that Satan may have wanted that so they would worship the man rather than God. Anyway, it's an interesting story and Jude uses it to tell us by example how to biblically handle dealing with Satan. We are not to speak to him directly or order him, we are to take Michael's example and say "May the Lord rebuke you!" leaving the work in God's hands and from his power.
It's very interesting stuff today! It spoke to me to be careful not to hold any man in higher esteem than God and how jealous he is of our effections for HIS power working THROUGH his greatest servants.

Mrs.Oz said...

this is interesting on lying (audio of John Piper answering the question "is it ever right to lie?")http://www.desiringgod.org/ResourceLibrary/AskPastorJohn/ByTopic/187/2167_Is_it_ever_right_to_lie/

If you don't have the time to listen, here is his concluding statement:
“What I’ve simply decided to say is this: "There are worthy and godly saints who have in their struggle with evil felt constrained to lie in order to oppose life-threatening wickedness. And they were not condemned for it. That much I can say on the authority of Scripture.”

oh, the fun of grey shades in life.....eeeek. so glad God is a righeous judge.

Mrs.Oz said...

...JP in this segment (incase you did not listen) also points out that the hebrew midwives lied when asked why they did not kill the babies. the bible refers to them as "fearing the Lord"....he in fact blesses them with families of thier own instad of condemning them.....Rahab was also blessed for what she did and it is stated that she did it out of faith...
just interesting

Nicole said...

I had a note in my Bible from a long time ago from a sermon someone gave that God most probably didn't want them to know where Moses was buried for those reasons Mrs Oz and because then they would also hold onto the past and not move forward either.