Joshua 5:1-15 - Rededication to and Following the LORD

Joshua 5:1-15

The Second Generation Circumcised

1 So it was, when all the kings of the Amorites who were on the west side of the Jordan, and all the kings of the Canaanites who were by the sea, heard that the LORD had dried up the waters of the Jordan from before the children of Israel until we had crossed over, that their heart melted; and there was no spirit in them any longer because of the children of Israel.

2 At that time the LORD said to Joshua, “Make flint knives for yourself, and circumcise the sons of Israel again the second time.” 3 So Joshua made flint knives for himself, and circumcised the sons of Israel at the hill of the foreskins. 4 And this is the reason why Joshua circumcised them: All the people who came out of Egypt who were males, all the men of war, had died in the wilderness on the way, after they had come out of Egypt. 5 For all the people who came out had been circumcised, but all the people born in the wilderness, on the way as they came out of Egypt, had not been circumcised. 6 For the children of Israel walked forty years in the wilderness, till all the people who were men of war, who came out of Egypt, were consumed, because they did not obey the voice of the LORD—to whom the LORD swore that He would not show them the land which the LORD had sworn to their fathers that He would give us, “a land flowing with milk and honey.” 7 Then Joshua circumcised their sons whom He raised up in their place; for they were uncircumcised, because they had not been circumcised on the way.

8 So it was, when they had finished circumcising all the people, that they stayed in their places in the camp till they were healed. 9 Then the LORD said to Joshua, “This day I have rolled away the reproach of Egypt from you.” Therefore the name of the place is called Gilgal to this day.

10 Now the children of Israel camped in Gilgal, and kept the Passover on the fourteenth day of the month at twilight on the plains of Jericho. 11 And they ate of the produce of the land on the day after the Passover, unleavened bread and parched grain, on the very same day. 12 Then the manna ceased on the day after they had eaten the produce of the land; and the children of Israel no longer had manna, but they ate the food of the land of Canaan that year.

The Commander of the Army of the LORD

13 And it came to pass, when Joshua was by Jericho, that he lifted his eyes and looked, and behold, a Man stood opposite him with His sword drawn in His hand. And Joshua went to Him and said to Him, “Are You for us or for our adversaries?”

14 So He said, “No, but as Commander of the army of the LORD I have now come.”

And Joshua fell on his face to the earth and worshiped, and said to Him, “What does my Lord say to His servant?”

15 Then the Commander of the LORD’s army said to Joshua, “Take your sandal off your foot, for the place where you stand is holy.” And Joshua did so.

This new generation of Israel who were born during the wilderness wandering of forty years brought on by their faithless parents, these now needed to be circumcised before entering into the fullness of the covenant God made with them in the promised land.  After they recovered, they honored God by keeping the Passover in remembrance of their deliverance from destruction in the land of their bondage.  Then they had their first real meal from the inheritance of that land of milk and honey as the manna from heaven stopped until He would step into flesh (John 1:1-2) as the true and lasting manna (John 6:31, 32-33, 47-49, 50-51) and walk among us all as the Son of God.  We now are supplied with life giving bread from heaven in the person of Jesus Christ and will follow Him as our Lord and Commander into the promised heavenly kingdom far exceeding that of milk and honey in Canaan!  We, like Joshua, stand in this holy place and fight the good fight of the gospel (Ephesians 6:12-13, 16) as we fend off the lies in this knowledge of salvation to rescue those still lost in the bondage of sin as the adversary, the serpent of old (Revelation 12:9) who has continued to deceive and destroy since the lies in Eden brought sin into creation, as he battles to deceive those called by the Lord to hear the truth of His word (Revelation 12:17) and obey it by faith instead of the deceit and follow Him into eternity.  We are to trust Him fully to salvation and not doubt as those who fell in the wilderness (Hebrews 3:17, 18-19) in unbelief and not in His covenant.  We who trust also obey in the knowledge that we are accepted in the Beloved (Ephesians 1:6) and His work on the cross of our sin’s curse, and so live in willing obedience to be acceptable in holiness and faith in all He tells us in the scriptures of His word as we follow our Lord and Commander into the fray of battle for the eternal destiny of all who He calls as chosen in the Lord.  Let us put on the armor of faith and wield the sword of truth to engage the lies of the enemy to rescue the perishing from the bondage of deception! 

Joshua 4:1-24 - Remember your Deliverance!

Joshua 4:1-24

The Memorial Stones

1 And it came to pass, when all the people had completely crossed over the Jordan, that the LORD spoke to Joshua, saying: 2 “Take for yourselves twelve men from the people, one man from every tribe, 3 and command them, saying, ‘Take for yourselves twelve stones from here, out of the midst of the Jordan, from the place where the priests’ feet stood firm. You shall carry them over with you and leave them in the lodging place where you lodge tonight.’”

4 Then Joshua called the twelve men whom he had appointed from the children of Israel, one man from every tribe; 5 and Joshua said to them: “Cross over before the ark of the LORD your God into the midst of the Jordan, and each one of you take up a stone on his shoulder, according to the number of the tribes of the children of Israel, 6 that this may be a sign among you when your children ask in time to come, saying, ‘What do these stones mean to you?’ 7 Then you shall answer them that the waters of the Jordan were cut off before the ark of the covenant of the LORD; when it crossed over the Jordan, the waters of the Jordan were cut off. And these stones shall be for a memorial to the children of Israel forever.”

8 And the children of Israel did so, just as Joshua commanded, and took up twelve stones from the midst of the Jordan, as the LORD had spoken to Joshua, according to the number of the tribes of the children of Israel, and carried them over with them to the place where they lodged, and laid them down there. 9 Then Joshua set up twelve stones in the midst of the Jordan, in the place where the feet of the priests who bore the ark of the covenant stood; and they are there to this day.

10 So the priests who bore the ark stood in the midst of the Jordan until everything was finished that the LORD had commanded Joshua to speak to the people, according to all that Moses had commanded Joshua; and the people hurried and crossed over. 11 Then it came to pass, when all the people had completely crossed over, that the ark of the LORD and the priests crossed over in the presence of the people. 12 And the men of Reuben, the men of Gad, and half the tribe of Manasseh crossed over armed before the children of Israel, as Moses had spoken to them. 13 About forty thousand prepared for war crossed over before the LORD for battle, to the plains of Jericho. 14 On that day the LORD exalted Joshua in the sight of all Israel; and they feared him, as they had feared Moses, all the days of his life.

15 Then the LORD spoke to Joshua, saying, 16 “Command the priests who bear the ark of the Testimony to come up from the Jordan.” 17 Joshua therefore commanded the priests, saying, “Come up from the Jordan.” 18 And it came to pass, when the priests who bore the ark of the covenant of the LORD had come from the midst of the Jordan, and the soles of the priests’ feet touched the dry land, that the waters of the Jordan returned to their place and overflowed all its banks as before.

19 Now the people came up from the Jordan on the tenth day of the first month, and they camped in Gilgal on the east border of Jericho. 20 And those twelve stones which they took out of the Jordan, Joshua set up in Gilgal. 21 Then he spoke to the children of Israel, saying: “When your children ask their fathers in time to come, saying, ‘What are these stones?’ 22 then you shall let your children know, saying, ‘Israel crossed over this Jordan on dry land’; 23 for the LORD your God dried up the waters of the Jordan before you until you had crossed over, as the LORD your God did to the Red Sea, which He dried up before us until we had crossed over, 24 that all the peoples of the earth may know the hand of the LORD, that it is mighty, that you may fear the LORD your God forever.”

The twelve stones that the LORD commanded the tribes of Israel to take out of the middle of the Jordan River were for remembrance in the future of how God had delivered each of them into the promised land by His power, taking the stones from where the Ark of His covenant presence was as the priests stood still there as they crossed.  They did this to recall how the LORD God dried up the waters of the Jordan until they had crossed over into the inheritance of blessings, just as He did to the Red Sea which He dried up before them until they had crossed over out of the curse of bondage.  This was a reminder not only for God’s people, but also as a witness or testimony to all the peoples of the earth that they might hear and see and know the mighty hand of the LORD when they looked at this heap of stones representing each tribe of the people, and that they all would then consider and fear the LORD God forever.  This covenant promise was made by God and so He had them also set up twelve stones in the middle of the riverbed also as a remembrance for God and His people to look back on and consider, even though they are underwater and unseen by human eyes.  We see then that remembrance is the covenant and promises of God made by His word and work that delivers His people from bondage as in Egypt representing sin (Romans 6:20-21, 22-23) and delivers into the promised land of paradise to come temporarily on earth and eternally in the heavens (2 Corinthians 5:1-2, 1 Peter 1:3, 4) and new world to come after first delivering we the people of the Lord from sins’s bondage with the remembrance of the words of promise by the Son of God to lead us into glory before His face forevermore (Revelation 22:4) to look back with wonder upon all the works of grace (2 Peter 1:12, 3:1, Jude 1:5) to bring us there in the heavenly (Hebrews 11:16) land of promise which we eagerly (Romans 8:24-25, Galatians 5:5, Philippians 3:20-21, Hebrews 9:28) anticipate when we cross the river of transformative bodily death (1 Corinthians 15:51-52) into eternal life.  Look back at the moment you moved from darkness to light as you were led to first believe, and remember your deliverance with joy unspeakable and full of glory (1 Peter 1:8) in anticipation of what is to come!  Each of us in Christ is then like a tribe of those gone before us as we pick up our own stones of salvation from our journey our of sin’s bondage into salvation in Christ (John 5:24, Ephesians 2:8-9), like Ebenezer (1 Samuel 7:12) reminders of grace.

Joshua 3:1-17 - Crossing the River into the Promise

Joshua 3:1-17

Israel Crosses the Jordan

1 Then Joshua rose early in the morning; and they set out from Acacia Grove and came to the Jordan, he and all the children of Israel, and lodged there before they crossed over. 2 So it was, after three days, that the officers went through the camp; 3 and they commanded the people, saying, “When you see the ark of the covenant of the LORD your God, and the priests, the Levites, bearing it, then you shall set out from your place and go after it. 4 Yet there shall be a space between you and it, about two thousand cubits by measure. Do not come near it, that you may know the way by which you must go, for you have not passed this way before.”

5 And Joshua said to the people, “Sanctify yourselves, for tomorrow the LORD will do wonders among you.” 6 Then Joshua spoke to the priests, saying, “Take up the ark of the covenant and cross over before the people.”

So they took up the ark of the covenant and went before the people.

7 And the LORD said to Joshua, “This day I will begin to exalt you in the sight of all Israel, that they may know that, as I was with Moses, so I will be with you. 8 You shall command the priests who bear the ark of the covenant, saying, ‘When you have come to the edge of the water of the Jordan, you shall stand in the Jordan.’”

9 So Joshua said to the children of Israel, “Come here, and hear the words of the LORD your God.” 10 And Joshua said, “By this you shall know that the living God is among you, and that He will without fail drive out from before you the Canaanites and the Hittites and the Hivites and the Perizzites and the Girgashites and the Amorites and the Jebusites: 11 Behold, the ark of the covenant of the Lord of all the earth is crossing over before you into the Jordan. 12 Now therefore, take for yourselves twelve men from the tribes of Israel, one man from every tribe. 13 And it shall come to pass, as soon as the soles of the feet of the priests who bear the ark of the LORD, the Lord of all the earth, shall rest in the waters of the Jordan, that the waters of the Jordan shall be cut off, the waters that come down from upstream, and they shall stand as a heap.”

14 So it was, when the people set out from their camp to cross over the Jordan, with the priests bearing the ark of the covenant before the people, 15 and as those who bore the ark came to the Jordan, and the feet of the priests who bore the ark dipped in the edge of the water (for the Jordan overflows all its banks during the whole time of harvest), 16 that the waters which came down from upstream stood still, and rose in a heap very far away at Adam, the city that is beside Zaretan. So the waters that went down into the Sea of the Arabah, the Salt Sea, failed, and were cut off; and the people crossed over opposite Jericho. 17 Then the priests who bore the ark of the covenant of the LORD stood firm on dry ground in the midst of the Jordan; and all Israel crossed over on dry ground, until all the people had crossed completely over the Jordan.

Joshua led the people to cross the river into the promise of the land given to them through faithful Abraham as their spiritual father and ours in Christ.  Moses had doubted and not given God all the glory for His grace and was kept from bodily joining leading them, much as we sometimes find ourselves trying to work our way into the promised kingdom of God instead of leaning on His work to draw and lead us there by that grace.  They camped by the riverside overnight as they prepared themselves, likely in confessing sins and setting their sights on following and serving the LORD into His promised land.  They anticipated the wonders God would do to bring them there as He had already brought them so far, just as we look back to our Lord Jesus Christ drawing us (John 6:44) to Himself from birth to the moment of enlightenment of His Spirit to receive (John 1:12) Him and now live in anticipation of the day we will surely cross the physical river of death into to eternal life as promised (John 11:25, Romans 6:8, 2 Timothy 2:11) as we have in the spiritual (John 5:24) already by faith in Christ’s work.  Joshua led the people as the successor to Moses and was also made great in the eyes of the nation as he led them holding the hand of God into that new country of plenty in God’s blessings by faith.  He reminded the people of the promises of God to not only enter the promised land, but also to be led in victory over the godless immoral and idolatrous occupiers of the LORD’s land.  They were to set up a memorial of stones, one per tribe, deep in the riverbed when they crossed the Jordan in the same way they had crossed the Red Sea by the parting of the waters by the mighty hand of God; the first crossing into Sinai was to escape the godless holding them in their sin’s bondage in Egypt, this second crossing was to enter into victory over the godless into promised Canaan, having been set free from bondage by promise.  This is also a picture of our deliverance from sin’s bondage (Hebrews 2:14-15, Galatians 5:1, 5) by Jesus Christ who will lead us through our sojourning (1 Peter 2:11, Ephesians 2:19) of sanctification in this life until we are led into glory in the heavenly kingdom promised us in His work of victory (Romans 6:14, 23, 1 Corinthians 15:55-56, 57) over sin and death.  What a hope promised in absolute certainty when we cross the river from life to death in the body as we have already in the soul!

Joshua 2:1-24 - Our Scarlet Cord of Redemption

Joshua 2:1-24

Rahab Hides the Spies (Hebrews 11:31)

1 Now Joshua the son of Nun sent out two men from Acacia Grove to spy secretly, saying, “Go, view the land, especially Jericho.”

So they went, and came to the house of a harlot named Rahab, and lodged there. 2 And it was told the king of Jericho, saying, “Behold, men have come here tonight from the children of Israel to search out the country.”

3 So the king of Jericho sent to Rahab, saying, “Bring out the men who have come to you, who have entered your house, for they have come to search out all the country.”

4 Then the woman took the two men and hid them. So she said, “Yes, the men came to me, but I did not know where they were from. 5 And it happened as the gate was being shut, when it was dark, that the men went out. Where the men went I do not know; pursue them quickly, for you may overtake them.” 6 (But she had brought them up to the roof and hidden them with the stalks of flax, which she had laid in order on the roof.) 7 Then the men pursued them by the road to the Jordan, to the fords. And as soon as those who pursued them had gone out, they shut the gate.

8 Now before they lay down, she came up to them on the roof, 9 and said to the men: “I know that the LORD has given you the land, that the terror of you has fallen on us, and that all the inhabitants of the land are fainthearted because of you. 10 For we have heard how the LORD dried up the water of the Red Sea for you when you came out of Egypt, and what you did to the two kings of the Amorites who were on the other side of the Jordan, Sihon and Og, whom you utterly destroyed. 11 And as soon as we heard these things, our hearts melted; neither did there remain any more courage in anyone because of you, for the LORD your God, He is God in heaven above and on earth beneath. 12 Now therefore, I beg you, swear to me by the LORD, since I have shown you kindness, that you also will show kindness to my father’s house, and give me a true token, 13 and spare my father, my mother, my brothers, my sisters, and all that they have, and deliver our lives from death.”

14 So the men answered her, “Our lives for yours, if none of you tell this business of ours. And it shall be, when the LORD has given us the land, that we will deal kindly and truly with you.”

15 Then she let them down by a rope through the window, for her house was on the city wall; she dwelt on the wall. 16 And she said to them, “Get to the mountain, lest the pursuers meet you. Hide there three days, until the pursuers have returned. Afterward you may go your way.”

17 So the men said to her: “We will be blameless of this oath of yours which you have made us swear, 18 unless, when we come into the land, you bind this line of scarlet cord in the window through which you let us down, and unless you bring your father, your mother, your brothers, and all your father’s household to your own home. 19 So it shall be that whoever goes outside the doors of your house into the street, his blood shall be on his own head, and we will be guiltless. And whoever is with you in the house, his blood shall be on our head if a hand is laid on him. 20 And if you tell this business of ours, then we will be free from your oath which you made us swear.”

21 Then she said, “According to your words, so be it.” And she sent them away, and they departed. And she bound the scarlet cord in the window.

22 They departed and went to the mountain, and stayed there three days until the pursuers returned. The pursuers sought them all along the way, but did not find them. 23 So the two men returned, descended from the mountain, and crossed over; and they came to Joshua the son of Nun, and told him all that had befallen them. 24 And they said to Joshua, “Truly the LORD has delivered all the land into our hands, for indeed all the inhabitants of the country are fainthearted because of us.”

The scarlet cord of redemption is often seen as the lifeblood of Christ to be shed in his sacrifice for all sinners who believe and trust in Him and His work that is symbolized here as a token for the sinner Rahab, who also is mentioned in Matthew 1:5 in the lineage of the Messiah.  She is also credited as one in the parade of saving faith in Hebrews 11:30-31 as an example to us of God’s forgiveness and choosing the least of these to be His children as He has all of us who know Him and are in such grace of deliverance out of the sin of the fallen world from a destruction greater than earthly Jericho to come in the final day.  We see how she welcomed the spies sent by Joshua to Jericho before invading the heavily fortified city of renown because she had heard of how the LORD was with them in victory of utter destruction over their enemies the two kings of the Amorites who were on the other side of the Jordan, Sihon and Og, and had miraculously dried up the water of the Red Sea for when they journeyed out of the bondage of Egypt by the hand of their omnipotent God.  Her fear and faith saved her by the grace of God who called and forgave and delivered her.  She also received the promise for her family to be delivered with her when the army returned to level the city.  We see how faith of one who fears and believes the Lord can reach into entire households to cause them to likewise believe to salvation in the Savior’s scarlet thread of redemption in places such as Acts 16:31-32, 18:8.   Rahab the sinner was not only delivered from destruction, but was to bear an heir of seed of the final redeeming grace for all us sinners!  As she told the spies, “According to your words, so be it” as she tied the cord in the window to mark her as saved and remained in place to be found there after the destruction of the enemies of the LORD.  We also are marked as His (Ephesians 1:7, 13-14, 4:30, 2 Corinthians 1:22, 5:5) by blood and water (Titus 3:5) to be heirs of this great salvation from out of our sin-filled lives and hang on the scarlet thread of His deliverance by the shedding of His blood (Leviticus 17:11, Hebrews 9:22) from the window of our condemned state for our redemption as written in His Book of Life.  Truly the LORD has delivered and will deliver us by our fear of judgment and trust in His power to save us from destruction by His calling (John 6:44, 65, 12:32-33) to draw us out of the crumbling corruption and darkness of the fallen creation into the marvelous light and life of Christ!  May we all who hear and fear the Lord cling in absolute peace and hope to this lifeline of the scarlet cord of His lifeblood’s grace identifying us as His to come get us in the end as promised.  We are not just hanging by a mere thread to life, but are holding fast to a certain unbreakable cord of our rescue and the promise of our heavenly kingdom to come. 

Joshua 1:1-18 - Do All You are Commanded!

Joshua 1:1-18

God’s Commission to Joshua

1 After the death of Moses the servant of the LORD, it came to pass that the LORD spoke to Joshua the son of Nun, Moses’ assistant, saying: 2 “Moses My servant is dead. Now therefore, arise, go over this Jordan, you and all this people, to the land which I am giving to them—the children of Israel. 3 Every place that the sole of your foot will tread upon I have given you, as I said to Moses. 4 From the wilderness and this Lebanon as far as the great river, the River Euphrates, all the land of the Hittites, and to the Great Sea toward the going down of the sun, shall be your territory. 5 No man shall be able to stand before you all the days of your life; as I was with Moses, so I will be with you. I will not leave you nor forsake you. 6 Be strong and of good courage, for to this people you shall divide as an inheritance the land which I swore to their fathers to give them. 7 Only be strong and very courageous, that you may observe to do according to all the law which Moses My servant commanded you; do not turn from it to the right hand or to the left, that you may prosper wherever you go. 8 This Book of the Law shall not depart from your mouth, but you shall meditate in it day and night, that you may observe to do according to all that is written in it. For then you will make your way prosperous, and then you will have good success. 9 Have I not commanded you? Be strong and of good courage; do not be afraid, nor be dismayed, for the LORD your God is with you wherever you go.”

The Order to Cross the Jordan

10 Then Joshua commanded the officers of the people, saying, 11 “Pass through the camp and command the people, saying, ‘Prepare provisions for yourselves, for within three days you will cross over this Jordan, to go in to possess the land which the LORD your God is giving you to possess.’”

12 And to the Reubenites, the Gadites, and half the tribe of Manasseh Joshua spoke, saying, 13 “Remember the word which Moses the servant of the LORD commanded you, saying, ‘The LORD your God is giving you rest and is giving you this land.’ 14 Your wives, your little ones, and your livestock shall remain in the land which Moses gave you on this side of the Jordan. But you shall pass before your brethren armed, all your mighty men of valor, and help them, 15 until the LORD has given your brethren rest, as He gave you, and they also have taken possession of the land which the LORD your God is giving them. Then you shall return to the land of your possession and enjoy it, which Moses the LORD’s servant gave you on this side of the Jordan toward the sunrise.”

16 So they answered Joshua, saying, “All that you command us we will do, and wherever you send us we will go. 17 Just as we heeded Moses in all things, so we will heed you. Only the LORD your God be with you, as He was with Moses. 18 Whoever rebels against your command and does not heed your words, in all that you command him, shall be put to death. Only be strong and of good courage.”

After the death of God’s servant Moses, ‘General’ Joshua was ordered by the LORD to cross the Jordan with the armies of the LORD and claim the land promised to Abraham and his descendants long before this momentous occasion.  Everything they set foot on would be theirs as an inheritance realized at last and all opposition would be defeated by Him.  He promised never to leave or forsake them.  Not ever.  This is our eternal promise of an inheritance far greater than an earthly one promised all by faith in Christ Jesus as God will defeat the adversary once and forever and bring us across the river of death into a kingdom that does not fade away (1 Peter 1:3-5, 10, Matthew 25:34), reserved for us forever.  What a blessed hope we have been given by grace to inherit such a great and precious promise!  Like Israel before us, we must be strong and courageous in the good fight of the gospel as we journey there to ford the river of death and enter into the Celestial City of heaven’s promised Kingdom at last.  We are not to be afraid or discouraged along life’s narrow way, but lean on the arm of God’s might in Christ that we might be successful in our victory (1 Corinthians 15:57) over the devil to win souls in the armor of Christ donned for and in our Lord.  He is always with us to lead us to triumph in the battles until the final one when Jesus rides on his pure white steed to vanquish the enemy for all time.  As Joshua prepared the people of God to enter the promised land to possess it, so we must equip ourselves by knowing our acceptance in the Beloved and live acceptable lives as we don the armor of faith and God’s word as we read in the letter of the Ephesians and to we who follow them into battle even now.  Be of good courage and thing in His might.  All that He commands us, we will do! 

Deuteronomy 34:1-12 - Hear Him and Enter Paradise!

Deuteronomy 34:1-12

Moses Dies on Mount Nebo

1 Then Moses went up from the plains of Moab to Mount Nebo, to the top of Pisgah, which is across from Jericho. And the LORD showed him all the land of Gilead as far as Dan, 2 all Naphtali and the land of Ephraim and Manasseh, all the land of Judah as far as the Western Sea, 3 the South, and the plain of the Valley of Jericho, the city of palm trees, as far as Zoar. 4 Then the LORD said to him, “This is the land of which I swore to give Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, saying, ‘I will give it to your descendants.’ I have caused you to see it with your eyes, but you shall not cross over there.”

5 So Moses the servant of the LORD died there in the land of Moab, according to the word of the LORD. 6 And He buried him in a valley in the land of Moab, opposite Beth Peor; but no one knows his grave to this day. 7 Moses was one hundred and twenty years old when he died. His eyes were not dim nor his natural vigor diminished. 8 And the children of Israel wept for Moses in the plains of Moab thirty days. So the days of weeping and mourning for Moses ended.

9 Now Joshua the son of Nun was full of the spirit of wisdom, for Moses had laid his hands on him; so the children of Israel heeded him, and did as the LORD had commanded Moses.

10 But since then there has not arisen in Israel a prophet like Moses, whom the LORD knew face to face, 11 in all the signs and wonders which the LORD sent him to do in the land of Egypt, before Pharaoh, before all his servants, and in all his land, 12 and by all that mighty power and all the great terror which Moses performed in the sight of all Israel.

Moses led his people to the edge of the promised land and gazed over what was to come as the LORD showed it all to him, as far as the eye could see.  This was the new world promised to God’s children through Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob (Israel) to their descendants long before this momentous time in history.  It brings to mind how we will all one day stand at the threshold of death and gaze with scriptural vision of faith in the promise of a kingdom that cannot ever be shaken (Hebrews 12:26-27, 28, Romans 8:21, 1 Peter 1:4) or taken away by the enemy who will be permanently removed (Revelation 12:10) from the world at last.  We will stand there at the edge of death and gaze on the life that continues forever into glory as promised and marvel with joy and humble gratitude in worship of Him who promises (2 Peter 3:13, Romans 4:21) and will deliver us (2 Corinthians 1:10) into that kingdom at last to,stand in worship before His face in our new flesh that knows no sin like that which kept Moses from entering the earthly promised land.  Moses died there as he gazed over the promised kingdom to come in this hope and was buried in a spot unknown to this day on earth but will be fully known in the resurrection to life in the final day.  There will be no more weeping for him or us there (Isaiah 25:8, Revelation 7:17, 21:4) as children of Israel lamented for thirty days over their loss of Moses.  The charge to lead the people into the promised land of Canaan was taken up by faithful Joshua just as we lead others into glory now with the gospel in the armor of the Lord (Ephesians 6:10-11, 19) by faithful reliance on He who works and speaks through us to lead others there as we fight the good fight to make a way for all whom He may call.  There has arisen a greater prophet than Moses (Acts 3:22-23, 25, 26) with this good news and power to lead us by faith into the promised heavenly land (Hebrews 11:13, 16, Philippians 3:20) to come.  His work was and is infinitely more powerful and miraculous than Moses in the demonstration of His divine person and effective work in life, death on the cross of our curse, and resurrection from death to life as the promise to convince us of these things.  Hear Him as Acts 3:22 and Mark 9:7 urges us to turn from sin to Him in repentance and faith to gain entry into the paradise (Luke 23:43, Revelation 2:7) of His kingdom presence! 

Deuteronomy 33:1-29 - Blessings on God’s Children

Deuteronomy 33:1-29

Moses’ Final Blessing on Israel

1 Now this is the blessing with which Moses the man of God blessed the children of Israel before his death. 2 And he said:

“The LORD came from Sinai,
And dawned on them from Seir;
He shone forth from Mount Paran,
And He came with ten thousands of saints;
From His right hand
Came a fiery law for them.
3 Yes, He loves the people;
All His saints are in Your hand;
They sit down at Your feet;
Everyone receives Your words.
4 Moses commanded a law for us,
A heritage of the congregation of Jacob.
5 And He was King in Jeshurun,
When the leaders of the people were gathered,
All the tribes of Israel together.

6 “Let Reuben live, and not die,
Nor let his men be few.”

7 And this he said of Judah:
“Hear, LORD, the voice of Judah,
And bring him to his people;
Let his hands be sufficient for him,
And may You be a help against his enemies.”

8 And of Levi he said:
”Let Your Thummim and Your Urim be with Your holy one,
Whom You tested at Massah,
And with whom You contended at the waters of Meribah,
9 Who says of his father and mother,
‘I have not seen them’;
Nor did he acknowledge his brothers,
Or know his own children;
For they have observed Your word
And kept Your covenant.
10 They shall teach Jacob Your judgments,
And Israel Your law.
They shall put incense before You,
And a whole burnt sacrifice on Your altar.
11 Bless his substance, LORD,
And accept the work of his hands;
Strike the loins of those who rise against him,
And of those who hate him, that they rise not again.”

12 Of Benjamin he said:
“The beloved of the LORD shall dwell in safety by Him,
Who shelters him all the day long;
And he shall dwell between His shoulders.”

13 And of Joseph he said:
“Blessed of the LORD is his land,
With the precious things of heaven, with the dew,
And the deep lying beneath,
14 With the precious fruits of the sun,
With the precious produce of the months,
15 With the best things of the ancient mountains,
With the precious things of the everlasting hills,
16 With the precious things of the earth and its fullness,
And the favor of Him who dwelt in the bush.
Let the blessing come on the head of Joseph,
And on the crown of the head of him who was separate from his brothers.’
17 His glory is like a firstborn bull,
And his horns like the horns of the wild ox;
Together with them
He shall push the peoples
To the ends of the earth;
They are the ten thousands of Ephraim,
And they are the thousands of Manasseh.”

18 And of Zebulun he said:
“Rejoice, Zebulun, in your going out,
And Issachar in your tents!
19 They shall call the peoples to the mountain;
There they shall offer sacrifices of righteousness;
For they shall partake of the abundance of the seas
And of treasures hidden in the sand.”

20 And of Gad he said:
“Blessed is he who enlarges Gad;
He dwells as a lion,
And tears the arm and the crown of his head.
21 He provided the first part for himself,
Because a lawgiver’s portion was reserved there.
He came with the heads of the people;
He administered the justice of the LORD,
And His judgments with Israel.”

22 And of Dan he said:
“Dan is a lion’s whelp;
He shall leap from Bashan.”

23 And of Naphtali he said:
“O Naphtali, satisfied with favor,
And full of the blessing of the LORD,
Possess the west and the south.”

24 And of Asher he said:
“Asher is most blessed of sons;
Let him be favored by his brothers,
And let him dip his foot in oil.
25 Your sandals shall be iron and bronze;
As your days, so shall your strength be.”

26 There is no one like the God of Jeshurun,
Who rides the heavens to help you,
And in His excellency on the clouds.
27 The eternal God is your refuge,
And underneath are the everlasting arms;
He will thrust out the enemy from before you,
And will say, ‘Destroy!’

28 Then Israel shall dwell in safety,
The fountain of Jacob alone,
In a land of grain and new wine;
His heavens shall also drop dew.

29 Happy are you, O Israel!
Who is like you, a people saved by the LORD,
The shield of your help
And the sword of your majesty!
Your enemies shall submit to you,
And you shall tread down their high places.”

These are the final blessings pronounced by Moses on all the children of God in the time of Israel (Jeshurun).  He began by extolling the LORD God of Israel who gave them His word of the law on Mount Sinai written on long lasting tablets of stone to pass down the generations until it would he inscribed one day (Jeremiah 31:33, Hebrews 8:10, 10:16, 2 Corinthians 3:3) permanently on their hearts.  Then he proceeded to bless each family tribe of Israel, one at a time.  Reuben was only given a promise to thrive with no additional details.  Judah would he promised sufficiency and the protection of the LORD against all enemies.  As for Levi, the priests, they would keep and teach the word of God to the others and serve with incense and sacrifices before God’s altar for the rest of the people, and the LORD would protect him and accept the work of his hands as enough in return.  Benjamin, the beloved of the LORD, would dwell in safety by Him Who shelters him in loving watchcare.  For Joseph, the best and precious things would be given, with “the favor of Him who dwelt in the bush” as a strong reminder of Moses meeting the great I AM (Exodus 3:2, 4, 14-15) in the burn bush when called to set God’s people free from bondage.  He would gain great victory in over the ungodly in the promised land bequeathed as the inheritance of all God’s people.  Zebulun and Issachar would rejoice as they called the others to sacrifice with joy to the LORD.  Gad would administer the justice of the LORD and His judgment.  Dan was mentioned by character as a lion’s whelp, a wild cub.  As for Naphtali, he would be satisfied with God’s favor and full of His blessings in possessing the inheritance.  Asher would find favor with the others and be prosperous and strong.  The blessings then close with am exaltation of the LORD over His people who is their help and refuge with everlasting arms of strength and protection and victory over their enemies.  They were promised the blessings of safety, peace, and prosperity in the promised land as a people saved by the LORD and not their own hand.  Only in Him would they achieve the victory over their enemies who would submit to them and be conquered.  This is a picture of our victory in Christ who fights the battles for us against the adversary and will lead us to eternal blessings in the heavenly promised kingdom to come.  These are true and lasting blessings on all of God’s children in Jesus Christ, our Lord who delivers us to our souls’ safety. 

Deuteronomy 32:44-52 - Enter into Glory, not Condemnation

Deuteronomy 32:44-52

44 So Moses came with Joshua the son of Nun and spoke all the words of this song in the hearing of the people. 45 Moses finished speaking all these words to all Israel, 46 and he said to them: “Set your hearts on all the words which I testify among you today, which you shall command your children to be careful to observe—all the words of this law. 47 For it is not a futile thing for you, because it is your life, and by this word you shall prolong your days in the land which you cross over the Jordan to possess.”

Moses to Die on Mount Nebo

48 Then the LORD spoke to Moses that very same day, saying: 49 “Go up this mountain of the Abarim, Mount Nebo, which is in the land of Moab, across from Jericho; view the land of Canaan, which I give to the children of Israel as a possession; 50 and die on the mountain which you ascend, and be gathered to your people, just as Aaron your brother died on Mount Hor and was gathered to his people; 51 because you trespassed against Me among the children of Israel at the waters of Meribah Kadesh, in the Wilderness of Zin, because you did not hallow Me in the midst of the children of Israel. 52 Yet you shall see the land before you, though you shall not go there, into the land which I am giving to the children of Israel.”

The finality of Moses’ life was announced by the LORD to him after speaking the words of God song attributed to him.  He and Joshua read the words of God’s greatness and their warning to avoid idolatry and immorality as they were told to worship and follow in holiness.  When they finished speaking these words to be sung by the people for generations to come, Moses exhorted them to set their hearts on these words, not just in outward compliance but with a willingness to please the LORD.  These same words were commanded to be followed and passed on for their descendants to do so also.  He testified for and against them to heed these or suffer the consequences, to be attentive to observe all the words of God’s Law because it was their very life.  By following God’s will revealed in the Law they would find long lives not cut short by their sin as they crossed the Jordan into the promised land.  For we who are in Christ, grace keeps us from the consequences of sin but we are still held accountable (1 Corinthians 3:12-13, 14-15) when we face Him for His glory and our honor or shame as we enter the heavenly promised land where we will see Him (Job 19:25-27) face to face at last and forevermore.  Remember the example here as Israel was about to cross the Jordan and their faithful leader Moses faced the consequences of a moment of disregard for God’s holiness (Numbers 20:12, Leviticus 10:3) and was not able to go with them, but had to enter alone into glory as we read in his story.  He was gathered to his people with the LORD in His presence as was witnessed by the three apostles (Mark 9:2, 3-4) and as we who are in Christ will also will be in time as we enter into the glory of His presence in the promised land of heaven.  We will then enter into glory, not condemnation, to meet Moses and all who went before us by faith in God’s person, word, and work. 

Joshua 5:1-15 - Rededication to and Following the LORD

Joshua 5:1-15

The Second Generation Circumcised

1 So it was, when all the kings of the Amorites who were on the west side of the Jordan, and all the kings of the Canaanites who were by the sea, heard that the LORD had dried up the waters of the Jordan from before the children of Israel until we had crossed over, that their heart melted; and there was no spirit in them any longer because of the children of Israel.

2 At that time the LORD said to Joshua, “Make flint knives for yourself, and circumcise the sons of Israel again the second time.” 3 So Joshua made flint knives for himself, and circumcised the sons of Israel at the hill of the foreskins. 4 And this is the reason why Joshua circumcised them: All the people who came out of Egypt who were males, all the men of war, had died in the wilderness on the way, after they had come out of Egypt. 5 For all the people who came out had been circumcised, but all the people born in the wilderness, on the way as they came out of Egypt, had not been circumcised. 6 For the children of Israel walked forty years in the wilderness, till all the people who were men of war, who came out of Egypt, were consumed, because they did not obey the voice of the LORD—to whom the LORD swore that He would not show them the land which the LORD had sworn to their fathers that He would give us, “a land flowing with milk and honey.” 7 Then Joshua circumcised their sons whom He raised up in their place; for they were uncircumcised, because they had not been circumcised on the way.

8 So it was, when they had finished circumcising all the people, that they stayed in their places in the camp till they were healed. 9 Then the LORD said to Joshua, “This day I have rolled away the reproach of Egypt from you.” Therefore the name of the place is called Gilgal to this day.

10 Now the children of Israel camped in Gilgal, and kept the Passover on the fourteenth day of the month at twilight on the plains of Jericho. 11 And they ate of the produce of the land on the day after the Passover, unleavened bread and parched grain, on the very same day. 12 Then the manna ceased on the day after they had eaten the produce of the land; and the children of Israel no longer had manna, but they ate the food of the land of Canaan that year.

The Commander of the Army of the LORD

13 And it came to pass, when Joshua was by Jericho, that he lifted his eyes and looked, and behold, a Man stood opposite him with His sword drawn in His hand. And Joshua went to Him and said to Him, “Are You for us or for our adversaries?”

14 So He said, “No, but as Commander of the army of the LORD I have now come.”

And Joshua fell on his face to the earth and worshiped, and said to Him, “What does my Lord say to His servant?”

15 Then the Commander of the LORD’s army said to Joshua, “Take your sandal off your foot, for the place where you stand is holy.” And Joshua did so.

This new generation of Israel who were born during the wilderness wandering of forty years brought on by their faithless parents, these now needed to be circumcised before entering into the fullness of the covenant God made with them in the promised land.  After they recovered, they honored God by keeping the Passover in remembrance of their deliverance from destruction in the land of their bondage.  Then they had their first real meal from the inheritance of that land of milk and honey as the manna from heaven stopped until He would step into flesh (John 1:1-2) as the true and lasting manna (John 6:31, 32-33, 47-49, 50-51) and walk among us all as the Son of God.  We now are supplied with life giving bread from heaven in the person of Jesus Christ and will follow Him as our Lord and Commander into the promised heavenly kingdom far exceeding that of milk and honey in Canaan!  We, like Joshua, stand in this holy place and fight the good fight of the gospel (Ephesians 6:12-13, 16) as we fend off the lies in this knowledge of salvation to rescue those still lost in the bondage of sin as the adversary, the serpent of old (Revelation 12:9) who has continued to deceive and destroy since the lies in Eden brought sin into creation, as he battles to deceive those called by the Lord to hear the truth of His word (Revelation 12:17) and obey it by faith instead of the deceit and follow Him into eternity.  We are to trust Him fully to salvation and not doubt as those who fell in the wilderness (Hebrews 3:17, 18-19) in unbelief and not in His covenant.  We who trust also obey in the knowledge that we are accepted in the Beloved (Ephesians 1:6) and His work on the cross of our sin’s curse, and so live in willing obedience to be acceptable in holiness and faith in all He tells us in the scriptures of His word as we follow our Lord and Commander into the fray of battle for the eternal destiny of all who He calls as chosen in the Lord.  Let us put on the armor of faith and wield the sword of truth to engage the lies of the enemy to rescue the perishing from the bondage of deception!