Monday, January 4, Joshua 7
Vv. 25-26 — Today, for what Achan did, you might not even be jailed. Why the harsh punishment? God wanted to impress upon Israel that He expected them to obey Him without question. He wanted them also to realize there’s no hope in the Law. It can’t save anyone eternally. Their future happiness as is ours, is in Jesus Christ, who kept the Law perfectly for us, paid for all our sins and thereby won for us eternal life. (II Corinthians 5:21 and I John 1:7)
Tuesday, January 5, Joshua 8
- 30-35 — Joshua was an outstanding leader of God’s people. After the victory at Ai, he brought Israel together for worship. Deuteronomy 27:2-8 describes how he was to copy the Law of Moses. By reading to them the entire Law, he reminded them, as the Psalmist later wrote, “Your Word is a lamp to my feet, and a light for my path.” (Ps. 119:105)
Wednesday, January 6, Joshua 9
- 3 — Gibeon was near Jerusalem.
Vv. 14, 15, 27 — Joshua and Israel did make a mistake by not asking the Lord for His direction with the Gibeonite’s proposal. Because there is no reprimand from God, God concurred with Joshua’s action in making the Gibeonites lowly workers in the temple. Much water and wood were needed for the daily sacrifices.
Thursday, January 7, Joshua 10
Vv. 11, 13 — Joshua’s and Israel’s battles were won with the Lord’s help. In defeating the kings mentioned in v. 5, God used nature as His ally. Down through history, God has done that. While scientifically not the sun, but the earth stood still, Joshua was writing down what he observed. It’s just as we say, the sun rises and the sun sets. On this day, God intervened in a spectacular fashion to give His people a mighty victory.
Friday, January 8, Joshua 11
- 6b — The purpose of hamstringing a horse, cutting the tendons in its hind legs, was to make it useless for further fighting.
- 20 — The reason for this terrible judgment is not due to a lack of God’s mercy, but rather the refusal of that mercy and a continual desire of the Canaanites to immerse themselves in sin. A description of their sin is in Romans 1:18-32. How grateful we should be that we are children of light and through faith in Jesus and by God’s grace, we are walking in that light and heading for heaven.
Saturday, January 9, Joshua 12
Vv. 9-24 — That so many kings ruled Canaan indicates that the land was not unified under one mighty king. These kings probably controlled one city and the territory around their city. Notice in v. 7 that these were kings whom Joshua and the people of Israel defeated on the west side of the Jordan River. Thirty-one or 30 million can’t keep the Lord from His promise to protect, love and preserve His believers. Read Psalms 2 and 46.