Praise the Lord! Greetings to you all in the precious name of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. God has been good to us throughout the past week as He has been good to us all the days of our life so far. As we are about to begin our life in this new week, let us take a moment to thank and praise God for His faithfulness in our life.

The Lord has blessed us with a significant Scripture passage that is taken from the book of Joshua 24:15b (mentioned above), which can boost one’s trust in God, increase their confidence in faith-life, redefine their life-principles, help to affirm their decision to follow Christ faithfully, and strengthen their spiritual walk with the Lord their God. Although we do not have sufficient evidence to prove the authorship of the book of Joshua, it is widely accepted among the Bible historians and scholars that most of the contents in the book is written by Joshua (Joshua 24:26) in addition to the wide-spread assumptions that some part of it is contributed by Eleazar son of Aaron the high priest and/or Phinehas son of Eleazar and grandson of Aaron the high priest (Joshua 14:1; 22:13, 31-32; 24:33; also refer to Numbers 25:7-13; Psalm 106:30-31). We can understand from the book of Joshua that God is sovereign and He is able and faithful in fulfilling what He promises to His people. For instance, God promised Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob while they were living in Canaan as sojourners (just a handful of people) that He will give the land to their descendants as their inheritance (Genesis 12:7; 13:15; 17:8; 26:4; 35:12), and God fulfilled it about four hundred years later (Genesis 15:13-16) when they multiplied and made it a land full of people [the count of individuals twenty years and older was about six hundred thousand men, and this is besides women and children / Exodus 12:37; Numbers 1:45-46; 11:21; and, perhaps, all together over two million people], as it is mentioned in the book of Joshua: So the Lord gave Israel all the land he had sworn to give their ancestors, and they took possession of it and settled there. The Lord gave them rest on every side, just as he had sworn to their ancestors. Not one of their enemies withstood them … Not one of all the Lord’s good promises to Israel failed; every one was fulfilled (Joshua 21:43-45; also refer to: Psalm 105:44; 135:12). Another thing to learn from the book is that [as God is sovereign and faithful] it is important for everyone to follow the righteous laws and decrees and commands in its entirety. There is a reward for everyone who follows them wholeheartedly and there are drawbacks for people who do not follow them in its entirety, as it is narrated in the book that when they followed the Lord, the God of their ancestors, wholeheartedly, they were able to defeat the powerful nation of Jericho easily (Joshua 6:20-21 / read from 5:13-6:27); and when they failed to follow them completely wholeheartedly [not all sinned but a few], they lost the war against one of the weakest nations in the group named Ai who, in fact, chased the Israelites out from their territories (Joshua 7:1-5). As we read and meditate the Word of God, let us try to understand the fact that God is Sovereign and He is faithful to everyone who call upon His name (Psalm 145:18-19; Romans 10:13). We, human beings, are created by Him as the last of all His creation (Genesis 1:1-2:3) and, thus, we are called the children God (Genesis 1:26-27; John 1:12-13; 1 John 3:1-2).

The passage (Joshua 24:15b) we chose for our meditation is part of the counsel Joshua [the leader of the Israelites following the death of Moses under whose leadership the Lord delivered the Israelites from their bondage in Egypt] gave to the Israelites after they had settled down in each of their inheritance in Canaan (the land God promised to their ancestors) as they were becoming more and more lenient toward the gods and deities of the nations around them and less and less depended on the God of Israel. After the Israelites settled down well in each of their God-given inheritance in Canaan, Joshua assembled all the tribes of Israel at Shechem (Joshua 24:1; also refer to 22:1-2; 23:1-3) and narrated to the elders, leaders, judges and officials of Israel all that the Lord their God had done for them starting from the time Terah the father of Abraham and Nahor, lived beyond the Euphrates River and worshiped other gods (Joshua 24:2; Genesis 11:27-32) including the call and separation of Abraham from his country, his people, and his father’s household and going to the land God showed him (Genesis 12:1) until the time the Israelites’ received their inheritance in Canaan under his leadership (Joshua 24:1-13). Joshua narrated all that the Lord had done for them {especially His continuous presence with them ever since He had delivered them from the bondage in Egypt (Exodus 13:21-22; 33:14-16); the display of His power and authority over all the powers and authority in the universe (Exodus 14:13-14; 15:6-7; 2 Chronicles 20:6; Psalm 96:3-8); His provision for their body and soul (Exodus 16:4, 13-15; 17:6; Deuteronomy 8:3-4; 29:5-6)} to make them understand God’s faithfulness to them and urged them to fear the Lord and serve Him with all faithfulness as he had observed that [due to their spiritual complacency] their trust in the God of their ancestors was becoming more and more unsteady and, at the same time, their leniency towards the gods of the nations around them was increasing (refer to Joshua 24:14; 2 Kings 17:14; Judges 2:11-13). Joshua made it clear to them his stand that whether they follow the Lord, the God of Israel, or not, he and his household will serve the God of Israel (Joshua 24:15b).

Joshua started serving the Lord God Almighty, the God of his fathers, as an attendant [aide] to Moses one of the greatest leaders of all time on earth (Deuteronomy 34:10-12; also refer to Exodus 9:23-24; 10:21-23; 14:21-22; Numbers 12:6-8). Joshua entered in God’s service and started his ministry as an attendant/aide to Moses, which was his primary responsibility (Exodus 24:13; 33:11; Numbers 11:28; Joshua 1:1). An aide/attendant’s responsibilities and their status in the community seems like an insignificant role in comparison with very many high officials and community leaders. Later, as he was serving as the attendant/aide of Moses, he was chosen to be the leader of the Israelite army as the Amalekites came out to fight against them and led the Israelites into victory (Exodus 17:8-16). He served as a faithful servant before the Lord, the God of Israel, and Moses, the deliverer and leader of the Israelites. As a result, at the end of his forty years of service as an assistant to Moses, he was chosen by God to lead the Israelites after Moses’ death, as it is mentioned:

The Lord said to Moses, “Take Joshua son of Nun, a man in whom is the spirit of leadership, and lay your hand on him. Have him stand before Eleazar the priest and the entire assembly and commission him in their presence. Give him some of your authority so the whole Israelite community will obey him. He is to stand before Eleazar the priest, who will obtain decisions for him by inquiring of the Urim before the Lord. At his command he and the entire community of the Israelites will go out, and at his command they will come in.” Moses did as the Lord commanded him. He took Joshua and had him stand before Eleazar the priest and the whole assembly. Then he laid his hands on him and commissioned him, as the Lord instructed through Moses (Numbers 27:18-23).

Moses, being humble and faithful in the sight of God as He had chosen him to be the deliverer and leader of the Israelites [God’s chosen people], did everything God commanded him to do regarding Joshua his aide because he trusted God with complete sincerity and commitment and let the Lord his God do everything in His way for His people Israel. We can assume from reading the Scriptures that Moses was not unhappy when God said that he will not let him enter the promised land (refer to: Numbers 20:10-13; 27:12-14; Psalm 106:32-33), rather he said to God: Moses said to the Lord, “May the Lord, the God who gives breath to all living things, appoint someone over this community to go out and come in before them, one who will lead them out and bring them in, so the Lord’s people will not be like sheep without a shepherd” (Numbers 27:15-17). Moses was pleased with God for choosing Joshua as his successor to lead and guide the people of Israel into the land God promised to their ancestors that He will give them. Also, Moses encouraged Joshua and blessed him, saying:

Then Moses summoned Joshua and said to him in the presence of all Israel, “Be strong and courageous, for you must go with this people into the land that the Lord swore to their ancestors to give them, and you must divide it among them as their inheritance. The Lord himself goes before you and will be with you; he will never leave you nor forsake you. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged” (Deuteronomy 31:7-8 [also refer to 1:38; 3:21-22; 31:23]).

When Joshua surrendered his life fully before God and submitted himself to serve the Lord his God unswervingly, God was pleased with him and filled him with the Spirit of wisdom, as the Scripture states: Now Joshua son of Nun was filled with the spirit of wisdom because Moses had laid his hands on him. So the Israelites listened to him and did what the Lord had commanded Moses (Deuteronomy 34:9). Again, after the death of Moses, God reaffirmed Joshua’s call and commissioned him to lead the Israelites into the land God promised to their ancestors to give them, as it is stated:

After the death of Moses the servant of the Lord, the Lord said to Joshua son of Nun, Moses’ aide … you and all these people, get ready to cross the Jordan River into the land I am about to give to them – to the Israelites. I will give you every place where you set your foot, as I promised Moses … As I was with Moses, so I will be with you; I will never leave you nor forsake you. Be strong and courageous, because you will lead these people to inherit the land I swore to their ancestors to give them … Keep this Book of the Law always on your lips; 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 … Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged, for the Lord your God will be with you wherever you go (Joshua 1:1-9).

Joshua understood the importance of staying close to the Lord his God and being an aide to Moses the servant of God who talked with God face to face (Exodus 33:11; Numbers 12:8; Deuteronomy 34:10).

• • Joshua saw how God talked with Moses in the Tent of Meeting and in the cloud on the Mountain while he was serving as an aide to Moses (Exodus 24:13; 33:11)
  • Joshua saw God’s power and authority displayed on behalf of His chosen people during their deliverance from the power and authority of Pharaoh the king of Egypt (Exodus 14:18, 31)
  • Joshua saw how God’s power and authority was displayed as Red Sea and Jordan were divided (Exodus 14:21-22; Joshua 3:13)
  • Joshua experienced the power and authority of God while the Israelites were fighting against the Amalekites under his command (Exodus 17:8-16)
  • Joshua had seen the display of God’s power and authority during their forty years wilderness journey (Numbers 14:34; Deuteronomy 29:5)
  • Joshua saw how God helped Moses and the Israelites to fight against and defeat Sihon king of the Amorites and Og king of Bashan (Deuteronomy 3:1-11; Psalm 135:10-12; 136:17-22)
  • Joshua experienced God’s power and authority in bringing the Israelites to the land He promised to their ancestors Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob as the leader of the Israelites (Exodus 3:15; Joshua 21:43; Jeremiah 32:22).
  • Joshua had personally experienced the power and authority of God during the conquest of Canaan (Joshua 1:1-12:24)
  • Joshua had personally experienced the depth and hight and width and vastness of God’s love and care and guidance that displayed in and through his life and ministry as he served Him as the leader for God’s people Israel after Moses’ death (Joshua 6:27)
  • And, Joshua had seen or experienced the power and authority of God during many other occasions during his life-time.

As Moses did everything just as the Lord commanded him (Exodus 40:16; Numbers 17:11; 27:22a), Joshua was also able to do everything the Lord commanded him directly or through Moses, as it is mentioned: As the Lord commanded his servant Moses, so Moses commanded Joshua, and Joshua did it; he left nothing undone of all that the LORD commanded Moses (Joshua 11:15). As a faithful servant of God, Joshua carried out everything the Lord his God commanded him to do whether as an aide/attendant to Moses the servant of God or as the leader of the Israelites following Moses’ death. Joshua remained faithful to God [as a descendant of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, as an Israelite, as a  devout worshipper of God, or as a leader for the Israelites] in a similar way Moses was faithful as a servant in all God’s house and as Christ is faithful as the Son over God’s house (Hebrews 3:2, 5-6; also refer to: 8:5; Exodus 14:31; Numbers 12:7).

We can understand from Joshua’s declaration of ‘… for me and my household, we will serve the Lord’ (Joshua 24:15b) that there was nothing else for him to think/plan than following God, the God of Israel, faithfully and serving Him all the days of his life, as He delivered them from the power of Pharaoh king of Egypt and blessed them with everything God promised through Moses His servant, as it is mentioned:

When the Lord your God brings you into the land he swore to your fathers, to Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, to give you—a land with large, flourishing cities you did not build, houses filled with all kinds of good things you did not provide, wells you did not dig, and vineyards and olive groves you did not plant—then when you eat and are satisfied, be careful that you do not forget the Lord, who brought you out of Egypt, out of the land of slavery. Fear the Lord your God, serve him only and take your oaths in his name. Do not follow other gods, the gods of the peoples around you; for the Lord your God, who is among you, is a jealous God … (Deuteronomy 6:10-15).

When God brought them to the land He promised to their ancestors that He will give them and blessed them with everything He spoke through Moses, God again reminded them through Joshua about all that He had blessed them with (that is, the land that God promised to their ancestors and the blessings God promised through Moses that accompanied with the land) as it is fulfilled as they occupied the land in Canaan during his life-time: So the Lord gave Israel all the land he had sworn to give their ancestors, and they took possession of it and settled there … Not one of all the LORD’s good promises to Israel failed; every one was fulfilled (Joshua 21:43-45). God reminded them again through Joshua, saying: I gave you a land on which you did not toil and cities you did not build; and you live in them and eat from vineyards and olive groves that you did not plant (Joshua 24:13; also refer to: 23:14; 1 Samuel 12:24). Despite all God’s blessings upon them, the Israelites were unfaithful the Lord, the God of their ancestors. As Joshua realized that the Israelites were turning away from the Lord their God, he warned them sternly as he made it clear to them that he and his household will continue to serve the Lord, the God of Israel, saying:

Now fear the Lord and serve him with all faithfulness. Throw away the gods your ancestors worshiped beyond the Euphrates River and in Egypt, and serve the Lord. But if serving the Lord seems undesirable to you, then choose for yourselves this day whom you will serve, whether the gods your ancestors served beyond the Euphrates, or the gods of the Amorites, in whose land you are living. But as for me and my household, we will serve the Lord (Joshua 24:14-15).

Dear brothers and sisters in the Lord, as we conclude our this week’s SftW meditation, let us know the fact that God is sovereign in everything He says and does. We learned as we meditated the Word of God that most of the things God promised to the ancestors and the later generations of the Israelites were fulfilled as they occupied the promised land Canaan – a land with large and flourishing cities they did not build, houses filled with all kinds of good things they did not provide, wells they did not dig, vineyards and olive groves they did not plant and so on (Deuteronomy 6:10-11). And, the remaining ones [that is, whatever has not been fulfilled yet] would fulfill at the return of Christ [whenever it is]. Therefore, let us rededicate our life to love and serve the Lord our God all the days of our life as Joshua continued to serve the Lord all the days of his life as he asserted before God and the Israelites (Joshua 24:15b). It is not only Joshua who served the Lord his God all the days of his life but also all the Israelites served the Lord their God faithfully during his life-time, as it is mentioned: Israel served the Lord throughout the lifetime of Joshua and of the elders who outlived him and who had experienced everything the Lord had done for Israel (Joshua 24:31; also refer to: Judges 2:7). The God whom mankind served since their creation [including the ancestors, the Israelites, and so on] is the same God who incarnated in the form of a human being (to whom the name Jesus was given [Isaiah 7:14; 9:6-7; Matthew 1:21; Luke 1:31; 2:11]) and lived among us just like one of us [except the sin part / John 8:46; 2 Corinthians 5:21; Philippians 2:7-8; Hebrews 4:14-15; 1 John 3:5; 1 Peter 2:22] in order to reveal the triune Godhead (God the Father, God the Son [Jesus Christ], and God the Holy Spirit) to the humanity. He is the same God whom we adore, worship, and serve today. He assured us that He will never leave us nor forsake us, saying: Never will I leave you, never will I forsake you (Hebrews 13:5b). Just prior to His ascension to heaven, Jesus assured His followers that He will continue to remain with them until the end of the age, as it is mentioned: And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age (Matthew 28:20b). Yes, His presence is with us right now and will continue to be with us until He return to us (refer to: John 4:24; 14:7; Romans 8:2; 2 Corinthians 3:17; Galatians 4:6; 1 Thessalonians 4:16-17; Revelation 1:7). May the Lord God Almighty bless us all! Amen!