Monday, April 22nd: Joshua 24:1-33, Luke 21:1-28, Psalm 89:38-52, Proverbs 13:20-23 ~ Tammy

Today's passage from the Bible In a Year Reading Plan is Joshua 24:1-33, Luke 21:1-28, Psalm 89:38-52, Proverbs 13:20-23 

Joshua 24: 14 “So fear the Lord and serve him wholeheartedly. Put away forever the idols your ancestors worshiped when they lived beyond the Euphrates River and in Egypt. Serve the Lord alone. 15 But if you refuse to serve the Lord, then choose today whom you will serve. Would you prefer the gods your ancestors served beyond the Euphrates? Or will it be the gods of the Amorites in whose land you now live? But as for me and my family, we will serve the Lord.”

As for me and my family, we will serve the Lord!

We definitely want to claim this verse for our family. 

The thing is - it's not just a one time choice and then things are easy.

Unfortunately, it's all too easy to let "false gods" of prosperity, materialism, image and success, power, and more, get a grip on our lives. 

As my devotional book says:
We refuse to give up. We decide that our family will serve the Lord today. And we make the same choice tomorrow. We ask for his power to keep choosing to serve him in all the days to come. 

We choose...... today, and the day after, and the day after that.  Every day.  With His power.

Tomorrow's Bible In a Year Passage:  Judges 1:1-2:9, Luke 21:29-22:13, Psalm 90:1-91:16, Proverbs 13:24-25

Sunday, April 21st: Joshua 22:21-23:16, Luke 20:27-47, Psalm 89:14-37, Proverbs 13:17-19 ~ Tammy

Today's passage from the Bible In a Year Reading Plan is Joshua 22:21-23:16, Luke 20:27-47, Psalm 89:14-37, Proverbs 13:17-19

Joshua 23:9 “For the Lord has driven out great and powerful nations for you, and no one has yet been able to defeat you. 10 Each one of you will put to flight a thousand of the enemy, for the Lord your God fights for you, just as he has promised. 11 So be very careful to love the Lord your God.

12 “But if you turn away from him and cling to the customs of the survivors of these nations remaining among you, and if you intermarry with them, 13 then know for certain that the Lord your God will no longer drive them out of your land. Instead, they will be a snare and a trap to you, a whip for your backs and thorny brambles in your eyes, and you will vanish from this good land the Lord your God has given you.

This passage highlights the dangers of Christians marrying non-believers. 

From my devotional....
But oftentimes even some believing children toy with relationships that grow deeper than they expect, sometimes ending in marriages in which either the Christian relegates Christ to the margins of life, or the unbelieving partner is marginalized, leaving both parties feeling lonely and unhappy.

When our children's hearts become entwined with those who do not share faith in Christ, they resist the reality that pursuing a relationship with another person who has little to no interest in building a life around Christ will make them miserable over the long haul. They're convinced that somehow their case will be the exception. They insist that the unbelieving spouse will be supportive of their Christian faith. They are convinced that the two of them are soul mates. Blithely optimistic, they're sure that their passion and commitment will overcome all obstacles.....

a romantic entanglement with an unbeliever has the potential of becoming a snare and a trap, something that may seem so very right in the moment but will bring great sorrow and loneliness over their lifetime.

So important to impress this on our children!

Tomorrow's Bible In a Year Passage:  Joshua 24:1-33, Luke 21:1-28, Psalm 89:38-52, Proverbs 13:20-23

Tuesday, April 16th: Joshua 13:1-14:15, Luke 18:1-17, Psalm 85:1-13, Proverbs 13:7-8 ~ Jeannine

Today's passage from the Bible In a Year Reading Plan is Joshua 13:1-14:15, Luke 18:1-17, Psalm 85:1-13, Proverbs 13:7-8 

Now the people of Judah approached Joshua at Gilgal, and Caleb son of Jephunneh the Kenizzite said to him, “You know what the Lord said to Moses the man of God at Kadesh Barnea about you and me. I was forty years old when Moses the servant of the Lord sent me from Kadesh Barnea to explore the land. And I brought him back a report according to my convictions, but my fellow Israelites who went up with me made the hearts of the people melt in fear. I, however, followed the Lord my God wholeheartedly. So on that day Moses swore to me, ‘The land on which your feet have walked will be your inheritance and that of your children forever, because you have followed the Lord my God wholeheartedly.’

“Now then, just as the Lord promised, he has kept me alive for forty-five years since the time he said this to Moses, while Israel moved about in the wilderness. So here I am today, eighty-five years old! I am still as strong today as the day Moses sent me out; I’m just as vigorous to go out to battle now as I was then. ow give me this hill country that the Lord promised me that day. You yourself heard then that the Anakites were there and their cities were large and fortified, but, the Lord helping me, I will drive them out just as he said.”

Then Joshua blessed Caleb son of Jephunneh and gave him Hebron as his inheritance.

Joshua 14:6-13

I love the story of Caleb, it's partially why our youngest child carries that name. Caleb was a man who was willing to stand up for truth, even if it meant being a minority. So often we let the opinions of others sway us and we willing to ask our friends and other experts what to do but often avoid asking God what He has to say about the issue. I love this quote in my bible's commentary on Caleb...

"Caleb was not so much a man of great faith as a man of faith in a great God!"

And here in today's passage we see the fruit of his faith. It took a while...45 years to be exact...but here we see him standing before Joshua receiving the blessing that the Lord promised him so long ago.

But because my servant Caleb has a different spirit and follows me wholeheartedly, I will bring him into the land he went to, and his descendants will inherit it.
Numbers 14:24

Tomorrow's Bible In a Year Passage: Joshua 15:1-63, Luke 18:18-43, Psalm 86:1-17, Proverbs 13:9-10 

Friday, April 12th: Joshua 5:1-7:15, Luke 15:1-32, Psalm 81:1-16, Proverbs 13:1 ~ Emma

Today's passage from the Bible In a Year Reading Plan is Joshua 5:1-7:15, Luke 15:1-32, Psalm 81:1-16, Proverbs 13:1

I find we often read stories of the Israelites and how they don’t have enough faith. But today we read a story of great faith; the story of the walls of Jericho crumbling down. 

Imagine being told to march around a city seven times in order for the walls to fall down. That sounds completely irrational and out of the ordinary, and I’m sure the Israelites thought that too. But they showed great faith by listening to God rather than listening to their own thoughts.

We should show this kind of great faith in our lives as well. 

Tomorrow's Bible In a Year Passage: Joshua 7:16-9:2; Luke 16:1-18; Psalm 82:1-8; Proverbs 13:2-3

Wednesday, April 10th: Deuteronomy 34:1- Joshua 2:24, Luke 13:22-14:6, Psalm 79:1-13, Proverbs 12:26 ~ Tammy

Today's passage from the Bible In a Year Reading Plan is Deuteronomy 34:1- Joshua 2:24, Luke 13:22-14:6, Psalm 79:1-13, Proverbs 12:26 

Joshua 1:6 “Be strong and courageous, for you are the one who will lead these people to possess all the land I swore to their ancestors I would give them. 7 Be strong and very courageous. Be careful to obey all the instructions Moses gave you. Do not deviate from them, turning either to the right or to the left. Then you will be successful in everything you do.8 Study this Book of Instruction continually. Meditate on it day and night so you will be sure to obey everything written in it. Only then will you prosper and succeed in all you do. 9 This is my command—be strong and courageous! Do not be afraid or discouraged. For the Lord your God is with you wherever you go.”
I can only imagine how Joshua felt taking over as leader of the Israelites.  Moses had been the only human leader they had known and those were big sandals to fill!  And he was going to be the leader to bring them into the Promised Land.

God gives Joshua clear instructions on how to get through this transition and how to become a godly leader.  The key, of course, is God. 

Joshua needs to rely on God and God alone. 

He needs to rely on God's Word.  In order to that, he needs to know it inside and out (just like we need to, and why we are doing this blog together).  He doesn't just need to know it, he needs to obey it, he needs to apply it to his life. 

He needs to rely on God's presence.  Almost every time in the Bible that we see the instructions "Do not fear" it is followed by the reason we don't need to fear:  God is with us. 

The same holds true for us today.  We need to rely on God alone.  We need God to transform us through the power of the Holy Spirit and His Word.  We need to trust and rely on His presence every step of the way.

Tomorrow's Bible In a Year Passage:  Joshua 3:1-4:24, Luke 14:7-35, Psalm 80:1-19, Proverbs 12:27-28

Saturday, March 24th: Joshua 22-24; Luke 8:26-56 ~ Tammy

Today's passage from the Bible In a Year Reading Plan is Joshua 22-24; Luke 8:26-56

14 “So fear the Lord and serve him wholeheartedly. Put away forever the idols your ancestors worshiped when they lived beyond the Euphrates River and in Egypt. Serve the Lord alone. 15 But if you refuse to serve the Lord, then choose today whom you will serve. Would you prefer the gods your ancestors served beyond the Euphrates? Or will it be the gods of the Amorites in whose land you now live? But as for me and my family, we will serve the Lord.”

In our passage today Joshua reminds the people that serving the Lord requires total commitment to Him, and to Him alone.

We cannot serve both God and, no matter what that "and" is.   Money, power, prestige, popularity, conformity, success, or anything else (even good things) that give any lordship of our lives to anyone other than God.

From here.....

Christ calls us to go all in, to worship only God, and to stop making excuses for our half-heartedness. So whom will you serve? Will you follow the tendency of others around you, and devote your time and your energy to this project or that activity, and only think about God when you are in trouble or it suits you? Will you busy yourself “playing church,” and hope that’s good enough? Or are you ready to commit yourself fully to serving God and God alone? Are you ready to stop playing church and start being church as a devoted follower of Jesus Christ? Will you stand with Joshua and say, “As for me and my house, we will serve the Lord?”
Tomorrow: Catch up Day
Monday's Bible In a Year Passage: Judges 1-3, Luke 9:1-27

Friday, March 23rd: Joshua 19-21; Luke 8:1-25 ~ Emma

Today's passage from the Bible In a Year Reading Plan is Joshua 19-21; Luke 8:1-25

“The disciples went and woke him up, shouting, “Master, Master, we’re going to drown!” When Jesus woke up, he rebuked the wind and the raging waves. Suddenly the storm stopped and all was calm.” - Luke‬ ‭8:24‬

This is a story I’ve always very much related to. Having anxiety, fear has always been present in my life. There have been many times where I have cried out to God (like the disciples in this passage), letting my fear be bigger than my faith. But like He did for the disciples, Jesus calms my fears.

It’s hard to remember when you’re in the midst of panic that Jesus is always with you. The disciples thought Jesus wasn’t with them because He was asleep, much like how I’ve thought Jesus wasn’t with me because fear has made me feel alone. But Jesus was still on the boat, and He still woke up, and He still calmed the storm. In the midst of my anxiety, I need to remember that He is still with me, and He will calm the storm. 

Tomorrow's Bible In a Year Passage: Joshua 22-24; Luke 8:26-56

Monday, March 18th

Today's passage from the Bible In a Year Reading Plan is: Joshua 7-9, Luke 6:1-19

Joshua 7:10 says, "The Lord said to Joshua, 'Stand up! What are you doing down on your face?11 Israel has sinned; they have violated my covenant, which I commanded them to keep." then in verse 13 God says, "You cannot stand against your enemies until you remove it." As I read this I thought about my life, and how i tend to try and forget the wrongs I have done, rather than try and fix or confront them. Here The Lord clearly states that in our lives we must fix the sins we commit before we can truly feel free, because we can't forget them because He will keep it prevalent in our life.







Tomorrow's Bible In a Year Passage: Joshua 10-12, Luke 6:20-49

Friday, March 16th: Joshua 1-3; Luke 4 ~ Emma

Today's passage from the Bible In a Year Reading Plan is Joshua 1-3; Luke 4

“As the sun went down that evening, people throughout the village brought sick family members to Jesus. No matter what their diseases were, the touch of his hand healed every one.” - ‭‭Luke‬ ‭4:40‬

It’s so easy to read passages like these like we’ve heard it all before. The stories aren’t written with exciting words so it can be easy to forget how amazing these miracles actually were. This passage is literally talking about how Jesus healed everyone, no matter what their diseases were! Could you imagine a man walking through a hospital and fully healing every single patient with the touch of his hand? That would be unbelievable to see with your own eyes! It’s easy to just skim over these passages because we’ve read them all before, but really we should take the time to acknowledge how amazing our God is!

Tomorrow's Bible In a Year Passage: Joshua 4-6; Luke 5

Sunday, March 26th: Joshua 22-24; Luke 3 ~ Emma

Today's passage from the Bible In a Year Reading Plan is Joshua 22-24; Luke 3

"Deep in your hearts you know that every promise of the LORD your God had come true. Not a single one has failed!" - Joshua 23:14

I often have to remind myself of all the promises that God has kept. "I will never leave you", "I love you", "I have a plan for you". These are all true and they never stop being true. Even when we forget about them or when we doubt, they are still true, and God is still good. 

Tomorrow's Bible In a Year Passage: Judges 1-3; Luke 4:1-30

Saturday, March 25th: Joshua 19-21; Luke 2:25-52 ~ Tammy

Today's passage from the Bible In a Year Reading Plan is Joshua 19-21; Luke 2:25-52

Joshua 21:45 Not one word of all the good promises that the Lord had made to the house of Israel had failed; all came to pass.

Simply put - God keeps His promises.  Always.

Unfortunately, He's also the only One that can be counted on to always keep all of His promises.  We don't.  We should, and we try, but inevitably we fail someone - sometimes it's within our control, and sometimes it's not in our control - but the result is the same nonetheless.

We cannot put our trust 100% in anyone other than God.  Yes, your spouse should be faithful. Yes, your best friend should be trustworthy.  Yes, your sister and your brother should keep their word.  But the reality is, that we are all human, and we will all fail those we love at some point.

Obviously, this is not an excuse for us not to attempt to be faithful!  In fact, it's a good reminder to us to be more purposeful about keeping our promises to our loved ones.

But above all, it's a reassurance that though others may fail you, God never will.

Tomorrow's Bible In a Year Passage:  Joshua 22-24; Luke 3

Friday, March 24th: Joshua 16-18; Luke 2:1-24 ~ Tammy

Today's passage from the Bible In a Year Reading Plan is Joshua 16-18; Luke 2:1-24

For many years Luke 2:1-20 was a passage that the Gr 5/6's from our church memorized and recited at the Sunday School Christmas program.  And, of course, it's one that long-time believers have heard many, many times during the Christmas season.

The tendency, when we read/hear the same passage so many times, can be to become a bit immune to it, and for it to lose it's effect.  It can be refreshing to be purposeful about trying to read it as though hearing about it for the very first time.

What an amazing event this was!  I can only imagine how the shepherds must have felt when the angels appeared and spoke to them, sharing the good news and telling them how to find baby Jesus. Fearful, awe-filled, worshipful, incredulous, the list could go on and on!

May we never lose the wonder of the gospel message!

Tomorrow's Bible In a Year Passage: Joshua 19-21; Luke 2:25-52

Thursday, March 23rd: Joshua 13-15; Luke 1:57-80 ~ Tammy

Today's passage from the Bible In a Year Reading Plan is Joshua 13-15; Luke 1:57-80

I love all of Zechariah's prophecy, but this section specifically caught my attention....
And you, child, will be called the prophet of the Most High;
    for you will go before the Lord to prepare his ways,
77 to give knowledge of salvation to his people
    in the forgiveness of their sins,
78 because of the tender mercy of our God,
    whereby the sunrise shall visit us from on high
79 to give light to those who sit in darkness and in the shadow of death,
    to guide our feet into the way of peace.”

What an amazing priviledge it was for John to prepare the way for the Messiah, and for Zechariah and Elizabeth to raise their son for that purpose.

We are all called to be John the Baptist! We are all called to preach the gospel, to prepare the way for people to meet Jesus, to spread the news of His coming.  John didn't live to see Jesus' death or resurrection, but he is with Him right now in paradise, rejoicing in His Saviour.

Tomorrow's Bible In a Year Passage:  Joshua 16-18; Luke 2:1-24

Wednesday, March 22nd: Joshua 10 - 12, Luke 1:39-56 ~ Nathan

Today's passage from the Bible In a Year Reading Plan is: Joshua 10-12, Luke 1:39-56

It's interesting all the miracles that God did for the Israelites, as He helped them establish a homeland.

Joshua 10:11
As they fled before Israel on the road down from Beth Horon to Azekah, the Lord hurled large hailstones down on them, and more of them died from the hail than were killed by the swords of the Israelites.

Unreal storm of stones that must have been, there would have been no escape.

Joshua 10:13
So the sun stood still, and the moon stopped, till the nation avenged itself on its enemies, as it is written in the Book of Jashar. The sun stopped in the middle of the sky and delayed going down about a full day.

Time stopped! The Israelites needed some extra time and God helped them out. This miracle that God did stands out to me, because of how extraordinary it would have been.

Joshua 11:20
For it was the Lord himself who hardened their hearts to wage war against Israel, so that he might destroy them totally, exterminating them without mercy, as the Lord had commanded Moses.

God hardened the peoples hearts, so they wouldn't consider trying to make peace with the Israelites, and therefore would fight and lose to the Israelites.

These are just a small portion of the miracles that God did for the Israelites, and they show His awesome power. I hope they strengthen my faith and yours, in our all powerful Saviour!


Tomorrow's Bible In a Year Passage: Joshua 13-15; Luke 1:57-80

Tuesday, March 21: Joshua 7-9; Luke 1:21-38 ~ Jody

Today's passage from the Bible In a Year Reading Plan is: Joshua 7-9, Luke 1:21-38

The Old Testament reading had so many truths in it for me today!

1. Even if we hide our sin, it can have massive consequences. And those consequences have the potential to be far-reaching beyond our own life! 
1. "All" Achan did was hide some plunder that he kept from Babylon. He even hid it so well, buried some under his tent even. No one would ever know, yet it resulted in 36 warriors killed and "The Israelites were paralyzed with fear at this turn of events, and their courage melted away." Joshua 7:5.
2. God can take our sin and not only turn it to good - but leverage it to bring about His glory! 
1. "5 When our main army attacks, the men of Ai will come out to fight as they did before, and we will run away from them. 6 We will let them chase us until we have drawn them away from the town. For they will say, ‘The Israelites are running away from us as they did before.’ Then, while we are running from them, 7 you will jump up from your ambush and take possession of the town, for the Lord your God will give it to you. 8 Set the town on fire, as the Lord has commanded. You have your orders.” Joshua 8:5-8
2. God used the very fact that the men of Ai defeated the Israelites once to bolster their confidence and leave their town unprotected. He used this to His own benefit as a means to defeat the men of Ai. 
3. God still pours His blessings on us even when we don't deserve it.
1. 27 Only the livestock and the treasures of the town were not destroyed, for the Israelites kept these as plunder for themselves, as the Lord had commanded Joshua." Joshua 8:27
2. Achan's unauthorized holding of plunder from Babylon was sinful disobedience earlier in this reading, yet God still chose to allow them to keep plunder from the town of Ai. He still chooses to pour undeserved blessings on us!!
4. Humans are sinful and we keep repeating our sin - we NEED Jesus! 
1. "14 So the Israelites examined their food, but they did not consult the Lord. 15 Then Joshua made a peace treaty with them and guaranteed their safety, and the leaders of the community ratified their agreement with a binding oath."Joshua 9:14-15. AGAIN, the Israelites depend on their own knowledge and abilities and make a decision without consulting God. Even still to this day - us sinful humans rely on our own investigation, knowledge, abilities etc even though we know that God is our best ally in wise decision making! 

Tomorrow's Bible In a Year Passage: Joshua 10-12, Luke 1:39-56

Monday, March 20th: Joshua 4-6, Luke 1:1-20 ~ Kezia

Today's passage from the Bible In a Year Reading Plan is Joshua 4-6, Luke 1:1-20

"Have seven priests carry trumpets of rams' horns in front of the ark. On the seventh day, march around the city seven times, with the priests blowing trumpets." Joshua 6:4

It really stuck out to me how many times the number seven was referenced in just this one verse. In the Bible, God often uses the number seven as a number to represent completion. For example, God completed all of creation in a total of seven days. In this story in Joshua, completion is very much emphasized.

For years and years and years, God was leading His people to the Promised Land, a land "flowing with milk and honey". This land was highly talked about and referenced often. With the help of God, Joshua lead everyone across the river, to enter into the Promised Land. God's promise had finally been completed!

Although the Israelites doubted God so many times along the way, God stayed true to what He said.  God always keeps his promises, he did in Bible times, and he does in 2017 as well.


Tomorrow's Bible In a Year Passage: Joshua 7-9, Luke 1:21-38

Sunday, March 19th: Joshua 1-3; Mark 16 ~ Emma

Today's passage from the Bible In a Year Reading Plan is Joshua 1-3; Mark 16

Old Testament:

'They answered Joshua, "We will do whatever you command us, and we will go wherever you send us. We will obey you just as we obeyed Moses. And may the LORD your God be with you as He was with Moses. Anyone who revels against your orders and does not obey your words and everything you command us will be out to death. So be strong and courageous!"'

- Joshua 1:16-18

This is the kind of trust and loyalty we should have with our leaders, knowing that God is leading us through them. And if we are the leaders, we should work hard for the Lord and make ourselves worthy of receiving this trust and loyalty.

New Testament:

'On the way they were asking each other, "Who will roll away the stone for us from the entrance to the tomb?" But as they arrived, they looked up and saw that the stone, which was very large, had already been rolled inside.'

- Mark 16:3-4

We need to stop worrying about the troubles we see, and start trusting the One who sees it all. He has a plan for our lives, and we need to focus on the end goal (eternity with God) rather than the troubles we are facing now. 

Tomorrow's Bible In a Year Passage: Joshua 4-6; Luke 1:1-20

Wednesday, March 30th: Joshua 22-24, Judges 2: 6-9 ~ Nathan

Today's passage from the Bible In a Year Reading Plan is Joshua 22-24, Judges 2: 6-9

After reading today's portion of scripture, the first chapter (22) that I read gave me a good reminder about judgement.

The thing I took note of was how quickly the rest of the Israelites were ready to kill the 2 1/2 tribes that were going back to the east side of the Jordan River, after they had built an alter before crossing back. The tribes in Canaan assumed that this alter was to another god and therefore in direct disobedience to the one true God, who had just saved them from many enemies.

22:12 "the whole assembly of Israel gathered at Shiloh to go to war against them."

It turns out this alter was built as a reminder to all that the 2 1/2 tribes served the same God as the rest of the Israelites in the promised land.

How quickly do I jump to conclusions about people's motives without taking the time to find out reasons for their actions?

An example of this would be a person that has mental illness who's made some bad choices. I can be quick to assume they think rationally like the rest of us and therefore can't understand this person's negative actions. We can't always excuse bad choices, but we can look at some of these people with more sympathy and love at first instead of immediate disgust.

The Israelites go on to give somewhat of an apology for this quick judgement,

22:31 "And Phinehas son of Eleazar, the priest, said to Reuben, Gad and Manasseh, “Today we know that the Lord is with us, because you have not been unfaithful to the Lord in this matter. Now you have rescued the Israelites from the Lord's hand.”

Tomorrow's Bible In a Year Passage: Judges 1:1-2:5, 2:10-23

Tuesday, March 29th: Joshua 19-21 ~ Danae

Today's passage from the Bible In a Year Reading Plan is Joshua 19-21

In today's reading we reach the end of the allotments of the promised land.

A few verses stood out to me:

"The inheritance of the Simeonites was taken from the share of Judah, because Judah’s portion was more than they needed. So the Simeonites received their inheritance within the territory of Judah.”  Joshua 19:9

The tribe of Judah had to share some of their inheritance because, when planning out the allotments for each tribe, an error was made as to exactly how much land was available & they had run out at that point. Probably a bit tough to swallow for the tribe of Judah, but we don't hear of any grumbling or complaining about it even though it would have been within their right to keep it all to themselves.

We can be reminded to be generous with what we have & willing to give of our abundance (even to those who are maybe less than deserving).

“ (When the territory of the Danites was lost to them, they went up and attacked Leshem, took it, put it to the sword and occupied it. They settled in Leshem and named it Dan after their ancestor.)”  Joshua 19:47

After all that they had conquered, they still did not trust God completely. The tribe of Dan found that some of their land was difficult to conquer, so they chose to migrate to where they knew the victory was easier.

Anyone can trust God when things are easy.  The real test in our faith comes when the going is difficult.

“When they had finished dividing the land into its allotted portions, the Israelites gave Joshua son of Nun an inheritance among them, as the Lord had commanded. They gave him the town he asked for—Timnath Serah in the hill country of Ephraim. And he built up the town and settled there.”   
Joshua 19:49&50

After all was said & done, Joshua received his inheritance. His choice was some land in the same country as his own tribe.

What a great reminder to keep our humility no matter our position. No only did Joshua wait until after everyone had been “served,” but he also chose the “common” land of his family rather than looking for something more deserving of a great leader.

“Not one of all the Lord’s good promises to Israel failed; every one was fulfilled.”  Joshua 21:45

In the end, after all of the Israelites shortcomings, after many years & many trials all of God’s promises are fulfilled.

God is faithful. Sometimes it may take longer than we would like, our patience may be tried, we may be tested & go through more than we think we can take, but God will go with us, carry us when necessary & lead us to our promised land. 

Tomorrow's Bible In a Year Passage:  Joshua 22-24, Judges 2:6-9

Monday, March 28, 2016: Joshua 16-18 by Pamela

Today's passage from the Bible In a Year Reading Plan is Joshua 16-18


I found this chart here:

The twelve sons of Jacob and their land assignments in Canaan Click here to see the map.
12 sons of Jacob Listed by age	Land assignment in Canaan Scripture references indicate where assignments were declared
Reuben	Reuben - Numbers 32 (see notes) & restated in Joshua 13:15-23 (see notes)
Simeon	Simeon - Joshua 19:1-9 (see notes)
Levi	Levi - No inheritance according to Joshua 14:3-4 (see notes) & Joshua 18:7 (see below)
Judah	Judah - Joshua 15:1-12 (see notes)
Dan	Dan - Joshua 19:40-48 (see notes)
Naphtali	Naphtali - Joshua 19:32-39 (see notes)
Gad	Gad - Numbers 32 (see notes) & restated in Joshua 13:24-28 (see notes)
Asher	Asher - Joshua 19:24-31 (see notes)
Issachar	Issachar - Joshua 19:17-23 (see notes)
Zebulun	Zebulun - Joshua 19:10-16 (see notes)
Joseph	Manasseh - Half in Numbers 32 (see notes) & restated in Joshua 13:29-31 (see notes) east of the Jordan River. The other half in Joshua 17:1-18 (see below) west of the Jordan River.
	Ephraim - Joshua 16:5-10 (see below)
Benjamin	Benjamin - Joshua 18:11-28 (see below)

The website also included this map:

Although I did know that the Levites did not get land, I don't know if I ever really took note that Joseph's two sons, Manasseh and Ephraim, each received a portion to make up the 12 tribes. I imagine that in those days of slavery and prison that Joseph would never have guessed the legacy his sons would have and the place in God's plan for Israel. 

The commentary includes an explanation about casting lots:

The Practice of Casting Lots

Casting lots was basically the visual equivalent of throwing dice today. Therefore, casting lots (to the Old Testament observer) may seem like an arbitrary selection of something or someone based strictly upon chance. However, Solomon writes in Proverbs 16:33, "The lot is cast into the lap; but the whole disposing thereof is of the LORD." We see a precedent in Leviticus 16:1-10 (see notes) that validates it as a God-recognized way for determining God's mind on an issue. The casting of lots was used in that passage to determine which goat would be freed (the "scapegoat") and which one would be sacrificed. The discovery of Achan as the culprit was apparently done by casting lots in Joshua 7:10-26 (see notes). And that's also the method used for distributing the land to the Tribes of Israel (Joshua 16, see notes). Saul was identified as the new king by Samuel, presumably with lots in I Samuel 10:19-24 (see notes). In I Samuel 14:36-43 (see notes) Saul used this technique to identify his own son (an unlikely suspect) as the culprit. Peter even used this procedure to select the replacement for Judas in Acts 1:12-26 (see notes). In the Old Testament, at least the people recognized that the casting of lots was a legitimate way of deciding an issue. That's a major reason why it worked.
Christians today have the indwelling of the Holy Spirit by which we make our decisions. The Holy Spirit today stands as the replacement for the Old Testament practice of casting lots. You must agree: Direct Holy Spirit leadership on an issue is better than throwing dice.

A few other things that stood out for me from today's reading:

³ Now Zelophehad the son of Hepher, son of Gilead, son of Machir, son of Manasseh, had no sons, but only daughters, and these are the names of his daughters: Mahlah, Noah, Hoglah, Milcah, and Tirzah.

I've noticed this before, but I guess the practice of unisex names existed even in biblical times as one of Zelphehad's daughters was named Noah.


⁶ because the daughters of Manasseh received an inheritance along with his sons. The land of Gilead was allotted to the rest of the people of Manasseh.

In a time and culture when women did not receive the same rights as men, it must have been unusual for these women to receive equal inheritances as their brothers. 

¹⁰ However, they did not drive out the Canaanites who lived in Gezer, so the Canaanites have lived in the midst of Ephraim to this day but have been made to do forced labor.

¹² Yet the people of Manasseh could not take possession of those cities, but the Canaanites persisted in dwelling in that land. ¹³ Now when the people of Israel grew strong, they put the Canaanites to forced labor, but did not utterly drive them out.

Half obedience...it will come back to bite you every time. We deal with this today just the same as believers did back then. This commentary adds some insight into the trouble this causes in the future from not obeying



those Gezerites in Canaan just wouldn't go. Or...was it really that the Tribe of Israel didn't try that hard to get them to go, preferring instead to have the presence of a little slave labor? So, they served Israel - mentioned again in Judges 1:28-30,33,35 (see notes). However, in Judges 2:1-3 (see notes); Judges 3:5-6 (see notes); Judges 10:6 (see notes) we see that the idolatrous practice of these people was, indeed, a problem for Israel. David failed in his attempt to rid the land of them again centuries later (II Samuel 5:25; I Chronicles 14:16, see notes). Finally, Pharaoh comes up out of Egypt during Solomon's reign and takes Gezer as a wedding present for Solomon, who was married to Pharaoh's daughter (I Kings 9:10-28; II Chronicles 8:1-18 - see notes

Now look at verses 12-13; more problem Canaanites - they just won't leave! This is mentioned again in Judges 1:27 (see notes). Joshua had defeated the kings of Taanach, Megiddo, and Dor (Joshua 12:21-23, see notes), but a permanent Hebrew occupation did not follow. Verse 13 tells us that later on they did make slaves of them.


And finally, the commentary adds that Jerusalem appears to be shared by the tribe of Judah and the tribe of Benjamin although it technically belongs to the tribe of Benjamin:


It should be noted, however, that Jerusalem seemed to be shared by the Tribes of Benjamin and Judah. Note the following scriptures:

Joshua 18:28 And Zelah, Eleph, and Jebusi, which is Jerusalem, Gibeath, and Kirjath; fourteen cities with their villages. This is the inheritance of the children of Benjamin according to their families.
Joshua 15:63 As for the Jebusites the inhabitants of Jerusalem, the children of Judah could not drive them out: but the Jebusites dwell with the children of Judah at Jerusalem unto this day. 
Judges 1:8 Now the children of Judah had fought against Jerusalem, and had taken it, and smitten it with the edge of the sword, and set the city on fire. 
Judges 1:21 And the children of Benjamin did not drive out the Jebusites that inhabited Jerusalem; but the Jebusites dwell with the children of Benjamin in Jerusalem unto this day. 

Based upon these verses, obviously Jerusalem was a shared city between the two tribes. Although, technically, Jerusalem was within the borders of the Tribe of Benjamin.



Tomorrow's Bible In a Year Passage: Joshua 19-21