Wednesday, March 19, 2008

Joshua 1-2; Psalm 51:1-9; 1 Corinthians 3

Joshua 1
1-9 God Commissions Joshua
  • Moses is dead; it's time to cross the Jordan into the land I am giving them. Even though God is giving them the land, they still have to go in and take it.
  • As I was with Moses, so shall I be with you. Be strong and courageous.
  • Only be very strong and courageous, and follow the law Moses gave you; turn not to the left or right; meditate on it day and night.
  • I command you: Be strong and courageous, for I will be with you wherever you go.
  • Even though God promises to win our battles for us, we still must go, and it will still take courage, as God tells Joshua no less than three times here. There is no shame in being frightened of what lies ahead; but we must trust God to be there with us.
10-18 Preparations for the Invasion
  • Joshua to his officers: Tell the people to be prepared. We enter the land in 3 days.
  • Joshua to the Reubenites, Gadites, and half-tribe of Manasseh: Remember your commitment to fight with us
  • They answer: We remember, and we will follow you as we followed Moses. Be strong and courageous, Joshua.
Joshua 2 - Spies Sent to Jericho
  • Two spies go to the house of Rahab, a prostitute, and spend the night there.
  • The King of Jericho finds out and orders Rahab to bring them out.
  • However, she hides them on her roof and tells the king they have left.
  • Rahab's confession of faith: She has heard their history and believes that "The LORD your God is indeed God in heaven above and on earth below."
  • She asks for protection, and the spies grant it to her whole family -- if:
    • She ties the crimson cord in the window through which she lets them escape
    • She brings her family into her house
    • She keeps quiet
  • As she instructs, the spies escape into the hills, staying there 3 days until their pursuers have returned to Jericho
  • They return to Joshua with the report and the news that "all the inhabitants of the land melt in fear before us." A distinct different between their fear and the fear which the Israelites experience as they prepare to cross. The people of Jericho have no promise of help.
Psalm 51:1-9 A Psalm of David - Sorrow for Sin with Bathsheba
One of the great psalms, appropriate for children of God of all ages; a psalm of recognition of sin and a plea for cleansing.

2 - "Wash me...from my iniquity..."
6 - "You desire truth in the inward being..."
9 - "Hide your face from my sins, and blot out all my iniquities."

1 Corinthians 3 - On Divisions in the Church

1-4 Your quarreling and jealousy are signs that you are spiritually immature

5-9 Apollos, Paul, and all other servants of God are nothing more than a part of God's building. He is the builder; he provides the growth.

10-15 Through God's grace, I (Paul) laid the foundation by introducing you to Christ. Be careful how you build. Will your building be strong enough to stand the test of fire?

16-17 Recognize who you are: God's holy temple where his very Spirit dwells.

18-22 You may have to become a fool before you realize true wisdom. Remember, human wisdom is foolish in God's eyes. When you belong to Christ as Christ belongs to God, "all things are yours." So don't let anyone boast about human leaders.

2 comments:

Yvonne said...

You're getting into familiar territory now. Sharon and I wrote a study guide to Joshua, but haven't followed up to finish it and make it ready for a class. Loyde (her husband)is going to make us some good maps for it.

Yvonne said...

I'll come back here when I get to Joshua in my own reading... I'm way behind!