Joshua 12-14; Psalm 54; 1 Corinthians 7

Joshua 12
1-6 Kings Conquered by Moses

• King Sihon of the Amorites and King Og of Bashan
  
• A treasure chest for geographers: A detailed description of the area defeated when Moses defeated these kings.
  
• This land given to the tribes of Reuben, Gad and half-tribe of Manasseh

7-24 Kings Conquered by Joshua

• A detailed listing of 31 kings in all.
• These lands given to other Israelite tribes

Joshua 13
1-7 God to Joshua

• You're old now, and there's still much to be conquered.
• Go ahead, divide up the lands among the other 9 -1/2 tribes, and I will conquer them.
  

8-32 Reuben, Gad and half-tribe of Manasseh.

• They drove out all except Gushur and Maacath
• Levites receive no inheritance
• Details of territory given to Reuben - Kingdom of Sihon of the Amorites. Among these defeats they also killed Balaam, who "practiced divination." (An example of using someone evil for good purposes?)
  
• Gad - some of Sihon's land and also Gilead
• Half-tribe of Manasseh (East) - Kingdom of Og of Bashan, half of Gilead

Joshua 14
1-5 Distribution west of the Jordan

• Distributed by lot by Eleazar, Joshua, and the tribal heads
• Repeated: No inheritance for Levi; Double portion to Joseph through his sons Ephraim and Manasseh

6-15 I'd Been Wondering What Happened to Caleb!

• People of Judah (Caleb's tribe) and Caleb come to Joshua at Gilgal and ask him to fulfill God's promise to Caleb that he would receive Hebron - formerly Kiriath-arba (Numbers 14:24-25). (An exception to land divided up by lot for an exceptional person.)
  
• At 85 years old, Caleb is still ready to take on the Anakim in the hill country. "...my strength now is as my strength was then, for war, and for going and coming."
• "And the land had rest from war." (An indication, maybe, that war is not only hard on people, but it's hard on the land, too?)
  

Psalm 54 - A prayer of David when the Ziphites reveal to Saul that David is hiding among them
Plea: 1 - "Save me, or God, by your name..."
Praise: 4 - "God is my helper...the upholder of my life."
Promise: 6 - "With a freewill offering I will sacrifice to you..."

1 Corinthians 7
1-16 Regarding Marriage (about which they had written him)

• It is okay -- even preferable in some cases -- not to be married.
• But if you are not able to be celibate, it is best to be married.
• However, be aware that a part of marriage is giving your husband or wife the conjugal rights due to him or her.
• If you refrain, it must be by mutual agreement, for spiritual purposes, and only temporary.
• If you're married, the wife should not leave her husband. If she does, she should remain unmarried or reconcile to her husband.
• A husband should not divorce his wife.
• If a believer is married to an unbeliever, it is no reason to divorce. A believer can be a good influence on an unbeliever, even leading to his or her salvation.
  
• However, if the unbeliever cannot tolerate being married to a Christian, you can't force him or her to stay. God has called us to peace. Your conscience can be clear in the matter. I think this indicates that a Christian shouldn't feel guilty about being a Christian under any circumstances, even if it means the end of a marriage relationship. It reminds me of Paul's injunction in Romans 12:18, "If it is possible, so far as it depends on you, live peaceably with all." We can't force even those closest to us to accept our faith; it is on their heads, not ours, if they choose to reject it. In context, I don't think this passage even speaks to the subject of re-marriage in such circumstances -- either for or against. That is not the purpose of Paul's instructions here.
  

17-24 The Life that the Lord Has Assigned

• Whatever your physical state when you became a Christian -- circumcised or uncircumcised, free or in slavery -- be content there. (Philippians 4:11 - "I have learned to be content with whatever I have.")
• This seems to follow Paul's theme in 6:12 ("I will not be dominated by any") that whatever our physical circumstances, we are to rise above them...
• ...for we are all slaves of God, not of humans. Ultimately, our greatest obligation is not to a husband or wife, religious traditions, our appetites, or even to our masters. Our obligations to them are guided by our first obligation to God.

25-39 Re: The Unmarried and Widows

• Paul only alluded to them earlier (v. 8); now he goes into more detail.
• Also a continuation of his instruction for people to remain as they were when they became Christians.
• However, if you wish to get married, it is not a sin.
• Be warned, though, that getting married will cause you distress in life, because you will care about and will be bound to someone other than yourself. You'll have more than yourself to be concerned about in the case of persecution, for instance. "For the present form of this world is passing away," and when it's gone, none of this will matter.
• "I want you to be free from anxieties." An echo of "The Lord has called us to peace" (v. 15). That's the reason I advise you not to get married.
• Advice to those who are engaged. If you can remain so, do it. If not, it's okay to get married.
• To widows: Of course you know you were bound to your husband as long as he lived. And if he has died, of course you are free to marry a Christian (saving yourself from the conflict of marrying an unbeliever). But it's better to remain single and fully dedicate yourself to God.
• Bottom line: Verse 35: "I say this for your own benefit, not to put any restraint upon you, but to promote good order and unhindered devotion to the Lord."