So the Lord gave to Israel all the land of which He had sworn to give to their fathers, and they took possession of it and dwelt in it. The Lord gave them rest all around, according to all that He had sworn to their fathers. And not a man of all their enemies stood against them; the Lord delivered all their enemies into their hand. Not a word failed of any good thing which the Lord had spoken to the house of Israel. All came to pass.
--Joshua 21:43-45 (NKJV)
From the daily Bible reading on April 24, 2013 of Psalm 78:32-39; Mark 2:23-3:12; Joshua 21-22:20.
The work is done, at least for now. Over forty years have gone by since the house of Jacob escaped captivity in Egypt by the mighty hand of God and now they have a land of their own, the inheritance promised to Abraham for his descendants (please see Genesis 17:8). Many, if not the majority, of the children of Israel now moving into their new home never knew captivity, having been born during the exodus from Egypt and the extended sojourn in the wilderness. Even they, though, would have been taught of the history of Israel: of Abraham and Sarah, of Isaac and Jacob and Joseph, of all the hardships the people endured under Pharaoh, of how God led them and saw to their needs in the wilds. Moses would have seen to that. All the people would understand that God had kept His covenant with their forefathers and fulfilled His promise of giving them possession of this beautiful, rich land. And for now they can rest, for now they are at peace. None of their enemies, those that inhabited the land previously, stand against them now. Some have been incorporated as servants to the people, most have been obliterated from the face of the earth. Yes, there is still some land yet to be possessed, some enemies yet to be conquered, but it is God's plan that the final stages of conquest be completed little by little, for their safety's sake (please see Deuteronomy 7:22). For now, though, the people can rest, for everything has come to pass as the Lord promised.
Just as God was true to His word and kept His end of His covenant with Abraham and provided everything He promised for the children of Israel, so will He fully honor the covenant He made to us through Jesus Christ His Son. Our end of the deal is pretty simple. All we have to do is believe in Jesus as the Son of God and accept Him as our Savior. That acceptance fills us with a willingness to follow His way, to obey God's word, to love one another. But Jesus did all the work, He paid the great price for our redemption. Through His sacrifice we are allowed to escape the captivity of sin. By His life we are led through the wilderness of this world and the snares of Satan's temptations. By His resurrection and ascension to His Father's side we are given possession of a new and wondrous land in heaven. We can be at rest, for all that He has promised us will come to pass. Not a word will fail of any good and glorious thing which the Lord has spoken to us. Praise the Lord! Amen.
Glorious and almighty Father, by Your grace and power the children of Israel were led out of captivity, through the wilds, and into a wonderful land they could only have dreamed of. By the sacrifice of Jesus Christ our Savior, we can be led from captivity to sin, through the wastelands of Satan, and into the most beautiful land of heaven, a glory beyond our greatest imaginings. Thank You, heavenly Father, for Your grace which we could never merit or deserve! Thank You, Lord Jesus, for Your selfless sacrifice on our behalf! In Your name, Christ Jesus, we pray. Amen.
Just as God was true to His word and kept His end of His covenant with Abraham and provided everything He promised for the children of Israel, so will He fully honor the covenant He made to us through Jesus Christ His Son. Our end of the deal is pretty simple. All we have to do is believe in Jesus as the Son of God and accept Him as our Savior. That acceptance fills us with a willingness to follow His way, to obey God's word, to love one another. But Jesus did all the work, He paid the great price for our redemption. Through His sacrifice we are allowed to escape the captivity of sin. By His life we are led through the wilderness of this world and the snares of Satan's temptations. By His resurrection and ascension to His Father's side we are given possession of a new and wondrous land in heaven. We can be at rest, for all that He has promised us will come to pass. Not a word will fail of any good and glorious thing which the Lord has spoken to us. Praise the Lord! Amen.
Glorious and almighty Father, by Your grace and power the children of Israel were led out of captivity, through the wilds, and into a wonderful land they could only have dreamed of. By the sacrifice of Jesus Christ our Savior, we can be led from captivity to sin, through the wastelands of Satan, and into the most beautiful land of heaven, a glory beyond our greatest imaginings. Thank You, heavenly Father, for Your grace which we could never merit or deserve! Thank You, Lord Jesus, for Your selfless sacrifice on our behalf! In Your name, Christ Jesus, we pray. Amen.
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