- Seeking Scripture - https://seekingscripture.com -

Joshua 12-15 Deep Diving Bible Study

 

GOOD MORNING! 
Today’s readings are Joshua 12-15

Read today’s Bible readings at BibleGateway by clicking here.

We begin our reading with a list of every king that Israel conquered. All told there are thirty one kings. Although the text being so brief over this may lead us to believe that this happened all at once, no doubt this took place over a period of time, likely a lengthy one. Rather than just a glance over this chapter, I encourage you to take a moment and really think about each and every king listed. The sheer volume of kings, lands, and people that Israel was able to conquer is awe inducing. This is a direct result of the hand of the God of Israel and these lands are discovering just how mighty He is. 

Inheritance of Levi (pronounced Leh-vee)

Joshua 13:14 Notice, again, that Levi has no inheritance in this world. They are counted as heirs only to the Father and not only does He provide for them but He is their inheritance. As we get older and as our parents and grandparents age before us, we have been privy to more and more tales of family battles over things left behind by family members who have passed. I’ve seen people grow increasingly bitter over material goods, money, and property, when they felt they weren’t getting their proper due of the assets. More often than not it turns into a tug of war over who deserves more. Each time I see this, I separate myself as far as I can from it. When this happens, these assets quickly show themselves to be the bringer of curses on a family.
Let those who love the world’s curses have our share! I just want to remind you that, if you follow the one true God wholeheartedly, your inheritance will not be found in this world. He will provide for you and He will be your inheritance!

Now THIS is a testimony we should all seek to give, notice the bold! 
I was forty years old when Moses the servant of the Lord sent me from Kadesh-barnea to spy out the land, and I brought him word again as it was in my heart. 8 But my brothers who went up with me made the heart of the people melt; yet I wholly followed YHWH my God. And Moses swore on that day, saying, ‘Surely the land on which your foot has trodden shall be an inheritance for you and your children forever, because you have wholly followed YHWH my God.’ Joshua 14:7-9

Wholehearted. There are masses of people who treat following the Father as if it were a hobby they enjoy from time to time.

Don’t be a hobby believer. Be a WHOLEHEARTED one. THAT is how you inherit the wisdom, love, and grace of the Father!

In order to follow the Father, we must do so on His terms, not our own. Heaven forbid we risk having this interaction with our savior: 

22 On that day many will say to me, ‘Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name, and cast out demons in your name, and do many mighty works in your name?’23 And then will I declare to them, ‘I never knew you; depart from me, you workers of lawlessness.’ Matthew 7:22-23

A rabbit trail within my rabbit trails: 

I study a lot of different books of the Bible throughout my week so I’m often ruminating over at least a couple of parts of the Bible at once and one of the things I’ve really been thinking on this week is the patterns of YHWH.

Now, this is one of my husband’s favorite topics so I generally grin and roll my eyes whenever he starts in on a new pattern he’s found but this week I’ve been slowing down a bit and taking time to think over the wonder of how our Father operates in this way.

The Father works in patterns. What does this tell us? He is predictable. He is unchanging. Just as he says in Malachi 3:6.

I am YHWH, I do not change.

From all of this we should realize another key principle that is so obvious we may miss it:

How exciting is that? I mean, just think about it a moment.

He wants us to know Him so well that we know how He will view a certain situation, event, country, people, culture, or time. He wants us to be able to look at events and see where His hand was in them. To know when to expect Him to act and to immediately recognize when He does. And on the flip side of that, to know when we have or are considering doing something that will grieve Him and to know what to expect as a result.

YHWH is a god of patterns. Now some people seem to behave as if we can’t possibly know God. Well, that is true. We can live our entire lives without ever really knowing Him simply by doing one thing – never opening all of the letters He has left behind for us.

Now when I say “letters” I am doing so in a figurative sense as a reference to Scripture.

The Father gave us Scripture, His instructions, in His Words, spoken with His divine breath, and these should be as intimate and meaningful to us as if they were personal letters written by His Holy hand specifically to each one of us. 

I look at my Bible as if there is a letter from our Father waiting for me on my kitchen table each and every morning. 

How eager would we be to wake up and open that!

Seriously y’all, this is EXCITING!

The Word of YHWH is a treasure. Our relationship with Him is as well. I want to read and re-read His word every day of my life, seeking His face in all that I do, so that I am so close, so divinely in tune with His spirit, that I can see the world clearly through His very eyes. And the amazing thing is, this is what He wants as well!

We’ve seen YHWH establish and act in patterns many times up until this point, I’m not even sure we could count them all. Keep your eyes open as we move forward, for more of YHWH’s unchanging and steadfast love, guidance, deliverance, grace, and judgement.

He has told us He does not change – and I Believe! 

-I am God, I do not change. Malachi 3:6

-The counsel of the LORD stands forever, The plans of His heart from generation to generation. Psalm 33:11

-Every good thing given and every perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of lights, with whom there is no variation or shifting shadow. James 1:17

-Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today and forever. Hebrews 13:8

May we seek Him with all our lives and see Him in all we put our hands to.


Test everything, hold tight to what is good.~ 1 Thess 5:21

We are saved by Grace alone: Obedience is not the root of our salvation, it is the fruit!

May YHWH bless the reading of His Word!