Joshua’s life before the conquest of the Promised Land

I had never given much thought to the life of Joshua before he led the Israelites into the promised land. But I was amazed at his life with Moses including seeing God face to face. See his story below:

a. Moses’ timeline: 1525 BC Birth and adoption, 1486 BC Moses flees Egypt to Midian, 1446 BC  God sent Moses back to Egypt  ^[Z]

I. 1446 BC Joshua’s army Vanquishes Amalek with help of God and Moses. Exodus 17:9 So Moses said to Joshua, “Choose men for us and go out, fight against Amalek. Tomorrow I will station myself on the top of the hill with the staff of God in my hand.” [Evidently Joshua was 39 in 1446 since he died in 1375 BC at 110.]

II. Joshua a servant of Moses

at Mount Sinai Exodus 24:9-14… ⁹ Then Moses went up with Aaron, Nadab and Abihu, and seventy of the elders of Israel, ¹⁰ and they saw the God of Israel; and under His feet there appeared to be a pavement of sapphire, as clear as the sky itself. ¹¹ Yet He did not stretch out His hand against the nobles of the sons of Israel; and they saw God, and they ate and drank. ¹² Now the Lord said to Moses, “Come up to Me on the mountain and remain there, and I will give you the stone tablets with the law and the commandment which I have written for their instruction.” ¹³ So Moses got up along with Joshua his servant, and Moses went up to the mountain.¹⁴ But to the elders he said, “Wait here for us until we return to you. And behold, Aaron and Hur are with you; whoever has a legal matter, let him approach them.”

 Joshua is called  servant of Moses [v.13] and went “further up the mountain with Moses than Aaron and the others” Precept Austin. He also ate and drink with God v. 11. How many times did Moses ascend Mount Sinai

Exodus 32:17 Now when Joshua heard the sound of the people as they shouted, he said to Moses, “There is a sound of war in the camp.”

The Journey Resumed Exodus 33:11 Thus the Lord used to speak to Moses face to face, just as a man speaks to his friend. When Moses returned to the camp, his servant Joshua, the son of Nun, a young man, would not depart from the tent.

III. 1445 BC Joshua one of 12 Spies sent to Canaan Numbers 13:16

Numbers 14:6  Joshua the son of Nun and Caleb the son of Jephunneh, of those who had spied out the land, tore their clothes;   fear not

IV. Joshua to succeed Moses

1407 BC Number 27:18  Joshua the son of Nun and Caleb the son of Jephunneh, of those who had spied out the land, tore their clothes;  when Israel refused to enter the promised land.

Numbers 34:17  These are the names of the men who shall apportion the land to you for inheritance: Eleazar the priest and Joshua the son of Nun. Joshua was to help divide the land among the 12 tribes.

1407 BC Deut. 1:38, Joshua the son of Nun, who stands before you, he shall enter there; encourage him, for he will cause Israel to inherit it.

1406 BC Deut. 3:28 But charge Joshua and encourage him and strengthen him, for he shall go across at the head of this people, and he will give them as an inheritance the land which you will see.’,

Deut. 31:6-8…⁶ Be strong and courageous, do not be afraid or tremble at them, for the Lord your God is the one who goes with you. He will not fail you or forsake you. ⁷ Then Moses called to Joshua and said to him in the sight of all Israel, “Be strong and courageous, for you shall go with this people into the land which the Lord has sworn to their fathers to give them, and you shall give it to them as an inheritance. ⁸ The Lord is the one who goes ahead of you; He will be with you. He will not fail you or forsake you. Do not fear or be dismayed.” [Fear Not verses v.6-#15,v.8-#16 Fear Not Series]

Deut. 34:9 Now Joshua the son of Nun was filled with the spirit of wisdom, for Moses had laid his hands on him; and the sons of Israel listened to him and did as the Lord had commanded Moses.

Joshua died at the end of the conquest of Israel at 110 years old. [Joshua 24:29 1375 BC]

A- “The primary lesson to draw from Joshua’s life is that God is faithful to His promises. God promised Abraham that his descendants would dwell in the land, and, under Joshua, God brought the people into the land that He had promised to give to them.” In God’s strength Joshua was fearless. Source

H- O God we have Your entire Bible that demonstrates Your faithfulness. Help my faith to increase for my life on earth and in heaven forever. Help me to fear not!

Henry Luke – To receive my daily blog posts scroll to “Follow” and add your email. Enter Romans by Henry Luke and Major Ellison in Amazon or Google to review our book.

Disclaimer: My Personal Journey by Henry Luke has no control over any advertising that may appear on this blog post and receives no payment for it. Ads & their links come from Word Press.

Notes: A– [A1- For how to have peace with God and become a Disciple ^[Y] click here, A2- for how to have the peace of God and grow as a Disciple click here, A3 for how to teach Disciples to be Disciple-makers click here]; O- Jehovah – LORD – God of promise, presence, accessibility, near to those who call on Him for deliverance [Psalm 107:13], forgiveness [Psalm 25:11] and guidance [Psalm 31:3]. [In Bibles the “ord” in LORD is in small caps but WordPress does not support small caps], Jesus in the New Testament is Jehovah; U- I normally do not capitalize the “S” in satan; X- 4 steps in The H.E.A.R method of Bible study and worship; Y- “Disciples” or “Christians”?; Z- Dates from OT BibleHub Timeline;

The goodbye of Moses

H- ^[X] Deuteronomy 31:6 

E- In Deuteronomy 31 Moses spoke to Israel telling them he was 120 years old and Joshua would lead them into the Promised Land. Moses’s life falls into three 40-year intervals. The first 40 years is from his birth and miraculous rescue from certain death by the princess of Egypt. His mother nursed him and then gave him to the princess who had Moses educated in Egypt. At age 40 after killing an Egyptian he ran for his life to Midian.

Moses married Jethro’s daughter and spent 40 years as a shepherd in Midian. After that God called Moses from the burning bush and sent him to Egypt to secure freedom for Israel. He led them out of Egypt through the Red Sea to the promised land, but Israel refused to enter. In the 3^rd 40 years Moses led the rebellious people through the wilderness back to the entrance to the promised land. What a 120-year life!

In Deuteronomy 31:1-5 Moses speaks to Israel to prepare them for the change in leadership. Moses said “³It is the Lord your God who will cross ahead of you; He will destroy these nations before you, and you shall dispossess them. Joshua is the one who will cross ahead of you, just as the Lord has spoken.”

“⁶ Be strong and courageous, do not be afraid or tremble at them, for the LORD your God is the one who goes with you. He will not fail you or forsake you.” Where God is there is no reason to be afraid but instead be strong and courageous. He will never fail His children. Today the world is in a precarious position. On 2/23/2022 Russia attacked the Ukraine in a raw power play as the west took no steps to stop them during 3 weeks of provocations. COVID has beset us for 2 years along with shortages and runaway inflation.

There is no reason for a Disciple ^[A] to be afraid or tremble because the Spirit of Jesus lives in our souls. He is there to give us strength, energy, and peace in the midst of the storm. We don’t know how all this will end but one possibility is for Jesus to return in the air for His church at the rapture. Even so Jesus come quickly!

A- Disciples can claim all the promises of God with great hope for we have thousands of His promises fulfilled. Do not be afraid! #14 in Fear not series

R- O God give us peace, strength, and courage in the midst of the storm.

Henry Luke – To receive my daily blog posts scroll to “Follow” and add your email. Enter Romans by Henry Luke and Major Ellison in Amazon or Google to review our book.

Disclaimer: My Personal Journey by Henry Luke has no control over any advertising that may appear on this blog post and receives no payment for it. Ads & their links come from Word Press.

Notes: A– [A1- For how to have peace with God and become a Disciple ^[Y] click here, A2- for how to have the peace of God and grow as a Disciple click here, A3 for how to teach Disciples to be Disciple-makers click here];  U- I normally do not capitalize the “S” in satan; X- 4 steps in The H.E.A.R method of Bible study and worship; Y- “Disciples” or “Christians”?; 

Holy Spirit guide my life continually

H- ^[X] Deuteronomy 20:1-4… “¹ When you go out to battle against your enemies and see horses and chariots and people more numerous than you, do not be afraid of them; for the Lord your God, who brought you up from the land of Egypt, is with you. ² When you are approaching the battle, the priest shall come near and speak to the people. ³ He shall say to them, ‘Hear, O Israel, you are approaching the battle against your enemies today. Do not be fainthearted. Do not be afraid, or panic, or tremble before them,  Fear not series

E- Moses describes battles coming in Canaan when Israel will fight opponents with more horses, chariots, and people than Israel possessed.

However, Israel’s army was to have counterintuitive reactions as follows:

• Do not be fainthearted – people of that era believed the heart controlled the bodies reactions to danger. They were not to be overwhelmed by events.
• Do not be afraid of them – they were not to be filled with apprehension over a larger more powerful opponent.
• Do not panic – acute extreme anxiety.
• Do not tremble – the physical reaction to fear.

They could have these counterintuitive reactions because God reminded them:

• The God who brought Israel out of Egypt with their wealth and delivered them at the Red Sea was still in control.
• ^“4 for the LORD your God is the one who goes with you, to fight for you against your enemies, to save you.”
• This is the same God today whose Spirit lives within His children wherever we go. He fights the Disciples ^[A] three enemies; satan ^[U], the world system, and our own sinful nature. Paul said “¹⁶ So I say, let the Holy Spirit guide your lives. Then you won’t be doing what your sinful nature craves. ¹⁷ The sinful nature wants to do evil, which is just the opposite of what the Spirit wants. And the Spirit gives us desires that are the opposite of what the sinful nature desires. These two forces are constantly fighting each other, so you are not free to carry out your good intentions.” [Galatians 5:16-17 NLT]  I have meditated on these two verses over the last three years and realized that I have to be humble and submit to the Holy Spirits guidance instead of myself every minute.

A- God is Omnipotent – all-powerful and Omniaspient – all wise. He can and will guide my life and fight my battles with my three enemies if I chose to be Jesus-centered and not self-centered.

R- O God help me to be Jesus-centered all the time and to fear not!!!

Henry Luke – To receive my daily blog posts scroll to “Follow” and add your email. Enter Romans by Henry Luke and Major Ellison in Amazon or Google to review our book.

Disclaimer: My Personal Journey by Henry Luke has no control over any advertising that may appear on this blog post and receives no payment for it. Ads & their links come from Word Press.

Notes: A– [A1- For how to have peace with God and become a Disciple ^[Y] click here, A2- for how to have the peace of God and grow as a Disciple click here, A3 for how to teach Disciples to be Disciple-makers click here];  U- I normally do not capitalize the “S” in satan; X- 4 steps in The H.E.A.R method of Bible study and worship; Y- “Disciples” or “Christians”?; 

The power of the Lord

H- ^[X] Deuteronomy 7:18 Fear not series

E. “I. The History of Israel—The Backward Look (Deut 1-3) In 1407 the children had a choice

     II. The Holiness of Israel—The Inward Look (Deut 4-11):
    A. Moses Speaks about the Law (Deut 4-6), B. Moses Speaks about the Lord (Deut 7-8)” ^[Z1]

Moses speaks about the Israelites entrance into Canaan: Deut 7:1-2a…¹When the Lord your God brings you into the land where you are entering to take possession of it, and He drives away many nations from before you, the Hittites, the Graphite’s, the Amorites, the Canaanites, the Perizzites, the Hivites, and the Jebusites, seven nations greater and mightier than you, ^2aand when the Lord your God turns them over to you and you defeat them, you shall utterly destroy them. 

The Israelites were going to conquer 7 nations mightier than them. They could only be successful with the Lords help. The Lord then said; Deut 7:18 “you shall not be afraid of them, you shall well remember what the LORD your God did to Pharaoh and to all Egypt:

Two commands: [1]“you shall not be afraid of them ”. These Israelites parents had been given the same command 40 years earlier but they disobeyed because of fear. They had a long history of choosing fear over faith and obedience. [2]  “You shall well remember what the LORD your God did to Pharaoh and to all Egypt:”  The Lord reminded them of their miraculous exodus from Egypt because of His 10 plagues. Pharaoh lost his first born on Passover night and his life and army in the Red Sea. There is no other God, all-powerful, and sovereign.

Have the Israelites learned their lesson and will obey this time? Stay tuned as Moses continues to prepare them throughout Deuteronomy.

A- Have I learned my lesson and will trust and obey. This is a never-ending  battle between my sinful nature and the Holy Spirit. Just last night I lost several hours sleep worrying about something instead of trusting God.

R- O God help me have the faith to trust and obey You all the time. I claim the promise in “It is well with my soul”. This music video had over 23 million views on 2/3/2022, [click here for the amazing story of the writer, Horatio Spafford ].

Henry Luke – To receive my daily blog posts scroll to “Follow” and add your email. Enter Romans by Henry Luke and Major Ellison in Amazon or Google to review our book.

Disclaimer: My Personal Journey by Henry Luke has no control over any advertising that may appear on this blog post and receives no payment for it. Ads & their links come from Word Press.

Notes: A– [A1- For how to have peace with God and become a Disciple ^[Y] click here, A2- for how to have the peace of God and grow as a Disciple click here, A3 for how to teach Disciples to be Disciple-makers click here]; O- Jehovah – LORD – God of promise, presence, accessibility, near to those who call on Him for deliverance [Psalm 107:13], forgiveness [Psalm 25:11] and guidance [Psalm 31:3]. [In Bibles the “ord” in LORD is in small caps but WordPress does not support small caps], Jesus in the New Testament is Jehovah;

U- I normally do not capitalize the “S” in satan; X- 4 steps in The H.E.A.R method of Bible study and worship; Y- “Disciples” or “Christians”?; 

Z1. John Phillips – Outline of Deuteronomy (Exploring the Scriptures)

1. I. The History of Israel—The Backward Look (Dt 1-3) 
            A. The Journey Reviewed—Horeb to Kadesh (Dt 1) 
                1. Trekking to Kadesh (Dt 1:1-19) 
                2. Trembling at Kadesh (Dt 1:20-45) 
                 3.Tarrying at Kadesh (Dt 1:46) 
            B. The Journey Resumed—Kadesh to Beth-peor (Dt 2-3) 
                1. Conquering the Land East of Jordan (Dt 2:1-3:17) 
                     a. Victory over the Giants Possible (Dt 2:1-23) 
                     b. Victory over the Giants Proven (Dt 2:2-3:17) 
                2. Contemplating the Land West of Jordan (Dt 3:18-29) 
                a. Moses Speaks to Israel (Dt 3:18-20) 
                     b. Moses Sees the Inheritance (Dt 3:21-29) 
       II. The Holiness of Israel—The Inward Look (Dt 4-11) 
            A. Moses Speaks about the Law (Dt 4-6) 
            B. Moses Speaks about the Lord (Dt 7-8) 
            C. Moses Speaks about the Land (Dt 9-11) 
       III. The Heritage of Israel—The Forward Look (Dt 12-30)
   Laws concerning: 
            A. Purity in the Land (Dt 12-14) 
            B. Property in the Land (Dt 15) 
            C. Piety in the Land (Dt 16:1-17) 
                D. Positions in the Land (Dt 16:18-18:22) 
            E. Protection in the Land (Dt 19-20) 
            F. Persons in the Land (Dt 21-25) 
            G. Priorities in the Land (Dt 26) 
            H. Permanence in the Land (Dt 27-30) 
       IV. The Hero of Israel—The Upward Look (Dt 31-34) 
            A. Moses the Statesman (Dt 31) 
            B. Moses the Singer (Dt 32) 
            C. Moses the Seer (Dt 33) 
            D. Moses the Saint (Dt 34) 

Do not fear the giants – trust and obey God

H- Deuteronomy 3:1-2,21…Fear not series

E- From Phillips outline of Deuteronomy “B. The Journey Resumed—Kadesh to Beth-peor [Deut 2-3]” ^[Z1]: Begins from Kadesh south to Elath at the top of the Red Sea and north to the mount Seir area in Edom ^[Z3]. [Deut.1:46-2:3]

From their refusal to take the Promised Land [Numbers 13:26] at Kadesh-Barnea, it was 38 years until all that generation died. “B.1.b. Victory over the Giants Proven” [Deut 2:2-3:17] ^[Z1]. The giants had been defeated by the LORD to give the land to Edom and Moab [Deut 2:19-23] and the Israelites were to bypass Edom and Moab.  But they came to Heshbon and Sihon king of the Amorites  ^[Z4] opposed Israel.  The LORD delivered total victory over Sihon as promised [Deut 2:24-37].  ^[Z3]

Then they traveled north to Bashan and King Og the last of the giants challenged the Israelites [Deut 3:1]. But the LORD  ^[O] said to Moses, “Do not fear him, for I have delivered him and all his people and his land into your hand; and you shall do to him just as you did to Sihon king of the Amorites, [#11- Deut 3:2] The LORD promised a total victory even against the giant King Og and He delivered [Deut 3:3-11]  ^[Z2].

Just as the LORD delivered these victories east of the Jordan river He promised Joshua future victories: “ Do not fear them, for the LORD your God is the one fighting for you.” [#12- Deut 3:22]

I think about things in my life that have appeared to be giants and Jesus gave me the victory. When the Lord God promises the victory and it is His will, He will keep His promise. Sometimes we may have to wait awhile!! Humbly have faith in Jesus. I remember an old hymn that we use to sing Trust and Obey.

A- No matter how big the giant, I can go to the Lord God the creator of the universe and seek His help ^[A]. Is their a giant in your life?

R- O God please defeat the giants in my life!

Henry Luke – To receive my daily blog posts scroll to “Follow” and add your email. Enter Romans by Henry Luke and Major Ellison in Amazon or Google to review our book.

Disclaimer: My Personal Journey by Henry Luke has no control over any advertising that may appear on this blog post and receives no payment for it. Ads & their links come from Word Press.

Notes: A– [A1- For how to have peace with God and become a Disciple ^[Y] click here, A2- for how to have the peace of God and grow as a Disciple click here, A3 for how to teach Disciples to be Disciple-makers click here]; O- Jehovah – LORD – God of promise, presence, accessibility, near to those who call on Him for deliverance [Psalm 107:13], forgiveness [Psalm 25:11] and guidance [Psalm 31:3]. [In Bibles the “ord” in LORD is in small caps but WordPress does not support small caps], Jesus in the New Testament is Jehovah; [In Bibles the “ord” in LORD is in small caps but WordPress does not support small caps], Lord Jesus in the New Testament is Jehovah; U- I normally do not capitalize the “S” in satan; X- 4 steps in The H.E.A.R method of Bible study and worship; Y- “Disciples” or “Christians”?; 

Z1. John Phillips – Outline of Deuteronomy (Exploring the Scriptures)

1. I. The History of Israel—The Backward Look (Dt 1-3) 
            A. The Journey Reviewed—Horeb to Kadesh (Dt 1) 
                1. Trekking to Kadesh (Dt 1:1-19) 
                2. Trembling at Kadesh (Dt 1:20-45) 
                 3.Tarrying at Kadesh (Dt 1:46) 
            B. The Journey Resumed—Kadesh to Beth-peor (Dt 2-3) 
                1. Conquering the Land East of Jordan (Dt 2:1-3:17) 
                     a. Victory over the Giants Possible (Dt 2:1-23) 
                     b. Victory over the Giants Proven (Dt 2:2-3:17) 
                2. Contemplating the Land West of Jordan (Dt 3:18-29) 
                a. Moses Speaks to Israel (Dt 3:18-20) 
                     b. Moses Sees the Inheritance (Dt 3:21-29) 
       II. The Holiness of Israel—The Inward Look (Dt 4-11) 
            A. Moses Speaks about the Law (Dt 4-6) 
            B. Moses Speaks about the Lord (Dt 7-8) 
            C. Moses Speaks about the Land (Dt 9-11) 
       III. The Heritage of Israel—The Forward Look (Dt 12-30)
   Laws concerning: 
            A. Purity in the Land (Dt 12-14) 
            B. Property in the Land (Dt 15) 
            C. Piety in the Land (Dt 16:1-17) 
                D. Positions in the Land (Dt 16:18-18:22) 
            E. Protection in the Land (Dt 19-20) 
            F. Persons in the Land (Dt 21-25) 
            G. Priorities in the Land (Dt 26) 
            H. Permanence in the Land (Dt 27-30) 
       IV. The Hero of Israel—The Upward Look (Dt 31-34) 
            A. Moses the Statesman (Dt 31) 
            B. Moses the Singer (Dt 32) 
            C. Moses the Seer (Dt 33) 
            D. Moses the Saint (Dt 34) 

Z2. Detailed map of Beth-peor, Mount Peor, Heshbon area

Z3. Map from Kadesh to Beth-peor

Z4- “The term Amorites is used in the Bible to refer to certain highland mountaineers who inhabited the land of Canaan, described in Genesis as descendants of Canaan, the son of Ham ( Gen. 10:16 ). They are described as a powerful people of great stature “like the height of the cedars” ( Amos 2:9) who had occupied the land east and west of the Jordan.” Source

Children in 1445 BC, then adults in 1407 BC had a choice.

H- ^[X] Deuteronomy 1:19-21… ¹⁹ “Then we set out from Horeb, and went through all that great and terrible wilderness which you saw on the way to the hill country of the Amorites, just as the Lord our God had commanded us; and we came to Kadesh-barnea. ²⁰ I said to you, ‘You have come to the hill country of the Amorites which the LORD our God is about to give us. ²¹ “ The LORD your God has placed the land before you; go up, take possession, as the LORD, the God of your fathers, has spoken to you. Do not fear or be dismayed.” NASB1995  Fear not series

E- Moses in 1407 BC is reminding what their fathers did 38 years before at Kadesh-barna in 1445 BC. The LORD told the Israelites you are at the promised land go in and take it. “Do not fear or be dismayed.”

 They had seen the ten plagues in Egypt that compelled the Egyptians to send them out with the wealth of Egypt. Then Pharaoh changed his mind and came after them with his army. Caught between the Red Sea and Egyptian army the LORD ^[O] opened a path and the Israelites crossed the Red Sea on dry land. Pharaoh saw the Israelites crossing and they followed but when the Israelites safely across the water closed in and the entire army drowned. The  Israelites had every reason to trust their safety to the LORD and not be fearful.

However, they sent spies into the land and two came back with a  positive report but ten a negative report. In 1445 BC their fathers had chosen fear over faith and rebelled against the  LORD. Moses still encouraged them “Do not be shocked, nor fear them.” [Deut. 1:29] But your fathers still refused to go in take the land. [Deut. 1:19-33] Their punishment was for all those 20 years and older to die in the wilderness, except Joshua and Caleb. [Deut. 1:34-39]

Now in 1407 BC the fathers are all dead and their children are now adults and they are reminded they have a choice between fear and faith.

A- Every day I have a choice between fear and faith.

R- O God help me to trust You and not myself in all daily decisions. ^[A]

Henry Luke – To receive my daily blog posts scroll to “Follow” and add your email. Enter Romans by Henry Luke and Major Ellison in Amazon or Google to review our book.

Disclaimer: My Personal Journey by Henry Luke has no control over any advertising that may appear on this blog post and receives no payment for it. Ads & their links come from Word Press.

Notes: A– [A1- For how to have peace with God and become a Disciple ^[Y] click here, A2- for how to have the peace of God and grow as a Disciple click here, A3 for how to teach Disciples to be Disciple-makers click here]; O- Jehovah – LORD – God of promise, presence, accessibility, near to those who call on Him for deliverance [Psalm 107:13], forgiveness [Psalm 25:11] and guidance [Psalm 31:3]. [In Bibles the “ord” in LORD is in small caps but WordPress does not support small caps], Jesus in the New Testament is Jehovah; [In Bibles the “ord” in LORD is in small caps but WordPress does not support small caps], Lord Jesus in the New Testament is Jehovah; U- I normally do not capitalize the “S” in satan; X- 4 steps in The H.E.A.R method of Bible study and worship; Y- “Disciples” or “Christians”?; 

Nothing Like This Has Ever Been Seen or Heard!

H- ^[X] Deuteronomy 4:32 “Now search all of history, from the time God created people on the earth until now, and search from one end of the heavens to the other. Has anything as great as this ever been seen or heard before? NLT The Creation Series.

E- Moses was writing near the end of his life and before the Israelites entered the Promised Land, without Moses. Deuteronomy 4:25-31 focused on the future of Israel’s unfaithfulness turning from the true and living God and instead serving false, dead idols and then their punishment. ^[ZZ]

But in v.32 Moses shifts to the past and to history. The truths in this section [Deut 4:32-43] about the greatness of their God and Israel’s privileged position, make their prophesied unfaithfulness more sinful.

Henry Morris on [v.32a] –““Now search all of history, from the time God created people on the earth until now” had been some 2500 years (assuming no gaps in the received chronological genealogies of Genesis 5 and Genesis 11). That was a long time, of course, but was at least a reasonable point of reference to which the people could relate–nothing like the eternal evolutionary ages postulated by the Egyptians, Canaanites and other ancient pagan nations.” Also, as many scientists are stating as fact today. Institute of Creation Research being one of several groups who believe that science supports the Biblical version of creation.

Israel’s Incredible Privileges

[V.32b] “Has anything as great as this ever been seen or heard before?” The answer is clearly “No!” The best argument for who God is and what He can do may be the verifiable historical argument. Moses calls Israel to obey because of who God is and what He has done.  He gives a series of rhetorical questions.

• God is totally & absolutely unique [32-34].
• No other god speaks audibly, without form [33, 36]
• No other god redeemed a miserable people from slavery & forged them into a great and feared nation [34]
• No other god cares enough for people to discipline & love them [36-37]
• No other god even exists [35, 39].

Therefore, Israel and people today ought to respond with trust and obedience. ^[A]

A- God spoke through Moses beginning at His creation of people to prove who He is. God will fulfill His covenant with Israel in the last days.

R- O God, You are the unique Creator of the universe and everything in it and I desire with all my heart to trust and obey You.

Henry Luke – To receive my daily blog posts scroll to “Follow” and add your email. Enter Romans by Henry Luke and Major Ellison in Amazon or Google to review our boo tik.

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Notes: A– [A1- For how to have peace with God and become a Disciple ^[Y] click here, A2- for how to have the peace of God and grow as a Disciple click here, A3 for how to teach Disciples to be Disciple-makers click here]; O- Jehovah – LORD – God of promise, presence, accessibility, near to those who call on Him for deliverance [Psalm 107:13], forgiveness [Psalm 25:11] and guidance [Psalm 31:3]. [In Bibles the “ord” in LORD is in small caps but WordPress does not support small caps]; U- I normally do not capitalize the “S” in satan; X- 4 steps in The H.E.A.R method of Bible study and worship; Y- “Disciples” or “Christians”?; Z- Place Scripture Reference in the search feature for Bible text and notes from The New Defender’s Study Bible”.

ZZ- Warren Wiersbe – During the closing years of Solomon’s reign, to please his many wives he allowed idolatry to be introduced into the land [1 Kings 11:1-12] and this led to God’s judgment and the division and deterioration of the nation [1 Kings 12:1-33].” This prophecy [Deut 4:25-31] was fulfilled when the 10 northern tribes were carried into exile in Assyria in 722BC (2 Kings 17:6) and the 2 Southern tribes, Judah and Benjamin, were taken into exile in Babylon in 586BC [2Chr 36:15-21]. In addition, the nation of Israel was scattered from her land after her rejection of Christ, this dispersion occurring at the hands of the Romans. From [my blog post A.D. 70 until May 14, 1948], when the modern nation of Israel was recognized, the Jewish people were dispersed throughout the world and had no national homeland.

The truth of this passage applies to all men of all ethnicity. If people do not serve God, they will by default serve gods! Jesus made this quite clear when He declared “No one can serve two masters; for either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will hold to one and despise the other. You (absolutely) cannot serve God and mammon.” [Matthew 6:24]

WITH ALL ONE’S HEART AND SOUL: SEEK, LOVE, FEAR, SERVE, RETURN & OBEY/TURN is all over Deuter0nomy.

Deut 6:5 “And you shall love the LORD your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your might.

Deut 10:12 “And now, Israel, what does the LORD your God require from you, but to fear the LORD your God, to walk in all His ways and love Him, and to serve the LORD your God with all your heart and with all your soul,

Deut 11:18  “You shall therefore impress (Lxx says “cast into your heart”) these words of mine on your heart and on your soul; and you shall bind them as a sign on your hand, and they shall be as frontals on your forehead.

Comment: How better to place the Word of God on your heart then to memorize it! Do you need some motivation to begin to discipline yourself to memorize God’s Word? See Memorizing His Word and  Memory Verses by Topic. 

Deut 11:13 “And it shall come about, if you listen obediently to my commandments which I am commanding you today, to love the LORD your God and to serve Him with all your heart and all your soul,

Deut 13:3 you shall not listen to the words of that prophet or that dreamer of dreams; for the LORD your God is testing you to find out if you love the LORD your God with all your heart and with all your soul.

Deut 26:16; “This day the LORD your God commands you to do these statutes and ordinances. You shall therefore be careful to do them with all your heart and with all your soul.

Deut 30:2 and you return to the LORD your God and obey Him with all your heart and soul according to all that I command you today, you and your sons,

Deut 30:10 if you obey the LORD your God to keep His commandments and His statutes which are written in this book of the law, if you turn to the LORD your God with all your heart and soul. 

Deut 30:6 “Moreover the LORD your God will circumcise your heart and the heart of your descendants, to love the LORD your God with all your heart and with all your soul, in order that you may live. This is an OT allusion to the New Covenant (see Ro 2:28, 29 and Col 2:11 and topic – Circumcision of the Heart). Indeed the only way one can truly love the Lord with all one’s heart and soul is by having a new power. The old nature cannot do this.

In The Latter Days of Israel: “Here Comes Trouble!”

NOTE: For a detailed exposition of this passage, especially as it relates to future prophecy for the nation of Israel see Deuteronomy 4:30 Commentary (there is some repetition).

Deuteronomy 4:31  “For the LORD your God is a compassionate God; He will not fail you nor destroy you nor forget the covenant with your fathers which He swore to them.” Source: Percept Austen

Verses from every book in the Bible & Jesus is in every book of the Old Testament

Theme verses from all 66 books of the Bible

Suggested Scripture verses for memorization from each book of the Bible

Key verses from each book of the Bible

66 Inspirational Verses from Every Book of the Bible

66 Verses – One Great Verse to Memorize from Each Book in the Bible

“The Messiah (Christ) ^[Z]  is the Word of God (John 1:1) and so it should come as no surprise that He is described in every Old Testament book.

• In Genesis He is the Seed of the woman (Ge 3:15).
• In Exodus He is the Lamb of God for sinners slain (Ex 12:5, 6, 7, 11).
• In Leviticus He is our High Priest (the whole book).
• In Numbers He is the Star out of Jacob (Nu 24:17).
• In Deuteronomy He is the Prophet like unto Moses (Dt 18:15).
• In Joshua He is the Captain of the Lord’s armies (Josh 5:13, 14, 15).
• In Judges He is the Angel of the LORD or the messenger of Jehovah (Jdg 13:18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23).
• In Ruth He is our Kinsman-Redeemer (Chapter 3).
• In Samuel, Kings and Chronicles He is the King of Kings and Lord of Lords (1Sa 8:1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9).
• In Ezra, Nehemiah and Esther He is the sovereign Lord over all the kingdoms of the earth (entire books).
• In Job He is our risen and returning Redeemer (Job 19:25).
• In Psalms He is the Blessed Man (Psalm 1:1, 2, 3), the Son of Man (Psalm 2:2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12), the Crucified One (Psalm 22), the Coming One (Psalm 24), the Reigning One (Psalm 72).
• In Proverbs He is our Wisdom (Pr 14).
• In Ecclesiastes He is the forgotten Wise Man (Eccl 9:14, 15).
• In Song of Solomon He is my Beloved (Song 2:16).
• In Isaiah He is our suffering Substitute (Isa 53).
• In Jeremiah He is the LORD OUR RIGHTEOUSNESS (Jer 23:6).
• In Lamentations He is the Man of sorrows who weeps for His people (Lam 1:12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18).
• In Ezekiel He is the glory of God (Ezek 1:28).
• In Daniel He is the Smiting Stone (Da 2:34) and the Companion in the furnace of fire and the den of lions (Da 3:24, 25; 6:22).
• In Hosea He is David’s Greater King (Hos 3:5).
• In Joel He is the Hope of His people (Joel 3:16).
• In Amos He is the Rescuer of Israel (Amos 3:12).
• In Obadiah He is the Deliverer upon Mount Zion (Oba 1:17).
• In Jonah He is the buried and risen Saviour (compare Mt 12:40).
• In Micah He is the Everlasting God born in Bethlehem (Mic 5:2).
• In Nahum He is our Stronghold in the day of wrath (Nah 1:7).
• In Habakkuk He is the Anchor of our faith (Hab 2:4).
• In Zephaniah He is in the midst for judgment and cleansing (Zeph 3:5,15).
• In Haggai He is Lord of presence and power (Hag 1:13).
• In Zechariah He is the coming king riding on a donkey (Zech 9:9).
• In Malachi He is the Sun of Righteousness (Mal 4:2).” ^[T]

Henry Luke — To receive my daily blog posts scroll to “Follow” and add your email. Enter “Romans by Henry Luke and Major Ellison” in Amazon or Google to order. Disclaimer: My Personal Journey by Henry Luke has no control over any advertising that may appear on this blog post and receives no payment for it. Ads & their links come from Word Press or other sources.

[Notes]: A- [1] For how to have peace with God and become a Disciple ^[Y] click here, [2] for how to have the peace of God and grow as a Disciple click here, and [3] for how to teach Disciples to be Disciple-makers click here; T- Austin Commentaries by Book; Y- “Disciples” or “Christians”?;  Z- For the name, I normally use for the Lord Jesus Christ, click here.

Scriptural strategies in the Disciples war against lust

H- ^[X] Psalms 119:11 Your word I have treasured in my heart, That I may not sin against You.

E- From Austin Commentary ^[T2] for all Disciples ^[A]:  “Below are a number of Scriptural strategies for fighting the war against lust and for sexual impurity. Please read the Scriptures for they are the sword the Spirit will use (Ps 119:9, 11 – see Memorizing His Word) and as we ponder the Living Word (Ps 1:2, 3–note), Christ will increase and we will decrease (Jn 3:30). All of these suggestions are predicated on the most important “step” and that is our relationship with God. If we are slipping in our time in God’s Word and prayer, praise, and thanksgiving, then all the “rules” in the world won’t be of any value in this battle. We must continually seek first His kingdom (and His King, Jesus) and His righteousness, and He will provide for our daily needs in this daily spiritual battle.

1. Depend on God’s power not your own for the Victory, learning to walk by the Spirit (1Sa 17:47 contrast with 1Sa 11:1, 2, 3, 4, 5; Gal 5:16, 17–note, Eph 5:18–note, Php 2:12, 13–note, Ezek 36:27, Zech 4:6, Ro 8:13–note, 2Cor 12:9–note, 2Co 12:10–note)

2. Recognize and affirm that sexuality is a good gift from God. (James 1:17, Ge 2:24, 25; Pr 5:15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20–notes, 1Co 7:3, 4, 5, 1Ti 4:3)

3. Recognize that God gives us prohibitions not to deny us something good but that we might experience His good and acceptable and perfect will for our lives. (Ex 20:14, 1Co 6:18, 1Co 7:2, 1Th 4:3–note) Also, see #21.

4. Believe that God is for you in this battle and desires for us to be more than conquerors in Christ Jesus (Deut 10:12, 13, Ps 84:11, Ro 8:31, 32–note)

5. Consider and meditate on the potential temporal and eternal loss for those who make lust a lifestyle (Mt 5:27, 28, 29–note, Pr 5:4, 5, Pr 7:27–notes, Eccl 7:26, Jdg 16:18, 19, 20, 21–notes)

6. Consider the truth that there is more joy in God’s presence than in the presence of sin. (Ps 16:11, Ps 73:25, 26)

7. Recognize that lust weakens our soul and we must fight against it by abstaining (1Peter 2:11–note, cp Mark 4:19)

8. Cultivate a passion for God’s Word and His glory (1Pe 2:2–note, 2Sa 12:9, 10, 14 – note what David in his sin with Bathsheba despised!)

9. Develop a mental grid that views everything in relation to God. (1Co 10:31, Col 3:17–note)

10. Recognize that God designed marriage to be a picture of His commitment to His Bridegroom, the church. (Ephesians 5:21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30, 31, 32–notes)

11. Zealously guard your eyes, turning from anything that might give a provision to your lust (Job 31:1, Ro 13:14–note, 2Ti 2:22–note, Ps 101:3, see context Ps 101:1,2, 4)

12. Think often that Christ suffered to redeem you for purity, for His possession and for His purpose. (Titus 2:14–note, 1Pe 1:18–note; 1Pe 2:24–note, 1Co 5:15)

13. Beware of pride rising up making you think that past success guarantees future victory over lust (1Cor 10:12, Gal 2:13 contrasted with Acts 11:24, 1Pe 2:11–note wages war is present tense = continually until we die!)

14. Beware of feeling above accountability. (3 John 9 Diotrephes not submissive, James 4:6, 10, 1Pe 5:6–note, 2Chr 32:36, 33:12, 19, 23, Pr 18:12, 22:4, Is 57:15)

15. Seek a band of brothers or sisters where you wage war together encouraging one another daily in regard to the deceitfulness of sin. (Heb 3:12–note, Heb 3:13–note, 2Ti 2:22–note) (See Related Discussion: The Deceitfulness of Sin)

16. Memorize and meditate on many scriptures. (Ps 119:9, 11, 1:2, Josh 1:8–note, Job 23:12–note , Jer 15:16, 1Jn 2:14, Php 4:8–note)

17. Take every pernicious, prurient thought captive to Christ and replace them with good thoughts (1Cor 10:3, 4, 5, Php 4:8–note)

18. Beware of the trap that you deserve relief through gratifying your sinful flesh, remembering that every test carries with it the potential of a temptation to sin (Acts 14:22, Luke 9:58, 2Ti 2:3–note, 2Ti 4:16, 17–note)

19. Pray at all times in the Spirit for God’s protection and deliverance. (Ep 6:18–note, Lk 22:40, 46, Mt 26:40, 41, 1Chr 4:10, Ps 19:13, 119:116, 117, 133, Pr 30:8, 9, Mt 6:13–note)

20. Think often that God has given you even now many good things so how could you brazenly sin against Him! (Ge 39:7,8, 9)” ^[T2] 

21. It is God’s will that we avoid sexual immorality. 1Th 4:3

A- ^[X]  The Disciples ^[A]  sinful nature is in a daily battle with Holy Spirit for all sin but in today’s culture lust is one of the most powerful temptations.

R- O God please help me to obey the guidance of the Holy Spirit ^[B]  and Your Word regarding lust.

Q- Are you obeying all parts of God’s commands about lust?

Henry Luke       To receive all my blog posts scroll to Follow and add your email.

[Notes]: A- [1] For how to have peace with God and become a Disciple ^[Y]  click here, [2] for how to have the peace of God and grow as a Disciple click here, and [3] for how to teach Disciples to be Disciple-makers click here; B- Living life under pressure starts at the cross daily;

T- Help from [1]  Warren Wiersbe Bible Exposition Commentary or  [2] Near the bottom of this link https://www.preceptaustin.org/proverbs_51-14_commentary, Austin Commentaries by Book or [3]  BibleHub Commentaries; [4]  Blue Letter Bible;  [5] John Phillips Exploring John; [6] Biblehub timelines; X- 4 steps in The H.E.A.R method of Bible study and worship; Y- “Disciples” or “Christians”?;  Z- For the name, I normally use for the Lord Jesus Christ, click here;

Disclaimer: My Personal Journey by Henry Luke has no control over any advertising that may appear on this blog post and receives no payment for it. Ads & their links come from Word Press

Dr. Heath Lambert – Sunday 5/17/2020 Sermon notes – First Baptist Church Jacksonville, Florida

Click to access AMPMSermonNotes_May19_.pdf