RPG Adults
MOSES SET AN EXAMPLE FOR JOSHUA
LORD’S DAY, NOVEMBER 19
Joshua 12
Isaiah 45:21-25
“…there is none beside me.
…I am God,
and there is none else.”
MOSES SET AN EXAMPLE FOR JOSHUA
It is said that Moses, the servant of the LORD, gave the land for a possession unto the Reubenites, and the Gadites, and the half tribe of Manasseh (Josh 12:6). Joshua 12 reviews what God did in fighting for them, presenting it in one story to show the continued activity of God. Moses also reminded Israel of what God had done. He said, “But Sihon king of Heshbon would not let us pass by him: for the LORD thy God hardened his spirit, and made his heart obstinate, that he might deliver him into thy hand, as appeareth this day. And the LORD said unto me, Behold, I have begun to give Sihon and his land before thee: begin to possess, that thou mayest inherit his land. Then Sihon came out against us, he and all his people, to fight at Jahaz” (Deut 2:30-32). The text gives the detailed steps of Israel’s conquests to demonstrate that it was not Israel that was fighting the Canaanites, but it was God. He called Moses and told him that he was going to lead Israel to the land that He had promised their fathers. Moses had begun to subdivide the land among the tribes of Israel. God did not stop until the whole mission was accomplished.
There would always be questions about these wars, as we witnessed the massive loss of lives. However, every activity of God magnifies His attributes. He is a just God, and He is also sovereign. When He spoke to the prophets, He affirmed that He is God and besides Him there is none else. He calls on people of all nations to come to Him and be saved. Peace and hope come to everyone who trusts in Him. Even in these wars of Israel, His punitive will was the main cause of those conflicts because the nations had rejected Him and had done much evil.
THOUGHT: Every action of God is a doctrinal fact.
PRAYER: Father, let me discern Thy will in all things.