Plainer Words since 1968
Issue # 424
December 8, 2017
PLAINER WORDS ONLINE … PROMISES TO ISRAEL WERE FULFILLED
Part 1
THE BOOK OF JOSHUA covers, approximately, the years of B.C. 1530-1420.
Son of Nun, of Ephraim (1 Chronicles 7:27). Born about the time when Moses fled to Midian, he endured in youth the slave labor amidst Egyptian brick kilns. Probably, even in Egypt, Joshua was recognized as an officer among his brethren; for at his first public act, choosing and leading picked men of Israel against the attacking AMALEKITES at Rephidim: “Then came Amalek, and fought with Israel in Rephidim. And Moses said unto Joshua, Choose us out men, and go out, fight with Amalek: to morrow I will stand on the top of the hill with the rod of God in mine hand” (Exodus 17:8-9).
Joshua is introduced abruptly, without description, as one already well known by the designation, Joshua (not Hoshea), given by anticipation. Moses discerned by the Spirit his sterling qualities, solid rather than brilliant. Joshua learned to rule by obeying first; then, he ruled for God, not self.
Exodus 17:10-11; “So Joshua did as Moses had said to him, and fought with Amalek: and Moses, Aaron, and Hur went up to the top of the hill. And it came to pass, when Moses held up his hand, that Israel prevailed: and when he let down his hand, Amalek prevailed.” (from Fausset's Bible Dictionary, Electronic Database Copyright (c)1998 by Biblesoft).
AFTER THE DEATH OF MOSES
“Now after the death of Moses the servant of the LORD it came to pass, that the LORD spake unto Joshua the son of Nun, Moses' minister, saying, Moses my servant is dead; now therefore arise, go over this Jordan, thou, and all this people, unto the land which I do give to them, even to the children of Israel. Every place that the sole of your foot shall tread upon, that have I given unto you, as I said unto Moses. From the wilderness and this Lebanon even unto the great river, the river Euphrates, all the land of the Hittites, and unto the great sea toward the going down of the sun, shall be your coast. There shall not any man be able to stand before thee all the days of thy life: as I was with Moses, so I will be with thee: I will not fail thee, nor forsake thee” (Joshua 1:1-5).
The Study of Leadership has confirmed to me that the great Leaders were, first, exceptional disciples. Exceptional followers make great Leaders. Joshua was a classic example. Today, many men in authority look down on men whom they believe to be “Yes Men.” Many times, outstanding Leaders were thought to be “Yes men” by their shallow thinking equals and even some of their Superiors. Men like Joshua who was Moses’ minister (Joshua 1:1) became a superb leader. Good servants, often, make good leaders. Moses was an excellent servant of Yahweh, and an extraordinary leader of men. Moses had his eye on Joshua long before he was appointed one of the twelve spies.
In my opinion, I would select Robert E. Lee as a classic example of someone who I would rank as one of the most outstanding Leaders of this world. Lee was an inspiring Leader. He was recognized as one of the most outstanding Generals in all of history. As a Colonel in the U.S. Army prior to the War Between the States, he was offered the command of the Union Army by Major General Winfield Scott and President Lincoln. Colonel Lee knew his State was to be invaded shortly so declined the offer and two days later, he resigned his Commission in the U.S. Army. After refusing the offer, he resigned his commission and joined the Confederacy. Robert E. Lee said, “I cannot raise my sword against my Home State of Virginia.” His father was Light Horse Harry Lee, a revolutionary War General for the Colonies.
Joshua was trained up in subjection to and under the command of Moses. All good men are God’s servants. Moses served not himself but his employer—Yahweh !!!
Lee resigns from U.S. Army - Apr 20, 1861 - HISTORY.com
www.history.com/this-day-in-history/lee-resigns-from-u-s-army
Colonel Robert E. Lee resigns from the United States Army two days after he was offered command of the Union army and joined the Confederacy (Check this Link).
Incidentally, last month, October 2017, a famous statue in a major City Park in Dallas, Texas (Lee Park) was removed. It was the statue of General Lee riding his horse, “Traveler.” This action by the City of Dallas Officials desecrated a piece of American History. Shame on them!
Moses was an excellent leader of men, and a faithful servant of Yahweh. If you haven’t read, in detail, the Book of Joshua, I encourage you to do so. It is an enlightened document. A must read! Notice all of the kings and nations that Joshua defeated as he led the children of Israel to the Promised Land. He supervised the assigning of each of the Twelve Tribes’ inheritance, as well as, each of the family’s inheritance of the Twelve Tribes.
JOSHUA, UNDER THE DIRECTION OF THE LORD, DEFEATED THIRTY AND ONE KINGS AND NATIONS
Thirty-one kings and nations were conquered in the year 1450 B.C. (the date is from the Scofield Reference Bible).
Read Joshua 12:7-24 which follows:
7. And these are the kings of the country which Joshua and the children of Israel smote on this side Jordan on the west, from Baal-gad in the valley of Lebanon even unto the mount Halak, that goeth up to Seir; which Joshua gave unto the tribes of Israel for a possession according to their divisions;
8 In the mountains, and in the valleys, and in the plains, and in the springs, and in the wilderness, and in the south country; the Hittites, the Amorites, and the Canaanites, the Perizzites, the Hivites, and the Jebusites:
9 The king of Jericho, one; the king of Ai, which is beside Bethel, one;
10 The king of Jerusalem, one; the king of Hebron, one;
11 The king of Jarmuth, one; the king of Lachish, one;
12 The king of Eglon, one; the king of Gezer, one;
13 The king of Debir, one; the king of Geder, one;
14 The king of Hormah, one; the king of Arad, one;
15 The king of Libnah, one; the king of Adullam, one;
16 The king of Makkedah, one; the king of Bethel, one;
17 The king of Tappuah, one; the king of Hepher, one;
18 The king of Aphek, one; the king of Lasharon, one;
19 The king of Madon, one; the king of Hazor, one;
20 The king of Shimron-meron, one; the king of Achshaph, one;
21 The king of Taanach, one; the king of Megiddo, one;
22 The king of Kedesh, one; the king of Jokneam of Carmel, one;
23 The king of Dor in the coast of Dor, one; the king of the nations of Gilgal, one; 24 The king of Tirzah, one: all the kings thirty and one.
THE ABRAHAMIC COVENANT
The LORD made three Promises in the Covenant He FORMED with Abraham:
1. Great Nation Promise
2. Land Promise
3. Seed Promise
This covenant was FORMED in Genesis 12:1-4. Also, see Verses 6 and 7, “And Abram passed through the land unto the place of Sichem, unto the plain of Moreh. And the Canaanite was then in the land. And the LORD appeared unto Abram, and said, Unto thy seed will I give this land: and there builded he an altar unto the LORD, who appeared unto him.”
In Genesis Chapter 12: 6-7, you see the promise extends to Abraham’s descendents (his seed).
The Covenant was FORMED and, then, first CONFIRMED in Genesis 13:14-17.
“And the LORD said unto Abram, after that Lot was separated from him, Lift up now thine eyes, and look from the place where thou art northward, and southward, and eastward, and westward: For all the land which thou seest, to thee will I give it, and to thy seed for ever. And I will make thy seed as the dust of the earth: so that if a man can number the dust of the earth, then shall thy seed also be numbered. Arise, walk through the land in the length of it and in the breadth of it; for I will give it unto thee.” (Genesis 13:14-17).
The second CONFIRMATION is found in Genesis 15:1-7.
“After these things the word of the LORD came unto Abram in a vision, saying, Fear not, Abram: I am thy shield, and thy exceeding great reward. And Abram said, Lord GOD, what wilt thou give me, seeing I go childless, and the steward of my house is this Eliezer of Damascus? And Abram said, Behold, to me thou hast given no seed: and, lo, one born in my house is mine heir. And, behold, the word of the LORD came unto him, saying, This shall not be thine heir; but he that shall come forth out of thine own bowels shall be thine heir. And he brought him forth abroad, and said, Look now toward heaven, and tell the stars, if thou be able to number them: and he said unto him, So shall thy seed be. And he believed in the LORD; and He counted it to him for righteousness” And He said unto him, I am the LORD that brought thee out of Ur of the Chaldees, to give thee this land to inherit it” (Genesis 15:1-7).
Yahweh promises Abraham that Sarah shall bear him a son, and he is to be named Isaac.
Genesis 17:19: “And God said, Sarah thy wife shall bear thee a son indeed; and thou shall call his name Isaac: and I will establish my covenant with him for an everlasting covenant, and with his seed after him.
Genesis 17:21: “But My covenant will I establish with Isaac, which Sarah shall bear unto thee at this set time in the next year.”
Notice that the three Patriarchs are to inherit the Promises God made to them, to wit, Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob.
“Behold, I have set the land before you: go in and possess the land which the LORD sware unto your fathers, Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, to give unto them and to their seed after them” (Deuteronomy 1:8). God said this to Joshua in 1451 B.C. Joshua supervised Isarel’s possession 3,399 years before today’s Israel false claim that the 1948 nationhood was the fulfillment of prophecy.
Here in Deuteronomy 1:8, we see God making his third CONFIRMATION for Israel to inherit the Land of Promise (i.e., Canaan).
Keep in mind that we are searching the Scriptures in hopes of finding an authoritative statement maintaining the fact that God has fulfilled His Promise log ago to inherit the Land.
Jacob is the Grandson of Abraham and is included in the Abrahamic Promise where two of His seed— to wit, Isaac and Jacob, are included in the CONFIRMATION of the Promise as being the direct heirs to the Divine promise to Abraham.
After the death of Moses, the Lord told Joshua to take the people across the Jordan River into the Promised Land. Joshua did what God commanded him to do and after many battles and trying times, Joshua called the people together to renew their covenant with God (Joshua 24). He challenged them as follows:
“Now therefore fear the LORD, and serve him in sincerity and in truth: and put away the gods which your fathers served on the other side of the flood, and in Egypt; and serve ye the LORD. And if it seem evil unto you to serve the LORD, choose you this day whom ye will serve; whether the gods which your fathers served that were on the other side of the flood, or the gods of the Amorites, in whose land ye dwell: but as for me and my house, we will serve the LORD” (Joshua 24:14-15).
With this challenge, the people responded that they chose to serve God and reject the other gods of the people who lived among them. Joshua marked their words by building a stone memorial as a witness to their proclamation. Unfortunately, as the people went back into the land, they did not keep their commitment. Instead, they adopted the cultures, practices, and gods of those around them. Likewise, they intermarried with the others as they had said they would not do. This resulted in the angel of the Lord rebuking them. The people were grieved and only then, did they serve the Lord while Joshua continued as their leader (Judges 2:1-9).
Eventually, Joshua died, along with all of those of his generation, and a new generation arose after them. They did not know of the Lord or the mighty works he had done for Israel. Without Godly leadership and education, they abandoned the Lord and followed after other gods. This resulted in God allowing them to be conquered and sold into slavery once again (Judges 2:10-15).
(To be continued)
Copyright© 2017 by Thomas L. Ballinger
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