As we have earlier learned, when Israel occupied the Land of Promise a few “enemy” inhabitants remained. “Pockets” of resistance here and there. And the people of God were required “to separate themselves” from those wicked survivors of the Jewish conquest.

Here in today’s Text the aging Joshua reminds the little nation Israel, the “Apple of God’s Eye” Scripture says … “Take good heed therefore unto yourselves, that ye love the LORD your God. Else if ye do in any wise go back, and cleave unto the remnant of these (wicked) nations, even these that remain among you, and shall make marriages with them, and go in unto them, and they to you: know for a certainty that the LORD your God will no more drive out any of these nations from before you; but they shall be snares and traps unto you, and scourges in your sides, and thorns in your eyes, until ye perish from off this good land which the LORD your God hath given you.” Joshua 23:11-13

If a high degree of separation is not maintained … “if ye do in any wise go back, and cleave unto the remnant of these nations, even these that remain among you, and shall make marriages with them, and go in unto them, and they to you” … God will no longer … “drive out any of these nations from before you” … and these heathen inhabitants will become … “snares and traps unto you, and scourges in your sides, and thorns in your eyes” … for the rest of your lives!

Wow!

Pesky little things (sins) that should have been decimated long ago … if we befriend them (cuddle and pet and patronize them) … will become “griefs, heartaches, sorrows” in our daily activities.

Look with me at the four nouns specified, “snares and traps and scourges and thorns!”

The word “snare” means a “trap” like is used in catching birds, any animal (prey) for that matter!

The word “trap” means “bait, a lure, an enticement!”

The word “scourge” means “anything that pierces.”

And the word “thorn” in similar fashion means “prickly.”

Sounds like “sins” are ultimately rather uncomfortable!

Hebrews 11:25 allows sin to be pleasurable “for a season,” but here in our Passage today … not so much!

The sins mankind (womankind too) thinks he (she) loves so well, practices so joyfully … will some day return to “bite” him (her)! As in Numbers 32:23 … “Behold, ye have sinned against the LORD: and be sure your sin will find you out.”

Indeed!

Oh that we could memorize this sequence … “But they shall be snares and traps unto you, and scourges in your sides, and thorns in your eyes, until ye perish from off this good land which the LORD your God hath given you.”

Now 2 Corinthians 6:17 is coming to mind: “Wherefore come out from among them, and be ye separate, saith the Lord, and touch not the unclean thing; and I will receive you, and will be a Father unto you, and ye shall be my sons and daughters, saith the Lord Almighty.”

Wow!

— Dr. Mike Bagwell

 

Somehow we’ve slowed down a bit, traveling through the Book of Joshua!

It’s 23rd chapter has been amazing, in its practicality especially.

Today we’ve come to verse 8: “But cleave unto the LORD your God, as ye have done unto this day.” Again, Joshua 23:8, King James Version.

I would have been sure the verb “to cleave” would have been expressed here as an “imperative,” a direct command. But it isn’t! (How very informative grammar can be!) It is in Hebrew a Qal stem (simply meaning the “active” voice, as opposed to “passive”) verb written as an “imperfect” (in its sense of timing) … as opposed to “perfect.”

Meaning what?

Something that should (obviously) be done, yet not actually (here) mandated, not legislated. And yet something that should be done again and again (the “imperfect” quality I just mentioned) … done so often that it becomes a habit!

Wow!

Now, what is the definition of “cleave?” Spelled “dabaq” in Hebrew, it means “to keep close” to something or someone. “To follow hard” after a person! “To stick” to them … “close” by their side! (It nearly carries the idea of being “glued” to an entity!)

Wow again!

Never be separated from Almighty God!

Never depart from His Presence, His Fellowship!

Then look, Joshua to the Jews … “But cleave unto the Lord your God, AS YE HAVE DONE UNTO THIS DAY.” Israel has been living this godly lifestyle, for quite some time! Indeed historically Israel had “behaved herself” rather well during the administration of Joshua the man of God!

What a testimony!

“Cleave unto the LORD your God, as ye have done unto this day.”

But still I am wondering about that “imperative,” it’s absence anyway!

And I think I have just discovered the answer.

If Israel had been following hard after God (cleaving to Him) for those years … they NEEDED NO COMMANDMENT to keep on following such a gracious Lord!

Knowing Him … (automatically) leads to following Him ever more closely!

He is so good!

He is so inviting!

He is so (altogether) lovely!

If you have ever (truly) experienced Him … you will never leave Him! Nor every want to leave Him!

“O taste and see that the LORD is good: blessed is the man that trusteth in him.” So (from experience)penned David in Psalm 34:8.

Yes … if one ever tastes and sees the Lord … he will evermore “cleave” unto the Lord!

Without even being commanded to do so!

“But cleave unto the LORD your God, as ye have done unto this day.”

Amen!

— Dr. Mike Bagwell

He is THAT good!

Psalm 119:103 … “How sweet are thy words unto my taste! yea, sweeter than honey to my mouth!”

 

One line, one clause really from Joshua chapter 23 nearly “arrested” my attention this morning! Here God’s faithful leader (Joshua) is charging the Israelites to continue living for the Lord, obeying His Word diligently.

Then comes the warning! About the vestiges of heathenism that still remain (little “spotty” areas not yet conquered) within the Land.

“Neither make mention of the name of their gods.”

Not yet … don’t worship their gods!

Not yet … don’t swear by their gods!

Not yet … don’t respect their gods!

But … “Neither make mention of the name of their gods.” Joshua 23:7

Wow!

The verb “make mention” is even stronger than it appears, the Hebrew word. Simply spelled “zakar,” it is translated “to remember” or something equivalent 184 times in the King James Version of Scripture! FORGET ABOUT THEIR GODS! In Hebrew, with the negative adverb … “lo zakar” … without exception, do NOT make mention of their devilish gods!

Yes, “zakar” is rendered as “mention” 21 times in the Old Testament too, and legitimately so. If you do not “remember” something … you can hardly “make mention” of it!

Wow, our great God “draws a line” when it comes to other gods, other so-called gods! “Neither make mention of the name of their gods.”

No “comparative religions” classes would have existed in early (still obedient) Israel, then! It would be hard to drift into apostasy, falling before the face of sheer heathenism, if one could not even notice (“make mention”) of their gods!

Regarding Himself, God legislates: “Thou shalt not take the name of the LORD thy God in vain; for the LORD will not hold him guiltless that taketh his name in vain.” Exodus 20:7, to which I am saying AMEN in my heart this very second!

But for the scattered, remaining gods of these filthy nations (or “pockets” of them remaining among the Israelites) … “Thou shalt not even make mention of the name of their gods!”

Treat God’s Name with submission!

Treat the names of the Canaanite gods with omission!

“Be careful little lips what you say!” Or so went  a little chorus we used to sing in Sunday School. I had no idea the Bible background that catchy little line possessed! “Neither make mention of the name of their gods.”

So … God does limit knowledge in certain areas!

I guess that was the whole idea behind the “tree of knowledge of good and evil!”

It’s all right in God’s Eyes to learn about good, but not acceptable to learn about evil!

Here’s Paul on the subject: “I would have you wise unto that which is good, and simple concerning evil.” Romans 16:19, where “simple” means “ignorant, unlearned, pure.”

Plus 1 Corinthians 14:20 … “Brethren, be not children in understanding: howbeit in malice be ye children, but in understanding be men.” In other words: when it comes to wisdom (understanding) and prudence … be grown-up, knowledgeable! But when it comes to malice (sinful things like “idols”) … be unlearned, very much like little children!

Pretty clear!

And … today’s lesson as well.

— Dr. Mike Bagwell

 

Joshua was once young (as in Exodus 33:11) but now has grown old (Joshua 13:1 and 23:1) and tired, or literally worn (out)  … (here said to be “stricken in age,” perhaps due to the heavy responsibility of leading Israel as commander of her armed forces). This great (godly) man is now calling the leaders of Israel to a great gathering. Here’s today’s Bible Text …

“And Joshua called for all Israel, and for their elders, and for their heads, and for their judges, and for their officers, and said unto them, I am old and stricken in age: and ye have seen all that the LORD your God hath done …” Joshua 23:2-3

I am especially interested in the clause … “YE HAVE SEEN ALL THAT THE LORD YOUR GOD HATH DONE.” Wow, what a thought!

God, working in their lives every single day!

The manna.

The cloud leading them every step of the way.

The many victories over their enemies.

Health and strength to fight.

And the list goes on and on!

Joshua: “I am old and stricken in age: and ye have seen all that the LORD your God hath done …” As if, Joshua is old … but God isn’t!

Seeing all God has done!

Yes, God invites us to consider His mighty Works!

As in Psalm 9:1, a promise David makes to the Lord: “I will praise thee, O LORD, with my whole heart; I will shew forth all thy marvellous WORKS.”

Psalm 26:7 … “That I may publish with the voice of thanksgiving, and tell of all thy wondrous WORKS.”

Psalm 40:5 … “Many, O LORD my God, are thy wonderful WORKS which thou hast done, and thy thoughts which are to us-ward: they cannot be reckoned up in order unto thee: if I would declare and speak of them, they are more than can be numbered.”

Psalm 66:3 … “Say unto God, How terrible (fearful) art thou in thy WORKS! Through the greatness of thy power shall thine enemies submit themselves unto thee.”

Psalm 71:17 … “O God, thou hast taught me from my youth: and hitherto have I declared thy wondrous WORKS.”

Psalm 73:28 … “But it is good for me to draw near to God: I have put my trust in the Lord GOD, that I may declare all thy WORKS.”

In Psalm 75:1, Asaph writes … “Unto thee, O God, do we give thanks, unto thee do we give thanks: for that thy name is near thy wondrous WORKS declare.”

Psalm 77:11 is filled with resolve … “I will remember the WORKS of the LORD: surely I will remember thy wonders of old.”

Psalm 86:8 … “Among the gods there is none like unto thee, O Lord; neither are there any WORKS like unto thy WORKS.”

Psalm 92:4 … “For thou, LORD, hast made me glad through thy WORK: I will triumph in the WORKS of thy hands.” Wow!

Psalm 92:5, just one verse later … “O LORD, how great are thy WORKS! and thy thoughts are very deep.” Nearly equating God’s WORKS and God’s THOUGHTS!

Psalm 104, the “Creation” Psalm, is filled with depictions of God and His WORKS! Verse 13 … “He watereth the hills from his chambers: the earth is satisfied with the fruit of thy WORKS.” Verse 24 … “O LORD, how manifold are thy WORKS! in wisdom hast thou made them all: the earth is full of thy riches.”

Psalm 119:27 … “Make me to understand the way of thy precepts: so shall I talk of thy wondrous WORKS.” Seems here that God’s Words (precepts) illuminate His Works!

Psalm 139:14 … “I will praise thee; for I am fearfully and wonderfully made: marvellous are thy WORKS; and that my soul knoweth right well.”

Psalm 143:5 … “I remember the days of old; I meditate on all thy WORKS; I muse on the WORK of thy hands.” Know His WORKS!

Psalm 145:4 … “One generation shall praise thy WORKS to another, and shall declare thy mighty acts.” Then verse 5 … “I will speak of the glorious honour of thy majesty, and of thy wondrous WORKS.” Followed by verse 10 … “All thy WORKS shall praise thee, O LORD; and thy saints shall bless thee.”

Goodness!

And these examples are ONLY from the Book of Psalms … talking about God’s WORKS!

Let us take note … look for God’s Works today in your life! God’s mighty Hand!

Let me close for this Monday … “And Joshua called for all Israel, and for their elders, and for their heads, and for their judges, and for their officers, and said unto them … ye have seen all that the LORD your God hath done …” Joshua 23:2-3

His wondrous WORKS!

Don’t miss a one of them!

— Dr. Mike Bagwell

 

Sometimes it is called the “penultimate,” the next-to-last chapter of a book. In Latin (of course) the term means “almost the last.” And that’s a good description of Joshua 23, with only 16 verses.

Here’s the first verse, which supplies us with a ton of meaning, when studied carefully, a plethora of thoughts. “And it came to pass a long time after that the LORD had given rest unto Israel from all their enemies round about, that Joshua waxed old and stricken in age.” Joshua 23:1

Notice first that God is the Giver of rest!

Jesus graciously promised in Matthew 11:28 … “Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you REST.”

God even built into the calendar of Israel (of the whole world) a day of rest, one in seven! What an Example is this: “And on the seventh day God ended his work which he had made; and HE RESTED on the seventh day from all his work which he had made.” Genesis 2:2

God even gives the sleep that makes possible (generally) rest. The last clause in Psalm 127:2 says … “For so he (the Lord) giveth his beloved SLEEP.”

And now in Joshua 23:1 we learn God can even give “land” such “rest!” Leviticus 26:34 … “Then shall the land enjoy her Sabbaths … even then shall THE LAND REST, and enjoy her sabbaths.”

Notice next from our verse that it was a “while” (“a long time”) after the land had such rest … that Joshua grew old. “And it came to pass A LONG TIME AFTER that the LORD had given rest unto Israel from all their enemies round about, that Joshua waxed old and stricken in age.”

To me this indicates faithfulness on the part of Joshua. A LONG TIME, and the man is still leading Israel. Still pointing them in a godly direction! Still not having shamed the Name of God!

Then look with me at the verb used to describe Joshua’s age, “waxed old.” It’s Hebrew “zaqen,” only found 27 times in the Bible, Old Testament. And it is a Qal perfect stem, meaning active voice and a point-of-time happening. God did not force Joshua to grow old, not in any miraculous sense. His body did so naturally, obeying laws God had put into place (after man sinned it appears.) Plus the “perfect” sense of timing indicates one day Joshua (seems like) woke up and “was old!” That happens to everyone, in  a measure!

Old, Joshua, the once young “minister” of Moses!

This descriptor also reminds me of Paul. In the 9th verse of Philemon the great Apostle writes/admits … “Yet for love’s sake I rather beseech thee (Philemon), being such an one as PAUL THE AGED, and now also a prisoner of Jesus Christ.”

Old … but still serving Jesus!

Not like Methuselah (aged 969 at death) the godly patriarch, but still old.

Not like Noah (930 at death), but still old for his generation (Joshua, at 110 years).

All his years, unswervingly following God!

What a testimony.

What a challenge.

I fell encouraged this morning, via the example left us by Joshua the man of God.

— Dr. Mike Bagwell