Tag: remember

The Farewell Speech of Joshua (Joshua 23:1-16)

On By Tim EhrhardtIn Christian Spirituality Blog, Daily Bible Reading Blog, Year BLeave a comment
The tomb of Joshua in the West Bank

After a long time had passed and the Lord had given Israel rest from all their enemies around them, Joshua, by then a very old man, summoned all Israel—their elders, leaders, judges and officials—and said to them:

“I am very old. You yourselves have seen everything the Lord your God has done to all these nations for your sake; it was the Lord your God who fought for you. Remember how I have allotted as an inheritance for your tribes all the land of the nations that remain—the nations I conquered—between the Jordan and the Mediterranean Sea in the west. The Lord your God himself will push them out for your sake. He will drive them out before you, and you will take possession of their land, as the Lord your God promised you.

“Be very strong; be careful to obey all that is written in the Book of the Law of Moses, without turning aside to the right or to the left. Do not associate with these nations that remain among you; do not invoke the names of their gods or swear by them. You must not serve them or bow down to them. But you are to hold fast to the Lord your God, as you have until now.

“The Lord has driven out before you great and powerful nations; to this day no one has been able to withstand you. One of you routs a thousand, because the Lord your God fights for you, just as he promised. So be very careful to love the Lord your God.

“But if you turn away and ally yourselves with the survivors of these nations that remain among you and if you intermarry with them and associate with them, then you may be sure that the Lord your God will no longer drive out these nations before you. Instead, they will become snares and traps for you, whips on your backs and thorns in your eyes, until you perish from this good land, which the Lord your God has given you.

“Now I am about to go the way of all the earth. You know with all your heart and soul that not one of all the good promises the Lord your God gave you has failed. Every promise has been fulfilled; not one has failed. 

“But just as all the good things the Lord your God has promised you, have come to you, so he will bring on you all the evil things he has threatened, until the Lord your God has destroyed you from this good land he has given you. If you violate the covenant of the Lord your God, which he commanded you, and go and serve other gods and bow down to them, the Lord’s anger will burn against you, and you will quickly perish from the good land he has given you.” (New International Version)

Orthodox icon of Joshua

The Person

Joshua, the son of Nun, was the protégé of Moses, as the Israelites wandered the wilderness. After the death of Moses, Joshua became their military commander, leading the people into the Promised Land.

The biblical book of Joshua involves the Israelite conquest and settlement of Canaan. After securing decisive victories in the middle, north, and south of Canaan, the land was allotted to the twelve tribes of Israel.

Close to his death at 110 years old, Joshua gave a farewell speech to the people in which he called them to remember God’s actions, and be faithful to the Lord. He also warned them that if they failed in their memory and in their faith, they would lose the very land which was promised to them.

The Conquest

Throughout the Book of Joshua, there is a very positive view of conquering the land of Canaan. There are several notable stories of stepping out in faith despite the fear of engaging a much larger foe.

God is pictured as the real force behind all of the Israelite success, bringing the people into the land by through a miraculous parting of the Jordan River, and securing victory over great cities like Jericho by means of supernatural help.

After entering the land, the covenant with God was reaffirmed. The Israelites had moved around the Sinai desert for 40 years, and the new generation of people needed both circumcision and law in order to become faithful inhabitants of the land.

By the end of chapter 12 of Joshua, each of the native nations in Canaan had fallen. The conquest was complete, albeit with some of the Canaanites still living in the land. This would eventually prove to be a problem after Joshua’s death.

Allocation of the Land

A detailed account of the land’s division for all of the Israelite tribes covers chapters 13 to 22 in Joshua. Nearly all of the tribes settled between the Jordan River and the Mediterranean Sea, with a few exceptions settling along the eastern bank of the Jordan.

The reason for this traces back to a story in the Book of Numbers in which the tribes of Gad, Reuben, and Manasseh ask to settle there. At the time, Moses agreed to their request on the condition that they help complete the conquest of the land before being allowed to return and settle in their own, which they did.

Moses and Joshua

The book of Joshua and the story of Moses have a lot of similarities, such as:

  • Moses led the Israelites out of Egypt; and Joshua led them into Canaan.
  • Moses led the Israelites miraculously through the Red Sea; and Joshua led them miraculously across the Jordan River.
  • Moses sent out spies into Canaan; and Joshua sent spies to Jericho.
  • Moses allocated land on the east side of the Jordan River; and Joshua allocated land on the west side of the Jordan.
  • Moses gave a prolonged address before dying; and Joshua also gave a parting address to the people.

The Farewell Speech

Joshua’s farewell speech was both an exhortation and an encouragement to the Israelites. Joshua gave them a charge to remain faithful to God, just as God had faithfully fulfilled the promise of giving the people the land of Canaan. We get the sense that Joshua knew what was coming down the pike, and that unfaithfulness was in their future.

We also get the spiritual sense from Joshua that unless one’s heart is filled to the full of God’s law and love, something or someone else will come along and fill the void, no matter how big or small. Our happiness, fulfillment, and satisfaction is to be found in the Lord.

Joshua was insistent that to remain true to God is to remember what God has done. The Israelites were to always keep in their memory how the Lord brought them victory and fought their battles for them. By being continually reminded, the people would always trust and obey their God.

Indeed, even for believers today, if we can keep in mind God’s past faithfulness, it will help us have faith in God for the present time.

And just as the Israelites needed to hold onto and keep the Book of the Law in their minds and hearts, so we are to be ever mindful of God’s Holy Word. Christians are especially to realize the connection we have with Jesus and the Spirit.

“Be strong and very courageous. Be careful to obey all the law my servant Moses gave you; do not turn from it to the right or to the left, that you may be successful wherever you go. Keep this Book of the Law always on your lips; meditate on it day and night, so that you may be careful to do everything written in it. Then you will be prosperous and successful.”

Joshua 1:7-8, NIV

We are to avoid compromising our faith and marrying into foreign concepts that would take us away from our fidelity to the Lord. As Christians, our lives are to maintain the center of Christ. It is therefore imperative that we continually have the words and ways of Jesus ever before us. Otherwise, false gods can easily take over our lives.

The consequences of disobedience are much like those of trying to defy the law of gravity. It won’t go well with you to believe you can walk off the roof of your house in faith and be just fine.

Whereas many people may believe that God is punishing them when there are devastating consequences, typically we create our own problems by refusing to pay attention and listen to God’s warnings to avoid stupidity.

But if we remember our history with God, and God’s history with others, perhaps we will not take our spiritual lives for granted, nor let our spirits fall into disuse.

Not one good promise from God failed to be realized for the ancient Israelites. And all the good promises fulfilled in the person of Jesus are connected to his Church. Ultimately, our blessings come through the person and work of Christ – and not our own abilities, or lack thereof.

God almighty, Lord of heaven and earth, renew us with your divine love, energize our souls, nourish our spirits, empower us to show our faith, help us to walk with you, abide in us always, and teach us to continually remember you and follow you at all times and in every way. Amen.

Remember Passover (Deuteronomy 16:1-8)

On By Tim EhrhardtIn Christian Spirituality Blog, Daily Bible Reading Blog, Year BLeave a comment
Exodus, by Yoram Raanan

Observe the month of Aviv and celebrate the Passover of the Lord your God, because in the month of Aviv he brought you out of Egypt by night. Sacrifice as the Passover to the Lord your God an animal from your flock or herd at the place the Lord will choose as a dwelling for his Name. Do not eat it with bread made with yeast, but for seven days eat unleavened bread, the bread of affliction, because you left Egypt in haste—so that all the days of your life you may remember the time of your departure from Egypt. Let no yeast be found in your possession in all your land for seven days. Do not let any of the meat you sacrifice on the evening of the first day remain until morning.

You must not sacrifice the Passover in any town the Lord your God gives you except in the place he will choose as a dwelling for his Name. There you must sacrifice the Passover in the evening, when the sun goes down, on the anniversary of your departure from Egypt. Roast it and eat it at the place the Lord your God will choose. Then in the morning return to your tents. For six days eat unleavened bread and on the seventh day hold an assembly to the Lord your God and do no work. (New International Version)

The first five books of the Old Testament are known by Christians as the Pentateuch. These same books are the Torah in Judaism. Deuteronomy is the fifth and final book; it is a restatement of God’s Law for the Israelites about to enter the Promised Land.

Several prominent theological themes are highlighted in the book of Deuteronomy. It vigorously advocates for exclusive loyalty to the monotheistic God, Yahweh. Yahweh is characterized as a transcendent Being, full of steadfast love and transformative justice.

Deuteronomy places significant emphasis upon the covenant relationship between God and Israel. The covenant was established with the patriarchs – Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob – and affirmed at Mount Sinai after the exodus from Egypt, at the giving of the Law. This Law was graciously provided by God for the people; it is encapsulated in the Ten Commandments, and is to be reaffirmed as soon as Israel enters the land.

Moses receiving the Tablets of Law, by Marc Chagall, 1963

Therefore, the entire book of Deuteronomy looks forward toward a new existence in the Promised Land. This new society is to pursue justice and be devoted to righteousness. All Israel is to live in harmony with God and one another, enjoying the land and the covenant relationship.

The welfare of Israel depends upon upholding and maintaining the social and religious laws given by Yahweh. God’s commands are a divine gift, and if closely followed, will be the best humanitarian way of caring for the poor and disadvantaged, as well as bringing the people close to Yahweh.

The sacrificial system will revolve around a singular sanctuary in the religious capital. By locating sacrifices in a particular place, this has the effect of Jewish faith not becoming dependent on offerings, but instead on mercy, love, learning the law, and rituals that uphold reverence for God.

Perhaps the greatest of all the rituals is Passover. Israel’s experience of deliverance at the Red Sea and the centralization of worship in Jerusalem is remembered and celebrated at the festival of Passover every year.

In the original Passover, at the time of the exodus, the blood of a sacrificed lamb was smeared on the doorposts of each Jewish home. In doing this, it let the angel of death know to “pass over” that house, thereby only entering Egyptian homes that did not revere nor recognize God. This act was also the final miraculous act of ten plagues leveled on Egypt.

And There Was a Great Cry in Egypt, by Arthur Hacker, 1897

As the households of Egypt were grieving their dead, Israel was urged by the Egyptians to get out. Egypt feared what would happen if the Israelites remained. Therefore, Israel left post haste. They didn’t have any time for their bread to rise. The people ate unleavened bread so they could immediately leave Egypt.

So, from then on, every year in early Spring, Israel commemorates and remembers God’s deliverance of the people from slavery. God, through Moses, instructed the Israelites to mark Aviv as the first month; it is then that the Passover festival is to occur.

I believe that what we can takeaway from this Scripture, is that perhaps, we ought to stop trying to always have takeaways for everything – as if the Bible can be boiled down to some neat personal application for my life.

Aside from admitting I’ve had a bit of a cynical streak lately, we really must contend with seasons like Passover and Lent, and matters such as social justice and religious worship. These religious seasons are important enough to warrant what the late Eugene Peterson called “a long obedience in the same direction.”

By that phrase, Peterson meant that there are some spiritual practices that we must commit ourselves to year after year, even day after day, for the rest of our lives. Generations before did, and generations after us will need to, as well.

Spiritual growth and maturity take time; and we must patiently and consistently cultivate a sense of justice and a practice of righteousness over and over again.

Passover Seder, by Melita Kraus

One must fight for what they believe, each and every day. Spiritual growth takes a lot of time, grit, tenacity, and resilience. It requires patience and grace, perseverance and a good nature. And it is very much a skill which demands daily practice.

Contemporary society is obsessed with quick fixes and easy solutions. But the time-tested practices of Lent, rooted in the remembrances of Passover, are a Christian discipleship that is long on obedience in the same well-worn ancient directions.

We need to keep moving in the directions of deepening a life of prayer, learning the joy of service, growing in the worship of God, and discovering the virtues of humility and a concern for the welfare of everyone in the community.

In other words, to truly observe something, we need to do it, over and over, year after year. In observing the significant events and dates and seasons of the Christian Year, we can find the sort of spiritual support that will fortify our soul, and bless others.

Almighty and everlasting God, you hate nothing you have made and forgive the sins of all who are penitent: Create and make within us new and contrite hearts, so that we may acknowledge our guilt and lament our shame. Let us obtain from you, O merciful God, reconciliation through the Cross, and empowerment through the Spirit, to do justice, love mercy, and walk humbly with you. Amen.

Recall the Faithfulness of God (Psalm 105:1-11, 37-45)

On By Tim EhrhardtIn Christian Spirituality Blog, Daily Bible Reading Blog, Year BLeave a comment
The Delivery of Israel out of Egypt, by Francis Danby, 1825

O give thanks to the Lord; call on his name;
    make known his deeds among the peoples.
Sing to him, sing praises to him;
    tell of all his wonderful works.
Glory in his holy name;
    let the hearts of those who seek the Lord rejoice.
Seek the Lord and his strength;
    seek his presence continually.
Remember the wonderful works he has done,
    his miracles and the judgments he has uttered,
O offspring of his servant Abraham,
    children of Jacob, his chosen ones.

He is the Lord our God;
    his judgments are in all the earth.
He is mindful of his covenant forever,
    of the word that he commanded for a thousand generations,
the covenant that he made with Abraham,
    his sworn promise to Isaac,
which he confirmed to Jacob as a statute,
    to Israel as an everlasting covenant,
saying, “To you I will give the land of Canaan
    as your portion for an inheritance….

Then he brought Israel out with silver and gold,
    and there was no one among their tribes who stumbled.
Egypt was glad when they departed,
    for dread of them had fallen upon it.
He spread a cloud for a covering
    and fire to give light by night.
They asked, and he brought quails
    and gave them food from heaven in abundance.
He opened the rock, and water gushed out;
    it flowed through the desert like a river.
For he remembered his holy promise
    and Abraham, his servant.

So he brought his people out with joy,
    his chosen ones with singing.
He gave them the lands of the nations,
    and they took possession of the wealth of the peoples,
that they might keep his statutes
    and observe his laws.
Praise the Lord! (New Revised Standard Version)

Some stories are worth repeating over and over again. For example, on the birthday of each of my children (and now grandchildren) I recount and remember their birth story; on Christmas, I read the first chapter of Luke’s Gospel to the family in order to recall and remember the birth of Jesus.

Psalm 105 is a remembering and retelling of the ancient Israelites’ exodus event, their deliverance from Egyptian slavery. That event permeates much of the Old Testament, and rightly so. God’s faithfulness, grace, and steadfast love dominates the psalm, namely because the Lord’s majesty, power, and sovereignty was overwhelmingly evident through the deliverance from Egypt.

And so, it is appropriate for the psalmist to express gratitude and praise to God in remembering that deliverance. It only makes sense, in such a retelling, that we are encouraged to continually seek the Lord. Seeking the Lord is a common biblical admonition, and is linked to memories of what God has done in the past.

Glory in his holy name;
    let the hearts of those who seek the Lord rejoice.
Seek the Lord and his strength;
    seek his presence continually.
Remember the wonderful works he has done,
    his miracles and the judgments he uttered. (1 Chronicles 16:10-12, NRSV)

God graciously works in history by choosing a people and making a covenant with them. The Lord is faithful to that arrangement by giving them everything they need to maintain obedience on their end of the covenant. For God doesn’t merely call persons who are already equipped and ready for high level spiritual service. Rather, the Lord equips those who are called.

Abraham was called by God, not because he had some sort of superior spirituality or inclination toward the divine, but only because God chose him, period. And once he was called, Abraham doggedly and faithfully sought the Lord.

God brought the Israelites out of Egypt because of the covenant made to Abraham. The Lord promised him and his descendants a people and a land. It may have seemed that becoming enslaved in Egypt would negate the promise. But not so. The exodus happened.

Being freed from slavery, the people could seek the Lord and pursue knowing God without any hindrance or obstacle. From that point on, the people were expected to utilize their memory of God’s saving actions to seek God with all their heart, soul, and mind.

The entire aim of recounting God’s covenant and the exodus event is to remind the people to observe God’s commands. Since a powerfully good God has acted in history, then we are to keep the faith by embracing the powerfully good words of God and following them with the utmost commitment.

Remembering that we belong to God, enables us to keep on seeking the Lord throughout all of life, for the rest of our lives. The consistent retelling of deliverance stories can strengthen our faith and equip us for what is ahead.

When times are tough, it is good and helpful to recall the divine deliverance that has already happened. Our memory can then serve us well, by renewing our minds and energizing us to persevere in the spiritual life.

O Lord our God, we pray that your Spirit would guide and inspire our life and worship, our contemplation and our action. Open our mouths to sing and speak your praise, our ears to hear your Word, our eyes to see to you at work among us, and our hearts to receive your divine love. Help us to remember your goodness, seek your face continually, and serve you always. Amen.

Selective Memory (Psalm 25:1-10)

On By Tim EhrhardtIn Christian Spirituality Blog, Daily Bible Reading Blog, Year BLeave a comment

To you, O Lord, I lift up my soul.
O my God, in you I trust;
    do not let me be put to shame;
    do not let my enemies exult over me.
Do not let those who wait for you be put to shame;
    let them be ashamed who are wantonly treacherous.

Make me to know your ways, O Lord;
    teach me your paths.
Lead me in your truth and teach me,
    for you are the God of my salvation;
    for you I wait all day long.

Be mindful of your mercy, O Lord, and of your steadfast love,
    for they have been from of old.
Do not remember the sins of my youth or my transgressions;
    according to your steadfast love remember me,
    for the sake of your goodness, O Lord!

Good and upright is the Lord;
    therefore he instructs sinners in the way.
He leads the humble in what is right
    and teaches the humble his way.
All the paths of the Lord are steadfast love and faithfulness,
    for those who keep his covenant and his decrees. (New Revised Standard Version)

I admit there are things from my past I am neither proud of nor happy about. Yet, I give praise and thanksgiving to the Lord God Almighty because of divine selective memory. 

“I will forgive their iniquity and remember their sin no more.”

God (Jeremiah 31:34, NRSV)

God remembers according to the divine nature and God’s character of merciful grace and steadfast love. I’m glad the Lord doesn’t act based upon the stupid sins of my younger yesteryear. God freely chooses to forgive and has made the means available for us to experience daily cleansing and victory through the Lord Jesus Christ.

Memory is a major theme in the Old Testament. The importance of remembering pops up again and again throughout Holy Scripture. The way in which our minds and hearts remember past events is of great spiritual significance. 

Remember that you were a slave in the land of Egypt, and the Lord your God brought you out from there with a mighty hand and an outstretched arm; therefore the Lord your God commanded you to keep the Sabbath day. (Deuteronomy 5:15, NRSV)

“And remember, I am with you always, to the end of the age.”

Jesus (Matthew 28:20b, NRSV)

Remember Jesus Christ, raised from the dead, a descendant of David—that is my gospel, for which I suffer hardship, even to the point of being chained like a criminal. But the word of God is not chained. (2 Timothy 2:8-9, NRSV)

We are not to keep dwelling upon and remembering the former indiscretions of ourselves or others. To continue ruminating on a foolish decision or a poor choice only erodes our ability for resilience and perseverance.

The fact of the matter is that God does not hold those past regrets over our heads, and so, neither are we to do it. Forgiveness isn’t only for others; it’s meant to be directed to ourselves, as well. The ability to forgive enables us to leave the past in the past, without belching it up every day and chewing on it, like a cow with her cud.

Sometimes we are prone to remember the things we ought to forget, and forget those things we really should remember. Before us and in our minds continually is to remember the great works of God, especially in redemption. 

Forgetting what lies behind and straining forward to what lies ahead, I press on toward the goal, toward the prize of the heavenly call of God in Christ Jesus. (Philippians 3:13b-14, NRSV)

What we have done or failed to do, and what has happened to us in the past, is not the real problem; the most prescient issue right now is how you and I interpret those past events.

Today we can choose to remember the way God remembers. The health of all our relationships is dependent on this ability. Everyone on planet earth encounters difficult people, challenging relationships, obnoxious neighbors, and hurtful family members. Paying attention to our memory and how we choose to remember can be a significant part of interacting with others. 

I do not cease to give thanks for you as I remember you in my prayers, that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, may give you a spirit of wisdom and revelation as you come to know him. (Ephesians 1:16-17, NRSV)

If we like it that God has shown grace to us, then the least we can do is let that same grace flow from us to others – and to ourselves – we who neither deserve it, nor expect it. 

Let’s give thanks to the Lord, for God is good in forgiving sin and showing infinite mercy. And let’s express our gratitude through selfless words and acts of grace which reflect the nature of God.

Gracious God, you do not hold grudges; you always act according to your own loving character. Even though you could have condemned me, you saved me. Despite the fact that I have fallen short of your glory, you delivered me. I today remember your mighty redemptive deeds accomplished in your Son, my Lord, Jesus Christ, who with you and the Holy Spirit are one God, now and forever. To you, blessed Holy Trinity, I give my abiding praise and thanksgiving. Amen.