Historical Books Joshua Chapter 9

HISTORICAL BOOKS

JOSHUA 

CHAPTER 

9

1. Now when all the kings who were beyond the Jordan in the hill country and in the lowland all along the coast of the Great Sea toward Lebanon-the Hittites, the Amorites, the Canaanites, the Perizzites, the Hivites, and the Jebusites-heard of this, 2. they gathered together with one accord to fight Joshua and Israel.

(Historical Books Joshua Chapter 9 verses 1 to 2)

Oh God my Father, when this group ISIS imposed a threat on, the world, many nations united against them and joined in fighting them. In fact, the threat and battle is still on. However when sin crops up among us in the form of new trends such as cohabitation, mixed marriages we are not united on the same level, in fact, some of us as in the case of divorce gave their approval to such trends instead of uniting against the real enemy who is promoting such sinful trends. Amen

3. But when the inhabitants of Gibeon heard what Joshua had done to Jericho and to Ai, 4. they on their part acted with cunning; they went and prepared provisions, and took out worn -out sacks for their donkeys, and wineskins, worn-out and torn and mended, 5. with worn-out, patched sandals on their feet, worn-out clothes; and all their provisions were dry and moldy. 6.  They went to Joshua in the camp at Gilgal, and said to him and to the Israelites, "We have come from a far country; so now make a treaty with us."

(Historical Books Joshua Chapter 9 verses 3 to 6)

Oh my God evil can appear under different forms and can even give the impression of pity pain and even anguish until it reaches its objectives and then it shows its true colours once we are in deep sin. As You have told us many times we are to be very careful with whom we relate especially with those of different beliefs, for in a subtle way they may be trying to inflict spiritual harm on us.



7. But the Israelites said to the Hivites, "Perhaps you live among us; then how can we make a treaty with you?"


(Historical Books Joshua Chapter 9 verse 7)


When speaking with others oh God we are to be aware of what they say and mean by their words, for  when doings so in relationships with others without our being aware others are learning many things about us even things that we do not say them. How we say something, our tone of voice, our choice of diction or words all reflect who we are, if we are crooked or honest and most of all our real self. The Hivites betrayed themselves when they asked for a treaty when all they wanted was to live among the Israelites. If they were to live according to the will of God, they would be in need of no treaty, therefore, their words reflected their sinful intentions.


8. They said to Joshua, "We are your servants." And Joshua said to them, "Who are you? And where do you come from?"


(Historical Books Joshua Chapter 9 verse 8)



Oh God my Father You created us as masters over ourselves, a perfect image of Your very self, however freely we sell this dignity to evil by means of our sins and degrade ourselves to the status of servants or slaves.  Even though the Hivites were putting up an act to try to impress Joshua and lead him into a trap, we also use this technique of selling ourselves in different circumstances. There are circumstances such as job interviews where some even lie to sell themselves in order to fit according to the desired requirements but after they greatly regret it. Others sell themselves as slaves to males and females who dominate them and make them give them worship so much that they accept their status as being that of a slave, while others become slaves to their work, hobby or career at the risk of neglecting their families. My prayer oh God is that we become Your slaves bounded by chains of love and holiness and not by chains of steel Amen.



9. They said to him, "Your servants have come from a very far country, because of the name of the LORD your God; for we have heard a report of him, of all that he did in Egypt, 10. and of all that he did to the two kings of the Amorites who were beyond the Jordan, King Sihon of Heshbon, and King Og of Bashan who lived in Ashtaroth. 11. So our elders and all the inhabitants of our country said to us, "Take provisions in your hand for the journey; go to meet them, and say to them, "We are your servants; come now, make a treaty with us."



(Historical Books Joshua Chapter 9 verses 9 to 11)



Oh God my Father, on the premise of acting on Your will many negative things have been done as much as have been done on the premise on acting on given orders. Throughout the ages, Your name has been used in worship but has been also abused for negative means. Many people can appear to have good intentions as in the case of the Hivites, however, in reality, their intentions may be totally false. Many foreign people are taking Maltese wives in marriage and accepting to adopt the Roman Catholic Faith, however, these women at times end up abused by their husbands whose intention for marriage may have been only to obtain the visa to stay and live in Malta. Therefore, marriage may have been a means to reach the desired end.




12. Here is our bread; it was still warm when we took it from our houses as our food for the journey, on the day we set out to come to you, but now, see, it is dry and moldy; 12. theses wineskins were new when we filled them, and see, they are burst; and these garments and sandals of ours are worn out from the very long journey." 14.  So the leaders partook of their provisions, and did not ask direction from the LORD.


(Historical Books Joshua Chapter 9 verses 12 to 14)



Oh God my Father at times as in the case of Joshua we are more persuaded by the facts than by our faith as in the case of Joshua who believed the disguised Hivites without first, consulting You about the issue.



15. And Joshua made peace with them, guaranteeing their lives by a treaty; and the leaders of the congregation swore an oath to them.


(Historical Books Joshua Chapter 9 verse 15)


Oh God, my Father when we act without consulting You the outcome may not always be according to Your will as in the case of Joshua myself and many others. We end up welcoming evil without actually being aware of what we are in for! I pray for protection during such moments, when my ways seem to be more attractive than yours. I am very sorry for willfully having sinned against You my God and Father.



16. But when three days had passed after they had made a treaty with them, they heard that they were their neighbors and were living among them. 17. So the Israelites set out and reached their cities on the third day. Now their cities were Gibeon, Chephirah, Beeroth, and Kiriath-jearim,. 18. But the Israelites did not attack them because the leaders of the congregation had sworn to them by the LORD, the God of Israel. Then all the congregation murmured against the leaders. 19. But all the leaders said to all the congregation, "We have sworn to them by the LORD, the God of Israel, and now we must not touch them.


(Historical Books Joshua Chapter 9 verses 16 to 19)


At times oh God, there are moments when even Roman Catholics were at a disagreement with the same authorities of the Roman Catholic Church. A typical case is when we were permitted to receive You in our hands instead of on our tongues. This decision had such an impact that there were some who experienced mental disorders such as the obsession that they were either contaminated through having unclean hands at the time of communion or deeply distressed that parts of Your body in the form of the Eucharist had gone down the toilet or become eaten by a creature and thus, that creature had become holy and similar issues.



20. This is what we will do to them; We will let them live, so that wrath may not come upon us, because of the oath that we swore to them."


(Historical Books Joshua Chapter 9 verse 20)


Oh God my Father what is worse breaking our word with mankind, or breaking our word with You. In both circumstances we will experience the negative consequences, however, it seems that we prefer not to break our word or pact with humans than with You as in our case and even in the case of Joshua. I pray oh God that You give me the strength to keep my word and promise to You my God, even though I am still weak and at times I tend to break my promise time and time again. I pray oh God for Your forgiveness time and time again, for although I frequently confess my sins and promise not to do it again, I find myself doing the same sinful act. Oh God, my spirit wishes to obey You and keep my promise to You, but this body always creates in me the carnal desire to go against Your will. I pray oh God for Your deliverance and empowerment in relation to such a particular sin Amen.


21. The leaders said to them, "Let them live." So they became hewers of wood and drawers of water for all the congregation, as the leaders had decided concerning them.


(Historical Books Joshua Chapter 9 verse 21)


Oh God my Father even though at times we may not totally agree with our leaders or rulers, or even our bosses at work, they may have good reasons for making such decisions such as that of following the will of God, therefore, we are to accept and obey as if we are obeying You, my God and Father, as long as no harm may result from such decisions. Amen.


22. Joshua summoned them, and said to them, "Why did you deceive us, saying, we are very far from you,' while in fact you living among us?


(Historical Books Joshua Chapter 9 verse 22)


Oh God, the evil one alienates us by giving us the impression that he does not exist, and that anybody can make mistakes or experience downfalls in life but not us, however, this is a distorted perception of reality and is totally false, for our sins are closer to us than we might think. We are harassed by the evil one who uses our weaknesses against us, in order to cause us to commit one sin after another.


23. Now therefore you are cursed, and some of you shall always be slaves, hewers of wood and drawers of water for the house of my God."


(Historical Books Joshua Chapter 9 verse 23)


Oh God, my Father even though You created us as free beings, free to worship and to do good things we prefer to act and behave as slaves to our sinful self and act as second class humans. I pray oh God that you deliver us from this body of sin in which our souls are trapped in. Oh God, we wish to do Your will but it is only with Your help that we can do good things, for goodness does not dwell in us, for our nature rebels at Your presence. I also pray for Your deliverance oh God Amen for I am also a sinner conditioned by sin, however, You told us that we are masters of ourselves and not slaves. Amen. This means that with Your help we can achieve this aim.



24. They answered Joshua, "Because it was told to your servants for a certainty that the LORD your God had commanded his servant Moses to give you all the land, and to destroy all the inhabitants of the land before you; so we were in great fear for our lives because of you, and did this thing.


(Historical Books Joshua Chapter 9 verse 24)


Oh God if unbelievers show acts of faith, how much more are we to show our faith through acts of faith. These foreigners simply heard of your word and responded by means of an act of faith, even though their intentions were to save their skins, however, their actions justified their good intentions based on their belief in Your Word.


25. And now we are in your hand; do as it seems good and right in your sight to do to us."

(Historical Books Joshua Chapter 9 verse 25)


Oh God these people in such a situation of life and death laid before Joshua the best criteria by which to settle any issue. These are the following;

1. If the action seems to be good
2. If it is right in your judgement. 

During our times we generally consider the feelings in order to determine if an action is justified or not but, this is not a reliable means of reaching a sound conclusion for emotions are misleading in the sense that different people have different feelings, and our mood greatly affects our feelings, moreover decisions taken when our state of mind or emotions are not stable may be the consequence of bad choices.


Therefore, when it comes to decision making we are to apply the mentioned criteria. We are to pray to You my God for divine illumination in order to analyze if the action or object is good and then we can also analyze if the object or situation is in favor of Your teaching or 'Good News', which then makes it right. If the answers or conclusions are positive meaning that the action or thing is in itself good and acceptable to Your will and teachings we can then proceed in good faith, that we are acting according to Your will.


26. This is what he did for them: he saved them from the Israelites; and they did not kill them. 27. But on that day Joshua made them hewers of wood and drawers of water for the congregation and for the altar of the LORD, to continue to this day, in the place that he should choose.


(Historical Books Joshua Chapter 9 verses 26 to 27)


Oh God when applying such criteria Joshua saved the life of these visitors and increased the workforce. The outcomes were both good and according to Your will.


Oh God I would like to end this chapter with the following prayer, however, I would also like to share the following links on 'Biblical Problem Solving'


Biblical Problem-Solving


God and Problem Solving


The Bible and Problem Solving



I thank You oh God for the Bible and its messages of Good News and Hope. During difficult moments of my life, I have stopped in silence, opened my pocket bible that I carry with me everywhere I go and every time You give me a message that confirms your understanding of my situation. Oh God when I feel understood by You I experience an enormous feeling of relief that You are with me in this situation.

Thank You Jesus and God my Father.

Historical Books Joshua Chapter 8

HISTORICAL BOOKS

JOSHUA 

CHAPTER 

8

1. Then the LORD said to Joshua, "Do not fear or be dismayed; take all the fighting men with you, and go up now to Ai. See, I have handed over to you the king of Ai with his people, his city, and his land.

(Historical Books Joshua Chapter 8 verse 1)

Oh God, my Father how great full we are to be to You. After You permit us to experience what we may consider as being a desolation or downfall You immediately follow it up or compensate such an event with a more positive one. As in the case of Joshua and Your people, in order to help to strengthen their faith and find the motivation to continue the process of occupation of the land.




2. You shall do to Ai and its king as you did to Jericho and its king; only its spoil and its livestock you may take as booty for yourselves. Set an ambush against the city, behind it."



(Historical Books Joshua Chapter 8 verse 2)



As in the case of Jericho, the same criteria applied. The people were to benefit from the material goods but they were not allowed to come in contact with the devoted things, or false gods of the people of the land. Thus, oh God the most important priority was and always will be the safeguard of our soul that is more important than our job our career and even family.  As in the case of Joshua oh God You are able to give us the required knowledge in order to act according to Your will. I pray oh God that I will always be in a position to listen and stay tuned to the same frequency as Yourself so that I will not lose one word of what You wish to pass on to me.




3.  So Joshua and all the fighting men set out to go up against Ai. Joshua chose thirty thousand warriors and sent them out by night 4. with the command, "You shall lie in ambush against the city, behind it; do not go very far from the city, but all of you stay alert.



(Historical Books Joshua Chapter 8 verses 3 to 4)




Oh God the forces of evil work in the same way. They are always waiting in ambush for the opportunity to persuade us to sin against You and even against our fellow persons. Throughout our daily life during our daily interactions ambushing is a way of trapping each other during conversations. It is an unfair means of using one's weaknesses that one has genuinely shared with us as an accusation against that same person. This technique is also used by lawyers in court. Other people who like to use this ambushing technique are journalists. I invite you to click on this link to view a typical example.




Example of ambushing




5. I and all the people who are with me will approach the city. When they come out against us as before, we shall flee from them. 6. They will come out after us until we have drawn them away from the city; for they will say, "They are fleeing from us, as before.' While we flee from them, 7. you shall rise up from the ambush and seize the city; for the LORD your God will give it into your hand. 8. And when you have taken the city, you shall set the city on fire, doing as the LORD has ordered; see, I have commanded you." 9. So Joshua sent them out; and they went to the place of ambush, and lay between Bethel and Ai, to the west of Ai; but Joshua spent that night in the camp.



(Historical Books Joshua Chapter 8 verses 5 to 9)



Oh God on reflecting this is a good means to use against the evil one. When somebody wrongs us, we can give the evil one the impression that we can get even with the person and go to the person's house not to seek revenge but to seek reconciliation. Therefore in such a way we are taking over the city of our opponent. Moreover, when the evil sees us going to the other person's city, he will leave us alone for he will think to our intention is to do the person harm, but in truth, we will be a blessing and not a curse. This will even have a positive impact on the person who had previously wronged us.




10. In the morning Joshua rose early and mustered the people, and went up with the elders of Israel, before the people to Ai. 11. All the fighting men who were with him went up, and drew near before the city, and camped on the north side of Ai, with a ravine between them and Ai.



(Historical Books Joshua Chapter 8 verses 10 to 11)



Oh God my city, and my fortress at times I feel that the world makes barriers and even ravines in order to hinder our relationship with You. Every day of my life is a step towards the holy City that is heaven. Due to my frailty as a sinner at times, I also fall into ravines. On the way, I need to fight battles as in an online game in order to reach my objective. There I times when I have You as my shield I win the level however at times I decide to do the level on my own and end up losing many lives, so I end up doing the level again. This is the story of my life oh God.




12. Taking about five thousand men, he set them in ambush between Bethel and Ai, to the west of the city.  13. So they stationed the forces, the main encampment that was north of the city and its rear guard west of the city. But Joshua spent that night in the valley.




(Historical Books Joshua Chapter 8 verses 12 to 13)




Oh God when reflecting on verses 12 to 13 it is like when we do the sign of the cross starting from the north, as in the name of the 'Father' going down to the 'Son' that is to the 'South' and then crossing our arms to the west that is when referring to the 'Holy' 'Spirit' Amen. It is as if God marked the city to be conquered by His people and, therefore, it was marked out for destruction. On reflecting oh God these, cities were all marked for destruction so that the actual conquest of the promised land could actually take place.




14. When the king of Ai saw this, he and all his people, the inhabitants of the city, hurried out early in the morning to the meeting place facing the Arabah to meet Israel in battle; but he did not know that there was an ambush against him behind the city.



(Historical Books Joshua Chapter 8 verse 14)



At times, others may also try to ambush us in what we say and do for different reasons. However, You love us so much that You send your angels to save us from the pending danger planned against us. For those of us who are in doubt if God can send angels to help us in moments of greatest need, I invite you to click on the following link: - Saved by Angels




15. And Joshua and all Israel made a pretense of being beaten before them, and fled in the direction of the wilderness. 16. So all the people who were in the city were called together to pursue them, and as they pursued Joshua they were drawn away from the city.




(Historical Books Joshua Chapter 8 verses 15 to 16)



In order to win over our souls, the evil one also tries to lure us away from You my God, who is our city and stronghold. The one and only city of God. When these evil means have made us venture on, to the dangerous grounds of sin, then victory will be claimed over us, however oh God my Father You always have a backup plan ready in order to save me from the clutches of evil, if I decide to turn away from my ways and accept You as God and Father. Amen.




17. There was not a man left in Ai or Bethel who did not go out after Israel; they left the city open and pursued Israel.



(Historical Books Joshua Chapter 8 verse 17)




Oh God, how much we are inclined towards evil. In a split second, a manhunt was raised against Your people. The drive for the shedding of blood and destruction is able to drive us out of control so much that we lose control of ourselves. It, therefore, stands that when left to our own devices we are totally prone to evil.




18. Then the LORD said to Joshua, "Stretch out the sword that is in your hand toward Ai; for I will give it into your hand."




(Historical Books Joshua Chapter 8 verse 18)




Oh God my Father You are able to perform great wonders in our live if only we obey Your will and not act in contrary to it. All that is needed for a complete victory over our sinful self is the absolute resignation of our lives to Your Will. When we are totally Yours in both mind body and spirit, You can use us to perform wonders on both our behalf and even in order to be of help to others. We become perfect instruments in Your hand. Oh God that You give us this gift of total submission, so that my will, will always be according to Your will. Amen





19. As soon as he stretched out his hand, the troops in ambush rose quickly out of their place and rushed forward. They entered the city, took it, and at once set the city on fire. 




(Historical Books Joshua Chapter 8 verse 19)




As much as the soldiers of Joshua obeyed his command to move out of their place of ambush and take over the city, in the same way Your angels will obey Your command when You order them to intervene in our lives against the forces of evil on our behalf and free us from our bondage and persecution as a result of our sins, especially during delicate moments of persecution.





20. So when the men of Ai looked back, the smoke of the city was rising to the sky. They had no power to flee this way or that, for the people who fled to the wilderness turned back against the pursuers. 21. When Joshua and all Israel saw that the ambush had taken the city and that the smoke of the city was rising, then they turned back and struck down the men of Ai. 22. And the others came out from the city against them; so they were surrounded by Israelites, some on one side, and some on the other; and Israel struck them down until no one was left who survived or escaped.




(Historical Books Joshua Chapter 8 verses 20 to 22)




At times oh God we find ourselves sandwiched between two opposing forces. Those that are in favour of Your will and those who are against You and Your will. The two forces may try to persuade us into choosing sides, and thus one choice grants determines one outcome as in joy happiness, sadness and salvation in Your presence





23. But the king of Ai was taken alive and brought to Joshua,




(Historical Books Chapter 8 verse 23)




Oh God, my Father I pray that when our time of judgement comes You will also have mercy on us and spare us from the condemnation that we merit as sinners. I pray for Your mercy both for myself and even for the entire world. Amen.





24. When Israel had finished slaughtering all the inhabitants of Ai in the open wilderness where they pursued them, and when all of them to the very last had fallen by the edge of the sword, all Israel returned to Ai, and attacked it with the edge of the sword.




(Historical Books Chapter 8 verse 24)




Oh my God in the same context we are also to evaluate, our good and bad habits, starting from the least harmful or sinful and then moving on to our greatest sins, meaning our inner city of Ai and launch a final and decisive attack on it by willfully bringing to an end our mortal sins and bad habits such as addictions and compulsions, sexual gratifications, desires among others.





25. The total of those who fell that day, both men and women, was twelve thousand-all the people of Ai. 26. For Joshua did not draw back his hand, with which he stretched out the sword, until he had utterly destroyed all the inhabitants of Ai. 27. Only the livestock and the spoil of that city Israel took as their booty, according to the word of the LORD that he had issued to Joshua.




(Historical Books Chapter 8 verses 25 to 27)



As previously referred to my God when we attempt with the help of God, to turn away from our sins, it is to be a complete rejection of the source of our sins. We cannot go back to our old life. This is why You ordered Joshua to destroy this city completely.





28. So Joshua burned Ai, and made it forever a heap of ruins as it is to this day.




(Historical Books Chapter 8 verse 28)




Oh, readers of this blog and all Christians in the world, if there happens to be something such as a website that is causing you to sin, or a negative situation, bring it to an end. If porn is or lust is Your weak spot block it from your browser forever. Youtube can still function in 'Safe Mode' but you and I will never be able to function in Safe Mode, for even when you are not online the evil one will flash those dirty and negative images and remind you and me of those situations or objects that give unnatural pleasure as in masturbation on seeing a pornographic site and we will go back to stage 1. God wishes to heal us, therefore, we need to burn our cities of Ai forever to ashes. Amen.





29. And he hanged the king of Ai on a tree until evening; and at sunset Joshua commanded, and they took his body down from the tree, threw it down at the entrance of the gate of the city, and raised over it a great heap of stones, which stands there to this day.




(Historical Books Chapter 8 verse 29)



As previously mentioned if we are to change our ways we are to completely find the primary  source of the problem as symbolised by the king of Ai and then attack the rest of the habit which is the rest of the city and destroy, it completely into a state of nonexistence.




30. Then Joshua built on Mount Ebal an altar to the LORD, the God of Israel, 31. Just as Moses the servant of the LORD had commanded the Israelites, as it is written in the book of the law of Moses, " an altar of unhewn stones, on which no iron tool has been used"; and they offered on it burnt offerings to the LORD, and sacrificed offerings of well-being.




(Historical Books Chapter 8 verses 30 to 31)



Oh God my Father how glorious is that day when with Your help we achieve victory over our sinful actions, addictions or bad behaviours or even inclinations, on that day it would be proper to offer You praise and worship in an attitude of thanksgiving for these are truly divine interventions that go beyond human capacity or intellect. Amen, praise be to You my God and Father.




32. And there, in the presence of the Israelites, Joshua wrote on the stones a copy of the law of Moses, which he had written. 




(Historical Books Chapter 8 verse 32)




At times my God as humans, we tend to write our own rules, stick to our agendas, work to achieve our own goals and never think twice if these goals are in line with Your Holy Word or Message. I pray oh God that we base our agendas on the teachings that You gave us so that we will always live according to the commandment that You gave us as a basis for a life that is holy and just as You planned it to be. Amen.




33. All Israel, alien as well as citizen, with their elders and officers and their judges, stood on opposite sides of the ark in front of the levitical priests who carried the ark of the covenant, of the LORD, half of them in front of Mount Gerzim and half of them in front of Mount Ebal, as Moses the servant of the LORD had commanded at the first, that they should bless the people of Israel.



(Historical Books Chapter 8 verse 33)





As much as all the people of Israel stood both in front and behind the ark of the covenant as a witness to the covenant given by You to Moses, we are also to stand as witnesses before others and proclaim Your Word Amen.




34. And Afterward he read all the words of the law, blessings and curses, according to all that is written in the book of the law. 35. There was not a word of all that Moses commanded that Joshua did not read before all the assembly of Israel, and the women, and the little ones, and the aliens who resided among them.




(Historical Books Chapter 8 verse 34 to 35)




Oh God every day of our lives You read Your Word to us and we are witnesses of that Message. Therefore, this message does not remain words but is to remain alive in us and be transferred in positive acts of love thus reflecting our love and belief in You, my God.





Oh God my Father, I would like to end this chapter with the following prayer:-




Oh God, my Father I thank You for the tribulations that I experience throughout the journey of my life, for during such moments of trials, at some point or other You help me see Your hand at work. Even though I have experienced many ambushes, I have also experienced victories and Your salvation in different situations. I pray that you continue to help me achieve the greatest victory of all that is that of my mind and body so that I will be healed of all negative thoughts feelings and desires so that one day I will be more like You and behave from the spirit and not from the flesh. Amen. Thank You Jesus. 

Historical Books Joshua Chapter 7

HISTORICAL BOOKS

JOSHUA 

CHAPTER 

7

1. But the Israelites broke faith in regard to the devoted things: Achan son of Carmi son of Zabdi son of Zerah, of the tribe of Judah, took some of the devoted things; and the anger of the LORD burned against the Israelites.

(Historical Books Joshua Chapter 7 verse 1)


Oh God my Father even though You have warned us many times regarding contact with anything and anyone that can be harmful to us on many levels especially spiritual, we still keep on disobeying and taking unnecessary risks which place both ourselves and others at risk. Typical risks are the abuse of wuiga boards and other negative means that the market is offering them under the form of board games for pleasure.


2. Joshua sent men from Jericho to Ai, which is near Beth-aven, east of Bethel, and said to them, "Go up and spy out the land."

(Historical Books Joshua Chapter 7 verse 2)


Oh God even through Your people broke trust, when the first situation tested them, You did not tear up the contract of salvation and send them to Egypt or to a state of bondage as they deserved. I thank You for being so kind, patient and merciful in the way that You deal with us humans. Amen.


3. Then they returned to Joshua and said to him, "Not all the people need go up; about two or three thousand men should go up and attack Ai. Since they are so few, do not make the whole people toil up there."

(Historical Books Joshua Chapter 7 verse 3)


Oh God this is an important lesson for all managers in the distribution of resources. How many people are really needed to perform a task. If too many people are sent time is wasted and although the task may be done some of those sent to do the task may not have anything to do, or even worse may shirk the responsibility and so others may do a greater fraction of the job while all the employees are being paid to perform the whole task.


4. So about three thousand of the people went up there; and they fled before the men of Ai. 5. The men of Ai killed about thirty-six of them, chasing them from outside the gate as far as Shebarim and killing them on the slope. The hearts of the people melted and turned to water.

(Historical Books Joshua Chapter 7 verses 4 to 5)


Oh God it seems that something went wrong in the assessment of the situation. It may be that either Joshua was misinformed, regarding the strength of the enemy, or somebody from Israel wanted to make Joshua look bad in the eyes of the people as a bad leader to try and take his place. Oh God no information is always better than bad information. Therefore it is important especially when speaking with people who do not yet believe in You my God, that we give the right information for this can do more harm than good, and can even reflect the quality of our faith. In order to view the route map from Jericho to Ai please click on the following link:-


Map from Jericho referred to as LOD to Ai click on show map


Map from Jericho (Lod) to Ai


6. Then Joshua tore his clothes and fell to the ground on his face before the ark of the LORD until the evening, he and the elders of Israel and they put dust on their heads.

(Historical Books Joshua Chapter 7 verse 6)


Oh God during such moments of crisis, when our worlds seem to be crushing down on us, everybody behaves differently. There are those who go to the pub and become stone dead with alcohol, while others become totally downcast and others commit suicide. However as in the case of Joshua there are others who become closer in their relationship to You by means of the same tribulation.


7. Joshua said, "Ah Lord GOD! why have you brought this people across the Jordan at all, to hand us over to the Amorites so as to destroy us? Would that we had been content to settle beyond the Jordan! 8. O Lord, what can I say, now that Israel has turned their backs to their enemies! 9. The Canaanites and all the inhabitants of the land will hear of it, and surround us, and cut off our name from the earth. Then what will you do for your great name?"

(Historical Books Joshua Chapter 7 to 9)


Oh God our plans are different from Yours. We perceive a negative experience as a downfall or reason to be afraid as in the case of Joshua, however You view the problem as a situation and not as a problem. Situations are momentary, while problems can be long term. When we have You oh God in control of the situation, any problem becomes a situation that can be dealt with.


10. The LORD said to Joshua, "Stand up! Why have you fallen upon your face? 11. Israel has sinned; they have transgressed my covenant that I imposed on them. They have taken some of the devoted things; they have stolen, they have acted deceitfully, and they have put them among their own belongings. 12. Therefore the Israelites are unable to stand before their enemies; they turn their backs to their enemies, because they have become a thing devoted for destruction themselves. I will be with you no more, unless you destroy the devoted things from among you.

(Historical Books Joshua Chapter 7 verses 10 to 12)


Oh God how heavy are the consequences of our sins. They have a strong impact on both our social life and even our spiritual life as witnessed in the case of Joshua and the people of Israel.


13. Proceed to sanctify the people, and say, 'Sanctify yourselves for tomorrow; for thus says the LORD, the God of Israel, "There are devoted things among you, O Israel; you will be unable to stand before your enemies until you take away the devoted things from among you."

(Historical Books Joshua Chapter 7 verse 13)


Oh God how high and noble are Your aims and values. Your most important priority was that of safeguarding the sanctity of Your people before the complete conquest of the Holy Lands that You had promised to them. Oh God the crucial lesson is that although You give us difficult trials that stand before us, if we remain in Your presence they will dissolve in front of us, for they are only test that do not stand a chance with You on our team.


14. In the morning therefore you shall come forward tribe by tribe. The tribe that the LORD takes shall come near by clans, the clan that the LORD takes shall come near by households, and the household that the LORD takes shall come near one by one. 15. And the one who is taken as having the devoted things shall be burned with fire, together with all that he has, for having transgressed the covenant of the LORD, and for having done an outrageous thing in Israel.'"

(Historical Books Joshua Chapter 7 verses 14 to 15)


Oh God this is judgement day. The day when we are to appear before You in order to receive either Your blessings for the life we had lived or the condemnation for our transgressions. As head of household I would be first to appear to represent my family or tribe, but ultimately every member is to give ones account of our life on earth.


16. So Joshua rose early in the morning, and brought Israel near tribe by tribe, and the tribe of Judah was taken. 17. He brought near the clans of Judah, and the clan of the Zerahites was taken; and he brought near the clan of the Zerahites, family by family, and Zabdi was taken. 18. And he brought near his household one by one, and Achan son of Carmi son of Zabdi son of Zerah, of the tribe of Judah, was taken

(Historical Books Joshua Chapter 7 verses 16 to 18)


Oh God I thank You for giving us the wisdom and the knowledge to make good decisions for the good of all.  I bless you for giving us the illumination of the Holy Spirit to help us in our ways Amen


19. Then Joshua said to Achan, "My son give glory to the LORD God of Israel and make confession to him. Tell me now what you have done; do not hide it from me."

(Historical Books Joshua Chapter 7 verse 19)


It is interesting oh God how Joshua as even in Your approach referred to the confession of sins and giving glory to You before the giving back of the devoted things. Therefore this confirms the real priority for the sin of Achan had had negative side effects on all Israel and therefore the virus or threat needed to be removed before it infected the whole system. The impact had been so strong that it had made Israel weak before its enemies. Today oh God we are also weak before our real enemy that is the prince of lies. Our sins are increasing but not all of us are confessing their sins, therefore the whole world is weak and suffering the consequences of each others sins. What is of great consolation oh God is that You already paid the price of our sins, however this does not mean that we do not need to make an honest confession of our sins. Amen.


20. And Achan answered Joshua, "It is true; I am the one who sinned against the LORD God of Israel. This is what I did: 21. when I saw among the spoil a beautiful mantle from Shinar, and two hundred shekels of silver, and a bar of gold weighing fifty shekels, then I coveted them and took them. They now lie hidden in the ground inside my tent, with the silver underneath."

(Historical Books Joshua Chapter 7 verses 20 to 21)


As humans oh God we are tempted by our sinful nature and by the evil one, who manipulates our feelings and desires in order to continue making such bad and evil decisions which at times may have negative consequences on both a micro scale meaning the family as in the case of gambling or compulsive on line gaming, and even on a macro level such as scandals of corruption on a very large scale, which may even be the cause of a company to close down its doors and stop functioning for good at the consequence of many people becoming unemployed and the cause of financial debt on the stakeholders and their debtors. This is a vicious circle all the cause of one or more bad decisions. I pray oh God that Your presence may be felt stronger in us during such moments of temptation, so that we will be able to stand and confront evil in all its ways of appearance Amen.


22. So Joshua sent messengers  and they ran to the tent; and there it was, hidden in his tent with the silver underneath. 23. They took them out of the tent and brought them to Joshua and all the Israelites; and they spread them out before the LORD. 24. Then Joshua and all Israel with him took Achan son of Zerah, with the silver. the mantle, and the bar of gold, with his sons and daughters, with his oxen, donkeys, and sheep, and his tent and all that he had; and they brought them up to the Valley of Achor.

(Historical Books Joshua Chapter 7 verses 22 to 24)


Although this scene may reflect a great waste of life and resources, obedience to the will of God was a priority over the obedience to the self, or the ways of the world. On the other hand the penalty that Achan and his family and all his belongings was going to experience would set an example for the rest of the people in the sense of acting as a deterrent if the same negative action would be repeated again.


25. Joshua said, "Why did you bring trouble on us? The LORD is bringing trouble on you today." And all Israel stoned him to death; they burned them with fire, cast stones on them, 26 and raised over him a great heap of stones that remains to this day. Then the LORD turned from his burning anger. Therefore that place to this day is called the Valley of Achor.

(Historical Books Chapter 7 verses 25 to 26)


In Fact Joshua in truth God does not bring trouble on us. The trouble that we bring upon ourselves is mainly the consequences of our sins. Moreover God can make use of even a negative event in order to pass on to us a positive message. God never stops working. He is a full timer in our lives, but He never imposes Himself on us. Before He acts God always waits for our decision as in the case of Mary the Mother of God. The angel left as soon as she said 'Yes' to God's request.


Oh God I would like to end this chapter with the following prayer:-


Oh God I pray that You always keep Your eyes on us, like a hen that takes care of its chickens. We cannot afford to remain without Your protection for even one second for we are weak and may easily be attracted by the sinful ways of the world. Oh God we have only You as our God, and there is to be no other who attempts to take Your place. As in the case of Israel when we make man made gods, we create problems of dis function that may have long term consequences. 

Historical Books Joshua Chapter 6

HISTORICAL BOOKS

JOSHUA 

CHAPTER 

6

1. Now Jericho was shut up inside and out because of the Israelites; no one came out and no one went in.

(Historical Books Joshua Chapter 6 verse 1)

At times of my life Oh God I was also like Jericho. I had decided to pull up the draw bridge, launch my defences on red alert and permit nobody to be part of my inner circles. However You showed me that this form of lifestyle was unhealthy for me. You showed me that I am to be careful regards whom I permit in a healthy way to be part of my life, however You were to be my guardian forever. During times of insecurity by means of others and even directly You showed me, those whom I can trust, from those whom I had better be on guard for my own well being. I thank You oh God for raising this sense of awareness in me.


2. The LORD said to Joshua, "See, I have handed Jericho over to you, along with its king and soldiers.

(Historical Books Joshua Chapter 6 verse 2)


Oh God You give us a victory over our moments of persecution when we are experiencing moments of tribulation. You tell us that the victory is Yours and that evil and its negative forces is no match for You.


3. You shall march around the city, all the warriors circling the city once. Thus you shall do for six days, 4. with seven priests bearing seven trumpets of rams' horns before the ark. On the seventh day you shall march around the city seven times, the priests blowing the trumpets. 5. When they make a long blast with ram's horn, as soon as you hear the sound of the trumpet, then all the people shall shout with a great shout; and the wall of the city will fall down flat, and all the people shall charge straight ahead."

(Historical Books Joshua Chapter 6 verses 3 to 5)


Oh God if I were Joshua and I was given such a command in order to overthrow the city of Jericho humanly speaking I would have preferred praying that You send balls of fire as You did on Sodom and Gomorrah, however our ways are not Your ways. Moreover You always give us the peaceful and non violent option. I also imagine that the warriors circled the city in a spirit of prayer that reflects the mighty power of praise that is even strong enough to lay flat the walls of a mighty city. Therefore when in a crisis do not resort to physical violence but to the mighty power of praise to God, for as this power had the strength to destroy the walls of Jericho it has the power to destroy the barriers of Your problem or cause of concern.


6. So Joshua son of Nun summoned the priests and said to them, "Take up the ark of the covenant, and have seven priests carry seven trumpets of rams' horns in front of the ark of the LORD." 7. To the people he said, "Go forward and march around the city; have the armed men pass on before the ark of the LORD."

(Historical Books Joshua Chapter 6 verses 6 to 7)


Oh God may I always obey Your will as in the case of Joshua. May You always walk before me for I am weak and frail. However as in verses 6 to 7, You are telling me to go forward and proceed in life while to be convinced that You will always be with me in what I do and say when it is focused on doing Your will.


8. As Joshua had commanded the people, the seven priests carrying the seven trumpets of ram's horns before the LORD went forward, blowing the  the trumpets, with the ark of the covenant of the LORD  following them. 9. And the armed men went before the priests who blew the trumpets; the rear guard came after the ark, while the trumpets blew continually.

(Historical Books Joshua Chapter 6 verses 8 to 9)


In order to imagine what this procession looked like please click on the following link


The march on Jericho


In order to get an idea of what the scene may have looked like please move the marker of this video clip to 32.59 or better more view the entire video.


As in the case of Joshua You did not send him with missiles and tanks but with trumpets. As Christians instead of resorting to violence Your Mother Mary beckons on us to pray the Rosary which has the power to stop the harshest of wars.


10. To the people Joshua gave this command: "You shall not shout or let your voice be heard, nor shall you  utter a word, until the day I tell you to shout. Then you shall shout."

(Historical Books Joshua Chapter 6 verse 10)


Oh God one thing that I know You like is our obedience. This is very important for us to walk according to Your will. In order to pledge our obedience to You we are to forsake ourselves and our wills in order to place our complete trust in You my God. Amen.


11. So the ark of the LORD went around the city, circling it once; and they came into the camp, and spent the night in the camp.

(Historical Books Joshua Chapter 6 verse 11)


I can imagine how baffled were the soldiers of Jericho on seeing Joshua and your people in a procession around the city without making a sign of attack on the city. Oh God we can never understand Your ways for we are functioning on two different wavelengths. You function from a spiritual perspective and we function from a worldly one, which at times is contrary to Your ways. On the other hand our perspective is limited while You always see the big picture and are always more than one step ahead of us not limited by time and space.


12. Then Joshua rose early in the morning, and the priests took up the ark of the LORD. 13. The seven priests carrying the seven trumpets of ram's horns before the ark of the LORD passed on, blowing the trumpets continually. The armed men went before them, and the rear guard came after the ark of the LORD, while the trumpets blew continually. 14. On the second day they marched around the city once and then returned to the camp. They did this for six days.

(Historical Books Joshua Chapter 6 verse 12 to 14)


For six days oh God Joshua was to perform the same ritual. I can only imagine the frustration of his armed men and the rest of the people, however in life much patience is needed. When a situation does not change it may be the case that although the situation appears to be at a standstill in the background You are at work, ready to put into action Your plan at the perfect timing.


15. On the seventh day they rose early at dawn, and marched around the city in the same manner seven times. It was only on that day that they marched around the city seven times. 16. And at the seventh time when the priests had blown the trumpets, Joshua said to the people, "Shout! For the LORD has given you the city. 17. The city and all that is in it shall be devoted to the LORD for destruction. Only Rahab the prostitute  and all who are with her in her house shall live because she hid the messengers we sent.

(Historical Books Joshua Chapter 6 verses 15 to 17) 


Finally on the seventh day You gave the city to Your people. Oh God even though it may have seemed to be an eternity when the time arrived, You kept Your word and gave the city of Jericho to Joshua and Your people. In relation to my issue with the insurance company and the person who crashed into my car, after a 3 months period of waiting You, changed the situation by making me meet the right person at the agency, who intervened on my behalf and now justice is being done in the sense, that the insurance of the person who crashed into my car is going to pay for the damages incurred on my vehicle.


18. As for you, keep away from the things devoted to destruction, so as not to covet and take any of the devoted things and make the camp of Israel an object for destruction, bringing trouble upon it.

(Historical Books Joshua Chapter 6 verse 18)


Oh God although You kept Your promise in relation to the conquest of the promised land, You still warned the people against being contaminated by the false gods and symbols worshipped  by the people of Jericho, so that Your people may remain faithful to You.


Oh Father during our times 2016 people of different cultures and religions are settling down in Malta and in many parts of the world. Many people who do not have a strong relationship with You are marrying these people and denying their Faith for religions such as Islam.



19. But all silver and gold, and vessels of bronze and iron, are sacred to the LORD; they shall go into the treasury of the LORD."

(Historical Books Joshua Chapter 6 verse 19)


Oh God in Your infinite wisdom You do not wish us to waste resources. You instructed Your people to salvage the good materials to be used in Your service and discard or destroy any false idol's that they might come across.


20. So the people shouted, and the trumpets were blown. As soon as the people heard the sound of the trumpets, they raised a great shout, and the wall fell down flat; so the people charged straight ahead into the city and captured it.

(Historical Books Joshua Chapter 6 verse 20)


United as one people, with one voice, one intention and one people our prayers are also able to cause miracles to happen, miracles much greater than the fall of walls, a change of heart and attitude in the hearts of those people who wish to wage war on Christians and people of other religions. Instead of condemning them, we can unite in prayer for their salvation Amen.


21. Then they devoted to destruction by the edge of the sword all in the city, both men and women, young and old, oxen, sheep and donkeys. 

(Historical Books Joshua Chapter 6 verse 21)


Oh God when You give us victory over ourselves, or maybe an addiction, compulsive behaviour or any other form of negative act, we are to destroy the object that is causing us to sin, as in cigarettes, or alcohol or drugs, so as not to be able to access them again forever. For if the occasion befalls us we might be found weak and we might fall into temptation.


22. Joshua said to the two men who had spied out the land, "Go into the prostitute's house, and bring the woman out of it and all who belong to her, as you swore to her."

(Historical Books Joshua Chapter 6 verse 22)


Oh God as much as You keep Your promises, You also would like us to keep our promises, especially after You have graciously been of help to us, It is only fair that we be fair to others and keep our commitments.


23. So  the young men who had been spies went in and brought Rahab out along with her father, her mother, her brothers, and all who belonged to her- they brought all her kindred out-and set them outside the camp of Israel.

(Historical Books Joshua Chapter 6 verse 23)


Oh God as in Your case Joshua kept his word and had mercy on Rahab and her family, however even though she proved to be a  genuine person, her family was not yet allowed to integrate within the people of Israel, in order to preserve the sanctity or purity of the people.


24. They burned down the city, and everything in it; only the silver and gold, and the vessels of bronze and iron, they put into the treasury of the house of the LORD.

(Historical Books Joshua Chapter 6 verse 24)


Oh God when You have given us total overcoming of our old life, there is no going back to it. The past is in the past, and we have a new life before us to lead. Anything  from our old life that can be used to help both ourselves and others in our new life based on You may be saved, however the rest may willingly perish.

25. But Rahab the prostitute, with her family and all who belonged to her; Joshua spared. Her family has lived in Israel ever since. For she hid the messengers whom Joshua sent to spy out Jericho.

(Historical Books Joshua Chapter 6 verse 25)


Oh God how true are Your Words. For those of us who think that as Christians we are in a way privileged to the Kingdom of Heaven over others who are opinion are not living a life according to the will of God, please think again and consider the case of Rahab, who although had led the life of a prostitute by means of one act God had mercy on her and her family and gave them salvation and security from the penalty that had been declared on Jericho. The same thing and reasoning is also valid for the Kingdom of Heaven. So those of us who think they are righteous go ahead and help others walk the same way, but those who feel superior get off the the throne of pride and go back to the basics and seek a u turn in one's life and return to the pathway of Salvation!


26. Joshua then pronounced this oath saying, "Cursed before the LORD be anyone who tries to build this city-this Jericho! At the cost of his firstborn he shall lay its foundation, and at the cost of his youngest he shall set up its gates!" 27. So the LORD was with Joshua; and his fame was in all the land.

(Historical Books Joshua Chapter 6 verses 26 to 27)


Apparently in time the city of Jericho was reconstructed and as proclaimed in Joshua's oath during the construction the oath was fulfilled as found in the following link:-


The price of building Jericho



Oh God my Father I would like to end this chapter with the following prayer:-



Oh God I pray both for myself and even for the world. My prayer is that we overcome our selves and learn to discover and obey Your will every day of our lives. May You give us the strength to go against our will in order to obey Your Holy Will. May we will what You will and that nothing that goes against Your will be found in us Amen.

Historical Books Joshua Chapter 5

HISTORICAL BOOKS

 JOSHUA 

CHAPTER 

5

1. When all the kings of the Amorites beyond the Jordan to the west, and all the kings of the Canaanites by the sea heard that the LORD had dried up the waters of the Jordan for the Israelites until they had crossed over, their hearts melted, and there was no longer any spirit in them because of the Israelites.

(Historical Books Chapter 5 verse 1)

Oh God does it have to be works of miracles and great wonders such as natural phenomenon which You use to pass on Your message in order to stimulate and convince us to believe in You. Do we need to witness with our own eyes or act on hearsay! If this was the truth our faith is based on the sand and is the fruit of fear more than faith in action. I pray oh God that when put to the test, my faith will be convincing if not solid, for as a human I am still weak.

2. At that time the LORD said to Joshua, "Make flint knives and circumcise the Israelites a second time."

(Historical Books Chapter 5 verse 2)


During different moments of our lives oh God You give us different messages. This year 2015 You are asking us to have mercy. As much as You have mercy on us, You wish us to have mercy both on ourselves and more on others.


3. So Joshua made flint knives, and circumcised the Israelites at Gibeath-haaraloth. 4. This is the reason why Joshua circumcised them: all the males of the people who came out of Egypt, all the warriors, had died during the journey through the wilderness after they had come out of Egypt. 5. Although all the people who came out had been circumcised, yet all the people born on the journey through the wilderness after they had come out of Egypt had not been circumcised. 6. For the Israelites traveled forty years in the wilderness, until all the nation, the warriors who came out of Egypt, perished, not having listened to the voice of the LORD. To them the LORD swore that he would not let them see the land that he had sworn to their ancestors to give us, a land flowing with milk and honey. 7. So it was their children, whom he raised up in their place, that Joshua circumcised; for they were uncircumcised, because they had not been circumcised on the way.

(Historical Books Chapter 5 verses 3 to 7)


In order to keep the flame of faith in You burning You told Joshua to circumcise, which is equivalent to our baptism the new entrants among the people, Your body of the Old Testament. However as the new body of the New Testament anointed by the Holy Spirit, we also need a new evangelization. We need to reach those new members of the Church as a whole and help keep burning the flame of faith in them, because through the course of time, their ancestors may have not passed on the faith, and the Spirit may not be that present and active in them.


8. When the circumcising of all the nation was done, they remained in their places in the camp until they were healed.

(Historical Books Chapter 5 verse 8)


As in the case of the chosen people of God, while we are in a state of healing that can be emotional and even spiritual apart from the physical we are not to embark on hasty projects such as a change of job or embark on a new relationship at a point when we are still grieving over the hurts that we incurred from our previous one, or are still mourning over the loss of our beloved one as in the case of the death of a wife, husband or significant other. This interim period of waiting is more than healthy, because during this time that we can invest in prayer, we will be prepared to move on and make the necessary decisions that determine our future lives both on earth and in heaven.


9. The LORD said to Joshua, "Today I have rolled away from you the disgrace of Egypt." And so that place is called Gilgal to this day.

(Historical Books Chapter 5 verse 9)


Oh god my Father I thank You for not holding against us our sins. As in the case of Egypt and Your chosen people and the corruption that they experienced while being exposed to false gods, You are also able to cleanse the world from the culture of death and sin that we are experiencing Amen.


10. While the Israelites were camped in Gilgal they kept the passover in the evening on the fourteenth day of the month in the plains of Jericho.

(Historical Books Chapter 5 verse 10)


Although Your people were in a state of war with the people of Jericho, they did not neglect the celebration of the Passover, because it is from You oh God from whom we find our strength and power to move on in life. During the Christmas season if we do not stop to reflect on You and the greatest event of all time, when You decided to save us by becoming human, all the gifts and Christmas dinners and celebrations are of no value, for instead of drawing us to You they discourage us and push us on to a worldly road based on the pleasure of the body and sensual gratification as in satisfying our pleasure by eating and drinking only.


11. On the day after the passover, on that very day, they ate the produce of the land, unleavened cakes and parched grain. 12. The manna ceased on the day they ate the produce of the land, and the Israelites no longer had manna; they ate the crops of the land of Canaan that year.

(Historical Books  Chapter 5 verses 11 to 12)


Oh God this was indeed a historical day for Your people. A new chapter had began for them, for they had now entered their promised land and began reaping the produce that had long since been promised to them by You by means of Abraham and the rest of his descendants meaning the patriarchs. Oh God as this important day had been fulfilled for Your people, one day we shall also be reunited in our promised land in heaven with You. On reflecting our promised land can also mean the goal that we had long been waiting for, after a long time of tribulation in Egypt that could mean a period of trouble and pain over some particular issue such as a loss of a family member, or even a career, or worse our relationship with You.


13. Once when Joshua was by Jericho, he looked up and saw a man standing before him with a drawn sword in his hand. Joshua went to him and said to him, "Are you one of us, or one of our adversaries?"

(Historical Books Chapter 5 verse 13)


Oh God I thank You for all the support that You give me, even though at times I also need to question if the advice given is coming from You or from the evil one, who is also able to manifest itself by means of humans under the disguise of friendship. I pray oh God that during such circumstances You give me the inquisitive spirit to help me discern the content of the message and if this is according to Your holy will as in the case of Joshua.


14. He replied, "Neither; but as commander of the army of the LORD I have now come." And Joshua fell on his face to the earth and worshiped, and he said to him, "What do you command your servant, my lord?" 15. The commander of the army of the LORD said to Joshua, "Remove the sandals from your feet, for the place where you stand is holy." And Joshua did so.

(Historical Books Chapter 5 verses 14 to 15)


During times of crisis oh God You send us people in Your name who encourage us and give us the encouragement to move on in life. As in the case of Joshua You sent this angel who manifested Your presence and spoke to Joshua and blessed him. I God I also offer You my challenges and tribulations and pray that You always be the commander of my army. May I always be a soldier of Your army and act according to Your Instructions as written in Your Word Amen.


I would like to end this chapter with the following prayer:


Oh God I pray that we always obey Your will and walk according to Your ways and not according to the ways of the world. May we always be humble and subject to You every day of our lives. I believe oh God that You are always by our side especially during the critical moments of our lives, especially when the evil one makes a comeback with force against us. May I always follow Your instructions in a spirit of prayer and adoration as did Joshua Amen. 

Historical Books Joshua Chapter 4

HISTORICAL BOOKS

 JOSHUA 

CHAPTER 

4

1. When the entire nation had finished crossing over the Jordan, the LORD said to Joshua: 2. "Select twelve men from the people, one from each tribe, 3. and command them, "Take twelve stones from here out of the middle of the Jordan, from the place where the priest' feet stood, carry them over with you, and lay them down in the place where you camp tonight.'"

(Joshua Chapter 4 verses 1 to 3)

Oh God the feet of the priests had nothing special, however the location where they stood in the rivers of the Jordan was, for it was by means of Your mighty presence that the waters were silenced, so that it was possible for Your people to make the crossing to safety.

On reflecting the place where we were baptized was also special for Your presence was manifested at the time of our baptism and even confirmation, ordination and even marriage. There are many places or moments which we consider as being sacred, for during such moments we made an experience of Your holy presence. Such places are worth remembering because they bring a complete revolution in our lives. If we had to stop and think we all have such places or memories. I thank You for such special moments, especially that moment when You called me to leave my past and follow You. I thank You even though I thought I was going to follow you as a priest and not as a married man as I am today.  I thank You for shaping my life as You did .

4. Then Joshua summoned the twelve men from the Israelites, whom he had appointed, one from each tribe. 5. Joshua said to them, "Pass on before the ark of the LORD your God into the middle of the Jordan, and each of you take up a stone on his shoulder one for each of the tribes of the Israelites, 6. so that this may be a sign among you.  When your children ask in time to come, 'What do those stones mean to you? 7. then you shall tell them that the waters of the Jordan were cut off in front of the ark of the covenant of the LORD. When it crossed over the Jordan, the waters of the Jordan were cut off. So these stones shall be to the Israelites a memorial forever."

(Joshua Chapter 4 verses 4 to 7)


Oh God this is the same reason while we celebrate Easter, Christmas and God Friday. These events special moments in our lives as Roman Catholics that we commemorate each year. May we always give value to these occasions and pass on the message of Your Good News to our children and those following them, so that You and Your message will never die.


8. The Israelites did as Joshua commanded. They took up twelve stones out of the middle of the Jordan, according to the number of the tribes of the Israelites, as the LORD told Joshua, carried them over with them to the place where they camped, and laid them down there. 9. (Joshua set up twelve stones in the middle of the Jordan, in the place where the feet of the priests bearing the ark of the covenant had stood; and they are there to this day.)

(Joshua Chapter 4 verses 8 to 9)


As in the case of Joshua and the twelve stones we may have souvenirs that remind us of important milestones of our lives such as our baptism, first holy communion, marriage or even ordination. In our house we have original documents of these occasions framed in areas where they can be seen by all in order to keep on remembering such important moments when we related closely to You in a special way.

10. The priests who bore the ark remained standing in the middle of the Jordan, until everything was finished that the LORD commanded Joshua to tell the people, according to all that Moses had commanded Joshua. The people crossed over in haste.

(Joshua Chapter 4 verse 10)


Oh God You also remained on the cross until the whole process of the passion was over. During the tests and crisis of our lives, even though I may not see You or feel You at the time You are there with Your hand resting on my shoulder as a means of support. You never leave my side during such moments of stress. Even though I may not understand what and why such things that are taking place in my life during such moments I accept in faith and with faith, that You are in control of all that is happening and that in Your good time You will deliver me from my time of crisis. Amen.


11. As soon as all the people had finished crossing over, the ark of the LORD, and the priests, crossed over in front of the people.

(Joshua Chapter 4 verse 11)


Oh God I thank You for being a never ending source of love and encouragement. In times of stress and tribulation You take the first step and go before me. When going before me You take the first consequences of the situation which is generally the toughest part and in order for me to grow as a human You permit me to endure the rest of the situation. I thank You for being so loving and merciful.


12. The Reubenites, the Gadites, and the half-tribe of Manasseh crossed over armed before the Israelites as Moses had ordered them. 13. About forty thousand armed for war crossed over before the Lord to the plains of Jericho for battle. 

(Joshua Chapter 4 verses 12 to 13)


As Roman Catholics we are all recruits in Your army, however our weapons are not of mass destruction as in this nuclear age, but of mass construction and conversion! Our weapon is that of the message of the "Good News" as found in the bible which if prayed and reflected on has deep insights that are strong enough to persuade us to change our sinful ways and relate to You as sons and daughters.


14. On that day the LORD exalted Joshua in the sight of all Israel; and they stood in awe of him, as they stood in awe of Moses, all the days of his life.

(Joshua Chapter 4 verse 14)


Oh God the same thing happened to me and maybe even to many of us when I saw Pope Francesco. His physical presence, behaviour and even his name were all of inspiration and admiration. I  could sense that this person was indeed one who had a strong relationship with You. Such people inspire public approval and admiration. I thank You oh God for choosing such sign posts to lead us throughout the course of our lives.


 15. The LORD said to Joshua, 16. "Command the priests who bear the ark of the covenant to come up out of the Jordan." 17. Joshua therefore commanded the priests, "Come up out of the Jordan." 18. When the priests bearing the ark of the covenant of the LORD came up from the middle of the Jordan, and the soles of the priests' feet touched dry ground, the waters of the Jordan returned to their place and overflowed all its banks, as before.

(Joshua Chapter 4 verses 15 to 18)


Oh God my Father, You can do great things by us when we decide to obey You and Your will. As the men who were bearing the ark of the covenant were subject in obedience to You and Joshua, we are also to be subject to You and the Roman Catholic Church. Other people of other churches or religions are also subject to You by means of what they believe and practice, even though they might not believe in You. I pray oh God that one day we will all be united as one big family in the arms of one loving Father who is nobody but Yourself.

19. The people came up out of the Jordan on the tenth day of the first month, and they camped in Gilgal on the east border of Jericho. 20. Those twelve stones which they had taken out of the Jordan Joshua set up in Gilgal, 21. saying to the Israelites, "When your children ask their parents in time to come, 'What do these stones mean? 22. then you shall let your children know, Israel crossed over the Jordan here on dry ground'. 23. For the LORD your God dried up the waters of the Jordan for you until you crossed over, as the LORD your God did to the Red Sea, which he dried up for us until we crossed over, 24. so that all the peoples of the earth may know that the hand of the LORD is mighty, and so that you may fear the LORD forever."

(Joshua Chapter 4 verses 19 to 24)


As is written in verses 19 to 24 as parents and Roman Catholics and as Christians we all have an obligation to explain to our children the history of our salvation, so that although these events took place a long time ago, they will be made aware of them and continue to become strengthened in their faith. One day our children will grow up and they will demand answers from us, therefore we are to be prepared to give such answers by being familiar with the Word of God, so that we can then pass on this relationship of love to our sons and daughters and the flame of the faith will never die but keep on burning, from one generation to another.


Oh God I would like to end this chapter with the following prayer:


Oh God and loving Father creator, of all the earth, I bless Your Name. I would like to thank You for calling me to be a Roman Catholic and a member of Your body on earth the Church. Throughout my life I have many moments to cherish that are very significant in my life, however among others I greatly commemorate the special days of my birthday, baptism, confirmation, and that day when I promised my life to You when I was going to become a friar. I also remember the day when I took the greatest commitment of my life when You chose me a wife whom to marry and also the gift of fatherhood which with Your help I carry out each day of my life. Oh God I also thank You for that special moment when You called me to follow You personally and to create this blog which I have been praying on and sharing with others since the year 2003. I greatly thank You for such moments oh Father.






  

Historical Books Joshua Chapter 2

HISTORICAL BOOKS

 JOSHUA 

CHAPTER 

2

1. Then Joshua son of Nun sent two men secretly from Shittim as spies, saying, "Go, view the land, especially Jericho." So they went, and entered the house of a prostitute whose name was Rahab and spent the night there.

(Joshua Chapter 2 verse 1)

In our own work places or at home or even among friends and family, God is sending us as spies. The work of the spy is to observe and gather important information and report it back to the one who sent the spies. From our perspective God may be sending us to observe by keeping our eyes and ears open and assess the given situations. However in contrast to the spies, when we have the necessary information based on our observation we are to pray God for the much needed information in order to intervene and make fruit by our spreading of Your Good News by means of Your Holy Spirit who dwells within us.


2. The king of Jericho was told, "Some Israelites have come here to search out the land."

(Joshua Chapter 2 verse 2)


Oh God You love us so much that when others attempt to come to know us in order to exploit, our spiritual, academical resources that You have given us, You make us aware of such people, so that we may become aware of such wrong doing and act accordingly. I thank You God for stimulating my conscience during such moments in order to make the right decisions at the right time.


3. Then the king of Jericho sent orders to Rahab, "Bring out the men who have come to you, who entered your house, for they have come only to search out the whole land."

(Joshua Chapter 2 verse 3)


Oh Jesus, by means of Your Good News You order us in a loving way to remove those people from our lives or sites or images that are unhealthy for our spiritual growth, for such sources have come into our lives in order to ruin and harm us both spiritually and even physically and psychologically.


4. But the woman took the two men and hid them, Then she said, "True, the men came to me, but I did not know where they came from.

(Joshua Chapter 2 verse 4)


At times oh Jesus we may lie in order to prevent negative consequences from taking place as in the case of Rahab who may have been killed or even risked the death of the spies who visited her home. However in this case it was a means to satisfy the ends, so that the will of God may continue to unfold. In our case we are to stick to the truth, for it is the truth that will set us free and not our own crooked devices.


5. And when it was time to close the gate at dark, the men went our. Where the men went I do not know. Pursue them quickly for you can overtake them."

(Joshua Chapter 2 verse 5)


Evil acts in the same way. During the night many evil acts take place such as murder theft and drug transactions among others. However as found in Your Word You are aware of all our actions and during the moment of judgement You will bring to light all that we ever did in darkness or in secret and the truth will be declared.

6. She had, however, brought them up to the roof and hidden them with the stalks of flax that she had laid out on the roof. 

(Joshua Chapter 2 verse 5)


Rahab oh God gives us a typical example of when we attempt to hide the truth or project a message by using You oh God in order to pass on the message. On the one hand she acted according to Your will by disclosing the identity of the men Your servants, however on the other hand she lied about what had become of them. Oh Jesus may the truth be present in me and others, may it dwell in my mind and in my heart and throughout my entire being.


5. And when it was time to close the gate at dark, the men went out. Where the men went I do not know. Pursue them quickly for you can overtake them."

(Joshua Chapter 2 verse 5)


As in the case of our sinful and negative thoughts oh God You have given us the ability to identify them and even destroy them so that we will not be harassed by them anymore.


6. She had, however, brought them up to the roof and hidden them with the stalks of flax that she had laid out on the roof. 7. So the men pursued them on the way to the Jordan as far as the fords. As soon as the pursuers had gone out, the gate was shut.

(Joshua Chapter 2 verses 6 to 7)


As in the case of Rahab the prostitute at times we may end up doing things that are considered as bad however with a good intention. In order to view the circumstances of Rahab please click on the following link.

Rahab and the spies


8. Before they went to sleep, she came up to them on the roof 9. and said to the men: "I know that the LORD has given you the Land, and that dread of you has fallen on us, and that all the inhabitants of the land melt in fear before you. 10. For we have heard the LORD dried up the water of the Red Sea before you when you came out of Egypt, and what you did to the two kings of the Amorites that were beyond the Jordan, to Sihon and Og, whom you utterly destroyed.

(Joshua Chapter 2 verses 8 to 10)


Oh God during out times Christianity has spread far and wide and is still spreading throughout the world. I pray that Your name will also remain touching the hearts of humanity everywhere it is preached so that one day the world will become one big family united in Your name. Amen


11. As soon as we heard it, our hearts melted, and there was no courage left in any of us because of You. The LORD your God is indeed God in heaven above and on earth below.

(Joshua Chapter 2 verse 11)


If you or anyone feels that You have no place in the Church of God feel encouraged because God even accepted a harlot as a key player in His plan for our salvation. Therefore if God had room for such a person He has a role for even you and me.


12. Now then, since I have dealt kindly with you, swear to me by the LORD that you in turn will deal kindly with my family. Give me a sign of good faith 13. that you will spare my father and mother, my brothers and sisters, and all who belong to them, and deliver our lives from death."

(Joshua Chapter 2 verses 12 to 13)


Oh God You teach us well not to pass judgement on others, for Rahab teaches us a great lesson. Also she was considered as a prostitute with which we normally associate negative connotations, when in contact with people who had made an experience of You love, she responded with love and care and most of all her heart was converted to believing in You. Oh I pray oh Jesus that I will be a bridge that many people will use in order to find their way to You. Amen. I pray that my presence will always reflect Your presence in me so much that many souls will be saved. I pray that I be an instrument in Your hands my God, use me when You want to, where You want to and as much as You want to Amen.


14. The men said to her, "Our life for yours! If you do not tell this business of ours, then we will deal kindly and faithfully with you when the LORD gives us the land."

(Joshua Chapter 2 verse 14)


Oh God how easy it is for us to give our word to humans, however how unfaithful it is of us as Christians when we go against Your Word and betray it by means of what we say and do. I pray that as a Roman Catholic I remain faithful in my belief in You my Father. I also lift my praise to those who have given their life in order to give testimony of You especially those who were killed and raped because they are Christians. Oh God I pray to have such a strong and credible faith Amen.


15. Then she let them down by a rope through the window, for her house was on the outer side of the city wall and she resided within the wall itself.

(Joshua Chapter 2 verse 15)


Oh God You are totally proactive. You plan everything before hand and all that You do is done with a purpose, even the location of our home, or our job is not a coincidence but according to Your holy will. So we are never to take anything for granted even the tiniest details of our lives, that we may consider as being insignificant.



16. She said to them, "Go toward the hill country, so that the pursuers may not come upon you. Hide yourselves there three days, until the pursuers have returned; then after ward you may go your way."

(Joshua Chapter 2 verse 16)


Oh God how great is Your name and how great and wise are Your teachings. In Your infinite wisdom You teach us not to pass judgement on anybody and this is so true, for even a woman who was considered as being a negative harlot was able to be an agent of good and wise counsel and practical knowledge based on observations. From her ideal position in the wall she was aware of the movements and behaviour patterns of the soldiers for her own sinful purposes, however God used those same observation skills in order to enable Rahab to reap the fruit of those observations and use them to give wise counsel to his servants while being at Jericho. Therefore we are never to discredit nobodies counsel for it may be the case that You oh God may be speaking by means of such people.


17. The men said to her, "We will be released from this oath that you have made us swear to you 18. if we invade the land and you do not tie this crimson cord in the window through which you let us down, and you do not gather into your house your father and mother, your brothers and all your family.

(Joshua Chapter 2 verses 17 to 18)


Oh loving father You love us so much that You remained nailed to the cross up to the last second of Your life on earth. Moreover Your promise of salvation was not only a personal one for us as individuals but a universal one that covers all who are willing to accept Your salvation.


19. If any of you go out of the doors of your house into the street, they shall be responsible for their own death, and we shall be innocent; but if a hand is laid upon any who are with you in the house, we shall bear the responsibility for their death. 20. But if you tell this business of ours, then we shall be released from this oath that you made us swear to you."


(Joshua Chapter 2 verses 19 to 20)

As in the case of Rahab and the spies, God never goes back on His Word. He always keeps his part of the contract of His love for us, it is us who violate it by our sins.


21. She said, "According to your words, so be it." She sent them away and they departed. Then she tied the crimson cord in the window.

(Joshua Chapter 2 verse 21)


As much as we give our consent to the ways of the world, we are also to give our word to You. During the course of our lives as Roman Catholics we gave our consent at the time of Holy Communion and again at the time of confirmation. However some of us have also given their word to You during their ordination or marriage, or others of other churches have also given their word when becoming ministers, bishops or other roles in their ministry.


22. They departed and went into the hill country and stayed there three days until the pursuers returned. The pursuers had searched all along the way and found nothing. 23. Then the two men came down again from the hill country. They crossed over, came to Joshua son of Nun, and told him all that had happened to them. 24. They said to Joshua, "Truly the LORD has given all the land into our hands; moreover all the inhabitants of the land melt in fear before us."

(Joshua Chapter 2 verses 22 to 24)


Oh God I would like to end this chapter with the following prayer:-


Oh Father the big difference in when we follow Your will to when we seek, our ways or the ways of the world is that when we follow Your ways we are never disappointed as in the case of the pursuers, for when following Your ways we never end up empty handed. You always deliver us to our promised land which is our most important destination.