Wine, Garments and Shoes - Joshua 9:13

In the book of Joshua, we are learned how, “the men of Israel said unto the Hivites, Peradventure you dwell among us; and how shall we make a league with you? And they said unto Joshua, We are your servants. And Joshua said unto them, Who are you? and from where do you come? And they said unto him, From a very far country your servants are come because of the name of the LORD your God: for we have heard the fame of him, and all that he did in Egypt, and all that he did to the two kings of the Amorites, that were beyond Jordan, to Sihon king of Heshbon, and to Og king of Bashan, which was at Ashtaroth. Wherefore our elders and all the inhabitants of our country spoke to us, saying, Take victuals with you for the journey, and go to meet them, and say unto them, We are your servants: therefore now make you a league with us. This our bread we took hot for our provision out of our houses on the day we came forth to go unto you; but now, behold, it is dry, and it is moldy”, and in chapter nine and verse thirteen of the book of Joshua, we learn how the men of Gibeon continued by saying, “these bottles of wine, which we filled, were new” where we read, 

And these bottles of wine, which we filled, were new; and, behold, they be rent: 

and these our garments and our shoes are become old by reason of the very long journey.

The verse reads, “And these bottles of wine, which we filled, were new; and, behold, they be rent:” Joshua or the writer began with the words, “and these bottles of wine” which means “and the skin or leather container used for liquid fruit of the vine”, “which we filled”  or “that we, the men of Gibeon, replenished and made full”, “were new” which means “existed as fresh; “and, behold” or “and lo, look and consider, ”, “they be rent” which means “they, the bottles of wine, exist as torn and broken open”. Joshua or the writer shared how the “men of Gibeon” told the people of Israel that they were carrying fresh leather skin “bottles” which they replenished with “wine” at the time they left their homes, however, those “bottles” were now torn and broken open. 

 

The verse goes on to say, “and these our garments and our shoes are become old by reason of the very long journey.” Joshua or the writer continued with the words, “and these our garments” which means “and the articles of outer clothing, wrappers or mantles which were worn by the men of Gibeon” “and our shoes” or “and our, the men of Gibeon’s, sandals” “are become old” which means “have become old and worn out” “by reason of the very long journey” or “through the means and cause of the exceedingly great and plentiful road, travel and pathway”. Joshua or the writer shared how the “men of Gibeon” also told the people of Israel that their clothing and footwear had become old and worn out because they had such and exceedingly long time of travel.

When we think through the words in this verse, we learn how the “men of Gibeon” continued to lie to Joshua and the people of Israel. They were not a great distance from Israel as we shall see, however they made as though their food, clothing, shoes and leather wine bottles were worn out because they had traveled so long. God knew the truth, and because the people of Israel did not go to Him in prayer, the people of Israel, as we shall see, believed them. God wants a personal intimate relationship with us through His Son Jesus who died on the cross for our sins and was raised from the dead after three days. When we surrender to Him, He will forgive our sins, grant us everlasting life and equip us with His Holy Sprit who will guide us into all truth and teach us to rely upon God before we make any decisions  about things we do not know. 

Next time we learn how the men of Israel, “asked not counsel at the mouth of the LORD”, so read ahead, and we shall join together then.

Until tomorrow…there is more…

See more devotionals on the website "thewordfortodaywithray.com" or look for the daily devotional book “Equipped for Battle – From Generation to Generation”, the marriage book “So, You Want to Be Married”, “One Year in the Sermon on the Mount” and the new poetry book "Random Mushrooms Volumes I and II" and the new novel "Elizabeth County" in all major bookstore sites, http://www.amazon.com ; http://www.barnesandnobles.com ; download to e-books, and find it locally at www.mrzlc.com/bookstore. All references are from "Strongs Concordance".

Moldy Bread - Joshua 9:12

In the book of Joshua, we are learned how, “the men of Israel said unto the Hivites, Peradventure you dwell among us; and how shall we make a league with you? And they said unto Joshua, We are your servants. And Joshua said unto them, Who are you? and from where do you come? And they said unto him, From a very far country thy servants are come because of the name of the LORD your God: for we have heard the fame of him, and all that he did in Egypt, and all that he did to the two kings of the Amorites, that were beyond Jordan, to Sihon king of Heshbon, and to Og king of Bashan, which was at Ashtaroth. Wherefore our elders and all the inhabitants of our country spoke to us, saying, Take victuals with you for the journey, and go to meet them, and say unto them, We are your servants: therefore now make you a league with us.”, and in chapter nine and verse twelve of the book of Joshua, we learn how the men of Gibeon continue by saying, “This our bread we took hot for our provision out of our houses on the day we came forth” where we read, 

This our bread we took hot for our provision out of our houses on the day we came forth to go unto you; but now, behold, it is dry, and it is moldy:

The verse reads, “This our bread we took hot for our provision out of our houses on the day we came forth to go unto you;” Joshua or the writer began with the words, “this our bread” which means “these our, the men of Gibeon’s, food, grain or victuals” “we took hot for our provision”  or “we, the men of Gibeon, lay hold of warm and heated on behalf of our, the men of Gibeon’s, food and victuals” “out of our houses” which means “from our, the men of Gibeon’s, dwelling places, abodes and habitations” “on the day we came forth” or “upon the sunrise to sunset or time period that we, the men of Gibeon, departed, exited and proceeded” “to go unto you” which means “to depart, proceed and move to you, the people of Israel”. Joshua or the writer shared how the “men of Gibeon” told Joshua and the people of Israel that they took the food from their homes with them while it was heated and warm at the time they left to proceed toward the people of Israel. 

 

The verse continues, “… but now, behold, it is dry, and it is moldy:” Joshua or the writer added the words, “but now” which means “however, notwithstanding, nonetheless and moreover at this time”, “behold, it is dry” or “lo, look and consider, it, the food, exists as crumbling, hard and without moisture”, “and it is moldy” which means “and it, the food, exists as spotted and pricked with mold”. Joshua or the writer shared how the “men of Gibeon” called upon the people of Israel to notice how their food was crumbling and hard as well as spotted with mold. 

When we meditate upon the words in this verse, we discover how the “men of Gibeon” continued their deception with Joshua and the people of Israel. As though they had been traveling  for a great distance, their food was without moisture and filled with mold. They were lying, and Joshua and the people of Israel did not appeal to God to discover their pernicious ways. God wants us to always go to Him in prayer as we make commitments in our lives. He loves us, and He proved His love when He sent His Son Jesus into the world to die on the cross for the sins of all mankind and raised Him from the dead after three days. When we yield to Him as our “Savior and Lord”, He will forgive our sins, grant us everlasting life and give us His Holy Spirit who will guide us into all truth and remind us to go to God before we make choices that will adversely affect our lives. 

Next time we learn how the men of Gibeon continue by saying, “these bottles of wine, which we filled, were new”, so read ahead, and we shall join together then.

Until tomorrow…there is more…

See more devotionals on the website "thewordfortodaywithray.com" or look for the daily devotional book “Equipped for Battle – From Generation to Generation”, the marriage book “So, You Want to Be Married”, “One Year in the Sermon on the Mount” and the new poetry book "Random Mushrooms Volumes I and II" and the new novel "Elizabeth County" in all major bookstore sites, http://www.amazon.com ; http://www.barnesandnobles.com ; download to e-books, and find it locally at www.mrzlc.com/bookstore. All references are from "Strongs Concordance".

Take Victuals with You - Joshua 9:11

In the book of Joshua, we are learned how, “the men of Israel said unto the Hivites, Peradventure you dwell among us; and how shall we make a league with you? And they said unto Joshua, We are your servants. And Joshua said unto them, Who are you? and from where do you come? And they said unto him, From a very far country thy servants are come because of the name of the LORD your God: for we have heard the fame of him, and all that he did in Egypt, and all that he did to the two kings of the Amorites, that were beyond Jordan, to Sihon king of Heshbon, and to Og king of Bashan, which was at Ashtaroth”, and in chapter nine and verse eleven of the book of Joshua, we learn how the men of Gibeon continue by saying, “our elders and all the inhabitants of our country spoke to us, saying, Take victuals with you for the journey” where we read, 

Wherefore our elders and all the inhabitants of our country spoke to us, saying, 

Take victuals with you for the journey, and go to meet them, and say unto them, We are your servants: therefore now make you a league with us.

The verse reads, “Wherefore our elders and all the inhabitants of our country spoke to us, saying, …” Joshua or the writer began with the words, “wherefore our elders” which means “therefore, then and on this account our, the men of Gibeon, aged and older men” “and all the inhabitants”  or “and each, every, the whole and everyone of the dwellers, abiders and ones who remain” “of our country” which means “belonging to our, the Hivites’, territory, region, district and land” “spoke to us” which means “uttered, declared and proclaimed to us, the men of Gibeon”, “saying” or “uttering, declaring and proclaiming” the following words. Joshua or the writer shared how the "men of Gibeon” said their aged men and the people who dwelled within their territory said the following words to them.

 

The verse continues, “… take victuals with you for the journey, and go to meet them, and say unto them, …” Joshua or the writer added the words, “take victuals with you” which means “get, fetch, lay hold of, seize and acquire provisions, meat and food alongside and accompanying you, the men of Gibeon” “for your journey” or “on behalf of your, the men of Gibeon’s, road, pathway and course”, “and go to meet them” which means “and depart, proceed and move away to befall and encounter them, the people of Israel”, “and say unto them” or “and utter, declare and proclaim to them, the people of Israel” the following words. Joshua or the writer shared how the “men of Gibeon” said their “elders and inhabitants” told them to lay hold of food for their travels, leave and proceed to encounter the people of Israel, and to declare the following words. 

Finally the verse says, “We are your servants: therefore now make you a league with us.” Joshua or the writer concluded this verse with the words, “we are your servants” which means “we, the men of Gibeon, exist as your, the people of Israel’s, bondmen, slaves and men of servile condition”: “therefore now make you a league with us” or “wherefore, then and on this account at this time cause you, the people of Israel, to fashion and form a covenant, alliance, treaty and pledge alongside us, the men of Gibeon”. Joshua or the writer shared how the “men of Gibeon” were instructed to tell the people of Israel that they existed as their men of servile condition and for this reason the people of Israel should fashion a covenant with them. 

When we consider the words in this verse, we learn through Joshua how the “men of Gibeon” continued to share their deceptive words with the people of Israel. They acted as though they were from a distant land where the people in that location told them to lay hold of food and provisions to travel to the people of Israel, and when they arrive, they were to tell the people of Israel that they were their men of servile condition. All of these things were meant to preserve the men of Gibeon’s lives, and we shall see how it works out for them in our next few verses. Joshua and the people of Israel believed these men from Gibeon, and rather that seeking the face of God, they took these men at their word. God wants us to have a close, intimate relationship with Him through His Son Jesus who died on the cross for the sins of all mankind and was raised from the dead after three days. When we submit to Him, He will forgive our sins, grant us everlasting life and put His Holy Spirit within us to guide us into all truth and encourage us to always go to God before we make major commitments and alliances with others. 

Next time we learn how the men of Gibeon continue by saying, “This our bread we took hot for our provision out of our houses on the day we came forth”, so read ahead, and we shall join together then.

Until tomorrow…there is more…

See more devotionals on the website "thewordfortodaywithray.com" or look for the daily devotional book “Equipped for Battle – From Generation to Generation”, the marriage book “So, You Want to Be Married”, “One Year in the Sermon on the Mount” and the new poetry book "Random Mushrooms Volumes I and II" and the new novel "Elizabeth County" in all major bookstore sites, http://www.amazon.com ; http://www.barnesandnobles.com ; download to e-books, and find it locally at www.mrzlc.com/bookstore. All references are from "Strongs Concordance".

Done to the Two Kings of the Amorites - Joshua 9:10

In the book of Joshua, we are learned how, “the men of Israel said unto the Hivites, Peradventure you dwell among us; and how shall we make a league with you? And they said unto Joshua, We are your servants. And Joshua said unto them, Who are you? and from where do you come? And they said unto him, From a very far country thy servants are come because of the name of the LORD your God: for we have heard the fame of him, and all that he did in Egypt, …”, and in chapter nine and verse ten of the book of Joshua, we learn how the men of Gibeon continued by saying, “all that he did to the two kings of the Amorites, that were beyond Jordan” where we read, 

And all that he did to the two kings of the Amorites, that were beyond Jordan, 

to Sihon king of Heshbon, and to Og king of Bashan, which was at Ashtaroth.

The verse reads, “And all that he did to the two kings of the Amorites, that were beyond Jordan, …” Joshua or the writer began with the words, “and all that he did” which means “and each, every, the whole and everything that he, Jehovah God, fashioned, accomplished, produced and performed” “to the two kings”  or “toward the two royal rulers and leaders” “of the Amorites” which means “belonging to the Amorites whose name means a sayer and was one of the peoples of east Canaan and beyond the Jordan, dispossessed by the Israelite incursion from Egypt”, “that were beyond Jordan” or “that existed in the region opposite or across Jordan whose name means descender and was the river of Palestine running from the roots of Anti-Lebanon to the Dead Sea a distance of approximately 200 miles (320 km)”. Joshua or the writer shared how the “Hivites” also told “Joshua” how they “heard” about the two “royal rulers” belonging to the “Amorites” who were in the region opposite the “Jordan” river. 

 

The verse goes on to say, “… to Sihon king of Heshbon, and to Og king of Bashan, which was at Ashtaroth.” Joshua or the writer continued with the words, “to Sihon” which means “toward Sihon whose name means warrior and was king of the Amorites at the time of the conquest who defeated by Moses in Transjordan”, “king of Heshbon” or “royal ruler and leader belonging to Heshbon whose name means stronghold and was the capital city of Sihon, king of the Amorites, located on the western border of the high plain and on the border line between the tribes of Reuben and Gad”, “and to Og” whose name means “long-necked and was the Amorite king of Bashan and one of the last representatives of the giants of Rephaim” “king of Bashan” or “royal ruler and leader belonging to Bashan whose name means fruitful and was a district east of the Jordan known for its fertility which was given to the half-tribe of Manasseh” “which was at Ashtaroth” or “that existed in the location of Ashtaroth or Astaroth whose name means star and was false goddesses in the Canaanite religion, usually related to fertility cult”. Joshua or the writer shared how the “Hivites” said they “heard” about what Jehovah God did to “Sihon” who was the royal ruler belonging to “Heshbon” and “Og” who was the “Amorite” royal ruler who reigned over “Bashan” in the location of “Ashtaroth”. 

When we think through the words in this verse, we learn how the “Hivites” had “heard” more about the conquests of Israel through Almighty God.  In other words, God’s conquering nature was well known, and we can imagine the fear this put in the hearts of the people who “heard” about Him. God loves people, and His desire is to have a personal relationship with all of us through His Son Jesus who died on the cross for the sins of all mankind and was resurrected from the dead after three days. When we put our trust and faith in Him as our “Savior and Lord”, He will forgive our sins, grant us everlasting life and equip us with His Holy Spirit who will guide us into all truth and help us stay in keeping with the fame, reputation and glory of Almighty God. 

Next time we learn how the men of Gibeon continue by saying, “our elders and all the inhabitants of our country spoke to us, saying, Take victuals with you for the journey”, so read ahead, and we shall join together then.

Until tomorrow…there is more…

See more devotionals on the website "thewordfortodaywithray.com" or look for the daily devotional book “Equipped for Battle – From Generation to Generation”, the marriage book “So, You Want to Be Married”, “One Year in the Sermon on the Mount” and the new poetry book "Random Mushrooms Volumes I and II" and the new novel "Elizabeth County" in all major bookstore sites, http://www.amazon.com ; http://www.barnesandnobles.com ; download to e-books, and find it locally at www.mrzlc.com/bookstore. All references are from "Strongs Concordance".

From a Very Far Country - Joshua 9:9

In the book of Joshua, we are learned how, “the men of Israel said unto the Hivites, Peradventure you dwell among us; and how shall we make a league with you? And they said unto Joshua, We are your servants. And Joshua said unto them, Who are you? and from where do you come?”, and in chapter nine and verse nine of the book of Joshua, we learn how the Hivites of Gibeon, “said unto him, From a very far country your servants are come because of the name of the LORD your God” where we read, 

And they said unto him, From a very far country your servants are come because of the name of the LORD your God: for we have heard the fame of him, and all that he did in Egypt,

The verse reads, “And they said unto him, From a very far country your servants are come because of the name of the LORD your God:” Joshua or the writer began with the words, “and they said unto Joshua” which means “and they, the Hivites, uttered, declared and proclaimed to Joshua whose name means Jehovah is salvation”, “from a very far country”  or “separate and apart from an exceedingly distant and abroad territory, region, district and land” “your servants are come” which means “your, Joshua’s, men of servile condition, slaves and bondmen have entered and arrived” “because of the name” or “since and on account of the fame, reputation and glory” “of the LORD” which means “the belonging to Jehovah who is the existing One and the proper name of the One True God” “your God” or “your, Joshua and the people of Israel’s, Supreme Deity”. Joshua or the writer shared how the “Hivites” told “Joshua” they were from an exceedingly distant territory, and they came to Him on account of the reputation and fame of Jehovah God. 

 

The verse continues, “… for we have heard the fame of him, and all that he did in Egypt, …” Joshua or the writer added the words, “for we have heard” which means “because, since and on account that we, the Hivites, have been given the faculty for hearing, perceiving, discerning and distinguishing” “the fame of him” or “the report, rumor and news belonging to him, Jehovah God”, “and all that he did” which means “and each, every, the whole and everything that he, Jehovah God, performed, produced, fashioned and accomplished” “in Egypt” or “within Egypt whose name means ‘land of the Copts’ and is a country at the northeastern section of Africa, adjacent to Palestine, and through which the Nile flows”. Joshua or the writer shared how the “Hivites” said they were given the faculty for perceiving the report and news about everything Jehovah God did for the people of Israel while they were in “Egypt”. 

When we meditate upon the words in this verse, we see how the “Hivites” began to speak their lies and deception to “Joshua” as they told him they were from an exceedingly distant land, and they “heard” of the reputation, reports and new concerning Jehovah God’s provision for “Israel” while they were in “Egypt”. God went before the people of “Israel” as they ventured into the promise land, and even though these “Hivites” were being “wilily”, He would care for the people of Israel. God loves Israel, and He loves us. He proved His love to the world when He sent His Son Jesus into the world to die on the cross for the sins of all mankind and raised Him from the dead after three days. When we put our faith and trust in Him as our “Savior and Lord”, He will forgive our sins, grant us everlasting life and put His Holy Spirit within us to guide us into all truth and give us discernment when our enemies attempt to deceive us.

Next time we learn how the men of Gibeon say the heard, “all that he did to the two kings of the Amorites, that were beyond Jordan”, so read ahead, and we shall join together then.

Until tomorrow…there is more…

See more devotionals on the website "thewordfortodaywithray.com" or look for the daily devotional book “Equipped for Battle – From Generation to Generation”, the marriage book “So, You Want to Be Married”, “One Year in the Sermon on the Mount” and the new poetry book "Random Mushrooms Volumes I and II" and the new novel "Elizabeth County" in all major bookstore sites, http://www.amazon.com ; http://www.barnesandnobles.com ; download to e-books, and find it locally at www.mrzlc.com/bookstore. All references are from "Strongs Concordance".

We are Your Servants - Joshua 9:8

In the book of Joshua, we are learned how, “the men of Israel said unto the Hivites, Peradventure you dwell among us; and how shall we make a league with you?”, and in chapter nine and verse eight of the book of Joshua, we learn how the men of Gibeon, “said unto Joshua, We are your servants” where we read, 

And they said unto Joshua, We are your servants. 

And Joshua said unto them, Who are you? and from where do you come?

The verse reads, “And they said unto Joshua, We are your servants.” Joshua or the writer began with the words, “and they said unto Joshua” which means “and they, the Hivites, uttered, declared and proclaimed to Joshua whose name means Jehovah is salvation”, “we are your servants”  or “we, the Hivites, exist as your, the people of Israel’s, men of servile condition, slaves or bondmen”. Joshua or the writer shared how the “Hivites” told “Joshua” that they existed as the people of “Israel’s” bondmen or men of servile condition. 

 

The verse goes on to say, “And Joshua said unto them, Who are you? and from where do you come?” Joshua or the writer continued with the words, “and Joshua” whose name means “Jehovah is salvation” “said unto them” or “uttered, declared and proclaimed to them, the Hivites”, “who are you” which means “what people do you, Hivites, exist as”? “and from where do you come” or “and from what place or location do you, the Hivites, enter and approach”?  Joshua or the writer shared how “Joshua” asked the “Hivites” who they were and from what location they came. 

When we consider the words in this verse, we learn how the “Hivites” told “Joshua” that they were the people of Israel’s bondservants which caused him to ask them who they were and from where they came. Joshua investigated these deceptive people and their attempt to save themselves, however, he did not ask for Jehovah God’s words concerning them. God wants people to call upon Him, and when we realize He gave His Son Jesus to die on the cross for the sins of all mankind and raised Him from the dead after three days, we may be forgiven of our sins, granted everlasting life and equipped with His Holy Spirit as we put our trust and faith in Him as our personal “Savior and Lord”. Regardless of who comes into our lives, let us learn this lesson, go to God first before we commit to “make an alliance” with anyone.

Next time we learn how the men of Gibeon, “said unto him, From a very far country your servants are come because of the name of the LORD your God”, so read ahead, and we shall join together then.

Until tomorrow…there is more…

See more devotionals on the website "thewordfortodaywithray.com" or look for the daily devotional book “Equipped for Battle – From Generation to Generation”, the marriage book “So, You Want to Be Married”, “One Year in the Sermon on the Mount” and the new poetry book "Random Mushrooms Volumes I and II" and the new novel "Elizabeth County" in all major bookstore sites, http://www.amazon.com ; http://www.barnesandnobles.com ; download to e-books, and find it locally at www.mrzlc.com/bookstore. All references are from "Strongs Concordance".