In the book of Joshua, we learned how Joshua said to the people of Israel, “put away, said he, the strange gods which are among you, and incline your heart unto the LORD God of Israel. And the people said unto Joshua, The LORD our God will we serve, and his voice will we obey”, and in chapter twenty-four and verse twenty-five of Joshua, Joshua or the writer shares how, “Joshua made a covenant with the people that day” where we read,
So Joshua made a covenant with the people that day, and set them a statute and an ordinance in Shechem.
The verse reads, “So Joshua made a covenant with the people that day, …” Joshua or the writer began with the words, “so Joshua” which means “therefore, then and on this account Joshua whose name means ‘Jehovah is salvation’ and was the son of Nun of the tribe of Ephraim and successor to Moses as the leader of the children of Israel; led the conquest of Canaan” “made a covenant” or “made an alliance, league, treaty and agreement” “with the people that day” which means “alongside and accompanying the human beings of Israel that particular sunrise to sunset”. Joshua or the writer shared how “Joshua” formed an alliance and agreement with the “people” of Israel on that particular “day”.
The verse continues, “… and set them a statute and an ordinance in Shechem.” Joshua or the writer added the words, “and set them a statute” which means “and placed, appointed and caused them, the people of Israel, to have a limited prescribed task and portion” “and an ordinance” or “and a judgement, act of deciding a case, process, procedure and litigation” “in Shechem” which means “within Shechem whose name means ‘back or shoulder’ and was a city in Manasseh; located in a valley between Mount Ebal and Mount Gerizim, 34 miles (54 km) north of Jerusalem and seven miles (10.5 km) southeast of Samaria”. Joshua or the writer shared how “Joshua” appointed a prescribed task and procedure with the people of Israel within the city of “Shechem”.
When we consider the words in this verse, we learn how “Joshua” made an alliance and agreement with the people of Israel on that particular “day”, and he appointed a limit and procedure for carrying out that agreement within the city of “Shechem”. This “covenant” was to be the beginning of the people of Israel continuing in their commitment to “serve” Jehovah God and not other deities. God wants the same from us, and He made this possible by sending His Son Jesus into the world to die on the cross for the sins of all mankind and to be raised from the dead after three days. When we surrender to 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 to empower us to live in agreement with Him and His ways all the days of our lives. (See John 3:16; 16:13; Acts 1:8)
Next time Joshua or the writer shares how, “Joshua wrote these words in the book of the law of 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".
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