JOSHUA'S FINAL FAREWELL

PROCLAMATION

“And it came to pass a long time after … that Joshua waxed old and stricken in age.  And Joshua called for all Israel, and for the elders … and said to them, ‘… ye have seen all that The Lord your God hath done unto all these nations because of you; for The Lord your God is He that hath fought for you.’ ”  Joshua 23:1-3 (KJV)

 

EXPLANATION

These are the words of God which were revealed to and written by Joshua under the influence of The Holy Spirit of God.  After years of peace and rest from their enemies which were all around them, Joshua calls all of Israel together.  He tells them that he is old and stricken in age.  He tells them that The Lord God has fought their battles for them and defeated all of the nations around them. (Joshua 23:1-3)  He says that God has done great things for them and they should remain close to Him and follow His commands. (Joshua 23:6-11)  Then he cautions them and says that if they turn from The Lord God they could lose the land which He has given to them. (Joshua 23:12-13)  He tells them that he is about to die and he warns them that if they transgress and serve other gods, the anger of The Lord God will burn against them and they will be driven from the land. (Joshua 23:14-16)

 

APPLICATION

Sometimes the worst thing that can happen to us is to be blessed with success, prosperity, and plenty.  We tend to get an over inflated image of ourselves and we forget about God.  We have all been blessed in more ways than we can count and we should be grateful and thank Him daily.  If we do not acknowledge The Lord God and give Him praise, honor, and glory for all that He has done, then we may lose the blessing which we have been given.  If we turn from Him, He will withdraw from us and we will also lose the protection from our enemies.  All that we have, and all that we are, is the result of the goodness of God and we need His continued grace and mercy in order to maintain what we have.

GRACIOUS TO WHOMEVER HE WANTS TO

PROCLAMATION

“And he said, ‘I beseech Thee, show me Thy glory.’  And He said, ‘I will make all My goodness pass before thee, and I will proclaim the name of The Lord before thee; and will be gracious to whom I will be gracious, and will show mercy on whom I will show mercy.’  And He said, ‘Thou canst not see My face; for there shall no man see Me, and live.’ ”  Exodus 33:18-19 (KJV)

 

EXPLANATION

These are the words of God which were revealed to and written by Moses under the influence of The Holy Spirit of God.  The Lord God told Moses to lead the people away from Mount Sinai to the land which He had promised to Abraham, and to Isaac, and to Jacob.  He said that He would send an angel before them to drive out the current inhabitants, but He would not go with them because they were a stiff-necked people and He might destroy them. (Exodus 33:1-3)  The people mourned when Moses told them what The Lord God had said. (Exodus 33:4-6)  Then Moses pitched the tent which was the tabernacle some distance away from the camp and there he met with The Lord.  Whenever the people saw the cloudy pillar at the entrance to the tabernacle, they knew that The Lord God was present and speaking with Moses.  No man approached the tabernacle, they all worshiped God, every man standing in the doorway of his own tent. (Exodus 33:7-10)  While talking to God, Moses asked Him to show him His glory.  The Lord God told him that no man can see His face and live. (Exodus 33:11-20)  He told Moses that He would be gracious to whomever He wanted to, and He would show mercy to whomever He wanted to show mercy.  Then He told Moses that He would hide him in the cleft of a rock and pass by allowing him to see His back side. (Exodus 33:19-23) 

 

APPLICATION

The Lord God is good all of the time.  He is gracious and merciful, and He shares His grace and mercy with whomever He chooses to share them with.  They are both gifts from God, we have done nothing to merit either one of them.  Because of our limited capacity for understanding, we sometimes we ask The Lord God for things which are not in our best interest.  Since He knows all, He may choose to give us something that is different from what we asked for because it will be better for us.  We need to learn to thank Him for the doors which He closed and protected us from, as well as for the doors of opportunity which He opened for us. 

 

A GUILTY CONSCIENCE WILL WHIP YOU

Proclamation:

“I am unworthy of all the kindness and faithfulness You have shown Your servant.  I had only my staff when I crossed this Jordan, but now I have become two camps.  Save me, I pray, from the hand of my brother, Esau, for I am afraid he will come and attack me, and also the mothers with their children.”  Genesis 32:10-11 (NIV)

Explanation:

These are the words of God which were written by Moses under the influence of The Holy Spirit of God.  When Jacob and Laban parted company, Jacob returned to his homeland and prepared to face his brother Esau.  It had been more than twenty years since Jacob had left home after tricking his father, Isaac, into giving him the blessing which was meant for Esau and caused his brother to despise him and plan to kill him. (Genesis 27:1-45)  Since that time he had acquired much wealth, flocks, and herds, in addition to having a large family.  Jacob sent messengers ahead of him to Esau with a peace offering and his reply was that he was coming to meet him with four hundred men. (Genesis 32:3-6)  When he heard this, Jacob became afraid and distressed, and prayed that The Lord God would save him from his brother. (Genesis 32:7-11) 

Application:

The Lord God may have forgiven us of our sins but the devil will not let us forget them and frequently reminds us of them.  Our sinful memories can rob us of our peace of mind and cause us much distress.  We need to pray that God will forgive us and restore unto us the joy of our salvation (Psalm 51:12) and grant us His peace. (Psalm 29:11)  Each of us is a sinner, but some of us have been saved by the grace of God and forgiven of our sins.  The Bible teaches us that if we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us of our sins and to cleanse us from all of our unrighteousness. (1 John 1:9)

OUR CONFESSED SINS ARE FORGIVEN AND FORGOTTEN

Proclamation:

“For I will forgive their wickedness and will remember their sins no more.”  Hebrews 8:12 (NIV)

Explanation:

These words were written by the unknown human author of The Book of Hebrews under the influence of The Holy Spirit of God.  In this chapter the author begins by talking about the new high priest, Jesus, and the new covenant. (Hebrews 8:1-9)  Then, according to the author, The Lord God said that He would write this new covenant on the minds and hearts of His people, and He will be their God. (Hebrews 8:10)  Then The Lord God said that He would not only forgive the sins of His people but that He would also no longer remember their sins.

Application:

This text indicates that as believers when we confess our sins and ask to be forgiven that there will be a full forgiveness and complete pardon for our sins. (1 John 1:9)  The Lord God will not bring our forgiven sins to His mind.  He will be merciful unto us.  This does not give us the right to go out and continually repeat our sins.  If our prayer request to be forgiven is not sincere, then they will not be answered.  Jesus said that some who calls upon the name of The Lord will be told to depart from Him because they were workers of iniquity. (Matthew 7:21-23)  Only the fervent prayers of the righteous are effective and very productive. (James 5:16)

ALL OF US NEED MERCY BECAUSE ALL OF US HAVE BEEN DISOBEDIENT

Proclamation:

“As far as the gospel is concerned … God’s gifts and His call are irrevocable.  Just as you who were at one time disobedient to God have now received mercy as a result of their disobedience, so they too have now become disobedient in order that they too may now receive mercy as a result of God’s mercy to you.  For God has bound everyone over to disobedience so that He may have mercy on them all.”  Romans 11:28-32 (NIV)

Explanation:

These words were written under the influence of The Holy Spirit of God by the Apostle Paul in his letter to the believers in Rome.  There were and are those in Israel who rejected The Lord God but He will not reject His chosen people. (Romans 11:1-6)  Because of their transgressions, salvation was offered to the Gentiles. (Romans 11:11)  Paul presented the example of a twig, the Gentiles, being grafted onto an olive tree and thriving on the nourishment from the tree’s root. (Romans 11:17-21)  The Jews are God’s chosen people.  Just because some of them are non-believers and disobedient does not mean that God will turn His back on them. (Romans 11:28-32)  At one time we were also disobedient.

Application:

We are part of the elect of God.  The grace of God and the calling us out of darkness into His marvelous light are without repentance.  God does not change His mind about us.  He dislikes our sins but He still loves us.  God made a promise to Abraham (Romans 4:16 and Galatians 3:18) and if we believe in Christ, then we are heirs with Abraham to the promise of God. (Galatians 3:29)  Jesus, The Christ, said that I have sheep which are not of this sheep fold, referring to the Jews, which I will bring in and there will be just one fold. (John 10:16)  He also said I am the vine and you are the branches. (John 15:5)  A branch cannot survive by itself; it must be connected to the vine and the root. (John 15:4-6)  Just as we were grafted in because of our faith in Him, so may others, who are now disobedient, be grafted in.  Pray for those who are currently lost.  We who have received mercy should pray for mercy to be extended to others. (Matthew 5:7)

WHAT IS MAN THAT THE LORD GOD EVEN THINKS ABOUT HIM

Proclamation:

“Lord, what are human beings that You care for them, mere mortals that You think of them?  They are like a breath; their days are like a fleeting shadow.”  Psalm 144:3-4 (NIV)

Explanation:

The words of this psalm were written under the influence of The Holy Spirit of God by King David.  This psalm begins by praising The Lord God. (Psalm 144:1-2)  Then David asks a rhetorical question, what is man that God cares about him or even thinks about him?  He knows that man is insignificant in comparison to an all-powerful, all-knowing God, who is everywhere all at the same time, who is eternal, and who spoke and created something out of nothing.  Man is like a vapor or a fleeting shadow, insignificant and short lasting. (Psalm 144:4)  David again prays and asks that The Lord God would deliver him and the children of Israel for the hands of foreigners. (Psalm 144:11)  Once that happens, he knows that they will be blessed. (Psalm 144:12-15)

Application:

When we consider all of the things which The Lord God has created, including the vastness of the universe, the planets, the earth and all of the things therein, man is insignificant.  We may be larger than some plants and animals, but we are much smaller than some of them, not to mention the mountains and seas.  We are blessed that The Lord God gives any thought to us.  We ought to be thankful and grateful for all that He has done for us out of His grace and mercy.   We are blessed because He is our God. (Psalm 144:15)

MAY I SUFFER IF I FORGET YOU OR IF I DO NOT REMEMBER YOU

Proclamation:

“If I forget you, Jerusalem, may my right hand forget its skill.  May my tongue cling to the roof of my mouth if I do not remember you, if I do not consider Jerusalem my highest joy.”  Psalm 137:5-6 (NIV)

Explanation:

The words of this psalm were written under the influence of The Holy Spirit of God by King David to echo the words of the saints who were carried off in captivity into Babylon.  As they sat by the rivers of Babylon and as they wept, they remembered Jerusalem. (Psalm 137:1)  In their despondent situation, they were forced by their captors to sing. (Psalm 137:3-4)  They knew that they would never forget their holy city and the prayed that they would suffer greatly if they ever did not remember. (Psalm 137:5-7)

Application:

A lot of good things and bad things happen to us over the course of our lives, but there are some things which happen that are truly unforgettable.  Sometimes The Lord God allows us to go through a critical experience in order to bless us.  The experience is one of those unforgettable moments in our lives, however, we should not forget The Lord God who blessed us and brought us to and through that moment.  Some experiences will put a smile on our face, a song in our mouth, and joy in our heart.  Unfortunately, all too often we tend to focus on the experience and not on The Lord God who brought us through it.  Let us always remember, and never forget, that the hand of The Lord God is involved in every aspect of our lives. (Proverbs 3:6)  It is in Him that we live, move, and have our very being. (Acts 17:28)

PUT YOUR HOPE IN THE LORD GOD AND HIS UNFAILING LOVE

Proclamation:

“Israel, put your hope in The Lord, for with The Lord is unfailing love and with Him is full redemption.  He Himself will redeem Israel from all their sins.”  Psalm 130:7-8 (NIV)

Explanation:

The words of this psalm were written under the influence of The Holy Spirit of God.  The name of the human author of this psalm of ascent is unknown, however, some Bible scholars attribute it to King David.  The psalmist began by stating that when he was deep in distress he cried out unto The Lord. (Psalm 130:1-2)  He knows that The Lord can forgive him and he is waiting on The Lord. (Psalm 130:4-6)  Here, he encourages all of Israel to also put their hope in The Lord and wait on Him. (Psalm 130:7-8)  The Lord God is full of grace and mercy and only He can forgive their sins and redeem them.

Application:                                            

At one time or another, all of us have been deep in trouble, in way over our heads.  We may not have been literally in very deep water as Jonah was, (Jonah 2:1-3) but figuratively we were so deep in trouble that we could not see our way out.   Those are the times when The Lord God made a way out of no way and He carried us through whatever it was.  As we look back over our lives, looking back over “the footprints of time in the sand”, those times when we see only one set of footprints are the times when He was carrying us instead of walking beside us.  Whatever He brings us to, He can bring us through.  We just need to put our faith and trust in Him, ask Him to forgive us and have mercy on us.  Then we need to wait upon Him to answer our prayer and redeem us.

DIRECT MY FOOTSTEPS ACCORDING TO YOUR WORD

Proclamation:

“Turn to me and have mercy on me, as You always do to those who love Your name.  Direct my footsteps according to Your word; let no sin rule over me.”  Psalm 119:132-133 (NIV)

Explanation:

The words of this psalm were written under the influence of The Holy Spirit of God by King David.  This is the seventeenth part, Pe, of this twenty-two part psalm.  David begins this part by praising The Lord and then he asks The Lord God to have mercy on him, to direct his footsteps and not allow any sinful habit to have rule over him.  He ends this part by asking that The Lord would let His presence shine upon him and states that he is saddened by the disobedience to God’s law.

Application:

We need to pray and ask The Lord God to order our steps. (Psalm 37:23)  We are sinful because of human nature and we need to pray that He will not let any sin control us.  We frequently have sinful thoughts and make sinful choices.  Only with His help can we resist sin and the devil. (James 4:7)  We are at war with sin and the devil and we need to put on the whole armor of God in order to stand up during his attacks. (Ephesians 6:11-13)  It should hurt us to the point of tears when we see The Word of God being disobeyed, especially by a child of God, and we should pray for them.

GREAT IS THE LOVING KINDNESS OF THE LORD GOD

Proclamation:

“I will praise You, Lord, among the nations; I will sing of You among the peoples.  For great is Your love, higher than the heavens; Your faithfulness reaches to the skies.”  Psalm 108:3-4 (NIV)

Explanation:

The words of this psalm were written by King David under the influence of The Holy Spirit of God.  This psalm repeats some of the inspired passages from the fifty-seventh psalm (Psalm 57:7-11) and from the sixtieth psalm. (Psalm 60:6-12)  David was steadfast in his love of The Lord God and he was going to sing and praise Him in front of the congregation of the righteous and before the unsaved world.  He knew that God’s love for him bigger than anything on earth.

 Application:

We all need to change our perspective on life and present a much more positive outlook.  We need to be joyful regardless of the situation.  Whatever it is that we are going through, we ought to count it all as joy. (James 1:2)  When we think of the things which He has done for us, we ought to praise Him.  We ought to be thankful for the blessings which we have already received, and we should continually praise The Lord.  His loving-kindness towards us exceeds our capacity to understand it or comprehend it.  “With God we will gain the victory …” (Psalm 108:13) and “All things work together for good to them that love God …” (Romans 8:28) so we should praise His Holy Name.

BLESSED ARE THOSE WHO HAVE LEARNED TO ACKNOWLEDGE THE LORD

Proclamation:

“Blessed are those who have learned to acclaim You, who walk in the light of Your presence, Lord.  They rejoice in Your name all day long; they celebrate Your righteousness.”  Psalm 89:15-16 (NIV)

Explanation:

The words of this psalm were written under the influence of The Holy Spirit of God by Ethan the Ezrahite regarding the Davidic Covenant.  Ethan, a singer during the days of King David, who saw the decline of David’s family, is thought to have written this psalm to remind the people of God’s Covenant with David.  This psalm expounds upon the mercies of The Lord God which the psalmist sings about. (Psalm 89:1-2)

Application:

Those of us who believe and acknowledge The Lord God in our lives and worship and praise Him, and who walk in His way are blessed.  We rejoice in His righteousness and we are thankful for His grace and mercy.  We lift His name and He in turn lifts us up and grants us His favor. (Psalm 89:17)

LET US LET THE SOUND OF HIS PRAISE BE HEARD

Proclamation:

“Praise our God, all peoples, let the sound of His praise be heard; He has preserved our lives and kept our feet from slipping.  For You, God, tested us; You refined us like silver.  You brought us into prison and laid burdens on our backs.  You let people ride over our heads; we went through fire and water, but You brought us to a place of abundance.”  Psalm 66:8-12 (NIV)

Explanation:

This psalm of praise and thanksgiving was written by an unknown human author under the influence of The Holy Spirit of God.  The psalmist begins by encouraging group praise, (Psalm 66:1-4) then he presents evidence of God’s previous faithfulness to His people, (Psalm 66:5-7) and then he addresses God’s continual protection. (Psalm 66:8-12)  This is followed by individual personal praise and a personal testimony regarding answered prayer. (Psalm 66:13-20)  The psalmist invites people to “come and see” (Psalm 66:5) what The Lord has done and then he invites them to “come and hear” his personal testimony. (Psalm 66:16-17)

Application:

We should praise and thank The Lord God publicly and privately for who He is and for all that he has done in each of our lives.  God has allowed the golden moments of our lives to keep rolling on and not let us slip into death.  He has brought us through purifying trials of fire and suffering which made us stronger.  He has never forsaken us and He brought us to the place where we are now in life, enjoying the abundance of His grace and blessings.  The promises that we made to Him during our times of affliction should be honored. (Psalm 66:13-14)  When others hear our testimony they will also praise The Lord and be glad. (Psalm 34:2)