THE DEATH OF JOSHUA

PROCLAMATION

“And it came to pass after these things, that Joshua the son of Nun, the servant of The Lord, died, being an hundred and ten years old.  And they buried him in the border of his inheritance in Timnah-serah, which is in Mount Ephraim, on the north side of the hill of Gaash.”  Joshua 24:29-30 (KJV)

 

EXPLANATION

These are the words of God which written under the influence of The Holy Spirit of God.  In chapter twenty-three Joshua addressed all of the leaders of Israel.  In chapter twenty-four he addresses all of the people of Israel.  They gathered at Shechem because it is the place where they would conduct the solemn burial of the bones of Joseph.  The purpose of this gathering was a rededication of the people and the solemn renewing of their covenant with The Lord God. (Joshua 24:1)  Joshua told the people what thus saith The Lord.  He recounted how He took Abraham from beyond the Euphrates River and led him throughout Canaan.  He gave him many descendants.  He gave him Isaac, and to Isaac He gave Jacob who went down into Egypt. (Joshua 24:2-4)  He said that He sent Moses and Aaron to bring them out of Egypt.  He parted the Red Sea and led them into the wilderness where they lived for a long time.  Then He brought them across the Jordan River and gave them Jericho and all of the land that He promised their forefathers. (Joshua 24:5-13)  Joshua then told them to fear The Lord and serve Him faithfully.  They were to put away all of the idols that their ancestors worshiped on the other side of the Euphrates River, and while in Egypt, and the gods of the Amorites in whose land they lived.  The people said that they would serve The Lord. (Joshua 24:14-18)  Joshua made a covenant for the people with God there at Shechem then he dismissed them. (Joshua 24:19-28)  Joshua died at the age of one hundred and ten years old and was called a servant of God.  The bones of Joseph, which were brought up out of Egypt, were buried at Shechem. (Joshua 24:29-32)  

 

APPLICATION

Moses was a servant of The Lord God.  Joshua, who served Moses and took over after him, was called a servant of The Lord God but only at the end of his life.  It is an honor to be given the title “Servant of God.”  This is the title which all Christians should strive for.  At the end of our life, we all want to hear The Lord God say to us, “Well done, good and faithful servant …” (Matthew 25:21)

WELL DONE GOOD AND FAITHFUL SERVANT

PROCLAMATION

“His master replied, ‘Well done, good and faithful servant!  You have been faithful with a few things; I will put you in charge of many things.  Come and share your master’s happiness!’ ”  Matthew 25:21 and 23 (NIV)

EXPLANATION

These words are from the gospel, the good news regarding Jesus, The Christ, which were spoken by Christ according to the Apostle Matthew.  As Jesus sat on the Mount of Olives, He continued to speak to His disciples.  He told them the Parable of the Ten Virgins (Matthew 25:1-13), the Parable of the Bags of Gold (Matthew 25:14-30), and He also told them about The Sheep and the Goats. (Matthew 25:31-46)  Five of the virgins were wise and prepared ahead of time and five were foolish and did not so they were not ready when the time came.  Two of the servants used wisely what their master had given to them and were rewarded with “Well done …” while the one servant who did nothing was punished.  The King will separate the sheep from the goats, one people from another, and those who treated the needy people kindly were rewarded, and those who didn’t were punished.  He said, “… As ye have done it unto one of the least of these My brethren, ye have done it unto Me.” (Matthew 25:40)

APPLICATION

We ought to get ready now for the return of Christ.  Delaying and procrastinating may cause us to be left behind like the five foolish virgins.  We all have God-given abilities and gifts which we need to use to His glory.  We should give of our time, talent, and treasure to the kingdom building efforts here on earth while we are able to do so.  When the time comes, we will be rewarded for our work. (Matthew 16:27)  We also need to be very careful regarding how we treat people.  Christ said, as you have done it to them, you have done it to Him. (Matthew 25:40)  But He also said, whatever you did not do for one of the least of these, you did not do for Me. (Matthew 25:45)  This clearly states that we can sin by commission and by omission.  When we don’t do that which we should do, we also sin.  Doing nothing can be sinful, especially when we have the opportunity to help someone and we don’t do it.  Let us not waste our God-given abilities and gifts, let us work to the glory of God.

WE WANT TO HEAR WELL DONE GOOD AND FAITHFUL SERVANT

Proclamation:

“‘Well done, my good servant’, his master replied.  ‘Because you have trustworthy in a very small matter, take charge of …’”  Luke 19:17 (NIV)

Explanation:

These are the words of Jesus, The Christ, as recorded by Luke, the physician, under the influence of The Holy Spirit of God.  As He was passing through Jericho on His way to Jerusalem, Jesus stopped and blessed the house of Zacchaeus, a wealthy chief tax collector. (Luke 19:1-10)  Then Jesus told a parable to those who had followed Him about a certain nobleman and his servants. (Luke 19:11-27)  After this He continued on to Jerusalem.  When He got there, He entered the city on the back of a colt as the crowd cheered. (Luke 19:28-38)

Application:

In this parable the nobleman represents The Lord Jesus, The Christ, and we are the servants.

Each of us has been blessed with various different abilities and we each have been given an assignment according to our ability to handle it. (Matthew 25:15)  Those of us who faithfully discharge our responsibilities as we work for The Lord will be rewarded.  He will say, “Well done, good and faithful servant!  You have been faithful with a few things; I will put you in charge of many things.  Come and share your Master’s happiness!” (Matthew 25:21 and 23)  

A GOOD NAME IS WORTH MORE THAN MONEY

Proclamation:

“A good name is more desirable than great riches; to be esteemed is better than silver and gold.”  Proverbs 22:1 (NIV)

Explanation:

These words were written under the influence of The Holy Spirit of God by King Solomon.  Even though he had great wealth and all that money could buy, Solomon put material wealth in proper perspective.  A good name is more valuable than great wealth or anything that money can buy.

Application:

Your reputation is what people say about you, but your character is who you really are.  A “Good” name is not the name that you were born with, it is the name that you earn by the kind of person that you are.  It is better to have a “Good” name than to have great riches.  Our behavior says much more about us than our words. (1 Samuel 2:3)  There are some things, like favor with The Lord God, which money cannot buy. (Acts 8:20)  Do those things which will help you to earn a “good” name, and obeying The Word of God is the best thing that we can do.  Remember, The Lord God sees all of the actions of men.  When all is said and done, we want to hear Him say, “Well done, good and faithful servant.” (Matthew 25:21)

THE GOOD WILL BE REWARDED AND THE EVIL WILL BE PUNISHED

Proclamation:

“The faithless will be fully repaid for their ways, and the good rewarded for theirs.” Proverbs 14:14 (NIV)

Explanation:
This proverb was written by King Solomon under the influence of The Holy Spirit of God. This fourteenth proverb of Solomon continues the pattern which he started in the tenth proverb of presenting a series of seemingly unrelated sentences that compares and contrasts that which is good and righteous with that which is not. Much is said in this proverb contrasting the wise man and the fool. He who forsakes The Lord God will be punished and made to pay for his sins. The righteous believer will be rewarded for following the ways of The Lord. He shall eat the fruits of his labor and he shall be blessed for his good deeds. (Isaiah 3:10)

Application:
As we sow, so shall we also reap. (Galatians 6:7-8) He that sows evil and wickedness will reap the same as he sows. (Job 4:8 and Proverbs 22:8) Those who enjoy doing evil and those who seek only the pleasures of the flesh or worldly treasure will have to answer for their rejection of The Lord God and His way. (Revelation 20:15) While those who are faithful believers, who follow The Holy Word of God, will be rewarded for being good stewards and faithful servants. (Matthew 25:21 and 25:23)

I WILL LISTEN TO WHAT THE LORD GOD SAYS

Proclamation:
“I will listen to what God The Lord says; He promises peace to His people, His faithful servants, but let them not turn to folly.”  Psalm 85:8 (NIV)

Explanation:

The words of this psalm were thought to be written by the three sons of Korah, Asir, Elkanah, and Abiasaph, under the influence of The Holy Spirit of God.  They were descendants of Levi and thought to be the gate-keepers and musicians in the temple at Jerusalem.  The psalmist begins telling The Lord God that He had forgiven the people of their iniquity and sin in the past, and he asks that The Lord would restore them again. (Psalm 85:4)  He offers a petition to The Lord on behalf of the people, whom he represents, stating that even though they did not listen in the past, they would listen to Him now.  The psalmist knows that God’s Word is the gospel of peace.  Then he prayed that the people would not return to their sinful ways of idolatry, immoral living, self-righteousness, or blatant neglect of Christ and The Word of God.

Application:

Believers know that The Lord God speaks to us through His Word.  His Holy Spirit brings to our mind the remembrance of the things which we read and heard preached from The Word of God. (John 14:26)  The promises that He made to us are contained within His Holy Word.  The problem is with our lack of willingness to read The Word of God and to be obedient to it.  Some people hear the gospel preached but it “goes in one ear and out of the other” without the benefit of affecting anything in their brain as it passed through.  However, hearing and believing The Word of God will change an individual and transform their mind. (Romans 12:2 and 2 Corinthians 5:17)  Then they will no longer want to do all of the sinful things that they used to do.  They will not become perfect, but they will change.  The more we listen to what The Word of God says, the more Christ-like we will become, and the more likely we will become a good and faithful servant.

WELL DONE GOOD AND FAITHFUL SERVANT

Proclamation:

"His master replied, 'Well done, good and faithful servant!  You have been faithful with a few things; I will put you in charge of many things.  Come and share your master's happiness!'" Matthew 25:23 (NIV)

Explanation:

The Apostle Matthew recorded these words of Jesus, The Christ, as He was describing to His disciples what heaven would be like.  After giving an example likening the kingdom of heaven to the ten virgins, Jesus gave a second example likening the kingdom of heaven to the three servants, who were given a different number of talents by their master based upon their different abilities.  Afterwards, the three servants had to give and account of their stewardship.  This verse is the judgment received by the second servant, which is a repeat of the judgment of the first servant. (Matthew 25:21)  Being faithful and doing a good job with what we are given will please The Lord, and He will reward those who are faithful over the little that they were given.  

Application:
Today, we must be aware of the fact that there will come a day when each of us must give an account to The Lord for all that we thought, said, and did; and for all that we did with that which had been entrusted to us. (Matthew 12:36, Luke 16:2, and Romans 14:12)  As believers, we are saved and our sins have been forgiven.  We will be judged on our kingdom building efforts.  (Revelation 11:18 and Revelation 20:12-13)  We will be judged on our works, on what we did to give glory to The Lord.  Anything that we did which did not give Him glory will be consumed by the fire which we must pass through. (1 Corinthians 3:10-15)  For our good works, we shall receive a reward.  Some of us will receive one or more crowns. (2 Timothy 4:8 and 1 Peter 5:4) first and foremost we want to hear The Lord say, "Well done, good and faithful servant ... enter into the joy of The Lord."

Blessed Is The Servant Whom The Lord Finds Doing Good

"Therefore keep watch, because you do not know on what day your Lord will come.  But understand this; If the owner of the house had known at what time of night the thief was coming, he would have kept watch and would not have let his house be broken into.  So you also must be ready, because The Son of Man will come at an hour when you do not expect Him.  'Who then is the faithful and wise servant, whom the master has put in charge of the servants in his household to give them their food at the proper time?  It will be good for that servant whose master finds him doing so when he returns.' "  Matthew 24:42-46 (NIV)

The Apostle Matthew, the former tax collector, recorded this parable which Jesus spoke to His disciples regarding the end of the age, (Matthew 24:3-36), the rapture of The Church, (Matthew 24:40-41), and His return to earth. (Matthew 24:44)  He told them to keep watch and be ready, because not one knows exactly when He will return.  He then taught them using a parable that the wise and faithful servant will be doing the work which he was assigned when The Master returns.

Since no one knows exactly when Christ will return, we need to prepare now for His return.  It is said that we need to get ready now, and stay ready, so that we be ready when He comes.  If we stay ready, we won't have to worry about trying to get ready when He comes.  Just as in the days of Noah, the people would not turn from their sinful ways before the flood, and after the flood came, it was too late for them. (Matthew 24:37-39)  It would be better for us today, if we were like the good and faithful servant. (Matthew 24:45 and Matthew 25:21 and 23)  Blessed is the servant whom The Lord will find doing good works when He returns. (Matthew 24:46)  

Well Done Good And Faithful Servant

"His master replied, 'Well done, good and faithful servant!  You have been faithful with a few things; I will put you in charge of many things.  Come and share Your master's happiness!' "  Matthew 25:23 (NIV)

The Apostle Matthew recorded these words of Jesus, The Christ, as He was describing to His disciples what heaven would be like.  After giving an example likening the kingdom of heaven to the ten virgins, Jesus gave a second example likening the kingdom of heaven to the three servants, who were given a different number of talents by their master based upon their different abilities.  Afterwards, the three servants had to give and account of their stewardship.  This verse is the judgment received by the second servant, which is a repeat of the judgment of the first servant. (Matthew 25:21)  Being faithful and doing a good job with what we are given will please The Lord, and He will reward those who are faithful over the little that they were given.  

Today, we must be aware of the fact that there will come a day when each of us must give an account to The Lord for all that we thought, said, and did; and for all that we did with that which had been entrusted to us. (Matthew 12:36, Luke 16:2, and Romans 14:12)  As believers, we are saved and our sins have been forgiven.  We will be judged on our kingdom building efforts.  (Revelation 11:18 and Revelation 20:12-13)  We will be judged on our works, on what we did to give glory to The Lord.  Anything that we did which did not give Him glory, will be consumed by the fire which we must pass through. (1 Corinthians 3:10-15)  For our good works, we shall receive a reward.  Some of us will receive one or more crowns. (2 Timothy 4:8 and 1 Peter 5:4)  There are mansions prepared for us. (John 14:2)  However, all rewards aside, on judgment day, first and foremost we want to hear The Lord say, "Well done, good and faithful servant ... enter into the joy of The Lord."