Joshua 9:3-27
'There are many deceivers come into the world...' How can we detect them? Don't do what Joshua and his elders did - they relied on their own abilities! The result? The Gibeonites deceived them. They worshipped idols, but that did not stop them from speaking about 'the name of the Lord' for their own ends. We can know deceivers 'by their fruits' - sometimes too late. When we are not sure about something, we must wait on the Lord to reveal the truth. This takes patience.
Joshua 10:1-43
Having been duped into accepting responsibility for the Gibeonites, the Israelites were obliged to protect them against their enemies. We can also be duped into having to fulfill obligations that we should not have taken on in the first place. Thankfully, even when we make mistakes, God can turn it to our good. The destruction of the Gibeonites' enemies required a miracle in the form of the sun being stayed for 'about' a whole day.
When we are obeying God's orders He will give us success (v.42), no matter how daunting the obstacles.
Luke 16:19-31
There are a number of lessons to be learned from this parable, especially about eternity. But one salient lesson stands out, the one encapsulated in v.31: "If they do not listen to God's Word ('Moses and the Prophets') then they will not be convinced [about God and the Good News of salvation] even if someone returned from the dead". The Bible, the Word of God, contains all we need to know about being right with God. If we don't heed its message we, like the rich man, will also end up in torment.
Luke 17:1-10
In these verses, the Lord gives his disciples and hearers some common sense about being in God's good books: do not cause anyone to sin; no matter how many times people sin against you, forgive them every time they repent; believe it or not, every one of us has enough faith to become great achievers in life; and, don't ever kid yourself into thinking that you have done your share for God!
Psalm 83:1-18
What's new about Israel's enemies trying to wipe them out (v.4)? That Arab nations are at it again shows that:
- They are not led by the Almighty God, the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, for God will not fight against Himself. Therefore Allah is not God.
- Almighty God is Israel's Protector; they are His people; which is why, for all their bluster, Israel's enemies have not wiped them out.
Proverbs 13:4
In the approximately 1000 years that the Arabs ruled Palestine the place was unproductive. With Israel re-established as a state, the land has blossomed. This not only shows them to be diligent, it also confirms that God is blessing the land of Israel because He promised it to them.
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