Abide

Read: Joshua 6:6-7,10

Joshua, the leader of the Israelites, had been appointed by God and Moses in the presence of all the people. He had already seen God work mightily through himself and Moses and had experienced the presence of God first hand. In light of this, Joshua was submitted to God and was serving God. When it came time to take Jericho, God gave him specific instructions on what to do. Joshua then delivers the instructions to the Israelites, telling them what God had instructed. He did not change the instructions, rather gave them just as he received them.

The commands of God are something that should be taken and given without deviation or alteration to the plans. When God commissioned Joshua, he told Joshua to not deviate from the commandments of God by going to the left or the right (Joshua 1:7) which is echoed from general commands given to everyone (Deuteronomy 5:32, Deuteronomy 12:32, Deuteronomy 28:14). Later, Joshua is commended for doing just as the Lord had commanded (Joshua 11:5). Joshua’s commitment to doing just as God had instructed was in part what made in a great leader under God. For this to be possible, Joshua was not at liberty to alter God’s commandments for his own purposes or for person gain, and so he gave the commands as he received them from God.

For Christian, the same sort commitment Joshua had to following the commands of God exists, but there are those who do want to teach something contrary to what God delivered to the apostles and what is recorded in the Bible. Paul says that there will come a time when people will want accumulate teachers for themselves so they might have their ears “tickled” with what they want to hear (2 Timothy 4:3). This sort of ear tickling comes in all sorts of forms and fashions, but it is all because people want to do things according to their own desires rather than do things according to the commands of God. Christians therefore should first know what God commands. Joshua received commandments from Moses through the book of the law and directly from God. Christians have the Bible to tell them what God commands. Second, Christians should faithfully teach the commands just as God gave them. Jesus said in the Great Commission that the disciples should make disciples and teach them to obey what Jesus commanded them to do. The same goes out to Christians today who received the commands to make disciples and teach them to obey what Jesus commanded. And finally, Christians must faithfully do just as God commands (this will be discussed next time). The job of Christians is to know and deliver the commands of Christ without changing or altering the commands!

Lord, help me to know what you say and teach others to know it just as you said it!