Abide

Read: Joshua 6:11-16,20-25,27

God had exalted Joshua in the midst of all the peoples of Israel and all the Canaanites, had experienced the very presence of God, had received commandments of God, and then he had given the specifics of the commandments for taking the city. So Joshua and the people marched around the city once for 6 days then on the seventh day they marched seven. After the trumpets were sounded, they shouted and the walls of Jericho collapsed and the people took the city. Only Rahab the harlot and her family were saved. The resounding victory of the Israelites was in part due to the fact that the Israelites were obedient to God’s instructions not deviating from them to the left or to the right (Joshua 17). It was God who did the fighting on behalf of Israel. Because Joshua was obedient to God’s commandments, he was exalted even more so in the land of Canaan.

In the discourse in the early chapters of Proverbs, Proverbs asserts that fear of Lord (that is faith in God) is the beginning of wisdom (Proverbs 1:7). Later, in Proverbs 3:5-6, Proverbs asserts that when one trusts in God with all their heart, that he directs one’s path. Joshua and the people had done this for taking the city, and God gave it to them – that is following God’s work to a tee. When Proverbs talks about “all”, it is all in inclusive with everything not in part or even most. In following God’s instructions, and not deviating to the left or to the right, the outcome will be as God promises.

God’s will for Christians is no different for the people today than it was for people of the Old Testament. God wants Christians to trust him wholeheartedly and live according to his commandments. God’s plan for redeeming the people of the world through Jesus involves people being obedient to the commands first and foremost love God and love others and then be about the work of making disciples of all nations, teaching others to obey the commandments that God gives. The ones that God will exalt are the ones who will submit to his will and obey him (James 4:6-10).

Lord, your ways are best! Help me to obey without deviating to the left or to the right.