Monday after Septuagesima Sunday
Posted on February 6, 2023 by under
Scripture: Joshua 1:1-9 (NKJV)
1:1 After the death of Moses the servant of the Lord, it came to pass that the Lord spoke to Joshua the son of Nun, Moses’ assistant, saying: 2 “Moses My servant is dead. Now therefore, arise, go over this Jordan, you and all this people, to the land which I am giving to them—the children of Israel. 3 Every place that the sole of your foot will tread upon I have given you, as I said to Moses. 4 From the wilderness and this Lebanon as far as the great river, the River Euphrates, all the land of the Hittites, and to the Great Sea toward the going down of the sun, shall be your territory. 5 No man shall be able to stand before you all the days of your life; as I was with Moses, so I will be with you. I will not leave you nor forsake you. 6 Be strong and of good courage, for to this people you shall divide as an inheritance the land which I swore to their fathers to give them. 7 Only be strong and very courageous, that you may observe to do according to all the law which Moses My servant commanded you; do not turn from it to the right hand or to the left, that you may prosper wherever you go. 8 This Book of the Law shall not depart from your mouth, but you shall meditate in it day and night, that you may observe to do according to all that is written in it. For then you will make your way prosperous, and then you will have good success. 9 Have I not commanded you? Be strong and of good courage; do not be afraid, nor be dismayed, for the Lord your God is with you wherever you go.”
Devotion
In today’s reading we hear that Moses had died and that God had chosen Joshua to replace Moses. The time had come for the Israelites to enter the land God had promised them, with Joshua leading them. God told Joshua to meditate in the “Book of the Law” which God had given to Moses. The phrase “Book of the Law” can be confusing because the word Law, torah in Hebrew, means more than just the Law in a narrow sense. The torah is everything God has decreed in His Word, which includes both Law and Gospel.
This is where today’s reading takes on an interesting twist. Scripture tells us that “the law came through Moses” (John 1:17). We also know that the Law cannot deliver people from the devil, who holds them in the bondage of sin. Likewise, Moses, through whom God brought His Law to the people, would not be leading the people into the promised land.
John 1:17 continues, “…but grace and truth came through Jesus Christ.” In Hebrew, the name Joshua means “the Lord is Salvation.” In Greek, and into English, the name is translated as Jesus. By the grace of God, Joshua would lead them to the promised land. Likewise, one day Jesus Christ will take us to the eternal Promised Land.
We can thank God that we are kept wise unto salvation as the Holy Spirit works in us through the “Book of the Law,” as He leads us to daily confess our sins and to trust in Jesus’ forgiveness.
Prayer: O Lord, we beseech Thee favorably to hear the prayers of Thy people: that we, who are justly punished for our offenses, may be mercifully delivered by Thy goodness, for the glory of Thy Name; through Jesus Christ, Thy Son, our Lord, Who liveth and reigneth with Thee and the Holy Ghost, ever One God, world without end. Amen.
Scripture taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
