Monday after Septuagesima Sunday
Posted on February 14, 2022 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
On account of our sins we are justly condemned. The impenitent, when they hear the force of the Law—that they are deserving of eternal death and damnation—bolster up themselves in their impenitence. Such was the actions of the nations of Canaan after hearing that Israel completely destroyed Jericho and Ai. They gathered their armies together as one to fight against the Israelites. They would all end up being destroyed.
There are also those who are like the Gibeonites who say all the right words, but their lives tell a different story. The Gibeonites sought to craftily obtain the mercy of the Lord. The Israelites, believing their words and not knowing it was a lie, readily offered an alliance. Even though the deception worked, it would not stay hidden forever. They would eventually receive the consequences of their actions and would become servants of the Israelites.
The truly penitent however, hearing the rebuke of the Law, readily confess that they are indeed worthy of punishment, and petition the Lord for grace and mercy. They come before the Lord and admit that they are indeed poor, miserable sinners, even as we do each time we gather in the Divine Service. The ministers of Christ pronounce forgiveness to us on account of what our Lord Jesus has done for us by His perfect life and sacrificial death on the cross.
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.
