Women in the Word

You are not logged in. Would you like to login or register?



9/12/2016 10:17 am  #11


Re: Joshua

Joshua 6
 
6:16 And at the seventh time, when the priests had blown the trumpets, Joshua said to the people, "Shout, for the LORD has given you the city.
 
O: They did not get impatient and just try and take Jericho right away, but waited until God had given the city to them.
 
A: We need to learn to wait on the Lord and take or pursue only what He has given to us.
 
6:18 But you, keep yourselves from the things devoted to destruction, lest when you have devoted them you take any of the devoted things and make the camp of Israel a thing for destruction and bring trouble upon it.
 
O: If they took these things into the camp it would make the camp an object of God’s destruction because of the impurity and sin.  Colossians 3:6-7, On account of these the wrath of God is coming. In these you too once walked, when you were living in them.
 
A: When we have been saved from our past sins and the sins of this life, we must not take back into our lives the things that will defile us from being set apart for God’s work.
 
When God has destroyed strongholds in our lives, don’t take back in those things devoted to destruction. We should keep things out of our lives that defile us and draw us away from God or incite us to sin or sinful thoughts.
 
6:19 But all silver and gold, and every vessel of bronze and iron, are holy to the LORD; they shall go into the treasury of the LORD."
 
O: They were not to enrich themselves off of the work that God had done for His purposes.
 
A: We should not look to enrich or elevate ourselves, but to elevate and glorify God and to allow people to see through us to God.
 
6:25 But Rahab the prostitute and her father's household and all who belonged to her, Joshua saved alive. And she has lived in Israel to this day, because she hid the messengers whom Joshua sent to spy out Jericho.
 
O: Like I said, I love this story. Rahab gave birth to Boaz who we will see in Ruth is a good a godly man. Rahab raised a godly devoted man. She was also listed in Hebrews 11, the hall of faith and held up for all generations as example of faith.
 
Others know and believed Israel’s God was God and had power, but Rahab placed her faith in God.
 
A: We must daily make a decision to place our faith in God for our life. Sometimes it is easier to have faith for eternal life than it is to have faith for today and for this life.

 

9/12/2016 10:19 am  #12


Re: Joshua

Stephanie wrote:

In response to the Optional Discussion question:  Yes, I seek out God's will for my life daily. I am in a rough season right now and I find myself constantly asking God to please tell me what I am supposed to do, what is his will. I feel like I am doing what he wants but I feel like the situation is not getting better. I know I have to keep praying and keep listening and that He will show me the answer in His time, when He is ready. It really is a hard thing to do....being patient is not my strong quality and I think He makes me wait to strengthen that. But I continue to seek Him and for now I will wait.....as patiently as I can.  

I'm sorry you are in a tough season of life. It must be very difficult. Thanks for sharing. I have stopped to say a prayer for you right now. Hold fast.

     Thread Starter
 

9/13/2016 9:44 am  #13


Re: Joshua

Joshua 7
 
7:5 and the men of Ai killed about thirty-six of their men and chased them before the gate as far as Shebarim and struck them at the descent. And the hearts of the people melted and became as water.
 
O: At the first setback the people began to despair, and loose hope and faith.
A: Sometimes we get so focused on the immediate or on this life that we get discouraged when we see what we perceive to be defeats. We need not to lose heart and have confidence that God is working an eternal plan even when the temporal is painful.
 
Someone in Sunday school said, “ultimately the promises of Christianity is the destination, not the journey.”
 
7:9 For the Canaanites and all the inhabitants of the land will hear of it and will surround us and cut off our name from the earth. And what will you do for your great name?"
 
O: I love this. Joshua was not praying for his own, or Israel’s benefit or desires, He was praying for God’s glory and honor.
 
A: We wonder why our prayers are not answered. But we need to ask in for God’s will and purpose to be done, not for our own will to be done. Thy kingdom come, thy will be done.
 
John 14:13 And I will do whatever you ask in My name, so that the Father may be glorified in the Son. The purpose of asking is so that God may be glorified. John MacArthur has an excellent discussion on this: Steps to Successful Prayer, Seek God’s Priority.
 
So, we need to fully live for Christ, by seeking God’s purpose.
 
And so, we need to live for Christ and not for ourselves.
 
7:11 Israel has sinned; they have transgressed my covenant that I commanded them; they have taken some of the devoted things; they have stolen and lied and put them among their own belongings.
 
O: They stole from God
 
A: What are we stealing from God? Well, what belongs to God? Our life, members, bodies, hearts, minds, strength, time, money, life, family, and all our possessions belong to God. Therefore, we should not steal these things for our use, but dedicate them to God’s purpose.
 
Trust me, I know this is easier typed than done. That is why we are in a processes of maturing and growing and increasing our ability to fully surrender and to fully live for Christ.
 
7:15 And he who is taken with the devoted things shall be burned with fire, he and all that he has, because he has transgressed the covenant of the LORD, and because he has done an outrageous thing in Israel.
 
This is a hard passage, but God wanted to purge the unfaithful people because their hearts were disobedient and He did not want them to become a stumbling block for the rest.
 
My Bible notes say:
Achan’s deed was not just stealing, but an intentional, deliberate desecration of God’s holy things. The Hebrews had t learn the truth of God’s holy character at the outset or the conquest of Canaan would fail.
 
There were 4 instant deaths before God all at critical junctures in salvation history: Nadab and Abihu at inauguration of priesthood (Lev 10), Achan, here as they moved into the promised land, Uzzah at the moving of the ark to Jerusalem (2 Sam 6), and Ananias and Sapphira at the founding of the church (Acts 5).
 
It seems to me that at critical moments God wanted to ensure the purity of His movement and work, to not allow holy movements to be defiled, to establish His hand, and to show others that He is serious about enforcing His laws. Ensure His plans were accomplished and not ruined by immorality and negative influences and allow negative influences to take root and spread.
 
7:21 when I saw among the spoil a beautiful cloak from Shinar, and 200 shekels of silver, and a bar of gold weighing 50 shekels, then I coveted them and took them. And see, they are hidden in the earth inside my tent, with the silver underneath."
 
O: Four things about Achan’s sin:
(1) He saw things and was enticed by them
(2) He coveted them (he desired what was not rightly his and his desire exceeded what was normal or proper – extreme over the top desire for what is not rightly yours)
(3) He acted on his desires
(4) He hid his deed
 
James 1:14-15 But each person is tempted when he is lured and enticed by his own desire. Then desire when it has conceived gives birth to sin, and sin when it is fully grown brings forth death.
 
A: It just shows the importance of guarding our minds and our hearts. Proverbs 4:23, 2 Corinthians 10:5, Romans 8:5-7
 
Optional GMG Discussion Question: Joshua is confused as to why God allowed them to be defeated until he is shown that Achan had sinned against God. Are there things in your own life that are holding you back from all of God’s possible blessings?
 
This is interesting we want to see God at work in our lives, but really unless we are willing to get serious and weed out the habitual sin in our lives, and purify our hearts and thoughts, we cannot get to where God is trying to lead us. Now we don’t do this purely in our own strength, but by the power of the Holy Spirit and having confidence that God is at work in us to conform us. But we do have a role also in actively cooperating with God and to stop holding onto the things we hold on to.

     Thread Starter
 

9/14/2016 10:49 am  #14


Re: Joshua

Joshua 8
 
8:1 And the LORD said to Joshua, "Do not fear and do not be dismayed. Take all the fighting men with you, and arise, go up to Ai. See, I have given into your hand the king of Ai, and his people, his city, and his land.
 
O: God tells them to take “all” the men this time.
 
I don’t know the significance of this and don’t want to read into the Word what is not there.
 
However, I wonder if by taking a few men they were focused on human efforts and human approach. Because, if it was going to be by their own strength, then they would act in accordance to what they would need to do to exercise that strength. And in this case, exercising human strength required only a few men.
 
It seems to be even to do the splitting an ambush thing, they still did not need all what 30k men. So perhaps by possibly taking more men than needed, by all the men going, it shows it had nothing to do with physical strength but God wanted all the men to stand.
 
A: Maybe sometime we just need to understand the importance of standing and acting to show our faith and as an example of our dependency.
 
8:2 And you shall do to Ai and its king as you did to Jericho and its king. Only its spoil and its livestock you shall take as plunder for yourselves. Lay an ambush against the city, behind it."
 
O: They were allowed to take the plunder this time. God was not trying to keep good things from them. Just with Jericho it was His will that the first spoils would be dedicated to Him and it was not His will for them to get the spoils that time.
 
A: We need to not second guess God. Sometimes certain things just are not His will and we need to respect and accept that. He loves us and will show His love to us, but not always the way we expect or want.
 
Also this shows the importance of blessing God first before ourselves. This is not by just giving to his works with financial and material provisions. It also means in our hearts and honor. A part of this was giving God first honor. Do we first seek to honor God with our time, our hearts, our thoughts, and our lives?
 
8:18 Then the LORD said to Joshua, "Stretch out the javelin that is in your hand toward Ai, for I will give it into your hand." And Joshua stretched out the javelin that was in his hand toward the city.
 
O: It is interesting how often God has them take some action or do some symbolic gesture. This is like in Exodus 17 where Moses had to keep holding up the rod in order for them to win the battle.
 
I am not sure why this is. My Bible notes suggest that is symbolized dependence on God and reminded the fighters that it was God’s divine work.
 
A: I do think we need to slow down enough to acknowledge and be mindful of the fact that what we are able to accomplish is God’s work and that in everything in our lives we are completely dependent on God and His divine work and not our own effort.
 
8:31  just as Moses the servant of the LORD had commanded the people of Israel, as it is written in the Book of the Law of Moses, "an altar of uncut stones, upon which no man has wielded an iron tool." And they offered on it burnt offerings to the LORD and sacrificed peace offerings.
 
O: This was according to the command given in Exodus 27 to do this.
 
The burnt offering symbolized complete devotion to God. The peace offering showed thanks to God.
So they reinforced their complete devotion to serve God and do His work and live for His purpose. And they gave thanks to God for His blessings.
 
It also was a reminder to them of God’s law of their covenant with Him.
 
A: Again it is good to stop and make a conscious thought and decision to stay completely devoted to God, it is easy to get distracted by life. Also to take time to deliberately give God thanks for what He had done and is doing in our life.

     Thread Starter
 

9/15/2016 10:46 am  #15


Re: Joshua

Joshua 9
 
9:14 So the men took some of their provisions, but did not ask counsel from the LORD.
 
O: God had a vital plan for them, to use them to bring about salvation a plan. That was too important to not have asked God’s council. They thought this was an issue that would have no effect or relevance on their mission, but they were wrong.
 
A: Seek God’s council before big decisions. Seek His council during major missions, even if seems unrelated, to ensure the mission is not side tracked. Seek God’s council before commitments.  Think about that. How often we commit to "little" things without prayer first. Then we get too busy and cannot figure out what God wants us to do.
 
9:18 But the people of Israel did not attack them, because the leaders of the congregation had sworn to them by the LORD, the God of Israel. Then all the congregation murmured against the leaders.
 
It is easy to attack and criticize leaders, but would we have made better choice? It would be better if we pray, encourage and support them to help them be better leaders and give them grace when mistakes are made.
 
This is also a good thing to apply to our husbands as well. If they make mistake or a poor decision, we should not undermine their leadership or shame them, but give them the grace, love, and support we would want to be given if we made a mistake.
 
Optional GMG Discussion Question: Despite the fact that they were lied to, the Israelites still honored their vow of peace. How does this provide us with a reminder about our own dealings with others?
I think it is so much a part of our society to stick up for your rights and to call people out on what they do wrong. But maybe we should just try to be who God wants us to be and respond with peace and grace and let God deal with those who are wrong or dishonest.

     Thread Starter
 

9/18/2016 10:17 pm  #16


Re: Joshua

Beneath this reading assignment post you can post your discussions and SOAKs.

Week of September 19
This Week’s Reading Assignment

S.O.A.K. any verse of your choosing.

Monday
Reading: Joshua 11
Verse of the Day: Joshua 11:6
Good Morning Girls: Introduction to the Week
Optional GMG Discussion Question: After a long battle, there was peace for a season. Sometimes our journey may be long, but, at the end, there is always peace when we put God first. How does this bring you comfort in your current season of life?

Tuesday
Reading: Joshua 12
Verse of the Day: Joshua 12:7,24
Optional GMG Discussion Question: Today we revisited all the kings that God helped Moses and Joshua defeat. God has helped us defeat many things in our lives. What is one thing God has helped you defeat?

Wednesday
Reading: Joshua 13
Verse of the Day: Joshua 13:1
Optional GMG Discussion Question: Though they still did not have the land, Joshua had to show faith that they would by dividing out the unconquered land to the appropriate tribes. Name a time that God has had you step out in blind faith. How did it turn out?

Thursday
Reading: Joshua 14
Verse of the Day: Joshua 14:8
Optional GMG Discussion Question: Caleb was given Hebron because he believed and trusted God fully even when others doubted. How does this remind you of your own Christian journey?

Friday
Reading: Joshua 15
Verse of the Day: Joshua 15:19
Good Morning Girls: Devotional and Video
Optional GMG Discussion Question: Achsah had a boldness about her just like her father. She wasn’t afraid to ask Caleb for what she and her husband needed. Is there something that you need and yet you haven’t asked another person or God for it? Do it today.

Last edited by TBG (9/18/2016 10:17 pm)

     Thread Starter
 

9/18/2016 10:54 pm  #17


Re: Joshua

Joshua 10

10:2-4 he feared greatly, because Gibeon was a great city, like one of the royal cities, and because it was greater than Ai, and all its men were warriors. So Adoni-zedek king of Jerusalem sent to Hoham king of Hebron, to Piram king of Jarmuth, to Japhia king of Lachish, and to Debir king of Eglon, saying, "Come up to me and help me, and let us strike Gibeon. For it has made peace with Joshua and with the people of Israel."
 
He was afraid, but he would not submit to God as Rahab had done. Wanted to still strive against God and trusted his own strength and strategy.
 
10:8 And the LORD said to Joshua, "Do not fear them, for I have given them into your hands. Not a man of them shall stand before you."
 
This time they made sure to listen for God’s direction first.
 
10:12 At that time Joshua spoke to the LORD in the day when the LORD gave the Amorites over to the sons of Israel, and he said in the sight of Israel, "Sun, stand still at Gibeon, and moon, in the Valley of Aijalon."
 
Joshua was zealous to do God’s work and finish the hard fight. God stood with him because what he asked was to allow him to continue fighting according to God’s will.
 
10:42 And Joshua captured all these kings and their land at one time, because the LORD God of Israel fought for Israel.
 
Let God fight for you. Strike when He says strike, and how he says to strike, and wait when He says wait.

     Thread Starter
 

9/19/2016 9:58 pm  #18


Re: Joshua

Joshua 11
 
Right on the heels of all these great victories, Joshua was facing an intimidating attack. One that probably looked insurmountable.
 
Sometime it can seem that way in our lives too. Just after great spiritual victories, we face a sudden intimidating attack that looks insurmountable.
 
But we see as Joshua stayed in God’s will and continued to listen for God’s voice, that the battle was God’s and God had His will done and His victory.
 
But God told Joshua, not to be afraid. How we need to hear this, don’t be afraid when the battle comes. We really need to learn to trust God, and trust His plan and His ability to do all He intends to do.
 
11:15 Just as the LORD had commanded Moses his servant, so Moses commanded Joshua, and so Joshua did. He left nothing undone of all that the LORD had commanded Moses.
 
He left nothing undone. This is convicting. We follow God and obey Him, but do we fail to do some things? Do we abstain from sin, but fail to evangelize? I struggle with prioritizing tasks over people. Here Joshua left nothing undone of all God had commanded. We too, need to do all that God has commanded that we do and leave nothing undone.
 
11:20 For it was the LORD's doing to harden their hearts that they should come against Israel in battle, in order that they should be devoted to destruction and should receive no mercy but be destroyed, just as the LORD commanded Moses.
 
From Bible notes:
 
God gave them up to their evil doing and allowed the hard heart to run its course unrestrained roman 1 24-25
 
They willfully rejected God, God hardened their hearts to fight
 
Optional GMG Discussion Question: After a long battle, there was peace for a season. Sometimes our journey may be long, but, at the end, there is always peace when we put God first. How does this bring you comfort in your current season of life?
 
God will not give us more than we can handle. Joy comes in the morning.

     Thread Starter
 

9/26/2016 10:04 am  #19


Re: Joshua

Joshua 12
 
We see that God over and over proved Himself and that He proved His power and His ability to deliver.
 
12:6 Moses, the servant of the LORD, and the people of Israel defeated them. And Moses the servant of the LORD gave their land for a possession to the Reubenites and the Gadites and the half-tribe of Manasseh.
 
We see that He was willing to listen and even grant a desire or personal preference as long as that preference did not conflict with morals or interfere or distract from His will from being fully carried out.
 
Optional GMG Discussion Question: Today we revisited all the kings that God helped Moses and Joshua defeat. God has helped us defeat many things in our lives. What is one thing God has helped you defeat?
 
Works, trying to be good by my own strength and by my ability to be a good person instead of surrendering my desires, goals, focus and heart to God and allowing Him to act through His Holy Spirit to change my heart, desires, and actions. Defeated my over introspection and helped me to find joy and peace in God.



Joshua 13
 
13:6 “As for all the inhabitants of the mountain regions from Lebanon to Misrephoth Maim, that is, all the Sidonians, I myself will drive them out before the Israelites. Be sure to allocate this land to Israel for an inheritance, as I have instructed you,
 
God promised to do the work, but He wanted them to already act on faith and step out and take action by allocating this land.
 
God may have plans for our lives, but sometimes we need to step out and act on faith and just starting doing God’s work and trust that He will ensure the pieces fall into place. Obviously we need to sometimes wait on God as well, for His direction. We don’t want to act foolishly as we saw in Chapter 9 with the treaty. But, if we have prayed and it clear that something is God’s desire, and we have prayed and feel sure that this is God’s timing, we should step out and trust that He will prepare the way and open the doors at the right time.
 
13:1 When Joshua had grown old, the LORD said to him, “You are now very old, and there are still very large areas of land to be taken over.
13:13 But the Israelites did not drive out the people of Geshur and Maakah, so they continue to live among the Israelites to this day.
 
Still had work to do but never finished fulfilling God’s calling or plan for them. Perhaps they had enough and were comfortable and were unwilling to fight for what they felt they did not need or want. Ultimately this contributed to their downfall.
 
Do we get satisfied and just say put because we are unwilling to fight to complete tasks God has given us because we think they are not that important or won’t make a difference?

Optional GMG Discussion Question: Though they still did not have the land, Joshua had to show faith that they would by dividing out the unconquered land to the appropriate tribes. Name a time that God has had you step out in blind faith. How did it turn out?
 
I think God is having me step out in blind faith now. We are going to accept respite and emergency foster kids. And, for a lot of reasons, I am not sure how this is going to work out because there are a lot of barriers to making that work. It just does not fit well for our life and it is not ideal. But, I do feel strongly that God wants me to do this, and He seems to be continually confirming it with strangers I meet. So, I am finishing the paperwork to transfer agencies and we will see what He has planned.

Last edited by TBG (10/06/2016 11:54 am)

     Thread Starter
 

9/26/2016 10:09 am  #20


Re: Joshua

Beneath this reading assignment post you can post your discussions and SOAKs.

Week of September 26
This Week’s Reading Assignment

S.O.A.K. any verse of your choosing.

Monday
Reading: Joshua 16
Verse of the Day: Joshua 16:10
Good Morning Girls: Introduction to the Week
Optional GMG Discussion Question: Even though the Ephraim tribe received their land, they still did not fulfill God’s command and instead kept the Canaanites as slaves. Is there something you are holding onto, even though God has delivered you out of a bad situation? Today, let’s deal with it and let go of it.

Tuesday
Reading: Joshua 17
Verse of the Day: Joshua 17:17
Optional GMG Discussion Question: Joshua has to remind the people of Manasseh that they have great power. They had forgotten all that God had already delivered them from. Who is someone that is your Joshua, the person who reminds you that you are strong because you are a child of God?

Wednesday
Reading: Joshua 18
Verse of the Day: Joshua 18:3
Optional GMG Discussion Question: The people had become comfortable with their current condition so they were not doing anything to claim what was theirs. Do you find yourself too comfortable to fulfill the plans that God has for you? How can you work towards fixing that today?

Thursday
Reading: Joshua 19
Verse of the Day: Joshua 19:50
Optional GMG Discussion Question: After all the land was given out, Joshua received his reward. As a leader, he didn’t seek to get the first cut of the land. He waited and he was rewarded with a city. What does this teach you?

Friday
Reading: Joshua 20
Verse of the Day: Joshua 20:9
Good Morning Girls: Devotional and Video
Optional GMG Discussion Question: God appointed a place of refuge for those who killed a man without intent. This was his hiding place, from the avenger. How does this remind you of Jesus and how He cares for us?

Last edited by TBG (10/02/2016 6:00 pm)

     Thread Starter
 

Board footera

 

Powered by Boardhost. Create a Free Forum