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April 7 - Joshua 1 · A Chapter a Day Bible Reading

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Hello friends, it's Sean here. It's Tuesday, it's the 7th of
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April and it's great to have your company on this Easter
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Tuesday, which is back to work and school for many of us.
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Some people still get a day off and others of you are like, this
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is the life of retirement. What do you mean day on and day
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off? Wherever you are, no matter what
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you're up to today, great to have your company.
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As we are going to be unwrapping A sparkly new book of the Bible
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today. We are going to be reading the
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book of Joshua together. Now, if there was any
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consistency in the naming of the books of the Old Testament,
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Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers, and Deuteronomy would have been
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called Moses, Moses, Moses and Moses.
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And now we're into Joshua. No, it's not called Moses.
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And this is called Joshua because frankly, they couldn't
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call it God. Because while this is certainly
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the story of Joshua leading the people of Israel into the
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Promised Land, this really is the story of God being faithful
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and keeping all of his covenantal promises, all of the
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promises that he made to his people about inheriting the
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land, about settling in the land, about finding peace with
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all of their neighbours. All of those things come true in
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the book of Joshua. And this is a glorious, glorious
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laying out of God's faithfulness to his people.
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So we are going to spend the next number of weeks reading
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this together. And it's going to be wonderful
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to hear this story of Israel finally coming into their
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inheritance after all those years wandering in the desert.
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So, Holy Spirit, open up our hearts that we would hear your
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truth and we would see more of you and your character as we
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read Joshua together. Alright friends, let us do it.
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Let's open up and read together Joshua chapter 1.
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After the death of Moses the Lord's servant, the Lord spoke
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to Joshua son of Nun, Moses assistant.
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He said, Moses, my servant is dead.
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Therefore, the time has come for you to lead these people,
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they're Israelites, across the Jordan River into the land I'm
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giving them. I promise you what I promised
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Moses. Wherever you set foot, you will
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be on land I have given you, from the Negev Wilderness in the
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South to the Lebanon Mountains in the north, from the Euphrates
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River in the east to the Mediterranean Sea in the West,
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including all the land of the Hittites.
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No one will be able to stand against you as long as you live,
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for I will be with you as I was with Moses.
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I will not fail you or abandon you.
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Be strong and courageous, for you are the one who will lead
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these people to possess all the land I swore to their ancestors
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I would give them. Be strong and very courageous.
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Be careful to obey all the instructions Moses gave you.
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Do not deviate from them, turning either to the right or
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to the left. Then you'll be successful in
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everything you do. Study this book of instruction
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continually. Meditate on it day and night so
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you will be sure to obey everything written in it.
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Only then will you prosper and succeed in all you do.
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This is my command. Be strong and courageous.
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Do not be afraid or discouraged, for the Lord your God is with
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you wherever you go. Joshua then commanded the
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officers of Israel Go through the camp and tell the people to
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get their provisions ready. In three days you will cross the
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Jordan River and take possession of the land the Lord your God is
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giving you. Then Joshua called together the
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tribes of Reuben, Gad, and the half tribe of Manasseh.
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He told them, Remember what Moses, the servant of the Lord,
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commanded you. The Lord your God is giving you
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a place of rest. He has given you this land.
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Your wives, children, and livestock may remain here in the
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land Moses assigned to you on the east side of the Jordan
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River, but your strong warriors, fully armed, must lead the other
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tribes across the Jordan to help them conquer their territory.
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Stay with them until the Lord gives them rest as He has given
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you rest, and until they too possess the land the Lord your
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God is giving them. Only then may you return and
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settle here on the east side of the Jordan River, in the land
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that Moses, the servant of the Lord, assigned to you.
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They answered Joshua, we will do whatever you command us, and we
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will go wherever you send us. We will obey you just as we
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obeyed Moses, and may the Lord your God be with you as he was
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with Moses. Anyone who rebels against your
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orders and does not obey your words, and everything you
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command will be put to death. So be strong and courageous.
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Oh Jesus, as we read this incredible reading, we hear this
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refrain repeated again and again.
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Be strong and courageous, our Lord have.
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We can sure use that advice. How much of our life do we spend
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uncertain and tentative, testing out your promises, hesitantly
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leaning into our faith in You? Our Lord, I pray that this would
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be an instruction to us and would seep in that we are to be
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strong and courageous, that we are to be bold and step forward,
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knowing that you go with us. Our Father, I pray that you
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transform our hearts so that our hearts beat for the same
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priorities and things that your heart beats for, so that when we
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step forward, we do that in your will with our sure confidence
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that you go with us. You are wonderful and you have
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given us so much, not just land, not just provisioned, but your
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Son Jesus, for whom we thank you and praise you.
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And we pray all of this in his wonderful name.
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Amen.