Podcasts about kadesh barnea

Teaching Text - Deuteronomy 8:1-5, 11;20; 9:1-8, 22-29You must keep carefully all these commandments I am giving you today so that you may live, increase in number, and go in and occupy the land that the Lord promised to your ancestors. 2 Remember the whole way by which he has brought you these forty years through the wilderness so that he might, by humbling you, test you to see if you have it within you to keep his commandments or not. 3 So he humbled you by making you hungry and then feeding you with unfamiliar manna. He did this to teach you that humankind cannot live by bread alone, but also by everything that comes from the Lord's mouth. 4 Your clothing did not wear out nor did your feet swell all these forty years. 5 Be keenly aware that just as a parent disciplines his child, so the Lord your God disciplines you.11 Be sure you do not forget the Lord your God by not keeping his commandments, ordinances, and statutes that I am giving you today. 12 When you eat your fill, when you build and occupy good houses, 13 when your cattle and flocks increase, when you have plenty of silver and gold, and when you have abundance of everything, 14 be sure you do not feel self-important and forget the Lord your God who brought you from the land of Egypt, the place of slavery, 15 and who brought you through the great, fearful wilderness of venomous serpents and scorpions, an arid place with no water. He made water flow from a flint rock and 16 fed you in the wilderness with manna (which your ancestors had never before known) so that he might by humbling you test you and eventually bring good to you. 17 Be careful not to say, “My own ability and skill have gotten me this wealth.” 18 You must remember the Lord your God, for he is the one who gives ability to get wealth; if you do this he will confirm his covenant that he made by oath to your ancestors, even as he has to this day. 19 Now if you forget the Lord your God at all and follow other gods, worshiping and prostrating yourselves before them, I testify to you today that you will surely be annihilated. 20 Just like the nations the Lord is about to destroy from your sight, so he will do to you because you would not obey him.Listen, Israel: Today you are about to cross the Jordan so you can dispossess the nations there, people greater and stronger than you who live in large cities with extremely high fortifications. 2 They include the Anakites, a numerous and tall people whom you know about and of whom it is said, “Who is able to resist the Anakites?” 3 Understand today that the Lord your God who goes before you is a devouring fire; he will defeat and subdue them before you. You will dispossess and destroy them quickly just as he has told you. 4 Do not think to yourself after the Lord your God has driven them out before you, “Because of my own righteousness the Lord has brought me here to possess this land.” It is because of the wickedness of these nations that the Lord is driving them out ahead of you. 5 It is not because of your righteousness, or even your inner uprightness, that you have come here to possess their land. Instead, because of the wickedness of these nations, the Lord your God is driving them out ahead of you in order to confirm the promise he made on oath to your ancestors, to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. 6 Understand, therefore, that it is not because of your righteousness that the Lord your God is about to give you this good land as a possession, for you are a stubborn people!7 Remember—don't ever forget—how you provoked the Lord your God in the wilderness; from the time you left the land of Egypt until you came to this place you were constantly rebelling against him. 8 At Horeb you provoked him and he was angry enough with you to destroy you.22 Moreover, you continued to provoke the Lord at Taberah, Massah, and Kibroth Hattaavah. 23 And when he sent you from Kadesh Barnea and told you, “Go up and possess the land I have given you,” you rebelled against the Lord your God and would neither believe nor obey him. 24 You have been rebelling against him from the very first day I knew you!25 I lay flat on the ground before the Lord for forty days and nights, for he had said he would destroy you. 26 I prayed to him: O, Sovereign Lord, do not destroy your people, your valued property that you have powerfully redeemed, whom you brought out of Egypt by your strength. 27 Remember your servants Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob; ignore the stubbornness, wickedness, and sin of these people. 28 Otherwise the people of the land from which you brought us will say, “The Lord was unable to bring them to the land he promised them, and because of his hatred for them he has brought them out to kill them in the wilderness.” 29 They are your people, your valued property, whom you brought out with great strength and power.

Joshua 14 highlights the distribution of land to the tribes west of the Jordan, beginning with a powerful moment of faith. Caleb, now 85 years old, boldly reminds Joshua of God's promise to him for remaining faithful at Kadesh-Barnea. He requests the hill country of Hebron, still inhabited by giants, and declares he is as strong as ever to fight for it. Joshua blesses him, and Hebron becomes Caleb's inheritance—a reward for his unwavering trust in God. This chapter is a testament to courage, endurance, and the fulfillment of divine promises. #Joshua14 #CalebsCourage #FaithInAction #HebronInheritance #SendMeRadio #BiblePromises #DivineReward #OldTestamentFaith #JoshuaAndCaleb #BibleChaptersBecome a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/sendme-radio--732966/support.

Teaching Text - Deuteronomy 1This is what Moses said to all of Israel in the Transjordanian wilderness, the arid rift valley opposite Suph, between Paran and Tophel, Laban, Hazeroth, and Di Zahab. 2 Now it is ordinarily an eleven-day journey from Horeb to Kadesh Barnea by way of Mount Seir. 3 However, it was not until the first day of the eleventh month of the fortieth year that Moses addressed the Israelites just as the Lord had instructed him to do. 4 This took place after the defeat of King Sihon of the Amorites, whose capital was in Heshbon, and King Og of Bashan, whose capital was in Ashtaroth, specifically in Edrei. 5 So it was in the Transjordan, in Moab, that Moses began to deliver these words:6 The Lord our God spoke to us at Horeb and said, “You have stayed in the area of this mountain long enough. 7 Head out and resume your journey. Enter the Amorite hill country, and all its neighboring areas, including the rift valley, the hill country, the foothills, the Negev, and the coastal plain—all of Canaan and Lebanon as far as the Great River, that is, the Euphrates. 8 Look! I have already given the land to you. Go, occupy the territory that I, the Lord, promised to give to your ancestors Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, and to their descendants.” 9 I also said to you at that time, “I am no longer able to sustain you by myself. 10 The Lord your God has increased your population to the point that you are now as numerous as the very stars of the sky. 11 Indeed, may the Lord, the God of your ancestors, make you a thousand times more numerous than you are now, blessing you just as he said he would! 12 But how can I alone bear up under the burden of your hardship and strife? 13 Select wise and practical men, those known among your tribes, whom I may appoint as your leaders.” 14 You replied to me that what I had said to you was good. 15 So I chose as your tribal leaders wise and well-known men, placing them over you as administrators of groups of thousands, hundreds, fifties, and tens, and also as other tribal officials. 16 I furthermore admonished your judges at that time that they should pay attention to issues among your fellow citizens and judge fairly, whether between one person and a native Israelite or a resident foreigner. 17 They must not discriminate in judgment, but hear the lowly and the great alike. Nor should they be intimidated by human beings, for judgment belongs to God. If the matter being adjudicated is too difficult for them, they should bring it before me for a hearing.18 So I instructed you at that time regarding everything you should do. 19 Then we left Horeb and passed through all that immense, forbidding wilderness that you saw on the way to the Amorite hill country as the Lord our God had commanded us to do, finally arriving at Kadesh Barnea. 20 Then I said to you, “You have come to the Amorite hill country, which the Lord our God is about to give us. 21 Look, he has placed the land in front of you! Go up, take possession of it, just as the Lord, the God of your ancestors, said to do. Do not be afraid or discouraged!” 22 So all of you approached me and said, “Let's send some men ahead of us to scout out the land and bring us back word as to how we should attack it and what the cities are like there.” 23 I thought this was a good idea, so I sent twelve men from among you, one from each tribe. 24 They left and went up to the hill country, coming to the Eshcol Valley, which they scouted out. 25 Then they took some of the produce of the land and carried it back down to us. They also brought a report to us, saying, “The land that the Lord our God is about to give us is good.”26 You were not willing to go up, however, but instead rebelled against the Lord your God. 27 You complained among yourselves privately and said, “Because the Lord hates us he brought us from Egypt to deliver us over to the Amorites so they could destroy us! 28 What is going to happen to us? Our brothers have drained away our courage by describing people who are more numerous and taller than we are, and great cities whose defenses appear to be as high as heaven itself! Moreover, they said they saw Anakites there.” 29 So I responded to you, “Do not be terrified of them! 30 The Lord your God is about to go ahead of you; he will fight for you, just as you saw him do in Egypt 31 and in the wilderness, where you saw him carrying you along like a man carries his son. This he did everywhere you went until you came to this very place.” 32 However, through all this you did not have confidence in the Lord your God, 33 who would go before you on the way to find places for you to camp, appearing in a fire at night and in a cloud by day to show you the way you ought to go.34 When the Lord heard you, he became angry and made this vow: 35 “Not a single person of this evil generation will see the good land that I promised to give to your ancestors! 36 The exception is Caleb son of Jephunneh; he will see it and I will give him and his descendants the territory on which he has walked, because he has wholeheartedly followed me.” 37 As for me, the Lord was also angry with me on your account. He said, “You also will not be able to go there. 38 However, Joshua son of Nun, your assistant, will go. Encourage him, because he will enable Israel to inherit the land. 39 Also, your infants, who you thought would die on the way, and your children, who as yet do not know good from bad, will go there; I will give them the land and they will possess it. 40 But as for you, turn back and head for the wilderness by the way to the Red Sea.”41 Then you responded to me and admitted, “We have sinned against the Lord. We will now go up and fight as the Lord our God has told us to do.” So you each put on your battle gear and prepared to go up to the hill country. 42 But the Lord told me: “Tell them this: ‘Do not go up and fight, because I will not be with you and you will be defeated by your enemies.'” 43 I spoke to you, but you did not listen. Instead you rebelled against the Lord and recklessly went up to the hill country. 44 The Amorite inhabitants of that area confronted you and chased you like a swarm of bees, striking you down from Seir as far as Hormah. 45 Then you came back and wept before the Lord, but he paid no attention to you whatsoever. 46 Therefore, you remained at Kadesh for a long time—indeed, for the full time.

Today's Scripture passages are Deuteronomy 1:26 - 2 | Deuteronomy 10:12-22 | Romans 2:17 - 3:8.Read by Christina Edmondson.Get in The Word with Truth's Table is a production of InterVarsity Press. For 75 years, IVP has published and created thoughtful Christian books for the university, church, and the world. Our Bible reading plan is adapted from Bible Study Together, and the Bible version is the New English Translation, used by permission.SPECIAL OFFER | As a listener of this podcast, use the code IVPOD25 for 25% off any IVP resource mentioned in this episode at ivpress.com.Additional Credits:Song production: Seaux ChillSong lyrics written by: Seaux Chill, Ekemini Uwan, and Christina EdmondsonPodcast art: Kate LillardPhotography: Shelly EveBible consultant: JM SmithSound engineering: Podastery StudiosCreative producers: Ekemini Uwan and Christina EdmondsonAssistant producer: Christine Pelliccio MeloExecutive producer: Helen LeeDisclaimer: The comments, views, and opinions expressed in this podcast are solely those of the host and/or the guests featured on the podcast and do not necessarily reflect the views or positions of InterVarsity Press or InterVarsity Christian Fellowship.

Deuteronomy 1 serves as the opening chapter of Moses' final address to the Israelites before they enter the Promised Land. This chapter is both a historical recounting and a spiritual reminder. Moses looks back over the journey from Mount Sinai (Horeb) to Kadesh Barnea and the critical moment when Israel refused to enter the land due to fear and disobedience. It's a call to remember God's faithfulness, learn from past mistakes, and trust Him for the future. ⸻ Verses 1–5: Setting the Stage “These are the words Moses spoke to all Israel in the wilderness east of the Jordan…” — Deuteronomy 1:1 Moses begins his speech in the fortieth year after leaving Egypt. The Israelites are now on the edge of the Promised Land, and Moses, knowing he won't enter it, prepares the people to walk in obedience and courage. The book of Deuteronomy literally means “second law” or “repetition of the law.” It's not a new law, but a reaffirmation of God's covenant and instructions before entering a new chapter. ⸻ Verses 6–8: God's Command to Advance “You have stayed long enough at this mountain. Break camp and advance…” — Deuteronomy 1:6–7 God told the Israelites it was time to move forward from Mount Horeb. They had received the law, built the tabernacle, and camped, but now the call was to possess the land. This verse is powerful today. Many people camp in comfort zones, fear, or spiritual stagnation. But God says, “You've stayed here long enough. Move forward!” ⸻ Verses 9–18: Leadership Appointed “I cannot bear your troubles alone… Choose wise, understanding and respected men…” — Deuteronomy 1:9–13 Moses recalls how leadership was shared among the tribes. God values wise, just, and humble leaders who judge fairly, without partiality. This principle of shared leadership emphasizes community responsibility and integrity. ⸻ Verses 19–33: The Great Failure at Kadesh “But you were unwilling to go up; you rebelled against the command of the Lord your God.” — Deuteronomy 1:26 Moses reminds them of how they reached the edge of Canaan but refused to enter because of fear. Though God promised victory, the people believed the report of the ten fearful spies rather than the Lord. “In spite of this, you did not trust in the Lord your God.” — Deuteronomy 1:32 This is a warning: unbelief robs you of promises. The Israelites saw God's miracles—cloud by day, fire by night, manna from heaven—and still doubted. ⸻ Verses 34–40: The Judgment “Not one of this evil generation shall see the good land I swore to give…” — Deuteronomy 1:35 Because of disobedience, an entire generation was barred from entering the land, except for Caleb and Joshua, men of faith. Even Moses would not enter because of disobedience at Meribah (Numbers 20). This shows that leadership is held to a high standard, and God's discipline is not favoritism—it's righteous. ⸻ Verses 41–46: Presumption After Rebellion “Then you replied, ‘We have sinned… we will go up and fight'… But the Lord said to me, ‘Tell them not to go… I will not be with you.'” — Deuteronomy 1:41–42 After being told they would not enter, the people tried to go up without God's presence—and were defeated. This section shows the danger of presumptuous faith. Obedience is not just doing something religious—it's doing what God says, when He says, how He says. ⸻ Themes and Lessons from Deuteronomy 1 1. Remember God's Faithfulness Deuteronomy is filled with calls to remember. We are prone to forget God's works and promises when facing trials. Faith grows when we look back at His track record. 2. Move When God Says Move Stagnation can be disguised as spiritual patience. Don't camp out where God once was. Advance when He commands. 3. Obedience Is Greater Than Ambition The Israelites tried to correct their mistake with human effort, but it was too late. Delayed obedience is disobedience. 4. Trust Over Fear Fear caused a whole generation to miss their destiny. Faith is not the absence of fear—it's choosing to move forward in trust anyway. 5. God Shows No Favoritism Even Moses faced judgment. As Acts 10:34 says, “God is no respecter of persons.” We are all accountable to Him. ⸻ Reflection Questions •Am I lingering too long in a place God has told me to move on from? •Have I allowed fear to block me from obeying God's call? •Do I trust God's promises more than my perception of the situation? •Am I walking in obedience or presumption?Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/sendme-radio--732966/support.

With the focus shifting from the disobedience at Kadesh Barnea before the 40 years of discipline to the movement towards the promised land in the crossing of the Brook Zered, Moses clearly reviews the sovereignty of God over Israel and all the nations, bringing comfort and encouragement to a new generation and to us.

Hebrews 6:12We do not want you to become lazy, but to imitate those who through faith and patience inherit what has been promised. Joshua 14:6-156 Now the people of Judah approached Joshua at Gilgal, and Caleb son of Jephunneh the Kenizzite said to him, “You know what the Lord said to Moses the man of God at Kadesh Barnea about you and me. 7 I was forty years old when Moses the servant of the Lord sent me from Kadesh Barnea to explore the land. And I brought him back a report according to my convictions, 8 but my fellow Israelites who went up with me made the hearts of the people melt in fear. I, however, followed the Lord my God wholeheartedly. 9 So on that day Moses swore to me, ‘The land on which your feet have walked will be your inheritance and that of your children forever, because you have followed the Lord my God wholeheartedly.'[a]10 “Now then, just as the Lord promised, he has kept me alive for forty-five years since the time he said this to Moses, while Israel moved about in the wilderness. So here I am today, eighty-five years old! 11 I am still as strong today as the day Moses sent me out; I'm just as vigorous to go out to battle now as I was then. 12 Now give me this hill country that the Lord promised me that day. You yourself heard then that the Anakites were there and their cities were large and fortified, but, the Lord helping me, I will drive them out just as he said.” 13 Then Joshua blessed Caleb son of Jephunneh and gave him Hebron as his inheritance. 14 So Hebron has belonged to Caleb son of Jephunneh the Kenizzite ever since, because he followed the Lord, the God of Israel, wholeheartedly. 15 (Hebron used to be called Kiriath Arba after Arba, who was the greatest man among the Anakites. Theme for 2024: Strong & CourageousThe Importance of Finishing StrongExamples of Finishing Strong:1. Solomon's Example (1 Kings 3, 11)2. Caleb's Example (Joshua 14:6-15)             Remembering God's Promise               Persevering in God's Promise               Claiming God's Promise               Receiving God's Promise  Be Strong & Courageous Until the End!

Send us a textSubscribe here to receive my new church history podcast every few weeks at.https://thehistoryofthechristianchurch.buzzsprout.comFor an ad-free version of the podcast plus the opportunity to enjoy hours of exclusive content and two bonus episodes a month and also help keep the Bible Project Daily Podcast free  for listeners everywhere at;patreon.com/JeremyMcCandlessStudy Notes: IntroductionSelf-righteousness: Often associated with the Pharisees in the New Testament.Historical example: The Pharisees are classic examples, but all humans struggle with pride and self-righteousness to some degree.Central question: How do we get rid of self-righteousness?Biblical insight: Deuteronomy 9:1-10:11 provides guidance.Context of Deuteronomy 9:1-10:11Moses' sermons: Deuteronomy is a series of sermons delivered by Moses before the Israelites enter the Promised Land.Historical journey:Left EgyptTravelled to Mount SinaiMoved to Kadesh Barnea where they sent twelve spiesWandered in the wilderness due to unbeliefNow, about to cross the Jordan River under Joshua's leadership.Main Theme: Dangers of Self-Righteousness and PrideMoses' warning: Not to fall into the traps of self-righteousness and pride.Focus: “The Cure for Self-Righteousness.”Three Main Parts of the PassagePart 1: Deuteronomy 9:1-6Key verses:Verse 1: "Hear, O Israel!"Verse 3: "Therefore, understand today..."Verse 4: "Do not think..."Verse 6: "Therefore, understand..."Pattern: Hear, understand, don't think, understand.Realization: Israelites will face a daunting task, but it's the Lord who will lead them and give them victory.Part 2: Deuteronomy 9:7-24Reminder of rebellion: Israelites' history of rebellion, especially the incident with the golden calf.Moses' intercession: Moses fasted and prayed for the Israelites, highlighting their persistent disobedience.Unbelief and disobedience: Connection between lack of faith and failure to obey God.Emphasis: Not about their righteousness but God's promise and grace.Part 3: Deuteronomy 9:25-10:11God's mercy: Despite their sin, God renews the covenant.Renewal of the tablets: New set of commandments as a sign of God's grace.Message: God's faithfulness despite Israel's stubbornness.Lessons for Us TodayUnderstanding grace: Recognize that God's favour is not because of our righteousness.Humility: Accepting that we are all, by nature, stiff-necked and rebellious.Dependence on God: Our success and blessings are due to God's grace, not our merit.Response to grace: Living humbly and gratefully, compelled by the sacrifice of Christ.ConclusionCure for self-righteousness: Understanding and embracing God's grace.Response: Humility and gratitude for God's unmerited favor and faithfulness.Final thought: We are chosen, saved, and blessed not because of who we are, but because of who God is. This realization should lead us to live our lives fully devoted to Him.Support the showJeremy McCandless is creating podcasts and devotional resources | PatreonHelp us continue making great content for listeners everywhere.https://thebibleproject.buzzsprout.com

Send us a textSubscribe here to receive my new church history podcast every few weeks at.https://thehistoryofthechristianchurch.buzzsprout.comFor an ad-free version of the podcast plus the opportunity to enjoy hours of exclusive content and two bonus episodes a month and also help keep the Bible Project Daily Podcast free  for listeners everywhere at;patreon.com/JeremyMcCandlessWelcome:In this episode, we're diving into Deuteronomy 2:1-37, where we explore the concept of "Choosing Your Battles." As we journey through this passage, we'll discover how the Israelites navigated their way through enemy territories, discerning when to fight and when to hold back, all under God's guidance.Episode Overview:In this study, we examine the Israelites' journey from Kadesh Barnea to the plains of Moab, focusing on their interactions with neighbouring nations. We learn that God sometimes calls us to fight, and at other times, He commands us to refrain. The challenge lies in discerning His will and acting accordingly. This episode will help you reflect on how to apply this wisdom in your life, particularly when it comes to deciding which battles are worth fighting.Study Notes for Episode 5: "Choosing Your Battles" (Deuteronomy 2:1-37)Key Themes:Following God's Direction:The Israelites' journey was marked by obedience to God's guidance. They moved when He said to move and refrained when He said to refrain. This chapter reminds us that God's guidance is crucial in making decisions about when to engage and when to step back.Respecting Boundaries:As the Israelites passed through Edom, Moab, and Ammon, God instructed them not to provoke these nations because He had given them their lands. This teaches us the importance of respecting others' boundaries and recognizing when a conflict is not ours to pursue.Knowing When to Fight:In contrast to the earlier commands to avoid conflict, God later instructs the Israelites to engage in battle with King Sihon of the Amorites. This highlights that while peace is preferred, there are times when we must stand and fight, particularly when it aligns with God's will.Application Points:Discerning God's Will:The central lesson of Deuteronomy 2 is the importance of seeking God's will in every situation. Whether it's deciding to engage in a conflict or choosing to avoid it, our actions should always be in line with His direction.Choosing Your Battles:Not every issue requires a fight. Reflect on the battles in your life—whether personal, relational, or spiritual—and consider if they align with God's purpose for you. Are there conflicts you need to let go of, and are there others where you need to stand firm?Standing Firm in the Faith:As Paul emphasized in Galatians, we must defend the purity of the gospel. There are times when we must fight for our faith, particularly against false teachings or distortions of the gospel. This is a battle worth fighting.Discussion Questions:How do you currently discern which battles in your life are worth fighting?Can you identify a situation where you felt God was telling you to step back from a conflict? How did you respond?In what ways can you stand firmSupport the showJeremy McCandless is creating podcasts and devotional resources | PatreonHelp us continue making great content for listeners everywhere.https://thebibleproject.buzzsprout.com

Send us a textSubscribe here to receive my new church history podcast every few weeks at.https://thehistoryofthechristianchurch.buzzsprout.comFor an ad-free version of the podcast plus the opportunity to enjoy hours of exclusive content and two bonus episodes a month and also help keep the Bible Project Daily Podcast free  for listeners everywhere at;patreon.com/JeremyMcCandlessEPISODE NOTES:Introduction to DeuteronomyBook Overview: Deuteronomy is traditionally seen as a series of sermons delivered by Moses to the Israelites before his death. These sermons reflect on the journey of the Israelites from Egypt to the edge of the Promised Land, emphasizing obedience to God's law as they prepare to enter the land.Structure: The book can be divided into three primary sermons. Chapter 1 begins with the historical context, setting the stage for the first sermon.Setting the Scene (Deuteronomy 1:1-5)Book Overview:Structure: God's Faithfulness at Sinai (Deuteronomy 1:6-18)Command to Move Forward: Fulfillment of God's Promise:Establishment of Judges: Leadership Lessons:Failure at Kadesh Barnea (Deuteronomy 1:19-46)Reaching the Promised Land: The Spies' Report: Consequences of Disobedience:Key Lessons and Theological ThemesTrust in God's Promises: The Israelites' failure at Kadesh Barnea serves as a warning against allowing fear and doubt to override faith in God's promises.God's Justice and Discipline: God's response to the Israelites' rebellion illustrates His justice. Even Moses is not exempt from the consequences of disobedience.The Age of Accountability: The passage hints at the concept of the "age of accountability" through the promise that the children, who were too young to understand good and evil, would inherit the land.Application for TodayFaith vs. Fear: The account of Israel at Kadesh Barnea challenges believers to trust God's promises, even when circumstances seem overwhelming.Importance of Obedience: Disobedience, especially when rooted in fear, can lead to missed opportunities and the loss of God's blessings.Leadership and Delegation: Effective leadership involves recognizing one's limits and wisely delegating responsibilities to others, just as Moses did.ConclusionGod's Unwavering Faithfulness: Despite Israel's repeated failures, God's faithfulness remains evident. He continues to guide, discipline, and ultimately fulfill His promises to His people.Reflection: This passage from Deuteronomy is not just historical; it serves as a timeless reminder of the importance of trusting in God, obeying His commands, and recognizing His faithfulness, even when we fall short.Support the showJeremy McCandless is creating podcasts and devotional resources | PatreonHelp us continue making great content for listeners everywhere.https://thebibleproject.buzzsprout.com

Message from Mark Montgomery on August 21, 2024

Psalm 106 is a chapter in the Book of Psalms that reflects on the history of Israel and the repeated acts of disobedience by the people, contrasting these with God's enduring mercy and forgiveness. This psalm is a communal confession, recalling the nation's sins while simultaneously praising God's unfailing love and patience. Structure and Themes 1.Introduction and Praise (Verses 1-5): •The psalm begins with a call to praise the Lord, emphasizing His goodness and enduring love. The psalmist asks who can proclaim the mighty acts of the Lord or fully declare His praise, acknowledging the blessedness of those who uphold justice and righteousness. 2.Confession of Sins (Verses 6-43): •This section recounts various instances of Israel's disobedience from the time of their ancestors in Egypt to the period of the Judges. The psalmist confesses that “we have sinned, even as our ancestors did” and details a series of rebellions, including: •The rebellion at the Red Sea. •The craving for food in the desert and the resulting plague. •The worship of the golden calf at Mount Horeb. •The rebellion at Kadesh Barnea, leading to the refusal to enter the Promised Land. •The mingling with pagan nations and the adoption of their idolatrous practices. Despite these continual acts of rebellion, God repeatedly showed mercy, sometimes after severe punishment or when His people were delivered into the hands of their enemies. 3.God's Mercy and Deliverance (Verses 44-46): •The psalm highlights God's mercy, stating that He “took note of their distress when He heard their cry” and remembered His covenant. Despite their unfaithfulness, God had compassion on them and caused their captors to show mercy. 4.Conclusion and Prayer (Verses 47-48): •The psalm concludes with a prayer for salvation, asking God to gather His people from among the nations so that they may give thanks to His holy name and glory in His praise. The final verse is a doxology, a short hymn of praise, which ends Book Four of the Psalms with “Praise be to the Lord, the God of Israel, from everlasting to everlasting. Let all the people say, ‘Amen!' Praise the Lord.” Key Messages •God's Faithfulness: Despite Israel's repeated failures, God's steadfast love and mercy remain constant. He is patient and slow to anger, forgiving His people when they turn back to Him. •Human Sinfulness: The psalm provides a sobering reminder of human nature's tendency towards sin and disobedience, even in the face of God's miraculous deeds and guidance. •The Importance of Remembrance: By recalling the history of Israel's sins and God's responses, the psalm encourages believers to remember their past, learn from it, and remain faithful to God. •Communal Confession: The collective nature of the confession in Psalm 106 underlines the importance of community in worship, repentance, and seeking God's forgiveness. Relevance Today Psalm 106 remains relevant today as it resonates with the themes of confession, repentance, and divine mercy. It serves as a reminder of the importance of acknowledging one's wrongdoings and seeking God's forgiveness, trusting in His unwavering love and faithfulness. The psalm also encourages believers to praise God for His continual grace, even when they fall short of His expectations.Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/sendme-radio--732966/support.

The book of Joshua teaches us that we can experience victory in our lives every day by faith in the LORD! “And this is the victory that overcomes the world, even our faith…” (1 John 5:4-5). In this last chapter Joshua reminds the people and admonishes them never to forget the LORD's blessings they have experienced in the past. A blessed people should be a grateful and thankful people.  Paul warns us in Romans 1:21-22, “Because that, when they knew God, they glorified him not as God, neither were thankful; but became vain in their imaginations, and their foolish heart was darkened. Professing themselves to be wise, they became fools”.   In verses 1-4, Joshua recalls how the LORD chose Israel to be His special people and how they were set apart to serve Him and be a blessing to the world. In verses 5-7, he recounts the history of their deliverance out of Egypt. God sent Joseph ahead to Egypt to preserve the nation during the famine, and then He sent Moses and Aaron to deliver the nation from bondage. All of this was a fulfillment of what God had promised to Abraham centuries before (Gen. 15:1-17).   God judged the gods and rulers of Egypt by sending ten plagues to the land, climaxing with the death of the firstborn (Exodus 7-12). God not only brought His people out, but He also led them through the Red Sea and drowned the Egyptian army in its waters (Exodus 14-15). God instructed His people to observe the Passover as an annual reminder of their redemption from Egyptian bondage (Exodus 12-13). In his farewell speech in Deuteronomy, Moses frequently reminded the Jews that they had once been slaves in Egypt, but the Lord had set them free (Deut. 5:15; 6:12; 8:14; 13:5,10; 15:15; 16:3, 6; 20:1; 24:22). It does a believer good to remember what it was like to be in bondage to sin and then to rejoice in the redemption that was purchased so dearly for us on the cross. It's a dangerous thing to take the gift of salvation for granted.   In Joshua 24:8-10, Joshua recalls how the LORD guided Israel. God brought Israel out that He might bring them in (Deut. 6:23). His goal for them was the Promised Land, but their sin at Kadesh Barnea caused them to wander in the wilderness until the old unbelieving generation had died off. When Balaam tried to curse Israel, God turned the curse into a blessing (Num. 22-24; Deut. 23:5; Neh. 13:2). Whether Satan came against Israel as the lion (the army of the Amorites) or as the serpent (the curses of Balaam), the Lord defeated him.   Then in verses 11-13, Joshua reminds them that it was the LORD that gave them their land. The same God who took Israel through the Red Sea also took them across the Jordan River and into their inheritance. Except for a temporary defeat at Ai (Josh. 7), and a humiliating compromise with Gibeon (chap. 9), Joshua and his army defeated every enemy in the land because the Lord was with them. In Joshua 24:13, God's words remind us of what Moses said to Israel in Deuteronomy 6:10. Once again, the emphasis is on the goodness of God and all that He did for Israel because He loved them.   Sadly, later when the Jews started taking their blessings for granted, they began drifting away from sincere worship of the Lord. And the same thing can happen to us if we are not careful! We should never forget the LORD's blessings, because a grateful heart is a strong defense against the devil's temptations.   God bless!

They've come all this way. He says in verse two. This is fascinating. It is 11 days journey from Horeb by the way of Mount Seir to Kadesh Barnea. Now it came to pass in the 40th year and the 11th month, on the first day of the month that Moses spoke to the children of Israel, according to all that the Lord had given him his commandments to them, after he had killed Sihon, the king of the Amorites, and dwelt in Ashbourne, and then og, king of Bashan, who dwelt at Ashtaroth in dry.

We have been looking at Joshua 13-21 for the past several days. It is in these chapters that the twelve tribes received their inheritance that had been promised to them by Moses in the Law. Chapters 13-17 took place at Gilgal where Joshua and the elders cast lots and distributed the land to five of the tribes. In chapters 18-19, Joshua moved the tabernacle to Shiloh where he surveyed the rest of the land and distributed it to the remaining seven tribes. In chapter 20, Joshua announced the “cities of refuge” where the manslayer could flee to from the avenger in case of an accidental death. And in chapter 21, Joshua appointed the forty-eight cities and surrounding land that the priestly tribe of Levites were to dwell in.   The very last three verses (vv. 43-45) of this long section in the Book of Joshua closes with three wonderful affirmations that should greatly encourage us today! The Christian life is not a bed of roses. Jesus had told His disciples that while they are in this world they would encounter tribulation but to be of good cheer because He had overcome the world (John 16:33). Paul reminded Timothy in 2 Timothy 2:3-4 that the Christian life is warfare and that he “must endure hardship as a good soldier of Jesus Christ. No one engaged in warfare entangles himself with the affairs of this life, that he may please him who enlisted him as a soldier.”   Paul closed this letter to Timothy by saying, “For I am already being poured out as a drink offering, and the time of my departure is at hand. I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith” (2 Timothy 4:6-7). Paul told the Ephesian church that they were to put on the whole armor of God as they wrestled with the world, the flesh, and the devil, in spiritual warfare! (Ephesians 6:10-18).   We must not be dismayed or discouraged as we have more mountains to climb and giants to conquer in our daily walk with Jesus in this world. Read these three affirmations of Joshua carefully as he reminded the twelve tribes of what the Lord had done for them!   First, God was faithful and gave Israel the land! So the LORD gave to Israel all the land of which He had sworn to give to their fathers, and they took possession of it and dwelt in it. (Joshua 21:43). God kept the covenant that He made, first with Abraham and then with his descendants. Genesis 12:7, “Then the LORD appeared to Abram and said, "To your descendants I will give this land." And there he built an altar to the LORD, who had appeared to him.”   Second, God gave Israel victory over all their enemies and then gave them the rest from war! “The LORD gave them rest all around, according to all that He had sworn to their fathers. And not a man of all their enemies stood against them; the LORD delivered all their enemies into their hand.” (Joshua 21:44; see 1:13, 15; 11:23). What the ten unbelieving spies at Kadesh Barnea said could never happen did happen, because Joshua and the people believed God and obeyed His Word.   Third, God kept His promises! “Not a word failed of any good thing which the LORD had spoken to the house of Israel. All came to pass.” (Joshua 21:45). At the close of his life Joshua would remind the people of this promise again in Joshua 23:14. Solomon must have had these verses in mind and reminded people of this promise when he dedicated the temple in 1 Kings 8:56. "Blessed be the LORD, who has given rest to His people Israel, according to all that He promised. There has not failed one word of all His good promise, which He promised through His servant Moses.”   Today, as the people of God, we can claim these assurances by faith. God's covenant with us is not going to fail; God's power and wisdom can give us victory over every foe; and God's promises can be trusted, no matter what the circumstances may be. The covenant of God, the power of God, the promises of God, these are the spiritual resources we can depend on as we claim our inheritance in Jesus Christ.   God bless!

6 Then the children of Judah came to Joshua in Gilgal. And Caleb the son of Jephunneh the Kenizzite said to him: "You know the word which the LORD said to Moses the man of God concerning you and me in Kadesh Barnea. 7 I was forty years old when Moses the servant of the LORD sent me from Kadesh Barnea to spy out the land, and I brought back word to him as it was in my heart. 8 Nevertheless my brethren who went up with me made the heart of the people melt, but I wholly followed the LORD my God. 9 So Moses swore on that day, saying, 'Surely the land where your foot has trodden shall be your inheritance and your children's forever, because you have wholly followed the LORD my God.' 10 And now, behold, the LORD has kept me alive, as He said, these forty-five years, ever since the LORD spoke this word to Moses while Israel wandered in the wilderness; and now, here I am this day, eighty-five years old. 11 As yet I am as strong this day as on the day that Moses sent me; just as my strength was then, so now is my strength for war, both for going out and for coming in. 12 Now therefore, give me this mountain of which the LORD spoke in that day; for you heard in that day how the Anakim were there, and that the cities were great and fortified. It may be that the LORD will be with me, and I shall be able to drive them out as the LORD said." 13 And Joshua blessed him, and gave Hebron to Caleb the son of Jephunneh as an inheritance. 14 Hebron therefore became the inheritance of Caleb the son of Jephunneh the Kenizzite to this day, because he wholly followed the LORD God of Israel.   The first lesson we learned from the twelve tribes receiving their inheritance, is from the tribes of Reuben, Gad, and the half-tribe of Manasseh. We don't want to become borderline believers. Now, in Joshua 14:6-14 we notice our second lesson which is, we should be encouraged in our pilgrim journey because no matter how long we must wait our inheritance is still available!   We were introduced to Caleb back in Numbers 13 when he was asked by Moses to be one of the twelve spies to go into Canaan at Kadesh Barnea some forty-five years earlier. Only he and Joshua had given a good report by faith, that even though there were giants in the land the Lord would be with them, and they could conquer it.    Since Caleb belonged to the tribe of Judah (Num. 13:30), and had been one of the two faithful spies, he received his inheritance first. Joshua, the other faithful spy, was the last to receive his inheritance (Josh. 19:49-51). In Joshua 14, Caleb reminded his friend Joshua of the promise Moses had made to them forty-five years before (Num. 14:24, 30; Deut. 1:34-36), that they would survive the years of wandering and receive their inheritance in the land. This promise gave Joshua and Caleb joy and courage as they endured years of wandering and waiting.   Can you imagine having to wait forty-five years because of someone else's sin?  Yet, Joshua and Caleb never gave up and were encouraged on their pilgrim journey even in the difficult years in the wilderness because of the promise of the inheritance that had been made to them! My friend, we should be encouraged especially since we have already received our inheritance in Christ and can claim "every spiritual blessing" (Eph. 1:3,).   Caleb was eighty-five years old, but he didn't look for an easy task, suited to an "old man." He asked Joshua for mountains to climb and giants to conquer! His strength was in the Lord, and he knew that God would never fail him. The secret of Caleb's life is found in a phrase that's repeated six times in Scripture: "he wholly followed the Lord God of Israel" (Josh. 14:14; also see Num. 14:24; 32:12; Deut. 1:36; Josh. 14:8-9). Caleb was an overcomer because he had faith in the Lord (1 John 5:4).   Since we also have a glorious inheritance before us (1 Peter 1:3-6), we should be encouraged and keep looking up! The best is yet to come!   God bless!

Video games give multiple lives. Golfers can claim a "mulligans." Some stores grant time in which you can exchange your purchases. But many of our decisions are irreversible with consequences we cannot avoid. Israel decided to disobey at Kadesh Barnea. They reaped the death of an entire generation in the wilderness. Would they want a "re-do" if they knew the outcome? For them and us, sin always leaves a stain. God help us to respond with faithful obedience at the very start. Renewing the Covenant: A married couple may renew their wedding vows. The renewal is not a rejection of the first vows, but a refreshed commitment in a new time and place, perhaps with deeper devotion. Deuteronomy is a renewal of God's covenant with Israel. In this series, Dr. John teaches about that renewal from the first four chapters. Perhaps it is time for us to renew our own commitment to Jesus. 

Prompted by the Gibeonites' plea, Joshua and his forces swiftly march overnight to aid them against the attacking Amorites. Joshua's prayer led to divine intervention, causing confusion among the Amorites, who had aid from hailstones. The five Amorite kings sought refuge in a cave but were captured and publicly executed by Joshua, their bodies sealed in the cave with stones. This victory initiated a series of campaigns where the Israelites conquered numerous cities in southern Canaan, subduing the region from Kadesh-Barnea to Gaza. Despite scholarly debates on archaeological evidence, the narrative emphasizes the strategic and divine elements of Joshua's military campaigns as detailed in ancient texts.   We'd love to hear your thoughts! Please rate and review our podcast.   Joshua's conquests, Ancient Canaan, Southern Campaign, Gibeonites, Divine intervention, Amorite kings, Military campaigns, Conquest of cities, & Archaeological evidence Please support our show by visiting our Patreon Page at https://patreon.com/TheHistoryoftheBible. To provide feedback on "The History of the Bible," please click this link: https://forms.gle/AtzUReJ8gLuFYPaP8. Share how this podcast has impacted you or someone you know by clicking here: https://forms.gle/jr4EdGsqCaFk4qZm8. If you believe any information was presented incorrectly, please let us know via this link: https://forms.gle/PiMMkPnJFaa4j5p37. Our show is edited and produced by Nikao Productions. Discover more shows by Nikao Productions on your preferred podcast platform. Follow Nikao Productions on Instagram: @Nikaoproductions.  

Events #2–4: 2) Declaration of Judgment War 3) Rebellion at Kadesh-Barnea 4) Victory at Jericho Why did God tell Moses to utterly destroy the evil Canaanites? Listen to this message to learn that extreme evil must be isolated and removed. See that this is a preview of God's judgment on all who reject Him because sin must be dealt with. Hear about incidents at Kadesh-Barnea and Jericho and how they teach us we must trust God and not lean on our own understanding.

After making the decision to leave the place of Kadesh Barnea, on needs to now step into the Land of Promise. This week Pastor David will address the spiritual principles to encourage your transformation in “taking the Land.”Yes, there are giants, but the giants lead to your transformation. These insights are to be found from a place of identity before your Father in heaven. Being cageless birds.“David strapped Saul's sword over the armor and tried to walk, but he couldn't, because he wasn't used to wearing them. “I can't fight with all this,” he said to Saul. “I'm not used to it.” So he took it all off.” 1 Samuel 17:38-51

It is interesting how the first twelve verses of Joshua 5 are so often overlooked in our Sunday school lessons and morning messages. They don't appear to be very exciting verses and we are more interested in the walls of Jericho miraculously coming down and the giants being conquered. These verses might not jump out at us as exciting, but they are very crucial for us to remember that before there can be victory in our Christian journey there must be proper preparation!   We need to remember that our warfare is not with “flesh and blood” but it is spiritual, and really “against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this age, against spiritual hosts of wickedness in the heavenly places.” (Ephesians 6:12). We might have experienced the miraculous crossing of both the Red Sea and the Jordan River spiritually but before we truly enjoy the victorious Christian life, we need to remember that the “Battle is the Lord's”.   As believers we still have an old Adamic nature, a fleshly carnal nature, that Paul often reminded the believers in the New Testament churches about. In Romans 7:18, Paul said that “no good thing dwells in our flesh.” In Galatian 5:17, he reminds us that “the flesh lusts against the Spirit, and the Spirit against the flesh; and these are contrary to one another, so that you do not do the things that you wish.” (Galatians 5:17).   Before Israel could attack and conquer Jericho, the males had to be circumcised (Joshua 5:1-8). It was a covenant reminder that their bodies did not belong to them but to the LORD. “…We are not our own for we have been bought with a price and we belong to the LORD…” (1 Corinthians 6:17-20). Paul made it clear in Colossians 2:11-13 that we have a “spiritual circumcision” in Christ: “In Him you were also circumcised with the circumcision made without hands, by putting off the body of the sins of the flesh, by the circumcision of Christ, buried with Him in baptism, in which you also were raised with Him through faith in the working of God, who raised Him from the dead. And you, being dead in your trespasses and the uncircumcision of your flesh, He has made alive together with Him, having forgiven you all trespasses”.  This is why we practice the ordinance of baptism in our churches to remind us that we have be set apart from the flesh and the world by the power of the death, burial, and resurrection of Jesus Christ!   In verses 10-12, the people then observed the Passover! In his farewell address to the nation, Moses had repeatedly commanded the Jews to remember that they were once slaves in Egypt and that the Lord had delivered them and made them His own people (Deut. 6:15; 15:15; 16:12; 24:18, 22). This great truth was embodied in their annual Passover feast. They were never to forget that they were a redeemed people, set free by the blood of the lamb. Forty years before, Israel had celebrated the Passover on the night of their deliverance from Egypt (Ex. 11-14). They also celebrated Passover at Mount Sinai, before leaving for Kadesh Barnea (Num. 9:1-14); but there is no evidence that they commemorated the Passover at any time during their years of wilderness wandering. Many Bible scholars believe this is because of the fact that the new generation wasn't circumcised prevented them from participating, and God had temporarily suspended His covenant with His people because of their rebellion at Kadesh Barnea.   If we are to live in victory we need to regularly be reminded, with the observance of the Lord's Supper in our local church, that it is only by the blood of Christ we are redeemed and set free from the “law of sin and death”. That we are “crucified with Christ” and it is only by His resurrection power and the Holy Spirit in us, that we can face the Jericho's and giants that get between us and God's will and best for our lives!   May the Lord help us to remember our warfare is spiritual.   God bless!

The location of decision. The Israelites are faced with a decision. They press into the Promised Land or they stay in the Wilderness. After forty years, they make it to the Land of Promise. Moses later uses the example of Kadesh Barnea to encourage the people to walk in the promises of the Lord. This week, Pastor David returns to the history of biblical narrative to expound on lessons of decision. How can Kadesh Barnea propel us into the inheritance of the Lord? “We will not return to our homes until every one of the children of Israel has received his inheritance. For we will not inherit with them on the other side of the Jordan and beyond, because our inheritance has fallen to us on this eastern side of the Jordan.” Numbers 32:18-19

For the past several days we have been talking about the “Word of Faith” that was share with Joshua, the leaders, and the people of Israel as they faced their first major obstacle between them and the Promise Land, where they could claim their inheritance. They needed a message and a miracle, and the LORD was ready with both! Today, I want to challenge you to take the “Step of Faith” that must be taken before you can see the “wonders” and miracles that you will experience as you fulfil God's will, plan, and purpose for your life!   During most of the year, the Jordan River was about a hundred feet wide; but at the spring flood season, the river overflowed its banks and became a mile wide. As soon as the priests bearing the Ark put their feet into the river, the water stopped flowing and stood like a wall about twenty miles away upstream, near a city called Adam. It was a miracle of God in response to the faith of the people.   Unless we step out by faith (Joshua 3:3, 15-16) and "get our feet wet," we're not likely to make much progress in living for Christ and serving Him. Each step that the priests took opened the water before them until they were standing in the midst of the river on dry ground. They stood there as the people passed by; and when the whole nation had crossed, the priests walked to the shore and the flow of the water resumed.   When God opened the Red Sea, He used a strong wind that blew the whole night before (Ex. 14:21-22). This was not an accident, for the wind was the blast of God's nostrils (15:8). When Moses lifted his rod, the wind began to blow; and when he lowered the rod, the waters flowed back and drowned the Egyptian army (14:26-28). When Israel crossed the Jordan River, it was not the obedient arm of a leader that brought the miracle but the obedient feet of the people. Unless we are willing to step out by faith and obey His Word, God can never open the way for us.   When Peter saw Jesus walking on the water in the middle of storm tossed sea, he asked Jesus to invite him to get out of the boat and walk on the water to Him. Peter took the step of faith and one of the greatest miracles in the New Testament took place as Peter walked on the water to Jesus!   We need to remember that the crossing of the Jordan River is not a picture of the Christian dying and going to heaven, contrary to what is said in some songs. The crossing of the Red Sea pictures the believer being delivered from the bondage of sin, and the crossing of the Jordan River pictures the believer claiming the inheritance in Jesus Christ. Joshua is a type of Jesus Christ our Conqueror who leads us from day to day into the inheritance He has planned for us.   What a tragedy it is when God's people fail to claim their inheritance and wander aimlessly through life as Israel did in the wilderness. The Book of Hebrews was written to challenge God's people to go on in spiritual maturity and not go backward in unbelief. In Hebrews 3-4, the writer used Israel's experience at Kadesh Barnea to warn foolish Christians not to come short of all that God had planned for them. We never stand still in the Christian life; we either move forward in faith or go backward in unbelief.   Today, it could be that the Lord is inviting you to join Him out in the stormy sea of Christian service! You must take the step of faith to get out of your secure and comfortable place of sitting on the pew, with all your family and friends around you. It may be the Lord wants you to go to the mission field to an unreached people group. Or now, to become a deacon or a Sunday School teacher. Or to run for office in your community, your state, or even on a national level. But the fear of the unknown, or even the known, is keeping you in the boat or in the wilderness on the wrong side of the Jordan.   My friend, the step of faith will set you free to experience the Lord and His miracles in wonderful ways!   God bless!

Send us a Text Message.This Podcast is Hosted at;https://thebibleproject.buzzsprout.comEnjoy hours of exclusive content every month and help keep the Bible Project Daily Podcast free  for listeners everywhere at;patreon.com/JeremyMcCandlessSubscribe here to receive my new church history podcast every few weeks at.https://thehistoryofthechristianchurch.buzzsprout.comEpisode Notes:Title: Avoiding Irritation in Your LifeScripture Reference: Numbers 33:1-56Podcast Episode Number: 800Episode Summary:In this episode, we explore Numbers Chapter 33 and uncover an often overlooked source of irritation in our lives. We'll look at the journey of the Israelites from Egypt to the Promised Land, as well as the spiritual and emotional implications of unresolved issues and disobedience.Key Points Covered:Introduction to Numbers 33:The Israelites' journey from Egypt, through the wilderness, to the plains of Moab.The significance of Moses recording their journey and God's command to document their travels.Detailed Breakdown of Their Journey:The stages from Egypt to Sinai, Kadesh Barnea, and the plains of Moab.Key events and locations mentioned in the chapter, including the deaths of significant figures like Aaron.Spiritual Lessons from Their Journey:Israel's repeated failure to obey God's commands.God's unwavering faithfulness despite their disobedience.Significance of Obedience:The importance of following God's commands to avoid continuous irritation and harassment.The consequences of partial obedience, as seen in the Israelites' failure to fully drive out the inhabitants of Canaan.Real-life Applications:How unresolved issues and disobedience can cause long-term irritation in our lives.Examples of how harbouring anger or failing to address obligations can lead to physical and emotional discomfort.Key Verses:Numbers 33:1-2: Introduction to the stages of the Israelites' journey.Numbers 33:3-4: The Israelites' departure from Egypt.Numbers 33:50-53: God's command to drive out the inhabitants of the land and the consequences of disobedience.Numbers 33:54-56: Distribution of the land and the warning against incomplete obedience.Important Quotes:"If we do not drive sin out, sin will drive us out. If we are not the death of our lust, our lust will be the death of our souls." – Matthew HenryConclusion:Lessons from the Israelites' journey highlight the importance of addressing unresolved issues and obeying God fully.Continuous irritation in life can stem from disobedience and harboring unresolved emotions like anger.Encouragement to reflect on personal irritants and take steps towards resolution and obedienceAll of Life for GodThe All of Life for God podcast is an engaging and thoughtful collection of exclusive...Listen on: Apple Podcasts SpotifySupport the Show.Jeremy McCandless is creating podcasts and devotional resources | PatreonHelp us continue making great content for listeners everywhere.https://thebibleproject.buzzsprout.com

A new MP3 sermon from Evangel Bible Church of Berkeley is now available on SermonAudio with the following details: Title: Kadesh-Barnea: to Do or Doubt God's Word Subtitle: Numbers Speaker: John Shim Broadcaster: Evangel Bible Church of Berkeley Event: Midweek Service Date: 12/6/2007 Bible: Numbers 13:1-33 Length: 68 min.

For the past several days we have been looking at how God encouraged His servant Joshua to lead the people of Israel to cross the Jordan River and conquer the Promise Land. In verses 1-9, God gave Joshua a commission, gave him His promises, gave him His Word, and gave him His command to go! Every day in our spiritual journey we face new challenges, problems, and issues and we need to be encouraged too!   I will never forget in my four years at Lynchburg Baptist College (1971-1975), now Liberty University, how often that Dr. Jerry Falwell spoke on the subject of discouragement. He knew this new generation of church leaders that he was mentoring and preparing for ministry would be tempted to quit as they faced the hardships of ministry. Dr. Falwell would often say that the devil's best tool to keep a Christian from serving is discouragement. He would go on to say, “God can't use a discouraged Christian”. The quote I really remember was: "A man's greatness is measured not by his talent or his wealth, but by what it takes to discourage him."   It is amazing that fifty years later America is facing a similar crisis to what we were facing in the late 60's and early 70's. And if there was ever a time in our history that believers need to rise up, speak up, and deal will the terrible evils that are destroying our great nation, it is today! We need to be encouraged to remember that “The Battle is the LORD's”, and He will enable us and empower us to be victorious over all our enemies!   Joshua had been encouraged by the LORD and now he sought to encourage his leaders (vv. 10-15). The nation of Israel was so organized that Moses could quickly communicate with the people through his officers who formed a chain of command (Deut. 1:15). Moses didn't assemble the leaders to ask for their advice but to give them God's orders. There are times when leaders must consult with their officers, but this was not one of them. God had spoken, His will was clear, and the nation had to be ready to obey.   Forty years before, at Kadesh Barnea, the nation had known the will of God but refused to obey it (Num. 13). Why? Because they believed the report of the ten spies instead of believing the commandment of God and obeying by faith. Had they listened to Caleb and Joshua—the minority report—they would have spared themselves those difficult years of wandering in the wilderness. There is a place in Christian service for godly counsel, but a committee report is no substitute for the clear commandment of God.   Instead of the command to prepare food, you would have expected Joshua to say, "Prepare boats or start building a bridge, so we can cross the Jordan River." Joshua didn't try to second-guess God and work things out for himself. He knew that the God who opened the Red Sea could also open the Jordan River. He and Caleb had been present when God delivered the nation from Egypt, and they had confidence that God would work on their behalf again.   Though he trusted God for a miracle, Joshua still had to prepare for the everyday necessities of life. Each family and clan had to provide its own food. It was important that the people stayed strong because they were about to begin a series of battles for possession of their Promised Land.   Note that Joshua's words to his leaders were words of faith and encouragement. "You shall pass over! You shall possess the land! The Lord will give it to you!" Joshua had made a similar speech forty years before, but that generation of leaders wouldn't listen. Now that generation was dead, and the new generation was ready to believe God and conquer the land.   Caleb and Joshua were the oldest men in the camp, between 60 and 70 years of age, and yet they were enthusiastic about trusting God and entering the land. It isn't a matter of age; it's a matter of faith; and faith comes from meditating on the Word of God (Joshua 1:8; Romans 10:17).   Look up!!!!! God is still on His throne and be encouraged today!   God bless!

Numbers 14:6-10 6 But Joshua the son of Nun and Caleb the son of Jephunneh, who were among those who had spied out the land, tore their clothes; 7 and they spoke to all the congregation of the children of Israel, saying: "The land we passed through to spy out is an exceedingly good land. 8 If the LORD delights in us, then He will bring us into this land and give it to us, 'a land which flows with milk and honey.' 9 Only do not rebel against the LORD, nor fear the people of the land, for they are our bread; their protection has departed from them, and the LORD is with us. Do not fear them." 10 And all the congregation said to stone them with stones. Now the glory of the LORD appeared in the tabernacle of meeting before all the children of Israel.   We are looking at the early life of Joshua as he is being prepared to be the next leader of Israel to take the nation into the Promise Land. For us, the Promise Land is the place in our Christian lives where we experience daily victory by faith in our great Joshua, the Lord Jesus Christ! We first met Joshua as a slave in Egypt. In Exodus 17, we find that he is a soldier leading the army of Israel against the Amalekites. Next in Exodus 24:13, Joshua is called Moses' servant (Joshua 1:1). Today we meet Joshua as a spy in Numbers 13-14.   After the exodus from Egypt, he people of Israel spent their first eleven months near Mt. Sinai receiving the Law and building the tabernacle. Then they travel to Kadesh Barnea, on the border of the Promised Land, where God commanded Moses to appoint twelve men to spy out the land of Canaan. Joshua and Caleb were among them (Num. 13). After forty days of investigating the land, the spies returned to Moses and first reported that the land was indeed a good one (Numbers 13:25-29).   But ten of the spies began to discourage the people by saying that Israel wasn't strong enough to overcome the enemy. They gave and evil report of unbelief saying that it was “a land that devours it inhabitants… there are giants in the land and were like grasshoppers in their sight”. But two of the spies, Caleb and Joshua, encouraged the people to trust God and move into the land. Sadly, the people listened to the faithless ten spies. It was this act of unbelief and rebellion that delayed the conquest of the land for forty years.   This crisis revealed some fine leadership qualities in Joshua. He was not blind to the realities of the situation, but he didn't allow the problems and difficulties to rob him of his faith in God. The ten spies looked at God through the difficulties, while Joshua and Caleb looked at the difficulties through what they knew about God. Knowing he was right, Joshua wasn't afraid to stand up against the majority. He, Moses, and Caleb stood alone and risked their lives in so doing; but God stood with them. Joshua was a man of faith, which gave him courage, conviction, and patience.   Think of the years of blessing in the Promised Land that Joshua forfeited because the people had no faith in God! But Joshua patiently stayed with Moses and did his job, knowing that one day he and Caleb would get their promised inheritance (Num. 14:1-9). Leaders must know not only how to win victories but also how to accept defeats.   I love how Joshua reported that the giants would be “bread” for them (Numbers 14:9). God means for the difficulties and giants we face in our spiritual journey to nourish us and build up our faith and our trust in Him!   Today, we can either focus on the giants we face, or the great God we can trust! Which will it be for you!   God bless!

Today's Scripture passages are Deuteronomy 1:26 - 2 | Deuteronomy 10:12-22 | Romans 2:17 - 3:8.Read by Christina Edmondson.Get in The Word with Truth's Table is a production of InterVarsity Press. For 75 years, IVP has published and created thoughtful Christian books for the university, church, and the world. Our Bible reading plan is adapted from Bible Study Together, and the Bible version is the New English Translation, used by permission.SPECIAL OFFER | As a listener of this podcast, enjoy 25% off your order at ivpress.com by using the code IVPOD25 at checkout.Additional Credits:Song production: Seaux ChillSong lyrics written by: Seaux Chill, Ekemini Uwan, and Christina EdmondsonPodcast art: Kate IrwinPhotography: Shelly EveBible consultant: JM SmithSound engineering: Podastery StudiosCreative producers: Ekemini Uwan and Christina EdmondsonAssistant producer: Paloma LeeExecutive producer: Helen Lee

اور ہم خداوند اپنے خدا کے حکم کے مطابق حورب سے کُوچ کر کے اُس بڑے اور ہولناک بیابان میں سے ہو کر گزرے جسے تُم نے اموریوں کے کوہستانی مُلک کے راستہ میں دیکھا ۔پھر ہم قادس برنیع میں پہنچے ۔

I greet you in Jesus' precious name! It is Tuesday morning, the 12th of March, 2024, and this is your friend, Angus Buchan, with a thought for today. We start in the Book of Deuteronomy 1:2-3, in the Old Testament: “It is eleven days' journey from Horeb by way of Mount Seir to Kadesh Barnea. Now it came to pass in the fortieth year, in the eleventh month, on the first day of the month, that Moses spoke to the children of Israel according to all that the Lord had given him as commandments to them,…” The Children of Israel took 40 years to complete an 11-day journey. We are slow learners. They had to go on that same trip time and time again until they learned the lessons that God was teaching them. Isn't that the same with you and me today, my dear friend? We want to do everything quickly, and then we have to come back and do it again and again. My wife's old dad was a steam engineer by profession. In those days, everything was driven by steam - steam railway engines, steamships on the sea, and steam engines. He told me that when he was a young student, the first thing he had to do was to make his own tools. He didn't buy them, he had to make them. He was an incredible man to have on the farm in his old age. I would have an emergency, a breakdown when I was planting my crops, and I would go to the Spares Department in town at the garage and they would say, “It can only come in two weeks time.” I would go back desperately and see him at his house, and I would say, “Dad, this thing is broken. Can you help me?” He would remake it himself and I would be back in business within hours. I remember sometimes I was quite intimidated by him. He would come down to the workshop and I would be frantically trying to use a hacksaw and saw a piece of pipe and going flat out with it, just sawing in the middle of the saw-blade, and he would put his hand on my shoulder and say, “When you bought that hacksaw blade, you paid for the whole blade. Use the saw from end to end, not just back and forwards in the middle.” And he was quite right. We mustn't be afraid to take time to learn. I love to go down to our neighbour's farm. He has got an oak plantation. This oak plantation must be about 100 to 150 years old. I love to go into that oak plantation and am quiet in the presence of God, and I am surrounded by trees that have taken 150 years to grow. It makes me feel good and secure. We need to learn our lessons well. If we don't, the Lord will take us back to that same thing that we are not achieving because He loves us and He wants us to succeed. God bless you and have a wonderful day,Goodbye.

Just a reminder that tomorrow, Thursday February 29, I will be leaving for Jordan with a wonderful team to minister to Iraqi, Syrian, and Palestinian refugees. There are over one million refugees in the city of Amman Jordan. We sure would appreciate and covet your prayers for our team during this 10-day trip to a very special area of our world! This means that my daily pastor chats might not be so daily. I will do my best to post ministry updates, pastor chats, pictures and videos, as our time, schedule, and internet access permits. Once again, thank you for your patience and prayers during these next 10 days. We return on Saturday, March 9 and hope to get back to our daily chats as soon as possible! You should never forget the main emphasis of Psalm 136! If someone asks you what is in Psalm 136 you should be able to immediately reply, “For His mercy endures forever!”  Or, as some versions translate it, “For His steadfast love endures forever!” Psalm 136 describes creation of the world and the beginning and history of Israel all the way to the book of Judges in verses 23-25. But it also describes our spiritual journey as believers and followers of Jesus Christ. First in verses 1-9, we should never forget to remind ourselves that God is our creator, and He gives us breath in our lungs, hearts that beat, and a mind to think with! We are totally dependent upon Him for our very existence to enjoy this beautiful, orderly creation we live in! Never forget that God is our Creator who brought us forth into this world! Next in verses 10-12, we rejoice that God is our Redeemer! Because of sin we are enslaved and in bondage to Satan, like Israel in Egypt. But like God brought Israel out of Egypt, He has brought us out of our sinful state in bondage and set us free through the sacrifice of His precious Lamb, the Lord Jesus Christ! All because “His mercy endures forever!” Now, in verses 13-16, we find that God is our Shepherd Who brings us through the “wilderness” of life! One of the greatest miracles in history takes place when the Lord brought Israel through the sea that He parted so they could walk across on dry ground and at the same time He destroy the armies of Pharoah (vv. 13-15). God then led Israel through the wilderness (v. 16). A pillar of cloud guided them by day and a pillar of fire by night (Ex. 13:21-22). God first led them to Sinai where they remained for over a year while Moses received and taught the divine law and supervised the construction of the tabernacle. The nation needed the discipline of the law and the delight of worship before they were ready to enter Canaan and take the land. Israel's unbelief and disobedience at Kadesh Barnea sent them back into the wilderness (Num. 13-14) where that rebellious generation died during the next thirty-eight years of wandering. But even then, God miraculously provided food for them to eat by raining down Manna on them everyday and bringing water out of rocks for them to drink!  Moses commanded the new generation to remember those wilderness years and obey the Word of God (Deut. 8). My friend, as believers we are also on a spiritual journey through the “wilderness of sin”, (Exodus 16:1, 17:1), and we need God's protection and provisions every day!  Indeed, we need not worry or fear because the Lord Jesus Christ is our Shepherd in this life (Psalm 23:1; 78:52-55; 80:1; John 10:11-14; Heb. 13:20; 1 Peter 5:4) and throughout eternity (Rev. 7:17). He is the true Manna sent down from heaven (John 6:41-51)! He will never leave us or forsake us (Hebrews 13:5-6)! Jesus knows us by name and if we will by faith follow Him, we can be assured of His “mercy and goodness that will follow us all the days of our lives” (John 10:3-4; Psalm 23:6).  Yes, today you can rejoice because “His mercy and steadfast love endures forever”! God bless!

Elder John Decker 2/4/24

“They Did Not Believe His Word”  Psalm 106:24-27 24 Then they despised the pleasant land; They did not believe His word, 25 But complained in their tents, And did not heed the voice of the LORD. 26 Therefore He raised up His hand in an oath against them, To overthrow them in the wilderness, 27 To overthrow their descendants among the nations, And to scatter them in the lands. In Psalm 106:12-23, we see the dangerous decline of the people of Israel soon after they were delivered out of their bondage in Egypt.  It started with, “they soon forgot His works; they did not wait for His counsel” (v. 13). Then notice in verse 21, the next thing they did was, “They forgot God their Savior”.  And after that now in verse 24, “Then they despised the pleasant land; They did not believe His word.”  When we forget what the Lord has done for us, we start leaving God out of our lives and then we even despised His promises of blessings and refuse to believe His word of victory over our enemies and problems. Now in verses 24-27, we see the tragic failure they experienced because of their unbelief. Israel had been out of Egypt about two years when the Lord brought them to Kadesh Barnea on the border of the Promised Land (Num. 13-14). Instead of trusting God to give them the land, the people asked Moses to appoint a committee to survey the land. The truth is that God had already done this for them according to Ezekiel 20:6, “On that day I raised my hand in an oath to them, to bring them out of the land of Egypt into a land that I had searched out for them, ‘flowing with milk and honey', the glory of all lands.” But Israel did not need more facts; they needed more faith. It was a "pleasant [beautiful] land" (v. 24; Jer. 3:19; 12:10) and a "good land" (Deut. 8:7-9), but ten of the twelve spies reported that Canaan was a dangerous land filled with giants, high-walled cities, and formidable armies. The people reverted to their usual crisis mode of weeping, complaining, and planning to return to Egypt (Num. 14:1-10). Sounds a lot like most Christians today in our churches in America. How sad! The Lord announced that the generation twenty years and older would all die in the wilderness during the next thirty-eight years, and then He sent a plague that killed the ten unbelieving spies. What should have been a triumphant victory march became a tragic funeral march. That is what happens when we want our own way and refuse to trust the Lord and obey Him. May the Lord give us grace, strength, and courage to believe Him and His Word so that we don't have to wander around in the wilderness during our time on earth! God bless!

21 They forgot God their Savior, Who had done great things in Egypt, In Psalm 106:12-23, we see the dangerous decline of the people of Israel soon after they were delivered out of their bondage in Egypt.  It started with, “they soon forgot His works; they did not wait for His counsel” (v. 13). Then notice in verse 21, the next thing they did was, “They forgot God their Savior”.  This same thing can happen to us very quickly in our Christian experience! When we start enjoying the blessings of being saved from our sins, (peace, joy, forgiveness), so much that we don't take the time to remember the great work of our salvation, our suffering Savior on the cross and His resurrection, with grateful and thankful hearts, it won't be long that we tend to “forget God” too! I try to wake up every morning quietly singing, (at least to myself), a little chorus I learned years ago. “Thank You Lord for saving my soul, thank You Lord for making me whole, thank You Lord for giving to me Thy great salvation so rich and so free.” Before I even get out of bed, I want to be reminded of how Jesus saved me from my sins and will continue to take care of me throughout the coming day! Romans 8:31-32 reminds us: “What then shall we say to these things? If God is for us, who can be against us? He who did not spare His own Son, but delivered Him up for us all, how shall He not with Him also freely give us all things?”    If we will take the time to daily remember our “great salvation through Jesus Christ”, maybe we will also be confident that the same God Who saved us, is willing and ready to give us everything we need to face the giants we might encounter throughout the coming day! When you think of this and our passage in Psalms 106 today, these verses in Hebrews 2:1-4 will come alive!  “Therefore we must give the more earnest heed to the things we have heard, lest we drift away. For if the word spoken through angels proved steadfast, and every transgression and disobedience received a just reward, how shall we escape if we neglect so great a salvation, which at the first began to be spoken by the Lord, and was confirmed to us by those who heard Him, God also bearing witness both with signs and wonders, with various miracles, and gifts of the Holy Spirit, according to His own will?”   The seeds of unbelief buried in the hearts of the Jewish people took root and bore bitter fruit in the years to come. I have often said, "The Lord took Israel out of Egypt in one night, but it took Him forty years to take Egypt out of Israel." The people were slow to remember God's past deeds but quick to rush ahead and ignore His desires. However, they did not hesitate to make known their own desires, for they craved water (Ex. 15:22-27), food (Ex. 16), and meat (Num. 11:4-15, 31-35). "What shall we eat? What shall we drink?" (See Matt. 6:25) God provided daily manna, water at an oasis and then from the rock (Ex. 17), and enough fowl to give meat to the whole nation. People who grumble and complain are people not walking by faith in the promises of God (Phil. 2:14-15). We must resist the temptation to yield to our fleshly cravings (1 Cor. 10:1-13).  The rebellion of Korah (Num. 16-17) followed soon after Israel's apostasy at Kadesh Barnea when the nation refused to enter the Promised Land. Pride and selfish ambition have always brought trouble to God's people (Phil. 2:1-11; James 4:1-10). Then for forty days, Moses had been on Sinai with the Lord, and the Jewish people were nervous without their leader, and In spite of what the Lord had taught them at Sinai, they wanted a god they could see (Deut. 4:12-19). They rejected the eternal God ("their Glory"—Rom. 1:26) for a manmade piece of gold that could not see, hear, speak, or act! Once again, Israel forgot what the Lord had done for them.  If we are not careful, we might quickly do the same!  God bless!

Psalm 106 is another of the historical psalms that was intended to remind the people of Israel of God's faithfulness to them in the past especially as they faced a major challenge in their nation. It is also another envelope psalm as it begins and ends with the same Hebrew word, “Hallelujah”, or in our English language, “Praise the LORD”.  Psalm 106 is also the last chapter in the fourth book of psalms and does so with the characteristic doxology which marks the close of the other four books.   We do not know who wrote this psalm. From the pleas of verse 47 it would seem it was written during the captivity in Babylon. As usual, Spurgeon believed that David wrote this psalm. Another commentator points out that Jeremiah possibly wrote it after the Northern Kingdom of Israel went into the Assyrian captivity. One of my favorite commentators thought that Daniel was the writer.  He points out that “Daniel was a man who knew how to pray the kind of confessional prayer we have in this psalm. Perhaps he wrote it about the time he poured out his heart before God as recorded in Daniel 9. If so, it was written by him when he was an old man of about eighty-seven. The Babylonian empire had fallen. The time was ripe for old prophecies to be fulfilled. Yet, there was still no sign of this happening. The exiles were settling down at ease in Babylon, making the best of their new home, and fast forgetting their history and their national destiny. Perhaps at such a time this psalm was penned.”   After reading this psalm, we might be tempted to say, "Those Israelites were certainly a sorry band of sinners!" Instead, we ought to be commending the psalmist for telling the truth about his own people. Most historians present their nations in the best possible light and blame other nations rather than their own, but our anonymous psalmist told the truth. The writer is also to be commended for identifying himself with his struggling people and saying, "We have sinned" and "Save us" (vv. 6 and 47).   You might remember that we said Psalm 105 mentions nothing about Israel's failings, but that deficiency is remedied by 106. It is clearly a companion to the previous psalm. The two stand shoulder to shoulder. Psalm 105 tells us how God treated Israel; Psalm 106 tells us how Israel treated God. Psalm 105 deals with the faithfulness of God, while Psalm 106 deals with the faithlessness of Israel. Psalm 105 reminded the people that God is a covenant God who always keeps His promises and was written to encourage the nation. Psalm 106 reminded the people of their repeated sins and failures. However, the purpose of Psalm 106 is not to condemn Israel but to extol the Lord for His longsuffering and mercy toward His people.   In order to glorify God, the writer had to place God's mercies against the dark background of Israel's repeated disobedience. After expressing his praise to the Lord (vv. 1-6), the writer pointed out nine serious offenses the nation had committed. He began with the Exodus and closed with the Babylonian captivity, and at the heart of the list he placed Israel's rebellion at Kadesh Barnea. He did not arrange these selected events in order of their occurrence, for his purpose was to teach us about the patience and longsuffering of God and not chronology.   Today, maybe you feel overwhelming condemnation for your repeated sins and failures. I'm convinced that as long as you have breath in your lungs, a heart beating in your chest, and a mind to think with, that God is patiently waiting for you with the open arms of a loving Father to forgive and restore you to fellowship through the blood of His Son Jesus Christ!   God bless!

Remember we said that this Psalm is both an invitation and a warning. It is an invitation to worship our Great God and our Great King! (vv.1-7b). But it is also a warning that we should not “harden” our hearts and not hear the voice of God and obey Him. We don't have any trouble seeking God when we are desperate. Such as when our health is failing, we don't have money to pay the bills, our family is falling apart, a tragedy has taken place or when we realize how bad we have sinned, and everything is falling apart in our lives. But when prosperity is smiling on us and things are going great in our lives, we tend to start focusing on the gifts and forget Who the Giver is. We start gradually start slipping away from our devotional and worship time and begin to backslide.   The psalmist was afraid that the people of Israel might do the same after they resettled in the Promise Land after their captivity in Babylon, so he gives them this warning to hear the Voice of God and not harden their hearts. This is a reminder to us that the Word of God is a vital part of Christian worship, especially in this age when inventing clever new worship forms is a common practice and novelty is replacing theology. Hearing and heeding God's Word must be central if our worship, private or corporate, is to be truly Christian. It isn't enough for God to hear my voice; I must hear His voice as the Word of God is read, preached, and taught. The Scriptures written centuries ago have authority today, and we have no right to ignore them, change them, or disobey them. We are to respond to God's Word now, when we hear it, and not just later in the week when we review our sermon notes or listen to the message on cassette tape. How tragic when worshipers go home with full notebooks and empty hearts! (See Heb. 3:7-4:13 where this passage is applied to the church today, warning us not to harden our hearts against the Lord.) The way we treat the Word of God is the way we treat the God of the Word. Jesus admonishes us to take heed that we hear (Matt. 13:9), take heed what we hear (Mark 4:24), and take heed how we hear (Luke 8:18). The writer reached back and cited two tragic events in the history of Israel. Tthe nation's complaining at Rephidim (Ex. 17:1-7) and their unbelief and disobedience at Kadesh Barnea (Num. 13-14). When they arrived at Rephidim, the people complained again because they were thirsty (Ex. 17:1-7). Instead of trusting God, they blamed God and His servant Moses. God graciously gave them water out of the rock, but Moses commemorated the event with two new names for the site: Meribah means "strife, quarreling, contention" and Massah means "testing." (See also Num. 20:1-13.) Instead of trusting God, the people had contended with God and had even tempted Him by their arrogant attitude and words. Israel spent a year and two months at Sinai (Num. 10:11) and then departed for Kadesh Barnea, the gateway into Canaan (Num. 13-14). Here they refused to trust the Lord and obey His orders to enter the land and claim their inheritance. In spite of all they had seen Him do, the Israelites hardened their hearts and refused to do God's will. Hebrews 1-4 is God's admonition to the church today to live by faith, and "faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the word of God" (Rom. 10:17). Because the Jews refused to hear His Word but hardened their hearts instead, God was disgusted with His people, and all the people twenty years old and older died during that wilderness journey. We harden our hearts when we see what God can do but refuse to trust Him so He can do it for us. We fail to cultivate a godly heart that fears and honors the Lord. It is a grievous sin to ask for the gifts (food, water, etc.) but ignore the Giver, and the consequences are painful. God bless!

Joshua 10:28-43 New International Version (NIV) Southern Cities Conquered 28 That day Joshua took Makkedah. He put the city and its king to the sword and totally destroyed everyone in it. He left no survivors. And he did to the king of Makkedah as he had done to the king of Jericho. 29 Then Joshua and all Israel with him moved on from Makkedah to Libnah and attacked it. 30 The Lord also gave that city and its king into Israel's hand. The city and everyone in it Joshua put to the sword. He left no survivors there. And he did to its king as he had done to the king of Jericho. 31 Then Joshua and all Israel with him moved on from Libnah to Lachish; he took up positions against it and attacked it. 32 The Lord gave Lachish into Israel's hands, and Joshua took it on the second day. The city and everyone in it he put to the sword, just as he had done to Libnah. 33 Meanwhile, Horam king of Gezer had come up to help Lachish, but Joshua defeated him and his army—until no survivors were left. 34 Then Joshua and all Israel with him moved on from Lachish to Eglon; they took up positions against it and attacked it. 35 They captured it that same day and put it to the sword and totally destroyed everyone in it, just as they had done to Lachish. 36 Then Joshua and all Israel with him went up from Eglon to Hebron and attacked it. 37 They took the city and put it to the sword, together with its king, its villages and everyone in it. They left no survivors. Just as at Eglon, they totally destroyed it and everyone in it. 38 Then Joshua and all Israel with him turned around and attacked Debir. 39 They took the city, its king and its villages, and put them to the sword. Everyone in it they totally destroyed. They left no survivors. They did to Debir and its king as they had done to Libnah and its king and to Hebron. 40 So Joshua subdued the whole region, including the hill country, the Negev, the western foothills and the mountain slopes, together with all their kings. He left no survivors. He totally destroyed all who breathed, just as the Lord, the God of Israel, had commanded. 41 Joshua subdued them from Kadesh Barnea to Gaza and from the whole region of Goshen to Gibeon. 42 All these kings and their lands Joshua conquered in one campaign, because the Lord, the God of Israel, fought for Israel. 43 Then Joshua returned with all Israel to the camp at Gilgal.

In this prayer Moses shares with us how he learned to deal with the difficult challenges of life. In verses 1-2, he reminds us that we are pilgrims traveling through this world and that God Himself is our eternal home.   In verses 3-12, his prayer teaches us that we should be learners and life Is our school. Moses was "educated in all the learning of the Egyptians" (Acts 7:22), but the lessons he learned walking with God were far more important. In the school of life (v. 12), we need to learn two important lessons. First life is brief and passes swiftly (vv. 4-6), and so we should make the most of it. Secondly, that life is difficult and at times seems futile (vv. 7-11), but this is the only way to mature. Were there no sin in the world, there would be no suffering and death; but people made of dust defy the God of the universe and try to repeal the inexorable law of sin and death, "For dust you are, and to dust you shall return" (Gen. 3:19). While we all thank God for modern science and the ministry of skilled medical personnel, we cannot successfully deny the reality of death or delay it when our time comes. The school of life is preparation for an eternity with God, and without Him, we cannot learn our lessons, pass our tests, and make progress from kindergarten to graduate school!   The older we get, the better we understand that life is brief and moves past very swiftly. God dwells in eternity (Isa. 57:15) and is not limited by time. He can cram many years of experience and work into one person's lifetime or make the centuries flash past like the days of the week (2 Peter 3:8). Compared with eternity, even a long life is like yesterday when it is past or like the changing of the guards while we are sleeping (a "watch" was four hours). Only God is eternal, and we humans are like objects suddenly swept away by a flash flood (Matt. 7:24-27) or grass that comes and goes. In the east, the grass often grows on very thin soil and has no deep roots (Matt. 13:20-21). A field will be lush and green in the morning but become withered before nightfall because of the hot sun. God is the one whose command "turns us back" (v. 3), and we need to fear and honor Him and use our lives for His glory. In the school of life, those students learn the most who realize that the dismissal bell rings when they least expect it!   In verses 7-11, Moses reflected on Israel's sad experience at Kedesh Barnea (Num. 13-14), when the nation refused to obey God and enter the Promised Land. This foolish decision led to four decades of trials and testings in the wilderness while the older generation died off, except for Joshua and Caleb. God is "slow to anger" (Ex. 34:6), but the repeated complaints and rebellions of His people tested even His longsuffering. God saw what Israel did and God knew what Israel intended to do! No secrets are hidden from Him. The twenty-year-olds would be close to sixty when the nation returned to Kadesh Barnea, and Moses saw eighty years as the limit for humans. He died at 120 and Joshua at 110, but King David was only 70 when he died.   Sin takes its toll on the human race, and we no longer see lifespans recorded like those in Genesis 5. We don't like to think about the wrath of God, but every obituary in the newspaper is a reminder that "the wages of sin is death" (Rom. 6:23). We finish our years "like a sigh" (v. 9) and marvel that it all went by so fast! So, now is the time to ask God for wisdom to become better students and stewards of our time and opportunities (v. 12; Deut. 32:29).   We number our years, not our days, but all of us have to live a day at a time, and we do not know how many days we have left. A successful life is composed of successful days that honor the Lord. “So teach us to number our days, That we may gain a heart of wisdom”.   God bless!

We first meet Caleb when he is about 40 years old, and a recognized leader of his tribe, the tribe of Judah. The Israelites are encamped at Kadesh Barnea. Out of 12 spies sent to preview the promise land, Caleb, along with Joshua, return to give a good report. The other 10 spies, however, were afraid. This led to them wandering in the desert for 40 years. Now, over 40 years later, only Caleb and Joshua are still living. In all that time, through all the battles, and despite the ups and downs, Caleb wholeheartedly served the Lord. As Craig Groeschel says, "If you're not dead, you're not done." Caleb certainly exemplified that statement.

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Psalm 78 is called a “History Psalm” that gives us the story of the failures of the nation of Israel over many years. Asaph is writing this Psalm during a dark and dismal time, and he wants the new generations to remember their past, and not repeat the sins of their forefathers. He begins this history with the apostacy of Ephraim (vv. 9-11), and then recounts the nation's sins in the wilderness (vv. 12-39).   God had told Abraham in Genesis 15:13-14 after he died, his descendants would end up in Egypt. “Then He said to Abram: "Know certainly that your descendants will be strangers in a land that is not theirs, and will serve them, and they will afflict them four hundred years. And also the nation whom they serve I will judge; afterward they shall come out with great possessions.”    Jacob, Abraham's grandson, took his twelve sons and their families to Egypt to escape the famine in Canaan. And just like God told Abraham, they were there 400 years and Exodus 1 tells us how they later became slaves under a Pharoah that did not know Joseph. During that time, they grew into a nation of over two to three million people. It was then that God raised up Moses to lead them out of Egypt (Exodus 2-3). Then they spent the next 40 years wandering in the wilderness because of their unbelief and desire to go back to Egypt.   Someone said, it only took God a few days to get them out of Egypt, but it appears that it took God 40 years to get Egypt out of them. It only takes a moment in time for God to save us when we are delivered from our slavery to sin and the world by the blood of Lamb, Jesus Christ, but like Israel, it sure seems like it takes us a long time to get the “world” out of us as we wander through this “wilderness of sin” on our Christian journey.   When you read Psalm 78:12-39 about Israel's journey through the wilderness and how they experienced God's miraculous power in giving them food, giving them water, protecting them from the enemy and yet they still struggled with the desires of their hearts to go back to Egypt, you can't help but think that is the story of so many Christians today. It appears that Israel wanted what God could give them, and would do for them, more than they wanted a relationship and fellowship with God Himself!   "He brought their days to an end in futility" (v. 33; Ps. 90:7-12). It was at Kadesh Barnea that they refused to enter the land because the ten spies told them about the big giants there (Num. 13-14). They wandered for the next thirty-eight years until the people twenty years and older all died (Num. 14:28-38). From time to time, God's discipline did bring them to their knees in temporary repentance, but their confessions were insincere flattery (v. 36) and they soon rebelled again. In His mercy, God forgave them and held back His wrath, but they were a generation that grieved His heart.   My friend, as we read these verses, we need to make sure that we learn from their experience. We need to desire God and His mercy more than what our flesh so often wants as we journey through this world. We need to thank the Lord for His patience with us and His willingness to forgive us after we have failed time and time again.   Today, if you feel like you are being consumed in futility and fear, and have strayed away from the Lord, please come to Jesus today! He will receive you with open arms and forgive you!   God bless!

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Today's Scripture passages are Deuteronomy 1:26 - 2 | Deuteronomy 10:12-22 | Romans 2:17 - 3:8.Read by Christina Edmondson.Get in The Word with Truth's Table is a production of InterVarsity Press. For 75 years, IVP has published and created thoughtful Christian books for the university, church, and the world. Our Bible reading plan is adapted from Bible Study Together, and the Bible version is the New English Translation, used by permission.SPECIAL OFFER | Effective Jan. 1st, 2024, all promo codes/opportunities mentioned in this episode are expired. Please use the code IVPOD25 at ivpress.com for 25% off your order.Additional Credits:Song production: Seaux ChillSong lyrics written by: Seaux Chill, Ekemini Uwan, and Christina EdmondsonPodcast art: Kate IrwinPhotography: Shelly EveBible consultant: JM SmithSound engineering: Podastery StudiosCreative producers: Ekemini Uwan and Christina EdmondsonAssistant producer: Paloma LeeExecutive producer: Helen Lee

The book of Numbers in a single episode. Bodie and Joey unpack the essential details of Numbers, where it falls on the storyline, the structure of the book, major themes and ideas, what Numbers teaches us about God, what it offers our Christian lives, and a couple of our favorite details to equip and inspire you to read, study, and love this amazing fourth book of the Bible.

This week on the Patterns of Evidence Podcast, Filmmaker, Tim Mahoney, and Writer/Researcher for Patterns of Evidence, Steve Law, continue their behind-the-scenes conversation on “Journey to Mount Sinai II.” What is the “Patterns Approach” and how has this method led to uncovering profound evidence, affirming the historical credibility of the Bible, in time periods and locations many are not looking in? In what ways has this approach been utilized in the development of the “Journey to Mount Sinai” series? What are some of the attributes of Mount Sinai we should be looking for in determining which candidate best fits the biblical criteria? Gain special insights on the 2 BONUS criteria of our Journey to Mount Sinai Scorecard. What do “Kadesh Barnea” and “Beyond Yam Suph” mean for the true location of Mount Sinai? Tim and Steve also discuss the sad yet powerful influence paganism had on the ancient Israelites as it relates to the golden calf incident and later in their history. What predominant themes in the ancient world could lead them to stray so quickly after witnessing the signs, wonders, and miraculous outstretched arm of God? ➡️ HELP US FINISH JOURNEY TO MOUNT SINAI II

Welcome to Season 5!In this episode, we cover Deuteronomy 2 and 3.  In this sermon, Moses tasks the nation to remember what God can do for them if they obey Him. Thank you for being a part of the club. Take a peek at the show notes below for Hayley's recap!Show NotesBlog Season 4, Episode 13: Phinehas the Killer PriestSeason 4, Episode 10: Even the Faithful Can FallThe Abraham AccordsThe Journey from Kadesh-Barnea to the Plains of MoabShow notes are also available to view on Susanme.com/shownotes/ Contact Bible Book ClubLike, comment, or message us through Bible Book Club's InstagramLike or comment on Susan's Facebook or InstagramLeave us an Apple reviewContact us through our website formThanks for listening and happy podcasting!

Welcome to Season 5!In this episode, we begin Deuteronomy. While we are continuing with Moses' story, it is in a very different format than the four books before. Moses is going to give a sermon. (The Israelites and us can learn a lot from it.) Thank you for being a part of the club. Take a peek at the show notes below for Hayley's recap!Show NotesBlog Season 2, Episode 13: Moses Battles Fatigue  Season 4, Episode 7: A Moment of Weakness Leads to a Life of Wandering Moses TimelineThe Route of the ExodusThe Journey from Kadesh-Barnea to the Plains of MoabShow notes are also available to view on Susanme.com/shownotes/ Contact Bible Book ClubLike, comment, or message us through Bible Book Club's InstagramLike or comment on Susan's Facebook or InstagramLeave us an Apple reviewContact us through our website formThanks for listening and happy podcasting!