“Joshua's Last Counsels to the Nation” (10 min.)
It is said that you cannot grow old if you do not listen to advice, and when this advice comes from people with extensive experience, you must listen carefully. That is what we will discuss right now in the Bible Treasures Discourse. "Joshua's Last Counsels to the Nation".
We are now concluding the final chapters of the book of Joshua and it is time to review with his help to hear advice that benefits us too. We will see three points: The first, that we must keep on guard by loving Jehovah God. Second, don't mix with the nations. And third, trust fully in Jehovah.
One thing we have always noticed is that Jehovah uses a servant of God with characteristics for the moment. For example, in the case of Moses, a lot of patience was needed and Moses was the meekest man on earth at that time, it was because his people revealed themselves time after time. But here Josué was a brave man who had learned the way to fight, to face very difficult situations because he had to face the conquest of the land of Canaan.
This is why he is described as a fearless and fearless leader, convinced of the truthfulness of Jehovah's promises. Obedient to divine direction and determined to serve Jehovah faithfully. So even though his name was Hosea, Moses changed his name to Joshua. What does this mean? "Jehovah is salvation." And that is precisely why we are going to review Josué's first words of farewell to the people.
LET'S READ: Joshua 23:11.
So be constantly on your guard by loving Jehovah your God.
Those words that the Israelites knew perfectly well. But what would come of extras once was going to be a bit complicated. They would be surrounded by people who would push so hard to disobey Jehovah and thereby practice things that would go against what Jehovah had said. And that could mean life or death. The expression to be on guard gives us the idea that we must be attentive to any moment of our life.
Today we can be in schools, colleges, jobs with family, friends. Each of them can influence us to do something wrong. Josué checked it out. The people of Israel clearly saw that when they allowed themselves to be carried away by the customs of each of the surrounding peoples, it cost them dearly. Today, if we don't take care of ourselves, what might seem innocent would perhaps mean our spiritual death.
Every step we must measure carefully, be on guard. That expression could be compared to a watchdog of a business or an institution where something could arise that endangers the integrity of the people or the property that is being cared for. We cannot afford to let our guard down. Love can be lost. Love for Jehovah can happen that even if it doesn't seem like it.
But that to any of us. Joshua himself saw that many ancient servants of his day rebelled against God and had to pay the consequences. Excellent advice for us not to think that we can handle situations. The best way to stay on our guard is by loving Jehovah. out of love we will resist many things. The second point or advice that Joshua mentioned is not to mix with the nations.
LET'S READ: Joshua 23: 12,13.
But if you stray and join the remnants of these nations that are still among you and form marriage alliances with them and associate with them and they with you, 13 you can be sure that Jehovah your God will no longer drive out these nations for you. They will become a snare, a snare, a scourge on your sides and thorns in your eyes until you have disappeared from this good land that Jehovah your God has given you.
Josué expresses to them a real danger that they will marry men or women from those places. That would make them no longer completely expelled from the land, but rather that these marriage alliances would promote marriage with pagan wives and to please, by making relatives feel good that they did not serve Jehovah, they could engage in practices that Jehovah does not he liked it.
In our days something similar happens. When a Christian forms marital alliances with an unbeliever to please his spouse, acts that offend Jehovah can be committed. Now that we are approaching pagan holidays, it is hard for Christians who are married to non-believers. Spend this time in a calm way, with peace of mind, and if you want to avoid this, it is logical that we have to avoid such marital alliances as Jehovah indicates. S olo marry someone who has demonstrated loyalty to Jehovah for some time. We do not want to, nor should we mix with the nations. We want to hear Josué's advice. As we said, the one who listens to advice will grow old. The third point is trust in Jehovah.
LET'S READ: Joshua 23:14.
Now look, I'm about to die, and you know very well with all your heart and with all your soul that not a single word of all the good promises that Jehovah your God made you has failed. All have been fulfilled in your favor. Not a single word of them has failed.
How did Joshua express these words at that time before the people? With what feeling? With what decision? With what security? We ask, Do you know of any divine promises that have not been fulfilled in due course? Surely not, because the word of God is trustworthy. That is why we fully trust her.
For that reason we can look to the future with confidence. Jehovah offers us the hope of living in an earth transformed into a paradise of pleasure, and to a few Christians the hope of ruling with Christ in heaven, no matter what our hope is. We want to remain faithful to Jehovah, for the day will come when our hope will come true.
The fact that the world situation becomes more and more complicated, more critical, more worrying, is a clear demonstration that we are about to see the full fulfillment of Jehovah's promises. And we can therefore say in a new world, as Josué said, not a single word of them has failed. None of us can lower our guard in these times so close to the end.
We do not want to mix with the nations because we want to please a loved family member, forget about Jehovah and turn our backs on him. We want to fully trust him. We want to listen to the advice that comes from Jehovah, to listen to the advice that Joshua said in the biblical story. When he died, there was peace and quiet, because the judges who came after him and the people remained in obedience to Jehovah.
They listened to those last advice and they became old we not only want that we want to live forever so we pay attention to the last advice of Joshua to the nation of Israel but we pay attention to all the word of God that has the sole purpose that let's be happy forever.
Comments
Post a Comment