How God Chooses 1 Samuel 16:1–13 Man looks on the outward appearance, but the Lord looks on the heart. 1 Samuel 16:7 In the first mention of David in the Old Testament, he appears not as a hero but as a youth who was for the most part overlooked by his family. This, of course, is a…

Our Kinsman-Redeemer Ruth 2:17–20 That man is our close relative; he is one of our kinsman-redeemers. Ruth 2:20 (NIV) According to Jewish law, property should remain within a family if possible. If a Jewish person lost his or her share of the land through debt or by some other means, a near relative (if there…

Ready for the Gospel Judges 7:4–8 Every one who laps the water with his tongue, as a dog laps, you shall set by himself. Likewise, every one who kneels down to drink. Judges 7:5 In Ephesians 6:15 we are told to have our feet “fitted with the readiness that comes from the gospel of peace”…

Keeping Faith Joshua 24:14–27 But as for me and my house, we will serve the Lord. Joshua 24:15 What would the people of Israel choose? Verbally the choice was clear. “Far be it from us that we should forsake the Lord to serve other gods,” they protested. “We also will serve the Lord, for he…

Wholehearted Service Joshua 14:6–15 [Caleb] wholly followed the Lord, the God of Israel. Joshua 14:14 In his wholehearted giving of himself to God, Caleb contrasts with most of the other people of Israel during this period. Caleb was given Hebron and took it, driving the Anakim from the land. Sadly, this was not true of…

Dissatisfaction Joshua 7:16–26 I coveted them and took them. Joshua 7:21 What was it that led Achan to this sad act of disobedience? It began with dissatisfaction. Achan was dissatisfied with the way God had ordered the affairs of his life. Achan’s mind was not on the blessings that lay ahead. He was thinking of…

The Battle for Jericho Joshua 6:15–25 The people shouted a great shout, and the wall fell down flat. Joshua 6:20 If you are a Christian, you are a soldier in God’s army and are engaged in a war where many enemy strongholds need to be conquered. We see them everywhere. There are fortresses of evil…

Consecration Joshua 5:1–12 Joshua . . . circumcised the sons of Israel. . . . They kept the Passover. Joshua 5:3, 10 The consecration of the people of Israel at Gilgal was made by reenactment of the covenant signs of circumcision and the Passover. This took place after the crossing of the river but prior to the assault on…

Rahab’s Faith Joshua 2:1–16 For the Lord your God, he is God in the heavens above and on the earth beneath. Joshua 2:11 Rahab’s experience is parallel to that of everyone who comes to God through faith in Jesus Christ today. Joshua tells us that after Rahab had helped the spies and they had agreed…

The Role of God’s Word Joshua 1:1–9 Being careful to do according to all the law that Moses my servant commanded you. Joshua 1:7 The heart of Joshua’s commissioning by God was to know his Word personally. There are four parts to this commissioning. 1. Joshua was to know God’s Word. That is, he was…