Word for the day by Christian Education Forum

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Covenantal Faithfulness is Communal Guidance   

Bible Reading: :Joshua 24: 1-14

Key verse:  

Bible Verse::“13 I gave you a land on which you had not labored and cities that you had not built, and you dwell in them. You eat the fruit of vineyards and olive orchards that you did not plant.’”

DEVOTION

The Book of Joshua provides an early proclamation of the covenantal faithfulness of the LORD (YHWH)—the one true God, like no other (Isaiah 44:6-8)—to His chosen people of Israel, fulfilling the promise to Abraham (Genesis 12:1-3). The Book details the conquest of Canaan, the Promised Land, under the leadership of Joshua, who served a Moses’s attendant and helper (Numbers 11:28) and successor (Joshua 1:1-9). Joshua and Caleb—who followed the LORD wholeheartedly (Joshua 14:8–9)–were the only people that God allowed to enter the Promised Land, from a total of ~600,000 men, aged 20–50, as per the Bible (Exodus 12:37, Numbers 1:46), an estimated total population of ~2.4-3 million people, including women, children, and the elderly, liberated from 430 years of bondage in Egypt (Exodus 12:40), but perished during the 40-year wandering in the wilderness . 
The devotional passage (Joshua 24: 1-14) is drawn from the last chapter of the Book of Joshua (Joshua 24:1-33) that features the second part of his final address to the people of Israel at Shechem that begins in Chapter 23, followed by making a covenant with them to serve the LORD and obey His voice (Joshua 24:24), putting in place statutes and rules for them (Joshua 24:25). Israel experienced the bounty and riches of Canaan, flowing with milk and honey (Exodus 3:8), thanks to the LORD fighting their battles.
The devotional passage presents Joshua’s masterful summary of the spiritual history of Israel, recorded in Genesis 11 to Exodus 15 (v.1-5), and Exodus 12 to Joshua 22 (v.6-13). The passage is replete with examples of the LORD’s miraculous acts for His chosen people that exemplified His covenantal faithfulness: (i) plaguing Egypt; (ii) putting darkness between the children of Israel and the Egyptians, as they walked through the parted Red Sea, and they cried out to the LORD; (iii) making the Red Sea come upon the Egyptians and cover them; (iv) destroying the Amorites when they fought Israel; (v) giving Israel land they had not labored and cities they had not built, and eating the fruits of vineyards and olive orchards they did not plant.
Joshua’s instruction to the children of Israel to fear and serve the LORD sincerely, putting away the God of their fathers in Egypt (Joshua 24:14)—the communal guidance—was anchored in the LORD’s covenantal faithfulness to His people, originally made to Abraham. Joshua used the occasion to teach the principle of covenantal faithfulness to the new generation, born in the wilderness, fully following the LORD’s command to Moses on Mount Sinai to teach the next generation (Deuteronomy 6:7).
The devotional passage offers the following reflective questions for the Kerala Christian Diaspora, including the Mar Thoma Diaspora:
(i) Do we treasure and celebrate the LORD’s faithfulness to us; Him as the source of every blessing?
(ii) Do we fear the LORD and serve Him sincerely?
(iii) How are we preparing the next generation to fear the Lord and serve Him?

 

PRAYER

 Help us O LORD our God, to live in humble submission to you, praying like David, “What shall I return to the Lord for all his goodness to me?" (Psalm 116:12)

Thought for the DAY

Transference of faith is not automatic across generations. We must be intentional and proactive in transferring our faith traditions and heritage to future generations.


Dr. Cherian Samuel
Immanuel Mar Thoma Church, Virginia

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