Reading 1 – Jos 9

“The other cities of Canaan were not more brave [vv 1,2], they were only more foolish than Gibeon [vv 3-27]. They lacked the imagination of faith which could realise the fate awaiting them. They dreamed of safety without taking measures to secure it. They believed in that ‘chapter of accidents which is the Bible of the fool.’ Like some Oriental governments which we have seen, they stared destruction in the face, and did nothing to ensure success in averting it. Wisdom averts the preventible, but sets itself to work at once to accept the inevitable. And Gibeon deserves credit for its clear perception of its danger, and its sagacity in trying to make the best of what could not be avoided. Perhaps, being more republican than any of the other nationalities, we have here an instance of the superior wisdom of the popular instinct to that of the rulers. Without dwelling, however, on the source of their wisdom, we may with advantage follow its example. One of the chiefest parts of the art of life is frankly, promptly accepting the inevitable. Whatever the pressure that you cannot avoid, proceed at once to make the best of it. If it be poverty, do not with desperate ventures attempt to win back wealth, but with contentment and industry set yourself to make the best of it. If disease affects you from which you cannot free yourself, come to terms with it. Send your ambassadors and make a covenant with it. And accepting the situation in which you find yourself, address yourself to gather the ‘sweet uses of adversity,’ and you will find weakness a great teacher and not without its compensations. If you have done wrong, and to humble yourself is a necessity of honour, do so like Gibeon, at once. If submission to your redeeming God has become a necessity of your case, do not, like the other cities of Israel, dream and defy, and then fall before the destroyer; but with timely overtures seek Him while He is near. Thus in all relations of life accept frankly the inevitable. Agree with thine adversary quickly, and with the force you cannot resist make such terms as will allow you to enjoy a less dignity, but yet some degree of happiness.

“In the action of the Gibeonites there is the good of a rudimentary faith, and there is the evil of deceit. It is to be observed that, while the evil is punished, the good is not ignored. God does not require the retraction of the oath; and when, centuries later, Israel breaks the oath, He shows His disapproval of their course. God sanctions their being spared, and thus approves the good that is mixed with evil. Happily for us, God is still the same. Perfect motive He never finds, and unmixed good He never looks on. But, in His infinite compassion, whatever of good there is in our action receives a rich reward. His love holds as keen a scrutiny as His justice, and wherever in the action of men the slightest good appears, then He rewards it” (PC).

Reading 2 – Isa 13; 14

“It is to be expected that these burdens will have a Last Days reference, in addition to their contemporary relevance. This is the normal characteristic of nearly all Messianic prophecy. In several places (eg, Isa 17:13; 13:5,6; 19:23-25; 22:22) clear links with other Last Days prophecies seem to demand this…

“Who can doubt that the further fulfillment of Isa 13; 14 will produce the very situation which made the reign of Hezekiah one of the most exciting in all history? Once again, as then, there will be wrath on the state of Israel for its godlessness and lack of faith; the Land will be overrun by a confederacy of enemies; vast numbers will be herded away as slave labour in the lands of their conquerors; then, through the repentance of the faithful remnant and the merits of one Man whom God has smitten with undeserved suffering for the sake of His people, there will come sudden incredible divine deliverance, and the City of God will be safe; a gracious year of jubilee will be celebrated, with the joyous return of all the captives; and then will ensue a reign of righteousness and peace and prosperity more adequate to fulfill all the long-cherished dreams of God’s pious and faithful ones. Not all of this picture comes in Isa 13; 14; but much of it is there, and the other details are copiously filled in, in Isaiah’s later prophecies” (Harry Whittaker, “Isaiah” 194, 200).

Reading 3 – 1Ti 4:8

“For physical training is of some value, but godliness has value for all things, holding promise for both the present life and the life to come” (1Ti 4:8).

“Physical training” is from the Greek “gymnasia”. By this term Paul means more than physical effort. He means the coordination of body and mind, in consistent and tireless training and effort, to master some skill. The pianist or dancer or athlete practices continually, striving always toward perfection, but never quite achieving it. Another type of such bodily “exercise” is the adherence to strict rules of diet, such as fasting (Luke 18:12: “I fast twice in the week”), which Paul mentions in v 3, or the other ascetic tendencies to self-denial which characterized both Jewish and Greek thinkers in that time: going barefoot, wearing sackcloth, abstaining from marriage and meat.

“Physical training is of some value”: “Bodily exercise profiteth little” (KJV) — or “for a few things” — in contrast to the all things for which godliness is profitable. Or, as the KJV mg indicates, “for a little time only”: Physical health lasts only a few years, and a skill lasts hardly longer. They are but man’s feeble efforts and they are bounded by his own inherent limitations — sickness and death. If man does not appeal to one greater than himself, he cannot rise above what he is by nature. If he places confidence in his own strength, to deny himself this or that, he may have removed temptation, but he is no better for it — if he has not replaced these items with positive, godly thoughts and works. He is like water, running down, seeking its own lowest level. He is like the man who has rid his house of one foul occupant only to see seven unclean spirits fill the void. Without God in his life, nothing can profit him very much.

“But godliness has value for all things, holding promise for both the present life and the life to come.” What can we add more than this! Godliness in this present life brings to the disciple of Christ a sense of spiritual “peace”; a feeling of oneness, or unity with God; wellbeing and consolation even in the midst of trials. “Seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness: and all these things shall be added unto you” (Mat 6:33).

Such a person gains “peace” and contentment now, even as he looks expectantly toward that greater “rest” of the Kingdom.

To have peace with God makes all possible worries harmless and out-of-place. This is godliness with contentment (1Ti 6:6). It can only come with complete, undivided dedication to one goal of life. Peace is not freedom from external strife. It is freedom from internal strife, because our minds are full of love and “Perfect love casteth out fear… he that feareth is not made perfect in love” (1Jo 4:18). Jesus, even in the anguish and anticipation of his terrible sufferings, was still able to say: “Peace I leave with you… In the world ye shall have tribulation; but in me ye shall have peace… Let not your hearts be troubled” (John 14:27). The godly person, just as Christ, has already “overcome the world” (John 16:33).

Reading 1 – Jos 11:5,6

“All these kings joined forces and made camp together at the Waters of Merom, to fight against Israel. The LORD said to Joshua, ‘Do not be afraid of them, because by this time tomorrow I will hand all of them over to Israel, slain’ ” (Jos 11:5,6).

“A day now near at hand will see the revelation of God’s righteous anger, and then the further and final restoration of His house, when the glory will return embodied in the new rulers that God has promised to Israel. The ‘great fury’ of God is a necessity created by man’s sin — his pride, cruelty, and corruption of the earth. The classic illustration of what is coming is to be found in the clearing of the land of Palestine by Joshua and the settlement of a purified remnant of Israel in the place of the Canaanites, whose licentious and debased religions had forfeited their right to live. We know more of what the fury of man can do, in the terrible effects of modern war. We know its futility as we realize that there does not exist the power to bring order and peace when destruction has ceased. Apart from the overruling by which the sword of the wicked is made to do the work of God, it is not in man to dispense terrors according to deserts. The striving of the potsherds lacks the elemental basis of justice and righteousness which will never be absent from the fury of God” (John Carter, “Prophets after the Exile” 86).

Reading 2 – Isa 15:1

The word “oracle” or “burden” (Isa 13:1; 15:1; 17:1; 19:1; 21:1; 22:1; 23:1) is from the Hebrew “to lift up”, in foreboding or expectation; it implies something that God has planned for another. More often than not, it speaks of a coming punishment; but at times it simply means an important event involving a particular people. The distinction must be determined by the context. Often, the “burden” begins with warnings of judgments to come, and then proceeds with prophecies of something beneficial arising out of the dark times. Zec 12 illustrates this: it begins with a “burden… for Israel… in the siege”, but then quickly speaks of a time of blessing succeeding the time of affliction: Jerusalem inhabited again in her own place (Zec 12:6,7). The burdens of Isaiah generally follow this same pattern, with special reference to the Last Days of Gentile times and the establishment of “Israel in their own land” (Isa 14:1) and Christ as the “ruler of the land… upon the mount of the daughter of Zion” (Isa 16:1). Also the roles of various Gentile powers, especially in relation to Israel and God’s plans for the Last Days, are outlined. What might first appear to be a dry and unrewarding study becomes in reality a promise of God’s deliverance for His people (in typical prophecies) and a glorious assurance (in initial fulfillments) that God’s purpose stands firm (Isa 14:26,27).

Reading 3 – 2Ti 1:8

“Join with me in suffering” (2Ti 1:8).

Jackie Robinson was the first black man to play major league baseball in the modern era, in 1947. Breaking baseball’s color barrier, he faced disgusting racial slurs from opposing players, baseballs thrown at his head while he was batting, and baserunners sliding with spiked shoes lifted high, trying to cut or slash him. Also, he faced jeering crowds in every stadium. While playing one day in his home stadium in Brooklyn, he committed an error. Some in the crowd began to ridicule him. He stood at second base, disconcerted and humiliated, while even his hometown fans continued to ridicule and mock him.

Then shortstop Pee Wee Reese came over and stood next to him. He put his arm around Robinson, talked quietly to him, and encouraged him, as if the crowd’s cries meant nothing. He was a white Southerner, with his own experiences of racial prejudice, and might have been expected to keep a safe distance from a black man. But it was as if he were saying to everyone: ‘This is my teammate; he’s with me!’ Reese was a star player at this time: popular and successful and well-liked. The fans grew quiet, and the game resumed.

Jackie Robinson later said that that arm around his shoulder saved his career.

A statue will soon be erected and dedicated at the current Brooklyn baseball park, commemorating this simple yet profound act, performed more than 50 years ago now — joining and identifying with another so as to share his suffering.

Reading 1 – Jos 12

“Jos 12 forms a fitting conclusion to the military campaigns of Joshua, containing as it does a summary of his numerous victories and a list of the thirty-one kings which were smitten by him. A short account is there given of the conquests made by Israel both in the times of Moses and of Joshua. The land which the Lord gave unto Israel consisted of two parts, for though it was but a single country, yet its terrain was divided by the Jordan. Thus the conquest of Canaan was a single enterprise, though it was actually accomplished in two distinct stages. That portion on the eastward side of Jordan was subdued by Moses, and given to the two and a half tribes, but the much larger half lay on the western side, and was subjugated by Joshua and allotted unto the nine and a half tribes” (AW Pink).

Reading 2 – Isa 16:4,5

” ‘Let the Moabite fugitives stay with you; be their shelter from the destroyer.’ The oppressor will come to an end, and destruction will cease; the aggressor will vanish from the land” (Isa 16:4).

The KJV has: “Let mine outcasts dwell with thee, Moab” — but the NIV rendering (above) has strong support of the LXX (and other versions: NET, RSV, RV mg), and suits the context much better: Isa 15;16 is all about Moab being overrun by Assyria.

But there is, in the last of this verse, the assurance that — finally — the Assyrian oppressor will come to an end, and will vanish from the land!

“In love a throne will be established; in faithfulness a man will sit on it — one from the house of David — one who in judging seeks justice and speeds the cause of righteousness” (v 5).

Here is “an assurance of the saving power of godly Hezekiah — note the words ‘mercy… truth… judgment… righteousness’ — with the strong implication that, sharing the faith of this wonderful man, these distressed Moabites can share also the safety and recovery which comes through him” (Harry Whittaker, “Isaiah” 216,217).

Reading 3 – 2Ti 2:15

“Do your best to present yourself to God as one approved, a workman who does not need to be ashamed and who correctly handles the word of truth” (2Ti 2:15).

“Do your best” is the Greek “spoudazo”: “give diligence” (RSV). The same word occurs in 2Ti 4:9; 4:21; Tit 3:12; Heb 4:11. The word does not mean “study” (as in KJV) or “book-learning” ONLY… although that may well be included. Rather, it means to “do your best”, to “make every effort”, to train and learn, diligently, in whatever way presents itself. In modern terms, we would probably do well to think — not just of school or university — but of apprenticeship programs thereafter, and of practical job training and experience.

“Were you but as willing to get the knowledge of God and heavenly things as you are to know how to work in your trade, you would have set yourself to it before this day, and you would have spared no cost or pains till you had got it. But you account seven years little enough to learn your trade and will not bestow one day in seven in diligent learning the matters of your salvation” (Richard Baxter).

The diligent workman will “correctly handle” (or “rightly divide”: KJV) the word of truth! The Greek means “making straight, or clean, cuts” — and suggests a priest dividing up the sacrifices for the altar. A priest’s job is to examine thoroughly the potential sacrifice — to ascertain that it is free of disease and defect — in accordance with Divine instructions. Similarly, we as believers are to examine — thoroughly — ourselves, alongside and in light of the Word of God, to determine that our inner selves (our hearts and minds and spirits) correspond to and reflect what God is revealing in His message to us.

“God has hidden every precious thing in such a way that it is a reward to the diligent, a prize to the earnest, but a disappointment to the slothful soul. All nature is arrayed against the lounger and the idler. The nut is hidden in its thorny case; the pearl is buried beneath the ocean waves; the gold is imprisoned in the rocky bosom of the mountains; the gem is found only after you crush the rock which encloses it; the very soil gives its harvest as a reward only to the laboring farmer. So truth and God must be earnestly sought” (AB Simpson).

Reading 1 – Jos 13

“This chapter commences a new section in the record of Joshua. The great pioneer had brought tremendous zeal to his work, defeating Jericho, overcoming the trial of Ai and the judgment against Achan, upholding the covenant of the Gibeonites, and bringing the defeat of the powerful Canaanite kings to a successful conclusion. Small pockets of resistance still remain, but it now was the responsibility of the individual tribes and families of Israel. The army of Israel could now be disbanded.

“Each man was required to ‘go in and obtain’ his inheritance. In a spiritual sense, to ‘work out his own salvation.’ Joshua, like the Lord Yahshua, had done his work in leading the way and making possible each individual inheritance. But there are two verses remarkably significant. The first is Jos 13:14, in which the Levites are given no inheritance with the other Israelites. Their inheritance is Yahweh Elohim Yizrael.

“And further, the inheritance is a sacrifice ‘made by fire.’ Jericho was such a offering. It was to be ‘accursed’ (Jos 6:17), but the word means ‘devoted’ (as in the mg). It was devoted by fire, for fire is one of the three purifying principles in the Word. So the city was ‘burnt with fire’ (v 24), and now the Levites were similarly to be an offering of fire (Jos 13:14). The offering of fire was found in every part of the Tabernacle service. The lampstand was fired by oil (The Word); the table of shewbread was graced by the fire of frankincense (Activity), the golden altar was fired by the coals of incense (Prayer). Thus the Levites were to show a fire of a unique character: The ‘zeal of mine House hath eaten him up’; ‘the zeal of Yahweh Tzvaoth shall do this’; ‘he was clad with zeal as with a cloke.’ The second reference is in Jos 13:33. The Levites were to find their inheritance in Yahweh Elohim Tzvaoth and all that this majestic Name means. A grand inheritance awaits the true Levites, for what we now do, not only points to the sacrifice of Christ, but to the joy of a future in which we will abide for evermore” (GEM).

Reading 2 – Isa 17:14

“In the evening, sudden terror! Before the morning, they are gone! This is the portion of those who loot us, the lot of those who plunder us” (Isa 17:14).

This was precisely how judgment fell on the Assyrian host: “Then the angel of the LORD went out and put to death a hundred and eighty-five thousand men in the Assyrian camp. When the people got up the next morning — there were all the dead bodies!” (Isa 37:36).

“Again it has to be emphasized that the real value of this prophecy is in its meaning for today. Syrian Damascus, along with Edom and Moab, Egypt and Tyre and all the other Arab marauders, will combine with the great northern enemy to devastate and ravage Israel for its persistent faithless materialistic godlessness and worship of sex. And yet through the penitence of a faithful remnant there will come sudden Messianic deliverance. The destroying angel of the Lord still has much work to accomplish — and he has not forgotten how to achieve it overnight!” (Harry Whittaker, “Isaiah” 222).

Reading 3 – 2Ti 4:6-8

“For I am already being poured out like a drink offering, and the time has come for my departure. I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith” (2Ti 4:6,7).

“There can be little doubt that [though he had been acquitted once] he appeared again at Nero’s bar, and this time the charge did not break down. In all history there is not a more startling illustration of the irony of human life than this scene of Paul at the bar of Nero. On the judgment-seat, clad in the imperial purple, sat a man who, in a bad world, had attained the eminence of being the very worst and meanest being in it. A man stained with every crime, a man whose whole being was so steeped in every nameable and unnameable vice, that body and soul of him were, as someone said at the time, nothing but a compound of mud and blood. And in the prisoner’s dock stood the best man the world possessed, his hair whitened with labours for the good of men and the glory of God. The trial ended: Paul was condemned, and delivered over to the executioner. He was led out of the city, with a crowd of the lowest rabble at his heels. The fatal spot was reached; he knelt beside the block; the headsman’s axe gleamed in the sun and fell; and the head of the apostle of the world rolled down in the dust” (Easton’s Bible Dictionary).

“Now there is in store for me the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous Judge, will award to me on that day — and not only to me, but also to all who have longed for his appearing” (v 8).

“Crown” is the Greek “stephanos” — the coronal wreath of laurel symbolizing victory, echoing the name of Stephen, whom Paul had killed years earlier! Paul’s last words here echo those of Stephen: as Stephen had prayed for those who sought his death (Acts 7:60), so Paul now prayed (2Ti 4:16). Like his forerunner Stephen, Paul had now come to the intended completion of his work and witness, and the crown which he now knew would be his was that of Stephen — the crown of martyrdom for witnessing to the truth of Jesus!

The head that rolled in the dust that somber day will one day wear a crown, and Saul of Tarsus — Paul the apostle — will one day rule as a king and priest with his Lord and Master Jesus Christ… forever.

But where will Nero’s crown — and Nero himself! — be in THAT day?

Reading 1 – Jos 14:11

“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” (Jos 14:11).

“For fighting, and for all the intercourse and manifold activities of life, his sinews are as braced, his eyes as clear, his spirit and limbs as alert as they were in those old days. No doubt you will say that was due to miraculous intervention. No doubt it was; but is it not true that, in a very real sense, a man may keep himself young all his life, if he will go the right way to work? And the secret of perpetual youthfulness lies here, in giving our hearts to God and in living for Him. Christianity, with its self-restraint and its exhortations to all, and especially to the young, to be chaste and temperate and to subdue the animal passions, has a direct tendency to conserve physical vigour; and Christianity, by the inspiration that it imparts, the stimulus that it gives, and the hopes that it permits us to cherish, has a direct tendency to keep alive in old age all the best of the characteristics of youth. Its buoyancy, its undimmed interest, its cheeriness, its freedom from anxiety and care — all these things are directly ministered to, and preserved by, a life of simple faith that casts itself upon God, and dwells securely, in joy and in restfulness, and not without a great light of hope, even when the shadows of evening are falling.

“One of the greatest and most blessed of the characteristics of youth is the consciousness that the most of life lies before us; and to a Christian man, in any stage of his earthly life, that consciousness is possible. When he stands on the verge of the last sinking sandbank of time, and the water is up to his ankles, he may well feel that the best and the most of life is yet to be.

” ‘They shall still bring forth fruit in old age, they shall be full of sap and green.’ A gnarled old tree may be green in all its branches, and blossom and fruit may hang together there. The ideal of life is, that into each stage we shall carry the best of the preceding, harmonised with the best of the new… The fountain of perpetual youth, of which the ancients fabled, is no fable, but a fact; and it rises, where the prophet in his vision saw the stream coming out, from beneath the threshold of the Temple door” (Alexander MacLaren).

Reading 2 – Isa 19:11-15

“The officials of Zoan are nothing but fools; the wise counselors of Pharaoh give senseless advice. How can you say to Pharaoh, ‘I am one of the wise men, a disciple of the ancient kings’? Where are your wise men now? Let them show you and make known what the LORD Almighty has planned against Egypt…” (isa 19:11,12).

Verses 11-15 picture a “sustained and contemptuous exposure of the experienced statecraft of Egypt. The political skill of that land’s priests and Pharaohs had wide reputation outside its own borders (Exo 1:10; 1Ki 4:30; Act 7:22). Yet it would all prove useless to stave off the downfall and chaos purposed by the Lord of the hosts of angels, who in Moses’ day had wrought such havoc in that land of unmatched prosperity (Psa 78:49)” (Harry Whittaker, “Isaiah” 229).

Reading 3 – Tit 2:14

“(Jesus) gave himself for us to redeem us from all wickedness and to purify for himself a people that are his very own, eager to do what is good” (Tit 2:14).

“(Jesus) gave himself for us”: Jesus laid down his life, deliberately, willingly (John 10:11,15,18; 1Pe 2:23), on our behalf. The preposition “for” is “huper”, as also in 1Ti 2:6 (“a ransom on behalf of all men”), which can bear this meaning; Jesus may be seen as a representative — dying ON BEHALF OF men — and not as a substitute — dying INSTEAD OF men.

The original word for “redeem” here is “lutron”, which means to release for a price, or — put simply — to buy. It is one of the several words (or word groups) translated “redeem”, “redemption”, and “ransom”.

The word translated “his very own” (“peculiar people”: KJV) is the Greek “periousios”, which literally means “something beyond”. Paul is quoting from the Old Testament: “Now if you obey me fully and keep my covenant, then out of all nations you will be MY TREASURED POSSESSION (Heb ‘segullah’) . Although the whole earth is mine, you will be for me a kingdom of priests and a holy nation” (Exo 19:5,6). “Segullah”, we are told, referred to the private treasure of kings; in societies where kings were more or less absolute dictators, everything in their realm was considered to be legally their property — but even a king could not control and spend and enjoy all properties in his kingdom, and so he would possess certain properties, properties which were set apart as his own “special treasure”, his “peculiar” or unique property, and no one else’s.

In the figure here, God Almighty is the great king, and all the universe belongs to Him, and all men, and all they have — it is all His. The cattle on a thousand hills belong to Him! But… the Heavenly Father has condescended to choose a special few of all His subjects to be His own family, His own special possession, His own cherished riches. They stay close to His person; they recline in His bosom; they hear His whispers of endearment; they feel the tender touch of His special love. They are dearer to Him than the stars in the heavens, or the glorious snow-topped mountains. They are dearer to Him than the treasures of the richest mines, or the harvests of the richest fields. They are the ones He has redeemed with the precious blood of His Son. “Then those who feared the LORD talked with each other, and the LORD listened and heard. A scroll of remembrance was written in his presence concerning those who feared the LORD and honored his name. ‘They will be mine,’ says the LORD Almighty, ‘in the day when I make up my treasured possession. I will spare them, just as in compassion a man spares his son who serves him’ ” (Mal 3:16,17).

Reading 1 – Jos 15

“Judah was the imperial tribe, and it was fitting that he should be planted in a conspicuous territory. Even if the republic had not been destined to give place to the monarchy, some preeminence was due to the tribe which had inherited the patriarchal blessing, and from which he was to come in whom all the families of the earth were to be blessed. Judah and the sons of Joseph seem to have obtained their settlements not only before the other tribes, but in a different manner. They did not obtain them by lot, but apparently by their own choice and by early possession. Judah was not planted in the heart of the country. That position was gained by Ephraim and Manasseh, the children of Joseph, while Judah obtained the southern section. In this position his influence was not so commanding at first as it would have been had he occupied the centre. The portion taken possession of by Judah had belonged to the first batch of kings that Joshua subdued, the kings that came up to take vengeance on the Gibeonites. What was first assigned to Judah was too large, and the tribe of Simeon got accommodation within his lot (Jos 19:9). Dan also obtained several cities that had first been given to Judah (compare Jos 15:21-62; 19:40-46). In point of fact, Judah ere long swallowed up a great part of Simeon and Dan, and Benjamin was so hemmed in between him and Ephraim that, while Jerusalem was situated within the limits of Benjamin, it was, for all practical purposes, a city of Judah” (Expositor’s Bible).

Reading 2 – Isa 21

Isa 21 is a very difficult prophecy, but it appears to be about an especially significant Passover deliverance — and this accords well with the great destruction of the Assyrian army (described in Isa 36; 37) which is at the heart of the whole prophecy.

“The twilight I longed for” (Isa 21:4), or “the night of my pleasure” (AV), looks like an allusion to Passover, the only holy observance kept at nighttime, and the time of the overthrow of Sennacherib’s Assyrian army (Isa 31:5; 30:29; 29:1; 26:20; 33:20; 52:12).

In v 5, there are other Passover allusions: the setting of the tables, the eating and drinking. The command to “oil the shields” (or “anoint the shield”: AV) MIGHT be translated, as does the Septuagint, “anoint the doorposts”, referring to the smearing of the blood of the Lamb on the door frames of faithful Jews in Egypt (Exo 12:22). Likewise, the lookouts — watching at night (vv 6,8) — suggest the nighttime vigil of Passover: a waiting both for destruction of one’s enemies, and for deliverance.

The word that finally comes, about the fall of “Babylon”, could be a reference to the devastation of the Assyrian army outside Jerusalem — because at the time of Hezekiah the two names, Assyria and Babylon, seem to have been used interchangeably for the same basic power (Assyria had previously conquered and controlled the city of Babylon, and Assyrian kings were quite proud of this accomplishment.)

So also, the called-out question of v 11, “Watchman, what is left of the night?”, suggests a high anxiety in a time of distress: the Passover night of fear and death, culminating in the morning of deliverance (Isa 37:36).

Reading 3 – Phm

“The little letter to Philemon introduces us to two men. One is the writer, an old man in chains. Contrary to all outward appearance and though in prison, he was really free. Once, in his youth, he thought he was free, but he was really in chains to the law of sin. But when Christ came into his life he threw away his chains. Then, though in bonds, his spirit was as free as the winds of heaven. He was free to rejoice, and he was at peace. The other man is Onesimus. As a runaway slave, he escaped in the hope of finding freedom. He learned that the world was not as he imagined. His experience of earthly freedom was bitter: Rome’s streets were not gold, and the cobblestones were hard. Disillusioned, with empty pockets, in rags, he sought out the ecclesia in Rome. And where did he find true freedom? In the prison cell, from an old man in chains! He found help, sympathy, love and the Truth. From Paul the prisoner he found true freedom!” (Walter Draper)

Reading 1 – Josh 18:3

“So Joshua said to the Israelites: ‘How long will you wait before you begin to take possession of the land that the LORD, the God of your fathers, has given you?’ ” (Josh 18:3).

“Having spent many years wandering in the wilderness — during which time the older generation died — the younger generation of Israelites now found themselves on the western side of Jordan, in the Promised Land. Yet, despite years of privation and hardship, many Israelites were prepared to lightly cast aside their new-found inheritance.

“Seven tribes indicated that they were tired of fighting. They had fought the Canaanites for seven years — a long and protracted war. Now, their earlier dedication had waned. Their faith in Yahweh and zeal for His cause had dissipated.

“They had fought valiantly; and now — poised on the brink of final and complete victory — they had given up the struggle. They were ‘slack to go to possess the land’ [v 3].

“This was a tragic state of affairs: not merely because of the inactivity of the people but because of their disposition.

“At the Judgment Seat of Christ, how many will be found to have started out on their walk towards the Kingdom full of zeal and wholehearted dedication, fired by a love of Yahweh and His saving Truth — only to surrender to pressures from within and without, and never gain the final victory. Satisfaction or compromise with the existing worldly environment; divided loyalties; a general attitude of indolence; or lack of faith… are influences which may lead men and women of faith to desert the cause they have espoused, and fall by the wayside” (John Ullman, “Joshua: His Life and Times” 193,194).

Reading 2 – Isa 24:23

“The moon will be abashed, the sun ashamed; for the LORD Almighty will reign on Mount Zion and in Jerusalem, and before its elders, gloriously” (Isa 24:23).

Here is pictured “the long-overdue repentance of the nation, its self-humiliation before the Man — whom, formerly, they would not have to reign over them. At that time not only those who are the Lord’s true temple, his mount Zion, but also the entire city of Jerusalem will gladly receive Jesus as ‘the Lord our Righteousness.’ And with them there will be the ‘ancients’ of the race, the Fathers: Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, David — men of faith who received promises, believed them with heart and soul, but who have slept through long centuries till the day of fulfillment. Here, and not here only (Isa 25:8; 26:19) is Isaiah’s confident doctrine of the resurrection” (Harry Whittaker, “Isaiah” 264).

Reading 3 – Heb 6:8

“But that which beareth thorns and briers is rejected, and is nigh unto cursing; whose end is to be burned” (Heb 6:8).

The word “adokimos” is translated “reprobate” (Rom 1:28; 2Co 13:5-7; 2Ti 3:8; Tit 1:16), “castaway” (1Co 9:27), and “rejected” (Heb 6:8). It is used to describe a counterfeit coin, deficient as to weight or quality of metal. It is also used, figuratively, to describe a cowardly soldier who fails the test of battle; a candidate rejected for office; and a stone rejected by the builders. In each case, that which is “reprobate” has promised something by its outward appearance which it cannot deliver! It has, perhaps, a “name to live”, but it is dead — like clouds that promise rain, but give none; like stars in the heavens that appear fixed, but prove to be “wandering stars”, or meteors.

Reading 1 – Josh 19

In Josh 18:11 through Josh 19:48, the seven remaining tribes receive their inheritances according to lot: Benjamin (Jos 18:11-28); Simeon (Jos 19:1-9); Zebulun (Jos 19:10-16); Issachar (Jos 19:17-23); Asher (Jos 19:24-31); Naphtali (Jos 19:32-39); and Dan (Jos 19:40-48).

“These are the territories that Eleazar the priest, Joshua son of Nun and the heads of the tribal clans of Israel assigned by lot at Shiloh in the presence of the LORD at the entrance to the Tent of Meeting. And so they finished dividing the land” (v 51).

Reading 2 – Isa 25:7,8

“On this mountain he will destroy the shroud that enfolds all peoples, the sheet that covers all nations; he will swallow up death forever. The Sovereign LORD will wipe away the tears from all faces; he will remove the disgrace of his people from all the earth. The LORD has spoken” (Isa 25:7,8).

“It is the picture of the angel of the Lord personally wiping away for ever the tears of sadness which have been inevitable in the experience of all saints in Christ. This incomparable comfort will be one of the greatest of the blessings of the kingdom of God. For the assurance of the sore-tested believer it is so picked out in two Apocalyptic visions of the age to come (Rev 7:17; 21:4). Behind these words is yet a further comfort. More than once it has been said: ‘How shall I be able to enjoy the blessedness of the kingdom if one whom I have so long and so dearly loved does not share it with me?’ To this Isaiah’s answer is that even such tears will be wiped away. The implication is that all memories involving sadness will be blotted out by the imparting of a superb faculty for forgetting: ‘Refrain thy voice from weeping, and thine eyes from tears; for thy work shall be rewarded’ (Jer 31:16)” (Harry Whittaker, “Isaiah” 269).

Reading 3 – Heb 9:16,17

“In the case of a will [Greek ‘diatheke’: the same word as ‘covenant’] it is necessary to prove the death of the one who made it, because a will is in force only when somebody has died; it never takes effect while the one who made it is living” (Heb 9:16,17).

The whole of this translation, not that much different from the KJV and various other versions, presumes the Greek word “diatheke” to be a will, or testament, which is only in force after the death of the testator. But the primary meaning of this word is ‘covenant’, not ‘will’ or ‘testament’. This is a very secondary and specialized meaning of the word. In short, every will is a covenant, but not every covenant is a will!

However, some translations (notably the Emphatic Diaglott) seem to have gotten it right, assuming the more general meaning of “covenant”. And thus we might translate vv 16,17:

“For where a covenant is made, there must of necessity be the death of the covenant-victim. For a covenant is only in force over a dead body [this is Jer 34:18-20!], because it is not binding as long as the covenant-victim lives.”

Weymouth’s translation has this footnote: “It is possible that the real meaning is, ‘For where a covenant is made, there must be evidence of the death of the covenant-victim…’ “

With this Bullinger is in general agreement, and Rotherham has an interesting note on the word “covenant”: “The NT word ‘diatheke’ signifies ‘covenant’ because it is the LXX rendering of the Hebrew ‘berith’ which everywhere in the OT means covenant and covenant only… It is a word in common use to denote all sorts of covenants between all sorts of persons.” Rotherham then goes out to trace the obvious connections with “berith” (covenant) in Exodus 24 and “diatheke” (covenant) in Mat 26:27,28 — as a guide to its meaning in the Letter to the Hebrews.

The point is obvious: If Christ were making a “last will and testament”, then it could only have effect if he remained dead. But he has been raised from the dead, to share in the benefits of the “diatheke”, indeed, to receive the benefits of the “diatheke” first of all for himself, before it could be for others. And so — since Christ is not dead, but gloriously and eternally alive — the whole idea of a testament and a testator breaks down totally when applied to him and the saints.

Christ therefore is being described here as the “covenant-victim” (cp Gen 15:17; Jer 34:18,19): his death — in addition to being a sacrifice for sins — was also the antitype of the death of the special animal called the “covenant-victim”. It was through this death that the new covenant was ratified (cp generally Luk 1:72,73; Rom 15:8; Acts 3:25,26).

Reading 1 – Josh 20:2,3

“Tell the Israelites to designate the cities of refuge, as I instructed you through Moses, so that anyone who kills a person accidentally and unintentionally may flee there and find protection from the avenger of blood” (Josh 20:2,3).

These six cities of refuge could guarantee one’s life for a time, but not for eternity. This only the seventh city of refuge (that is, Zion: Exo 21:13,14) can do. “We have a strong city, salvation will God appoint for walls and bulwarks” (Isa 26:1).

With three cities west of Jordan, and three east, spaced out from north to south, and the seventh city of refuge being Jerusalem, in the approximate center of the land, the whole seven cities of refuge may be compared, roughly, to the seven-branched lampstand, or menorah.

In the land of Canaan, cities of refuge were so arranged, that any man might reach one of them within half a day at the most. The main roads leading to each of the cities were strictly preserved, every river was bridged, and every obstruction removed, so that the man who fled might find an unimpeded path to the refuge. Once a year the city elders went along the roads and inspected them — nothing must cause the fugitive, through delay, to be overtaken and slain. How wonderfully do the promises of the gospel remove stumbling blocks from the way! Wherever there were side-roads and forks, there were erected signposts, with the inscription upon them — “This way to the city of refuge!”

Likewise, every ecclesia — and every member of every ecclesia — ought to stand ready to direct every “fugitive” to the ultimate place of safety. Signs should be erected, and nothing should be allowed to stand in the way: “This is the way to the cross of Christ, and to the gospel of saving truth. ‘Come unto Christ, and you will find rest!’ “

Reading 2 – Isa 26:20

“Go, my people, enter your rooms and shut the doors behind you; hide yourselves for a little while until his wrath has passed by” (Isa 26:20).

This verse alludes to both the ark of Noah (Gen 7:16) and the passover of Moses (Exo 12:22,23) — the doors shut, the protecting presence of the angel of Yahweh, while all outside was hopelessness and death. But the most direct historical context is the action of Hezekiah who, when he received the threatening message from Sennacherib, promptly went to the house of God, secluding himself there to pray (Isa 37:1,14,15). Thus was Jerusalem made a strong city, the walls thereof appointed to salvation (Isa 26:1); and the people who fled to the city were protected from the Assyrian host by the Divine Hand. But the “chambers” of protection can be anywhere that a believer turns to God for help. So Jesus can exhort his followers: “But when you pray, go into your room, close the door and pray to your Father, who is unseen. Then your Father, who sees what is done in secret, will reward you” (Mat 6:6).

Jewish men wore a garment called a “talith”, “talis”, or “prayer shawl”, all the time, not just at prayer. “Talith” consists of two Hebrew words; “tal” (tent) and “ith” (little). Thus, each man had his own little tent. (The apostle Paul was a Jewish Pharisee, but also a tentmaker. Some believe that he made prayer shawls, not tents to live in.) Since all Jews could not worship in the Tent of Meeting at one time, God gave to each Jew his own private sanctuary where he could meet with God. In prayer, the man would pull it up over his head, forming a tent, where he could retreat to call upon Yahweh. It was intimate, private, and set apart from anyone else — enabling him to totally focus upon God. It was his prayer closet.

Reading 3 – Heb 10:25

“Let us not give up meeting together, as some are in the habit of doing, but let us encourage one another– and all the more as you see the Day approaching” (Heb 10:25).

Only two “rites” are absolutely commanded to the believer: baptism, and the Breaking of Bread. By the first we join God’s family, and by the second we regularly reaffirm our membership in this family.

It is surprising that there are any with full opportunity to attend regularly who are content to be at the Breaking of Bread just now and then. For this most important service is essentially a thanksgiving. A casual attitude toward it, with irregular attendance, in effect declares, “I am thankful to God for the Lord Jesus Christ and what he has done for me, but not much! And there are other things which I regard as being more important.”

Put down in black and white, this looks horrible. But is there really anything unfair about such a diagnosis?

Would there be such a careless attitude to the Table of the Lord if it were properly appreciated what this meeting can mean? Consider the familiar words, “My blood of the new covenant… shed… for the remission of sins” (Mat 26:28).

Here is the identical phrase which is used about our baptism into Christ. These two holy rites are designed to supplement one another. Baptism washes away every sin committed up to that moment. But — such is human frailty and human thinking — spotless robes of righteousness invariably begin to become drab and soiled. However, the disciple who lives by faith in Christ knows that with the Memorial Service comes remission (forgiveness) of sins. There the robe of righteousness resumes its original brightness.

Yet faced with such startling but delightful truths as these, there are some who are indifferent to this most important thing in life, and do not mind openly asserting, by their lack of enthusiasm, that this is how they feel!

From time to time, believers find themselves away from their homes, and their home ecclesias, on a Sunday. Such times are fine opportunities to get to know other Christadelphians, by attending memorial meetings of other ecclesias. A little foresight and planning before weekend trips or vacations can be spiritually rewarding, in experiencing at first hand the true worldwide family fellowship of our brotherhood. A week or two spent on business in a strange city far from home, rather than being a desolate and lonely time, can be a wonderful time of sharing with people who are truly “family” — family in a more meaningful sense, quite often, than one’s own natural family. As Jesus said,

“Who is my mother, and who are my brothers? Pointing to his disciples, he said, Here are my mother and my brothers. For whoever does the will of my Father in heaven is my brother and sister and mother” (Mat 12:48-50).

There will be times, of course, when it will be clearly impossible — or extremely difficult — to attend a Sunday meeting of Christadelphians. What should be done then? The partaking of the bread and wine, accompanied by suitable Bible readings and prayers, can be a tremendously fresh and rewarding experience — even for an individual or a couple temporarily isolated from all other spiritual companionship.

Reading 1 – Josh 22:29-33

When the tribes dwelling east of the Jordan River built their own, “outlaw” altar, it so incensed the other tribes that war seemed imminent. But when pressed on the matter, the eastern tribes offered an explanation:

” ‘Far be it from us to rebel against the LORD and turn away from him today by building an altar for burnt offerings, grain offerings and sacrifices, other than the altar of the LORD our God that stands before his tabernacle.’ When Phinehas the priest and the leaders of the community — the heads of the clans of the Israelites — heard what Reuben, Gad and Manasseh had to say, they were pleased. And Phinehas son of Eleazar, the priest, said to Reuben, Gad and Manasseh, ‘Today we know that the LORD is with us, because you have not acted unfaithfully toward the LORD in this matter. Now you have rescued the Israelites from the LORD’s hand.’ Then Phinehas son of Eleazar, the priest, and the leaders returned to Canaan from their meeting with the Reubenites and Gadites in Gilead and reported to the Israelites. They were glad to hear the report and praised God. And they talked no more about going to war against them to devastate the country where the Reubenites and the Gadites lived” (Josh 22:29-33).

“Even in the days of drastic and summary punishment the approved leaders of Israel were willing to accept explanations of matters they judged to be wrong. When the altar was set up by the two tribes beyond Jordan, the rest of Israel prepared to make war on the apparent infidelity. But they gladly accepted the explanation that the altar was only intended as a witness and was in no sense to be used for worship contrary to God’s law. Was the building of this altar entirely justifiable or was it absolutely wrong and the explanation a subterfuge, or was it an act which could not be put in either extreme category? Unwise, indeed, in view of Israel’s weakness, but a pardonable error in view of the explanations?

“We might not all agree in judgment on the matter even now, with all the advantage distance lends in freeing the mind from bias and prejudice. It is possible that some in Israel thought the explanation unsatisfactory and lame. They all agreed, however, not to make war on their brethren, and assuredly they were right in that” (Islip Collyer, “Principles and Proverbs”).

Reading 2 – Isa 28:24-29

“When a farmer plows for planting, does he plow continually? Does he keep on breaking up and harrowing the soil?” (Isa 28:24).

“The farmer does not go on ploughing every day. It is not a non-stop operation. He does not keep at it all the year round (Isa 57:16; Psa 103:9). Instead, the ploughing finished, he carefully levels and smooths the soil. Then comes sowing time. And according to each crop that he plans there is a different operation, some seed being sown broadcast, and some in drills and rows, some planted individually, and some as marginal catch-crop. And why does He go about things in these diverse ways?….” (HAW, “Isaiah” 291). [This is answered in the next verses.]

“When he has leveled the surface, does he not sow caraway and scatter cummin? Does he not plant wheat in its place, barley in its plot, and spelt in its field? His God instructs him and teaches him the right way. Caraway is not threshed with a sledge, nor is a cartwheel rolled over cummin; caraway is beaten out with a rod, and cummin with a stick. Grain must be ground to make bread; so one does not go on threshing it forever. Though he drives the wheels of his threshing cart over it, his horses do not grind it. All this also comes from the LORD Almighty, wonderful in counsel and magnificent in wisdom” (Isa 28:25-29).

“So also God does not always deal with the same individual (or nation) in the same way. Each man has his times when care, comfort, or encouragement are what are best for him. There are times also when hard discipline, rough tribulation and suffering are what he needs, but never wants… Even in this matter of discipline God knows better than to treat all men or nations alike. With consummate wisdom he handles each individual according to his need” (HAW, “Isaiah” 292).

Reading 3 – Heb 11:6

“And without faith it is impossible to please God, because anyone who comes to him must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who earnestly seek him” (Heb 11:6).

“Faith is honouring to God: and faith requires time for its exercise. God had made ‘great and precious promises’ to the fathers: and He tried them by not specifying time and causing them to wait long. ‘And so after he had patiently endured, he obtained the promise’ (Heb 6:15). Let us not weary under a similar test: ‘a patient continuance in well doing’ is the revealed rule of our acceptance (Rom 2:7), and this means a long time of waiting with nothing to rely on but confidence in the pledged word of Yahweh, that is, faith, ‘without which, it is impossible to please Him’ (Heb 11:6). By such a process, we shall be prepared for a place among the tried sons of God, with whom we shall be enabled to say at the last, ‘Lo, this is our God, we have waited for Him; let us be glad and rejoice in His salvation’ (Isa 25:9)” (Robert Roberts, “Ways of Providence” 35).