DONNIE DAILY GEMS FOR MONDAY MARCH 6:
WORD OF WISDOM
. A cartoonist was found dead in his home. Details are sketchy.
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DAILY DEVOTION
Going God's Way
"Enter ye in at the strait gate: for wide is the gate, and broad is the
way, that leadeth to destruction, and many there be which go in thereat:
Because strait is the gate, and narrow is the way, which leadeth unto life,
and few there be that find it."
Matthew 7:13-14
Perhaps you have seen an artistic depiction of the teaching of Jesus on the
broad way and the narrow way. Often artists will portray a wide, well-paved
road leading through the middle of a valley while far off on the side there
is a narrow winding path leading up the mountainside. That is a gripping
image, but the reality is that sometimes the "narrow way" runs directly next
to the "broad way," only going the opposite direction. To use another
analogy, sometimes God's children must follow Him by "swimming upstream"
against the current of the world.
It reminds me of the joke about an elderly man who was driving home when his
cell phone rang. His wife said, "Herman, I just heard on the news that
there's a car going the wrong direction on the freeway Please be careful!"
"It's not just one car," said Herman. "There are hundreds of them!" If we
are committed to following God, then the world will view us as going in the
wrong direction. The world's children and God's children should not agree,
because we do not have a common goal.
Many Christians wrongly think that if they will just tone down the message
of the gospel to make it less offensive, they will have a greater impact on
the world. But we must be committed to pleasing God, not to making friends
of the world. "If ye were of the world, the world would love his own: but
because ye are not of the world, but I have chosen you out of the world,
therefore the world hateth you" (John 15:19).
The only way we can follow God is by ignoring the call of the world to walk
in men's wisdom.
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DAILY BIBLE READING
Joshua 10-12New King James Version (NKJV)
The Sun Stands Still
10 Now it came to pass when Adoni-Zedek king of Jerusalem heard how Joshua
had taken Ai and had utterly destroyed it-as he had done to Jericho and its
king, so he had done to Ai and its king-and how the inhabitants of Gibeon
had made peace with Israel and were among them, 2 that they feared greatly,
because Gibeon was a great city, like one of the royal cities, and because
it was greater than Ai, and all its men were mighty. 3 Therefore
Adoni-Zedek king of Jerusalem sent to Hoham king of Hebron, Piram king of
Jarmuth, Japhia king of Lachish, and Debir king of Eglon, saying, 4 "Come
up to me and help me, that we may attack Gibeon, for it has made peace with
Joshua and with the children of Israel." 5 Therefore the five kings of the
Amorites, the king of Jerusalem, the king of Hebron, the king of Jarmuth,
the king of Lachish, and the king of Eglon, gathered together and went up,
they and all their armies, and camped before Gibeon and made war against it.
6 And the men of Gibeon sent to Joshua at the camp at Gilgal, saying, "Do
not forsake your servants; come up to us quickly, save us and help us, for
all the kings of the Amorites who dwell in the mountains have gathered
together against us."
7 So Joshua ascended from Gilgal, he and all the people of war with him, and
all the mighty men of valor. 8 And the Lord said to Joshua, "Do not fear
them, for I have delivered them into your hand; not a man of them shall
stand before you." 9 Joshua therefore came upon them suddenly, having
marched all night from Gilgal. 10 So the Lord routed them before Israel,
killed them with a great slaughter at Gibeon, chased them along the road
that goes to Beth Horon, and struck them down as far as Azekah and Makkedah.
11 And it happened, as they fled before Israel and were on the descent of
Beth Horon, that the Lord cast down large hailstones from heaven on them as
far as Azekah, and they died. There were more who died from the hailstones
than the children of Israel killed with the sword.
12 Then Joshua spoke to the Lord in the day when the Lord delivered up the
Amorites before the children of Israel, and he said in the sight of Israel:
"Sun, stand still over Gibeon;
And Moon, in the Valley of Aijalon."
13
So the sun stood still,
And the moon stopped,
Till the people had revenge
Upon their enemies.
Is this not written in the Book of Jasher? So the sun stood still in the
midst of heaven, and did not hasten to go down for about a whole day. 14
And there has been no day like that, before it or after it, that the Lord
heeded the voice of a man; for the Lord fought for Israel.
15 Then Joshua returned, and all Israel with him, to the camp at Gilgal.
The Amorite Kings Executed
16 But these five kings had fled and hidden themselves in a cave at
Makkedah. 17 And it was told Joshua, saying, "The five kings have been
found hidden in the cave at Makkedah."
18 So Joshua said, "Roll large stones against the mouth of the cave, and set
men by it to guard them. 19 And do not stay there yourselves, but pursue
your enemies, and attack their rear guard. Do not allow them to enter their
cities, for the Lord your God has delivered them into your hand." 20 Then
it happened, while Joshua and the children of Israel made an end of slaying
them with a very great slaughter, till they had finished, that those who
escaped entered fortified cities. 21 And all the people returned to the
camp, to Joshua at Makkedah, in peace.
No one moved his tongue against any of the children of Israel.
22 Then Joshua said, "Open the mouth of the cave, and bring out those five
kings to me from the cave." 23 And they did so, and brought out those five
kings to him from the cave: the king of Jerusalem, the king of Hebron, the
king of Jarmuth, the king of Lachish, and the king of Eglon.
24 So it was, when they brought out those kings to Joshua, that Joshua
called for all the men of Israel, and said to the captains of the men of war
who went with him, "Come near, put your feet on the necks of these kings."
And they drew near and put their feet on their necks. 25 Then Joshua said
to them, "Do not be afraid, nor be dismayed; be strong and of good courage,
for thus the Lord will do to all your enemies against whom you fight." 26
And afterward Joshua struck them and killed them, and hanged them on five
trees; and they were hanging on the trees until evening. 27 So it was at
the time of the going down of the sun that Joshua commanded, and they took
them down from the trees, cast them into the cave where they had been
hidden, and laid large stones against the cave's mouth, which remain until
this very day.
Conquest of the Southland
28 On that day Joshua took Makkedah, and struck it and its king with the
edge of the sword. He utterly destroyed them[a]-all the people who were in
it. He let none remain. He also did to the king of Makkedah as he had done
to the king of Jericho.
29 Then Joshua passed from Makkedah, and all Israel with him, to Libnah; and
they fought against Libnah. 30 And the Lord also delivered it and its king
into the hand of Israel; he struck it and all the people who were in it with
the edge of the sword. He let none remain in it, but did to its king as he
had done to the king of Jericho.
31 Then Joshua passed from Libnah, and all Israel with him, to Lachish; and
they encamped against it and fought against it. 32 And the Lord delivered
Lachish into the hand of Israel, who took it on the second day, and struck
it and all the people who were in it with the edge of the sword, according
to all that he had done to Libnah. 33 Then Horam king of Gezer came up to
help Lachish; and Joshua struck him and his people, until he left him none
remaining.
34 From Lachish Joshua passed to Eglon, and all Israel with him; and they
encamped against it and fought against it. 35 They took it on that day and
struck it with the edge of the sword; all the people who were in it he
utterly destroyed that day, according to all that he had done to Lachish.
36 So Joshua went up from Eglon, and all Israel with him, to Hebron; and
they fought against it. 37 And they took it and struck it with the edge of
the sword-its king, all its cities, and all the people who were in it; he
left none remaining, according to all that he had done to Eglon, but utterly
destroyed it and all the people who were in it.
38 Then Joshua returned, and all Israel with him, to Debir; and they fought
against it. 39 And he took it and its king and all its cities; they struck
them with the edge of the sword and utterly destroyed all the people who
were in it. He left none remaining; as he had done to Hebron, so he did to
Debir and its king, as he had done also to Libnah and its king.
40 So Joshua conquered all the land: the mountain country and the South[b]
and the lowland and the wilderness slopes, and all their kings; he left none
remaining, but utterly destroyed all that breathed, as the Lord God of
Israel had commanded. 41 And Joshua conquered them from Kadesh Barnea as
far as Gaza, and all the country of Goshen, even as far as Gibeon. 42 All
these kings and their land Joshua took at one time, because the Lord God of
Israel fought for Israel. 43 Then Joshua returned, and all Israel with him,
to the camp at Gilgal.
The Northern Conquest
11 And it came to pass, when Jabin king of Hazor heard these things, that he
sent to Jobab king of Madon, to the king of Shimron, to the king of
Achshaph, 2 and to the kings who were from the north, in the mountains, in
the plain south of Chinneroth, in the lowland, and in the heights of Dor on
the west, 3 to the Canaanites in the east and in the west, the Amorite, the
Hittite, the Perizzite, the Jebusite in the mountains, and the Hivite below
Hermon in the land of Mizpah. 4 So they went out, they and all their armies
with them, as many people as the sand that is on the seashore in multitude,
with very many horses and chariots. 5 And when all these kings had met
together, they came and camped together at the waters of Merom to fight
against Israel.
6 But the Lord said to Joshua, "Do not be afraid because of them, for
tomorrow about this time I will deliver all of them slain before Israel. You
shall hamstring their horses and burn their chariots with fire." 7 So
Joshua and all the people of war with him came against them suddenly by the
waters of Merom, and they attacked them. 8 And the Lord delivered them into
the hand of Israel, who defeated them and chased them to Greater Sidon, to
the Brook Misrephoth,[c] and to the Valley of Mizpah eastward; they attacked
them until they left none of them remaining. 9 So Joshua did to them as the
Lord had told him: he hamstrung their horses and burned their chariots with
fire.
10 Joshua turned back at that time and took Hazor, and struck its king with
the sword; for Hazor was formerly the head of all those kingdoms. 11 And
they struck all the people who were in it with the edge of the sword,
utterly destroying them. There was none left breathing. Then he burned Hazor
with fire.
12 So all the cities of those kings, and all their kings, Joshua took and
struck with the edge of the sword. He utterly destroyed them, as Moses the
servant of the Lord had commanded. 13 But as for the cities that stood on
their mounds,[d] Israel burned none of them, except Hazor only, which Joshua
burned. 14 And all the spoil of these cities and the livestock, the
children of Israel took as booty for themselves; but they struck every man
with the edge of the sword until they had destroyed them, and they left none
breathing. 15 As the Lord had commanded Moses his servant, so Moses
commanded Joshua, and so Joshua did. He left nothing undone of all that the
Lord had commanded Moses.
Summary of Joshua's Conquests
16 Thus Joshua took all this land: the mountain country, all the South, all
the land of Goshen, the lowland, and the Jordan plain[e]-the mountains of
Israel and its lowlands, 17 from Mount Halak and the ascent to Seir, even
as far as Baal Gad in the Valley of Lebanon below Mount Hermon. He captured
all their kings, and struck them down and killed them. 18 Joshua made war a
long time with all those kings. 19 There was not a city that made peace
with the children of Israel, except the Hivites, the inhabitants of Gibeon.
All the others they took in battle. 20 For it was of the Lord to harden
their hearts, that they should come against Israel in battle, that He might
utterly destroy them, and that they might receive no mercy, but that He
might destroy them, as the Lord had commanded Moses.
21 And at that time Joshua came and cut off the Anakim from the mountains:
from Hebron, from Debir, from Anab, from all the mountains of Judah, and
from all the mountains of Israel; Joshua utterly destroyed them with their
cities. 22 None of the Anakim were left in the land of the children of
Israel; they remained only in Gaza, in Gath, and in Ashdod.
23 So Joshua took the whole land, according to all that the Lord had said to
Moses; and Joshua gave it as an inheritance to Israel according to their
divisions by their tribes. Then the land rested from war.
The Kings Conquered by Moses
12 These are the kings of the land whom the children of Israel defeated, and
whose land they possessed on the other side of the Jordan toward the rising
of the sun, from the River Arnon to Mount Hermon, and all the eastern Jordan
plain: 2 One king was Sihon king of the Amorites, who dwelt in Heshbon and
ruled half of Gilead, from Aroer, which is on the bank of the River Arnon,
from the middle of that river, even as far as the River Jabbok, which is the
border of the Ammonites, 3 and the eastern Jordan plain from the Sea of
Chinneroth as far as the Sea of the Arabah (the Salt Sea), the road to Beth
Jeshimoth, and southward below the slopes of Pisgah. 4 The other king was
Og king of Bashan and his territory, who was of the remnant of the giants,
who dwelt at Ashtaroth and at Edrei, 5 and reigned over Mount Hermon, over
Salcah, over all Bashan, as far as the border of the Geshurites and the
Maachathites, and over half of Gilead to the border of Sihon king of
Heshbon.
6 These Moses the servant of the Lord and the children of Israel had
conquered; and Moses the servant of the Lord had given it as a possession to
the Reubenites, the Gadites, and half the tribe of Manasseh.
The Kings Conquered by Joshua
7 And these are the kings of the country which Joshua and the children of
Israel conquered on this side of the Jordan, on the west, from Baal Gad in
the Valley of Lebanon as far as Mount Halak and the ascent to Seir, which
Joshua gave to the tribes of Israel as a possession according to their
divisions, 8 in the mountain country, in the lowlands, in the Jordan plain,
in the slopes, in the wilderness, and in the South-the Hittites, the
Amorites, the Canaanites, the Perizzites, the Hivites, and the Jebusites: 9
the king of Jericho, one; the king of Ai, which is beside Bethel, one; 10
the king of Jerusalem, one; the king of Hebron, one; 11 the king of
Jarmuth, one; the king of Lachish, one; 12 the king of Eglon, one; the king
of Gezer, one; 13 the king of Debir, one; the king of Geder, one; 14 the
king of Hormah, one; the king of Arad, one; 15 the king of Libnah, one; the
king of Adullam, one; 16 the king of Makkedah, one; the king of Bethel,
one; 17 the king of Tappuah, one; the king of Hepher, one; 18 the king of
Aphek, one; the king of Lasharon, one; 19 the king of Madon, one; the king
of Hazor, one; 20 the king of Shimron Meron, one; the king of Achshaph,
one; 21 the king of Taanach, one; the king of Megiddo, one; 22 the king of
Kedesh, one; the king of Jokneam in Carmel, one; 23 the king of Dor in the
heights of Dor, one; the king of the people of Gilgal, one; 24 the king of
Tirzah, one-all the kings, thirty-one.
Footnotes:
a.Joshua 10:28 Following Masoretic Text and most authorities; many Hebrew
manuscripts, some manuscripts of the Septuagint, and some manuscripts of the
Targum read it.
b.Joshua 10:40 Hebrew Negev, and so throughout this book
c.Joshua 11:8 Hebrew Misrephoth Maim
d.Joshua 11:13 Hebrew tel, a heap of successive city ruins
e.Joshua 11:16 Hebrew arabah
New King James Version (NKJV)
Scripture taken from the New King James VersionR. Copyright C 1982 by Thomas
Nelson. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
