Sue J Love
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- Mar 27, 2015
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Today I am reading in the book of Joshua, chapter 24, taken from the Old Testament. Joshua was speaking here to the children of Israel, and he was giving them the words of the Lord. And much of this is a rendering of historical events, beginning with Abraham, all the way through to the Israelites entering into the land God had promised them. And, although this is Old Testament, there is still something we can learn from it, for it speaks, in character, some of the same truths as are in the New Testament.
God’s people Israel (Jew only at that time) were being held captive in slavery in Egypt for a very long time. So God sent his servants Moses and Aaron to rescue his people from slavery in Egypt. And God plagued Egypt by what he did in its midst, and afterward he brought his people out of Egypt. And they lived in the wilderness for a long time. But not all of the Israelites survived the wilderness, and got to go into the Promised Land, because of their rebellion against the Lord and their refusal to obey his commandments.
And Moses disobeyed one single command of God, so he did not get to go into the Promised Land. But he was not among those who deliberately and habitually sinned against God in open and deliberate rebellion against God’s commands, who God then killed in the wilderness and who did not get to enter into God’s eternal rest because of their unbelief, i.e. because of their disobedience. Moses died, but he did get to enter into God’s eternal rest, and then God replaced him with Joshua as the leader of his people Israel.
Then God gave the Israelites a land on which they had not labored, and cities which they had not built, and his people lived in them. And they were eating of vineyards and olive groves which they did not plant. All this was given to them by God. They did nothing in themselves to earn it or to deserve it. But they did have to obey God’s commands and follow his leading, and they did have to refrain from living in rebellion against the Lord and from immorality, idolatry, and wild living, so as to receive the promise.
“Now, therefore, fear the Lord and serve Him in sincerity and truth; and put away the gods which your fathers served beyond the River and in Egypt, and serve the Lord. If it is disagreeable in your sight to serve the Lord, choose for yourselves today whom you will serve: whether the gods which your fathers served which were beyond the River, or the gods of the Amorites in whose land you are living; but as for me and my house, we will serve the Lord.” (Joshua 24:14-15 NASB1995)
And all of this parallels over to the gospel of Christ taught us in the New Testament. For we who believe in Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior of our lives are now God’s people Israel, Jew and Gentile by faith in the Lord Jesus. And the way we get to be God’s people is through faith in Jesus Christ which must result in us obeying our Lord’s commands, in practice, and in us putting sin to death in our lives, by the Spirit. For if we live in open rebellion against our Lord, as did the Israelites then, we will not get to enter into God’s eternal rest, either, because of our unbelief, i.e. disobedience.
And we did nothing to earn or deserve our “Promised Land,” either. Our salvation from sin and the faith to believe in Jesus Christ are gifted to us by God, and they are empowered by God, and they are persuaded of God. All we have to do is to surrender our lives over to God, to believe in Christ as our Lord and Savior, and by his grace and in his power now die to sin and obey our Lord and his commands, in practice. For if we refuse, as did most of the Israelites who wandered in the wilderness some 40 years, we will meet with the same punishment. We will not have eternal life with God.
So, as those who profess faith in Jesus Christ, we are to honor, respect, and obey our Lord and his commandments. And we are to serve the Lord in sincerity (no fakery) and in truth (according to the teachings of Christ and of his New Testament apostles, taught in the correct context). We are to put away all idols of this world, and all sinful practices, and now obey our Lord in daily practice. And we are to serve him with our lives in surrender to his will in obedience to his calling upon our lives to live holy lives, pleasing to God. And then say with Joshua, in sincerity and in truth, “We will serve the Lord!”
[Matthew 7:13-14,21-23; Luke 9:23-26; John 10:27-30; Acts 26:18; Romans 1:18-32; Romans 2:5-10; Romans 3:23; Romans 6:1-23; Romans 8:1-14; 1 Corinthians 10:1-22; Galatians 5:16-24; Ephesians 2:8-10; Ephesians 4:17-32; Ephesians 5:3-6; Titus 2:11-14; Hebrews 3:1-19; Hebrews 4:1-13; Hebrews 10:19-39; Hebrews 12:1-2; 1 Peter 2:24; 1 John 1:1-10; 1 John 2:3-6; 1 John 3:4-10; Revelation 2:1-29; Revelation 3:1-22]
As the Deer
By Martin J. Nystrom
Based off Psalm 42:1
As the deer panteth for the water
So my soul longeth after You
You alone are my heart's desire
And I long to worship You
You alone are my strength, my shield
To You alone may my spirit yield
You alone are my heart's desire
And I long to worship You
Caution: This link may contain ads
We Will Serve The Lord
An Original Work / November 8, 2025
Christ’s Free Servant, Sue J Love
God’s people Israel (Jew only at that time) were being held captive in slavery in Egypt for a very long time. So God sent his servants Moses and Aaron to rescue his people from slavery in Egypt. And God plagued Egypt by what he did in its midst, and afterward he brought his people out of Egypt. And they lived in the wilderness for a long time. But not all of the Israelites survived the wilderness, and got to go into the Promised Land, because of their rebellion against the Lord and their refusal to obey his commandments.
And Moses disobeyed one single command of God, so he did not get to go into the Promised Land. But he was not among those who deliberately and habitually sinned against God in open and deliberate rebellion against God’s commands, who God then killed in the wilderness and who did not get to enter into God’s eternal rest because of their unbelief, i.e. because of their disobedience. Moses died, but he did get to enter into God’s eternal rest, and then God replaced him with Joshua as the leader of his people Israel.
Then God gave the Israelites a land on which they had not labored, and cities which they had not built, and his people lived in them. And they were eating of vineyards and olive groves which they did not plant. All this was given to them by God. They did nothing in themselves to earn it or to deserve it. But they did have to obey God’s commands and follow his leading, and they did have to refrain from living in rebellion against the Lord and from immorality, idolatry, and wild living, so as to receive the promise.
“Now, therefore, fear the Lord and serve Him in sincerity and truth; and put away the gods which your fathers served beyond the River and in Egypt, and serve the Lord. If it is disagreeable in your sight to serve the Lord, choose for yourselves today whom you will serve: whether the gods which your fathers served which were beyond the River, or the gods of the Amorites in whose land you are living; but as for me and my house, we will serve the Lord.” (Joshua 24:14-15 NASB1995)
And all of this parallels over to the gospel of Christ taught us in the New Testament. For we who believe in Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior of our lives are now God’s people Israel, Jew and Gentile by faith in the Lord Jesus. And the way we get to be God’s people is through faith in Jesus Christ which must result in us obeying our Lord’s commands, in practice, and in us putting sin to death in our lives, by the Spirit. For if we live in open rebellion against our Lord, as did the Israelites then, we will not get to enter into God’s eternal rest, either, because of our unbelief, i.e. disobedience.
And we did nothing to earn or deserve our “Promised Land,” either. Our salvation from sin and the faith to believe in Jesus Christ are gifted to us by God, and they are empowered by God, and they are persuaded of God. All we have to do is to surrender our lives over to God, to believe in Christ as our Lord and Savior, and by his grace and in his power now die to sin and obey our Lord and his commands, in practice. For if we refuse, as did most of the Israelites who wandered in the wilderness some 40 years, we will meet with the same punishment. We will not have eternal life with God.
So, as those who profess faith in Jesus Christ, we are to honor, respect, and obey our Lord and his commandments. And we are to serve the Lord in sincerity (no fakery) and in truth (according to the teachings of Christ and of his New Testament apostles, taught in the correct context). We are to put away all idols of this world, and all sinful practices, and now obey our Lord in daily practice. And we are to serve him with our lives in surrender to his will in obedience to his calling upon our lives to live holy lives, pleasing to God. And then say with Joshua, in sincerity and in truth, “We will serve the Lord!”
[Matthew 7:13-14,21-23; Luke 9:23-26; John 10:27-30; Acts 26:18; Romans 1:18-32; Romans 2:5-10; Romans 3:23; Romans 6:1-23; Romans 8:1-14; 1 Corinthians 10:1-22; Galatians 5:16-24; Ephesians 2:8-10; Ephesians 4:17-32; Ephesians 5:3-6; Titus 2:11-14; Hebrews 3:1-19; Hebrews 4:1-13; Hebrews 10:19-39; Hebrews 12:1-2; 1 Peter 2:24; 1 John 1:1-10; 1 John 2:3-6; 1 John 3:4-10; Revelation 2:1-29; Revelation 3:1-22]
As the Deer
By Martin J. Nystrom
Based off Psalm 42:1
As the deer panteth for the water
So my soul longeth after You
You alone are my heart's desire
And I long to worship You
You alone are my strength, my shield
To You alone may my spirit yield
You alone are my heart's desire
And I long to worship You
Caution: This link may contain ads
We Will Serve The Lord
An Original Work / November 8, 2025
Christ’s Free Servant, Sue J Love
