Farsighted Vigilance

Lessons we learn from Joshua 22 ….

Meditate JOSHUA 22 :1 - 34

a) BLESSING TIME

b) TEACHING & WARNING

c) A LARGE ALTAR

d) PEACE

Blessing time

Joshua 22:8” Joshua said to them, "Return to your tents with great riches and with very much livestock, with silver, gold, bronze, iron, and with very many clothes; divide the spoil of your enemies with your brothers."

It was REPORT CARD day (I am also a teacher and Principal so such words are bound to come out) for the Reubenites and the Gadites and the half-tribe of Manasseh, in order words, they were ready to receive their rewards for their labour as promised by God. On the report card day, some are exhilarated because now they are reaping for the hard work they sowed and few are in deep sorrow because of their negligence and carelessness. If you sow goodness be sure to reap blessings!

The war was over, as promised God through Joshua and Eleazar the High Priest, divided the land to the 12 tribes, now in this chapter we see the Reubenites and the Gadites and the half-tribe of Manasseh get their portion. We can see that they are obedient, in no hurry to rush home but waiting to be dutifully dispatched by their leaders. This is spirit of fellowship and Christian camaraderie which is lacking in this era church people who rush away after they hear the ‘last Amen’, where do they rush? A few rush straight away to mutton stall, fish stall, restaurant and others to theatres as well. Ah, don’t panic , I speak the truth!

Well, it was ‘blessing time’ for the Reubenites and the Gadites and the half-tribe of Manasseh, Joshua points out why they deserve the blessings, read:

• 2"You have kept all that Moses the servant of the LORD commanded you,

• and have listened to my voice in all that I commanded you.

• 3 "You have not forsaken your brothers these many days to this day,

• but have kept the charge of the commandment of the LORD your God.

Reubenites and the Gadites and the half-tribe of Manasseh stood by their brothers in war, fought along with them, were faithful to God and fellow brethren and now they have come to inherit their portion of blessings. Fair! The Bible promises blessings for the obedient children of God: Deuteronomy 28:8 “The LORD shall command the blessing upon thee in thy storehouses, and in all that thou settest thine hand unto; and he shall bless thee in the land which the LORD thy God giveth thee.” Our God not only promises but keeps His word and fulfills it, that is what we see in this chapter. Look at the overflow they get: Return to your tents with great riches and with very much livestock, with silver, gold, bronze, iron, and with very many clothes; divide the spoil of your enemies with your brothers."

TEACHING & WARNING

5 "Only be very careful to observe the commandment and the law which Moses the servant of the LORD commanded you, to love the LORD your God and walk in all His ways and keep His commandments and hold fast to Him and serve Him with all your heart and with all your soul."

Wow, what a leader ! What a burden and what a commitment! Joshua did not send them away with hands full of rewards and say, ‘go and enjoy’ no…..but he gave them warning to be careful to observe the law and walk in ALL the ways of God (not few) and keep His commandments and hold fast to God and serve him with ALL their hearts. In other words, he told them, if you don’t obey wholeheartedly, then you will lose all that you got now. Caveat! How true! We need to hear again and again from our leaders.

Keep talking! Keep explaining the ways of God and encourage your family to read the Word and gather together in prayer everyday. I repeat everyday, not when you feel like and when you have the time. Such ‘imperatives’ got to be said everyday!

Again and again and again….

I would like share my experience at our free school that we run for the poor in Hyderabad, Abide School. Bringing about discipline, cleanliness and maintenance of books, became an arduous task in my school, despite repeatedly telling them, children turn up with disheveled dry hair, dirty clothes, incomplete home work and dirty torn books. I decided to do one thing, I typed out all the points that had to be reiterated everyday, took a print out and gave it to the teacher and told her to announce it in the morning and evening ‘everyday’ during the assembly time. When the home work is not done, children are reprimanded and necessary punishment given in the assembly, this instilled fear in them. Now, there is a marked improvement among our children, since the parents themselves are undisciplined and disorderly, the onus fell on me. I do the same thing even with my own family and at church, I keep talking and preaching, until it gets into their system. The big boys are trained in covering and labeling the note books for all the children, pencil boxes are issued to the children and they are taught to bring them to school everyday. Punctuality is strictly not only preached but also adhered to, both in our school and church.