A teaching by Rev. Barbara Williams, President of the Ministry of the Watchman International
Week of June 8-12, 2020
MONDAY
Now the children of Israel camped in Gilgal, and kept the Passover on the fourteenth day of the month at twilight on the plains of Jericho.
Joshua 5:10
The children of Israel kept the Passover as a means of renewing and reestablishing their covenant with God. This renewing of their covenant with God through the keeping of the Passover is reminiscent of another time forty years ago when they left Egypt. Joshua, their current leader, was just a young man then, but he remembers it. This is why God institutes certain sacraments or rituals in the church. These rites remind us of God’s relationship and His promises to us. Joshua is about to enter into a new phase of his career. He is about to lead the people into war. It is very important that he have sound instructions from God. Whenever we enter new things we need sound instructions from God. We have many adversaries on this earth. God wants us to have good success in all that we do. He begins to move in Joshua’s life to insure his success.
If you are in need of healing, there is good news! Proverbs 4:20-22 SAYS:
My son, attend to my words; incline thine ear unto my sayings. Let them not depart from thine eyes; keep them in the midst of thine heart. For they are life unto those that find them, and health to all their flesh.
So there is life and health in God’s word. Since God’s word is medicine, we must take it like we would a prescription. I suggest three times a day, like you would your food. Remember, healing is the children’s bread. Consider this your “dose” for today. Remember, read, and meditate three times a day the following:
Rx: Matthew 8:14–15 ~ When Jesus entered Peter’s house, He saw his mother-in-law lying in bed with a fever; He touched her hand, and the fever left her, and she got up and began to serve Him.
“Study to show thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth.”
2 Timothy 2:15
If you’ve never studied the Bible from Genesis to Revelation, we invite you to join us as we read through the Bible in a year. Read and meditate on these chapters this week:
June 8: Deuteronomy 12, Psalms 97-98, Isaiah 40, Revelation 10
June 9: Deuteronomy 13-14, Psalms 99-101, Isaiah 41, Revelation 11
June 10: Deuteronomy 15, Psalms 102, Isaiah 42, Revelation 12
June 11: Deuteronomy 16, Psalms 103, Isaiah 43, Revelation 13
June 12: Deuteronomy 17, Psalms 104, Isaiah 44, Revelation 14
June 13: Deuteronomy 18, Psalms 105, Isaiah 45, Revelation 15
June 14: Deuteronomy 19, Psalms 106, Isaiah 46, Revelation 16
TUESDAY
And they ate of the produce of the land on the day after the Passover, unleavened bread and parched grain, on the very same day.
Joshua 5:11
The children of Israel begin to fend for themselves. They go out and eat the produce of the land that they have journeyed to. Whenever we move to a new dimension of living for God, there are many new skills that we need. We need to be aware of this. Maybe you have asked God for a new or different job. Perhaps to relocate. Perhaps more responsibility in ministry. Perhaps you want more financial wealth and stability. Whatever the move you are making, you must know that God requires more from you. More will be needed from you to sustain this new move. More responsibility demands more skill. Something as simple as changing the way you gather food will bring a new dimension of skill and responsibility into your life.
WEDNESDAY
Then the manna ceased on the day after they had eaten the produce of the land; and the children of Israel no longer had manna, but they ate the food of the land of Canaan that year.
Joshua 5:12
The manna ceased. God no longer bottle-fed the children of Israel. God had previously removed the burden of producing, harvesting and storing food from His people. They only had to worship God and obey His commandments. God proved Himself to them as provider. After forty years, they should have been able to understand this about God. They should by now be convinced that He is a good God. Now it is time for another revelation of God. They need to know that God is with them to fight for them. The first step, however, is to get them back to the place of trusting in their basic ability to provide for themselves in a new land, so God reinstitutes farming as a lifestyle for his people.
Has God moved you to a new place in Him? Maybe He is requiring you to step out and study the Word more. Perhaps He is bringing new spiritual food to you. He wants you to continue to reach out for what He is giving you. Can you fend for yourself? Can you continue to reach out in true spiritual hunger for the things of God?
THURSDAY
And it came to pass, when Joshua was by Jericho, that he lifted his eyes and looked, and behold, a Man stood opposite him with His sword drawn in His hand. And Joshua went to Him and said to Him, “Are You for us or for our adversaries?”
Joshua 5:13
Joshua comes to a new place in a new land. As he moves forward in faith and obedience to God, he sees a man. This man represents a new revelation of God. This man is someone he has never met before. This man has a sword in his hand. After forty years of inactivity, Joshua is now being prepared to come into the new place that God has for him. He now knows what it will take for him to receive this new revelation. He will be required to fight the enemy. This is what the renewing of the Passover and the eating of parched corn was leading up to. In this new land, in order to possess the promise that God has made to him, Joshua and the people will need a new understanding of God and His power. Joshua only knows that he has to fight. He does not understand how to fight. He needs a leader, but doesn’t know it. Joshua has spent forty years wandering in the wilderness anxious to take the Promised Land. After all, he and Caleb were the only spies who felt capable of taking the land. Now was his big chance. He was ready and willing. He now is about to become able. Joshua asks if the man is for him or his adversaries.
FRIDAY
So He said, “No, but as captain of the host of the Lord am I now come.”
And Joshua fell on his face to the earth, and did worship, and said to Him, “What said my Lord to his servant?”
And the captain of the Lord’s host said unto Joshua, “Loose your shoe from off your foot; for the place where on you stand is holy.” And Joshua did so.
Joshua 5:14-15
The man answers “neither.” In other words Joshua, I am not here to follow you, but I am here to lead you. It’s interesting to note that Joshua has not fought a battle in many years. Under Moses leadership, there were few battles fought. Joshua is eager for the promises of God, but does not have a clue how to wage warfare in God’s army and obtain the promises. Typical. So many times we have great zeal and little or no knowledge. Many of us want to take our cities, but have a difficult time forgiving others or ruling our tempers. So Joshua is made to slow down in his haste and remember that God is in charge of all battles. He is the Lord of Hosts or Lord of Armies. God will show us how to obtain new things in Him, but He must call the shots.
The captain of the Lord’s hosts reminds Joshua that he stands in a holy place. Joshua must reverence God in order to get any victory. Joshua has an encounter similar to the one Moses had with God. When Moses met God at the burning bush, he was enlisted in the Lord’s army, just as Joshua was being enlisted now. Joshua is about to enter into a new lifestyle. He must know that he is serving the same Great I Am that Moses served. God had previously promised Joshua that he would be with him in the same way that He was with Moses. Now God is proving himself to Joshua. Perhaps God wants to prove himself to you today. Is he showing you new things, requiring more out of you? Then rejoice – victory is yours. You are about to encounter new revelation. You will meet the Captain of the Lord’s armies. He will lead you into your victory. You’re being escorted into your promise by the Great I Am.