14/03/2020 - LOVING AND HONORING THE LORD

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All the Israelites, with their elders, officials and judges, were standing on both sides of the ark of the covenant of the Lord, facing the Levitical priests who carried it. Both the foreigners living among them and the native-born were there. Half of the people stood in front of Mount Gerizim and half of them in front of Mount Ebal, as Moses the servant of the Lord had formerly commanded when he gave instructions to bless the people of Israel. Joshua 8:33

What an example the Israelites of Joshua’s day have given us! They saw no difficulty in serving God, despite what they had felt 40 years earlier, as they believed the bad news. The fearful were dead, and the new generation believed in the coming of the day to take possession of the Promised Land and execute the divine purpose. Never say, “It will be impossible to take possession of what the Lord has given me.” He will help you!

To fulfill God’s command – to destroy the city of Ai – Joshua prepared everything. The elders, the princes, and the judges came, and they stood by both sides of the ark. It was time to state what God had determined, because from Mount Gerizim the blessing would come to the faithful. This mountain was mentioned by the Samaritan when she asked Jesus where to worship (John 4:20).

From Mount Ebal were read the curses directed at various groups of people unsubmissive to God. There were all the people of Israel, the authorities, the strangers, and the natives. Part was facing Mount Ebal. Listening to the curses was like saying that decree was at work at that moment. Cursed were the people whose practices are condemned by the Word of God.

However, the blessing came first upon the Israelites. Now that didn’t happen by accident. After learning the reward for faithfulness, many repented and began to act right, refusing to sin. The person who keeps the commandments need not fear curses, because he is automatically blessed. Those who indulged in iniquity for the first time felt that this was wrong. After all, the Holy Spirit convinces us of sin, righteousness, and judgment (John 16: 8).

He who observes the divine commandments may even forget the decree that speaks of curses, because he is in another territory. But those who are not interested in what the Lord says about the good behavior that His people must have must ask themselves: “I want to continue to live in the midst of so much bad things and still go to the lake of fire and brimstone, where I will be at home. centuries of centuries? ”. To God be glory today and always!

Nothing excuses us from guilt, even doing the work of the Most High. Anyone who errs will suffer a penalty. As long as we acknowledge our sin and confess it with the request for forgiveness, we are forgiven by God, and He casts our error into the sea of forgetfulness (Mc 7:18-19). Only the person who refuses divine forgiveness will be condemned.

No matter how far you have gone; If you receive Jesus as your Savior and no longer give the devil a place in your life, you will be forgiven and saved. Living with the Father is wonderful!

In Christ, with love,

R. R. Soares