Meditate

Deuteronomy 31

31. Joshua to Succeed Moses

Joshua Becomes Moses’ Successor

31

When Moses had finished speaking all these words to all Israel,²he said to them: “I am now one hundred twenty years old. I am no longer able to get about, and the Lord has told me, ‘You shall not cross over this Jordan.’³The Lord your God himself will cross over before you. He will destroy these nations before you, and you shall dispossess them. Joshua also will cross over before you, as the Lord promised.⁴The Lord will do to them as he did to Sihon and Og, the kings of the Amorites, and to their land, when he destroyed them.⁵The Lord will give them over to you and you shall deal with them in full accord with the command that I have given to you.⁶Be strong and bold; have no fear or dread of them, because it is the Lord your God who goes with you; he will not fail you or forsake you.”

⁷ Then Moses summoned Joshua and said to him in the sight of all Israel: “Be strong and bold, for you are the one who will go with this people into the land that the Lord has sworn to their ancestors to give them; and you will put them in possession of it.⁸It is the Lord who goes before you. He will be with you; he will not fail you or forsake you. Do not fear or be dismayed.”

The Law to Be Read Every Seventh Year

⁹ Then Moses wrote down this law, and gave it to the priests, the sons of Levi, who carried the ark of the covenant of the Lord, and to all the elders of Israel.¹⁰Moses commanded them: “Every seventh year, in the scheduled year of remission, during the festival of booths,¹¹when all Israel comes to appear before the Lord your God at the place that he will choose, you shall read this law before all Israel in their hearing.¹²Assemble the people—men, women, and children, as well as the aliens residing in your towns—so that they may hear and learn to fear the Lord your God and to observe diligently all the words of this law,¹³and so that their children, who have not known it, may hear and learn to fear the Lord your God, as long as you live in the land that you are crossing over the Jordan to possess.”

Moses and Joshua Receive God’s Charge

¹⁴ The Lord said to Moses, “Your time to die is near; call Joshua and present yourselves in the tent of meeting, so that I may commission him.” So Moses and Joshua went and presented themselves in the tent of meeting,¹⁵and the Lord appeared at the tent in a pillar of cloud; the pillar of cloud stood at the entrance to the tent.

¹⁶ The Lord said to Moses, “Soon you will lie down with your ancestors. Then this people will begin to prostitute themselves to the foreign gods in their midst, the gods of the land into which they are going; they will forsake me, breaking my covenant that I have made with them.¹⁷My anger will be kindled against them in that day. I will forsake them and hide my face from them; they will become easy prey, and many terrible troubles will come upon them. In that day they will say, ‘Have not these troubles come upon us because our God is not in our midst?’¹⁸On that day I will surely hide my face on account of all the evil they have done by turning to other gods.¹⁹Now therefore write this song, and teach it to the Israelites; put it in their mouths, in order that this song may be a witness for me against the Israelites.²⁰For when I have brought them into the land flowing with milk and honey, which I promised on oath to their ancestors, and they have eaten their fill and grown fat, they will turn to other gods and serve them, despising me and breaking my covenant.²¹And when many terrible troubles come upon them, this song will confront them as a witness, because it will not be lost from the mouths of their descendants. For I know what they are inclined to do even now, before I have brought them into the land that I promised them on oath.”²²That very day Moses wrote this song and taught it to the Israelites.

²³ Then the Lord commissioned Joshua son of Nun and said, “Be strong and bold, for you shall bring the Israelites into the land that I promised them; I will be with you.”

²⁴ When Moses had finished writing down in a book the words of this law to the very end,²⁵Moses commanded the Levites who carried the ark of the covenant of the Lord, saying,²⁶“Take this book of the law and put it beside the ark of the covenant of the Lord your God; let it remain there as a witness against you.²⁷For I know well how rebellious and stubborn you are. If you already have been so rebellious toward the Lord while I am still alive among you, how much more after my death!²⁸Assemble to me all the elders of your tribes and your officials, so that I may recite these words in their hearing and call heaven and earth to witness against them.²⁹For I know that after my death you will surely act corruptly, turning aside from the way that I have commanded you. In time to come trouble will befall you, because you will do what is evil in the sight of the Lord, provoking him to anger through the work of your hands.”

The Song of Moses

³⁰ Then Moses recited the words of this song, to the very end, in the hearing of the whole assembly of Israel:

2 Corinthians 9:12-15

9. Sowing Generously

¹²for the rendering of this ministry not only supplies the needs of the saints but also overflows with many thanksgivings to God.¹³Through the testing of this ministry you glorify God by your obedience to the confession of the gospel of Christ and by the generosity of your sharing with them and with all others,¹⁴while they long for you and pray for you because of the surpassing grace of God that he has given you.¹⁵Thanks be to God for his indescribable gift!

 

Psalm 18:30-50

18. Psalm 18

30

This God—his way is perfect;

the promise of the Lord proves true;

he is a shield for all who take refuge in him.

 

31

For who is God except the Lord?

And who is a rock besides our God?—

32

the God who girded me with strength,

and made my way safe.

33

He made my feet like the feet of a deer,

and set me secure on the heights.

34

He trains my hands for war,

so that my arms can bend a bow of bronze.

35

You have given me the shield of your salvation,

and your right hand has supported me;

your help has made me great.

36

You gave me a wide place for my steps under me,

and my feet did not slip.

37

I pursued my enemies and overtook them;

and did not turn back until they were consumed.

38

I struck them down, so that they were not able to rise;

they fell under my feet.

39

For you girded me with strength for the battle;

you made my assailants sink under me.

40

You made my enemies turn their backs to me,

and those who hated me I destroyed.

41

They cried for help, but there was no one to save them;

they cried to the Lord, but he did not answer them.

42

I beat them fine, like dust before the wind;

I cast them out like the mire of the streets.

 

43

You delivered me from strife with the peoples;

you made me head of the nations;

people whom I had not known served me.

44

As soon as they heard of me they obeyed me;

foreigners came cringing to me.

45

Foreigners lost heart,

and came trembling out of their strongholds.

 

46

The Lord lives! Blessed be my rock,

and exalted be the God of my salvation,

47

the God who gave me vengeance

and subdued peoples under me;

48

who delivered me from my enemies;

indeed, you exalted me above my adversaries;

you delivered me from the violent.

 

49

For this I will extol you, O Lord, among the nations,

and sing praises to your name.

50

Great triumphs he gives to his king,

and shows steadfast love to his anointed,

to David and his descendants forever.