Joshua 23 - Steve Wiggins Daily Devotional

“So be very diligent to love the L_rd your G_d for your own well being. For if you turn away and cling to the rest of these nations remaining among you, and if you intermarry or associate with them and they with you, know for certain that the L_rd your G_d will not continue to drive these nations out before you. They will become a snare and a trap for you, a scourge for your sides and thorns in your eyes until you disappear from this good land the L_rd your G_d has given you.” Joshua 23:11-13

You may have heard it said that Yeshua paid the penalty for the sin of the World. We are all spiritually bankrupt, yet Yeshua willfully chose to pay-off our balance. In addition, He has promised to fill our accounts with His unending righteousness…if we would, by faith, receive it by turning from our sin and following Him.

“He made the One who knew no sin to be the sin offering for us, so that we might become the righteousness of G_d in Him.” 2 Corinthians 5:21

Upon reading that verse, one may interpret it as saying that G_d made Yeshua do something He would not otherwise have chosen, but Scripture clearly says that Yeshua willingly laid down His own life because of His love for sinful mankind.

“This is why the father loves Me, because I am laying down My life so I may take it up again. No one takes it from Me, but I lay it down on My own. I have the right to lay it down, and I have the right to take it up again. I have received this command from My Father.” John 18:17-18

“But G_d proves His own love for us in that while we were still sinners Messiah died for us.” Romans 5:8

Joshua told Israel what the consequences of their sin would be, if they turned away from G_d. Their judgment would be a process of spiritual and national decline: G_d would cease driving away their enemies, they would become ensnared by their enemies, trapped, scourged, thorns would blind them until they disappeared from the land of Canaan.

Consider how Yeshua paid Israel’s sin penalty, compared to Joshua’s (above) exhortation. Messiah truly has taken the penalty for our turning away from G_d.

“Then Pilate took Yeshua and had Him flogged. The soldiers also twisted together a crown of thorns, put it on His brow, and threw a purple robe around Him. And they repeatedly came up to Him and said, “Hail, King of the Jews!” and were slapping His face.” John 19:1—3

Yeshua has done the same for you and me. Moreover, by virtue of His resurrection, He is alive today and offers eternal life to us, if we would repent and follow Him.

Blessings,
~Steve Wiggins
Daily Devotional, Friday, Aug. 8, 2014