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Weekly Guide：2024-2025 Week 21
May 26, 2024
Week 21 Day 1: Tribe of Levi ⇧ ⇩
Question
How did the Levites get their allotment?
Scripture Reading
Meditation: God’s Story
- God established six cities of refuge. Three on the east side of Jordan River and three on the west. These are evenly distributed in the promised land to ensure that anyone who killed unintentionally could get to one of them within a half day. This was by the command God had given to Moses. (Deu. 19:1-13; Num. 35:9-34)
- The Levites were spread out among the entire promised land and were allotted towns from the tribes. They were to live among the tribes to bring about God centered life to them.
- When all promised lands were allotted and given to the Israelites, not one of all the Lord’s good promises to Israel failed; every one was fulfilled. (Joshua 21:45)
Meditation: My Story
- Walking with God - The cities of refuge were not for the Israelites alone but for those gentiles living among them, as well. God treated everyone equally. God established the cities of refuge because He values our lives. We should value our own lives, too, because we were made with God’s image. How do I view my spouse, family members, colleagues, and co-workers?
- Identity -The Levites lived among the Israelites like the Simeonites. But their missions and identities were vastly different. God’s election changes our identity and value. How has God changed me?
- Integrity - Caleb painstakingly conquered Hebron but gave up to the Levites as a city of refuge and left himself the fields and villages around the city. What do Caleb’s character and integrity remind me of?
- Walking with God - God’ promises never fall short! How does this fact encourage me in my struggles?
Prayer
Notes and Responses
Week 21 Day 2: Back to East ⇧ ⇩
Question
How did the two and half tribes go back to their lands on the east side of Jordan?
Scripture Reading
Meditation: God’s Story
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The two and half tribes of the east kept their promise to carry out the mission God gave them to help their fellow Israelites obtain their lands. Afterward, Joshua blessed them and asked them to serve and walk in obedience of the Lord. He reminded them to share the plunders of war with their fellow Israelites then sent them home.
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The two and half tribes built an imposing altar near Jordan River. This brought suspicion from the nine and half tribes that they were serving other gods. Israelites sent priest Phinehas and heads of the nine and half tribes to question them. They gently proclaimed their faith in the Lord to resolve the situation and turned tension into peace.
Meditation: My Story
- Community - Looking at the misunderstanding between the nine and half tribes of the west and the two and half tribes of the east. How does it remind me in my relationships with my co-workers, family, and spouse? How should I treat those who seem to have done something wrong to me?
Prayer
Notes and Responses
Week 21 Day 3: Joshua's Last Words ⇧ ⇩
Question
What were Joshua’s last words to the Israelites?
Scripture Reading
Meditation: God’s Story
- Chapter 23 is Joshua’s final encouragement to the heads of the Israelite tribes. Chapter 24 is Joshua’s final encouragement to the entire Israelite community, to renew the covenant with God.
- Joshua counted the blessings God gave Israelites to remind them to fear the Lord and serve Him with all faithfulness. Do not serve other gods and do not inter-mix and marry the gentiles.
- Joshua let the people choose, made covenant with them, and set up a large stone as witness.
- Joshua and Eleazar passed. The bones of Joseph were buried in Shechem. The age the Israelites wandered in the desert ended.
Meditation: My Story
- Identity - Joseph had faith in God’s promise and his bones testified for God long after his passing. Pray to God to strengthen my faith as Joseph’s and make my life a witness to God’s glory.
- Fidelity - What does the final encouragement Joshua gave to the Israelites mean to me? Am I willing to put myself and my family in front of the Lord to serve Him? How should I live out my life in serving the Lord?
Prayer
Notes and Responses
Week 21 Day 4: Into the Snare ⇧ ⇩
Question
How did the Israelites continue to go to war for lands after Joshua had passed?
Scripture Reading
Meditation: God’s Story
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Israel had no more leader after Joshua.
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After consulting with the Lord, the tribe of Judah and Simeon went with God to obtain and destroy completely Jerusalem, Hebron, and other cities. But they were not able to drive out the Canaanites who had chariots fitted with iron. Caleb drove out Anak was given Hebron as Moses had promised. The tribes of Joseph, with God, attacked Bethel.
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Othniel captured Kiriath Sepher and married Caleb’s daughter as wife. He then became the first judge God had raised.
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Benjamites, Manasseh, Ephraim, Zebulun, Asher, Naphtali, and Danites weren’t able to drive out the Canaanites but pressed them into forced labor.
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Lord’s angel said to the Israelites for they did not drive out the Canaanites, did not break their altars, and made covenant with them, so the Canaanites will not be driven out and will become traps and snares to the Israelites. The people wept aloud.
Meditation: My Story
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Integrity - The Israelites compromised and did not drive out the Canaanites because: 1. They benefited from slavery; 2. They were afraid of the iron chariots. Their compromises became their traps in later days. Do I often compromise because of the worldly gains or the pattern of the world is too powerful for me to rely on God to fight for me?
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Fidelity - With his complete faith and reliance on God, Caleb gotten the inheritance through Moses the promise from God. When I have fought the good fight, finished the race, kept the faith, there will be the crown of righteousness in store for me. Pray to God to take my vision away from the worldly gains and fixate on the glorious crown in heaven.
Prayer
Notes and Responses
Week 21 Day 5: Healing the Wounds ⇧ ⇩
Question
What kept recurring during the time of Judges?
Scripture Reading
Meditation: God’s Story
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The new generation of Israelites who knew nothing of what God had done for them turned away from God and started to worship foreign gods. The Lord brought them disasters and put them in the hands of raiders as He had sworn to them.
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The Israelites were in great distress so God raised up judges to save them out of the hands of those raiders.
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After the judges died, the Israelites returned to ways even more corrupt than those of their ancestors. The Lord left some nations to teach them warfare and to test if they would obey the Lord’s commands. But the Israelites disobeyed by living among those people, served their gods, and intermixed with them in marriage.
Meditation: My Story
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Integrity - The Israelites had a tight grip on God when they were in distress and yet they relied on Baals for their worldly indulgence. We are just like them. We want God’s salvation and yet could not let go of money, power, fame and pride. Let me go in front of God and let Him be my Lord, let Him take control of my life.
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Fidelity - The previous generation of Israelites saw what God had done for them and feared God. But they did not pass that onto the next generation and caused the later generations to turn away from God. Let me recite to my children what God has done for me to help them know God, to experience God, and to understand that God is not their parents’ alone, but their God, as well.
Prayer
Notes and Responses
Week 21 Day 6: First Four Judges ⇧ ⇮
Question
Who were the four judges God raised up first?
Scripture Reading
Meditation: God’s Story
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God put the Israelites into the hands of Canaanites and caused them suffering because they turned away from God to serve other gods. God raised up judges to save the Israelites when they cried to the Lord. However, they became corrupted as soon as peace came.
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God raised up Othniel, Ehud, Shamgar, and Deborah as judges.
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Deborah, the female judge, encouraged Barak to rely on God to battle and defeat the army of Hazor which had nine hundred chariots fitted with iron. Another woman, Jael, drove a tent peg through the temple of Sisera, the commander of Canaan’s army who fled the battle field, which led to the end of Jabin king of Canaan.
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Deborah and Barak sang a song to praise the Lord for His victory against army of Hazor.
Meditation: My Story
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Integrity - With an insignificant oxgoad, Shamgar struck down six hundred Philistines. His ordinary oxgoad became extraordinary like Moses’ staff because God was with Shamgar. We must be equipped with the armor from God in order to battle “against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms.” Let me rely on God and His armor when I face challenges.
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Fidelity - As Miriam sang song to praise the Lord at the Red Sea, Deborah and Barak sang praising song to commemorate the victory God had won for them. We must often count the blessings and praise God for His deeds to bring more lost souls to Him.