Daily Lesson for Thursday 13th of November 2025

After the description of the territories allotted to the two greatest tribes on the west side of the Jordan and to the half-tribe of Manasseh, this passage portrays an assembly of the congregation at Shiloh, where the land is apportioned to the remaining seven smaller tribes.

Image © Lars Justinen at Goodsalt.com

The establishment of the sanctuary, “My Tabernacle,” represents the fulfillment of God’s promise to live among His people (Exodus 25:8; Leviticus 26:11-12) and reveals the central theme of the book: God’s presence in the middle of Israel has made possible the possession of the land and is going to be a continual source of blessing for Israel and, through it, to all the earth (Genesis 12:3). The worship of God takes center stage and preeminence, even over conquest and allotment of the land! The presence of the sanctuary, and later the temple, should have always helped the people realize the presence of God among them and their obligations to follow the covenant.

The appearance of the sanctuary should not come as a sudden surprise, because the theme of the sanctuary has been present in the Joshua narrative through the ark of the covenant. This was the central piece of furniture in the Most Holy Place, and it marked the first two sections of the book: the crossing and the conquest. Now, by placing the erection of the tabernacle in the focal point of the land distribution, Joshua shows that all the life of Israel revolved around the sanctuary, the earthly headquarters of Yahweh.

It is even more important for us, as Christians living in the antitypical Day of Atonement, to focus our eyes on the heavenly sanctuary as we continue our struggle with the modern (or postmodern) giants that challenge our faith, hope, and spiritual inheritance. As we constantly rely on the work that Christ accomplished on the cross and in the heavenly sanctuary, we can look forward in faith to the time when God once again will dwell among His people, but this time it will be forever. (Compare with Revelation 21:3.)

<–Wednesday Friday–>

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Source: https://ssnet.org/blog/25d-07-longing-for-his-presence/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=25d-07-longing-for-his-presence

Daily Lesson for Wednesday 12th of November 2025

Mount Ebal is mentioned only in Deuteronomy (Deuteronomy 11:29; Deuteronomy 27:4,13) and in the book of Joshua (Joshua 8:30,33). Along with Gerizim, it was the site where the blessings and curses of the covenant were to be recited. More specifically, according to Deuteronomy 11:29 and Deuteronomy 27:4,13, it had to be the site of the curses. Here the Israelites were to stand on either side of the ark in the presence of the priests (Joshua 8:33).

Image © Steve Creitz from GoodSalt.com

One group stood in front of Mount Ebal, the other in front of Mount Gerizim. Here they symbolically enacted the two possible ways of relating to the covenant. The sacrifices that were brought there pointed to Jesus, who took upon Himself all the curses of the covenant so that all who believe in Him might enjoy its blessings (Galatians 3:13, 2 Corinthians 5:21).

We humans tend to be forgetful. We crowd the increasingly bewildering demands of everyday life into shorter and shorter segments of time. We inevitably forget things that do not recur with the same frequency or intensity. At every Communion service, we have a special occasion to rededicate ourselves to the Lord and to renew our covenantal commitment. It would be good to perceive these opportunities not only as chances for individual reconsecration but also as occasions of corporate renewal of our allegiance to God. In an increasingly individualistic society, we must rediscover the power of belonging to a community that shares the same worldview, the same values and beliefs, and the same mission.

<–Tuesday Thursday–>

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Source: https://ssnet.org/blog/25d-07-written-on-stones/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=25d-07-written-on-stones