Daily Lesson for Wednesday 17th of December 2025

Israel already has experienced the Lord’s anger during the wilderness wanderings (Numbers 11:33, Numbers 12:9) as well as in the Promised Land (Joshua 7:1) and was fully aware of the consequences of provoking Yahweh’s anger by flagrantly breaking the covenant.

Image © Darrel Tank at Goodsalt.com

These verses represent the climax of the severity of Joshua’s rhetoric. It is shocking to hear that the Lord will destroy Israel, as the same term has been previously used to refer to the annihilation of the Canaanites. As surely as the promises of the Lord have been faithfully fulfilled concerning Israel’s blessing, the curses of the covenant (Leviticus 26:1-46, Deuteronomy 28:1-68) also will become true if the Israelites reject the covenant. In light of the dispossession and destruction of the Canaanites, these verses demonstrate once again that Yahweh is ultimately the judge of all the earth. He declares war against sin, irrespective of where it is found. Israel was not sanctified, and did not acquire special merits, through participation in holy war any more than pagan nations did when they later became the means of Yahweh’s judgment against the chosen nation.

It lies within Israel’s power of choice to make the glorious certainties of the past the foundation for facing the future.

At first glance, the biblical teaching on God’s anger seems to be incompatible with the affirmation that God is love (John 3:16, 1 John 4:8). Yet, it is exactly in the light of God’s wrath that the biblical doctrine of God’s love becomes even more relevant. First, the Bible presents God as loving, patient, long-suffering, and ready to forgive (Exodus 34:6, Micah 7:18). However, in the context of a world affected by sin, the wrath of the Lord is the attitude of His holiness and righteousness when confronted by sin and evil. His wrath is never an emotional, revengeful, unpredictable overreaction. The New Testament teaches that Christ became sin for us (2 Corinthians 5:21), and through His death we have been reconciled with God (Romans 5:10). Whoever believes in Him will not have to face God’s wrath (John 3:36, Ephesians 2:3, 1 Thessalonians 1:10). The concept of the wrath of God presents God as the righteous judge of the universe and the One who upholds the cause of justice (Psalms 7:11, Psalms 50:6, 2 Timothy 4:8).

<–Tuesday Thursday–>

Source: https://ssnet.org/blog/25d-12-the-anger-of-the-lord/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=25d-12-the-anger-of-the-lord

Monday’s Sabbath School lesson asks, “With so many wonderful promises before us, why do we still find it so easy to sin?” 

Personally, I am increasingly aware of the reality of that old hymn: “I Need Thee Every Hour.” When I was younger, I would sing this song without appreciating the gravity of my need for Christ moment by moment. I would read my Bible and pray in the morning, and later I would be surprised at what I would find myself saying or doing. I felt like a hypocrite. How could I read my Bible and pray and then, just a couple of hours later, find myself in such a mess? I have now concluded that I am not a hypocrite. I need  Jesus every hour of my life, moment by moment, and not just one hour in the morning. I realized I was trying to be a golf cart when in reality I am a trolley car. A golf cart can charge its batteries in the morning and then run all over the golf course on its own power the rest of the day. Not me. I am a trolley car. A trolley car must remain connected to the cable throughout the day; otherwise, it cannot move a single inch. Likewise, I need to be connected to Jesus moment by moment, or I will fall into trouble. 

Of course this does not mean studying the Bible in my office all day long. What it does mean is this.

1. I keep my Bible with me, and as I have opportunity I can read a passage and mediate on it. This is easier than ever now with Bible apps on our cell phones and tablets. I have learned it is not enough for me to be in the Word often. I must be in the Word always. 
2. Prayer. Becky, my girlfriend and I have a running text all day long where we are sharing our day and thoughts about what is going on around us. The text never ends. It just continues. Likewise I can be in prayer with Jesus throughout the day. This does not mean that I retire from the world. I take Jesus with me into the world. I talk to Him during my Bible studies and my golf game. And if I start to engage in an activity that makes me uncomfortable talking to Jesus, then I have to make a conscious choice. Abandon Jesus or abandon the activity. 1 John 3:9 tells me that if I am in the Spirit, I cannot sin. I have found that in order to sin, I must consciously hang up my “prayer phone” with Jesus. I have been in church board meetings where we all found it was not enough to pray before and after the meeting. There have been times my board has stopped in the middle of the meeting to pray. Often when I sin, and the Holy Spirit brings me back to repentance, I see my mistake was not realizing that “I Need Thee Every Hour” is not just a cute phrase to sing. They are the desperate and anguished cry of my soul. 
3. Cultivating thoughts on spiritual or lofty themes. Again, I can’t be in my office studying the Bible all day, but as I go about my business, the songs on my car radio can lead me to lofty themes for contemplation. My conversations and the meditations of my heart can be pleasing to God. I can do away with bitter thoughts by contemplating the good in people and remembering what Jesus has accomplished for all of us on the cross. I can remind myself to change the channel in my mind when needed. 
4. I need to avoid idle moments by being intentional with my time. Many years ago, one night, I googled “The 1888 Righteousness by Faith Message.” Well, guess what else happened in 1888 that turned up in my search? Apparently, Jack the Ripper was doing his thing back in 1888. Intrigued by mysteries, I found myself reading some pretty dark articles, and it all started with an innocent search. I am seeking to become more disciplined and intentional with my time, including my leisure hours. If I do not find an agenda for every moment of the day, Satan will find an agenda for me. 
5. I need to be intentional when spending time with those who do not know Jesus. Jesus ate with sinners, but not just for the sake of eating. He had an agenda. If I am not leading people to Jesus, they will lead me somewhere else. 
6. I need to close the door to the tempter whenever possible. On a mission trip years ago, a chaperone took some youth to the mall to do some shopping. The chaparone followed a group of young people into a certain store. When they realized this was a very immodest clothing store, before the chaperone could say anything, a young person in the group said, “I don’t think I belong here,” and started walking out. Years later, I have found myself following the example of this young person. Again, if I feel awkward talking to Jesus here, then what am I doing here? 

There is another song I am thinking about now, that we sang way back in Cradle Roll. “Oh, be careful, little feet, where you go. Oh, be careful, little ears, what you hear. Oh, be careful, little eyes, what you see. For the Father up above is looking down in love, oh be careful little eyes what you see.” Do you remember that song? We sang it as little children in Cradle Roll. I don’t know why we don’t still sing it as adults. “We need Thee Every Hour,” so we can be careful what we see, what we hear and where we go. 

“I Need Thee Every Hour” is not a cute song. It’s the desperate, anguished cry of my soul. 

Source: https://ssnet.org/blog/i-need-thee-every-hour/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=i-need-thee-every-hour

Daily Lesson for Tuesday 16th of December 2025

Using the same words that were addressed to him at the beginning of the book (Joshua 1:7-8), Joshua states that the task that lay ahead of Israel is not primarily military in nature. It is spiritual. It has to do with obedience to God’s revealed will in the Torah.

Image © Educational Concepts Collection at Goodsalt.com

The danger facing Israel is not the threat of the remaining nations’ animosity but the risk of their friendship. Their weapons might not represent any challenge to Israel; however, their ideology and values (or counter-values) could prove to be more harmful than any military force. Joshua draws the attention of the leaders to the crucial fact that the conflict they have been involved in is first, and ultimately, spiritual. Therefore, Israel has to maintain its unique identity.

The prohibition of invoking the name of a god, swearing by it, and serving or bowing to it has to do with idolatry. In the ancient Near East, the name of a deity represented his or her presence and power. Invoking or mentioning the names of foreign gods in everyday greetings or business transactions meant recognizing their authority and helped lead the Israelites to seek their power in time of need (compare with Judges 2:1-3,11-13).

The danger of intermarriage with the remaining Canaanites consisted in losing Israel’s spiritual purity. The intent of Joshua’s admonition is not to promote racial or ethnic purity but rather to avoid idolatry, which can lead to the spiritual collapse of Israel. The case of Solomon is a dramatic example of the sad spiritual consequences of intermarriage (1 Kings 3:1, 1 Kings 11:1-8); in the New Testament, Christians are openly warned against seeking marital relationships with nonbelievers (2 Corinthians 6:14), although, in the case of existing marriages, Paul does not advise divorce from the unbelieving spouse but calls them to live an exemplary Christian life in hope of winning the spouse to the Lord (1 Corinthians 7:12-16).

<–Monday Wednesday–>

Source: https://ssnet.org/blog/25d-12-clear-boundaries/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=25d-12-clear-boundaries

As we work our way through the book of Joshua this quarter, we will see that he is ready to 
Fight The Good Fight – Hymn 613 and to move forward into the Promised Land. We may still use last quarter’s theme hymn as this will pop up throughout this quarter as well: 
Hymn 620 – On Jordan’s Stormy Banks I Stand. These two hymns will resound throughout the quarter.

The title of this week’s lesson studies give us our first hymn:
Hymn 100 – Great Is Thy Faithfulness. This hymn returns a number of times throughout the week.

Sabbath afternoon’s introduction we find that “on earth God’s work must truly be our own” so that we can 
Work For The Night Is Coming – Hymn 375 and be 
Working, O Christ With Thee – Hymn 582. . Joshua chapters 23 and 24 “focus more on the future and on how to worship God”, giving us two wonderful hymns: 
Hymn 6 – O Worship The Lord and 
Hymn 83 – O Worship The King.

Obedience to God’s Word in presented to us on Monday and Tuesday where we learn to 
Trust And Obey – Hymn 590.

Faith Is The Victory – Hymn 608 is an “unchangeable reality for Israel” (Monday).

Aside from God’s wrath against the straying Israelites, “Whoever believes in Him will not have to face God’s wrath (John 3:36, Eph. 2:3, 1 Thess. 1:10)”: 
I Know Whom I Have Believed –Hymn 511 and 
Hymn 486 – I Do Believe.

When we Cling To God (Thursday) we can sing 
I Love Thee – Hymn 236 as there is “the command to love God”.

Please continue to search the scriptures this week to be blessed, and to bless others.

To learn unknown hymns, you will find the accompaniment music for each one at: https://sdahymnals.com/Hymnal/

Another great resource is for when there is a hymn you wish to sing but can’t find it in your hymnal. Go to https://www.sdahymnal.org/Search and in the search bar type a special word in that is in the hymn. I am sure you will be amazed at the help you will be given.

2 Timothy 2:15 KJV – “Study to shew thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth.”

Source: https://ssnet.org/blog/12-god-is-faithful-singing-with-inspiration/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=12-god-is-faithful-singing-with-inspiration

Key Thought: Joshua, near the end of his life, glances back at the victories of Israel, but at the same time, the path of future success for the Israelites.
December 20, 2025

1. Have a volunteer read Joshua 23:1-5.

1. Ask class members to share a short thought on what the most important point is in this passage.
2. What are the major focal points of Joshua’s introduction?
3. Personal Application: With so many promises before us, why is it so easy to sin? Share your thoughts.
4. Case Study: One of your relatives states, “If Israel conquered Canaan. Is it possible for Christians to conquer sin in their lives?” How would you respond to your relative?

2. Have a volunteer read Joshua 23:6-8. 12-13.

1. Ask class members to share a thought on what the most important point in this text is.
2. Why did Joshua take such a strong stand concerning Israel’s relations with the surrounding nations?
3. Personal Application: How can we find a balanced relationship with the society surrounding us? Share your thoughts.
4. Case Study: One of your friends states, “Is it possible for a Christian to be true to God and still be friends with the world and comfortable with the society they live in? How can we live a holy life in an unholy and anti-Christian society?.” How would you respond to your friend?

3. Have a volunteer read Joshua 23:15,16.

1. Ask class members to share a short thought on what the most important point in this text is.
2. How should we interpret God’s wrath and justice in Joshua?
3. Personal Application: How do you respond when things don’t go the way you hoped for and prayed for when claimed promises are met with silence?. Share your thoughts.
4. Case Study: One of your neighbors states, “How can you present the wrath of God as part of good news? Why aren’t we supposed to fear God because we aren’t living the way He wants us to? Doesn’t His wrath go against sin?” How would you respond to your neighbor?

4. Have a volunteer read Joshua 23:11 and Deuteronomy 6:5.

1. Ask class members to share a thought on what the most important point in this text is.
2. Joshua tells Israel to love the Lord your God, and love can’t be forced. So in what sense can love be commanded?
3. Personal Application: How can you share God’s love with others? How can we show our love for God? Share your thoughts.
4. Case Study: Think of one person who needs to hear a message from this week’s lesson. Tell the class what you plan to do this week to share with them.

(Truth that is not lived, that is not imparted, loses its life-giving power, its healing virtue. Its blessings can be retained only as it is shared. ”Ministry of Healing, p. 148).

Source: https://ssnet.org/blog/12-god-is-faithful-teaching-plan/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=12-god-is-faithful-teaching-plan