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.

Oh yes, “God Fights for You” is so very true. Praise the Lord! The children of Israel had much to learn about how to 
Sound The Battle Cry – Hymn 614 and to go and 
Fight The Good Fight – Hymn 613, just as we need to learn daily now.

All week we see the land to be conquered had people who did not worship the God of the universe. We are reminded to do this in 
Hymn 6 – O Worship The Lord and 
Hymn 83 – O Worship The King.

As we have “Free Choice” (Wednesday), we can choose to be on God’s side which leads in our daily life, and to eternal life. We are able to choose to “submit to the authority of Yahweh and live”. Please, let us not rebel, but choose to say 
Live Out Thy Life Within Me – Hymn 316.

 With all the war and battles mentioned this week, it is wonderful to see that we have a Prince of Peace on Thursday: 
Hymn 153 – Prince Of Peace Control My Will so we may be able to have everlasting peace.

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.”

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Key Thought: This week, we explore the complexity, limitations, conditions, and the spiritual implications of Divine war.
November 1, 2025

1. Have a volunteer read Genesis 18:25, Psalm 7:11, 50:6, 82:1.

1. Ask class members to share a short thought on what the most important point is in this passage.
2. How does the role of God as the Judge of the universe help us understand the function of Divine war ?
3. Personal Application: What these verses say about God’s character? Share your thoughts.
4. Case Study: One of your relatives states, “What is the difference between revenge, anger and righteous judgment and indignation? What is the line between mercy and forgiveness and punishment?” How would you respond to your relative?

2. Have a volunteer read Exodus 23:28:32, 33:2, 34:11, Numbers 33:32, Deut 7:20.

1. Ask class members to share a thought on what the most important point in this text is.
2. What is the purpose of Israel’s conquest and the extent of the destruction?
3. Personal Application: What elements in your own character and habits must be uprooted and annihilated? Share your thoughts.
4. Case Study: One of your friends states, “I don’t see many people discussing God’s wrath anymore. They focus on love and forgiveness. But does God approve of war now like He did when Israel was conquering the Promised Land? Or is any kind of war justifiable in today’s world? ” How would you respond to your friend?

3. Have a volunteer read Deuteronomy 20:10, 15-18, 13:12-18.

1. Ask class members to share a short thought on what the most important point in this text is.
2. How does the law of warfare against a town in Israel help us understand the limits of destruction in the war Israel was engaged in?
3. Personal Application: What are the spiritual implications and consequences of our free choices when in defiance of God? Share your thoughts.
4. Case Study: One of your neighbors states: “I am involved with a conflict with my coworker. He is unreasonable, talking behind my back, verbally abusive, and argumentative. How can I be an agent of peace when this person is anything but peaceful?” How would you respond to your neighbor?

4. Have a volunteer read Isaiah 9:6, 11:1-5, Micah 4:3.

1. Ask class members to share a thought on what the most important point in this text is.
2. How do these Scriptures describe the future that God has planned for His people?
3. Personal Application: How can we, by seeking to reflect Jesus, be agents of peace? 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).

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Daily Lesson for Monday 27th of October 2025

The holiness of God’s character means that He cannot tolerate sin. He is patient. However, sin must reap its final consequence, which is death (Romans 6:23). Yahweh declared war against sin, regardless of where it was found, whether in Israel or among the Canaanites. Israel was not sanctified through participating in holy wars any more than other nations were (Deuteronomy 9:4-5; Deuteronomy 12:29-30), even when they became the means of Yahweh’

Image © Justinen Creative from GoodSalt.com

s judgment against His chosen nation. Different from other ancient Near Eastern people, the Israelites experienced the reversal of holy war when God did not fight for them but against them, allowing their enemies to oppress them (compare with Joshua 7:1-26).

The whole concept of holy war can be understood only if it is seen in the light of God’s activity as judge. When seen this way, Israel’s wars of conquest take on a completely different character. In contrast to the imperialistic wars of self-aggrandizement, so common in the ancient world (and ours today), Israel’s wars were not meant to accomplish glory for themselves but to establish God’s justice and peace in the land. Therefore, at the heart of understanding the concept of holy war stands the concept of God’s rule and sovereignty, which are at stake in the imagery of God as warrior, just as they are in the imagery of God as king or as judge.

Yahweh as warrior is the One who, as a judge, is committed to implementing, stabilizing, and maintaining the rule of the law, which is the reflection of His character. The image of God as warrior, similar to that of judge and king, asserts that Yahweh will not tolerate rebellion against His established order forever. Therefore, one can affirm that the goal of Yahweh’s activity is never war itself, or victory itself, but the reestablishment of justice and peace. Ultimately, to judge and to wage war, or to deliver justice, are the same thing if God is the subject of the action.

<–Sunday Tuesday–>

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Daily Lesson for Sunday 26th of October 2025

We need to look beyond the book of Joshua to completely understand what was meant by the iniquity of the nations inhabiting Canaan. These nations’ abhorrent practices of child sacrifice, divination, sorcery, witchcraft, necromancy, and spiritualism give us a hint (Deuteronomy 18:9-12).

Image © Stefan pavel at Goodsalt.com

The discovery of the ancient Ugaritic texts (from Ras Shamra) provides more insight into the Canaanite religion and society, and they demonstrate that condemnation of this culture was not only understandable but—according to Old Testament moral standards—also justified.

The Canaanite religion was based on the belief that natural phenomena, which assured fertility, were controlled by the sexual relationships between gods and goddesses. Thus, they envisioned the sexual activity of the deities in terms of their own sexual behavior and engaged in ritual sexual practices in order to incite the gods and goddesses to do likewise. This concept resulted in the institution of “sacred” prostitution, involving both male and female prostitutes engaging in orgiastic rites, again all as part of their own religious practices!

A nation cannot rise to a moral ground that is higher than that of the gods its people worship. As a result of such an understanding of their deities, it is no wonder the Canaanites’ religious practices included child sacrifice, which the Bible warned specifically against.

Archaeological evidence confirms that the inhabitants of Canaan regularly sacrificed their firstborn children to the gods, really demons, whom they worshiped. Little skeletons found crushed into large jars with votive inscriptions testify to their degrading religion and what it meant for many of their children.

The eradication of the Canaanites, then, was not an afterthought, something that emerged in the wake of God’s decision to give the land of Canaan to the Israelites. The inhabitants of Canaan were granted a time of probation, a time of additional mercy during which they had the opportunity to discover God and His character through the witness of the patriarchs living among them. They had the chance, but obviously they squandered it and continued in their horrific practices until the Lord finally had to put a stop to them.

<–Sabbath Monday–>

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Daily Lesson for Sabbath 25th of October 2025

Image © Pacific Press

Read for This Week’s Study: Genesis 15:16; Leviticus 18:24-30; 2 Timothy 4:1,8; Exodus 23:28-30; Deuteronomy 20:10,15-18; Isaiah 9:6.

Memory Text: “And Joshua captured all these kings and their land at one time, because the Lord God of Israel fought for Israel” (Joshua 10:42, ESV).

The book of Joshua contains some disturbing scenes. Serious questions are raised by the concept of a divine or holy war portraying a group of people with a God-given mandate to destroy another group.

The issue of divine war in the Old Testament is challenging. God appears in the Old Testament as the sovereign Lord of the universe; therefore, everything that happens must, somehow, be related to His direct or indirect will. So, the question “How can God allow such things?” becomes inevitable. Last week, we saw that God Himself is involved in a conflict that is far greater than any war or battle fought in human history, a battle that permeates every aspect of our lives. We saw, too, that the events of both biblical and secular history can be fully understood only in light of this conflict.

This week, we continue to explore the complexity of divinely sanctioned wars, the limitations and conditions of divine war, the final vision of peace offered by the Old Testament prophets, and the spiritual implications of such wars.

*Study this week’s lesson to prepare for Sabbath, November 1.

Sunday–>

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