Ephesians 2 - By Grace, Through Faith

1 And you hath he quickened, who were dead in trespasses and sins;

² Wherein in time past ye walked according to the course of this world, according to the prince of the power of the air, the spirit that now worketh in the children of disobedience:

³ Among whom also we all had our conversation in times past in the lusts of our flesh, fulfilling the desires of the flesh and of the mind; and were by nature the children of wrath, even as others.

⁴ But God, who is rich in mercy, for his great love wherewith he loved us,

⁵ Even when we were dead in sins, hath quickened us together with Christ, (by grace ye are saved;)

⁶ And hath raised us up together, and made us sit together in heavenly places in Christ Jesus:

⁷ That in the ages to come he might shew the exceeding riches of his grace in his kindness toward us through Christ Jesus.

⁸ For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God:

⁹ Not of works, lest any man should boast.

¹⁰ For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus unto good works, which God hath before ordained that we should walk in them.

¹¹ Wherefore remember, that ye being in time past Gentiles in the flesh, who are called Uncircumcision by that which is called the Circumcision in the flesh made by hands;

¹² That at that time ye were without Christ, being aliens from the commonwealth of Israel, and strangers from the covenants of promise, having no hope, and without God in the world:

¹³ But now in Christ Jesus ye who sometimes were far off are made nigh by the blood of Christ.

¹⁴ For he is our peace, who hath made both one, and hath broken down the middle wall of partition between us;

¹⁵ Having abolished in his flesh the enmity, even the law of commandments contained in ordinances; for to make in himself of twain one new man, so making peace;

¹⁶ And that he might reconcile both unto God in one body by the cross, having slain the enmity thereby:

¹⁷ And came and preached peace to you which were afar off, and to them that were nigh.

¹⁸ For through him we both have access by one Spirit unto the Father.

¹⁹ Now therefore ye are no more strangers and foreigners, but fellowcitizens with the saints, and of the household of God;

²⁰ And are built upon the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Jesus Christ himself being the chief corner stone;

²¹ In whom all the building fitly framed together groweth unto an holy temple in the Lord:

²² In whom ye also are builded together for an habitation of God through the Spirit.

Psalm 103

1 Bless the Lord, O my soul: and all that is within me, bless his holy name.

² Bless the Lord, O my soul, and forget not all his benefits:

³ Who forgiveth all thine iniquities; who healeth all thy diseases;
⁴ Who redeemeth thy life from destruction; who crowneth thee with lovingkindness and tender mercies;
⁵ Who satisfieth thy mouth with good things; so that thy youth is renewed like the eagle's.
⁶ The Lord executeth righteousness and judgment for all that are oppressed.
⁷ He made known his ways unto Moses, his acts unto the children of Israel.
⁸ The Lord is merciful and gracious, slow to anger, and plenteous in mercy.
⁹ He will not always chide: neither will he keep his anger for ever.
¹⁰ He hath not dealt with us after our sins; nor rewarded us according to our iniquities.
¹¹ For as the heaven is high above the earth, so great is his mercy toward them that fear him.
¹² As far as the east is from the west, so far hath he removed our transgressions from us.
¹³ Like as a father pitieth his children, so the Lord pitieth them that fear him.
¹⁴ For he knoweth our frame; he remembereth that we are dust.
¹⁵ As for man, his days are as grass: as a flower of the field, so he flourisheth.
¹⁶ For the wind passeth over it, and it is gone; and the place thereof shall know it no more.
¹⁷ But the mercy of the Lord is from everlasting to everlasting upon them that fear him, and his righteousness unto children's children;
¹⁸ To such as keep his covenant, and to those that remember his commandments to do them.
¹⁹ The Lord hath prepared his throne in the heavens; and his kingdom ruleth over all.
²⁰ Bless the Lord, ye his angels, that excel in strength, that do his commandments, hearkening unto the voice of his word.
²¹ Bless ye the Lord, all ye his hosts; ye ministers of his, that do his pleasure.
²² Bless the Lord, all his works in all places of his dominion: bless the Lord, O my soul.

Joshua & The End-Time Christian

"And it came to pass, when Joshua was by Jericho, that he lifted up his eyes and looked, and, behold, there stood a man over against him with his sword drawn in his hand: and Joshua went unto him, and said unto him, Art thou for us, or for our adversaries? And he said, Nay; but as captain of the host of the LORD am I now come. And Joshua fell on his face to the earth, and did worship, and said unto him, What saith my lord unto his servant? And the captain of the LORD's host said unto Joshua, Loose thy shoe from off thy foot; for the place whereon thou standest is holy. And Joshua did so." Joshua 5:13-15

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Joshua, the great general of God's people and one of the greatest men ever recorded in history stands as an example for God's people to follow in these last days.

Observe the great courage Joshua had when standing before the enemies of God, to be matched only by his great humility when bowing before his God. Both of these qualities are desperately needed by God's people today.

No doubt the man Joshua lifted his eyes to see was a formidable man to behold both in might and glory, yet without hesitation; Joshua approaches the man with a courage few men have ever known, ready to fight this man whose sword has already been drawn, or to embrace him as an allied friend.

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Remembering back to the commandment God gave Joshua, The Lord said, "Only be thou strong and very courageous, that thou mayest observe to do according to all the law... turn not from it to the right hand or to the left... This book of the law shall not depart out of thy mouth; but thou shalt meditate therein day and night, that thou mayest observe to do according to all that is written therein: for then thou shalt make thy way prosperous, and then thou shalt have good success. Be strong and of a good courage; be not afraid, neither be thou dismayed: for the LORD thy God is with thee whithersoever thou goest."

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Because Joshua was obedient to the heavenly calling, he did not fear when confronting the man by Jericho. He stood upon the promises of God with a pure heart. If this man were an enemy, Joshua knew God was with him to defeat this formidable foe.

When Joshua found the man to be Captain of the Host of the Lord, he in all his greatness as the general and leader of Israel, bowed down low in reverence to the Lord his God and asked for His guidance. Joshua found great favor with God.

Like Joshua, the Church today must walk in complete obedience to the heavenly calling so that when confronting the enemies of God, she can stand with the assurance that God will fight with her. The gauge for determining the enemies of God is nothing less than the Truth of God! This means the Church must walk with great discernment.

The Word of God is our measure for Truth, every word spoken must line up with Truth, and every man who claims to fight on God's side must line up with Truth. We must with great courage approach every man in the name of Truth and ask, "Art thou for us, or for our adversaries?"

Every lie must be defeated by Truth, every liar must be found out by Truth. Every enemy of God will be defeated by the same courage Joshua had; remember however the truth that Joshua himself walked in. Without obedience to the Truth, you are no match for the enemies of God.

Lastly, forget not the humility Joshua walked in. His life was given over to the Lord completely. His fight was God's fight. He was a true servant of God. It was not his ministry, his project, his plans, his people. He played a role in God's plans with God's people. Joshua knew he was nothing more than an instrument in God's hands. The Church today would do well to follow this example of humility. No matter your position in the Body of Christ, you are a part of the whole, with Christ alone as the Head.

Cities of Refuge

Joshua 20

1 The Lord also spake unto Joshua, saying,

² Speak to the children of Israel, saying, Appoint out for you cities of refuge, whereof I spake unto you by the hand of Moses:

³ That the slayer that killeth any person unawares and unwittingly may flee thither: and they shall be your refuge from the avenger of blood.

⁴ And when he that doth flee unto one of those cities shall stand at the entering of the gate of the city, and shall declare his cause in the ears of the elders of that city, they shall take him into the city unto them, and give him a place, that he may dwell among them.

⁵ And if the avenger of blood pursue after him, then they shall not deliver the slayer up into his hand; because he smote his neighbour unwittingly, and hated him not beforetime.

⁶ And he shall dwell in that city, until he stand before the congregation for judgment, and until the death of the high priest that shall be in those days: then shall the slayer return, and come unto his own city, and unto his own house, unto the city from whence he fled.

⁷ And they appointed Kedesh in Galilee in mount Naphtali, and Shechem in mount Ephraim, and Kirjatharba, which is Hebron, in the mountain of Judah.

⁸ And on the other side Jordan by Jericho eastward, they assigned Bezer in the wilderness upon the plain out of the tribe of Reuben, and Ramoth in Gilead out of the tribe of Gad, and Golan in Bashan out of the tribe of Manasseh.

⁹ These were the cities appointed for all the children of Israel, and for the stranger that sojourneth among them, that whosoever killeth any person at unawares might flee thither, and not die by the hand of the avenger of blood, until he stood before the congregation.

Establishing Cities of Refuge

Scripture Text: Joshua 20 God provided cities where the accused could be safe from the pursuer. He has provided a Savior to Whom sinners may come and be safe from Satan's power. In the cities of refuge, God has given us a very clear type of Jesus Christ our Savior. All of the types actually existed or took place as events in the lives of the people. They served their purposes for the people then. They also serve as types for us—to picture spiritual truths. So the cities of refuge were real cities serving to save lives. They were a type of Christ serving to save souls. God authorized the appointment of the cities of refuge. What does this mean to us? MEMORY VERSE: The name of the Lord is a strong tower: the righteous runneth into it, and is safe.—Proverbs 18:10

DAILY READINGS:
Mon.—Joshua 21 Cities given to the Levites.
Tue.—Numbers 35 Rules for cities of refuge.
Wed.—2 Samuel 22:1-7, 28-33 David takes refuge in God.
Thu.—Psalm 46 God is our refuge.
Fri.—Isaiah 35 Salvation promised.
Devotional Reading: John 3:1-21 Christ is our refuge.

Levites in the Cities of Refuge

Joshua 20:1-2 All the tribes except Levi had received their inheritances. Caleb and Joshua had received theirs as special rewards for faithfulness at Kadesh-barnea. Now the Lord points Joshua to the next step. Appoint ... cities of refuge (Numbers 35:6). This city was to be a place where a slayer might flee for protection.

Now the last tribe, Levi, was to receive its inheritance. It was different from the others, not one connected area for all, but homes in 48 cities among the other tribes. They did not inherit the entire city, but were given room in it and its suburbs (Joshua 21:8). These cities included all of the cities of refuge. The list of cities and the rules by which the Levites were to live are found in Joshua 21, Leviticus 25:32-34, and Deuteronomy 18:1-8.

Purpose of Cities of Refuge

Joshua 20:3-6 God set rules for these cities of refuge. They were:

(1) Refuge was for one who had killed unawares and unwittingly, accidentally. If the trial showed him to have killed purposely, he was a murderer and must be put to death (Numbers 35:15-21).

(2) Coming to the gate of the city, he would tell his case to the elders. Gates of those cities were places of city government. The elders would hear the fugitive's story and give him a place of safety in the city.

(3) The avenger of blood—the relative of the slain one who inherited his property and had the right to kill his murderer—could not touch the fugitive while in the city of refuge.

(4) The accused would be brought to trial before the congregation—a court made up of representatives of the people.

(5) If judged a willful murderer, he would be slain by the avenger of blood.

(6) If judged innocent of intent to kill, he was given safe asylum in the city of refuge until the death of the high priest.

(7) If he was found out of the city, the avenger of blood was allowed to kill him (Numbers 35:26-28).

(8) At the death of the high priest, the man was to return to his home, the case closed.

(9) These rules applied to all, Israelite and stranger alike.

The Cities Chosen

Joshua 20:7-9 They appointed—the Hebrew word means sanctified, or set apart to a special purpose—six cities of refuge. Three were west of Jordan: Kedesh in Galilee in the north, Shechem in the middle, 30 miles north of Jerusalem, Hebron in Judaea in the south, and 20 miles south of Jerusalem. Three were east of the Jordan: Bezer in the south across from Jericho, Ramoth in the middle, and Golan in the north.

Some Comparisons

Dividing the type into parts, we find each detail a comparison of one fact in the salvation plan:

(1) CITIES OF REFUGE a type of CHRIST—As the slayer in danger of his life ran into the city and hid safely, so the sinner in danger of eternal damnation flees to Christ and is safe .... your life is hid with Christ in God (Colossians 3:3).

(2) AVENGER OF BLOOD a type of SATAN—As he sought the life of the slayer, so Satan seeks to damn our souls. Read First Peter 5:8.

(3) GOING OUT OF THE CITY a type of RETURNING TO SIN—If the slayer went out of the city of refuge, the avenger of blood was free to kill him. So, if one sins after being saved, he is lost again. Read Ezekiel 33:11-19 and Second Peter 2:20-22.

(4) LEVITES a type of THE CHURCH—Levites attended to the service of the Lord, ate of the sacrifices, and the Lord was their inheritance (Deuteronomy 18:2). As the slayer went to live in the city with Levites, so a sinner when saved comes to the city of the living God. He fellowships with God and the spirits of just men made perfect (Hebrews 12:22-23).

(5) ISRAEL and THE STRANGER a type of ALL KINDS OF PEOPLE—As both an Israelite and any stranger had equal right to refuge, so all people may be partakers of his promise in Christ by the gospel. Those who have refuge in Christ are of all nations, and kindreds ... (Ephesians 3:6; Revelation 7:9).

(6) DEATH OF THE HIGH PRIEST a type of the DEATH OF CHRIST—As the man went home free at the death of the high priest, so a sinner is set free from sin and its penalties by the death of Christ. By his own blood he ... obtained eternal redemption for us (Hebrews 9:11-12).

The Fulfillment

And the Lord gave unto Israel all the land which he sware to give unto their fathers ... (Joshua 21:43-45). This is the same Lord Who reigns today, the One Who gave us the Bible, gave us Jesus Christ and promises to come again for His own. We can depend upon His promises.

King of kings & Lord of lords!

^{Revelation 19: 11-16}

11 And I saw heaven opened, and behold a white horse; and he that sat upon him was called Faithful and True, and in righteousness he doth judge and make war.

¹² His eyes were as a flame of fire, and on his head were many crowns; and he had a name written, that no man knew, but he himself.

¹³ And he was clothed with a vesture dipped in blood: and his name is called The Word of God.

¹⁴ And the armies which were in heaven followed him upon white horses, clothed in fine linen, white and clean.

¹⁵ And out of his mouth goeth a sharp sword, that with it he should smite the nations: and he shall rule them with a rod of iron: and he treadeth the winepress of the fierceness and wrath of Almighty God.

¹⁶ And he hath on his vesture and on his thigh a name written, King Of Kings, And Lord Of Lords.

Wait Upon The Lord

^{Isaiah 49:28-31}

²⁸ Hast thou not known? hast thou not heard, that the everlasting God, the Lord, the Creator of the ends of the earth, fainteth not, neither is weary? there is no searching of his understanding.

²⁹ He giveth power to the faint; and to them that have no might he increaseth strength.

³⁰ Even the youths shall faint and be weary, and the young men shall utterly fall:

³¹ But they that wait upon the Lord shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings as eagles; they shall run, and not be weary; and they shall walk, and not faint.

Psalm 130

130 Out of the depths have I cried unto thee, O Lord.

² Lord, hear my voice: let thine ears be attentive to the voice of my supplications.

³ If thou, Lord, shouldest mark iniquities, O Lord, who shall stand?

⁴ But there is forgiveness with thee, that thou mayest be feared.

⁵ I wait for the Lord, my soul doth wait, and in his word do I hope.

⁶ My soul waiteth for the Lord more than they that watch for the morning: I say, more than they that watch for the morning.

⁷ Let Israel hope in the Lord: for with the Lord there is mercy, and with him is plenteous redemption.

⁸ And he shall redeem Israel from all his iniquities.

Psalm 27

27 The Lord is my light and my salvation; whom shall I fear? the Lord is the strength of my life; of whom shall I be afraid?

² When the wicked, even mine enemies and my foes, came upon me to eat up my flesh, they stumbled and fell.

³ Though an host should encamp against me, my heart shall not fear: though war should rise against me, in this will I be confident.

⁴ One thing have I desired of the Lord, that will I seek after; that I may dwell in the house of the Lordall the days of my life, to behold the beauty of the Lord, and to enquire in his temple.

⁵ For in the time of trouble he shall hide me in his pavilion: in the secret of his tabernacle shall he hide me; he shall set me up upon a rock.

⁶ And now shall mine head be lifted up above mine enemies round about me: therefore will I offer in his tabernacle sacrifices of joy; I will sing, yea, I will sing praises unto the Lord.

⁷ Hear, O Lord, when I cry with my voice: have mercy also upon me, and answer me.

⁸ When thou saidst, Seek ye my face; my heart said unto thee, Thy face, Lord, will I seek.

⁹ Hide not thy face far from me; put not thy servant away in anger: thou hast been my help; leave me not, neither forsake me, O God of my salvation.

¹⁰ When my father and my mother forsake me, then the Lord will take me up.

¹¹ Teach me thy way, O Lord, and lead me in a plain path, because of mine enemies.

¹² Deliver me not over unto the will of mine enemies: for false witnesses are risen up against me, and such as breathe out cruelty.

¹³ I had fainted, unless I had believed to see the goodness of the Lord in the land of the living.

¹⁴ Wait on the Lord: be of good courage, and he shall strengthen thine heart: wait, I say, on the Lord.

Waiting Too Long & Beware of Evil Angels