Good day! Be strong and of a good courage, and do according to all the law given to you this day. That’s what Joshua commanded to people before he let them go to their lands and tents.
In this journey, we have shared that your idea of the scriptures is probably all wrong, and if not you, definitely your next-door neighbor. We explained why your idea or ideology of the scriptures is wrong. It is mainly because of the oppressive, colonizing system of education and enslavement that has encircled the world for centuries. This oppressive colonizing system has taught the scriptures from a solely spiritual standpoint, and not a practical standpoint.
This is why they have created the idea of a church-state and a secular state and have divided them. It’s called church and state. The idea was to prevent the government from establishing an official religion or favoring one (religion) over another. Although the phrase, “separation of church and state” is not in the US Constitution the First Amendment’s establishment clause, which states “Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion”, is often interpreted to mean that the Constitution requires it.
This idea gives the appearance that the state is one function and the church another. Thus it allows the church to function more spiritually, meaning, pray for what you need and secure a spot in Heaven. The state then functions more practically, meaning, you ask, even demand your rights of your needs and have it secured right now.
See the difference?
In addition to the church’s functionality, the history of the church is distorted, omitted, and unfavorably taught. For most people, the details of the early church are taught from the pulpit beginning with Jesus Christ’s ministry. From the academic classroom, the church is primarily taught from the days of Apostle Paul and after. And since Apostle Paul taught from the days after Christ while the Romans were in control of all things government, land, and people, including the dispensation of religion, the vibe (as the youth like to say) is Roman.
Let’s think about that practically for a moment. When the apostles were spreading the gospel, they began the spread from Jerusalem of the north, and spread it where? They spread it throughout Rome, Europe, and Asia Minor. Those countries today would look like:
Italy, Austria, Greece, Romania, Turkey, Syria, Iraq, Iran, Saudi Arabia, and maybe someone went to the Ukraine. What does this say to the rest of the world?
Paul and the apostles did not go to Pakistan, India, Myanmar, China, and Mongolia to the east. He did not go beyond Egypt and visit Sudan, Ethiopia, Kenya, Somalia, Tanzania, and Zambia to the south.
Let me speak plain English; this looks like “White Caucasian” people went about into selected areas educating the world about their concept of a “True” God.
However, from a practical standpoint, the world all knew the True and Living Creator in separate ways. However, the appointed “Watchers” of the nations created after the Tower of Babel decided to take the glory for themselves and enslave the population.
Remember Deuteronomy 32 verses 8 and 9:
When the Most High divided to the nations their inheritance (lands), when He separated the sons of Adam, He set the bounds of the people according to the number of the children of Jacob, Because the Almighty’s portion is His people; Jacob is the lot of His inheritance.
With the scriptures being about people and lands, this helped answer for us why Abram was chosen. The nations departed from the way the Almighty desired for them to live. He then selected Abram and promised him he would make him into a great nation and give him the choice of the best lands. The covenant was for Abram and his seed after him. The seed of the covenant fell to his son with Sara, Isaac. Isaac was given the same covenant and the seed the covenant fell upon was Jacob.
Jacob was given the very same covenant and it fell upon all 12 of his sons (although Juda and Joseph received special allotments for reasons we won’t discuss right now). The family of Jacob came to Egypt and multiplied while there, leaving Egypt six hundred thousand strong, men alone.
With Abram’s covenanted descendants a million strong, they were delivered out of Egypt as the Almighty came down to deliver them. They had some hiccups and wandered in the wilderness for forty years before coming to the doors of Canaanland via Jericho. This is where General Joshua addresses the audience!
Be Strong And Of A Good Courage And Do According To All The Law
General Joshua’s message was for the children of Jacob to be strong, in mind and body. They also had to have good courage to perform what the Almighty had given them. That was to take the land of Canaan. The best opportunity for success came if they observed and did according to all the laws. The book of the law is not to depart out of the mouth of the house of Jacob. As they do according to all that is written, their ways will be made prosperous; they will have good success.
The conquest begins.
Admittedly, from a practical standpoint, if this were done today, the world would be crying foul against the children of Jacob for the mass killings they committed against the people of Canaan. The other nations sat back and watched as the House of Jacob, a small people, left Egypt. Egypt was destroyed economically and environmentally and the people they were oppressing left without a fight.
The Egyptians and all other nations did not bother the House of Jacob. Forty years later, they watched as Joshua and the people marched into Canaan and began taking lands promised to their forefathers and them. The list of kings and lands they took is listed in Joshua’s records, chapter 12.
It is recorded that they did not capture all the lands, but enough to be the majority and make the remaining Canaanites stewards to them.
Before I put the pen down we have to address the elephant in the room. Why is the house of Jacob commanded to be strong and of good courage? Additionally, why are they commanded to do according to all the laws?
Here is what you should be reminded of. During the days of Moses’ when he went up the mountain to receive the law, the people rebelled. They made a golden calf, celebrating the gods of Egypt, the gods from the days of Abram’s father, Tera. Immediately they were delivered from bondage in Egypt, their leader went to get the next word, and what were they doing, partying like it was 1999, to other deities.
The Almighty was not happy with them. He told Moses He would no longer go up with them into the land of Canaan because they were a stiff-necked people. The Almighty thought to kill them and restart the project with Moses. Moses talked Him down from the hot anger that came over Him.
Well, let me get practical for you. For married people or a few young folks reading who are dating, follow this. Pretend you are married, just got married, a matter of fact, and immediately you have to take a trip to get the paperwork. While you are on the trip, a camera in the house records your spouse entertaining other people. When you look closely at the footage, you realize the people are two or three former lovers. You’re heartbroken and angry.
You return home to confront them. They are apologetic and want you to stay with them; they beg. You are okay with it but force them to change clothing from what they used to wear with their former lovers. In addition, you make them take out the earrings from their ears and nose, necklaces, and all that Egyptian jewelry.
You then renew your vows and continue on your promise to take care of them, house them, feed them, and protect them. However, you warn them to keep the covenant and not make any agreements with the new neighbors you will have. Because if they do, it will be a snare that will eventually divorce or separate them from you and destroy them.
So the question for you now is, how do you know your spouse will not go back again to their former lovers when you take another trip? The only way is to keep a few former and new lovers around and see if your spouse takes the bait.
Let us step out of the “pretending” and get back to the practical. The House of Jacob, the lands the different tribes attempted to conquer and drive out the Canaanites, they were not fully able to drive out every Canaanite. This is read in the scriptures like this in Joshua 16:10
And they drave not out the Canaanites that dwelt in Gezer: but the Canaanites dwell among the Ephraimites unto this day, and serve under tribute.
Why didn’t the Almighty drive them all out?
Judges Chapter 3
1, Now these are the nations which the Almighty left, to prove Jacob by them, even as many of Jacob as had not known all the wars of Canaan; 2, Only that the generations of the children of Jacob might know, to teach them war, at the least such as before knew nothing thereof; 3, Namely, five lords of the Philistines, and all the Canaanites, and the Sidonians, and the Hivites that dwelt in mount Lebanon, from mount Baal-Hermon unto the entering in of Hamath.
The five lords of the Philistines were left in the land, the Canaanites, Sidonians, and Hivites; this was in addition to Moab, Ammon, and Edom. They were left to prove them.
4, And they were to prove Jacob by them, to know whether they would hearken unto the commandments of the Almighty, which He commanded their fathers by the hand of Moses.
The House of Jacob was being proven on two fronts. One was to fight; some of the men were not trained in the battles against the Canaanites, so the Almighty left some Canaanites. They would have to fight the Canaanites to prove themselves as their fathers had done.
This takes us back to being strong and courageous. Will they, or will they “cower out” meaning show fear and retreat? Will they make treaties to live in peace or be courageous and strong and remove the Canaanites from the land?
The second front of proving themselves is in keeping the commandments of their Almighty. The traditions and cultural practices of the Canaanites were in concert with Egypt, Aram, and the gods Abram was initially separated from.
This takes us back to doing according to all the laws. Will they seep slowly into the ways of the Philistines, Canaanites, Ammonites, Edomites, and Moabites around them? Will they discard the ways of the Almighty for other deities? This was their second proving ground.
The Almighty is checking you out at this very moment.
In our pretend scenario, your spouse is left around neighbors they will have to contend with, defend themselves against, and even put on boxing gloves against. Also, your spouse will have to go to schools with, work with, contract with, and live amongst her ex-lovers, without getting engaged intimately. This is how they prove themselves.
This is what the Almighty of Abram, Isaac, and Jacob did to His people, then and I’m sure today. This is why we must know the practicality of the scriptures. We have to know history, principles, and prophecy, so we move with a sound mind based on sound doctrine. I’m placing the pen down for today. Let us end with this.
Joshua 21:43, And the Almighty gave unto Jacob all the land which He sware to give unto their fathers, and they possessed it and dwelt therein.
44, And the Almighty gave them rest round about, according to all that He sware unto their fathers: and there stood not a man of all their enemies before them; the Almighty delivered all their enemies into their hand.
45, There failed not ought of any good thing which the Almighty had spoken unto the house of Jacob; all came to pass.
All the promises made to Abram, Isaac, and Jacob had come to pass. Thus Joshua made it known to the people that all the good things promised to them would be granted and were granted. Likewise, all the bad things pronounced against them would also take place if they choose to transgress against the Almighty and follow the deities or gods of the nations around them or from Egypt!
Be strong and of good courage, and do according to all the law.
Power be with you.
Minister Koko
Consult General, AKOPPI