Author's Note: All previous volumes of this series are here. The first 56 volumes are compiled into the book "Bible Study For Those Who Don't Read The Bible." "Part Two," featuring volumes 57-113, was published in December 2022.
Happy New Year, everyone. Buckle your seatbelts; 2025 could be a wild ride! However, always remember that “HE is in control.” Also, my husband and I repeatedly say, “Jesus, I trust in you!” Both “truths” are comforting to us and hopefully will be to you.
Today, I am pleased to announce that my Bible study is based on a double “calling.” Two verses “demanded” attention that I felt called to share. First:
“As for me and my household, we will serve the Lord” (Joshua 24:15).
How this verse “demanded attention” is why I love the Lord. Hanging in our kitchen, next to the refrigerator, is a 12-inch square bronze-colored frame showcasing fake parchment with that Joshua verse. This “Hallmark store” art has been there for 13 years but blended into the kitchen wall, so I didn’t “see” it –until last week when the Lord intervened.
Suddenly, I “saw” the verse, read it, and felt called to write about it. Why I suddenly saw this “art” next to the refrigerator is unexplainable, but we know that “nothing is impossible with God.”
Thus, we will study this verse because when one “demands” my attention, it usually means it is not just for me but destined to resonate with some readers. (Let me know if that applies to you.)
Second: Initially, I planned to make this study only about Joshua’s verse, but while in church, I heard the following verse, which also demanded my attention. God speaks:
“The Lord bless you and keep you; the Lord make his face shine on you and be gracious to you; the Lord turn his face toward you and give you peace. So, they will put my name on the Israelites, and I will bless them” (Numbers 6:24-27).
So, I wondered if there is a connection between the two verses besides both being recorded in the Hebrew Bible (Old Testament). Let’s take a look.
The passage Numbers 6:24-27 has a specific purpose that appears in the preceding verses 22 and 23. The subhead reads, “The Priestly Blessing,” because:
“The Lord said to Moses, ‘Tell Aaron and his sons, “This is how you are to bless the Israelites. Say to them: “The Lord bless you and keep you…’” (repeat from above).
The “specific purpose” is the Lord teaching his student Moses, who will, in turn, teach the high priests of Israel precisely how the Lord wants them to bless their [His] people.
I like the following explanation: “In addition to being a blessing, which demonstrated Israel’s uniqueness as a nation set apart for God, the blessing contained God’s promise given through the Aaronic priesthood. The priest would declare the blessing over the nation of Israel, imparting the Word of God.”
Jewish and Christian leaders have prayed this “Priestly Blessing” over their congregations for centuries. However, this blessing often ends with verse 6:26: “..the Lord turn his face toward you and give you peace,” omitting the last verse: “So they will put my name on the Israelites, and I will bless them.”
Why the omission? Perhaps the last verse breaks the “rhythm” of the poetic blessing. However, it is also the key to the “Priestly Blessing.” The Lord demands that his name be elevated and worshiped by the Israelites. The blessing progresses from “you” (repeated six times) to “my,” “I,” and “them.” Reread it with his progression in mind:
“The Lord bless you and keep you; the Lord make his face shine on you and be gracious to you; the Lord turn his face toward you and give you peace. So they will put my name on the Israelites, and I will bless them” (Numbers 6:24-27).
We marvel at how powerful and perfect what the Lord is doing for you in verses 24-26. Then, He interjects the big “So” when He demands that “they will put my name on the Israelites...” followed by “and I will bless them.”
God was NOT “asking” when He told Moses, “they” [high priests] “will put my name on” them [Israelites]. Only then will He continue doing what He wants for them [and you]. But, in return, He demands that “they”[Israelites] make him their God, which also applies to you.
Next, we circle back to my Joshua “kitchen” verse: “As for me and my household, we will serve the Lord.” (The verse will never again blend into my wall after this Bible study.)
If you are unfamiliar with Joshua, catch up quickly and read Vol. 89: What You Should Know About Joshua. But know that he was hand-picked by God to replace Moses.
Joshua’s entire passage is self-explanatory. He demonstrates why, long ago, God had chosen him to lead His people into the Promised Land. This passage appears near the end of the Book of Joshua when Joshua is old and near death. Nonetheless, Joshua never stops teaching the Israelites to fear the God of Israel – the one true God – to whom they (and you) must trust, worship, and serve. Let’s read Joshua’s teaching:
“‘Now fear the Lord and serve him with all faithfulness. Throw away the gods your ancestors worshiped beyond the Euphrates River and in Egypt, and serve the Lord. But if serving the Lord seems undesirable to you, then choose for yourselves this day whom you will serve, whether the gods your ancestors served beyond the Euphrates or the gods of the Amorites, in whose land you are living. But as for me and my household, we will serve the Lord’” (Joshua 24:14-15).
Idol worship then and now is always in competition with the Lord. Our modern idols are anything we obsess over and “worship” that we place above God, such as money, power, drugs, gambling, pornography, illicit affairs, or addictions of any kind.
So, what is the connection between these two verses that God directed me to combine in one study? I surmise how both show that God must be first in our life. He wants you to serve Him and recognize Him as The Almighty who can shower you with blessings.
The Lord can “turn his face toward you and give you peace.” But he demands you to make Him your God. Remember the first two of the Ten Commandments:
“I am the Lord your God,” and You shall have no other Gods before me.” Amen to that!
We conclude with a Joshua 24:15-inspired music video. I wish you a blessed New Year.
Myra Kahn Adams is a conservative political and religious writer with numerous national credits. Her book, "Bible Study For Those Who Don't Read The Bible," reprints the first 56 volumes of this popular study. "Part 2,” with the same title, reprints Vols. 57-113. Order it here.
She is also the Executive Director of the National Shroud of Turin Exhibit, dedicated to building a future permanent Shroud of Turin exhibit in Washington, D.C. In July, The National Shroud of Turin Exhibit hosted a four-day exhibit (with a VIP guest) at the National Eucharistic Congress in Indianapolis, IN. Contact: <MyraAdams01@gmail.com>