#DailyDevotion A Preview of the Last Day
July 1st
Read Josh 6:6–27
Jos 6:16-19 And at the seventh time, when the priests had blown the trumpets, Joshua said to the people, “Shout, for the LORD has given you the city. (17) And the city and all that is within it shall be devoted to the LORD for destruction. Only Rahab the prostitute and all who are with her in her house shall live, because she hid the messengers whom we sent. (18) But you, keep yourselves from the things devoted to destruction, lest when you have devoted them you take any of the devoted things and make the camp of Israel a thing for destruction and bring trouble upon it. (19) But all silver and gold, and every vessel of bronze and iron, are holy to the LORD; they shall go into the treasury of the LORD.”
These accounts, these terrible accounts from the Old Testament are there as warnings to us and to mankind. The Lord with the Israelites as his hand brought to utter destruction the city of Jericho and all of its inhabitants. Why did the Lord do this? Because the people in that city had completely gone astray and their sins filled up to the heavens. In fact the same was true for that whole region. God had enough. They had to go. There was no hope for them.
This total destruction of not only the people but their possessions as well serve as a reminder of the last judgment. Jesus is returning one day. He is coming with grace for all who trusted in him. He is also coming in wrath for all who spurned his grace and who followed after other gods. It will be a day of utter destruction. There will be great suffering building up to that day. Trials and tribulations calling people to repentance will occur but they will not repent just like the people of Jericho.
Only those who trusted in Jesus will enter into eternal life on that day though as passing through fire. We are like the silver and gold the vessels of bronze and iron that we brought into the Lord’s treasury. Purified by fire we enter into a new heavens and a new earth. We inherit the kingdom of God. Like Rahab and her family who trusted in the promise of the spies and the power of the Lord we are made one with the people of Israel who trusted in Jesus.
Note also that the things dedicated to destruction the people were not to keep. They would bring destruction upon Israel and those who kept them. In the same way, do not make attachments to the things of this world. Do not trust in them, in particular the wicked things of this world. They will mislead you away from trusting in Jesus for every good thing. But all these things the world puts it trust in will perish on the last day and will not be able to help anyone.
Almighty God and Father, we pray that you would give us your Holy Spirit, that we may be faithful to Jesus unto the end and be gathered into your heavenly kingdom at Christ’s return. In Jesus’ name we pray. Amen.