c Day 8:    d 

Pay Back

"You shall not steal"

Exodus 20:15

Scripture Meditation: Joshua 7

The Lord chose Israel out of all the nations of the earth to be His instrument through whom He would reveal His glory to the world. When He settled them in the land He had prepared for them, they were given the task to be tenants of the land, an illustration to all of our temporal status on this earth. "The land must not be sold permanently, because the land is Mine and you are but aliens and My tenants" (Leviticus 25:23b). 

The Israelites were given strict instructions on how to care for the land the Lord gave them; their obedience to the laws of the land would result in God's blessings upon the land. "If you follow My decrees and are careful to obey My commands, I will send you rain in its season, and the ground will yield its crops and the trees of the field their fruit...I will grant peace in the land, and you will lie down and no one will make you afraid" (Leviticus 26:3-4, 6a). They had the hand of God upon them, and the blessings of the storehouse of heaven at their disposal, yet it wasn't enough. "The city and all that is in it are to be devoted to the LORD...keep away from the devoted things, so that you will not bring about your own destruction by taking any of them. Otherwise you will make the camp of Israel liable to destruction and bring trouble on it" (Joshua 6:17a, 18). Despite the very clear warning from the Lord, we find in our reading of Joshua 7 the story of Achan, who, in his greed, stole from the Lord, and in doing so, brought the Lord's wrath upon the entire nation. As soon as they entered the land that the Lord had promised them, they were quick to take what belonged to the Lord rather than wait on God to give them all the bountiful blessings He had in store for them. The results of this disobedience cost them in battle. Joshua's intercession for the nation brought to light the root of the problem and the thief was called out. "Stand up! What are you doing on your face? Israel has sinned; they have violated My covenant, which I commanded them to keep. They have taken some of the devoted things; they have stolen, they have lied, they have put them with their own possessions. That is why the Israelites cannot stand against their enemies...they have been made liable for destruction. I will not be with you anymore unless you destroy whatever among you is devoted to destruction...You cannot stand against your enemies until you remove it" (Joshua 7:10-12, 13b). 

The Israelites were commanded not to steal: "Do not steal...Do not defraud your neighbor or rob him. Do not hold back the wages of a hired man overnight" (Leviticus 19:11a, 13). Everything they needed would be given to them by the Lord, or they would work for it as tenants of the land they had been given; to steal anything (personal property, people, a person's good name) was unacceptable and would require proper restitution. "If a man steals an ox or a sheep and slaughters it or sells it, he must pay back five head of cattle for the ox and four sheep for the sheep...a thief must certainly make restitution, but if he has nothing, he must be sold to pay for his theft" (Exodus 22: 1, 3). Achan's disobedience towards God, instead of trust in Him, cost him and his entire family their lives (reference Joshua 7:24-26). The Lord intended for His people to rely on Him, through which they would experience a foretaste of the abundant life that would come through Jesus Christ. "The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy; I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full" (John 10:10).

The Lord entrusted His land to Israel, and He would assure its protection. All those who have tried to lay claim to the land that God had given to His people Israel, or who have stolen from them, will be paid back in full. "For the LORD is a God of retribution; He will repay in full" (Jeremiah 51:56b). The Lord has used nations as His instrument of discipline for His disobedient people, but many have stepped over the boundary and inflicted unjust suffering on His people. The land of Israel is God's land and those who are attempting to divide up His land are putting their hands where they don't belong and laying claim to that which is devoted to God. "Buy My field at Anathoth in the territory of Benjamin. Since it is your right to redeem it and possess it, buy it for yourself...Take these documents, both the sealed and unsealed copies of the deed of purchase, and put them in a clay jar so they will last a long time. For this is what the LORD Almighty, the God of Israel, says: Houses, fields and vineyards will again be bought in this land" (Jeremiah 32:8b, 14-15). 

The Lord's purposes for His people will be fulfilled. "For I, the LORD, love justice; I hate robbery and iniquity. In My faithfulness I will reward them and make an everlasting covenant with them" (Isaiah 61:8). The Lord, Himself, will come like a thief in the night for His Bride, the Church, and then He will complete His kingdom work, reclaiming the land, returning His people,  and bringing judgment on all who have stolen the lives and land of His chosen people (reference 1 Thessalonians 4:13-5:3). "Behold, I come like a thief! Blessed is he who stays awake and keeps his clothes on him, so that he may not go naked and be shamefully exposed" (Revelation 16:15). We, who are devoted to God, and devoted to His people Israel, are called to be watchful and ready and to remain faithful in prayer. "But understand this: If the owner of the house had known at what time of night the thief was coming, he would have kept watch and would not have let his house be broken into. So you also must be ready, because the Son of Man will come at an hour when you do not expect Him" (Matthew 24:43-44). May our suffering in these present days not be the result of stealing from God or His people, or wasting the time and treasure that has been entrusted to us; instead, may it be because we have been faithful in prayer, obedient to His Word, and humble in our service to the One whose name we bear (reference 1 Peter 4:12-17).

Heavenly Father, how grateful we are that Your eyes are upon Your people and nothing escapes Your careful watch. You neither slumber nor sleep as You faithfully work to fulfill all Your plans and purposes. Help us to wait patiently, not growing weary or restless, attempting to get ahead of Your plans instead of trusting You to accomplish everything in Your perfect timing. Our hearts are heavy in this hour as we watch the world, especially leaders in our own nation, who are choosing to stand in opposition to Your people and the land that You have entrusted to them. Lord, help Your people to know that while the whole world will rise against them, You will rise up to fight for them. You will not keep silent but will pay back in full to all who have spoken against Your people: "Because you have said, 'These two nations and countries will be ours and we will take possession of them,' even though I the LORD was there...then you will know that I the LORD have heard all the contemptible things you have said against the mountains of Israel...You boasted against Me and spoke against Me without restraint, and I heard it...'O mountains of Israel, hear the word of the LORD...' The enemy said of you, 'Aha! The ancient heights have become our possession.' Because they ravaged and hounded you from every side so that you became the possession of the rest of the nations and the object of people's malicious talk and slander...In My burning zeal I have spoken against the rest of the nations, and against all Edom, for with glee and with malice in their hearts they made my land their own possession so that they might plunder its pastureland...I speak in My jealous wrath because you have suffered the scorn of the nations...I swear with uplifted hand that the nations around you will also suffer scorn...I am concerned for you and will look on you with favor; you will be plowed and sown, and I will multiply the number of people upon you, even the whole house of Israel. The towns will be inhabited and the ruins rebuilt...No longer will I make you hear the taunts of the nations, and no longer will you suffer the scorn of the peoples or cause your nation to fall, declares the Sovereign LORD." Accomplish Your great purposes for Your people, Lord. Open their eyes and hearts so they might receive the ultimate blessing You have purposed for them through Your Son Jesus Christ, experiencing fully the peace You have planned for them in the land of promise, and in every way becoming fully devoted to You. For the sake of Your great name we ask all this. "May your kingdom come and your will be done on earth as it is in heaven." In Jesus' Name. Amen.

 _________________________________________________

Prayer Scripture references: Psalm 121: 3; Ezekiel 35:10-36:15; Matthew 6:10; 1 Peter 4:12-17; James 5:7-9.