Daily Devotional
Arise, and Do the Word
Moses dies, Joshua rises, Israel is told to remember, Judah asks for counsel, and Paul stands before violent men. In all of this, one thing is plain: the servant of God must not halt between hearing and doing. The Lord buries Moses, yet His work does not die with His servant. As Justin says, “Do you not think that the same thing happened in the case of Joshua the son of Nave (Nun), who succeeded to the command of the people after Moses, when Moses was commanded to lay his hands on Joshua, and God said to him, ‘I will take of the spirit which is in thee, and put it on him?’” The Lord’s work passes on, and the next servant must rise in obedience, not in fear.
So Joshua is not told to admire the law, but to keep it on his lips and in his deeds. Cyprian cites the charge well: “The book of this law shall not depart out of your mouth; but you shall meditate in it day and night, that you may observe to do according to all that is written therein.” This is the dividing line in today’s readings. Psalm 105 remembers mighty acts so that the people may seek the Lord faithfully. Jeremiah 42 shows the opposite spirit: men ask for God’s word while preparing to disobey it, seeking Egypt’s shadow instead of the Lord’s command. Paul, by contrast, speaks boldly, yet when he learns the office of the one he answered, he does not persist in reckless speech.
Therefore let us not ask for guidance as a cover for self-will. Let us remember God’s deeds, keep His word in our mouth, and obey when obedience is costly. The Lord strengthens those who arise and do what He has spoken.
“Do you not think that the same thing happened in the case of Joshua the son of Nave (Nun), who succeeded to the command of the people after Moses, when Moses was commanded to lay his hands on Joshua, and God said to him, ‘I will take of the spirit which is in thee, and put it on him?’”
— Justin Martyr, Dialogue with Trypho
“The book of this law shall not depart out of your mouth; but you shall meditate in it day and night, that you may observe to do according to all that is written therein.”
— Cyprian, Epistles
For Reflection & Discussion
What command of Christ or plain duty have you been delaying, and what will you do today to obey it without further excuse?
Where are you tempted to seek Egypt’s help—security, advantage, or protection by unlawful means—and what must you renounce or confess before God?
How will you keep the word in your mouth this day: at fixed prayer, in spoken thanksgiving, or in a guarded answer when you are provoked?
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