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Sermon Outline

Lessons of Faith from Joshua

Ultimate Loyalty: Worship in a War Zone

Lesson #7 for November 15, 2025

Scriptures:Joshua 5:1-7; 8:30-35; Exodus 12:6; 1 Corinthians 5:7; Deuteronomy 8:11,14; Hebrews 9:11-12.

  1. The assumption is that one would fight in a war zone. Why would the Israelites worship there?
  2. Try to imagine yourself like Joshua as the leader of the children of Israel and you had just crossed over the flooded Jordan River. What would you want to do if you knew that you were about to face several large armies that were equipped with weapons of war, and you knew that your people had essentially nothing with which to fight? Did Joshua recognize by this time that their only hope was in depending on the Lord? Yahweh was their “super power.”

[From the Adult Teachers Sabbath School Bible Study Guide=T-BSG:] After 40 years of wandering through the desert, the Israelites finally set foot in the Promised Land. For sure, this was an exciting time as they crossed the Jordan River and saw the promise materializing in real life. However, they were in enemy territory from henceforth, and enormous challenges lay ahead in this war zone—far beyond their ability to overcome themselves. Therefore, it was time for preparation. Instead of focusing on weapons, strategies, and manpower, they needed to prepare their hearts through ceremonies that would sharpen their spiritual perception and calibrate their loyalty to the Lord. As the conquest progressed, these rituals of covenant renewal were again performed as an ongoing reminder of their need for spiritual preparedness.—T-BSG* 93.†‡ [At Baal-Peor, 24,000 men had just died for sin.]‡

[T-BSG:] Rituals play a significant role in marking important life events, even in modern times. They are present throughout a person’s life, spanning family, school, work, and religious contexts. It is not a coincidence that God used the power of ritual to convey the essential aspects of His plan to humanity. These Old Testament rites, which often involved blood, sweat, and tears, engraved eternal truths in people’s minds regarding God’s character, human decay, and the divine plan to bridge the gap caused by sin.—T-BSG* 93.‡

[From the Adult Sabbath School Bible Study Guide=BSG:] We are going to look at some key moments during Israel’s presence in the Promised Land, when the people rededicated themselves to the Lord, sometimes in the face of impending danger. Joshua made the seemingly irrational decision to circumcise the Israelites on enemy territory (Josh. 5:1–9); to celebrate the Passover in the face of imminent danger (Josh. 5:10–12); to build an altar and worship the Lord while the conquest was in full swing (Josh. 8:30–35); and to set up the tabernacle of the Lord when seven tribes in Israel had not yet received their inheritance (Josh. 18:1, 2).—BSG* for Sabbath Afternoon.†‡§

Circumcision (CompareExodus 4:24-26.)

  1. Read about the circumcision experience as recorded inJoshua 5:1-12.
  2. Why were all the Israelite males not already circumcised?

[BSG:] After the exploration of the country, the encouraging report of the spies, and the miraculous crossing over the Jordan, we would expect an immediate engagement with the enemy. However, there is something more important than the military conquest: Israel’s covenant with God.

Before the new generation could engage in taking the land, they needed to be fully aware of their special relationship with the Owner of the land. The renewal of the covenant sign comes as a response to God’s gracious and miraculous act of bringing Israel safely across the Jordan.—BSG* for Sunday.†‡

[BSG:] Israel was on the verge of the greatest military campaign of its history, and we would expect the whole camp to be busy with war preparations. It was, but not in the conventional sense. Instead of harnessing the horses and sharpening the swords, they engaged in a ritual [circumcision] that left most of the fighting force vulnerable for at least three days.

They did this in order to celebrate their relationship with their God, who delivered them from Egypt. Why? Because they recognized that the battle belongs to the Lord. He is the One who grants them victory and success.—BSG* for Sunday, November 9.†‡ [Why didn’t they do this 40 years earlier?]‡

[T-BSG:] In the context of Joshua, the circumcision ritual serves as a reminder to Israel of its true identity within the covenant community. The removal of the foreskin pointed in a graphic way to the removal of Israel’s old status as slaves of Pharaoh (“the disgrace of Egypt”). Now, the Israelites have the choice to serve Yahweh [sic], who calls them to a total commitment. Male circumcision, which involves the surgical removal of the foreskin, has been practiced since at least the third millennium by various societies. In these societies, the rite would mark an important transition, such as the beginning of adulthood or marriage, without a religious meaning per se. However, in God’s covenant with Abraham, circumcision is designated as a sign of commitment and identity. Even non-Israelites could undergo circumcision to signal their new status as part of the seed of Abraham (Gen. 34:15–24,Exod. 12:48).—T-BSG* 94.†‡§

Genesis 34:15-17: 15 “We can agree only on the condition that you become like us by circumcising all your males. 16Then we will agree to intermarriage. We will settle among you and become one people with you. 17But if you will not accept our terms and be circumcised, we will take her [their sister, Dinah] and leave.”—American Bible Society. (©1992). The Holy Bible: The Good News Translation®* [GNT] (Today’s English Version) [TEV], Second Edition,Genesis 34:15-17). Philadelphia: American Bible Society [abbreviated as Good News Bible-TEV* or GNB-TEV*].‡ [CompareExodus 12:48.]‡

  1. As we know, there was a lot of dispute in the times of the New Testament over the question of circumcision. Conservative Jews who had become Christians believed that a male needed to be circumcised in order to be officially Jewish before one could become a Christian. Paul fought vigorously against that requirement. See Acts 15, especially verses 28-29.

Acts 15:28-29: 28 “The Holy Spirit and we have agreed not to put any other burden on you besides these necessary rules: 29eat no food that has been offered to idols; eat no blood; eat no animal that has been strangled; and keep yourselves from sexual immorality. You will do well if you take care not to do these things. With our best wishes.”—Good News Bible-TEV.*

[T-BSG:] From the New Testament perspective, circumcision is a mark of separation linked to Jewish identity that is no longer binding for Christians in the new creation inaugurated by Jesus (Gal. 6:15,Col. 2:11–13, Acts 15 [See above.]). However, Paul’s calling to circumcise the heart is not a Christian innovation. Already in the original context, the physical sign of circumcision should be only an external indication of an inner disposition (Deut. 30:6). This view also is reiterated by the prophets, such as Jeremiah, who appealed to the inhabitants of Jerusalem: “Circumcise yourselves to the Lord; remove the foreskin of your hearts” (Jer. 4:4, ESV; compare withJer. 9:25, 26). Thus, the Old Testament already envisioned the metaphorical and ethical dimensions of the ritual. When disassociated from the right attitude, the idea that “circumcision is nothing” (1 Cor. 7:19) is already true in the Old Testament.—T-BSG* 94.†‡§

Galatians 6:15: It does not matter at all whether or not one is circumcised; what does matter is being a new creature.—Good News Bible-TEV.*†

Colossians 2:11-13: 11 In union with Christ you were circumcised, not with the circumcision that is made by human beings, but with the circumcision made by Christ, which consists of being freed from the power of this sinful self. 12For when you were baptized, you were buried with Christ, and in baptism you were also raised with Christ through your faith in the active power of God, who raised him from death. 13You were at one time spiritually dead because of your sins and because you were Gentiles without the Law. But God has now brought you to life with Christ. God forgave us all our sins.—Good News Bible-TEV.*

1 Corinthians 7:19: For whether or not a man is circumcised means nothing; what matters is to obey God’s commandments.—Good News Bible-TEV.*†

Today: Baptism Instead of Circumcision

[T-BSG:] Today, Seventh-day Adventists, like other Christians, “understand baptism as a symbol of (figuratively) partaking in Christ’s death, burial, and resurrection and also a symbol of belonging to God’s New Covenant people instead of circumcision (Col. 2:11–12).”—John C. Peckham, God With Us: An Introduction to Adventist Theology (Berrien Springs, MI: Andrews University Press, Biblical Research Institute, 2023), pp. 595, 596.—T-BSG* 94.‡§

[T-BSG:] However, one could question the reason for the change. The practice of circumcision was closely related to the coming of the promised Messiah, who would appear from the Seed of Abraham.—T-BSG* 94.‡

  1. We need not a one-time commitment; we need daily renewal of our commitment to Christ.

[BSG:] Most of the time, everyday life seems to pressure us with the urgency of so many important things that we forget to give priority to the most important thing in our life: the daily renewal of our commitment to Christ.—BSG* for Sunday, November 9.‡

Matthew 6:33: 33 “Instead, be concerned above everything else with the Kingdom of God and with what he requires of you, and he will provide you with all these other things.”—Good News Bible-TEV.*

  1. What is priority in your life? How often do we allow the “urgent” to take priority over the important? Was it really important for Joshua to stop, after having crossed the Jordan and as they faced their enemies, to circumcise the males and conduct Passover?

Passover Celebration

  1. As they were preparing for the battle of Jericho, do you think it was important for Joshua to follow all the details that had been given about celebrating the Passover?

[BSG:] The second important activity that precedes the conquest [of Jericho] is the celebration of Passover…. The symbolic significance of the Passover observance receives special emphasis: the events in Joshua mirror those of the Exodus. Passover evokes the night of the tenth plague (Exodus 12), when the angel of the Lord killed all the firstborn in Egypt and spared the Israelites. This is followed by the Exodus from Egypt, the crossing of the Red Sea, and the journey through the wilderness.—BSG.*‡§ [Review Exodus 12.]‡

[T-BSG:] Passover was not just a celebration of ordinary life but a celebration of new life to be lived abundantly and freely with the Lord. At the heart of the ritual was the sacrifice of the lamb.—T-BSG* 95.‡

[T-BSG:] This sacrifice was a symbolic act in two senses. First, it symbolized the deliverance of the firstborn. The lamb was slaughtered instead of the Israelite firstborn, serving as a substitutionary sacrifice. Second, the entire ritual was meant to recall the Exodus experience, the time when the Israelites were set free from slavery.—T-BSG* 95.†‡

  1. The older generation that had experienced the Passover in Egypt were now dead. Only Joshua and Caleb remained. Did they want to make sure that the new generation understood the meaning of Passover?

[BSG:] The story of the second generation starts in the wilderness, continues with the crossing of the Jordan, involves circumcision and the celebration of Passover, and leads to the crucial moment when another miraculous intervention of the Lord is to be expected against the enemies of Israel, the inhabitants of Canaan. Together with all the preceding acts, the celebration of Passover marks the beginning of a new era in Israel’s history.—BSG* for Monday, November 10.†‡

The Lord’s Supper “Replaces” Passover

[BSG:] Through the symbol of the sacrificial lamb, the Feast of Passover pointed back to the redemption of the Israelites from Egyptian bondage. But it also pointed forward to its antitypical fulfillment in the Lamb of God (John 1:29, 36; 1 Cor. 5:7; 1 Pet. 1:18, 19), who ransomed us from the bondage of sin. At the Lord’s Supper, before offering Himself as the Ultimate Sacrifice, Jesus transformed Passover into a memorial of His death (Matt. 26:26–29 [See below.],1 Cor. 11:23–26).—BSG* for Monday, November 10.†‡§

  1. ReadJohn 1:29-36 and1 Peter 1:18-19.

[T-BSG:] Jesus instituted the Lord’s Supper during His last Passover on earth. The Lord’s Supper replaced the Passover after His death. As such, the rite of the Lord’s Supper also has a twofold, temporal dimension. While it calls our attention to what God has done for us in the past, it points to what God will accomplish…. In Joshua 5, God’s people were in this same temporal juncture, between past and future, between deliverance and rest.—T-BSG* 95.‡

Matthew 26:26-29: 26 While they were eating, Jesus took a piece of bread, gave a prayer of thanks, broke it, and gave it to his disciples. “Take and eat it,” he said; “this is my body.” [Should we still be celebrating Passover?]

27 Then he took a cup, gave thanks to God, and gave it to them. “Drink it, all of you,” he said; 28 “this is my blood, which seals God’s covenant, my blood poured out for many for the forgiveness of sins. 29I tell you, I will never again drink this wine until the day I drink the new wine with you in my Father’s Kingdom.”—Good News Bible-TEV.*‡ [Compare1 Corinthians 11:23-26.]‡

[From the writings of Ellen G. White=EGW:] But the Communion service was not to be a season of sorrowing. This was not its purpose. As the Lord’s disciples gather about His table, they are not to remember and lament their shortcomings. They are not to dwell upon their past religious experience, whether that experience has been elevating or depressing. They are not to recall the differences between them and their brethren. The preparatory service has embraced all this. The self-examination, the confession of sin, the reconciling of differences, has all been done. Now they come to meet with Christ. They are not to stand in the shadow of the cross, but in its saving light. They are to open the soul to the bright beams of the Sun of Righteousness. With hearts cleansed by Christ’s most precious blood, in full consciousness of His presence, although unseen, they are to hear His words, “Peace I leave with you, My peace I give unto you: not as the world giveth, give I unto you.”John 14:27.—Ellen G. White, The Desire of Ages* 659.1.†‡

[https://egwwritings.org/read?panels=p130.3243&index=0]‡

[BSG:] Passover and the Lord’s Supper signal an even more glorious reality: that of the redeemed multitude passing into the heavenly Canaan. John the revelator portrays this antitypical “crossing” event as the 144,000 walking on the sea of crystal, the antitypical Red Sea and river Jordan, before the throne of God (Rev. 4:6; Rev. 7:9, 10) and celebrating the antitypical Passover and Lord’s Supper at the marriage supper of the Lamb (Matt. 26:29,Rev. 19:9).—BSG* for Monday, November 10.†‡§

Revelation 4:6: Also in front of the throne there was what looked like a sea of glass, clear as crystal.

Surrounding the throne on each of its sides, were four living creatures covered with eyes in front and behind.—Good News Bible-TEV.*

Revelation 7:9-10: 9 After this I looked, and there was an enormous crowd—no one could count all the people! They were from every race, tribe, nation, and language, and they stood in front of the throne and of the Lamb, dressed in white robes and holding palm branches in their hands. 10They called out in a loud voice: “Salvation comes from our God, who sits on the throne, and from the Lamb!”—Good News Bible-TEV.*

  1. How can we constantly keep in mind the significance of the life and death of Jesus? The life and death of Jesus give us a choice: 1) With the help of angels and the Holy Spirit, we can choose to live lives as close as possible to the life of Jesus and live forever. Or, we can choose: 2) To die the death that Jesus died, separated from His Father, the only Source of life, and be dead forever.

[BSG:] We humans tend to be forgetful. We crowd the increasingly bewildering demands of everyday life into shorter and shorter segments of time. We inevitably forget things that do not recur with the same frequency or intensity. At every Communion service, we have a special occasion to rededicate ourselves to the Lord and to renew our covenantal commitment. It would be good to perceive these opportunities not only as chances for individual reconsecration but also as occasions of corporate renewal of our allegiance to God. In an increasingly individualistic society, we must rediscover the power of belonging to a community that shares the same worldview, the same values and beliefs, and the same mission.—BSG* for Wednesday, September 12.†‡

  1. Should the reality of the cross make us believe that Jesus has forgiven our sins? Or, should it make us realize the deadly consequences of sin? (Romans 6:23) Or, both?

Romans 6:23: For sin pays its wage—death; but God’s free gift is eternal life in union with Christ Jesus our Lord.—Good News Bible-TEV.*† [SeeJer. 31:34.]‡

Altars of Renewal

  1. After Jericho and Ai, the children of Israel traveled to the central part of Canaan to Shechem and renewed their covenant with God at Mount Gerizim and Mount Ebal.

[BSG:] In the time of the patriarchs, altars marked the path of their pilgrimage and became tangible representations of their claim to the land, which had been promised by God. Now, by erecting an altar, the Israelites bore witness to the fulfillment of the promises given to their forefathers. In this case, the erection of the altar is the direct fulfillment of the instructions given by Moses (Deut. 11:26–30,Deut. 27:2-10).—BSG* for Tuesday, November 11.†‡§

Deuteronomy 27:2-8: 2 “On the day you cross the Jordan River and enter the land that the Lord your God is giving you, you are to set up some large stones, cover them with plaster, 3and write on them all these laws and teachings…. 4Set up these stones on Mount Ebal, as I am instructing you today, and cover them with plaster…. 8On the stones covered with plaster write clearly every word of God’s laws.”—Good News Bible-TEV.*†

[BSG:]Joshua 8:30–35 plays a significant role in shaping the whole theological message of the book. By linking one of the most gruesome, violent stories (war) to something totally different—a scene of covenant reaffirmation (worship)—Joshua takes us back to one of the most important theological themes launched in the book at the outset: Joshua has the mandate of leading Israel to a life of covenantal obedience (Josh. 1:7). This is also the picture of Joshua at the end of the book (Joshua 24).―BSG* for Tuesday, November 11.†‡§

Joshua 8:30-35: 30 Then Joshua built on Mount Ebal an altar to the Lord, the God of Israel. 31He made it according to the instructions that Moses, the Lord’s servant, had given the Israelites, as it says in the Law of Moses: “an altar made of stones which have not been cut with iron tools.” On it they offered burnt sacrifices to the Lord, and they also presented their fellowship offerings. 32There, with the Israelites looking on, Joshua made on the stones a copy of the Law which Moses had written. 33The Israelites, with their leaders, officers, and judges, as well as the foreigners among them, stood on two sides of the Lord’s Covenant Box, facing the levitical priests who carried it. Half the people stood with their backs to Mount Gerizim and the other half with their backs to Mount Ebal. The Lord’s servant Moses had commanded them to do this when the time came for them to receive the blessing. 34Joshua then read aloud the whole Law, including the blessings and the curses, just as they are written in the book of the Law. 35Every one of the commandments of Moses was read by Joshua to the whole gathering, which included women and children, as well as the foreigners living among them.—Good News Bible-TEV.*

  1. See the recently uncovered archaeological evidence for this altar at Mount Ebal built by Joshua around the time of the exodus.

1) https://www.jns.org/scholars-expound-on-mount-ebal-curse-tablet-with-oldest-hebrew-text/

2) https://www.pshir.com/mout-ebal-inscription/

3) https://www.facebook.com/epicarchaeology/posts/the-soleb-inscription-amenhotep-iii-ca-1390-1352-when-amenhotep-iii-built-a-temp/766288538822880/

4) https://biblearchaeologyreport.com/2023/12/09/more-thoughts-on-the-lead-tablet-from-mt-ebal/

[EGW:] According to the directions given by Moses, a monument of great stones was erected upon Mount Ebal. Upon these stones, previously prepared by a covering of plaster, the law was inscribed—not only the ten precepts spoken from Sinai and engraved on the tables of stone, but [also] the laws communicated to Moses, and by him written in a book. Beside this monument was built an altar of unhewn stone, upon which sacrifices were offered unto the Lord. The fact that the altar was set up on Mount Ebal, the mountain upon which the curse was put, was significant, denoting that because of their transgressions of God’s law, Israel had justly incurred His wrath, and that it would be at once visited, but for the atonement of Christ, represented by the altar of sacrifice.—Ellen G. White, Patriarchs and Prophets* 500.2.†‡

[https://egwwritings.org/read?panels=p84.2310&index=0]‡

[BSG:] Notwithstanding the importance of warfare and the conquest, there is something even more vital: loyalty to the requirements of God’s law. The conquest is only one step in the fulfillment of God’s plan for Israel and the restoration of all humanity. Faithfulness to the precepts of the Torah [sic] constitutes the ultimate question in the destiny of humanity. Joshua writes the copy of the law on large, whitewashed stones, different from the stones of the altar (compare withDeut. 27:2–8 [See above.]). Thus, the stones, which probably contained the Ten Commandments [and the rest of God’s directions], formed a separate monument in the vicinity of the altar, constantly reminding the Israelites of the privileges and duties implied in the covenant.―BSG* for Tuesday, November 11.†‡§

  1. Do we have certain memorials that we have established that remind us of where we have been? Do they also remind us of where we are going?

[BSG:] Joshua foreshadows the New Testament Jehoshua (Jesus), whose mission was, among other things, to lead humanity back to obedience to God. In order to accomplish this goal, He had to undertake a conflict with the powers of evil. His ultimate goal was to fulfill the covenant requirements on our behalf: “For all the promises of God in Him are Yes, and in Him Amen, to the glory of God through us” (2 Cor. 1:20, NKJV).―BSG* for Tuesday, November 11.‡§

  1. In preparation for the conquest of Canaan, why would Joshua have an altar built?

[T-BSG:] The altar is a crucial part of the ritual system in the Old Testament and played a significant role in worship life during patriarchal times. Although the first mention of an altar appears only inGenesis 8:20, the first sacrifice is implicit in the provision of skins for Adam and Eve (Gen. 3:21).—T-BSG* 95.‡§

  1. There is no evidence either in the Bible itself or in the writings of Ellen White that those first offerings were skinned or sacrificed and the skins tanned for use by Adam and Eve as clothing. They just say that God prepared garments of skins for them to wear.

Genesis 3:21: And the Lord God made clothes out of animal skins for Adam and his wife, and he clothed them.—Good News Bible-TEV.*

[T-BSG:] Like circumcision, sacrifice is a practice not restricted to Israel. Indeed, sacrifice is the norm in ancient world religions. However, in Israel, sacrifice is not intended to feed, please, or appease an angry deity; rather, it is seen as God’s merciful provision to humanity to atone for sin and bring His creation back to Him.—T-BSG* 95.†‡

  1. ReadNumbers 15:22-29 which describe offerings and sacrifices for unintentional sins. However, it states that the penalty for intentional sin was death!

Numbers 15:30-31: 30 But any who sin deliberately, whether they are natives or foreigners, are guilty of treating the Lord with contempt, and they shall be put to death, 31because they have rejected what the Lord said and have deliberately broken one of his commands. They are responsible for their own death.—Good News Bible-TEV.*

  1. Have you even heard a sermon on these verses?

Written on Stones

  1. Read againJoshua 8:32-35 as above, describing the events at Mount Ebal.

[BSG:] Mount Ebal is mentioned only in Deuteronomy (Deut. 11:29; Deut. 27:4, 13) and in the book of Joshua (Josh. 8:30, 33). Along with Gerizim, it was the site where the blessings and curses of the covenant were to be recited. More specifically, according toDeuteronomy 11:29 andDeuteronomy 27:4, 13, it had to be the site of the curses. Here the Israelites were to stand on either side of the ark in the presence of the priests (Josh. 8:33). One group stood in front of Mount Ebal, the other in front of Mount Gerizim. Here they symbolically enacted the two possible ways of relating to the covenant.—BSG* for Wednesday, November 12.‡§ [See the notes and Internet links about Mount Ebal above.]‡

  1. The Ten Commandments were inscribed on tables of stone, but those tables of stone were placed in the ark of the covenant or covenant box in the most holy place where none of the Israelites could see them. More than that, the long writings of Moses were also kept in the most holy place. So, God arranged for all of that to be recorded in a place where it would be accessible to all the people, even though few, if any, could read. Thus, it was that they were written on the stones on the monument.
  2. Do you find it easy to remember the Lord in your daily activities?
  3. Moses had carefully described the territories that were to be given to each of the 12 tribes. However, only a few of the tribes had received their lands, and virtually none of those lands had yet been freed from the Canaanite inhabitants.

Joshua 18:1-2: 1After they had conquered the land, the entire community of Israel assembled at Shiloh and set up the Tent of the Lord’s presence. 2There were still seven tribes of the people of Israel who had not yet been assigned their share of the land.—GNB-TEV.*† [Other tribes: Joshua 14-17.]‡

[BSG:] The establishment of the sanctuary, “My Tabernacle,” represents the fulfillment of God’s promise to live among His people (Exod. 25:8; Lev. 26:11, 12) and reveals the central theme of the book: God’s presence in the middle of Israel has made possible the possession of the land and is going to be a continual source of blessing for Israel and, through it, to all the earth (Gen. 12:3). The worship of God takes center stage and preeminence, even over conquest and allotment of the land! The presence of the sanctuary [in Shiloh], and later the temple, should have always helped the people realize the presence of God among them and their obligations to follow the covenant.

ReadHebrews 6:19, 20; Hebrews 9:11, 12; andHebrews 10:19–23. What can we as Christians, who do not have an earthly sanctuary enshrining the physical presence of God among us, learn from Joshua?—BSG* for Thursday.†‡§

Hebrews 10:19-23: 19 We have, then, my friends, complete freedom to go into the Most Holy Place by means of the death of Jesus. 20He opened for us a new way, a living way, through the curtain—that is, through his own body. 21We have a great priest in charge of the house of God. 22So let us come near to God with a sincere heart and a sure faith, with hearts that have been purified from a guilty conscience and with bodies washed with clean water. 23Let us hold on firmly to the hope we profess, because we can trust God to keep his promise.—Good News Bible-TEV.*†

  1. Why do we have a new and “living way”?

[BSG:] Now, by placing the erection of the tabernacle in the focal point of the land distribution, Joshua shows that all the life of Israel revolved around the sanctuary, the earthly headquarters of Yahweh [sic].

It is even more important for us, as Christians living in the antitypical Day of Atonement, to focus our eyes on the heavenly sanctuary as we continue our struggle with the modern (or postmodern) giants that challenge our faith, hope, and spiritual inheritance…. (Compare withRev. 21:3.)—BSG* for Thursday.†‡§

Revelation 21:3: I heard a loud voice speaking from the throne: “Now God’s home is with people! He will live with them, and they shall be his people. God himself will be with them, and he will be their God.”—Good News Bible-TEV.*

  1. Do we need Jesus to plead for us in the presence of the Father? Does God still use figures of speech with us?

John 16:25-27: 25 “I have used figures of speech to tell you these things. But the time will come when I will not use figures of speech, but will speak to you plainly about the Father. 26When that day comes, you will ask him in my name; and I do not say that I will ask him on your behalf, 27for the Father himself loves you. He loves you because you love me and have believed that I came from God.”—Good News Bible-TEV.*†

  1. We do not need a priest standing between us and God; we can approach God the Father just as we approach Jesus, in prayer, directly!

Hebrews 7:25: And so he is able, now and always, to save those who come to God through him, because he lives forever to plead with God for them.—Good News Bible-TEV.*

Zechariah 3:1-5: 1In another vision the Lord showed me the High Priest Joshua standing before the angel of the Lord. And there beside Joshua stood Satan, ready to bring an accusation against him. 2The angel of the Lord said to Satan, “May the Lord condemn you, Satan! May the Lord, who loves Jerusalem, condemn you. This man is like a stick snatched from the fire.”

3 Joshua was standing there, wearing filthy clothes. 4The angel said to his heavenly attendants, “Take away the filthy clothes this man is wearing.” Then he said to Joshua, “I have taken away your sin and will give you new clothes to wear.”

5 He commanded the attendants to put a clean turban on Joshua’s head. They did so, and then they put the new clothes on him while the angel of the Lord stood there.—Good News Bible-TEV.*

  1. Zechariah 3 is a description of the antitypical judgment going on in heaven right now. By the way we live each day, are we giving Satan more ammunition to condemn us? Or, can Christ say honestly before the onlooking universe that we are “safe to live next door to” for the rest of eternity?

Daniel 7:9-10: 9While I was looking, thrones were put in place. One who had been living forever sat down on one of the thrones. His clothes were white as snow, and his hair was like pure wool. His throne, mounted on fiery wheels, was blazing with fire, 10and a stream of fire was pouring out from it. There were many thousands of people there to serve him, and millions of people stood before him. The court began its session, and the books were opened.—Good News Bible-TEV.*

[BSG:] In our busy lives, we tend to give attention to the urgencies that life throws at us. Very often we neglect to carve out quality time to renew our commitment to God and to pause and express our thankfulness for what He has done and daily continues to do for us…. Yet, deep in our hearts, we all know that the occasions spent together with God and our loved ones are the best investment of our limited time.—BSG* for Sabbath Afternoon.‡

©2025, Kenneth Hart, MD, MA, MPH. Permission is hereby granted for any noncommercial use of these materials. Free distribution of all or of a portion of this material such as to a Bible study class is encouraged. *Electronic version. †Bold type is added. ‡Brackets and content in brackets are added. §Italic type is in the source.

Last Modified: September 18, 2025                                                                                    Email: Info@theox.org