RUSSELL SANDERS

10-20-2025

THE LIFE OF JOSHUA – LESSON 5

ARMORBEARER

____________________

An “armor bearer” is one who looks out after the best interest of the one he is to protect. Numbers Chapter 11 shows Joshua acting as Moses’ armorbearer, protecting the uniqueness of Moses’ position and authority as God’s designated prophet for Israel.

The story begins with the people’s complaint about the lack of meat to eat. They had grown tired of just manna every day. They complained about it daily to Moses who grew tired and angry listening to their complaints. Moses took this complaint to God.

God told Moses to take with him seventy elders to the tabernacle of the congregation on the outskirts of the camp. While there, the glory cloud came down, and God spoke to Moses. God took the spirit that was upon Moses and gave it to the seventy elders who were with him in the tabernacle. The seventy elders all began to prophesy. These were chosen men.

However, there were two men, Eldad and Medad, who stayed at the camp. They were among those written to come but did not obey Moses’ call to go to the tabernacle. Eldad and Medad also began to prophesy in the camp as the spirit also rested upon them. A young man disturbed by this ran out to the tabernacle and reported it. Joshua took the report to Moses and said in Numbers 11:28, “My lord Moses, forbid them!”  He did not think it appropriate that anyone chosen by Moses to go to the tabernacle, but instead usurped Moses’ authority and stayed behind, should be allowed to prophesy. He was protecting Moses’ position and authority which any good armorbearer would do.

Moses’ reply was that he would desire to see all the LORD’S people become prophets. Moses and the seventy elders then returned to the camp. The LORD replied to their obedience by sending quail to become their daily meat. Joshua’s faithfulness to Moses was demonstrated once again.

Jesus is “our Moses.” We are to be faithful to Jesus as Joshua was to Moses.

HELEN SANDERS

10-20-2025

ENVY AND STRIFE

_______________

The book of James is filled with wisdom. James was Jesus’ half-brother. He speaks a lot about the mouth, comparing the tongue as being unruly, evil, and full of deadly poison. 

James 3:10 says: “Out of the same mouth proceedeth blessing and cursing. My brethren [believers] these things ought not so to be.”

When we look at what is happening in the world, we see two extremes. One is the far right where many are hyper critical in the Christian world, and rarely express grace to anyone. While the other extreme is the far left where they are hyper critical of those that oppose their liberal agenda.

In James 3:13-16 it says, “Who is a wise man and endued with knowledge among you? Let him shew out of a good conversation his works with meekness of wisdom. 14 But if ye have bitter envying and strife in your hearts, glory not, and lie not against the truth. This wisdom descendeth not from above, but is earthly [not following the Holy Spirit], sensual, devilish. For where envy and strife is, there is confusion and every evil work.”

Envy and strife are causing the chaos that is going on in the world. The evil works that are happening are from both the far left and the far right. One cannot blame the other when they are both at fault.

James continues in verse 17, “But the wisdom that is from above [from God] is first pure, then peaceable, gentle, and easy to be intreated, full of mercy and good fruits, without partiality, and with hypocrisy.”

When we walk in peace, are pure in our hearts, gentle with others, not easily offended, full of mercy, these show that we do not have strife and envy in our lives. This only comes when we allow our flesh to be crucified and walk in love. This does not mean that we tolerate sin. It means we confront it with love, trying to bring a person out of the sin and reconciled to God.