Daily Bread Pastor Mike Anderson 2026

Click Here to Listen to the Readings Joshua 9:3-10:43 The Israelites did a couple of things right and a couple of things wrong when they were approached by the Gibeonites to make a peace treaty.   1. The Gibeonites pulled one over on the Israelites by feigning they were from a distant country. They went as far as to bring moldy bread and put on worn out sandals to fuel the hoax. Joshua was sympathetic, but his fatal flaw is revealed in verse 14 when it says, " The Israelites sampled their provisions but did not inquire of the Lord ."  2. The Israelites made a treaty with Gibeonites based on this assumption and promised not to attack them. Soon thereafter when they figured out they were their neighbors, they had a decision to make. Should they attack them because they lied to them. But Joshua and the Israelites kept their word, " But the Israelites did not attack them, because the leaders of the assembly had sworn an oath to them by the Lord, the God of Israel." vers...

Click Here to Listen to the Readings Click Here to Read Joshua 7:16-9:2 Achan’s Sin Through a process of elimination Achan is brought forward as the one who took gold, silver and a ornate robe from the plunder in Jericho. When Joshua brings him before the community, Achan makes his confession and says, " I wanted them so much that I took them ." Clearly his greed was his undoing. Though Achan confessed his sin, he still faced the consequences, as he and his family were stoned and burned. All of his possession were also piled into a heap and destroyed.  You might ask if he confessed his sin, why did he receive such a severe penalty? Here is a possible explanation, though I don't think any explanation will fully explain why this happened. It is one of those challenging bible stories we wrestle with.  But why, we might ask, did God destroy Achan’s family as well? The Bible doesn’t give us God’s exact reasons for destroying Achan’s family, although Proverbs 15:27 does say tha...

Click Here to Listen to the Readings   Click Here to Read Joshua 5:1-7:15 Israel Reestablishes Covenant Ceremonies As Israel entered a new land it was time to renew the old covenant of circumcision. The boys who were born in the wilderness had never been circumcised so Joshua has them circumcised. This was not a very popular decision, but circumcision was the mark of the covenant God made with Abraham when his son Issac was born. It was a mark that the Israelites were God's chosen ones, who had been set apart for God's purpose.  There are some similarities between the old covenant circumcision and the new covenant of baptism. The water of baptism cleanses us of our sins and is a sign of the new covenant made through Jesus Christ. It is an outward sign of an inward reality. In this case baptism is as Paul says, " The sign of circumcised heart ".  It is a sign that God has turned our heart of stone into a heart of flesh.  It is a sign that we are a child of God and mar...

Click Here To Listen to the Readings Click Here to Read Joshua 3:1-4:24 The Israelites Cross the Jordan As the Israelites prepare to cross the Jordan River into the Promised Land, Joshua has instructions for them from the Lord. First, they were to "purify" themselves. They were to separate themselves from common things to focus on the Lord. This would not only be a physical battle but also a spiritual battle.  Importantly, God would go before them into battle. His very presence would dwell in the Ark of the Covenant, which the Levitical priests would carry out front as they entered the land the Lord had promised them. Literally it was the Lord who would fight for them. They only need be strong and courageous.  God's presence was so powerful, Joshua instructed them to stay a full half mile behind the priests and the ark. Now that's some power!  Right away the Israelites see the power of God when the priests reach the banks of the Jordan River. Since it is the spring se...

Click Here to Read Deuteronomy 34 Today we see the passing of the torch from Moses to Joshua. Moses ascended to Mount Nebo, as God had instructed him. The Lord gave him one last glimpse of the Promised Land, which would be given to the Israelites, as the Lord had promised to Abraham, Issac, and Jacob. Sometimes we get a glimpse of things the Lord will give to us our family but don't actually get to experience the fulfillment of them.  Moses was a great prophet in word and deed, but he will chiefly be remembered for the fact that he saw God face to face and lived. To the day Moses died, he was full of strength and his eyes were healthy to see. Moses was the author of the Pentateuch, also called the Torah, or the Law of Moses. When Peter saw Jesus on the Mount of Transfiguration, one of the men he saw was Moses.  One day in heaven, I imagine we will see Moses too. Now Israel had a new leader, as they were perched on the step leading to the Promised Land. He was full of the Spiri...

Click Here to Listen to the Readings Click Here to Read Deuteronomy Moses Blesses the People Moses gives his last speech the Israelites, he has led for 40 years. His words are tender hearted. He says to them,  "Indeed, he loves his people;  all his holy ones are in his hands." He reminds them that they are God's special possession and he has faithfully given them all the instructions they need to be set apart for him.  As he looked at Israel with a shepherd’s heart, he could not leave them without blessing them. It must be this way. Moses could not leave this earth without a final blessing of the people he has loved and served in the LORD for these 40 years.- Guzik Moses blesses each of the tribes of Israel Reuben - This was more of a general blessing. " As far as we know, there never came a prophet, a judge, or a king from the tribe of Reuben." Judah - Moses prayed for the destiny of Judah whose line would bring in the Messiah. ' Moses knew this destiny for...

Click Here To Listen To The Readings Click Here To Read Deuteronomy 32:28-52 Moses' Song (His Last Words to His People) Moses concludes his song recounting the history of Israel's relationship with Yahweh. Despite the Lord's awesome and mighty works on their behalf, they turned away from Him. So, God allowed their enemies to overtake them. God allowed these enemies to scatter Israel, but only to teach them to turn back to him. Though these enemies had momentary victory in the end God would glorify His name and restore his people. When God brings justice to those who oppressed them, the people would again realize that God is their true Rock. When Moses finished, he urged the Israelites to take His words to heart and teach them to their children, so they would be successful in the Promised Land.  Moses Death Foretold The same day God told Moses to go up on Mount Nebo and look over the land of Canaan. This is the land the Lord was giving to Moses' ancestors in fulfillment ...