Chronological Bible 7: Moses Dies, Joshua Conquers Canaan

ENTRY THIRTY-TWO – MARCH 5, 2008

32 – THE END OF MOSES AND THE BEGINNING OF JOSHUA – Pt I

Deut 26:16-19 "The LORD your God commands you this day to follow these decrees and laws; carefully observe them with all your heart and with all your soul. 17 You have declared this day that the LORD is your God and that you will walk in his ways, that you will keep his decrees, commands and laws, and that you will obey him. 18 And the LORD has declared this day that you are his people, his treasured possession as he promised, and that you are to keep all his commands. 19 He has declared that he will set you in praise, fame and honor high above all the nations he has made and that you will be a people holy to the LORD your God, as he promised."

I LOVE THIS PASSAGE cause it illustrates how God really feels about us and how he LONGS to bless us!

The long list of blessings in 28:1-14 is an example of how God is just “bursting at the seams” to bless those who trust and obey. (In Christianity, the blessings are not necessarily material. Don't get duped by the "Prosperity Gospel". Eph 1:3 says we have every SPIRITUAL blessing in Christ.") Read the list - it's awesome!

Deut 28:13-14 "The LORD will make you the head, not the tail. If you pay attention to the commands of the LORD your God that I give you this day and carefully follow them, you will always be at the top, never at the bottom. 14 Do not turn aside from any of the commands I give you today, to the right or to the left, following other gods and serving them."

I THINK THIS PROMISE IS KINDA SWEET - the head, not the tail. Just as God has always done throughout Deut, he entreats us to stay on the path!

Just as in the last chapter, a long list of curses is given in vv15-68! Good grief - what a list! Sadly, these curses came true during the time of the Kings (for those of you in Singapore, remember when we did the Wednesday night class called, "Erosion Into Exile"?) Even this horrible curse, promised in verse 53-55, came to pass:

"Because of the suffering that your enemy will inflict on you during the siege, you will eat the fruit of the womb, the flesh of the sons and daughters the LORD your God has given you. 54 Even the most gentle and sensitive man among you will have no compassion on his own brother or the wife he loves or his surviving children, 55 and he will not give to one of them any of the flesh of his children that he is eating. It will be all he has left because of the suffering your enemy will inflict on you during the siege of all your cities." See 2 Kings 6:28-29 “She answered, "This woman said to me, 'Give up your son so we may eat him today, and tomorrow we'll eat my son.' 29 So we cooked my son and ate him. The next day I said to her, 'Give up your son so we may eat him,' but she had hidden him."”

GROSS!

Deut 29 describes how God has kept his side of the bargain and now it's up to us. It also warns us yet again about forsaking the covenant emphasizing that the Lord's anger will BURN against the Israelites as a nation if they forsake him.

The cool thing about Deuteronomy 30 is that, even though God (sadly) expects his people to sin and for all the curses to come true, he also expects them to WANT to repent! See Deut 30:2-3 "When you and your children return to the LORD your God and obey him with all your heart and with all your soul according to everything I command you today, 3 then the LORD your God will restore your fortunes and have compassion on you and gather you again from all the nations where he scattered you." What a GREAT PROMISE! This kind of GRACE Motivates me! The phrases, "all your heart” and “all your soul" are repeated several times in just 10 verses! God wants all of us, but it's a Romantic relationship, not a "have-to." Speaking of motivational, Deut 30:11-20 is absolutely one of my favourite passages in Deuteronomy- and I have a lot!

Deut 30:11 “Now what I am commanding you today is not too difficult for you or beyond your reach.” DON'T COMPLAIN ABOUT HOW HARD IT IS! 15 “See, I set before you today life and prosperity, death and destruction.” GOD ALWAYS GIVES US A CHOICE!

16 “For I command you today to love the LORD your God, to walk in his ways, and to keep his commands, decrees and laws; then you will live and increase, and the LORD your God will bless you in the land you are entering to possess. 17 But if your heart turns away and you are not obedient, and if you are drawn away to bow down to other gods and worship them, 18 I declare to you this day that you will certainly be destroyed. You will not live long in the land you are crossing the Jordan to enter and possess.”

Of course, it’s not a very GOOD choice, since the alternative is death!

19 “This day I call heaven and earth as witnesses against you that I have set before you life and death, blessings and curses. Now CHOOSE LIFE, so that you and your children may live 20 and that you may love the LORD your God, listen to his voice, and hold fast to him. For the LORD is your life, and he will give you many years in the land he swore to give to your fathers, Abraham, Isaac and Jacob.”

I love it - "Choose life!" Amen!

After Moses spelled out the terms of the covenant, he instructed them to build a monument of stones when they crossed the Jordan. Then the covenant was confirmed and Moses pronounced them all - THE PEOPLE OF GOD! He then commanded them to listen to the Levites recite blessings and curses in a ceremony of blessings and curses when they cross the Jordan. Moses lists about 15 curses (see Deut 27:11-26) and, after each curse, says, "Then all the people shall say, 'Amen'!" Maybe we should try this at a Midweek Service!

The next entry will be tomorrow and will cover the transfer of leadership to Joshua, Moses' song of Unfaithfulness (a prediction of what would happen in the future), Moses' blessings for the tribes, and finally, Moses' death & burial.

This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

ENTRY THIRTY-THREE – MARCH 6, 2008

33 – The End of Moses and the Beginning of Joshua – Pt II

Deuteronomy 31-34

This entry covers the transfer of LEADERSHIP TO JOSHUA, MOSES' SONG OF UNFAITHFULNESS (a prediction of what would happen in the future), MOSES' BLESSINGS FOR THE TRIBES, and finally, MOSES' DEATH & BURIAL. (two days’ reading)

Moses has had a busy final week as the temporal and spiritual leader of his people. He has reminded the Israelites of their history and unique status; he has instructed them in the law; and he has brought them into a renewed covenant relationship with God. Now it is time to step down and turn the leadership over to Joshua, his successor. There is little fanfare, for Moses has not been a typical ruler. He has been merely a servant of the nation’s true ruler, God himself – and so shall Joshua be.

This passage is beautiful to me for many reasons, especially because of Moses' humble ability to surrender to God and to step down. v6 "Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid or terrified because of them, for the LORD your God goes with you; he will never leave you nor forsake you."

What a graceful way to step aside.

Twice more Moses entreats Joshua to be strong, courageous and fearless. He must've been bawling his eyes out!

In v 14-15, Moses handed the baton to Joshua. And it happened in the very place where Joshua had sat for years, at the entrance of the Tent of Meeting, where he heard Moses talking to God every day. How meaningful!

For the rest of Deut 31, God told Moses that he was SURE that the Israelites would forsake him and he therefore told Moses to write a song for Israel and to recite it to all Israel as a warning. God also told Moses to write the words of the Law in a book and to keep the book inside the Ark of the Covenant, along with the souvenir manna and Aaron's budded staff. Moses called for an assembly.

Deut 32 The Song of Unfaithfulness The song began praising God & telling of how God took care of his people. Then in v15ff, the song told how Israel rejected God, so he rejected them. The song ends with God declaring his wonders. And Moses told the people of Israel, Deut 32:46-47 "Take to heart all the words I have solemnly declared to you this day, so that you may command your children to obey carefully all the words of this law. 47 They are not just idle words for you—they are your life. By them you will live long in the land you are crossing the Jordan to possess."

WOW! This is really how we should view God's words->they are our life!

Ask yourself if the amount of time you spend in the bible is congruent with this statement: "They are not just idle words for you—they are your life."

MOSES BLESSED THE TRIBES

In contrast to the urgent warnings against unfaithfulness, Moses’ last recorded words were optimistic blessings for each of the tribes of Israel as they prepared to go into Canaan. After God reiterated to Moses where he would die, Moses gave his patriarch-type blessing to all the tribes. He ended off with a general blessing, Deut 33:29 "Blessed are you, O Israel! Who is like you, a people saved by the LORD? He is your shield and helper and your glorious sword. Your enemies will cower before you..." We should take that to heart - who is as lucky / blessed as us?! We shouldn't give up til we FEEL this way about God.

Moses' Death and Burial

The tribes have been blessed, and all things set in order, so Moses finally ascended Mount Nebo for a long-awaited view of the Promised Land. Surely it was with mixed emotions that he climbed that last step and looked down over “the land that flows with milk and honey.”

Deut 34:1-6 "Then Moses climbed Mount Nebo from the plains of Moab to the top of Pisgah, across from Jericho. There the LORD showed him the whole land... 4 Then the LORD said to him, "This is the land I promised on oath to Abraham, Isaac and Jacob when I said, 'I will give it to your descendants.' I have let you see it with your eyes, but you will not cross over into it." 5 And Moses the servant of the LORD died there in Moab, as the LORD had said. 6 He buried him in Moab, in the valley opposite Beth Peor, but to this day no one knows where his grave is."

Sad and triumphant at the same time!

7 "Moses was a hundred and twenty years old when he died, yet his eyes were not weak nor his strength gone."

O God, may I be useful as long as I'm alive.

When the time of mourning was over, Joshua began to lead. Deut 34:9 "Now Joshua son of Nun was filled with the spirit of wisdom because Moses had laid his hands on him. So the Israelites listened to him and did what the LORD had commanded Moses."

Great example of leadership transition.

A FINAL TRIBUTE TO MOSES

Deut 34:10-12 "Since then, no prophet has risen in Israel like Moses, whom the LORD knew face to face, 11 who did all those miraculous signs and wonders the LORD sent him to do in Egypt—to Pharaoh and to all his officials and to his whole land. 12 For no one has ever shown the mighty power or performed the awesome deeds that Moses did in the sight of all Israel."

AWESOME! What an inspiration!

So ends the life of the greatest man of God since Abraham. As Abraham had taught a family about faith, Moses had taught a nation about law. And in centuries to come, One greater than both will teach the whole world about love and grace. (Next entry on March 8^th) Stay tuned for Joshua!

This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

ENTRY THIRTY-FOUR – MARCH 8, 2008

34 – Joshua and the Israelites Prepare for Conquest

Joshua 1-5

This entry covers the first five chapters of Joshua, up until the time they go to war with Jericho and hits on topics such as SERVANT LEADERSHIP, GOD BEING WITH US, GUIDANCE and MEMORIAL STONES. (one day of reading)

With the burial of Moses, the focus of leadership fell upon Joshua, who would lead the Israelites west across the Jordan River into Canaan, the land first promised to Abraham some 700 years earlier. Over the next six years the Israelites would conquer the land and assume full control, even though some of the locals would never be driven out. As Joshua mobilized the nation, he not only prepared them militarily, but also spiritually as they rededicated themselves to God once more under their new leader. Joshua was a righteous and courageous leader, whose Hebrew name is the equivalent of the Greek version of the name, “Jesus”, meaning “God is salvation”. As Joshua became the saviour for a nation, the Messiah becomes the saviour of the world! (Therefore, if you give your child the Hebrew name of Joshua, you can tell him that his name means Jesus!)

Joshua 1:1-9 (see text) The first verse of the book of Joshua doesn’t describe him as the new leader, or a military general but as Moses’ aide. He got his “promotion”, so to speak, not from being “sharp” or wise but because he had served Moses faithfully, learned the lessons he needed to learn, sat at Moses’ tent of Meeting hearing him talk with God, and obeyed (plus probably been somewhat talented to begin with, since he was already the leader for his tribe back in Numbers 13). Years later, Jesus would say, “Instead, whoever wants to become great among you must be your servant, and whoever wants to be first must be slave of all.” (Mark 10:43-44) For those of us aspiring to leadership among God’s people (or anywhere, really), we must remember these words and not be tempted to think along worldly lines. Notice that when Joshua was called to lead, he didn’t make excuses the way Moses had done. He had been prepared for years.

God was very firm with what he expected: bravery, banishment of fear, and bible – not turning to the left or right – knowing it, meditating on it and following it. In other words, the way to victory and success is to know, think about, speak about and practice the Scriptures! God also promised him twice in this short passage that He would be with Joshua! Pretty awesome! No wonder Joshua was so brave! (Oh, yeah, God gives us the same promise at least twice: Matthew 28:20 – “And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.” and Hebrews 13:5 “Keep your lives free from the love of money and be content with what you have, because God has said, ‘Never will I leave you; never will I forsake you.’” Guess we have no excuse not to be bold and courageous, too!!) Of course, the promise to Joshua was made contingent on his obedience. Just as we have seen that theme since Leviticus, so it continues here in Joshua.

My narrated bible in chronological order puts Joshua 3:1 next followed by Josh 2… Joshua 3:1 says that they were camping out before crossing the Jordan.

In Joshua 2, he sent out spies to check out Jericho. Here we are introduced to a real character – Rahab. For an interesting study, read John 4 and see how she is similar to the woman at the well: both were sinful, both were non-Jews, both saved people, and both talked to a man named “Joshua”. What’s the lesson for us? God can use anyone, even a prostitute, if they have faith! Rahab begged for salvation and was urgent for herself and her family. The spies also had faith – total faith that they would win the battle, even though they were the only Israelites so far to have seen the two thick walls surrounding Jericho. These spies were quite different than the ones in Numbers 13!! They could see past the obstacles with God’s vision! When you face obstacles, are you wearing God’s lenses? Or do you just see the 2 meter thick wall next to the 4 meter thick wall and say, “I can’t do it!” Of course YOU can’t do it, but God says that HE will do it!

Back in Josh 1:10ff, the troops were being mobilized and Joshua reminded the tribes that would eventually stay on the other side of the Jordan not to forsake their brothers but to fight along side them in Canaan like they had promised God and Moses. (See Numbers 32 to refresh your memory re that agreement.) How can we apply this? How about – Don’t stay in the comfort zone! When you find yourself getting comfortable, it is time to cross the Jordan and fight! At this time, the men were so loyal – their only concern was that they wanted a brave leader. The people of God today are the same – when they are spiritual, they want brave leaders.

Josh 3:2-17 Joshua made the Levites carrying the Ark lead the way across the Jordan. The Ark symbolized God and their relationship with God. He wanted everyone to know that they were all following God. He even said, “then you will know the way to go, since you have never been this way before.” It is just the same with us – through much of life, we can say that “we have never been this way before!” Therefore, we need guidance from God and from Godly people in our lives! With many advisors comes great victory! God gave Joshua a great visual victory – the Jordan stood up in a heap and stopped flowing so that the people could cross on dry ground! Remember that scholars estimate that there were around 2 million people! That’s half of Singapore! No small feat! God was clearly with Joshua the way he had been with Moses at the Red Sea. And Joshua didn’t call attention to himself. Rather, he gave the glory to God. “Come here and listen to the words of the Lord…so that you will know that the living God is among you…” Typical of God, he didn’t do this miracle during the dry season, but during the monsoon!

Josh 4:12-24 40,000 men armed for battle crossed over. What a sight. Joshua set up a memorial area there – first they put twelve stones in the Jordan and then moved them to Gilgal to serve as a reminder that God walked them through on dry ground. In your Christian life, what are your memorial stones? Pray through them today and thank God for all the significant victories in your life, both on a personal and church-wide level. As usual, God was thinking ahead, cause he wanted the Israelites to be thinking of what they would tell their children about the stones! This is called giving “Meaning Attribution”. Do you attribute meaning to the significant events in your life and in your kids’ lives? If not, you may be drifting along, feeling like life is “happening to you” and not seeing that God has a plan and is working.

Josh 5 The Canaanites were afraid of the Israelites, but instead of immediately cranking out a victory, Joshua the spiritual leader took time to obey God first – he had all the men circumcised because they had apparently not been circumcised while in the desert. Normally, this is the last thing you would want to do before going to battle – ouch! – but Joshua trusted God’s plan! Then they had a Passover feast. Wow, that must have tasted good! The manna stopped, finally, after they had eaten it for 40 years! God wants to give us pleasurable things, but he wants to do it in his own time with our obedience proven.

Chapter 5 ends with Joshua talking to an angel who was representing the Lord’s army as commander! Gulp! When Joshua asked for a message, the angel said, “Take off your sandals, for the place where you are standing is holy.” And Joshua did so. I GUESS! You don’t exactly argue with an angel holding a drawn sword! But what about us? Do we argue with God? When we speak with him, do we feel that we are on holy ground? Or do we take him for granted and treat him with contempt? I sometimes need to be reminded to treat God with reverence and awe.

See ya tomorrow…

This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

ENTRY THIRTY-FIVE – MARCH 9, 2008

35 – THE TAKING OF JERICHO AND AI

Joshua 6-8

This entry covers one day of reading and focuses on BELIEVING IN MODERN DAY MIRACLES and WAITING FOR GOD’S TIMING.

The first victory in Canaan will be no real battle at all. God will once again demonstrate his power by giving over the city of Jericho to the Israelites in a miraculous fashion. But the joy of victory will turn into surprise defeat at the city of Ai, because one of the Israelites has taken forbidden plunder from Jericho. However, once the sin in the camp has been eradicated, God will again lead his people to win the battle for Ai. Following that victory, the Israelites will honour their divine Commander by reading his laws and erecting the altar that God had commanded through Moses.

Josh 6 v1-5 No military commander would say that this kind of battle strategy makes sense! However, God moves in mysterious ways!! Think of this the next time you wonder what on earth God is doing in your life!! John and I felt this way back in the days when we had visa problems and had to move all over the place, but in the end, there was a method behind God’s “madness” and we are so grateful for all of it now, especially when we see how the Southeast Asia churches benefited.

v6-14 Even more amazing than God’s plan was the fact that Joshua and everyone obeyed! (For parents, watch the Veggie Tales episode of “Josh and the Big Wall” for a fun perspective on this story – great for a devo!)

v15-19 God gave last minute reminders for the people to not spare anyone or anything. (Refer to my comment back in an earlier chapter about why the people had to be wiped out.)

v20-21 The walls fell and the Israelites obeyed! The Israelites had already had six battles with six victories on the East side of the Jordan (see Numbers 32:33-42 for the sixth battle). This was the first battle of conquest in Canaan and the first victory in the promised land!! TWO INSIGHTS: (1) according to Hebrews 11:30, the walls fell because the people of God had the faith to obey God’s plan. Therefore, we need to work on our faith level and then we will have great victories in Christ! (2) Here’s a note I wrote to myself – “Karen, don’t say, ‘Too bad I wasn’t there to see all of those miracles…then I could have faith!’ You have seen miracles in your own life and in the life of other disciples – open your eyes!!” We all need this reminder sometimes!!

v22-25 Joshua saved Rahab according to his promise. And she, too, is mentioned in Hebrews 11. “By faith, the prostitute, Rahab, because she welcomed the spies, was not killed with those who were disobedient.” (Hebrews 11:31)

v26-27 Joshua pronounced a curse on Jericho, which was fulfilled in 1 Kings 16:34 (I’ll mention it again later at that time.)

Josh 7 verse 1 marks a bad day for the Israelites – a man named Achan sinned by taking for himself some of the items that were supposed to be destroyed. The verse literally says that he “acted unfaithfully”, which leads me to believe that when we go against a specific command and sin deliberately, we are unfaithful to God, like an adulterous wife. It also shows that we lack faith, cause if we REALLY believed, we wouldn’t do it! The verse ends ominously: “So the Lord’s anger burned against Israel.” Whoa!!! God cares so much when one person sins! That should make us all very, very, very aware.

v2-5 With seven victories notched in their belt, they were complacent. But we must never be complacent in our battle against sin, and we must never forget to consult God! Verse five tells the equation: complacency -> self-reliance -> defeat -> fear, discouragement, doubt and insecurity.

v6-15 Joshua’s prayer is an abdication of personal responsibility. It reminds me of the proverb about the man who ruins his life with his own folly and then blames God. At any rate, God’s answer was something like, “Quit your moaning!” (I’ve just been with a friend from Edinburgh, so I am somehow hearing God say this with a Scottish brogue!) God also said here that hiding something and acting dishonestly is the same thing as lying. And, most importantly, he said that as long as there was sin in the camp, he wouldn’t be with them. God gave them a way out – and Achan publicly confessed his sin. He had committed four sins – he coveted, he stole, he disobeyed God’s injunction, and he lied. Sadly, his sins caused his children to suffer, because God demanded that not just Achan be punished but that his whole family and even his property be stoned to death and burned! Good grief! I am glad that we are under a different law now, but that sure doesn’t give us an excuse to sin. May we all take this seriously. 36 soldiers died in the first battle with Ai. The community suffered because of one man’s sin. We must see that it is the same now – in our church, when we are living in deliberate sin, others pay the price. God expects us to take sin seriously and get sin out of the camp. If members of our church are purposefully cheating others, lying, stealing, committing adultery or whatever, and if we don’t take it seriously, God will find a way to see that the whole church suffers for it. We need to take responsibility for our sin, confess it publicly like Achan, and then repent, so that the whole community can once again enjoy God. Special note – he stole some clothes and some gold – would you give up your salvation for those things?

Josh 8 verses 1-8 Some great lessons- (1) Wait on God!!! The crazy thing is that once God was on their side again, he told them that this time – in the 2nd battle with Ai – they would be allowed to take the plunder for themselves. Just imagine – if Achan had only waited for God’s timing, he would have been able to take some nice things for himself! Wow!! That should convince us to obey and wait for God!! (2) Look how encouraging and forgiving and gracious God was with Joshua. We should remember that because sometimes we think that God doesn’t like us anymore – yes, he does. Quit being negative! And we should have this kind of grace with others!! Perhaps the reason we don’t think we can get this kind of grace from God is because we don’t want to give this kind of grace to others…aahhhhh!!! Food for thought!!!

Verses 9-23 This is a great description of battle! Wow – when God plans something, it works! Anyone with military background – take note – this is a great passage!

Verses 24-29 Perhaps the reason Joshua took the king’s body down was because in Deut 21:22-23 there is a command to not let anyone remain on a tree…

Verses 30-35 Then Joshua built an altar on Mt Ebal just as God had commanded through Moses and they read the whole law, along with the blesses and curses, just as God had proscribed! I love verse 35, “There was not a word of all that Moses had commanded that Joshua did not read to the whole assembly of Israel, including the women and children, and the aliens who lived among them.”

(next entry March 10)

This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

ENTRY THIRTY-SIX – MARCH 10, 2008

36 – THE GENERAL CONQUEST OF CANAAN Joshua 9-12

(one day of reading) This entry discusses topics such as RELYING ON GOD, MAKING A RASH OATH and BEING GOD’S LEADER.

The initial invasion successfully completed, the Israelites will now engage in two sweeping campaigns – first against an alliance of southern kings, then against a confederation of kings in the north. In battle against the Amorites in the south, Israel receives miraculous support from God. God not only causes hailstones to fall on enemy forces, but, upon Joshua’s request, God also miraculously prolongs the day so that the fleeing enemy may be pursued. In commemoration of “the sun’s standing still”, a song is quoted from the Book of the Righteous, which is a collection of odes to Jewish heroes. The record seems to indicate that the conquest of Canaan is complete following these two campaigns, yet at this point the Israelites will have achieved only a general conquest, with much fighting still to come under leaders to follow Joshua.

Joshua 9-10 Two Lessons: “Don’t Forget to Rely on God” and “Don’t Make a Rash Oath” Joshua had done so well so far – he had won the people’s hearts as a newly installed leader; he had rallied the troops to defeat Jericho (although God did much of the hard part!); he got the people out of gloom and despair and turned the Ai defeat into a spiritual victory; he led the troops to conquer Ai; and he obeyed God’s command to read the Law and the blessings/curses in the Promised Land. WOW! Things were going so well that he…..forgot to rely on the Lord! He was tricked by the Gibeonites because he v15 “did not inquire of the Lord.” He then made a peace treaty with some of the neighbours, which God had meant for them to either drive out or annihilate, and God wasn’t happy! It all worked out in the end, because the Gibeonites became their servants. And, it is kinda cool that a city made up of great warriors (see 10:1-5) was so scared of God’s army that they would rather be slaves than fight and die! However, the lesson for us to learn here is -- WHEN THINGS ARE GOING WELL, don’t sit back and start thinking it is because you are so awesome. Keep giving glory to God and keep relying on and consulting God. Otherwise, you may find yourself making a huge blunder. And this blunder caused the other Canaanite kings to gang up on the Israelites, forcing Joshua into a war that he might not have had to fight if he had not got himself into that situation. (John Louis taught about this under the topic of the “Urim and Thummim” in the deep teaching about Exodus-Deut). A secondary lesson here is not to make a rash oath – Joshua sealed the deal with an oath before consulting God. When you are going to promise something, it isn’t a bad idea to stop and think and pray and even talk to someone else – this has saved lots of heart ache and countless dollars!

Joshua 10-12 – Two Lessons: “A Leader for Whom the Lord Fights” and “Size Doesn’t Matter” Five dangerous kings ganged up on the Israelites to make war. Without God on their side, it is doubtful that they would have stood a chance. However, God plus one makes a majority! Amen! God fights unfairly! He sends hailstones, he stops the sun, he does all kinds of things to make sure his people win! (IF he is so inclined…). The burden falls on the leader to lead in a godly way. Without Joshua’s heart, God may not have been so inclined. Look at Joshua:

1. PURE – Besides the way he had proven himself by obeying during his initial leadership moments, he had a pure heart in this situation as well. He was trying not to sin, so he kept his oath even when it hurt (see Ps 15). He was defending cheaters, but he did it because he had promised!
2. COURAGEOUS – God had told him over and over to not be afraid and to have courage. Joshua showed great courage in all battles, but especially in this one.
3. PRAYERFUL – After he learned his lesson in chapter 9, he totally relied on God to win this battle, including praying one of the most audacious prayers of the bible – for the sun to stand still!!! Wow – that takes a lot of faith, but it really stands out to me because it takes believing in a very BIG God!!
4. HARDWORKING – Joshua was willing to march all night (of course, it was light out :-) ) and he kept going until the job was finished. Whew – what a leader!

Not surprisingly, no one uttered a word against the Israelites after this! (v21) Joshua was also smart – he hung the kings up where his people could see them. He pointed to them and told his people to be strong and courageous! What a visual aid to drill in the point that with God they will be victorious! Now I am not suggesting that when your colleague is humiliating you, that you take his photo, throw darts at it, and proclaim the Lord’s victory! What I am saying is that God is fighting for you, and you may just have to be patient to see his victory. Remember that the Israelites had wandered for 40 years before experiencing these incredible victories. (It’s that 40 year stuff we hate!)

Look how careful Joshua was to take the bodies down before nightfall. He was definitely obedient! (Josh 8:28, Deut 21:22).

In my bible, I coloured in purple all of the battles that Joshua had won. Up til now, on this side of the Jordan, they had won three. But on this page alone it is all purple as they won eight more battles! Whoa! God was cranking!! And the 11th battle was with a HUGE army, “as numerous as the sand on the seashore!” (10:5) But God’s reply was to tell Joshua to not fear them because he would sort it out! He then fought for a few more years and in the end defeated 31 kings! This was amazing!

See ya tomorrow…

This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

ENTRY THIRTY-SEVEN – MARCH 11, 2008

37 – DIVISION OF THE PROMISED LAND Joshua 13-21

(two days of reading) This entry covers LISTENING TO GOD, FOLLOWING WHOLEHEARTEDLY, BEING FLEXIBLE, and GOD KEEPING HIS PROMISES.

Now that the general conquest has been completed, it is time to partition the Promised Land among the remaining 9 ½ tribes who will be occupying the land west of the Jordan. (Remember that 2 ½ tribes had been given permission to live on the other side after the fighting.) For some unknown reason (another question we can ask God, if we really care) the tribes of Judah and Ephraim, and the remaining half-tribe of Manasseh, are given a preferential portion of the land, along with a special grant for Caleb, the former faithful spy from Numbers 13. Thereafter, the remaining land will be surveyed and divided by lot among the other tribes. There are some great lessons in chapters 13-21 during this phase of Joshua’s leadership.

• Joshua listened to God (chapter 13). The Lord told him how to divide up the land! Now, God doesn’t tell us which university to attend, or which job offer to accept, but he DOES tell us to be pure, to put him first, to be true to our families, etc, so there are many of God’s words to consider when faced with making a big decision.
• God was enough (13:32). The Levites didn’t get an inheritance, because God said that HE would be there inheritance. This is a wonderful attitude to have. We should have godly ambition and be good stewards if God grants us material wealth, but we should also be surrendered to the fact that we may never have a material inheritance on this earth, and we must become spiritual enough that it will be ok!
• Caleb followed wholeheartedly (14:8). Caleb was able to confidently claim the land that God had promised him because he knew that he had never compromised his heart for God!
• Age wasn’t an issue (14:6-15 and 15:13-15) Caleb was 85 years old! Wow! Look at his vigour and heart to be on the frontline for God! And he was even willing to take the difficult job of driving out feared people! We may or may not have Caleb’s physical stamina, but we should surely have his spiritual drive!
• No “one-size-fits-all” treatment (17:3-6). See Numbers 27:1-4 to remind yourself of the story of Zelophehad’s daughters. God cares about the little things and about the people who might not fit into the “normal” way of doing things!!
• Excuses weren’t tolerated (17:14-18). The tribe of Joseph wanted the easy way out, but Joshua challenged them to clear trees and fight battles in order to have what they needed. We need to have this attitude of taking personal responsibility and not blaming others, and looking for an easy way out.
• Flexibility and faith were needed to get along (chapter 18). Just imagine if they hadn’t trusted God or been willing to bend – they would have thrown a fit over the idea of “casting lots” and all that. We need to make sure that we think and speak up, but we also need hearts that are willing to “Trust and Adjust” if it will help out in the area of unity.
• Good leaders were honoured (19:49). Joshua had apparently asked for a piece of land, and he got it. In fact, it says that the Lord commanded the Israelites to give Joshua a piece of land. There is nothing wrong with, under the right circumstances, honouring a leader who has been godly and devoted.
• God kept his promises (21:43-45). As he still does and always has, God kept his promises re the Promised Land. The last verse is so beautiful: “Not one of all the Lord’s good promises to the house of Israel failed; every one was fulfilled.”

(Next entry March 13^th)

This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

ENTRY THIRTY-EIGHT – MARCH 13, 2008

38 – JOSHUA’S FAREWELL ADDRESSES Joshua 22-24

The initial phase of the conquest now complete, Joshua turns his thoughts to the ongoing need for Israel’s spiritual commitment to God. In a manner reminiscent of Moses, Joshua addresses his people on three separate occasions. The FIRST is a farewell to the soldiers of the eastern tribes who have joined the western tribes in taking Canaan, where we learn a lesson about UNITY. Joshua’s SECOND address, to the western tribes, is a REVIEW OF GOD’S BLESSINGS and A STERN WARNING AGAINST INVOLVEMENT WITH PAGAN PEOPLE and their IDOLATRY. The THIRD AND LAST address calls the people to RENEW THEIR COVENANT WITH GOD, as each generation must do for itself and has a PARENTING TIP. (one day of reading)

In the first address (22:1-34), Joshua blessed them and exhorted them to remain faithful to God and his laws. He praised them for obeying all that Moses had commanded them and all that they had promised Moses. He was grateful that they had fought alongside their brothers, even though they theoretically could have stayed behind with their family on the other side of the Jordan. As usual, Joshua admonished them (verse 5) to “be very careful to keep the commandment and the law that Moses the servant of the Lord gave you: to love the Lord your God, to walk in all his ways, to obey his commands, to hold fast to him and to serve him with all your heart and all your soul.” The Divine Romance again - It’s always the heart!! Great concern arises when the rest of Israel learns that the eastern tribes have built an altar on their way back across the Jordan, but all ends well when it is learned that no rebellion was in tended, as some had feared, but that it was rather a sign for the Israelites to never forget that they were brothers. I like the way that the Reubenites and Gadites responded to the accusations from their more numerous bros – they didn’t say, “How dare you accuse us?” but rather let them know that if they were actually guilty they would deserve death.

The LESSON from this (to me at least) is that unity is very fragile, and we should always work hard for unity, and give each other the benefit of the doubt before attacking one another!!

Joshua’s second address (23:1-16) took place later: “After a long time had passed and the Lord had given Israel rest from all their enemies around them…” During this speech, Joshua gave the Israelites the same advice that Moses and God had given him: to be strong and courageous, and to stick closely to God’s word, obeying his commands and to love God. He also warned them against idolatry. Since he knew that he was about to die, he reminded them one last time that God always keeps his promises. What a beautiful speech. There are some great life lessons here.

In Joshua’s third and last speech (24:1-28), he gives an overview of their history, beginning from Terah, Abraham’s father and going all the way through to the present time. He inspired them with all the ways that God had worked and fought for them and he reminded them of all the victories. HE WAS MAKING A RELATIONSHIP WITH GOD SEEM DESIRABLE AND REMINDING THEM HOW AWESOME IT IS TO BE IN GOD’S KINGDOM. Again he admonished them to fear God, to be rid of their idols and to serve him with faithfulness. He beautifully presents the choice to them, “If serving the Lord seems undesirable to you, then choose for yourselves this day whom you will serve, whether the gods your forefathers served (i.e. before Abraham) or the gods of the Amorites (in Canaan).” HOW COULD ANYONE THINK IT IS UNDESIRABLE TO SERVE THE LORD AFTER LISTENING TO WHAT HE SAID IN VERSES 1-13?? What about us? Do we focus on all the good things in the kingdom and feel that having a relationship with God is desirable? Or do we moan and “want to go back to Egypt” and worship the “idols” that other people we know are worshiping? For parents, is this the way we speak to our children about the kingdom? Or do they hear us moaning and wonder in their hearts why we even bother? Joshua had strong conviction and it came out in his speech. Let’s be careful to meditate on what we really believe, how we really feel, and then make sure our speech matches up.

Joshua concludes his monologue with the famous line, “But as for me and my house, we will serve the Lord.” Awesome! Just like in a marriage, what keeps us faithful to God is an unswerving commitment.

The people shout back to him and vow to be faithful, but Joshua knows that it is easier said than done and reminds them that God is a jealous God and that they should not promise lightly. But they persist, and convince Joshua that they will be faithful. (In fact, they do end up truly following God for the next generation - see Judges 2:7). In order to encourage their faithfulness, Joshua constructs a memorial of this third covenant between Israel and God. He proclaimed in verse 27, “See, this stone will be a witness against us. It has heard all the words the Lord has said to us. It will be a witness against you if you are untrue to your God.” I like to think of this as being like our baptism, which is not only the point we reach the blood of Christ, but is also our monument to God and to ourselves that we have pledged a good conscience to him forever. (1 Peter 3:21).

In Joshua 24:29 to the end and in Judges 2, we see the end of an era, as Joshua the leader and Eleazar the priest, the son of Aaron, died and are buried. Also buried with them was good old Joseph, whose bones were brought from Egypt and carried for all these years until they could find rest in Canaan. (Joseph had made his brothers swear that they would bring his bones to the Promised Land! See Genesis 50:24,25 and Exodus 13:19.)

The final conquering of the land was yet to be done – just because the land had been parceled out, didn’t mean that it had been conquered yet. Judges 1 contains some great conquests in which, not surprisingly, Caleb the octogenarian is featured. Sadly, other passages in Joshua and also in Judges 1 record the failure to drive out certain peoples, and this will eventually bring the downfall and the cycle of sin and repentance that will follow in the next entry on the book of Judges, which will start tomorrow.

This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

 

To see the index of all entries in this study series, scroll to the end of the Introduction.