Tag: Joshua

Gleanings in Joshua: Achan’s Scales

On By joshnnomiIn Gleanings in Joshua1 Comment

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Grandpa Tony  and Grandma Florence are my heroes. Whenever I could spend time with them I would and whenever they could spend time with me they would. I would spend days at their house, looking back they provided a safety and security I longed for. Their only flaw, in my childhood eyes, was they had a bad habit of smoking. When I would ask them why they wouldn’t quit they would say it isn’t hurting anyone. We know this isn’t true.

My grandparents lived into their mid 70’s, my grandmother passed first, among her various illnesses, one of them was lung cancer and it eventually took her life. Her passing had a profound impact in my life and one thing I learned in my preteen years is that her bad habit of smoking impacted more than just her. The ripple effects of her passing reverberated through my family like a loud boom in a cave.

Sin has that kind of effect in our lives and a great example of this is Joshua 7, where we learn of Achan’s treachery. In Joshua 6 we read of how God brought down the walls of Jericho and the command of the Lord was to destroy everything, except Rahab and those in her household. When Israel was done with Jericho everything appeared to be fine and they were ready to move on to the next battle.

What the Israelites didn’t know is that Achan took for himself some of the devoted things from Jericho and hid him in his tent, buried in the ground. Achan may have been thinking; Taking these things isn’t going to hurt anyone. No one will know. Who is gonna find out? If anyone does find out it will only affect me.

Sin is a sickness that has a profound impact not only on the one committing the act of disobedience but also to his family and the community he is involved with.

Sin Impacts The Community 

When Joshua sent his military strategist to Ai to develop a plan of war, the strategist returned saying they only needed 2-3 thousand men to take Ai. Joshua sends them out to take Ai and instead of the men returning in victory they return defeated by the hands of Ai and in fear.

Joshua tore his clothes and cried out before the Lord, let’s listen in to his cry,

Joshua 7:7-9 (ESV)
7  And Joshua said, “Alas, O Lord GOD, why have you brought this people over the Jordan at all, to give us into the hands of the Amorites, to destroy us? Would that we had been content to dwell beyond the Jordan!
8  O Lord, what can I say, when Israel has turned their backs before their enemies!
9  For the Canaanites and all the inhabitants of the land will hear of it and will surround us and cut off our name from the earth. And what will you do for your great name?”

Joshua was confused, he knew the promises of God to provide for them the land and victory over his enemies. Joshua is dumb founded, a deer in the headlights not knowing which way to run. Listen to the Lord’s response,

Joshua 7:10-12

10 The LORD said to Joshua, “Get up! Why have you fallen on your face? 11 Israel has sinned; they have transgressed my covenant that I commanded them; they have taken some of the devoted things; they have stolen and lied and put them among their own belongings. 12 Therefore the people of Israel cannot stand before their enemies. They turn their backs before their enemies, because they have become devoted for destruction. I will be with you no more, unless you destroy the devoted things from among you.

I love the Lord’s response, get  up boy! It reminds me of the moment in Rocky 3 when Apollo Creed is attempting to train Rocky a new style of boxing. But Rocky appears unfocused, confused because of the fear he has of Clubber Lang, his opponent. In Apollo’s frustration he proclaims “what’s the matter with you?” This is God telling Joshua “what’s the matter with you?” Get up, you are in this situation because someone has sinned.

Sin impacts the community and yet many of us like Achan think, who’s it going to hurt?  When the questions we should ask are: How will this hurt my witness for the Lord? Who is going to stumble when they find out I am doing this? Who will doubt the Lord’s work because of my sin? How is this sin going to affect my church?

Achan’s desire for the material wealth of Jericho, his lust for stuff, his disobedience to God’s commands withdrew God’s presence, protection and power from the whole community. When Joshua discovers it was Achan he asks him, why did you bring this trouble on us (Josh. 7:25)?. What trouble is Joshua referring to? The trouble Achan’s sin caused was  36 men of war died by the hands of Ai (Josh. 7:5), the nation was confused and afraid and the Lord withdrew his presence, protection and power from Israel.

Sin Impacts Your Family

Achan’s secret sin comes to light and has tragic effects on his family. Take a look,

And he who is taken with the devoted things shall be burned with fire, he and all that he has, because he has transgressed the covenant of the LORD, and because he has done an outrageous thing in Israel…. 24 And Joshua and all Israel with him took Achan the son of Zerah, and the silver and the cloak and the bar of gold, and his sons and daughters and his oxen and donkeys and sheep and his tent and all that he had. And they brought them up to the Valley of Achor. 25 And Joshua said, “Why did you bring trouble on us? The LORD brings trouble on you today.” And all Israel stoned him with stones. They burned them with fire and stoned them with stones. 26 And they raised over him a great heap of stones that remains to this day. Then the LORD turned from his burning anger. Therefore, to this day the name of that place is called the Valley of Achor. Joshua 7:15, 24-26

Punishment for disobedience wasn’t new for Achan. He may have been young but he knew why the nation of Israel was wandering in the wilderness for 40 years, because of the unbelief and disobedience of the generation before. It isn’t like the wrath of God caught Achan by surprise, he lived through the warnings and punishments of the generation before him. Achan knew that the sin of one, a few or many can affect the whole group.

Achan knowing all this weighed the pleasures and desires of the lust for more against God’s commands and his wrath and decided the devoted things of Jericho were more glorious, more pleasurable and more satisfying than God. As a result, Achan’s lust for stuff, for material positions, for the idea of more, costed not only his life but the lives of his family. The impact of sin on his family was tragic.

Before we cast our stones upon Achan, let’s take a moment to examine our own hearts. How often do we choose to sin without thinking of the consequences it will have on our family? Which sin/sins captivate our hearts enough to bring out Achan’s measuring scale? Is it pornography, outburst of anger, sex, gossip, excessive spending?

We all have Achan moments, when we weigh the pleasures of sin and compare them to an ever satisfying glorious God and still choose to sin. Our families have had to deal with those decisions and the consequences they bring, just like Achan’s family. Your sin impacts your family.

The Lord Turns From His Burning Anger

It would be depressing to end this blog without talking about grace. On the cross, Christ absorbed the wrath of God for our sins (1 John 2:1). He paid the ultimate price, a sinless divine saviour for sinful man so that we can be made right with God (2 Cor. 5:21).In Christ we are forgiven and declared not guilty. When we turn to Christ, repent, believe and confess him as Lord, God’s wrath is turned away from us.

Does that mean we should sin more? Everytime I hear a question like that I reminded how truly sick our hearts are, after recieving a gift so glorious we would want to sin more not less.

Suppose you come home and just explode in a fit of rage on your spouse. You know you’re wrong, she knows you’re wrong and when you realize it you apologize and ask for forgiveness and your spouse forgives you. Does her forgiveness mean you can explode in fits of rage more often? Of course not! Her forgiveness means you should attempt to never do it again. How much more so with the Lord?

If God has forgiven our sin, and his wrath and anger our turned away, does that mean when we sin as believers there are no consequences? A great question and one I will tackle next week.

Until Next Time

Put the scales away and be satisfied by Christ

Gleanings In Joshua: The Power of Traditions

On By joshnnomiIn Gleanings in Joshua1 Comment

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When my wife and I were starting our family, we wanted Christmas to be more than a consumer’s holiday. We didn’t want our children growing up thinking Christmas was just another holiday, fretting over the perfect gift, spending loads of money in giving gifts and being with family. Although we do give gifts and spend time with our family, we wanted Christ to be the focal point of Christmas.

One of the things we started and continue to do, is on Thanksgiving we announce to the family to begin working on their gift to Jesus which we will present to him on Christmas morning.

Christmas morning in the Aguilar house is much different than most homes. There is no waking up early to ransack the gifts under the tree. Christmas begins with gifts to Jesus and with songs of worship in between. We work through, What God wants for Christmas, even today with our kids in adulthood and their teens, it isn’t Christmas without it. My kids have done dance routines, drawn pictures, and sang songs to Jesus on Christmas. When they were little they did their very best and it was beautiful to see. As they have grown up the gifts have become even more meaningful and very deep. This year my youngest son wrote a poem which brought me to tears.

Never underestimate the power of traditions, memorials and symbols to display the glories of Christ.

What Do These Stones Mean To You?

In Joshua chapters three and four, we read of the miracle of God parting the Jordan for the people of Israel. Before the Lord closed the waters he told them,

Joshua 4:1-7 (ESV)
1  When all the nation had finished passing over the Jordan, the LORD said to Joshua,
2  “Take twelve men from the people, from each tribe a man,
3  and command them, saying, ‘Take twelve stones from here out of the midst of the Jordan, from the very place where the priests’ feet stood firmly, and bring them over with you and lay them down in the place where you lodge tonight.’”
4  Then Joshua called the twelve men from the people of Israel, whom he had appointed, a man from each tribe.
5  And Joshua said to them, “Pass on before the ark of the LORD your God into the midst of the Jordan, and take up each of you a stone upon his shoulder, according to the number of the tribes of the people of Israel,
6  that this may be a sign among you. When your children ask in time to come, ‘What do those stones mean to you?’
7  then you shall tell them that the waters of the Jordan were cut off before the ark of the covenant of the LORD. When it passed over the Jordan, the waters of the Jordan were cut off. So these stones shall be to the people of Israel a memorial forever.”

God wanted them to make a memorial which would lead their kids to ask, “What do these stones mean to you?” and when they asked, their parents had the opportunity to explain the glories and power of Yahweh. The memorial gave the parents the opportunity to put God on display.

Gospel Memorials Left By Christ

When we look in the Gospels we see Christ left us some Gospel memorials for us to follow and I believe one of the reasons he did was so that our kids can ask “what is that for?”

Baptism

My kids have grown up in church, have seen many baptisms,and every single one them asked me “why do we baptize?” Because they ask, My wife and I had the opportunity to share the Gospel with them. We get to tell them baptism is a public declaration of faith and the first step of obedience to Christ. Baptism is telling the world, I am a disciple of Christ now.

We share that baptism gives us a beautiful picture of what Jesus does in transforming our life. He buries the old me, with all my sins and we are raised to walk in newness of life.

Romans 6:1-4 (ESV)
1  What shall we say then? Are we to continue in sin that grace may abound?
2  By no means! How can we who died to sin still live in it?
3  Do you not know that all of us who have been baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into his death?
4  We were buried therefore with him by baptism into death, in order that, just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, we too might walk in newness of life.

The Lord’s Table

Another picture Christ left us with is the Lord’s supper, which takes us back to when Christ broke bread and drank wine declaring to them the bread was his body and the wine his blood. Jesus also asked his disciples to do this in remembrance of him. In this picture we remember Christ sacrificial work on the cross, his resurrection, he will one day return and the salvation He provides. All of my kids asked about this too, which created another Gospel conversation.

I remember when my daughter noticed a family member who didn’t take communion and asked us why. We explained that the Lord’s Table is for those who are disciples, followers of Christ. This conversation impacted her so deeply she began to pray and share the Gospel with him.

Never underestimate the power of traditions, memorials and symbols to display the glories of Christ.

Some Guidelines

Here are some helpful guidelines to help you think about some traditions, memorials or symbols you can display for your family.

  • Let the tangible lead to the intangible. The Israelites used rocks. Christ uses bread, wine and water. We used Christmas gifts. Use something they can see which will help guide them to ask for an explanation of what they can’t see.
  • Make it meaningful almost ceremonial. The Lord made a public declaration of the stones. Christ made a public declaration of the of baptism and the Lord’s Table. We gather everyone up and announce begin working on your gifts for Jesus at thanksgiving. When Christmas comes, Christ’s gifts come first then we open ours. It is very intimate family worship time.
  • Fill it with purpose. You don’t want to just waste time or have fun, but I promise, you will have both. You want to look back and say we did this so it will lead my family to ask “what do these stones mean to you?”
  • Make it personal. Make it something that has a personal impact, not just on you, but your family. Remember we want them to ask “what do these stones mean to YOU?”
  • Get everyone involved. When we started our Christmas tradition, we had 3 children and their ages were 5, 3 and 1. The level of involvement was age appropriate but as they grew, the older kids influenced the younger ones by their gifts to Jesus. The younger children were discipled by the gifts of our older children. Our older children were discipled by the gifts my wife and I would prepare. Now we have 4 children and our youngest has never experienced a Christmas without our tradition.

So are there any traditions, memorials, and symbols you use to display the glories of Christ? I would love to hear about them.

Until Next Time

Soli Deo Gloria

Gleanings In Joshua: Joshua’s Muffuletta 

On By joshnnomiIn Gleanings in JoshuaLeave a comment


Whenever I visit New Orleans LA, one of my must hit spots is Central Grocery. Central Grocery is not appealing to the eye, it is just your average store, but they make thebest muffuletta sandwich you will ever have. The bread they use is delicious, but it is the contents sandwiched between those two slices of bread which make the muffuletta desirable to the palette. Man I am getting hungry!

Joshua’s Muffaletta

Here in Joshua chapter two we read of the commission of the spies to check out Jericho by Joshua. But sandwiched between the arrival and departure of the spies we are introduced to an unlikely hero, a shady lady. 

This shady lady has a name, in the Bible she is known as,  Rahab the prostitute. Sandwiched between the spies arrival and departure, we learn that if it wasn’t for Rahab the spies would have been caught and most likely killed. But Rahab hid them, she saved their lives. Rahab’s heroics is just a layer of the Muffuletta, the rest of the ingredients are coming. 

Rahab The Prostitute The Daughter Of God

Rahab hides the spies and saves them, but that is not all we learn about Rahab. We also  learn of her confession of faith. Let’s examine her confession,

Joshua 2:9-11

“I know that the LORD has given you the land,     

and that the fear of you has fallen upon us, and that all the inhabitants of the land melt away before you.

For we have heard how the LORD dried up the water of the Red Sea before you when you came out of Egypt, and what you did to the two kings of the Amorites who were beyond the Jordan, to Sihon and Og, whom you devoted to destruction

And as soon as we heard it, our hearts melted, and there was no spirit left in any man because of you,

for the LORD your God, he is God in the heavens above and on the earth beneath.

Rahab believes in the Abrahamic promise, she believes the Lord has given Israel the land of Canaan. She believes it even though they have yet to cross the Jordan. 

Rahab has also heard of the Lord’s works. Israel being saved from Egypt, crossing the Red Sea and defeating the Amorites. Rahab has not only heard of the Lord works but displays fruit of repentance by placing the spies under her protection. 

When Rahab hides the spies she is trusting in the Lord to be her refuge. Her fear of the Lord doesn’t  lead her to run from him but to run to him and seek refuge from the wrath to come. 

When Rahab proclaims that Yahweh is God of heavens and earth, she is submitting to Yahweh’s Lordship and denouncing the gods of her people. 

In essence what Rahab is doing is identifying with the people of God over her own people. The Lord responds in kindness by taking a prostitute, grafts her into the vine of Israel, makes her a daughter of Sarah and a daughter of God. 

Life After Jericho

We know that because Rahab ran to the Lord to seek refuge from the wrath to come, she not only saved herself, but also saved her family from destruction. 

We also know she married an Israelite from the tribe of Judah named Salmon (Matt. 1:5). Rahab then gives birth to Boaz, yes the Boaz from the book of Ruth. If you follow the line it leads to King David and ultimately Jesus. From Rahab the prostitute to great great great (much more greats) grandmother of the Messiah. 

We also read about Rahab in the Hall of Faith chapter in Hebrews. She is one of two women mentioned in the Hall of Faith. This is what the Hebrews writer says, 

By faith Rahab the prostitute did not perish with those who were disobedient, because she had given a friendly welcome to the spies. – Hebrews 11:31

But the greatest miracle is Rahab the daughter of God. 

How About You?

What about you? 

Do you believe in the promise of God? 

The promise of God which states there is eternal life in Jesus. The promise of God which in Christ there is forgiveness and redemption from all your sins. The promise of God which states that when you repent from your sins and believe in Jesus, you too, can become a son or daughter of God

Do you show fruit of repentance?

 Rahab showed fruit of repentance by hiding the spies, abandoning her idolatry and identifying herself with the people of God. Have you abandoned your idolatry, your enjoyment of sin, your love for other things above God? Do you identify yourself with the people of God by serving in a local church? 

More importantly, do you trust in the finished work of Jesus on the cross to protect you from the coming wrath? 

Is Colossians 3:3-4 true of you?

For you have died, and your life is hidden with Christ in God. When Christ who is your life appears, then you also will appear with him in glory. 

Until Next Time

Soli Deo Gloria

Gleanings in Joshua: Be Bold and Courageous

On By joshnnomiIn Gleanings in JoshuaLeave a comment

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In the C.S. Lewis classic, The Lion, The Witch and The Wardrobe, there is a memorable line, “in Narnia it is always winter but never Christmas.” I could imagine to Joshua and the people of Israel, 40 years of wandering in the wilderness started to feel like always winter but never Christmas. The idea of a promise land out there but never being able to attain it. Then we see Moses climbing a mountain to his death and the people of Israel are to go on without him. Could you imagine what they must be feeling? What will they do now? Who will lead them? Who will be their prophet? All of these questions must be swirling in their heads as they are on the brink of the promise land in what seems to be a leaderless and hopeless group, until we flip the page to Joshua chapter 1.

The Lord’s Work Continues

As soon as we flip the page to Joshua we learn, just because Moses died doesn’t mean the Lord’s work has died. The Lord’s work and purposes will continue and they will continue through Moses’ disciple, Joshua. The Lord always raises up leaders to continue his work. Many times we sit back and think what will happen to the Lord’s church if the Lord calls so and so home. You know what, The Lord’s work will continue and we must prepare those the Lord calls. Which is what we see with Moses and Joshua.

The Lord gives Joshua the mission of taking the land and what a task it will be.

Joshua 1:1-4 (ESV)
1  After the death of Moses the servant of the LORD, the LORD said to Joshua the son of Nun, Moses’ assistant,
2  “Moses my servant is dead. Now therefore arise, go over this Jordan, you and all this people, into the land that I am giving to them, to the people of Israel.
3  Every place that the sole of your foot will tread upon I have given to you, just as I promised to Moses.
4  From the wilderness and this Lebanon as far as the great river, the river Euphrates, all the land of the Hittites to the Great Sea toward the going down of the sun shall be your territory.

Given the massive mission, no wonder the Lord tells Joshua to be strong and courageous. He is about to lead a generation of wilderness wanders into war to take the promise land. Could you imagine what Joshua must be feeling? Scared? Nervous? Overwhelmed? Yet the Lord tells him to be strong and very courageous. How could Joshua stand tall, be strong and very courageous?

God’s Promise 

God has promised his people a land. We can go all the way back to Abraham, Isaac and Jacob and discover the promise he made concerning a prosperous land. He gave the same promise to Moses and now it is time for the Lord to fulfill his promise through Joshua. Joshua can be bold and courageous because the promises of God are yes and amen (1 Cor. 1:20).

God’s Presence

Joshua 1:5 (ESV)
No man shall be able to stand before you all the days of your life. Just as I was with Moses, so I will be with you. I will not leave you or forsake you.

Can you imagine being around Moses? The man who the Lord uses to bring plagues on Egypt, bring Pharaoh and all his might to destruction, part the Red Sea, see God’s glory, speak with the Lord, deliver the law, bring water from a rock and we can go on and on. Now imagine the Lord says just like I was with Moses I will be with you. Joshua can be bold and courageous because God’s presence will never leave or forsake him.

God’s Precepts

Joshua 1:7-8 (ESV)
Only be strong and very courageous, being careful to do according to all the law that Moses my servant commanded you. Do not turn from it to the right hand or to the left, that you may have good success wherever you go.
This Book of the Law shall not depart from your mouth, but you shall meditate on it day and night, so that you may be careful to do according to all that is written in it. For then you will make your way prosperous, and then you will have good success.

The Lord tells  Joshua that if he is going to be a man guided by God’s precepts he is going to need to be strong and very courageous. The law was all the Bible Joshua had and God told him to obey it, do not compromise, meditate on it day and night, and do it. In order to be a man driven by God’s precepts Joshua was going to have to be strong and courageous because Joshua and the people of Israel were the only ones following after Yahweh and his law. At the same time Joshua could be strong and courageous because if he is faithful to God’s precepts he was given the promise of success.

God’s People

Joshua 1:12-15 (ESV)
And to the Reubenites, the Gadites, and the half-tribe of Manasseh Joshua said,
“Remember the word that Moses the servant of the LORD commanded you, saying, ‘The LORD your God is providing you a place of rest and will give you this land.’
Your wives, your little ones, and your livestock shall remain in the land that Moses gave you beyond the Jordan, but all the men of valor among you shall pass over armed before your brothers and shall help them,
until the LORD gives rest to your brothers as he has to you, and they also take possession of the land that the LORD your God is giving them. Then you shall return to the land of your possession and shall possess it, the land that Moses the servant of the LORD gave you beyond the Jordan toward the sunrise.”

At this point in Joshua, the people of Israel are at the brink of the Jordan, two and a half tribes of Israel would dwell in this land, the others would have to cross the Jordan. Joshua reminds those from the tribe of Reuben, Gad and Manasseh of the promise they gave Moses, to send their men into battle when they crossed the Jordan. Joshua was saying we need all of God’s people to fulfill the mission. Joshua could be strong and courageous because of the unity of God’s people.

How About You?

God has given his church, which is every person who follows Christ, a massive mission. The church is to preach the Gospel, make disciples of all nations, baptize and teach them how to follow Jesus. Yet many of us read the previous two sentences and crumble in fear.

The Lord’s message to you is be strong and very courageous because God’s word, Old and New Testament, are filled with promises for you and I. In 1 Corinthians we are told those promises are yes and amen in Christ (1:20). In Christ through the Spirit, God’s promises are yes and amen in our lives.

One of Jesus’ greatest promises is I will never leave or forsake you (Heb. 13:5). Just like Joshua we have the promise of God’s presence. The reality of God’s presence being with us always should emboldened us to be strong and courageous.

Just like Joshua, we too must be people driven by God’s precepts, especially in an era when it is very unpopular to stand with truth. We must be Bible people. Bible people meditate, obey and speak God’s word. It takes strength and courage to be a Bible person and yet at the same time we are strengthened and given courage because we are Bible people.

Finally, Jesus prayed for the unity of His church before he left this world,

John 17:20-21 (ESV)
“I do not ask for these only, but also for those who will believe in me through their word,
that they may all be one, just as you, Father, are in me, and I in you, that they also may be in us, so that the world may believe that you have sent me.

Jesus prayed that the church, would be one like the Father and Jesus are one. That is amazing unity. You need God’s people, God’s people need you. As we are united in serving one another we testify to the world that God the Father sent the Son into this world for the purpose of unifying a people under the Lordship of Jesus, for his glory.

We can be bold and very courageous because we too have God’s promises, God’s presence, God’s precepts and God’s people.

Until next time

Soli Deo Gloria

Gleanings in Joshua

On By joshnnomiIn Gleanings in JoshuaLeave a comment

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Have you ever watched Star Wars? How about Return of the Jedi? Both movies are epic, but if those are the only two you have watched you are left wondering what you missed. We miss the regrouping of the empire, the training of Luke, the capture of Han and the biggests reveal of its time, when Darth Vader says those chilling words, “Luke, I am your father.” Someone needs to watch The Empire Strikes Back because it is the bridge between Star Wars and The Return of the Jedi.

The book of Joshua acts in the same way. Imagine if the Bible went from Deuteronomy to Judges or 1 and 2 Samuel. We would be left to wonder what happened from the wilderness to the taking of the land. Thankfully the Holy Spirit has chosen to leave us a written record in the book of Joshua. Joshua contains crucial lessons for the people of Israel and for us today. We learn of Rahab the prostitute who is grafted into the lineage of Christ, the fall of Jericho, the sin of Ai, the dividing of the land, Joshua getting tricked and an epic farewell address. But before we get into the book, let’s take a look at some important historical and Gospel bridges this book builds.

Historical Bridge 

Joshua builds a historical bridge, in Deuteronomy we are left with the Israelites at the brink of the promise land and Moses climbing a mountain to die. What happens to the people of Israel? Who is gonna lead them now? Is the work of Yahweh going to continue through his chosen people? Joshua is the book of Acts of the Old Testament. When we close the Gospels we are left with the same questions, what is going to happen to the Apostles? Who is going to lead them now? How is the work of Jesus going to continue? Just like Acts, Joshua answers some very important question and gives us a written record of the continuing work of Yahweh through his chosen people.

Discipleship Bridge

In the book of Joshua we see the importance of a discipleship bridge. When we read Exodus – Deuteronomy we see the Lord’s working through the life of Moses. Many times lurking in the shadows and at times in the front lines we see Joshua. He is with Moses at Mount Sinai, at the door of the tent of meeting, fighting the battles and spying out the land. Joshua was being discipled , whether he realized it or not, discipled to lead the people of Israel. When the Lord came to Joshua with his mission, we see Joshua respond immediately and obediently, very different from Moses, Moses calling covers two chapters and full of excuses. When God calls Joshua, the scene is much shorter and Joshua responds with a yes sir.  That is what successful discipleship looks like and successful discipleship is vital no matter what era of time you live in. Unfortunately, when we turn the chapter on this era of Joshua, we see a discipleship failure. The generation after Joshua is the time of the Judges, which is full of compromise, defeat and sin because “there arose a generation after them that did not know the Lord or the work he had done for Israel” (Jud. 2:10).

Obedience Bridge

Another important bridge we see is the obedience bridge. In Joshua we see the Lord tell him my presence will be with you as it was with Moses. The Lord tells Joshua to meditate on the law day and night and you will have success. The Lord gives Joshua a mission to complete. Joshua has the assurance of the Lord’s presence to accomplish the Lord’s mission with the power of the Lord’s word, all Joshua has to do is walk in faith and obey. Yet isn’t this the hardest thing to do in our lives? We too have the Lord’s presence, we too have a mission from the Lord, we too have the Lord’s word and just like Joshua we have to walk in faith and obey.

Gospel Bridge

Joshua shines forth the Gospel bridge. In Joshua we learn of an outcast, gentile, prostitute woman who is saved by faith in Yahweh and saved from the wrath of God coming to Jericho. Rahab is not only saved by faith and saved from God’s wrath,  she is grafted into the people of God and grafted into the family tree of Christ. Amazing Grace, how sweet the sound. In Joshua we also see our need for a better victory, a better leader, a better life. If you have read from Genesis through Joshua, we have read about some great leaders. We read of Joseph, Moses and Joshua and their great stories. But we also read in Genesis Joseph dies, in Deuteronomy Moses dies and at the end of the book of Joshua, we read of his death. All of this leaves us longing for one who will come and live. In Matthew, Mark, Luke and John we find one who is better in a man named Jesus. This Jesus dies in the Gospels, but finally we have one whose story ends not in death, but in life and life for all those who believe in Him

Until Next Time

Soli Deo Gloria