Lasso of Truth

Joshua - A Look Back

I don't know about you, but I wasn't quite ready for Joshua to end.  I wanted to know more about his life, the way he led the people, the difficult decisions he had to make, his walk with God... There are so many people in the Bible who are famous for what they did wrong.  Joshua and Caleb are two men who are famous for being faithful, just, and obedient.  No wonder my parents were so eager to name one of us Joshua.  (It would have been me!)  He left a beautiful example for us to live by.

The major impact of this book in my life wasn't Joshua himself, though.  It was the relationship between Joshua and God.  They were so close, that at one point they were fighting the enemy side by side!  There are multiple examples of Joshua's victories, where all he had to do was lead his men onto the battlefield and stand there.  God will make happen what needs to happen in this world.  But because He desires closeness with us, He has given us the opportunity to work with Him--to use His power and His glory, and yet we still get to be a part of it.  We get the chance to say, "Yeah that was cool, but all I did was show up.  God took care of everything."

It reminds me of the movie "The Sandlot." Oh, I loved this movie as a kid!  Remember that one scene where Smalls has just joined the group, and he can't catch the ball, no matter how hard he tries?  Then the older kid, the kid with all the talent (what was his name?  Benny?) tells Smalls to go back out and just stick his glove up in the air.  Just hold it there!  So he does.  He looks scared; he's not sure what's going to happen, or if the kids will make fun of him, but he does it.  And Benny hits that ball right into Smalls' glove.  Everyone knew it was Benny's talent that landed the ball there.  Everyone knew Smalls couldn't catch a ball on his own.  But because he just stood there and followed Benny's lead, he got to be part of it.

Don't you want to be part of what God's doing here?  All we have to do is be obedient, and He'll put us in the game.  That's what I'm taking from Joshua.

Next time Judges 1-3

Joshua 22-24

Chapter 22
verse 5  We should repeat this to our children.  This is what a godly lifestyle looks like.  "...and serve Him with all your heart and with all your soul."  How many times is this mentioned in the scriptures?  It is so important that we are constantly working toward loving God with everything, every minute, that we have.

verse 10  This would have been a huge offense, because they were only allowed to make sacrifices at the alter that God ordained. 

verse 19 No one forced them to settle there, across the Jordan.
verse 20 Learn from someone else's mistakes!
verse 22 It's here that we learn that this whole thing was a misunderstanding.  The builders of the alter were without fault.  The purpose of the alter was only to bear witness to their connection and devotion to God.  Phinehas and his men realise that the alter is okay, and they return to their own land. 

This passage is full of good examples for the church.  Phinehas and his men thought that these alter builders were in the wrong, but instead of waging all-out war, they went to them and talked.  Because the church is made up of human beings, there is plenty of room for misunderstandings like this one.  Often, instead of talking it out and trying to understand the motives of the person in question, assumtions are made, and groups are divided.  A misunderstanding can break a church (or a family) apart.  In this story, it could have divided a whole nation!  But the men wisely dealt with the issue and realized that neither group was at fault.

Chapter 23 Joshua's goodbye
verse 7 Don't be like those around you in the world.  Don't even mention the names of their gods!  Wow.  Considering the way this country worships its celebrities, I wonder if we give too much attention to them in our own lives.
verse 8 Cling!
verse 11 So take diligent heed...to love the Lord your God.

Chapter 24
Verses 2-13 are a re-cap of the nation's history.  I love verse 10.  "But I was not willing to listen to Balaam."  We don't have to worry about our opposition or those who might curse us.  Remember who has the power!

Verse 13.  God may be using the wealth, energy, greed, and time of the unfaithful to pave the way for the faithful--YOU!--right now.  Don't be impatient.  God's timing is perfect.

Verse 20 If you are going to make a covenant with God, you better keep it!

Verse 27 This is a really cool image. That the stone has heard and will be a witness.

Verse 32 They have been carrying Joseph's bones for hundreds of years.  The last time Israel lived there, the "nation" was less than 100 people, and they were just tennants living among strangers.  This time there are thousands of them, and they are the only nation around. They own the place.  They are home, and God has kept His covenant with them.

Next time:  A look back at the book of Joshua.

Joshua 18-21

I'm going to generalize chapters 18-21, because they are mostly the division of land between the remaining tribes.  But there are a couple things I wanted to point out. 

In Chapter 18, I was grabbed by verse 3. God has led His people to this land.  He has prepared it through the labor of others so that it is ready to just move in.  He didn't make them work for it--He fought for them and delivered the enemies into their hand.  And now, when all they have to do is claim the prize, they are sitting on the sidelines.  How long will you put off accepting the gift that God has given you?

Isn't this exactly the way we react to God's free gift of eternal life through Jesus Christ?  The work has been done on our behalf.  All we have to do is accept it--to give God the credit for what He's done, and admit that we need it in the first place.  But, either that sounds too easy, or we're too proud that we can't do it ourselves.  We just wait around, dead in our transgression, and not willing to hold out our arms and accept life.  For free.  I see that vividly here.

Chapter 19 The division of the land between these tribes.
Chapter 20 Appointing the cities of refuge.
Chapter 21 Each tribe of Israel was required to give of their land to the Levites. 

verses 43-45  It was God's plan.  It was God's preparation and might that made it happen.  It was God's promise that was kept.  All that was required of them was to follow and obey.  If they were obedient, they got to be a part of God's glory. The same is true for us.

Next time Joshua 22-24 and a look back.

Joshua 15-17

These next few chapters are largely about the geographical division of the promised land among the tribes of Israel.  I found it helpful to look at one of the maps in the back of my Bible.  I bet there are some good ones on the internet, too.  Post a link if you find a good one.

Chapter 15
In verse 13 we see that Caleb keeps his word.
Verses 16-19 The story of Achsah.  I don't have much insight on this section, but I am always interested when I see a biblical woman taking a strong position in her family.  I don't know if her marriage or inheritance will be significant later, but it did catch my eye.

Verse 63 We learn here that the Jebusites were allowed to live among the tribe of Judah. 

Chapter 16 is the inheritance of Ephraim. Here, in verse 10, we see that there are strangers among them as well.  The Canaanites are acting as laborers.  I'm getting the feeling that there is a pattern emerging with the outsiders' presence.

Chapter 17
Verse 4  Don't you just love the story of Zelophahad's daughters?  Here is another instance strong biblical women.  If you don't remember, read up on them again in Numbers 27.  Their story is a reminder to me that God has a plan for us, but that it is HIS plan.  We shouldn't fret because our lives or families aren't turning out the way we thought they would, or like the lives of our friends.  Just like these women, we each have a role in the Kingdom that is specific to the individual.  We just have to look to the Father and open our hands to accept it. (The role of these women was to be activists for future women in the nation.  They secured the rights of the daughters to receive inheritance in a family with no sons.)

Verse 13-18  The Canaanites again.  Joseph's descendants are feeling a little crowded because of them.  Joseph prophesies that they won't be a problem for long.

Next time Joshua 18-21
We are zipping through this book, aren't we?  Just a few more chapters to go!  Keep up the good work, and don't forget to check in from time to time to let me know you're out there!

Joshua 12-14

Prayer Request:  A couple nights ago I felt like the Holy Spirit was waking me up to work on something.  It's a small project, but it actually started on this blog, back when we were reading Exodus.  The plan is to write a series of small booklets (actually called "zines") that give artists and crafters ideas for using their hobby directly for the Kingdom.  The night He woke me up with the idea, I stayed up until 6am working on it, and have the first one about 1/4 done.  My prayer request is this:  That I can maintain the excitement that I have for it, and that I don't get tripped up by the Enemy.  Already I feel that starting with, "Who is ever going to use this thing?"  or "Do you really think there are other Christians in the liberal etsy community?  You'll be ridiculed."  You know the drill.  The same old stuff, but somehow it's still hard to fight!  But for months now I have been praying for a way to incorporate my on-line shop and with what I know to be my life's purpose of sharing the Gospel and making disciples for Christ.  Thanks for your prayers.

Okay, let's get down to business!
Chapter 12 is a quick geography lesson, using the battles won by Joshua.  It's mostly review, but the true impact of the victories hit me with verse 24: "...in all it was 31 kings."  Our God is a God of impossible triumphs.

Chapter 13
The division of the conquered land among the tribes.  Verses 14 and 33 mention Levi and the fact that his tribe doesn't get an inheritance of land or riches.  It doesn't really seem fair that an entire tribe of people get left out of the spoils of war.  But they do have something pretty incredible.  Their livelihood is dependent on the faithfulness of the other tribes.  In short, their entire being depends on the influence of God on the lives of His people.  While it might be scary to have no ownership or control of your own life, it is even more exciting to see God's miraculous provision first-hand.  Being a pastor's family, I've seen much of this myself, since we are reliant on part of the Body for our financial means.  God has provided for us lavishly through our congregation, and I would not trade that for any earthly inheritance.

Chapter 14
I had wondered, back when we read about God's punishment of His people, and how they had to wander for 4o years, and that none of them would see the promised land...were Joshua and Caleb born after the exodus, or were they exempt from the punishment because of their faithfulness?  I thought it was the latter, but the text was a little vague, and I didn't want to jump to conclusions. But here in verse 7 I finally have my answer.  Joshua and Caleb were in fact among those who fled from Egypt, and they were the only two allowed to live to see the promised land!  Scripture reading is like a treasure hunt!

Verses 11-15  Caleb is a man to be imitated.  He has been faithful and diligent for God these 85 years.  He has earned the inheritance that he requests of Joshua, but is he going to settle down into retirement and live the rest of his years getting fat off of the "interest" of his reward?  No, at eighty-five, Caleb is full of strength and fervor from the Lord.  He says, "Now that I have this land, and I know what God wants done with it, let me be a part of making it happen!"  Lord, make me like Caleb in my later years!

Next time: Joshua 15-17

Joshua 9-11

Chapter 9
Again, in verse 2 I see a strong parallel between Joshua's experience in the natural world, and our own spiritual conflicts.  When we start living for God, through God, when we start being victorious in God's plan and purpose, the Enemy will start to seek us out.
Verse 14 When we are victorious in the Lord, that's when we need to rely on His guidance MORE not less!  This instance did not lead to bloodshed, but hopefully it was enough for these leaders to learn their lesson. (verse 27)

Chapter 10
Verse 8 God's assurances are so complete!  "Not one of them..."
Verses 9-11 The visual I have is of Joshua and the Lord fighting side by side.  The Lord was hurling hailstones from heaven, and Joshua was fighting face to face with swords. (I don't know of a more beautiful picture of spiritual warfare.)  He didn't need Joshua to help Him defeat this enemy, but He wanted him to be a part of it.  Going through the battle together strengthened their relationship, and taught Joshua to trust Him.

Verse 13 might be a problem for those who don't want to take the Bible literally.  I have no problem believing that God stopped the sun from setting for His people.  But it opens up tons more questions...for example, does that mean He stopped the earth from turning on its axis?  Wow.

Verse 24 I think the foot on the neck was just a symbolic gesture.  It was Joshua who actually killed them.  Wouldn't that cave be an awesome archeological find?!  I'm sure it's been plundered and lost already, but maybe there's still hope.

Verses 29-43 The rest of Joshua's incredible, God-driven conquest.

Chapter 11
Verse 5 They were strong, but they underestimated the force of God as the leader of the nation's armies.

Verse 18 Joshua should be in the history books as one of the great conquerors.  But the credit is full given to God.

Verse 23 What a relief!!

Next time :Joshua 12-14

Joshua 6-8

Chapter 6
Verse 10 Can you imagine walking around the city for six straight days, and not letting your voice be heard?  But sometimes silence is what is required.  Our business and chattiness can be used by the Enemy to spread fear, doubt and grumbling.  So silent obedience is what God required of His people now.  Nothing but the sounds of blowing trumpets and marching feet.  The people of Jericho must have been terrified.

Verse 16  Imagine the sound!

Chapter 7
Verse 4 This must have been so frustrating to Joshua.  He didn't know about Achan's sin (v 1).  But the sin of one person can destroy the work of an entire team.  Have you ever heard of a church being ruined by the sin of an elder or pastor?  This still happens all the time.  A leader needs to be able to trust his people--know what he's dealing with.  But secret sin is a virus, and it will continue to bring pain until it is found out.

Verse 7 When Joshua is distressed, he goes straight to the Lord.  When we are hurt, confused, and even disgruntled by something that only the Lord controls, that is still the time to go to God. 

Verse 12 Once the nation stepped out from under God's covering, there would be no more victory.

Verse 16 Imagine how Joshua must have felt here.  I bet his heart was so heavy with the weight of what he had to do.  Many might use this passage to point an angry finger at God, and call Him merciless.  But it wasn't God who broke the rules.  What Achan receives will be justice.

Verse 24 The responsibility of the man as the head of the family is immense.  Achan's entire family was destroyed because of his sin.  It sounds strange and almost barbaric in this context, but we all know of families--even entire generations--that have been destroyed as a result of one person's sin.

Chapter 8
Verse 6  God is a tactical genius. 
Verse 8  I hope they listen this time, don't you?
Verse 18 God is with Joshua every step of the way.  Joshua, in turn, does not make a move that is not guided by the Lord.  I strive every day to get closer to this in my own life.
Verses 34-35  God gave His people the victory.  There was nothing they could have done to achieve this on their own.  Joshua reinforced the truth of this by reading the entire law (!) to them.  And they were all accountable for it--men, women, children, and strangers.

Next time: Joshua 9-11

Joshua 4-5

So how are you liking this book so far? I love the easy flow of the narrative.  It is at once relaxing and exciting.

Chapter 4
I noticed in verse 4 that they are required to build this memorial to God using stones from the middle of the Jordan.  They could have very easily used any stones to represent God's miracle, but stones from the middle of the dried up river!  What a fantastic symbol.

Verse 6.  Passing on the story of God's work in our lives is important to God.  Each stone in this memorial bears the witness of its tribe.

Verse 14.  This is a good lesson for new management.  Don't fell like you have to prove yourself. Let God work for you; let Him pave the way while you are faithful to His calling.

Chapter 5
In verse 12 we see that the era of the manna is complete.  His people now had another source of food, and the manna was not there for them one day longer than they needed it to be.  It makes me think about God's provision in our lives.  Sometimes we fell like we should step out in some area in faith, but then realize that we'd have to live on less, or re-prioritize our lives.  It's hard trusting an unseen God to provide what we think may not be enough.  But our Creator knows our needs better than we do.  And we can't truly realize His provision in our lives until we trust Him to provide.

Verse 14 Joshua may be the leader of the nation, but it's obvious that he knows his place.

This small passage is why I wanted to stop at chapter 15 today. This is a rare glimpse into the workings of the angelic army.  This is a vivid reminder that we are not alone in our own spiritual warfare. Joshua came face to face with the Captain of the Host!  While we might not have a visual experience like this, we can be sure that they are there.  And they are fighting those unseen forces alongside us.

Next time: Joshua 6-8

Joshua 1-3

Chapter 1
In the beginning of this chapter, I noticed lots of bold statements that God was making to Joshua.  Like in verse 5, "No man will be able to stand before you all the days of your life."  God might not have made that exact promise to us individually, but we do have the assurance of His constant presence through the Holy Spirit.  This must have been an incredible reassurance to Joshua in the face of a HUGE impending responsibility.
"I will not fail you or forsake you."

Verse 9 "Be strong and courageous!  Do not tremble or be dismayed, for the Lord your God is with you wherever you go."  This is true for Joshua's physical battles, as well as our Spiritual ones.

Verse 16. It must have felt good to have the support of his leaders so soon after the death of Moses.

Again, in verse 18, we see the phrase "strong and courageous."  I think God expects us to have these characteristics as well. We are expected to go out there and share our Lord with others.  He has prepared us and paved the way for us, and the only thing standing in the way of it is our fear.  I didn't expect to see so many parallels between Joshua's battle and ours, but this time through, the similarities are overwhelming!

Chapter 2.  Rahab.  Why would Rahab risk her life and betray her country?  She knew the reputation of the Nation of Israel.  She knew what was coming. (verse 9)

Imagine the transformation that had been happening in Rahab's heart and life before those men knocked on her door.  God had given her the home in the wall, perfect logistically for their escape.  Rahab is a shining example of the fact that God uses imperfect people to carry out His perfect will.

Verse 24 Compare this report with the one Moses got 40 years ago.  The hearts of the people have changed.  (In fact the people have changed!)  They have confidence in their Lord.  What does this tell us about the God we love and serve?  I see the fact that God will not force you into something when you are unwilling.  But at the same time, being unwilling to trust God's sovereignty is what got the nation into trouble.  He said, If you aren't ready, my plan will wait for someone who is.  The new generation was no stronger, smarter, steathier than the last.  God's plan of action had not changed.  It was only the willingness to trust God with their lives.  I don't want to be so focused on my own abilities that I can't imagine what Christ could do through me.  I don't want Him to have to wait for someone else to fulfill the plan.  I want to be on the front lines with Joshua.

Chapter 3
Verse 5.  This is a cool preparation for the Lord's work.

Verse 13  This is not quite the same visually as the Red Sea instance, since the Jordan was a flowing river.  We picture the Red Sea being parted and rising up on both sides, but this was like a huge dam stoppping the flow on one side, while the rest of the water drained below.  Incredible!

Verse 17  I don't like to get technical too often, but there are people out there who get really hung up on things like carbon dating, and the science of time.  God is beyond time.  He created Adam as an adult human.  He turned water into aged wine.  And here we see that He dried up the muddy, soaked bottom of the river so that instantly His people could walk on DRY ground.  That might have taken weeks naturally.

Next time:  Joshua 4-5 I know you could do more than two chapters, but there is someting really cool in chapter 5 that will be nice to stop and ponder before we go farther!