Graduate 88: Advent, Day 11
The Battle of Jericho
Joshua 1:1-11; 6:1-20
It has been over four hundred years since Jacob brought his family down out of Canaan into Egypt. For forty more years, Moses has led the people of Israel through the wilderness. Now, finally, they are preparing to enter and take the land that God promised them.
Now it may occur to some, who are not already familiar with this account, that as long as the distance between Egypt and Canaan may have been, it certainly would not take forty years to traverse. And, indeed, it did not, but when they were first brought to the threshold of the land, the people turned back for fear of the inhabitants of the land and even rebelled against the leadership of Moses and Aaron. (Numbers 13-14:45) Because of their disobedience, they were condemned to wander for forty years in the wilderness and denied entrance into the land for that time. In light of this, it stands out as especially significant that in His opening words, God reminds Joshua three times, “Be strong and courageous.” The last time, he gives the reason why: “for the LORD your God is with you wherever you go.”
Where does your strength lie? Where does your courage come from? When life gets hard, when unexpected troubles or difficulties arise, when challenges become insurmountable and threaten to overwhelm—where do you turn. Again, it’s important to remember that nothing has change about the land in the last forty years of Israel’s wanderings. The walled cities are still there, the mighty warriors—everything is the same. The only difference is that this time the people are choosing to rely on God; and that makes all the difference. That’s why the Ark of the Covenant is at the center of the military procession. Over and over again, in Israel’s early wanderings and throughout its history, the absolute centrality of the presence of God with his people is emphasized. (See Exodus 33 for an example.) That is where the hope and confidence of the people lies; not in their own strength, but in the God who saves.
The name, “Joshua,” (Yeshua) means “God is salvation.” It reflects well his enduring trust and confidence in God, alone. From the people whom he led would one day rise another man by that name—“Iesous” in the Greek, but more familiar to us as “Jesus”. He would come to “save His people from their sins”. (Matthew 1:21) We may not need to conquer walled cities in our day-to-day lives; but our need for strength and courage from God is just as great. May we find assurance and comfort in that.
--
God is in this place,
And that reality, seen and understood by the grace of God in Christ Jesus through the work of the Holy Spirit, makes all the difference in the world.
Joshua 1:1-11; 6:1-20
It has been over four hundred years since Jacob brought his family down out of Canaan into Egypt. For forty more years, Moses has led the people of Israel through the wilderness. Now, finally, they are preparing to enter and take the land that God promised them.
Now it may occur to some, who are not already familiar with this account, that as long as the distance between Egypt and Canaan may have been, it certainly would not take forty years to traverse. And, indeed, it did not, but when they were first brought to the threshold of the land, the people turned back for fear of the inhabitants of the land and even rebelled against the leadership of Moses and Aaron. (Numbers 13-14:45) Because of their disobedience, they were condemned to wander for forty years in the wilderness and denied entrance into the land for that time. In light of this, it stands out as especially significant that in His opening words, God reminds Joshua three times, “Be strong and courageous.” The last time, he gives the reason why: “for the LORD your God is with you wherever you go.”
Where does your strength lie? Where does your courage come from? When life gets hard, when unexpected troubles or difficulties arise, when challenges become insurmountable and threaten to overwhelm—where do you turn. Again, it’s important to remember that nothing has change about the land in the last forty years of Israel’s wanderings. The walled cities are still there, the mighty warriors—everything is the same. The only difference is that this time the people are choosing to rely on God; and that makes all the difference. That’s why the Ark of the Covenant is at the center of the military procession. Over and over again, in Israel’s early wanderings and throughout its history, the absolute centrality of the presence of God with his people is emphasized. (See Exodus 33 for an example.) That is where the hope and confidence of the people lies; not in their own strength, but in the God who saves.
The name, “Joshua,” (Yeshua) means “God is salvation.” It reflects well his enduring trust and confidence in God, alone. From the people whom he led would one day rise another man by that name—“Iesous” in the Greek, but more familiar to us as “Jesus”. He would come to “save His people from their sins”. (Matthew 1:21) We may not need to conquer walled cities in our day-to-day lives; but our need for strength and courage from God is just as great. May we find assurance and comfort in that.
--
God is in this place,
And that reality, seen and understood by the grace of God in Christ Jesus through the work of the Holy Spirit, makes all the difference in the world.
posted by Metaphysician_delta | 2:00 AM
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