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“Preparing To Encounter God’s Call” Joshua 2:22-24 – 3:1-8 Part One

Drew Boswell Ministries

“Preparing To Encounter God’s Call” Joshua 2:22-24 – 3:1-8 Part One

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“Preparing To Encounter God’s Call” Joshua 2:22-24 – 3:1-8

Joshua: Courage Over Fear

A Sermon Series

“Preparing To Encounter God’s Call”

Joshua 2:22-24 – 3:1-8

Part One

Introduction

When I was just learning to drive my dad would let me drive the family car – but when I would get out on the long straight highway or interstate, I would drift from one side of the road the other – back and forth between the lanes. After a while of doing this my dad said, “you are looking down the hood of the car and right in front of the car; instead look way out the horizon and focus on far away.” When I did this instead of going from side to side, my driving straightened out. I was focused on the horizon, not what was right in front of me.

When Joshua and Caleb returned from spying out the land they gave a report to Moses and the people. The people’s response to the report was “all the congregation raised a loud cry, and the people wept that night. 2 And all the people of Israel grumbled against Moses and Aaron. The whole congregation said to them, “Would that we had died in the land of Egypt! Or would that we had died in this wilderness!” Numbers 14:1-2 Their focus was the perceived danger of inhabitants in the Promised Land. In today’s passage, after fourty years of wandering in the wilderness, and a new generation being raised up, their focus is different – now they are focused on the horizon, on God.

Prayer

What We Choose to Focus On Determines Where We Are Going (vv. 2:22-24)

22 They departed and went into the hills and remained there three days until the pursuers returned, and the pursuers searched all along the way and found nothing. 23 Then the two men returned. They came down from the hills and passed over and came to Joshua the son of Nun, and they told him all that had happened to them. 24 And they said to Joshua, “Truly the Lord has given all the land into our hands. And also, all the inhabitants of the land smelt away because of us.”

The spy’s mission was to gather information (especially about Jericho) and they now have what they need. Rahab’s retelling the stories she had heard, and her faith in God by hiding them was an encouragement to the spies “Truly the Lord has given all the land into our hands.” When we experience someone placing their faith in Jesus, and seeing how their lives are changed encourages us in the mission of our church – to make disciples of Jesus Christ.

What a change of heart from the first report of the spies when Joshua and Caleb reported back. The focus of the first spy report was on the stuff, the material, and on the outward superficial. Numbers 13:23 “And they came to the Valley of Eshcol and cut down from there a branch with a single cluster of grapes, and they carried it on a pole between two of them; they also brought some pomegranates and figs.” . . . “However, the people who dwell in the land are strong, and the cities are fortified and very large.” They brought back proof that the land was “flowing with milk and honey.”

Now in Joshua 2, the spies bring back a report of the inhabitant’s hearts, their spirit, the mentality of the people there – their courage is gone, and they are scared. It’s two different types of reports based on the heart of the spy (it’s the same land, the same inhabitants). Somehow the people in the promised land (over 40 years) have shrunk in size – they are no longer giants and God’s people grasshoppers. Now their God is huge and the enemy has become small.

“The spies violated God’s explicit command that none of the people living in the land were to be spared (Duet. 7:1-6; 20:16-18). Rahab, however, turned to God and sought deliverance. Her experience is proof of the gracious saving purpose of God. His overarching decree is that “everyone who calls upon the name of the Lord will be saved” Joel 2:32.[1]

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When we last left the Israelites they were preparing for the crossing of the Jordan. Joshua has to prepare his heart. God tells him over and over, “Be strong, be courageous.” To get ready to cross the Jordan, Joshua needs to also prepare a battle plan. Joshua has to prepare his mind by studying the Word (he studies it, meditates on it, talk about it, and do it).

Then Joshua sends in two spies and we are introduced to Rahab the redeemed Hero, but more importantly “²⁴ They said to Joshua, “The LORD has surely given the whole land into our hands; all the people are melting in fear because of us.” The land is ready and for them to cross-over! But the people have to prepare themselves for the crossing.

In our text God lovingly calls Israel to be a cross-over people. The transition from the wilderness into Canaan would not be an easy one. The Israelites must be a people who are willing to grow in their faith and anticipate seeing God move. This morning God is calling us to be a cross-over church. A church willing to face the impossible by keeping our eyes on God, following Him into the ever-changing future, united together in our mission of reaching Bellevue for Christ.

How Do We Cross The Jordan? How Do We Face the Seemingly Impossible?

Remember Our Commitment To God When Crossing Over (vv. 1-4)

Then Joshua rose early in the morning and they set out from Shittim. And they came to the Jordan, he and all the people of Israel, and lodged there before they passed over. 2 At the end of three days the officers went through the camp 3 and commanded the people, “As soon as you see the ark of the covenant of the Lord your God being carried by the Levitical priests, then you shall set out from your place and follow it. 4 Yet there shall be a distance between you and it, about 2,000 cubits in length. Do not come near it, in order that you may know the way you shall go, for you have not passed this way before.”

(look at Exodus 14) There is a similar story about God’s people where they were following Moses out of Egypt and they came to the Red Sea. Exodus 14:11-12 “They said to Moses, “Is it because there are no graves in Egypt that you have taken us away to die in the wilderness? What have you done to us in bringing us out of Egypt? 12 Is not this what we said to you in Egypt: ‘Leave us alone that we may serve the Egyptians’? For it would have been better for us to serve the Egyptians than to die in the wilderness.” Now, there is no outcry, there is no demands to return to the wilderness – only moving forward.

The first command was to follow the Lord, and it was stated in a strange way. Up until then, the people of Israel had followed the cloud by day and the pillar of fire by night as symbols of God’s leading, presence, and protection in the wilderness. Now those symbols were going to be replaced by the ark of the covenant.

The ark contained the Ten Commandments carved in stone that had been given to Moses at Mount Sinai. It also held the entire Pentateuch, the first five books of the Old Testament. Thus the ark symbolized both the covenant commitment that God had made to Israel and the covenant conditions that God had established for the people of Israel. The whole covenant relationship, an entire way of life, would continue with them as they crossed the Jordan and entered Canaan. Inside the ark was also a jar of manna to remind the people that day after day for forty years God had met their physical needs.

The ark symbolized the presence and power of God with his people. The ark was the sign that God was leading them. They weren’t just a migratory people optimistically yet futilely thinking that they could go into the land of Canaan. They had to know that they were God’s people, being led by him.

The ark also symbolized the specific teaching and direction that God had given to his people. They had the assurance of his guidance and leadership as they moved into the new, completely unfamiliar territory. If they didn’t follow the Lord, as symbolized by the ark, they would get lost and disoriented; they wouldn’t know where to go or how to live.

God is with His people and they are expected to follow Him and His ways.

(v. 4) “for you have not passed this way before” – God is constantly calling us, and leading us into unfamiliar territory. He required Abraham to leave his home and “move to a land I will show you” (Gen. 21:1). Joseph was required to move from his home, then to slavery, and then to Egypt. Jesus said, “I will go to prepare a place for you, for where I have gone there you may be with me also.” The Christian life is moving from one unknown place to another.

As we cross the Jordan as a church, we must remember that God is committed to us in His provision for our needs, His salvation, grace and forgiveness of sin – but we must also remember our commitment to Him. Out of love and loyalty we follow and commit ourselves to an ever-deepening relationship with Him.

Consecrate Yourself Before Crossing-Over (v. 5)

“Then Joshua said to the people, “Consecrate yourselves, for tomorrow the Lord will do wonders among you.”

Some of God’s promises are unconditional, and all we have to do is believe them, while other promises have expectations and consequences attached. In meeting these expectations, we are not earning God’s blessing. Rather, we are making certain that our hearts are ready for God’s blessing. The promise was that God would demonstrate miraculous power, but it was contingent on the people’s willingness to consecrate or sanctify themselves.

In the Old Testament, sanctification was usually tied to ritual cleansing, and God gave very specific instructions for ceremonial cleanliness. If the experience of Israel at Mount Sinai was the pattern, then “sanctify yourselves” meant that everyone was to bathe and change their clothes, at least in part. In the Bible this imagery of washing one’s body and putting on fresh clothes symbolized a new beginning with the Lord. Sin is a picture of defilement.

God has to cleanse us before we can truly follow him. When Jacob made a new beginning with the Lord and returned to Bethel, he and his entire family washed themselves and changed their garments (Gen. 35). And after King David confessed his sin with Bathsheba, he bathed, changed his clothes, and then worshiped God (2 Sam. 12:20). This imagery is carried over into the New Testament. Colossians 3:9-10 speaks of the necessity of being forgiven for sin, putting away the old patterns of behavior and attitudes, allowing those things to be washed away by the blood of Christ. Then there is the wonderful invitation to put on the new person, to clothe ourselves in the righteousness of Jesus (Eph. 4:24).

Whenever we face new opportunities, God’s voice calls us to sanctify ourselves. God calls his people to holiness, purity of life, and separation from sin. For us today, the invitation to be cleansed means that we come once again to claim the cleansing of the precious blood of Jesus Christ, which washes away all defilement, uncleanness, and sin.

That requires a willingness from us to admit our sin, to live an examined life, to be open to truth. It means opening ourselves to the convicting work of the Holy Spirit, because after our confession of sin, repentance, and experiencing forgiveness, then the Holy Spirit enables us to be used by God.

As we enter into a time of crossing over, you must cleanse yourself of all sin, and truly seek His will, if you are to ever hear from him as to the direction we are to go. There are some who will not do this, they want to counted among God’s people but are unwilling to give up certain sin, it is these individuals who like the 1^st generation of Israel have doubt, cause dissention, and see giants where there are none!

Keep Your Eyes On God When Crossing Over (vv. 6-8)

“And Joshua said to the priests, “Take up the ark of the covenant and pass on before the people.” So they took up the ark of the covenant and went before the people. 7 The Lord said to Joshua, “Today I will begin to exalt you in the sight of all Israel, that they may know that, as I was with Moses, so I will be with you. 8 And as for you, command the priests who bear the ark of the covenant, ‘When you come to the brink of the waters of the Jordan, you shall stand still in the Jordan.’”

The instruction to keep a thousand yards away shows the need of some degree of separateness between the people and a holy God. The people were commanded to never touch the ark, to never treat the things of God lightly.

The ark was a holy piece of furniture from the tabernacle. It wasn’t to be treated carelessly. And there is an implication for us today. God is our Abba, Father, our companion as we go through life, but we dare not relate to him casually or superficially. Hebrews in 12:28-29 “Therefore let us be grateful for receiving a kingdom that cannot be shaken, and thus let us offer to God acceptable worship, with reverence and awe, 29 for our God is a consuming fire.”

Also, of importance for Israel at this point was the logistical issue of staying far enough away from the ark so that it could be seen as it was held up by the Levites during the crossing of the Jordan. The ark was to lead the way across the treacherous river and into unfamiliar land, and therefore the eyes of the people would be focused on the presence and power of God and not on their dangerous circumstances as they crossed the Jordan River.

We must be focused on the God of mercy, not the held back water! There is safety in the middle of the Jordan when it is God’s hand that holds back the water! It is only perceived as dangerous if God were not in it.

If we are to be a people who are willing to follow the Lord today, we must keep our eyes fixed on Jesus Christ. Remember, his offer of salvation to each of us was basically a call to begin a lifelong process of following him. The writer of Hebrews describes following Jesus Christ as running a race with perseverance, “…fixing our eyes on Jesus, the author [pioneer] and perfecter of our faith….” (12:2).

He pioneered the way; he has been across the Jordan and in the unfamiliar territory himself; he has been tempted in every way that we can possibly be tempted. Jesus suffered, was humiliated, died, and then rose again for our sakes. And his being the perfecter of our faith means that he goes with us, teaching and enabling and encouraging us.

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God has a calling upon your life, so as we “Prepare To Encounter God’s Call” – how do we face this incredibly difficult task?

What We Choose to Focus On Determines Where We Are Going (vv. 2:22-24)
Remember Our Commitment To God When Crossing Over (vv. 1-4)
Consecrate Yourself Before Crossing-Over (v. 5)
Keep Your Eyes On God When Crossing Over (vv. 6-8)

Closing

When a researcher started interviewing hospital workers—the people who cleaned out the patients’ rooms each day she assumed they would only have bad things to say about it. That was partially true, but she also found a second group of workers with the same jobs who felt their labor was highly skilled.

They described the work in “rich relational terms,” talking about their interactions with patients and visitors. Many of them reported going out of their way to learn as much as possible about the patients whose rooms they cleaned. “It was not just that they were taking the same job and feeling better about it … It was that they were doing a different job.”[2]

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[1] Madvig, 264.

[2] https://www.preachingtoday.com/illustrations/2024/june/dirty-jobs-turned-into-meaningful-callings.html

“The Scarlet Thread of Faith” Joshua 2

Joshua: Courage Over Fear

A Sermon Series

“The Scarlet Thread of Faith”
Joshua 2

Introduction

The first person we meet in the book of Joshua (other than Joshua) is a non-Jewish prostitute named Rahab. What we will discover is that God brought two men across her path for the purpose of her and her family’s salvation. So, from the beginning, the story of the conquest of the Promised Land is one of judgement of sin[1], but it is also a story of salvation from the judgement of God. It is a story of wrath and mercy. And from the beginning of the Bible until the end is that those who understand the consequences of sin, must have faith in how God has provided for the forgiveness of that sin.

Prayer

The Mission (v. 1a)

And Joshua the son of Nun sent two men secretly from Shittim as spies, saying, “Go, view the land, especially Jericho.”

Joshua, as they begin the journey into the Promised Land, secretly sent out two spies to go before them to view the land, “especially Jericho.” Even though God would fight on their behalf, they still had to fight, because “the promise of divine aid never rules out human responsibility.”[2] God had the power to wipe out the enemy before them, but Joshua and his army would have to fight. The mission is God given, Holy Spirit empowered, and people delivered. God chooses to work through us to accomplish His will.

We pray for our neighbor to be saved, but there will come a time when God will say, “you go and tell they about me.” Jesus told the disciples as He sat before the crowd of 5000, “you feed them.” God will go with us, but He still wants us to play a role in His redemption of the world.

The Misdirection (v. 1b-7)

And they went and came into the house of a prostitute whose name was Rahab and lodged there. 2 And it was told to the king of Jericho, “Behold, men of Israel have come here tonight to search out the land.” 3 Then the king of Jericho sent to Rahab, saying, “Bring out the men who have come to you, who entered your house, for they have come to search out all the land.” 4 But the woman had taken the two men and hidden them. And she said, “True, the men came to me, but I did not know where they were from. 5 And when the gate was about to be closed at dark, the men went out. I do not know where the men went. Pursue them quickly, for you will overtake them.”[3] 6 But she had brought them up to the roof and hid them with the stalks of flax that she had laid in order on the roof. 7 So the men pursued after them on the way to the Jordan as far as the fords. And the gate was shut as soon as the pursuers had gone out.

(1b) “they went and came into the house of a prostitute whose name was Rahab and lodged there.” Of all the potential places for two spies to hide out and rest, to go to a prostitute’s house was a great idea – men would be secretively coming into the home and sneaking back out. Their presence would not draw attention – But they were noticed and the king of Jericho was looking for them. But Rahab misdirects the king and his men pointing them in the wrong direction.[4]

Why would this woman help two people she had never met, even though there were high stakes, great risk to her and her family’s lives?

The Misdirection Explained (vv. 8-14)

8 Before the men lay down, she came up to them on the roof and said to the men, “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. 10 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. 11 And as soon as we heard it, hour 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. 12 Now then, please swear to me by the Lord that, as I have dealt kindly with you, you also will deal kindly with my father’s house, and give me a sure sign 13 that you will save alive my father and mother, my brothers and sisters, and all who belong to them, and deliver our lives from death.” 14 And the men said to her, “Our life for yours even to death! If you do not tell this business of ours, then when the Lord gives us the land we will deal kindly and faithfully with you.”

Rahab has many things going against her, she is a Gentile (not one of God’s chosen people), an Amorite (enemy of God), a prostitute (a sinner). But she has one thing going for her, she has heard about the God of Israel. As a result of hearing, she has believed and has put her faith in this God. Romans 10:17 “So faith comes from hearing, and hearing through the word of Christ.” There is power in the hearing of the mighty deeds of God.

(v. 8) “I know that the Lord has given you the land,” – She says, “I know,” – indicating that she personally believed that the Lord’s army was going to win. She has placed her faith in God and knows that “he is God in the heavens above and on the earth beneath.” Rahab knows that the presence of the spies is an indication of an army that is to follow. “has given” as though it has already happened.

And she and her people have heard stories of this coming army. (v. 9) “the fear of you has fallen upon us, and that all the inhabitants of the land melt away before you.” There is no courage left in any man; it has melted away like wax. Rahab had already heard about the God of Israel. For forty years the stories of the crossing of the Red Sea, the defeat of the Egyptian armies, the overthrow of the Amorites (her own people), the pillar of cloud during the day, and the fire by night had circulated all throughout the land.

This knowing about God and how the Canaanites would react is predicted by God in Exodus 15:15b-16 “all the inhabitants of Canaan have melted away.16 Terror and dread fall upon them; because of the greatness of your arm, they are still as a stone, till your people, O Lord, pass by, till the people pass by whom you have purchased.”

(v. 12) “as I have dealt kindly with you, you also will deal kindly with my father’s house,” this word for kindness is the Hebrew word hesed – which designates a reciprocal relationship of caring.[5] She says, Swear to me, give me a sure sign that you will deal kndly with me – so they give her the sign of the red cord.

She knew their presence was a message of either join God’s family and follow His ways or be defeated and killed. But not only did Rahab hear the message, but she heeded it as well. This message produced a response of faith in the heart of Rahab. She told the soldiers to look elsewhere.

The fact that she believed the message is proven by what she says about God. In verse 9, she calls Him “the LORD”, using His covenant Name Jehovah. In verse 11, she expresses her faith in Him as THE God of Heaven and of earth. In verse 12, she again expresses her faith in Him as she calls God to witness the agreement she is about to make with the spies.

All people must hear or understand the message and then they must act on that message by accepting Jesus as their Savior by faith. It is not enough just to know the truth, we must receive the truth as our own. Romans 10:17 again says “faith comes from hearing and the message is heard through the Word of Christ.”

Notice that she did not have all the pieces, there was many things she did not know. She did not have the law, the covenants, the many promises of God. But she did have the stories of what God had done, and she responded to what she had. You may not understand all of the Bible, and you may not know how all the pieces go together, but you can respond in faith to what you do have – what you do know so far.

Salvation is a gift given by God, but must be received openly by a person. He holds it out to all, but only a few reach out and take it. Rahab’s showing faith is when she hid the spies, trusting God to give her protection. If the spies would have been found, she could have been killed as a traitor. But she held to courage over fear and helped them escape.

Steps of Faith Taken (vv. 15-21)

15 Then she let them down by a rope through the window, for her house was built into the city wall, so that she lived in the wall. 16 And she said to them, “Go into the hills, or the pursuers will encounter you, and hide there three days until the pursuers have returned. Then afterward you may go your way.” 17 The men said to her, “We will be guiltless with respect to this oath of yours that you have made us swear. 18 Behold, when we come into the land, you shall tie this scarlet cord in the window through which you let us down, and you shall gather into your house your father and mother, your brothers, and all your father’s household. 19 Then if anyone goes out of the doors of your house into the street, his blood shall be on his own head, and we shall be guiltless. But if a hand is laid on anyone who is with you in the house, his blood shall be on our head. 20 But if you tell this business of ours, then we shall be guiltless with respect to your oath that you have made us swear.” 21 And she said, “According to your words, so be it.” Then she sent them away, and they departed. And she tied the scarlet cord[6] in the window.

There is coming a day soon, when this army of God’s wrath will fall upon the city and all those inside of it. Everyone will be destroyed and Rahab knows She wants salvation for her and her family. So, Rahab is told to gather her family together, stay inside when the battle starts. Everyone inside her house would be spared – because of the promise of the spies[7], and the signal of the scarlet rope.

Her only hope of survival was to follow these given instructions. Jesus said something similar with regard to spiritual salvation, John 14:6 “Jesus said to him, “I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.” If we want to have eternal life, to be forgiven of our sins, and see God – then we have to have a relationship with Jesus.

The spies even say, if you don’t follow our instructions (placing the red rope out the window) then “his blood shall be on his own head.” Jesus has provided the way of salvation, if a person does not place their faith on the His shed blood, then “their blood shall be on their own heads.

(v. 13) When Rahab asks for the army to spare her and her family’s life, she was probably just asking for them to be spared and taken alive as prisoners.[8] But that is not how God works – Eventually, they would be assimilated into the nation of Israel (6:25). She would go on to marry a leader in the nation – and she would eventually be included in the lineage of Jesus (Matt. 1:5). This is how God treats those who put faith in His name. We are not spared only to serve as slaves – We are redeemed and made children of God and to sit at His table.

Two New Testament books mention Rahab, Hebrews and James for their acts of faith. Hebrews 11:6 says, “And without faith it is impossible to please him. For whoever would draw near to God must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who seek him.” That describes the saving faith of Rahab. She was surrounded by unbelieving Canaanites, and yet she stood alone in faith. Sarah, the wife of Abraham, is mentioned as a woman of faith, and then it says of Rahab, “By faith Rahab the harlot did not perish with those who were disobedient, because she had given friendly welcome to the spies” (11:31).

(look at James 2) James 2:21, 25 mentions two people who demonstrate a living, spiritual faith-the man Abraham and the woman Rahab. They are the only two people mentioned: “Was not Abraham our father justified by works when he offered up his son Isaac on the altar?… And in the same way was not also Rahab the prostitute justified by works when she received the messengers and sent them out by another way?”

What they believed spiritually, led them to make a choice to believe in God, and to do something because of that belief. Abraham demonstrated his faith at tremendous cost, but he was willing to trust God and offer his son as a sacrifice. Rahab, as well, had a faith that was a reality in her life. She stood alone against the entire culture that surrounded her. We can say that she was a follower of the One True God because she abandoned faith in her pagan gods, and from her people to trust on the God of Israel, and to identify with His people.

Until Jericho fell, she had to make a choice to trust the God of Israel whom she couldn’t see, against the king of Jericho and the armies and the fortifications of that great city that she could see. By her faith, Rahab the prostitute was deemed righteous. (v. 21) “And she tied the scarlet cord in the window” and waited for the day of salvation.

Today, each and every one of us must make the same choice in faith – we respond to the story that we have heard. Do we trust and follow a God who we cannot see, and reject a world that we can see. Do we trust in His ways and follow with all of our lives, or do we follow the world and its’ ways.

The Mission Encouraged (vv. 22-24)

Now in Joshua 2, the spies bring back a report of the inhabitant’s hearts, their spirit, the mentality of the people there – their courage is gone, and they are scared. It’s two different types of reports based on the heart of the spy (it’s the same land, the same inhabitants). Somehow the people in the promised land (over 40 years) have shrunk in size – they are no longer giants and God’s people grasshoppers. Now their God is huge and the enemy has become small.

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[1] “The sin of the Amorites had not yet reached its’ full measure” Genesis 15:16.

[2] Donald H. Madvig, The Expositor’s Bible Commentary, Volume 3 (Grand Rapids. Michigan; Zondervan Publishing, 1992) 259.

[3] “The Hebrew concept of truth is not only conformity with fact but also faithfulness. Rahab chose to be faithful to the Israelites and their God. In so doing she committed an act of treason against her own people. Psalm 25:3 speaks of those “who are treacherous without excuse,” which suggests that there may be times when treason is justified. Madvig, 264.

[4] It was actually against the law to do this. “The ancient law code of Hammurabi contains the following provision; “If felons are banded together in an ale-wife’s [prostitute’s or innkeeper’s] house and she has not haled [them] to the palace, that ale-wife shall be put to death” (S.R. Driver and J.C. Miles, The Babylonian Laws (Oxford; Clarendon, 1956) 2:45).

[5] Madvig, 262.

[6] Typological connections between the color scarlet of the rope and the blood of Christ and His sacrificial death on the cross should be taken with great care.

[7] “And I to my pledged word am true, I shall not fail that rendezvous.” Alan Seeger, from “I Have a Rendezvous With Death.”

[8] Madvig, 263.

[9] Madvig, 264.

“Be Strong and Courageous” Joshua 1

Joshua: Courage Over Fear

A Sermon Series

“Be Strong and Courageous”
Joshua 1

Introduction

One summer morning as Ray Blankenship was preparing his breakfast, he gazed out the window, and saw a small girl being swept along in the rain-flooded drainage ditch beside his Andover, Ohio, home. Blankenship knew that farther downstream, the ditch disappeared with a roar underneath a road and then emptied into the main culvert. Ray dashed out the door and raced along the ditch, trying to get ahead of the foundering child. Then he hurled himself into the deep, churning water. Blankenship surfaced and was able to grab the child’s arm. They tumbled end over end. Within about three feet of the yawning culvert, Ray’s free hand felt something–possibly a rock– protruding from one bank. He clung desperately, but the tremendous force of the water tried to tear him and the child away. “If I can just hang on until help comes,” he thought. He did better than that. By the time fire-department rescuers arrived, Blankenship had pulled the girl to safety. Both were treated for shock. On April 12, 1989, Ray Blankenship was awarded the Coast Guard’s Silver Lifesaving Medal. The award is fitting, for this selfless person was at even greater risk to himself than most people knew. Ray Blankenship couldn’t swim.[1]

Prayer

God’s Purposes Do Not Change (vv. 1-9)

God’s plan for the Israelites is laid out in the first five books of the Bible, and specifically in the book of Deuteronomy they are given specific instructions for what to do once they enter into the promised land.

There have been three delays for God’s people entering into the promised land, 1) In Gen. 15 God tells Abram[2] that the people would enter into slavery for 400 years, then God had set a time of forty years (so the entire generation over 20 had to die in the wilderness because of their lack of faith), 2) Moses had lost his temper before God’s people and because he did that he forfeited his right to enter into the promised land, but God honored his leadership by waiting until his death to enter (Num. 20:6-12; Duet. 1:37, 3:26). 3) 15:16 “And they shall come back here in the fourth generation, for the iniquity of the Amorites is not yet complete.” We are not told what the sin of the Amorites was that they are being judged for, but when Joshua crossed over and conquers the promised land it is an act of judgement upon the enemies of God.

God Calls People to His Purposes (vv. 1-5)

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.[3] 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. 5 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.

Prior to Moses’ death, Joshua was appointed to be his successor in Numbers 27:18-23. (V. 22) “And Moses did as the Lord commanded him. He took Joshua and made him stand before Eleazar the priest and the whole congregation, 23 and he laid his hands on him and commissioned him as the Lord directed through Moses.” Then after some time, Moses passed away. So Joshua has this calling upon his life to do this specific thing – lead God’s people.

People change over time – all the people who had left Egypt in the great exodus had now wandered in the desert for forty years because of their rebellion. Those who were less than twenty at the Exodus, and all those born since, are essentially a new group of God’s people (prayerfully they have learned from the mistakes of the previous generation).

And now that Moses is dead, there is also a new leader. So, people in the plan of God change, but God’s purposes don’t change. The plan, even though its been five hundred years since God announced it, it is still the plan. God is going to give His people a promised land.

“I will not leave you or forsake you.” Literally this means “I will not fail you.” We see this verse quoted on Hebrews 13:5 quotes this same verse in the context of not loving money, God will be with you and give you what you need to complete the mission.

God’s Purposes Are Accomplished When His People Obey His Word (vv. 6-9)

6 Be strong and courageous, for you shall cause this people to inherit the land that I swore to their fathers to give them. 7 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. 8 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. 9 Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be frightened, and do not be dismayed, for the Lord your God is with you wherever you go.”

So while there may be a new leader, God’s Word is still the same. Notice that in the opening verses we see that Joshua has the law of Moses – He already has the written Word of God. Francis Schaeffer wrote, “Joshua knew Moses, the writer of the Pentateuch, personally. Joshua knew his strengths and weaknesses as a man; he knew that Moses was a sinner, that Moses made mistakes, that Moses was just a man. Nonetheless, immediately after Moses’ death Joshua accepted the Pentateuch as more than the writing of Moses. He accepted it as the writing of God.”[4] And God tells him, that his success as a leader would be dependent upon, not just knowing it, but keeping it “that you may have good success wherever you go.”

God moves people in and out of his plan, but God’s Word stays the same and it is God’s Word that remains our source of authority to complete God’s work. In Genesis, Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers, and Deuteronomy, Moses heard from God directly. God told Moses in person what to do, but now Joshua is pointed to the written Word of God to follow. Even though Joshua would encounter the “commander of the Lord’s Army” in chapter 5, and Joshua is given specific instructions about upcoming battles, Joshua was to live and lead according to the written Word of God.

In order to do this Joshua is given four things to do with God’s Word: 1) Study God’s Word “being careful to do according to all the law that Moses my servant commanded you.” In order to be careful to do it, you have to know what it says, which requires diligent study. The written Word of God from it’s beginning was not stored in the Ark of the covenant, it was to be carried around, rolled out and read, again and again.

It was not a relic to be on a shelf, it was a tool to be faithfully and diligently used. The printing press had not been invented yet, so the people did not have personal copies of God’s Word, but it was read aloud, and it was accessible to the people (see Duet. 31:11-13).

2) (v. 8) Talk About God’s Word “This Book of the Law shall not depart from your mouth . . .” Joshua and the people’s lives revolved around the word of God, so when you make plans, or discuss your children, or your careers – how can you discuss those things as a follower of God and not discuss His Word that speaks directly to those things.

3) “meditate on it day and night,” – To meditate in something is more than studying it, and talking about it, now you are pulling things from it. When you meditate on God’s Word you are seeking to apply it. What does this mean? How do I apply it to my life?

4) Obey the Word of God “being careful to do according to all the law that Moses my servant commanded you,” Psalm 1:2-3 talks about the righteous man “ . . but his delight is in the law of the Lord, and on his law he meditates day and night. 3 He is like a tree planted by streams of water that yields its fruit in its season, and its leaf does not wither. In all that he does, he prospers.” In order to prosper in the ways of the Lord, and to be a success at the task that God has called you to, the place the Word of God occupies in your life is critical.

As we will see, Joshua was a great leader, and it was because he studied God’s Word, he talked about God’s Word, he meditated on God’s Word and the most important, he did God’s Word. If we fast forward to the end of Joshua’s leadership, look at one of his last instructions to the people, Joshua 23:6 “Therefore, be very strong to keep and to do all that is written in the Book of the Law of Moses, turning aside from it neither to the right hand nor to the left,”

Joshua Assumes Command (vv. 10-18)

We see in these verses where Joshua has become the new leader of God’s people – he seems to scared to death. He is told multiple times, “Be strong and courageous. Do not be frightened, and do not be dismayed,” – so Joshua is frightened; so, how do we do what God has called us to do, even though we may be concerned of failure? You can look back to your past.

This is not the first time we see Joshua leading; we first see him leading in battle in Exodus 17:8-16. The Israelites are making their way through the wilderness and the Amalekites come out against them. Moses goes up on a mountain and holds up his arms and staff – and Joshua is sent to lead the troops in the valley below. As long as Moses kept his hands up, God’ s people would be winning, but as Moses grew tired his hands would drop and the Amalekites would be winning. And once they had won the victory,

13-14 “And Joshua overwhelmed Amalek and his people with the sword. 14 Then the Lord said to Moses, “Write this as a memorial in a book and recite it in the ears of Joshua, that I will utterly blot out the memory of Amalek from under heaven.” As Joshua was studying, and meditating, and talking about, and doing God Word – he would have come across this battle and remembered – the battle was won by prayer, teamwork, and God’s presence working on the battlefield – not his military talent. Your success, to do what God has called you to do, is bigger than just you – there are bigger things going on than you even know about. You are a part of a much bigger plan.

The second time we see Joshua is on Mt. Sinai. There is a moment when Moses, Aaron, and seventy elders saw God and ate and drank in God’s presence. When Moses went up onto the mountain to receive the law on the stone tablets, Joshua went with him.

Exodus 24:13 “So Moses rose with his assistant Joshua, and Moses went up into the mountain of God.” He came back down with Moses to deal with the situation of these same leaders, who had sat in the presence of God, now had made golden calves and were worshipping them. God is holy and will not tolerate His people worshipping other gods.

The third time we see Joshua is when he is sent into the promised land as a spy. When the spies returned all their stories were the same, “the land is flowing with milk and honey.” But only Joshua and Caleb had faith that God would give them the land – yes there were giants in the land, but God was much bigger than they were.

So when it was time for Joshua to lead the nation, forty years has passed, he had seen God do mighty things, he knew that God was holy, and he knew, from experience, that God’s people had to trust Him and follow His Word.

What was Joshua so afraid of? He had seen military victories, He had trembled before the mighty power of God – He knew no one or army was greater than God. I think Joshua was afraid that the people wouldn’t listen and because of their hard heartedness, they would have to circle back to another forty years of death in the wilderness. They would not follow Moses into the Promised Land, why would they follow him?

There is nothing more terrifying to a leader than wasted years walking around in a desert.

It is wonderful to lead people into the land flowing with milk and honey, it’s quite another thing to be the leader of a people who would rather walk around in the wilderness. So, he gives the order.

10 And Joshua commanded the officers of the people, 11 “Pass through the midst of the camp and command the people, ‘Prepare your provisions, for within three days you are to pass over this Jordan to go in to take possession of the land that the Lord your God is giving you to possess.’”

The time had finally arrived after over a million funerals and forty years of wandering in the wilderness, it was finally time to pass into the promised land. Three days to prepare yourself, your family, and to get your stuff ready – we are about to enter into the promised land. Only two men knew what lay ahead – Joshua and Caleb. Both had seen the enemy’s size, the walled fortresses, and the “land flowing with milk and honey.”

12 And to the Reubenites, the Gadites, and the half-tribe of Manasseh Joshua said, 13 “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.’ 14 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, 15 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.”

God had already instructed a couple of the tribes what to do when they enter into the promised land. Numbers 32 and Deuteronomy 3:18-20 records that Reuben, Gad and the half-tribe of Mannasseh should be given the land east of the Jordan, but that they were to go in and fight with the other tribes until all the land was conquered. Because Joshua was studying God’s Word, meditating on it, talking about it, and doing it – he knew what to do when it was time to put a plan together.

In Joshua’s mind, he would have remembered the day when he and Caleb came back after scouting out the Promised Land, and gave the report to the people that was part of Moses’ plan to enter the Promised Land. Numbers 14:1-14 “Then all the congregation raised a loud cry, and the people wept that night. 2 And all the people of Israel grumbled against Moses and Aaron. The whole congregation said to them, “Would that we had died in the land of Egypt! Or would that we had died in this wilderness! 3 Why is the Lord bringing us into this land, to fall by the sword? Our wives and our little ones will become a prey. Would it not be better for us to go back to Egypt?” 4 And they said to one another, “Let us choose a leader and go back to Egypt.” . . . (v. 11) “Then all the congregation said to stone them with stones.”

Now it was Joshua in charge – how would they respond to the command to pack up and prepare to enter into the promised land?

16 And they answered Joshua, “All that you have commanded us we will do, and wherever you send us we will go. 17 Just as we obeyed Moses in all things, so we will obey you. Only may the Lord your God be with you, as he was with Moses! 18 Whoever rebels against your commandment and disobeys your words, whatever you command him, shall be put to death. Only be strong and courageous.”

The people’s hearts were changed. Before they cried out in the night, now they are packing their backs, and preparing to fight. Did they obey Moses in all things? No. But they recognize that God was with Him, Joshua followed God’s Word, so they encourage him, 1) may the Lord your God be with you, as he was with Moses! – confirming he is there because God put him there, just like Moses and 2) “be strong and courageous.” God has his back, and the people have his back, together they go forward to accomplish what God has put before them to do. When God, the leader, and the people come together – then grasshoppers can defeat giants.

_____________________

[1] https://www.sermonillustrations.com/a-z/c/courage.htm

[2] For more information about God’s covenant with Abram, Genesis 15 https://drewboswell.com/gods-covenant-and-abrahams-response-genesis-151-21/

[3] For more information about Moses’ death, Jude 9 https://drewboswell.com/426926-2/

[4] James Montgomery Boice, Joshua We will Serve the Lord (Old Tappan, New Jersey; Fleming H. Revell Publishing, 1989) 21.

Principles From Joshua’s Appointment as Israel’s Leader

Principles From Joshua’s Appointment as Israel’s Leader

Moses became the leader of the Israelite people when he was eighty-years-old and then led the people for another forty years until he was 120 years-old. He died right before they entered into the Promised, bringing about the inauguration of Joshua’s leadership of the people. The Promised Land still needed to be conquered and served as punishment from the Lord for the sins of the Amorite people who inhabited the land.

Upon Moses’ death Joshua is made the leader by God, where is told to “be strong and courageous.” But when he assumes command it is not the first time he has held important responsibilities; we first see him leading in battle in Exodus 17:8-16. The Israelites are making their way through the wilderness and the Amalekites come out against them. Moses goes up on a mountain and holds up his arms and staff – and Joshua is sent to lead the troops in the valley below. As long as Moses kept his hands up, God’ s people would be winning, but as Moses grew tired his hands would drop and the Amalekites would be winning. And once they had won the victory,

Exodus17:13-14 “And Joshua overwhelmed Amalek and his people with the sword. 14 Then the Lord said to Moses, “Write this as a memorial in a book and recite it in the ears of Joshua, that I will utterly blot out the memory of Amalek from under heaven.” As Joshua was studying, and meditating, and talking about, and doing God Word – he would have come across this battle and remembered – the battle was won by prayer, teamwork, and God’s presence working on the battlefield – not his military talent. His success, to do what God has called him to do, is bigger than him – there are bigger things going on than you even know about. You are a part of a much bigger plan.

The second time we see Joshua is on Mt. Sinai. There is a moment when Moses, Aaron, and seventy elders saw God and ate and drank in God’s presence. When Moses went up onto the mountain to receive the law on the stone tablets, Joshua went with him. Exodus 24:13 “So Moses rose with his assistant Joshua, and Moses went up into the mountain of God.” He came back down with Moses to deal with the situation of these same leaders, who had sat in the presence of God, now had made golden calves and were worshipping them. Joshua would have leared many leadership principles over the years, like – God is holy and will not tolerate His people worshipping other gods.

The third time we see Joshua is when he is sent into the promised land as a spy. When the spies returned all their stories were the same, “the land is flowing with milk and honey.” But only Joshua and Caleb had faith that God would give them the land. As a spy Joshua would have learned – yes there were giants in the land, but God was much bigger than they were.

Numbers 14:6-9 “And Joshua the son of Nun and Caleb the son of Jephunneh, who were among those who had spied out the land, tore their clothes 7 and said to all the congregation of the people of Israel, “The land, which we passed through to spy it out, is an exceedingly good land. 8 If the Lord delights in us, he will bring us into this land and give it to us, a land that flows with milk and honey. 9 Only do not rebel against the Lord. As a young leader he tried to convince a hard hearted people that God was able to win the day. He watched as God taught his people a very important lesson — God requires that His people have faith (a forty year-long and death to a million people lesson).

The greater the responsibility and the larger the scope of the influence and its’ impact upon the lives of others, then it mandates the preparation of the leader for the task. For Joshua he did not just become the leader; he has been prepared, and he has shown himself to be faithful for forty years before he is made by God to be Israelite’s leader.

Principles From Joshua’s Leadership Transition

1) Leaders need a time of preparation before becoming the main leader. This includes opportunities to succeed and to fail. Both success and failure are instructional in the leadership process. Youth bring exuberance, new insight, their presence forces the established order to explain and justify why it does things a particular way, but wisdom cannot be rushed.

Youthful exuberance allowed Moa to usher in the Red Guard, a political movement where young people ushered in a season of violence and fascist methods of establishing their ideas. Many college aged young people became so radicalized that Moa’s own party had to tell them to tone it down some.

Unbridled youthful exuberance leads to destruction – godly wisdom takes time to learn. Young leaders need older leaders to walk with them – or a better way to think of it is that younger leaders need to be invited to walk in leadership with an older leader. Youthful leaders untethered from the wisdom of a mature leader is dangerous.

2) Leadership roles change over time. Deuteronomy 31:14-15 “And the Lord said to Moses, “Behold, the days approach when you must die. Call Joshua and present yourselves in the tent of meeting, that I may commission him.” And Moses and Joshua went and presented themselves in the tent of meeting. 15 And the Lord appeared in the tent in a pillar of cloud. And the pillar of cloud stood over the entrance of the tent.” This is actually the picture of a scene that had taken place many times over the years. Moses and Joshua entering into the tent of meeting to talk and receive instructions from the Lord. The leader is in the presence of the Lord, and to interact and hear from God was not something new.

At Joshua’s ordination, Moses and Joshua kneel before the Lord as they had done for decades. It becomes a picture of one generation passing on leadership, but the position before the Lord is the same. Each has different responsibilities, yet serving the same God. Their responsibilities may change, yet they serve a God that never changes. So, the principle is; Our roles as leaders will change over time, but God never changes. Every leader serves the same God.

3) Along with opportunities must stand a mentor. Successes are celebrated, failures are dissected for ways of improvement. The main leader must see the importance of giving meaningful opportunities, new initiatives, and strategically important tasks to a younger leader for the purpose of furthering the kingdom work today and preparing the leader for the future – and opportunities for the younger leader to learn from the experience of the older leader.

The better you become at equipping younger leaders, the more secure what you are building becomes. Some kingdom work is only one leader’s mistake or an illness away from failure and collapse (because it has no depth). Moses did not try to lead the troops into battle against the Amalekites, he sent Joshua as a general. He did not go up the Mountain of God alone, he took Joshua as a helper. And Moses did not lead the spy trip into the Promised Land, he sent Joshua, Caleb, and ten others and then awaited their report. Moses knew that he was the leader, but he also knew his true value to the organization. He allowed others to do what he could not, and the process of doing this over years developed a new leader. But both men enter into the tent of meeting to hear and learn from God, both men are learning and growing, and both will eventually change their roles (one into eternity, and the other to become a national leader).

If you are a younger leader, reach out to a more mature leader and ask them to guide you. If you are an older leader, then look around for a young person to mentor — they may not even think of themselves as a leader but you see the potential that comes form years of service. When you are working together the kingdom becomes stronger and the future becomes brighter.