Don't Start Believin': Joshua 9

In Summary:

At this point, the Israelites have destroyed two major cities on the western side of the Jordan, Jericho and Ai. These were destroyed after the miraculous crossing of the Jordan River. Before that, the main kingdoms on the eastern side of the river, led by Sihon and Og, were also destroyed.

So Joshua 9 gives us two responses. One of them will not be resolved until the next chapter, but it is introduced in Joshua 9:1-2. The kings of the region gather together with the intention of destroying the incoming Israelite invasion. As we consider this, it is important to remember that a “king” here may rule only over a city (and a small one, at that,) and answer to the king next door. There is no reason to dismiss the label of “king” because he did not rule a large territory. That’s an anachronism.

The inhabitants of Gibeon, though, decide that they are not interested in the combat coalition being put together. Instead, they hatch a plan to get themselves out of harm’s way. It’s a simple plan, really, which takes advantage of the cultural expectations of hospitality and oath-keeping. If the Israelites will take them in as weary travelers and make a peace treaty with them, then the Gibeonites will be safe even after the Hebrews know they are local enemies rather than distant ones. 

Joshua and the rest of the leaders of Israel realize their mistake. They determine that the Gibeonites will be taken as slave labor for the people of Israel, but since the nation had bound itself with an oath to the Lord God, they determined that they should keep it. It’s a difficult position that they found themselves in: having a made a promise that should not have been made, they must now honor it anyway. 

Generally speaking, that’s a bad spot. And there are times when your only option will be to break your word and move forward, but I would suggest those situations are rarer than we want them to be. There are times where the life of another is at stake, for example, or even your own life—a marriage vow to an abuser is an example—that one must break out of an oath. 

But that’s life issues, folks, not inconvenience, embarrassment, or financial challenge. We need to not conflate those issues.

In Focus:

Let’s put in focus where the fault is typically laid in this passage: Joshua 9:14. The leaders of Israel conduct their own investigation and do not inquire of YHWH about the Gibeonites. Let’s read that again, just to be certain that’s what it says: Joshua 9:14 (ESV). Indeed, they did not inquire of the Lord God.

Here they are, in the Promised Land, guided by the Lord God, YHWH, to it. He has given them passage through the Red Sea, manna in the wilderness, and victory over Sihon and Og. He brought them through the Jordan River rather than over it, then brought them through the walls of Jericho instead of over them. Yet they think that, at this point, they can handle it.

As a result, they set the stage for their own disobedience to His commands by making a covenant with the people of the land. The Gibeonites become the first of the undefeated Canaanites, and in due time, the Israelites will go astray following the Canaanite gods.

It starts with not seeking YHWH here, in the afterglow of the victory over Ai.

In Practice:

What fools they were, we look and say—but we have the benefit of hindsight! Consider our own lives and whether or not we have ever promised foolishly! It has happened before, and it will happen again.

It happens in our personal lives, where we vow and promise without consideration. It happens between churches and other organizations, and it happens between Christians in a society and political leadership—we make promises and commit support without really asking what the Lord says about it! So, what do we do?

1. If we do not know what the Lord says about life in general, how in the world will we know what He says about an alliance? Get your Bible out and read it! Understand the character of God, understand the holiness of God.

2. Be wary of stories that look too good to be true—especially when God has given clear instructions about an issue. Can you picture the leaders of Israel making their covenant with the Gibeonites? “Gee, Jehoahash, it’s a good thing these guys aren’t local, we couldn’t make this deal!” “Yep, Earl, that’s the case….” Guess what? If there’s only one thing wrong with the plan, then look twice at the one thing.

3. Be aware that temptation comes hard on the heels of victory. The Israelites are feeling good about the situation in the Promised Land, having seen the victories at Jericho and Ai. Never let victory lead to complacency, never let success breed apathy—always view each situation afresh, applying the same principles and passion to sorting it out as the last one required.

Don’t start believing everything you hear, especially when God has you on a mission!

In Nerdiness:

1. Question: vv. 1-2 say the kings of the cities formed an alliance…then v. 3 says the “inhabitants” of Gibeon set up this plan. Did the Gibeonites rebel against their king while he was off making the alliance and try to make their own peace? It makes Joshua 10 make even more sense.

2. So, does v. 23 reflect the upcoming worship center or is “house of my God” a reference to the kingdom of God? And do the Gibeonites, in due time, come to worship the God for whom they are hauling wood and water?

Everybody Back to Work: Joshua 8

In Summary:

They got knocked down…will they get up again? That is the question at stake for Israel at this point. You may recall from Joshua 7 that the Israelites faced their first defeat in the Conquest Era when trying to take Ai. They had not taken the whole of the people into that battle (Joshua 7:4) but the ones who went failed because they went without the power of God.

Joshua 8 tells of the return to Ai and its subsequent destruction. God gives Joshua instructions on setting up an ambush for Ai and then destroying it. It’s a classic “fake retreat” ambush—part of the army is in hiding and the rest goes up as if in a normal assault. When the evident troops retreat, they are pursued and the hidden warriors then come out and attack the undefended city. Then, the “retreating” forces turn and attack, leading to ultimate destruction.

It is worth noting that this time, God permits the people of Israel to plunder from the city. The people are still to be put to the death, but the Israelites may keep the material possessions. The deaths are a continued part of God’s judgment on the people of Canaan, promised in Genesis 15:13-16, but there is little clarity about why the command shifts regarding the material wealth. Perhaps Jericho had been a test, and having failed that test and seeing God reinforce the lesson, the people can now be trusted. 

The chapter wraps up with the Israelites fulfilling the requirements of Deuteronomy 27 by going to Mount Ebal and Mount Gerizim. There, they build an altar and restate the covenant between Israel and God, specifically using the covenant name (YHWH) and reminders of the Law of Moses.  And we see a recurrence, at least in the CSB, of one of my favorite Bible terms: “aliens” in v. 35. (It’s in reference to those in the community who were not born in it.)

In Focus:

Here is where I would draw the meaning from this passage: Joshua 8:1. God commands Joshua to take “all the people of war” and go up to Ai. That’s a substantial contrast to 7:3, where Joshua is advised that there is no need “wear out” all the people going up to Ai.

But God had not given the conquest to some of the people of Israel. Even the Reubenites, Gileadites, and the half-tribe of Manasseh, who all settled on the eastern side of the Jordan River, had sent their warriors to be part of the conquest. (Numbers 32 has that story.) 

The contrast here is between the earthly wisdom of Joshua’s advisors and the heavenly command. The earthly wisdom may make sense, in terms of military strategy and logistics. But the heavenly command is another matter entirely: the people were attempting to think for the Lord, and He had not given them that task. 

Their task was to obey what He had already said.

In Practice:

We would be prudent to apply the lessons here to more than just the conquest and destruction of enemy cities. In fact, given that the struggle of the Christian is not against flesh and blood (Ephesians 6:12-18), we probably won’t be destroying any enemy cities any time soon.

Instead, let us consider the task that God has given us. After all, one critical point in understanding part of Scripture as Christians is that we have the entire Bible to draw from. While I do love a good book study and some nice Biblical Theology, we do not have to understand what God said through Scripture by taking just one verse in isolation. (Which often leads to bad results, anyway!)

The task that God has given us, as Christians, is found in His commission to the Apostles in Matthew 28:18-20 and echoed in Mark, Luke-Acts, and we can see the heart of it throughout the text. There is a world full of people who need to hear the Gospel of Jesus Christ. There is a world full of people who need to see the love of God in action in the lives of Believers. And there are churches that need to be houses of prayer, worship, fellowship, discipleship, and compassion. 

But that task is not for us to farm off on to a few others. It is not for us to determine that a few need to labor while most of the people rest, even though that is honestly the way we do it in most churches. Look around the typical church, and you’ll notice Enterprise syndrome. Not the rental car company, but the spaceship. The Enterprise had a crew of hundreds….but except for 3 expendable red-shirted guys, the same 12 people did all the work, every episode.

Take a church that claims 576 members, but averages 145 in attendance—and then expects that fewer than 50 people will do most of the work. We fall into the trap of the Israelites at Ai in Joshua 7. Let’s just have a few folks do the work, even though God has given the task to the whole body.

Across the board, we need to see this: 1) we are to labor together, supporting one another; 2) that some people have specialties does not mean we send them off alone, but rather that we support them fully or we don’t send them; 3) the command of God is more important than the wisdom of men. Now, the latter may complement each other and when it does, then use the wisdom. When it doesn’t, though, keep the focus on the commands.

It is, after all, the responsibility of the Commander to deal with the outcome of His orders.

In Nerdiness:

First: there are some studies that suggest the Ai (and Jericho) narratives primarily refer to the taking of military fortifications more than ordinary cities. I would wait to make that assertion (it’s still very tenuous and only mentioned in a  couple of things I’ve read) until there is more study. It does shift the ethical problem: the “women and children” who were to be killed would have been far fewer than a city and would have had a definite attachment to the military might of the city. However, if that is the case, such a command would not be necessary. Nor would Jericho (Joshua 6) be as it was described. Is it possible that Ai was more of a fort than a city? Yes. But beyond that, I would defer to other sources.

Second: “Ai” means “ruin” in Biblical-era Hebrew. It may have been called “Bobville” before it was destroyed, and simply came to be remembered as a ruin.

Third: catch the similarity between Joshua 8:35 and how Exodus records the obedience in building the Tabernacle and furnishings. “Not a word” left unfollowed.

Ruinous Ruins: Joshua 7

In Summary:

Jericho has been destroyed. There is, effectively, nothing left. Except for a few items added to the “treasury of the house of YHWH” (Joshua 6:24,) a curious statement that deserved to be included in last time’s Nerd Note. Nothing is left! Well, Rahab is left, alongside her family as evidence of the grace of God.

So, the people of Israel decide that the next target should not take up everybody’s time. It is the city of Ai, a name which means “ruin” in the original language. (My blog won’t quite render the Hebrew ayin-yodh, which would be done as “ay” these days.) It’s an interesting name for a language that we talk about having no vowels. That’s not important right now.

What is important is the overall context of the chapter. The record shows that “the people of Israel broke faith” because one man, Achan, took some of the items devoted to the Lord. Joshua is unaware of this, and so sends spies to check out the city of Ai. They go, report that the city is ripe for the taking, and suggest a light strike force go up and take it. Joshua agrees with the spies, sends a few thousand, and they are defeated by the people of Ai.

That sets back the Israelites, almost to the point of despair. Their first response is that God has abandoned them. Then, God responds by pointing out that the people have sinned and how they must repent if they want to see His blessing. After that, the Israelites all go to Ai and destroy the city. 

In Focus:

The focal point of this chapter is Joshua 7:10. Joshua has called out, with all the people, to God over the result of the first attack on Ai. They are blaming God for their failure, even though it is the sin of the people that is at fault.

God is not impressed with their claims of sadness and is certainly not willing to take the blame for the Israelites’ sin. That sin has negative results is the nature of sin. It is not the fault of God. Sin would be sin—the universe which God has made is built around His holy nature. Sin damages the good He has made. Therefore the Israelites are responsible for the results.

In Practice:

At this point, you can probably guess the first practical. That is this: your sin has a negative effect against not only yourself but also against those around you. That’s an important part to remember: your actions affect others.

The next practical point I would make is this: it is not God’s responsibility when our sin brings us into trouble. Take, for example, the ill-effects of drinking too much alcohol. It is not God’s fault when drunkenness causes you to oversleep and lose your job. That is the results of your own sin. 

We also need to look at Joshua 7:1 and consider what it means: we tend to blame Achan as if the rest of Israel wasn’t involved. But the verse is clear that the people acted unfaithfully. Not just one person, but the people as a group did. When we tolerate sin in our midst, we become partners with the ones who actually commit the sins. Then, consider why our churches are not as effective as we would like, why our preaching isn’t moving people, why we have no ability to draw people to Jesus. It is because we have evidently and clearly brought sin alongside ourselves as if it was a friend.

We must remember that living in obedience is not just optional. It is necessary if we are going to walk well with Jesus.

In Nerdiness:

Nerd point number 1? Ai is another town that the archaeology is a bit challenging with the Biblical record. Now, how we handle that matters: we cannot ignore either the Biblical record or the archaeology. I won’t try to settle that here. But it takes more than just a glossing over.

Nerd point number 2: we have a question to deal with regarding the execution of not only Achan but his whole family. This feels like overkill to most of us, but God has a purpose in it. I don’t think we are in a good position to determine if God was right to command this. But we can say that, as justice and morality develop and are informed by God’s Word, we see things through a different lens. Looking back through Jesus’ death on the Cross, we see that Jesus died in our place for those sins which deserve death at the hands of God.

Sorting out how that works for God’s justice and the dispensing of justice at human hands is, of course, a matter for much longer writings.

Threaded Walls: Joshua 6

In Summary:

The story of the Battle of Jericho is fairly well known. Joshua 6 presents us with the Israelites following the orders of the “commander of the army of YHWH” that Joshua met in Joshua 5:13-15. The orders are in the first few verses of Joshua 6, and then the Israelites follow those orders. (Practically speaking Joshua 5:13 marks the beginning of the narrative unit more than 6:1 does, and is a good evidence of why a strict chapter-by-chapter approach breaks down.)

Joshua leads the people to march around the city, once. Then, they return to their camp. This is done on six consecutive days. On the seventh day, the men of Israel march around the city seven times. At a musical cue, the people shout, the walls fall down, and Jericho falls to the invading Israelites. The Israelites are commanded to destroy everything in the city, which leaves us with no moral questions. They are also commanded to kill everyone in the city, which does leave us with some serious moral questions. I’ve never met an answer to those questions that I fully like, and the ones that come closest will easily convert a blog post into a book. We will leave it as an open question for now. 

Jericho ends the chapter destroyed, Rahab ends the chapter saved, and Joshua’s fame is growing. (Joshua 6:27)

In Focus:

For a focal verse, look back first at Joshua 2:18 and then come forward to Joshua 6:23. The men who had promised Rahab deliverance placed a condition on their promise. She was to hang a scarlet rope from the window of her home, to mark the family to be spared. It is, first of all, reminiscent of the marking of the Israelite’s homes in Egypt during the Passover.

Second, though, it marked a place of salvation among the devastation. In all of the chaos, there remained one safe space. It was the home of Rahab. The place that many, likely, avoided by habit became the one place to be.

Finally, it is worth noting that Rahab and family are initially placed “outside the camp” of Israel (Joshua 6:23). They were saved, but the people of God were not entirely sure what to do next. In time, we see Rahab come to live in the midst of Israel (v. 25) by the time of the final editing of Joshua’s narrative.

In Practice:

What is there to be done about this? After all, none of us are invading walled cities these days. Especially not as part of God’s deliverance from Egyptian slavery. So, first a few things that are on the “not to-do list.” First, do not march around someone’s house in hopes the walls fall down. That misses the point of loving even your enemies. (Matthew 5:44) Additionally, one should not assume that God will work the same way again—He knocked down precisely zero other walls in this matter. Second, it is worth remembering that we have the complete Word of God in our hands. There are practical instructions enough that we do not need to go looking for angels with messages these days.

Now, on the to-do list:

1. Remember that no matter how devastated an area looks, there are still people there who the grace of God can reach. Rahab was possibly the least savable of all these people, and yet God had a plan for her. Keep your eyes looking for the threads of grace to find those who will heed His message. The amazing thing about the grace of God is that He has no limit on how many people the thread can stretch to.

2. There is, however, a necessity for the one true thread to be there. Rahab had a specific fabric to use, and there was no imitation possible. The same is true of the Gospel: it is the fact of Jesus’ death on the cross, His burial, and His resurrection that makes salvation possible. Not anything else—and if any idea suggests that salvation is possible without these, it’s a false thread that leads to destruction. Not a viable substitute.

3. The other side of the coin: in the devastation, leave the mess. There are ideas, attitudes, and behaviors that belong only on the rubble heap to be burned. Along with the beliefs that underlie this trash. There is no sense in trying to save them. Pile them up and let them go. And let the person who brings such ideas back into the vogue be accursed—whether they are false gods of materialism or false gods of racism or abuse or any of the thousands of wicked ends mankind has hatched in the centuries. Burn it. Let it never return, at all costs.

In Nerdiness:

First nerd part: the Zondervan NIV Study Bible presents a take on Jericho and Ai that I have not seen—they suggest that Jericho, Ai, and some of the other locales are possibly military forts rather than complete cities at the time of the Conquest. This would account for the lack of archaeological evidence of massive cities in those locations. It would also soften the ethical problems of the conquest: you are then not dealing with a massive civilian slaughter. Instead, you are destroying the entire military and, by extension, scaring the civilian population out. I have not seen this in my other resources, so I won’t push it hard, but it is worth contemplation. If the language/history holds up, that would be a good thing.

Second nerd part: remember that there is debate between defining Rahab as an “innkeeper” or a “harlot.” Suffice it to say that her life becomes very different on learning about the One True God. Focus on her Savior, not her past.

Third nerd part: Joshua 6:26 and 1 Kings 16:34. A good thought for a long-term study is all the distance covered in the life of Israel between Jericho and Jericho.

Fourth nerd part: there are significant archaeological issues with dating the events of this passage and the evidence in the dirt on the city of Jericho. I will not untie that knot here. But do some reading—Archaeology and Bible History by Joseph Free is a good starting point. McRay and Hoerth’s Bible Archaeology is another good beginning resource. 

Painful Obedience: Joshua 5

In Summary:

Joshua 5 opens with the people of Israel in the Promised Land. That’s a great start. Even better is the news that the kings of the Amorites and Canaanites are terrified by the work of God in the life of Israel. I like the imagery of Joshua 5:1 of melted hearts and breath taken away. 

Then, things get hairy for Joshua and the Israelites. Apparently, in the 40 years they have wandered in the wilderness, no one has observed the ceremonial rule of circumcision. This is a logical oversight: the wilderness era involved many pack-up and move outs, and there may not have been a healthy way to accomplish the circumcision of newborns. Or, perhaps, the generation that headed off to die in the wilderness (Numbers 14) was rebellious and simply refused. The text does not answer that question, because it is less important the reality. Why the men are uncircumcised is irrelevant. That they are uncircumcised must be addressed.

So, there in the shadows of Jericho, Joshua has flint knives made and the men of Israel are circumcised. Any man under forty goes through this painful observance. That would include, basically, the whole army. God highlights that this takes away the reproach of Egypt—the people are again marked as the covenant people of God (Joshua 5:9).

It is now recovery time for the Israelites. After all, that hurt…

In Focus:

This is not the only part of the obedience that hurts in this chapter. While the circumcision experience certainly hit the men, they would recover from it in a few days. Further, since the people of the land were terrified of the God who could hold back the Jordan River, there was little risk during that recovery time.

Instead, look on down in the chapter to Joshua 5:11. The people of Israel, after celebrating the first Passover in the Promised Land, eat some of the grain and other produce of the land. And at that point, the manna stops. No longer does God provide a day’s ration to be picked up. Instead, the people must live off the land. 

Which means work. They must till, plant, and grow what they will eat. True, they will eat captured food for a time—except for the cities that are totally destroyed. 

In Practice:

In our every day lives, there are fewer things we do not think about more than circumcision. That we do not consider this as a religious practice is based in the New Testament, though there are debates going forward about the medical practice. I have no interest in that discussion here.

Instead, let us consider a few factors:

1. As stated, the Israelites were living in sin by not fully obeying the covenant of God. They were not circumcising the boys. The important point was to recover obedience rather than fix blame. This is generally true for us today: recover obedience first. Fix blame only if necessary. This carries a necessary caveat: if the disobedience involves victimization of individuals, then proper consequences must follow. That is a different case.

But let us take as an example a church’s approach to youth ministry. Many churches have slid into a youth-ministry-as-entertainment approach. That’s sinful. It is far less important how or when you got there than it is to get out of there quickly. The work of the church is to proclaim the Gospel. 

Now, generally, any time you pull a ministry that has been fun back toward a focus, people get angry. People leave. Growth stifles for a time. Guess what? Obedience has consequences. 

2. Then, there was the need to personally correct the sinful situation. You have a stake in your own sin. Do what God commands to fix it. It may be difficult, but obedience has consequences.

3. Finally, the Israelites took in the blessing of being in the Land, but that resulted in a change in God’s provision. They could not live on the manna forever, but that did not make it any easier. Obedience, though, has consequences.

Those consequences may be personally painful or somewhat risky. They may result in more work in the long run. But if we do not take on the painful obedience today, then the long-range effects are devastating.

In Nerdiness: 

First, I left off Joshua 5:13-14 on purpose. I think they fit better with Joshua 6 and they tend to draw the most discussion on this chapter.

2. I find the implications of Joshua 5:1 interesting. It appears that the people of the area were more aware of what God could do than the Israelites were at times. However, given traditional religions, it’s possible that the Canaanites still misunderstood the nature of God and assumed a capricious and unpredictable deity rather than who God truly is. But their fear was well-grounded just the same.

Rock Forever!: Joshua 4

In Summary:

Joshua 4 picks up the story right where Joshua 3 left off. The people are in the middle of the Jordan River, the priests are holding the Ark, and the waters have parted. There’s not much else to tell. The text recaps that the people crossed, including that the warriors for Reuben, Gad, and the half-tribe of Manasseh crossed over with the rest of the nation, honoring their commitment.

There is also the statement that through this, God exalted Joshua just as He had done with Moses. He does this by echoing the miracle at the Red Sea from Exodus 15 with the parting of the Jordan River. Joshua is the legitimate successor of Moses as the leader of the people.

In Focus:

Rather than one verse or phrase from Joshua 4, focus your attention on event in this chapter of the gathering of rocks from within the Jordan River. As the bulk of the people are crossing, two things go on. First, twelve men are tasked (one from each tribe) with taking a stone from the river bed where the priests are standing with the Ark. These men take one stone each to the new campsite at Gilgal.

Meanwhile, 4:9 tells us that Joshua set up twelve stones where the priests are standing with the Ark. Depending on which commentary you read, some will suggest that these are the same twelve stones. Perhaps Joshua made a stack and then the twelve men picked up one from each stack. I side with the idea that twelve new stones were set up at the place of the priests. Also, Joshua is the man in charge. He may not have done it himself, and he still gets credit for doing it. We see this from time-to-time.

Worth noting on all twenty-four stones is this: there is no way we are talking about lightweight, small rocks. These are big, visible markers. Joshua is building a monument, after all. He’s building two—one of which will apparently be visible in the Jordan at times.

Why? God said to do it. While that’s a valid reason to do most anything, there’s often a reason God said to do things. In this case, the purpose is a memorial, a reminder of the river crossing. It’s to point out the place where God did the impossible on behalf of His people. How does that work? The people of Israel had been in the desert for 40 years, and they continued to live an agrarian life in a semi-arid climate. They would know the difference in river rocks and shore rocks. The evidence would be plain to their eyes.

In Practice:

First and foremost, we need to walk in obedience so that we have something to remember the Lord’s work by. Before we can make a memorial of how God used us as we walked in obedience, we have to walk in obedience. That is a place we often miss: God has already given us instructions, and we wait for something else before we follow.

Second, pay attention to what God does in your life and the lives around you. Where do see the miraculous in everyday life? Make a note of it. Here’s the place where journals and calendars come in handy—and so do those pesky phones. Take a picture, make a note. And then put some of this in a format you can remember it by and tell others.

As believers in Christ, we have two parts of the work of God to tell. The first is the work of God in salvation as Jesus came, died, and rose from the grave. We must never leave the Gospel unspoken. But the second part also matters: how is God working in your life and the lives of those around you? How has He shown His faithfulness so far?

Because by this, we learn even more how trustworthy God is for the days ahead.

In Nerdiness:

In fairness, it’s equally likely that we don’t have two stone piles, but one. It’s possible that the grammar should be translated that way.

Second, the stones are there “to this day” refers to the time of writing. Not this day, but that day.

Heaped Obstacles: Joshua 3

In Summary:

For starters, remember where the people of Israel are in the story in Joshua 3. They have come up to the edge of the Promised Land, but have not gone in yet. Joshua sent spies to check out the situation in Jericho (see Joshua 2). The spies have returned, brought Joshua an encouraging report, and now the Israelites must go into the land.

If you have a Bible handy, take a look at the book of Maps in the back. If your Bible doesn’t have a book of Maps, then you need to get one that does! Or, perhaps, a good Bible atlas or handbook. (I like The Baker Illustrated Bible Handbook, available here. Or you can go here for an online map: http://bibleatlas.org/isv/tribes.htm) You will see something important. The people sit on the east side of the Jordan River. Jericho and the other areas that need to be conquered sit on the west side of the Jordan.

These days, we would expect Joshua to call in the bridging engineers and make his own path. 3500 years ago (roughly,) things were not so easy. A river, even a smaller one like the Jordan River, made for a pretty strong barrier. An army would be hard-pressed to make the crossing in perfect conditions, to say nothing of how easily another army could drive them back into the river. The crossing army would be struggling into and out of the water and mud, all the while taking a rain of arrows, stones, and spears. 

It’s a recipe for disaster. 

In Focus:

The Lord God, however, views obstacles differently than we do. For Him, neither the armies of Jericho nor Jordan River were a problem. We already saw that the fear of God has the army of Jericho dealt with (Joshua 2:11). The question before the Israelites comes back to the river. There would have been some of the Israelites who saw God part the Red Sea during the Exodus, but for most of the people, that story was more history than reality. History, after all, is the stuff that we’re told happened but we’re never quite sure of it. (Legend, meanwhile, is the stuff we’re told might have happened and we’d like it to be true. Myth is what we wish had happened…but that’s all another post.)

God has a plan in place, and it would be very easy to jump ahead to “the waters parted and the people crossed.” God used more words, though, to describe what happened. We would be wise to pay attention to some of those words. 

Joshua 3:1, first, has a simple point that is valuable. The people of Israel come to the brink of the river and lodge there. As in, they stop to rest. Rest is not just for the lazy, it is a critical need for people. Get your rest. 

Next, we see that Joshua gives orders to the people to “consecrate themselves” (3:5). We cannot assume that God will provide for us if we are not dedicated to Him. Following God requires a full-out commitment of the heart.

From there, we see the people of Israel commanded to follow the Ark into the Jordan, and then to pass by and go up into the Promised Land. The waters are piled up, like a heap, far from where they will interfere with the Israelites. Their greatest obstacle is cleared, easily, by the power of God.

In Practice:

Certainly, we could take the time to talk about God clearing out the metaphorical rivers in our lives. Yet how God intervenes in our lives is up to Him, and certainly is not something to be commanded by us. If it were, I can assure you that the past few days would have gone very, very differently for a dear friend. 

Instead, let us look at our practices in preparation for the work of God. First, of course, is the idea of getting some rest mentioned above. This one is not merely a physical constraint. It’s a commandment. Rest. 

Second, let us consider our consecration. Are we set apart like we should be? Do we have the habit of dedicating every action, every thought, to the Lord Jesus Christ? If not, then we have a need to consecrate ourselves. 

Third, walk in obedience by following God-honoring examples. Notice how the Israelites crossed the Jordan. First, the priests went ahead of everyone else, carrying the Ark and showing the way. God even instructed the people to keep a good distance so that they could see clearly the pathway. Then, though, the people had to pass by the priests and carry on to the other side.

Examples are good and necessary, but there are points in our life where we must go further than our examples have gone. All only in clear obedience to the Word of God, but never stop where the priests are. Stop where God has directed you to go.

In Nerdiness: 

Nerd point 1: “Follow at 2000 cubits” in v. 4 translates to about 3000 feet, or almost half a mile. 

Nerd point 2: The Red Sea divides in half, with waters piled on both sides (Exodus 14:22), while the Jordan piles up in one place. I don’t know that there is a lot of significance there, but it’s a detail recorded.

Spies and Promises: Joshua 2

In Summary:
After an interlude when Joshua is commissioned to take command, the narrative story of Israel continues with Joshua 2. Joshua sends two spies into Jericho to check out the situation. Then, things get exciting.

Overall, this chapter is worthy of a good action movie. You have a secret mission into foreign territory. Your spies make it as far as an inn at the edge of town, where they are found out. The king (keep in mind, kings ruled over cities in that era) sends word to the innkeeper to hand over the spies. She doesn’t. Instead, she hides them, deceives the king, and helps the enemies of her nation escape. There’s enough intrigue for a thriller.

And then you have the potential scandal, as shown in the labeling of Rahab as a harlot or prostitute (see NASB and ESV in Joshua 2:1). The word and grammar here are vague enough to suggest that Rahab was, at times, engaged in such a profession but that she was also an innkeeper. Without getting too nerdy here, I have seen some commentary that suggests Rahab is possibly a war widow who did not remarry and instead held her own business and property. The ancient world was not flooded with high morals, and inns were commonly involved in both above-board and below-sheet businesses.

So, there is no certainty that the spies stop specifically for a rendezvous. Just as you can stay at the Holiday Inn without joining the karaoke kookiness, even being unaware of it, our spies may be innocent. They stopped at a well-traveled location.

Which is probably why they got found out. Rahab hides them, misdirects the king, and then helps them escape. Basic spy-movie plot, with a few lovely ladies involved and the real solution coming from an outsider.

In Focus:
We should not leave this passage without putting the promise to Rahab by the spies in focus. First, we see her plea in Joshua 2:9-14. She recognizes the God of Israel, called here by His covenant name, as greater than any other god. She confesses that the people of Jericho know they will be defeated, and here she chooses to side with God.

And, therefore, she sides with Israel. Her fear of God exceeds her fear of her king—even though the king could have had her killed. Her fear of God drives her.

Then, we need to consider the behavior of the spies. They promise Rahab that they will deliver her when the Israelites come and destroy everyone else. That sounds great. After she has gotten them out of the jam, they note that their promise came with strings attached. Well, one string, literally: if she did not tie a scarlet thread in her window, their promise would be nullified.

In Practice:
We can find some easy application here. First of all, let your fear of God be greater than your fear of man. That will drive many changes in your actions, won’t it? Did you vote because you feared what your neighbor would do? Or what a “foreigner” might do? Or did you vote because of your belief in God-honoring right and wrong?

What about work? Do you work like your boss depends on you or like you are a servant of God? As you plan your future, who do you seek to serve most? Yourself, or God?

A second application is unfortunate: be wary of people who make promises under stress. Like the spies did to Rahab, they may attach an escape clause to their word. That does not line up with Jesus’ commands to us (Matthew 5:37). So, believers in Jesus should not do such a thing. But be aware of others, and keep in mind that not all “stress” is immediate death. If he “promises” he’ll go to church after you marry him…if someone “promises” they’ll change if you only do this, realize that the stress is promising. Not the person’s character.

In Nerdiness: 
1. Innkeeper/harlot: that’s a big discussion for history. It should be noted that Rahab is someone pushed to the margins of her society. She lives in the wall, for cryin’ out loud. The king wants to use her, apparently men in town use her, and even the spies use her. But if you trace her heritage, she becomes a part of the people of God. God uses those that society pushes aside.

2. The lying. That’s a problem, for Jesus is the truth, right? What do we do with this? I think it was Kissinger or Nixon who observed that a “lie is an abomination to the Lord, and a very present help in time of trouble.” We are to be people of the truth, but what about in dealing with life and death? God uses Rahab’s lie. That does not mean we should actively deceive, but can the affairs of nations take place completely openly?

3. Sending the spies. Joshua said in Joshua 1:11 that the people would go in 3 days….then he sends the spies and that takes 3 days. Plus, things didn’t go so well the last time Israel spied out the land. (See Numbers 13 and here). Does he delay? Or does the narrative retelling deal with overlapping time? Either way, it was risky but, in the long run, it worked out this time.

Faithful in All Matters: Joshua 1

In Summary:

Joshua’s story continues as his eponymous book begins. We’ve heard of Joshua already, going back to Exodus 17, so we know that Joshua is in the generation that exited Egypt under Moses’ leadership. He was likely a leader within the Israelite community already, as his first mention places him as a military leader during the battle with the Amalekites. From there, he becomes Moses’ servant (Numbers 11:28) and is selected as one of the twelve spies in Numbers 13. He brings a positive report, though it is rejected by the ten spies as well as the people of Israel.

Joshua 1, then, is not his introduction but his time to step out of the shadows and into the leading role. In doing so, God charges him to be “strong and courageous.” God repeats Himself three times (1:6, 1:7, 1:9) in commanding this—which means that He is quite serious about it. Strong here is connected to “binding tightly” or “being firm.” It’s not just about physical strength but also about mental and emotional fortitude. It is strength as a spiritual value. Courageous is connected to having a firm heart, a decided heart. Joshua is commanded by God to firm, to hold tightly, to be decided. And if God saying so three times is not enough, the people tell him the same thing. Just once, though.

In Focus:

Having said all that about Joshua, let us put the focus on the hero of the book of Joshua. His name is found in Joshua 1:1, 1:9, 1:11, 1:13, 1:15, and 1:17. Who is it? It is YHWH, the Lord God of Israel. While the book of Joshua looks, at first glance, like a chronicle of the exploits of the Joshua the Conqueror, it is actually the covenant fulfillment record of the God of Israel.

Remember, after all, that Deuteronomy is a record of the covenant between YHWH (the divine name of the God of Israel) and the people of Israel. This is a bilateral, or “if-then” covenant. If the people do this, then God will do that. The first “if” is on God’s part: He must deliver the people into the land first. Then the covenant as stated becomes operative. Take a look, then, at Joshua 1:2-3. God reminds Joshua of His promise to the people of Israel. Throughout this chapter, we see two things restated: the promise of God to be faithful to His covenant, and the promise of the Israelites to act just like they have for forty years (Joshua 1:17).

Despite this, God remains faithful to Himself and His Word.

In Practice:

Practically speaking, we should take courage and strength from the promises of the Faithful One, the Lord God Almighty. We either live in complacent times or in strange and interesting ones. If it appears easy to walk in obedience to God, let us take courage to re-examine whether or not we truly are being faithful to God. After all, it is not uncommon for the church-at-ease to falter in our obedience. The history of the “Bible belt” or other zones of Christendom demonstrate that quite well.

If we live in strange and interesting times (a euphemism for difficult days), then we need strength. Strength to stand as the world falters around us, strength to trust that God has our eternity in His hand. After all, if eternity is in His hand, then next Tuesday will be right as well. Right, of course, in His perspective. Not necessarily ours.

Living with courage and strength will drive us to proclaim the word of God no matter what befalls us. As we look at Joshua, he was given one conditional command. One thing to draw his strength from: the book of the law given by God. In other words, the covenant. He had God’s promises, God’s words, to keep in his mind and on his lips. Let us do that, and so draw others to the same covenant. The God of the Promise did not change when the human leadership changed, and it will not change no matter how the seasons pass.

In Nerdiness:

A few thoughts:
1. Dimensions of the Promised Land? From the “Wilderness” to Lebanon, as far as the Euphrates and the Mediterranean. Assuming, of course, that “Mediterranean” is the right idea for the Great Sea and it’s not the Atlantic. Which is probably a reasonable assumption. We never saw Israel stretch that far, but…
2. “Joshua” is drawn from the words meaning “YHWH saves.” The Greek equivalent? “Ihsous.” That’s right: “Jesus.” How far do the lands of the Kingdom of Jesus stretch?
3. Think through the Israelites’ promise. They are going to obey just like they did with Moses. Have you read Exodus, Numbers, Leviticus, Deuteronomy? Who do they think they are fooling?