Tag Archives: Old Testament

Joshua 7: Devoted things

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victorian-2745_960_720Fresh off their victory over Jericho, the Israelites walked through the ruins of the city, marveling over how the mighty walls of Jericho fell as they shouted. Did thoughts such as, “We are God’s chosen no one can stand against us” creep into their heads?

As their pride swelled, trouble followed. Joshua chapter 7 recalls the second battle led by Joshua; one against Ai, which means “the ruin.” They assumed defeating Ai would be a much easier task than the battle of a heavily fortified Jericho. God wasn’t consulted on how the battle against Ai should be fought. As a result, a smaller but sufficient force set out to do battle. They were soundly defeated.

The Israelites were perplexed. Why did God allow this to happen? The hearts of the Israelites melted with fear! If word got out of their defeat, all of Canaan would descend on the Israelites and wipe them out.

As it turns out God was angry with the Israelites.  He revealed the reason for this anger to Joshua. The Israelites were not supposed to take any of the spoils of Jericho for themselves but someone did. Joshua began questioning the people, tribe by tribe, family by family. Achan from the tribe of Judah was the culprit. He buried some of the spoils devoted to God in the dirt under his tent. His words are unforgettable, “I saw them…I coveted them…I took them.” He and his family paid the ultimate price for his disobedience.

“I saw them…I coveted them…I took them.” Joshua 7:21

D. R. Davis shares this insight, “Our problem here is- sinners that we are – we don’t think breaking Yahweh’s covenant is all that big a deal.” We don’t understand the presence of sin and how it affects our relationship with a holy God.

Another thought to consider is the idea of “serpent theology” found in Genesis 3:1. The serpent’s temptation placed the emphasis on the one thing God restricted rather than all the blessings we already hold in our hands.

“Give us this day our daily bread… and lead us not into temptation but deliver us from the evil one.” Matthew 6:11, 13

Joshua 5: The land that was promised

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After 40 years of talking about it, the Israelites were finally in the Promised Land.  To celebrate, they renewed their covenant with God and prepared for the new life awaiting them.  No longer desert nomads, they would become farmers and shepherds in a land flowing with milk and honey.

“The day after the Passover, that very day, they ate some of the produce of the land: unleavened bread and roasted grain.”  Joshua 5:11 NIV

Their daily supply of manna suddenly stopped falling to the ground and the river Jordan once again raged at their backs.  They couldn’t retreat to the desert.  What they needed now was complete trust and obedience in God, their deliverer.  Thankfully, Joshua appeared to be connected to Him just like Moses was.   This thought seemed to put the people at ease.

Meanwhile, the people living in Jericho looked down with fear at the sight of 2 million Israelites covering the countryside.  Would their massive city walls be enough to protect them?  They had the living God on their side.  Jericho’s army shut themselves tight inside the fortified city and waited.  A showdown loomed…

“When Joshua was near the town of Jericho, he looked up and saw a man standing in front of him with sword in hand. Joshua went up to him and demanded, “Are you friend or foe?”” Joshua 5:13 NLT

Joshua 3: Crossing the Jordan

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water-872016_960_720For people of God, the Jordan River carries heavy symbolism.  If you are a churchgoer, take a quick peek in your hymnal.  You will find songs revealing the Jordan as a symbol of death.  Crossing the Jordan and reaching the Promised Land meant  entering the gates of heaven.

Some time after Jesus was baptized in the Jordan River, baptism took the meaning of dying to your old self (upon immersion) and being raised to new life found in Christ (being drawn back up out of the water).

In Joshua chapter three we read the people of Israel needed to sanctify themselves before they could cross the Jordan River.  For this ancient people it involved devoting themselves completely to God and worshiping him.  God was about to perform a miracle and he wanted their undivided attention.

“Joshua told the people, “Consecrate yourselves, for tomorrow the Lord will do amazing things among you.”” Joshua 3:5

Unlike the Red Sea crossing found in the book of Exodus, crossing the Jordan to take possession of the Promised Land required an act of faith on their part–especially by the priests.  God wasn’t going to stop the flow of the Jordan River at flood stage until their feet were in the water.  The priests, however, didn’t go into the water alone.  God was with them in the form of the ark of the covenant, which they carried.

“The priests who carried the ark of the covenant of the Lord stopped in the middle of the Jordan and stood on dry ground, while all Israel passed by until the whole nation had completed the crossing on dry ground.”  Joshua 3:17

Some thoughts for those who know God through his son Jesus:

  • God sometimes performs miracles at the most extreme times, often only after we step out in faith
  • How many miracles have we missed because we failed to take that first step of faith?
  • Every person passed by the ark (containing the Word of God) as they traveled through the dry riverbed. Much as every person today must encounter God to pass from death to everlasting life.
  • God will accomplish the impossible in our lives if we will trust Him.

 

 

Joshua 2: Rahab

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I blogged about Joshua chapter 1 a while back, see my posts here: A Homily on Joshua Chapter 1 and here: Joshua 1: Be strong and courageous.

Joshua chapter 2 features two spies who are sent to Jericho to gather information about the city prior to the Israelite invasion.  Their job, blend in to a culture foreign to them, one in which they didn’t belong.  As Christians doesn’t life in the workplace sometimes seem just like this; different ethics, language, and temptations we’re not prepared for.

uruk5The spies encounter Rahab, a pagan prostitute and owner of the establishment.  Her house, an inn, was the best place to gather information, that is, until they were labeled spies.  In a startling turn of events, Rahab not only agrees to hide them from the authorities, she lies to protect them.  Her motivation: she fears God and believes He is the one true God of heaven and earth.  In the most unlikely of places the Israelites encounter a person of faith.

…for the LORD your God is God in heaven above and on earth below.  Joshua 2:11 NLT

In exchange for harboring them, Rahab asks for a guarantee she and her family won’t be destroyed when the Israelites invade.  She is given a red cord to hang in her window, a symbol she has chosen to side with the God of Israel.

One has to wonder, how will Rahab be remembered after she is gone.  After all, she’s a prostitute and a liar.  Yet, the Bible chooses to remember her as a person of faith.

It was by faith that Rahab the prostitute was not destroyed with the people in her city who refused to obey God. For she had given a friendly welcome to the spies. Hebrews 11:31 NLT

D.R. Davis in his commentary on Joshua states, “Genuine faith never rests content with being convinced of the reality of God but presses on to take refuge in God.”

How will you be remembered?  Will people remember you by an occasional good deed or will you be remembered for your faith in God, your refuge?

The Old Man and the Sea

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IMG_0070I came across a copy of The Old Man and the Sea while cleaning a bookshelf.  A required read in high school, I recalled very little of it.  I was anxious to give it another look.

It’s a short story about a Cuban fisherman down on his luck.  He’s an impoverished old man who maintains a relationship with a boy.

The boy was once taught to fish by the old man.  He repays the elder by finding ways to  attend to his sustenance.  The two used to fish together before the old man’s string of bad luck caused the boy’s parents to insist their son fish with someone else.

A quote from the book:

“Luck is a thing that comes in many forms and who can recognize her? I would take some though in any form and pay what they asked.”

Hemingway successfully walks a tightrope, offering vivid descriptions while maintaining the flow of the story.  He also captures the double-edged sword of angst, which faces the serious fisherman; the plague of drought (not being able to catch any fish) verses hooking the catch of a lifetime (and being able to successfully land it).  Finally, there’s the struggle pitting man against beast.  The old man possesses seasoned and hardened skill while the fish possesses great strength and power.

I thoroughly enjoyed it.