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JOSHUA: MOSES’ SILENT PARTNER 2

Published June 7, 2008 Uncategorized Leave a Comment
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Holy Ground:

Joshua 1:1-9; 5:13-15

We have glimpses of this man, Joshua, all through the time of Moses. In fact, during every single important event of Israel’s history from the time of the Exodus to the death of Moses, Joshua was present, just off to one side. So loyal to Moses was he, that he was given the title of “Moses’ minister” or “Moses’ servant.” He was a strong and decisive military leader who defeated the enemy of Israel (Ex. 17:13) and maintained his faith in God and commitment to God’s plan while many of his fellow citizens were rebelling.

After 40 years of working together, Moses died, leaving Joshua alone. And yet, he wasn’t alone. Joshua’s faith in God was not dependent on his relationship with Moses; Joshua kept in touch with God despite Moses’ departure.

1. Background, verse 1

After the death of Moses the servant of the LORD, the LORD said to Joshua son of Nun, Moses’ aide

The first thing that strikes us about this man Joshua is his name. When it is translated into Greek, it become “Jesus,” which means “Savior.” Chester Mulder, in his commentary on the book of Joshua, refers to Joshua as the “Old Testament Jesus,” for his name foreshadows many characteristics of the New Testament Jesus. Here are a few similarities:

• he had nothing negative or evil in his background;
• he had no lust for power or personal gain;
• there was no taint of selfishness: all Joshua wanted to fulfill God’s will for himself and his people;
• he was a man of courage and perseverance;
• he had a cheerful confidence in the face of insurmountable obstacles;
• Joshua never once failed to exemplify a deep concern for others.

And so, in due time, God chose Joshua when He needed a leader who was ready, willing and able to listen and obey to God’s instructions. The years he spent with Moses more than prepared Joshua for the mission and they showed God how he could be faithful to his earthly leader.

2. The Command, verse 2

“Moses my servant is dead. Now then, you and all these people, get ready to cross the Jordan River into the land I am about to give to them—to the Israelites.

We are never told exactly how God spoke to Joshua, but speak He did, and often. Here, the Lord gives Joshua the command to “cross the Jordan River.” The crossing of the Jordan marked Israel’s entrance into the Promised Land, just as crossing the Red Sea marked their departure from Egypt.

It is interesting that the death of Moses is treated merely as a comma, not a period, in the history of Israel. Human leaders, great or weak, are incidental to the continuity of God’s will. God’s plans and purposes continue to unfold and exceed the life-span of any man. And they continue even if the man is weak. Because of his disobedience, Moses was not allowed to lead the people into the Promised Land (Numbers 27:12-14).

The events about to unfold under Joshua’s leadership are built upon the ancient promises given to Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, and Joseph. As great as the miraculous preservation of Israel as a nation for 400 years in Egypt and their miraculous deliverance from Egypt were, those things were not ends in themselves, but were harbingers for the next great event: possession of the Promised Land. God’s presence in our lives is continuous, as is His intervention; we should always be expecting the next move of God in our lives and never think that the last one is the last one. In the case of Israel, we see a continuity of God’s command to enter Canaan, and a continuity of God’s intervention. The entire history of Israel is a history of Divine intervention. God influenced human history in the past, and He was continuing to do so in Joshua’s day. Understanding that simple fact is key to understanding the meaning of the book of Joshua.

The forty years of training and tutelage under Moses had prepared Joshua for this one specific assignment. Imagine being educated and trained all those years to perform one duty. He surely needed it: How was he to lead the people across the flooded Jordan? What’s interesting is that this assignment didn’t seem to bother Joshua; he was convinced that whatever God commanded, God made possible. Remember what he said in Numbers 14:8-9,

If the Lord is pleased with us, he’ll lead us into that land. It’s a land that has plenty of milk and honey. He’ll give it to us. “But don’t refuse to obey him. And don’t be afraid of the people of the land. We will swallow them up. The Lord is with us. So nothing can save them. Don’t be afraid of them.” (NIRV)

3. A Second Chance, verse 3-4

I will give you every place where you set your foot, as I promised Moses. Your territory will extend from the desert to Lebanon, and from the great river, the Euphrates—all the Hittite country—to the Great Sea on the west.

When did God promise this to Moses? In Number 13:1-2, we read this:

The Lord spoke to Moses. He said, “Send some men to check out the land of Canaan. I am giving it to the people of Israel.

The result of this is found in the next chapter:

The people of Israel spoke against Moses and Aaron. The whole community said to them, “We wish we had died in Egypt or even in this desert. Why is the Lord bringing us to this land? We’re going to be killed with swords. Our enemies will capture our wives and children. Wouldn’t it be better for us to go back to Egypt?”

They said to one another, “We should choose another leader. We should go back to Egypt.” (Numbers 14:2-4)

As a result of their attitude and mistrust of God, Israel suffered severely in the intervening years. Under Joshua’s leadership, the people are given a second chance. We serve a God who gives second chances to us to get it right. It might take a long time, years in the case of Israel, but the second chance comes as God’s people learn their lesson.

Israel was now ready to complete the “God-man circuit so that God’s power could work on their behalf” (Mulder).

The territory God was going to give the Israelites was extensive. This would be more land, in fact, than the nation ever occupied. David and Solomon extended the borders close to God’s promise, but even their efforts were temporary.

The extent of these boundaries illustrates the lavishness of God’s provision for His people: He always provides more than what is needed. Had Israel fully obeyed God, they would have made influenced all nations surrounding them for righteousness. But did they? According to Judges 1 and 2, Israel again broke their covenant with God. As a result of their unfaithfulness, nations and people who could have been enlightened were left in darkness and the Israelites, who should have been conquerors became slaves once again.

4. The Keys to Success, verses 5-8

No one will be able to stand up against you all the days of your life. As I was with Moses, so I will be with you; I will never leave you nor forsake you.

“Be strong and courageous, because you will lead these people to inherit the land I swore to their forefathers to give them. Be strong and very courageous. Be careful to obey all the law my servant Moses gave you; do not turn from it to the right or to the left, that you may be successful wherever you go. Do not let this Book of the Law depart from your mouth; meditate on it day and night, so that you may be careful to do everything written in it. Then you will be prosperous and successful.

In these verses, we can see certain keys that led Joshua to success in his commission.

(1) God’s very real presence. As He was Moses, so God would be with Joshua, so He continues to be with the Church. God gave him the assurance, and that was all Joshua needed. Because Moses maintained a rapport with God, bitter water had been made sweet, serpent bites healed, leprosy made to vanish, bread came down from heaven, and water flowed from rocks. Joshua was convinced that God’s resources would never come to an end. Again, Mulder offers this great observation:

The extension of divine assistance to the new leader suggests that great men of God may pass away, but the power that made them great remains. God wants His people of all ages to remember that He will not fail them when they are weak, for forsake them even when they are faulty.

(2) He was genuinely optimistic. His leadership of the nation was characterized by his optimism and confidence, both in God and himself. God was counting on Joshua to fight the fight of faith, go in and possess the land and divide it up among the tribes of Israel. The Lord made no provision for failure, and it seems as though Joshua had that same kind of attitude. Joshua had faith, and without it, he couldn’t have pleased God.

(3) Joshua kept the Word of the Lord. The Law of God was always on Joshua’s mind and in his heart. The word “Law” in verses 7 and 8 refers to what God had instructed Moses to write down. “Turing to the right or left” is another way of saying, “Do not compromise.” Any deviation from God’s Word would have spelled disaster. Forgetting the Word would have proven hazardous to the nation’s health, which is why God told his servant to “meditate on it day and night.”

5. The Initiative Was God’s, verse 9

Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be terrified; do not be discouraged, for the LORD your God will be with you wherever you go.

Joshua was not to follow his own ideas, plans or whims. It couldn’t be simpler: all Joshua had to do was follow the commands of the Lord. God was not the silent partner in Joshua’s mission, God was the Initiator of the whole plan.

God’s plan for man did not originate with Joshua and it didn’t end with him. Consider Paul’s words in Ephesians 1:4,

God chose us to belong to Christ before the world was created. He chose us to be holy and without blame in his eyes. He loved us.

This is what God has planned for us, and this kind of plan demands our undivided loyalty. Like Joshua, we need to keep our eyes focused on God, not compromising His Word and having complete confidence and faith in Him.

6. First in Command, 5:13-15

Now when Joshua was near Jericho, he looked up and saw a man standing in front of him with a drawn sword in his hand. Joshua went up to him and asked, “Are you for us or for our enemies?”

“Neither,” he replied, “but as commander of the army of the LORD I have now come.” Then Joshua fell facedown to the ground in reverence, and asked him, “What message does my Lord have for his servant?”

The commander of the LORD’s army replied, “Take off your sandals, for the place where you are standing is holy.” And Joshua did so.

Joshua renewed the covenant with God and celebrated Passover, then made a reconnaissance of Jericho. While he was doing this, a stranger approached him.

This One with the drawn sword assumed authority and then demanded that Joshua remove his shoes. Who was this stranger? George Bush (not either President) said:

It is the established opinion of both ancient and modern expositors that this was no other than the Son of God, the Eternal Word, appearing in that form which he was afterward to assume for the redemption of men.

When Joshua realized who this person was, he submitted immediately. The only thing the Captain of the Lord’s Army wanted from Joshua was his reverence. The stranger’s response put everything into perspective. God is sovereign, and it is never a question whether or not God is on our side, but whether we are on God’s side. Why did the stranger ask Joshua to remove his shoes? There was nothing particularly special about this section of ground. Anywhere God chooses to reveal Himself is special by that revelation.

JOSHUA: MOSES’ SILENT PARTNER

Published May 6, 2008 Uncategorized Leave a Comment
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Exodus 24:12-13; 33:7-11

Moses was a mighty man of God. It’s true that he wavered in the beginning; questioning God about the His plan to free the House of Israel from the Egyptian taskmasters. And it is also true that he felt like he needed somebody else to help him in his calling, but God allowed this, and together Moses and Aaron became unstoppable.

After the Israelites crossed the Red Sea, Moses led them on their journey across the desert. By the time we get to chapter 24 of Exodus, the Ten Commandments and the Book of the Covenant had been given to Israel. The nation had ratified it, committed itself to live by the statutes God had demanded of them. Now, God has further instructions to give the people. In order to live lives that pleased Him, God knew the people needed to learn how to worship Him in an acceptable manner. While the Ten Commandments outlined social requirements and laws, from this point onward, Exodus deals with the ritual and ceremonial laws that would govern Judaism from that day till now.

1. Who was Joshua?

Joshua was the son of Nun. All through the book of Exodus, we see him hovering in the background. He accompanies Moses, doesn’t say much, does what he is told, and seems to be loyal to both Moses and to God. Though the spotlight was definitely shining on Moses in the book of Exodus, in the following book, the book of Joshua, the spotlight shifts to Joshua. He receives his calling from God in chapter 1, verse 5:

As I was with Moses, so I will be with you; I will never leave you nor forsake you.

Joshua was the chief aide to Moses and the military commander of the armed forces of Israel.

2. Exodus 24:12-13; 33:7-11

The LORD said to Moses, “Come up to me on the mountain and stay here, and I will give you the tablets of stone, with the law and commands I have written for their instruction.” Then Moses set out with Joshua his aide, and Moses went up on the mountain of God.

Now Moses used to take a tent and pitch it outside the camp some distance away, calling it the “tent of meeting.” Anyone inquiring of the LORD would go to the tent of meeting outside the camp. And whenever Moses went out to the tent, all the people rose and stood at the entrances to their tents, watching Moses until he entered the tent. As Moses went into the tent, the pillar of cloud would come down and stay at the entrance, while the LORD spoke with Moses. Whenever the people saw the pillar of cloud standing at the entrance to the tent, they all stood and worshiped, each at the entrance to his tent. The LORD would speak to Moses face to face, as a man speaks with his friend. Then Moses would return to the camp, but his young aide Joshua son of Nun did not leave the tent.

Moses was commanded to ascend the mount, 24:2-13, in order to receive the tablets of stone, and the law, and commandments which God Himself had written. The Ten Commandments were written on the tablets, and the law and commands were written elsewhere, and likely contained instructions for worship, the sanctuary of the Lord, and the ritual laws we read in Leviticus and Deuteronomy.

In verse 13, we read that Moses took Joshua with him as he went to meet with the Lord. It is not said, but it is implied that only Moses met with God, that Joshua remained, like he always did, in the background.

What was Joshua doing during this time?

He likely spent that time in prayer. Consider Matthew 6:5-8–

“And when you pray, do not be like the hypocrites, for they love to pray standing in the synagogues and on the street corners to be seen by men. I tell you the truth, they have received their reward in full. But when you pray, go into your room, close the door and pray to your Father, who is unseen. Then your Father, who sees what is done in secret, will reward you. And when you pray, do not keep on babbling like pagans, for they think they will be heard because of their many words. Do not be like them, for your Father knows what you need before you ask him.”

Jesus is not condemning public prayer, but rather emphasizing the proper attitude of private prayer. The point of verse 6 is that hypocrites would rather pray in public because they were more concerned with appearing pious before man than receiving God’s approval. So important is one’s attitude, and so unimportant is what other people think of our prayers, that Jesus says go in a “private room” and pray.

Jesus warns His followers not to “babble” when they pray. The Greek word used is battalogeo, and is very rare. It’s root means “idle” or “useless.” Jesus is not condemning long prayers or prayers prayed using poor English. Remember, He is emphasizing the attitude of the heart. Nor is Jesus condemning repetitious prayers; He often repeated Himself when He prayed (Matt. 26:44). His point was that we should avoid meaningless, repetitive prayers that are prayed under the impression that “longer is better.” Our God is a personal God, He is our Father, and He doesn’t need a lot of information about our needs. He already knows them.

Why should we pray if God already knows what our needs are?

“As a father knows the needs of his family, yet teaches them to ask in confidence and trust, so does God treat His children.” (Hill)

How is the Lord’s Prayer, Matt. 6:9-13, serve as a good model prayer?

Notice how Jesus introduces this prayer: This, then, is how you should pray. In the original language, this sentence looks like this: In this manner, you should pray. While it is not wrong to repeat this prayer verbatim as many believers do, that was not Jesus’ intent. The key thought is “This is how you should pray…” The so-called Lord’s Prayer is really the “Apostle’s Prayer,” but technically it’s the Model Prayer, and it should serve a pattern for our prayers.

There are three points of interest in this prayer:

  • It’s brief; to the point. It consists of three parts: an invocation, followed by six petitions or requests, and a conclusion. It’s just 70 words long.
  • The priority of the contents. The glory of God is the most important factor of the prayer. The first three petitions have reference to the Father’s name, kingdom and will. Human needs–bread, pardon from sin, and victory of the evil one–take second place.
  • It’s scope. The prayer looks like this:

GOD’S:
Name first petition verse 9b
Reign second petition verse 10a
Will third petition verse 10b

OUR:
Bread fourth petition verse 11
Debts fifth petition verse 12
Foe sixth petition verse 13

Joshua stayed in the background for a long time before he was ready to assume leadership of the nation of Israel. His character was forged in the presence of Moses, while witnessing some of the most notable events in history.

The Sin of Moses

Published April 1, 2007 Uncategorized Leave a Comment
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A look at Numbers 10:1-13

Have you ever noticed that troubles come in threes? In this chapter we read of three very sad events:

These three events are the results of unbelief. It is easy to look at the children of Israel and be critical of them. But never forget the words of our Lord when some very religious men wanted to stone a woman to death on account of her sin: “If any one of you is without sin, let him be the first to throw a stone at her.” So, with regard to Moses, then let’s consider:

1. The circumstances surrounding his sin

The place: Kadesh. Kadesh was the exact spot they had been 39 years earlier! Instead of moving forward, because of sin, they had actually moved backward. Recall that 39 years ago, at Kadesh the spies had been sent out to spy out the Promised Land. It was at Kadesh that the people doubted and brought the doom of 40 years of wandering upon the nation. The warning is so clear: Bewared of old sins! Watch out, for the past has been known to sneak up on a believer and cause him to trip. Beware of the barren places in your experience. Barren places can become pits of sin if you lose sight of God.

The condition of the people: Discontented and faultfinding, verses 3-5. The people quarreled and complained against the providence of God. This is always the a source of trouble in the house of God; people complain and murmur against each other and eventually against the pastor.

The humility of Moses, verse 6. Moses fell on his face, not before the people, but before the Lord, and the Lord appeared in all His glory, and a way of deliverance was revealed, verse 8. Moses could not make the water, but in his obedience it would come to him.

2. The nature of his sin.

Moses was told specifically to speak to the rock (verse 8). This was a direct command from the Lord: speak to the rock. But instead of speaking to the rock, Moses struck the rock not once, but twice (verse 11).

Why would Moses go against the expressed Word of God? Perhaps the answer lie in the past. This was not the first time Moses got water from a rock. A similar thing happened years before, in Exodus 17:6, only on that occasion, the Lord commanded Moses to, not speak to the rock, but strike the rock.

There are two lessons I see here. First, Moses is like many of us in that he expected God to act in a certain way based on a past experience. You cannot treat God like this; you cannot put God in a box and expect Him to perform. No, God will what He deems necessary, when He chooses to and in a manner only He knows. It is arrogant in the extreme to presume to know how God will act.

Second, let’s deal with a verse in 1 Corinthians 10:4. Paul indicated that the rock was not mere rock, but a supernatural rock! That rock was Christ Himself. In the purpose of God, He could only be struck once. Christ could only suffer once for all. Further blessings or fresh outpourings of Christ’s fullness come to us by asking, not striking. Moses, the second time, was told to speak to the rock, not strike it, as he did previously.

Here we see an excellent example of how careful God was in creating the types of Christ in the Old Testament that point to the reality of Christ in the New Testament.

In the sin of Moses, there was:

Disobedience. God told Moses to speak, but Moses struck instead. Not only that, but he struck the rock twice, as if to not only be disobedient, but impatient as well. Moses was, I believe, being guided not so much by the Word of God but by his past experience. This is always a danger to believers; this is why we must always seek the Word of God and not dwell on the past for guidance.

Selfish passion. Verse 10 is rather telling. While the Hebrews were indeed rebels, Moses calling them out like that certainly didn’t help the situation. He was provoked and he spoke as he should not have, we are told as much in Psalm 106:33. This proves the old saying, “The best of men are but men at best.”

Presumption. Again, in verse 10 notice carefully the words Moses uses: Must we bring you water out of this rock? It grievs the Lord when we seek our own glory while doing His work.

There are two very important things to be remembered in this sin of Moses:

Moses did not hide his sin. In fact, as the author of Numbers, he could have. But he did not; Moses never hid his sin from the eyes of others.

His failure did not alter the faithfulness of God. Even though Moses did it his own way, water still came from the rock. The unbelief of some does not nullify the faithfulness of God in any way. As believers, every one of us will come short of what we might be, but God is always faithful!

3. The fruit of Moses’ sin.

It dishonored the Lord, verse 12. Lord’s Name is profaned by unbelief and self-glorifying acts of His people.

It kept him out of the promised land, verse 12. One sin may keep God’s richest blessing from you. It may not keep you out heaven, but it you will not receive the best God has for you. I believe this is one reason why so many of the Lord’s people never enter into the fullness of God’s blessing and power in their service for Christ; there is sin in their camp.

It is a solemn warning to us, today. Let us never boast in our abilities; let us never take credit for what God has done. And let us continually seek God’s will in His Word, not in the events of a liftetime ago.

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