April 10

Joshua 1-2:24

Recently, the underlying theme of my writings have to do with God bringing us into His place of promise. Perhaps the reason for this is because I cannot seem to step away from these passages without being inspired and challenged as I see the parallels in Israel’s struggles and my own. It’s so vital for us not only to read Scripture but to plant ourselves inside the story and try to become carefully acquainted with the each character.

Let’s get acquainted with Joshua.

Joshua was the son of Nun, an Ephraimite. His name means “Jehovah is salvation”. The meaning is a bit ironic when we consider his roots-he was born a slave in Egypt. It became the perfect fit however, because even though Moses led the Israelites to the Promise land, the Lord ordained Joshua to bring them into it. This man was literally the instrument through which God carried out the salvation of Israel! We know that Joshua was Moses’ assistant and that he represented the tribe of Ephraim in spying out the land of Cannaan. He and Caleb were the only men who came back with a good report. And Israelites wanted to stone them for it.

Let’s get inside the story.

1.

Joshua rallies the people together.

In verse 10 we read that Joshua commanded the officers to tell the people to get ready to move into the promise land.Perhaps Israel felt that because they were so close to Canaan that God would allow them to live there with His blessing. Instead, Joshua called them out of the place of compromise and into a place of action. He commanded that they leave behind the old and once again set their focus (and their feet!) towards the promise.

2.

Joshua called upon his brothers.

Joshua knew that the victory of Israel couldn’t happen without all of Israel. Sometimes, we foolishly believe we can overcome our struggles on our own. When we decide to go into battle alone, we leave ourselves exposed to the enemy’s blows. Then we are injured and have no one to cover us and carry us to safety. We must reach for ourbrother’s hand for victory. Joshua had no problem calling upon the “strong warriors” of the other tribes to help him fight.

3.

Joshua sent spies to scout out the land.

Joshua was a planner and strategist. Likewise, must also be strategic in our plan of attack. This strategy involves not only the help of brothers, but the eyes of the trained. We must allow wise believers to “scout” out the strongholds of our lives. Without their insight, our knowledge is limited and we may enter the enemy’s territory unprepared for what’s on the other side.

We know thanks to our Sunday school teachers and the wonders of the flannel board, that Israel conquered Jericho. What was once a fascinating story for a curious child is now a serious call to action. Let us rely on the wisdom and obedience of Joshua for the strength we need to march out of our compromise and into victory.

*All historical information given on Joshua was found using the Zondervan Bible Dictionary.

Warmly,

Lauryn Everett