Joshua 1-4
Just think, as of yesterday, you have read the entire Pentateuch, the book of Job and a couple of Psalms. Today, we will see Joshua as the leader. Moses has died and God buried him, probably so people wouldn’t make a shrine of his grave. God reminded Joshua of the way to be successful: “obey all the instructions Moses gave you” and “Study the Book of Instruction continually,” which included meditating on it day and night.
Do you think we can infer that Joshua at least looked a little scared? After all, three times in the first nine verses, God tells Joshua to, “Be strong and courageous.” And even the people tell Joshua (in the last verse of chapter 1), “Be strong and courageous.” Of course, they prefaced it with the words, “we will obey you as we obeyed Moses,” so it might have been understandable if he looked a little scared.
On the other hand, those words might have just been encouragement. After all, in three days they were going to cross the Jordan to take possession of the land.
In chapter 2, we are introduced to another of the four women who are mentioned in the genealogy of Christ (see Matthew 1:5): Rahab, a prostitute. Like Tamar, she was not Jewish, but God uses her mightily.
Joshua secretly sends two spies to scout out the land on the other side of the Jordan, including Jericho. The two men spend the night at Rahab’s house, but someone tells the king of Jericho about them. When asked where they are, Rahab admits they were there, but fails to tell the king’s men that she had hidden them in the roof. After the king’s men leave, the gates of Jericho are shut so they cannot go out that way.
All of the evidence points to the fact that Rahab was a believer. She knew about the miraculous way Israel had been liberated from Egypt and about what had happened to Sihon and Og. She even says, “For the Lord your God is the supreme God of the heavens above and the earth beneath. The two Israelites make a pact with Rahab – she and anyone inside her house will be safe when they attack Jericho, but she must leave a scarlet rope hanging from her window.
I’m sure Joshua was encouraged about the report the two spies made, especially that the people of the land were terrified of the Israelites. I’m sure he was also pleased that the Lord told him he would begin to make him a great leader in the eyes of all the people. Another miracle is in the making: the priests carry the Ark of the Covenant a few steps into the Jordan River and the water stops flowing. The fact that it was harvest time and the river was overflowing its banks only made it more of a miracle. All of the people cross the river on dry ground.
Twelve men are selected to carry twelve stones across the Jordan from the place in the Jordan where the priests holding the Ark of the Covenant stopped. This was to be a memorial of their crossing. Twelve stones were also taken from the Jericho side of the Jordan and put in the river where the priests stood. Wouldn’t it be great if someone were to find these two sets of stones? This was such a memorable day for the Israelites, it’s hard to believe they have lost the place where these stones are.
The Lord certainly accomplished his purpose, because on that day, the Lord made Joshua a great leader in the eyes of all the Israelites. They revered him as much as Moses.
Tomorrow, it’s Joshua 5-8.
My New Faucet
My kitchen faucet has been leaking for a while. Today, I had had enough so I called A & A Mobile RV Service. They came right out and installed a new faucet, this time a single lever faucet – no more burned hands.
I also learned a new technique for my leatherwork called the basketweave. I practices it today on this scrap of leather. Can you see why it’s called the basketweave?
This scrap of leather has no useful purpose, but I’ll probably keep it around to remind me how to do this basketweave.
Until next time…
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