[Originally posted in a WhatsApp group (SSEU), a reading update (reflection) from one chapter of the Bible a day]
𝕁𝕆𝕊ℍ𝕌𝔸 𝟙:𝟚
"Moses
My servant is dead; now therefore arise, cross this Jordan, you and all this
people, to the land which I am giving to them, to the sons of Israel."
“Moses
is dead”
The
Israelites disobeyed even Moses, now, he is dead, what will they do? God
slaughtered Israelites even in the shepherding care of Moses. Now Moses is
dead, what would become of the people? God was angry even with Moses. What
would become of a mere successor?
Well,
Moses is dead, but not God. His program is not dead nor His promise. So "Arise!"
God
has repeatedly told Joshua to be courageous. In the last verse of this chapter,
even the people asked Joshua to be courageous! Courage is what defines a
leader. As Winston Churchill says, "Courage is rightly esteemed the
first of human qualities, because, as has been said, it is the quality which
guarantees all others."
There's
aren't many courageous men of God. There aren't many courageous leaders. How do
we have the courage? Of course, by having confidence in God. By having strong
conviction from the word of God (cf. v8)
RC
Sproul's wife was asked recently in the Golden Jubilee anniversary of Ligonier
Ministry about the legacy of Sproul she would like people to remember. She
said, "Courageous" and lamented that not many people are courageous
to stand up for sound doctrine. She even broke down!
I
always feel the need for a regular dose of courage too, because "Moses
is dead!"
𝕁𝕆𝕊ℍ𝕌𝔸 𝟚:𝟙𝟚
"Now
therefore, please swear to me by the LORD, since I have dealt kindly with you,
that you also will deal kindly with my father's household, and give me a pledge
of truth."
A
good business deal! But only that she was putting everything on the table, her
life, her family, her relatives, her future, her faith, her custom, her
religion, her loyalty, everything. Rahab was a changed woman. Her land was
utterly destroyed, her people were killed, her religion was desecrated, but she
chose to take the side of Israel and Yahweh!
What
other business deal can she think of? No other way. She lived in a city of
imminent and inevitable destruction! She herself seemed to be the worst
candidate being a harlot. Well, of course, to demonstrate the trophy of God's
Grace.
And
what did she do? Just hiding the spies. And what did she get? Oh! Evangelist
Matthew listed here in the hall of the ancestry of Jesus Christ, the great
Redeemer. The writer of Hebrews also included Rahab in the hall of faith!
Well,
that's our conversion too. "Trading dirt for gold" in the
words of Steve Lawson. Or in the words of Jesus, “selling everything to buy a
land where a treasure is hidden!”
𝕁𝕆𝕊ℍ𝕌𝔸 𝟛:𝟙𝟟
"And
the priests who carried the ark of the covenant of the LORD stood firm on dry
ground in the middle of the Jordan while all Israel crossed on dry ground,
until all the nation had finished crossing the Jordan."
They
were told to stand still, and they stood firm. They were told to step into the
overflowing Jordan River, and as they stepped in, the river bed dried, and they
stood still on the dried riverbed. They were the first ones to step in and the
last ones to get out.
The
company of Israel would have seen them standing in the entrance of the
crossing, carrying the ark of Yahweh! What a sight it must have been! The dried
ground, the water on each side, the exalted man of God Joshua, and the sight of
the priests faithfully standing firm with the ark of Yahweh!
The
priests stood firm, while others are crossing! The priests stood firm, allowing
others to cross. The priests stood firm because they are told to. The priests
stood firm because that's the only means! The priests stood firm, and the
nation of Israel had a successful crossing of the Jordan River!
𝕁𝕆𝕊ℍ𝕌𝔸 𝟜:𝟚𝟜
"That
all the peoples of the earth may know that the hand of the LORD is mighty, so
that you may fear the LORD your God forever."
This
is the first mention of memorial stones setting up in the book of Joshua. At
least 7 memorial stones were set up. The purpose of this memorial stone is that
they will fear Yahweh, their God.
I
don't know why memorial stones are set up in our days!
𝕁𝕆𝕊ℍ𝕌𝔸 𝟝:𝟚
"At
that time the LORD said to Joshua, ‘Make for yourself flint knives and
circumcise again the sons of Israel the second time.’"
God
has the habit of asking [people] to do unlikely things! He told Abraham to
butcher his son. He asked Naman to do “up-down” 7 times in the Jordan River. He
asked the widow of Zarephath to give the last morsel to Elijah! Even our Lord Jesus
spat on mud, pasted in the blind man's eyes, and asked him to go to the pool of
Siloam! Hmm, the list goes on and on...
Even
here, the Israelites had crossed the Jordan River. The battle of Jericho is
about to happen. Then, God asked them to do circumcision. Circumcision is a painful
thing; it takes several days to recover, heal, and be back to normal. They must
be wallowing in pain. The enemies could walk in and speared all of them to
death! Well, their protection is from Yahweh, not because they are strong
enough to protect themselves. This indeed is one of the contrasting points.
If
the Lord is allowing me to through an unlikely situation, maybe it means God is
about to [do] something. Need to keep trusting, in obedience!
𝕁𝕆𝕊ℍ𝕌𝔸 𝟞:𝟜
"Also
seven priests shall carry seven trumpets of rams' horns before the ark; then on
the seventh day you shall march around the city seven times, and the priests
shall blow the trumpets."
What
a ridiculous battle strategy! But the most ridiculous thing of God is more
effective and wiser than the wisest plan of man!
I
was told about a man who couldn't make his crush fall in love with him. He went
to his pastor for a counselling and prayer. His pastor opened the Bible
randomly but prayerfully. It landed on Joshua chapter 6. So, he suggested him
to march around her [crush’s] house for 6 days, and 7 times on the 7th day, and
then to propose her!
He
thought it was ridiculous, but it was told to him by the man of God
("pastor") so he did! And what do you think? 😂
Well,
that's not how we read the Bible, nor the way to apply the narrative of the
Bible! However, if God tells us to do that, sure, we should; but God has never
told us to do like that!