365 Reflections

On the heels of the terrible loss and horrible episode of Achan's sin, Israel is told once more by the Lord not to be afraid and to move forward. Joshua 8:1–2 (ESV)  And the Lord said to Joshua, “Do not fear and do not be dismayed. Take all the fighting men with you, and arise, go up to Ai. See, I have given into your hand the king of Ai, and his people, his city, and his land. 2 And you shall do to Ai and its king as you did to Jericho and its king. Only its spoil and its livestock you shall take as plunder for yourselves. Lay an ambush against the city, behind it.” Notice that God instructs Joshua to lay an ambush behind the city. The Lord is revealing He is a master strategist here. He knows that Ai just defeated the Israelites quite handily and so now the plan is to use their overconfidence from that event to take them out once and for all.  How incredible to think of this - God can use even our failures and sin to accomplish His purposes in our lives.  Now, this i

Joshua 7:6–9 (ESV) Then Joshua tore his clothes and fell to the earth on his face before the ark of the LORD until the evening, he and the elders of Israel. And they put dust on their heads. 7 And Joshua said, “Alas, O Lord GOD, why have you brought this people over the Jordan at all, to give us into the hands of the Amorites, to destroy us? Would that we had been content to dwell beyond the Jordan! 8 O Lord, what can I say, when Israel has turned their backs before their enemies! 9 For the Canaanites and all the inhabitants of the land will hear of it and will surround us and cut off our name from the earth. And what will you do for your great name?” These are words you'd never think would come out of Joshua's mouth. He was one of two spies who believed God for the Promised Land. Now he's crying in regret that they have even come into the land. What happened? The nation suffered a defeat before their enemies at Ai. But the defeat was not without reason. God had given t

In the beginning of the Jericho episode, God told Joshua He had given them the city and all its inhabitants. There was no question that Jericho was theirs for the taking. It was certain. BUT THEY STILL HAD TO WALK. Christian, the same is true for you. God has given you so "so great a salvation." But you still need to walk. You need to act on what God had promised. The Christian life is not a lazy-chair lounge session. To be "called" by God is to be commissioned for action in accordance with the promises He's made to you (never to leave you or forsake you) and territory He's given you (the fruit of righteousness). Joshua 6:20–23 (ESV)   So the people shouted, and the trumpets were blown. As soon as the people heard the sound of the trumpet, the people shouted a great shout, and the wall fell down flat, so that the people went up into the city, every man straight before him, and they captured the city. 21 Then they devoted all in the city to destruc

Christianity is a fight. The moment you forget that or deny it is the day you start playing right into the hands of your roaring enemy the devil. Joshua 6 has arrived, the people are consecrated, nourished and spiritually awakened to the promises of God. They are now instructed for warfare of a sort that was never practiced before by any army nor since. The whole episode of Jericho is a wonderful picture of the kind and style of warfare the Christian Church is engaged in to this day. First, we need to see that our enemy is restricted: Joshua 6:1 (ESV)   Now Jericho was shut up inside and outside because of the people of Israel. None went out, and none came in. Just as Jericho was stopped from growing or expanding... our spiritual enemy has been disarmed. He can only "seem" imposing. The truth is, the work of God for us has already made his threat impotent against us. Second, we need to hear the voice of our God: Joshua 6:2 (ESV) And the Lord said to Joshua, “Se

Joshua 5:13–15 (ESV) When Joshua was by Jericho, he lifted up his eyes and looked, and behold, a man was standing before him with his drawn sword in his hand. And Joshua went to him and said to him, “Are you for us, or for our adversaries?” 14 And he said, “No; but I am the commander of the army of the Lord . Now I have come.” And Joshua fell on his face to the earth and worshiped and said to him, “What does my lord say to his servant?” 15 And the commander of the Lord ’s army said to Joshua, “Take off your sandals from your feet, for the place where you are standing is holy.” And Joshua did so. I love this passage. God's answer is so funny. But it's such a great passage for the first month of the year.  Every new year we take time to plan out what we want to accomplish. We are going to get more healthy, spiritual, social and/or accomplished. We like to do this. We like to make plans. But what about God? What do we do with Him? Because He has a way of being God no mat

Joshua 5:10–12 (ESV)   While the people of Israel were encamped at Gilgal, they kept the Passover on the fourteenth day of the month in the evening on the plains of Jericho. 11 And the day after the Passover, on that very day, they ate of the produce of the land, unleavened cakes and parched grain.  Joshua 5 holds key concepts that are related to us in the New Covenant. We discussed circumcision in the last post and now we should discuss the Passover feast celebrated right after they were circumcised. Israel has been "baptized" in the Jordan and thus "baptized" into the family of God (through circumcision) and now are welcome to the table that points back to their original salvation.  As Christians, we share relevant practices under the terms of the New Covenant. First, we are baptized in water as a sign we've been baptized into the body of Christ. We are then invited to the Lord's table where we eat to remember the work of our redemption accomplish

Joshua 5:2–3 (ESV) At that time the LORD said to Joshua, “Make flint knives and circumcise the sons of Israel a second time.” 3 So Joshua made flint knives and circumcised the sons of Israel at Gibeath-haaraloth. If there is one moment in Joshua where we learn that God's ways are most definitely not our ways it is here in Joshua 5. Having freshly crossed the Jordan, the Israelite nation have come armed for battle and ready to do business with the nations their parents were far too intimidated by 40 years earlier. They had also been stuck in the vicious waiting game for 40 years after that previous generation's failure to believe. Now they are here at the cusp of war and occupation. But what does God have them do? Get circumcised.  Now, this whole schedule would have reminded them of the story concerning Jacob's sons who had the men of Shechem get circumcised deceitfully so they could overwhelm and kill them in retributive vengeance for the violation of their si

The central element of the Jordan crossing is the Ark. Nothing happens without the Ark being involved and visible to the nation. The Ark was the representation of the presence of God amidst Israel. It is also the prefigured picture of Christ among His people. Consider the following facts that point to Christ. The Ark was made of wood - representing Christ's humility and humanity. The Ark was covered with gold - representing Christ's Kingship and Divinity. The Ark contained the law - representing His ability to KEEP the law perfectly. The Ark contained the manna - representing His ability to nourish His people in any season. The Ark contained the budded rod of Aaron - representing the resurrection of Jesus. And so fittingly, the people of Israel were to keep watch on every movement of the Ark during their Jordan crossing. I have heard many messages that talk about how we need to be leaders of the people as the priests were in this episode. How we need to put our feet i