Hello, my “Walking with Jesus” friends,
The passing of a leadership mantle is a big deal, isn’t it? Be it a President, CEO, Head Coach, Grandfather or even Moses passing his leadership to Joshua as recorded in Joshua 1. God spoke boldly to Joshua who was, I’m sure, feeling the heavy weight of Moses’ leadership mantle: “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 the Israelites…” (Joshua 1:2)
Yesterday, we bid farewell to that great man of God Moses, as we closed Deuteronomy and the first 5 books of the Bible, which Moses wrote, as led by the Holy Spirit of God! Today we will witness one of the greatest events in world history, are you ready?
Joshua 1 is Joshua’s personal account of the famous, great commission He received from God. “Be strong and courageous because YOU will lead these people to inherit the land, I swore to give to their ancestors… Be careful to obey all the law My servant Moses gave you; do not turn to the right or to the left, that you may be successful wherever you go.” (Joshua 1:6.7)
Joshua was personally selected and prepared by God for this unique leadership role, and Joshua was given God’s handbook of success, “The Torah”, those 5 books written by Moses. Now if you are in any leadership role, can you see how these very same words could be applied to your situation? Very often in Joshua’s life, he found great courage for facing the challenges to his leadership as he remembered and obeyed these words from God!
Joshua chapter 2 is similar to Numbers 13 & 14 isn’t it my friends? Joshua sent some trusted men to scout out the land ahead as Moses had done. But oh, such a different result! Why? What do you see that made the difference? Well, of course a major difference is the conversations between Rahab, and the Joshua sent ‘spies’. We have no such record in Numbers.
Clearly God’s reputation had reached and terrified the people of Jericho! (Joshua 2:8-11) The report of these spies to Joshua (Joshua 2:24) was entirely different from what Joshua had witnessed as he and Caleb had tried to give a God-honoring report to Moses, recorded for us in Numbers 13:27-33. Perspective is everything isn’t it my friends? How do you look at your world, especially the darkness and challenges? As an optimist looking to see God at work or a pessimist, confident evil will prevail!?
Joshua chapter 3 contains the words these young Israelites had been waiting a very long time to hear. It was finally time to cross over the Jordan river and take possession of the land God had promised on oath to their ancestors!
Notice please three really important aspects of this never before imagined event…the migration of nearly 1 million Israelites from the desert into the Land of God’s Promise:
1. First did you notice I said, ‘nearly 1 million Israelites’? But wasn’t there more than 1 million who ran out of Egypt as freed slaves? Oh yes but do you remember we saw in Numbers 32 that the tribes of Reuben, Gad and 1/2 the tribe of Manasseh requested permission from Moses to NOT accompany the other 9.5 tribes of Israelites into the new Promised Land. The large tribes of Rueben, Gad and 1/2 tribe of Manasseh remained on the EAST side of the Jordan River as their permanent home! (Numbers 32:19,33)
2. Second, Joshua instructed the people to follow the Ark of the Covenant which would lead them into the new land because: “Then you will know which way to go since you have never been this way before.” (Joshua 3:3,4)
3. Third, the priests carrying the Ark of the Covenant were to stand IN the flooded river by faith believing God would stop the flow of the river (Joshua 3:8) so the people could cross over on dry land! Does that seem similar to the water tunnel their parents had run through leaving Egypt? (Ex. 14:21,22)
I suppose I’ve read that wonderful Joshua 3 story more than 50 times and I never tire of imagining the Jordan river ‘piled up in a heap’; or the priests holding the Ark standing in the middle of the riverbed; or the people and animals rushing across the riverbed, scrambling up the other bank into the new land!
But there’s one more big event that day found in Joshua 4. God told Joshua to choose 12 big strong men and instruct them each to go back down into the riverbed and dig up the biggest rock they could carry! Why? So, the people would never forget this day and have a monument of river stones piled up where they would spend that first night in the new land!
Then Joshua said: “In the future when your descendants ask their parents: ‘What do these stones mean’? Tell them Israel crossed the Jordan on dry ground! The LORD God did to the Jordan river what He had done to the Red Sea when He dried it up before us.” (Joshua 4:21-23) Did you notice Joshua said “US”? He and Caleb would have been the ONLY two men still alive who had run through that Red Sea water tunnel 40 years before! Can you imagine how crossing the Jordan made Joshua & Caleb and their families feel?
Oh, I just have to point out one more thing in Joshua 4… do you remember I’ve mentioned that God watches TIME closely? Look at Joshua 4:19 “On the 10th day of the first month the people went up from the Jordan river and camped at Gilgal…” Oh my! Do you remember that is the day each family was to get a Passover Lamb and begin preparations because 4 days later it would be Passover! The first time this was celebrated was in Egypt, Exodus 12. The second time was one year later at Mt Sinai as they completed the Tabernacle. (Numbers 9) And here they cross the Jordan into the new land just in time for Passover, 40 years after leaving Egypt!!
So, of all the wonderful things we find in the first 4 chapters of Joshua, which are most impactful to you and why? As always more study & discussion notes are in the Grand Narrative link below and here’s a great worship song for today. You won’t believe what we see tomorrow in Joshua, if you’ll join me then.
Today’s Scripture: Joshua 1-4.
Choose below to read or listen.
 |  |
Joshua 2
Joshua 3
Joshua 4
Bible images provided with attribution to www.LumoProject.com.
Have a comment or question about today’s chapter? I’m ready to hear from you, contact me here.
Pastor Doug Anderson
“Let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us, with our eyes fixed on Jesus…” (Heb. 12:1,2)
Archived back issues of “Walking with Jesus” and other resources are available by clicking here to open our ‘home page’ (or go to HOME at upper right of this page).
Share with friends. Subscribe below for daily “Walking with Jesus”.