Scripture Study: Joshua 5:1-9

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Bible Study, Christian, Circumcision, Covenant, Gilgal, Jordan River, Joshua, Scripture Study

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As soon as all the kings of the Amorites who were beyond the Jordan to the west, and all the kings of the Canaanites who were by the sea, heard that the Lord had dried up the waters of the Jordan for the people of Israel until they had crossed over, their hearts melted and there was no longer any spirit in them because of the people of Israel.

² 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. ⁴ And this is the reason why Joshua circumcised them: all the males of the people who came out of Egypt, all the men of war, had died in the wilderness on the way after they had come out of Egypt. ⁵ Though all the people who came out had been circumcised, yet all the people who were born on the way in the wilderness after they had come out of Egypt had not been circumcised. ⁶ For the people of Israel walked forty years in the wilderness, until all the nation, the men of war who came out of Egypt, perished, because they did not obey the voice of the Lord; the Lord swore to them that he would not let them see the land that the Lord had sworn to their fathers to give to us, a land flowing with milk and honey. ⁷ So it was their children, whom he raised up in their place, that Joshua circumcised. For they were uncircumcised, because they had not been circumcised on the way.

⁸ When the circumcising of the whole nation was finished, they remained in their places in the camp until they were healed. ⁹ And the Lord said to Joshua, “Today I have rolled away the reproach of Egypt from you.” And so the name of that place is called Gilgal to this day.

Verse 1: Before a battle was even fought on this side of the Jordan River, God had already worked to deliver victory to the Israelites. Joshua did the wise thing by standing aside and letting God handle the method of crossing the Jordan rather than try to come up with a way to build a bridge or ford across the river. The supernatural actions of God sent ripples throughout the land ahead of the Israelites, something that God is still capable of accomplishing today for Christians. If God is prompting you to do something that looks impossible, perhaps He is preparing a mighty work to bring honor and glory to His name through you. Remember that faith is belief without seeing, and that faith is more than just a passive emotion or feeling or thought. Faith is active, and so God might be waiting for you to take those first steps on this revealed path, trusting that He will show up and bring about a way for things to be accomplished according to His will.

Verses 2-3: Verse two can appear as a head-scratcher at first glance, much like the passage in John where Jesus tells Nicodemus that a man must be born again to see the Kingdom of God (See John 3:1-15). It sounds as though God is telling Joshua that these men must be circumcised a second time but, as will be seen in verses 4-7, this assumption is incorrect. But it is important to note that God allows them to cross over the Jordan River, into the Promised Land, and then commands the circumcision. Religion can lead us to believe that a person must become clean, or be a good enough person, before they can enter into the presence and protection of God. Yet the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob is a God that brings His people in first and then works to clean them after they are His. Perfection is not required first by God. It is only when man gets involved that the weight of what we must do or be or say or think becomes a burden.

Verses 4-7: All of the people who left Egypt had been circumcised, yet almost every man, woman, and child here now was born during the 40 years spent in the wilderness. It does not mention why the practice of circumcision on the 8th day was not upheld during that time, but God makes the decision now to have His people get the circumcision in order to mark themselves physically as being under His covenant of the flesh. This act was one of many commands passed down throughout the Old Testament, this one being given initially to Abraham (see Genesis 17:10-14). Fans of religion, those who want to believe that what they do helps them to earn their promised salvation, may look to the old command of circumcision and believe it should still be upheld and practiced today because God had commanded it of the Israelites. Yet we see that the Holy Spirit descended upon the uncircumcised Gentiles (See Acts 10:44-48) and that Peter opposed the Jews in Antioch who proclaimed it was a necessary act to earn salvation (see Acts 15:1-11) and Paul and Barnabas also reached the conclusion that Gentiles should not be compelled to be circumcised (see Acts 15:13-21). What counts now, under the new Covenant brought about by Christ, is new creation (see Galatians 6:15) rather than a works-based approach to salvation (see Ephesians 2:8). So while the practice of circumcision is not a wrong one to have – there are certainly reasons to consider upholding the practice – choosing to circumcise in order to secure salvation is an attempt to bring about salvation through our own power and influence rather than by the Mercy and Grace of God.

Verse 9: The previous chapter mentioned that Joshua set up the monument of 12 stones at Gilgal (see Joshua 4:19-20), yet we see it being named here in the following chapter. The name Gilgal comes from a word that signifies to take away, which is representing a shift in the relationship between God and the Israelites. The past 40 years had been spent wandering in the wilderness as a result of the people’s decisions and inclination to turn toward man-made idols. With the act of circumcision here, the Israelites are moving into a right relationship once more with God, who will be leading the way as they campaign throughout the Promised Land.

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Scripture Study: Joshua 4:15-24

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Ark of the Covenant, Christian, Gilgal, Jordan River, Joshua, Scripture Study

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¹⁵ And the Lord said to Joshua, ¹⁶ “Command the priests bearing the ark of the testimony to come up out of the Jordan.” ¹⁷ So Joshua commanded the priests, “Come up out of the Jordan.” ¹⁸ And when the priests bearing the ark of the covenant of the Lord came up from the midst of the Jordan, and the soles of the priests’ feet were lifted up on dry ground, the waters of the Jordan returned to their place and overflowed all its banks, as before.

¹⁹ The people came up out of the Jordan on the tenth day of the first month, and they encamped at Gilgal on the east border of Jericho. ²⁰ And those twelve stones, which they took out of the Jordan, Joshua set up at Gilgal. ²¹ And he said to the people of Israel, “When your children ask their fathers in times to come, ‘What do these stones mean?’ ²² then you shall let your children know, ‘Israel passed over this Jordan on dry ground.’ ²³ For the Lord your God dried up the waters of the Jordan for you until you passed over, as the Lord your God did to the Red Sea, which he dried up for us until we passed over, ²⁴ so that all the peoples of the earth may know that the hand of the Lord is mighty, that you may fear the Lord your God forever.”

Verses 15-17: When God directs, Joshua listens. The obedience shown here is great, and something we all would like to think that we would do without hesitation. After all, if God spoke to us directly it would be so different than trying to decipher His will in other ways. Yet Jesus promised that He would send us the helper, the Holy Spirit. The part of the trinity that we often struggle to understand yet it is the part that directly affects our daily lives. Yet if we are Christians, we have access to tap into that Holy Spirit and gain its guidance in areas of our lives. Like prayer, it can be a frustrating process because most of the time there will come no answer, or at least no clear one. It may be as simple as a sudden impulse to read and study a certain passage or book in Scripture, something we could easily misconstrue as something we desire ourselves rather than a directive from God. Yet the more we know and understand God’s will, the better we will be equipped to determine if an impression could be from the Holy Spirit. Studying the Scriptures goes a long way toward accomplishing that purpose, as does a prayer life that is frequent and in alignment with God’s promises, repentance of our own sins, and a willingness to wait on the Lord.

Verse 18: Imagine the sound of the water of the Jordan River, previously held at bay on one side and raised up into the air, comes crashing down upon the now-dry river bed. Not only did the water resume its normal course of flow, it also resumed the previous overflowing level of capacity. You can imagine the sweat beading on the faces of those priests as they stood there in the middle of the riverbed, not only while waiting for thousands to cross but then for twelve men to come back and each take a stone, and then for Joshua to come back and erect a monument in the river where they were standing. Yet they stood steadfast, and God held the waters back until they had all reached the other side. Not one man set down his part of the Ark to flee to safety before the allotted time. That takes courage and faith, in equal measures!

Verse 20: As mentioned previously, the text seems to indicate this is a second monument that is erected, one in the river and then this one at Gilgal, which is further east across the Jordan. It is close outside Jericho, just to the northwest of the walled city where the Israelites are heading.

Verses 21-24: Last time I used the mention of the monuments to discuss building our own visual reminders so that we could better remember the times when God has worked on our behalf. This time, I want to take the opportunity to take a closer look at how we should be using those opportunities to share with others, whether our children or otherwise. Notice here how Joshua not only mentions the miracle done here with the river, but also ties it back to a similar miracle that was done for their near-ancestors with the Red Sea (only two men, Joshua and Caleb, were allowed to enter the Promised Land, so everyone else present at the Red Sea would be dead by now). Not only do we need those monuments to remind ourselves in times of trial and sorrow, we can use them as talking points with our children and others who enter our lives and our homes. Think of them as icebreakers, conversation starters in our homes. You do not have to be perfect and eloquent to boast about what your God can do, especially when He stepped in to accomplish things in your life that you had no chance of achieving in your own power. You do not need a degree in Theology, experience behind the pulpit, nor an elegant plan to share these things with those who ask. This is a passive form of spreading the Gospel, because it is based around others initiating conversation first, but it is a great way for introverts to share these things without having to struggle to find a way to bring up the topic. And, most important of all, it allows us to share these things with the next generations of children in our families. The best thing we can do is to equip our descendants with the faith, and the reasons before that faith. We should strive to actively model its importance in our lives, and these monuments (along with the conversations that will arise from their presence) are a step in the right direction toward this objective.

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Scripture Study: Joshua 4:1-14

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Bible Study, faith, Israelites, Joshua, Scripture Study

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When all the nation had finished passing over the Jordan, the Lord said to Joshua, ² “Take twelve men from the people, from each tribe a man, ³ and command them, saying, ‘Take twelve stones from here out of the midst of the Jordan, from the very place where the priests’ feet stood firmly, and bring them over with you and lay them down in the place where you lodge tonight.’” ⁴ Then Joshua called the twelve men from the people of Israel, whom he had appointed, a man from each tribe. ⁵ And Joshua said to them, “Pass on before the ark of the Lord your God into the midst of the Jordan, and take up each of you a stone upon his shoulder, according to the number of the tribes of the people of Israel, ⁶ that this may be a sign among you. When your children ask in time to come, ‘What do those stones mean to you?’ ⁷ then you shall tell them that the waters of the Jordan were cut off before the ark of the covenant of the Lord. When it passed over the Jordan, the waters of the Jordan were cut off. So these stones shall be to the people of Israel a memorial forever.”

⁸ And the people of Israel did just as Joshua commanded and took up twelve stones out of the midst of the Jordan, according to the number of the tribes of the people of Israel, just as the Lord told Joshua. And they carried them over with them to the place where they lodged and laid them down there. ⁹ And Joshua set up twelve stones in the midst of the Jordan, in the place where the feet of the priests bearing the ark of the covenant had stood; and they are there to this day. ¹⁰ For the priests bearing the ark stood in the midst of the Jordan until everything was finished that the Lord commanded Joshua to tell the people, according to all that Moses had commanded Joshua.

The people passed over in haste. ¹¹ And when all the people had finished passing over, the ark of the Lord and the priests passed over before the people. ¹² The sons of Reuben and the sons of Gad and the half-tribe of Manasseh passed over armed before the people of Israel, as Moses had told them. ¹³ About 40,000 ready for war passed over before the Lord for battle, to the plains of Jericho. ¹⁴ On that day the Lord exalted Joshua in the sight of all Israel, and they stood in awe of him just as they had stood in awe of Moses, all the days of his life.

Verses 1-4: The Israelites have crossed over the Jordan River at last, and now God is passing along an important command: have one person from each tribe take a stone from the bed of the river. The symbolic act of having one man from each tribe take part in this cannot be overstated. They are all given equal shares in this inheritance and are taking equal action the conquest of the promised land. While three of the tribes have already received the land allotted to them (See Joshua 1:12-15), they are still actively involved in the task ahead and thus gain a place in this symbolic action.

Verses 5-7: The verses here echoes the content of Deuteronomy 6 perfectly. The Israelites are to erect stone structures in order to have a talking point for their children, which serves as an excellent reminder to the current generation of the things God has done while securing that the future generations will learn of those things. This is a practice many of us should do more often in our lives, not only to have them to discuss with our children but to remind ourselves of the great and wonderful things that God has done in our lives. A visible reminder to inspire us with hope and confidence in the times where things are going bad, when it appears that God is distant and not answering prayers. It doesn’t have to be a stack of rocks, but could be one of any number of visuals that are present in our homes. Just like our body gets scars to remind us of the trauma that happened to our physical bodies, we need to leave something to remind us of the major events for our spiritual bodies. Because we are sinful and flawed humans, containing memories that are short. Every time I read through Exodus and see the Israelites going through an off-again/on-again relationship with following God I laugh and shake my head at their short memories. But, truth be told, I would be just as prone to erect and worship the golden calf and to forget about the miracles being done on my behalf. It is the battle we’ll be fighting until our leg of the race on this earth is finished, and we need every reminder we can get to help keep us on track.

Verses 8-10: An interesting thing to note here: The twelve men retrieve rocks from the Jordan and carry them over to the other side. Then Joshua sets up stones in the middle of the Jordan River, where the priests carrying the Ark were standing. This seems to imply that the stones being stacked later in this chapter form a second landmark. While it is unlikely that they would be able to see the landmark easily in the midst of the river, it would still be a very symbolic act to place this at the site of God’s miracle among them.

Verses 11-13: Here we have the Israelites gathered on the other side of the bank, with over 40,000 men armed and ready for war, and it seems to indicate this number just comes from the three tribes that had already received their inheritance. If this is truly the number just from three out of twelve tribes, this will mean that the Israelites have a truly impressive force and that these three tribes are certainly fulfilling their promise made to Moses.

Verse 14: God exalted Joshua. How many of us would love to experience that same honor in our lives? Joshua has lived a life of truth, courage, and honor in every capacity. He was the commander of Moses’ army. He was Moses’ understudy. He was a scout in the new land and one of two who told the truth about what they found. And now he has started his campaign as the leader of the Israelites on the right foot. If we seek after God, remaining strong and courageous and faithful through the good times and bad, we might encounter the day when God may choose to exalt us as well. It may take a lifetime of faithful commitment, like Noah and Abraham led, before it will happen. But if we are faithful in following God, He will surely reward us; if not in this world, certainly when we enter the Kingdom of Heaven.

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Scripture Study: Joshua 3:9-17

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Ark of the Covenant, Bible Study, Christian, Joshua, prayer, Scripture Saturday

Welcome to the sixth installment of the Scripture Study in Joshua. Last week we covered the first eight verses in this chapter, which brought up far more to discuss than originally anticipated and thus necessitating a split of this chapter into two parts. If you are just joining me, or have missed a week or two, there is a link below to the beginning of the study, to the last study, and a link to a master page where you can find links to each active part of the study.

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⁹ And Joshua said to the people of Israel, “Come here and listen to the words of the Lord your God.” ¹⁰ And Joshua said, “Here is how you shall know that the living God is among you and that he will without fail drive out from before you the Canaanites, the Hittites, the Hivites, the Perizzites, the Girgashites, the Amorites, and the Jebusites. ¹¹ Behold, the ark of the covenant of the Lord of all the earth is passing over before you into the Jordan. ¹² Now therefore take twelve men from the tribes of Israel, from each tribe a man. ¹³ And when the soles of the feet of the priests bearing the ark of the Lord, the Lord of all the earth, shall rest in the waters of the Jordan, the waters of the Jordan shall be cut off from flowing, and the waters coming down from above shall stand in one heap.”

¹⁴ So when the people set out from their tents to pass over the Jordan with the priests bearing the ark of the covenant before the people, ¹⁵ and as soon as those bearing the ark had come as far as the Jordan, and the feet of the priests bearing the ark were dipped in the brink of the water (now the Jordan overflows all its banks throughout the time of harvest), ¹⁶ the waters coming down from above stood and rose up in a heap very far away, at Adam, the city that is beside Zarethan, and those flowing down toward the Sea of the Arabah, the Salt Sea, were completely cut off. And the people passed over opposite Jericho. ¹⁷ Now the priests bearing the ark of the covenant of the Lord stood firmly on dry ground in the midst of the Jordan, and all Israel was passing over on dry ground until all the nation finished passing over the Jordan.

Verses 9-10: Joshua draws the crowd in and makes sure they are ready to listen, not to what Joshua has to say but rather what God is saying to them. He is only a vessel to pass along the message, showing the same humility that Daniel demonstrates while in the court of Nebuchadnezzar (See Daniel 2:27-30) and many others do over the course of the Bible. Joshua could have gotten a strong response from his followers by commanding them without mentioning the words were from God, yet he knew to whom the glory should go for what was about to happen. Far too often we are tempted into the thoughts of our culture that encourage us to pursue our dreams, our desires, and get into the mindset that we deserve those things and that they will make us happy and we deserve happiness. Yet even if we believe we know what will make us happy in this life, how much more does our Father know what would make us happy (See Matthew 7:11)? We should pray about the pursuits we aim to achieve and invite God to take part in the decision-making process. After all, how much can we accomplish if it runs contrary to His will for us? We should dream big dreams and chase after lofty goals, ones that are so big in scope that they could only happen if God showed up and helped along the way. Those are the goals which will assuredly bring Him greater glory, because we will know it was not by our own power that we reached that mark.

Verses 11-13: Note the emphasis placed here on the transportation of the Ark. It is no ordinary container being transported along on this journey, but rather it contains God’s ten commandments (See Exodus 25:16, 21; 40:20) and served as a holy representation of God and His presence for the people of Israel. So it is significant that not only the Ark is leading the Israelites, but also the command to have a member from each tribe present is important. These twelve men will be active witnesses to the miracle about to unfold, and the inclusion of all twelve tribes demonstrates they all hold favor with God. The significance of the twelve tribes will be explored in greater depth in the next chapter. Sometimes God calls us not to be active participants in a significant event, but rather to stand as witnesses who can then go and spread the word through testimony. We should not only spread this testimony during the moments following the event, but across generations. We should tell them to our kids and grandkids, to those we know and even to those we hardly know. We certainly should rejoice in the times when God chooses to use us to further His Glory, but we can equally rejoice when we see Him moving through others.

Verses 14-17: What an impressive feat this proved to be. The banks of the river, we are told, were at flood-level stages so it was a very full body of water raging here. God could have chosen any number of methods of providing crossing for the Israelites, such as freezing the water solid to allow them to cross. Yet instead of doing the natural, God comes along and does the Supernatural and parts the water. Whereas the Red Sea parting involved forming a wall of water on either side of the Israelites, in this instance God stopped the flowing side of the river and, ultimately, the other half would dry up without more water flowing across. There is no chance that this could be written off as something that happened naturally, and this will not be the last time in Joshua when we see God demonstrate His awesome power in ways that are unexpected. Imagine the people crossing, looking to their right and seeing a wall of water stretching upward on their right and bare ground to their left for as far as the eye can see. This just goes to reinforce that God likes to show up and do things in ways we don’t expect. Sometimes we expect answers to our prayers to not only arrive immediately, but exactly how we imagine them to be resolved. Yet that is rarely God’s timing or His method of answering prayers. Our imagination is limited to what we believe is possible, as well as what works best for us in that moment. God works based upon what is best for us in the long term and performs in ways that ensure the glory and credit can be placed nowhere but upon His shoulders. We should pray bigger, and bolder, prayers and step out in faith like those carrying the Ark. They took steps into the river before the waters were stopped. It was also they who stood in the middle of the river, under the shadow of this raging wall of water while waiting for all of the men, women, and children to cross to the other side. As far as they knew, the water would commence in its natural course at any moment. Yet they stood there, firmly trusting that God would fulfill His end of the deed without demanding any proof. And not only did God show up, He did so in a way that surpassed their understanding and expectations.

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Scripture Study: Joshua 3:1-8

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Bible Study, Christian, Conscecration, Cubit, Joshua, Old Testament, scripture

Welcome to the fifth week of our study into the book of Joshua. It is amazing to think that I’ve been digging in for over a month now, and the rewarding insights continue to pour through. This week Joshua and the Israelites are finally approaching the Jordan River, and next week will see the second half of this chapter getting covered as there was a lot more depth that came from the early verses than initially anticipated. Links are provided below to help catch up if you missed last week’s post, or if you are new to the undertaking and want to begin from the start of Joshua. I pray that some of the insights gleamed from these verses would reach out and affect you in your daily walk with Christ and help you draw closer to God.

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Then Joshua rose early in the morning and they set out from Shittim. And they came to the Jordan, he and all the people of Israel, and lodged there before they passed over. ² At the end of three days the officers went through the camp ³ and commanded the people, “As soon as you see the ark of the covenant of the Lord your God being carried by the Levitical priests, then you shall set out from your place and follow it. ⁴ Yet there shall be a distance between you and it, about 2,000 cubits in length. Do not come near it, in order that you may know the way you shall go, for you have not passed this way before.” ⁵ Then Joshua said to the people, “Consecrate yourselves, for tomorrow the Lord will do wonders among you.” ⁶ And Joshua said to the priests, “Take up the ark of the covenant and pass on before the people.” So they took up the ark of the covenant and went before the people.

⁷ The Lord said to Joshua, “Today I will begin to exalt you in the sight of all Israel, that they may know that, as I was with Moses, so I will be with you. ⁸ And as for you, command the priests who bear the ark of the covenant, ‘When you come to the brink of the waters of the Jordan, you shall stand still in the Jordan.’”

Verse 1: A brief note here regarding the hour in which Joshua rose. While it may not always be easy, there is something peaceful about rising early and beginning your day long before the bustle of activity begins. Some of my greatest moments as a Christian have come from early morning moments spent reading or studying the Bible, praying, and sharing fellowship with other Christian men. Those quiet moments are perfect for seeking after God, as it starts your day with God first in your life and sets the remainder of the day in alignment with Him. It also provides moments free from distractions, whereas later times may have children begging for attention, phone calls and emails and Facebook posts demanding your focus, and late nights where your thoughts are on laying down and getting sleep rather than drawing closer to God.

Verse 4: A cubit is about 18 inches in length, which means the Israelites were commanded to be about 3,000 feet (1,000 yards) away from the Ark of the Covenant. That is equivalent to ten full-sized football fields in distance. At this point in time the Ark of the Covenant is where the tablets containing the ten commandments were stored, a holy artifact. This command is a great visual of a physical gap between men and God, a gap forged by the shackles of sin. Because of Christ’s sacrifice 2,000 years ago, we are no longer forced to remain so distant from God, nor do we need to undergo the extreme rituals that the Levitical High Priests needed to perform annually with the mercy seal on the Ark (See Leviticus 16).

Verse 5: The command here for the Israelites to consecrate themselves is an unusual phrase for the Old Testament; the idea of consecrating is typically found in context to either someone being ordained for priesthood or in relation to a sacrifice at an altar. In the New Testament, it appears in relation to ourselves (See Romans 12:1) as an instruction to give ourselves as a living sacrifice to God, choosing to live for Him and follow Him. This is a term that could be applied to the practice of a second baptism that is becoming more popular today among those who were baptized originally as infants or small children (usually before they could actually make a knowing declaration of faith) as well as to the child dedication services where parents proclaim publicly their intention to raise their child to know and follow God. Essentially Joshua is telling his people to prepare themselves in relation to God, as He is about to do great and wonderful things among them and on their behalf. This is something we should live out more often, giving ourselves daily in consecration to the Lord. Whether it is before our feet hit the floor, or down on our knees beside the bed, we should take the time to pray and let God know that we are giving ourselves to Him today, letting Him lead us along whatever path comes our way so long as His will is done. Instead of scheduling out our days around our own wants and desires, we should be attuned to the opportunities around us whether they be teachable moments for our families, chances to interact with others in our neighborhood and communities, or something even greater and grander than we ever imagined. Some days may play out like an ordinary day, but if even one day a year takes unexpected turns that glorify our Lord it will be invigorating and inspiring.

Verses 7-8: Here we see God speaking to Joshua directly once again. The relationship that Joshua had with God is a close one, much like Moses had (See Exodus 33:11) and it is a relationship that we all strive for in our own daily lives. How many times have we thought to ourselves that prayer is a waste of time because it feels like a one-sided conversation? How many times has sorrow or trouble wormed its way into our lives and we’ve felt like God was absent through it all? Yet if we look back to God’s first conversation with Joshua in this book, we can get some insight into some ways that we, too, can attune ourselves better with God. It may not bring about 100% results, because we will never see the big picture to know what paths and outcomes will bring about God’s best plans for our lives. We may never audibly hear Him speak to us. But knowing His word will allow ourselves to know His will. The Scriptures tell us so much about who God is and what He rejoices in, and so meditating upon His word day and night (See Joshua 1:8) and teaching it to our children (See Deuteronomy 6) are steps in the right direction. And we should be strong and courageous, as God commanded Joshua three times in a short span of time (See Joshua 1:6, 7, 9) and step forward in faith. We should begin each morning with a prayer of consecration, as mentioned above, and put on the full Armor of God (See Ephesians 6:10-20) in order to be prepared to face any challenges that come our way each and every day of our lives.

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Scripture Study: Joshua 2:15-24

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Bible Study, Jericho, Joshua, Rahab, Scripture Saturday

Welcome back to the fourth week of our study of Joshua. There has been a lot of great stuff covered so far, and we haven’t even gotten to the first conquest in the book. Today’s study will see how the two Israelites respond to Rehab’s request for them to keep her and her family safe, as well as how Joshua reacts to the news that the people of Jericho are terrified of the Israelites due to hearing what God has already done on their behalf.

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¹⁵ Then she let them down by a rope through the window, for her house was built into the city wall, so that she lived in the wall. ¹⁶ And she said^[d] to them, “Go into the hills, or the pursuers will encounter you, and hide there three days until the pursuers have returned. Then afterward you may go your way.” ¹⁷ The men said to her, “We will be guiltless with respect to this oath of yours that you have made us swear. ¹⁸ Behold, when we come into the land, you shall tie this scarlet cord in the window through which you let us down, and you shall gather into your house your father and mother, your brothers, and all your father’s household. ¹⁹ Then if anyone goes out of the doors of your house into the street, his blood shall be on his own head, and we shall be guiltless. But if a hand is laid on anyone who is with you in the house, his blood shall be on our head. ²⁰ But if you tell this business of ours, then we shall be guiltless with respect to your oath that you have made us swear.” ²¹ And she said, “According to your words, so be it.” Then she sent them away, and they departed. And she tied the scarlet cord in the window.

²² They departed and went into the hills and remained there three days until the pursuers returned, and the pursuers searched all along the way and found nothing. ²³ Then the two men returned. They came down from the hills and passed over and came to Joshua the son of Nun, and they told him all that had happened to them. ²⁴ And they said to Joshua, “Truly the Lord has given all the land into our hands. And also, all the inhabitants of the land melt away because of us.”

Verses 15-16: Rahab suggests that the men hide in the hills for three days before making the trek back to the Israelite camp. While the impulse might be to trust that God would protect them, after all he promised no men would be able to stand against Joshua, they make the wise decision to heed the sense of this plan. After all, it is easier to sneak past men who are no longer looking for you. Even though Joshua had commanded the Israelites to be ready to move within three days, the delay of the return of these spies would not be detrimental to the cause. Sometimes we read a promise from God, or pray to God, and look for the immediate answer to appear in our lives. However, we cannot control the circumstances. Perhaps the reason for a delayed answer is similar to the reason why the spies must wait three days: right now isn’t the most opportune time to make that happen in your life. Perhaps waiting a few weeks, months, or years might be when the best possible time arrives to fulfill that promise or prayer. And maybe our case is one similar to Abraham and others, where it may be a promise fulfilled for our future generations rather than ourselves. That does not mean we should stop trusting God or praying about this to Him. While we can see only a few threads in the pattern, God can see the entire quilt and how it all fits together in the end.

Verses 17-21: The Israelite spies promise to uphold their end of the bargain that Rahab desired. Yet it was not simply a promise to protect her and her family, but something that required both action and obedience on the part of Rahab and her family. If they did not follow through on the commands, then the Israelites would not be held accountable for what might happen to those who disobeyed. This makes sense, as they do not know who Rahab’s family members are and certainly could not pass around pictures to everyone in the Israelite army. This command has a striking parallel with the Passover that occurred in Egypt where the Israelites had to mark their doorframes with blood and remain inside in order to get passed over from the plague of the first born (See Exodus 11). Many times the same things are required of us by God. He may make a promise or give us a command and expect action and obedience on our end to see it fulfilled. Just because God has promised to give us something in our lives does not mean we should wait with passive faith that He will come through apart from anything we do. Sometimes it requires us to step out in faith and meet Him part of the way in order to have that blessing in our lives. Instead of testing God to see if he will make something happen, He might be testing you to see if your desire is strong enough to take the first steps without Him. And often times, when we look back, we’ll find He was right there with us even when we thought those first steps were taken alone. God will fulfill His promises. Can you be bold enough to move forward with enough trust that they will come true, even if you don’t see how it is possible?

Verses 22-24: The men follow through on Rahab’s suggested plan of action and arrive safely back with Joshua and the Israelite army. Imagine the boost in morale for both Joshua and the commanders of his army when they hear the report that God has truly given them the land and the people of Jericho will “melt away before them” (Joshua 2:24). Small steps of obedience in Joshua’s life have led to this moment. He has followed God faithfully, being one of two men allowed to leave the wilderness and enter the promised land (Caleb being the other) because of his choices and actions. In Chapter 1 God spoke to Joshua and promised him the conquest of these lands and the report from the spies is serving as confirmation that this promise is about to be upheld. This sets the stage for the next chapter’s events, which we’ll begin to see next week. In a pattern that is often repeated in this book, so long as Joshua and his men are obedient they will find that God is more than willing to fulfill His end of the arrangement. Do not hesitate to chase a dream or a passion because you aren’t sure if God is able to help you achieve it. You may just need to take the initiative and God will surprise you along the way.

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Scripture Study: Joshua 2:1-14

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Bible Study, faith, Government, Joshua, prayer, Rahab, scripture

Welcome to the third installment in the scripture Study. While Joshua is not actively moving into the promised land yet, we do see some action happening in this segment which covers the well-known story of Rahab and how she hides the two men that Joshua sends to spy out the land of Jericho. If you missed the previous installments you can check out part one (Joshua 1:1-9) and part two (Joshua 1:10-18) by following those links.

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Rahab Hides the Spies

 And Joshua the son of Nun sent two men secretly from Shittim as spies, saying, “Go, view the land, especially Jericho.” And they went and came into the house of a prostitute whose name was Rahab and lodged there. ² And it was told to the king of Jericho, “Behold, men of Israel have come here tonight to search out the land.” ³ Then the king of Jericho sent to Rahab, saying, “Bring out the men who have come to you, who entered your house, for they have come to search out all the land.” ⁴ But the woman had taken the two men and hidden them. And she said, “True, the men came to me, but I did not know where they were from. ⁵ And when the gate was about to be closed at dark, the men went out. I do not know where the men went. Pursue them quickly, for you will overtake them.” ⁶ But she had brought them up to the roof and hid them with the stalks of flax that she had laid in order on the roof. ⁷ So the men pursued after them on the way to the Jordan as far as the fords. And the gate was shut as soon as the pursuers had gone out.

⁸ Before the men lay down, she came up to them on the roof ⁹ and said to the men, “I know that the Lord has given you the land, and that the fear of you has fallen upon us, and that all the inhabitants of the land melt away before you. ¹⁰ For we have heard how the Lord dried up the water of the Red Sea before you when you came out of Egypt, and what you did to the two kings of the Amorites who were beyond the Jordan, to Sihon and Og, whom you devoted to destruction. ¹¹ And as soon as we heard it, our hearts melted, and there was no spirit left in any man because of you, for the Lord your God, he is God in the heavens above and on the earth beneath. ¹² Now then, please swear to me by the Lord that, as I have dealt kindly with you, you also will deal kindly with my father’s house, and give me a sure sign ¹³ that you will save alive my father and mother, my brothers and sisters, and all who belong to them, and deliver our lives from death.” ¹⁴ And the men said to her, “Our life for yours even to death! If you do not tell this business of ours, then when the Lord gives us the land we will deal kindly and faithfully with you.”

Verse 1: Joshua sends out two men to scout out the land that has been promised prior to moving the Israelites across the Jordan River. While Joshua was promised the land and that he would be able to conquer all who stood against him (See Joshua 1:5-9) it was still good military wisdom to not walk in blindly. Joshua took the first steps by trusting God’s command to go into the land and ordering his people to be ready to move in three days (See Joshua 1:10-11) but he also took action to prepare for success. The easy thing would have been to write off anything that he would encounter because God promised it to him. Are there promises that God makes in the Bible that we just assume will come our way if we wait passively for them to arrive? Are we praying prayers with the hope that God will move the mountains in our lives without us having to take a single step to skirt around or climb over the mountains? Many times in the Bible we see that act of faith, the men and women taking the steps toward their goal, before God steps in and rewards their obedience.

Verses 2-5: A few notable things took place in these verses. First of all, the king of Jericho had an awareness of the spies that entered into their city. So he had a good network of information in his city, and it is easy to imagine that outsiders within a walled city might attract some attention. Second, it is likely that Rahab ran an inn or some other establishment and that these men would have been directed to her place. While Rahab is known as a prostitute, or harlot, it is very likely that this was a former offense and something that she likely repented of prior to the arrival of the spies. So while she was no longer committing that sin, she was still likely to be labeled as such by the community because men and women historically have a hard time forgiving and forgetting the sins of others, especially scandalous ones. Here Rahab has a direct order from her king to disclose the location of these two men and she opts to honor God rather than the king of Jericho, as will be seen in the following verses. While the Bible is clear that we should not bear false witness (See Exodus 20:16) and should honor and submit to our leaders (See 1 Peter 2:17, Matthew 22:21, Romans 13:7, 1 Peter 2:13), the gray area comes when the will of God and the will of our leaders are in opposition to each other. While Jesus told Pilate that he only had the authority to crucify Jesus because it was in alignment to God’s will (See John 19:11), we also see the Apostles in the New Testament going against orders from the Government (See Acts 5:17-42) stating “We must obey God rather than men” (Acts 5:29). Therefore we, as Christians, are clearly called to submit to our government so long as what we are being asked to do is in accordance to God’s commands. Daniel and his friends knew the difference when he was commanded to worship Nebuchadnezzar (See Daniel 3, 6) and Rahab understands the difference here. In choosing to disobey the king of Jericho, she is choosing instead to honor God and His chosen people.

Verses 9-11: Here we see Rahab confess to the two Israelite men that the whole kingdom of Jericho has heard of God’s works and are afraid of the Israelites. Many times God allows things to work out in an unexpected way, such as when he hardened the Pharaoh’s heart again and again, in order to bring greater glory to His own name. In today’s world it is easy to lust after fame and fortune, and a lot of emphasis is placed upon entertainment. People get paid millions of dollars to play sports or sing songs in front of crowds. People get paid thousands of dollars to come and speak to audiences in cities. The trap comes when we want these things to further our own name and our own causes rather than to bring glory to our God. We are people designed to do great and wonderful things. We are capable of doing even greater things than Jesus did during his time on this earth (See John 14:12). If we go in the name of God, with the intent of bringing the glory to Him rather than ourselves, who can stand against us? (See Romans 8:31)

Verses 12-14: Rahab pleads for merciful dealings and receives far more than she could have ever imagined in return. Jesus himself traced his descendants back through Rahab (See Matthew 1:5), one of the many testaments to how God uses the people that no one would ever expect. Here we see Rahab not only asking to have her own life spared, but also for her family members. While it commonly falls to the male of the household to be responsible for the care of the family, this here is a demonstration of the way every one of us should be praying. Pray for the care of our family, those under our own roof and those who live apart. Pray for those saved and for those who are not saved. An active prayer life, full of prayers for those who we love and care for, can bless them even if they never know it. For every unanswered prayer, there is a story of a person who prayed for their spouse, child, or parent for years or decades before the Holy Spirit brought them to know Christ.

I’ll close by restating something mentioned two weeks ago as part of looking at Joshua 1:9:

Imagine what we could do if, instead of being afraid or discouraged we told God about those concerns and trusted Him to handle them? God fulfilled promises to Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, Moses, and many others even if it was not always in the timing expected. How might our lives change if we stopped kind-of believing that God hears our prayers and kind-of believing that He may answer them and start living secure in the knowledge that God hears and God will fulfill His end of any promises He has made? Be strong. Be courageous. Do not be frightened. Do not be dismayed. Your God is with you wherever you go.

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Scripture Study: Joshua 1:10-18

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Bible Study, Joshua, Leadership, prayer, scripture

Welcome to the second installment in the Scripture study. This week should prove to have more application than last week, which had a lot of background information to set the context of the Israelites entering the land promised to Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, and Moses. You can check out the full post from last week at this link, and I’d love to hear your thoughts as I continue forward through the book of Joshua.

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¹⁰ And Joshua commanded the officers of the people, ¹¹ “Pass through the midst of the camp and command the people, ‘Prepare your provisions, for within three days you are to pass over this Jordan to go in to take possession of the land that the Lord your God is giving you to possess.’”

¹² And to the Reubenites, the Gadites, and the half-tribe of Manasseh Joshua said, ¹³ “Remember the word that Moses the servant of the Lord commanded you, saying, ‘The Lord your God is providing you a place of rest and will give you this land.’ ¹⁴ Your wives, your little ones, and your livestock shall remain in the land that Moses gave you beyond the Jordan, but all the men of valor among you shall pass over armed before your brothers and shall help them, ¹⁵ until the Lord gives rest to your brothers as he has to you, and they also take possession of the land that the Lord your God is giving them. Then you shall return to the land of your possession and shall possess it, the land that Moses the servant of the Lord gave you beyond the Jordan toward the sunrise.”

¹⁶ And they answered Joshua, “All that you have commanded us we will do, and wherever you send us we will go. ¹⁷ Just as we obeyed Moses in all things, so we will obey you. Only may the Lord your God be with you, as he was with Moses! ¹⁸ Whoever rebels against your commandment and disobeys your words, whatever you command him, shall be put to death. Only be strong and courageous.”

Verse 10: While Joshua could have given the commands himself to the people, he demonstrates effective command and leadership by passing along the message to his team of leaders, allowing them to spread his message so that he isn’t obligated to do it all himself. The delegation of tasks, such as this one, shows that Joshua had a clear understanding that he could not do everything himself. In the New Testament there is a clear example of the need for delegation, shown in the book of Acts (See Acts 6:1-7). It can be easy for us to fall into the trap of trying to do everything ourselves, which allows other priorities to either get partial attention or else get neglected completely. Many people in the Body of Christ have different talents (See 1 Corinthians 12:4-11), and an effective leader will try to let those with the spiritual gift in an area take command of that task.

Verse 11: Joshua is giving his people three days to prepare to cross the Jordan river. This is not a small tribe of people about to embark upon a journey, but rather a great multitude of people. It will take time for the people to prepare for the journey and tear down their camps.

Verses 12-15: Here Joshua is directing his words toward the men of three out of the twelve tribes of Israel: The Ruebenites, the Gadites, and the half-tribe of Manasseh. The context here is critical, so we must look at Numbers 32 to see why these three tribes are being singled out like this. These three tribes were all given land on that side of the Jordan River because the tribes had a great number of livestock and noticed that land was good for their livestock. They pleaded with Moses for those lands as their inheritance, under the condition that every fighting man would cross the Jordan and would fight until all twelve tribes had received their lands. They were able to establish a place for their livestock, children, and women, but when called all the fighting men must go. Joshua is calling upon them to not only remember the promise to Moses, but also to fulfill that promise made.

As Christians, we need to learn a lesson from these tribes. How easy it could have been for them to hold back and stay in the land promised to them and let the other nine tribes battle on their own. They could have taken a rest, enjoying a time of peace and ease. Instead they committed to going forth and helping the others. In out times of peace and ease, it becomes easy to become idle and enjoy those tranquil moments. Yet there are many around us who could use our assistance during our times of peace. Like these tribes, there is nothing wrong with making sure your own affairs are settled first, but when you see a need you should pursue it with the same vigor and passion as you would if it was affecting you or your family. Pray for those around you, whether in your family or in your neighborhood. Get on your knees and ask God to work on their hearts. Use that time of peace to become proactive with your prayers and actions. Find those needs and step in to fulfill them, such as taking meals to those who have need. Put those spiritual gifts to work and be the salt and the light that this world desperately needs.

Verses 16-18: Obedience is demonstrated here, with the people pledging to follow Joshua’s commands. It is not clear whether these are the tribes of the Ruebenites and Gadites and Manasseh, or if these are the leaders Joshua commanded in verse 10, but it seems most likely to be the latter. They were willing to follow Joshua so long as three things held true: the Lord was with him, he was strong, and he was courageous. The last two are echoes of God’s own command to Joshua in the preceding verses. These three things provide excellent benchmarks when looking for a leader. Signs of strength and courage inspire confidence among the people, although those traits can become corrupted when used apart from God. Which is why the first is the most important, that the Lord is with Joshua and therefore Joshua is walking along the path that God has chosen. As we’ll see in the coming studies, Joshua not only listens when God sends his commands, but he also seeks guidance from God and has a connection to God via his prayer life.

So we’ll close with a challenge to you: when a decision comes your way, do you turn to God for His guidance? This is an area where I need to continue to develop, seeking His approval before moving forward. This is a control issue for many people, as it requires us to let go of our own wants and desires and to seek what God has planned for us. Join me this week in praying more often to God, asking for Him to lead us when a decision comes our way.

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Scripture Study: Joshua 1:1-9

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Bible Reading, Bible Study, Christian, Commentary, Historical Text, Joshua

Welcome to the first week of what will hopefully prove to be a long adventure. About two weeks ago I found myself considering going through a book of the Bible, taking a small section at a time and really digging into the text. The more I considered the idea, the more I was drawn to going through the Book of Joshua because it has always been one of my favorites. Yet the great stuff doesn’t end with Joshua, but continues along through the entire historical narrative through the book of Esther. So the task I am hoping to accomplish is to provide reading and commentary from Joshua through Esther, regardless of how long it takes to reach the end point. That will take me through each and every book grouped together as being a Historical text in the Bible. It is a large task and an ambitious goal, but I hope that you will join me each week as we dive into these books that form such a large portion of the Old Testament. Any Scripture used throughout this series will be from the ESV unless noted otherwise.

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¹After the death of Moses the servant of the Lord, the Lord said to Joshua the son of Nun, Moses’ assistant, ² “Moses my servant is dead. Now therefore arise, go over this Jordan, you and all this people, into the land that I am giving to them, to the people of Israel. ³ Every place that the sole of your foot will tread upon I have given to you, just as I promised to Moses. ⁴ From the wilderness and this Lebanon as far as the great river, the river Euphrates, all the land of the Hittites to the Great Sea toward the going down of the sun shall be your territory. ⁵ No man shall be able to stand before you all the days of your life. Just as I was with Moses, so I will be with you. I will not leave you or forsake you. ⁶ Be strong and courageous, for you shall cause this people to inherit the land that I swore to their fathers to give them. ⁷ Only be strong and very courageous, being careful to do according to all the law that Moses my servant commanded you. Do not turn from it to the right hand or to the left, that you may have good success wherever you go. ⁸ This Book of the Law shall not depart from your mouth, but you shall meditate on it day and night, so that you may be careful to do according to all that is written in it. For then you will make your way prosperous, and then you will have good success. ⁹ Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be frightened, and do not be dismayed, for the Lord your God is with you wherever you go.”

Verse 1: The mantle of leadership is shifting from Moses, who led God’s people out of Egypt and led them through the wilderness for 40 years, to Joshua. This was not an unexpected change for the Israelites, as Joshua had been groomed for this position for quite some time with Moses. He was the commander of the men who fought against the Amalek (See Exodus 17:8-16), he was one of the twelve men whom Moses sent to scout through the land of Canaan (see Numbers 13:1-24) and was one of only two men (along with Caleb) who gave a true report of what they found in the land of Canaan and therefore God chose Joshua and Caleb to be the only men alive with the group to be able to enter the land of Canaan (see Numbers 14:26-31). And when Moses asked God to “appoint a man over the congregation who shall go out before them and come in before them, who shall lead them out and bring them in, that the congregation of the Lord may not be as sheep that have no shepherd.” (Numbers 27:16-17) it was God who appointed Joshua to step in and be the leader of the Israelites after Moses and he was anointed before the entire people (See Numbers 27:18-23). So the transition of leadership here should be seamless.

Verses 2-4: Joshua is set to lead the Israelites into the land promised to Abraham (See Genesis 12:1-8, 17:8), Isaac (See Genesis 26:1-5), Jacob (See Genesis 35:6-15) and to Moses (See Exodus 5:22-6:8). The fulfillment of this promise is one of many demonstrations that God always keeps His promises, even if He does not set the parameters on how soon that promise will be fulfilled.

Verse 5: What a promise God makes here to Joshua: “Just as I was with Moses, so I will be with you”. Recall that Moses encountered God as the burning bush (See Exodus 3), led Moses and the Israelites with pillars of cloud and fire (See Exodus 13:17-22), spoke with God on Mount Sinai (See Exodus 19, 24:12-18), and many other intimate and encouraging encounters. It is also remarkable to note that God promises Joshua that no man shall be able to stand before him for his entire lifetime, a promise that we’ll see in action time and again in the book of Joshua. So long as God’s commands are followed, victory is pre-established every step of the way.

Verse 6: Here appears the phrase “Be strong and courageous” for the first time in the Book of Joshua. It will appear two more times in just this short segment (Joshua 1:7, 9) which should cause any reader to take special note of the phrase. After all, anything repeated three times in the span of five verses must be very important. Whereas Moses argued with God over his ability to lead (See Exodus 4), Joshua is reminded several times that he should be both strong and courageous. After all, he has been promised that God will be with him, that no man will be able to stand before him, and that he will lead these people into a land that God promised them generations ago. See notes on verses 7 & 8 for more on what Joshua needed to do in order to live up to God’s expectations, and how those can apply to our lives today.

Verse 7: God tells Joshua what he should do, “being careful to do according to all the law that Moses my servant commanded you. Do not turn from it to the right hand or to the left, that you may have good success wherever you go.” All of the commandments that God passed down to His people, outlined in Exodus, Numbers, Leviticus, and Deuteronomy should be followed. The weight of perfection that the law demands is great, but God made it clear in Deuteronomy 28 what would happen to the Israelites if they did, or did not, follow the law carefully. God dedicated 14 verses to the blessings that would come from obedience, including being blessed in city and field (28:3), in the fruit of the womb and ground and cattle (28:4), basket and kneading bowl (28:5), and both when coming and going (28:6), and that all who come against them would be defeated (28:7). But then come 53 verses outlining the curses that would rain down upon a nation that strays from the laws, including but not limited to the opposites of each blessing previously promised. This is an important chapter to look at and consider in context of much that will follow in the Historical books, particularly once we arrive in Kings and Chronicles.

Verse 8: This was among one of the first verses I memorized as a Christian, and with good reason. While Christians today are no longer burdened by trying to keep every letter of the law, it is still important to know and understand both God’s Commandments as well as God’s Word as a whole. Reading the Bible daily leads us on a path that will see us growing in our knowledge of God’s Word and learning passages of scripture even without active attempts at memorization. The more we know and understand the entire Bible, the more we will be in tune with what God desires from His people and the Holy Spirit will chip away at us, prodding us toward becoming more like Christ and less like our fleshly selves. I’ve come to understand this verse in a whole new way since my last encounter with it, an understanding that the Pharisees of old could have benefitted from. The first part says that the Book of Law will not depart from your mouth, followed by a command to meditate upon the Book of Law night and day so that you will do all it says. My interpretation: don’t just cherry-pick verses to learn and be able to spout, but rather immerse yourself in the fullness of God’s Word so that you know and understand the contexts surrounding God’s Word instead of just the right verse to suit your needs. Don’t use God’s Word as just a weapon to win battles but rather use it as a lamp to light your path (See Psalm 119:105) so that it becomes a part of who you are and influences what you say and do.

Verse 9: The main message found here has been repeated already by God in some manner, apart from the question (which directs back to everything just said anyway). Serving as a complement to the thrice-repeated command to be strong and courageous comes the command to also not be frightened or dismayed. The reason underlying all of those commands? Because God will be with you wherever you go. We have that same open connection with God through prayer, a part of our lives that is oftentimes rated with “it could be better” or “I should pray more” by Christians. Imagine what we could do if, instead of being afraid or discouraged we told God about those concerns and trusted Him to handle them? God fulfilled promises to Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, Moses, and many others even if it was not always in the timing expected. How might our lives change if we stopped kind-of believing that God hears our prayers and kind-of believing that He may answer them and start living secure in the knowledge that God hears and God will fulfill His end of any promises He has made? Be strong. Be courageous. Do not be frightened. Do not be dismayed. Your God is with you wherever you go.

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