Humble Faith Follows – 3:1-17

As a writer, there are lots of things to keep in mind as a story progresses. Characters, plot, setting. The longer the story the more characters and settings there will be, and they somehow have to tie into the plot in a smooth way. However, that’s not all: theme and symbolism also play a huge role. These are ultimately what makes the story more than just another story; they are what keep a story around for several generations, or ultimately what constitute a classic. However, though there are many other things that go into a good story, pace is what I want to focus on today. The speed at which the story is told is important. It can be used to build suspense, or it can be used to mitigate suspense. It causes the reader to say, “Hurry up already and get to the point,” which keeps them turning the page until they reach a conclusion. Or it can cause a reader to say, “I just didn’t really get into it, because it was all over too quickly.” In the same way, our historian is a master of pacing, as our text today will prove.

Our historian writes, “Joshua started early the next morning and left the Acacia Grove with all the Israelites. They went as far as the Jordan and stayed there before crossing.  After three days the officers went through the camp and commanded the people: ‘When you see the ark of the covenant of the LORD your God carried by the Levitical priests, you must break camp and follow it.  But keep a distance of about 1,000 yards between yourselves and the ark. Don’t go near it, so that you can see the way to go, for you haven’t traveled this way before.’  Joshua told the people, ‘Consecrate yourselves, because the LORD will do wonders among you tomorrow.’  Then he said to the priests, ‘Take the ark of the covenant and go on ahead of the people.’ So they carried the ark of the covenant and went ahead of them.  The LORD spoke to Joshua: ‘Today I will begin to exalt you in the sight of all Israel, so they will know that I will be with you just as I was with Moses.  Command the priests carrying the ark of the covenant: When you reach the edge of the waters, stand in the Jordan.’  Then Joshua told the Israelites, ‘Come closer and listen to the words of the LORD your God.’  He said: ‘You will know that the living God is among you and that He will certainly dispossess before you the Canaanites, Hittites, Hivites, Perizzites, Girgashites, Amorites, and Jebusites  when the ark of the covenant of the Lord of all the earth goes ahead of you into the Jordan.  Now choose 12 men from the tribes of Israel, one man for each tribe.  When the feet of the priests who carry the ark of the LORD, the Lord of all the earth, come to rest in the Jordan’s waters, its waters will be cut off. The water flowing downstream will stand up ⌊in⌋ a mass.’  When the people broke camp to cross the Jordan, the priests carried the ark of the covenant ahead of the people.  Now the Jordan overflows its banks throughout the harvest season. But as soon as the priests carrying the ark reached the Jordan, their feet touched the water at its edge and the water flowing downstream stood still, rising up ⌊in⌋ a mass that extended as far as Adam, a city next to Zarethan. The water flowing downstream into the Sea of the Arabah (the Dead Sea) was completely cut off, and the people crossed opposite Jericho.  The priests carrying the ark of the LORD’s covenant stood firmly on dry ground in the middle of the Jordan, while all Israel crossed on dry ground until the entire nation had finished crossing the Jordan.”

So by this point the spies have just returned to Joshua. They had spent three days in the mountains after speaking with Rahab. Joshua had told Israel in chapter 1:11 that they would be moving in three days. With that knowledge, it is time for the people to move again. After a focus on the spies for three days, it is now time to zoom out and look at the whole nation again. Through the use of expert narrative pacing, our historian wants to show us that God is faithful to keep His promises, and that He is present with His people. He shows us this through the use of multiple speeches.

But before getting to the first speech, we read in verses 1-2, “Joshua started early the next morning and left the Acacia Grove with all the Israelites. They went as far as the Jordan and stayed there before crossing.  After three days the officers went through the camp.”

For convenience sake, let’s say that the spies entered Jericho on Sunday. They would have returned to Joshua on Tuesday night. Wednesday morning they all left the Acacia Grove and set up a new camp on the eastern shore of the Jordan River. After three more days, action happens.

The first speech is given by the officers to the people in verses 3-4, “When you see the ark of the covenant of the LORD your God carried by the Levitical priests, you must break camp and follow it.  But keep a distance of about 1,000 yards between yourselves and the ark. Don’t go near it, so that you can see the way to go, for you haven’t traveled this way before.”

So, to keep the convenient time scale going, the officers go throughout the camp three days after the Wednesday march. Sometime on Friday the officers go throughout the camp and tell the people what they need to be watching for. They tell the people that the ark of the covenant of Yahweh their God being moved by the Levitical priests is their sign to move out. However, in telling them this, they also give a boundary. They say that the people must not come within 1,000 yards—literally 2,000 cubits—of the ark because the ark is their guide. One commentator says, “The distance of 2000 cubits was approximately that of the outer bank of the Jordan to the inner bed.”[1] The people were to have faith and follow the ark, and they were not to pridefully think that they were wiser than God; their faith was to be shown in humble following at a distance of more than half a mile.

So, before moving on, I must ask us, do we trust God humbly? Or are we insistent on always saying, “God, I know what’s best for me, and You need to do it for me”? Do we follow too closely in a prideful—God can’t lead me best—mindset? Of course God wants us to follow Him, and to follow Him closely—possible only through Jesus—but we must be humble in our following and not insist that we know better than God. If we act in that way, we really aren’t following God, we’re telling God to follow us, which is the height of sinful pride.

There is another, very real sense in which the people were told to follow at that great distance simply for their own safety. Second Samuel 6 tells the story of a man being struck dead for touching the ark. God wants us to follow Him because He knows best and because He wants to protect us. When we say, “God, You’d better do what I want You to do,” we’re ultimately saying, “I want pain and sorrow to come to me, because I know better than the one who works everything out for my good.” This is why many times our prayers seem like they are not answered. God does not want to harm us, so we need to humbly trust and follow Him like the Israelites were called to do on the shores of the Jordan.

The second speech is given by Joshua to the people in verses 5, “Consecrate yourselves, because the LORD will do wonders among you tomorrow.” Joshua tells the people to consecrate themselves for the next day: Saturday (for our convenient calendar of events). He says that the reason they need to consecrate themselves is because God would do wonders among them the next day. This makes me think: how often do we miss the wonders of God that He is doing in our own lives because we are not consecrated? How often do we expect His wonders to look like a parted body of water, when His greatest wonder of all occurred on a bloody cross? The greatest wonders of God occur in everyday moments when our hearts are prepared to experience them. This is why we should never pridefully tell God that we know better than Him, but rather humbly follow Him even when it looks like the odds are totally against us.

The third speech is given by Joshua to the priests in verse 6, “Take the ark of the covenant and go on ahead of the people.” This looks like it takes place the next day. Joshua orders the priests to move out ahead of the people so as to get the 2,000 cubit separation in place. The priests response is recorded at the end of verse 6: “So they carried the ark of the covenant and went ahead of them.” The priests obey immediately, showing respect for their new leader. As of this point there has been no disrespect shown to Joshua. The tribes all agreed on moving out after three days, including the ones who would eventually move back east of the Jordan after the conquest. The spies did their job and returned with a positive report. The people all set out from the Acacia Grove and were now camped at the edge of the Jordan. This fact leads well into the next speech.

The fourth speech is given by Yahweh to Joshua in verses 7-8, “Today I will begin to exalt you in the sight of all Israel, so they will know that I will be with you just as I was with Moses.  Command the priests carrying the ark of the covenant: When you reach the edge of the waters, stand in the Jordan.”

Yahweh wants Joshua to know that He chose him. He wants Joshua to know that He will be with him. He tells him that today Joshua will begin to see explicit proof of it. He tells Joshua more that Joshua relays to the people in verses 9-13, which ultimately form the main point today, but God primarily wants Joshua to know that He is with him. God wants Joshua to know that he can trust Him, so that Joshua can be a godly leader who exemplifies trust in God. If Joshua follows God like the people were commanded to follow God, then the people would be much more likely to follow God, especially if God could be visibly seen to be with their leader.

Before Joshua speaks God’s words to the people, God gives him some words for the priests, which likely means that this conversation occurred before the priests left in verse 6. Not only were they to go ahead of the people, but they were to stand in the water when they got there. The priests obeyed, as verse 6 demonstrates.

As the priests march towards the Jordan, Joshua gives the final speech of our passage to the people in verses 9-13, “‘Come closer and listen to the words of the LORD your God.’  He said: ‘You will know that the living God is among you and that He will certainly dispossess before you the Canaanites, Hittites, Hivites, Perizzites, Girgashites, Amorites, and Jebusites  when the ark of the covenant of the Lord of all the earth goes ahead of you into the Jordan.  Now choose 12 men from the tribes of Israel, one man for each tribe.  When the feet of the priests who carry the ark of the LORD, the Lord of all the earth, come to rest in the Jordan’s waters, its waters will be cut off. The water flowing downstream will stand up ⌊in⌋ a mass.’”

He tells the people to listen up to God’s Word. God had a message for His people. This God—their God—is named Yahweh in verse 9, and in verse 13 He is described as the “master of all the earth.” The God who is in a personal covenant with Israel is the God who rules the whole earth. This is mind-blowing. What’s even more mind-blowing is what He says next: Israel would know that God was present with them, and they would know that God was going to give them victory over the inhabitants of the land when “the ark of the covenant, the Lord of all the earth,”[2] went into the Jordan. Howard writes, “If the Hebrew is correct as it stands, then the ark is identified all that much more closely with God himself, that is, the ark (or the covenant) is equated with the Lord himself.”[3] God’s presence is located in the ark. This was why the people were called to humbly respect the ark by keeping a certain distance from it. (Verse 12, about twelve men, is a parenthesis that heightens suspense, but since it isn’t mentioned again until chapter 4, I will bring it up next time.) God explains, through Joshua, the sign that would prove that He was with them and giving them the land would occur when the priests went into the water: “When the feet of the priests who carry the ark of the LORD, the Lord of all the earth, come to rest in the Jordan’s waters, its waters will be cut off. The water flowing downstream will stand up ⌊in⌋ a mass.”

Finally, we see played out in detail in verses 14-17 what was previewed through the speeches in 3-13, “When the people broke camp to cross the Jordan, the priests carried the ark of the covenant ahead of the people.  Now the Jordan overflows its banks throughout the harvest season. But as soon as the priests carrying the ark reached the Jordan, their feet touched the water at its edge and the water flowing downstream stood still, rising up ⌊in⌋ a mass that extended as far as Adam, a city next to Zarethan. The water flowing downstream into the Sea of the Arabah (the Dead Sea) was completely cut off, and the people crossed opposite Jericho.  The priests carrying the ark of the LORD’s covenant stood firmly on dry ground in the middle of the Jordan, while all Israel crossed on dry ground until the entire nation had finished crossing the Jordan.”

Before explaining in detail, let’s read a more literal translation. Howard translates verses 14-16,

And it happened—when the people set out from their tents to cross the Jordan, with the priests carrying the ark of the covenant before them, and when those carrying the ark came as far as the Jordan, and [when] the feet of the priests carrying the ark were dipped into the edge of the waters (now the Jordan overflows all its banks all the days of the harvest)— that the waters coming down from above stood! They rose up [in] one heap, a very far distance away, at Adam, the city that is opposite Zarethan, and the [waters] coming down upon the Sea of the Arabah, the Salt Sea, were completely cut off. And the people crossed opposite Jericho.[4]

It’s quite a mouthful. The author wants to draw out the suspense as long as possible. Starting with, “and it happened,” the author proves that God’s word came true. “The people set out” is a loaded phrase. This was not a small band of friends. According to Numbers 26, there were 601,730 men over twenty years old. Assuming for a moment that every man twenty years old has a wife (which is a semi-safe assumption back then) and at least one child, we’re easily looking at a number of 1,805,190 people—male and female—of all different ages. We must also keep in mind that this count does not include any of the Levites, of whom it is safe to assume that there were at least 20,000 men over twenty years old, which means at least 60,000 more people, bringing the total to at least 1,865,190 people about to cross a flooded river (cf. 3:15).

When this crowd saw the ark set out, they broke camp, which must have been a sight to see. Think about the noise from this throng of people. It’s no wonder the people of Jericho were shaking in their boots at the thought. The priests were in the front with the ark. When the ark reached the flooded bank of the Jordan it happened: the water stopped. When they crossed the Red Sea forty years earlier, it was a still body of water, the parting of which was described as, “the waters ⌊like⌋ a wall to them on their right and their left” (Exodus 14:22). Here, they are crossing a river which flows south. It is described as, “the water flowing downstream stood still, rising up ⌊in⌋ a mass that extended as far as Adam, a city next to Zarethan. The water flowing downstream into the Sea of the Arabah (the Dead Sea) was completely cut off.” Our historian tells us that the waters stood up at Adam, which is next to Zerathan. “Adam . . . on the eastern shore of the Jordan . . . about sixteen miles north of Jericho.”[5] I point this out because verse 16 says that the people crossed opposite Jericho. The water stood up sixteen miles north of them, and then south of them flowed into the Dead Sea until there was nothing left to flow into the Dead Sea. This was quite the miracle! God could have done anything, such as parted the water so two or three people could cross at a time, but instead He dried up the whole southern section of the river, including sixteen miles north of them, and said, “Cross!”

Verse 17 is huge! “The priests carrying the ark of the LORD’s covenant stood firmly on dry ground in the middle of the Jordan, while all Israel crossed on dry ground until the entire nation had finished crossing the Jordan.” The ark stayed in the middle of the river while the people crossed. The 2,000 cubit distance was kept, because they had multiple miles of dry ground on each side of the ark. But the point is that not only does God lead His people, but He goes with His people and stands in the midst of their trouble until the last one of His people is through. We must humbly follow our God because He humbly leads us, even though He could powerfully smash any of us at any moment, and be perfectly just to do so.

You see, not one of us deserves to have God in our midst. And at the same time, since God is the Master of all the Earth, He is everywhere and thus always in our midst. For this reason every breath we take is grace. God could have denied you that last breath because you’re sinful. You’ve lied, stolen, cheated, idolized something, etc. However, not only is God the Master of all the Earth, but Jesus Christ is too. Instead of clinging to that title though, He shed it and lived amongst us and our trouble 2,000 years ago. He was unjustly condemned and nailed to a cross even though He did nothing wrong, and He hung there on the cross for 6 hours until every last sin of every person who would ever place their faith in Him was paid for. Then He died. The wrath of God covered Him like the Jordan River refilled its valley after the people were safely across. However, after three days in the tomb, Jesus rose from the grave, emerging from the River victorious to show that death had no hold over Him.

Just like God didn’t cross the river immediately, but stayed in it until His people came through safely, Jesus didn’t think about Himself first either. He gave His life for each and every one of His people. He enables us to do the same for those in our lives. And He urges us to trust Him fully and follow Him even when nothing makes sense because He is with us.

If you’ve never trusted Jesus before, please do so today!!

So the Bible has suspenseful sections contained in its pages. In fact, while the book of Genesis covers 2,000 years and the book of Exodus covers 400 years, the book of Leviticus maybe covers thirty days. The time focus alone in that example shows us that Leviticus is a key focus from the Bible’s point of view since the pace almost slows to a stop. However, in much the same way that we often stop reading when we get to Leviticus, when the pace slows anywhere in the Bible we decide its boring, instead of doing what we do in other reading, where we say, “I gotta get through this so I can get answers.” The “boring” parts are part of the story too—a necessary part. Let’s repent of our judgment of them and follow God humbly, accepting all of His Word as worthwhile, rather than pridefully just enjoying the parts that interest us.

Solus Christus

Soli Deo Gloria

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[1] Marten H Woudstra, The Book of Joshua, NICOT (Grand Rapids, MI: Wm. B. Eerdmans, 1981), 81.

[2] David M. Howard, New American Commentary – Volume 5: Joshua, (Nashville, TN: Broadman & Holman, 1998), WORDsearch CROSS e-book, 127.

[3] Ibid. Rather than translating it, “the ark of the covenant of the Lord of all the earth.”

[4] Ibid., 129.

[5] Trent C. Butler, Joshua, WBC (Waco, TX: Word, 1983), 48.

A Prostitute’s Plea for Preservation – 2:1-24

The Ancient Church Father, Cyril of Jerusalem, who lived around 350, said,

Pass now, pray, to the others who were saved by repentance. Perhaps even among the women someone will say, “I have committed fornication and adultery. I have defiled my body with every excess. Can there be salvation for me?” Fix your eyes, woman, upon Rahab, and look for salvation for yourself too. For if she who openly and publicly practiced fornication was saved through repentance, will not she whose fornication preceded the gift of grace be saved by repentance and fasting? For observe how she was saved. She said only this: “Since the Lord, your God, is God in heaven above and on earth below.” “Your God,” she said, for she did not dare call him her God, because of her wantonness. If you want scriptural testimony of her salvation, you have it recorded in the Psalms: “I will think of Rahab and Babylon among those who know me.” The salvation procured by repentance is open to men and women alike.[1]

And that right there is exactly the point of this passage. Deuteronomy 7:1-6 says,

When the LORD your God brings you into the land you are entering to possess, and He drives out many nations before you—the Hittites, Girgashites, Amorites, Canaanites, Perizzites, Hivites and Jebusites, seven nations more numerous and powerful than you—and when the LORD your God delivers them over to you and you defeat them, you must completely destroy them. Make no treaty with them and show them no mercy.  Do not intermarry with them. Do not give your daughters to their sons or take their daughters for your sons, because they will turn your sons away from Me to worship other gods. Then the LORD’s anger will burn against you, and He will swiftly destroy you.  Instead, this is what you are to do to them: tear down their altars, smash their sacred pillars, cut down their Asherah poles, and burn up their carved images.  For you are a holy people belonging to the LORD your God. The LORD your God has chosen you to be His own possession out of all the peoples on the face of the earth.

Because of that, it should be very surprising what we instantly read in Joshua 2. And our historian intends for that to be the case.

Our historian writes, “Joshua son of Nun secretly sent two men as spies from the Acacia Grove, saying, ‘Go and scout the land, especially Jericho.’ So they left, and they came to the house of a woman, a prostitute named Rahab, and stayed there.  The king of Jericho was told, ‘Look, some of the Israelite men have come here tonight to investigate the land.’  Then the king of Jericho sent ⌊word⌋ to Rahab and said, ‘Bring out the men who came to you and entered your house, for they came to investigate the entire land.’  But the woman had taken the two men and hidden them. So she said, ‘Yes, the men did come to me, but I didn’t know where they were from.  At nightfall, when the gate was about to close, the men went out, and I don’t know where they were going. Chase after them quickly, and you can catch up with them!’  But she had taken them up to the roof and hidden them among the stalks of flax that she had arranged on the roof.  The men pursued them along the road to the fords of the Jordan, and as soon as they left to pursue them, the gate was shut.  Before the men fell asleep, she went up on the roof  and said to them, ‘I know that the LORD has given you this land and that the terror of you has fallen on us, and everyone who lives in the land is panicking because of you.  For we have heard how the LORD dried up the waters of the Red Sea before you when you came out of Egypt, and what you did to Sihon and Og, the two Amorite kings you completely destroyed across the Jordan.  When we heard this, we lost heart, and everyone’s courage failed because of you, for the LORD your God is God in heaven above and on earth below.  Now please swear to me by the LORD that you will also show kindness to my family, because I showed kindness to you. Give me a sure sign  that you will spare the lives of my father, mother, brothers, sisters, and all who belong to them, and save us from death.’  The men answered her, ‘⌊We will give⌋ our lives for yours. If you don’t report our mission, we will show kindness and faithfulness to you when the LORD gives us the land.’  Then she let them down by a rope through the window, since she lived in a house that was ⌊built⌋ into the wall of the city.  ‘Go to the hill country so that the men pursuing you won’t find you,’ she said to them. ‘Hide yourselves there for three days until they return; afterward, go on your way.’  The men said to her, ‘We will be free from this oath you made us swear,  unless, when we enter the land, you tie this scarlet cord to the window through which you let us down. Bring your father, mother, brothers, and all your father’s family into your house.  If anyone goes out the doors of your house, his blood will be on his own head, and we will be innocent. But if anyone with you in the house should be harmed, his blood will be on our heads.  And if you report our mission, we are free from the oath you made us swear.’  ‘Let it be as you say,’ she replied, and she sent them away. After they had gone, she tied the scarlet cord to the window.  So the two men went into the hill country and stayed there three days until the pursuers had returned. They searched all along the way, but did not find them.  Then the men returned, came down from the hill country, and crossed ⌊the Jordan⌋. They went to Joshua son of Nun and reported everything that had happened to them.  They told Joshua, ‘The LORD has handed over the entire land to us. Everyone who lives in the land is also panicking because of us.’”

So we have quite the story presented to us here today (in addition to this being the largest chunk of text I’ve ever tried to tackle in one setting before). I pray that I can do it justice and be accurate and Christ-exalting in my explanation of it. But so far in the book we have not exactly gotten to any action; that changes today. We began by looking at the fact that God put Joshua in charge of His people after the death of Moses. Then we saw God speak comfort and reassurance to Joshua and charge Joshua with the priority of God’s Word for success in everything he was to do. Then Joshua spoke publicly to the people and told them to prepare for the journey across the Jordan which would happen in three days. This brings us right up to speed with Joshua 2:1, the first part of which reads, “Joshua son of Nun secretly sent two men as spies from the Acacia Grove, saying, ‘Go and scout the land, especially Jericho.’” This secret sending out occurs in the midst of Joshua’s speeches in 1:10-18. There he told them they’d march in three days; here he sends guys out who return three days later (2:22-23).

There is a lot going on in this very first sentence of the chapter. The suspense should already be mounting, because the last time spies were sent out from Israel Joshua was one of them and ten of the twelve said, “We can’t do it!” and it caused a rebellion—the consequences of which lasted forty years. So right off the bat we should be wondering, “Will it be different this time? What if they all fail again?”

In addition, Acacia Grove is an interpretation of the place called Shittim. “This place was where the Israelites had rejected their God earlier and prostituted themselves by consorting with Moabite women and gods at Balaam's instigation (Numbers 25:1–3; 31:16).”[2] The fact that verse 1 ends by saying, “So they left, and they came to the house of a woman, a prostitute named Rahab, and stayed there,” instantly raises the question, “Is Israel going to prostitute itself again?”

So before we read any farther the writer wants us to wonder just what is going to happen, and ask, “Are they going to trust God this time, or fail miserably, yet again?” The following 23 verses expand and clarify on this concern and give a sure sign of just how big the grace of God really is.

First we see Rahab’s faith shown through her actions at the time. Joshua 2:2-7 says, “The king of Jericho was told, ‘Look, some of the Israelite men have come here tonight to investigate the land.’  Then the king of Jericho sent ⌊word⌋ to Rahab and said, ‘Bring out the men who came to you and entered your house, for they came to investigate the entire land.’  But the woman had taken the two men and hidden them. So she said, ‘Yes, the men did come to me, but I didn’t know where they were from.  At nightfall, when the gate was about to close, the men went out, and I don’t know where they were going. Chase after them quickly, and you can catch up with them!’  But she had taken them up to the roof and hidden them among the stalks of flax that she had arranged on the roof.  The men pursued them along the road to the fords of the Jordan, and as soon as they left to pursue them, the gate was shut.”

Already our historian wants us in suspense at the state of their mission. The spies had hardly gotten there when the king sent word to Rahab about the spies who had come to her house. Rahab had already hidden them though. This gives more suspense: she hid the spies; the king knows they are there; what should she do? She lies. However, we must look closely at her lie. She does not say, “I don’t know what you’re talking about; I never saw anyone.” She doesn’t say, “Spies, here? You joking?” She says, in effect, “They were here, but they already left.” Her lie—we will find out in the next section—continues when she says, “I don’t know where they’re from, and I don’t know where they’re going. Chase them and you might catch them.” Our narrator reminds us of the truth before telling us that the soldiers of the king believed her, and went out the city gate. John Calvin adds, on the last phrase in verse 7, “the gates being shut, the city like a prison excluded the hope of escape. They were therefore again aroused by a serious trial to call upon God.”[3]

So at this point, what do we know about Rahab? First, we know she’s a prostitute. Second, we know she lies. But I introduced this first section of text as, “Rahab’s faith shown through her actions,” so how can that be true if she’s a liar? Let’s look at what she was lying about. We see very clearly that her lie was not to harm someone. Her lie was not to discredit someone. The soldiers and the king would both assume her as telling the truth, and thus, when they proved unable to find the spies, would be forced to return home admitting, “They must have just been too fast for us,” and no one would lose their head for it. In addition, her lie was in order to protect—and thus show love to—God’s people. The Law states, “Love the Lord your God with all your heart, and love your neighbor as yourself.” Rahab’s faith is demonstrated in that she showed faith by lying to the king of Jericho. If she’d been found out as a liar, she could have been killed; she put her life on the line so God’s people could go free. Calvin helps us keep a balanced perspective by saying,

As to the falsehood, we must admit that though it was done for a good purpose, it was not free from fault. For those who hold what is called a dutiful lie to be altogether excusable, do not sufficiently consider how precious truth is in the sight of God. Therefore, although our purpose, be to assist our brethren, to consult for their safety and relieve them, it never can be lawful to lie, because that cannot be right which is contrary to the nature of God. And God is truth. And still the act of Rahab is not devoid of the praise of virtue, although it was not spotlessly pure.[4]

God is a God of truth, and truth is extremely important to God, but He is also a God of love, and He expects those who call themselves His to be loving as He is. Sometimes this might mean bending the truth—when in a life-threatening situation like this one. At this point in the story Rahab is most certainly not thinking about herself.

Second we hear Rahab’s faith through her words. Joshua 2:8-13 says, “Before the men fell asleep, she went up on the roof and said to them, ‘I know that the LORD has given you this land and that the terror of you has fallen on us, and everyone who lives in the land is panicking because of you.  For we have heard how the LORD dried up the waters of the Red Sea before you when you came out of Egypt, and what you did to Sihon and Og, the two Amorite kings you completely destroyed across the Jordan.  When we heard this, we lost heart, and everyone’s courage failed because of you, for the LORD your God is God in heaven above and on earth below.  Now please swear to me by the LORD that you will also show kindness to my family, because I showed kindness to you. Give me a sure sign  that you will spare the lives of my father, mother, brothers, sisters, and all who belong to them, and save us from death.’”

After the soldiers rush out the gate, Rahab goes up to the roof to check on her fugitives. Her words evidence clearly that she has heard much of Israel in the recent weeks—even as much as forty years earlier. Perhaps the fact that Israel had wandered in the wilderness for forty years only exaggerated Canaan’s fear at their arrival? She says flat out, “the LORD your God is God in heaven above and on earth below,” and she uses that as a way to say, “We know this is true, and it’s scary.” While the rest of her town sought to flee from that reality, Rahab sought it out, as the conversation shows. She didn’t want to flee the terror to come; she wanted to adjust her allegiances so she didn’t have to be afraid. She asked for a sign that she would be saved from the wrath to come. And her selflessness is shown again in that she didn’t seek just for her own salvation but the salvation of her family also. Since her salvation—in its truest sense—wouldn’t come until the future, the spies’ response is in the next section.

Third we look forward to her faith being proved through actions to come in the future. Joshua 2:14-21 says, “The men answered her, ‘⌊We will give⌋ our lives for yours. If you don’t report our mission, we will show kindness and faithfulness to you when the LORD gives us the land.’  Then she let them down by a rope through the window, since she lived in a house that was ⌊built⌋ into the wall of the city.  ‘Go to the hill country so that the men pursuing you won’t find you,’ she said to them. ‘Hide yourselves there for three days until they return; afterward, go on your way.’  The men said to her, ‘We will be free from this oath you made us swear,  unless, when we enter the land, you tie this scarlet cord to the window through which you let us down. Bring your father, mother, brothers, and all your father’s family into your house.  If anyone goes out the doors of your house, his blood will be on his own head, and we will be innocent. But if anyone with you in the house should be harmed, his blood will be on our heads.  And if you report our mission, we are free from the oath you made us swear.’  ‘Let it be as you say,’ she replied, and she sent them away. After they had gone, she tied the scarlet cord to the window.”

John Calvin explains about her house,

Her house was contiguous to the wall of the city, nay, its outer side was actually situated in the wall. From this we may infer that it was some obscure corner remote from the public thoroughfare; just as persons of her description usually live in narrow lanes and secret places. It cannot be supposed with any consistency to have been a common inn which was open to all indiscriminately, because they could not have felt at liberty to indulge in familiar intercourse, and it must have been difficult in such circumstances to obtain concealment.[5]

I share that first, because it is relatively clear that the verses here are presented out of order. Given that soldiers were looking for the spies, it is clear that the spies couldn’t have been either on the rope or at the bottom of the rope when she speaks in verses 16-21. The description of her house is given in verse 15 to help us understand how the spies were afforded an exit from the city even though the gate was closed and people were searching for them.

But the most important thing in these verses is the content of the discussion that I believe occurred before they were let down. The spies say that if she doesn’t report them they will treat her family well when Yahweh gives them the land. They repeat the same general thing in verse 20. The interesting part about verse 14 is that it says, “when the Lord gives,” and not “if the Lord gives.” The spies totally trusted God that He would deliver the land into their hands. Perhaps this faith was due to Rahab’s words in the prior section; they now knew the land was terrified of them and it encouraged them to press on.

Rahab then continued to give them guidance on how to get back to their camp. She told them to hide out in the mountains for three days and then to go home. She wanted to make sure that they were absolutely safe, and thus told them to hide in the exact opposite direction from the way they had originally come,[6] since the soldiers wouldn’t be looking there.

The spies speak at this point and specify the conditions of their protecting Rahab when they take the land. These provisions conclude in verse 20 with the same condition as verse 14. The fact that the narrator repeats it again after she tells them where to go from there is because the narrator wants us to see that she is who she is claiming to be. The narrator wants us to trust her. The other conditions that the spies lay out are as follows: she was to tie a scarlet cord in the window and bring her entire family inside her house, if someone inside died, the spies would assume the blame, but if someone went outside and died, that would be on them.

After the spies are let down the rope, out the window, and on their way to hide in the mountains, Rahab ties the scarlet cord in her window, which again shows us that she is genuine.

The passage concludes in Joshua 2:22-24, “So the two men went into the hill country and stayed there three days until the pursuers had returned. They searched all along the way, but did not find them.  Then the men returned, came down from the hill country, and crossed ⌊the Jordan⌋. They went to Joshua son of Nun and reported everything that had happened to them.  They told Joshua, ‘The LORD has handed over the entire land to us. Everyone who lives in the land is also panicking because of us.’” What we see here is that God protected the spies and brought them back to Joshua safely. The fact that the spies were outside of Jericho for three days is good proof that no sexual business happened while the spies were with Rahab—and is also more proof that her faith was genuine—since their trip only lasted for three days. The other thing we see here is the fact that their report was positive: the land would be theirs and it propved that God was faithful. So this spy trip had been better in every way than the previous—forty years earlier.

So we’ve come to the end of the text, and we’ve seen a woman show all the signs of being a believer. She claims Israel’s God as her God; she protects and cares for God’s people; she wants her family to be saved; she’s turned her back on her old lifestyle. What is clear throughout the text is “that God uses not only his own prophets and leaders to bring faith and courage to disconsolate Israel. God uses the most unexpected and immoral persons to further his purposes in the world. . . . People of God must be open to learn from all sources which God would use.”[7]

And perhaps you stumbled upon this blogpost today and you feel totally unworthy. Perhaps you’ve lived a wretched life of sin and it’s not fulfilling you. Perhaps you feel as used and abused as Rahab probably felt. Man or woman, I’m talking to anybody right now: God doesn’t make junk, and no one is too far gone for His grace. God has used many “total screw-ups” to further His plan, and He is calling you today as well. Turn from your sin as Rahab did, and know that Rahab was one of Jesus’ ancestors. And just as the spies said that anyone hiding in Rahab’s house would be saved when the city fell, so also if you are hiding in Christ when the sky rolls back and He appears, you will be saved. Place your faith in Him and seek Him daily. He is your only hope and sign for salvation. Please believe today.

And with that, we have seen—in a book of conquest and war—the most complete and thorough conquest explained in the book of Joshua. Rahab, a former prostitute turned woman of God. This is the type of conquest the whole book previews by shadows and types, boldly displayed in 1080p high definition as early as chapter 2. Just as the Israelites were to take the land of Canaan, so also Christ said, “The Kingdom of God is near.” When He rose from the dead it came, and now it spreads through the preaching of the gospel. This is much bigger than what nation a person belongs to—as referenced at the beginning of this post.

Turn to Him and be saved—all the ends of the earth!

Solus Christus

Soli Deo Gloria

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[1] John R. Franke, Joshua, Judges, Ruth, 1-2 Samuel, Ancient Christian Commentary on Scripture (Downers Grove, Ill.: InterVarsity Press, ©2005), 12.

[2] David M. Howard, New American Commentary – Volume 5: Joshua, (Nashville, TN: Broadman & Holman, 1998), WORDsearch CROSS e-book, 97.

[3] John Calvin, Commentary on Joshua.

[4] John Calvin, Commentary on Joshua.

[5] John Calvin, Commentary on Joshua.

[6] David M. Howard, New American Commentary – Volume 5: Joshua, (Nashville, TN: Broadman & Holman, 1998), WORDsearch CROSS e-book, 113. “She shrewdly sent them in the opposite direction from where the pursuers had gone: they had headed east, toward the Jordan River and its fords (see v. 7 and comment there), whereas the hills near Jericho were to the west of it, as it lay in the Jordan valley.”

[7] Trent C. Butler, Joshua, Word Biblical Commentary (Waco, TX: Word, 1983), 35.

United in a Quest for Rest – 1:10-18

Once, almost a hundred years ago, a group of boys ended up on an almost deserted island. The group was diverse, yet the same. All of the boys were raised properly in Britain, but no two boys were the exact same age or size (except for a set of twins who were the same age). They fell into two clear groups—"littluns" and "bigguns"—though there was no clear place where one group ended and the other began. Things began well for them, though they were by no means perfect. They decided that they needed a leader, so they voted for one, and one boy was made chief. This immediately upset the boy who was not chosen, and he quickly showed his disapproval by belittling the elected chief every chance he could. The chief decided their best chance for survival was to keep a fire blazing on top of the mountain in the middle of the island so that a passing ship would notice it and rescue them. Time passed. What becomes clear is that children can’t focus on tasks. As such, the chief was constantly stressed about keeping the fire going, and those under him were too concerned about exploring or swimming or hunting to care. As such he constantly called meetings to remind his tribe about the need to keep a fire going. Everytime he called a meeting, his antagonist caused problems, until the antagonist took over the whole island and was out to kill the original chief.

While William Golding’s Lord of the Flies is seeking more to explore the topic of innocence and evil and breakdown of society, I couldn’t help but notice as I read it again this week that the main character simply wants to achieve a state of rest, but the disunity among the boys doesn’t ever allow for rest to occur. This is pertinent for the next section of text in the Old Testament book of Joshua.

Our historian writes, “Then Joshua commanded the officers of the people: ‘Go through the camp and tell the people, “Get provisions ready for yourselves, for within three days you will be crossing the Jordan to go in and take possession of the land the LORD your God is giving you to inherit.”’ Joshua said to the Reubenites, the Gadites, and half the tribe of Manasseh: ‘Remember what Moses the LORD’s servant commanded you when he said, “The LORD your God will give you rest, and He will give you this land.” Your wives, young children, and livestock may remain in the land Moses gave you on this side of the Jordan. But your fighting men must cross over in battle formation ahead of your brothers and help them until the LORD gives your brothers rest, as ⌊He has given⌋ you, and they too possess the land the LORD your God is giving them. You may then return to the land of your inheritance and take possession of what Moses the LORD’s servant gave you on the east side of the Jordan.’ They answered Joshua, ‘Everything you have commanded us we will do, and everywhere you send us we will go. We will obey you, just as we obeyed Moses in everything. And may the LORD your God be with you, as He was with Moses. Anyone who rebels against your order and does not obey your words in all that you command him, will be put to death. Above all, be strong and courageous!’”

So far, all we have seen in the book of Joshua is Joshua being commissioned by God. With that in mind, remembering God’s promise to give them the land and to be with Joshua as He had been with Moses, the following words from a commentator make sense: “The two speeches of Joshua that follow (vv. 11, 13-15), by virtue of their content, are the functional equivalent of what Genesis said of Abram after he received promises from God: ‘And he [Abram] believed Yahweh’ (Genesis 15:6a). It could be said of the Joshua who speaks in ch. 1 that ‘Joshua believed Yahweh.’”[1] Thus, everything we see in today’s text, and the remainder of the book (as far as Joshua himself is concerned), though certainly not perfect, is proof of faith.

Our historian today brings up the concept of rest and points out the unity that must exist for rest to be fully realized. He does this through two sections: first, Joshua talks to the elders of the people in verses 10-11; and second, Joshua talks to a separate group within Israel—who might have thought they could rest early—in verses 12-18.

Joshua addresses the elders of the people so that Israel will be aware of the plan. The text says, “Then Joshua commanded the officers of the people: ‘Go through the camp and tell the people, “Get provisions ready for yourselves, for within three days you will be crossing the Jordan to go in and take possession of the land the LORD your God is giving you to inherit.”’” Very simply, Joshua wants the people to prepare themselves for another march. At this point they are still on the plains of Moab (cf. Deuteronomy 34:1), and will be making their next move as a group in three days. It is at this point that chapter 2 takes place because the spies are gone for three days. When they return the people set out.

Beyond that though, we must notice that Joshua doesn’t speak to the people himself. Rather, Joshua has officers of the people to go out and tell the groups under them the news that he has for them. The officers of the people would be the positional equivalent of pastors/elders in churches today. One commentator explains, “The ‘officers’ here are more administrative officials than military officers.”[2] And while pastors today are much more than simply administrators—or at least should be—the point here is that we should not look to Joshua as an example of a pastor. Hebrews will more closely connect Joshua as a foreshadow of Jesus, and thus those under him, obeying his orders and instructing the people, are closer to pastors. The point being that it is biblical to have multiple pastors in a local church body; one man should not be doing all the work. And since pastors prepare their people for the work of the ministry (Ephesians 4:12), it is fitting that these men go out to get the people ready for their departure in three days.

The people had three days to prepare to depart. These three days probably involved prayer and spiritual preparation. Since the spies in chapter 2 are gone for three days according to 2:22, the three days here are probably equivalent to the forty days in Numbers 13:25—the end of which was met by rebellion. Joshua called the people to prepare themselves for three days so that 1) the spies would return with positive news, and 2) so that the people would respond positively regardless of the news. Joshua adds that the purpose of their setting out in three days was “to go in and take possession of the land the LORD your God is giving you to inherit.” This is to spur them on to have faith in God.

The officers of the people take the news to the people, and Joshua turns to another group—a group who had probably just received the news from the officers.

Joshua reminds a separate group of their promise to Moses. The text says, “Joshua said to the Reubenites, the Gadites, and half the tribe of Manasseh: ‘Remember what Moses the LORD’s servant commanded you when he said, “The LORD your God will give you rest, and He will give you this land.” Your wives, young children, and livestock may remain in the land Moses gave you on this side of the Jordan. But your fighting men must cross over in battle formation ahead of your brothers and help them until the LORD gives your brothers rest, as ⌊He has given⌋ you, and they too possess the land the LORD your God is giving them. You may then return to the land of your inheritance and take possession of what Moses the LORD’s servant gave you on the east side of the Jordan.’ They answered Joshua, ‘Everything you have commanded us we will do, and everywhere you send us we will go. We will obey you, just as we obeyed Moses in everything. And may the LORD your God be with you, as He was with Moses. Anyone who rebels against your order and does not obey your words in all that you command him, will be put to death. Above all, be strong and courageous!’” The Reubenites, Gadites, and half the tribe of Manasseh were part of the twelve tribes of Israel. They had fallen in love with the land east of the Jordan River, had asked Moses if they could make homes and dwell there—for which he’d said “yes” with a caveat—and as such were already technically at rest in the land promised to them.

First, within this second section is Joshua’s words in verses 13-15. “Remember what Moses the LORD’s servant commanded you when he said, ‘The LORD your God will give you rest, and He will give you this land.’ Your wives, young children, and livestock may remain in the land Moses gave you on this side of the Jordan. But your fighting men must cross over in battle formation ahead of your brothers and help them until the LORD gives your brothers rest, as ⌊He has given⌋ you, and they too possess the land the LORD your God is giving them. You may then return to the land of your inheritance and take possession of what Moses the LORD’s servant gave you on the east side of the Jordan.” Moses had spoken for God when he promised these tribes rest in the land directly east of the Jordan River. Joshua here reminds them of God’s promise to them. But then he reminds them that their brothers still have battles to fight before they can rest. As such their warriors must cross over the River and help the rest of Israel take the land before they can be allowed to rest with their families on the eastern portion of the Promised Land.

All of Israel was expected to enter rest at the same time. If any part did not achieve a state of rest, then none did. This is the unity of the people of God. There are hundreds—if not thousands—of churches across the earth. None of them have arrived at a state of rest yet. All of them are certainly farther along than Israel ever was—simply because of Christ—but none is in a perfect state of rest because we are still waiting for Christ to come and take visible control of His Kingdom. As such, no church should ever act like they are better than another because they cross their theological t’s “the right way” and dot their theological i’s “biblically.” As church members we should watch out for this thinking in ourselves as well. We must seek to help our brothers and sisters understand the beautiful truths we know—through discussion and debate—but always with love at the center. We should never criticize or laugh at a fellow believer because they just don’t get the doctrines of grace, or creation in six literal days, or the Baptist view of the sacraments. Until we have all arrived, which won’t happen until Christ returns in glory, we must cross the Jordan of our pride and bear with our brothers and sisters in love and grace—showing unity.

Second, within this second section is the peoples’ response in verses 16-18. “Everything you have commanded us we will do, and everywhere you send us we will go. We will obey you, just as we obeyed Moses in everything. And may the LORD your God be with you, as He was with Moses. Anyone who rebels against your order and does not obey your words in all that you command him, will be put to death. Above all, be strong and courageous!” The people of the eastern tribes recognized God’s ordination of Joshua as their leader and give him the respect and honor he deserved. They promise to follow his military orders, they promise to obey his laws, and they pray for blessing on Joshua’s life. They even ascribe death to anyone who rebels against Joshua. Ultimately, they echo God from verses 5-9, and it assuredly encouraged Joshua: “be strong and courageous!”

The people of Reuben, Gad, and half of Manasseh were humble. They believed in uniting with the rest of their brothers and fighting the war for the Promised Land. They didn’t claim to be better than the rest because they’d already received their part of the Promised Land. In fact, according to chapter 22, they are still humble and want to show just how united they really are, even though this attempt causes serious confusion (but more on that when we get there). They believe so highly in this unity that their statement, “Anyone who rebels against your order and does not obey your words in all that you command him, will be put to death,” means that those who refuse to help fight with their brothers shouldn’t even be considered part of Israel. Rather, they should be killed and cut off from the Promised Land. Unity is huge!

Unity is huge, but it is not the most important thing. As we all know about happiness, “if we idolize happiness, it will always elude us,”[3] so it is with unity: if we idolize unity it will always elude us. As important as unity is—and I don’t mean to discount unity—it is not the main thing. Unity is achieved through knowledge of ourselves as sinners; knowledge of God as holy, and just, and loving; knowledge of Christ as gracious; recognition of the grace and love that has been poured into our hearts; and refusing to treat other believers any differently than Christ has treated us. He bore with us—He still bears with us—and we should do the same with each other.

As we will see in our continuation through this book, wars and battles were required before rest could be had. Joshua commands the officers to get the people prepared for war, and then he speaks to the eastern tribes about their promise, and connects it to rest for all Israel. In the New Testament, Hebrews 4 speaks of rest and ties it to Joshua. I’ll copy the whole chapter here:

Therefore, while the promise to enter His rest remains, let us fear that none of you should miss it.  For we also have received the good news just as they did; but the message they heard did not benefit them, since they were not united with those who heard it in faith  (for we who have believed enter the rest), in keeping with what He has said:

So I swore in My anger, they will not enter My rest.

And yet His works have been finished since the foundation of the world,  for somewhere He has spoken about the seventh day in this way:

And on the seventh day God rested from all His works.

Again, in that passage ⌊He says⌋, They will never enter My rest.  Since it remains for some to enter it, and those who formerly received the good news did not enter because of disobedience, again, He specifies a certain day—today—speaking through David after such a long time, as previously stated:

Today, if you hear His voice, do not harden your hearts.

For if Joshua had given them rest, God would not have spoken later about another day.  Therefore, a Sabbath rest remains for God’s people.  For the person who has entered His rest has rested from his own works, just as God did from His.  Let us then make every effort to enter that rest, so that no one will fall into the same pattern of disobedience.  For the word of God is living and effective and sharper than any double-edged sword, penetrating as far as the separation of soul and spirit, joints and marrow. It is able to judge the ideas and thoughts of the heart.  No creature is hidden from Him, but all things are naked and exposed to the eyes of Him to whom we must give an account.  Therefore, since we have a great high priest who has passed through the heavens—Jesus the Son of God—let us hold fast to the confession.  For we do not have a high priest who is unable to sympathize with our weaknesses, but One who has been tested in every way as we are, yet without sin.  Therefore let us approach the throne of grace with boldness, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help us at the proper time.

It says that Joshua didn’t give them rest. The end of Joshua says that he did, but the problem with that is that it wasn’t the  true, eternal, soul-secure rest found in Jesus; it was simply rest from war. In Hebrews 4:16 it says that Jesus is our High Priest, and as such He is able to give us rest.

Hebrews 4:12 relates the Word of God to a sword. As such it calls it a weapon of warfare. As believers, we are to spiritually fight—using the Word of God (the Gospel)—against the darkness in the world, and claim the world for Christ and His Kingdom. Only when the last person has come to Jesus will Christ return and will we finally be truly unified and truly resting. Until then, we must walk with one another in love and lovingly add people to the kingdom through the preaching of the Word of God—wielding a sword that kills all that is opposed to Christ.

So maybe you’re reading this and you say, “You keep saying Christ. You keep saying Jesus. Who is that?” (And I’ll flat out say I’m not naïve enough to think that everyone has heard about Jesus.) I’ll answer and say, “Thanks for asking. Let me tell you about my Savior.” Jesus Christ is God. He created the world perfectly. But Adam and Eve—our first parents—disobeyed God’s Word and ate from a tree of which they were not supposed to—instantly breaking the unity between mankind and God. And here’s the thing: mankind is fine to be disunited from God. But another thing: God wants to be united to mankind. For this reason He sent His Son—Jesus Christ—to earth to be a visible—living, breathing, eating, sleeping, relational—picture of exactly who God is. After walking the planet for 33 years, He was nailed to a cross where He died, taking the punishment we deserve for our rebellion against God (remember the threat to rebels against Joshua?). After three days He rose again because the grave can’t hold a perfect God. He will return some day to lovingly commune with His people for eternity in perfect unity. Acts 16:31 says, “Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ and you will be saved.” Just believe. He wants you to believe and I beg you to heed His call. If you don’t, death and eternal separation in hell await.

But with that, I must say that unity and rest are the ultimate goals of God’s people, but they will never be achieved in this life. However, Jesus Christ can be known in this life, and knowing Him will greatly affect our capacity for unity in this life. Let’s keep Christ the main thing. He’s the light on top of the mountain that we must never forget or else we’ll end up like the characters in Golding’s book—for all intents and purposes cutting each others’ throats, even if just verbally. We’re in this thing together, so let’s love each other.

Solus Christus

Soli Deo Gloria

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[1] Victor P. Hamilton, Handbook on the Historical Books (Grand Rapids, MI: Baker Academic, 2008), 20.

[2] David M. Howard, New American Commentary – Volume 5: Joshua, (Nashville, TN: Broadman & Holman, 1998), WORDsearch CROSS e-book, 89.

[3] Edward T. Welch, Depression: Looking up from the Stubborn Darkness (Greensboro, NC: New Growth Press, 2011), 103.

The Roadmap for Routing – 1:2-9

As a retail employee, there are always things that frustrate me, but at the top of the list would have to be the playlist that I’m forced to listen to day in and day out. When you hear the same (what feels like) ten songs every day for over a year, it gets very old very fast. However, when this is the case, you also have the opportunity to dissect the lyrics in your mind, which is something I enjoy doing. The lucky song most recently is sung by Charlie Puth, is called, “Then There’s You,” and is dangerous if you take its title line all by itself. If you were to text it to your significant other, and they’d never heard the song, they could break up with you for calling them ugly. Here it is, “There’s beautiful and then there’s you.” Now yes, in the song it’s clear he’s saying that the girl is “beyond beautiful,” but if you were just to hear the main line, you could understand it completely differently (though wrongly of course). It’s the same way in Biblical studies. We need to understand the context or we will understand the passage wrongly. Let’s read today’s text and then I’ll talk more about context.

Our historian writes, “Moses My servant is dead. Now you and all the people prepare to cross over the Jordan to the land I am giving the Israelites.  I have given you every place where the sole of your foot treads, just as I promised Moses.  Your territory will be from the wilderness and Lebanon to the great Euphrates River—all the land of the Hittites—and west to the Mediterranean Sea.  No one will be able to stand against you as long as you live. I will be with you, just as I was with Moses. I will not leave you or forsake you.  “Be strong and courageous, for you will distribute the land I swore to their fathers to give them as an inheritance.  Above all, be strong and very courageous to carefully observe the whole instruction My servant Moses commanded you. Do not turn from it to the right or the left, so that you will have success wherever you go.  This book of instruction must not depart from your mouth; you are to recite it day and night so that you may carefully observe everything written in it. For then you will prosper and succeed in whatever you do.  Haven’t I commanded you: be strong and courageous? Do not be afraid or discouraged, for the LORD your God is with you wherever you go.”

Something I failed to mention in the previous installment is that whereas the book of Joshua is categorized with the Historical Books in our English Bibles, originally—in the Hebrew Scriptures—it was the first of the Former Prophets. In order to better understand exactly what is going on in the book—and the author’s intention in writing it—we need to understand what a prophet is.

To get to that understanding, we must ask what makes Joshua different from Deuteronomy or Leviticus (other than the obvious fact that on the surface it’s much more interesting). Deuteronomy 34:10 says, “No prophet has arisen again in Israel like Moses, whom the LORD knew face to face.” And as such, why isn’t Genesis to Deuteronomy referred to as prophetic books? And here’s my musings on the answer: God gave Moses the Law, and thus we refer to the first five books as “the Law.” Genesis isn’t law, but it falls under because it sums up the story of God’s dealing with mankind from the beginning of time and intensified and focused in His relationship with Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. Exodus gives us a visual picture of exactly who God is and then turns into law, which goes from the middle of Exodus to the end of Numbers (with some history thrown  in as well). Deuteronomy forms a fitting conclusion with Israel on the verge of receiving the promises God made to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, and shows Moses recounting the Law to Israel, reminding them that they must obey the Law to be successful as God’s people. As such Moses was the first prophet, by which all other prophets were to be judged. Since God spoke directly to Moses, the words Moses recorded as Scripture are (in a way of understanding) the only Scripture we really need.

Now don’t misunderstand. God—in His goodness and grace—gave us sixty-one other books of Scripture, all of which expand upon and clarify the themes laid down within the first five. The word translated “prophet” in the Hebrew Scriptures comes from a root that means “to call out” or “to be called.”[1] Thus, to be a prophet is to be one who is called by God to call out for God. From my understanding—a certain way of thinking—the only truly original prophecies occurred by Moses, and the other prophets that followed simply expanded on what he had first spoken. This view makes sense especially when we look at books like Amos or Isaiah or Hosea, where the prophet says, “Thus says Yahweh,” and then proceeds to delineate how the  nation’s failure to live in covenant obedience with God is why God is bringing trouble on them. So, in Joshua, our historian is showing God fulfilling His promise to Abraham so that in the future the people of Israel can look to their history and know that Yahweh is faithful and good, so that they have no excuse to live in covenant disobedience to God.[2]

So that’s the wider context of this book. And it’s fitting that this book falls under the category of “Prophetic” because from verse 2 to verse 9, we have a recording solely of God speaking to Joshua. We discussed verse 2 last time, but in the discussion of context I must share one thing. Verse 2 starts with God reminding Joshua, “Moses is dead.” Origen—an early church father—writes,

The book does not so much indicate to us the deeds of the son of Nun as it represents for us the mysteries of Jesus my Lord. For he himself is the one who assumes power after the death of Moses; he is the one who leads the army and fights against Amalek. What was foreshadowed there on the mountain by lifted hands was the time when ‘he attaches [them] to his cross, triumphing over the principalities and powers on it.’

Thus Moses is dead; for the law has ceased. . . . Do you want me to bring forth proofs from the Scriptures that the Law is called Moses?[3]

We have to keep context in mind, and Origen completely failed here. While the book of Joshua does speak of Jesus in many ways, this is not one of them. First, the Law can’t possibly have ceased with Moses’ death, because of what God says in verse 7 (keep reading). Secondly, Origen messed up his own analogy; he wants Jesus to be Joshua, but Moses was the one with outstretched arms on the mountain in Exodus 17:11, so his analogy is that Moses died on the cross. This is what we call mixing metaphors. It is also a plain example of why we must refrain from allegorical explanations of Scripture. They ignore context and make things say what they don’t say.

What our historian wants us to see from the text today is God’s faithfulness, through His keeping His promises, through His intimacy with His people, and through His Law. In showing these three ways God proves faithful, our historian also gives us a general outline of the book.

First, our historian shows God’s faithfulness through keeping His promises in verses 2-4. God says, “Moses My servant is dead. Now you and all the people prepare to cross over the Jordan to the land I am giving the Israelites.  I have given you every place where the sole of your foot treads, just as I promised Moses.  Your territory will be from the wilderness and Lebanon to the great Euphrates River—all the land of the Hittites—and west to the Mediterranean Sea.”

This is showcased through the second major portion of the book—the distribution of the land. Here God is reassuring Joshua by telling him, “Yes, Moses is dead, but regardless of that fact, I am giving this land to Israel like I promised.” One commentator explains, “The boundaries of Canaan as presented here are listed in their widest extent (cf. also Gen. 15:18; Deut. 1:7; 11:24). Only during the period of Israel’s greatest territorial expansion, under David and Solomon, were these boundaries approximated.”^[4] This is proof that God keeps His promises, because David and Solomon both came after the dark period of the judges and before the split of the kingdom that turned into the descent into idolatry and wickedness. As long as the people sought God—clearly seen when their leader was a seeker of God (Moses, Joshua, Samuel, David)—they possessed more of the land; when they forgot God, they lost land. God is faithful, and the book will expand on this fact.

Second, our historian shows God’s faithfulness through intimacy with His people in verses 5-6. God says, “No one will be able to stand against you as long as you live. I will be with you, just as I was with Moses. I will not leave you or forsake you. Be strong and courageous, for you will distribute the land I swore to their fathers to give them as an inheritance.”

This is showcased through the first major portion of the book—the taking of the land. With their leader having recently passed—a leader who had direct discourse with God on a daily basis (often for extended days)—the people, and Joshua especially, would be wondering, “Is God still here with us?” In addition, Moses, and his whole generation—except Joshua and Caleb—had died because they were too fearful to take the Promised Land. Even though Moses had just told the people they would enter the land (see Deuteronomy), he had also just died, which could cast doubt on his statement.

By God telling Joshua, “I will be with you as I was with Moses,” God is proving His faithfulness to the people. By Him adding, “Be strong and courageous, for you will distribute the land I swore to their fathers to give them as an inheritance,” God is pointing out the needed attitude to be successful in the venture. Fear kept it from being possible forty years earlier—fear isn’t faith—and God wants them to be faithful, not fearful. By God saying, “I will be with you,” He is grounding the command to be strong and courageous in a theological reality. “If God is for us, who can be against us?” Paul will later ask. What Paul means by asking it, is a very loud, “No one!”

John Calvin writes, convictingly, “If Joshua, who was always remarkable for alacrity, required to be incited to the performance of duty, how much more necessary must it be that we who labor under so much sluggishness should be spurred forward.”[5] And it’s on this note that I want to pause for a moment. This was the last book John Calvin commented on before he died. His translator explains, “The Commentary on Joshua was the last literary labor of its venerable author. When he engaged in it, his constitution, which had never been strong, was completely worn out by excessive exertion, and almost every line of it must have been dictated to his amanuensis during momentary intervals of relief from severe bodily pain.”[6] As a dying man, Calvin wanted to stay busy. People told him to relax and rest, and he replied by saying, “Would you that the Lord, when He comes, should find me idle!”[7] As we progress through this wonderful book, we will see better just how being strong and courageous looks in our day and time, but for now let me ask this: “what are you doing for the Kingdom of God?”

Let it sink in. It hits me too. I write, but it’s questionable how much that actually accomplishes for the kingdom. I should be out vocally proclaiming the gospel to the lost in my city. I should be out spending my money helping believers through tough times instead of spending $200+ dollars on video game consoles and games. What should you be doing for the Kingdom? Are you going to stay fearful and not enter the land God is giving you, or are you going to courageously trust Him and do what He’s called you to? God is with you; you cannot fail if it’s what He has called you to.

Third, our historian shows God’s faithfulness through His Law in verses 7-9. God says, “Above all, be strong and very courageous to carefully observe the whole instruction My servant Moses commanded you. Do not turn from it to the right or the left, so that you will have success wherever you go.  This book of instruction must not depart from your mouth; you are to recite it day and night so that you may carefully observe everything written in it. For then you will prosper and succeed in whatever you do.  Haven’t I commanded you: be strong and courageous? Do not be afraid or discouraged, for the LORD your God is with you wherever you go.”

This is showcased through the third major portion of the book—holding onto the land. Quite clearly, courage and strength are not solely a thing for achieving victory, but also for continuing victory. And God’s faithfulness is clearly shown in that He points Joshua and the people to the Law as their source of success. Since God gave the Law, and since God doesn’t change, it follows that the Law doesn’t change either. The statutes that God gave Moses reflect His perfect nature, and thus we have more reason to trust God. What He says is true, because He never changes. The day will never come when God can condemn someone because He came up with a new law. He is faithful!

And God goes so far as to give very specific instruction on how to know God’s faithfulness through the Law. He says, “This book of instruction must not depart from your mouth; you are to recite it day and night so that you may carefully observe everything written in it.” We have to get God’s Word in us. We have to read it! We have to pray over it! We have to memorize it! And this is not just the case for Genesis through Deuteronomy. Those were the only books of Scripture that existed at this point for the world. Now we have sixty-six books, all of which are birthed from the themes that originate in the first five. God is faithful, and we need to know all of what He says about His plan for the world, and the growth of His Kingdom, and the Love He has for the world. When we spend time on all these things, God promises that we will have success.

And this is again why context matters. Success here is not worldly, monetary, health success. This success is specifically speaking in the original time and place about what God says to Joshua in verse 5. “No one will be able to stand against you as long as you live.” The Israelites had to know the Law to rout the enemy. They couldn’t just know of the Law. They had to intimately, experientially know the Law. We will never have victory for God’s Kingdom in the spiritual realm until we are intimately acquainted with God’s Word.

How acquainted with God’s Word are you? Even more than the written Word, I would ask you how acquainted are you with the Living Word? Jesus Christ came to earth 2,000 years ago, lived a perfect life—fulfilling every point of God’s Law—was crucified on a cross—satisfying God’s wrath that our failure to follow God’s Law brought upon us—rose again, and ascended to the right hand of the Father, where He is now LIVING! He pleads with you to believe in Him today.

And in a much fuller way than they could ever know in Joshua’s day, Jesus says, “Go, therefore, and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe everything I have commanded you. And remember, I am with you always, to the end of the age” (Matthew 28:19-20). The writer of Hebrews sums up the point beautifully when he says of Jesus, “He Himself has said, ‘I will never leave you or forsake you’” (Hebrews 13:5). Jesus is here. If you believe in Him He makes you one with Himself. This truth should make us strong, courageous, and full of faith, all because we know intimately that He is faithful!

Soli Deo Gloria

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[1] See extended discussion in R. Laird Harris, Gleason L. Archer, Bruce K. Waltke, ed., “1277: ‏נָבָא‎,” in Theological Wordbook of the Old Testament, (Chicago: Moody Press, 1980), WORDsearch CROSS e-book, 544; also, G. Johannes Botterweck, Helmer Ringgren, H. J. Fabry, Theological Dictionary of the Old Testament – Theological Dictionary of the Old Testament: Volume 9, Revised, (Grand Rapids, Michigan: William B. Eerdmans Publishing Company, 09/16/2016), WORDsearch CROSS e-book, 129.

[2] This also necessarily means—since I argued for early authorship of this book last time—that Genesis through Deuteronomy had to be finished prior to the writing of Joshua (before Moses died).

[3] John R. Franke, ed., Joshua, Judges, Ruth, 1-2 Samuel, Ancient Christian Commentary On Scripture (Downers Grove, IL: InterVarsity Press, 2005), 2.

^[4] Martin H. Woudstra, The Book of Joshua, NICOT (Grand Rapids, MI: Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing Co: 1981),  59-60.

[5] John Calvin, Commentary on Joshua.

[6] Henry Beveridge in John Calvin, Commentary on Joshua.

[7] Ibid.