Stand Firm
One Year Bible (April 22)
Joshua 24: 1-33 & Luke 21: 1-28.
Difficult Concepts (Part I1)
“Stand Firm”
At the age of 110, Joshua faces the end of his life, and the children of Israel once again lose a strong leader. His last words to them over and over again were, “So fear the Lord and serve him wholeheartedly.” (Joshua 24: 14)
Joshua’s name means “Yahweh is salvation”. During the time that he led them, it seemed that nothing he ever did was enough. He actually delivered them from slavery and into the freedom of the promised land, but even being in the Promised Land was not enough to keep them from turning their backs on God and worshiping idols. Israel was God’s chosen people and the only people that God had made a covenant with. Joshua reminded them over and over again to be faithful to that covenant; God was their redeemer, savior, and deliverer from death!
Joshua in the OT was a lot like John the Baptist in the NT. He was a humble servant who always stood in the shadow of another. He humbly continued to point the chosen people to a holy, covenant-keeping God.
It was Joshua who was allowed to lead God’s people into the Promised Land. However, I wonder how Joshua felt following after the beloved Moses. It was Moses who they had followed all those years; I bet Joshua heard about him a lot! Then again, Joshua was there to see first-hand how God had loved Moses above all and personally spoken with him.
How did you feel about Moses being told by God that his time of leading was over because he lost his temper and whacked the rock TWO times… TOO HARD? I have been reminded since that reading that it was Moses and Elijah that joined Jesus on the mountain for Jesus’ transfiguration. It was there that they glowed with the glory of God and discussed Jesus' ascension from the earth.
Perhaps we thought that Moses got a “demotion” but he know where he would be. He was obviously with God, his father, and his greatest moment “to shine” was still ahead at the Transfiguration.
How did Joshua feel about leaving this world behind? I think that even in the OT they understood the concept of “being in Abraham’s Bossom”. They were the children of Abraham and they knew they would be reunited with their lineage and their God.
We can learn an interesting thing about death from King David in the OT. He lost his baby son due to his sin. He is in deep mourning and repentance until his son dies. Look at what he says afterward, “But now he has died why should I fast? Can I bring him back again? I will go to him, but he will not return to me.” (2 Samuel 12: 23) “I will go to him…”
I don’t know about you, but I would sure have liked them to spend less time telling about all of the tribes getting their different lands and more time giving us an interview with Joshua over all that he has seen and heard. How does he feel about being old and dying?
Yes, there are many questions that we would like to have answered about the life to come, suffering, and all of the “Why’s”.
However, I believe that God has given us everything that we need to know to put our trust in him through faith in Jesus Christ.
We can also learn a lot as we look at the faith of Moses, Joshua, David, and other great saints in the OT. They were all changed in the presence of a Holy God!
Joshua’s final thoughts that he shared with the Israelites can be summed up in Joshua 23:14, “Deep in Your Hearts You Know That Every Promise of the Lord Your God Has Come True.”
PS. Stand Firm!
How are you standing today in the trials?
