A Journey Through The Old Testament - Elmer Towns
A Journey Through The Old Testament - Elmer Towns A Journey Through The Old Testament - Elmer Towns
Learning about a sustained confidence The single greatest factor in the lives of great men of God is their faith in God. Another experience of Joshua in the wilderness taught him the importance of a sustained confidence in God. Joshua was one of the twelve spies sent into Canaan from Kadesh Barnea, and one of the two who brought back a good report (Num. 13:16-33; 32:11-12). Joshua urged the people to trust God even though that was an unpopular position to take at the time. First, he was outnumbered in his opinion among the spies, ten to two. Second, the people themselves so opposed Joshua and Caleb they came very close to stoning them. Learning about a strategic call Notwithstanding the importance of all of the other lessons of leadership which Joshua learned in the wilderness, Joshua was suited to follow Moses as leader because God had clearly called him to do so (Num. 27; 34:17; Deut. 1:38; 31:7-8). Leading Israel into the Promised Land was not simply a reward for his faithfulness or recognition of his developed leadership skills. It was the result of the choice of God to call Joshua to serve Him in that task. Just as God had called Moses to lead Israel out of bondage, so He called Joshua to lead Israel into rest. Learning about spiritual control Ultimately, Joshua was empowered by the Holy Spirit for the task which lay before him. You cannot do the work of God without God. Joshua was one of the very few men in the Old Testament of whom it was said he was filled with the Holy Spirit (Deut. 34:9). To be filled with the Holy Spirit means to be yielded to Him and under His control. When the Spirit of God is in control of a life, that life will accomplish what God wants it to accomplish. PREPARING FOR TOTAL VICTORY (Josh. 1:1-5:9) If the results of the career of Joshua had to be summed up in only a couple of words, those words would be “total victory.” The book contains a listing of thirty-one kings which Joshua conquered, demonstrating God is mighty enough to meet any of our needs (Josh. 12:9- 24). Toward the end of the book is the claim, “Not a word failed of any good thing which the Lord had spoken to the house of Israel. All came to pass” (21:45). But before Joshua and his people could claim that victory, they had to first prepare themselves. In their preparation, they illustrated several principles regarding discerning the will of God and preparing for total victory in our lives today. Meditate on the Word of God (1:1-8) The first step in preparing for total victory was that of meditating on the Word of God, which for Joshua, meant the five Books of Moses (v. 8). The Scriptures are God’s self-revelation to man. Meditating on the Scriptures means to contemplate the revealed person of God and in the process internalize the Word of God. In the New Testament, meditation is described in the phrase, “Let the Word of Christ dwell in you richly” (Col. 3:16). Meditation is the God-ordained means whereby our knowledge of the Scriptures grows from little more than a trivia collection of facts to an arsenal of biblical principles by which we live the successful Christian life. Dedicate to the work of God (vv. 9-18)
Second, there was an act of dedication on the part of the elders of Israel who represented the nation of Israel. When confronted with the challenge of taking the land God had promised them, Israel was eager to dedicate themselves to this unique work of God (w. 10-18). So committed were they to doing the work of God that they voluntarily formed a “death pact” among themselves promising Joshua, “Whoever rebels against your command and does not heed your words, in all that you command him, shall be put to death. Only be strong and of good courage” (v. 18). Investigate the way of God (2:1-24) The third step of preparation for total victory was an investigation of conditions in Jericho by two spies. Perhaps remembering that only two of the twelve spies at Kadesh had brought back a good report, Joshua was careful to send out only two men whom he could count on to bring back the information he needed as he prepared to conquer the land. These spies were charged with gathering information about the land, not with making the decision as to whether they should enter the land. That decision was already made when they dedicated themselves to the work of God. When the spies came to Jericho, they stayed with a harlot named Rahab. Rahab lived with her father in a home at the wall of the city. Typically, this was usually the poorest region of the city and the place where people who provided housing for strangers usually lived. Rahab’s father probably rented rooms in his home to those visiting or passing through Jericho. Tragically, it appears he also rented out his daughter to interested customers. From Rahab, the spies learned the people of the land still remembered how God had delivered Israel from the Egyptians forty years earlier and feared what Israel might do to them. When the authorities of the city came to arrest the spies, Rahab hid them and lied about their being there. Though God did not command Rahab to lie, nor does He condone lying, on this occasion He allowed her lie to protect the spies. Though Rahab was a member of a condemned race, she had come to some degree of faith in God. Recognizing this, the spies bound a scarlet line in the window of that home as they left, promising she and her family would be preserved from the destruction of the city. The color of that cord is typical of safety through sacrifice (cf. Heb. 9:19-22). When the city was later conquered, Rahab’s life was spared. “By faith the harlot Rahab did not perish with those who did not believe, when she had received the spies with peace” (11:31). The report of the spies to Joshua was enthusiastic. After telling of their experience and what they had learned, they concluded, “Truly the Lord has delivered all the land into our hands, for indeed all the inhabitants of the country are fainthearted because of us” (Josh. 2:24). Initiate a walk with God (3:1-5:1) The next step of preparation for the people was to initiate a step of faith which is the basis of a successful walk with God. Actually, there were several steps of faith as Israel began walking with God into the land of Canaan. First, Joshua moved the camp from Acacia Grove to the banks of the Jordan (3:1). The move was significant because of what the two places involved represented to the people. Acacia Grove was the place of rebellion, the site of a great moral and spiritual decline among the people of Israel (cf. Num. 25). The Jordan River was the place of reconciliation with God. Crossing over the Jordan is typical of our death with Christ, the means whereby we are reconciled to God (Rom. 6:3-4, 6-11; Eph. 2:5-6; Col. 3:1-3). Even before
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Learning about a sustained confidence<br />
<strong>The</strong> single greatest factor in the lives of great men of God is their faith in God. Another<br />
experience of Joshua in the wilderness taught him the importance of a sustained confidence in<br />
God. Joshua was one of the twelve spies sent into Canaan from Kadesh Barnea, and one of the<br />
two who brought back a good report (Num. 13:16-33; 32:11-12). Joshua urged the people to trust<br />
God even though that was an unpopular position to take at the time. First, he was outnumbered in<br />
his opinion among the spies, ten to two. Second, the people themselves so opposed Joshua and<br />
Caleb they came very close to stoning them.<br />
Learning about a strategic call<br />
Notwithstanding the importance of all of the other lessons of leadership which Joshua<br />
learned in the wilderness, Joshua was suited to follow Moses as leader because God had clearly<br />
called him to do so (Num. 27; 34:17; Deut. 1:38; 31:7-8). Leading Israel into the Promised Land<br />
was not simply a reward for his faithfulness or recognition of his developed leadership skills. It<br />
was the result of the choice of God to call Joshua to serve Him in that task. Just as God had<br />
called Moses to lead Israel out of bondage, so He called Joshua to lead Israel into rest.<br />
Learning about spiritual control<br />
Ultimately, Joshua was empowered by the Holy Spirit for the task which lay before him.<br />
You cannot do the work of God without God. Joshua was one of the very few men in the <strong>Old</strong><br />
<strong>Testament</strong> of whom it was said he was filled with the Holy Spirit (Deut. 34:9). To be filled with<br />
the Holy Spirit means to be yielded to Him and under His control. When the Spirit of God is in<br />
control of a life, that life will accomplish what God wants it to accomplish.<br />
PREPARING FOR TOTAL VICTORY<br />
(Josh. 1:1-5:9)<br />
If the results of the career of Joshua had to be summed up in only a couple of words,<br />
those words would be “total victory.” <strong>The</strong> book contains a listing of thirty-one kings which<br />
Joshua conquered, demonstrating God is mighty enough to meet any of our needs (Josh. 12:9-<br />
24). Toward the end of the book is the claim, “Not a word failed of any good thing which the<br />
Lord had spoken to the house of Israel. All came to pass” (21:45). But before Joshua and his<br />
people could claim that victory, they had to first prepare themselves. In their preparation, they<br />
illustrated several principles regarding discerning the will of God and preparing for total victory<br />
in our lives today.<br />
Meditate on the Word of God (1:1-8)<br />
<strong>The</strong> first step in preparing for total victory was that of meditating on the Word of God,<br />
which for Joshua, meant the five Books of Moses (v. 8). <strong>The</strong> Scriptures are God’s self-revelation<br />
to man. Meditating on the Scriptures means to contemplate the revealed person of God and in the<br />
process internalize the Word of God. In the New <strong>Testament</strong>, meditation is described in the<br />
phrase, “Let the Word of Christ dwell in you richly” (Col. 3:16). Meditation is the God-ordained<br />
means whereby our knowledge of the Scriptures grows from little more than a trivia collection of<br />
facts to an arsenal of biblical principles by which we live the successful Christian life.<br />
Dedicate to the work of God (vv. 9-18)
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