We live in troubled times. Many have had the financial rug pulled out from under them and are searching for answers. Many look to the government to help them but it seems that whatever they try fails. Some look to the economic system to rebound and recapture their lost wealth but in spite of everyone’s best efforts, things just seem to be getting worse. Is there a place where we can turn when facing a seemingly impossible situation? One man who lived several thousand years ago provides an answer for us. That man is Joshua.
After leaving Egypt and miraculously escaping Pharaoh’s army at the Red Sea, the Israelites are at the border of the Promised Land but before entering in, Moses decides to select 12 men to go in and spy out the land.
Num 13:4-16
4 These were the tribes and the names of the leaders:
Tribe Leader
Reuben Shammua son of Zaccur
5 Simeon Shaphat son of Hori
6 Judah Caleb son of Jephunneh
7 Issachar Igal son of Joseph
8 Ephraim Hoshea son of Nun
9 Benjamin Palti son of Raphu
10 Zebulun Gaddiel son of Sodi
11 Manasseh son of Joseph Gaddi son of Susi
12 Dan Ammiel son of Gemalli
13 Asher Sethur son of Michael
14 Naphtali Nahbi son of Vophsi
15 Gad Geuel son of Maki
16 These are the names of the men Moses sent to explore the land. By this time Moses had changed Hoshea's name to Joshua.
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However, when everyone reported on what they saw, they focused on the strength of the enemy and the fortification of their cities.
Num 13:25-33
25 After exploring the land for forty days, the men returned 26 to Moses, Aaron, and the people of Israel at Kadesh in the wilderness of Paran. They reported to the whole community what they had seen and showed them the fruit they had taken from the land. 27 This was their report to Moses: "We arrived in the land you sent us to see, and it is indeed a magnificent country — a land flowing with milk and honey. Here is some of its fruit as proof. 28 But the people living there are powerful, and their cities and towns are fortified and very large. We also saw the descendants of Anak who are living there! 29 The Amalekites live in the Negev, and the Hittites, Jebusites, and Amorites live in the hill country. The Canaanites live along the coast of the Mediterranean Sea and along the Jordan Valley."
30 But Caleb tried to encourage the people as they stood before Moses. "Let's go at once to take the land," he said. "We can certainly conquer it!"
31 But the other men who had explored the land with him answered, "We can't go up against them! They are stronger than we are!" 32 So they spread discouraging reports about the land among the Israelites: "The land we explored will swallow up any who go to live there. All the people we saw were huge. 33 We even saw giants there, the descendants of Anak. We felt like grasshoppers next to them, and that's what we looked like to them!"
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Joshua and Caleb now find themselves in the minority.
Num 14:10
10 But the whole community began to talk about stoning Joshua and Caleb. Then the glorious presence of the LORD appeared to all the Israelites from above the Tabernacle.
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This is often the case when we decide to dedicate ourselves to the Lord. Some of our friends will think we have lost our minds and desert us. We will be told that believing in God is only for the weak. However believing in and dedicating ourselves to God does have rewards. For Joshua this meant he would get to enter the Promised Land but this would not happen immediately
Num 14:26-30
26 Then the LORD said to Moses and Aaron, 27 "How long will this wicked nation complain about me? I have heard everything the Israelites have been saying. 28 Now tell them this: 'As surely as I live, I will do to you the very things I heard you say. I, the LORD, have spoken! 29 You will all die here in this wilderness! Because you complained against me, none of you who are twenty years old or older and were counted in the census 30 will enter the land I swore to give you. The only exceptions will be Caleb son of Jephunneh and Joshua son of Nun.
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Num 14:34-35
34 " 'Because the men who explored the land were there for forty days, you must wander in the wilderness for forty years — a year for each day, suffering the consequences of your sins. You will discover what it is like to have me for an enemy.' 35 I, the LORD, have spoken! I will do these things to every member of the community who has conspired against me. They will all die here in this wilderness!"
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Joshua must now wait 40 years to enter the Promised Land. Just because we have a promise from God does not necessarily mean it will happen immediately. God’s time is not our time and our prayers will not change God’s mind. Sometimes he makes us wait so he can prepare us for what he plans on doing. Perhaps Joshua needed this time to prepare him to lead God’s people into the Promised Land.
However, God is true to his promises and Joshua remained strong in spite of his age.
Deut 34:9
9 Now Joshua son of Nun was full of the spirit of wisdom, for Moses had laid his hands on him. So the people of Israel obeyed him and did everything just as the LORD had commanded Moses.
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Finally, the forty years have ended and it is time for Joshua to lead the people into the Promised Land. However, how will Joshua convince the people that he is their next leader? Joshua, being the dedicated man of faith he was, seeks the Lord and receives instructions on what to do when crossing the Jordan.
Josh 3
Early the next morning Joshua and all the Israelites left Acacia and arrived at the banks of the Jordan River, where they camped before crossing. 2 Three days later, the Israelite leaders went through the camp 3 giving these instructions to the people: "When you see the Levitical priests carrying the Ark of the Covenant of the LORD your God, follow them. 4 Since you have never traveled this way before, they will guide you. Stay about a half mile behind them, keeping a clear distance between you and the Ark. Make sure you don't come any closer."
5 Then Joshua told the people, "Purify yourselves, for tomorrow the LORD will do great wonders among you."
6 In the morning Joshua said to the priests, "Lift up the Ark of the Covenant and lead the people across the river." And so they started out.
7 The LORD told Joshua, "Today I will begin to make you great in the eyes of all the Israelites. Now they will know that I am with you, just as I was with Moses. 8 Give these instructions to the priests who are carrying the Ark of the Covenant: 'When you reach the banks of the Jordan River, take a few steps into the river and stop.' "
9 So Joshua told the Israelites, "Come and listen to what the LORD your God says. 10 Today you will know that the living God is among you. He will surely drive out the Canaanites, Hittites, Hivites, Perizzites, Girgashites, Amorites, and Jebusites. 11 Think of it! The Ark of the Covenant, which belongs to the Lord of the whole earth, will lead you across the Jordan River! 12 Now choose twelve men, one from each tribe. 13 The priests will be carrying the Ark of the LORD, the Lord of all the earth. When their feet touch the water, the flow of water will be cut off upstream, and the river will pile up there in one heap."
14 When the people set out to cross the Jordan, the priests who were carrying the Ark of the Covenant went ahead of them. 15 Now it was the harvest season, and the Jordan was overflowing its banks. But as soon as the feet of the priests who were carrying the Ark touched the water at the river's edge, 16 the water began piling up at a town upstream called Adam, which is near Zarethan. And the water below that point flowed on to the Dead Sea until the riverbed was dry. Then all the people crossed over near the city of Jericho. 17 Meanwhile, the priests who were carrying the Ark of the LORD's covenant stood on dry ground in the middle of the riverbed as the people passed by them. They waited there until everyone had crossed the Jordan on dry ground.
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The children of those who remembered the crossing of the Red Sea had no doubt heard the story of how Pharaoh’s army was defeated. Seeing the Jordan River part in a similar fashion was a sign that Joshua was indeed their new leader.
Next God shows them that he will enable them to defeat their enemies by miraculously bringing down the walls of Jericho without the Israelites needing to do anything other than marching around the city and shouting. If there were any lingering doubts about God being able to defeat their enemies, it would be gone now.
Josh 6:1-21
Now the gates of Jericho were tightly shut because the people were afraid of the Israelites. No one was allowed to go in or out. 2 But the LORD said to Joshua, "I have given you Jericho, its king, and all its mighty warriors. 3 Your entire army is to march around the city once a day for six days. 4 Seven priests will walk ahead of the Ark, each carrying a ram's horn. On the seventh day you are to march around the city seven times, with the priests blowing the horns. 5 When you hear the priests give one long blast on the horns, have all the people give a mighty shout. Then the walls of the city will collapse, and the people can charge straight into the city."
6 So Joshua called together the priests and said, "Take up the Ark of the Covenant, and assign seven priests to walk in front of it, each carrying a ram's horn." 7 Then he gave orders to the people: "March around the city, and the armed men will lead the way in front of the Ark of the LORD."
8 After Joshua spoke to the people, the seven priests with the rams' horns started marching in the presence of the LORD, blowing the horns as they marched. And the priests carrying the Ark of the LORD's covenant followed behind them. 9 Armed guards marched both in front of the priests and behind the Ark, with the priests continually blowing the horns. 10 "Do not shout; do not even talk," Joshua commanded. "Not a single word from any of you until I tell you to shout. Then shout!" 11 So the Ark of the LORD was carried around the city once that day, and then everyone returned to spend the night in the camp.
12 Joshua got up early the next morning, and the priests again carried the Ark of the LORD. 13 The seven priests with the rams' horns marched in front of the Ark of the LORD, blowing their horns. Armed guards marched both in front of the priests with the horns and behind the Ark of the LORD. All this time the priests were sounding their horns. 14 On the second day they marched around the city once and returned to the camp. They followed this pattern for six days.
15 On the seventh day the Israelites got up at dawn and marched around the city as they had done before. But this time they went around the city seven times. 16 The seventh time around, as the priests sounded the long blast on their horns, Joshua commanded the people, "Shout! For the LORD has given you the city! 17 The city and everything in it must be completely destroyed as an offering to the LORD. Only Rahab the prostitute and the others in her house will be spared, for she protected our spies. 18 Do not take any of the things set apart for destruction, or you yourselves will be completely destroyed, and you will bring trouble on all Israel. 19 Everything made from silver, gold, bronze, or iron is sacred to the LORD and must be brought into his treasury."
20 When the people heard the sound of the horns, they shouted as loud as they could. Suddenly, the walls of Jericho collapsed, and the Israelites charged straight into the city from every side and captured it. 21 They completely destroyed everything in it — men and women, young and old, cattle, sheep, donkeys — everything.
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The faith of Joshua was contagious and with these demonstrations of Gods power under his leadership, the people took possession of the Promised Land.
So how did Joshua develop such great faith and what can we learn from his example. First, we see that Joshua stayed close to the Lord.
Ex 24:12-13
12 And the LORD said to Moses, "Come up to me on the mountain. Stay there while I give you the tablets of stone that I have inscribed with my instructions and commands. Then you will teach the people from them." 13 So Moses and his assistant Joshua climbed up the mountain of God.
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Second, Joshua learned from his spiritual mentor, Moses
Ex 17:10-11
10 So Joshua did what Moses had commanded. He led his men out to fight the army of Amalek. Meanwhile Moses, Aaron, and Hur went to the top of a nearby hill.
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Finally, even when circumstances seemed to say otherwise, Joshua trusted God to bring him victory.
Josh 7:1-15
But Israel was unfaithful concerning the things set apart for the LORD. A man named Achan had stolen some of these things, so the LORD was very angry with the Israelites. Achan was the son of Carmi, of the family of Zimri, of the clan of Zerah, and of the tribe of Judah.
2 Joshua sent some of his men from Jericho to spy out the city of Ai, east of Bethel, near Beth-aven. 3 When they returned, they told Joshua, "It's a small town, and it won't take more than two or three thousand of us to destroy it. There's no need for all of us to go there."
4 So approximately three thousand warriors were sent, but they were soundly defeated. The men of Ai 5 chased the Israelites from the city gate as far as the quarries, and they killed about thirty-six who were retreating down the slope. The Israelites were paralyzed with fear at this turn of events, and their courage melted away.
6 Joshua and the leaders of Israel tore their clothing in dismay, threw dust on their heads, and bowed down facing the Ark of the LORD until evening. 7 Then Joshua cried out, "Sovereign LORD, why did you bring us across the Jordan River if you are going to let the Amorites kill us? If only we had been content to stay on the other side! 8 Lord, what am I to say, now that Israel has fled from its enemies? 9 For when the Canaanites and all the other people living in the land hear about it, they will surround us and wipe us off the face of the earth. And then what will happen to the honor of your great name?"
10 But the LORD said to Joshua, "Get up! Why are you lying on your face like this? 11 Israel has sinned and broken my covenant! They have stolen the things that I commanded to be set apart for me. And they have not only stolen them; they have also lied about it and hidden the things among their belongings. 12 That is why the Israelites are running from their enemies in defeat. For now Israel has been set apart for destruction. I will not remain with you any longer unless you destroy the things among you that were set apart for destruction.
13 "Get up! Command the people to purify themselves in preparation for tomorrow. For this is what the LORD, the God of Israel, says: Hidden among you, O Israel, are things set apart for the LORD. You will never defeat your enemies until you remove these things. 14 In the morning you must present yourselves by tribes, and the LORD will point out the tribe to which the guilty man belongs. That tribe must come forward with its clans, and the LORD will point out the guilty clan. That clan will then come forward, and the LORD will point out the guilty family. Finally, each member of the guilty family must come one by one. 15 The one who has stolen what was set apart for destruction will himself be burned with fire, along with everything he has, for he has broken the covenant of the LORD and has done a horrible thing in Israel."
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Josh 8:1-29
Then the LORD said to Joshua, "Do not be afraid or discouraged. Take the entire army and attack Ai, for I have given to you the king of Ai, his people, his city, and his land. 2 You will destroy them as you destroyed Jericho and its king. But this time you may keep the captured goods and the cattle for yourselves. Set an ambush behind the city."
3 So Joshua and the army of Israel set out to attack Ai. Joshua chose thirty thousand fighting men and sent them out at night 4 with these orders: "Hide in ambush close behind the city and be ready for action. 5 When our main army attacks, the men of Ai will come out to fight as they did before, and we will run away from them. 6 We will let them chase us until they have all left the city. For they will say, 'The Israelites are running away from us as they did before.' 7 Then you will jump up from your ambush and take possession of the city, for the LORD your God will give it to you. 8 Set the city on fire, as the LORD has commanded. You have your orders."
9 So they left that night and lay in ambush between Bethel and the west side of Ai. But Joshua remained among the people in the camp that night. 10 Early the next morning Joshua roused his men and started toward Ai, accompanied by the leaders of Israel. 11 They camped on the north side of Ai, with a valley between them and the city. 12 That night Joshua sent five thousand men to lie in ambush between Bethel and Ai, on the west side of the city. 13 So they stationed the main army north of the city and the ambush west of the city. Joshua himself spent that night in the valley.
14 When the king of Ai saw the Israelites across the valley, he and all his army hurriedly went out early the next morning and attacked the Israelites at a place overlooking the Jordan Valley. But he didn't realize there was an ambush behind the city. 15 Joshua and the Israelite army fled toward the wilderness as though they were badly beaten, 16 and all the men in the city were called out to chase after them. In this way, they were lured away from the city. 17 There was not a man left in Ai or Bethel who did not chase after the Israelites, and the city was left wide open.
18 Then the LORD said to Joshua, "Point your spear toward Ai, for I will give you the city." Joshua did as he was commanded. 19 As soon as Joshua gave the signal, the men in ambush jumped up and poured into the city. They quickly captured it and set it on fire.
20 When the men of Ai looked behind them, smoke from the city was filling the sky, and they had nowhere to go. For the Israelites who had fled in the direction of the wilderness now turned on their pursuers. 21 When Joshua and the other Israelites saw that the ambush had succeeded and that smoke was rising from the city, they turned and attacked the men of Ai. 22 Then the Israelites who were inside the city came out and started killing the enemy from the rear. So the men of Ai were caught in a trap, and all of them died. Not a single person survived or escaped. 23 Only the king of Ai was taken alive and brought to Joshua.
24 When the Israelite army finished killing all the men outside the city, they went back and finished off everyone inside. 25 So the entire population of Ai was wiped out that day — twelve thousand in all. 26 For Joshua kept holding out his spear until everyone who had lived in Ai was completely destroyed. 27 Only the cattle and the treasures of the city were not destroyed, for the Israelites kept these for themselves, as the LORD had commanded Joshua. 28 So Ai became a permanent mound of ruins, desolate to this very day.
29 Joshua hung the king of Ai on a tree and left him there until evening. At sunset the Israelites took down the body and threw it in front of the city gate. They piled a great heap of stones over him that can still be seen today.
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When facing hard times, we need to become like Joshua by
1) Staying close to the Lord and fellowshipping with the Lord’s people
2) Find a spiritual mentor who can teach us Gods Word.
3) Never waver in your belief that God will work all things out for your own good
Rom 8:27-28
28 And we know that God causes everything to work together for the good of those who love God and are called according to his purpose for them.
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Become a man or woman of faith like Joshua and watch God’s power deliver you from your difficulties and deliver you to your Promised Land.
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