Joshua: A Type

In Joshua 23-24, Joshua addressed the Hebrew leaders in a speech that had poignant meaning for all of them. It was full of encouragement, yet not without warning.  He revisited their victories and reminded them how God took care of them.  He did not leave out the sinking sand warnings of idolatry.  The culture that surrounded them could easily dupe them into accepting so much less that what God desired for their life. It had the potential to cast a shadow on the riches of God's grace and desire for all individuals.

There is a direct call to monotheism rather than the worship of pagans gods:

14 Now therefore fear the Lord, and serve him in sincerity and in truth: and put away the gods which your fathers served on the other side of the flood, and in Egypt; and serve ye the Lord. 15 And if it seem evil unto you to serve the Lord, choose you this day whom ye will serve; whether the gods which your fathers served that were on the other side of the flood (Euphrates), or the gods of the Amorites, in whose land ye dwell: but as for me and my house, we will serve the Lord. Joshua 24:14-15

The  gods they had been exposed to belong to three groups: The Chaldeans, Egyptians, and the Canaanites.  Joshua gave them the choice and told them about his own choice.  The last part of verse 15 is a much-quoted verse. It means so much more when it is quoted within the context of what was said. Joshua was saying "I choose God and that is who I serve." He also made the point that you can't mix it up with pagan gods and serve the one true God at the same time.

Each tribe was responsible for his own dominion. At the end of the speech, Joshua sent "every man unto his own inheritance". 'One man shall chase a thousand' is another much-quoted verse (23:10) in this speech. Again the context within which this diamond sits is an encouraging thought. He saw them as doers, not pew sitters. That was the kind of leader Joshua was.

Joshua was a type of the future Christ. Joshua in Hebrew is Jesus in Greek. Joshua led the Hebrews to a physical military victory. Jesus leads to the spiritual victories of the New Covenant. They both were catalysts to those around them. Joshua's victories related to the physical and temporal, Jesus's to the spiritual and eternal.

Joshua was an amazing leader (I really prefer the word 'catalyst' for 'leader'). Idolatry exists in the world today just as it did back in his time. We see it in religion, politics, entertainment, family and educational culture and ethics, just to name a few areas where it seeks to hide. Idolatry hides today behind political correctness and tolerance. Jesus Christ's purpose was to flush out and expose even the most subtle tentacles by which it seeks its power. Jesus Christ is the head of the church that we belong to today. Understanding this not only opens our eyes; it gives strength, comfort and resolve to deal with things around us.

Conflict and Joshua 22

Three tribes of Israel, Ruben, Gad and the 1/2 tribe of Manasseh, asked Moses about settling on the east side of the Jordan.  In  Joshua 22:9, this request was acknowledged  "according to the word of the Lord by the hand of Moses". These  tribes then built an altar that caused all sorts of angst with the other tribes. The other tribes thought of this as a turning away and that, in essence, they were starting a new denomination. It took a little conversation and practical reasoning to avert a crisis.

Living in a day and time that has something like 24,000 different religious bodies, this type of argument is ever with us and sometimes it can be quite difficult to sort out. It was determined in Joshua 22, that all were worshipping the same God and that the altar the 2 1/2 tribes built would serve as a memorial to that commitment. Phineas got involved along with the princes of the tribes. It was settled peaceably. There were other times in the history of their trek to the promised land when some of them started worshipping other gods and it was not so easy. Phineas was also in on dealing with the sin of Peor in Number 25. The results were more severe on that occasion.

So how does one navigate in the world today with different doctrines and traditions? Nothing is black and white. We all can be cajoled into going along with stuff that goes against what we believe in for "love's" sake, but  honestly, "love" can also be standing up for what is right. That kind of "love" is not legalism. There is a big difference. It takes patience, peace, love and humility to recognize the plain path. To maintain a "righteous" attitude is to go to God with whatever is set in front of you that is disconcerting and allow God to work. Job was a great example of this. He had some pretty nasty judgment thrown out at him from 4 people, but he held out for God's answer. That is where peace comes from! That is where peace comes in, settles the heart and brings freedom from fear!

Individuality

There is a lot of human drama in the book of Job.  Most of it is centered on long dialogues between the human players in this story. What I love about Job was his endurance to stay the course in getting the answers straight from the mouth of God.  'Righteousness' is a big deal. 'Righteousness', when truly understood, is an individual right. It is not  a 'group' thing. 'Rightness' comes from God in working through  and in any situation. That is where Job stayed the course.

Job's three friends had flaws in their thinking. Job had obvious questions for God , and  we are made aware of the big questions he had in his own thinking.They were all products of the world around them. In the end, God told Job to pray for for the three friends.  God does not take sides, he is all about what's right (Joshua 5:13-15). God's intent was growth for all of them: Job, and the three 'miserable comforters'. God showed himself to all 4 of them. I assume Job's friends learned that it is about looking for God rather than sin. Job learned about 'seeing' God! All's well that ends well!

There is another player in the scenario: Elihu. He disappeared in the end. When one honestly reads through his drama, he's not someone you would like to encounter in your local bible study. Job did not answer or argue with him and it seems, despite man-made chapter breaks, God's whirlwind swoops down, interrupts and clears the air.

The lesson of 'righteousness' a big theme in the Book of Job. Despite our questions and flawed thinking at times, we have the right to humbly ask for answers to life's questions. We have the right to the throne room of God. Guilt and shame can shut the door but Jesus Christ opened it for us in the New Testament.  Guilt and shame clouded and covered the light, Jesus Christ unveiled it. We have access to God, not thru some veil, but with clear bold access we too get to 'see' him distinctly.

Job's Sufficiency and Righteousness

Again I marvel at the multitude of opinions expressed about Job's predicament as exposed in the Book of Job. It continually seems like denominational biases try to sneak their cause into the word of God.  The Word of God will always be the Word of God and it is unbreakable. God has protected it throughout history. We can get answers to our questions about God from God himself.

Job was a man that God actually praised. Job had some catastrophic events occur in his life.  He had endeavored to live like God expected him to live. He respected (good fear, in a reverential sense) God and yet he had another type of fear, (the negative kind of fear) and felt insecure. Fear can at times eclipse the light of God. Mentally, he acknowledged God, yet his heart had some worries that ballooned into a big cloud over him:

25 For the thing which I greatly feared is come upon me, and that which I was afraid of is come unto me. 26 I was not in safety, neither had I rest, neither was I quiet; yet trouble came. Job 3:25-26 

In response to this, three friends visited Job and sat silently with him for a while and when they started talking they accused Job of having some secret sin that was causing his troubles.  They were joined by a fourth who added fuel to the raging fire that was going on.  It seemed like God was unreachable and yet Job never gave up. Job wanted to talk to God himself.

In the book of Job there is a lot of dialogue devoted to his three friends.  Elihu gets quite a bit of print also. It almost seems like these miserable comforters are trying actually to separate Job from God rather than bring him closer. Is God unapproachable? No? Can one ask God questions? Yes! Job loved God. He wanted answers. Can we get answers? Do we really think God wants us sitting around in the dark? God is relational, not a distant judge as is proved in the final chapters of the book. Job got  his answers!

5 I have heard of thee by the hearing of the ear: but now mine eye seeth thee. Job 42:5

Job held on to his righteousness throughout the ordeal  and that is an important lesson for all of us especially in the day and time within which we live. We live under the New Testament Covenant. Jesus Christ has made the login to God much easier through the sending of the gift of holy spirit.  To live in righteousness, we believe in the actual 'right' to access to God. God doesn't want us stupid regarding his blessings and all that he is.

The greatest thing one can do for other humans is to encourage them to get to know God and understand that God can become their sufficiency (not us) as the relationship develops.  The results are beyond anything we could imagine! 'Seeing' God at work in another is one of our added riches of life!

17 And the work of righteousness shall be peace; and the effect of righteousness quietness and assurance for ever. Isaiah 32:17

Where is God's Focus in The Book of Job?

The Book of Job is one of the most hypothesized books in the Bible. There are so many opinions about things contained in the book that it is mind-boggling!  As I look into some of the sections of the book and take my time, it is fairly evident that most people get it wrong one way or another. Don't get me wrong, I don't have all the right answers, but I can see all the contradictions of opinions that pile up with each and every theory.

God actually spoke in the beginning and end of this book.  In the beginning, he praised Job for his righteousness. In the end, God praised Job again. In between, we read a lot of human dialogue page after page, where there is a lot of mention of sin and blame from Job's friends, which got worse and worse before God stepped in.

When God spoke to Job directly  ,he set the tone with:

2 Who is this that darkeneth (dims the light) counsel (advice) by words without knowledge (discernment, thinking)? 3 Gird up now thy loins like a man; for I will demand (ask) of thee, and answer thou me. Job 38:2-3

These two verses are sliced and diced over and over by people who study  the book of Job.

I looked up what it means 'to gird up the loins'. The phrase is used several times in the Bible. Some historians describe this as pulling up the tunic and tucking it in to be ready to move. Job was not going anywhere physically, but spiritually he was moving forward. In  Ephesians 6 it says:

14 Stand therefore, having your loins girt about with truth, and having on the breastplate of righteousness;15 And your feet shod with the preparation of the gospel of peace;

After the discourse in Job 38:1-3, God asked Job question after question!  God asks questions throughout the Bible and this is the longest list to any individual. The questions are thought-provoking! The questions allowed and encouraged Job to think! (Check out Genesis 4:6, Job 1:7, Acts 9:5, Romans 8:31-39, or the first question in the Bible 'Where art thou ?' in Genesis 3:9). The questions didn't box him in, accuse or blame him; they freed Job, because he wanted to be freed:

5 I have heard of thee by the hearing of the ear: but now mine eye seeth thee. Job 42:5

Fresh Air

Yesterday I smelled something odd in the main room of our house. It occurred to me that it might be
coming from a small window air conditioner. My husband said he didn't smell anything, but it was gagging me. I shut down the air conditioner and opened the windows because it was a nice breezy day. Then later I opened the front piece on the air conditioner and WOW! The filter was totally covered with thick, thick, matted dark dust! I removed the filter, which to my joy, was a plastic mesh. I brushed it and removed most of the dust . I then washed it with nice sudsy hot water. It actually was snowy white underneath. I get such satisfaction out of doing things like this.

The air conditioner was truly cooling the front room down, but deep in its inner workings something was causing it to give off a stinky smell. It had accumulated all that dust during its faithful normal functioning. It is a great little air conditioner and we only use it a month or two during the year. Now the filter and the grating on the inside is fresh and clean, and I expect this machine to operate at its best and keep the air cleaner.

Filters are important for so many things. Our allergic systems alert us to contaminated air. They can be a pain in the sniffer, but they help us identify foreign particles floating around. I wish there were integrity filters for the TV and internet. There is plenty of moldy dust floating around the media and cybersphere. If we smell enough of it over the course of time, it will be harder to detect.

Our minds as God made them, are to be operated with high efficiency. The best mental floss in life is the Word of God. God gets to the bottom of all human issues because he loves and wants us to know true joy and peace. It is our own choice to leave our filters dusty and moldy; but if we do we shouldn't blame God for our discomfort for putting up with it.

In Exodus, every time something would go wrong, the people moaned and groaned over their plight. Leaders like Moses and later Joshua went to God for sudsy solutions instead of piling up more dust. That's what good leaders do.

15 And if it seem evil unto you to serve the Lord, choose you this day whom ye will serve; whether the gods which your fathers served that were on the other side of the flood, or the gods of the Amorites, in whose land ye dwell: but as for me and my house, we will serve the Lord. Joshua 24:15

Guess it's time to go clean the dehumidifier. :)

Who's Side Are You On?

Joshua 5:13-15

13 And it came to pass, when Joshua was by Jericho, that he lifted up his eyes and looked, and, behold, there stood a man over against him with his sword drawn in his hand: and Joshua went unto him, and said unto him, Art thou for us, or for our adversaries?

14 And he said, Nay; but as captain of the host of the Lord am I now come. And Joshua fell on his face to the earth, and did worship, and said unto him, What saith my Lord unto his servant?

15 And the captain of the Lord's host said unto Joshua, Loose thy shoe from off thy foot; for the place whereon thou standest is holy. And Joshua did so.

“Sir, my concern is not whether God is on our side; my greatest concern is to be on God’s side, for God is always right.” Abraham Lincoln

Gaslighting or Godlighting

'Gaslighting' is a word floating around  that was spun from an old movie about a villain who manipulated his spouse by setting up situations to make her doubt her sanity. Actually 'gaslighting' is a technique that is more than floating around. It's demonstration is everywhere. It is used in advertising, politics, religion and in simple everyday relationship transactions.

In the movie, the villain kept dimming the lights and when his target started to notice and remark about the dimming light, he said she was imagining it. The idea was to tamp down her perception of reality and drive her into confusion and self-doubt. 'Gaslighting' involves twisting the truth for an advantage to self, a far cry from love. This is the opposite of "speaking the truth in love" in Ephesians 4:15:

15 But speaking the truth in love, may grow up into him in all things, which is the head, even Christ: Ephesians 4:15

Truth sets people free. Twisting the truth imprisons. Godly truth helps people to grow. Religion based on opinion is very dangerous. God's truth is healing. It is easy to tell the difference when you look at the fruit produced.

The human mind can twist any thing when it is constantly focused on self. When the human mind is focused on the one true God there is a strong internal heart atmosphere that has amazing power. It is not the power to control: it is the power to do the bidding of the most powerful force in the universe.

God gave us a beautiful 'truth-o-meter' in the gift of holy spirit.  It is the inspiration of God in his word and in the human heart.  When the human heart and God's word line up absolute peace results. There is no dimmer switch. The shadows disappear. The noise of the world fades. Quiet reassurance replaces anxiousness and fear dissipates.

Does God hear?

I recently read an article on Deism. According to the article, deists believe in God but that he is not involved with his creation. Oh my! I get that people often feel that God is a million miles away. When we look at the world around us and see all that is going on it seems that way. The world is a noisy place.

We just drove through the great state of Pennsylvania! It is beautiful. If you drive on interstate 80, you can see majestic mountains that take your breath away. There are luscious green trees everywhere. Threading through the mountains are winding rivers. It is awe-inspiring.  As we drove, I couldn't help but appreciate again God's love in all that he created. It is so visible in his creation.

God is always close.  The farther you keep God out there, the harder you have to work. Total self-reliance is an inevitable result. Self-reliance is not built like those mountains or the gorgeous blue sky.

We can learn much from looking at God's creation. Our eyes and ears are good examples of the intricate beauty and functionality of things God designed. The ear is an amazing organ. The eyes are complex second only to the brain. God is the designer of hearing and seeing.   It is very simple:

9 He that planted the ear, shall he not hear? he that formed the eye, shall he not see? Psalm 94:9 

Surely our Father, the designer, understands hearing and seeing! It is a good thing to remember when we pray thankfully, with love and honor to a very involved God!

Life In The Lane

In swimming practice, warm-up laps, and racing, lanes are set up to keep things smooth. For a race, the swimmer dives aggressively into his lane and depending on the length of the race, stays in that lane until he hits the wall and does a flip turn and heads back down the same lane. The lane markers are constructed so the water flows through them and breaks up  the wash from the adjacent lane.
You can't cross over to another lane during a race. When you are standing on the starting block, the lane is all yours!

The Hebrew tribes of the book of Joshua were each assigned lanes. God never intended to have them pile up on top of each other.  The land they each got was for them to settle in, grow and thrive.

Moses was Joshua's mentor. In Numbers 11 there is a great example of this mentoring.

24 And Moses went out, and told the people the words of the Lord, and gathered the seventy men of the elders of the people, and set them round about the tabernacle.25 And the Lord came down in a cloud, and spake unto him, and took of the spirit that was upon him, and gave it unto the seventy elders: and it came to pass, that, when the spirit rested upon them, they prophesied, and did not cease.
26 But there remained two of the men in the camp, the name of the one was Eldad, and the name of the other Medad: and the spirit rested upon them; and they were of them that were written, but went not out unto the tabernacle: and they prophesied in the camp.
27 And there ran a young man, and told Moses, and said, Eldad and Medad do prophesy in the camp.
28 And Joshua the son of Nun, the servant of Moses, one of his young men, answered and said, My lord Moses, forbid them.
29 And Moses said unto him, Enviest thou for my sake? would God that all the Lord's people were prophets, and that the Lord would put his spirit upon them!

Moses response to Joshua was along the lines of 'Are you concerned about me? Don't be! It is not about me!' God's heart was "would God that all the Lord's people were prophets, and that the Lord would put his spirit upon them!" Eldad and Medad were not in the tabernacle, they were out in the camp.

In the New Testament, God's spirit is available to all. We all have our own lanes to work, practice, thrive and enjoy.  An athletic analogy can just go so far. Spiritually, our competition is not with each other, but against that which would hold us back or attempt to drag us down.

The Sin of Ai

Israel defeated Jericho handily.  They had a plan to do it that was prescribed by God. The plan involved parading around the city once each day for 6 days and 7 times on the seventh day. The people were given very specific instructions. Joshua 6 has all the details.  In those details were specific warnings about the spoil and that it was to go to treasury of the house of the Lord.

God had already dried up the pathway across the Jordan River so they could cross over.  This time they had no one chasing them. God had asked to mark their crossing by piling up 12 stones so they could remember this great event.

The next conquest was Ai. Joshua apparently wasn't aware that a man named Achan had violated God's instruction and took some spoil he shouldn't have. There is no record of God telling Joshua his strategy for taking Ai. Instead Joshua sent out two men to spy it out and took their advice when they got back to send only 3000 men in. They downplayed the threat or maybe they overestimated their own abilities. Things went awry. They had to retreat. 36 men were killed. Joshua was devastated and fell on his face to God. Depression, discouragement and doubt came knocking on the door!

Joshua sought answers from God:

10 And the Lord said unto Joshua, Get thee up; wherefore liest thou thus upon thy face?

11 Israel hath sinned, and they have also transgressed my covenant which I commanded them: for they have even taken of the accursed thing, and have also stolen, and dissembled also, and they have put it even among their own stuff. 12 Therefore the children of Israel could not stand before their enemies, but turned their backs before their enemies, because they were accursed: neither will I be with you any more, except ye destroy the accursed from among you. Joshua 7:10-12

Joshua took care of the situation and listened to God about how to take Ai and things went well.

Often when something does not go well, we have the same visitors knocking on the door.  We question ourselves, whether God can help us at all and maybe we should go back to retrace our steps in life and maybe revert to old times. God said to Joshua to 'Get up'! Joshua listened and moved on. Success came.

The struggle is intended to set up a blockade. There will always be pressure. We should not allow it to send us back, but use it as an opportunity to connect with God and achieve more memories of success and overcoming! We don't need to pile up 12 stones, but we can lock our victories in our hearts or do whatever it takes to remind ourselves of all that God does for us. When blockades start to rear their ugly head they can be ignored, marked as not true and chased away. We have a greater covenant with God. We all have access to God's throne room and we can take up residence there with him.