For a full description of the (Y3) reading plan, see the “About” page.
- What attributes of God’s character does this passage reveal?
- How does the passage point to Jesus?
- How should the truth of this passage change me?
- How do the events of today’s reading help you better understand the grand narrative of Scripture?
Josh. 1
We all know that God told Joshua to be strong and courageous. I’ve always figured it was an exhortation to not fear whatever lie ahead of him, that it was God’s promise to be with him no matter what he faced. And it is. But I noticed a little more than that this morning. “Above all, be strong and very courageous to observe carefully the whole instruction my servant Moses commanded you.” (Josh. 1:7a). God did not focus Joshua’s attention on the coming battles with this exhortation. Rather, He focused Joshua’s attention on Him. It was through his faithfulness to God that his successes came.
So the point isn’t to roll up our sleeves, puff out our chests, and say, “I trust God to help me handle anything that comes my way.” While I believe there is truth in that, it’s the wrong focus. The point is to humble our hearts, fall on our knees, and say, “God, I am yours; I will follow you wherever you lead, no matter how difficult or unpleasant.” Our effort needs to be put toward abiding in Christ, and it needs to be intentional. God will faithfully take care of the rest.
Josh. 2-3
Like Moses, Joshua sent men ahead to scout out the land. That’s where the similarity ends, however. Instead of sending ten men, Joshua sent two. And Joshua sent them secretly. They reported back to him, not to the whole community. Thus, there was no bad report to make the people lose heart and there was no delay in beginning the conquest.
Moses is clearly one of the many Old Testament representations of Christ. Yet he did not even enter the Promised Land, let alone lead the people into it. I had the thought quite some time ago that the reason God used Joshua to complete the task is to show us that His promised Messiah would come in two stages. First came the suffering servant, who gave us a way out of our sin, brought God’s presence to us, and leads us through the wilderness of this life. Next will come the conquering King, who leads us into God’s eternal rest, driving our enemies out forever.
As with Joshua and Moses, however, things will be different next time. Jesus’ second coming won’t be like His first. He came the first time to give us a chance to act on God’s mercy. The next time He comes, however, the decisions will have been made. Thus, His conquest will be swift as He sees His faithful ones through His judgment and into our Promised Land.