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. 10-11
I am thinking about the call to be strong and courageous again this morning. I mentioned the other day that this is a call to focus on God and our obedience to Him rather than on whatever scary of difficult thing lies ahead of us. This is not something that comes naturally to us! Our tendency is to focus on the problem. When we do that, however, fear flares up and our survival instinct kicks in. Then we end up struggling with the very one we should be trusting. I think that’s why this exhortation against fear is repeated so many times in Joshua’s story.
One thing I notice is that we don’t just see God saying this to Joshua. We also see Joshua passing it on to his men. He even gave them a very vivid, real-life picture of God’s promised victory, having them stand on the necks of the captured kings, to help bolster their trust. As they stood there, Joshua said, “Do not be afraid or discouraged. Be strong and courageous, for the LORD will do this to all the enemies you fight.” (Josh. 10:25). Thus, when that misplaced fear started creeping back in, they could remember that moment and take courage.
That leads me to something else I notice. Every exhortation to not be afraid is followed by God’s promise of victory. It is a call to trust Him, which we can only do if we are focused on Him. Focusing on God in trust is what enables us to let go of ourselves and stay obedient to His ways, even when we feel a long way away from that promised victory.
That is why Jesus and His disciples after Him gave this same message so many times in the New Testament. When we are truly committed to the truth that nothing is greater than God, then we are committed to our belief that He will ultimately prevail. Which is why Jesus said, “Don’t fear those who kill the body but are not able to kill the soul. Rather fear Him who is able to destroy both soul and body in hell.” (Matt. 10:28).
Josh. 12
I had a thought this morning that had never occurred to me before. The Israelites struck down 31 kings in taking possession of the land God gave them. That’s a lot of kings! So a land that was once occupied by 6 people groups, ruled by 31 different kings, became one single nation. What a great picture of the contrast between that which is of the world and that which is of God! The world’s ways always cause division, while God’s ways bring unity.