Joshua's Revival Series

Can a man sometimes only be ready to lead a revival in his old age, after a lifetime of faithful service?

If God’s kingdom were a democracy, ten of twelve spies would have voted not to enter the promised land. Only Joshua and Caleb from that whole generation gave a testimony of faith and would be allowed in (Numbers 14:29-31). We too often believe falsely that God’s opinion is found in what’s popular. Would the majority opinion in any group, with a ratio of two out of twelve being faithful witnesses, ever be properly qualified to express God’s will? Believe the Bible and the answer is most times, no. God often has a faithful remnant, but rarely a majority vote.

That being said, there is a place for democracy in biblical accounts. Jesus chose the twelve apostles. Is there an account of anyone voting for them? In the Exodus the people voted to go against God by building a golden calf. Authority in worship is not decided by popularity. Is democracy a biblical concept? Not usually! A time for the people’s choice is, however, quite biblical when choosing deacons (Acts 6:3) or choosing those with a reputation to honestly handle money issues (1 Corinthians 16:3). Question any idea however, that doctrinal issues can be decided by majority vote, whereby most are not properly qualified to discern truth from error.

Beginning ministry as a humble servant, we see Joshua’s attitude as, “Inside the Tent of Meeting, the Lord would speak to Moses face to face, as one speaks to a friend. Afterward Moses would return to the camp, but the young man who assisted him, Joshua son of Nun, would remain behind in the Tent of Meeting.” (Exodus 33:11 NLT) With the heart of a servant, he was the opposite of those who grumbled against Moses. Service and a teachable attitude are signs that revival has begun in someone’s heart. Joshua was “a man in whom is the spirit” (Numbers 27:18 KJV) and who “followed the Lord wholeheartedly” (Numbers 32:12 NIV). Tested through a long history of loyalty and service, Joshua would complete the revival begun under Moses. True servants have no hidden agendas, but just want to worship God and help.

It took Joshua a lifetime to be ready for office. May we always respect those with years of experience. Take our generation that shows such disrespect of the elderly, as frequently ignorant. A person in their old age may just be entering readiness for certain tasks. Lifetime experiences are valuable. To the world, Joshua probably should be retiring, but that is a foolish waste of wisdom. Be attentive to the elderly, because their experience is valuable. Ready to hear the elderly and less reliant on youthful advice would go a long way to making wiser decisions.

Rejoice, lovers of God, be strong and very courageous, complete the task so that others too may be revived like you (Joshua 1:7).