Joshua

JOSHUA

OBSERVATION:

GOD APPOINTED MOSES TO LEAD ISRAEL INTO THE PROMISE LAND (CANAAN). WHILE JOURNEYING HE SOUGHT OUT A WATER SOURCE FOR HIS PEOPLE. GOD TOLD HIM TO STRIKE A CERTAIN ROCK ONE TIME. OUT OF ANGER HE STRUCK THE ROCK 3 TIMES. THE LORD RELIEVED HIM OF COMMAND AND APPOINTED JOSHUA TO LEAD THE ISRAELITES. IN THE OLD TESTAMENT, JOSHUA MEANT (THE LORD SAVES). IN THE NEW TESTAMENT, IT MEANT (JESUS, THE LORD SAVES). JEWISH TRADITION CLAIMS JOSHUA WROTE THE BOOK. SOME SCHOLARS DISAGREE. JOSHUA

IN BIBLICAL TYPOLOGY IS A TYPE OF CHRIST WHO LEADS TO THE

PROMISED LAND. SOME SCHOLARS SUGGEST THE BOOK WAS WRITTEN BEFORE ONE THOUSAND B.C.

INTERPRETATION:

READ JOSHUA 1: 6-9.

POINTS TO PONDER:

THE LORD APPOINTED JOSHUA TO ENTER THE PROMISED LAND. HIS OBEDIENCE WAS PROMPT AND UNQUESTIONED: PROCRASTINATION WAS NOT IN HIS VOCABULARY. HE WAS DIRECT IN HIS COMMAND; ISRAEL WOULD CROSS THE JORDAN RIVER IN THREE DAYS.

ANOTHER ATTRIBUTE WAS HIS THOROUGHNESS. HIS ORGANIZATIONAL SKILL WAS APPARENT. HE WAS NOT A SLOUGH! DOING WARFARE WITHOUT PREPARATION WAS NOT IN HIS VOCABULARY!

A KEEN MORALE BOOSTER WAS ANOTHER OF HIS ATTRIBUTES. HE ENCOURAGED HIS ARMY TO BE STRONG AND COURAGEOUS.

BELIEVER, YOU CAN BE A MODERN DAY JOSHUA. HE CALLS YOU TO A PLACE OF AUTHORITY, RESPONSIBILITY AND SOMETIMES DIFFICULTY.

AS JOSHUA AND HIS ARMY EXPERIENCED PAGAN WARFARE, YOU WILL ALSO FACE SPIRITUAL WARFARE. YOU THEN PUT ON THE WHOLE ARMOR OF GOD (EPHESIANS 6: 10-18).

APPLICATION:

LET CHRIST LEAD IN YOUR SPIRITUAL WARFARE: YOU WANT STRIKE OUT!