Today’s Chapters: Joshua 1-5
Pete’s Thoughts:
Joshua 1
Verse 2 gets straight to the heart of the matter – Moses is dead and the people need a new leader. There is not time to delay, the people are to move into the long awaited promised land in only three days. Fortunately, God always knows what is best. He speaks directly to Joshua, the man He appointed for this position, and tells him all he needs to do. The most important guideline that the Lord gives Joshua is to not let the Word of God depart from his mouth. If Joshua continues to meditate on it and follow what it says, he will succeed. The same applies to us. If we follow the Lord and obey His commands, He will continue to bless us and make our way prosperous.
Joshua 2
The story of Rahab has always interested me. We find a Canaanite woman, who has an awful occupation, that defends foreigners and protects them. That may seem like a small thing but is was this act of faith that saved her life and the life of her family members. It even goes beyond this one act of faith – because Rahab helps the Israelites and survives from the downfall of Jericho, she marries Salmon, and has a son named Boaz who is the grandfather of King David, thus putting her in the lineage of Jesus! You never know how small steps of faith will forever impact your life and your family tree.
Joshua 3
Pastor Surbaugh referenced this section the other day. I agree with him – I wonder who the priest was that first touched the water. God told Joshua that the priests would go first before the people and they would carry the ark of the Lord. He also told Joshua that the waters of the Jordan River would break open and allow the people to pass on dry ground. Verses 14 and 15 give us the actual account of the priests approaching the river. It wasn’t until the first priest dipped his foot in the water that the river stopped and dry ground appeared. It would take a great amount of faith to be that first priest and not turn back. God waited until the very moment his foot touched the water and then He moved. He waited for the priest to put himself in a position to be used by God before God moved. How many time do we want to God to move on our behalf and do great things for us but we are not willing to go out of our comfort zones and allow our faith to be stretched.
Joshua 4
God told the Israelites to gather 12 stones from the middle of the Jordan River and set them up on the other side. These would serve as a reminder to all future generations of what God had done here in bringing this nation out of Egypt and calling them His people.
Joshua 5
Joshua met God face to face. We know that the person that he met was God because He received the worship of Joshua. Anytime someone tries to worship an angel, the angel always tells them to worship God alone. Joshua’s reaction is the same that anyone who meets God – to fall on his face and worship Him. Joshua instantly realized that God is a great and terrible God, the Ruler of Nations and Sovereign Lord of All. Joshua understood what it meant to have a fear of the Lord.
