Joshua 4 always kind of makes me laugh. Seriously, think about what is happening. The nation of Israel just walked across the Jordan River on dry land - the nation, not just a few families, the NATION. Those twelve tribes - plus cattle and belongings - made their way across the Jordan River, all the while there stood the designated priests holding the Ark of the Covenant to keep the waters in their place. I can't help but chuckle as I think about these dignified, educated men just holding the Ark through the hours this endeavor encompassed. The scene I picture in my mind is as comical as it awe-inspiring.
Yet, the funniest thing is that God doesn't put them out of their misery quickly. He has one last instruction for Joshua before the Ark is allowed to move. 1 When the whole nation had finished crossing the Jordan, the LORD said to Joshua, 2 "Choose twelve men from among the people, one from each tribe, 3 and tell them to take up twelve stones from the middle of the Jordan from right where the priests stood and to carry them over with you and put them down at the place where you stay tonight."
So, Joshua follows the instructions given. These stones aren't small either, Joshua tells each man to "take up a stone on his shoulder". These weren't pebbles. These were rocks that had some serious girth to them, otherwise they wouldn't be deemed worthy for the shoulder carry (the carry every man who has ever had to carry shingles up to a roof knows all too well).
All the while the priests stood and held their positions. I felt sorry for them when I first thought about their predicament. Their arms were heavy laden for the Ark was no small box. And their hearts were humbled for the Ark was the tangible evidence to a finite people of the infinite God's presence. But as I started to dwell in their perspective I saw something I might not have seen before. Joshua 3:15-16 says "as the priests who carried the ark reached the Jordan and their feet touched the water's edge, 16the water from upstream stopped flowing. It piled up in a heap a great distance away..."
These priests were not only agents whom God used in this moment, but they were also witnesses to the goodness of God. With each step each tribe took the priests saw the faces of wonder as each person walked by the Ark. As each person passed by (from an instructed distance of reverence) and looked at the Ark, in the backdrop, they saw this great heap of water just waiting to be unleashed. The dumbfounded stares must have been priceless. Maybe these expressions acted as a soothing balm to the aching arms of these faithful men.
Anyway, after witnessing all this, these priests watch these men carry these stones of remembrance right from the spot where they stood so long with the Ark. To carry these rocks from this place carried a significance few could deny. But what made this moment so beautiful is that God deemed this the best remembrance.
You see, in this instant society to which we have grown accustomed, we today don't take the time to do the hard work of remembering. We don't, well, I don't do the things that would be good to do to help me remember the moments where God's handiwork was undeniable in my life. And when I don't, I forget. More often than not I need to "shoulder carry" something (in a literal or symbolic way) that would bring a bit of recognition to this distracted mind.
Joshua knew how important the memorial constructed from these stones would be. "21 He said to the Israelites, "In the future when your descendants ask their fathers, 'What do these stones mean?' 22 tell them, 'Israel crossed the Jordan on dry ground.' 23For the LORD your God dried up the Jordan before you until you had crossed over. The LORD your God did to the Jordan just what he had done to the Red Sea when he dried it up before us until we had crossed over. 24 He did this so that all the peoples of the earth might know that the hand of the LORD is powerful and so that you might always fear the LORD your God."
Yet, here is the thing I saw. This moment may not have necessarily been orchestrated in this way just for people of Israel. I think it was done so for the priests. The role of these men of the cloth was to stir the mind of the people to remember God in the daily doldrums of their lives. Yet, they were NOT to remind the people that God wanted to be part of their daily routines. Actually, they were to remind their people that their lives were to fit into the story Yahweh was and is writing. In some ways I feel this moment was just as much for the priests of God as it was for the people of God. The stones were taken from where their feet stood, not from a far where the people tread.
I am not purporting that their should be a greater divide between the clergy and the congregation in this day and age. On the contrary, I feel their should be a greater understanding that according to 1 Peter 2:9 we are part of a royal priesthood. We live in an age that saints of old longed to see. We, the children of God (defined by John 1:12), are in-dwelt by the Spirit of God. There is no distance between the presence of God and us, the redeemed people of God. His Spirit lives in us thus we know the intimacy of Immanuel - God with us!
All this is to say, don't forget that we are called to stir remembrance in one another. We are priests and we stand so that all the peoples of the earth might know that the hand of the LORD is powerful and so that you might always fear the LORD your God. This is the end that is good for all, and brings glory to the Lord of all. So, in those moments you are certain you "won't ever forget", ensure that reality by not being afraid to do something to stir your remembrance. The work of remembering sometimes is nothing more than a good old fashioned shoulder carry...
Honestly, Joshua 3 has left me a bit annoyed. I have been trying for a while to verbalize the thoughts running through my head; but my words falter and my finger tips fail to move. There are so many things that should be worthwhile to ruminate over in this passage. For goodness sake, the waters of the Jordan just piled up so that Israel can pass through on dry land. Yet with all this fodder for dialogue I can't move past verse 5.
5Joshua told the people, "Consecrate yourselves, for tomorrow the LORD will do amazing things among you."
I feel as though my life of faith gets exposed so easily in the simplicity of this verse. The expectancy Joshua instills in the people drives his call for them consecrate themselves. He doesn't want any of the people of God to miss out on the move of God. And so he implores them to set themselves apart to the service of and for the knowledge of God. I am humbled. So, I can do nothing other than whisper the prayer my heart groans.
"Lord, I am sorry. I have not asked you to transform me with the expectation that you would do the amazing among this life of mine. I have been asking you to grow and change me to be more like you, but I have not come asking in a way that is befitting of who you are. Remind me that you are the lavish Father who wants do good by His kids. Remind me that you have never given me anything begrudgingly; but that you give out of the overflow of Your nature which is merciful, loving, and extravagant. Remind me of how you bent over broken through the gift of Jesus on the cross so that I might have a means to expect that You will do the unimaginable in my midst. Tutor my heart to expect You to show up as I pray with honesty... Lord consecrate me, in Jesus name, amen."
The title of this entry probably allows too much room for speculation and even some juvenille humor. No matter how fitting that might be that is not where I am going today. Actually, since I reflected a bit on Rahab already in a previous blog, I have been captured by another thought about Joshua 2.
Just take a second and look at verse 1. Then Joshua son of Nun secretly sent two spies from Shittim. "Go, look over the land," he said, "especially Jericho." So they went and entered the house of a prostitue named Rahab and stayed there. When I read this last week I couldn't help but laugh. For this time in my life I noticed a reality that escaped me before. So, I don't want to talk about Rahab, or even Joshua. I want to talk about those two cats that Joshua sent to spy out the land.
What the sin were they thinking!?!?!?! (If you are wondering, yes, I said "What the sin?" If you are wondering why, I ask.. why not?) I mean, for real? The first place you go is the local bordello? I guess I missed that opening day lesson in Counter-Intelligence 101. At least I know the screenwriters of most any Bond movie seem to have read at least one part of the Bible.
Seriously, in all the times I have read this story I have never noticed that the way the writer of Joshua notes that these spies went to the house of a prostitute and then stayed there. They didn't go anywhere else. They did not pass go, and they did not collect $200. I am not here to speculate about outlying issues that this may cause to come up in a person's mind. That is a waste of the little time we have. But through this little nuance of this story, I have come to realize a truth that gets lost in the church's black and white world.
The Lord is willing to use the least likely of settings to steal back the glory that is rightfully His ALONE!
You see, God thought it best to redeem what was a traditional bastion and stronghold of the enemy. In that moment two spies were led to find safe haven in the home of a woman who financially benefitted from adultery. The Holy One of Israel thought it best to team His covenant children with a prostitute who lived in enemy territory.
I do not purport to know why God chose this means, but it does cause me to pause and wonder if we as the church haven't discounted His work in someone's life who may not be His "usual" vessel of grace. If that doesn't make sense, let me put flesh to the statement with some examples.
An openly gay man says that He wants to start giving financially to the work of God. Do we allow him or do we say "get right everywhere else first"? A known adulterer begs a wife for a second chance because he says he has encountered Jesus. Does she take a chance or does she close him out? A bar owner says that he's willing to let a church plant use his facility on Sunday mornings since he's not. Does that plant accept the offer?
I am not sure that God wasn't speaking indirectly to these types of moments when this account in Joshua 2 was penned.
In verses 8-13 Rahab speaks of how she knew that the Lord was moving on Israel's behalf. She spoke this way because of what she heard. And an honest and appropriate fear of the Lord left her yearning for mercy. Who are we to say that God isn't doing the same in the life of those that may be a little rough around the edges. We the church, His covenant people, have too often relegated His work so that it can only be done in a sanitized manner. We like our sanitary standards so much that we forget the goal is sanctification. Do we heap to many things on a person's first move in response to the God who is calling them to Himself?
I guess all I am saying is that God led His kids to find shelter in the residence of a woman who many would call an unfit ally. Yet, when I see the story as a whole, His heart to redeem her shone through as He was leading His people forward. So, I am left simply saying that a prostitute's pad was God's perfect provision in that moment for those followers; maybe, we shouldn't overlook any and all vessels of His grace in our life of following.
Are you good with transitions? If you are, good for you. If you're not, join the club. Transitions seem to be one of the few consistent themes for every person in every stage of life. If you look at the list of top 10 stressors you will see how many of them revolve around change.
T
hat is why the way the book of Joshua opens in chapter 1 resonates with me. The opening verse begins with a significant change for Israel - the covenant people of God. Their leader and shepherd, Moses, died. And then we see God respond to this painful loss in how he addresses Joshua in verse 2.
"Moses my servant is dead. Now then, you and all these people, get ready..." Funny how God shows as much gentleness as my 3-year-old daughter does when she points to my stomach saying "daddy, your tummy is getting big."
This dialogue is odd. He doesn't waste time wallowing in the grief over the death of Moses with Joshua. And he definitely doesn't worry about coddling Joshua in anyway. The Lord just jumps right in with out delay. Here God moves Joshua forward - past the trauma of his mentor's death, past the enormity of his new position, past everything that might give him reason to pause - with just a transitional phrase, "now then."
Don't let this be misconstrued in your mind. It's not as if God hadn't spoken clearly to Joshua or that He left him with this unexpected burden. Actually, if you look at the end of the book of Deuteronomy you can see how long the Lord had been preparing Joshua for this moment. The Lord had Moses prepare Joshua. In Deuteronomy 31 we see some of what Moses imparted to him for the road ahead...
7 Then Moses summoned Joshua and said to him in the presence of all Israel, "Be strong and courageous... 8 The LORD Himself goes before you and will be with you; He will never leave you or forske you. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged. But he didn't leave Joshua with just words he even passed along a gift 3 chapters later. 34:9 Now Joshua son of Nun was filled with the spirit of wisdom because Moses had laid his hands on him. So the Israelites listened to him and did what the LORD had commanded Moses. So, this odd opening dialogue in Joshua 1 has a very specific context. God gives him his marching orders so quickly, because He has been prepping Joshua for so long.
Yet, after giving him these abrupt orders, God speaks a more personal word to Joshua that seems betray a hitch of some sort in Joshua's giddy-up. Even though Joshua gives no hint of fear, the Lord spoke to this ol' boy in a way that would help him man up to don this new mantle of responsibility!
Look how the LORD ends this opening dialogue... 5 "No one will be able to stand up against you all the days of your life. As I was with Moses, so I will be with you; I will never leave you nor forsake you. 6 "Be strong and courageous, because you will lead these people to inherit the land I swore to their forefathers to give them. 7 Be strong and very courageous. Be careful to obey all the law my servant Moses gave you; do not turn from it to the right or to the left, that you may be successful wherever you go. 8 Do not let this Book of the Law depart from your mouth; meditate on it day and night, so that you may be careful to do everything written in it. Then you will be prosperous and successful. 9 Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be terrified; do not be discouraged, for the LORD your God will be with you wherever you go."
I am not sure if God was speaking to the current state of Joshua's heart - meaning that HE saw the trepidation no one else did. Or if it was a case that HE was speaking to a future state of Joshua's heart - meaning that HE knew there would be moments of terror, loneliness, discouragement, and weakness on the road ahead. I am of the school of thought that it was not solely one over the other, but more so a mix of both. When you look at it, either way God promises Joshua the very thing he needs to move forward through this state of heart. God promises HIMSELF to Joshua!
Now then, it seems as though the context for God's "now then" moment with Joshua holds a depth that may not have been witnessed before.
You see the older I get the more I see the prodigal heart of God when I dwell in these type of accounts. These moments where God calls and moves a person through a transition always seem to follow some kind of road of preparation. And that road of preparation deepens our understanding of just how intimately acquainted He is with every part of our humanity. HE is not scared off by our fears or put off by our insufficiency. Rather He seems to see these moments as a time to prove His nearness and His sufficiency.
Now then, I am forced to recognize the truth. When a moment of change or transition encroaches on the life I know, I am supposed to see the implicit invitation. The invitation is simple. The LORD of heaven and earth is inviting me to experience His nearness and His sufficiency. The LORD of life is inviting me to choose HIM over and my self, my affections, and my wisdom. This is the truth before me and all of us when change occurs.
Hopefully, we will choose wisely as Joshua did. In verse 10 we see how Joshua obeyed the Lord. And just as God didn't waste time giving the order, Joshua didn't waste time in fulfilling the order. Yet, the funniest thing is that after following the Lord's lead Joshua found affirmation from the least likely place - the people he was called to lead. "16 Then they answered Joshua, "Whatever you have commanded us we will do, and wherever you send us we will go. 17 Just as we fully obeyed Moses, so we will obey you. Only may the LORD your God be with you as he was with Moses. 18...Only be strong and courageous!"
The point I am trying to drive home in my own soul (and hopefully you catch it too) is that even though transitions and change seem like unwelcome bedfellows in this life, they are beautifully necessary. They force me to find the end of my self, so that Jesus has room to move me, as He sees fit. Now then... what will we choose?
Just as a heads up, I am reading through the book of Joshua (in the Old Testament) currently. So, for the sake of my sanity and as a method of remembering I am going to put to paper the stuff God is stirring in me as I dwell in this book for a season. I am not certain what necessarily may come forth in print, but I pray that as I look at and reflect on this section of Scripture my life will not be as it was when I started. Hopefully, if you choose to read along and engage with this book also, you can say the same. Blessings...
