Lessons in Joshua
1. Recognize God brought us here.
For 40 years, God had led the Israelites through the wilderness by a pillar of
cloud and fire. Now, right when the Jordan was at its highest and most
treacherous level, God led the Israelites to cross it. Wouldn’t it have been easier
for Israel to ford when the Jordan was a sleepy ribbon of water? Yes, but they
would have missed the miracle. God leads us with “cords of kindness” to
overwhelming circumstances precisely to show us His glory.
2. Remember God’s promises.
Before God ever perched Israel in front of the Jordan, He reminded Joshua: “I
will give you every place where you set your foot, as I promised Moses…As I
was with Moses, so I will be with you; I will never leave you nor forsake you.”
(Joshua 1:3, 5). And this is not just an Old Testament promise to Israel. This
promise is equally for us. In Hebrews 13:5, God says, "Never will I leave you;
never will I forsake you.”
3. Obey God’s Word.
Along with His promises, God reminded Joshua to obey every bit of God’s law.
“Do not turn from it to the right or to the left, that you may be successful
wherever you go.” (Joshua 1:7) When God told Joshua to be strong and
courageous, it wasn’t chest-thumping or positive thinking that made him brave.
It was knowing that only full obedience to God would bring about their
success.
4. Stay in God’s Word.
“Do not let this Book of the Law depart from your mouth; meditate on it day
and night…” (Joshua 1:8) When we’re facing overwhelming circumstances, we
must saturate ourselves with the Word. Facebook memes will never give us the
meat we need to face our situation with faith. Daily time in the Bible helps us
know Who God is and how to align our life to Him.
5. Keep our focus on God.
As the Israelites prepared to cross, they were instructed to watch for the Ark of
the covenant and follow it. “Then you will know which way to go, since you
have never been this way before.” (Joshua 3:4) The Ark encompassed the very
Presence of God. We will lose heart and lose faith every time if we focus on the
floodwaters around us. We must keep our mind on God’s truth and open our
eyes for His leading hand. Martin Luther said, "I know not the way He leads me,
but well do I know my Guide.”
6. Get our feet wet.
Joshua records that “as soon as “their feet touched the water’s edge, the
water from upstream stopped flowing.” (Joshua 3:15-16) God did not part the
Jordan as they camped on the bank. The miracle only happened once they
stepped into the water. God delivers as we step out in faith with Him.
7) Make a memorial.
God directed Joshua to take 12 stones from the dry sand of the Jordan
riverbed and set them up as a memorial, to forever remind all succeeding
generations of God’s miracle. What a faith-booster every time they faced a
new, difficult task! We too need memorials. Mine are usually recorded in my
journal or Bible and marked with a date and details of how God worked. What
a faith boost every single time I re-read those and am reminded that God who
delivered me in the past will deliver me again.
Listen, none of us wants to face the impossible. But if God leads us to it, He will
surely lead us through it. May these 7 lessons help us grow our faith when we
come to our next Jordan.
Lessons from The Book of Judges
1. Prosperity Doesn’t Mean You Know God
Joshua led the Israelites into the promised land, and the time of the judges
emerged after his death. Although the Israelites inhabited the blessing, they did
not know from where all blessings flow.
“After that whole generation had been gathered to their ancestors, another
generation grew up who knew neither the LORD nor what he had done for
Israel.” Judges 1:10
It is a frightening thing to know that churches can grow and find success not
because they are close to the heart of God, but because they have learned
through tradition and good business how to build an enterprise. The time of the
judges was full of rising and falling, disaster and success, but there is a constant
refrain of people forsaking the one true God for a false idol, which knowledge,
business, and best practices can become. The church and its leaders can
never forget where true life comes from. They must remember the prayer Jesus
prayed for his church: “Now this is eternal life: that they know you, the only true
God, and Jesus Christ, whom you have sent.” John 17:3
2. Don’t Underestimate the Power of Those Who are Different
One of the most striking and beautiful characteristics of the church is her
diversity. She reaches across the world and makes disciples of all nations. While
the global church may be made up of every race, sex, and ability, many local
churches struggle with homogeneity. Another problem is when churches
welcome others who are different, hoping that they will assimilate and adhere
to their church’s customs, which may be outside of what Jesus asks of his
people.
When building teams or choosing leadership, churches must remember that a
body is composed of many parts, and each has their particular function.
"We lose strength as the church when we demand that people think, act, and
look the same."
In Judges 3 it was Ehud’s differing characteristic that enabled him to be Israel’s
deliverer from Eglon, the king of Moab. Ehud was a left-handed strategist who
was born into a right-handed society. While this difference is slight, it was vital to
his success as a judge. Ehud was underestimated because he was different,
and we lose strength as the church when we demand that people think, act,
and look the same. We should all stand firm on the Word of God by following
his commandments as the Spirit enables, seeking unity amidst diversity. We are
at our best in glorifying God when the different parts of the church body
function as a whole.
3. Do Not Stifle the Power of the Women in Your Church
It’s a tragedy when women are denied the opportunity to use their gifts in the
church. Not only does it repress a large part of a congregation, but it is poor
shepherding. Women are used by God powerfully throughout the Scriptures,
and while the body of Christ may take different sides on the issue of women as
pastors or elders, there is no question that women can move powerfully for the
advancement of God’s kingdom. That power should not be stifled because
women are of equal personhood and value in the kingdom of God.
She was vital, she was chosen by God, and she had a part to play."
Judges holds a few striking examples of courageously bold women. Deborah
was a judge, prophetess, and a conduit of God’s military might. Her own
military leaders desired her presence at their side.
Judges 4:8-9 reveals Barak’s plea: “Barak said to her, ‘If you go with me, I will
go; but if you don’t go with me, I won’t go.’ ‘Certainly I will go with you,” said
Deborah. ‘But because of the course you are taking, the honor will not be
yours, for the LORD will deliver Sisera into the hands of a woman.’ So Deborah
went with Barak to Kedesh.”
When Sisera, the bad guy in this story, was fleeing from Barak, he sought
sanctuary from Jael, the wife of Heber the Kenite with whom he had an
alliance. Little did he know that Jael was cunning, hospitable, and his soon-tobe assassin. She welcomed him, offered refreshment and a place to rest and
then, “... Jael, Heber’s wife, picked up a tent peg and a hammer and went
quietly to him while he lay fast asleep, exhausted. She drove the peg through
his temple into the ground, and he died.” Judges 4:21. The Lord delivered Israel
through her hands. She was vital, she was chosen by God, and she had a part
to play. Churches must not overlook women’s ability to contribute in deep and
meaningful ways.
4. Leaders Rise and Fall, but God's Faithfulness Endures
The book of Judges shows that even the most heroic of leaders can fall and
lead others astray. Gideon was told by an angel that the Lord was with him,
and that he was a mighty warrior. After God gave him victory with intentionally
insufficient resources, Gideon’s legacy concludes with failure. Gideon refused
kingship and embraced the sins of his idolatrous father under the guise of
celebrating a military victory. Gideon treasured the spoils from those he
overtook, and even if it wasn’t called a “god,” it received worship and the
people lifted the testimony high.
“Gideon made the gold into an ephod, which he placed in Ophrah, his town.
All Israel prostituted themselves by worshiping it there, and it became a snare to
Gideon and his family.” Judges 8:27
"We look to Jesus as our model of faith. No man or woman ought to be lifted to
places of idolatry."
This same tragedy strikes at the heart of today’s church; leaders begin in
earnest with pure motives, desiring to shepherd souls, see redemption at work,
and serve God well. But all the while they hide their sin. They fail those who
trusted them and leave a legacy of betrayal instead of faithfulness.
There is no excuse for some of the sin we have seen God bring to light as he
purifies the church, but we have this hope: God never fails. As Ed Stetzer said,
“Lest we move from disappointment to despair, however, we must remember
this very, very important fact: We look to Jesus as our model of faith. No man or
woman ought to be lifted to places of idolatry, lest they crumble under the
weight of sin.”
5. Stand on Truth, Not What Seems Right in Your Own Eyes
It is so easy for the inner monologue to sound like truth, but we often lie to
ourselves to ease the discomfort that our own mistakes and sin have left in our
souls. We begin to accept the counsel of our fears and desires instead of
standing firm in what God says is true. We do what the people who lived in the
time of the judges did: “In those days Israel had no king; everyone did as they
saw fit.” Judges 21:25.
We cannot be willing to exchange truth for tolerance. We need to look for
what is right in the eyes of God, who reigns as the true king. When we do what
is right in our own eyes, without consideration for the truth of God, we become
our own gods in a world of millions of others acting as their own gods. And the
wars that break out among households, churches, and nations begin to rival
those of the petty squabbles among the false gods in ancient myths.
"Judges reveals the brokenness of humanity apart from the Spirit."
These are just a few of the lessons that Judges holds for the church. If you have
never read the book, today is a good day to start. Far beyond the paltry
dramas you find on Netflix or Twitter; not only will you find the full stories to the
lessons mentioned here, you will also read of Samson, the rash vow of Japheth,
a tragically slain concubine, and many more. Judges reveals the brokenness of
humanity apart from the Spirit interceding. These stories clearly show that what
the church needs most is Jesus’ rule and reign.