In these final chapters of Joshua, we read his deathbed advice to his people. Filled with nuggets of wisdom, Joshua calls the people to remember their history and God’s faithfulness, and he encourages them to continue following God. Joshua reminds the people that there is only One True God, YHWH, and that the household idols and the gods of the people around them are not truly going to save them. Yet still Joshua asks them to make a conscious decision, to declare their devotion one way or the other: “Choose this day whom you will serve… but as for me and my house, we will serve the LORD!” What a powerful charge to the people! If anyone had been unclear about Joshua’s position, there was no doubt after this profound declaration. Of course, the people agree that they will follow God, and of course, it wouldn’t be long before they would turn away yet again.
Joshua, famous among his people as a devoted follower of the One True God, knew humanity’s tendency to have idolatrous hearts. As he closed out his life, he wanted to remind the people to focus on what – WHO – is truly the most important. If you’re anything like me, you probably scoff at the ways in which the Israelites kept turning from God in spite of all His miraculous provisions, but in reality, all of humanity worships something; the idols are just different for each of us. We have an innate desire to worship, and that should be directed toward our Creator. However, our flesh can often lead us to worship the things of this world – money, entertainment, sex, identity, work, comfort, power, nature, and self – more than we worship our God. We must be alert to the things of this world that are vying for our devotion, keeping our eyes attuned and faithful to our God above all else.
Don’t let Joshua’s words be just an empty platitude on your dining room wall, but really take it to heart. Whom will you serve? Will you follow the empty gods of this age, or will you wake up every day willing to follow the One True God?
-Rachel Cain
Reflections:
What does it mean to really serve the Lord? What idols do you need to cast aside to really seek and serve Him?
Research the ways in which Joshua is a foreshadowing of Jesus. There are many interesting parallels!
After studying the Underground Railroad, my family and I toured a local church that played a major role in helping escaped slaves reach freedom. Though the dismal, subterranean tunnel boasted no modern amenities, its hidden passage beneath the church’s sanctuary had served as a refuge for countless escapees on their way to freedom. How I wished the walls could talk! There are no written records of the tunnel’s guests from that time period, probably to protect the identities of the escaped slaves (and besides, most local records were destroyed in the 1913 flood that ravaged this region), but shards of pottery and discarded animal bones from choice cuts of meat provide evidence of the meals that were smuggled in to nourish the “fugitives.” I was speechless while envisioning the grueling journey a desperate, sweet soul must have endured to arrive this far north – more than 60 miles beyond the Ohio River – weighed down by the well-preserved foot chains that had been found in that very tunnel.
The escaped slaves were hungry for safety. “Safety” is a concept that we often take for granted in this twenty-first century, first-world country; in many countries, simply proclaiming Christianity could cost one’s life. I find it interesting that God designated several cities of safety for his people in the Promised Land. These were cities to which anyone could escape who had accidentally killed someone, in which they would safely await trial without threat of the victim’s family avenging the (potentially innocent) murderer.
Though we no longer have similar cities of refuge, this concept is a foreshadowing of sorts to Jesus: in him, we sinners find refuge from our enemy. “We run to Christ to escape the danger we are in from the curse and condemnation of the law, from the wrath of God, and from an eternity in hell. Only Christ provides refuge from these things, and it is to Him alone that we must run. Just as the cities were open to all who fled to them for safety, it is Christ who provides safety to all who come to Him for refuge from sin and its punishment.” (quote source).
“He is our refuge and strength, an ever-present help in trouble.” Psalm 46:1
“Therefore, we who have fled to him for refuge can have great confidence as we hold to the hope that lies before us. This hope is a strong and trustworthy anchor for our souls.” (Hebrews 6:18, NLT)
I am so grateful for the hope that lies before us! Aren’t you?!
-Rachel Cain
Reflection:
Look up synonyms for the word “refuge.” Which one stands out most to you in your journey of faith?
“He kept every promise he had made to the Israelites; each one came true.” (Joshua 21:45) What a powerful verse! God is always faithful. Reflect on his faithfulness in your life by writing a memoir or journal about how he has moved in your life, and share it with those close to you.
It was so close they could almost taste the milk and honey on their lips – their Promised Land! After centuries of oppression and slavery under Pharaoh followed by 40 more years wandering free in the wilderness, the Israelites finally possessed the metaphorical keys to their inheritance. Many of the tribes ventured out right away for their assigned territories, ready to explore, conquer, and settle at last, but several tribes remained behind. Why wouldn’t they ropedrop this momentous occasion and charge with abandon straight to their inheritance?
Though I cannot speak for all the Israelites since I have not walked in their sandals, this is my speculation based on what I’ve read: they desired the path of least resistance. Though they were promised that the land would be theirs, they had to go in and take it. There were still other people living on those properties; it would require a lot of effort to drive them out. Yes, God had guaranteed that this land would be theirs, but that didn’t mean their possession of it would be effortless. In the beginning of their nomadic desert life, remember how they had longed to return to the familiarity of slavery and oppression in Egypt? Now, well accustomed to desert dwelling, they didn’t want to expend the energy to settle into the cities, which would still require them (albeit with the promise of success!) to conquer it. It was more comfortable to stay in their crummy environment than to embrace the best land that God had for them.
I am reminded of Spanish conquistador Hernan Cortes who was determined to conquer the interior of Mexico, including the Aztec empire and a vast swath of land from the Caribbean to the Pacific. This fierce leader and fighter, frustrated that his men were too focused on the possibility of going home and too scared to invade this new territory, took away their temptation to retreat by doing what any extreme leader would do: he burnt the ships. Now, there was no turning back, no reason to not forge ahead and claim this land.
Perhaps the seven tribes had become so lazy or complacent in their faith that they didn’t even care that God had something infinitely better in store for them. As C.S. Lewis said, “It would seem that Our Lord finds our desires not too strong, but too weak. We are half-hearted creatures, fooling about with drink and sex and ambition when infinite joy is offered us, like an ignorant child who wants to go on making mud pies in a slum because he cannot imagine what is meant by the offer of a holiday at the sea. We are far too easily pleased.”
Ultimately, in part because the Israelites did not fully drive out the inhabitants of their Promised Land, God’s people became immersed in the culture, false gods, child sacrifice, and overall moral corruption of the people around them, which perpetuated the spiral of falling away from God and then begging Him to save them. Though written much later, Romans 12:2 would have been good advice for the Israelites (who were called to be set apart for God), and it is still wise for us as present-day believers to heed its wisdom: “Don’t become so well-adjusted to your culture that you fit into it without even thinking. Instead, fix your attention on God. You’ll be changed from the inside out. Readily recognize what he wants from you, and quickly respond to it. Unlike the culture around you, always dragging you down to its level of immaturity, God brings the best out of you, develops well-formed maturity in you.”
So, what ships are holding you back? What comfort, familiarity, or apathy is keeping you from fully following God? Sometimes I am a lot like the 7 tribes and Cortes’ crew. While I claim to desire God’s calling on my life, I often let the comforts of the present and anxieties about the future hold me back from fully embracing His plan for my life. Let us pray for God’s strength to follow wherever He may lead us.
-Rachel Cain
Reflection:
Watch this powerful music video about “burning the ships” and charging ahead into God’s will for our lives.
I’ve heard sad stories of siblings living hostilely toward one another for decades because of arguments regarding the inheritance from a late parent. I wonder if the Israelites assumed God picked favorites as he doled out their assigned territories in the Promised Land.
Remember Caleb? At eighty-five years old, Caleb finally realized his dream of inheriting Hebron four decades after he had first explored it. He and Joshua were the only two of the dozen spies who had encouraged the nation to take their Promised Land; the ten other agents involved in the espionage had invoked great fear in their people. As a result of their collective lack of faith, the Israelite nation would wander for 40 more years in the wilderness while most of that unfaithful generation died off. Caleb, now an octogenarian, was very eager to finally claim the territory that had been promised to him two scores ago. He and Joshua had kept the faith, remained true to God, and waited patiently to receive their inheritance, just like we must wait patiently for our Promised Land, the Kingdom (Romans 8:25).
Perhaps the Levites, the tribe designated to serve as priests, initially felt slighted when they learned that they would inherit no land at all; rather, God promised to be their portion and take care of their needs as they served as religious leaders for His people. Though it might seem like they had received nothing tangible, they actually received the best gift: a closeness with and dependence on God that most would never experience.
We, too, are beneficiaries of a similar priestly portion: “But you are a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, God’s special possession, that you may declare the praises of him who called you out of darkness into his wonderful light.” 1 Peter 2:9
Unfortunately, we tend to chase temporary things in this life, like fortune and fame, rather than keeping our eyes on the eternal prize. None of this truly satisfies, and we can’t take it with us when we die – you’ll never see a hearse pulling a U-Haul, after all! Jesus reminds us to “store up treasures in heaven… for where your treasure is, there your heart will be also” (Matthew 6:20-21). As followers of Jesus, we have a much greater inheritance promised to us, far better than all the riches of this world.
I leave you with the priestly blessing from Numbers 6:24-26:
The Lord bless you and keep you;
the Lord make his face shine on you and be gracious to you;
the Lord turn his face toward you and give you peace.
-Rachel Cain
Reflection:
What does it mean personally to you that God is your portion? How does that impact your soul?
Meditate on these scriptures as you thank God for being your portion!
My flesh and my heart may fail,but God is the strength of my heart and my portion forever. Psalm 73:26
Because of the Lord’s great love we are not consumed, for his compassions never fail. They are new every morning; great is your faithfulness. I say to myself, “The Lord is my portion; therefore I will wait for him.” Lamentations 3:22-24
And this is God’s plan: Both Gentiles and Jews who believe the Good News share equally in the riches inherited by God’s children. Both are part of the same body, and both enjoy the promise of blessings because they belong to Christ Jesus. Ephesians 3:6
When the inhabitants of Gibeon heard what Joshua had done to Jericho and Ai, they acted deceptively. They gathered provisions and took worn-out sacks on their donkeys and old wineskins, cracked and mended. They wore old, patched sandals on their feet and threadbare clothing on their bodies. Their entire provision of bread was dry and crumbly. They went to Joshua in the camp at Gilgal and said to him and the men of Israel, “We have come from a distant land. Please make a treaty with us… Then the men of Israel took some of their provisions, but did not seek the LORD’s decision. 15 So Joshua established peace with them and made a treaty to let them live, and the leaders of the community swore an oath to them. Joshua 9:3-6;14-15 (CSB)
“Be skeptical of everyone, including the skeptics”. I don’t know where this quote or phrase came from, but I often find myself in that mindset. Why? Because of stories like this. There are those out there who would try to deceive and use this deception to take advantage of others. I used to get calls and emails all the time at the church from people who were looking for money to help with something. There was always a story about why they were in this tough situation. The second half of that quote also resonates because sometimes people just like the status quo or throw cold water on other people’s ideas.
Maybe some of those people were deceptive, and maybe some of them were genuine. I don’t know. What I do know is that there were occasions where I would try to give something, but there were times that I did not. I did my best to discern who was authentic, but I couldn’t really know. What I could do was pray about it and see if God gave me a push in one direction or another, but if he didn’t, I’d need to make a choice. In situations of meeting needs or requests, you can’t help everyone, we have finite resources. I do think it is important not to be dismissive of every request because there are people who genuinely have needs and come to churches as a last resort.
When the Gibeonites came to Joshua and the men of Israel, they did their best to pull one over them, and it worked. The leadership did appear to be skeptical and questioned the Gibeonites, but they neglected to check with something powerful that they had at their disposal: access to Almighty God! Rather than checking on what God wanted them to do, to seek wisdom in this situation that some of them even thought might be a little fishy, they made a knee-jerk decision and swore a treaty to do no harm.
Don’t you think that it would have been wise to consult God when there were treacherous peoples all about the land? The Gibeonites got their protection, but they found themselves indentured to the Israelites because of their shenanigans. I guess that beats death? Some might disagree.
When faced with big decisions, we should come before God and seek wisdom. Especially when we are the leaders of his institutions. Whether leading the Israelites four millennia ago or leading in Christ’s Church today, when we face big decisions (skeptical about what is going on or not), we must always ask what God would have us do. We have scripture to guide us, as well as the Spirit of God that will guide us when we are earnestly seeking after him. When we see leaders fall or make ruinous decisions, we can probably rest assured knowing that they did not honestly seek God’s will and input for that decision. Unless God is intent on making a statement with you like he did with Hosea, he is not going to tell you to make decisions that would be considered dubious by wise observers.
-JJ Fletcher
Reflection Questions
Can you think of a time that not seeking God’s decision burned you? How did you respond or recover after?
Do you find yourself to have a healthy level of skepticism, or do you often find yourself being a bit too Pollyannish? Is there value in both? What are some of the drawbacks of each of these traits?
Do you think Joshua and the leaders learned something from this experience?
How do you think it best to navigate people who are too extreme on the scale of being too trusting or distrusting? What can we do to be a good emissary of Jesus in those situations?
But the Israelites broke faith in regard to the devoted things: Achan son of Carmi son of Zabdi son of Zerah, of the tribe of Judah, took some of the devoted things; and the anger of the LORD burned against the Israelites. Joshua 7:1 (NRSV)
As God promised, He led the Israelites to victory over Jericho. It is to be ransacked and destroyed, and there are to be none left alive, aside from Rahab and her family. There were specific items (gold, silver, etc.) that were taken from the rubble that were to be set aside and placed in the treasury of the house of the Lord.
After this great blessing of victory, one would assume that everyone would honor the directives of God and be obedient to him, but alas, we’ve been here before. Despite God proving himself time and time again to be a God of his word, both in blessing and in punishment, this knucklehead named Achan decides to take a heap of these goods for himself, and he buries them underneath his tent.
The stuff is hidden, there was so much of it, no one is going to know. The only one that this affects is him, and he’s going to keep it a secret. Maybe, eventually, it will just seem like this is some of the swag that was received from the Egyptians as they sent their ancestors out of Egypt. I don’t know what exactly was going through Achan’s mind, but I’m sure we’ve all been there, deceiving ourselves, justifying the stupid decisions that we have made to disobey or to take something that we have no business possessing.
As I sit here, I am reminded of an instance where one of my brothers took something that did not belong to him. This would have been sometime in the mid to late 90s and I’m a little fuzzy on some of the peripheral details. But we get home after a trip to the grocery store (Bohning’s in Ponchatoula, LA, I believe), and we discover that my brother has in his possession a whistle pop. After further investigation, it is discovered that he has many of them; in fact, he has a FULL BOX of whistle pops. At some point while we were standing in the check-out line, he grabbed the box off the candy shelf and shoved it under his shirt or down his pants. Now, I’m assuming that my mom took him back to Bohning’s to return it, as had happened when other contraband candy items had “shown up” in our house.
Now, a 5-year-old is not going to get arrested for petty theft and is probably going to get some sort of punishment for their misbehavior, but that action did not just affect him. There is embarrassment when a parent brings their child in to cop to a misdeed, apologize, and return the uneaten contraband. The stakes are low in this situation, but the principle is there: sin and error do not just affect the perpetrator.
Israel is feeling a kind of high as their God has just handed their enemies to them, and they are going to press forward into the land. They go make military advances on Ai, but they are driven back; they do not experience deliverance against their enemies; they are driven back and several dozen of their comrades fall to the enemy.
How? Why? Why would God deliver them a fortress and then allow them to fall to a less powerful fortification?
Because sin doesn’t happen in a vacuum. Sin affects everything. You don’t have to sin against someone for them to be affected; there are plenty of indirect effects of sin. We don’t have to go into a laundry list of sins, but different sins can cause us to behave and think in certain ways that harm others. Sin can lead to anger. Sin can lead to spousal abuse or neglect. Sin can lead to broken relationships. Sin can lead to more and more sins being perpetrated. Sin can break hearts. Sin can put a wedge between a person and God, and I’m not talking about the person that sinned.
Achan’s sin caused God to be furious, and he withheld his blessing and protection from Israel. Achan’s misappropriation of riches, which had nothing to do with the battle against the people at Ai, led to the loss of a battle. The sin affected all of Israel. In this case, Achan lost his life because of his sin.
So, if there is unrepentant sin in our homes, in our churches, in our relationships, and our individual hiding places, we can expect that it is going to affect others in one way or another. Sin cannot be reconciled with good. Jesus died to free you from sin, not to free you to sin. Yes, sin is crouching at our door; your enemy, the devil, is on the prowl like a lion to devour you with temptation that leads to sin (1 Peter 5:8). But when we sin, we are not to try to justify it or explain it away. I’ve cited it already this week, but here it is again:
“If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness”1 John 1:9 (NIV)
Achan confessed his sin, but the damage had been done. He waited till he had been found out and others had suffered extreme loss due to his actions.
When we fall short, it is best to confess quickly before it becomes a bigger mess in our lives and the lives of those we love (or don’t even know).
-JJ Fletcher
Reflection Questions:
Why is it so easy to overlook God’s commands?
Is it difficult to read about the punishment for sin that is described in scripture? Does it lead you to a greater appreciation for the New Covenant in Christ’s blood?
What thoughts did you have on Achan’s sin as you read through today’s reading in Joshua 5-8?
Why is it easy to be blind to the way that our sin affects others?
Then Joshua son of Nun sent two men secretly from Shittim as spies, saying, “Go, view the land, especially Jericho.” So they went, and entered the house of a prostitute whose name was Rahab, and spent the night there. Joshua 2:1 (NRSV)
Context is important. Out of context, this verse might convey something completely different from the story that follows. In the same way, when we hear an unsavory detail about an individual, it could easily prejudice our opinion of them. Everyone has messy parts of their lives, but those messy parts don’t tell the whole story.
Descriptors carry weight. Rahab the prostitute… If, in casual conversation, you hear that about someone, what do you think? The modern vernacular is “sex worker” trying to clean up a description about someone who works in a profession that is not lacking in crude descriptors. We won’t go there. You probably don’t think the best of that individual. You ask what happened that they went down that path in their life? So many questions… or maybe none. We write them off as someone who is living outside of God’s will and God’s grace.
The spies are commissioned to go and get a close-up of what Jericho is about. Boots on the ground in an espionage mission to help determine what will need to happen to eliminate a fortress city that is currently situated in the land that has been promised to God’s people.
The spies get there, they meet a prostitute, and they go lay low in her house. Probably not who they expected to find as a sympathizer. Rahab is knowledgeable about the God of Israel. She offers and provides help to these spies and ensures they remain hidden from the Canaanites, who are wary and fearful of the impending insurgence of Israelites into “their land”.
But a prostitute…
Everyone does not get to choose their lot in life. Millions of people are trafficked or remain in a human sex trafficking situation at any given time. These people do not enter this willingly, it is essentially slavery.
Rahab. A prostitute. By choice? We don’t get much clarity here, but Rahab was likely forced into this situation where she engaged in prostitution. Slavery of this kind would not have been uncommon. Perhaps she was widowed or divorced and had no other recourse? Again, we don’t know. What we do know is that this unlikely ally to the people of Israel changed the course of history. While her profession was unsavory, her heart was made of gold. She had respect for Yahweh, the God of the Israelites, and she was willing to help Israel for a guarantee of safety and liberation. Seems legit. It’s a bad situation Rahab has found herself in, but she has heard of the power of God and wants to be a part of the community that is protected by the almighty God.
The spies promise her safety if she protects them, and they uphold their end of the bargain after she keeps them safe (Josh 6:22). When Jericho is destroyed, Rahab and her household are spared.
James 2:23-26 says, “And the scripture was fulfilled that says, “Abraham believed God, and it was credited to him as righteousness,” and he was called God’s friend. You see that a person is considered righteous by what they do and not by faith alone. In the same way, was not even Rahab the prostitute considered righteous for what she did when she gave lodging to the spies and sent them off in a different direction? As the body without the spirit is dead, so faith without deeds is dead” (NIV).
Describing Rahab as a prostitute, something that she did in Jericho, does not do her justice. We are, after all, talking about King David’s great-great-great grandmother. She is not just a footnote in history; she is in the genealogy of the savior of the world (Matthew 1:5)! Rahab is, in her actions, a savior for the Israelites, especially the two spies who trusted her, and is an ancestor to Jesus, the most consequential figure in human history. The Son of Man, the Son of God, the anointed king of the coming Kingdom of God.
Don’t write people off. They may be far from God or living in situations that, for lack of a better descriptor, we would call complex. No one is beyond redemption, and we should strive to extend grace and try to bring the joy that we find in Christ into the lives of everyone we meet, whether they be a pastor, an executive, that elderly woman who sits three rows in front of you every week at church, or the prostitute you bump into at a diner at 3 AM when you are adjusting to being many time zones away from home.
-JJ Fletcher
Reflection Questions:
Why is it so easy to dismiss “unsavory” people?
Do you have “unsavory” parts to your life that you don’t want anyone to know about? What if people knew? How would they treat you? Is there a way you can use the messy parts of your story to help someone else?
What can we glean from the role of Rahab in the victory of the Israelites over Jericho? What can we glean from how the spies treated and trusted her?
Sin is sin. Why does sexual sin have a different gravitas than most other sins?
Today’s Old Testament reading of Joshua 23 and 24 provides such good closure and an excellent way to wrap up the week. A farewell address from a man who had helped lead the Israelites into the promised land, and reminiscent of some of the things Moses said at the end of his life to the same people.
As I read Joshua 23 a phrase jumped out at me that was used several times. “Be careful!” As a mother, an occasional babysitter, a friend, neighbor, wife, and occupational therapist, this phrase is……one I try to avoid. Well, unless used more like Joshua. We’ve all said it, and chances are if we’ve survived this far, we’ve all had it said to us. It pops out before we even have the chance to think sometimes. What else would you say when seeing someone……dangling from the top of the climbing rainbow at Camp Mack, driving back to college, hiking with middle-aged directionally-challenged individuals in the Upper Peninsula, climbing up the bookcase while drinking from a bottle, using a walker to get around while trying to carry a cat, or pretty much any of the very exciting choices made by my “sensory seekers” at work.
The thing is, the phrase “be careful” is super abstract and subjective, and it just has very little meaning in most cases if left hanging in the air as it often is before…..kaboom/crash/oops. Given it is often said to children with little to no abstract reasoning capabilities, or in the case of many of my friends of all ages who come to see me at work, those who may not be emotionally or cognitively able to process that abstract language at the time…..it is far more useful with something concrete attached. You won’t hear it much where I work, though I assure you we witness many choices which are the opposite of careful. Instead, you will hear things like….“keep both hands on the monkey bars”, “push up from the chair first, then place your hand on the walker”, or a fun conversation I got to have recently, “Do you think that was too rough, too light, or just right?”…… “I agree. Bikes are for riding. The balls are for throwing.”
It seems as Joshua was saying farewell, he wanted the Israelites alerted to potential concerns, but he left them with excellent concrete directions. In verse 6 they are told to be careful, but at the same time instructed to know and obey the Book of the Law of Moses, to not associate with pagan nations, and to “hold fast” to the LORD. In verse 11 they are cautioned again to “be careful”, and instructed to love the LORD, to avoid intermarrying with pagan nations, throw away pagan gods, and serve the LORD alone. One would think the Israelites must have known a bit themselves by now that they kind of struggled with these things historically, and they were certainly still in reach of potential corruption and distraction. Joshua’s farewell address to them is a beautiful balance of cautious reminders and powerful directives laying out the choice they were given. Joshua chose for himself as stated in verse 15, and the people answered with their choice that day in verse 18….again in 21….and again in 24. We have the same choice, and we are blessed to have such tremendous access to the Bible for the concrete foundation on which to establish our worldview. We also have so many resources, commentaries, and Christians surrounding us with the freedom to seek clarity for the things we don’t understand or might need help getting tightened up from abstract to concrete.
So many rights could be wronged, if we all did what the Israelites said they would do….
“And the people said to Joshua, “We will serve the Lord our God and obey him.”
(Joshua 23: 24)
-Jennifer Hall
Questions:
If you tend toward being a “nervous Nellie” sort, or perhaps are just struggling with worry and being careful today, how could you redirect some of your attention to what you should be doing and who you should be trusting and serving?
If you might benefit from a few more cautious reminders in life or perhaps have some contamination from the world to throw away today, what can you extract from Joshua to apply to your life and mind?
What can you do right now to serve and obey the LORD?
In today’s reading in Joshua we see the establishment of cities of refuge for those needing a safe place to dwell, whether Israelite or soujorner. The Israelites had been instructed to sanctify these cities, consecrating them and declaring them cities of refuge for the innocent. I am always impressed in the attention to detail and proactive instructions for so many scenarios when I read through the Old Testament law. For example, in this chapter we have very concrete directions for what to do for those who “accidentally kill someone.” It is clear God had a detailed plan, and the instructions He gives us are not flippant or derived from the latest child-rearing or leadership self-help book. They are put in place by a holy, sovereign Father who knows all and wants the best for His children.
The Matthew Henry Commentary points out the Hebrew meaning of the names of these cities of refuge we read about in Joshua 20 and some potential correlation to the place of refuge we as Christians find in Jesus.
Kedesh: holy
Shechem: shoulder (e.g. the government is upon his shoulder)
Hebron: fellowship
Bezer: fortification
Ramoth: high or exalted
Golan: joy or exultation
In the same way God planned for safe dwelling places in the time of Joshua, He planned the same for us in the gift of His son who came to preach the gospel of the coming kingdom and died and was resurrected as a sacrifice for us. Not just for those who “accidentally” did something wrong, but for us who have done wrong knowingly. Time and time again. For those like David who plotted a murder, committed adultery, and whose words we read again today in Psalm 51. David seemed to live much of his life seeking safe dwelling places, but he ultimately claimed his safety in God as his refuge. In fact, if you scan the Bible for uses of God as a refuge, you’ll definitely find yourself in Psalms! Like David, we won’t find safe dwelling places regarding what matters to God in the caves, suburbs, America, or by stockpiling weapons and descending into underground bunkers. We find our safe dwelling place in God through Christ. Hebrews 7:23-25 states this very nicely:
“Now there have been many of those priests, since death prevented them from continuing in office; but because Jesus lives forever, he has a permanent priesthood. Therefore he is able to save completely those who come to God through him, because he always lives to intercede for them.”
With current events exploding with more and more people living in such turmoil from the Middle East to every corner of the globe it seems, safe dwelling places are not things to take for granted. If we are a follower of Christ, we have been reconciled to God finding immediate safety today as well as the most beautiful hope in the coming kingdom and eternal life with Jesus. Only then will true refuge be found.
“God is our refuge and strength, an ever-present help in trouble. Therefore we will not fear, though the earth give way and the mountains fall into the heart of the sea, though its waters roar and foam and the mountains quake with their surging.” – Psalm 46:1-3
-Jennifer Hall
Questions:
Are there things in the world you seek or believe to be sources of refuge outside of God and His sources of refuge?
What encouragement can you find in today’s reading or God’s word regarding His promises to be our source of refuge?
What do you look forward to in God’s coming kingdom where we will have perfect safety and an eternal dwelling place?
It is obvious from reading the Old Testament and our reading in Joshua today that God talks about land as inheritance. A safe place for his people to dwell on the earth. Interestingly, He isn’t concerned about its financial value or acreage, interest, shiny jewel heirlooms, and all the rest that this world can throw at us as a concept of an inheritance. In Joshua, after decades of Israelites wandering and fighting, a generation dying, and all the excitement of the years since they left Egypt, we finally see them coming into their land, getting particular boundaries and instructions tribe by tribe. A promise fulfilled. But, wait. . . who had been promised the land? Who is missing in action in these chapters?
Well, one fellow comes to mind, and that is Abraham! I found myself wondering how many years had even passed since Abraham had been promised an inheritance of land figuring it had been “a while”. Umm…..a little history research clued me into the fact that it had been more than just “a while”. . . it had been more like 700 years! In Joshua 17-18, Israelites are receiving their inheritance that had been promised 700 years before. As we await Jesus’s return, and our inheritance, it is encouraging to remember. . . God DOES fulfill His promises in His time, in His sovereign design.
In the article “The Land Promise to Abraham and His Descendants” written by Anthony Buzzard and used with permission here, I loved to see how the idea of “land” was referenced as part of an entire plot of the Bible. Centuries more have passed since Joshua entered the promised land, and the Israelites certainly did not stay on the straight and narrow or even keep possession of the land, but the promise of land to Abraham was never broken because it was more than an area of particular ravines, slopes, and springs we see in these chapters. I’d recommend the full article found at https://focusonthekingdom.org/land.pdf to anyone and have included a few highlights to reflect on here:
“The entire biblical drama hangs on this remarkable tension: Abraham and his seed have never yet inherited the land/earth. In fact Stephen in the sermon which cost him his life (Acts 7, the longest chapter in that book) explicitly says that Abraham did not inherit as much as a square foot of the promised land! But “God promised it to him and his descendants”
“The fascinating fact is that Abraham has until this day not received a square foot of his inheritance. Acts 7:5 is a marvelous “John 3:16” verse! The point to be gained is that Abraham and all the faithful who are now dead, sleeping the sleep of death (Ps. 13:3), must at the future return of Jesus rise from the sleep of death (1 Cor. 15:23) to receive their promised inheritance.”
“There is coming a brand new world order on earth, to be inaugurated at the return of Jesus, and we are urged by the Gospel, the one Gospel about the Kingdom (Mark 1:14-15), to prepare with all urgency for that coming event.”
And who else will inherit the land God has promised? Thankfully that answer is woven through scripture and can include us. “Blessed are the meek, for they shall inherit the earth.” (Matthew 5:5)
-Jennifer Hall
Questions:
What do you like best about the idea that you can be an heir to the promised land?
What encouragement do you find here in Joshua 17-18 seeing God fulfill promises in His time?
How does the Biblical idea of receiving a perfect promised land after Jesus returns and the dead are resurrected contrast with some common beliefs of what happens after we die?
Seek Grow Love 