Day 91 – Joshua & His Charge

And so, with yesterday’s reading over, we have finished the first five books of the bible, otherwise known as the Pentateuch. We now begin an extensive part of the bible commonly known as the history books. They include Joshua, Judges, two books each of Samuel, the Kings and the Chronicles, as well as Ezra, Nehemiah and two small, but well-known books, Ruth and Esther. Of course, whilst being historically fascinating, these books are more focused on God and how He repeatedly engaged with His ever-failing people.

These books span around 1,000 years of Israel’s history, starting from Moses’ death in roughly 1400 BC. It includes the conquest of the land they were about to enter, a period of time under the rule of judges, followed by a turbulent time with kings. The nation will split into two (Israel in the north and Judah in the south), each governed by their own king for around 200 years and 350 years respectively, after which both were attacked with many people deported in a period known as the Exile. The books of Ezra and Nehemiah discuss a time when that exile concluded and the people returned back to the war-stripped land.

• Two days ago we thought briefly about the fact that the Israelites would have to be strong and courageous, and know that God would be with them as they entered into the land that had been prepared for them. Today we pick up that theme and dig a little further. The main think I want you to take away from this is the encouragement to be brave when living for Jesus. All three passages – the first and last especially – pick up on this theme.
• Today’s passages also major heavily on God’s promise to be with His people – forever. Think for a minute about how much you trust in this promise. When things are confusing and strange in the world, can you trust and rely on God’s promises to you?
• What instructions did God give to Joshua after Moses died?
• What do you think it would have been like to be Joshua? What reasons would you have to be afraid or courageous?
• Why was it important for the people to follow God’s commandments exactly, as discussed towards the end of Joshua 1? Is it the same for us?
• See how God’s commands to Joshua in Joshua 1 are exactly the same as those to Moses in the Deuteronomy passage. As we work through the Bible, we’ll find that we’ll return back through to older passages (usually ones we skipped before) to add context to the main passages, just like today.
• Look at Joshua 1:16-17. What’s the difference between having the right words to say and actually having a heart that keeps them? Every week we all sit and pray a prayer asking for help in difficult things we face. How much do we mean these words?
• How do you feel after reading Psalm 27? Was it encouraging to you (because you know God is always looking after you) or difficult to read (because it reminds us that we have tough challenges as Christians)?

As we’ve started another book, there’s another video. Check it out below. I know those of you who take time to watch these videos find them greatly helpful, so do take a look. If you skip the videos, you’ll be making your job of understanding the books as a whole harder for yourself.

One thing the video helps to point out is a great reminder about Jesus. Joshua, the name, means “One who saves” or just “Saviour” and can be translated directly to the Greek for “Jesus”. Think about what we’ve just read. Moses and the Law got the Israelites to the edge of the Promised Land, but neither Moses nor the Law could actually take them into that land. That had to be done by Joshua. Can you see the connection with Jesus?

For us as Christians, it’s the same. We follow God’s law because God commands us to and we want to honour Him. But never forget that following God’s law alone won’t get us to the Promised Land. We need Christ – and his saving grace – to do that.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=E1bBAATDAF4