by erika haveman
Sometimes life is dreamy. Today as I write I’m on a train, riding along the eastern coast of Taiwan. Every so often fragmented views of the ocean peek into my line of sight, but I’m definitely not bored by consistent views of the lush green growth the tropical environment here permits. It’s rained for the past four days, but I don’t care because life is grand. I get to teach the Bible for a living, travelling the globe to spread the Gospel (for more information on my mission work, click here). The work I have to do is hard, but what job doesn’t have its challenges? All jobs also have their respite, too. Like moments on an express train between Taitung and Taipei City. The reality for all of us is that God has called us to do something, to be responsible for something (often many things). When God asks us to be responsible for something, He expects us to put in an effort and to authentically partner with Him in order to bring that responsibility to full fruition to make His name great. This is the message in the book of Joshua: God makes promises He will fulfill, but we need to partner with Him to make things happen.
The book of Joshua chronicles the Israelites journey into taking the land that had been promised them for generations. One of the most well known, used, and referenced verses in Joshua comes from chapter 1:
“Have I not commanded you? Be strong and very courageous. Do not be terrified; do not be discouraged, for the LORD your God will be with you wherever you go.” – Joshua 1:9
While I can agree that we can all take courage and boldness from this verse, we have to recognize this isn’t a simple call to boldness. God is challenging Joshua to step into all the challenges and blessings that come with partnering with God to fulfill a promise. In order for Joshua to be courageous he needs lead the Israelites in driving out all of the people presently living in the land promised to Israel. God doesn’t say, “Cross the Jordan and things will be abundant and flowing and ready for you.” Not at all! God essentially says, “I’m giving this to you, but you still need to be responsible in submitting to what I will do. You still need to arm yourselves and go to battle, and fight who I tell you to fight when I tell you to fight them.” We cannot start with Joshua 1:9 because right before that God gives the stipulations as to how Joshua can be and needs to be strong and courageous:
“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. 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.” – Joshua 1:7-8
Joshua needed to be obedient to God while being responsible to what God was asking Him to do. Do we really consider meditating on God’s words day and night? Do we let the law of God never depart from our mouth? Do I stay steadily on the path of obedience to God, even when my hormones are raging? Hmmmmm…
I know I made a jump there, but realistically what are the things that distract you from what God has you responsible for doing? If something is taking away your focus to the point of consuming your thoughts day and night, this is not okay. You are not meditating on God’s word. You are not doing your part to step into God’s strength and courage.
God’s name is to be made great through you; your name, your wants, even your hopes in earthly things (regardless of how good they genuinely are) are not the things that we are to try and make great. When it’s just you, alone, are you still living courageously to make God’s name great?
A very well known story in the book of Joshua happens when Joshua sends two men to spy out the land of Jericho. We know that these two men find their way to the house of Rahab. Rahab is commonly described as a prostitute, which could lead to questions as to why two men of Israel were in her house; however it is also possible that the original word used in this instance could be innkeeper. Regardless of Rahab’s profession, what is significant is what Rahab knows:
“I know that the LORD has given this land to you and that a great fear of you has fallen on us, so that all who live in this country are melting in fear because of you. We have heard how the LORD dried up the water of the Red Sea for you when you came out of Egypt, and what you did to Sihon and Og, the two kings of the Amorites east of the Jordan, whom you completely destroyed. When we heard of it, our hearts melted and everyone’s courage failed because of you, for the LORD your God is God in heaven above and on the earth below.” – Joshua 2: 9-11
Rahab didn’t hear about the 40 years in the desert. Rahab didn’t hear about the complaining. Rahab didn’t hear about the promises God made to the Israelites. Rahab hadn’t heard about the disobedience. Rahab had simply heard about the greatness of Yahweh. This woman with a potentially questionable lifestyle heard about God and knew she wanted to live the rest of her days for that God. This woman wanted to belong to God because of what she had heard about Him.
Do we live in such a way that exhibits a need for God? Do our lives evidently point people to God? Do we live in full obedience to God, even when it meant using the strength we have to fight a battle, all in the name of honouring God? Do we live responsibly to make God’s name known – in all we do and even when people aren’t looking?
The days when Joshua led Israel were glory days for Israel because they were days of obedience and subsequently seeing the promises of God come to pass. Do we want to live in glory days as defined by God? Or are we going to let our hormones or even healthy desires or want for pleasurable moments define our lives?
This is part of a series going through the entire Bible to offer you a bigger picture on God’s standards for sexuality. The opening post can be found here.
the rambling missionary 