The Lord said: "Get Up!"

Joshua 7:10 The Lord said to Joshua, “Get up! Why have you fallen on your face? 11 Israel has sinned; they have transgressed my covenant that I commanded them; they have taken some of the devoted things; they have stolen and lied and put them among their own belongings. 12 Therefore the people of Israel cannot stand before their enemies. They turn their backs before their enemies, because they have become devoted for destruction. I will be with you no more, unless you destroy the devoted things from among you. 13 Get up! Consecrate the people and say, ‘Consecrate yourselves for tomorrow; for thus says the Lord, God of Israel, “There are devoted things in your midst, O Israel. You cannot stand before your enemies until you take away the devoted things from among you.”

Joshua was devastated.  After the easy victory at Jericho, the people moved on to the next city, AI. After surveying the situation, they decided only a small army was needed to invade and defeat the city. But they were sadly mistaken, as Israel was routed and many died. What happened? Not only do we have no mention of the people seeking or hearing God's instructions, some soldiers had violated God's clear commands on what to do with the spoil of the victory at Jericho. We might say there were sins of omission and commission. God chooses the emphasize the latter. He told Joshua to stop sitting there crying about it, and to do something proactive: get rid of all disobedience. It was a setback, but not the end of the story. They needed to decide if they were going to take God's instructions seriously or not. If not, no victories. How seriously will we take total obedience to God?

The Lord said... What!?!

Joshua 6:1 Now Jericho was shut up inside and outside because of the people of Israel. None went out, and none came in. 2 And the Lord said to Joshua, “See, I have given Jericho into your hand, with its king and mighty men of valor. 3 You shall march around the city, all the men of war going around the city once. Thus shall you do for six days. 4 Seven priests shall bear seven trumpets of rams' horns before the ark. On the seventh day you shall march around the city seven times, and the priests shall blow the trumpets. 5 And when they make a long blast with the ram's horn, when you hear the sound of the trumpet, then all the people shall shout with a great shout, and the wall of the city will fall down flat, and the people shall go up, everyone straight before him.”

To really appreciate the full impact of the Lord's instructions here, we need to recall all the ways the Lord has been building up to this moment: Doing a final numbering of men for battle, restating the covenant and all their responsibilities in the land, bringing them through the sea and closing the "door" behind them, reinstituting the Passover and cutting off the manna.  Next, we would expect a rush into battle, or at least a siege on the city, but instead, we find a stroll around the city.  God does something totally different, impressing upon them, and us, that we need to keep on listening in every circumstance for how God wants us to do things now. His ways are definitely not our ways. He does not follow conventional wisdom. His ways are definitely higher, wiser, and much more amazing.

The Lord Said: One Final Thing...

 

Joshua 5:2 At that time the Lord said to Joshua, “Make flint knives and circumcise the sons of Israel a second time.” 3 So Joshua made flint knives and circumcised the sons of Israel at Gibeath-haaraloth. 4 And this is the reason why Joshua circumcised them: all the males of the people who came out of Egypt, all the men of war, had died in the wilderness on the way after they had come out of Egypt.

This commandment was no afterthought.  God had done everything to prepare the people for this moment. They had all the instructions on how to worship, conduct themselves, and handle their relationships with one another and outsiders.  They are ready to enter the land, including going to battle when necessary. This act of vulnerable commitment and obedience would be the ultimate reminder of who they were and Who would give the victory.  Joined with the recovery period after this procedure was the celebration of the Passover, after which the manna ceased to fall.  This signified they were finally prepared to enter the land.

The Lord Said: "So You Don't Forget..."

 Joshua 4:1 When all the nation had finished passing over the Jordan, the Lord said to Joshua, 2 “Take twelve men from the people, from each tribe a man, 3 and command them, saying, ‘Take twelve stones from here out of the midst of the Jordan, from the very place where the priests' feet stood firmly, and bring them over with you and lay them down in the place where you lodge tonight.’”

Once again, God knows our tendency to forget, and our failure to often tell the next generation.  This crossing leads to the road up to Jericho, often referred to in scripture. It became an often-travelled road, where God's people who lived across the river would often travel in future years when Jerusalem would become the capital.  We are talking centuries of generations who could ask: "What is this and why is it here."  May we leave behind evidence to cause coming generations to do the same.

The Lord Said: "Cross Over"

Joshua 3:7 The Lord said to Joshua, “Today I will begin to exalt you in the sight of all Israel, that they may know that, as I was with Moses, so I will be with you. 8 And as for you, command the priests who bear the ark of the covenant, ‘When you come to the brink of the waters of the Jordan, you shall stand still in the Jordan.’” 9 And Joshua said to the people of Israel, “Come here and listen to the words of the Lord your God.”  

The Lord had promised Joshua He would be with him as He had with Moses. Today was the day everyone would see.  Just as God had Moses lead the people through the sea, He was having Joshua lead them through the Jordan.  After each event there really was no turning back; it was a one-way street. Such moves carry with them their fears and doubts, but when God says "Go," there is no other right option. This first step both established Joshua as leader and opened the "door" to step after step of entering the land.  First steps can be scary, but take them one at a time.

The Lord Said: "Your Turn"

Joshua 1:1 After the death of Moses the servant of the Lord, the Lord said to Joshua the son of Nun, Moses' assistant, 2 “Moses my servant is dead. Now therefore arise, go over this Jordan, you and all this people, into the land that I am giving to them, to the people of Israel. 3 Every place that the sole of your foot will tread upon I have given to you, just as I promised to Moses.

If you have ever been in a situation such as this, you know how intimidating it can be.  Moses had led the people of Israel for 40 years.  Under his leadership this massive crowd with all their possessions made a major move of many miles from slavery to the verge of plenty.  There was a lot that could go wrong. Joshua was being called upon to make many steps of faith.  It's interesting how the Lord put it: "go over this Jordan." Not go through or around, but over.  God had a way He was going to do this, but for Joshua it was almost like walking on water.  The first step can often be the most scary, but when God says go, step out and don't look back. 

The Lord Said: "Next!"

Deuteronomy 31:14 And the Lord said to Moses, “Behold, the days approach when you must die. Call Joshua and present yourselves in the tent of meeting, that I may commission him.” And Moses and Joshua went and presented themselves in the tent of meeting. 15 And the Lord appeared in the tent in a pillar of cloud. And the pillar of cloud stood over the entrance of the tent... 23 And the Lord commissioned Joshua the son of Nun and said, “Be strong and courageous, for you shall bring the people of Israel into the land that I swore to give them. I will be with you.”

The book of Deuteronomy presents us with a repetition of the history of God's people under the leadership of Moses and the instructions God had given for how they were to live upon entering the promised land. We have no mention of God saying anything new until the passage above. It was now time for the transfer of leadership from Moses to Joshua.  God's charge to Joshua was clear and concise: he was to lead the people into the land and God would be with him.  That's all he needed to hear.  He had observed God's presence with all of Israel, but especially with Moses.  He had been there to see Moses meet with God on the mountain and in the tabernacle. God was all He needed to go forward.  The same is true of each of us.