Joshua – Page 4 – Be Still…

Joshua 13:1-13 – The Territory is Expanded

I wonder how old Joshua was when God said to him, “You are growing old, and much land remains to be conquered.” Just for fun, I googled: “how old was Joshua in the Battle of Jericho?” The answer came back that he was 101 years old. Whether I trust google or not, one of the commentaries I read placed Joshua at between 90 and 100 when this conversation with God took place. He was not a young man to be sure.

If you’ve ever used the excuse, “I’m too old” when it comes to doing something fun or unusual, I don’t think we have any business doing that. Think of what Joshua accomplished in conquering the land at his age. Now, we hear there is even more land. From the sounds of it, God is going to take care of those other areas. “I myself will drive these people out of the land ahead of the Israelites.”

Joshua 12:1-24 – Let’s Recap

Read Joshua 12:1-24

We probably don’t recognize a lot of the territories mentioned in today’s reading. Of course, names like Jericho and Jerusalem are more commonly mentioned, and David served as Pastor at Bethel Lutheran. But what about the thirty or so other towns, both east and west of the Jordan, that we can’t even pronounce? Are they important?

They are important to the extent they are part of God’s victory and fulfillment of his promise. I don’t think we’ll be tested on this in heaven. However, the sheer magnitude of what we have witnessed through the pages of Scripture should amaze us. When we can get past the brutality of what had to happen and look to the underlying love and power of God, this whole recap takes on new meaning.

Joshua 11:1-23 – The Whole Kit & Caboodle

Read Joshua 11:1-23

The Promised Land is now ready and available for the Israelites at last. Sometimes it’s hard to put ourselves in the time and place we are reading about. This is one of those situations. I, for one, have never encountered warfare firsthand. I can just imagine how intense the rush of adrenaline must be.

What can we take away from these victories? To trust God’s process! Joshua knew what God had commanded Moses. Joshua was fulfilling that assignment. God was now empowering Joshua when he said, “Do not be afraid of them. By this time tomorrow I will hand all of them over to Israel as dead men. Then you must cripple their horses and burn their chariots.” Joshua understood it was his role to be God’s hands and feet, leading the army to make it happen. Joshua only needed to remember “who” was in charge. It was God.

Joshua 10:28-43 – Let Go and Let God!

Read Joshua 10:28-43

Joshua and his men appear to be machines. I know the army was massive, so coming upon a town or village in this region may not have covered a lot of area. Yet still! The first few verses we read today happened the SAME day as our story from yesterday.

I don’t know about you, but I have a hard time processing all of this slaughter. I find myself skimming a bit, as if that will change the outcome. People died. Lots of people. But it was all part of God’s plan. “Joshua conquered all these kings and their land in a single campaign, for the Lord, the God of Israel, was fighting for his people.”

Joshua 10:16-27 – Fate of Five Kings

Read Joshua 10:16-27

I’m sure when the day started for those five kings, they never imagined they’d be huddled in a cave, running for their lives. Just when you think there is safety in numbers, God shows up and defeats even royalty. Those kings were not seeking after God or his will. In fact, they were set on destroying the Israelites. It was not going to end well for them.

“After that, no one dared to speak even a word against Israel.” Not only were the kings doomed, but the majority of their armies were also eliminated. To me, all of this killing is a little ruthless. I have a hard time reading the words because I know that lives were lost that day. Am I supposed to feel victorious because that is what God orchestrated?