Rest.

The Israelites wanted rest. They had been traveling through the desert for 40 years – and before that they were slaves in Egypt – even before then they were wondering nomads in search of a place to call their own.

They wanted rest. A place to call ‘home’. A place of peace – of security – of hope and prosperity.  They were like us – looking for a place without fear.

Many years before God had told their forefather Abraham that He would give them rest in the land of Canaan. Then famine had driven their family out of the land and into Egypt – now it was time for them to come into the heritance that God had promised them.

The book of Joshua is their story – it is a story about how they finished their journey and they entered into the land and into the peace of God.

The book of Joshua is also admittedly a strange book.  It is full of battles, wars and death… it seems so foreign and different than our daily lives.  So much so that sometimes it is easy to wonder why it is in the Bible in the first place…

This is where the concept of story comes into play. Joshua is book that advances the plot of God’s story. It is not to be read by itself but in the context of what God was and is doing in the world today.

But we are getting ahead of ourselves.

[Audio version of this sermon can be found here]

When Was It Written

The book of Joshua was most likely written during the time of Samuel – about 200 years after the events took place. It was written during a time of success and prosperity. The people of Israel were forgetting their past – they were forgetting why they were in the land in the first place.

The author if Joshua (we do not know who that was) is seeking to remind the people of their history – to remind them that they are there because of God Almighty and that they must not forget that.

It Wasn’t By Their Own Strength

You see, the Israelites did not enter the land on their own strength – they entered by the power of God. In the first chapter of the book, the Lord tells Joshua, the leader of the people after Moses, to be strong and courageous five times.  Why? Because he was scared.

He had traveled the land 40 years earlier and knew what was in store for the people. It wasn’t going to be an easy road…but he also knew that God had told them to go into the land. God was just encouraging him and the people of Israel to trust Him – to follow Him regardless of what we see with our natural eyes.

The first demonstration of this reliance on God came with the crossing of the Jordan River.

God told Joshua to send the priests down into the river carrying the Ark of the Covenant before the people. As soon as the feet of the priests touched the water it rolled back and split into two. God had split the Jordan River just like He split the Red Sea.

The people entered the land on dry ground by following God.

After they had crossed the river, they took some time off and circumcision the men as they did not do this in the desert. This was a dumb thing to do in human terms as they were sitting near the town of Jericho – who was ready to attack them – with their army groaning in pain. Yet, God kept them safe from harm….

Once their bodies had healed, the Israelites went up to the town of Jericho to attack it. This was to be their first battle in the new land. As they were getting ready for this battle, Joshua went out from the camp to look things over.  As he walked he met a man standing in the path with a drawn sword.

Not knowing who this man was, Joshua pulled his own sword and challenged the stranger: “Are you on my side or my enemies?”

He wanted to know if he was going to have a fight on this hand or if this stranger was working to help him. Remember, this was on the eve of battle – nerves on are on end – this is life or death. I surprised that Joshua took the time to ask the man as I figured he would just start fighting as the man had a drawn sword in his hand (not a peaceful gesture).

Staring Joshua down, the stranger replies, “Neither.”

What??!!!

How could this man claim to be a neutral party? He is standing next to a battle field holding a drawn sword – it looks like he has a side…

What is going on here? What is happening?

“’Neither’ he replied, ‘but as commander of the army of the Lord I have now come.” Then Joshua fell facedown to the ground in reverence and asked him, ‘What message does the Lord have for his servant?’ The commander of the Lords’ army replied, ‘Take off your sandals, for the place where you are standing is holy.’ And Joshua did so.”  –Joshua 5:14-15

God was not for or against the people of Israel!!! How radical is that?!

I thought the Israelites were God’s people – I thought they were special… I thought the Lord was on their side – why is the commander of the army of the Lord telling Joshua that he is not on the Israelites side?

To answer that I believe we have to remember our story.

• Why did God call the Israelites out of Egypt?
• Why did God call Abram?
• What was the purpose of Adam and Eve?

From beginning to end God has always been about the entire world – His mission is to bring all people unto Himself – that He may be their God and they would be His people. That the creator of Heaven and Earth would dwell among His people and love them for who they are.

This mission did not change in the desert – it did not change with the battle of Jericho and it has not changed throughout the years since then. God is still on mission. God wanted the Canaanites to follow Him.

In Amos 9:7 – a prophet of God years after Joshua – it says:

“’Are not you Israelites the same to me as the Cushites?’ declares the Lord. ‘Did I not bring Israel up from Egypt, the Philistines from Crete, and the Arameans from Kir?’” –Amos 9:7

God was active in the Canaanites lives – He sent Abraham from Ur to Canaan to walk amount them – to show them Himself. He had Isaac and Jacob walk among them – He had Melchizedek be king among them – He had Jethro, the father-in-law of Moses and a priest of God, in the land – all of them showing the Canaanites a new way of living.

The way of following Him and not their own ways – the way of the evil one.

You see, the Canaanites were not a peaceful people. They would sacrifices their children on the altars of their gods…every time they build a new house or building, they would sacrifice a child to the gods to help protect that building… I could tell you more, but is ugly…

Yet, God gave them 600 years to repent and follow Him – from the time of Abraham to the time of Joshua. 600 years…. And yet they still did not follow Him.

Let us return to Amos chapter 9 – verse 8:

“’Surely the eyes of the Sovereign Lord are on the sinful kingdom. I will destroy it from the face of the earth – yet I will not totally destroy the house of Jacob,’ declares the Lord.” –Amos 9:8

This was originally written to the Israelites during a time when they had turned their back on God. Yet, I think it helps us to understand why the commander of the Lord’s army told Joshua that He was not on either side, the Israelites or Jericho.

God is against sin. He is against death and evil – and He will destroy it. He has destroyed on the cross – and He will destroy it on that Last Day when He comes back again.
God wanted to bring peace to the land. He wanted to bring prosperity and health to the land and he was going to use the Israelites to do it.

And just like Amos said, even when He destroys the sinful nations, He will keep a remnant save for Himself. In the case of Jericho, God protected a prostitute named Rahab.
Someone of the lowest social standing – someone who we would normally dismiss – but God saw her and her family.

When the Israelites spies check out Jericho before their attack, Rahab took them into her house and protected them from the king of Jericho who was trying to kill them. She turned her back on her king, her city, her people, her gods, everything!

She placed her life into danger and gave up everything she had ever known because of one thing:

“I know that the Lord has given this land to you…for the Lord your God is God in heaven above and on the earth below.” –Rahab (Joshua 2:9a & 11b)

Some people may say that she was just trying to protect her own skin – but I don’t think so. She was living inside of Jericho – one of the biggest badest, most fortified cities in the land. And the Israelites – well they were the children of ex-slaves who have been living in the desert. Sure they had won a few battles – but nothing too big. They were just a bunch of nutcases – why worry about them?

Yet…and this is a big ‘yet’…  Rahab knew that the Lord God was King of heaven and earth – He was bigger than the gods of Jericho – bigger than the gods that Rahab grew up with.

She had a decision to make – and she choose to give up her old life and go with God Almighty.

And because of this, God protected her and her family. They became members of the Israelite community – Rahab married an Israelite named Salmon and gave birth to Boaz who married Ruth, a Moabite women, who gave birth to Obed who beget Jesse who beget David – who became King of Israel and a man after God’s heart.  Still later, God Himself would come down to earth as part of Rahab, the former prostitute, family. Jesus Christ was born of this family.

Why?

Because Rahab followed God even when it meant giving up everything.

Conclusion

What do we learn from the book of Joshua?

To me today, I’m learning two things:

1)    It is not a ‘me’ versus ‘them’ world. God is not on my side and against the Atheists, the Muslim, the liberals or the conservatives.

The question is whether or not I’m on God’s side? Am I walking with Him daily? Am I talking with Him and allowing Him to tell me what is right and wrong? Who am I following, that is the question…

2)    Rest. When we follow Jesus, He gives us rest and peace even when things around us are crazy. Hebrews chapter 4 talks about how God’s full rest was not given when Joshua led the people into the land. No, the real rest came with Jesus.

“Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy and my burden is light.” –Jesus (Matthew 11: 28-30)