God's Story From Beginning to End: The Courage

Introduction  
Today we are continuing our God’s Story from Beginning to End series.  The purpose of this series is to gain a bird’s eye view of the Bible and how we can understand that it is a continuous story about God and his work through and among his chosen people.  Up to this point we have seen God’s work in creation, covenant, deliverance, the Law, establishing worship, and the wilderness.   It is important for us to understand that the Bible reveals God’s calling, character, curse, covenant, and conciliation in and of all things.  These revelations may seem simple and elementary, but the realities of the stories are complex as we observe a perfect God working among and amid an imperfect people to accomplish his perfect will.  Sometimes, often, these biblical stories are messy and disastrous, but we see throughout that God takes the ugliness, disorder, and misfortune and restores with beauty, order, and opportunity through Jesus Christ. 
 
We are picking up in the book of Joshua.  This book is titled after Moses’ right-hand man, military leader, and protégé Joshua, and it tells the story of the fulfillment of the Abrahamic Covenant given in Genesis 12:1 – 3.  This account begins shortly after the death of Moses.  Previously in Numbers 27 Joshua was commissioned by God and Moses to pick up where Moses left off in leading the Israelites into the Promised Land. He was a unique person whom God used tremendously in establishing the nation of Israel post wilderness.  His story is essential because had not Israel entered the Promised Land there would be no story of the judges, prophets, or kings to tell.  
 
In his life God (with the assistance of Moses) was preparing him to become the leader of the nation of Israel after the death of his mentor.  It’s no surprise that Joshua had some big shoes to fill.  We read in the life of Joshua, that God had his hand upon this man, militarily, in his management, and in his ministry.  Joshua did have some enormous shoes to fill but Joshua served an infinite God who can and does do all he had set out to accomplish through him.  He was a man of great faith, great vision, and great leadership. 
            
Background
As the tradition has been for the past few weeks, I believe it would benefit us all to look at the background of Joshua so we can have a good perspective of the man who was next in line to lead the nation of Israel in this pivotal point in their history. 
 
Joshua was distinctive in various ways but chiefly in his loyalty and obedience to both God and Moses.  He is the kind of person that every leader (or Christian for that matter) desires to have in his or her life.  He shared a relationship with Moses that none (other than God) could or ever would have, which ultimately led to him to having the special and unique kind of relationship that Moses had with God.
 
Joshua’s story is interconnected throughout the Pentateuch (first five books of the Bible), but his epic accounts are found primarily in the book of the Bible that is titled after him.  Joshua loved Moses and he was devoted to his mentor.  In taking a brief overview of his life, we see that he faithfully served as a spy in the land of Canaan, he was a mighty military leader who fought and won great battles, and he was a great leader who shepherded the nation of Israel into the Promised Land.  
 
Here are some key components of this man’s amazing life.  

1. Numbers 11:28:  Joshua was an assistant to Moses as a young boy.  We are first introduced to him in Exodus 17 when Moses sent Joshua out to defeat the Amalekites. After the battle, he built an altar to the Lord in the land where they defeated the Amalekites.  For most of his youthful days Joshua served as the military leader for Moses and was faithful in serving him.
2. Deuteronomy 31:1–8, - He was appointed as Moses’ successor by God.  He was commissioned by Moses in the presence of the priest Eleazar who would be his counselor for war.
3. Deuteronomy 34:9: When Moses died in the land of Moab; God gave him a glimpse of the Promised Land that he was not able to enter.  Thirty days prior the people of Israel wept for Moses in the plain of Moab.  There was no other prophet like Moses in all of Israel’s history, but we know that Joshua (a man full of the Spirit) was enabled and empowered by God to to accomplish all He set before him.  

 
Joshua Fit the Battle of Jericho
Today we are going to park for a quick second in Joshua 6 as we look specifically at a story that, I am sure; you are all familiar.  If you have ever gone to church, Sunday School Christian School, or Bible camp then you have heard this story.  Here, Joshua, Caleb and their army are standing before the Promised Land and God gives Joshua the “go ahead” to proceed into the city and overtake it.  I sometimes wonder what those men were thinking as they were standing before the city preparing to storm the walls of Jericho.  I can tell you one thing they were most likely NOT thinking was that they would overtake the city by simply marching around the wall, blowing horns, and shouting at the top of their lungs.  
 
God gives Joshua some very unusual and specifics as to how they are to take the city.

Joshua 1:1 - 9  

Here is the plan… 

1. March around the city once and do this for six days.
2. Seven Priests shall carry seven trumpets and carry the Ark of the Covenant with them.
3. On the seventh day march around the city seven times and the Priests shall blow their horns.
4. When the people hear the long blast of the horn the men are to shout as loud as they can.
5. When they do this the wall will come tumblin’ down.
6. Once the wall falls, they will capture the city.

 
This is an unusual military plan.  If I were in the military and I heard this as the battle plan I would think the commander had been smoking something funny.  However, Joshua, Caleb and the army had faith that God had something greater than military strategy or a well thought out battle plan.  They had something greater… They had God on their side.
 
This is a large part of the story and to the success in their battle.  Romans 8:31 says, “What shall we say to these things?  If God is for us, who can be against us?”  This passage was written thousands of years after the battle of Jericho but I am sure this mindset and reality of this yet unwritten verse was in the forefront of Joshua’s mind.  So, if it was applicable and true thousands and hundreds of years ago, it is certainly remains true for us today.   
 
We face trials, hardships, or “walls” that seem to be looming before us.  We can look at our situation and see no logical or realistic way out of or through this difficulty.  We begin to question God, or we may not trust he will pull through for us.  We often use the word BUT to discredit what God is doing.  We say, “I know God says he will never leave or forsake me, but I am not sure he is going to pull through for me on this.”  Or we may say, “I believe God is calling me to do some outrageous things for His purpose BUT I don’t think I would have enough courage or faith to do what He is asking me to do.

• I sometimes wonder if I let my BUT get in the way!  I wonder when we are in a predicament or a difficult situation is it appropriate to ask, “God, is my but too big?”  Yes, I think it is appropriate! 
  
• If God is calling me to do something then I need to know and believe He has already secured the resources, made the time, given me the faith and energy to accomplish the task.  
  
• God does not call you out to do something without equipping you to do the task.  This does not mean it will be easy or a walk in the park, because sometimes it is not, but you will be equipped, and God will be with you through good and bad.
  
• Sometimes God invites (or even commands) us to do some things that seem illogical or seem uncomfortable, foolish, and even dangerous.  This is the case for Joshua.  But if God invites, we must be willing to respond in faith.
  
• We love our comfort.  We love security.  We love assurance.  I think it is safe to say most of us don’t do illogical, failure, and dangerous.  
  
• God has designed us to be this way because when God does call us to do something illogical our reply should only be trust and obedience and respond in awe and amazement when he does “pull through” for us.
  
• God is not a conventional God.  He uses extraordinary means to accomplish unthinkable tasks.  
  
  • He uses trumpets, clashing cymbals, voices and marching to knock down the wall of Jericho.
    
  • He uses a donkey to open the eyes to the Spiritual realm that surrounded Balaam.
    
  • He uses two fish and five loaves to feed 5,000 people.
• ​God told Joshua what to do and Joshua had a choice to make.  He could have said, “I know you are God and all powerful BUT I don’t think this is a good idea.”  Or he could have said, “I know you are God and all powerful so I will trust and obey you.”
  
• Fortunately, Joshua trusted and obeyed, and victory was given to him, and a nation was born.

Joshua:  The Faith-Filled Leader
Joshua was a loyal servant, assistant, and successor to Moses.  However, he was not just loyal to Moses he was a loyal and dependent leader of God (just like his mentor).  Joshua was a leader who was a faithful servant and faith-filled man of God.  When we read accounts of his life, we notice that as a leader, Joshua had a full plate both as a Spiritual and military leader.  He had to make some tough decisions regarding sin in the camp of Israel, and when he faced some interesting challenges placed before him that required a faith that seemed extraordinary.  
 
There are four key distinctions about Joshua I would like to note about him that made him the faith-filled leader he was.

1. Joshua was a man of his word.  Leadership requires integrity and honesty if one desires to be a faith-filled leader.  In a day and age where leaders will say anything to either appease the masses, get more votes, or to get out of sticky situations it is helpful for us as Christians and leaders to be men and women of our word.  In Joshua 2, Joshua sends out two spies to check out the land of Jericho.  As they were in the city word got out that there were two Israelite spies Rahab the prostitute took it upon herself to protect and hide them men from the authorities.  As the men were about to leave her house, she asked that she and her family be spared when the Israelites attacked.  They agreed and as a sign to not harm anyone in the house Rahab would hang a scarlet chord from her window.  
   
   Joshua 6:22: Joshua tells the spies to go and get Rahab and her family out of the destruction.  He remembered the promise that was made to her and kept it.
   
   
2. Joshua was a man of faith.  Sometimes we find ourselves in a difficult position where the odds seem to be stacked against us and certainly Joshua felt this way at the wall of Jericho.  God instructs Joshua how he is to destroy this giant wall before him.  The strange thing is his arsenal did not consist of canons, TNT, battering rams and M-16’s.  Instead, his arsenal contained trumpets, the Ark of the Covenant, and people’s voices.  
   
   God instructs Joshua, the men of the army and the seven priests to walk around the city wall for six days.  The seven priests have seven trumpets that they will carry before the Ark.  On the seventh day they are to walk around the city seven times and on the seventh time the priest’s will blow the horns and the people will shout with all their might and the walls will fall.  I can honestly say my response probably would not have been the same as Joshua’s.  I would have said, “Huh?  Come again Lord?  Did I miss the part about explosives and big guns?”  Joshua’s obedience showed his faith in God and as a result the Lord did all he said he would.
3. Joshua had to make hard decisions.  There are perks to being a leader, but there are certainly downfalls.  Leaders find themselves in positions where they must make decisions for the better of the majority rather than the benefit of the minority.  In chapter 7 after the great battle of Jericho Joshua goes to war with Ai.  This battle did not go well with Joshua, losing thirty-six men and falling to their enemy.  Why?  Because of the sin of one man named Achan.
   
   Joshua 7:1 – 12, 
   
   Joshua 7:19 – 21: When Israel was plundering Jericho Achan decided he wanted to keep some plunder for himself (which was prohibited).  This one sin was to God as a sin of rebellion unto the whole nation.  Before Joshua knows what is going on he cries out to God and asks why they lost this battle.  God informs him about the sin that is present in nation.  Soon he finds out it is Achan who has stolen some of the plunder.  Upon hearing this news, he must make the tough call as to how to deal with this sin in the presence of God.  A death sentence is proclaimed on Achan and his family as punishment for his sins.  I am certain Joshua did not enjoy making this call, but he knew the severity of sin and this sin could not go unpunished.
4. Joshua prayed big faith-filled prayers.  We should not be afraid to pray big prayers as well.  God is a God who can accomplish the impossible and Joshua was not afraid to ask God for the impossible.  
   
   Joshua 10:12 – 13:   Joshua was engaged in battle.  The battle was taking longer than usual and evening was fast approaching and Joshua prayed for the sun to stay still and the Lord did as Joshua asked.  It takes a man (or woman) of faith to pray big faith-filled prayers. 

Conclusion
We serve a big God!  There is nothing that is too big or too small for him.  We have seen in this short time together that no matter what we face God has called his people to partner with him to accomplish his will.  I realize the story of Joshua is unique to him, but this does not mean that what God did in his life he won’t do in your life.   We can look at the distinctions of Joshua and apply them to our lives.  We should be men and women of our word, men and women of faith, learn how to make hard decisions, and pray BIG faith-filled prayers.  

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