Joshua 1 & 2: Caught up in the Story!

Joshua: a leader in transition.
Moses is dead. It’s time for him to step up. God is calling him to do a new thing; time to lead Israel into the Promised Land. But wait… will he be a good leader? Will the people follow him as they followed Moses? The added pressure of being in the shadow of a great predecessor doesn’t help. What lies ahead? Uncertainty… Can he do it? God assures Joshua, “Be strong and courageous! I will be with you as I was with Moses!”

Reubenites, Gadites and the half tribe of Manasseh: sacrificial obedience.
They have been called to arms; to fulfill their duty to their brothers, their nation, and to God. Assist their brothers in the conquest of the land west of the Jordan! But then… they’ve already got their land! Their wives and children will be settling down East of the Jordan. What if they don’t return? Will they see their family again? Is a land destined to be allocated to other tribes worth fighting for? It’s none of their business, isn’t it? Let the other tribes fight for their own land! But the LORD demands obedience… an obedience that is sacrificial… an obedience that is not concerned about personal gain. And this means sacrificing for the sake of others even if the gain is not theirs. It IS their business!

The Unnamed Spies: doing God’s work in secret
No one knows their names. A few generations from now, no one will even remember them. No one will remember that they put themselves in grave danger by entering enemy territory. They could have been killed. No glamour. No hero status. Nevertheless, they obeyed. They did it for the LORD, for their new leader, and for their nation. Let their service to the LORD be in secret… they needed no recognition from any man...

Rahab: help from the outside
In no way did she belong to that group of foreigners who are now threatening invasion. Help her enemies destroy her beloved city? Protect their spies? Why did she even bother? Fear for her own life? Fear for her family members? Or did she recognize something different and awesome about this God of Israel… so much that she referred to Him as ‘the LORD’? What if the King found out? It didn’t matter anymore… her last, desperate attempt at salvation. Who would have thought that she would be saved? Who would have thought, that through this harlot, the royal bloodline would be established? Who could imagine that through her lineage would come one who would be known as the Savior of the world?

The King of Jericho: getting in the way
His duty is to defend his city. Is there any hope left? Can they defeat the Israelites, the most feared army known to man? He did what he thought was best… for his people. How was he to know that he would be getting in the way of God’s story for the world? He had no idea at all…

For some reason, God chooses to involve people in His story of creation and redemption of the world. These people got caught up in God’s story, whether they realized it or not! They all had their roles to play. We’re all caught up in the same story too! What are our roles in this story?

I can’t help but feel like I’m the King of Jericho… getting in the way of God’s plans at my workplace. I don’t love my colleagues enough. I don’t care for them enough… sigh… In another area of my life, I hear God demanding sacrificial obedience, just like the Eastern tribes. “Not my ministry! It’s none of my business! I’ve got other things to do!” I said. “It IS your business. I want you to help.” I can hear Him say. In another ministry, I feel like Joshua… still in transition… even after 10 months. Still uncertain… still unsure…