I’ve been studying Joshua the last few weeks as a model for setting Objectives in the church (a component in the book sequel to Seeing from the Summit). He was a man in the difficult position of following Moses as the leader of the Israelites. But instead of hiding, he boldly accepted the mantle of leadership put before him.
The words “be strong and courageous” appear many times. As I looked at the Hebrew, I found the word “strong” to have some interesting connotations. Rather than alluding to a physical strength, it has the sense of “being fastened.”
Why would this be important to Joshua?
- The first step in Joshua’s journey was to cross the Jordan River at flood stage. They boldly did that in faith and crossed on dry ground.
- The next step was to have the men circumcised as a sign of the covenant with God. They boldly did that in faith. [An aside: From a military perspective, why was this especially strange? From a strategic point of view, they should have done this before they crossed the River. Why? Because all the men were then recovering from the process. (See Genesis 34 - esp. v 25-29) They were incredibly vulnerable to attack.]
Joshua and the Israelites were now acting in faith and trust rather than fear. Joshua and the Israelites were “fastened” to God. It wasn’t that they now had some incredible physical strength. It was that they were now going forward in God’s strength. Their courage was in what God was going to do through them. This is quite a shift from the way the Israelites acted in Numbers 13 and 14!
Whether you are looking at the New Year and some resolution or simply starting a new day, consider where you are connected. Is your strength found in being fastened to God or in what you can do?
The walls of Jericho were great – but our God is greater. Go forward in Him and rejoice in what He does through you!
Yours in Christ,
Marty
