Jericho

Jericho

Now when Joshua was near Jericho, he looked up and saw a man standing in front of him with a drawn sword in his hand. Joshua went up to him and asked, “Are you for us or for our enemies?” “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 my Lord have for his servant?” The commander of the LORD's army replied, “Take off your sandals, for the place where you are standing is holy.” And Joshua did so. (Josh. 5:13-15)

Joy Veron was all alone in her hospital room. Alone with her fears, her pain and the memory of the SUV rolling over her body. Vacation had become tragedy when her car slipped out of gear and began rolling toward a steep Colorado mountain ravine – with her three children inside. Joy and her parents were looking at a cabin that her parents were considering buying. When they saw the vehicle moving, they sprinted to stop it. Joy arrived first. Fearful she didn't have time to open the driver's side door, she placed herself in front of the SUV. Her interference slowed it down enough for her father to climb in from the passenger side and bring the car to a stop. That was October, 1999. Her children still remember the expression on her face as the car pulled her under. Joy's back was broken, and her internal injuries were severe. Joy was airlifted to a hospital in Farmington, New Mexico. Her condition was so fragile that the doctors waited twelve days before performing surgery.

She emerged from the operation with a dangerously high fever. Her medical team struggled to get the fever under control, but for seven days her fever raged. And so did her fears. She feared dying. Then she feared living as a paralytic. The physicians tried to comfort her, but there was no comfort to be found. Joy pleaded with her mom for help. Her mother, who had been maintaining a bedside vigil, stepped out to call friends for prayer. "I'll be back soon," she told Joy. Joy was all alone. But not for long.

A man opened the door and walked into the room. Joy didn’t recognize him. All her nurses, per her request, were females. If the man was a doctor, he wasn't one of hers. He had a striking appearance, tall and dressed in white. He had high cheekbones, silver-white hair that was parted in the middle and ran down his back into a ponytail, and piercing blue eyes. The visitor stepped toward her bed and lifted her chart, casually flipping through the pages, but Joy had the impression that he wasn’t reading them. After a few moments he spoke to her with a soothing voice. "Joy, you’re going to be all right. You’ll get through this." And then as quickly as he had entered, he left. Joy instantly believed him.

When her mother reentered the room, Joy immediately told her about the man. "Mom, he said I’m going to be fine!" Joy's mom ran out into the hall to find the visitor but saw no one matching his description. She then described him to the staff. They knew nothing of such a man. They searched the hospital. They couldn’t find him, and Joy knows why. She believes the visitor was heaven-sent just for her. She treasures the words he spoke. The years have brought pain, difficulty and life in a wheelchair, and Joy often turns to the memory of the pony-tailed stranger for strength. "You’ll get through this." And she has. So, who was the visitor? From where did he come? Did God send an emissary to bring her hope? Joshua would like to weigh in on that question.

He has a story that parallels Joy's – a divine encounter during a dark, difficult time. He wasn't alone in a hospital, but he was alone with a challenge. "Joshua was near Jericho." (Josh. 5:13) David had his Goliath. Elijah had his Jezebel. John had the Roman Empire. And Joshua had the people of this fortified city. It towered like a titan on the barren plains, north of the Dead Sea. Successive walls encircled the stone houses. The outer wall was seven feet wide and sixteen feet high. On top of this wall a second wall was built – this one eight feet tall. A citadel guarded the north end. A thick forest of palm trees, eight miles long and three miles wide, stood as a barrier east of the city. Steep hills protected the western wall. High walls. Protected sides. Joshua and his soldiers had never faced such a challenge. They had fought battles in the wilderness, but always on their turf and terms on an open plain. Never, ever had they fought a fortified city. They had never passed this way before. And perhaps you haven't either.

Perhaps you’re facing a challenge unlike any you have ever faced before. It looms on the horizon like an angry Jericho. Imposing. Strong. It consumes your thoughts and saps your strength. It wakes you up and keeps you awake. It is ancient, thick walled and impenetrable. It’s the biggest challenge of your life. It sits between you and your inheritance. Like Joshua, you can see it. Like Joshua, you must face it. And, like Joshua, you don't have to face your Jericho alone. “Now when Joshua was near Jericho, he looked up and saw a man standing in front of him with a drawn sword in his hand. Joshua went up to him and asked, ‘Are you for us or for our enemies?’ ‘Neither,’ he replied, ‘but as commander of the army of the LORD I have now come.’” (Josh. 5:13-14)

When it comes to heaven-to-earth communiques, God seems to follow one rule: there is no rule. In the case of Abram, three strangers came for dinner. In the story of Moses, a blazing bush left him wide eyed and barefoot. A talking donkey got the attention of Balaam. A blazing angel guarded the empty tomb of Jesus. The Bible is famous for surprise encounters. Yet no visit is more mysterious than this one: the man with the upraised sword and confident air. Who was he? Let's eliminate some options.

He wasn't an apparition. Nothing in the language leads us to conclude that the person was anything other than flesh and bone. He had muscles that held the sword, vocal cords that created a voice. He wasn't a vision, spirit, ghost or figment of Joshua's imagination. Nor was he an angel. We're tempted to think so. After all, angels have swords. Angels can take fleshly form. Angels have courage and defy enemies. But here’s the difference: angels don’t accept worship. When the apostle John attempted to worship an angel, he was rebuked: "See that you don’t do that! I am your fellow servant, and of your brethren who have the testimony of Jesus. Worship God!" (Rev. 19:10) Had this person been an angel, he would have refused Joshua's worship. But this visitor accepted and encouraged it.

Was the guest a human being? A strong, imposing figure? If he was, then he sure had Joshua hoodwinked because Joshua not only fell at the person's feet out of respect, but also removed his sandals. This guest was no mortal. He wasn't an angel or an apparition. That leaves only one option. This was God incarnate. This was Jesus Christ. What Jesus did in Bethlehem for us, he did near Jericho for Joshua. He became flesh and paid his servant a visit. The Commander spoke to his commander. Do you find that a little curious? Jesus, BC? Is it difficult to imagine Jesus as an active being before his birth on earth? If so, let me challenge you to widen your imagination.

Remember, "Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today, and forever." (Heb. 13:8) "He was chosen before the creation of the world." (1 Peter 1:20) The normal restrictions of time and place don’t apply to Jesus. We’d be wrong to limit his corporal ministry to thirty-three years in Palestine. Long before Jesus ate with Zacchaeus in Jericho, he shared a moment with Joshua near Jericho. And what a moment it was. "I am the commander of the army of the Lord," Jesus declared. The human eye saw two armies: the Canaanites and the Israelites. Actually, there was a third. The Lord's army; God's angels.

This is the heavenly host referred to in Psalm 103:20-21: "Bless the Lord, you mighty angels of his who carry out his orders, listening for each of his commands. Yes, bless the Lord, you armies of his angels who serve him constantly." Dismiss the notion of angels with chiffon wings and rosy cheeks. God's angels were strong enough to close the mouths of lions for Daniel. According to the book of Revelation, it will take only one angel to bind Satan and cast him into a bottomless pit. Think about that. Just one angel can dispense with the devil. So, imagine what thousands of angels can do. Hebrews 12:22 refers to "thousands of angels in joyful assembly." When John was given a glimpse into the heavens, he saw too many angels to even count: "The number of them was ten thousand times ten thousand, and thousands of thousands." (Rev. 5:11) When God opened the eyes of Elisha's servant, the young man saw that "the mountain was full of horses and chariots of fire all around Elisha." (2 Kings 6:17)

Angels are "ministering spirits sent forth to minister for those who will inherit salvation." (Heb. 1:14) Their presence is a Promised Land perk. All God's children can be sure of God's angels. They’re mighty in power; they’re many in number. And Jesus is the Commander of them all. The message to Joshua was unmistakable. Jericho may have its walls but, Joshua, you have more. You have God. He is with you. Isn't that the word Joshua needed? A reminder of God's mighty presence? And isn't that all any of us need? We need to know that God is near; that we’re never alone. In our darkest hour, in our deepest questions, the Lord of hosts never leaves us.

You need to know this: your Father is here. Here as the Commander. Here with his heavenly hosts. You will never face a Jericho alone. This is the promise God gave Joy in New Mexico and Joshua near Jericho, and this is the promise he gives to you. He’s with you. He’s still the Commander of the hosts. "He is in charge of it all, has the final word on everything." (Eph. 1:22) "He sustains everything by the mighty power of his command." (Heb. 1:3) All authority has been given to him. He needs only to lift a finger, and thousands upon thousands of mighty angels will respond to his call. His presence is a part of your inheritance. "O LORD, You are the portion of my inheritance and my cup." (Ps. 16:5)

He will come to you. In the form of a hospital companion or Holy Commander? Perhaps. Or he may come through the word of a scripture, or the kindness of a friend. But this much is certain: God comes to his people. "The Commander of the armies of heaven is here among us." (Ps. 46:7) You’re no exception to this promise. His love includes all people. And isn't that the point of this curious dialogue between Joshua and Jesus? "Are you for us or for our enemies?" Joshua asked. "Neither," the Commander replied. God doesn't take sides. He’s never against his children. Even the evil Canaanites, who had long ago turned to worshiping idols, were candidates for his mercy. Had Jericho turned and repented, God would have received them as he received Rahab. He’s for his children. And he is for you. "If God is for us, who can be against us?" (Rom. 8:31)

Are you facing a Jericho-level challenge? Do you face walls that are too high to breach and too thick to crack? Do you face a diagnosis, difficulty or defeat that keeps you from entering your inheritance? If so, do what Joshua did. "When Joshua was by Jericho, . . . he lifted his eyes and looked, and behold, a Man stood opposite him." (Josh. 5:13) After Joshua lifted his eyes, he saw Jesus. And as long as our eyes are only on our Jericho, we won't see Jesus. We’ve got to look up. "I will lift up my eyes to the hills. From whence comes my help? My help comes from the LORD, who made heaven and earth." (Ps. 121:1-2)

Look to Jesus to comfort you. Turn your gaze away from Jericho. You've looked at it long enough. No need to memorize its circumference, or itemize its stones. Healing happens as we look to our Commander. Lift up your eyes and bow your knees. "Joshua fell on his face to the earth and worshiped." (Josh. 5:14) Joshua was a five-star general. Forty thousand soldiers saluted as they passed. His tent was the Oval Office. Two million people looked up to him. Yet in the presence of God, he fell on his face, removed his sandals and worshiped. We’re never so strong that we do not need to worship.

Worship-less people have no power greater than themselves to call upon. The worship-less heart faces his or her Jericho all alone. Don't go to your Jericho without first going to your Commander. Let him remind you of the ever-present angels. Let him assure you of his all-encompassing power. He has given you this promise: "I will never fail you. I will never abandon you." (Heb. 13:5) Jericho may be strong. But Jesus is stronger. Let him be your strength.

Grace,

Randy

Jericho - Audio/Visual

Remember

Remember

When all the people had crossed the Jordan, the Lord said to Joshua, “Now choose twelve men, one from each tribe. Tell them, ‘Take twelve stones from the very place where the priests are standing in the middle of the Jordan. Carry them out and pile them up at the place where you will camp tonight.’” (Joshua 4:1-3)

For a book about conquests, Joshua’s pretty skimpy on military details. What weapons did Joshua's army use? How many officers did his army have? How many men made up each battalion? Did Joshua have an elite force? If so, what training did he require? The answer to these and so many other questions? We don't know. We don't know because the emphasis of Joshua is not on a physical battle but a spiritual one. The real conflict wasn't with the Canaanites or the Amorites; it was with Satan and his demons. Canaan was the choicest real estate on earth. It connected Africa with Europe. It accessed the Mediterranean Sea. It was marked by fertile fields and valleys. Most important, the land was God's gift to Israel. Nearly seven centuries earlier God had told Abram, "To your descendants I will give this land." (Gen. 12:7) God set this property apart for his people, and his people apart to be a blessing for the world. God promised Abram, "I will make you a great nation; I will bless you and make your name great; and you shall be a blessing." (v. 2)

The Hebrews were the couriers of God's covenant to a galaxy of people. Israel was the parchment on which God's redemption story would be written. The city of Jerusalem. The town of Bethlehem. The sacrifices of the temple. The prophecies of the prophets. All on this land. The Redeemer would be born here, walk here and live his life here. He would soak this dirt with his blood and shake this ground with his resurrection. The book of Joshua isn't about claiming real estate for a dislocated nation; it’s about preserving a stage for God's redemption plan. Satan's counterstrategy was clear: contaminate the Promised Land and preempt the promised Child. Destroy God's people and destroy God's work. Joshua's battle, then, was a spiritual one. And so is ours. (Eph. 6:12-16)

The idea of an actual devil strikes many people as being odd and outdated. The popular trend of our day is to blame problems on genetics, governments and environments. Yet the Bible presents a real and present foe of our faith. His name is Satan. Some call him the devil. Others call him Beelzebub, Belial, the tempter, the evil one, the accuser, the prince of demons, or the ruler of this world. Whatever name you choose, he is the enemy, and he is real. He is not the cute and harmless character of the cartoons. He’s not an imaginary, dark counterpart to the Easter Bunny. He is the invisible yet forceful fallen angel called Lucifer, who desired the high place only God could occupy. He rebelled and disobeyed and wants you and me to do the same. (1 Peter 5:8)

Anyone who’s dared to draw near to God has felt Satan's attack. Want to read his rap sheet? "Satan . . . incited David." (1 Chron. 21:1) "Satan has asked . . . to sift you [Simon] like wheat." (Luke 22:31) "The devil . . . persuaded Judas Iscariot . . . to turn against Jesus." (John 13:2) "This woman . . . Satan has kept bound for eighteen long years." (Luke 13:16) He has "blinded the minds of those who don't believe. As a result, they don't see the light of the Good News." (2 Cor. 4:4) "He rules the world, and his spirit has power over everyone who doesn't obey God." (Eph. 2:2)

Satan incites, sifts, persuades, binds, blinds and rules. He has one objective: "to steal, and to kill, and to destroy." (John 10:10) He's ticked off at you. All this talk about Promised Land living has him in a foul mood. Your wilderness days did not trouble him. But now you are stepping into your Promised Land life. Daring to walk in faith, not fear; leaning on grace, not guilt; hearing God's voice more, the devil's voice less. Consequently, Satan's got you in his sights. You are in enemy territory. Joshua was, too.

For the first time in nearly five centuries, Hebrews were camping in Canaan. This was the moment they’d been waiting for. How many times had they gazed across the Jordan at that lush land? Some of them, like Joshua and Caleb, had been waiting for forty years. When God opened the waters of the Jordan River, they didn't wait to be asked twice. "All told, about forty thousand armed soldiers crossed over before GOD to the plains of Jericho, ready for battle." (Josh. 4:13) They hurried across the Jordan and had God not stopped them, they would’ve run straight to Jericho. But God did stop them. They weren't quite ready. It's as if he wanted to give them one more word.

He brought the invasion to a halt, and by virtue of two commands he prepared the Hebrews for the Promised Land. “When all the people had crossed the Jordan, the Lord said to Joshua, ‘Now choose twelve men, one from each tribe. Tell them, “Take twelve stones from the very place where the priests are standing in the middle of the Jordan. Carry them out and pile them up at the place where you will camp tonight.”’” (Josh. 4:1-3) Joshua commanded a dozen men, one from each tribe, to return to the riverbed. From the very area where the priests had stood, the men dislodged twelve rocks. As the people watched and the waters resumed their flow, Joshua stacked the stones. When the twelfth rock was securely placed on the top spot, he turned to his people and urged, “In the future your children will ask, ‘What do these stones mean?’ Then you can tell them, ‘This is where the Israelites crossed the Jordan on dry ground.’ For the Lord your God dried up the river right before your eyes.” (vv. 21-23)

The secret of survival in enemy territory? Remember. Remember what God has done. Record his accomplishments in your memoirs. Capture this crossing in your memory. Before you look forward to Jericho, look backward to Jordan and what God accomplished there. Satan has no recourse to your testimony. Your best weapon against his attacks is a good memory. Create a trophy room in your heart. Each time you experience a victory, place a memory on the shelf. Before you face a challenge, take a quick tour of God's accomplishments. Look at all the paychecks he has provided, all the blessings he has given, all the prayers he has answered. Imitate the shepherd boy David. Before he fought Goliath, the giant, he remembered how God had helped him kill a lion and a bear. (1 Sam. 17:34-36) He faced his future by revisiting the past. Don't go to Jericho until you've remembered Jordan.

"Okay, okay," I'm imagining an impatient soldier saying. "The stones are stacked, and the moment is memorialized. Can we attack now?" Not quite. God had one more instruction for the Hebrews before sending them into battle: remember whose you are. “At that time the Lord told Joshua, “Make flint knives and circumcise this second generation of Israelites. (Josh. 5:2) Six hundred years earlier God had inaugurated the practice of male circumcision, but during the wilderness wanderings the Hebrews let this practice lapse. It's not hard to see why. With hearts hardened the people ignored the instructions. And they might have been tempted to ignore them again.

The act would leave the men convalescing for weeks. Their wives and children would be unprotected. Enemy nations were watching their every move. Shouldn't the men remain at maximum strength so they could fight? Yet God was not concerned with their numbers, skills or muscles. He wanted them to remember whose they were. Specifically, he "rolled away the reproach of Egypt." (Josh. 5:9) The "reproach of Egypt" was the humiliation of slavery that had made them subject to insult and disgrace from other nations. It was time to reclaim their birthright as God's chosen people. Circumcision, then, was also a symbolic separation from the past. The act declared a new identity. "You are no longer who you were. You are mine." No longer slaves but free. No longer in bondage but liberated. God's message to the Hebrews? Remember whose you are.

God's message to us? Remember whose you are. In a sense, all believers have been circumcised. This may be news to you. "When you came to Christ, he set you free from your evil desires, not by a bodily operation of circumcision but by a spiritual operation, the baptism of your souls." (Col. 2:11) Christ cut away the old life. He severed from you the power of sin and death. The old temptations, lusts and longings? He detached you from their power when you gave your heart to Christ. It cannot be stated too often or too clearly. You are not the person you used to be. So get acquainted with your new self. "Consider yourselves to be dead to the power of sin and alive to God." (Rom. 6:11)

When the devil draws near, stand against him. "What are you doing here? I am dead to you!" Give him no quarter. Don't take his lies. Don't stand for his accusations. Don't cower at his attacks. When he dredges up your past mistakes, tell him whose you are. He has no recourse to this truth. He knows who you are. He just hopes that you don't, or that you’ll forget. So prove to him that you know and remember. Tell him: "I’ve been bought with a price. I belong to God." (1 Cor. 6:20) "I have not been given a spirit of fear but of power, love, and a sound mind." (2 Tim. 1:7) "I cannot be separated from the love of God." (Rom. 8:35) "I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me." (Phil. 4:13)

Promised Land people think like this. They walk with a reverent swagger. They live out of their inheritance. They show the devil the new name on their spiritual passport. They are spiritually circumcised. I know that term sounds terribly awkward and indelicate. But it’s a biblical concept. You are a new creation. "God's Spirit, who is in you, is greater than the devil, who is in the world." (1 John 4:4) The secret of survival in enemy territory? Remember. Remember what God has done. Remember whose you are. The Hebrews did what God commanded – and God protected them.

Don't face Satan by facing Satan. Face Satan by facing God. Don't obsess yourself with the devil. Don't give Satan the time of day. Glance at the devil and gaze at Christ. Yes, it’s a war out there. But the war’s already won. "God stripped the spiritual rulers and powers of their authority. With the cross, he won the victory and showed the world that they were powerless." (Col. 2:15) Remember what God has done. Face the future by remembering the past. Remember whose you are. You are not who you used to be. You are God's child. Then, and only then, will you be ready to face your Jericho.

Happy Thanksgiving,

Randy

Remember - Audio/Visual

Unpack

Unpack - Audio/Visual

Unpack

So Joshua told the Israelites, “Come and listen to what the Lord your God says. Today you will know that the living God is among you. He will surely drive out the Canaanites, Hittites, Hivites, Perizzites, Girgashites, Amorites, and Jebusites ahead of you. Look, the Ark of the Covenant, which belongs to the Lord of the whole earth, will lead you across the Jordan River! (Joshua 3:9-11)

Jimmy Wayne never knew his dad, and his mom spent more time in prison than out. When he was twelve years old, Jimmy’s mom was released from jail and took up with a troublemaker. They loaded Jimmy into the backseat of the Olds Delta 88, and for a year the car was Jimmy’s home. They drove from city to city to avoid the police. And after hundreds miles and months of drifting they dumped Jimmy in the parking lot of a Pensacola, Florida, bus station and drove off. He was thirteen years old. He had no home. No food. No future. No nothing.

One day while wandering through a neighborhood, he spotted an older man who was at work in a wood shop in his garage. He approached the elderly gentleman and asked if the man had any work he could do. The carpenter sized the boy up, assessed he was homeless, and decided to give Jimmy a chance. The man introduced himself as Russell, and he called for his wife, Bea, to come out to the garage. They showed Jimmy the lawn mower and how to operate it, and for several weeks Jimmy cut the couple's grass and survived on the twenty dollars they paid him each week. After a time, Bea asked Jimmy where he lived. At first he lied, afraid she wouldn't let a homeless boy continue working around the house. But finally she convinced him to tell her the truth. And when he did, the couple took him in. They gave him his own bedroom, bathroom and place at the dinner table.

The home was like heaven to Jimmy. He took a hot bath and ate hot meals. He even sat with the family in the living room and watched television in the evening. Still, in spite of their kindness, Jimmy refused to unpack his bag. He'd been turned away so many times that he'd learned to be wary. So, for four days his plastic bag sat on the floor, full of clothes, ready to be snatched up when Bea and Russell had changed their minds. He was in the house but not in the house. He was under the roof but not under the promise. He was with the family but wasn’t really family. Russell eventually convinced Jimmy to unpack and move in. It took several days, a dozen or so meals, and more than one heart-to-heart conversation, but Russell eventually persuaded Jimmy to trust them for his care.

Our Father is still working to convince us, too. Maybe you question your place in God's family. You fear his impending rejection. You wrestle with doubt-laced questions like, “Am I really in God's family? What if God changes his mind? Reverses his acceptance? Lord knows, he has every reason to.” We press forward only to fall back. We renew our resolve only to stumble again. We wonder, “Will God turn me out?” Boyfriends do. Employers do. Coaches kick players off the team. Teachers expel students from school. Parents give birth to children and abandon them at bus stations. How do we know God won't do the same? What if he changes his mind about us? After all, he’s holy and pure, and we’re anything but holy, much less pure. Is it safe to unpack our bags?

God answered this question at the cross. When Jesus died, the heavenly vote was forever cast in your favor and mine. He declared for all to hear, "This child is my child. My covenant will never change." Promised Land people believe that. They trust God's hold on them more than their hold on God. They place their trust in the finished work of Christ. They deeply believe that they are "delivered . . . from the power of darkness and conveyed . . . into the kingdom of the Son." (Col. 1:13) They know that Jesus was serious when he said, "[My children] shall never perish; no one will snatch them out of my hand." (John 10:28) They point to Calvary as prima facie evidence of God's commitment to them. The followers of Joshua did something similar.

They didn’t look to a hill, but to a river. Not to Calvary, but to the Jordan. The miraculous crossing convinced them that God was in their presence. As their leader had promised, "By this [crossing] you shall know that the living God is among you." (Josh. 3:10) During most months of the year, the Jordan is maybe thirty or forty yards wide, perhaps six feet deep. But Joshua received his orders during the harvest season. (v. 15) During that time of the year, the Jordan swells to almost a mile in width, turbulent with the melted snow water pouring down from Mount Hermon. Crossing the swollen current was no small task – especially with millions of people. "Go over this Jordan, you and all this people," God said. (Josh. 1:2) God wanted every man, woman, child and infant across the river. Not just the hearty and healthy, but the old and feeble. The sick and disabled. No one would be left behind.

Joshua might have swallowed pretty hard at God’s command. Two million people crossing a mile-wide river? But he set the process in motion. "Joshua rose early in the morning; and they set out from Acacia Grove and came to the Jordan, he and all the children of Israel, and lodged there before they crossed over." (Josh. 3:1) The people pitched their tents on the eastern edge of the river. For three days they waited, watching the copper-colored waters and yeasty waves carry debris and trunks of trees. For three nights they slept, or tried to sleep, listening to the endless rush of water in the dark. Three days. Plenty of time to ask millions of questions. How will we get across? Will we use a boat? Will someone build a bridge? Will everyone really go? What about the frail? What about the children? Most of all how can a nation of people cross a flooded, bridgeless, boat-less river? On the third day the answer came.

Officers went through the camp and they commanded the people, saying, "When you see the ark of the covenant of the LORD your God, and the priests, the Levites, bearing it, then you shall set out from your place and go after it." (Josh. 3:2-3) The ark of the covenant was a rectangular box, commissioned by God, which contained a trio of Hebrew artifacts: unspoiled manna, Aaron's walking stick that budded, and the precious stone tablets that had felt the engraving finger of God. A heavy golden plate, called the mercy seat, served as a lid to the chest. Two gold cherubim with outstretched wings faced each other and looked down on the golden lid. The dwelling place of God was between the angels. And when God said, "Follow the ark," he was saying, "Follow me." You see, God led the way. Not soldiers. Not Joshua. Not engineers and their plans, or Special Forces and their equipment. When it came time to pass through the impassable waters, God's plan was simple: trust me. And the people did.

At the close of those three days, there was a stirring in the Hebrew camp. A chosen band of priests, robed in white, walked toward the river. They carried the ark with acacia poles that ran through corner rings on the ark and rested on their shoulders. People stepped out of their tents and watched in hushed silence as the priests inched their way down the terraced bank toward the Jordan. The only sound was the rush of the water. It showed no sign of stopping. When they were thirty feet from the riverbank, the Jordan was still a rushing torrent. Twenty feet. Ten feet. Five feet. Still fast and furious. Even when the priests were a single step from the water, the flow didn’t slow. Surely the men must have paused. Should they even continue? The white-capped flood would knock them over and take the ark with it. Then they remembered what Joshua had said: "When you have come to the edge of the water of the Jordan, you shall stand in the Jordan." (v. 8) And scripture doesn’t bother concealing their fear: "As those who bore the ark came to the Jordan, and the feet of the priests who bore the ark dipped in the edge of the water . . . ." (v. 15)

The priests "dipped" their feet into the edge of the water. They did not run, plunge or dive into the river. They placed, ever so carefully, the tips of their big toes in the river. It was the smallest of steps, but with God the smallest step of faith can activate the mightiest of miracles. And as they touched the water, the flow stopped as if someone had shut off the water main. "The waters which came down from upstream stood still, and rose in a heap very far away at Adam, the city that is beside Zaretan." (v. 16) Zaretan was thirty miles upriver. Thirty miles. In my imagination I had always envisioned a wall of water forming to the side of the ark and the priests. Not so.

God began his work upriver. He wanted a wide path through which two million people could cross en masse. And cross they did. "All Israel crossed over on dry ground, until all the people had crossed completely over the Jordan." (Josh. 3:17) "All Israel crossed over on dry ground." Men. Women. Old. Young. Feeble. Forceful. Believers and doubters. The faithful and the murmurers. "All Israel crossed over on dry ground." Might as well have been concrete. No wagon wheels got stuck. No feet got damp. As the people stood on the western shore, they had no mud on their sandals, no water on their robes, and, most of all, no fear in their hearts. God did for them what they couldn’t do themselves. Imagine the Israelites as they stood on the western banks of the Jordan. Don’t you think they were brimming with confidence? Weren’t they standing there in awe of God? If God could turn a raging river into a red carpet, then "Watch out, Jericho. Here we come!" As Joshua had told them, "By this [crossing] you shall know that the living God is among you." (3:10) The Hebrews knew they couldn't lose. The bicycle race was downhill with the wind at their backs. They had every right to celebrate. And so do we.

For Joshua's people, assurance came as they stood on dry land looking back at the Jordan. For us, assurance comes as we stand on the finished work of Christ and look back at the cross. The river we couldn’t cross? Jesus crossed it. The tide we couldn’t face? He faced it. For us. All of us. The young, the old. The courageous, the timid. Our deliverance is complete. Like the Hebrews, we have been dramatically delivered. But are we deeply convinced? Remember, the Hebrews could have entered Canaan four decades earlier. The prior generation had experienced a miracle every bit as grand – they had crossed the Red Sea. (Ex. 14:21-22) So both crossings involved large bodies of water and passage over dry ground. The difference between the first crossing and the second? Joshua's generation paid attention. The Jordan River crossing convinced them that God was with them.

So, let the cross convince you. Be settled about God's faithfulness. In one of the psalms the writer describes a person of faith with these words: "He is settled in his mind that Jehovah will take care of him." (Ps. 112:7) Life has many unanswered questions, but God's ability to save you needn't be one of them. Let that issue be settled once and for all because look at you, there’s no sin on your record, no guilt attached to your name. So, let there be no doubt in your heart. If God "did not spare his own Son but gave him for us all" (Rom. 8:32), will he not also give you all you need for a Promised Land life? Join the chorus of the confident and declare, "I am convinced that nothing can ever separate us from God's love . . . [I]ndeed, nothing in all creation will ever be able to separate us from the love of God that is revealed in Christ Jesus our Lord." (vv. 38-39)

Rest in your redemption. The past is past. The future is bright. God's Word is sure. His work is finished. You are a co-heir with Jesus, a full-fledged member of God’s Promised Land development program. The Jordan is behind you. Canaan is before you. A new season awaits you. Jimmy Wayne found a new season. He took his place in the family. He went on to get an education. He found a career as a country music singer and songwriter. His best days began when he unpacked his bags. Yours will too.

Grace,

Randy

Riffraff

Riffraff

Then Joshua secretly sent out two spies from the Israelite camp at Acacia Grove. He instructed them, “Scout out the land on the other side of the Jordan River, especially around Jericho.” So the two men set out and came to the house of a prostitute named Rahab and stayed there that night. (Joshua 2:1)

There are some kids in Cateura, on the outskirts of Asuncion, Paraguay, who’re making music with their trash. They're turning washtubs into timpani, and drainpipes into trumpets. Other orchestras fine-tune their polished maple cellos, or burnished brass tubas. Not this band. They play Beethoven sonatas with plastic buckets. On their side of Asuncion, trash is the only harvestable crop. Garbage pickers sort and sell refuse for pennies a pound. Many of them have met the same fate as the trash they pick – they’ve been tossed out and discarded. But now, thanks to two men, they’re making music. 

Favio Chavez is an environmental technician who envisioned a music school as a welcome reprieve for the kids. Don Cola Gomez is a trash worker and carpenter. He had never seen, heard or even held a violin in his life. Yet when someone described the instrument, this untutored craftsman took a paint can and an oven tray into his tiny workshop and made a violin. Thanks to this Stradivarius, the junk pile gets a mulligan, and so do the kids who live among it. 

You see, God makes music out of riffraff, and heaven's orchestra is composed of some of the most unlikely musicians. Peter, first-chair trumpet, cursed the name of the Christ who saved him. Paul plays the violin, but there was a day when he played the religious thug. And the guy on the harp? That's David. King David. Womanizing David. Conniving David. Repentant David. Oh, and pay particular attention to the woman on the French horn. Her name is Rahab. Her story occupies the second chapter of Joshua. 

The time had come for the Hebrew people to enter the Promised Land. Jericho, a formidable town that sat just north of the Dead Sea, was their first challenge. Canaanites indwelled the city. To call the people barbaric would be like calling the North Pole a little chilly. These people turned temple worship into orgies. They burned babies alive. The people of Jericho had no regard for human life, or respect for God. It was into this city that the two spies of Joshua crept. And it was in this city that the spies met Rahab, the prostitute. 

A lot could be said about Rahab without having to mention her profession. She was a Canaanite. She provided cover for the spies of Joshua. She came to believe in the God of Abraham long before she ever met the children of Abraham. She was spared from the utter destruction of her city. She was grafted into the Hebrew culture. She married a contemporary of Joshua. She bore a son named Boaz, had a great-grandson named Jesse, a great-great-grandson named David, and a descendant named Jesus. Yes, Rahab's name appears on the family tree of the Son of God. Her resume didn’t have to mention her profession. Yet in five of the eight appearances of her name in Scripture, she’s presented as a "harlot." Five. Wouldn't one be enough? And couldn't that one be a little euphemized like, "Rahab, the best hostess in Jericho," or "Rahab, the pretty working girl,” or “Rahab, the escort to the stars”? 

It's bad enough that the name Rahab sounds like "rehab." So, disguise her career choice. Veil it. Mask it. Put a little concealer on this biblical blemish. Just drop the reference to the brothel, why don’t you. But the Bible doesn't do that. Just the opposite; it points a hot, red light on it. 

It's even attached to her name in the book of Hebrews’ Hall of Fame. The list includes Abel, Noah, Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, Joseph, Moses . . . and then, all of a sudden, "the harlot Rahab." (11:31) No asterisk, no footnote, no apology. Her history of harlotry is part of her testimony. Her story begins like this: "And it was told the king of Jericho, saying, 'Behold, men have come here tonight from the children of Israel to search out the country.' So the king of Jericho sent orders to Rahab…." (Josh. 2:2-3) 

The king could see the multitude of Hebrews camped on Jordan's eastern banks. As Rahab would later disclose, the people of Jericho were terrified. Word on the street was that God had his hand on the newcomers and woe to anyone who got in their way. When the king heard that the spies were hiding at Rahab's house, he sent soldiers to fetch them. So, I'm seeing half a dozen men or more squeeze down the narrow cobble-stoned path in the red-light district. It's late at night. The torch-lit taverns are open and the patrons are a few sheets to the wind. They yell obscenities at the king's men, but the soldiers don't react. The guards keep walking until they stand at the wooden door of a stone building that abuts the famous Jericho walls. The lantern is unlit, leaving the soldiers to wonder if anyone is even home. 

The captain pounds on the door. Soon, there’s shuffling inside. Rahab answers. Her makeup is layered and her eyes are shadowed. Her low-cut robe reveals the fringe of a lacy secret that even Victoria’s can’t keep. Her voice is husky from one cigarette too many. She positions one hand on her hip and holds a dirty martini with the other. "Sorry, boys, we're booked for the night." "We aren't here for that," the captain snaps. "We're here for the Hebrews." "Hebrews?" She cocks her head. "I thought you were here for a good time" as she winks an eyelid, heavy with mascara, at a young soldier. He blushes, but the captain stays focused. "We came for the spies. Where are they?" She steps out onto the porch, looks to the right and then to the left, and then lowers her voice to a whisper. "You just missed them. They snuck out before the gates were shut. If you get a move on, you can catch them." At that, the king's men turn and run. 

As they disappear around the corner, Rahab hurries up the brothel stairs to the roof where the two spies have been hiding. She tells them the coast is clear. "The whole city is talking about you and your armies. Everyone is freaking out. The king can't sleep, and the people can't eat. They're popping Xanax like Tic-Tacs. The last ounce of courage left on the morning train." Her words must have stunned the spies. They never expected to find cowards in Jericho. And, what’s more, they never expected to find faith in a brothel. But they did. Read what Jericho's shady lady said to them: “I know that the LORD has given you the land . . . [W]e have heard how the LORD dried up the water of the Red Sea . . . and what you did to the two kings . . . who were on the other side of the Jordan . . . [T]he LORD your God, He is God in heaven above and on earth beneath.” (vv. 9-11) 

Well, what do you know? Rahab found God. Or, maybe better stated, God found Rahab. He spotted a tender heart in this hard city and reached out to save her. He would have saved the entire city, but no one else made the request. Then again, Rahab had an advantage over most of the other residents. She had nothing to lose. She was at the bottom of the rung. She'd already lost her reputation, her social standing and her chance for advancement. Ever been there? Maybe you’re there still. You may not be selling your body, but you've sold your allegiance, affection, attention or talents. You've sold out. We all have. 

Lest we think God's Promised Land is promised to a chosen few, he positions Rahab’s in the front of the book of Joshua. In fact, the narrator gives her an entire chapter. She gets more inches of type than do the priests, the spies, or even Joshua's right-hand man, combined. 

If quantity and chronology mean anything in theology, then Rahab's headline position announces this fact: God has a place for the Rahab’s of the world. As evidence, consider Rahab's New Testament counterpart, the Samaritan woman. 

By the time Jesus met her, she was on a first-century version of a downward spiral. Five ex-husbands and half a dozen kids, each looking like a different daddy. Decades of loose living had left her tattooed and tabooed and living with a boyfriend who thought a wedding was a waste of time. Gossipers wagged their tongues about her. How else do you explain her midday appearance at the water well? Other women filled their buckets at sunrise, but this woman opted for lunchtime, apparently preferring the heat of the noonday sun over the heat of their scorn. Were it not for the appearance of a Stranger, her story would have been lost in the Samaritan sands of time. But he entered her life with a promise of endless water and a quenched thirst. 

He wasn't put off by her past. Just the opposite. He offered to make music out of her garbage. She accepted his offer. We know that because of what happened next. “Many Samaritans from the village believed in Jesus because the woman had said, ’He told me everything I ever did!’ When they came out to see him, they begged him to stay in their village. So he stayed for two days, long enough for many more to hear his message and believe. Then they said to the woman, ‘Now we believe, not just because of what you told us, but because we have heard him ourselves. Now we know that he is indeed the Savior of the world.’" (John 4:39-42) The woman on the margin became the woman with the message. No one else gave her a chance. Jesus gave her the chance of a lifetime. He came for people like her. Like you. Like me.

And that’s the work of God. And what a work he did in the life of Rahab. The Hebrew spies, as it turns out, were actually missionaries. They thought they were on a reconnaissance trip. They weren't. God didn’t need a scouting report. His plan was to collapse the city walls like a stack of pancakes. He didn't send the men to collect data; he sent the spies to reach Rahab. They told her to "bind this line of scarlet cord in the window" so that they could identify her house when the Hebrews attacked. (Josh. 2:18) Without hesitation she bound the scarlet cord in the window. The spies escaped and Rahab prepared. She told her family to get ready. She kept an eye out for the coming army. She checked the cord to make sure it was tied securely and dangling from the window – probably a thousand times or more. And when the Hebrews came and the walls fell, when everyone else perished, Rahab and her family were saved. "By faith the harlot Rahab did not perish." (Heb. 11:31) Her profession of faith mattered more than her profession as a harlot. 

Maybe your past is as checkered as Rahab’s. Maybe your peers don't share your faith. Maybe your pedigree is one of violence, your ancestry one of rebellion. If so, then Rahab’s your model. We don't drop scarlet cords from our windows, but we trust the crimson thread of Christ's blood. We don't prepare for the coming of the Hebrews, but we do live with an eye toward the second coming of our Joshua – Jesus Christ. Ultimately we will all see what the people of Asuncion are discovering today. Our mess will become music, and God will have a heaven full of rescued Rahab’s in his symphony. And whatever instrument we’re playing, we’ll all know "Amazing Grace" by heart.

Grace,

Randy

Riffraff - Audio/Visual

Study

Study - Audio/Visual

Study

Be strong and very courageous. Be careful to obey all the instructions Moses gave you. Do not deviate from them, turning either to the right or to the left. Then you will be successful in everything you do. Study this Book of Instruction continually. Meditate on it day and night so you will be sure to obey everything written in it. Only then will you prosper and succeed in all you do. (Joshua 1:7-8)

Canaan was full of new, strange, alluring voices. Hence, the pre-Promised Land words of caution. God was calling Joshua to lead two million ex-slaves into Canaan to inherit their inheritance. He was equipping the general for the mission of a lifetime. And what command did God give Joshua? Read the Word of God. Like you and me, Joshua had a Bible. His Bible had five books – Genesis, Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers, and at least portions of Deuteronomy – which were carried alongside the Ark of the Covenant. But it wasn't enough for Joshua to possess the Scriptures; God wanted the Scriptures to possess Joshua. "This Book of the Law shall not depart from your mouth." (v. 8)

Though he was the unquestioned five-star General of the Army, Joshua was subject to God's law. God did not tell him to create law or invent statutes, but to be regulated by what was "written." God didn't command Joshua to seek a spiritual experience, pursue a personal revelation, or long for goose bumps-giving emotions. And God's word to him is his word to us: open the Bible. The Bible is the most important tool in our spiritual growth. The key to spiritual growth is not increased church attendance or involvement in spiritual activities. People don't grow in Christ because they’re busy at church. They grow in Christ when they read and trust their Bibles. So engage with the Bible. Meditate on it day and night. Think and re-think about God's Word. Let it be your guide. Make it your go-to book for questions. Let it be the ultimate authority in your life. Don't chart your course according to the opinions of people, or the suggestions of culture. If you do, you’ll make the mistake that the farmer's son made.

The father sent the boy to prepare a field, reminding him to till straight lines. "Select an object on the far side of the field, and plow straight at it." Later, when the father checked on the boy's progress, there wasn't a straight furrow to be seen. Every row was uneven and wavy. "I thought I told you to select an object and plow toward it," the dad said. "I did," the boy answered, "but the rabbit kept hopping." A straight line, like a good life, requires an unmoving target. Set your sights on the unchanging principles of God. Let God's Word be the authoritative word in your world. This decision, of course, rubs against the skin of our culture.

We prefer the authority of the voting booth, the pollster, or whatever feels good. That kind of resistance is not novel. When Paul wrote a letter to Timothy, the apostle was helping the young pastor deal with the rage of selfishness in his culture. Paul listed nineteen characteristics of the people (2 Tim. 3:1-5), each of which was a fruit of rebellion. The way to deal with such self-absorption? Return to the Bible. “But you should continue following the teachings you learned. You know they are true, because you trust those who taught you. Since you were a child you have known the Holy Scriptures which are able to make you wise. And that wisdom leads to salvation through faith in Christ Jesus. All Scripture is inspired by God and is useful for teaching, for showing people what is wrong in their lives, for correcting faults, and for teaching how to live right.” (2 Tim. 3:14-16)

But, we wonder, is the Bible really inspired? Can we believe Paul's assessment that "all Scripture is inspired by God"? I think so. First, it’s remarkable in composition. Composed over sixteen centuries by forty authors. Written by soldiers, shepherds, farmers and fisherman. Begun by Moses in Arabia, and finished by John on Patmos. Penned by kings in palaces, shepherds in tents, and prisoners in prisons. Would it be possible for forty writers, largely unknown to each other, writing in three different languages and several different countries, separated in time by as much as sixteen hundred years, to produce a book of singular theme unless behind them was one mind and one designer? Probably not.

But the Bible is remarkable in its durability. It is the single-most published book in history. Translated into at least twelve hundred languages by an army of translators. It has outlived all its opponents. Bibles have been burned by governments and banished from courtrooms, but God’s Word endures. The death knell has been sounded a hundred times, but God’s Word continues. It’s also remarkable in prophecy. Its pages contain more than three hundred fulfilled prophecies about the life of Christ, yet they were all written at least four hundred years before he was born. What are the odds? That’d be like finding a book written in 1901 that prophesied two world wars, a depression, an atomic bomb, and the assassinations of a president and civil rights leader. Wouldn’t we trust it?

We also want to know if the Bible makes a difference. Does it work? Do the teachings of the Bible change us? There’s only one way to find out: click the Save button. We all know what the Save button is. I do, and I’m a remedial computer student. What great satisfaction occurs when, having created a document, we reach up and press the Save button. That click reshapes the landscape of the hard drive. Words on the screen descend into the core of the machine. As long as the words are limited to the screen, they are vulnerable and exposed to the irascible cursor. It earns its name. We curse the little monster as it gobbles up our hard work. But once we save it, it is safe. Are you clicking the button on Scripture?

We Save truth when we deliberately and consciously allow what we've heard to become a part of who we are. Jesus said, "You shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free." (John 8:32) As we know (Save) truth, the truth makes us free from guilt, fear and anger. Saved truth has a shaping, reconfiguring impact on a heart. Only when you allow the truth of Scripture to be the authority in your life can you know whether it works. When Scripture is mixed with obedience, a healing elixir results. God's Word works, but we must click the Save button.

The disciples of Jesus needed that reminder. On one occasion he told them, "Let us go over to the other side." (Mark 4:35) They did. En route to the other side of the Sea of Galilee, however, their boat encountered turbulence. "A furious squall came up, and the waves broke over the boat, so that it was nearly swamped." (v. 37) The sky opened, and buckets of water fell, and waves threatened to upend the boat. The disciples turned to Jesus and found him sound asleep. They screamed, "Don't you care if we drown?" (v. 38) Jesus woke up, stood up, commanded the storm to shut up, and then said to the disciples, "Do you still have no faith?" (v. 40) What a stunning rebuke. The sea was raging; the water was churning. Why did Jesus scold them? Simple. They didn't take him at his word. He said they were going to the other side. He didn't say, "We’re going to the middle of the lake to drown." Jesus had declared the outcome. But when the storm came, the disciples heard the roar of the winds and forgot his word.

Storms will come our way. Winds will howl, your boat will be tossed, and you’ll have a choice. Will you hear Christ or the crisis? Heed the promises of Scripture or the noise of the storm? Your best days require an ongoing trust in God's Word. Wilderness people trust Scripture just enough to escape Egypt. Canaan dwellers, on the other hand, make the Bible their go-to book for life. As God told Joshua, "Meditate in it day and night." (Josh. 1:8) Literally, "you shall . . . mutter over this torah document." The image is one of a person reciting, rehearsing, reconsidering God's Word over and over again. Canaan is loud with enemy voices. The devil mega-phones doubt and death into our ears. Take heed to the voice you heed. "Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly in all wisdom, teaching and admonishing one another." (Col. 3:16)

Chew on it. Swallow it. Speak it. Begin with a prayer, then with an open heart read until a message hits you. Great rewards come to those who do. God promised Joshua, "You will make your way prosperous, and then you will have good success." (Josh. 1:8) This is the only place in the Old Testament where the two words “prosperous” and “success” are found together. In other words, this is an emphasized promise. So, align yourself with God's Word and expect prosperity and success. Don't cringe, now. Joshua 1:8 isn't a guarantee of early retirement.

In the United States we often associate prosperity and success with money. The Bible is not so narrow. Its promise of prosperity occasionally includes money, but it far more often refers to a wealthy spirit, mind and body. God prospers the leader with new skills, the worker with good sleep, the teacher with added patience, the mother with deeper affection, the elderly with greater hope. Scriptural fluency leads to spiritual affluence. “Blessed is the man who walks not in the counsel of the ungodly, nor stands in the path of sinners, nor sits in the seat of the scornful; but his delight is in the law of the Lord, and in His law he meditates day and night. He shall be like a tree planted by the rivers of water that brings forth its fruit in its season, whose leaf also shall not wither; and whatever he does shall prosper. (Ps. 1:1-3)

God's command was enough for Joshua. He responded with direct obedience. He told his men, "Prepare provisions for yourselves, for within three days you will cross over this Jordan, to go in to possess the land which the LORD your God is giving you to possess." (Josh. 1:11) No hesitation. No reservation. Unlike Sarah, who said, "I am too old." (Gen. 18:12) Unlike Moses, who said, "I'm not a good speaker." (Ex. 4:10) Unlike the disciples who said, "We don't have enough food to feed the hungry." (Matt. 14:17) Others resisted God's call, but not Joshua. God said it. He believed it.

Do likewise.

Grace,

Randy