Autumn 2026: The Book of Joshua
Monday 12th October – Joshua 7:1-26 ‘A lesson in humility’
In 2021 the late Queen Elizabeth memorably declined an award: she was nominated to be ‘Oldie of the Year’ by the magazine of that name, but wrote in reply that she felt she didn’t meet the criteria and hoped ‘someone more worthy’ would be given it instead.
It is a remarkable display of humility to which we became accustomed with the late Queen – all the more notable for being so rare in other walks of life. There are famous examples of actors and musicians who have refused awards in protest, but very few because they felt unworthy to receive it.
After the euphoria of the victory against Jericho, today’s passage marks a downturn in Israel’s quest to settle in the Promised Land. The presenting issue is one of obedience: they were specifically instructed by the Lord not to profit from their conquest by taking ‘devoted things’ from those they overcame. This could in some instances refer to religious artefacts which contravened their status as God’s people – but in this case it was just valuable ‘stuff’. A chap called Achan pinched a beautiful robe, as well as some gold and silver, and hid it in his tent (v21).
The result was disastrous: Israel incurred God’s displeasure and lost their favour in battle. They were routed by a tiny hamlet called Ai (which means ‘The Ruin’, just to emphasise how far their star had fallen – they were beaten by non-place!) and realised that something was desperately wrong.
Achan and his family sadly paid the price for his wrongdoing, but there is more going here. Yes, we learn from this that obedience and purity matters; but things had started to go wrong before Achan’s greed got the better of him. Joshua was specifically instructed by God not to go into battle without enquiring of the Lord (Numbers 27:21, which we looked at previously): and yet here, he sends out spies and then warriors on his own initiative. It seems the victory at Jericho temporarily went to his head as well.
Most poignantly, this passage reminded Israel that their success was entirely due to God: not their bravery or their tactics or their military skill. They only succeed if God is with them. This hard but vital lesson in humility runs throughout the history of the Old Testament – but it is a word for us today, as well.
Ultimately, everything we are and do relies on God. Naturally, we offer our time and energies, and our skills are important, too. But it’s risky to give ourselves too much credit; as Mary says in her beautiful song: ‘God has brought down rulers from their thrones, but has lifted up the humble.’
May God grant us grace to choose humility today and this week, trusting in his mighty power and love to lift us up, for every circumstance and situation.
Saturday 10th October – Joshua 6:22-27 & Matthew 1:5-6 ‘Rahab’s destiny’
Our week began with Rahab. It’s fitting that it ends with Rahab, too – as she is indeed spared, along with all her family. Her courage and faith were rewarded, not just with life, but with a place in God’s people: ‘she lives among the Israelites to this day’ (v25).
As we reflected yesterday, this is a beautiful story of grace and redemption in the middle of a robust narrative of conflict. Somehow Rahab had grasped who the Lord was – despite, as far as we know, never having encountered the Israelites directly before – and was prepared to risk her life to serve this Lord. It is a wonderful reminder of how God’s grace is at work in all kinds of places and all kinds of people. No-one is beyond God’s love, or reach.
But there is a beautiful post-script to this story – one we don’t learn in Joshua, but only many centuries later, at the start of Matthew’s gospel (Matthew 1:5-6). After the events at Jericho, Rahab is freed from prostitution and marries a man called Salmon, one of the Israelite settlers. They have a family, including a son called Boaz. This is the Boaz who marries Ruth in the Old Testament story who bears her name. Boaz is King David’s great-grandfather… in other words, Rahab is King David’s great-great-grandmother! And therefore also, by definition, a direct descendant of Jesus himself.
It is fitting that a woman of such faith and courage should have a bigger part to play in the story of scripture. It also reminds us that when God rescues us, he also gives us a new purpose in life. We all have a valuable part to play in God’s kingdom coming: there are ‘good works which God prepared in advance for us to do.’ (Ephesians 2:10) We may be aware of (some of) those things which God has planned for us; we may even feel we have largely fulfilled them, one way or another; or we may still be wondering. Perhaps God is pointing you in a new direction, or stirring something new in you?
Grace saves us as we are. But it doesn’t leave us as we are. We journey with the Lord, in faith and hope. May Rahab’s story inspire us this week, and renew our desire to live fruitful lives, for God’s glory. Grace is truly the fuel for life.
Friday 9th October – Joshua 5:13-6:21 ‘The fall of Jericho’
The story of the fall of Jericho is one of those iconic Old Testament stories. Packed with drama, and involving a mighty miracle, it’s been a staple of Sunday Schools for generations…. but many of us reading it as adults may feel somewhat more ambivalent. The children’s version is a rip-roaring tale of derring-do; the adult version may well feel a certain horror at the levels of destruction involved, including the slaughter of residents that would nowadays fall foul of the Geneva Convention.
How do we reconcile these conflicting feelings? Many Christians read stories like Jericho and decide that most of the Old Testament really isn’t for them. The God they see described seems rather more severe than the God revealed in Christ: and yet the New Testament insists that we worship a God who is ‘the same, yesterday, today and forever.’ How do we make sense of this?
Here it’s valuable to introduce the vital concept of Progressive Revelation. This means that God reveals himself gradually to human beings. It’s not that God changes, but rather that the human culture of the time can only cope with a certain level of revelation – until the time of Christ when we finally get a full picture of who God really is.
The events at Jericho may trouble us now: but they were ‘normal’ at the time. Twice in the preceding centuries Jericho had been destroyed in similar fashion by other invaders. Situated in an oasis, it was a key strategic settlement. Human life then was not accorded the same value as it is now: a value primarily influenced by Christian theology over the last 2,000 years.
The God who is progressively revealed in the bible would, in time to come, make the value of all life clear to humanity. But at this point in time, in the second millennium BC, what the people needed to understand was that this God was Lord of all the earth, and that, having settled in the land, this people were to live conspicuously holy lives dedicated to this Lord. If Israel failed militarily, other cultures would automatically have assumed that their God was pathetic and unworthy of worship. Humanity simply wasn’t ready yet for the idea that true love and authority is manifested in gentle and selfless service – ‘weakness’, if you like.
The story of Rahab (to which we return tomorrow) is in fact the key pointer towards the direction of theological travel which the bible will undertake. A story of grace and redemption hiding in the rubble of Jericho. Such stories are seeded through the Old Testament like jewels hidden in a tapestry – or treasure in a field, as Someone once said.
Today, let’s give thanks that this God continued to reveal himself over time. And let’s pray that God continues to reveal more of himself – in truth, beauty, love and grace – to all of us. There’s always more to receive!
Thursday 8th October – Joshua 5:1-12 ‘Essential preparations’
Back in London where we used to live, the area next to us – called Furzedown – had no pubs in it. This was a surprise, since it was a relatively affluent area with a large number of houses: plenty of people in other words, who would gladly have used a local place to meet and socialise. The reason Furzedown had no pubs was because, 300 years previously, the land had been owned by Quakers, and they had put a restrictive covenant on the land banning the sale of alcohol.
Although the land had long since been sold and developed, the covenant was unbreakable. 300 years later, you still had to walk into another area to buy a drink. (As an aside, this made it an extremely desirable area to live in – very safe and quiet!)
A covenant is a word rarely used nowadays: mostly, we use ‘contracts’. But it’s a very important and powerful word, particularly in our journey of faith. A covenant is a solemn and unconditional promise, rooted in love. It’s not a contract, which breaks when one side doesn’t honour it. A covenant pledges one party to the other unconditionally. A Christian marriage is a covenant, whereas a civil marriage is formalised with the ‘contracting’ words.
The different language is significant, and the ‘x-factor’ of the vows made in a Christian marriage is rooted of course, in God’s eternal love. And this in turn goes back to the fundamental building block of God’s relationship with us. What God makes with his people is not a contract, it’s a covenant: a binding promise based on unconditional love.
This covenant was first made with Abraham in Genesis 12, and re-stated several times. Significantly for today’s passage, the outward sign of this covenant between God and his people is the circumcision of all males (Genesis 17).
During their time in the desert, this ritual had been allowed to lapse (v5): but now, before God’s people embarked on their entry into the Promised Land, every male was circumcised (v8). This might seem a strange way of preparing for what lay ahead; but what it symbolised was the people’s determination to live under God’s covenant, to be obedient to him. Thus, they also celebrated the Passover (v10) – another great commemoration of God’s saving love and power in their lives.
After Christ, we no longer need to undergo this physical marking: for which, I imagine, most of us are very grateful! Instead, what we offer is what St Paul vividly describes as a ‘circumcision of the heart’ (Romans 2:29). It is our hearts that mark us as God’s beloved, and where God dwells by his Spirit.
Give thanks today that God has made his covenant with you: fully and unconditionally. And as that beautiful thought lifts our hearts in praise, dedicate yourselves and your day to this loving Lord.
Wednesday 7th October – Joshua 4:1-24 ‘The power of remembering’
In both of our churchyards you’ll find War Memorials. These were erected after the Great War as our communities – like thousands around the country – tried to come to terms with the horror of what had happened. 27 men lost their lives from two small villages in four years. I learned recently that stonemasons around the country were inundated with work in 1919-21, because so many communities were commissioning their own ‘stones of remembering’.
The power of memorials is not just for communities, though. Every month I receive applications from families to put stones in one or other of our churchyards to commemorate a loved one. It’s always powerful to read how a family tries to sum up what their loved one meant to them in a few words etched into stone. If you walk around any of our churchyards you’ll see hundreds of these ‘stones of remembering’: and each one is primarily a memorial of love.
Our passage today centres on Israel’s own ‘stones of remembering’. The people had just witnessed a great miracle – able to walk through the Jordan in flood season, as they prepared to enter the Promised Land. Before the episode finishes, however, Joshua commands one last thing: 12 stones are to be taken from the river-bed – stones which could only be picked up because the river had temporarily stopped flowing – and placed on the west side of the Jordan as a sign of what God had done. ‘These stones are to be a memorial to the people of Israel for ever.’ (v7) They were a nation’s ‘stones of remembering’.
Throughout the bible we are encouraged to remember, as part of our story of faith. To remember who God is, to remember what God has done for us, and for others. To remember times when God has saved us, or blessed us, or indeed times when we have neglected God and returned to him.
As I’ve said before, our memory is our identity. Remembering the past inspires our present and gives us hope for the future. Israel was soon to move on from this place of remembering: they had work to do and a land to settle in. But there’s a reason Joshua told them to mark this place ‘for ever’. It would be somewhere they could return to, to remind themselves of their story with God, of how God had been with them. The narrator notes that these stones ‘are there to this day’ (v9).
Today, take a few moments to remember. There may be loved ones that come to mind, people we want to give thanks for. And let’s also remember our journey with God: perhaps there’s a particular moment that comes to mind, too. Let that memory fill your heart, inspire you, and give you grace for your ongoing journey this day.
Tuesday 6th October – Joshua 3:1-17 ‘Following the Ark’
Once, when asked how he made decisions about church life and leadership, a well-known Christian leader replied: ‘I look to see what God is already doing and then try to follow that.’
If you’re anything like me, it’s easy sometimes to lose sight of the literal meaning of the word ‘follower’: it automatically implies the leader is ahead, and we are, well, following. For many of us, we might say that we are doing our best to keep up!
There’s been a lot of talk about ‘leadership’ in Christian circles over the last generation, but all good leaders know their authority and fruitfulness rests on the extent to which they themselves follow Someone greater – the Lord. Our leadership is ultimately defined by how closely we follow. We see what God is up to, and throw our energies into that, and pray for grace to stay close to the Lord and not head off on our own.
And this is not just a good strategy for churches or leaders, it’s a great pointer for all of us. We go where God leads us. Sometimes that is very clear, at other times less so. But it’s always a great question to ask ourselves: what is God up to in our lives? In what ways are we growing, or being challenged, or being prompted? What buttons is God pressing at the moment?
In today’s passage, the people of Israel are given one very clear and simple command: follow the Ark. The Ark symbolised God’s presence with them: and where the Ark led, they followed – literally. As the decisive moment comes to cross the Jordan, the Ark leads the way, and the people are called to exercise faith and follow.
Let’s note, too, that this exercising of faith was active. The priests carrying the Ark had to put their foot in the water before it began to dry up. It’s a healthy reminder that faithful following starts with prayer, but usually continues with action. As the people obey, so God works an amazing miracle, and the nation crosses safely into the Promised Land.
Today, as followers of Jesus, let’s pray for grace to see clearly where God is leading us, where he is at work in our lives – and let’s pray for equal grace to be faithful in following, wherever that may be.
Monday 5th October – Joshua 2:1-24 ‘Rahab’s testimony’
If I was to ask you to name any of the great confessions of faith in the bible, I wonder which you might recall? Perhaps it would be Solomon’s great prayer at the dedication of the Temple; or David’s poetic psalms; or Isaiah’s encounter with the living God; or Peter’s and Thomas’ impassioned recognitions of Jesus’ identity; or Paul’s erudite sermons and beautiful phrasing?
Not many of us would mention this passage: and yet here, tucked away in this chapter, is one of the great confessions of faith. And even more wonderfully, it comes from a most unlikely source.
Rahab is one of the forgotten heroes of the Old Testament, whose actions here pave the way for what follows. As a prostitute she was considered the lowest of the low, not least by the standards of Israel’s law. I suspect she was visited by Joshua’s spies, not because she was expected to be helpful, but as the easiest ‘cover story’: who would raise an eyebrow at two young male travellers visiting a prostitute?
But when called upon, she acts with extraordinary bravery: risking her own life to hide them, and sending the King of Jericho’s soldiers off in the wrong direction. Even more amazingly, she gives her reasons for her courageous – you might say foolhardy – behaviour: ‘I know the Lord has given this land to you…’ (v9). What she says next (v11) is astounding: ‘the Lord your God is God in heaven above and on the earth below.’
The wording of this confession of faith is matched in only two other places in the Old Testament: by Moses and Solomon. It is unprecedented among those considered to be outside God’s people. And yet Rahab, this ‘woman of the world’, says something which puts her on a par with Moses the friend of God, and Solomon the wisest king.
Truly the kingdom of God is like that mustard seed, which grows in the most extraordinary ways and among the most unlikely people. Rahab had eyes to see what so many others missed, and in doing so, not only saved the spies but her family too – more on that in a few days’ time.
We are, all of us human beings, born with a ‘God-shaped hole’, that desire to seek something – or Someone – beyond ourselves; and ‘our hearts are not at rest until they find their rest in You’ (St Augustine). Let’s be inspired by the example of Rahab to pray with renewed hope for that God-shaped hole to bear fruit in those we love, and in others we didn’t expect. And – praise be to God – in us, too!
Saturday 3rd October – Joshua 1:10-18 ‘Mutual support’
Back in the days when my knees still worked properly, my weekly delight was 5-a-side football. Every Wednesday evening, I would let off steam for an hour. As we were an ad-hoc bunch of blokes who were old enough to know better, we didn’t have organised teams, we just made up the teams from whoever turned up on the night. In effect, the game was different every week, and this provided a fascinating insight into the world of team dynamics.
Sometimes I would look at the line-ups and fancy our chances. Other times I would inwardly grimace and prepare for a beating. Occasionally something wonderful happened. On paper we would look like a far weaker team, but then something would just click and we would win the game. Team-mates started playing out of their skins, we settled into a spontaneous ‘formation’ that was effective in defence and penetrating in attack, and we all felt that beautiful but mysterious thing called ‘chemistry’. It’s hard to explain, but you know it when you see it.
Teamwork is vital in life. When people pull for each other, it’s an amazing thing. Good teams lead to people being both happier and more productive. There’s a sense of purpose and a collective joy in ‘achieving something together’. Teamwork is great, not just in workplaces, but in families, clubs, and especially in church. As Jesus’ body here on earth, we’re all interconnected.
In today’s passage, we see great teamwork in action. Three of Israel’s tribes don’t need to cross the Jordan, as the land they’ve been given by God is on the east side (v13). They could just stay put, while the other tribes move on. But they agree to give Joshua their wholehearted support (vv16-17), before returning across the river once more to what will become their homeland. It might well be costly, as they may lose people in the fighting that follows; but they share the vision, and at this stage they want to be obedient. They’ve learned the lessons of the desert, and they will support Joshua whatever he does.
There’s a great encouragement for us here. Thankfully most of us aren’t called to fight! But we are called to support each other, to be part of God’s bigger vision for his kingdom. In God’s team, everyone is valuable, everyone has a role. May God grant us all grace to be a united people, and to support each other in building God’s kingdom, on earth as it is in heaven. What might that mean for each of us?
Friday 2nd October – Joshua 1:1-9 ‘I am with you’
The births of each of our children were two of the best days of our lives. I’m sure most parents would say the same! We do remember, though, arriving home from hospital the following day with our new-born daughter (our first child), and experiencing a moment of sheer terror: here we were, with this beautiful little bundle, completely helpless and dependent on us, and it was now on us to look after her – all the time. To feed her, clean her, clothe her, settle her, protect her, love her. To learn what each of her cries meant, how to help her into a functioning pattern of living, when to be concerned about something and when not to be; and to know what advice was worth listening to, and what wasn’t!
We had read the books, and attended the classes, we had looked after younger siblings and nephews and nieces, we had prayed for it and longed for it: but now there was no going back. We were parents: we’d just jumped into the deep end, and we had to sink or swim! And, as it is for most new parents, the realisation of that reality was, briefly, terrifying.
It’s a very different example, but I imagine that Joshua was going through a similar moment in today’s passage. As we’ve seen, the start of the book of Joshua is not the start of Joshua’s story: he’s been around a long time. He’s learned from the best, matured in all kinds of ways, he’s served a 40-year apprenticeship, when all is said and done: but now the moment has come. His people are dependent on him, and God’s plans need him to step up.
And he’s terrified. We know that he is because God needs to repeat his pep talk to him three times: ‘Be strong and courageous (v6)…. be strong and very courageous (v7)… ‘have I not commanded you? (i.e. how many times I am going to have to say this, Joshua…) Be strong and courageous!’ (v9)
Why is God so insistent? And what will give Joshua confidence to believe it? Not because of his abilities, or his training, or his experience, or his commissioning per se. But because God is with him, and will be with him wherever he goes.
It’s true for us, too. Our confidence rests on God’s abiding presence with us. It helps to remember how God has been with us in the past, which gives us confidence to know he’ll be with us in the future: but in the end, we seize this wonderful truth in faith and trust – God is with us. And will be with us to the end of time.
This is the source of our hope, our confidence. Take a few moments to day to give thanks that God is with you, right now. Ask to sense more of that presence. And seize by faith that he will be with you, whatever you face today, and in this season.
Thursday 1st October – Numbers 26:63-65 & 27:15-23 ‘Origin Story pt 4 – Commission’
In 2022 we celebrated the 70 years’ reign of Queen Elizabeth II. It was an extraordinary life, and most of us probably still think we’ll never see another monarch like her: who combined length of life with a quiet moral authority which set her above most of her peers. I first wrote this reflection at a time when the newspapers were increasingly reporting signs of her declining health, and collectively we carried a sense that we were not going to be blessed by her presence much longer. Among the many ways we experienced that time, it gave us, I think, a small insight into what it must have been like for God’s people, as Moses’ own time drew to a close. I imagine many of God’s people would have felt in their hearts, as we did: ‘They don’t make ‘em like that anymore.’
In today’s passage, Moses also knows his own time is drawing to a close; so he finally – and formally – hands over the reins to his long-time deputy Joshua. As we’ve seen, this relationship began over 40 years ago, when Joshua was a young man. Now he is in late middle age – or older still – and at long last his time has come. His commissioning is both public – in front of the entire assembly of God’s people (v22) – and spiritual: Moses is instructed to lay his hand of blessing upon Joshua, who the Lord testifies already has ‘the spirit of leadership’ (v18).
It is interesting that even the Lord recognises Moses’ uniqueness: Joshua receives ‘some of Moses’ authority’ (v20): not all, it appears. But that is to be expected – Moses is a one-off. Joshua will never command the same authority; but then again, he doesn’t need to. God will equip him for the tasks He is calling him to do, which is all Joshua needs.
And that’s the point: it is wisely observed that God doesn’t call those He equips, but equips those He calls. God will give Joshua enough grace for whatever he is called to. And that is true for us, too. God will equip you for whatever He calls you to. He doesn’t ask you to be perfect, just faithful and obedient. And even if you feel you’ve been preparing a long time for this, take heart from the example of Joshua!
Perhaps you are feeling God nudging you towards something. Let today be an encouragement to you. If the Lord is calling you, He will also commission you: i.e. equip you for the task. And if that’s not where you find yourself today, perhaps take a moment to pray for all, like King Charles, who serve a Joshua-like apprenticeship: that the Lord would commission and equip them for the task they will be called to undertake.
Wednesday 30th September – Numbers 13:25-14:20 ‘Origin Story pt 3 – Grasshoppers’
Today’s reading ought to have shortened the bible by about 65 pages – and there you were, wondering why it got so long! As we arrive at Numbers chapter 13 the Israelites have also arrived: at the borders of the Promised Land, a few months after leaving Egypt. God has kept them safe as they’ve journeyed through the desert, given his Law to Moses, provided food and water, and met with them regularly at the Tent of Meeting (as we saw yesterday).
Now it’s time to enter the land God had promised them – or is it? It starts well enough: Moses sends a crack squad inside the borders to take a look (13:3), and Caleb and Joshua return full of faith. Caleb even advises Moses to go for it (v30). But the others think differently: ‘We can’t attack those people; they are stronger than we are.’ (v31)
This report spreads, and like all rumours, picks up speed as it goes. By the time it reaches most of the camp, the inhabitants of the Promised Land are like giants (v32), against which God’s people are like grasshoppers (v33)!
Even so, Joshua and Caleb still try and convince the crowd that God is bigger than the obstacles they face; much better to trust God: ‘Their protection is gone, but the Lord is with us. Do not be afraid of them.’ (v9) It doesn’t work. The people dig their heels in, and are only spared a worse fate because Moses intervenes (again) with God. And so, for the next 65 pages the Israelites spend 40 years in the wilderness, and then have the law re-read to them – which takes us through the rest of Numbers and Deuteronomy.
This is a great passage for our times. We face huge challenges at present, and each of them can seem like giants. And these challenges are real, and frightening. But God is bigger than all of them. As Jesus encourages us: what matters most is not the mountain, but Who moves it.
It’s not a magic cure or a magic wand: but it is a word of hope. God is enough. Us plus God can overcome whatever we face. May we be inspired by Joshua’s example today, seize that mustard seed of faith, and pray into our challenges. What matters is not the mountain, but Who can move it.
Tuesday 29th September – Numbers 11:23-30 ‘Origin Story pt 2 – Zeal’
Immature fruit can taste a little sharp. That’s true in gardening – it’s also true in the spiritual life. We’re all called to cultivate the fruit of the Spirit: but often in young believers those qualities which eventually prove to be wonderful assets for the kingdom can be a little, well, prickly.
Take Joshua, for example. Since we met him in Exodus, Joshua has had the enormous privilege of accompanying Moses up the mountain (at least some of the way) when Moses went to meet with God (Ex 24:13): a sure sign that already Joshua is more than just ‘one of the team’, he is effectively Moses’ protégé.
This is confirmed by the story in Exodus 33: Joshua is with Moses at the Tent of Meeting, where God meets with Moses on a regular basis. It says, tellingly, that even after Moses went back to the Israelites camp, Joshua ‘did not leave the tent’ (Ex 33:11). It’s not clear whether this is to defend it, or because Joshua is so desperate to grow in faith and intimacy with God that he’s going to take every chance he gets – it’s probably a bit of both. It would certainly explain why Moses saw that ‘spark’ of greatness in him.
But there’s a flip side to this zeal, too. In today’s passage Moses gathers 70 elders and together they all receive the anointing of God’s Spirit (v25), such that they are able to prophesy (i.e. receive and speak God’s word). This is a major step forward in the growth of God’s people: but there’s an unexpected postscript: two of these elders are able to prophesy not just at the Tent of Meeting – the appointed place for God to meet with human beings – but also in the main camp (v26).
As we’ve learned, Joshua is fiercely committed to, and protective of, this Tent: and he immediately goes to Moses and says: ‘Stop them!’ (v28). Rules are rules, Moses – it’s just not cricket!
But the wise old Moses sees it differently. To paraphrase his reply in v29: ‘Calm down, Joshua. This is a good thing: more encounters with God means more blessing. I wish our spiritual life as a people would get to the stage where everyone is intimate with God, and is able to receive and speak his word.’ That’s not a bad dream, is it? And it hints at a beautiful truth fully realised more than a thousand years later, after the Spirit is poured out at Pentecost…
Joshua’s zeal to ‘do things right’ meant he missed the wood for the trees. His motives were basically good: he wanted to do things God’s way – as he saw it. But his view of God was too small. He limited God in his imagination, and so failed to see the bigger picture: that God was increasing his blessing to more people, and spreading it in a way that could bear fruit.
There’s a great lesson here for us. God is always bigger, and sometimes his kingdom is at work in surprising ways. Think of the Magi (I know, I now, it’s September – far too early!): theologically suspect astrologers blessed by God to witness the birth of the Messiah. In other words, no-one is beyond the reach of God.
What surprising people do you know, in whom God is up to something? Pray for eyes to see, and a heart to bless, what our great big God is doing!
Monday 28th September – Exodus 17:8-16 ‘Joshua – Origin Story pt 1’
Today we begin a new series looking at the major Old Testament book of Joshua. It’s a story of faith, of courage, of leadership, but also of a real human being, who has spent decades as Moses’ understudy and is awed by the responsibility.
Joshua’s story begins a lot further back than most of us realise. It’s common in big films and series nowadays to construct ‘origin stories’ that tell us where this super-hero or criminal mastermind came from. Usually this is a brilliant way to persuade us to part with more of our hard-earned cash, as we watch the ‘prequel’ to the apparently endless sequels! But, in the case of Joshua, it’s really useful to spend a few days reflecting on his life before the book that bears his name.
Joshua does in fact appear right near the start of the famous Exodus narrative. God’s people have only recently left Egypt and have begun their wanderings in the desert. They have already complained (a lot!), and God has patiently and miraculously provided for them: with manna to eat and water to drink. But now they face a further threat: having fled the Egyptians they are now attacked by another people, the Amalekites (v8).
Moses commissions a group to defend the Israelites, and he asks Joshua to lead them (v9) – this is the first time we encounter Joshua, fully 40 years before he takes on the major role that would define him: that of leading God’s people into the Promised Land. The fact that Moses asks Joshua suggests that he is already identified as one of the ‘senior team’ around Moses – and sure enough, Joshua leads the rearguard action and is victorious.
We may find the frequent fighting in Joshua’s life off-putting, and we’ll reflect more on this as the story develops. But today, let’s direct our gaze towards what is happening away from the battlefield. What makes this story remarkable is how the author indicates that what determines the outcome of the battle is not what is going on ‘down here’ but ‘up there’. Moses keeps his arms aloft in prayer and worship, and all the time he does so, the Israelites prevail. When his arms drop in fatigue, the Amalekites get the upper hand (v11).
It is a great reminder of how vital it is to soak our lives in prayer. Whatever challenges we face, prayer forms a key part of our ‘defence’. But even if you feel overawed by Moses’ mighty effort, perhaps you can identify with Aaron and Hur – their role was practical but no less important: they held up Moses’ arms when he was too tired to lift them himself. I love the fact that Aaron and Hur are named in this story: in the kingdom of God, everyone gets to play; everyone’s part is valuable.
Who could you support this week? In prayer, yes – but perhaps also in a Hur-like practical way. ‘The battle belongs to the Lord’ – but we all have our part to play, too.
Note: Our back catalogue is still available here. There are series from all across the bible, and you can either view the PDF files online or download at your leisure.