The Book of Joshua opens up with God telling Joshua it’s time for him to assume his leadership position. Why? Moses is dead and the promise made to Moses in Genesis 12 is still unfulfilled. The people are encamped east of the Jordan River awaiting God’s permission to leave. They, the new generation, had witnessed the events of the wilderness journey. They saw the old generation die off. They saw, Moses, God’s anointed servant die before the promise had been fulfilled. It’s natural at this point, to wonder what lay ahead, but what was taking so long? When would the promise be fulfilled.?
Joshua, son of Nun, had aleady been chosen by God to replace Moses in the Book of Deuteronomy, and as of yet had not assumed his appointed position. Why was that? Joshua, like all those chosen by God, had to be prepared. How long? only God knew, but one thing for sure, timing was everything. What most of us fail to recognize or are unwilling to accept is both us and God have a part in this process. God is to determine the timing and we are to patiently prepare as we wait for His call. We cant manipulate or hasten the hands of God, so stop trying.
This brings us to Joshua 1: 1-16. Though this is a story of Joshua, this is an example of the response we give to God’s timing in our lives. One response is “we patiently wait for God’s timing”. Let’s think of this time as being similar to our wait when we go to the emergency room of a hospital. Can you remember how long you waited and the thoughts that crossed your mind as the time wore on and on and on? Did you ever feel they forgot you were there? Hours and hours later, you’re no closer to being seen then you were when you first arrived. Frustrating as it may seem, this is much like what Joshua felt, except his waiting room was God’s waiting room. Joshua waited a long time for this day, just as some of us are. God’s delays are not a denial. He is just telling us, “wait a little while longer. It’s not time yet”. Easier said than done. So what are we to do while we wait?
There are two things we must do while we wait. Each is a response to God’s timing and each is important in our spiritual growth. Lets read Joshua 1: 7-9, but before we do, what do you think God said to Joshua? Do you think he gave him the details to his real task? Do you think he explained each element of that event to come? As you all know, the answers to these questions was never even addressed, so what was Joshua’s responsibility here? (Read Joshua 1:7-9) Joshua’s only responsibility was to know and be obedient to God’s Word. By doing so, Joshua is promised success in all that is to come. Another words, God is asking Joshua to keep a steady hand on His intimacy and relationship with Him. He is telling Joshua -”Study My Word, know Me, know My Word and obey Me. Pray and fellowship with Me. Hear Me in the Word. Meditate on it. By doing these things, you will have success in all you do.
It doesnt stop here though. There’s more. We not only have an individual responsibility to God, but we “have a corporate response also to God’s timing”. Let’s read Joshua 1:10-18. Here we will see what God had to say to the nations. Let’s focus on verses 12-18. In verse 12, Joshua is addressing the Reubanites, the Gadites and the half tribe of Manasseh. Remember these were the tribes that inherited the land east of the Jordan River. This land was already prepared to be inhabited by these tribes. Joshua, however, brings back to their remembrance that their task is not complete. These tribes can never fully enjoy the inheritance until they came to the aid of their fellow brethren. They must go before their brethren into the land west of the Jordan and fight to secure their inheritance.
Their response to Joshua was exemplary. You see, these tribes had nothing to benefit from obeying Joshua’s request. They already had their inheritance and would be accepting risks. By going, they would leave their own families, livestock, land and homes open to attack. Yet, they obediently accepted the call, trusting that God’s promises would be fulfilled to the letter. Their actions are an example of corporate solidarity, that is, coming together as a group.
What we fail to realize is, when one is blessed individually, the group is blessed. When one sins, the group lives in sin. Each individual affects the grup as a whole in some way or another. Many members, one body. So what are we doing as individuals to help our brothers and sisters? Are we looking to ourselves to a degree that we are too blinded to see the struggles of our brothers and sisters? Are our brothers and sisters sitting in the waiting room of God while we are enjoying our own call? Are we blinded or too selfish to see and take action? Corporate solidarity shows us that we dont leave these individuals isolated while they wait for God’s timing; we dont allow them to go into battle alone. If they are too weak to fight, then we should do all we can to aid them in battle; even if it means we follow them into the waiting room of God.
What will your response be to God’s timing? Will you be like Joshua ready when the call comes? Are you patiently preparing as you wait? Are you protecting your relationship with God, taking and using this time of wait to study and know God and HIs Word? Are you an individual or a member of a body? Will you trust God to obediently leave your own agenda and follow your brethren into the waiting room of God or into the battlefield of life?
Tags: Agenda, Battlefield, Corporate Solidarity, Deuteronomy, Gadites, Genesis, God, God's Timing, God's Word, Half Tribe of Manasseh, Inheritance, Jordan River, Joshua, Moses, Pray, Reubanites, Solidarity, spiritual Growth
