"In those days there was no king in Israel; everyone did what was right in his own eyes." Judges 21:25
The book of Judges runs about 350 years from 1400BC-ish to 1043BC-ish, but I can clearly see our American culture and even my own personal behavior interwoven into these scriptures. This brings to mind a mantra from my days with my precious Boothmakers, "For I, the Lord, do not change" (Mal 3:6) and therefore...We the people, do not change! It's almost sad to think that after thousands of years, we people are still making the same mistakes over and over and over...no wonder Satan's still in business. His bag of five tricks still applies and we fall for them all the time!
The Israelites were miraculously released from Egypt after 400 years of oppressive slavery. God maintained them for an entire generation as they wandered, homeless. He handed them city after city for their possession, and now Joshua has gone on to be with the Lord and they were left without a leader. Over and over and over Moses told them in Deut to REMEMBER what the Lord has done for you! Talk about it all the time, tell your children about it, take time each week and several times a year to reflect on the miracles and great mercy God has shown you and offer your thanks and praise for His undeserved love. This attitude of humility and gratitude was sure to keep them on course, but they chose to go their own way instead.
In some ways, this book was painful to read. Israel went in a vicious circle over and over again and could never seem to remain steady. Their command when taking the Promised Land was "you shall not leave alive anything that breathes...so that they may not teach you to do according to all their detestable things which they have done for their gods, so that you would sin against the Lord your God." (Deut 20:16,18) That seems pretty clear, and it's obvious God had good reason for the command He gave. He knew the effect disobedience would have on Israel...it would draw them away from Him, and He knew that HE was what was best for them. After Joshua passes, there was still a lot of land left to be taken, but Israel chose not to finish well. "Manasseh did not take possession..., Ephraim did not drive out..., Zebulun, Asher, Naphtali did not drive out the inhabitants." (Jud 1:27-33) In many cases the Israelites put the Canaanites to forced labor, but this was not their command. They had been commanded to destroy. So why didn't they follow through? I don't know. Maybe they grew compassionate toward the Canaanites, maybe they were unable to rally the military without Joshua, maybe they were simply tired of fighting and didn't want to put forth the effort any more, maybe they thought what they had already accomplished was good enough? Either way, this first generation after Joshua dropped the ball. They did not obey the Lord in battle, they did not obey Moses' commands to remember His goodness, and as a result, "all that generation also were gathered to their fathers; and there arose another generation after them who did not know the Lord, nor yet the work which He had done for Israel." (Jud 2:10) That statement frightens me...could that be said of my generation?
And so the see saw begins. Because Israel chose to live among the Canaanites instead of destroy them as they were commanded, their self seeking idol worship became appealing and lured in Israel until "the sons of Israel did evil in the sight of the Lord and served the Baals, and they forsook the Lord, the God of their fathers, who had brought them out of the land of Egypt, and followed other gods from among the gods of the peoples who were around them, and bowed themselves down to them; thus they provoked the Lord to anger." (Jud 2:11-12) The Lord sold them into slavery (Jug 3:8). It took eight years for the oppression to finally get through to Israel. Like the prodigal son, they finally remembered that they have a Father who can help them and the cried out to Him. This "cried out" is za-aq in Hebrew meaning to shriek from anguish or danger, to assemble, to gather together. Mercifully, the Lord raised up a deliverer, the first Judge, Othniel. This "deliverer" is yasha in Hebrew and it means to be open, wide, free, to be safe. This same word is often used to describe God himself in the Psalms (Ps 18:2, 40:17, 70:5, 144:2). So the Spirit of the Lord came on Othniel and he led Israel to victory over their oppressors "and the land had rest forty years" (Jud 3:11). But as soon as Othniel died, the cycle started again...Isreal "did evil in the sight of the Lord" then they cried out (za-aq) then God provided a deliverer (yasha). Over and over and over they repeated this cycle for 350 years! Some stretches of peace were longer than others, but it never fails that they end up back in the cycle.
Somehow, I feel like we're still in this cycle today...as a culture. If you look back through world history, there are periods of great revival and periods of great darkness. Even in our own century you can see the cycle...the "Roaring 20s," the Great Depression, the conservative 50s, the free love 60s and 70s. The question is, where are we in this cycle today? On we on our way toward God or are we pulling away from Him? I think the answer to this varies, depending on your perspective...are you a half empty or half full kind of person? It would be easy to point out the climbing divorce rate, the growing (awareness) of the sex trade, the failing morals of our culture, the number of abortions being performed and say that we have slapped God in the face. In a lot of ways, I agree. Our culture, as a whole, has told God that we are not interested in His "intolerant" ways. However, Toby and I intentionally choose not to immerse ourselves in our country's media, but to rather investigate what God is doing today around the world. God is on the move today, people! Hearts are coming alive for Him all over our planet! Yes, there is great oppression and moral decline to compete with, but people are crying out, they are za-aq, they are shrieking out for God to help them. And He is just as faithful today as He was thousands of years ago. He is showing mercy and bringing life to any and all who call on Him!
So how can we stop this cycle?
Moses told us the keys waaaay back a few generations ago...
REMEMBER
"Give heed to yourself and keep your soul diligently, so that you do not forget the things which your eyes have seen and they do not depart from your heart all the days of your life; but make them known to your sons and your grandsons." (Deut 4:9)
KNOW AND DO MY WAYS, TEACH THEM TO YOUR CHILDREN
"You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your might. These words, which I am commanding you today, shall be on your heart. You shall teach them diligently to your sons and shall talk of them when you sit in your house and when you walk by the way and when you lie down and when you rise up. You shall bind them as a sign on your hand and they shall be as frontals on your forehead. You shall write them on the doorposts of your house and on your gates." (Deut 6:5-9)
HE WILL POUR OUT BLESSINGS FOR THOSE WHO SEEK HIM
"Know therefore that the Lord your God, He is God, the faithful God, who keeps His covenant and His lovingkindness to a thousandth generation with those who love Him and keep His commandments." (Deut 7:9)
As a parent, this hits me square in the face! Not only am I to pursue Christ with everything I have, but I am to teach these things to my children. In the very next verse after Joshua dies, we read "there arose another generation after them who did not know the Lord, nor yet the work which He had done for Israel." (Jud 2:10) It is critical that we pass on these things to our children, and not just head knowledge and the ability to recite felt board stories. Our children need to know (yada - to ascertain by seeing, familiar friend, kinsmen) the Lord Jesus. They need to be able to recognize His voice and understand His Word for themselves. They need to know who they are...they are sons and daughters of the most High God! They are eligible for great blessings and anointings, and should live a life expecting amazing things from our God. Are we teaching them that? Or are we teaching them happy Bible stories, and that it's rude to be disobedient, and that good Christians go to church on Sundays? What a challenge! About a year ago, I heard a parenting speaker say, "You can't expect your children to be something you're not." In other words, how can I expect Haley to walk in a manner worthy of God's anointing when I don't do that myself? It is up to me to live that way now, to model it for her, and to teach her His ways as she grows. I don't want her to grow up and be a mini-Carey. I want her to grow up and be like Jesus, so that is who I need to be modeling for her!
Today I heard it said, "You will only pass along one of two things to your children...God's promises or your fears." I don't want to communicate my fears or doubts to my children. I want them to see me stand firm in the promises of God and for them to see, with their own two eyes, how our God is faithful to meet those promises! That is what will build their faith. That is what will keep them grounded in our Jesus when they go off to college, and that is what will turn our culture to the greater stage of this cycle. Will we become a nation that cries out...ZA-AQ...will we shriek in anguish for God to come heal our land and make His name famous?!? Or will we continue with the status quo and our box checking religion? We have the power to turn this cycle...will we?
Sweet Jesus, Your endless patience and mercy are beyond anything I can comprehend and we are so unworthy of the outpouring of love You offer to us. Please help us to put ourselves aside, open our eyes to the truth of the state of our culture. Give us a hunger for You and a desire to see You sweep across our nation and our world. Give us the wisdom and the boldness to go after the things that matter to You and pass by the things of no eternal significance. Help us to teach our children about You. Reveal Yourself to them and help us equip them to continue the battle we are beginning now. Thank you for your new mercy every morning...a new chance to do it over and make it better. Thank you for allowing us to work for Your kingdom! Give us the wisdom and the grace to love well all of those You put in our path, so that they will feel Your love and turn to You.
Showing posts with label Commentary. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Commentary. Show all posts
Tuesday, February 8, 2011
Wednesday, December 1, 2010
One bad dude (Joshua)
I've told you a million times that I grew up in church and have heard Bible stories all my life, but HELLO, they were holding out on me! Most of my knowledge (to date) of the Old Testament was gained through popular memory verses, the occasional OT sermon, or happy Sunday School stories, aka the felt board. If you have ever stepped foot in a third grade, Southern Baptist Sunday school class, you know what I'm talking about. As I read through the pages of Joshua over the last few weeks, I was blown away at how skewed my understanding was of the Promised Land...whoa baby, hold on to your hats!
At the end of Deut, Moses taps Joshua to lead the Israelites on his way to be with Jesus. From my calculations Joshua was pushing 90 and boy was this geezer handed a big assignment! It was time to bust into the Promised Land. The land God had been talking about for generations, hundreds of years. It was finally time to stop talking about it and start taking it and a 90 year old man was just the man for the job.
Joshua had lots of military experience...funny how God prepares us along the way, isn't it? In fact, we first met Joshua when Moses charged him with leading the battle against the Amalekites, not long after they crossed the Red Sea. As Joshua fought, Moses stood atop a hill and held the staff of God high. When his hands were raised the Israelites prevailed, when they lowered the Amalekites prevailed. Remember, Moses was no spring chicken by this time, so naturally his arms got tired. (Don't judge, you try standing there with your arms up for hours on end...P90X's got nothing on that workout!) Anyway, Aaron and Hur came to his rescue...they brought him a rock to sit on and they each held up an arm...all, day, long. At the end of the day, Israel won and I'm sure Moses was one exhausted dude. But anyway, this was Joshua's first taste God's military faithfulness (as far as we know anyway). (Exodus 17)
Next, Joshua was included in an elite group that got to meet with God. No, no, I'm not talking about a Tuesday night prayer meeting...MEET. WITH. GOD! "and they saw the god of Israel; and under His feet there appeared to be a pavement of sapphire, as clear as the sky itself. Yet He did not stretch out His hand against the nobles of the sons of Israel; and they saw God, and they ate and drank." (Ex 24:10-11) Now, I would like to think physically seeing the God of the universe and sharing a meal with Him would have some kind of lasting impact on a person. God knew what He was doing, Joshua was being shaped and molded for the enormous task that lay decades ahead. Joshua had a taste of the real thing, and he couldn't get enough. "Thus the Lord used to speak to Moses face to face, just as a man speaks to his friend. When Moses returned to the camp, his servant Joshua, the son of Nun, a young man, would not depart from the tent." (Ex 33:11)
Later, Joshua was selected as one of twelve men sent on a spy mission to check out the Promised Land. The men came back and reported to the people of the amazing land they had seen, but they quickly coward and were afraid of the strong people and fortified cities. Joshua and Caleb were the only two of the twelve confident that God would provide what He promised..."The land which we passed through to spy out is an exceedingly good land. If the Lord is pleased with us, then He will bring us into this land and give it to us - a land which flows with milk and honey. Only do not rebel against the Lord; and do not fear the people of the land, for they will be our prey. Their protection has been removed from them, and the Lord is with us; do not fear them." (Num 14:7-9) Can't you just hear the dun, dun, dun drama music? I wonder if Joshua had any idea that he would be the one to fulfill those words...40 years later.
So, here we are. Israel has wandered, seemingly aimlessly, throughout the wilderness for four decades. Their beloved Moses has just passed on and Joshua has been tapped to take them in. It's about 1400BC. Just a side note here, I was curious as to what else was going on in the world around this time and it just so happens that King Tut died about 60 years later in 1343BC. Now, why do we hear so much about the young king and his bling and rarely hear about one of the greatest military conquests in all of history? I wonder if Tut had heard of Joshua's conquests? After all, it was just one generation later and you know how a good story will last. Nowadays, people are still talking about where they were the day Pearl Harbor was bombed. Hmm...food for thought.
Anyway, back to the story. The book starts with Joshua's charge. God tells Joshua, "Just as I have been with Moses, I will be with you; I will not fail you or forsake you." (Josh 1:5) Then He told Joshua to "be strong and courageous" not just once, but four times in the first chapter. Um, hello? Is there something scary ahead?
The first targeted city is Jericho, just to the west of the Jordan River. Joshua sends two spies to check it out and report back to him. Somehow they meet up with a harlot (that's Bible for prostitute) named Rahab who takes them in and hides them. Now, let's think about this. Why did they need hiding? Did they stand out that badly? I suppose forty years of wilderness wandering would leave one without the current fashion, not to mention the nation of Israel may have had distinguishing physical features. Either way, Rahab spotted them but then protected them? Well, why did she do that? Word had traveled through these cities about the Israelites. (Josh 2:8-11) How God dried up the Red Sea, how they had amazingly defeated the Amorites and Og (I'm sorry, I think the phrase was "utterly destroyed"), and that God had given their land to them and now they were coming for it. Funny...how did they know all that? Well first, it's probably not too difficult to spot nearly 2 million people wandering, especially after they'd passed by a few times. Also, I'm guessing the Israelites traded with or interacted with people over their 40 year stay in no man's land, either directly with these residents or with traveling traders or such. Just a hunch, but either way word had gotten around, Rahab had heard it and had accepted that theirs was the one true God. Long story short, Rahab hides the spies and helps them get away, Israel spares her and her family during the attack, and she, a harlot and a foreigner, is blessed by being added to Jesus' lineage...talk about an inclusive God! (Matt 1:5).
The spies return to camp with the necessary information and Israel packs up to head that way. One problem...there's a huge river between point A and point B, and no Golden Gate bridge waiting to assist them. So God, for the second time, dries up a massive body of water for the entire nation, livestock and all, to cross. And mind you, Joshua and Caleb were the only ones who got to see the Red Sea split first hand. The rest of the nation had heard about it all their lives and now they were seeing their own miracle. Pretty cool. So why does God perform these miracles, even today, (besides the physical need of crossing said major water system)? "that all the peoples of the earth may know that the hand of the Lord is mighty, so that you may fear the Lord your God forever." Joshua 4:24 (Uh huh, so that they will know that I am God...sound familiar?)
They set up camp a few miles from their target city, Jericho, and received the battle plan from the Lord...march in circles around the city, blow your horns and the walls will fall down. Really? Seriously? That's your big plan? You see, cities during this time had enormous walls all the way around them and often only had one gate for people to go in and out. These walls would be several stories high and many, many feet thick. We're not talking about a center block retaining wall here. This was a fortress. And God told them to yell at it and it would fall...riiight. But Joshua never wavered, never questioned or doubted. He followed God's instructions to a T because he'd seen Him do great things before and he had absolute confidence that He would come through again.
So here's where my felt board education has failed me. My vision of this event climaxed with 25 men standing outside the huge city gate, they gave a yell, "Ah," more like a football cheer than a battle cry and the walls fell and everybody came out with their hands up. Well, close but not quite...actually, not close at all. I need a visual. Have you ever seen the movie Troy?
The great war between Troy and Sparta (Helen of Troy, Trojan horse, you with me?) happened around 1200BC. Joshua took Canaan around 1400BC. Troy was a great fortified city with a massive wall surrounding it, much like Joshua's first target, Jericho. Being only 200 years difference in ancient history, I'm guessing the military equipment and tactics were fairly similar. God told Joshua to strategically circle the city in silence over the course of seven days. We're talking thousands of warriors marching around the city walls. Jericho was already petrified of Israel and had closed themselves inside the city. On the seventh day, the warriors followed the priests carrying the ark of the covenant, not once, but seven times around the city. At the end of the seventh lap, the priest blew the rams' horns, all of the warriors shouted and the massive walls of this fortified city came crashing down.
Ok, so Joshua didn't have soldiers facing him outside the city, but get a load of those walls!
Now, let's talk about this shout. I always pictured an enthusiastic yell, but that's so wrong. First of all, we're talking about thousands of warriors. In these battles, there were no snipers or computerized spy planes or fly by missiles for cover. This was man to man combat. Kill or be killed. Swords flying, blood flinging, men dropping like flies and being stepped over by a thousand others. The adrenaline pumping through their veins was incredible. Israel had marched around Jericho for six days in silence...talk about intimidation. On the seventh day, they circled the city seven times. That's a long time to get phyched up! By the time they heard the ram's horn, they were lit! The roar that came out of their mouths was more likely beast than man in full on survival mode.
The walls of Jericho fell, each man plowed straight ahead into the city and they "utterly destroyed everything in the city, both man and woman, young and old, and ox and sheep and donkey, with the edge of the sword." (Josh 6:21) Later the city was burned. The silver, gold, bronze and iron were put into the Lord's treasury and only Rahab and her family survived. (Joshua 6)
Joshua continued from Jericho, strategically taking one city after another. His command was "you shall not leave alive anything that breathes" (Deut 20:16). Several cities banded together to fight Israel, but they too fell and were utterly destroyed. Throughout these battles, God continues to remind Joshua to not be afraid...no doubt renewing his strength. Remember, we're talking about a 90 year old man here! But never once, did Joshua question or doubt God's instruction! He obeyed the Lord to the letter, fully expecting God to make good on His word...and He did, every time. At the end of the day (well, likely years), Joshua and his army had defeated thirty-one kings (Josh 12:24). Each one a complete victory. No easy undertaking, but with God all things are possible!
Now, here's where a lot of people struggle with our "all loving" God and make claims against the "mean God of the Old Testament." I too have questioned, how could such a loving God so brutally wipe out so many people? Well, we'll have to look a little closer at these people to understand this. The Canaanites (general term for many nationalities who previously occupied the Promised Land), were a sick and twisted group of people. In fact, when we get all in a tissy about how the world is "going to hell in a hand basket" these days, we need to take a look back at these guys. In a lot of ways, we've come a long way. (Now, don't get all worked up...of course there are MANY things that need to change in our world, but that's not the point here.) God clearly reminds Israel before they ever even crossed the Jordan that they were not receiving this land as a reward for anything they had done. He is giving them this land out of faithfulness to the promise He made to Abraham and because of the extreme evilness in those cities. (I can't find the reference...it's late and I'm tired, but I know it's there...I'll get back to you on that.) These people not only tolerated, but actively worshiped their imaginary gods. Said "worship" included child sacrifices of the most disturbing order and disgusting sexual activities, among many other things. Wiping them off the planet was actually an act of mercy. As if God stepped in front of Satan and yelled, "NO MORE! You can not have one more child or torment one more woman. ENOUGH!" For the children in that society to be killed and sent to the arms of the Lord was far more merciful than allowing them to be tortured, abused and murdered by their own parents. God did not wipe out the Jones' or Leave it to Beaver...these were some sick, nasty people. Whew, that was rough, but needed to be said. So, please do not think of God as "mean and vengeful" in the Old Testament. He has never and will never change. He was the same loving God then as He is now. Remember, He showed great mercy and blessing to Rahab simply because she trusted Him to be the true God. That offer was available to any other Canaanite who wanted to take it...too bad there weren't many others.
After the land was given rest from war, Israel divided up the land between the 12 tribes. Two and a half of the tribes chose to have land east of the Jordan (conquered earlier) so they returned home, and the other nine and half tribes began setting up house in their new diggs..."land on which you had not labored, and cities which you had not built, and you have lived in them; you are eating of vineyards and olive groves which you did not plant." (Josh 24:13)
After many years of battle and faithful service, Joshua prepares his last words to Israel...primarily a strong warning to remember what God had done for them and to always serve and obey Him. Despite his desperate pleadings, Joshua knew they would eventually turn their backs on the Lord. I can't imagine the pain that must
have caused him. He gave them one last charge, "choose for yourselves today whom you will serve; whether the gods which your fathers served which were beyond the rivers, or the gods of the Amorites in whose land you are living; but as for me and my house, we will serve the Lord." (Josh 24:15) Joshua is saying that we were all made to worship something. We will all devote our attention and our affections to something...that's how we were designed. Today we could rephrase this verse, "choose for yourselves today whom you will serve; whether your job and your bank account; or your football team and your social status; or you can choose to serve the Lord."
We were all made to worship something. Joshua worshiped and served the Lord with everything he had at every opportunity he was given. What an incredible example of radical pursuit of the Lord...the only one worthy of our praises!
At the end of Deut, Moses taps Joshua to lead the Israelites on his way to be with Jesus. From my calculations Joshua was pushing 90 and boy was this geezer handed a big assignment! It was time to bust into the Promised Land. The land God had been talking about for generations, hundreds of years. It was finally time to stop talking about it and start taking it and a 90 year old man was just the man for the job.
Joshua had lots of military experience...funny how God prepares us along the way, isn't it? In fact, we first met Joshua when Moses charged him with leading the battle against the Amalekites, not long after they crossed the Red Sea. As Joshua fought, Moses stood atop a hill and held the staff of God high. When his hands were raised the Israelites prevailed, when they lowered the Amalekites prevailed. Remember, Moses was no spring chicken by this time, so naturally his arms got tired. (Don't judge, you try standing there with your arms up for hours on end...P90X's got nothing on that workout!) Anyway, Aaron and Hur came to his rescue...they brought him a rock to sit on and they each held up an arm...all, day, long. At the end of the day, Israel won and I'm sure Moses was one exhausted dude. But anyway, this was Joshua's first taste God's military faithfulness (as far as we know anyway). (Exodus 17)
Next, Joshua was included in an elite group that got to meet with God. No, no, I'm not talking about a Tuesday night prayer meeting...MEET. WITH. GOD! "and they saw the god of Israel; and under His feet there appeared to be a pavement of sapphire, as clear as the sky itself. Yet He did not stretch out His hand against the nobles of the sons of Israel; and they saw God, and they ate and drank." (Ex 24:10-11) Now, I would like to think physically seeing the God of the universe and sharing a meal with Him would have some kind of lasting impact on a person. God knew what He was doing, Joshua was being shaped and molded for the enormous task that lay decades ahead. Joshua had a taste of the real thing, and he couldn't get enough. "Thus the Lord used to speak to Moses face to face, just as a man speaks to his friend. When Moses returned to the camp, his servant Joshua, the son of Nun, a young man, would not depart from the tent." (Ex 33:11)
Later, Joshua was selected as one of twelve men sent on a spy mission to check out the Promised Land. The men came back and reported to the people of the amazing land they had seen, but they quickly coward and were afraid of the strong people and fortified cities. Joshua and Caleb were the only two of the twelve confident that God would provide what He promised..."The land which we passed through to spy out is an exceedingly good land. If the Lord is pleased with us, then He will bring us into this land and give it to us - a land which flows with milk and honey. Only do not rebel against the Lord; and do not fear the people of the land, for they will be our prey. Their protection has been removed from them, and the Lord is with us; do not fear them." (Num 14:7-9) Can't you just hear the dun, dun, dun drama music? I wonder if Joshua had any idea that he would be the one to fulfill those words...40 years later.
So, here we are. Israel has wandered, seemingly aimlessly, throughout the wilderness for four decades. Their beloved Moses has just passed on and Joshua has been tapped to take them in. It's about 1400BC. Just a side note here, I was curious as to what else was going on in the world around this time and it just so happens that King Tut died about 60 years later in 1343BC. Now, why do we hear so much about the young king and his bling and rarely hear about one of the greatest military conquests in all of history? I wonder if Tut had heard of Joshua's conquests? After all, it was just one generation later and you know how a good story will last. Nowadays, people are still talking about where they were the day Pearl Harbor was bombed. Hmm...food for thought.
Anyway, back to the story. The book starts with Joshua's charge. God tells Joshua, "Just as I have been with Moses, I will be with you; I will not fail you or forsake you." (Josh 1:5) Then He told Joshua to "be strong and courageous" not just once, but four times in the first chapter. Um, hello? Is there something scary ahead?
The first targeted city is Jericho, just to the west of the Jordan River. Joshua sends two spies to check it out and report back to him. Somehow they meet up with a harlot (that's Bible for prostitute) named Rahab who takes them in and hides them. Now, let's think about this. Why did they need hiding? Did they stand out that badly? I suppose forty years of wilderness wandering would leave one without the current fashion, not to mention the nation of Israel may have had distinguishing physical features. Either way, Rahab spotted them but then protected them? Well, why did she do that? Word had traveled through these cities about the Israelites. (Josh 2:8-11) How God dried up the Red Sea, how they had amazingly defeated the Amorites and Og (I'm sorry, I think the phrase was "utterly destroyed"), and that God had given their land to them and now they were coming for it. Funny...how did they know all that? Well first, it's probably not too difficult to spot nearly 2 million people wandering, especially after they'd passed by a few times. Also, I'm guessing the Israelites traded with or interacted with people over their 40 year stay in no man's land, either directly with these residents or with traveling traders or such. Just a hunch, but either way word had gotten around, Rahab had heard it and had accepted that theirs was the one true God. Long story short, Rahab hides the spies and helps them get away, Israel spares her and her family during the attack, and she, a harlot and a foreigner, is blessed by being added to Jesus' lineage...talk about an inclusive God! (Matt 1:5).
The spies return to camp with the necessary information and Israel packs up to head that way. One problem...there's a huge river between point A and point B, and no Golden Gate bridge waiting to assist them. So God, for the second time, dries up a massive body of water for the entire nation, livestock and all, to cross. And mind you, Joshua and Caleb were the only ones who got to see the Red Sea split first hand. The rest of the nation had heard about it all their lives and now they were seeing their own miracle. Pretty cool. So why does God perform these miracles, even today, (besides the physical need of crossing said major water system)? "that all the peoples of the earth may know that the hand of the Lord is mighty, so that you may fear the Lord your God forever." Joshua 4:24 (Uh huh, so that they will know that I am God...sound familiar?)
They set up camp a few miles from their target city, Jericho, and received the battle plan from the Lord...march in circles around the city, blow your horns and the walls will fall down. Really? Seriously? That's your big plan? You see, cities during this time had enormous walls all the way around them and often only had one gate for people to go in and out. These walls would be several stories high and many, many feet thick. We're not talking about a center block retaining wall here. This was a fortress. And God told them to yell at it and it would fall...riiight. But Joshua never wavered, never questioned or doubted. He followed God's instructions to a T because he'd seen Him do great things before and he had absolute confidence that He would come through again.
So here's where my felt board education has failed me. My vision of this event climaxed with 25 men standing outside the huge city gate, they gave a yell, "Ah," more like a football cheer than a battle cry and the walls fell and everybody came out with their hands up. Well, close but not quite...actually, not close at all. I need a visual. Have you ever seen the movie Troy?
The great war between Troy and Sparta (Helen of Troy, Trojan horse, you with me?) happened around 1200BC. Joshua took Canaan around 1400BC. Troy was a great fortified city with a massive wall surrounding it, much like Joshua's first target, Jericho. Being only 200 years difference in ancient history, I'm guessing the military equipment and tactics were fairly similar. God told Joshua to strategically circle the city in silence over the course of seven days. We're talking thousands of warriors marching around the city walls. Jericho was already petrified of Israel and had closed themselves inside the city. On the seventh day, the warriors followed the priests carrying the ark of the covenant, not once, but seven times around the city. At the end of the seventh lap, the priest blew the rams' horns, all of the warriors shouted and the massive walls of this fortified city came crashing down.
Ok, so Joshua didn't have soldiers facing him outside the city, but get a load of those walls! Now, let's talk about this shout. I always pictured an enthusiastic yell, but that's so wrong. First of all, we're talking about thousands of warriors. In these battles, there were no snipers or computerized spy planes or fly by missiles for cover. This was man to man combat. Kill or be killed. Swords flying, blood flinging, men dropping like flies and being stepped over by a thousand others. The adrenaline pumping through their veins was incredible. Israel had marched around Jericho for six days in silence...talk about intimidation. On the seventh day, they circled the city seven times. That's a long time to get phyched up! By the time they heard the ram's horn, they were lit! The roar that came out of their mouths was more likely beast than man in full on survival mode.
The walls of Jericho fell, each man plowed straight ahead into the city and they "utterly destroyed everything in the city, both man and woman, young and old, and ox and sheep and donkey, with the edge of the sword." (Josh 6:21) Later the city was burned. The silver, gold, bronze and iron were put into the Lord's treasury and only Rahab and her family survived. (Joshua 6)
Joshua continued from Jericho, strategically taking one city after another. His command was "you shall not leave alive anything that breathes" (Deut 20:16). Several cities banded together to fight Israel, but they too fell and were utterly destroyed. Throughout these battles, God continues to remind Joshua to not be afraid...no doubt renewing his strength. Remember, we're talking about a 90 year old man here! But never once, did Joshua question or doubt God's instruction! He obeyed the Lord to the letter, fully expecting God to make good on His word...and He did, every time. At the end of the day (well, likely years), Joshua and his army had defeated thirty-one kings (Josh 12:24). Each one a complete victory. No easy undertaking, but with God all things are possible!
Now, here's where a lot of people struggle with our "all loving" God and make claims against the "mean God of the Old Testament." I too have questioned, how could such a loving God so brutally wipe out so many people? Well, we'll have to look a little closer at these people to understand this. The Canaanites (general term for many nationalities who previously occupied the Promised Land), were a sick and twisted group of people. In fact, when we get all in a tissy about how the world is "going to hell in a hand basket" these days, we need to take a look back at these guys. In a lot of ways, we've come a long way. (Now, don't get all worked up...of course there are MANY things that need to change in our world, but that's not the point here.) God clearly reminds Israel before they ever even crossed the Jordan that they were not receiving this land as a reward for anything they had done. He is giving them this land out of faithfulness to the promise He made to Abraham and because of the extreme evilness in those cities. (I can't find the reference...it's late and I'm tired, but I know it's there...I'll get back to you on that.) These people not only tolerated, but actively worshiped their imaginary gods. Said "worship" included child sacrifices of the most disturbing order and disgusting sexual activities, among many other things. Wiping them off the planet was actually an act of mercy. As if God stepped in front of Satan and yelled, "NO MORE! You can not have one more child or torment one more woman. ENOUGH!" For the children in that society to be killed and sent to the arms of the Lord was far more merciful than allowing them to be tortured, abused and murdered by their own parents. God did not wipe out the Jones' or Leave it to Beaver...these were some sick, nasty people. Whew, that was rough, but needed to be said. So, please do not think of God as "mean and vengeful" in the Old Testament. He has never and will never change. He was the same loving God then as He is now. Remember, He showed great mercy and blessing to Rahab simply because she trusted Him to be the true God. That offer was available to any other Canaanite who wanted to take it...too bad there weren't many others.
After the land was given rest from war, Israel divided up the land between the 12 tribes. Two and a half of the tribes chose to have land east of the Jordan (conquered earlier) so they returned home, and the other nine and half tribes began setting up house in their new diggs..."land on which you had not labored, and cities which you had not built, and you have lived in them; you are eating of vineyards and olive groves which you did not plant." (Josh 24:13)
After many years of battle and faithful service, Joshua prepares his last words to Israel...primarily a strong warning to remember what God had done for them and to always serve and obey Him. Despite his desperate pleadings, Joshua knew they would eventually turn their backs on the Lord. I can't imagine the pain that must
have caused him. He gave them one last charge, "choose for yourselves today whom you will serve; whether the gods which your fathers served which were beyond the rivers, or the gods of the Amorites in whose land you are living; but as for me and my house, we will serve the Lord." (Josh 24:15) Joshua is saying that we were all made to worship something. We will all devote our attention and our affections to something...that's how we were designed. Today we could rephrase this verse, "choose for yourselves today whom you will serve; whether your job and your bank account; or your football team and your social status; or you can choose to serve the Lord."
We were all made to worship something. Joshua worshiped and served the Lord with everything he had at every opportunity he was given. What an incredible example of radical pursuit of the Lord...the only one worthy of our praises!
Wednesday, November 3, 2010
Moses is a weenie (Deuteronomy)
I few weeks ago I mentioned that I have felt a huge call to study the Word and really dig in. I also informed you that you are now serving as my accountability, and I'm finally ready to share with you what I've learned from Deuteronomy. I know that "Deut" (Do you mind if I call you Deut for short? Great.) is an obscure book to randomly start with, but I suppose to should preface this with the fact that I started studying Genesis with my precious Boothmakers (aka ladies bible study) last August. We progressed through the Pentateuch and were wrapping up Numbers when I left Tennessee almost three months ago. Yes, that means it's taken me roughly three months to get through Deut on my own. But hey, it took us Boothmakers over a year to get through the first four books, so maybe I'm right on track? Either way, here we go...
A fair part of Deut is Moses' recap the last 40 years (aka what seems like aimless wandering) from his perspective. Some of it turns out to be quite humorous, like when God and Moses are referring to "your people", "no, they're your people" (9:12) when recounting all of the crazy misadventures they had endured. Deuteronomy was written at the conclusion of the wanderings, not long before Moses' death, and in preparation of entering the Promised Land.
God had been talking to the nation of Israel about this Promised Land for centuries...all the way back to Abraham, before there even was a nation of Israel. Now, after centuries of hearing about this land, the time had finally come to take it. One thing I've learned from reading so far is that we humans are not much different, whether we live in the 21st century or a thousand years before Christ...we're all pretty much the same. That being said, repetition is key! Moses goes on and on for 34 chapters and basically repeats himself about 15 times. Being the "simple" person that I am, if somebody repeats himself 15 times, I'm guessing he means business, so let's see what he was going on and on about...shall we?
Confidence to be Obedient
"The land which the Lord swore to give to your fathers, to Abraham, to Isaac, and to Jacob, to them and their descendants after them." (1:8)
Moses references the Abrahamic covenant at least 24 times...perhaps to remind them that taking the Promised Land was not some hair-brained idea that somebody cooked up. This had been God's promise for generations and He WOULD make good on it. (7:9)
"The Lord your God who goes before you will Himself fight on your behalf." (1:30)
Moses notes this 7 times...It is His battle to fight, not mine...regardless of how big the people look or how strong the walls appear. I just have to sit back, let Him plan it out, and move when He says move.
"For the Lord your God has blessed you in all that you have done; He has known your wanderings through this great wilderness. These forty years the Lord your God has been with you; you have not lacked a thing." (2:7)
Moses also reminds them that their clothing and shoes did not wear out, even after 40 years of hiking (8:4 & 29:5) and they were continually provided with food throughout the years (8:16). At no point over the last 40 years did God leave the Israelites or fail to provide what they needed. Now, He may not have provided their needs in the extravagant way they were accustomed to in Egypt, but their needs were met none the less.
Moses knew that entering the Promised Land and kicking out the seven nations currently living there would be no little task and that the whiny Israelites would easily become afraid. He knew they would need this boost of confidence as they were charged with leaving a monumental footprint on their nation's history.
So what's the promise we're after anyway?
In addition to the land itself, "that you may live and that it may be well with you, and that you may prolong your days in the land which you will possess" (5:33b) and "The Lord will open for you His good storehouse, the heavens, to give rain to your land in its season and to bless all the work of your hand; and you shall lend to many nations, but you shall not borrow." (28:12)
Ok, sounds good...How do we get it?
First, you must "possess the land"! (1:8) I'm not sure how much more clearer Moses could have been on this one. In 34 chapters, Moses tells the nation of Israel to "possess the land" at least 33 times! Obviously, the first step in this is to drive out the existing nations and move in, but there's more to it than that..."possess" or yarash in Hebrew means to occupy, be driving out previous tenants and possessing in their place, by implication to seize, to rob, to inherit, also to expel, to impoverish, to ruin-cast out, consume, destroy, disinherit, depossess, drive out, enjoy. God did not intend for the Israelites to simply gain political control of the land and live side by side with the Canaanites...He wanted them out! Gone! And all their messed up idol worship and perversions with them. Perhaps this is one of the reasons they hung out in isolation in the wilderness for so long. Knowing they were coming from an idolatrous nation and heading into another, God needed time to clear their heads of all the nonsense and focus them on Him and His higher ways. This "possess" is not passive and it's not easy. It's active and it goes on the offensive to take back what Satan has stolen and perverted. It's high time we get off our tushes and out of our safe church buildings and start taking back what belongs to our Lord! This includes our neighborhoods, our schools, our TV shows and holidays...including Halloween. I don't know about you, but I refuse to let Satan have even one day a year to parade His nonsense around. I will not hide away in my house, I will not let him steal October 31 any more and I will not let him diminish our celebration of the fall season!
Second, you must remember where God has brought you from and what distractions are waiting for you ahead. Moses tells the Israelites to "remember" or "be careful" at least 16 times. He wanted them to establish a habit of remembering the mess God brought them from, in this case oppressive slavery in Egypt. In my case, ho-hum legalistic, box-checking religion, void of His supernatural presence. He also constantly reminds them that in the coming years they will be faced with seemingly appealing idol worship by the foreigners, but to remember the things God taught them in the wilderness. His ways are higher and better than any other option.
Next, you must "purge evil" (13:5)...no exceptions. In the last 9 chapters, Moses tells them to "purge evil from their midst" 9 times! Again, if he's going to repeat himself that many times, he must be serious. "Purge" or ba'ar means to kindle, that is consume by fire or by eating. This is also active, on the offense, and exhaustive. We must choose to do away with evil, all evil, if we want God's best. Even a little dabble can cause us to miss some of the blessings God has for us. A few years ago I heard a mom tell me about a family rule they have...they can watch a TV show or movie until the third cuss word, then they have to turn it off. To the American culture, this seems nice and conservative, but my question is why the third word? Isn't this compromising? If God clearly tells us to think on things that are true, honorable, right, pure, and lovely (Phil 4:8), how do using His name inappropriately, demeaning others with offensive names or simply being crude fit into this commandment? I think accepting three curse words, or supporting the idea of sex before marriage or alcohol abuse (all themes that are common place in today's entertainment world) qualify as compromises and dabbling with evil. "God, let me dabble, just a little, with what You've told me to stay away from, and You can hold back some of Your blessings...deal?" NO WAY! I do not want to sacrifice anything He has for me, and certainly not for the sake of exposing myself to a few little curse words!
Next, obeying the Lord's commandments is not for the purpose of feeding the big God's ego, but it's because He wants what is best for us. "Now Israel, what does the Lord your God require from you, but to fear the Lord your God, to walk in all His ways and love Him, and to serve the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul, and to keep the Lord's commandments and His statues which I am commanding you today for your good." (10:12-13) Moses tells the congregation to obey the Lord's commandments at least 21 times (I'm sure I missed some). Our sophisticated society has revealed the science behind why God gave some of His commands. For example, they were not to eat or handle a dead pig (14:8). While this may seem silly and trivial, we now know that pork spoils easily and He simply did not want them getting sick...it's that easy! The reasonings behind some of God's commandments are obvious, some are not and some Satan twists to try to make them look silly. For example, God repeatedly tells us to keep sex inside marriage, our culture says it's not only 'ok' but 'normal' to use it as you please, especially if the two "love each other." God's reasoning is to prevent a long list of unnecessary issues: STDs, unexpected pregnancies, drama, shame, guilt, a loss of confidence and sense of worth, relational issues with your future spouse, and the list goes on. For those that choose to obey this command, the blessings abound: unity in your marriage, no fear of disease or pregnancy, and an opportunity to experience pure intimacy in the way God designed...there is no substitute for His original intention.
Remind me again, why so much effort?
The promises and blessings waiting for those who whole-heartedly seek Him are endless. God promised them prosperity in this new land, with their crops, their livestock, their children, and their enemies. Some additional, even more exciting blessings include God's presence, aid, and love for this generation and those to come. The greatest blessing of all is having the most awesome, powerful and jealous being in all creation, the Uncreated One, pouring His love, guidance, and favor on us. That's enough for me! (4:7, 24, 29, 35, 39, 5:33, 7:9, 21, 10:17, 11:8-17, 12:28, 28:1-2, 33:29)
As "hard" as it may seem to live up to the lofty expectations of the King of Kings and Lord of Lords, it's doable for those willing to pour out the effort, "For this commandment which I command you today is not too difficult for you, nor is it out of reach." (30:11) The question is, how badly do I want God and His blessings?
Don't get me wrong...I'm no "saint", and I've certainly got my record, but I refuse to let Satan continue to point fingers at my past mistakes and keep me in fear from stepping out, being obedient and receiving the blessings next time. Won't you? Go ahead and tell Satan where he can put that finger! All that past mess is covered in the blood and now is the time to start fresh...it's never too late!
The death of Moses
When we first started studying Exodus, I have to admit that I called Moses a "weenie." In the beginning when God first asked him to do some pretty big things, he came up with one sorry excuse after another. Frankly, I got a little annoyed with him. But now, at the very end of his life, once he decided to be obedient and trust God with the commands he was given, Moses was hailed as the greatest prophet that ever lived. To think, a murder and fugitive experienced some of the greatest encounters of any human that has walked this planet. He saw God face to face. Not just once or even twice, but so regularly that his life was marked by it. (34:10) The relationship with the most High he was blessed with was so extraordinary and intimate, that God himself buried Moses. It was just the two of them. Even though Moses was a hearty 120 years old, he was still a kicking old timer! He didn't die of natural causes, but because of his dabble in disobedience (Num 20). After an unbelievable 40 year journey and before bringing him home, God took Moses to Mount Nebo and gave him a tour of the Promised Land, by the artist himself. I can't imagine what an amazing reward and intimate moment this must have been. May it be said of me at the end of my days that I knew the Lord face to face. Now that's worth fighting for.
A fair part of Deut is Moses' recap the last 40 years (aka what seems like aimless wandering) from his perspective. Some of it turns out to be quite humorous, like when God and Moses are referring to "your people", "no, they're your people" (9:12) when recounting all of the crazy misadventures they had endured. Deuteronomy was written at the conclusion of the wanderings, not long before Moses' death, and in preparation of entering the Promised Land.
God had been talking to the nation of Israel about this Promised Land for centuries...all the way back to Abraham, before there even was a nation of Israel. Now, after centuries of hearing about this land, the time had finally come to take it. One thing I've learned from reading so far is that we humans are not much different, whether we live in the 21st century or a thousand years before Christ...we're all pretty much the same. That being said, repetition is key! Moses goes on and on for 34 chapters and basically repeats himself about 15 times. Being the "simple" person that I am, if somebody repeats himself 15 times, I'm guessing he means business, so let's see what he was going on and on about...shall we?
Confidence to be Obedient
"The land which the Lord swore to give to your fathers, to Abraham, to Isaac, and to Jacob, to them and their descendants after them." (1:8)
Moses references the Abrahamic covenant at least 24 times...perhaps to remind them that taking the Promised Land was not some hair-brained idea that somebody cooked up. This had been God's promise for generations and He WOULD make good on it. (7:9)
"The Lord your God who goes before you will Himself fight on your behalf." (1:30)
Moses notes this 7 times...It is His battle to fight, not mine...regardless of how big the people look or how strong the walls appear. I just have to sit back, let Him plan it out, and move when He says move.
"For the Lord your God has blessed you in all that you have done; He has known your wanderings through this great wilderness. These forty years the Lord your God has been with you; you have not lacked a thing." (2:7)
Moses also reminds them that their clothing and shoes did not wear out, even after 40 years of hiking (8:4 & 29:5) and they were continually provided with food throughout the years (8:16). At no point over the last 40 years did God leave the Israelites or fail to provide what they needed. Now, He may not have provided their needs in the extravagant way they were accustomed to in Egypt, but their needs were met none the less.
Moses knew that entering the Promised Land and kicking out the seven nations currently living there would be no little task and that the whiny Israelites would easily become afraid. He knew they would need this boost of confidence as they were charged with leaving a monumental footprint on their nation's history.
So what's the promise we're after anyway?
In addition to the land itself, "that you may live and that it may be well with you, and that you may prolong your days in the land which you will possess" (5:33b) and "The Lord will open for you His good storehouse, the heavens, to give rain to your land in its season and to bless all the work of your hand; and you shall lend to many nations, but you shall not borrow." (28:12)
Ok, sounds good...How do we get it?
First, you must "possess the land"! (1:8) I'm not sure how much more clearer Moses could have been on this one. In 34 chapters, Moses tells the nation of Israel to "possess the land" at least 33 times! Obviously, the first step in this is to drive out the existing nations and move in, but there's more to it than that..."possess" or yarash in Hebrew means to occupy, be driving out previous tenants and possessing in their place, by implication to seize, to rob, to inherit, also to expel, to impoverish, to ruin-cast out, consume, destroy, disinherit, depossess, drive out, enjoy. God did not intend for the Israelites to simply gain political control of the land and live side by side with the Canaanites...He wanted them out! Gone! And all their messed up idol worship and perversions with them. Perhaps this is one of the reasons they hung out in isolation in the wilderness for so long. Knowing they were coming from an idolatrous nation and heading into another, God needed time to clear their heads of all the nonsense and focus them on Him and His higher ways. This "possess" is not passive and it's not easy. It's active and it goes on the offensive to take back what Satan has stolen and perverted. It's high time we get off our tushes and out of our safe church buildings and start taking back what belongs to our Lord! This includes our neighborhoods, our schools, our TV shows and holidays...including Halloween. I don't know about you, but I refuse to let Satan have even one day a year to parade His nonsense around. I will not hide away in my house, I will not let him steal October 31 any more and I will not let him diminish our celebration of the fall season!
Second, you must remember where God has brought you from and what distractions are waiting for you ahead. Moses tells the Israelites to "remember" or "be careful" at least 16 times. He wanted them to establish a habit of remembering the mess God brought them from, in this case oppressive slavery in Egypt. In my case, ho-hum legalistic, box-checking religion, void of His supernatural presence. He also constantly reminds them that in the coming years they will be faced with seemingly appealing idol worship by the foreigners, but to remember the things God taught them in the wilderness. His ways are higher and better than any other option.
Next, you must "purge evil" (13:5)...no exceptions. In the last 9 chapters, Moses tells them to "purge evil from their midst" 9 times! Again, if he's going to repeat himself that many times, he must be serious. "Purge" or ba'ar means to kindle, that is consume by fire or by eating. This is also active, on the offense, and exhaustive. We must choose to do away with evil, all evil, if we want God's best. Even a little dabble can cause us to miss some of the blessings God has for us. A few years ago I heard a mom tell me about a family rule they have...they can watch a TV show or movie until the third cuss word, then they have to turn it off. To the American culture, this seems nice and conservative, but my question is why the third word? Isn't this compromising? If God clearly tells us to think on things that are true, honorable, right, pure, and lovely (Phil 4:8), how do using His name inappropriately, demeaning others with offensive names or simply being crude fit into this commandment? I think accepting three curse words, or supporting the idea of sex before marriage or alcohol abuse (all themes that are common place in today's entertainment world) qualify as compromises and dabbling with evil. "God, let me dabble, just a little, with what You've told me to stay away from, and You can hold back some of Your blessings...deal?" NO WAY! I do not want to sacrifice anything He has for me, and certainly not for the sake of exposing myself to a few little curse words!
Next, obeying the Lord's commandments is not for the purpose of feeding the big God's ego, but it's because He wants what is best for us. "Now Israel, what does the Lord your God require from you, but to fear the Lord your God, to walk in all His ways and love Him, and to serve the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul, and to keep the Lord's commandments and His statues which I am commanding you today for your good." (10:12-13) Moses tells the congregation to obey the Lord's commandments at least 21 times (I'm sure I missed some). Our sophisticated society has revealed the science behind why God gave some of His commands. For example, they were not to eat or handle a dead pig (14:8). While this may seem silly and trivial, we now know that pork spoils easily and He simply did not want them getting sick...it's that easy! The reasonings behind some of God's commandments are obvious, some are not and some Satan twists to try to make them look silly. For example, God repeatedly tells us to keep sex inside marriage, our culture says it's not only 'ok' but 'normal' to use it as you please, especially if the two "love each other." God's reasoning is to prevent a long list of unnecessary issues: STDs, unexpected pregnancies, drama, shame, guilt, a loss of confidence and sense of worth, relational issues with your future spouse, and the list goes on. For those that choose to obey this command, the blessings abound: unity in your marriage, no fear of disease or pregnancy, and an opportunity to experience pure intimacy in the way God designed...there is no substitute for His original intention.
Remind me again, why so much effort?
The promises and blessings waiting for those who whole-heartedly seek Him are endless. God promised them prosperity in this new land, with their crops, their livestock, their children, and their enemies. Some additional, even more exciting blessings include God's presence, aid, and love for this generation and those to come. The greatest blessing of all is having the most awesome, powerful and jealous being in all creation, the Uncreated One, pouring His love, guidance, and favor on us. That's enough for me! (4:7, 24, 29, 35, 39, 5:33, 7:9, 21, 10:17, 11:8-17, 12:28, 28:1-2, 33:29)
As "hard" as it may seem to live up to the lofty expectations of the King of Kings and Lord of Lords, it's doable for those willing to pour out the effort, "For this commandment which I command you today is not too difficult for you, nor is it out of reach." (30:11) The question is, how badly do I want God and His blessings?
Don't get me wrong...I'm no "saint", and I've certainly got my record, but I refuse to let Satan continue to point fingers at my past mistakes and keep me in fear from stepping out, being obedient and receiving the blessings next time. Won't you? Go ahead and tell Satan where he can put that finger! All that past mess is covered in the blood and now is the time to start fresh...it's never too late!
The death of Moses
When we first started studying Exodus, I have to admit that I called Moses a "weenie." In the beginning when God first asked him to do some pretty big things, he came up with one sorry excuse after another. Frankly, I got a little annoyed with him. But now, at the very end of his life, once he decided to be obedient and trust God with the commands he was given, Moses was hailed as the greatest prophet that ever lived. To think, a murder and fugitive experienced some of the greatest encounters of any human that has walked this planet. He saw God face to face. Not just once or even twice, but so regularly that his life was marked by it. (34:10) The relationship with the most High he was blessed with was so extraordinary and intimate, that God himself buried Moses. It was just the two of them. Even though Moses was a hearty 120 years old, he was still a kicking old timer! He didn't die of natural causes, but because of his dabble in disobedience (Num 20). After an unbelievable 40 year journey and before bringing him home, God took Moses to Mount Nebo and gave him a tour of the Promised Land, by the artist himself. I can't imagine what an amazing reward and intimate moment this must have been. May it be said of me at the end of my days that I knew the Lord face to face. Now that's worth fighting for.
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