Jos 3:1 And Joshua rose early in the morning; and they removed from Shittim, and came to Jordan, he and all the children of Israel, and lodged there before they passed over.

They’ve done their research. They know all they need to know to make their move. Note that Joshua is now beginning to move them into position. Just as I explained to my son, nothing just happens. There are a series of little steps one must take that gradually inches them into position to receive.

Just like no one just wins an Olympic medal. They learn everything about their sport. They learn about their competition. They learn techniques that help them move better, faster, and longer without fatigue. They train, and train, and train.

And then, they start with small battles. They enter competitions and contests. Most of the time, they start on a local level, and work their way up to divisional or regional levels. When they have become successful at these levels, they move on to state, and then national levels; and all the while, they are still in training with their eye on the prize. They earn their way into “qualification” by faith and faithful effort, into the group of those whose faithfulness have earned them the right to compete for the ultimate prize.

But, no one ever got there by sleeping half the day away. Let me remind you…

Pro 6:6 Go to the ant, thou sluggard; consider her ways, and be wise:
Pro 6:9 How long wilt thou sleep, O sluggard? when wilt thou arise out of thy sleep?
Pro 13:4 The soul of the sluggard desireth, and [hath] nothing: but the soul of the diligent shall be made fat.

“You‘ve got to get up pretty early in the morning, to pull one over on me!”
“Early to bed & early to rise, makes a man, healthy, wealthy & wise.”

In other words, it takes diligence. It takes consistency. And it can be quite frustrating; I know.

My book, “Dear Child of God,” was published as both a hard copy book, and an ebook. However, at the time I published the ebook, the company I published with informed me that I could have the book placed into their premium catalog, but it required some adjustments to the formatting.

At the time they first brought this to my attention, I was going through some drama with my son, having not yet received an evaluation on him, and not knowing about the ADHD and Asperger’s that he has since been diagnosed with.

Because of the issues at that time, I was unable to even focus on these revisions with my book. Two years passed before I was even able to pay attention to anything else. So at the beginning of this year, I finally was able to start working on it.

Let me tell you; talk about frustrating. Every time I fixed what they required and resubmitted the book, they had a new set of requirements. They would direct me to one section of their publishing guidelines for the corrections, and the next time, something else would come up.

Week after week, I’d resubmit, sometimes even twice per week, and no matter what I did, it would never pass their auto vetter (formatting machine for ebooks). I thought I would go crazy.

There were more than several times, when I seriously considered giving up. It was just that frustrating. What kept me going? I was really making an effort to make some changes in my life, and I just thought that I could be on the edge of a breakthrough and not know it. Giving up would make me miss my reward.

I kept asking God to give me the strength. Additionally, I really tried to get the focus off of my dissatisfaction at having to continually redo it. I tried to keep my eyes on the goal: worldwide distribution.

So, as frustrating as it sometimes was, I just resigned myself that no matter what, I was going to keep going, and redo it as many times as it takes to get it right, so I would get into that premium catalog.

After 4 frustrating months of this, it finally dawned on me that part of the problem was the conversion from my word processor into a Word document when I saved it.

This conversion was throwing things out of wack, and so, despite my best efforts to change the formatting, the document was still carrying hidden formatting that was not visible to me on the screen.

Finally, I decided to copy all the text into my notepad, which would remove all formatting; and then, open a new document and paste it into that. Then I’d be able to redo the formatting from scratch.

That brainstorm got me past the first major hurdle; the auto vetter. However, unbeknownst to me, there was another major hurdle. Not only did I have to get it past the staff, but also, the epub viewer. If it didn’t lay out correctly there, I still had more battling to do.

After two more revisions, I got past the staff, but not the epub viewer. I still had more work to do, but I was elated to have won a few of these major hurdles.

This time, they mentioned the epub viewer in their message on my revisions, and gave me a link to check it with. I made the changes and checked it and…low and behold! It passed! I was elated, to say the least.

I resubmitted it, and it was approved, however, the president emailed me about some minor issues having to do with the trailer on my paragraphs being 72pts, and the unnecessary use of page breaks. I had made 6pt trailers, but again, the conversion from the word processor had increased it tremendously.

These were minor fixes, and I took care of them, but it took 5 months and a lot of perseverance week after frustrating week to get to this point. Now, my book will be made available to every major retailer of ebooks worldwide.

You’ve got to have a goal, and you’ve got to have a plan, and you’ve got to be determined and persistent, so that despite the obstacles, you can attain that which you seek. Nothing just happens.

Jos 2:15 Then she let them down by a cord through the window: for her house [was] upon the town wall, and she dwelt upon the wall.

Her house was located within the fortifications of Jericho. The Hebrew translation literally reads, “Her house was against the vertical surface of the city wall, and in the city wall she lived.”

How was her house preserved when the wall fell? German excavations from 1907-1909 on the northern section of the site, uncovered a portion of the lower city wall that did not fall as it did everywhere else.

The still-standing section rose as high as 8 feet, with houses built against it still intact. A second wall at the crest of the embankment revealed that these particular houses were situated between the upper and lower city walls and were thus “in the city wall.”

Since the lower wall also formed the back wall of the houses, an opening (window) in the wall would have provided a convenient escape route for the spies. From this northerly location it was only a short distance to the hills of the Judean wilderness, where the spies hid for three days.

Jos 2:16 And she said unto them, Get you to the mountain, lest the pursuers meet you; and hide yourselves there three days, until the pursuers be returned: and afterward may ye go your way.

Hiding themselves for three days is reminiscent of, or a foreshadowing of Christ’s burial and resurrection three days later.

Jos 2:17 And the men said unto her, We [will be] blameless of this thine oath which thou hast made us swear.
Jos 2:18 Behold, [when] we come into the land, thou shalt bind this line of scarlet thread in the window which thou didst let us down by: and thou shalt bring thy father, and thy mother, and thy brethren, and all thy father’s household, home unto thee.

And now, here the scarlet thread represents the blood that was shed; much like the Passover.

Jos 2:19 And it shall be, [that] whosoever shall go out of the doors of thy house into the street, his blood [shall be] upon his head, and we [will be] guiltless: and whosoever shall be with thee in the house, his blood [shall be] on our head, if [any] hand be upon him.
Jos 2:20 And if thou utter this our business, then we will be quit of thine oath which thou hast made us to swear.
Jos 2:21 And she said, According unto your words, so [be] it. And she sent them away, and they departed: and she bound the scarlet line in the window.
Jos 2:22 And they went, and came unto the mountain, and abode there three days, until the pursuers were returned: and the pursuers sought [them] throughout all the way, but found [them] not.
Jos 2:23 So the two men returned, and descended from the mountain, and passed over, and came to Joshua the son of Nun, and told him all [things] that befell them:
Jos 2:24 And they said unto Joshua, Truly the LORD hath delivered into our hands all the land; for even all the inhabitants of the country do faint because of us.

This story of Rahab proves that God uses individuals of all temperaments and backgrounds to accomplish His purposes – even prostitutes. She was strategically positioned in a home in the wall of Jericho working as a prostitute in Jericho when the Israelites approached the city.

When the two Hebrew spies came to her for aid, she displayed a clear understanding of spiritual issues. She not only described the dread of her people concerning the Jews, but additionally, she acknowledged that the land belonged to the Israelites.

Therefore, she willingly risked her life to hide the spies. She leveraged her hospitality on behalf of her family, and being a woman of her word, fulfilled her end of the bargain, and kept their secret.

Although the Hebrew spies needed someone to help them scope out the best approach to conquering the city, there seemed little logical reason why Rahab should have been considered for the role.

She occupied no position and held no official title in the city.
The Israelites looked upon women as lower class citizens.
As a prostitute, she held an even lower social rank than the average woman.

God chose Rahab because leadership depends less on titles than it does on influence. She helped the spies by her quick wisdom, gutsy style, and clever plan. Why? Because she believed in the power of God, having heard about the accomplishments of the Israelites.

By doing so she saved not only her own life, but aided in accomplishing the purposes of God in Jericho.

Wise leaders remember that God sees the human heart; while many would never trust a woman with a personal history like that of Rahab, God selected her. The name “Rahab” even occupies an honored place in the Hall of Faith, because Rahab faithfully served God. Her family lived and was adopted into Hebrew society – and she became an ancestor of the Lord Jesus Himself.

The Victorious Life of Joshua Part 18

Jos 2:1 And Joshua the son of Nun sent out of Shittim two men to spy secretly, saying, Go view the land, even Jericho. And they went, and came into an harlot’s house, named Rahab, and lodged there.

Shittim = “the acacias”
1) place of Israel’s encampment between the conquest of the trans-jordanic region and crossing the Jordan into Canaan

Acacias = flowering tree: a bush or tree that has narrow leaves and dark fruit pods. Flowers: small, yellow. Native to: tropics, subtropics.

2) a place west of Jerusalem

Rahab = “wide”
1) a harlot of Jericho who aided the spies to escape; saved from the destruction of Jericho; married Salmon, an ancestor of David and of Christ; commended for her faith in the book of James.

Jos 2:2 And it was told the king of Jericho, saying, Behold, there came men in hither to night of the children of Israel to search out the country.

Jericho = “its moon”
1) a city 5 miles (8 km) west of the Jordan and 7 miles (11.5 km) north of the Dead Sea and the first city conquered by the Israelites upon entering the promised land of Canaan

Jos 2:3 And the king of Jericho sent unto Rahab, saying, Bring forth the men that are come to thee, which are entered into thine house: for they be come to search out all the country.
Jos 2:4 And the woman took the two men, and hid them, and said thus, There came men unto me, but I wist not whence they [were]:
Jos 2:5 And it came to pass [about the time] of shutting of the gate, when it was dark, that the men went out: whither the men went I wot not: pursue after them quickly; for ye shall overtake them.
Jos 2:6 But she had brought them up to the roof of the house, and hid them with the stalks of flax, which she had laid in order upon the roof.
Jos 2:7 And the men pursued after them the way to Jordan unto the fords: and as soon as they which pursued after them were gone out, they shut the gate.
Jos 2:8 And before they were laid down, she came up unto them upon the roof;
Jos 2:9 And she said unto the men, I know that the LORD hath given you the land, and that your terror is fallen upon us, and that all the inhabitants of the land faint because of you.

Jehovah = “the existing One”
1) the proper name of the one true God

Jos 2:10 For we have heard how the LORD dried up the water of the Red sea for you, when ye came out of Egypt; and what ye did unto the two kings of the Amorites, that [were] on the other side Jordan, Sihon and Og, whom ye utterly destroyed.

Amorite = “a sayer”

Jordan = “descender”

Sihon = “warrior”
1) king of the Amorites at the time of the conquest and defeated by Moses in Transjordan

Og = “long-necked”
1) the Amorite king of Bashan and one of the last representatives of the giants of Rephaim

Its no wonder they were afraid, having heard of all these things. Now here, the definition of Og is different than when I first looked him up years ago. At that time, the meaning I got for his name was “fat.” He was the “fat king of plenty;” plenty being the meaning of Bashan.

Regardless, both of these Amorites represented power and a stronghold in the area, and here, the Israelites had defeated them both.

Jos 2:11 And as soon as we had heard [these things], our hearts did melt, neither did there remain any more courage in any man, because of you: for the LORD your God, he [is] God in heaven above, and in earth beneath.

Your God = Elohiym
1) (plural)
a) rulers, judges
b) divine ones
c) angels
d) gods
2) (plural intensive – singular meaning)

a) god, goddess
b) godlike one
c) works or special possessions of God
d) the (true) God
e) God

Jos 2:12 Now therefore, I pray you, swear unto me by the LORD, since I have shewed you kindness, that ye will also shew kindness unto my father’s house, and give me a true token:
Jos 2:13 And [that] ye will save alive my father, and my mother, and my brethren, and my sisters, and all that they have, and deliver our lives from death.
Jos 2:14 And the men answered her, Our life for yours, if ye utter not this our business. And it shall be, when the LORD hath given us the land, that we will deal kindly and truly with thee.

 

Jos 1:10 Then Joshua commanded the officers of the people, saying,

Jos 1:11  Pass through the host, and command the people, saying, Prepare you victuals; for within three days ye shall pass over this Jordan, to go in to possess the land, which the LORD your God giveth you to possess it.  

Jordan = “descender”

In three days you will pass over the “descender,” to go in to possess the land that God is giving you. I’m sure the significance of those words are not lost on the majority of you. In order to go in and possess the land (your blessings) you are going to have to pass over your fears, or whatever it is that makes you descend and draw back instead of ascend. This can’t be done without faith. Of course, this lines up with the Passover, and Christ’s victory over the grave as well. 

Jos 1:12 And to the Reubenites, and to the Gadites, and to half the tribe of Manasseh, spake Joshua, saying,

Jos 1:13  Remember the word which Moses the servant of the LORD commanded you, saying, The LORD your God hath given you rest, and hath given you this land.

Jos 1:14  Your wives, your little ones, and your cattle, shall remain in the land which Moses gave you on this side Jordan; but ye shall pass before your brethren armed, all the mighty men of valour, and help them;

Jos 1:15  Until the LORD have given your brethren rest, as [he hath given] you, and they also have possessed the land which the LORD your God giveth them: then ye shall return unto the land of your possession, and enjoy it, which Moses the LORD’S servant gave you on this side Jordan toward the sunrising.

This land of their possession was separate from the land being given to the rest of the tribes.

Deu 3:16  And unto the Reubenites and unto the Gadites I gave from Gilead even unto the river Arnon half the valley, and the border even unto the river Jabbok, [which is] the border of the children of Ammon;

Deu 3:17  The plain also, and Jordan, and the coast [thereof], from Chinnereth even unto the sea of the plain, [even] the salt sea, under Ashdothpisgah eastward.

And at that same time, the command concerning their wives and children (above) was given. But look at what also happened. Remember, this is Moses, recounting to the people their history.

Deu 3:21  And I commanded Joshua at that time, saying, Thine eyes have seen all that the LORD your God hath done unto these two kings: so shall the LORD do unto all the kingdoms whither thou passest.

Deu 3:22  Ye shall not fear them: for the LORD your God he shall fight for you.

Deu 3:23  And I besought the LORD at that time, saying,

Deu 3:24  O Lord GOD, thou hast begun to shew thy servant thy greatness, and thy mighty hand: for what God [is there] in heaven or in earth, that can do according to thy works, and according to thy might?

Deu 3:25  I pray thee, let me go over, and see the good land that [is] beyond Jordan, that goodly mountain, and Lebanon.

Deu 3:26  But the LORD was wroth with me for your sakes, and would not hear me: and the LORD said unto me, Let it suffice thee; speak no more unto me of this matter.

Deu 3:27  Get thee up into the top of Pisgah, and lift up thine eyes westward, and northward, and southward, and eastward, and behold [it] with thine eyes: for thou shalt not go over this Jordan.

Deu 3:28  But charge Joshua, and encourage him, and strengthen him: for he shall go over before this people, and he shall cause them to inherit the land which thou shalt see.

Apparently, Moses aggravated God by asking Him again to allow him to pass into the promised land. Once again, the reason for the refusal is clear. Moses’ heart had not changed. He was still bitterly blaming the people of Israel, and failed to see his own wrongdoing. Instead, he was told to charge and encourage Joshua, and to strengthen him for this task.

Jos 1:16  And they answered Joshua, saying, All that thou commandest us we will do, and whithersoever thou sendest us, we will go.

They should have stopped right there with that line, but they went further. I don’t know if Joshua caught it, but they clearly told him their intent.

Jos 1:17  According as we hearkened unto Moses in all things, so will we hearken unto thee: only the LORD thy God be with thee, as he was with Moses.

This is a joke. They told Joshua that they would follow him, “just like we listened to Moses in ‘all’ things.” Don’t you remember? A while ago, they had Moses and Aaron on the ground pleading with God for their lives because of the rebellion of these people’s parents?

And here they say, according to the way they followed Moses, they would obey Joshua? They just told him in no uncertain terms that they are going to be problematic. So now, that they’ve put their foots in their mouths, they try to clean it up a bit.

Jos 1:18  Whosoever [he be] that doth rebel against thy commandment, and will not hearken unto thy words in all that thou commandest him, he shall be put to death: only be strong and of a good courage.

So now, they try to act like they’re serious about obeying him, and then encourage him to be strong and of good courage. Don’t you love it when a hypocrite tries to snow you? And then, after they’ve tried to run game on you, they attempt to give you some form of false bravado? Good thing God had already established him in confidence and had his back.

So Joshua is given his first directives as the new leader.

Jos 1:6 Be strong and of a good courage: for unto this people shalt thou divide for an inheritance the land, which I sware unto their fathers to give them.
Jos 1:7 Only be thou strong and very courageous, that thou mayest observe to do according to all the law, which Moses my servant commanded thee: turn not from it [to] the right hand or [to] the left, that thou mayest prosper whithersoever thou goest.
Jos 1:8 This book of the law shall not depart out of thy mouth; but thou shalt meditate therein day and night, that thou mayest observe to do according to all that is written therein: for then thou shalt make thy way prosperous, and then thou shalt have good success.
Jos 1:9 Have not I commanded thee? Be strong and of a good courage; be not afraid, neither be thou dismayed: for the LORD thy God [is] with thee whithersoever thou goest.

Command:
Be strong and of a good courage
Purpose
So you can divide the land God swore to give them as an inheritance
Command:
Be strong and of a good courage
Purpose
So that you can observe and follow the law that Moses commanded.
So that you will not turn from it to the right hand or to the left.
So that you may prosper wherever you go.
Command:
Don’t let this book of the law depart from your mouth; meditate on it daily, day and night.
Purpose
So that you can observe and do all that is written in it.
So you shall be able to make your way prosperous.
So you shall have good success.
Command:
Be strong and of a good courage.
Don’t be afraid.
Don’t be dismayed
Reason
The Lord is with you wherever you go.

Something I have been learning about are action steps. When you gain new knowledge or insight, you have to take action on it. That is your act of faith. Even if you are not fully in a position to act on it in a physical or even economical sense, you still have to act on it, even if it is a baby step that will help to get you into position.

I’ve discovered that what most people consider to be “luck,” or how most people are blessed, is because when new information came to them, they took action in some way.

Luck is preparation to meet opportunity. Luck comes to people of action. Don’t fail through inaction.

“Shallow men believe in luck. Strong men believe in cause and effect.” Ralph Waldo Emerson

“Diligence is the mother of good luck.” Benjamin Franklin

These action steps, no matter how small, add up, and line you up; positioning you to get blessed, but if you fail to recognize the knowledge you are gaining access to, and you do nothing about the opportunity to gain more, or fail to take any action on it, you will delay, or totally miss your blessing.

There comes a time when you have to move past your fear. Most people of courage are people who are afraid, but willingly move past their fear.

“Success seems to be connected with action. Successful people keep moving. They make mistakes, but they don’t quit.” Conrad Hilton

So Joshua took immediate action upon receiving his commands from the Lord.

 

After God tells Joshua about the territory, He tells him something else.

 

Jos 1:5  There shall not any man be able to stand before thee all the days of thy life: as I was with Moses, [so] I will be with thee: I will not fail thee, nor forsake thee.

 

Now, aside from the fact that God said this to Joshua, what gave him confidence in the face of their challenge? I ask this because God tells us many times that He is our provider, and will take care of all our needs, but oftentimes, in the face of our adversity, our faith fails.

 

So why was Joshua so confident in the word of the Lord? After all, he was stepping into some very large shoes in the wake of Moses’ leadership.

 

Now, at the time of Moses’ pending death, he was told he would die. Its not like my friend thought; that he was first taken up to the mount and then told. He was told prior to even going up on the  mount.

 

Num 27:12  And the LORD said unto Moses, Get thee up into this mount Abarim, and see the land which I have given unto the children of Israel.

Num 27:13  And when thou hast seen it, thou also shalt be gathered unto thy people, as Aaron thy brother was gathered.

Num 27:14  For ye rebelled against my commandment in the desert of Zin, in the strife of the congregation, to sanctify me at the water before their eyes: that [is] the water of Meribah in Kadesh in the wilderness of Zin.

 

Because Moses knew he was soon to die, he made a request of God.

 

Num 27:16  Let the LORD, the God of the spirits of all flesh, set a man over the congregation,

Num 27:17  Which may go out before them, and which may go in before them, and which may lead them out, and which may bring them in; that the congregation of the LORD be not as sheep which have no shepherd.

 

God’s answer was to appoint Joshua; and look at how he established him and the policy involved in this promotion.

 

1. He has the Spirit of the Lord indwelling.
2. Power is passed on to him.

 

Num 27:18  And the LORD said unto Moses, Take thee Joshua the son of Nun, a man in whom [is] the spirit, and lay thine hand upon him;

 

3.  The authority given is publicized.

 

Num 27:19  And set him before Eleazar the priest, and before all the congregation; and give him a charge in their sight.

 

4.   Honor is bestowed.

 

Num 27:20  And thou shalt put [some] of thine honour upon him, that all the congregation of the children of Israel may be obedient.

 

5.   The chain of command is established.

 

Num 27:21  And he shall stand before Eleazar the priest, who shall ask [counsel] for him after the judgment of Urim before the LORD: at his word shall they go out, and at his word they shall come in, [both] he, and all the children of Israel with him, even all the congregation.

 

 

Num 27:22  And Moses did as the LORD commanded him: and he took Joshua, and set him before Eleazar the priest, and before all the congregation:

Num 27:23  And he laid his hands upon him, and gave him a charge, as the LORD commanded by the hand of Moses.

 

So, when God comes and gives Joshua this proclamation of His intent, Joshua believes it and walks forth in faith, because his position and relationship with God and as leader has been firmly established.