Joshua 1:1-2,5 "After the death of Moses the servant of the LORD, it came to pass that the LORD spoke to Joshua the son of Nun, Moses' assistant, saying:
'Moses My servant is dead. Now therefore, arise go over this Jordan, you and all this people, to the land which I am giving to them -- the children of Israel.'
'No man shall be able to stand before you all the days of your life;
as I was with Moses, so I will be with you. I will not leave you nor
forsake you.'"
Joshua 3:7 "And the LORD said to Joshua, 'This day I will begin to magnify you in the sight of all Israel, that they may know that, as I was with Moses, so I will be with you.
Moses the servant of God is dead. It's time to get over the mourning and get back to the business at hand. But who will lead the nation of Israel? The lot of God falls upon Joshua who was Moses' assistant. You know life is so easy when you are sitting in the back seat of marriage, parenting, leadership or a new job or whatever and telling someone else how to drive, but it is a completely different situation when you're in the driver's seat and you have to make decisions. Now you are the one whose getting instructions form the back seat drivers!
Such was the case of Joshua. Moses was a seasoned, multi-talented man who had walked closely with God. He had had the benefit of all the wisdom and culture of Egypt and the king's household. Joshua, by contrast, was relatively untried. Joshua was receiving an awesome responsibility to lead a people of some two million plus strong, but what may be a mountain to us shall soon be leveled by God. God spoke directly to Joshua to let him know, "as I was with Moses, so I will be with you."
What was God saying to Joshua? Quit, crying over Moses, he was only a man, a vessel that I used to do my bidding. Just like I used him, I shall use you to perform my will. Is this not what the LORD did to Joshua. In Joshua 3:7, He says, "This day I will begin to magnify you in the sight of all Israel, that they may know that, as I was with Moses, So I will be with you." The word magnify means to enlarge, to intensify, to cause to be held in great esteem or respect and this is what God has done and is doing to every vessel that is His. If you will notice the object being magnified is not changed but is just looked at in a different light...a Godly light. What will magnify you?...The WORD of GOD!
Well, we all must come to the realization, like Joshua, that it's
not me but the God in me. We have no word of our own but we are just vessels being used by God. This is something we all must deal with at one time or another. Water in a bottle or water in a glass...it makes no difference, it's still water. God changes not and neither does His Word, but is the same yesterday,today and forever. God's Word, it cannot and will not be contained by mortal man. Jeremiah said it's like fire shutup in my bones...you cannot contain it.
One last point from our scripture this morning is a picture in types.
For you see Moses represents the LAW and Joshua represents GRACE. No matter how well we try to keep the law it shall never take us into the Promised Land, but we shall only make it over by grace.
For you see the name Joshua or Je-hoshua means Jehovah-Saviour. (His name is the Hebrew equivalent of the Greek name for Jesus!) Who is it that we know is God (in human form) and our Saviour, but Jesus! He is the one who comes after the law to bring us grace! He is the one who is our Advocate when we have suffered defeat in sin who stands in the gap between us and God that we may live and not die! He is the one who leads us to victory over sin!
Thank God this morning for our Jehovah-Saviour, our Grace personified, Jesus Christ, He shall lead into the Promised Land!
FINAL NOTE: What is it in your life that you are struggling with?
What is it that you are afraid to take control of? What is it that
God is calling you to do, but the task seems larger than life?
Edward Price