Word of Encouragement (05/30/2023)
And they answered Joshua, "All that you have commanded us we will do, and wherever you send us we will go. 17 Just as we obeyed Moses in all things, so we will obey you. Only may the LORD your God be with you, as he was with Moses! 18 Whoever rebels against your commandment and disobeys your words, whatever you command him, shall be put to death. Only be strong and courageous." (Josh. 1:16-18)
The second half of v. 17 was a reflection of the two and a half tribes’ prayer for Joshua, their new leader. And how appropriate this was! They just pledged to obey all that he had commanded and go wherever he would send them. As we noted, this kind of absolute obedience to a person is dangerous, making us susceptible to all kinds of personality cults. But these Jews were not so foolish or gullible. They were able to make that kind of pledge because they trusted in the LORD. Now, through this prayer, they address the other side of their pledge—God’s presence with Joshua (to ensure his humble and faithful obedience to God’s guidance): “Only may the LORD your God be with you, as he was with Moses!”
This prayer showed their wise understanding that Joshua was but a man, no different from them. He might have been a gifted man in many ways. But was it not God, who made him and granted him all the gifts he possessed? And God’s work is not something that can be accomplished by the mere talents of men; God must empower His servants and make their talents effective and efficacious. Without God’s presence, even the greatest of men would be but an empty shell, helpless to accomplish any of God’s purposes.
Think about Moses. In the minds of the two and a half tribes, Moses was the greatest servant of the LORD. Perhaps Joshua knew this better than anyone, having served Moses in proximity for many years. But how was he able to bring the people of Israel out of Egypt? Did He turn the Nile into a river of blood, summon the plagues, darken the sun, and killed all the firstborn males in Egypt by his strength? Did he part the Red Sea and bring down manna from heaven? Did he make water flow from the rock and caused the pillar of cloud and fire to form and guide their journey through the wilderness for forty years? Was he not hesitant to go back to Egypt at the age of eighty, giving all kinds of excuses to God? And did he not submit to God’s calling, and was he not able to accomplish his mission, because God promised, “I will be with you” (Ex. 3:12)?
So, the two and a half tribes prayed the best and most needful prayer they could ever pray for their new leader: “Only may the LORD your God be with you, as he was with Moses.” Moses was a tough act to follow, for sure. Joshua must have felt the weight of stepping into Moses’ role, knowing all too well all that it entailed. Not only that, he had to finish what Moses could not finish—to bring the people of Israel into the promised land! This was a burden, heavy enough to crush any man under its weight.
But as this prayer reminded him, all Joshua needed was the promise of God’s presence with him. If Moses could do all that he did, it was because God was with him. God, who created the heavens and the earth out of nothing, can use weak, flawed, and broken servants and accomplish His purpose without fail. True humility was to accept this truth by faith and start walking in faith instead of saying, “I can’t” when God says, “I will be with you!”
But we have received a greater assurance. We can be sure that God will be with us as He was with His Son, Jesus Christ, with whom we are united by faith. God was with Moses as His servant; God was with Jesus as His Son! Please pray for me that God will be with me as He was with Jesus as I care for His flock. Do you feel overwhelmed by your responsibilities and troubles? Pray the same prayer for yourselves! May the Lord help us see that nothing can stand in our way if God is with us!