"Then Moses called to Joshua and said to him in the sight of all Israel, 'Be strong and courageous, for you shall go with this people into the land which the LORD has sworn to their fathers to give them... And the LORD is the one who goes ahead of you; He will be with you. He will not fail you or forsake you. Do not fear, or be dismayed.'"
These very words would come to Joshua again, after Moses' death, directly from the LORD Himself, but I think it's a testament to the great faith, heart and life of Moses that he can declare this to Joshua with the knowledge and confidence of one who has proved the faithfulness of God down through his life. He is letting Joshua know that he doesn't need to fear or be dismayed because "I know from personal experience that the LORD will go ahead of you. I know from personal experience that He will be with you. I know from personal experience that He will not fail you or forsake you." He passes on to Joshua the same spirit that gave him courage for a task much bigger than himself. This is the testimony we need to leave with those who come behind us, that "we know from personal experience", but also the testimony that they know that we know. The book of Deuteronomy ends by giving this great tribute: "No prophet has risen in Israel like Moses, whom the LORD knew face to face..." Moses was used of God to do some incredible things, but the greatest thing about him was that the LORD knew him face to face. This is the greatest thing Joshua received from Moses; not leadership skills; not strategic thinking skills; and not all the other stuff we are so big on these days. No! The writer simply notes, "Now Joshua the son of Nun was filled with the spirit of wisdom, for Moses had laid his hands on him; and the sons of Israel listened to him and did as the LORD had commanded Moses," (34:9). We need this kind of person again. Someone who has not been manhandled and ruined by the "experts" of the day and who only feed the ego, but one who has been affected by a humble saint of God who marched to the beat of a different drum. O God, give us men and women like this! We long for them and we languish without them.
These very words would come to Joshua again, after Moses' death, directly from the LORD Himself, but I think it's a testament to the great faith, heart and life of Moses that he can declare this to Joshua with the knowledge and confidence of one who has proved the faithfulness of God down through his life. He is letting Joshua know that he doesn't need to fear or be dismayed because "I know from personal experience that the LORD will go ahead of you. I know from personal experience that He will be with you. I know from personal experience that He will not fail you or forsake you." He passes on to Joshua the same spirit that gave him courage for a task much bigger than himself. This is the testimony we need to leave with those who come behind us, that "we know from personal experience", but also the testimony that they know that we know. The book of Deuteronomy ends by giving this great tribute: "No prophet has risen in Israel like Moses, whom the LORD knew face to face..." Moses was used of God to do some incredible things, but the greatest thing about him was that the LORD knew him face to face. This is the greatest thing Joshua received from Moses; not leadership skills; not strategic thinking skills; and not all the other stuff we are so big on these days. No! The writer simply notes, "Now Joshua the son of Nun was filled with the spirit of wisdom, for Moses had laid his hands on him; and the sons of Israel listened to him and did as the LORD had commanded Moses," (34:9). We need this kind of person again. Someone who has not been manhandled and ruined by the "experts" of the day and who only feed the ego, but one who has been affected by a humble saint of God who marched to the beat of a different drum. O God, give us men and women like this! We long for them and we languish without them.
No comments:
Post a Comment