Joshua - Just one thing: Chapter 13

Enough looking back. Time to move on again. That rearward glance was just to energize you for the next conquest. The people of God are not a backward looking people (Philippians 3:13; Isaiah 65:17), except to draw strength for the present by remembering God's power and faithfulness. Joshua in chapter 13 lists the real estate yet to be conquered.

We might well do the same in our lives. Like Auntie Em said to Hickory the farmhand when he started rhapsodizing about the statue that the townsfolk would erect for him someday: "Well, don't start posing for it now." You got saved, but that wasn't for sitting on laurels but for walking on water. You conquered the overeating problem, but there's the condescending attitude that still needs dealing with.

And then there's the world to conquer, not just your world but the one out beyond your front yard. We are to enforce the victory obtained on Calvary. Pastor Bill Johnson of Redding, Calif., writes:

"It's time for a revolution in our vision. When prophets tell us, 'Your vision is too small,' many of us think the antidote is to increase whatever numbers we're expecting. For example: if we're expecting 10 new converts, let's change it to 100. If we were praying for cities, let's pray instead for nations. With such responses, we're missing the sharp edge of the frequently repeated word. Increasing the numbers is not necessarily a sign of a larger vision from God's perspective. Vision starts with identity and purpose. Through a revolution in our identity, we can think with divine purpose. . . .

"Many, if not most, theologians make the mistake of taking all the good stuff contained in the prophets and sweeping it under that mysterious rug called the Millennium. . . . I do want to deal with our propensity to put off those things that require courage, faith, and action to another period of time. . . ."

I am amused by the way the Lord matter-of-factly ticks off the names of the next regions to be conquered (verses 2-7). When God is with you, you can count the chickens before they hatch. I imagine the Israelites not being as daunted by this list of lands slated for conquest as they were by the list before Jericho. By this stage of the game they have a track record with God, a cognizance of his past faithfulness that gives confidence for the future.

I see the dynamic in miniature in my own little life challenges. Two years ago I could not have envisioned being able to write a blog post a day. When Dr. Olasky offered me this job on a silver platter, I asked for two weeks to think about it (to his bafflement, I expect). But 24 months and 537 posts later, there is a literal paper trail of God's ability to supply a little bit of oil and meal in the widow's jars.

Joshua 12 and 13 form an "encouragement sandwich," as my son Jae would say. The top layer of bread is the recital of God's faithfulness in the conquests thus far (12:1-24). The meat in the middle is his commands of further conquest (13:1-7). The other slice of bread resumes the recital of God's faithfulness evidenced in the division of the claimed land.

There is value in writing things down, in keeping lists of concrete answers to prayer. "Vague confession yields vague absolution," said the Friar to Romeo. Similarly, vague awareness of God's benefits toward you yields vague gratitude---and negligible encouragement for future battles.

Verse 22 is an embarrassing postscript for Balaam. The once famous man is reduced to a footnote. So it is with all who are wined and dined and flattered for a season. The sought-out prophet was a double-minded man who loved money and the proximity of power. But every man dies alone in the end.

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