Brothers and Sisters in the Lord,
For a number of weeks now we have been with Joshua and the people of the Old Covenant, poised on the banks of the Jordan River getting ready to enter the land of promise (Joshua 1:1-18). Soon, spies will be sent into the city of Jericho (2:1-24), the first stop on the way to the conquest and possession of the land promised to Abraham and his descendants. What’s ahead for the covenant nation is war, and lots of it. But then, after fighting their way into and through this occupied territory, there will be “rest” at last (1:13; 21:44; 23:1).
If indeed the Book of Joshua is ultimately about our Savior and His people, those of the New Covenant in His shed blood, then there is something very important here for us—something that prepares us for serving and obeying our Lord and King now. There is a pattern at work, one that is repeated throughout this ‘grand story of redemption’ that we see moving from Creation all the way to Consummation. The persistent movement is from salvation, to war, to rest! And this simple rhythm has everything to do with you and me and the Church of the Lord Jesus Christ! Like Joshua and his generation, before we can finally be at rest in the presence of the Lord, safe in His heavenly Kingdom, we must go to war (Ephesians 6: 10-20). And as we fight we must believe and obey! Rest, God’s “Sabbath rest,” awaits us (Hebrews 4:9-11), but only after we have “suffered for a little while” (1 Peter 5:10).
This coming Lord’s Day we will try and put all of this together in our minds and hearts. And as we do so, this amazing account of the life and times of Joshua will explode with power and eternal relevance! As you pray, keep your Bible open to the first two chapters of this great book. Read them over and again. Soak up all of the drama and fervently ask the Lord to speak to His people from these inspired pages.
I love you all, always!
Mike