Joshua | Ray Noah

Joshua 6:1-10:43

Ask First!

The men of Israel looked them over and accepted the evidence.
But they didn’t ask God about it.
Joshua 9:14 (Msg)

Go Deep: “But they didn’t ask God.” No matter how overwhelming the evidence, no matter how good it seems, no matter how much something makes sense, we dishonor God when we don’t go to him and ask. Leaving God out of the picture is a tried and true recipe for, at the very least, putting distance between God and us, and at worst, for disaster.

Frankly, a failure to ask is the very essence of sin. It was the chief strategy Satan used on Adam and Eve in the Garden of Eden when he seduced them into sinning. What if the original couple has simply come to God and asked for his thoughts on the tempter’s enticement? Obviously, simply asking first would have saved them, and the rest of us, the untold pain and misery that has haunted the human race ever since.

In this case, Joshua and the leaders of Israel made a hasty decision about the Gibeonites. They should have destroyed them according to God’s decree, but they were deceived into thinking the men from Gibeon were not a part of the Canaanite city-states devoted to destruction. Had Joshua, who otherwise was a great and godly leader, simply asked God for his wisdom, both he and Israel’s leaders would have been spared the embarrassment of this disobedience.

Interestingly, Joshua honored his treaty with the Gibeonites even after discovering it had been made under false pretenses. By all rights, he could have broken the vow and destroyed Gibeon, but their submissive posture and willingness to take on the faith of the Israelite community spared them from destruction. Joshua observed what King David later wrote about in Psalm 15:1-4,

“Who may dwell in your sanctuary, Lord? …He who keeps his oath, even when it hurts.” (Psalm 15:1,4)

The point is, however, that painful oaths and other’s needless suffering could be eliminated by one simple act of trust and obedience on our part: Coming to God on a day by day, perhaps moment by moment basis, and asking: “Father, what is your will concerning this matter? How can I advance your kingdom through this decision? Will this circumstance bring you glory or will it cause you dishonor?”

How about staying in a constant conversation with God today—and invite his input in every decision you make. Just do this: Pray—then obey! And that, my friend, is the recipe for blessing.

Just Saying… D.L. Moody observed, “Some people think God does not like to be troubled with our constant coming and asking. The way to trouble God is not to come at all.” So make sure you ask God to reveal his will to you in things great and small. “Asking,” as Spurgeon said, “is the rule of the kingdom.”

Joshua 1:1-5:15

What Makes A Leader Great?

“The Lord told Joshua, ‘Today I will begin to make you a great leader in the eyes of all the Israelites. They will know that I am with you, just as I was with Moses’ … That day the Lord made Joshua a great leaders in the eyes of all the Israelites, and for the rest of his life they revered him as much as they had revered Moses. ”
Joshua 2:7, 4:14

Go Deep: What a makes a leader great? Some would say charisma is the key. Others might say it’s a combination of skill, intellect and the ability to inspire others to accomplish the mission. Then there are those who would argue that not only are charisma and persuasion necessary, but it’s a matter of also being the right person in the right place and the right time.

I wouldn’t argue with any of those ideas. But first and foremost I would argue that what makes a leader a great leader is simply God’s touch upon his or her life. Or at least that’s what should be the defining factor in great leadership. Where God makes a man or woman great in the eyes of the people, there you have the makings of a leader who is one for the ages. Joshua was just such a leader.

In Joshua, you find true success! Not that he leveraged his considerable talents, sharp intellect, political capital and magnanimous personality to lead the people to victory, but that God made him great in the eyes of the people. Never did Joshua take any credit for himself in the victories and miracles that God performed. As Moses had been a humble leader, so too was Joshua. Like his predecessor, he was a true servant of God and priestly guide of the Israelites. He served at God’s pleasure and recognized that his success came only by God’s power and grace. And God made Joshua great before all Israel.

That’s the kind of leader I want to be. I want to be a great leader because of the touch of God on my life; because of the work that he does in, for and through me. If there is anything that makes me worth following, may it be because of what God has done. What I do through my own gifts, personality and personal determination will, at best, quickly fade. But what God does through me will last for all eternity, and best of all, bring all the glory to the God who has equipped me to lead.

What about you? Do you desire to be a leader? You might feel unqualified and unworthy. Part of you may want to let someone else lead; someone more qualified, smarter, holier, better than you. But it could be that God has placed in you the kinds of gifts, talents, brainpower and favor that he wants to use in leading people to extend his Kingdom in this world.

If God is calling you to leadership, submit your life to him. Then let God make you great in the eyes of those you would lead.

Just Saying… When you think of the advancement of God’s kingdom over the millennia, it is amazing how many times this saying has been true of its leaders: “God didn’t call the qualified, He qualified the called.” Maybe he’s wanting to qualify you–he’s still looking for a few good men…and women!