Rev. Stephen E. Stults
St. Paul’s Anglican Church
Feb. 16, 2020
Joshua 1:6: “Be strong and of good courage,
for to this people you shall divide as an inheritance the land which I swore to
their fathers to give them.”
The Book of
Joshua begins with an amazing occurrence.
God speaks to Joshua personally, just as he spoke to Moses. God is preparing to “hand over” the
leadership of the people of Israel. Moreover,
He is preparing to keep his promise made to Abraham, Issac, Jacob, and Moses.
These things happen as Israel is, at last, ready to possess the land of Canaan.
Recall that
this was not always the case. After the
people first passed through the Red Sea as recorded in the Book of Exodus,
being delivered from Pharaoh’s host, they were fearful to take the land. Even after Moses sent out a scouting party,
which returned with good fruit and a good report of the land, the people were
fearful. Whether this fear was stoked by
the so-called “back to Egypt” party, we do not know. All we are told is that the people did not
possess faith sufficient to take the Promised Land. For this reason Israel began the years of
wandering in Sinai until the first generation to come out of Egypt passed away.
Our
Gospel selection tells of this momentous occasion. Moses was not permitted to lead the people
into Canaan for the conquest because he sinned against the Lord at the waters
of Meribah. Recall this reading from Ex.
17: “And
all the congregation of the children of Israel journeyed from the wilderness of
Sin, after their journeys, according to the commandment of the LORD, and
pitched in Rephidim: and there was no water for the people to drink.”
“Wherefore the people did
chide with Moses, and said, Give us water that we may drink. And Moses said
unto them, Why chide ye with me? wherefore do ye tempt the LORD? And the people
thirsted there for water; and the people murmured against Moses, and said, Wherefore
is this that thou hast brought us up out of Egypt, to kill us and
our children and our cattle with thirst? And Moses cried unto the LORD, saying,
What shall I do unto this people? they be almost ready to stone me. And the
LORD said unto Moses, Go on before the people, and take with thee of the elders
of Israel; and thy rod, wherewith thou smotest the river, take in thine hand,
and go. Behold, I will stand before thee there upon the rock in Horeb; and thou
shalt smite the rock, and there shall come water out of it, that the people may
drink. And Moses did so in the sight of the elders of Israel. And he called the
name of the place Massah, and Meribah, because of the chiding of the children
of Israel, and because they tempted the LORD, saying, Is the LORD among us, or
not?
Here is where Moses’ sin
happened: “And Moses and Aaron gathered the congregation together before the
rock, and he said unto them, Hear now, ye rebels; must we fetch you water out
of this rock?” Note the use of the word
“we”, meaning Moses and Aaron. God is
not mentioned or sanctified in this situation.
As a result, God allowed Moses to see the Promised Land from afar, but
was not permitted to lead the People into it.
That job fell to Joshua.
One commentator says that these
are historical events, which they are. Israel lays claims to its current land
based on the promise of God to them as contained in Joshua. Yet, they are more than mere historical
records.[i] The entrance into Canaan also represents our
deliverance from the bondage of sin through Christ. After all, “Jesus” is a Greek rendition of
the Hebrew name “Joshua”.[ii]
Joshua in the Old Testament is a Messiah type that would, later in history, be
fulfilled through the House of David in the person of Jesus Christ. Through his
earthly protector Joseph, he received his lineage of the Davidic line. From his mother Mary, he received his manhood,
and thus His identification with us.
Now, Joshua is
set to deliver the Jewish people into their new land. They came out of Egypt a slave people,
totally dominated by the Egyptians. Now,
after a long period of purgation, they have at last come to the place promised
for them. They are a free people, set to
take their inheritance promised to them by God.
There are
conditions placed on the people in order to fulfill this promise from God. He commands them to obey the Law given to
them through Moses. They are to meditate
on it day and night. They are not to
depart from it, but let it be their standard of behavior in everything. If this
happens, God will make their way prosperous and they will have good success.
Something else
is required of them, and specifically Joshua.
God tells him to “be strong, and of a good courage.” God tells them not to fear, for He will be with
them wherever they go.
Beloved, these
are prophetic words for this parish. We too must “be strong and of a good
courage.” We must have faith that God is
who He says He is and to believe in him with our whole heart. In faith, we must
pray, work, and believe in the future of St. Paul’s. God is faithful. So must we be in all that we do.
To do that, let
us do the following:
1.
Worship
every Sunday here in this church.
2.
Pray
and give for the spread of the Kingdom.
3.
Invite
others to share in our worship and fellowship.
4.
Be
joyful and strong in all that we do.
In so doing,
all will be well with us.
Glory be to God
the Father, God the Son and God the Holy Ghost, now and for ever. Amen.
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