So now Joshua is following Gods orders to march around the city of Jericho..
Not to fight but to march..
- I find it interesting that Joshua also told the Israelite's not to talk. They are not allowed to express their opinions about walking around a building. But they are to listen to directions.. Maybe even to God.. who may just in fact be confirming to the people as well that He is God and will deliver them..
But then what about the city of Jericho.. What could possibly be going through their minds.. The have these so-called Children of God walking around their city that have claimed that God will cause the city to fall to its knees.. The towns people are already afraid of the Isrealite's and have heard of the things God has done through them in the past. We know this because they attempted to chase after the Israelite spies and the woman Rahab they stayed with expressed the fear of the city.
Well we know that the People of Isrelite kept their mouths shut and the city fell to it knees.
How hard is it to just be quite and follow the Lord.. to simply watch Him do miracles through our obedience..
I'll let you ponder that one.
Thursday, September 17, 2009
Wednesday, September 16, 2009
Joshua - faith and miracles.
I sit here amazed at the faith of Joshua, knowing and understanding that God is his shield protector and rock.
A while back I was sitting in my small group discussing the deep details of the old testament and how authors have tried to teach these things to children. Well I find it intriguing that really parents taught their children to memorize the old testament and we are afraid to even share the truth of it.
This insight led me to question why are we as adults afraid to share these things with our kids? Is it out of our own insecurities? Our own discomfort or even disbelief...
So in the passage I just finished reading Joshua is commanded by God. Well first off, what a privileged. That God would love man enough to give him direct directions..
For the majority of those who love God, we still have not been privileged to this amazing opportunity.. I wonder why is this?
Well first lets ask.. how was it that Joshua was appointed to his role in the first place.
As Moses' apprentice, Joshua was a major figure in all the events of the Exodus. He accompanied Moses part of the way when he ascended Mount Sinai to receive the Ten Commandments (Exd. 32:17). He was one of the twelve spies who were sent on by Moses to explore the land of Canaan (Num. 13:16, 17), and only he and Caleb gave an encouraging report, a reward for which would be that only these two of the spies would enter the promised land (Num 14:23-24). He was commander at their first battle after exiting Egypt, against the Amalekites in Rephidim (Ex. 17:8-16), in which they were victorious. ~~ http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Joshua
So Joshua, an apprentice of Moses, he was very likely to have been a man that Moses talked with frequently about the way that God had set before them. So it really makes sense that God would have Moses appoint a man who had been been shown and taught to hear and bear witness to will of God.
So is this why we as everyday people are not assigned to take on these miraculous fetes? Or are we really just not listening?
Could God be calling us into miracles?
Well then the question here stands.. Would a God of our universe send a son to perform what we would inevitably call a miracle and then bluntly tell us to go and make disciples.. and also that we have the power to cast out sickness in the name of Jesus and He desires that we do so.
18Then Jesus came to them and said, "All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. 19Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in[a] the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, 20and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age." - Matthew 28: 18-20
15He said to them, "Go into all the world and preach the good news to all creation. 16Whoever believes and is baptized will be saved, but whoever does not believe will be condemned. 17And these signs will accompany those who believe: In my name they will drive out demons; they will speak in new tongues; 18they will pick up snakes with their hands; and when they drink deadly poison, it will not hurt them at all; they will place their hands on sick people, and they will get well."
19After the Lord Jesus had spoken to them, he was taken up into heaven and he sat at the right hand of God. 20Then the disciples went out and preached everywhere, and the Lord worked with them and confirmed his word by the signs that accompanied it.
-- Mark 16 :15-19
So do we have the passage to perform miracles. Yes. For by actions will those around us know that we are called children of God.
A while back I was sitting in my small group discussing the deep details of the old testament and how authors have tried to teach these things to children. Well I find it intriguing that really parents taught their children to memorize the old testament and we are afraid to even share the truth of it.
This insight led me to question why are we as adults afraid to share these things with our kids? Is it out of our own insecurities? Our own discomfort or even disbelief...
So in the passage I just finished reading Joshua is commanded by God. Well first off, what a privileged. That God would love man enough to give him direct directions..
For the majority of those who love God, we still have not been privileged to this amazing opportunity.. I wonder why is this?
Well first lets ask.. how was it that Joshua was appointed to his role in the first place.
As Moses' apprentice, Joshua was a major figure in all the events of the Exodus. He accompanied Moses part of the way when he ascended Mount Sinai to receive the Ten Commandments (Exd. 32:17). He was one of the twelve spies who were sent on by Moses to explore the land of Canaan (Num. 13:16, 17), and only he and Caleb gave an encouraging report, a reward for which would be that only these two of the spies would enter the promised land (Num 14:23-24). He was commander at their first battle after exiting Egypt, against the Amalekites in Rephidim (Ex. 17:8-16), in which they were victorious. ~~ http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Joshua
So Joshua, an apprentice of Moses, he was very likely to have been a man that Moses talked with frequently about the way that God had set before them. So it really makes sense that God would have Moses appoint a man who had been been shown and taught to hear and bear witness to will of God.
So is this why we as everyday people are not assigned to take on these miraculous fetes? Or are we really just not listening?
Could God be calling us into miracles?
Well then the question here stands.. Would a God of our universe send a son to perform what we would inevitably call a miracle and then bluntly tell us to go and make disciples.. and also that we have the power to cast out sickness in the name of Jesus and He desires that we do so.
18Then Jesus came to them and said, "All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. 19Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in[a] the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, 20and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age." - Matthew 28: 18-20
15He said to them, "Go into all the world and preach the good news to all creation. 16Whoever believes and is baptized will be saved, but whoever does not believe will be condemned. 17And these signs will accompany those who believe: In my name they will drive out demons; they will speak in new tongues; 18they will pick up snakes with their hands; and when they drink deadly poison, it will not hurt them at all; they will place their hands on sick people, and they will get well."
19After the Lord Jesus had spoken to them, he was taken up into heaven and he sat at the right hand of God. 20Then the disciples went out and preached everywhere, and the Lord worked with them and confirmed his word by the signs that accompanied it.
-- Mark 16 :15-19
So do we have the passage to perform miracles. Yes. For by actions will those around us know that we are called children of God.
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