Lennie Reagan
In Genesis 13: 14-17 we find recorded the land promise given by God to Abram and his seed. Between the giving of the land promise and the fulfillment of this promise was the captivity and slavery of the nation of God’s people in the land of Egypt. After the final plague and the feast of the Passover, this nation of nomads set out to occupy that land which was promised some 400 years earlier. Because of the disobedience of the children of Israel, God caused the entire generation to wander in the desert until they were all dead. The second generation of Israelites have now come of age and in the closing years of his life Moses gives them the law of God again (this is the book of Deuteronomy) and prepares them to enter the land of promise.
But Moses will not be their leader. Another man, Oshea which literally means “salvation,” has been chosen and charged by God to lead this nation into the land promised to Abraham and his seed. Before Moses died he changed this man’s name to mean “the Lord is salvation” or better known to us as Joshua (which is the Hebrew form of the name Jesus).
As the book of Deuteronomy closes and the book of Joshua begins, we are told of the death of Moses, the last man to stand between Israel and the inheritance of the promised land. The first chapter of Joshua provides an outline worthy of study:
- God gives His charge to Joshua, verses 1-6
- God gives His conditions for success, verses 7-9
- Joshua gives his commands to the people verse 10-18
The instructions that God gave Joshua provided the nation of Israel a new beginning. They had a new leader and a fresh start to obey what the first generation of Israelites had failed to do. God had chosen Joshua to be the leader of His people and the nation knew that Joshua was God’s man. In a move, not to magnify Joshua; but to draw attention to His will, God commissioned Joshua to do three things:
- Lead the people into the land
- Defeat the enemies of God
- Lay hold of the promised inheritance
Let it be understood by all that the real claim of the Israelites to the land of Canaan was based upon the gift of God. God gave them the land—it was a gift—they did not contribute to the promise of the land one iota. However, it is just as important that we understand that the gift of God did not supersede the responsibility of human efforts in obedience of the conditions and commandments that God had established. In other words, though the land was a gift, if they failed to obey the conditions and commandments of that promise, they would not inherit so much as a nose full of dust from the land of Canaan.
There are a few lessons we can glean from the charge of God to Joshua. Consider the statement from God to Joshua: “Moses my servant is dead…” (Joshua 1:2). From this we learn that one mistake, one sin can cause a person not to inherit the blessings of God. Now, I am not suggesting that Moses was eternally lost because of his sin at Kadesh; for, he appeared with Elijah at the transfiguration of Christ (Matthew 17:1-5), and the redeemed saints will sing the victory song of Moses around the throne (Revelation 15). Yet, I am suggesting that his sin did keep him out of the promised land, which is a type of heaven (Numbers 20:21).
I am also suggesting that we miss many intended blessing because of the sins of our life. When we fail to teach others the Gospel we cannot know the joy of seeing them obey the Gospel. When we fail to visit we cannot know the joy of the relationships which are built between brethren. And when we fail to give ourselves to the cause of Christ, we cannot know the peace which comes from giving all.
Another lesson we learn from the statement, “Moses my servant is dead…” is that no person is indispensable to the word of God. Even though the Bible reveals: “And there arose not a prophet since in Israel like unto Moses, whom the Lord knew face to face…” (Deuteronomy 34:10), he was replaced and succeeded by the capable leader Joshua.
In a local congregation setting, improper attitudes have just as much to do with the failure of a church to grow as do improper actions. And that is certainly the case for those who incorrectly believe that the local church is dependent upon them for growth and success. “Wherefore let him that thinketh he standeth take heed lest he fall” (1 Corinthians 10:12).
One other lesson is that the Lord will be with us. “…as I was with Moses, so I will be with thee: I will not fail thee, nor forsake thee.” The Lord will bless us if we will obey all the commands that He has set before us to do. We cannot over look not one single one of them if we want heaven.
Now we need the courage and faith to do all that God has given us to do. May we ever strive for that mansion that Jesus in preparing in the place where the sun never fades.
