The Meaning Of Life

https://biblehub.com/nkjv/deuteronomy/31.htm

One of my favorite verses in the Bible is Joshua 24:15 “…as for me and my house, we will serve the LORD”.

Joshua was Moses’ assistant. While Joshua did not go to the top of Mount Sinai where Moses met with God and received the Ten Commandments, he went part of the way up, and God allowed it. Remember, God told Moses to keep the people away from the mountain, and not to touch it or they would die. The reason for this is because when God descended onto the mountain, it became Holy, so Holy in fact that the children of Israel were no righteous enough to touch it. Kind of like the Glory of God, if you are not worthy, the Glory is so bright, like fire, that it will consume you. But the fact that Joshua was worthy enough to go part of the way to wait for Moses says a lot.

We all know Joshua sinned. Everyone is a sinner, we are born unto sin, but none of Joshua’s sins are mentioned in the Bible, so apparently his sins were not great enough to be worth mentioning. And Joshua is one of my favorites…in my opinion, he was a true man of God, and I will stick my neck out and say that he was even greater than David, or Solomon, or any of the disciples. And if I’m lucky enough to get to Heaven, I earnestly look forward to meeting him.

The reason I’m speaking of Joshua is because Moses is advanced in age, and it’s time to prepare for a new leader of the children of Israel.

Furthermore, it’s time to cross into the promised land. Moses became angry, and instead of speaking to the rock for water to come out, he struck the rock with his rod, then he took credit himself for producing the water instead of giving the glory to God.

God had already decided, the current generation of the children of Israel would not see the promised land. God had taken them out of slavery in Egypt, gave them freedom, took their yokes off, promised them a land of milk and honey, led them and protected them the entire journey, bestowed blessing and blessing after blessing, and they still complained, and griped, and grumbled, and rebelled. Do you see a parallel of that scenario with our lives today when God is giving us the “promised land of Heaven”, but we complain, and gripe, and rebel?

So when Moses struck the rock and took credit for the water, he made himself just like the children of Israel. He lowered himself to their level, and God told him that he too, would not cross over the Jordan to see the promised land.

Joshua on the other hand, had already been in the promised land. He and Caleb scouted it with ten other elders of the children, and he and Caleb were the only ones who had enough faith in God to know, they had God on their side, they had the ability to overtake the land. But the others, “oh ye of little faith”, they did not have faith in God. Joshua had the same faith that David had when he defeated Goliath. So Joshua was the best choice, the only choice, to lead the people into the promised land.

And Moses brought Joshua up before the children of Israel and made it clear that Joshua was the new leader so there would be no doubt. And the rebellious generation, those “stiff-necked” generation, was getting old and would die in the wilderness without seeing the land of milk and honey.

This section on making Joshua the new leader if very short, but to me, it is very, very important.For the last four books, Moses has led the children of Israel, Moses has been “the man”. They even made a movie about Moses and the Exodus, “The Ten Commandments”. But now it’s time for change, so now Joshua is “the man”. And I personally believe that it is a very important part that we should pay close attention to.

One other final thought, even though Moses was a leader, Moses was an introvert. He was not good with words, and when God send him to talk with Pharaoh, Aaron had to be the speaker. Joshua on the other hand, is a warrior. He speaks. He commands. And he is one of the greatest people of history.

Just my opinion.

Continued prays for you. Amen.