Joshua 5: Walk in Worshiping the LORD

Content Summary

All the kings of Canaan melted in fear when they heard that the Israelites had crossed the Jordan River. After crossing the Jordan River, the Israelites circumcised, leaving themselves in the most vulnerable state in the territory of their enemies. Regardless of the presence of their enemies, as a nation, Israel commemorated the Passover, had their first taste of the fruit of the land of Canaan, and experienced the cease of manna provision for the first time in 40 years.

God’s Part

God took care of the enemy. The heart of the enemies melted in fear so that they would not have courage to attack the Israelites in their most vulnerable state after the circumcision.

The meaning of circumcision

God commanded circumcision to Joshua and the Israelites. This was a strange timing of circumcision. Why was not this done before the crossing of the Jordan? Having crossed the Jordan River, the Israelites were in fact in the enemy’s territory. Circumcision would place them in an extremely vulnerable state. Collective invasion by the kings of Canaan could completely wipe out the entire Israelites.

No panic. This command by Joshua could have met with resistance by the military officers. Yet no one objected to his commands.

Remember the past, but do not dwell in it

A fair amount of text is devoted to explaining why the first generation Israelites failed. Perhaps, the reason for this text is to remind the Israelites of the failure, but only to remind and learn, not to dwell. God wanted them to move on and be circumcised again to signify that the Israelites belong to the LORD.

Then, why weren’t they circumcised in the wilderness?

I believe there is a significance in the location of circumcision. The wilderness was only to be a temporary place for the Israelites before inheriting the land that God promised to them. A 40-year wandering in the wilderness was supposed to be a short journey of 40-day. Therefore, it was not God’s original plan to circumcise the Israelites in the temporary residence. God wanted to place a sign of circumcision to the Israelites in the land that He promised through their forefathers.

Remember that you are second in command

After the circumcision and the Passover, Joshua encountered the captain of the host of the LORD nearby Jericho. This encounter was to ensure that he knew that he was just in second in command and to let him know that the land was to be given by the LORD – the meaning of which was encapsulated in the word, “holy.” The LORD was, is, and always to be the commander of chief. However exalted by the LORD, Joshua had to remember that he was second in command and to remain on the side of the LORD. The LORD is not required to be on the side of Joshua.

The Process of Worship

This conquest was preceded by many steps. Starting from chapter 1, people were commanded to consecrate. They were told to follow the Ark of the Covenant carried by the priest. They crossed the Jordan River still guided by the Ark of the Covenant. Memorial stones were set up to remember the LORD. Circumcision was done in the promised land. The Israelites had their Passover. The land was holy, for it was set apart by the LORD to give to His people.

The LORD guided the whole process. This whole process was indeed of worship.

Let your daily step and long-term journey be a process of worship and holiness.

Joshua 4: Children, fear the LORD your God FOREVER

Content Summary

Under the guidance of the LORD their God, the entire nation of Israel finished crossing the Jordan on a dry ground. The priest, carrying the ark of the covenant, stood in the middle of the dried Jordan River until the entire nation had crossed. The LORD commanded Joshua to collect twelve stones to be a memorial to the children of Israel – FOREVER.

Twelve Stones

The LORD commanded Joshua to appoint one man from each tribe to take up twelve stones out of the middle of the Jordan. This command was given to Joshua in the previous chapter, chapter 3. Additionally, a similar command was given to Moses by the LORD to set up large stones and coat them with lime and inscribe the words of the law. Therefore, including the command in chapter 4, the same command to collect twelve stones was repeated three times to Joshua.

Why was this command so important that it was given to Moses and twice to Joshua in a span of one to two months?

Let’s find out.

The Concept of Forever

The word that captured my attention in Joshua 4 was “forever.” This word is repeated in verses 7 and 24. Verse 7 states that “… so these stones shall become a memorial to the sons of Israel forever [emphasis added].” The last verse, verse 24, states that “… so that you may fear the LORD your God forever [emphasis added].”

“Forever” is an interesting word once we start to ponder a deep meaning of the term. We human beings are finite and we certainly have not witnessed anything that lasts forever. Then, how did we happen to grasp this word?

As we are created in the image of God, who is the alpha and omega, God placed eternity in our hearts (Ecc 3:11). However, as mankind fell to sin (Gen 3), the eternal aspect of soul became trapped under finite flesh. Despite being trapped in finite flesh, soul yearns for eternity – that is eternity with God.

I think the commands given by Joshua to the Israelites partially express this longing. The original soul, before tainted by sin, long to have eternity with God. Therefore, in verses 7 and 24, Joshua gave these commands to the Israelites to remember and fear the LORD FOREVER.

The crossing of the Jordan River was not just for the conquest of the land of Canaan. Every miracle and guidance, including the crossing of the river, provided by the LORD is to be met by the restoration of the yearning of the soul. That is to worship and fear the LORD forever in eternity.

The Importance of Teaching the Way of the LORD to the Children

Do not dwell in the past, but remember the past.

The first generation Israelites grumbled and perished in the wilderness. The second generation was not to make the same mistake. The twelve stones from the Jordan River were to serve as a memorial to the sons of the Israelites to remember and fear the LORD forever.

The Old Testament is incredibly practical and important. Some people may dismiss the Old Testament, some events of which may have written more than a few thousand years ago, as impractical to today’s life. The fourth chapter of Joshua highlights the importance of inheriting our trust in God to our children.

Let’s go over a few biblical examples of how difficult it is to teach the fear of the LORD to the next generation. David, a man after God’s heart, had a son, Solomon, who started great in following the LORD, but fell astray and deviated from the way of the LORD in his later life. Samuel, who was considered the greatest of all judges in the history of Israel, was not able to educate his sons to fear the LORD. After Hezekiah, king of Judah who feared the LORD, Manasseh, his son, was considered one of the most evil kings in the history of Judah, who facilitated the fall of God’s people from the grace of God. Although there were some successful examples of teaching the fear of the LORD to his/her children, such as Rahab and Boaz, generally, inheriting the fear of the LORD to children seemed to be an incredibly difficult task.

Lesson

In this chapter, the importance of inheriting the fear of the LORD to the children was the main topic as manifested in the role of the twelve stones. Joshua commanded the Israelites to remember and fear the LORD forever – forever with your soul as if you were given eternal life.

Let’s apply this to our lives. Everything good and perfect gifts come from God. Let us be thankful and teach the fear of the LORD to our children forever in this turbulent time.

Joshua 3: Communication and Action (Grace and Clash)

The Overall Structure

Communications and action. A series of communication took place among the LORD God, Joshua, officers, priests, and the people. Then, the whole Israel marched forward to cross the Jordan River on a dry ground.

Content Summary

Joshua rose early in the morning and all the Israelites moved from Shittim to the east side of the Jordan River. Then a series of communication took place. First, officers told the people that the priests carrying the ark of the covenant would be leading, and people would follow it no closer than 2,000 cubits. Second, Joshua spoke to the people and the priest. To the people, Joshua commanded them to consecrate themselves. To the priests, Joshua told them to take up the ark. Third, the LORD spoke to Joshua that he would be exalted and provided more specific instructions on what he would need to do when crossing the Jordan. Fourth, Joshua spoke to all the people, reminding them of the LORD’s promise to dispossess all the nations and the land of Canaan, and the LORD will lead them by wonder.

After the end of this series of communications, Joshua led the Israelites to cross the Jordan.

Officers to the people (v2-4)

The chapter begins with the communication between the officers and the people. The most important content of the communication was the role of the ark of the LORD, carried by priests, in the crossing of the Jordan River. The rest of the Israelites would follow the ark of the covenant from a distance when crossing the Jordan River.

What is the symbolic meaning of the ark of the covenant leading the march? The ark of the covenant is a rectangular structure covered with gold, and inside the ark were three items: the law of Moses, jar of manna, and Aaron’s budded staff. Based on the content of the ark of the covenant, I would classify its significance in two terms: 1) grace; 2) clash.

First, grace. Aaron’s budded staff represented God’s grace of sparing the Israeites despite their deliberately rebellious actions and attitudes. Back in Number 16 and 17, Korah, Dathan and Abiram rebelled against Mose and Aaron, and other tribes joined the revolt despite seeing the sign of God. When the LORD was about to wipe out the whole community, Moses and Aaron interceded before the LORD not to destroy them. The LORD showed a supernatural sign of sprouted, blossomed bud on Aaron’s staff to serve as a warning to the rebels. Despite the rebellious attitude, the LORD was leading the Israelites personally into the land of Canaan.

Second, clash. What kind of clash? The LORD is often described as the LORD of hosts – in other words, the LORD of heavenly army. Well, in this case, I would like to point out the clash of “ideas and institutions” between the Law of Moses and the Law of Canaan. This would be too deep of a topic to address in this paragraph, let me try to make this brief. The Law of Moses from Exodus to Deuteronomy outlined a whole institutional arrangement laid out by God, including worshiping the only true God and setting up political and economical institutions that would be pivoted on the concept of “loving your neighbor as yourself.” On the other hand, the law of Canaan was likely to be based on worshiping the false gods and idols, resulting in political and economic institutions that allow a small minority to rule over and extract from the vast majority of people. The ark of the covenant, which contained the Law of Moses, was invading the rules and institutions of the Canaan. Therefore, I termed this as “clash.”

Joshua to the people (v5-6)

Joshua told people to consecrate themselves. What was the significance of this command? Consecrating involved some external actions such as washing clothes and oneselves (Exodus 19:10-11). However, back in Exodus when the LORD was about to lead the Israelites to experience the passover (Exodus 13:2), the consecration activity was to mainly signify that the Israelites belonged to the LORD. Consecration was to remind them of their identity in the LORD. They belonged to the LORD. It was essential for the Israelites to be cognizant of their identity in the LORD God before conquering the new land of Canaan.

My question for all the readers: How do you identify yourself?

The LORD to Joshua (v7-8)

The LORD provided a more detailed description for Joshua what to tell the priest. This command again signified the importance of the role of the ark of the covenant carried by the priest. In addition, the LORD assured that Joshua would be exalted in the sight of all Israel.

Joshua to all the people (v9-13)

Empowered by a direct injection from God, Joshua reminded the Israelites of the promise that the LORD made to their ancestors. The LORD reminded of this promise to Joshua back in Chapter 1 (Joshua 1: 4-5). Joshua knew that the LORD would do wonder by having His presence in the waters of the Jordan. Joshua’s words to the people must have boosted the morale of the Israelites.

End of the Communication and Action (v14-17)

Finally, the people set out from their tents to cross the Jordan.

Try to imagine crossing the Jordan River as one of the Israelites who was following the ark of the covenant 2,000 cubits (about half a mile) behind. The road to Shittim to the Jordan River was likely downhill, which allowed most of the Israelites to witness the parting of the Jordan River even though they were far away. When the priests dipped their feet in the Jordan River, the parting began and the rest of the Israelites were witnessing this amazing scene of parting of the Jordan River and the appearance of the dry ground. What a scene! It would have been natural for the people to be in awe of the LORD.

Conclusion and Application

Communication must be followed by action. In the end, this chapter would be useless without the actual crossing of the Jordan River no matter how intimate conversations among the LORD, Joshua, and the Israelites.

Are you afraid of taking action? Be comforted that the LORD God personally led the Israelite despite their sins in the past. I pray that you would experience this victorious marching forward everyday with our Lord Jesus Christ.

Joshua 2: God the pursuer and Rahab the responder

Summary

Joshua sent two spies to scout out the land of Canaan. Rahab found them and hid them from the pursuers. Amazingly, Rahab knew that Jericho was given to the Israelites and confessed the God of Israelites as the true God. To the two spies, Rahab asked them to spare her household from the destruction. They made a vow and agreed to have a concrete, clear sign to be separated from destruction – a scarlet rope. The spies went back to Joshua and reported that the heart of the Canaan had melted for they were in the fear of the Israelites.

The purpose of the two spies

What was the purpose of sending out the spies? Back in Numbers 13-14, about 40 years prior to Joshua chapter 2, when Moses was leading the Israelites, twelve spies were chosen and sent to scout out the land of Canaan. This expedition turned out to be a disaster as ten out of the twelve spies reported and displayed a pessimistic view of the opportunity, leading the whole congregation into fear, to the point of disobeying and sinning against the LORD. As a result, 40 days of wilderness journey ballooned into a 40-year wilderness life.

Perhaps, because of the failed expedition 40 years ago with the twelve spies, Joshua sent out just two spies secretly this time. OK. This may explain why Joshua sent them secretly. Notice the stark difference in the faith displayed by these two spies in (verse 14) as they trusted fully that the LORD had already given the land to the Israelites. These two spies chosen by Joshua, placed their full trust in the promise of the LORD.

But why was sending out the spies necessary? Was it absolutely necessary? If it was evident that the LORD had given the land, then the Israelites could have just invaded the land. I think the expedition of the two spies served different purposes for different people: For the LORD, for Rahab, for Joshua, and the Israelites. For each, bullets below provide the overall purpose for each player.

For Joshua: Joshua might have been a very deliberate, careful person. He was in charge of the Israelites and especially assuming leadership after Moses was likely to be an extraordinary burden. For that reason, Joshua wanted to be assured that the LORD had given the land by assessing the condition of the people in Jericho.
For Rahab by the LORD: The LORD is a pursuer of His people. Probably the most strategically personal role of the spies was to find (or to be found by) Rahab so that Rahab can be spared from the destruction. Just from a strategic viewpoint, this expedition may not have been that necessary. However, we can see that the LORD wanted to ensure that His people are saved. The LORD probably inspired Joshua to send two spies to search for God’s people and ensure that they would not perish.
For the Israelites: Knowing the melted heart of Jericho and other Canaan people would have been a tremendous boost to the morale of the Israelites.

Chosen one vs. Responding one

Then, why was only Rahab (and her family) saved? Would this be considered unfair?

I believe an equal opportunity to turn back was given to all people in Jericho. Based on Rahab’s confession, the rest of Jericho people heard the miraculous crossing of the Red Sea by the Israelites, which had taken place 40 years ago, and the crossing of the Jordan River, which took place just a few days prior (Josh 2:8). The same input was given to people in Jericho universally. All of them heard the same news about what the LORD and the Israelites had done. However, only Rahab and her family responded to seek the true God of Heaven.

Many were called. Although their hearts melted, they did not turn back. People of Canaan were given an opportunity to turn back from their evil ways and seek the true LORD. However, only Rahab responded.

A clear communication between Rahab and Spies

For Rahab, her encounter with the two spies was a life-or-death situation. The two spies also took their responsibility very carefully. For this reason, two spies ensured that the sign and communication with Rahab remained crystal clear. The two spies told her to tie the cord of scarlet in the window and made a strong warning to her that no one would go out of the doors of her house. Rahab agreed. In this expedition, I see that two spies made this sign very clear to absolutely remove any sign of ambiguity to ensure Rahab and her family would be spared from destruction.

Conclusion

The LORD seeks. David made this confession in Psalm 23: the LORD will follow me all the days of my life – a better translation is “the LORD will pursue me….” The LORD personally reached out to Rahab and moved Joshua to send spies to find Rahab so that she and her household would be saved from this judgment.

The LORD sought you. He sent Jesus Christ to save you.
Let this chapter be a comfort and peace to you all.

Introduction to Joshua – Military Perspective

Book Overview

Personally, the book of Joshua is one of my favorite books in the Bible. The book portrays a victorious living through overcoming battles in Christian life. The book can be divided into three sections: 1) Entering the land; 2) Conquering the land, and 3) Distributing the land. From a military standpoint, Joshua’ sequence of attack reveals many insights. First, the Israelites’ attack route dissected the Canaan area into half by first tackling Jericho and Ai. Then, Joshua defeated the coalition of southern kings. Subsequently, the Israelites fought against the northern kings and defeated them as well. His strategy – guided by God – although not a perfect comparison, reminded me of “blitzkrieg” of Germany during the Second World War. Germany planned to quickly defeat and subdue France with an overwhelming force, then focus on the eastern front to fight against Russia. If failed, Germany knew that it would face a two-front war. Although Germany failed, Joshua and the Israelites, empowered by God, succeeded. After defeating Jericho and Ai, he was able to swiftly dispatch the southern kings, who formed a coalition, with the help of the LORD. Then, Joshua defeated the northern kings. Military strategy was brilliantly executed under the guidance of the LORD God.

The book teaches us to take risks and challenges – in full trust based on our intimate relation with God. Without intimate relation with God, these risks and challenges become a reckless gambling. The size of the land God promised to the Israelites was a moving variable – it depended on the risks and challenges that the sons of Israelite took to conquer the land. His promise was “wherever the sole of your foot treads, I have given it to you.”

Most of the book is filled with victorious achievement by the Israelites. However, the book also reminds us of falling short of reaching our potential that God envisioned for us. For instance, the total land size promised in Joshua 1:4 amounts to approximately 300,000 square miles. However, even at the zenith of the Israel Kingdom, under the reign of Solomon, Israel’s territory reached only 30,000 square mile, 1/10th of the promise made by God. Was the expectation of the LORD too much, or the sons of Israelites failed to live out their full potential? We shall find out.

Joshua as a General

Before diving deeper into the first chapter of Joshua, it is noteworthy to pinpoint a few events and verses about Joshua in the prior books. It was not a sudden rise that took Joshua to a leadership position. For many years through a variety of roles, including a military general, gatekeeper, servant of Moses, and spy, the LORD God slowly prepared him to lead the Israelites. In this section, I would like to focus on Joshua as a general.

The very first episode of Joshua took place in Exodus 17, not very long after the miraculous crossing of the Red Sea into the wilderness. The first fight broke out, although a reason was not exactly known, with the Amalekites at Rephidim. Moses appointed Joshua to lead the fight. With the LORD’s help and the supporting prayer of Moses, Joshua was able to overwhelm Amalek with the EDGE of THE SWORD. Then, the LORD told Moses a very specific instruction to write this victory as a memorial and recite to Joshua. The LORD gave this victory.

The fight with the Amalekite could have been the turning point in the life of Joshua. Moses’ first encounter with the LORD was through a burning bush. Joshua’s first encounter with the LORD was through a battle against the Amalek. A very unique experience for Joshua was that his very first “ministry” experience was a fight against the despicable Amalek.

What prompted the fight against the Amalkites in Exodus 17? Also, what prompted the LORD to declare such a strong statement that says “I will be at permanent war against the Amalkite?” Although Exodus 17 did not provide any explicit explanation about the cause of this fight, the book of Deuteronomy provided a few clues. Duet 25:17 showed that the Amalekites attacked all the stragglers at their rear front when the Israelites were faint and weary – this action was considered despicable with no fear of God. Who would be the stragglers at the rear of the march? Naturally, the old, the weak, the young, nursing mothers, lame, and etc. Amalek’s attack must have enraged the LORD, who subsequently declared His judgment against the Amalek.

The LORD’s rage was passed onto Joshua through Moses. In the fight against the Amalek, Joshua became one with the LORD in (justified) anger. Moses, Aaron and Hur prayed on top of the mountain in the vicinity. By the sun set, the Israelites prevailed

What was the lesson of this war? Holy and powerful God. God who defends the weak.

Imagine as if you were Joshua. The first attribute of God that he experienced was the God who judged the evil – truly the LORD of hosts and the chief commander of the army.

I think this is very cool – experiencing the God of power and justice in your first personal encounter.

2 Corinthians 4: Never, Never, Never Give Up

Introduction

Sometimes many of us forget. We forget about some important aspects of following Jesus. Discovering and following the truth is not just a matter of “better” life or being good to someone else. Many of us, including myself, often forget that we were drawn into a different realm once we accepted Christ in our life: the realm where the devil wages an incredible war against the follower of Christ.

Moses said in his last sermon: the Word of God is your life (Deut. 30:20). The function of the Word of God is not just giving life. The Word Itself is Life. Without the Word is death. Apostle Paul wholeheartedly knew this with all his entirety that the Word was his life as well as life for all followers of Christ. Because he has experienced the Word of God as his life, he poured out his heart for the Corinthian Church in 2 Corinthians 4.

Any ministry can pose a tremendous challenge – even for apostle Paul. One of the most challenging ministries took place in Corinth for Paul – also the sheer length of the letters to the Corinthians partly reflects the difficulty associated with the ministry in Corinth. Paul wanted to lead them to Christ, yet, many factors were hindering the goal, one of which was the continual presence of the false teachers and false teachings.

This chapter came to me as a declaration of war. War against who? Against any person, being, or realm that opposes the truth, the truth of Christ. However the difficult ministry had been for Paul, he was pouring out his heart to tell that he and his fellow ministers to “not lose heart.” In the New Living Translation, the same phrase is stated in a more proactive stance, “we do not give up.” Yes, Paul and his companions did not give up because they knew the monumental consequence for the Corinthians if they retreated.

Three Statements

The entire chapter can be summarized into three sentences.

We (Paul and his fellow companions) are fragile human beings.
We do not give up no matter how hard this ministry becomes.
We will continue to preach Christ.

The next three subsections summarize the chapter, not necessarily in the order.

First: Weak, Fragile Vessels

Paul knew how weak and how fragile he can be. He knew that he was of an earthen vessel, afflicted in every way, perplexed, persecuted and struck down (2 Corinth 4:7-10). Also, he was carrying about in the body the dying Jesus (v11). He admitted that death was working in him.

In other words, Paul and his companions were severely buffeted by the outside trials to render them weak both physically and mentally. Paul never denied his weaknesses. Paul fully accepted the weakness and limitation of his ability. This was the point where Christ began to shine – inside out.

Second: Strong Inside and Heart

However weak Paul may be, he knew his identity and what he had in him. In Verse 1, he knew that he received mercy. In verse 7, in contrast to his weak physical body, it was stated that he knew that he had “this treasure.” He knew that he and his companions were bond-servants for Jesus’s sake.

Because of this strong awareness of his identity in Christ, he made a courageous confession that although he was struck down, he was not in despair, nor forsaken, nor destroyed. Although carrying about the death of dying Jesus, the life of Jesus was manifested in his body.

The inner strength empowered Paul to maintain this proactive mindset: “We do not lose heart.” In other words, “we do not give up,” repeated twice in verse 2 and verse 16. “We do not lose heart.” Paul’s action did not just stop at the heart level.

Third: Fight and Preach!

The ministry did not just stay at the heart level. Paul and his companions mustered the last ounce of their strength to engage in active offensive tactics.

The first action that they took was to reject any message that does not align with God (verse 2). An emphatic rejection of those craftiness that adulterates the Word of God. This was accompanied by defensive tactics by manifesting the truth.

The second action was to continue to preach Christ (verse 5). This was the very act by Paul to continue to engage offensively to enlarge the Kingdom of God.

Conclusion

Therefore, admit that you may be weak, but continue to cling firm to your true identity in Christ, and translate that into action of rejecting falsehood and continuing to preach Christ.

May God bless you.

Joshua 1: We must move on

The book of Joshua starts with the inevitable destination for all men: death. The LORD told Joshua that Moses was dead and commanded him to lead the Israelites to cross Jordan to the land that He promised (Josh 1:2). The book of Joshua starts with death and a new mission for the Isrealites.

Mortal Man and Immortal God

However great they may be, all leaders die at some point. The work of God continues, however. God assigns and raises up a new leader. Although Moses made multiple requests before God to allow him to enter the land of Canaan, the LORD placed a hard stop on Moses. Moses passed away on top of the mountain and the LORD God Himself buried him in the valley in the land of Moab (Deut 34:6).

However extraordinary Moses was – whom the LORD knew face to face (Duet 34:10) – he died, but the work of God never stops. The work of God to redeem His people from the world began right at the moment when Adam and Eve sinned in Genesis 3. This work was carried out by Moses, and to be handed over to Joshua.

Repeated Verse: “Be strong and very courageous”

The command “be strong and courageous” is repeated three times in the first chapter. The same command and encouragement were given to Joshua twice prior to this chapter directly by Moses (Deut 31:7) and God (Deut 31:23). The LORD began to instill His encouragement to Josua before the start of the actual conquest. Repeating a phrase three times is held an important value in the Hebrew language, and what can we say about five times? These five repetitions were to remind Joshua of the LORD’s wholeheartedly support of Joshua’s leadership for the conquest of the land of Canaan.

God’s Partnership with His People: Simply Amazing

Let’s take a brief moment to meditate on Joshua 1:6:

“….YOU shall give this people possession of the land which I [the LORD God] swore to their forefathers to give them [emphasis added]”

“You” in this verse was Joshua. Although God was the ultimate leader of this conquest and the all the redemptive work, God was telling Joshua that Joshua would give this people possession of the land. This is simply amazing. God, who is sufficient and perfect, wants to work with His people. God desires to have deep fellowship and partnership with us in accomplishing His work! This attribute of God gives us the followers of Christ immense comfort and encouragement.

As soon as Joshua was empowered by the LORD, he took swift action to speak with the officers of the people for preparation.

Virtuous Cycle

The last three verses of this chapter, from verse 16 to 18, highlight the importance of oneness in the LORD within the community.

The leaders of Israel spoke back to Joshua to be strong and courageous (Josh 1:18). Where did this statement originally come from? Let’s follow the flow of communication in this chapter.

The message flowed from God to Joshua, then from Joshua to the officers of the Israelites, then from the Israelites back to Joshua. The original message of God was the encouragement to be strong and courageous. Then, Joshua received this back from the officers of the Israelites. What was flowing among the Israelite community was a virtuous cycle, essential for living out the promise of God.

2 Corinthians 1-2: Confidence in Christ

Rather than focusing on the content itself, I wanted to draw out some of the implicit factors, those that are unseen, from the passage, especially on the relational aspect. The letter was undoubtedly written by Paul, probably the main author, with the help of Timothy. The recipients were the saints, the followers of Christ, in Corinth.

Firm Identity in God (verses 1 to 2)

Paul, an apostle of Christ Jesus by the will of God, and Timothy our brother, To the church of God which is at Corinth with all the saints who are throughout Achaia: Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ (2 Corinthians 1:1-2)

The first part of the letter portrays a typical opening statement across Paul’s letters. Often, considering the opening statement too typical, we tend to overlook the importance of it. However, I urge all readers to allocate sufficient time to meditate on the “typical” introduction and greetings. A few important factors are as follows.

Paul had a very strong assurance of his identity. The very beginning of the letter made this clear. Paul introduced himself in relation to Christ. His identity was solely rooted in Christ. He was an apostle, the literal meaning of which was a messenger. Paul was sure that his role and identity was rooted in Christ and empowered by the will of God. The will of God was to send His son and make Him known. Paul had a clear understanding of his role and identity.

From this firm rootness and being assured of the identity, Paul permeated his confidence in Christ throughout the letter, including the First Corinthians and especially in these two chapters of the Second Corinthians. Having this strong anchor, although he was rebuking Corinthians in the first letter, his confidence in God, he rebuked the Corinthians of their clear wrong practices. The continuation can be seen in the second letter of Corinthians.

From the strong assurance of his identity in Christ enabled him to permeate confidence. From this strong assurance, he positioned himself to share immense suffering that his team had undergone in Asia to the saints at Corinth. From this confidence, he told the Corinthians to listen to his message, which in fact, a message of Christ. From this assurance, Paul asked them to forgive the person (2 Corinthians 2) to accept because he was fully aware of Satan’s strategy.

Growing Paul (verses 3 to 5)

3 Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies and God of all comfort, 4 who comforts us in all our affliction so that we will be able to comfort those who are in any affliction with the comfort with which we ourselves are comforted by God. 5 For just as the sufferings of Christ are ours in abundance, so also our comfort is abundant through Christ (2 Corinthians 1:3-5)

The process of knowing and experiencing God has no bounds. Even for Apostle Paul, this was not an exception. Let’s unfold and uncover something deeper from these three verses.

Paul began by praising God. For what? Paul praised a particular aspect of God here: God of comfort. Comfort is repeated multiple times and not a typical word used in other letters by Paul. That leads us to question why Paul introduced this new term in this passage.

We have to jump a little ahead to verse 8 where Paul and his team were under an incredible affliction that led them to utter despair in Asia (many scholars think the event that led even Paul to an utter despair of death was recorded in Acts 18: the uprising of Demetrius). Although the details of the affliction and sufferings that Paul and his team underwent were not clear, what was certain was the excruciating degree of mental and physical sufferings that afflicted Paul. Through the excruciating pain and thoughts of even physical death, Paul and his team were granted deliverance by the LORD. This experience at Asian (v.8) must have given a new enlightenment and deeper understanding of God – especially, God of Comfort. Even Apostle Paul was growing. Through suffering, Paul spiritually grew closer to a true understanding of and experience of God of comfort.

A similar comparable experience was recorded in the Old Testament by Job. Job underwent a time of extreme trials, losing most of his family members and all of his wealth, compounded by argumentative his close four friends. After all these, God appeared and questioned Job. Through this process, Job realized the gap between his finite wisdom and infinite God, which naturally led him to repent and be in awe of God. Similar to Paul, through suffering, Job also encountered a new knowledge of God.

In suffering and affliction, people can choose to grow. God uses those vehicles to spur growth in each of His followers. Apostle Paul was not an exception.

Sharing and Request to Connect with Corinthians (verses 6 to 11)

In this section, we can see Paul’s relation with the Corinthian church and the earnestness with which he wanted to share his experience with them. In the passage, we see that Paul was acknowledging that the readers were the sharers of his sufferings.

Also, Paul was making a request. He was asking them to be aware of Paul’s situation and pray for his team. That Paul being vulnerable to the Corinthians reflected his trust and dependence on the Corinth church.

Confidence that stems from the identity (v12)

For our proud confidence is this: the testimony of our conscience, that in holiness and godly sincerity, not in fleshly wisdom but in the grace of God, we have conducted ourselves in the world, and especially toward you (2 Corinthians 1:12)

What is the common denominator for both humility and confidence? I dare to say they come from understanding one’s true identity. The only way to understand one’s true identity is to know the creator, God and Christ Jesus. Knowing the true identity sets one free – confidence in God leads people to be content and be humble because they do not have to prove anything to other people.

Connecting from verse 1 and 2, Paul’s firm identity in Christ enabled him to display a sheer confidence to the Corinthians. At first glance, these verses may seem rather strange. However, Paul stated that he and his companion conducted above the highest standard, especially toward the Corinthians. He was confident in holiness and godly sincerity.

Was this a sign of hubris, or arrogance? No. His mindset stemmed from a firm identity in Christ and Paul’s love of God was fully manifested to the Corinthians in a variety of forms – even including, a series of severe rebuke and admonishment.

Conclusion

A strong identity in Christ is essential to grow further in Him and to withstand adverse situations. Even apostle Paul, when faced with a tremendously difficult external situation, fell into despair. Yet, his strong identity anchored in Christ catapulted him to experience God of comfort. In Christ, Paul was confident enough to rebuke and admonish Corinthians to an everlasting way of Christ. I pray that you will grow in Christ to have your identity firmly rooted in Him in this tumultuous world.

Introduction to 2 Corinthians

Here’s a continuation of the introduction to the 2 Corinthians.

Author

In order to understand the letter, we must first start with some understanding of the author(s). Apostle Paul was the main author of the letters to the Corinthians, along with Timonty. Given that this letter was written around AD 55, Paul was thought to be in his late 40s or early 50s. Simple fact may this be, it is important for the readers to know the approximate age of the author.

Paul’s first direct encounter with Jesus occurred when he was on his way to Damascus to further persecute Christians (Acts 9). He was in his early 30s when his supernatural encounter with Jesus took place. Before this, Paul was discipled by Gamaliel the Elder, who was a leading authority in the Sanhedrin in the early first century. He was trained in the word of God (the Old Testament) by the best teacher at that time. After his encounter with Jesus, Paul spent another 14 years in Arabia and Judea, although it is not exactly known what he did during those 14 years, I think Paul started to re-interpret and renewed his understanding of the word of God in reflection of Jesus Christ. After having gone through this rigorous 14 years, he partook in a few missionary journeys. Some of the key concepts in his letters to the Corinthians were a result of both his rigorous reflection of the Old Testament and his numerous missionary trips. Therefore, understanding the full depth of some of the concepts laid out in Paul’s letter is not easy.

If you as a reader, had a difficult time understanding the full depths and knowledge of Paul’s message, it is OK. It is natural. Don’t be frustrated but keep moving on with the guide of the Holy Spirit. If you think you understood Paul’s letter fully, then you may have dwells on the surface only.

The City of Corinth

The city of Corinth was located in the Achaia region, not too far from Athens. As a major trading hub, the city was the center of commerce, attracting people from many other parts of the world. Perhaps, because of the confluence of many cultures, practices, traditions and values from a wide variety of nations and ethic groups, Corinth was a city where a fusion of religious thoughts and practices resided. In some way, the city could be compared to the current Las Vegas in the United States.

Deuteronomy 34: The LORD buries Moses

Finally, the last chapter of the book of Deuteronomy. Moses was a great leader because he trusted his great God.

Obedient to the point of death

After Moses blessed the sons of Israel by each tribe, he obeyed the command of the LORD by immediately going up from the plains of Moab to Mount Nebo. At the end of Chapter 32, God commanded Moses to die on the mountain where he ascended, and Moses followed the command of the LORD fully and swiftly. Literally, Moses was obedient to the point of death – at least some resemblance to our LORD Jesus Christ, who was also obedient to the point of death, the death on the cross.

The LORD shows Moses the land

Why did the LORD show all the land to Moses? Perhaps, to fulfill Moses’ curiosity. It is possible to imagine that the LORD acted as Moses’ personal tour guide in His mercy and compassion. Although the LORD prohibited Moses from leading the Israelites to conquer the land of Canaan, He still accommodated Moses’ longing as much as possible.

Were the lands and the part of Mediterranean Sea visible from the top of Mount Nebo? Yes, based on our google map and search, in a clear day, 50 kilometers (about 30 mile) can be seen without special help of binoculars. So yes, Moses was able to see all of them without a supernatural help from the LORD.

What do you think was going through Moses’ heart and mind as he gazed on the land of Canaan? Jot down some of your thoughts as if you were Moses.

The LORD ultimately leads

Moses was a great leader. He led approximately 2 million grumbling people (estimated based on 600,000 adult males) into the wilderness for 40 years with an infinite amount of patience, including multiple crucial intercessory prayers to save them from the wrath of the LORD. However great Moses was, the ultimate leader had always been the LORD, their God. The LORD reminded Moses that this was the land that the LORD swore to their ancestors (Deut. 34:4). The LORD was, is, and will forever continue to be the ultimate leader.

The role that Moses played was clearly articulated in the book of Hebrews. Hebrews 3:5 states that Moses was faithful in all His [God’s] house as a servant. Moses, although greatly venerated by the Jews, was still only a servant. The glory, honor, and praise belong to our God, and the LORD Jesus Christ.

The LORD buries Moses

Let’s recollect the process of Moses’ death chronologically. The LORD commanded Moses to go up to the mountain. Moses went up and the LORD showed all the land. Moses died on the mountain – presumably at the top of the mountain. The LORD carried Moses down and buried him in the valley, at the lower ground, in the land of Moab. No man knew the burial place.

Amazing is the intimate, special treatment by the LORD on Moses. Duet 34:6 indicates that the LORD Himself buried Moses. Moses was the only person to be buried directly by the LORD God. Unfathomable.

The LORD commences

This was not it. The LORD raised up a new leader for the new conquest. Joshua was filled with the spirit (34:9) and the sons of the Israelites listened to him.

The LORD honors Moses

Although it was ultimately about the LORD, He made sure that Moses was honored. Moses was described as a man of God (Deut. 33:1) and the only person in history whom the LORD knew face to face (Exodus 33:11). The close, intimate relation between the LORD and Moses was manifested through the mighty power and all the great terror which Moses performed in the sight of all Israel.