Conquest and Judges – Unwavering Devotion

No one will be able to stand against you all the days of your life. As I was with Moses, so I will be with you; I will never leave you nor forsake you. Be strong and courageous because you will lead these people to inherit the land I swore to their ancestors to give them. Joshua 1:5-6

After forty years of wandering in the desert, God decides that it’s time for the Israelites to inherit the promised land. If you think back to the covenant made with Abraham and his descendants, there were two parts. The first part was that Abraham’s family would become so large it would be a nation. That part has happened, but the second part was that they would inherit the land called Canaan to live on.

Moses has been leading the people of Israel for a very long time. He’s an older man now, and God decides it’s time to transfer leadership to someone else. Joshua is Moses’ assistant, his right-hand man. He is selected to lead the people of Israel into the promised land.

With a new leader, the Israelites are ready to put down roots in the land of Canaan. However, there’s a problem. There are already people living there. God’s people must conquer the land, and that means war.

The book of Joshua presents difficulties for us modern-day Christians. Historically, the church has misused the story of Joshua as a justification for conquering other people. In the US, people used the story of Joshua to justify taking land from the Native Americans. In medieval times, the Catholic Church used the story to justify conquering rival Christians in the orthodox church. There are tons of examples of the misuse of Joshua, but there are plenty of good lessons to learn from this part of the story.

The book of Joshua demonstrates God’s unwavering devotion even in the face of Israel’s fear and uncertainty. Israel is promised again and again that they will never be forsaken or abandoned. God extends that promise to us today along with the command to be courageous, to live without fear. We are called to rest in God’s unwavering devotion before stepping out in courageous acts of faith. Consider what God is calling you to right now. Do you need to rest in God’s devotion, or is God calling you to step out with courageous faith?