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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?

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Exodus and Wandering – The Greatest Commandment

Hear, O Israel: The Lord our God, the Lord is one. Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength. Deuteronomy 6:4-5

This verse comes to us during the period of the Exodus, a time when the Israelites were trying to become the people of the living God. It grows into an important Creed throughout the history of Judaism. It is known as the Shema, which is the first word of the saying in Hebrew. Shema means “hear” or “listen” in Hebrew. Observant Jews would recite this verse daily and teach it to their children as a bedtime prayer. They also made an effort to have the Shema be their last words before dying.

About 1300 years after the Exodus, a popular Jewish teacher decided to set up shop in the temple courtyard to preach to the people, and they were astonished at what he had to say. Massive crowds came to hear him talk, and the established teachers became jealous of his popularity. They didn’t trust he knew what he was talking about.

One of them, who was an expert in the Law, tested him with a question, asking which is the greatest commandment in the Law? The popular teacher replied by citing the Shema, the same thing he’d been taught to say since he was a young boy. “‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind. However, he followed up the Shema with something unusual but profound. “’ This is the first and greatest commandment,” he said. “And the second is like it: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.”

Jesus Christ, the popular teacher from the temple courts, knew that the core of God’s teaching has been the same for thousands of years. Generations have recited the Shema as a form of prayer and a way to remind themselves of God’s call for our devotion. But Jesus bound the truth of the Shema to another, but similar truth found in the book of Leviticus, “you shall love your neighbor as yourself.” Jesus teaches that the entire story of Scripture hangs on these two commands. As we conclude the story of the Exodus, consider where have you seen these twin commandments show-up in our devotions so far.

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Exodus and Wandering – A Blessing

This is how you are to bless the Israelites. Say to them: ‘“The Lord bless you and keep you; the Lord make his face shine on you and be gracious to you; the Lord turn his face toward you and give you peace.”’ Numbers 6:23-26

The story of the Exodus does not stop with the book of Exodus. God spends a lot of time with the Israelites wandering in the desert helping to build up their faith. There’s a lot of instruction about how worship should be run, and different laws that the Israelites should follow. In the Book of Numbers, we find a beautiful passage sometimes referred to as the “priestly blessing”. God instructs the priests, the people who are supposed to lead worship, to offer a very specific benediction as part of worship.

This blessing is supposed to cultivate a sense of peace, or in Hebrew Shalom, for the people, and it is still used frequently in worship today, both in Christian and Jewish settings. What’s interesting about this blessing is that historically it was accompanied by a specific hand gesture called the Shefa Tal. It is made with two hands pointing up and connected at the thumbs with a large space in between the middle and ring finger on each hand.

You might have even seen this hand gesture before. Actor Leonard Nimoy was raised as an Orthodox Jew, and saw this gesture performed in worship accompanied by the priestly blessing. When he was awarded the role of Spock on Star Trek, he decided to work this gesture into the famous “live long and prosper” greeting known as the Vulcan salute, using a modified version with only one hand.

What we do with our hands in worship is actually pretty important. Our body language is an extension of our heart. Some people raise their hands in worship as a symbol of joy, some people pray with hands clench to represent humility. Traditionally, people in the church have held their hands open and flat out in front of them, ready to receive God’s goodness, whenever a blessing or benediction is being offered. As you spend time in prayer today, consider stretching out your open hands, eager to receive the which God wants to give you.

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Exodus and Wandering – Greatest Commandment

And God spoke all these words: “I am the Lord your God, who brought you out of Egypt, out of the land of slavery. “You shall have no other gods before me. Exodus 20:1-3      

Take a moment to think of your favorite board game or maybe your favorite sport. There’s probably a lot of rules involved, and it takes some time to learn all of them. If you had to pick the number one rule, the most important rule, what would it be? For a sport like soccer, it’s pretty clear what the number one rule is: don’t use our hands. If you’ve ever taken part in the role-playing game Dungeons and Dragons, then you know the number one rule is the Dungeon Master is always right.

Not every game or sport is that simple, and these two examples are really deceptive. Things are always a lot more complicated than that.

After the Israelites were rescued from slavery in Egypt, God led them into the desert beyond the Red Sea. These people had spent generations as slaves in Egypt, and now they were in unfamiliar territory. God decides to set down some ground rules for their relationship. Most important among these ground rules were the Ten Commandments, and the number one commandment was “you shall have no other Gods before me.” The rest of God’s laws flow from this commandment because if you put God first, then you will put the  things God cares about first.

At that time, most people believed in lots of different gods and these gods were in charge of different things. Ancient peoples would worship the god that cared what was most important to them. If you were a farmer, you would worship the gods in charge of the harvest. If you were a sailor, you might worship a god that would give you calm seas.

The way the God of Israel works is the exact opposite. The Israelites didn’t choose God. God chose them and rescued them from slavery. Moreover, the Israelites are called to put God first and the things God cares about. The same is true for us today. God wants to be our priority and to order our lives according to what Jesus thinks is important. It turns out the thing that God cares about most is for us to love one another. How can we better order our priorities to be in line with God’s priorities?

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Exodus and Wandering – The Feast

Celebrate the Festival of Unleavened Bread, because it was on this very day that I brought your divisions out of Egypt. Celebrate this day as a lasting ordinance for the generations to come. Exodus 12:17

Moses was sent by God to pharaoh, king of Egypt, to negotiate the release of the Hebrew slaves. Pharaoh wasn’t keen on releasing the slaves, so God sent horrible plagues to help change the pharaoh’s mind. The last of these plagues was the death of the firstborn children in Egypt. It was a very dark and scary time for the Egyptians and the Israelites. To distinguish themselves from the Egyptians, the Israelites were instructed to celebrate a particular kind of meal. This meal came to be known as Passover, Because the plague passed over the house of anyone who celebrated it.

It may seem strange to celebrate a feast during the middle of a plague. It’s like having Thanksgiving dinner in the middle of a hurricane. However, the Jewish people continued to celebrate the festival of Passover every year as a way to remember how God rescued them from Egypt. They take time to tell the story, and retell the story, so even the youngest members of the family may know it by heart. Even during the Holocaust, Jews found ways to celebrate Passover in concentration camps. They marked out calendars on the walls of their barracks so they could know the right day. They stored up precious quantities of flour so they could bake the right bread. They celebrated in secret, knowing if they were caught they would surely be executed.

About 1300 years after the Israelites’ departure from Egypt, a Jewish Rabbi will sit down to celebrate the Passover with his disciple for the last time. They will bake the same bread, eat the same food, and drink the same wine, in the same way as their ancestors. Nevertheless, when they finish their meal the festival of Passover will be forever changed. It will become the sacrament of communion.

Passover and Communion both prompt us to remember God’s salvation and give thanks. Fewer obstacles stand between us and the celebration of our redeemer than did for the Jewish people during the Exodus or under Nazi Germany. Today, make space to remember, celebrate, and give thanks for God’s gift of salvation.

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Exodus and Wandering – The Name of God

“So now, go (Moses). I am sending you to Pharaoh to bring my people the Israelites out of Egypt…This is what you are to say to the Israelites: ‘I am has sent me to you.’”

Exodus 3:10, 14

One of the biggest mysteries in the Bible is the name of God. If you pay attention to the letters in your Bible, you’ll notice that the name of God is written in different ways. Sometimes you will see it as LORD with all uppercase letters. The Old Testament is written in Hebrew, and whenever you see all uppercase letters, the Hebrew word is actually Yahweh. Or, to be more specific, the four letters YHWH.

In Exodus 3, Moses is called by God to rescue the Israelites from Egypt. Before he leaves on his mission, Moses asks for a name. He wants to know what to tell the people of Israel about the God who’s coming to rescue them. What’s funny is that God sort of gives Moses a non-answer. He says, “I am who I am” or some translate it “I will be who I will be.” It seems like a bit of a smart-aleck response, but there’s a good reason for this.

At that time, people used the names of gods like magical spells. They would call on the name of a god in order to do their bidding. Also, a god’s name usually had something to do with what the god did. When Moses asked for God’s name, he’s trying to figure out if he’s the God of the sun or the desert or the storms. He’s trying to put the real living God in the right category.

God’s answer resists being put into a box. He’s way bigger than the sun or storms. God will be whatever God wants to be. We cannot control God or define God. We can’t even fathom the depth, the height, or the breadth of God’s power. We can only hope to know some little piece of God through our relationship with the Son of God.

For centuries, Jews have marveled at the power in God’s name so much so that they never say the word Yahweh. Instead, they use euphemisms such as words like “Adonai” meaning “Lord” or “hashem” which just means “the name.” There is so much power and beauty in the name of God. It is important to take time to meditate on it and be lost in wonder.

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Patriarchs and Matriarchs – The Start of Captivity

Then a new king, to whom Joseph meant nothing, came to power in Egypt. “Look,” he said to his people, “the Israelites have become far too numerous for us. Come, we must deal shrewdly with them” … So, they put slave masters over them to oppress them with forced labor. Exodus 1:8-11

In today’s passage, we have moved into the third phase In our biblical timeline: The Exodus. Many generations have passed since Joseph was in charge of Egypt. Joseph and his brothers have had children, and those children have had children. They are no longer just a big extended family; the Israelites are a whole ethnic group.

The new Pharaoh in Egypt has become nervous about these Israelites. The Egyptians do not want to share power with these immigrants. They are viewed as a threat even though they have done nothing to deserve it. So, a plan is developed. The Israelites will be oppressed. The process begins with forced labor but grows to include other acts of violence, terror, and even ethnic cleansing. This is the first documentation of Jewish oppression, but far from the last time that they will suffer. They will face persecution from nearly every nation right up to today.

Unfortunately, human history is filled with horrors of slavery and genocide. These moments seem to follow a very specific formula. There are two groups of people, and the leaders of one group spread fear about the other group, that they are dangerous or corrupt and need to be controlled. If we don’t get them under control now, then they will be our downfall. And slavery is not just a relic of the past. It’s thought that more than 40 million people live in slavery today.

What we learn from the Exodus is that God is on the side of the oppressed, not the side of the oppressor. God is not just concerned with our spiritual salvation but our bodily liberation. Christianity is not just about believing the right things. In Luke 4, Jesus uses his first sermon to proclaim freedom for the prisoners to set the oppressed free. Today, take time to examine the news. Where do you hear voices of fear and oppression, and where do you hear voices of liberation? Which voice will you listen to?

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Patriarchs and Matriarchs – From Harm to Good

“I am your brother Joseph, the one you sold into Egypt! And now, do not be distressed and do not be angry with yourselves for selling me here, because it was to save lives that God sent me ahead of you.” Genesis 45:4-5

The story of Joseph is not just a rags to riches story. It’s more of a riches to rags to riches story. Joseph is one of the youngest sons of Jacob, grandson to Isaac, and great-grandson to Abraham. He started out life as the favorite child and his father gave him a beautiful coat to distinguish them from his brothers. Now, I’m sure that your parents never played favorites, but as you can imagine, this didn’t go over very well.

Fueled by jealousy, his brothers kidnapped him and sold him into slavery. He worked his way up as a slave but was eventually wound up in prison through no fault of his own. After years of ups and downs, Joseph made his way to the court of pharaoh in Egypt. He became second in command over the biggest empire in the world at the time. Eventually, he reunited with his brothers when they came to beg for food from the Egyptians.

Sibling rivalry is a powerful force. In Genesis, we have seen brothers scheme against one another, even kill each other out of envy. Joseph’s brothers intended to hurt him. They wanted to punish him. But God took their evil actions and was able to use something terrible for a good purpose. Joseph ends up forgiving his brothers saying, “You intended to harm me, but God intended it for good…”

Our God is powerful and creative enough to take even our most terrible sins and use them for his purpose. This is one of the biggest themes of the Christian story. In fact, that is exactly the story of the cross. The Romans and Jewish authorities intended for the cross to destroy the Jesus movement. They wanted Jesus dead and his followers scattered. But God used the evil of the cross to bring about salvation for the entire world. What some intended for harm, God used for good. How might God be turning your difficult situation into something good?

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Patriarchs and Matriarchs – Wrestling with God

 “I am the Lord, the God of your father Abraham and the God of Isaac. I will give you and your descendants the land on which you are lying… I am with you and will watch over you wherever you go, and I will bring you back to this land. I will not leave you until I have done what I have promised you.” Genesis 28:13-14     

In today’s passage, God renews his covenant with a man named Jacob, who is Abraham’s grandson. In the story, Jacob is wandering in the desert, having run away from home after cheating his brother out of his inheritance. Jacob is not a hero. He is dishonest, crafty, and selfish. His rebellious choices have forced him to flee from his home and his family. He is not unlike the Prodigal Son who has left home for wilder living. But as he sleeps under the stars, God appears to him for the first time in a dream.

God explains the covenant held with his father Isaac and his grandfather Abraham. It’s unclear if Jacob has heard of the promises before now. He certainly hasn’t been worshiping or seeking after God. But God wants Jacob to know that there are blessings in store for him regardless of his past actions and, what’s even more amazing, Jacob’s future commitment. God is going to bless Jacob. God is going to show Jacob kindness, love, and grace even though he has done nothing to earn it.

In this part of the story, only Jacob’s parents and grandparents have faith in God. Jacob, young and strong-willed, has never expressed any real faith of his own. But he decided that if God keeps his promise and brings him back home one day, THEN he will be faithful to God.

Jacob spent most of his life wrestling with the God of his parents and grandparents. Faith never came easy for him. He was always trying to resist the temptation around him. Later in Genesis, God gives him the new name Israel which means “wrestles with God,” describing Jacob’s faith journey. The name Israel comes to represent all of his descendants.

What about you? Do you feel like your faith comes easy like Abraham and Isaac? Or do you wrestle with God as Jacob does? Take time today to reflect on God’s graciousness in the midst of our rebelliousness.

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Patriarchs and Matriarchs – Foundation of Faith

“Do not lay a hand on the boy,” God said Abraham. “Do not do anything to him. Now I know that you fear God, because you have not withheld from me your son Isaac, your only son.” Genesis 22:12

Abraham and his wife Sarah were incredibly old when God promised to give them children. God vowed to make them into a great nation of lots of people. Sara found the idea so crazy that she laughed behind the back of God’s messengers who told them they would have children. When she finally became pregnant and gave birth, they named the child Isaac which means “he laughs,” and this time, her laughter was of pure joy.

However, God commanded Abraham to take this son Isaac to the top of a nearby mountain and sacrifice him as a burnt offering. Abraham bound his son with rope and set him on an altar, and when he raised the knife over the boy to kill him, the Lord suddenly stopped Abraham, and provided a goat to sacrifice instead. Abraham showed he was willing to give up the most precious thing in the world to him so he could be faithful to God. He passed the agonizing test, and God knew he would be the one through whom all humanity would be blessed.

Even if we, the reader, know from the start that this is only a test, it’s a pretty terrible test to put someone through. Academic scholars will say that this story actually functions as an important lesson for ancient Israelites to understand child sacrifice is completely off-limits. It was something that neighboring peoples practiced. But what kind of God would even test someone in such way? Christian writers have filled entire sections of libraries exploring this one passage from Scripture.

There are details in the story on which we should reflect with great care. Isaac obeys his father and carries the wood himself to the top of the hill. Abraham freely offers his one and only son, though he loves Isaac more than anything. A son is not sacrificed that day, but a Son is sacrificed later on a different hill called Calgary.

From this moment forward, Abraham is considered the Father of the faith, and this episode foreshadows the foundational story of the Christian faith: the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus Christ, who is himself a descendant of Abraham and Isaac and the children that follow. The Son of God has not been withheld as a sacrifice for our salvation, therefore let us pursue the cause of heaven with renewed passion and thanksgiving.