Be Strong and of a Good Courage: Lesson 18 Old Testament

Link to Lesson 18: Be Strong and of a Good Courage

I really enjoyed studying for this lesson because the stories are so pertinent for our day.
The Israelites have been wandering in the desert for 40 years under the guidance of Moses. But Moses does not get to enter the Promised Land. In Deuteronomy 34, we read of Moses' death and how he ordained Joshua to be the new prophet.

Be Strong and of a Good Courage

In Joshua 1, the new prophet takes the reins and the Lord counsels him over and over to "be strong and of a good courage."
Why?
Because not only does Joshua have the millions of Israelites to lead and keep from falling into idolatry, but he has to get them over the Jordan River where they must conquer all the peoples on the other side.
Talk about stress!
But the Lord's words are comforting and three times he repeats his counsel:

6 Be strong and of a good courage: for unto this people shalt thou divide for an inheritance the land, which I sware unto their fathers to give them.
 7 Only be thou strong and very courageous, that thou mayest observe to do according to all the law, which Moses my servant commanded thee: turn not from it to the right hand or to the left, that thou mayest prosper whithersoever thou goest.
9 Have not I commanded thee? Be strong and of a good courage; be not afraid, neither be thou dismayed: for the Lord thy God is with thee whithersoever thou goest.

Here's an awesome video about courage!

Crossing the Jordan River on Dry Ground

Just as the Israelites had crossed the Red Sea and escaped the Egyptian army, the new generation of Israelites are able to see what the Lord can do with water.
Joshua is commanded to have 12 priests, one from each tribe, carry the ark and walk into the overflowing Jordan River.

12 Now therefore take you twelve men out of the tribes of Israel, out of every tribe a man.
 13 And it shall come to pass, as soon as the soles of the feet of the priests that bear the ark of the Lord, the Lord of all the earth, shall rest in the waters of Jordan, that the waters of Jordan shall be cut off from the waters that come down from above; and they shall stand upon an heap.

It was only when they got the soles of their feet wet, did the Lord hold back the waters. How many times does the Lord require us to go forward, even before we understand how we're going to be able to accomplish what he's asked us to do?
There are so many symbolic messages in this story. The ark of the covenant carried by the priests went before them and lead them. How are we lead by our covenants? Are they preeminent in our lives? Are they leading our actions and behavior?
What if the priests had said, "We're not going into that river with this arc until we see the waters recede! What if nothing happens? We'll all look like fools!" Thankfully, by this time they had learned to trust the Lord.

Courage

I believe that courage is a type of faith that we need when we are afraid or faced with seemingly unbeatable odds. We all have times when we have to be courageous.
Last week I went and presented at a national conference (The Coalition to End Sexual Exploitation) near Washington D.C. Granted, my part was only about 10 minutes long, but I was pretty nervous. I practiced and practiced and then prayed for the Lord's help. And it went well.
Because of my book, I am doing things I never dreamed of. Next week I get to be interviewed on a radio program in London. This summer, I'll be presenting at an event in Spain (via Skype). Meanwhile, I've had to learn lots of new skills and figure out how to communicate via social media platforms like Twitter.
Is all of this scary? Yes. But I feel like the Lord wants me to go forward, so I do. And He helps me and gives me the courage I need.

The Wall of Jericho Come Tumbling Down

Later, the ark of the covenant is carried around the city of Jericho each day for seven days. On the seventh day, the priests carry it around seven times.
I wonder what they were thinking. Were they wondering how on earth those massive, double-tiered walls could come down? Was this really going to work?
But it did! And when the walls felt flat down, the Israelite soldiers ran up over the rubble and sacked the city. If you want some interesting information on the archaeology of this story, check out this link. Very cool stuff (but not an LDS site).
I see the pornography/sex-trafficking industries as the walls of Jericho. Firmly entrenched, massive, well-funded--how are we ever going to defeat them? I don't know. But I'm just doing what I can to circle the city, blowing my little horn of warning. Someday it will happen, I have no doubt.

Double tiered walls surrounded Jericho. 

Walk His Way

Over and over again the Israelites learn that if they stick with the Lord, he will help them fight their battles, even performing miracles to assist them. Today we fight our own battles, but if we walk in His way, we'll have similar strength and miracles performed to help us.
Here's an inspiring music video to the song Walk His Way. It's an oldie by a goody. (Besides, I really like the Jesus in this one!)

Look to God and Live Lesson 15

The Power to Prophesy

An interesting juxtaposition is set up in Numbers 11 and 12 in regards to who has the power to prophesy.

Moses and the Seventy

In Numbers 11: 24-29, Moses calls seventy righteous men to help him minister to the Israelites. They immediately begin to prophesy in the tabernacle, but apparently two of them go into the camp and begin prophesying. When word reaches Moses, one of Moses' assistants is alarmed and asks Moses to forbid them. Moses replies, "Are you kidding? That's why I called them!" OK, not really, but close!

And Moses said unto him, Enviest thou for my sake? would God that all the LORD'S people were prophets, and that the LORD would put his spirit upon them!

Miriam and Aaron 

However, at the beginning of Numbers 12, we find out that Miriam and Aaron are digging up ancient history about Moses' marriage to an Ethiopian woman when he was living in Pharaoh's court. (This was a politically expedient marriage that we don't know much about.) Then they say this:

Hath the LORD indeed spoken only by Moses? hath he not spoken also by us?

The Lord hears their "murmuring" and immediately strikes Miriam with a nasty case of leprosy. I'm not sure why Aaron didn't get it as well, but I digress. Moses begs the Lord to heal her, but  his answer is that she gets to be banished outside the camp for seven days, and only afterwards is she miraculously cured.

So what's the difference? In the one case, Moses wants everyone to prophesy, but in the other people are punished for saying that the Lord speaks through servants besides Moses.

I think this is a very instructive juxtaposition. First, there is a difference in attitude. In the case of the two Seventies, they are speaking by the power of the Holy Ghost.

and it came to pass, that, when the spirit rested upon them, they prophesied, and did not cease.

Criticizing Our Leaders

However, Miriam and Aaron are being critical of Moses. They, being so close to him, are also questioning his sole authority as prophet. We don't know what else they were saying, but it doesn't take a long stretch of the imagination to consider that they were probably questioning some of his decisions. And wanting to impose their own.
Joseph Smith had the same issue: how to reconcile the fact that God does inspire many righteous people everywhere, but He only calls one man to serve as his official voice unto the church.
So the takeaway from these two stories is twofold:

1. We can gain inspiration that pertains to the sphere of our stewardship;
2. Don't criticize the prophet or you'll get a case of spiritual leprosy and find yourself outside the camp (i.e. the church).

I think it's also interesting that Moses is inspired to write about himself and in parentheses:

(Now the man Moses was very meek, above all the men which were upon the face of the earth.) 

In other words, "I, Moses did not ask for this calling. I know I am human, but I need your prayers and support, not your criticism."
When we perceive weaknesses or even see what we consider "mistakes" in those who serve us in the church, we would be wise to remember Elder Holland's advice and not hyperventilate about it. Except for Jesus Christ, God has always had to work through imperfect people. He deals with it and so should we.

Watch What You Ask For

The Israelites were being miraculously fed day by day with manna in the desert. I'm not sure what else they ate, but instead of asking Moses for some new manna recipes, they complained about missing their meat. In fact, the scriptures use the word "lust" to describe their desire to eat meat. Hmmm..
We know it was a huge trial for Moses, or maybe just the proverbial straw, because he asked the Lord to take his life.

I am not able to bear all this people alone, because it is too heavy for me.
And if thou deal thus with me, kill me, I pray thee, out of hand, if I have found favour in thy sight; and let me not see my wretchedness.

Instead, the Lord does what he always does: he strengthens Moses to be able to bear the load. He instructs Moses to call seventy righteous men to help him.
But back to the lusting after flesh to eat...
The Lord hears the Israelites' incessant cries for meat and he gives it to them.

19 Ye shall not eat one day, nor two days, nor five days, neither ten days, nor twenty days;
20 But even a whole month, until it come out at your nostrils, and it be loathsome unto you: because that ye have despised the Lord which is among you, and have wept before him, saying, Why came we forth out of Egypt?

Ick. How graphic. The people are rejecting the Bread of Life and wanting more, complaining that the miracles they've seen are just not enough. 

Moses wonders how the Lord is going to do this, but soon finds out.

31 ¶And there went forth a wind from the Lord, and brought quails from the sea, and let them fall by the camp, as it were a day’s journey on this side, and as it were a day’s journey on the other side, round about the camp, and as it were two cubits high upon the face of the earth.
32 And the people stood up all that day, and all that night, and all the next day, and they gathered the quails: he that gathered least gathered ten homers: and they spread them all abroad for themselves round about the camp.
33 And while the flesh was yet between their teeth, ere it was chewed, the wrath of the Lord was kindled against the people, and the Lord smote the people with a very great plague.

Not only did they get quail to eat, but they got a "great plague" with it. 

What does all this symbolize? 

Maybe we should be happy with what the Lord gives to us, the Bread of Life, instead of lusting after the world's "flesh."