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.Here's an awesome video about courage!
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.
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.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?
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.
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!)