Burunche’s Blog

Joshua 3:1 – 17 “Early the next morning Joshua got up and left Shittim (Acacia Grove) with all the Israelites. They went as far as the Jordan, where they camped before crossing over.

After three days the officers went through the camp and commanded the people: “When you see the ark of the covenant of the LORD your God being carried by the Levitical priests, you are to set out from your positions and follow it. But keep a distance of about two thousand cubits (3,000 feet or 914.4 meters) between yourselves and the ark. Do not go near it, so that you can see the way to go, since you have never traveled this way before.”

Then Joshua told the people, “Consecrate yourselves, for tomorrow the LORD will do wonders among you.” And he said to the priests, “Take the ark of the covenant and go on ahead of the people.” So, they carried the ark of the covenant and went ahead of them. Now the LORD said to Joshua, “Today I will begin to exalt you in the sight of all Israel, so they may know that I am with you, just as I was with Moses. Command the priests carrying the ark of the covenant: ‘When you reach the edge of the waters, stand in the Jordan.’”

So, Joshua told the Israelites, “Come here and listen to the words of the LORD your God.” He continued, “This is how you will know that the living God is among you and that He will surely drive out before you the Canaanites, Hittites, Hivites, Perizzites, Girgashites, Amorites, and Jebusites. Behold, the ark of the covenant of the Lord of all the earth will go ahead of you into the Jordan. Now choose twelve men from the tribes of Israel, one from each tribe. When the feet of the priests who carry the ark of the LORD—the Lord of all the earth—touch down in the waters of the Jordan, its flowing waters will be cut off and stand up in a heap.” So, when the people broke camp to cross the Jordan, the priests carried the ark of the covenant ahead of them.

Now the Jordan overflows its banks throughout the harvest season. But as soon as the priests carrying the ark reached the Jordan and their feet touched the water’s edge, the flowing water stood still. It backed up as far upstream as Adam, a city in the area of Zarethan, while the water flowing toward the Sea of the Arabah (the Salt Sea) was completely cut off. So, the people crossed over opposite Jericho. The priests carrying the ark of the covenant of the LORD stood firm on dry ground in the middle of the Jordan, while all Israel crossed over the dry ground, until the entire nation had crossed the Jordan.”

The Jordan was in flood! For days, Israelite men had been sneaking down to the river bank and looking across the flooded plain, wondering how they could possibly ever cross this river. Dry season would have been no problem; however, this was harvest time, when there was still plenty of rain. All these men could do was look and shake their heads and say, “No way!” But God had a plan.

Far upstream from the point where the Israelites were to cross, there were cliffs overlooking the river. In past times, earthquakes had shaken these cliffs, sending huge amounts of earth and rock crashing down into the river and damming up the river. (World Encyclopedia, Ancient Jericho) Now as the Israelites approached the river, God was probably smiling, knowing what He was about to do. As the priests began wading into the water, God nudged those cliffs, sending an avalanche into the Jordan and damming up the waters! The water at the priests’ feet drained away, leaving dry ground. There was a roar of excitement from millions of Israelites as the priests took their place in the center of the river.

What must the priests who had to carry the ark have thought? These priests are from the Tribe of Levi, who earned the right to their priesthood by sacrificing their own family members who were engaged in the orgy of the Golden Calf. For years, the Levites had carried the Ark as they moved through the Wilderness. The older generation of Levites had died off along with the other Israelites who refused to enter Canaan after being frightened by the bad reports from the ten faithless spies. Now the Levites were to enter the river before anybody else, carrying the most precious possession of the Israelites. Somehow, the Levites chose to obey, even though they probably thought that they would be swept away by flood waters and drowned. There is no record of the Levites having any doubts or regrets; they just picked up the Ark and carried it into the Jordan River. But God was faithful, and more than two million Israelites crossed the Jordan on dry ground.

APPLICATION: Have you ever had to take an enormous step of faith? In the movie “Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade,” the hero is competing with Nazi villains to find the Holy Grail, the chalice from which Jesus drank at the Last Supper. One of the last hurdles is for the seeker to step out on “the breath of God,” an invisible walkway over a deep chasm. To find the walkway, the hero grabs a handful of sand and throws it out over the chasm, where it outlines the path. The hero then must walk on this narrow path, scattering sand as he goes to outline his steps.

This movie scene is a perfect example of the kind of faith we must sometimes exercise. In the fall of 1992, we were preparing to come to Saboba, Northern Region, Ghana, to work in a small clinic. As a highly – trained pediatric surgeon, I had no idea what I would be doing. As an EMT/X-ray technologist, Bob wasn’t sure what he would do either. Not only did this clinic lack a laboratory, an X-ray or a theater (OR), but it did not even have electricity. There was extreme pressure on the Assemblies of God Health Services to get a doctor into Saboba by January 1993. The political climate in Ghana was strained, and we weren’t sure what was going to happen. We were trying to get in soon enough that we could reach Saboba before any problems developed. In those days before cell phones, once we were up – country, we figured whatever happened in the big cities wouldn’t affect us very much.

We sold or gave away many of our belongings and sent the rest of them to a Houston suburb, where they would be shipped to Ghana. (It took 18 months, and many things never got shipped.) We booked our flights and left the U.S. in early December. We truly felt that we were stepping out on “the breath of God,” because we had no idea what would happen. But God was with us as we flew across the Atlantic and God was already in Ghana. After spending the rest of December presenting ourselves to AG church officials and medical authorities, we moved to Saboba in January 1993.

I do not tell this story to boast about our faith. Actually, it was a very good thing that we didn’t know what we were getting into because had we known some of the obstacles, we might have been tempted to quit before we started! I tell it to testify to God’s goodness and His provision. Our faith was no greater than many other peoples’ when we started. All we did was the same thing the Levitical priests did: we stepped into the water. The rest is history.

Perhaps God is calling you to take a radical step of faith and you are scared spitless! (That’s an old expression meaning that you are so afraid that all the saliva in your mouth has dried up.) Do what those priests did; pick up your burden and step forward, trusting that God is going to make a way for you. Remember that as long as the priests were standing on the river bank, nothing happened. The water only dried up when the priests waded into the shallows.

PRAYER: Father God, many of us are fearful! You are calling us to do things we have never done before and we don’t see how we can possibly succeed. Lord, comfort those who are hesitating with the knowledge that where You guide, You will provide. In the mighty and precious Name of King Jesus. Amen.

Joshua 2:1 – 7 “And Joshua son of Nun secretly sent two spies from Shittim, (Acacia Grove), saying, “Go, inspect the land, especially Jericho.” So, they went and entered the house of a prostitute named Rahab and stayed there. And it was reported to the king of Jericho: “Behold, some men of Israel have come here tonight to spy out the land.”

So, the king of Jericho sent to Rahab and said, “Bring out the men who came to you and entered your house, for they have come to spy out the whole land.” But the woman had taken the two men and hidden them. So, she said, “Yes, the men did come to me, but I did not know where they had come from. At dusk, when the gate was about to close, the men went out, and I do not know which way they went. Pursue them quickly, and you may catch them!” (But Rahab had taken them up to the roof and hidden them among the stalks of flax that she had laid out there.)

So, the king’s men set out in pursuit of the spies along the road to the fords of the Jordan, and as soon as they had gone out, the gate was shut.”

This is the second time the Israelites have sent out spies. The first time was when Moses sent out twelve spies to spy out the Promised Land. The produce of the land was so bountiful that two men had to carry a huge cluster of grapes between them. But ten of the spies also brought back horror stories about giants, frightening the Israelites so much that they refused to enter, even though God would be with them. That act of fear cost that generation of Israelites their chance to enter Canaan; instead, nearly all of them died in the wilderness, leaving only Joshua and Caleb. Now Joshua is leading the Israelites and he is sending two spies across to Jericho.

In those days, Jericho was an extremely important city with huge walls that had collapsed at least once or twice due to earthquakes. At the same time, earthquakes had also caused the cliffs overlooking the Jordan River to collapse, damming up the river. (Source: World History Encyclopedia: Early Jericho) There were large springs of water at Jericho that also led to its development as a city.

When the Israelite spies reached Jericho, they went to the house of a prostitute named Rahab. Rahab’s house was part of the city wall, and she may have been near the city gates. For a prostitute to entertain strangers would be business as usual, and Rahab may also have been operating a kind of inn where travelers could get food and drink. Somehow the men found Rahab; however, their mode of dress and their language were probably just enough different to raise suspicions. In those days, city elders would have been sitting in the city gates, so it would be natural for the Israelites to ask for directions. But when strangers arrived, the elders would probably report to the king.

Somehow the king of Jericho got to know about these strangers and began asking questions. Perhaps the traditions in ancient Jericho worked the same way they used to in Ghana. In Ghana traditionally, if you entered a town as a stranger, your first point of call would be the chief’s palace, so that you could introduce yourself and state your reason for coming to the town. If that tradition was in place in ancient Jericho, then the king would certainly be within his rights to begin investigations.

Rahab lied to the king and hid the spies under stalks of flax on her rooftop. You might wonder if the spies were holding their breaths and trying not to sneeze as the king’s men were investigating!

APPLICATION: The fact that the spies found Rahab and that she did not report them to the king of Jericho is a big miracle. Look at the situation. These two guys are strangers entering a city that is a center of trade. But news of the migrations of the Israelites has already spread by traders and others. If these two men had not found someone sympathetic to their situation, they could have been killed on the spot. In all Jericho Rahab was probably the only person bold enough and with sufficient imagination to seize this opportunity, hide the spies, and lie to the king. There is no mention of these men praying before they entered Jericho or thanking God afterwards, and yet, it was God who guided them to just the right person to help them and give them information and protect them.

Have you ever been in dangerous situations, only to realize afterwards that God has really protected you? In 1979 I went with a tour group to Jerusalem. We were staying in a hotel on the Mount of Olives; however, I had taken city buses to meet a friend who was studying at Hebrew University. On my way back, I thought it would be great to walk across the Kidron Valley at dusk. (No! I would never do this again!) One kind man riding with me on the bus begged me not to do this, but I was stubborn and foolish and chose to do so anyway. As I was walking down a path below the Eastern Gate, one teen age boy tried to befriend me and began asking about the camera I was carrying (it belonged to my pastor!) and my cheap Timex wrist watch. Just as I began to realize he was sizing me up for a mugging, an American couple came along. The husband was a U.S. Marine who quite obviously could defend himself well. My teen age “guide” suddenly chose to disappear. As this couple and I were walking up a path by a cemetery, suddenly two police officers stood up from behind the tombstones. The police officers were just then arresting a would – be thief who had been hiding in the cemetery! I conservatively estimate that God had to deliver me at least twice and possibly three times – all because I refused to take sage advice!

Why did God protect me from my stupidity? My tour group consisted mostly of members from my home church. There were a number of people who had promised to pray for us all the time we were in Israel. Those people must have really been praying up a storm that evening!

Psalm 34:7-8 says” The angel of the LORD encamps around those who fear Him, and he delivers them. Taste and see that the LORD is good; blessed is the man who takes refuge in Him!…” Notice that it does not say anything about how intelligent or deserving these people are. God is a good Father who cares for His children, even when they do incredibly foolish things! But if/when we realize that God has protected us, we should praise Him for His goodness, His mercy, His watch – care, and His deliverance. Who knows when you will get yourself into another mess?

PRAYER: Father God, thank You for loving us and for caring for us. Thank You for Your promises of protection and deliverance. Lord, help us to listen to wise counsel. Thank You that even when we do something foolish, You still take care of us. In the mighty Name of King Jesus. Amen.

Joshua 2:8 – 24 “Before the spies lay down for the night, she went up on the roof ⁹ and said to them, “I know that the Lord has given you this land and that a great fear of you has fallen on us, so that all who live in this country are melting in fear because of you. We have heard how the Lord dried up the water of the Red Sea for you when you came out of Egypt, and what you did to Sihon and Og, the two kings of the Amorites east of the Jordan, whom you completely destroyed. When we heard of it, our hearts melted in fear and everyone’s courage failed because of you, for the Lord your God is God in heaven above and on the earth below.

 “Now then, please swear to me by the Lord that you will show kindness to my family, because I have shown kindness to you. Give me a sure sign that you will spare the lives of my father and mother, my brothers and sisters, and all who belong to them—and that you will save us from death.”

 “Our lives for your lives!” the men assured her. “If you don’t tell what we are doing, we will treat you kindly and faithfully when the Lord gives us the land.” So, she let them down by a rope through the window, for the house she lived in was part of the city wall. ¹⁶ She said to them, “Go to the hills so the pursuers will not find you. Hide yourselves there three days until they return, and then go on your way.”

 Now the men had said to her, “This oath you made us swear will not be binding on us unless, when we enter the land, you have tied this scarlet cord in the window through which you let us down, and unless you have brought your father and mother, your brothers and all your family into your house.If any of them go outside your house into the street, their blood will be on their own heads; we will not be responsible. As for those who are in the house with you, their blood will be on our head if a hand is laid on them. ²⁰ But if you tell what we are doing, we will be released from the oath you made us swear.”

“Agreed,” she replied. “Let it be as you say.” So, she sent them away, and they departed. And she tied the scarlet cord in the window.

 When they left, they went into the hills and stayed there three days, until the pursuers had searched all along the road and returned without finding them. Then the two men started back. They went down out of the hills, forded the river and came to Joshua son of Nun and told him everything that had happened to them. They said to Joshua, “The Lord has surely given the whole land into our hands; all the people are melting in fear because of us.”

Who doesn’t enjoy a thrilling spy story? Yesterday we talked about the way in which God led the Israelite spies to the one person in all of Jericho with enough courage and imagination and resources to hide them and give them information. It’s quite possible that Rahab entertained a number of the local politicians on a regular basis, holding gatherings where people just came in to eat, drink, and gossip. Rudyard Kipling describes such a situation in India. Rahab may have kept her place stocked with the best food and wine, enticing important men to meet and decide policy; that would certainly explain why Rahab knew exactly what the citizens of Jericho were thinking. Rahab certainly knew exactly how long the spies would have to hide themselves in the hills to be safe before crossing the Jordan. If Rahab was politically influential, it would also explain why the king’s soldiers didn’t make a more exhaustive search of the house.

Rahab was very astute and fully recognized that the God of the Israelites was far more powerful than any of the local deities worshiped in Jericho. Rahab also realized that Jericho was facing certain destruction and that the only people she could hope to save were her immediate family members and herself. It’s quite likely that Rahab was respected by the local politicians but snubbed by their wives. Evidently Rahab had little love for the citizens of Jericho as a whole!

There are many teachings regarding the scarlet cord that Rahab tied to the window from which she let the spies down. Red is the color of blood, and some teachers feel that Rahab was symbolically covering her family and herself with sacrificial blood, foretelling the blood sacrifice Jesus would make on the cross at Calvary. Others choose to believe that Rahab had begun a business of dying materials and happened to have that scarlet cord as part of her wares. Whatever the case, that scarlet cord would have drawn attention from those around Rahab, unless God protected her by blinding their eyes when they looked at that window. God protected Rahab and her family from any questions by her neighbors, a miracle in itself.

APPLICATION: Rahab the prostitute was God’s instrument of protection for the Israelite spies and the instrument of salvation for her family; moreover, Rahab was later hailed as a heroine of faith. Hebrews 11:31 says, “It was by faith that Rahab the prostitute was not destroyed with the people in her city who refused to obey God. For she had given a friendly welcome to the spies.” (New Living Translation)

Many times, we are afraid to pray to God or to approach Him in any fashion because we realize that we are sinners and our lives are a mess. But look at Rahab! Here is a woman who had spent most of her life as a prostitute. It’s possible that as a beautiful little girl, Rahab might have been sold into prostitution by her family. Certainly, Rahab had spent a long time being scorned by the virtuous women in town who were jealous of her beauty and her political influence. But look at Rahab’s life after the fall of Jericho. “Ultimately, Rahab married Salmon, an Israelite from the tribe of Judah. Her son was Boaz, the husband of Ruth. Joseph, the adoptive father of Jesus, is her direct descendant.   (https://www.ospreyobserver.com/2018/05/heroic-women-of-the-bible-rahab-from-harlot-to-heroine-by-gods-grace)

We should be very grateful to Rahab for her example of faith! Rahab was a brilliant realist who knew the days of her city were numbered. But Rahab also appreciated the fact that the God of the Israelites was “God in heaven above and on the earth below.” Rahab had seen enough idol worship to know the real God from the false ones served by her neighbors. When given the opportunity for salvation, Rahab seized it!

What’s wrong in your life today? Has your marriage failed or have your kids rebelled? Has your workplace turned into a war zone? Do you feel as if nothing is going right in your life anymore because you have made major mistakes? Take heart! You are the very person for whose sins Jesus died. The same God who honored Rahab for her faith and delivered her and her family is reaching out to you in love. 2 Peter 3:9 tells us, “The Lord isn’t really being slow about his promise, as some people think. No, he is being patient for your sake. He does not want anyone to be destroyed, but wants everyone to repent.”

 When Rahab tied that scarlet cord in the window from which she had let the spies down, she was grabbing promises beyond her imagination. Not only did Rahab and her family escape the destruction of Jericho, but she also married into the Tribe of Judah and became an ancestress to King David, as well as to Joseph, the human father of Jesus. The story of Rahab is proof that God will accept anybody who will trust Him.

PRAYER: Lord God, we confess that we are sinners and that we are incapable of doing anything good enough to wipe out our sins. But You are the God who saved Rahab and who even allowed her to become part of the royal line of the House of David. Lord, save us from our sins! Help us to acknowledge Your Will in every part of our lives. Thank You for sending Jesus as the ultimate blood sacrifice for our sins. In the matchless Name of King Jesus. Amen.

Joshua 1:10 – 18 “Then Joshua commanded the officers of the people: “Go through the camp and tell the people, ‘Prepare your provisions, for within three days you will cross the Jordan to go in and take possession of the land that the LORD your God is giving you for your own.’”

But to the Reubenites, the Gadites, and the half-tribe of Manasseh, Joshua said, “Remember what Moses the servant of the LORD commanded you when he said, ‘The LORD your God will give you rest, and He will give you this land.’ Your wives, your young children, and your livestock may remain in the land that Moses gave you on this side of the Jordan. But all your mighty men of valor must be armed for battle to cross over ahead of your brothers and help them, until the LORD gives them rest as He has done for you, and your brothers also possess the land that the LORD your God is giving them. Then you may return to the land of your inheritance and take possession of that which Moses the servant of the LORD gave you on the east side of the Jordan.”

So they answered Joshua, “Everything you have commanded us we will do, and everywhere you send us we will go. Just as we obeyed Moses in all things, so we will obey you. And may the LORD your God be with you, as He was with Moses. Anyone who rebels against your order and does not obey your words, all that you command him, will be put to death. Above all, be strong and courageous!”

Moses is dead and God has buried him. Now Joshua has to take over. God may have hidden Moses’ body so that Joshua would have no excuse for beginning to lead. Joshua is looking out over more than two million people camped on the east side of the Jordan River. Later in Joshua 3 we learn that the Jordan is in flood, overflowing its banks for miles. While Joshua is ordering the Israelites to make ready, some of the Israelites may be wandering down to that river and checking the water. Imagine what these guys are thinking, “We are going to cross THIS? HOW???”

Remember the Reubenites, the Gadites, and the half – tribe of Manasseh? These people all had vast flocks and herds and when they saw the quality of the grazing land on the east side of the Jordan, they petitioned Moses for the opportunity to settle there, instead of driving their animals any further. This petition took place after the Israelites had defeated King Og and King Sihon and had taken away their land. The deal was that if these tribes settled on the east side of the Jordan, they would still assist their fellow Israelites in the conquest of the Promised Land and would then return to their families. One reason this bargain might have been important is that these tribes were brave enough to claim land where they would be separated from the rest of the Israelites by the Jordan River. It takes nerve to stay in a remote area and not lose heart. That bravery probably translated into their being fierce warriors.

“So they answered Joshua, “Everything you have commanded us we will do, and everywhere you send us we will go. Just as we obeyed Moses in all things, so we will obey you. And may the LORD your God be with you, as He was with Moses. Anyone who rebels against your order and does not obey your words, all that you command him, will be put to death. Above all, be strong and courageous!” WOW! What an endorsement! This is the same bunch of people who have given Moses fits for 40 years, but now they are promising “obedience in all things?” Somebody has a very short memory. But they ARE promising that anyone who rebels against Joshua will die, and they are encouraging Joshua to be strong and courageous, the very same phrases that God has been using. What must God have been thinking when He heard them making all these promises?

APPLICATION: William Shakespeare once wrote, “some are born great, some achieve greatness, and some have greatness thrust upon ’em.” While God created Joshua for greatness, Joshua probably felt as if it was being dumped upon him! Anyone who has ever found themselves suddenly taking over a managerial position can certainly identify. Even though Moses had been grooming Joshua to take over for some time, Joshua must have still been pretty anxious about the whole thing. What can we learn from Joshua?

1. Accept encouragement, but don’t rely on it. Later on, the Israelites revert to type, but right now they are encouraging Joshua. It’s so wonderful when those you are leading are willing to give encouragement, and it’s so demoralizing when you have someone secretly undermining you! Remember that the same people who shouted “Hosanna to the Son of David” on Palm Sunday were screaming ”Crucify him!” the next Friday.    
2. Make sure people follow through on their commitments. Joshua insisted the three groups that had settled on the east side of the Jordan fulfill their assurances of support. Not only did the Israelites need the manpower, but it was critically important for Joshua to follow through. Had Joshua allowed these tribes to go back on their promises, none of the Israelites would have respected him.
3. Take your orders and your encouragement from God. Today people are praising you and cheering you on, but as soon as you have to enforce an unpopular requirement, you’ll encounter opposition. God is the only One who gives good counsel all of the time.
4. Remember that God is your Source of supply and not people. If COVID has taught us nothing else, it has taught us about supply chain problems. Those of us who work in remote areas know that if we see something desirable while we are shopping, we had better stock up. The next time we come into town, those items will be gone, never to return. There are so many times when we have had to beg God to multiply resources. At the moment, we are using oxygen bottles at our hospital. The round trip to fill those bottles takes more than six hours and a lot of fuel. I pray for God to multiply the oxygen on a regular basis!

PRAYER: Father God, thank You for loving us and for caring for us. Help us to learn Your lessons of leadership. In the mighty and precious Name of King Jesus. Amen.