Day 82 – Joshua 1-4

Talking Points

• What an awesome book! I have a deep love for the story of Joshua that has grown over the last years. As I’ve been blessed to teach through it, I am still blown away by how much there is to learn for this one man’s life. No doubt — I am excited to read it again.
• Joshua’s name was Hoshea, which means “salvation.” The name Joshua adds in the abbreviation for Yahweh which brings his name to mean, “the LORD is salvation.” The Greek version of Joshua is Jesus. So, in any language, Jesus means, “the LORD is salvation!”
• Joshua receives the great promise of God: “Just as I have been with Moses, I will be with you; I will not fail you or forsake you.” The call originally made through Moses is now given straight from God — Joshua is to be “strong and courageous.” (See notes from Day 80.)
• In the account, we see the importance God gave to remembering and following the written Word of God.
• Rahab deals kindly with God’s people, and so she is promised the same in return. This “harlot” becomes part of the lineage of our Savior Jesus. Her faith is remembered in the “hall of faith” in Hebrews 11. Only our God and His gospel could do that!
• The people cross the Jordan! With all that is going on, one thing rings out — God is faithful! What He said, He did. His people are home. How fitting that their entrance would be just as marvelous and miraculous as the God who delivered them!
• Don’t overlook God’s call to teach the next generation about His deeds, that they might know and trust in Him.

Thoughts

The story of Rahab is really the story of all believers. Here she stood, ruined in her sin, an enemy of God. Her only hope was in asking for mercy. So, Rahab had two choices here. She could dig her heals in, wallow in her rebellion, deny the one true God, and face His wrath, or Rahab could see her hopelessness, believe that “the LORD…is God in heaven above and on earth beneath,” know that He alone can grant the mercy that she needs, and then trust His grace and power for her deliverance.

See, in this account, we catch another glimpse that God, as holy and just as He is, is equally patient, merciful, and forgiving. None of us is too far gone, none outside of the reach of His mighty, outstretched arm. Rahab was saved by God’s great grace, through her faith in Him, the one true God. The same is true of every believer.

Isaiah said he was a man of unclean lips. Peter said he was a sinful man. Paul called himself a great sinner, the chief of sinners. All believers share the same starting place — understanding our sinfulness.

But, in the mercy shown to us, by the grace of the true God, rejoicing in our salvation, look what happens: we see ourselves in Rahab, in Isaiah, in Peter, in Paul. And, the urgency of the gospel becomes even more urgent preached on the lips of redeemed sinners. The grace of the gospel becomes the overflow of the heart when preached by the tongues of those formerly ruined in sin. The Savior is held in highest regard on the backs of those spared their shame.

Today, may we, redeemed sinners, lift high the name of Jesus our King! He is worthy!