One of the first lessons we learn in this wonderful book of
Joshua is that God calls and prepares His leaders. God spent many years
preparing Joshua to be a successful leader of His people Israel. We first met
Joshua as a slave in Egypt. But God sent a deliverer in the person of Moses. Joshua
experienced the redemption of the blood of the lamb and the exodus out of Egypt
under Moses leadership. This is how we all began our spiritual journey as we
experience the blood of the Lord Jesus washing away our sin and delivering us
from Satan’s bondage in sin.
After they crossed the Red Sea, the people of Israel did
not go directly into the Promise Land, the place of victorious living. They
entered the wilderness and immediately faced many challenges. In Exodus 15,
they became thirsty because there was no water to drink and finally came to a
pool of water called Marah, which means bitter. It was bitter and they couldn’t
drink it. But Moses cut down a tree, and threw it into the water, and it became
sweet. We learn quickly that even as a new believer, life can still bring us
bitter experiences but when we remember the Cross and bring it into the situation,
we can experience the sweetness of Jesus.
In Exodus 17, the people were thirsty again and God showed Moses
a rock at Horeb and told him to strike it. When he struck the rock, water
flowed out like a river and the people were again refreshed. Paul tells us 1 Corinthians
10 that the Rock was Jesus. He was smitten on the cross once for our sin and we
should learn to drink from Him every day through His Holy Spirit and His Word. Only
Jesus can satisfy our deepest needs. Read John 4:13-14, and John 7:37-39.
Exodus 17:8-16 is where we meet Joshua as a soldier. No
sooner than the people were again refreshed with the water from the Rock, they
were attacked from the rear by Amalekites. Amalek was a grandson of Esau. His
family grew into a nation that followed in the steps of Esau. Esau was a man of
the flesh. He wanted the temporary things of the world more than the blessings
of Jehovah. Amalek represents the battle we have with the flesh after we are
saved.
Amalek represents those bully sins that keep you from
making progress in your spiritual journey. Moses told Joshua to take the army
of Israel and fight Amalek. Moses went upon a hill overlooking the battlefield
and took his rod and lifted it over his head. When the rod was lifted up Joshua
prevailed over the enemy. But when Moses grew tired and lowered his hands and
the rod, the enemy prevailed. So, Moses sat on a rock and Aaron and Hur stood
on both sides of him and held up his hands and the rod of God and Joshua won
the victory over Amalek.
My friend, God didn’t save us to sit but He saved us to be
soldiers of the Cross. This battle with Amalek is where the people of Israel
met God as Jehovah Nissi, which means, the LORD our Banner! We are in a battle
everyday with the flesh, the devil, and the world! We can’t fight this battle
alone! We must remember that the Cross of Jesus Christ is our Banner, and when we
lift Him high in our life and come under His authority, He then fights the battles
for us!
Exodus 17:14 suggest that God had chosen Joshua for a
special work in the future. God was preparing His leader to take the people to
victory in the Promise Land. We must not forget that we are soldiers in the Lord’s
army (2 Timothy 2:4), and only in the name and power of Jesus Christ can we
daily defeat the enemy.
Paul put it best in Galatians 2:20, “I have been
crucified with Christ; it is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me; and
the life which I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who
loved me and gave Himself for me.”
Today, determine to be a good soldier for Jesus Christ by
putting on the whole armor of God (Ephesians 6:10-18).
God bless!
