Joshua was about to lead the Israelites into one of the key battles as they entered the Promised Land. This first battle would set the tone for the Israelites. Yet, before they moved ahead, Joshua encountered a warrior. His questioning of this stranger makes it apparent that Joshua did not recognize him. The commander of God’s army came to deliver a specific word. His first instructions were for Joshua to take off his sandals in worship…
God had already given the Israelites the Promised Land, but there came a point when they still had not taken hold of what God had promised. They had fought battles at Jericho, Ai, Gibeon, and other places. Joshua continually led the people as he had been instructed by Moses. Each of the twelve tribes was to receive a land inheritance, with the exception of the Levites. At this point, the people had done part of what God had commanded, but not all…
Moses’ encounter with God at the burning bush led Moses to question God’s direction. When God told him to go to Egypt to deliver the Israelites from oppression, Moses needed verification. He felt like a nobody from nowhere. Moses already tried to deliver the Israelites on his own years earlier and failed. His past was jaded by killing a man when he was seeking justice and then running for his own life. Moses had lived the last few years looking over his shoulder, making sure his past wasn’t following him. When God wanted to send Moses back to the very thing Moses had left behind forever, Moses needed to know who to say was sending him…
Joshua and the Israelites had just crossed the Jordan on their way to the Promised Land. God miraculously split the Jordan River as He had done to the Red Sea for Moses. While the people wandered in the desert for 40 years for their disobedience and disbelief, God provided manna for them – food that sustained them during that season. Once their location changed, their supply changed. The manna represented where they had been, not where they were going. They would experience even greater provision, but the type of food changed. There was no more manna, not because God didn’t care; He simply chose to meet their need in a different way….