Lessons for September 16
FAMILY BIBLE STUDY: G
od should be interwoven into a family's history
___ Joshua 3:1-4:24
___By Christine Hockin-Boyd
___Texas WMU, Dallas
___Leaving a legacy is important for some people. Protecting the family name so it will be remembered and associated with words such as honesty, integrity, faithfulness and even wealth can deceitfully become far more important than the relationship with God.
___Think about it. Whenever you walk into an older home, what does your mind first ponder? "Who lived here?" "What was life like then?" "What kind of conversations or entertainment took place in this room?" Now, go a little deeper. What kinds of questions
come to mind when you begin to touch and feel items within the home? You may think about family members and guess where each person sat or occupied a particular room. The parlor, reading area or formal dining area may stir your imagination.
___Now, there is one deeper layer to uncover in our thought process. What gives you a hint of the relationship with God as you search the history of the room or read about the family heritage?
___Steve Green, a Christian singer, produced a popular song several years ago titled, "Find Us Faithful." He implores us to live in such a way that people who come behind us would find us "faithful." Faithful to what? Faithful to the obedience of God. That is the legacy we should leave behind. Could you be committed to leaving such a legacy?
___Let's turn our focus now to the passage of the week. The story takes up where the Israelites are about to enter the Promised Land. First, imagine the excitement and enthusiasm of every person. Parents had raised preschoolers and children during this journey. These children had never lived in a home and any kind of teaching was simply done on the road. Teenagers had grown up into mature adults along the way. The family dynamics had changed.
___Now they were about to cross the Jordan River and enter the Promised Land. Do you understand what that meant? They had made it!
___The Jordan River was at flood stage, and careful planning would have to take place. Everyone was astir, but Joshua kept his wits about him. He gave the Israelites instructions to purify themselves because the new morning would reveal the miracles of God. He gave careful instructions to the priests in taking the Ark of the Covenant and going ahead of the people. It is at this next moment that God speaks to Joshua for the first time since his selection and commissioning as the new leader.
___I believe if I had been Joshua and was listening to the Father for my first set of instructions, I would have listened intently. Not just "hear" but "listen." Hearing is simply a function of the body. Our ears receive the sounds and transmit to the brain. In turn, understanding and comprehension take place. Listening, on the other hand, involves more than a physiological action. When one listens there is the extra energy of using the entire body--eyes, ears, facial expression, body language and speech inflections. True listening takes place when a person reaches behind the words for true meaning and understanding.
___Did Joshua hear or listen? I suspect he listened. Joshua listened with his whole being to what God the Provider was telling him. Joshua had seen and experienced God's provision during this journey as he grew both physically and spiritually. Because of his experiences, Joshua knew God would instruct specifically and directly.
___Therefore, Joshua listened to these words, "Today I will begin to exalt you in the eyes of all Israel, so they may know that I am with you as I was with Moses. Tell the priests who carry the Ark of the Covenant: 'When you reach the edge of the Jordan's waters, go and stand in the river'" (3:7-8).
___Joshua begins to hear love and affirmation before instruction. God affirms the calling of Joshua as the new leader, or as one author notes, "God was continuing to authenticate his servant's commission." What God was about to do was demonstrate that he was with Joshua now in crossing the Jordan River just as he was with Moses at the crossing of the Red Sea. The emphasis is not that God used Joshua to perform the miracle but rather Joshua listened and obeyed and delivered the instructions to the people. Joshua's claim to power lies fully on his faithfulness to obedience. Acting in obedience lays the foundation for a legacy of obedience.
___Upon crossing the Jordan, Joshua was instructed to choose 12 men to take up 12 stones and create a memorial during camp that evening. These stones would serve as a teaching moment for the present and future when children and others would come by and ask, "What do these stones mean?" (v. 6b). This was a historical marker for generations to come. This would serve as an opportunity to share the story of God's provision and miracle. It would serve as a testimony of Joshua's legacy of faithfulness to succeeding generations.
___What will be your legacy? What will your children and grandchildren remember and share about you?
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