The Lord is my strength and my defence; he has become my salvation. He is my God, and I will praise him, my father’s God, and I will exalt him.
Exodus 15:2 NIVUK
Imagine one moment that you are an ancient Israelite. You’ve been set free from slavery, wandered the dessert for perhaps a year, and seen the hand of God move mightily in your favour. You’ve spent time making a temple tent, crafting it in gold, silver and bronze. You’ve woven fine fabrics and embroidered beautiful designs on them. And you are now at the end of 40 days of waiting as 12 men go off to explore your God promised new homeland.
You’re tired of the wait. You’re itching to move on. Anything has to be better than the desert dust that’s been covering your clothes, your hair and your food for the last year. There is an air of excitement as you await the report of your leaders as to what’s next.
But when they come back it’s not the promise you crafted in your mind. You expected to walk in, and just make home. Instead, you are told of the giant people who accompanied the giant fruit. Fortress cities are described to you with mighty warriors defending them. Suddenly the promise seems too big to grasp. You are scared to move on but not sure about staying where you are. Confusion tries to steal your peace.
In the case of the Israelites, sadly it was confusion that won the day. This confusion led to 40 years of wilderness wandering and more sand-wiches for lunch rather than the juicy fruit you had hoped for.
But there had also been two people who spoke peace and courage into the confusion. Two men who stood up and shouted down the cries of discouragement and fear. Caleb and Joshua. Do you ever wonder what made Joshua stand up in support of Caleb when surrounded by confusion and grumbling?
I find sometimes when faced with questions like this it’s good to look back to understand a present question. Today as I was reading my bible I saw a striking account of a battle fought against the Amalekites in Exodus 17. The Amalekites had come up and attacked the Israelites. It was a hard fought and bloody battle that day, and one only won by the raised hands of Moses to God. It was a battle won in worship. So important were Moses raised hand to their victory, that Aaron and Hur stood beside him the whole battle to keep his hands lifted high.
However, at the end of the battle Moses did not stop. Tired arms and tired hands did not stop the work of worship, as he purposefully took time to build an altar of stone in thanks to God for the victory.
And in that tired moment of victory and thanks God spoke to Moses. He told Moses to write a scroll of remembrance of of God’s victory over the Amalekites. But he said something else too. He clearly told Moses that Joshua needed to hear what he had written. What a strange request. Why just Joshua in a company of a few million people?
This is what God said.
“Then the Lord said to Moses, ‘Write this on a scroll as something to be remembered and make sure that Joshua hears it, because I will completely blot out the name of Amalek from under heaven.’”
Exodus 17:14 NIVUK
Let’s zoom forward in time once again. Back to the chaos and squabbling of terrified people. Joshua already knew what it was to fight the Amalekites. He was the one who led the people in their first fight against them. He knew what it took to win over them too – Worshipful surrender to the promises of God.
I love how God spoke words of confidence and hope into Joshua before he needed them. And he made sure Joshua heard them loud and clear. I believe it was that first battle, and those words of promise that gave Joshua the courage to speak up. I also believe it was down to that first battle in the desert and the promises God spoke to him that fuelled his confidence 40 years later when they finally did enter the land. A land filled with milk and honey – and inhabited by the Amalekites …
