| Joshua: Strength and Courage |
Joshua: Do Not Underestimate
the Lord
the Lord
Joshua: Strength and Courage: Do not underestimate the Lord
Numbers 11
Big Idea: Do Not Underestimate the Lord
The swimming pool at the Ritz-Carlton in Maui is three-tiered, surrounded by eight-story buildings, room service
and valet parking. People crowd around the man-made pool of chlorinated blue water while sipping expensive
cocktails. As everyone tans in cushioned lawn chairs, the almost-unseen ocean laps gently at the sandy shore,
less than half a mile away. The ocean water is clean and blue and warm to the touch. It caresses a few lonely
swimmers who prefer its living, lapping waves to the severe luxury above.
When asked if they will walk to the shore the people around the pool refuse to abandon such posh comfort with
convenient views of bikini-clad socialites.
The privileged few walk alone to the beach, and the warm wind fills their ears and nostrils. They jump into the
swelling tide and dive their heads deep beneath an approaching wave. There is sand beneath them, salt
dripping in their mouths, and occasionally a sharp shell lances a foot...But this is real. This is a living, life-
giving ecology.
The Kingdom of God is like a hidden, forgotten beach in the South Pacific Ocean. It is easily forgotten amidst
tourist attractions, five-star hotels and infinite amenities. It waits for us to leave the comfort we create and enter
a new kind of dangerous comfort - a fresh, vital, living, breathing swim through waters that stretch past the
horizon.
Vs 1-2
The people of Israel are complaining that it is too hot, too long, too hard, too rocky, they aren’t getting
anywhere, its too difficult of a journey. In other words, they have turned their back on the deliverance that God
has given them as a free gift. The first commandment – “you shall have no other God” – has now been quickly
broken. Their gods are their comfort, their leisure, their stomachs (as we will see). The warning that God gave
at the end of the commandments now comes as promised.
…for I the LORD your God am a jealous God, visiting the iniquity of the fathers on the children to the third and
fourth generation of those who hate me…”
The people quickly forgot that they promised, with one voice, “All the words the LORD has spoken we will do.”
This also was a lesson to Moses and Joshua. To always seek the Lord’s will when things go bad. Joshua notices
that Moses “prayed to the Lord.” The purpose of the Lord in filling the people with a wholesome fear has been
accomplished.
When the children of the Lord murmur against His plan and purpose for their lives, He finds it necessary
occasionally to visit them with severe punishments; but if they then cry to Him with sorrowful and repentant
hearts, He turns to them again with the fullness of His grace and mercy.
Early in Joshua’s training to be leader of Israel, he learns about God’s Law and Gospel. This is a lesson that
sometimes is lost on us today.
Vss. 4-9
More complaints and the description of manna.
Vss. 10-15
Moses’ complaint. Joshua sees first-hand how hard leadership can be. How taxing and perplexing it can be.
The experience of Moses and his response to the people is that of many spiritual leaders to this day, if all their
efforts on behalf of the souls entrusted to them meet with little or no appreciation. Blessed is the man who at
that time turns to the Lord in prayer and lays the matter entirely in the hands of Him who rules all things.
Vss. 19-20
There are times when God gorges us with what we think we want in order to learn a lesson.
Vss. 26-29
Joshua found himself in the same circumstance as Jesus disciples in Mark 9:38-39.\
38John said to him, "Teacher, we saw someone casting out demons in your name, and we tried to stop him,
because he was not following us." 39But Jesus said, "Do not stop him, for no one who does a mighty work in my
name will be able soon afterward to speak evil of me.
Joshua believed that the prophesying done by these men was a presumptuous act on their part. But Moses
quenched his mistaken zeal, as Jesus did.
A true servant of God, who was not jealous for his own honor, but desired only the extension of God’s influence
and power, Moses wished only for a further extension of the Lord’s gift of grace. A little more of this same Spirit
in our days would help solve many of the problems in the Church.
Vss. 31-35
This is a supernatural provision of food. And while it is an answer to the people’s complaint, it comes with a
high price. It is hard for us to understand the severity of the punishment that God lays out on these people. This
kind of punishment is not handed out today. But we would do well not to underestimate God. Joshua is
learning a huge lesson here. God can do more than we can imagine. The warning given with the 10
Commandments (see above) is here brought to pass on some of the people. They have turned their backs on
God, they have rejected Him in their “lust for meat.” God cuts these people off from the covenant (they will not
even have a third or fourth generation). Yet God provides for all of Israel here in a way that simply cannot be
explained naturally. Do not underestimate God’s provision, God’s love for His people, and how serious He is
that His will is followed.
The reason that God doesn’t meet out punishment like this today is because God has dealt with all the sin of
all people for all time in the “once for all” sacrifice of His Son, Jesus Christ. There will be only one more
punishment for those who reject the salvation won by Jesus. Until that time, there is still time to turn back to
God and His ways.
What Joshua learned here that would lead him to be strong and courageous was that real life with God is
sometimes messy, sometimes dangerous, sometimes hard. But it is always fulfilling because it is real. When
Israel is complaining about how hard it was to live in the desert, they say how easy they had it in Egypt with
fresh food whenever they wanted it at no cost. Really? Was life really that easy for them? In a very real sense,
their former way of life was “man-made” like the illustration I used at the beginning of this lesson. But what part
of that former life was Israel leaving out?
They were slaves. Their sons where being systematically killed to keep the number of potential fighting men at
a minimum.
A man-made life is flawed because it is man-made. God is calling us to real life. Do not underestimate the life
that the Lord is calling you to!
Numbers 11
Big Idea: Do Not Underestimate the Lord
The swimming pool at the Ritz-Carlton in Maui is three-tiered, surrounded by eight-story buildings, room service
and valet parking. People crowd around the man-made pool of chlorinated blue water while sipping expensive
cocktails. As everyone tans in cushioned lawn chairs, the almost-unseen ocean laps gently at the sandy shore,
less than half a mile away. The ocean water is clean and blue and warm to the touch. It caresses a few lonely
swimmers who prefer its living, lapping waves to the severe luxury above.
When asked if they will walk to the shore the people around the pool refuse to abandon such posh comfort with
convenient views of bikini-clad socialites.
The privileged few walk alone to the beach, and the warm wind fills their ears and nostrils. They jump into the
swelling tide and dive their heads deep beneath an approaching wave. There is sand beneath them, salt
dripping in their mouths, and occasionally a sharp shell lances a foot...But this is real. This is a living, life-
giving ecology.
The Kingdom of God is like a hidden, forgotten beach in the South Pacific Ocean. It is easily forgotten amidst
tourist attractions, five-star hotels and infinite amenities. It waits for us to leave the comfort we create and enter
a new kind of dangerous comfort - a fresh, vital, living, breathing swim through waters that stretch past the
horizon.
Vs 1-2
The people of Israel are complaining that it is too hot, too long, too hard, too rocky, they aren’t getting
anywhere, its too difficult of a journey. In other words, they have turned their back on the deliverance that God
has given them as a free gift. The first commandment – “you shall have no other God” – has now been quickly
broken. Their gods are their comfort, their leisure, their stomachs (as we will see). The warning that God gave
at the end of the commandments now comes as promised.
…for I the LORD your God am a jealous God, visiting the iniquity of the fathers on the children to the third and
fourth generation of those who hate me…”
The people quickly forgot that they promised, with one voice, “All the words the LORD has spoken we will do.”
This also was a lesson to Moses and Joshua. To always seek the Lord’s will when things go bad. Joshua notices
that Moses “prayed to the Lord.” The purpose of the Lord in filling the people with a wholesome fear has been
accomplished.
When the children of the Lord murmur against His plan and purpose for their lives, He finds it necessary
occasionally to visit them with severe punishments; but if they then cry to Him with sorrowful and repentant
hearts, He turns to them again with the fullness of His grace and mercy.
Early in Joshua’s training to be leader of Israel, he learns about God’s Law and Gospel. This is a lesson that
sometimes is lost on us today.
Vss. 4-9
More complaints and the description of manna.
Vss. 10-15
Moses’ complaint. Joshua sees first-hand how hard leadership can be. How taxing and perplexing it can be.
The experience of Moses and his response to the people is that of many spiritual leaders to this day, if all their
efforts on behalf of the souls entrusted to them meet with little or no appreciation. Blessed is the man who at
that time turns to the Lord in prayer and lays the matter entirely in the hands of Him who rules all things.
Vss. 19-20
There are times when God gorges us with what we think we want in order to learn a lesson.
Vss. 26-29
Joshua found himself in the same circumstance as Jesus disciples in Mark 9:38-39.\
38John said to him, "Teacher, we saw someone casting out demons in your name, and we tried to stop him,
because he was not following us." 39But Jesus said, "Do not stop him, for no one who does a mighty work in my
name will be able soon afterward to speak evil of me.
Joshua believed that the prophesying done by these men was a presumptuous act on their part. But Moses
quenched his mistaken zeal, as Jesus did.
A true servant of God, who was not jealous for his own honor, but desired only the extension of God’s influence
and power, Moses wished only for a further extension of the Lord’s gift of grace. A little more of this same Spirit
in our days would help solve many of the problems in the Church.
Vss. 31-35
This is a supernatural provision of food. And while it is an answer to the people’s complaint, it comes with a
high price. It is hard for us to understand the severity of the punishment that God lays out on these people. This
kind of punishment is not handed out today. But we would do well not to underestimate God. Joshua is
learning a huge lesson here. God can do more than we can imagine. The warning given with the 10
Commandments (see above) is here brought to pass on some of the people. They have turned their backs on
God, they have rejected Him in their “lust for meat.” God cuts these people off from the covenant (they will not
even have a third or fourth generation). Yet God provides for all of Israel here in a way that simply cannot be
explained naturally. Do not underestimate God’s provision, God’s love for His people, and how serious He is
that His will is followed.
The reason that God doesn’t meet out punishment like this today is because God has dealt with all the sin of
all people for all time in the “once for all” sacrifice of His Son, Jesus Christ. There will be only one more
punishment for those who reject the salvation won by Jesus. Until that time, there is still time to turn back to
God and His ways.
What Joshua learned here that would lead him to be strong and courageous was that real life with God is
sometimes messy, sometimes dangerous, sometimes hard. But it is always fulfilling because it is real. When
Israel is complaining about how hard it was to live in the desert, they say how easy they had it in Egypt with
fresh food whenever they wanted it at no cost. Really? Was life really that easy for them? In a very real sense,
their former way of life was “man-made” like the illustration I used at the beginning of this lesson. But what part
of that former life was Israel leaving out?
They were slaves. Their sons where being systematically killed to keep the number of potential fighting men at
a minimum.
A man-made life is flawed because it is man-made. God is calling us to real life. Do not underestimate the life
that the Lord is calling you to!
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