A MAN OF THE BOOK

Just after crossing the Red Sea, the marauding Amalekites attacked the nation of Emancipated Slaves. Joshua was tapped to lead the battle as Moses went atop the mountain to pray. After God gave victory, He instructed Moses to record the epic story and to read it aloud to Joshua. “Write this down on a scroll as a reminder and recite it to Joshua”

(Exodus 17:14).

Forty years later, in his final sermon, Moses declared God’s word. “I am now 120 years old; I can no longer act as your leader. The Lord has told me, ‘You will not cross the Jordan.’ … Joshua is the one who will cross ahead of you” (Deuteronomy 31:1-3). Moses wanted God’s people to know that Joshua would be their leader. He was a fine man, a good man, God’s man!

Better yet, Moses wanted God’s Chosen People to know that God would lead them and give the victory. “Be strong and courageous; don’t be terrified or afraid. For the Lord your God is the one who will go with you; he will not leave you or abandon you” (Deuteronomy 31:6)

In a public ordination service, “Moses then summoned Joshua and said to him in the sight of all Israel, ‘Be strong and courageous, for you will go with this people into the land the Lord swore to give to their ancestors. You will enable them to take possession of it. The Lord is the one who will go before you. He will be with you; he will not leave you or abandon you. Do not be afraid or discouraged’ ” (Deuteronomy 31:7-8). The baton was passed!

As an enduring act of obedience, “Moses wrote down” (Deuteronomy 31:9) God’s instructions and gave the documents to the Levitical priests saying, “when all Israel assembles in the presence of the Lord your God at the place he chooses, you are to read this law aloud before all Israel. Gather the people—men, women, dependents, and the resident aliens within your city gates—so that they may listen and learn to fear the Lord your God and be careful to follow all the words of this law”(Deuteronomy 31:11-12).

After Moses was dead, God revealed Himself to Joshua. God didn’t say, “Go up the mountain where I will speak to you.” God didn’t say, “I will speak to you like I spoke to Moses: ‘face to face, just as a man speaks with his friend’ ” (Exodus 33:11). God didn’t say that.

“After the death of Moses, the Lord spoke to Joshua: ‘be strong and very courageous to observe carefully the whole instruction my servant Moses commanded you. Do not turn from it to the right or the left, so that you will have success wherever you go. This book of instruction must not depart from your mouth; you are to meditate on it day and night so that you may carefully observe everything written in it’ ” (Joshua 1:1, 7-8). 

God gave Joshua the secret to success. “Read the book! Memorize and meditate on the Book! Be a man of the Book!”

“… think on these things” (Philippians 4:8, KJV).