As You Were With Moses? Yippee.

I've been doing a bit of reading in the book of Joshua recently.  I love his story, the way that God worked through him to achieve great things for God's people.  I find Joshua to be one of the best examples of leadership.

I was struck by something new this week as I read through the first chapter - particularly the second part of verse 5, where God makes the following promise to Joshua:

As I was with Moses, so will I be with you; I will never leave you or forsake you.


I've read this verse before - many times.  It's a great verse - full of promise and encouragement.  It would make for a very positive, life-building sermon text.

All that said, though, I found myself this week wondering what Joshua's reaction to it might have been.  After all, Joshua had been with Moses for some time as Moses' assistant and helper.  He was there for many of the challenging times and he certainly would have known about the titanic struggle that pitted God (through Moses) against Pharaoh with the Israelites' freedom at stake.

He would have known about the mountain top and experienced the golden calf.  Moses might even have told him about God's suggestion that everything be destroyed again and started over with Moses and the subsequent prayer "discussion" between God and Moses.

In short, the picture that would have come to Joshua's mind when God promised to be with him "as God was with Moses" might not have been the peaceful, easy portrait of encouragement and companionship that we often expect.

In fact, Joshua might have thought something like, "God was with Moses and Moses went through all of that.  Now God is promising to be with me as he was with Moses.  Does that mean that I have to go through all of that?  Oh boy."

I could completely understand it if Joshua's reaction to the first part of God's promise was tempered and not wild enthusiasm.  After all, who really wants to go through the kinds of situations Moses faced?

This is why I find the second part of this promise to be so enthralling - God says, "As I was with Moses, so I will be with you" and then says, "I will never leave you or forsake you."  Now that had to have been soothing and encouraging to Joshua.  Because no matter what situations he might face - and if you read through the book of Joshua, you'll discover that he faced his fair share of challenges - God had promised to never leave or forsake him.  Ever.

So even if God called Joshua through the same hardships as Moses, it would be okay.  I have this mental image of Joshua's facial expression going from concern when hearing the first part ("As I was with Moses...) to peace when hearing the second part (I will never...).

This matters to me - and to all Christians - because I think we have been conditioned to hear promises like the one that God makes to Joshua in this verse as promises of peace and calm.  So when life's challenges arise and we are going through our own titanic struggles or facing our own temptations, our reaction often becomes, "God, where are you?  You promised that you would be with me like you were with Moses.  Why have you abandoned me?"

But when we remember just what Moses' life looked like even as God was with him, it should serve to remind us that God didn't keep Moses from hardship and his promise to Joshua (and us) is not to keep us from hardship or challenge.  God promises two things - to be with us and to never leave us.

I don't know about you, but just knowing this has helped me better deal with even the minor challenges and difficulties in my life this week.

Think about it.