THE FAITHFULNESS OF GOD

THE FAITHFULNESS OF GOD

One of the most meaningful purposes of the Old Testament books is to reveal God to us, who are so limited in our wisdom and understanding that the infinite Persons of the Godhead are beyond our capacity to know except through faith. To reveal Himself to us, God has given us a variety of books from which we can learn who He is, what He does, and how we can have a personal relationship with Him. In the context of human experiences and history, He reveals Himself to those who seek Him. “Faith comes by hearing and hearing by the word of God.”

His moral qualities are conveyed in the history books of the Bible in specific ways. We know He is just, and for peace and fulfillment to be ours, justice must be upheld. Therefore, the historical books of Scripture demonstrate the positive and negative outcomes of our actions. God’s emotional sensitivity is shown in the poetic books of the Bible, revealing that our feelings and inner thoughts are an important part of who we are. God values our love and devotion because He has demonstrated these qualities toward us. The eternal plans He has as the Eternal God, who is unchanging and has glorious purposes still to be fulfilled, are unveiled in the books of the prophets.

The main message of the book of Joshua is that God is faithful, and He proved this by fulfilling the promises He made. This is seen in the many different events recorded in the book. While reading through Joshua, it seems that the events happened fairly quickly. Many years passed before Israel fully possessed the land, and unfortunately, they never did completely during Joshua's time. Another message connected to God's faithfulness is that His good gifts must be personally claimed. The Israelites had to step onto the land that would be theirs.

A third lesson we learn is that God’s hatred of sin and the horror it causes Him and everyone else must be judged. Sin has to be dealt with fairly and permanently; it cannot be excused. It must be removed before peace can be achieved between God and humans, and among people themselves. Another lesson is that spiritual warfare is ongoing, and the only solution is death. “The wages of sin is death.” Israel now had a guidebook with the clear law of God. Moses also wrote the books of the Pentateuch, in which God’s dealings with people provided written instructions for living and serving Him. Rather than relying on dreams, visions, or angelic visitations, they had the written word of God.

Many readers of the book of Joshua believe that the accounts of warfare are inconsistent with their view of God. God is love and full of grace, and some people think He overlooks certain sins as if they are not very serious. The idea that God would approve the killing of entire social groups is seen as barbaric in today’s culture of tolerance for almost anything. The teachings of Jesus, as shown in the New Testament, seem very different, and many reject much of the Old Testament because it doesn’t align with their idea of righteousness. We need to remember that whosoever keeps the whole law but breaks one part is guilty of breaking them all. That person becomes a lawbreaker, and the punishment for sin must be fulfilled.

The main message of the Book of Joshua isn’t just an analysis of warfare as a way to achieve goals but a story of God's faithfulness to His people. War is a devastating curse that humans have caused themselves, as different groups, for various reasons, fight to take what others have by force. Justice that ignores the root causes of evil actions is itself unfair. The only way to eliminate sin is through death for sin.

God had promised Abraham that Canaan would be his inheritance more than five hundred years before Joshua's time. The Canaanites had become so idolatrous and morally corrupt that their capacity for sin was full, as God had told Abraham [Gen.15:16] would happen. The immorality connected with idolatry had so corruptly permeated their humanity that their behavior was now worse than that of animals and needed to be dealt with through righteous judgment.

The book of Joshua continues the story of redemption through judgment for sin and abundant grace. Idolaters saw themselves as creators, and sexual promiscuity was part of their worship of idols. The gods they imagined had to be appeased, and what better way than by creating new life! The conquest of the promised land by the power of the God of Israel proved that He is the only true and living God. He alone has authority over this world. This is His world because He created it with His word and purpose, and He sustains it, even though He has allowed those who care for the world to have free will.

Triumph over Canaan not only demonstrates who God is but also serves as a warning to all who oppose Him. In grace, He opens the way for anyone to come to Him through faith. Those who do so are granted peace, while those who reject Him because of their evil choices face just judgment. He warned the people about the consequences of allowing evil to prevail in history. This provides us with insight into the final destiny of all humans and even the creation.

We must never forget that the earth belongs to the Lord, along with everything in it. It is His by creation, meant to be a place where God can have a joyful and loving relationship with intelligent beings who choose to love Him. Together, God and people would enjoy a harmonious and meaningful life, sharing a close communion. Such companionship matters deeply to God and to those who love Him.

When humans choose to do what they know is wrong, sin creates a barrier between God and the first person who ignores the one restriction in the relationship. When the Israelites arrived just east of Canaan, evil was widespread throughout the promised land. The entire society had rejected God, and idols formed from human imagination had taken control of their lives. Human life lost its value and significance when parents sacrificed children to fulfill their desires. Immoral behaviors that were normally forbidden were openly practiced. Dishonesty and a lack of integrity were common. Human dignity, meant to reflect God's character, had been disregarded and abandoned.

Among all the nations of the world, God chose the obscure tribe of the children of an ex-idol worshipper, Abraham, to be His earthly representatives as a kingdom of priests. Sadly, they also failed in their priesthood, but God remained faithful to the promise He made to Abraham, His friend. He selected a special tribe within the nation to serve as the priests—though He wished all of them would have fulfilled this role. The human race has brought a terrible curse upon itself, but there is still light in the world today and a firm hope for the future. The book of Joshua, with its victories and failures, offers a brief overview of history. We look back to learn from the events and people of the past and marvel at God’s grace toward such fallen creatures as human beings. We can also look ahead as divine plans and promises unfold right before our eyes.