Perhaps in the past few days, amidst heightened awareness of the coronavirus, you have run across this acronym for COVID-19 (below) and the verse stamped together with it (Joshua 1:9), on social media. Maybe you have shared this on your very own platforms or with your families. My mom did. That’s one of the reasons I decided to write this blog: for those I love who may at times be misguided, as I have often been.
I am not suggesting that you are necessarily misled as you share an acronym and passage of Scripture that you have found relevant for these strange times; however, I am saying that you may very well be. Is it actually relevant? I am praying, that by God’s grace, you will hear me out. I prayed this morning that I may be able to offer a word of encouragement and that you may receive it. I welcome the same.
I remember where I was sitting the day I learned the two words “eisegesis” and “exegesis.” I thought they were a foreign language; you know, either Hebrew or Greek. Gray-haired Pastor Bruce was sitting across the table from his first ever long-haired intern who was expressing frustration caused by a local false teacher. That was me. I was upset that someone was pandering a false gospel in Concord, NC, my own hometown. The Word was being twisted—and worse, people were buying it! I remember my childhood pastor, Lowell, explaining how people sinfully manipulate Scripture to defend any angle. Bruce explained to me how this occurs commonly and how we must train people to read and understand the Word of God exegetically, themselves. We teach people to read Scripture as it is, and through the lens of all other Scripture. How else will they know what is Truth?
Bruce emphasized that God works through His Word. We can best understand the Word by thorough examination. This is the normative and primary means by which God will speak to you and me: through His Word, by His Spirit. Rather than searching for a specific verse at a certain time, for our particular situation (perhaps using the index at the back of our Bibles in hard times), and trying to force those verses to fit our biases, based on our presuppositions, our desires and circumstances, we ought to read the Word plainly. Though I had previously studied God’s Word as it is on the page, Bruce gave that form of study definition in my life—I wanted to study exegetically, intentionally, and apply as I learned.
Side note: This is one reason I often advise against devotionals. In an effort to simplify, a personal bias is frequently pushed rather than the Word clearly presented. I encourage you to open the Word yourself! (I am not saying devotionals are bad, but they are not primary. They are a good primer, and can serve as a gateway to understanding more of the Word, frequently offering valuable insights—but don’t rely on them instead of God’s Word itself.)
Rather than slapping our own interpretations on the living Word or trying out our own patchwork, let us come to the Text in humility. The Scriptures are alive, they are active, and they will pierce our hearts as we approach reverently. I am not saying that someone who has shared Joshua 1:9 is choosing to be irreverent; I am saying that I have approached the Word wrongly, often, out of ignorance. If it had not been for stewards of God’s grace along the way, who stretched out a helping hand to me, I would be in a heap of trouble. Let us look at Scripture in context, and let us see what the Author most clearly intended, as the Word of God reveals God Himself, and His purposes for us. Please note: I am only a beginner. You will likely have wise input for me after reading this article, and I need that.
Back to the main point. I have the long-winded problem, in typed format. I say everything above to give context to those I love, which is necessary. Below is what I had initially written to share.
I see a lot of people sharing Joshua 1:9 in light of “COVID-19.” That’s great…maybe. Those words spoken from Yahweh to Joshua have great meaning—for Joshua and the people of Israel then, and for us now. But you and I don’t get to manhandle God’s Word to suit our fancy.
Let’s not deceive ourselves. Let’s not cling to favorite verses in a distorted manner, in a time of panic. Let’s take this opportunity to observe how the context shapes what is being said in Scripture.
Proof-texting is the dreadfully dark art of pulling a verse out from the surrounding passage. We have all been guilty of this, at times unintentionally. Let’s avoid this poor practice, as it can easily lead us to “self-interpret” in ways the Author never intended. The Bible is not God’s Word for flippant application to our own agendas. Rather, it reveals who He is, who we are in light of who He is, His love towards us, and His purposes for us.
What do the leading verses in this particular passage reveal?
6 “Be strong and courageous, for you shall cause this people to inherit the land that I swore to their fathers to give them. 7 Only be strong and very courageous, being careful to do according to all the law that Moses my servant commanded you. Do not turn from it to the right hand or to the left, that you may have good success wherever you go. 8 This Book of the Law shall not depart from your mouth, but you shall meditate on it day and night, so that you may be careful to do according to all that is written in it. For then you will make your way prosperous, and then you will have good success.”
Are you beginning to see the problem? We don’t get to steal verse 9 away from the others. It was not spoken initially, or later written, to stand alone. Yahweh is commanding Joshua to lead well, in the footsteps of Moses (Joshua 1:1-5), and to know that he is not alone. The LORD is revealing something of Joshua’s future, while calling Joshua and all of Israel to serve the LORD in total and joyful obedience, knowing that good fruit (the LORD’s purposes) will come in this way.
Yahweh cautions Joshua, and the people of Israel through him, not to depart from the Word. May we be rightly cautioned with Joshua. Yahweh informs Joshua that he is being used to bring about the future of Israel, the fulfillment of the LORD’s promise. We know Yahweh is the Creator, and He is working over, in, and through this plan—rest assured, Yahweh is the same this day, and forevermore, at work in and through all things. He will work through the present pandemic, for His glory. And yet, Joshua has a significant role in this reality, in this point of history—in real time and space. He belongs to Yahweh, and He must lead in a right manner. We see that God is sovereign and man has responsibility. (This is something you and I, Christian, must reflect on always. Perhaps this season of coronavirus is as good as any to wake us up to the reality that these things are not opposed).
Do you and I meditate on the Word, day and night, in the same way Joshua and the Israelites are instructed—out of love for their God and King? Are we careful that every aspect of our livelihood is rooted in the Scriptures: all our decision making, our family life, our workplace influence, our relationships, our humor, our speech, our phone use, our love and conduct and everyday faith? Our thought life? Are you led by the Word in all things?
It is important that we ponder these verses and all they present, which leads directly into Joshua 1:9. Verse 9 recounts verse 6, which is repeated and amplified in verse 7. Please read each of these again.
9 “Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be frightened, and do not be dismayed, for the Lord your God is with you wherever you go.”
6 “Be strong and courageous, for you shall cause this people to inherit the land that I swore to their fathers to give them.”
7 “Only be strong and very courageous, being careful to do according to all the law that Moses my servant commanded you. Do not turn from it to the right hand or to the left, that you may have good success wherever you go.”
You may be asking, “why did Greg put verse 9, and then verses 6 and 7?” Well, verse 9 is the one being shared in a way I am presently criticizing. If you take your hand and cover verses 6 and 7 right now, you see verse 9 is left floating in mid-air, open to the interpretation of anyone who wants to “give it a go” regarding the meaning. The opportunity for incorrect application is truly endless. We do not have that authority to operate over Scripture.
However, observing the immediate context changes things. See the early verses in the chapter: the Lord has entrusted His work to Joshua in the same way He entrusted Moses. See the leading passage: verse 9 is not something mystical; the verse has roots, it has depth, it has intended meaning and significance in application. Verse 9 does not stand alone. It is connected with a calling to be submitted to the Word of God. Joshua will be upheld as strong and courageous as He does the LORD’s bidding.
7 “Only be strong and very courageous, being careful to do according to all the law that Moses my servant commanded you. Do not turn from it to the right hand or to the left, that you may have good success wherever you go.”
As we walk in the ways of our God and King, He is with us. He will uphold us and keep us from stumbling. He will carry us through—ultimately into His perfect presence. It is not dependent on our personal strength; He is our strength. Let us live our lives submitted to our King, for He is worthy. This passage is a specific promise to Joshua, the success foretold of Israel’s inheritance. Our inheritance is Jesus Christ. He has been fully revealed, the Gospel clearly made known. You and I have the words of the law and the prophets, the Gospel accounts, the apostles’ writings. Do not neglect the full counsel of God’s Word—and seek not to twist the Word of the only Holy God.
And when and where we recognize that we fallen short: we repent and He is faithful to forgive us. And He will guide us as He corrects us: lovingly. The Lord desires that you and I would understand His Word. Let us seek, and we shall find.
By skipping over difficult verses or neglecting the context of the verses we love, we knowingly or unknowingly contort His Word. Let us be wise with the greatest gift ever placed in our hands. May our minds be renewed, our hands cleansed, our hearts made new, our souls purified as we fix our gaze on the God of the whole Story.
Most certainly, be strong and courageous. Now, and in every circumstance. Be strong and courageous to devote yourself to, and rightly discern, the Word of the LORD.
And as you do so, viewing the Word in context, zoom out to look at the wider landscape. What do we see of God’s character and His purposes through and through? Do the worthy spade-work required to gain a better grasp of the historical context of redemptive history, from Creation and the Fall all the way through until present day. Help your family grow up with this lens. Encourage your children and your spouse. Help one another see that Christians live in a broken world, but God is faithful to work in and through all things.
Let us ask, what role does this season of life hold? What is God doing here and now?
And friends: don’t always be searching for the numbers to match-up. It’s a strange passion of our days. I’ve seen this on the poster-boards of end-times predictors in front of the White House and throughout Manhattan. We are not waiting for a sign, for the dates and the chapter and verse numbers (anyone can draw from any 19th chapter or verse or any chapter 1 verse 9 exclusively for this occasion?) and the stars to align:
We. have. the. Gospel. The Gospel of Jesus Christ.
Let us live faithfully. The LORD our God is with us.
May we also not fall into the trap of thinking that because we are in God’s care, we are somehow immune from this viral infection. If you believe this, though you may very well love the LORD, you may have side-stepped into the false prosperity gospel teaching, which is a non-reality in a broken world. But I will save that for a future write-up.
Please know I love you. I welcome your remarks in any direction.
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