True Worship: Joshua--Preparation

 Sometimes it is easy to forget that Joshua had forty years of preparation before he became the leader of Israel. If you study the life of Joshua before he became Israel's fearless leader, you can see that each step and each battle was in preparation for him.  Even in his first battle against the Amalekites, God had a plan to prepare Joshua for the future. Exodus 17:14 says, "Then the LORD said  to Moses, 'Write this in a book as a memorial, and recite it to Joshua."

 Joshua was there through it all with Moses. He was by Moses' side when he was on the mountain with God obtaining the ten commandments (Ex. 24:13). He was in the temple with Moses when God met him (Ex. 33:11). Everything about his relationship with God and with Moses was preparation for Joshua's worship as the leader of the Israelite nation. His first step as their leader was obedience. 

 As Whaley mentions in his book, there will always be obstacles in our worship. Joshua's first was to cross the Jordan (Josh. 1:2). He knew already though that water could not stop his God as he had seen the Red Sea parted. God told him to do it, so he did it. Once crossed, his next obstacle was Jericho. God had given him some pretty crazy plans but he obeyed. His worship was committed to obedience to God. 

 Obedience is a step to holiness and God requires it for worship of Him. As they were about to take Jericho head on, God required that they set themselves apart by circumcising all the males (Josh. 5:2-9). This was to show that these people were His people. They were set a part from all others. They were God's people. Joshua would obey for he knew that this land was given to them by God. It was to be their home. Their land to worship God Almighty. 

 As the years had gone by and the people had established themselves in the land. The people had not fully obeyed God by not utterly destroying all they came in contact with during their battles. The result was the intermarriage of cultures and gods. The life was fading from Joshua but he had to make sure that the people knew who His God was and who he was going to serve. This was his last stand for worship to God by choosing to serve Him and Him alone. 

 All of these choices and acts of worship were reinforced by the fact that Joshua had years of preparation with Moses. He knew who God was and what He could do. His confidence was found in His God and not on his experience. The same needs to be seen in our own lives. So many times we don't take the time to allow God to prepare us for what is coming. We rush ahead and are impatient. If only I can be more like Joshua and allow God to prepare my heart in leading myself and others in worship toward the Lord.