Readings for today: Joshua 9-12, Psalms 67
“Your servants have come from a faraway land because of the reputation of the Lord your God. For we have heard of his fame, and all that he did in Egypt, and all that he did to the two Amorite kings beyond the Jordan — King Sihon of Heshbon and King Og of Bashan, who was in Ashtaroth. So our elders and all the inhabitants of our land told us, ‘Take provisions with you for the journey; go and meet them and say, “We are your servants. Please make a treaty with us.” (Joshua 9:9-11 CSB)
The fear of the Lord is a real thing. It was real in ancient Israel. The inhabitants of the Promised Land heard about what God had done for His people in Egypt. The plagues. The parting of the Red Sea. The destruction of the Egyptian army. News traveled fast. The city of Jericho trembled when they saw Israel across the Jordan River valley. The powerful Canaanite tribes banded together to try to destroy Israel before she could gain a foothold. Even major city-states like Gibeon which was full of mighty warriors sued for peace. The Book of Joshua is the story of Israel’s conquest. It catalogues all the major battles that took place. It lists all the major cities that were taken. And it names all the kings who fell before them. It also begs the question…how could the same God of the New Testament, the same God of love, be the same God who directs His people into battle?
God is a God of justice and mercy. He is a God of judgment and compassion. He is a God of righteousness and holiness as well as love and grace. We fear the Lord because we know He will by no means clear the guilty. He will judge the wicked for their deeds. The Canaanite tribes engaged in all kinds of evil. They sacrificed children to their pagan gods. They engaged in all kinds of sexual immorality. Their societies were full of injustice and oppression. They were tribes with a brutal reputation and God rightly judged them for their sins. Not only that but He sends His people as the instrument of such judgment.
Why does He not do the same today? He has. God is the same yesterday, today, and forever. The same God who destroyed the cities of Jericho and Ai and many others in righteous judgment is the same God who poured out His judgment on His only begotten Son on the cross. Jesus took the judgment we deserved. He was put under the same holy ban that the Canaanites suffered. And this is why we should fear the Lord even more. Not because we’re scared or terrified but because we are in awe of what He has done for us in taking our place. God endured what we could not so that we could enjoy what we could never earn…His amazing grace and love.
Readings for tomorrow: Joshua 13-21, Psalms 68