Can't we just stay here in Gilead?

Yesterday I thought both sermons (morning and evening) were excellent. Lane is doing a series in the mornings of what the bible has to say to us about elders and deacons. In the evenings he is going through the beginning of Joshua, using that as a concrete example of a church leader. Both series are excellent (I wish he'd publish his sermons on the web in MP3 or PDF format - hint hint) but I'm really looking forward to the talks on Joshua.

.
Yesterday evening he worked through Joshua 1:10 and following:

And Joshua commanded the officers of the people, "Pass through the midst of the camp and command the people, 'Prepare your provisions, for within three days you are to pass over this Jordan to go in to take possession of the land that the LORD your God is giving you to possess.'"
And to the Reubenites, the Gadites, and the half-tribe of Manasseh Joshua said, "Remember the word that Moses the servant of the LORD commanded you, saying, 'The LORD your God is providing you a place of rest and will give you this land.' Your wives, your little ones, and your livestock shall remain in the land that Moses gave you beyond the Jordan, but all the men of valor among you shall pass over armed before your brothers and shall help them, until the LORD gives rest to your brothers as he has to you, and they also take possession of the land that the LORD your God is giving them. Then you shall return to the land of your possession and shall possess it, the land that Moses the servant of the LORD gave you beyond the Jordan toward the sunrise."
And they answered Joshua, "All that you have commanded us we will do, and wherever you send us we will go. Just as we obeyed Moses in all things, so we will obey you. Only may the LORD your God be with you, as he was with Moses! Whoever rebels against your commandment and disobeys your words, whatever you command him, shall be put to death. Only be strong and courageous."

In the first part of this passage, Joshua was telling the people to get ready to take a leap of faith. They had no visible means of crossing the Jordan but they were to prepare to cross it within three days. "Get ready for a miracle and get ready RIGHT NOW!" The point that Lane siphoned out of this is a good one, "Be ready to move when the LORD moves."

.

The second part of this really stands out to me, and always has. The two-and-a-half tribes had whined to Moses in Numbers 32, "Please let us stay in Gilead. Don't make us cross over the river. We've had it with this awful pilgrimage and we're fine right where we are." Needless to say, Moses was frightfully wroth. He told them they were lazy (just like their no-good parents) and that there was no way they were going to sit on their butts on this side of the river while their brothers were fighting the Canaanites on the other side of the river. They struck up a deal with Moses that they'd help their brothers fight over the river if they just didn't have to move their stuff any more. I personally understand this after having moved 6 times in 5 years. I might have sat on the shores of Gilead and whined too.

.

Anyway, Moses died and left Joshua in command and he held the two-and-a-half tribes to their deal they'd made with Moses. As awful as war is, and as bombarded as we are these days with the apparently inept workings of our leaders in our current war, This passage really stands out to me in favor of the idea of Just War Theory. There are times and situations when it is inexcusable to sit in safety and comfort when our brothers are in trouble across the river. In such case we have to get off our butts, take up swords, and go across the river to help our brothers. Then when we have secured our brothers' lands we can return to our comfort.

.

Now, of course in the above passage, you might argue that these were true blood relatives - family members that Joshua was commanding the two-and-a-half tribes to fight for. But if you don't think we should go across the river to help folks that are not our own people, read Luke 10:25-37.

.

The really neat thing about the third part of this passage is that the people are encouraging Joshua just like God Himself encouraged Joshua. They tell him to be strong and courageous. "Don't worry, Joshua. It looks tough but you're God's man and we will follow you. Be strong! don't worry!" Compare Joshua 1:6, 7, 9, and 18.