Joshua 22 - The Breach
Today we’re in the Joshua 22. With only 2 more chapters left we’re the beginning the end of our series The Lord’s Army. For most of my life I’ve been a big fan/student of World War II. When I was a boy I just liked tanks, ships, planes, gun, and explosions. As a student I started to appreciate the strategy of Generals and Admirals as well as some of the political implications. Now as a man I’ve found myself particularly interested in the stories of soldiers and how they were impacted by their experience fighting together. That’s why I love mini-series like Band of Brothers and The Pacific. In each series, after nine episodes of intense battles and individual/corporate conflicts, the 10th of each is dedicated to unpacking and previewing what life will look like for the men after the war is over as they finally get to leave the field of battle and go “home”. That’s a lot what these last three chapters of Joshua are like. The major campaigns are over and the military battles have been won, and yet not quite time for Israel to fully declare “Mission Accomplished”; as the mission isn’t just to defeat the enemy on the field of battle but to live in the peace, freedom, and unity as one people purely worshipping the One True God. We’ll see today maintaining unity and Holiness among the people of God can be even more difficult during “peace time” than during raging conflict. It requires a zeal for the holiness, justice, and purity of worship among all of God’s people, while having a heart for the relationships with-in the family/nation of God.