Joshua

Joshua's an interesting story. It's sort of the sequal to the Israelite exodus, because it is when Moses dies, Joshua becomes the prophet, and leads the people into their lands. A lot of it is the battles and designation of areas to tribes, which means there are a lot of names, and it's very tempting to gloss over them, since most of them I have never heard of, so it is just a bunch of names to me. However, it's fun to follow along with a map, and see the size of the different allocations, and every now and then, a name will stick out.

Throughout all the battles, while the men follow God (which is all but one, I believe), he gives them success over the previous land owners. It's definitely an eye-opener to how much power God has. It's not just that their chance of victory increases, but that it is definite.

Another inspirational character I found was Caleb. Previously, when Moses had instructed spies to go scope out the new land, only Joshua and Caleb were faithful and believed that, with God, they had a chance against the current residents. Therefore, God told all the other spies that they would never enter the new land, but Joshua and Caleb would. At one point, Caleb comes up to Joshua and says, "You know what the LORD said to Moses the man of God at Kadesh Barnea about you and me. I was forty years old when Moses the servant of the LORD sent me from Kadesh Barnea to explore the land. And I brought him back a report according to my convictions, but my brothers who went up with me made the hearts of the people melt with fear. I, however, followed the LORD my God wholeheartedly. So on that day Moses swore to me, 'The land on which your feet have walked will be your inheritance and that of your children forever, because you have followed the LORD my God wholeheartedly.' Now then, just as the LORD promised, he has kept me alive for forty-five years since the time he said this to Moses, while Israel moved about in the desert. So here I am today, eighty-five years old! I am still as strong today as the day Moses sent me out; I'm just as vigorous to go out to battle now as I was then. Now give me this hill country that the LORD promised me that day. You yourself heard then that the Anakites were there and their cities were large and fortified, but, the LORD helping me, I will drive them out just as he said," (Josh 14:6-15). After all this time, an 85 year old man had kept faith, and was ready to march out to battle. It kind of reminds me of my grandfather. He's 85, I believe. It would be easy to give up at his age, and say, "Well, God said I could have this land, but I'm so old now, that my chances of conquering the Anakites is slim," but no, not Caleb.