Joshua Bar None

One day, while walking near the Jordan and finally within sight of The Promised Land, Old Moses, after 40 years as the leader of a people always on the move, eating sheep, milking goats, unfolding tents, and camping — oy vey — after all that, Moses gives up the ghost.

How long is 40 years? It's 14,160 monthly moon risings and settings over a desert horizon, measuring out decades of root-less-ness. 40 years in the wilderness generated generations of people.

At the end of his story, Old Moses died, and the leadership job fell open. It came with big career benefits: job stability, the power of God behind you, and plenty of land.

Who got that big job, and who chose who got the big job? Did the people choose? No, it wasn’t democracy. It was theocracy. In this story — God holds power, and God chose a proxy from among the Israelites by picking Joshua bar Nun, and announcing, “Josh, I choose you. You get the job. You serve me. Congratulations, big man; everybody, meet Joshua bar Nun, my man.”

Josh says to God, “I’m cool with all that. But, just so as we understand each other, after all this time, after 40 wandering years, finally, You want me to lead this people out of the Wilderness into The Promised Land? Right?”

“Got that right, Josh, you and all the Israelites,” said Elohim. “Cross the Jordan River; lead the people; enter my gift — the Promised Land.”

“That’s cool,” says Josh.

“But there is a catch,” says God.

There’s always a catch.

Pray with me for yourself: Dear God, choose me. Use me. Catches and all. Amen.

Today’s Thought Is: God uses who God chooses.

Source:
The Book of Joshua, Chapter 1 NRSV