Dead of night as the two men enter the river.
Behind them, the vast encampment of their people spreads across the Plains of Moab, an occasional pinprick of firelight visible. The night is very cold. On the bank, other men stand quietly, watching anxiously. For several days they had helped scout the river for the shallowest crossing. The Jordan at its annual flood stage is swift and dangerous.
Now, sandaled feet slipping on rocks, the two men move slowly, leather packs held high over their heads. The water is breathtakingly cold in this early part of the year. Time and again, while fighting the current and with the weight of packs in upraised arms, they almost go under. Finally emerging from the roiling water and gasping for air, they turn and give a quick wave to their comrades on the far shore.
Making their way swiftly through the thick brush lining the bank, they collapse on their backs on the sand, shivering violently. After a moment, they remove cloaks from their packs. Under a waning moon and a sky painted with stars, warmth returns to their chilled bodies. “Are you good?” asks one finally, with a grin. “Never better. Really.” says the other with a short laugh. Their voices are quiet in the still air of the Jordan Plain.
These men are descendants of other soldiers tasked with scouting out Canaan many years earlier. Twelve men thought to be courageous, commissioned by Moses:
Go up and see the land. Whether the people in it are few or many, whether the land is good or bad, whether their cities are like camps or strongholds – do not be afraid.
Numbers 13:17-20 NLV
Upon returning after 40 days of reconnaissance, two of the twelve said, “Let’s go in immediately. We can certainly take the land.” But ten were afraid and their fear prevailed with the people. The result? Never in the history of man has one generation been tasked with waiting under Divine command for the death of their fathers. For 38 years the generational clock has been ticking as one elder after another is laid in desert soil. Every family affected. Every family aware. And each member knowing their death either hastens the Promise, or that the demise of their elders, one by one, hastens their own entry into the Land.
These two men, with their willingness and courage, are heirs to the spirit of Joshua and Caleb. Their commander, that same Joshua, very likely commissioned them with the words of Moses that rang in his own heart those many years ago.
The two men stand. Suddenly, one grasps the arm of the other and, with a voice filled with emotion, says, “We’re here.” For a moment they stand in the moonlit night. A breeze, like the breath of Jehovah, passes over them and, as quickly, is gone. There will be other moments filled with sacred power in the weeks and months to come. But for these two young warriors, none will be more significant than this one on the soil of the Promised Land.
They hoist their packs and begin the 40 mile trek to the city of Jericho.
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Training
As younger generations have grown into adulthood, Moses’ assistant, Joshua, has been training forces to take back the Promised Land. He is a military commander, intense, a man faithful, watchful. He is under no illusions regarding the enemies they face in Canaan. It is a land whose tribal cultures and practices – including child sacrifice – are so vile they would make a stone weep. And among his men, he has dealt directly with the human default position of fear. The words of Jehovah to him after the death of Moses are now the motto of the forces of Israel:
Have I not told you? Be strong and have strength of heart! Do not be afraid or lose faith. For the Lord your God is with you anywhere you go.
Joshua 1:9 NLV
- When you go to war – which you certainly will – do not fear.
- When your tribe sets foot in its allotted territory of settled heathen and their vicious tribes, do not be afraid.
- When enemies conspire against you and plan assaults, I know their plans and will fight for you. Be of good courage.
What a waste to live a timid life. Jesus was a model of humility and meekness, in the truest sense of those words. But He was never timid. We are called to courage in our day, our culture, a courage rooted in unassailable Strength.
And remember, your absolute trust in God, your faith-filled view of the future is an inheritance for your family. Precious, priceless, eternal.
Scene: Joshua 2:1
Photo: chrisedmondson.tv: The Jordan River