I don’t know about you, but I love the Winter Olympics, and have done ever since I was a child. Although I’m a sports nut generally, I must admit that it’s largely their infrequency – the fact that you only get to watch the luge or Nordic skiing or slopestyle snowboarding every four years – is what makes The Games so great to watch. I don’t watch these sports at any other time.
That said, I haven’t got 15 hours every day to gorge on the live events – unfortunately! So for me, the one-hour highlights package every evening is a must-see. If I can’t watch it at the time, I’ll watch it later that night, or with breakfast the next day. All the drama is distilled into a manageable chunk of time.
In many ways, today’s passage functions exactly like a ‘highlights package’ for Joshua. All of the drama of the last 22 chapters is distilled into the Executive Summary of chapter 23. Joshua is now ‘very old’ (v1) and knows he won’t be around much longer (v14): so, he gathers the nation for one last pep talk, and a re-cap of everything the Lord has done for them.
What he is at pains to stress is that their success is entirely dependent on God. Yes, they have been brave and well-organised; but unless the Lord had ‘fought for them’ (v3) their efforts would have been in vain. And in case they weren’t listening the first time, Joshua repeats it again (v5)… and again (vv9-10)… and again (v13). ‘One of you routs a thousand, because the Lord your God fights for you.’
What does the Lord ask in return? It’s simple: ‘Be very careful to love the Lord your God.’ (v11) What does that look like? In the bible, love is more often a doing word than a feeling word: ‘Be careful to obey all that is written in the Book of the Law of Moses.’ (v6) Walk the talk. Show your love by living according to the pattern the Lord has set for you.
As the book draws to a close (just one chapter left after today!), verse 6 really brings us back to where we started. It is almost a direct quotation from God’s own words to Joshua in the very first chapter as he commissioned him to lead God’s people into the Promised Land (1:6). And now Joshua passes it on: as he obeyed, so now the Israelites’ future prosperity rests on their continued obedience.
Although, in Christ, we don’t have to earn God’s favour, it still remains true that grace fuels our obedience. Our grateful response to God’s love is to love God, and others, in return. May we, like Joshua, resolve to hold fast to scripture, and so find strength for all that today, and this season, will hold. And may this thought inspire us too: God is with us. His is the strength beyond our strength – all praise and glory to him!