Moses and Joshua are two important figures in the holy Bible; both of them are known for their leadership and faith in guiding the Israelites. Moses stands in history as the servant of the most high God. Before then was known as the son of the Pharaoh’s daughter. He ate from the royal table and drank from the royal calabash of wisdom. But he was not content standing in the presence of Pharaoh. One day, he went out of the palace and saw an Egyptian manhandling an Israelite. In holy anger, he dealt the Egyptian with a mortal blow. In this blog post, we will look at the amazing journey of Moses and Joshua, which brought the people of Israel from slavery to freedom.
Another day, Moses strolled out and sighted a Hebrew pitched against another Hebrew. In his attempt to preach a peace accord. Secret dealing was divulged by one of the Hebrews. Moses then fled into the wilderness for his dear life.
The Revelation through a Burning Bush
In the course of shepherding the flock of Jethro, his father-in-law, Moses came upon a dramatic burning hush. The leaves were blazing but not consumed. Moses to himself as he stared in wonder: “I will go over and ” this strange sight – why the hush does not burn up, but strange indeed, he was in the presence of God. The command “Take off your shoes, you are standing on holy ground” shows he was in a divine triangle.
There, God revealed himself as the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. God pronounced his name as the Great I Am – Am Who Am – He commissioned Moses with this mandate: go and tell Pharaoh to let my people go! He gave Moses the mantle of authority and leadership, which is the shepherd’s staff. He appointed to Moses a companion in the person of Aaron. With power and authority, signs and .wonders. Moses led the Israelites out into freedom again.
Obstacles Of The Red Sea
There was a great obstacle that posed a threat to the people of Israel: the Red Sea. It was an impossible river to waddle or swim across. The community of Israel was in disarray. The Whole situation, Pharaoh and his chariots were in hot pursuit. To worsen the situation, the people became disgruntled and, therefore, turned insolent. They were afraid God could do nothing to them. So they said:
“Was it because there were no graves in Egypt that you brought us to the desert to die? What have you done to us by bringing us out of Egypt? Didn’t we say to you in a while we were still in Egypt to leave us alone and let us serve continue to serve the Egyptians? Yes, because it would have been better for us to serve the Egyptians than to die in the desert” (Ex. 14:11-12)
When Faith Is At Work
However, Moses, the servant of God, believed that God can and will do something. There was no going back to Egypt, he said to himself. In his mind, the deep blue sea and the raging enemies were testaments of possibilities. So in those hair-splitting seconds, Moses entered into the presence of God for he raised his eyes to the throne of grace and the great ‘I AM, ‘ who gave him this message:
Tell the Israelites to move on. Raise your staff and stretch out your hand over the sea to divide the water so that the Israelites can go through the sea on dry ground (Ex. 14:15-16). Moses solemnly raised up his hand and Power from on high and struck the river. The effect, the sight and sounds were electrical. Immediately, the unthinkable began to take place. Eyes popped open and jaws drooped. They stood transfixed. The Red Sea parted in two, and God, with a powerful wind, held it in check. Impossibility is an earthly vocabulary, heaven says it does not exist.
On dry ground, the Israelites crossed, man and beast alike. The scenario was photogenic, and the Picture could be described thus: God opened the gates of the Red Sea, and while the people passed, God went behind them and raised a fire of separation thereby, making it impossible for the Egyptians to get close.
The Defensive Hands Of God
Eventually, in a blind rage, the soldiers on their horses and chariots charged towards the Israelites. Too late; God was fighting for the Israelites against Egypt. The water was unleashed on them, and they drowned. God has not retired. He still fights to save his name as well as to save his own. And when he does fight, he does not tire, neither does he run away nor surrender. He fights to win, and he wins. His ways are unsearchable; the human eyes cannot take it in, the human mouth cannot tell it all, and the human heart cannot understand it all.
All in all, Moses, the servant of God, overthrew Pharaoh, his soldiers, and chariots; and even the gods of Egypt he brought to judgment and condemnation. With these words, the letter to the Hebrews eulogized him: By faith Moses, when he had grown up, refused to be known as the son of the Pharaoh’s daughter. He chose to be mistreated along with the people of God rather than enjoy the pleasures of sin for a short time.
He regarded disgrace for the sake of Christ as of greater value than the treasures of Egypt because he was looking ahead to his reward. By faith he left Egypt, not fearing the king’s anger; he persevered because he saw him who is invisible… (Heb. 1:24-28).
PRAYER
Father everlasting, you have revealed yourself to be the great I AM. You are the same yesterday, today, and tomorrow. Fight for us against those who fight us. Defend us against those who attack us, and make a way for us where there seems to be no way. Amen!
About Joshua
The Lord would speak to Moses .face to face, as a man speaks with his friend. Then Moses would return to the camp, but his young aide Joshua, son of Nun, did not leave the tent (Ex. 33:11).
Joshua Stared at The Sun In The Eye
Joshua was the servant of Moses. On him rested the responsibility of taking the Israelites into the Promised Land. This task was so enormous that Moses had to lay hands on him.
The truth is that Joshua was no stranger to the presence of God. He was before now always in the tent of meeting – that secret place of the Most High God. It was no doubt, in one of his usual rounds of visiting, that God made this observation to Joshua:
My servant Moses is dead… No one will be able to stand up against you all the days of your life. As I was with Moses, so I will be with you. I will never leave you nor forsake you. Be strong and courageous… (Josh.1:2, 5).
The quantity and the quality of strength and courage that can flow from the presence of God is unimaginable. Those who lift their hands to his place have an ocean of grace before them to draw and drink from
Getting To The Promise Land
With this promise of divine intervention, Joshua, the savant of Moses, crossed the Israelites over the River Jordan. This was just the beginning of the testament of possibilities. Next, he fell down the high walls of Jericho, and defeated many and mighty kings in battles. But the most historic event in the life of Joshua was yet to come. Finally, it did come in the fight against the five kings of Amorites – Jerusalem. Hebron, Jarmuth, Lachish, and Edon.
These joined forces to attack Joshua and the people of Israel. The battle was fierce but the Lord was true to his words: “Do not be afraid of them; I have given them into your hands. Not one of them will be able to withstand you” (Josh 10:8).
As the battle raged on, Joshua stood still in the presence of God lifted up his hands to the holy place and pointed to the sun. With the authority available only to a believer, he said to the Lord in the presence of Israel.
Prayer
God our Father, you are the joy and hope of race. Remember us as we walk through the phases of life. May the challenges of each day make us believe less in self and more in you!
