by
Sylvia Dooling
In my opinion, this is an excellent lesson. The key idea is: When God
calls us to a position of leadership, God also gives us the strength and
courage to follow God s call. This key idea is an application of the
Joshua passage. However, the author begins with the context of the passage
itself. That s an important approach to studying the Bible. Study the
passage what it is meant to say in that time and place then, ask how the
passage may be applied to our lives today.
If I were meeting with women who are going to lead this lesson, these are
the points I would want to emphasize.
1) Page 29 second paragraph Even before the death of Moses, God had
chosen Joshua to lead the people of Israel into the land promised to
Joshua s ancestors. The emphasis is mine. Important point! What God
reveals to us, beginning with the Genesis, is that it is God that does
the choosing. It reminds us of God s Sovereignty and Providential care
of his people.
2) Page 29 second paragraph under Qualities of Faith and Care the
sentence says, To begin with, Joshua was faithful to God and did as
God requested. This is too weak a word, in my opinion. It s important
as we study Joshua s leadership, that it is clear that God commanded
Joshua. And, Joshua was obedient to God s commands.
3) Page 29 The end of the 5th paragraph. This is a very important part of
the study to emphasize. Reminding them that leadership is about making
faithful choices, Joshua communicates clearly the challenge before the
people of Israel, then gives his own personal witness, as to the proper
course to take: As for me and my household, we will serve the LORD.
Joshua was clear as to whom he would serve. As a leader of Israel, there
was no doubt about his position.
4) Page 30 2nd paragraph. Important point to make The faith of Joshua
and the care with which he approached his task remind us that God gives
us the strength and courage to follow God s call. We are never
commanded to do what we cannot perform through God s power.
5) Page 30 Qualities of Communal Leadership. The author emphasizes that
Joshua delegates responsibility. I was reminded that Moses had been
Joshua s mentor. Moses learned to delegate responsibility from his
father-in-law. God uses other Christians in our lives to teach us
important lessons.
6) Page 31 The author s 3rd point in Qualities of Communal Leadership,
that Joshua carefully organizes a plan of entry in the land of Canaan&
Here I would want to emphasize the fact that God directed Joshua in
the plan to enter the land of Canaan. Joshua then, as mediator, lays out
the plans to the people of Israel, speaking God s words.
7) Page 33 Paragraph 2. The closing paragraph under the heading,
Conditions for Success in Christian Leadership says, What do all these
requirements tell Christian leaders today? Do we remember the necessity
of making the Bible an important part of our lives and ministries? Our
response to the call of God must be complete trust in God s word. But
this is not easy. There is so much to learn, and some passages in the
Bible don t seem to witness to the God we know in Jesus Christ,
particularly in a book like Joshua& .
The author is giving us a good opportunity to stop and ponder the importance
of what is revealed to us concerning God s attributes in the Old and New
Testaments. If we read scripture that seems to say that the God of the
Old Testament is different than the God of the New, what do we do?
The Shorter Catechism states in our Book of Confessions, in answer to
Question 4, What is God? We learn that God is a Spirit, infinite, eternal
and unchangeable, in his being, wisdom, power, holiness, justice, goodness,
and truth. Malachi 3:6 For I the LORD do not change. So, if it seems to me
that there is a contradiction in scripture about the nature of God, I must
study and, in faith, believe that God s word is true and my perception is
not accurate.
And, as the author states, Study and meditation are required, but God is
faithful and will guide us.
In closing, I would encourage Bible study leaders to spend time talking
about The Importance of Community on Page 31. It appears as a sidebar and
makes the important point to those of us who live in a culture that puts a
huge emphasis on the importance of the individual that Israel did not think
this way. Israel was a community of faith. This serves to remind us that we
also are part of a community of faith the church.