"Thy Word Have I Hid In Mine Heart..." Psalm 119 : 11
A Willing People
All that thou commandest us we will do.
JOSHUA 1:16
3rd June
June
John Calvin
God has bound us so strongly to each other, that no man ought to endeavour to avoid subjection; and where love reigns, mutual services will be rendered.
When God calls a man to the responsibility of leadership, He will most certainly give him the hearts of the people he is to lead. Joshua proved that. It seemed impossible that anyone could take the place of Moses or be held in the same regard by the Israelites as he was. In such cases it is usual for people to make comparisons and for the aspiring new leader to come off worst. But the Lord gave to Joshua the hearts of the people. There was no comparing and no complaining. Indeed, it is significant that no matter what hardships came upon the children of Israel as they conquered the land, they never once blamed Joshua or suggested that Moses would have acted differently in certain circumstances. There was a willing submission to Joshua's leadership because God had appointed him to the office. Indeed, the people were prepared to make sacrifices in obedience to the call to duty. For example, the two and a half tribes for a time forsook their own inheritance to fight for their brethren (vv.12-16). They were prepared to accept discipline under Joshua's leadership, for they recognized that God was with him.
How do we react to the authority and offices that the Lord has ordained in His church? Do we recognize the office and respect the leadership? Do we submit ourselves one to another in the fear of God (Eph. 5:21), seeking to keep the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace?
