rookie

rookie

"Then the Lord said to Moses, 'Write this on a scroll as something to be remembered and make sure Joshua hears it...'" Ex. 17:14
"Then Moses set out with Joshua his aide" Ex. 24:13
"but his young aide Joshua son of Nun did not leave the tent." Ex. 33:11

Where does one start?

I'm a big football fan, but I do not like the buildup of the new guys to the NFL: the rookies.

They proved to be good in the amateur level of college football. They are hyped as the next wonder to play the game. Rookies are watched, feted, and have some cash for the first time in their life. Their character is tested after the victories but before the real games begin.

Rookies. Potential. The "could" and the "ought" collide in an untested person. What a set up for failure.

Perhaps that is why Joshua drew my attention today. A little phrase sparked interest: "But his young aide Joshua son of Nun did not leave the tent." Ex. 33:11 Was that the first time Joshua is noted in the Bible account? No, Joshua was present when Moses first went up the mountain to receive the Law, and he was part of a battle that preceded the encampment at Mt. Sinai. What we see in these three glimpses is the molding of Joshua to be the warrior-priest the LORD needed when the people entered Canaan.

The Amalekite people witnessed a living horde entering their land. A warlike people, jealous to retain their land, they amassed to push back this hated band of Isaacites. Slaves like these should be easy to defeat was their rationale.

Instead, Moses tells the rookie Joshua to gather a small army and go against the Amalekites. Moses will stand overlooking the battle with arms lifting the staff of God's wonders over the battlefield. The battle is won, but only as the Lord intervenes when the staff is raised. It takes Aaron and Hur holding the arms of Moses to make it all the way to the end of the battle, but the battle is won and "Joshua overcame the Amalekite army with the sword." Ex. 17:13

And this is the first glimpse of the molding of Joshua. The rookie is showing his potential: leadership, organizational skills, determination. He is also showing his skills: swordsmanship, battle tactics, survivability. Is he ready?

The Lord thinks not, because the key to this battle was not on the field but on that mountaintop. "The Lord said to Moses, 'Write this on a scroll as something to be remembered and make sure Joshua hears it because I will completely erase the memory of the Amalekites from under heaven.'" Ex. 17:14. The rookies shows potential but needs to be groomed.

Can you imagine the conversation?
"Way to go, Joshua!!! You da man!!! We got this made!!!"
"Um, no. We saw this one start to finish, Joshua. Listen to what really happened. You fought the battle in the valley, but only won when the Lord was lifted high by the elders on the mountain. We don't know what really happened that we cannot see, but we do know that whenever we faltered, so did the army."

What did Joshua do with this information? He believed it. Then he wanted to be in on that knowledge, on that wisdom, on that God who fights for His friends through unseen arms.

Joshua become the young aide who stays with Moses. He apprentices, faithfully.

The second glimpse is the trip up Mt. Sinai for the first time. Moses is going to meet with the Lord face to face. The people are terrified of the smoke and flame and beg Moses to go alone to speak with this Deity. Joshua has been through battle with Moses before and goes willingly with Moses to a point. Then he waits.

Moses spends weeks with the Lord. The people get bored and pressure the priest Aaron to fashion a gold god for worship. And where is Joshua? He's still on the mountain, and we know this because he doesn't know what the noise is when Moses and he return. Is it battle we hear? (Joshua is only drawing from personal experience here.) No, says Moses, it is singing. Instead of mindful waiting the people are partying.

The rookie learns to wait on the Lord for instruction, else the wrath of God may come on the presumptuous.

The third and final glimpse of Joshua is the one that caught my attention. Moses set up a tent well outside the borders of the camp. There he met with the Lord, who showed his presence with the pillar of smoke by day, fire by night. Moses would consult with the Lord for a time, then return with what he learned to teach the Israelites.

What do we find Joshua doing?

Staying, waiting, more listening, more contemplating at the door of the tent of meeting. Joshua stayed at that door until the cloud or the fire lifted. He showed that he wanted to hear the entire Word of God until there was nothing left to hear. The fire would rise, the smoke would clear, the tent would be silent, Moses' voice would filter over the barren waste to Joshua's ears but he had already heard these words. Joshua was letting the words do their work on his soul. This was the hard work of discipleship, sanctification, life change, or spiritual growth. This time was the maturation of a man of God.

Moses had his bush and his trials by fire in front of Pharaoh.
Joshua had Moses and the Lord.

The rookie's preparation is almost complete.

Joshua was chosen to spy out the land of Canaan as the representative of his tribe. It is no wonder that he and his friend Caleb returned with the report that "Their protection is gone, but the Lord is with us. Do not be afraid of them." Numbers 14:9

The people, sadly, reject Joshua's advice and instead wallow in their doubt. The Lord decides to grant them their stated wishes: Joshua and Caleb will enter the Promised Land, the rest of them will die in the wilderness. Forty years later Joshua assumes the mantle of leadership from Moses and leads a young, prepared, discipled and disciplined force into Canaan.

What should we take from this study?

Our sons and daughters may be very talented, promising perhaps, but what is tempering their soul? What is testing their worldview? What is challenging them to depend on when the world goes crazy? We should make it a goal to let that challenge come from the Word and example of Joshua. Analyze, listen, attempt, and grow to have a soul that views the world from the mountaintop, as the Lord sees it.

Then they, we, will be ready for the battles ahead.