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March 10 Today’s Reading: — Joshua 11-14 “He left nothing undone!” Joshua 11:16
Blessed be his holy name forever, our great Joshua, Jehovah-Jesus, shall leave nothing undone, which he covenanted to do for us as our Surety before the world began!
War’s End The 11th chapter of Joshua concludes the inspired account of the holy war and the conquest of Canaan. Joshua conquered all and took possession of the land, as God commanded by Moses. Even so, our Lord Jesus has conquered all our foes (Colossians 2:14-15) and has taken possession of all things as our Surety and Forerunner (Hebrews 6:20), having fully accomplished for our souls all that God demands from us — Perfect Righteousness and Complete Satisfaction! — “He left nothing undone!” If we read about these wars merely as historical facts, they profit us nothing. The Word of God is not to be read as a book of historic, religious, or even supernatural facts. It is to be read with a spiritual eye of spiritual discernment, given by God the Holy Spirit. When read with the spiritual eye of faith, we discover much instruction couched under those commands of our God requiring the complete destruction of every foe. As Joshua destroyed every enemy in the land, so our dear Savior shall at last destroy sin in us. Oh, what blessed hope this is! Soon, when we have dropped these robes of flesh, we will drop sin in the grave and it shall never rise again. When our Lord Jesus comes again, when he raises our bodies from the grave and makes all things new in resurrection glory, all the evil consequences of sin shall be gone. Hard as it is for me to believe that, here is something even more profoundly honoring to the wisdom and grace of God our Savior. — When he has made all things new, just as Israel was enriched by the wealth of the Canaanites, our dear Savior shall make us rich beyond imagination by delivering us from sin, indescribably richer than we could have been had we not fallen in Adam (Psalm 76:10). Neither the devil himself, nor sin, nor all the foes of our souls shall rob God’s elect of anything, but only enrich us; and they shall gain nothing, but shall be utterly destroyed! As God turned Balaam’s curse into a blessing and then killed Balaam, so he shall make all things blessings to our souls forever (Numbers 13:2; 22:23-24; 31:8; Joshua 13:22; Romans 8:28).
Immutable Savior We read of Joshua’s old age and weakness, even at this distance, almost with a tearful eye. It is painful to see a faithful servant of God, one so useful, for so much good, to the benefit of so many, weaken with the infirmity of age, knowing that there is so much yet to be done. Yet, how sweetly we are reminded that our great Savior, our Joshua, is the immutable God, that he changes not, that he is “the same yesterday, and today, and forever!” He is our Life and the life-giving, life-preserving, life-rejoicing Savior of his redeemed. Because he lives, we also live. When our hearts are faint and strength fails, Christ, our mighty Joshua, is yet the strength of our hearts and our portion forever!
Caleb Today’s reading concludes with Caleb’s petition before Joshua, seeking the land Moses promised him. Here is Caleb, the oldest man in the nation, an 85 year old zealot, ready to go to war for God! From his youth, throughout his life, even in his old age, Caleb’s zeal never diminished; his devotion never cooled; his consecration never failed. Caleb “wholly followed the Lord God of Israel.” Read what God says about this man in Numbers 14:24. – “But my servant Caleb, because he had another spirit with him, and hath followed me fully, him will I bring into the land whereunto he went; and his seed shall possess it!” The name Caleb, I am told, has two meanings. First, it means “a dog.” Though commonly, when a man is referred to as a dog, it is a great offense; that is not the case here. A dog has one admirable feature, one virtue that no other animal possesses. A dog always follows his master. He is the most loyal, faithful animal on the earth. In that sense Caleb was indeed a dog, a loyal, faithful dog. He followed his Master from the day that he left Egypt until the day that he was called home to glory. God, make me such a dog! The name Caleb also means “all heart.” What a name for a man! But it perfectly suited this man. Caleb was all heart. There was nothing half-hearted, lukewarm, or insincere about him. Caleb was all heart. I have known many who had a head to understand, but no heart, a hand to work, but no heart, and feet to go, but no heart. Not Caleb! His head was clear. But he was all heart. His hands were strong. And his feet were both steady and ready. But he was all heart. Whatsoever he did in word or in deed he did with all his heart! Caleb means “a dog.” And Caleb means “all heart.” Put the two together and you have the character of this man. He was faithful to his Master in all things, following the Lord fully with all his heart. “He had another Spirit” (Ezekiel 36:24-30). God the Spirit was in him. The Spirit of God in a person makes that person Christ’s faithful dog to the end. Oh, blessed Savior, evermore give me your Spirit and make me your faithful dog to my last breath!
Don Fortner
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