–February, 19, 2020–

Not only did the Israelites doubt that God was capable of satisfying their craving, they believed that, if it wasn’t for God, they would have been able to satisfy it on their own. They would’ve still been in Egypt, in luxury, if it wasn’t for their trust foolishly placed with God. Moses, too, has his doubts in God when he asks “Are there enough flocks and herds to slaughter for them all?” God replies with another question, “Is the Lord’s power limited?” Just like the ritual of circumcision with Abraham, God’s punishment of the wilderness generation serves to remind them that everything that have obtained is not the product of their own strengths but the strength of God alone.

Moses, as punishment for exercising his own strength and failing to trust in God’s strength, is forbade from entering the Promised Land. I’d argue that this is unfair, to punish Moses harshly for decades of relentless to service to God; however, it is a necessary evil. To allow a member of the unfaithful generation to enter the Promised Land would be equally unfair. It would be unfair to the thousands of Israelites that remained faithful. It would set a precedent that could enter the Promised Land on one’s own strength and not God’s strength. By forbidding Moses to cross the Jordan with the rest of the Israelites, God reminds His people that they are only given this gift by his mercy. The Pentateuch concludes with the expectation that the Israelites’ new leader will be just as great as his predecessor, not with his own strength but God’s.

Part of what made Moses’s task so difficult was the absurdity of God’s orders sometimes. “Trust me, bread will rain from the sky.” “Trust me, I’ll send enough meat to feed 600,000 Israelites.” And even more difficult was the task of convincing the Israelites that they could trust in God, even though they were experiencing hardship and the only solution seems impossible. Distrust and animosity ran rampant among the weary travelers and it was Moses’ job to keep these feelings in check. Joshua does well in following Moses’ legacy. He may not match the wonders and “terrifying displays of power” that Moses produced, but he does an excellent job of facilitating the works and orders of God. As seen in the Battle of Jericho, he carefully follows God’s instructions for the siege, no matter how bizarre they may seem, and commands the Israelites to follow without disobedience. Up until his death in Judges, Joshua keeps the Israelites faithful to God and His covenant.