Joshua 12-13

From the viewpoint of my comfy chair as I read the Bible, it seems that Joshua and the Israelites subjugated much of Canaan in quite a short time. After all, it's only been a few chapters since their first battle against Jericho in chapter 6. The debacle at Ai provided a bit of a setback, but it was only the precursor to resounding victory after resounding victory. Therefore, it comes as a bit of a surprise when we see that Joshua is now a "very old" man (13:1). In the days before cars and airplanes, fighting a campaign over an area the size of Canaan took a considerable amount of time.

And although Joshua was faithful to God and enjoyed the fruits of triumph, his life was far from cushy. After 40 years of wandering in the desert, he spent the rest of his life fighting in battles. So maybe he didn't get to enjoy sitting back in a lawn chair drinking a margarita with a paper umbrella perched on top. But through his faithfulness to and trust in God, he was able to take part in God's overarching plan for His people.

Sometimes (and pardon me if I get too existential here) I wonder whether anything I do makes a difference and to what extent I should care if it does or not. I'd be lying if I said that I used all my energy, resources, and talent selflessly--when I focus on enjoying myself, I'm not really benefitting anyone else, except the makers of whatever movie I'm watching, the author of the book I'm reading, or the composer of the music I'm listening to. I do understand that it's OK to enjoy leisure pursuits, especially if it recharges my batteries, but that shouldn't be my goal. I get the inkling that God's not calling me to conquer a heathen country after wandering for 40 years in the desert, but I should still strive to further God's plan--and realize just how exciting such an opportunity is.

Joshua certainly did his part, conquering 31 kings (12:9-24). I especially like how the author puts "one" after each king, as if we can't already tell that one person rarely counts as more than one person. But after all that, God tells Joshua that there are still wide swaths of land to conquer. God even says that He will drive out some of the inhabitants Himself (13:6)--if you saw a giant column of flame looming down on you, I'm sure you'd scurry away in a hurry. Joshua's story may be nearing its end, but the story of Israel, the nation of God's chosen people, is just beginning.

On a final note, the idea of having done so much but then finding out you still have a long ways to go reminds me of a scene from The Muppets. Basically, the Muppets need to raise $10 million to buy back the Muppet Theater from Chris Cooper, so they decide to put on a telethon. They're almost there, but Cooper tries to stop them, after which this scene happens. (Don't watch if you don't want it spoiled.)