The scene above occurs after Joshua has brought the Israelites into the Promised Land, defeated all enemies, and who are experiencing peace and prosperity. He is telling the people that they have accomplished the mission God has given them, and God is pleased. He basically goes on to say (these are my words), "Okay, you have a good thing here. Don't blow it. Remember the rules and don't mess it up for everybody or it won't be good for you. Got it?" It won't stay restful forever, and as we know from this side of the story, later generations will forget and fall away.
So much of what we do, we seem to approach with a sense of permanence. That is, we kid ourselves into thinking that our works will last beyond us. Some will, but most won't. The Israelites may have thought that they had reached a place of utopia and that it would now be heaven on earth. Their long awaited and worked-for goal had been complete. Now it was happy ever after, right? But people forget...
Can you think of the names of the Secretaries of Education during the Presidential Administrations of the twentieth century? I didn't think so. Neither can I. However, I use that as an illustration to indicate that we can be elevated to very high positions and do very important work, but to think that we will be remembered or that our lessons will be heeded... that's wishful thinking. Our work may be important, and may have lasting effect. In fact, we want timeless impact, and we should strive for it. But most of our living will impact the day in which we live. So enjoy the peace you have today, and if your life is in turmoil, understand peace will one day come to you. Just remember the rules whatever your situation: love God and be good to each other. At least we've come to remember that over the generations. Haven't we?
Readings: Joshua 21:1-22:20; Luke 20:1-26; Psalms 89:1-13; Proverbs 13:15-16
