Thursday, February 17, 2011

Joshua 4; Details

In chapter one when God told Joshua he would lead, Joshua then told the people to be ready to go in three days. There is no record that God told Joshua to order that command; he extrapolated it from the general instructions God gave him. In this chapter, it is different. God gave Joshua very exact details regarding how to enter the Jordan, who goes first, what to do with the stones, when to call the priests out and more. So which is the modem operendum of God, i.e., general or detailed instructions?

It seems to me that God treats his people in the same way that we treat each other. When there is great need for specificity, he is more than capable of giving it. He was very detailed when the event was history shaping in nature. Yet it is not his norm; rather he entrusts us to know his moral will and live with in those parameters without details most of the time.

Most of the time we live in a Joshua 1 general instruction mode with no details. God will probably not speak to tell me which parking lot to use or where to eat lunch or even what to wear to work today (though I don't understand fashion). So to anticipate direct revelation for guidance in lesser matters is probably more an indication of my lack of understanding of the nature of God than it is an act of faith. It brings into question the present tendency to "wait upon Lord" for direction from internal leadings. Since God is so capable of guiding his people when needed, the present tendency is perhaps more a reflection of our high view of self than a high view of God.

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