Old Man Wisdom Joshua 23:1-6

Old Man Wisdom Jos. 23: 1-6 CLICK TITLE FOR AUDIO

Introduction:

In this passage we find Joshua, a true man of God, old and stricken in age. Joshua has “finished his course”. He was Moses’ second man and had been appointed to take over after Moses death. He did a fine job leading the children of Israel in to the Promised Land. He is the type of man that every young man should seek counsel of.  He has years of experience in the ministry. He wanted to share some wisdom with the leaders and those who would succeed him. He Gave them some old man wisdom.

Admit your Weakness   Verses 1-2

He admitted he was old and stricken in age, undeniable, they could clearly see it.

It must have been hard for him to know that he was not the man he used to be. Think of all the things he had seen and done in his life time. He was an eye witness to everything God had done to Pharaoh, he was one of the twelve spies, who spied out the Promised land, he was there every minute of the forty years in the wilderness, and he led the folks in and conquered the enemies. He was a man’s man and had to be very proud. It had to be hard to admit he wasn’t the man he used to be.

When you admit your weakness:

Acknowledge His Strength          Verse 3

Joshua acknowledges that all the victory was due to God’s Strength. All they had to do is look back at the facts. They had lived and seen the hand of God deliver them. They needed no faith they had seen it. Acknowledging God’s Strength is a no brainer to these folks, they were eye witnesses.

When you acknowledge God’s strength:

 

Before William Booth became a minister, he conducted religious services in small country places as a lay preacher. And he had the poor in his heart and work, even as a teenager. At seventeen he was made a local preacher in the Methodist church. His superintendent wanted him to become a regular preacher at the age of nineteen. But his doctor advised him against the ministry, telling Booth that his health was so poor that he was totally unfit for the strain of the preacher’s life.

That doctor had no way of knowing that Booth would eventually take on strenuous work among London’s poor, physical labor that would make the life of a Methodist minister seem like a vacation. Nor did the doctor have any way of knowing that Booth would launch an organization of worldwide proportions and that he would live to be eighty-three.

 

Accept your Calling         Verse 4

Joshua described the work ahead of them. He gave them the big picture. He did not ask for comments or suggestions. He did not ask any of them for their opinion. He did not ask for them to go home and survey their family’s thoughts. He did not allow them to go on a survey trip to help persuade them. He just told them what God had for them.

When you accept your call

When Robert Morrison, the first missionary to go to China, disembarked from his ship in a Chinese port, the captain sneeringly said, “So you think you are going to make an impression upon China.”Morrison quietly replied, “No, sir, but I believe God will.”

When Robert Moffat, Scottish missionary to South Africa, came back to recruit helpers in his homeland, he was greeted by the fury of a cold British winter. Arriving at the church where he was to speak he noted that only a small group had braved the elements to hear his appeal. What disturbed him even more was that there were only ladies in attendance that night, for he had chosen as his text Proverbs 8:4, “Unto you, O men, I call.”

In his consternation he almost failed to notice one small boy in the loft who had come to work the bellows of the organ. Dr. Moffat felt hopeless as he gave the message, realizing that few women could be expected to undergo the rigorous experiences they would face in the undeveloped jungles of the continent where he labored.

But God works in mysterious ways to carry out His wise purposes. Although no one volunteered, the young fellow assisting the organist was thrilled by the challenge. Deciding that he would follow in the footsteps of this pioneer missionary, he went on to school, obtained a degree in medicine, and then spent the rest of his life ministering to the unreached tribes of Africa. His name: David Livingstone!

Allow His Direction         Verse 5

Joshua is reminding them that God will do the work, he will expel them, he will drive them out, just like he promised. They really should not have been hard to convince. Once again, they have already seen God in action, and fulfilling every promise.

Why we don’t allow God’s direction:

 

Aspire to be Obedient   Verse 6

Joshua was trying to get them to “keep and do”. Obedience is the key to any relationship with God. They had seen plenty of disobedience in their lives. Aaron, Korah, Dathan, Abiram, On, and Achan to name a few, and the consequences.

Aspire to be obedient. Aspire because it is a process.

Conclusion:       

Admit your weakness

Acknowledge His strength

Accept your calling

Allow His direction

Aspire to be obedient

 

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