Recently, I have been struck with the unique life of Joshua. Most of us are probably familiar with this great man’s exploits during the conquest of Canaan. The walls of Jericho, the ambush at Ai, the treaty with Gibeon, and the famous “As for me and my house, we will serve the Lord!” speech have thrilled, challenged, and instructed many of us since our childhood.

First introduced to us in Exodus 17, what begins to be displayed before us is a young man who is a very loyal, obedient, capable, and valiant servant of Moses. We observe him victoriously facing critical challenges, and in time the Lord declares that this man-of-few-words is to take the helm when the great prophet, Moses, is gone. Throughout his life, though imperfect to be sure, we see a deep faith in the Lord and His promises. This faith, in turn, was what caused him to so skillfully lead the nation.

As I was studying Joshua’s life in preparation for the Romanian Summer Camp program (see Ministry Report, page 3), I came across a passage of Scripture which, I believe, reveals his “secret”: that is, what it was that set him apart from his peers, gave him his motivation, and was, on a human plane, his source of faith, strength, courage, and godly character.

In Exodus 33, as a temporary measure before the Tabernacle could be constructed, Moses took his personal tent and moved it outside the camp, calling it “the tabernacle”. It was the place people went when they wanted to “seek the Lord” (v. 7). Since, as the Scripture says, it was “far from the camp” (v. 7), those who went there had to deliberately remove themselves from the camp, leaving behind all familiar surroundings and routines, to retreat to the holy place where God said He would be. It is here that we read of Moses’ conversations with God as the cloud would descend and stay at the door while Moses was inside. Although only Moses had that rare privilege of face-to-face encounters with God, the opportunity to seek the Lord at “the tent of meeting” was available to all.

Tucked away in verse 11, which describes some of Moses’ interactions with the Lord in the tabernacle, we find what I believe to be Joshua’s secret: “And he (Moses) would return to the camp, but his servant Joshua the son of Nun, a young man, did not depart from the tabernacle”.

Was Joshua simply fulfilling his duties as Moses servant? Perhaps, but I think not, for God had already assigned the Levites to tend to the tabernacle. Given the context of the verse, I believe that this was a deliberate action taken by Joshua. Until this time, we only see him functioning as Moses’ attendant. Now, however, he is not by Moses’ side as Moses re-enters the camp. Rather, he stays at the tabernacle, the place set aside to seek the Lord.
Given the rather staccato recounting of battles fought, treaties arranged, and decisions made one may think of Joshua primarily as a man of action.

However, here we see a very different aspect of Joshua’s character. He was a man who understood that his highest priority should be walking in fellowship with God. Evidently, he didn’t entertain typical excuses of lack of time, too much inconvenience, or loneliness being far from the camp. Although still a “young man”, Joshua knew that the Lord alone could and would be his source of strength, security, and satisfaction, no matter what lay ahead of him. We do not know how long he remained at the tabernacle, but this much we do know - the time he spent there was time well spent, for it prepared him to shoulder the responsibility of the nation.

The issue of “seeking the Lord” is just as critical for us today. Scripture admonishes us to seek Him with “all our heart” (Deut. 4:29), that is with deep intensity and earnestness. We are to seek Him “while He may be found” (Isaiah 55:6). We will not always have the opportunity to seek Him, for this life will soon be over, and it is now that the Lord is calling to us. Seeking the Lord is not a once-for-all action, for in Colossians 3 we are told to “keep seeking the things above, where Christ is...” (v. 1). The blessed promise is then given us in Matthew 7, “seek, and you will find”.

God knows that it is in this activity of seeking Him through His Word, worship, and prayer, that our fellowship with Him deepens, and thus our faith in Him grows. Since we become like the one we worship, He is then free to teach, mold, and prepare us for use in His purposes.

Although few of us may receive the same call of national leadership that Joshua had, believers in Jesus Christ have, in a sense, a greater responsibility as ambassadors of His Kingdom to the world. If Joshua understood the necessity of “remaining at the tabernacle” to seek the Lord to properly fulfill his life’s calling, how much more should we? The challenge for us is not the administration of a nation, but the eternal souls of men. And yet, how many times do we neglect going “far from the camp”, and communing with the Lord through the Word and prayer, in favor of just going about our routine duties? Or, perhaps we rush through a prescribed program of a “quiet time”, forgetting that God says “Be still and know that I am God”.

Oh, that we, like Joshua, would make that deliberate choice to reset our priorities, and devote ourselves to seeking the Lord by meditating in His Word, and responding in worship and prayer! It is then that God has promised us “good success” (Joshua 1:8) as we engage in the activities He has designed for us. Will you make that choice today?

In His Service,
Stephen Tecklenberg
President

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Ministry Report

From July 27 to August 13, Eagle’s Nest was privileged to have a second opportunity to work in the Romanian Summer Camp. What a joy it was to be reunited with old friends, make new ones, and share in the experiences of the beautiful, secluded surroundings that seemed to enhance the potential of meeting with the Lord in a very unique way.

Each session of the camp lasted for one week. The first week saw about 95 people in attendance, representing the region around the city of Sibiu, while the second week soared up to about 105 with most coming from the area around the city of Pitest.

The course of study for the week was the life of Joshua. As we encountered various vignettes of his life, we saw many points that are very applicable to our lives today: remaining in the “tabernacle” to seek the Lord, God’s call to be “strong and courageous”, learning to walk in faith and obedience, embracing the wilderness, and serving the Lord alone by putting away all other things that try to usurp His rightful place in our hearts.

Although only eternity will reveal the true fruit from this endeavor, we rejoice in the report of at least one young man receiving the Lord during his time at the camp. We are also thankful for the many opportunities to minister the Word not just during the teaching sessions, but in many one-on-one counseling sessions with individuals who would at times share their unique struggles of life.

Please continue to pray with us for ongoing results from the camp ministry, that God’s Word would truly not return to Him empty-handed, but would instead accomplish the purpose for which it was sent forth.