The Bigger Picture
Joshua 14:15b
And the land had rest from war.
This Scripture is a powerful example of the immeasurable hermeneutical landscape of historical facts and allegorical truths that God’s vision for our lives here on earth draws us into. Joshua 14:15 isn’t a mere sentence on a page, but a wide clearing all around, with paths leading every which way: one leading up a high mountain ridge with panoramic views at the summit, and one leading along a bubbling brook through an enchanting forest, and one winding through the open meadows flanked by daffodils and sunflowers, and one leading up the grassy hills where lions and lambs are resting together in the grove of mature oaks. And if we can’t decide which path to take, we can rest for a moment on the bench in the clearing as it were, looking from afar across the whole frontier, having our senses overwhelmed by the expanse of revelation, profoundly humbled by the thought that the Author and Perfector of such manifold goodness, truth, and beauty would welcome us into this holy place at all.
The truth is, I’ve recently been drowning in despondency toward the corruption and wickedness and seemingly irredeemable waywardness of this present generation. By the sight of young and old people alike raving to burn society down, not just the buildings but the institutions, and not just the institutions but the traditions, and not just the traditions, but the sacred truths upon which society itself is grounded. Bewildered to watch with my own eyes an old rugged cross of Christ on Calvary’s hillside—the banner of divine covenant that welcomes all to repent and believe and rest forevermore—the definitive historical and allegorical bridge that ushers all weary and heavy-laden souls into Edenic bliss once again—serving as the fatwood for modern nihilists’ fire.
Oh, but Joshua 14:15 has lifted my spirit from that smokey, shadowy corridor of hellfire into a picture of peace and rest that only Heaven’s breath can inspire. Into a rapturous reminder of the peace that passes understanding, of paths I’ve never walked before, yet always known. A picture of a land without any war, of a heart without bitterness and envy and discord and self-seeking and rage and unforgiveness. Of a life not defiled or defined by conflict, but rejuvenated daily by fellowship with Almighty God.