In The Place Which He Should Choose

An interesting phrase punctuates the end of chapter 9 in the book of Joshua in the Bible … “in the place which He (God) should choose.” Before this phrase was penned, Joshua had led the people across the Jordan on dry ground. In this miraculous event God demonstrated that His spirit was upon this new leader as He had been with Moses. Then, in the first battle in the Promised Land, Jericho falls with a blast from the trumpets and a shout from the people. A few days later, after a reminder of total obedience to the God of Israel, the neighboring city of Ai is destroyed in a mighty victory.

Then Joshua builds an altar unto the Lord God of Israel in Mount Ebal. He made the altar according to the exact specifications spelled out in the written law of God. Then he wrote a copy of the law of Moses on the altar and afterward assembled all Israel together to read every single word of the law to everyone ... including the women and children and strangers that were among them. (Josh 8:30-35)

Then we come to the chapter where we find this mysterious phrase ... "In the place which He should choose". (Josh 9:27) The inhabitants of the land hear of what is happening and begin to create military alliances to fight against Israel. At least five kings mobilize forces to march against Israel. In the meantime however, one of the cities hatch a different plan.

Gibeon was a prominent city, as powerful as one of the country’s royal cities, and "all the men thereof were mighty." (Josh 10:2) They had a better chance of resisting Israel than Ai did. But they had heard about God’s command to Moses to destroy all the inhabitants of the land and they believed that the Lord God was powerful enough to do it. So they proposed a plan of deception.

Pretending to come from a far distance to seek and worship the God of Israel they asked for asylum and to be admitted as fellow worshippers. Evidently this concept was not new to the leaders of Israel because there was already a contingency of “strangers” who traveled with Israel and worshipped with them. So Joshua and the princes of Israel made a league of peace and protection with them. Then the Scriptures succinctly state: “and the men … asked not counsel at the mouth of the Lord.” (Josh 9:14)

Realizing their mistake three days later, Joshua and the leaders of Israel were properly embarrassed before the congregation. To avoid the wrath of God for breaking a treaty, they allowed the Gibeonites to live, but they relegated all of them to the position of forced labor. From that day onward, the Gibeonites cut wood and drew water for the congregation and for the altar of the Lord … "in the place which He should choose."

A careful reader of Scripture has to pause for a minute to ask why this little phrase was added to this sad story. The phrase, of course, was not new to the writer of this book (probably Joshua) or to the people of Israel. When Moses repeated the law to these people in the book of Deuteronomy just a few months before, he used this phrase six times in chapter 16 alone! It is as if Joshua finally understood what Moses had been trying to say... "Remember, Joshua, it is not about what seems right and logical to you at the time. Life is always about seeking God's counsel in the Word and finding what He should choose."

One morning during my Bible reading I read this verse:

“Bring my soul out of prison, that I may praise thy name:
the righteous shall compass me about;
for thou shalt deal bountifully with me.” Psalm 142:7

In the margin I had scrawled in pencil “A verse for my daughter 4-28-08”.

And in the next chapter this verse was underlined:

“Cause me to hear thy lovingkindness in the morning; for in thee do I trust:
Cause me to know the way wherein I should walk; for I lift up my soul unto thee.” Psalm 143:8

In the margin I had penciled these words: “Santiago Target decisions 5-3-08”.

I was reading Scripture that God used in my life a year ago to wrestle through some big decisions and to comfort me in some heavy concerns that I had at the time. It felt like a grandmother must feel as she runs her fingers over an old photo.

A year has passed and God has been faithful. A year of teaching in a Christian school hasn’t killed me. Our apartment is set up and livable. Our daughter is out of prison and has been living with us for almost a month now. The righteous have compassed us about with many emails of joy and encouragement. If I may, we have crossed the Jordan and we are now ready to dwell in the Promised Land.

Based on this story of Joshua I can assume that once God begins putting the pieces of a puzzle together that we have been working on for a long time, it is easy to make decisions without taking the time to consult God. I need to remember that our lives ahead here in the Dominican Republic should still be lived “in the place which He should choose.”

I don’t know why Joshua forgot that lesson, but I figure he was maybe under a little pressure knowing that five kings were marching against him very soon. In my case I know that when the school year will start in the middle of August (kind of similar to five kings marching toward me in battle), I will have the tendency to make decisions without taking the time to seek God’s face. My sincere desire for our little temporary family is that, for as long as the Lord has us together, we will dwell in our Canaan “in the place which He should choose.”