Beloved in Christ, let us at this Christmastide prepare ourselves to hear again the message of the angels, and in heart and mind go to Bethlehem, and see the babe lying in a manger.

Let us read and mark in Holy Scripture the tale of the loving purposes of God, from the first days of our disobedience, to the glorious redemption brought to us by this Holy Child: and let us make this place glad with our prayers and praise.

But first let us pray for the needs of his whole world: for peace and goodwill over all the earth; for unity and brotherhood within the Church he came to build, and especially in this nation of Australia.

And because this of all things would rejoice his heart, let us at this time remember in his name the poor and the helpless, the hungry, and the oppressed; the sick and those who mourn; the lonely and the unloved; the aged and the little children; all those who know not the Lord Jesus, or who love him not, or who by sin have grieved his heart of love.

Lastly, let us remember before God all those who rejoice with us, but upon another shore and in a greater light, that multitude which no man can number, whose hope was in the Word made flesh, and with whom, in this Lord Jesus, we for evermore are one.

These prayers and praises let us humbly offer up to the throne of heaven, in the words which Christ himself taught us:

Our Father in heaven,
hallowed be your name.

Your kingdom come,
your will be done,
on earth as it is in heaven.

Give us this day our daily bread,
and forgive us our sins,
as we forgive those who sin against us.

And lead us not into temptation,
but deliver us from evil.

For the kingdom, the power and the glory are yours,

Now and forever, Amen.

Introduction to the book of Joshua:

The book of Joshua tells the story of Israel’s crossing of the Jordan and the conquest of Canaan. The ‘Promised Land’ is not a picture of heaven – Hebrews 3 and 4 shows Canaan as a picture of the rest and victory that can be enjoyed by every Christian believer in this life. Many scholars connect the book of Joshua with Paul’s letter to the Ephesians, which describes a spiritual walk of promise, wealth, and victory that are ours in Christ.

The Greek name Jesus translates the Hebrew name יְהוֹשׁוּעַ (Yehow-shuwa, or Joshua, ‘God saves’). Whatever Israel received in the Promised Land, they received through the hand of Joshua; whatever we receive from God we receive through Jesus Christ, our ‘Joshua’…

The history of Israel from Egypt to Canaan:

• Israel was delivered from Egypt, symbolizing our deliverance from the bondage of sin;
• Israel, led by Moses, wandered in the Sinai wilderness; during that time, Israel experienced supernatural providence such as the supply of manna, water from rocks, the pillar of cloud by day and fire by night, and they also received God’s revelation, the Law;
• the land of Canaan (the Promised Land) represents the destination of God’s people after they have been set free from sin’s bondage. See 1 Corinthians 10 v 11.

Joshua’s personal background:

Joshua was the eldest son of Nun – his genealogy is given in 1 Chronicles 7 v 20 to 27 and shows that some of his ancestors were cattle thieves! He first appears fighting the Amalekites just two months after the exodus from Egypt (Exodus 17 v 8 to 16), and he was with Moses on Mount Sinai in the golden calf episode (Exodus 32 v 15 to 20). 

Joshua was one of the 12 sent to spy out the land of Canaan; he and Caleb were the only ones to bring back a good report – and the only ones to enter the Promised Land, after 40 years wandering in the wilderness (for an abridged version of the story, read the attached excerpts from Numbers 13 and 14).