To reach someone’s intellect, we must have a component to which they can relate. In the beginning of the LORD God’s introduction to the peoples of the world, God extended the following portion of His Self; a portion of interaction, to which the world would relate, from that time, forward.
And the LORD said unto Moses, When thou goest to return into Egypt, see that thou do all those wonders before Pharaoh, which I have put in thine hand: but I will harden his heart, that he shall not let the people go. And thou shalt say unto Pharaoh, Thus saith the LORD, Israel is my son, even my firstborn: And I say unto thee, Let my son go, that he may serve me: and if thou refuse to let him go, behold, I will slay thy son, even thy firstborn.
(Exodus 4:21-23)
In the beginning of the LORD’S introduction to the broader population of the world of Moses’ day; the people of the world formed only a very cautious connection to the people of Israel. That connection was based on fear, primarily. This atmosphere went forward, across the wilderness journey, and onward, into the adventures in the land of Canaan. In the time of Joshua, fear was a powerful parameter in the other nations’ assessment of Israel. We see this, clearly, in the following interaction.
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– Explore Collateral Damage and the Heart of God: Part Nine –