That Was Then, This is Now

Abstract

Several years ago, there was a film that captured the imagination of the American public. This film was created by a promising cinematic neophyte who hailed from Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. His name is M. Night Shyamalan. He created a hair-raising thriller titled the Sixth Sense. This film starred one of the best-known actors of our era, Bruce Willis. Willis played a child psychologist investigating what might have been severe psychological trauma upon a little boy, or possibly even extrasensory perception. A statement by the young boy in the film has since been canonized as part of the pop-culture lexicon of America: “I see dead people, but they don’t know it yet.”

Now Joshua son of Nun was filled with the spirit of wisdom because Moses had laid his hands on him. So the Israelites listened to him and did what the LORD had commanded Moses.

Deuteronomy 34:9 (New International Version)

After the death of Moses the servant of the LORD, the LORD said to Joshua son of Nun, Moses’ aide: “Moses my servant is dead. Now then, you and all these people, get ready to cross the Jordan River into the land I am about to give to them—to the Israelites. I will give you every place where you set your foot, as I promised Moses. Your territory will extend from the desert to Lebanon, and from the great river, the Euphrates—all the Hittite country—to the Great Sea on the west. No one will be able to stand up against you all the days of your life. As I was with Moses, so I will be with you; I will never leave you nor forsake you.” Be strong and courageous, because you will lead these people to inherit the land I swore to their forefathers to give them.

Joshua 1:1–6 (New International Version)