The book of Joshua is about victory, correction, success, and God's faithfulness. When we focus on all God is doing and all Israel does right and wrong, we can easily forget the man whom the book is named after. Joshua is introduced to us as Moses' military general in Exodus 17. Amalek came out to fight against Israel, and Moses put Joshua in charge of picking the men who would "go out and fight with Amalek." The following line identifies his character as dependable: " Joshua did as Moses told him."
Then who is Joshua? In Exodus 24:13, we meet Joshua as the assistant of Moses though we have already read that he was the military general for the army of Israel. I call him that; that is not his title in Scripture. The Scripture does not say Moses picked Joshua, so we can safely conclude God made this decision. His character would prove to be faithful to God and submitted to God's leader at this time. This was something God knew about him. Now that is an issue we need to understand. Though God can determine whether we will be faithful, I do not believe it is because we are determined toward a particular character but because we choose to be faithful or not to be, and he knows it. We have the choice to be selected as one who will be devoted to God, the same as Joshua would choose over and again.
Let's look at a few more passages that give us examples of who Joshua was and how he chose to be faithful to God and was rewarded for his obedience. In Exodus 33:11, you can read how Joshua "would not depart from the tent." His work with Moses and faithfulness toward him reflected his belief that Moses was doing the work God assigned him to. These examples of Joshua as a man of God who would not be thwarted from trusting in God are not because God made Joshua faithful. Joshua was faithful because he put total weight on the God of Israel.
Joshua proved himself faithful by trusting in what God said over letting any fear thwart God's mission for His people. When it was time to spy out the promised land, Moses sent 12 spies, Numbers 13. This was the report the spies came back with "we went to the land where you sent us. It really is a land flowing with milk and honey." There is a "but" in their report, "but we can't attack those people! They are too strong for us!" As the story continues in Numbers 14, Joshua was one of two with faith placed in God. He saw the miraculous things done in Egypt while protecting Israel. He walked through the Red Sea on dry land, drank the sweet water that was once bitter, watched the water come out of a rock, and ate the manna. Those experiences, all the spies had, helped form Joshua's faith and now faithfulness to God. Joshua said, "the land we passed through to spy out is an exceedingly good land. If the LORD delights in us, then He will bring us into this land..."
That statement of faith tells us a lot about Joshua. He did not say, "I know I can do this." He recognized where the victory would foment. He said, "if the LORD delights in us..." God delights in His faithful children. His children may not know how God will do a thing, but He will do it. Joshua had no idea how the land would become theirs, but he knew God was ready to give it to them. He knew the land was as good as God promised. He saw the same obstacles as the men with the bad report but trusted more in God's power to "bring us into this land..." That is not just faith, but faithfulness in a crowd that was losing their minds and becoming so discouraged they would not trust God over believing faithless men.
God saw the refusal to enter the land as "putting Me to the test and have not heeded My voice." And because of this sinful refusal, God rejected them from entering the land. None of those who rejected Him would place a foot in the land. Let's add this, the entire generation, with the exception of Caleb and Joshua, would not enter. According to each day they spied out the land, which was 40, they'd spend a year, so 40 years that they'd die off in the wilderness.
Joshua proved himself faithful in waiting 40 years to enter the Promised Land. That could make anyone bitter and frustrated with the people, but also with God. We read nothing about Joshua expressing any animosity. Numbers 14 ends by saying, "But Joshua the son of Nun and Caleb the son of Jephunneh remained alive, of the men who went to spy out the land." We can conclude he waited patiently and purposefully from reading more of his story. He would become the leader of Israel when Moses was taken to his resting place by God, Deuteronomy 31:14, 23. God would not have rewarded that position to one who was not proven faithful. After all God was ready to kill Moses before he became the leader, who would face Pharoah for not being faithful to circumcise his son, Exodus 4:24-26. God would not tolerate a leader of His people who were not faithful. Therefore, I concluded Joshua waited patiently and purposefully.
As we enter the book of Joshua, we learn that Joshua is not superhuman. He is instructed to "go over the Jordan, you and all this people, to the land which I am giving to them." God continues to tell Joshua, "no man shall be able to stand before you all the days of your life; as I was with Moses, so I will be with you. I will not leave you nor forsake you." Here is the part of what God says to Joshua that causes me to address his choices that made Joshua faithful. He had the same opportunities to stumble, lose faith, or become like those who fell in the 40-year wilderness saga. God continues with encouragement and a warning. We read what is said next and forget this was an actual warning to a man who had the choice not to obey it. What follows would not have been said if Joshua did not have the choice to be dissuaded from faithfulness to God. God encouraged and warned in Joshua 1:6, "be strong and courageous..." In verse 7, "Only be strong and courageous, that you may observe to do according to all the law which Moses My servant commanded you; do not turn from it to the right hand or to the left, that you may prosper wherever you go." In verse 8, Joshua is told how this consistent strong, and courageous character will happen. "This Book of the Law shall not depart from your mouth, but you shall meditate in it day and night, that you may observe to do according to all written in it... Be strong and courageous; do not be afraid, not dismayed, for the LORD your God is with you wherever you go." The last part of this harkens back to when he and 11 others went to spy out the land. Joshua had to guard his heart here. He was not a superhuman incapable of stumbling. He did not stumble because he chose to take what God said seriously. Obedience was served up in a heart desiring to honor his God.
This should be so encouraging to us. We are Joshua, who stood on God's Word and believed Him, or we are the ten spies who chose to fear and be dismayed and then stumbled to such a place of sin they were forbidden to reap the reward of God's promise. Joshua wasn't programmed to trust God. Every step of his story, he had to choose it. We, too, are in the same place, daily, choosing faithfulness to God or being filled with fear and dread that thwarts that.
In Joshua 2, he proved himself a faithful leader who put confidence in those he assigned to a task. He sent out spies of his own to see what they'd face in taking Jericho as God commanded them. The spies committed to a harlot named Rahab that they'd spare her life and all those in her household when Israel captured Jericho. They promised to "deal kindly and truly with you." When the spies returned, they told Joshua, "Truly the LORD has delivered all the land into our hands..." Again this harkens back to when Joshua and the other 11 spied out the land; this is precisely how the report should have been given to Moses. After a few details, I will not get into "Joshua said to the people: 'Shout, for the LORD has given you the city. Now the city shall be doomed by the LORD to destruction, it and all who are in it. ONLY Rahab shall live, she and all who are with her in the house, because she hid the messengers that we sent.' " Joshua did not offer the commitment to Rahab, but as a faithful leader, he kept the spies' word toward her and her family. That reflects God's character toward those faithful to him, exhibited by Joshua to his men devoted to him and, therefore, to God.
Psalm 15 asks, "LORD, who may abide in Your tabernacle? Who may dwell in Your holy hill? That is synonymous parallelism. Though we are reading two questions, one question is asked in two different ways. Anyway, one of the answers is, "He who swears to his own hurt and does not change." Joshua kept the spies' words to a woman who helped them, not knowing if this save would be prosperous, but a promise was made to the detriment of the lives of the spies if they did not hold to it. Joshua's faithfulness to God was seen in his faithfulness to keep the word of his men. Showing himself as a good and integral leader. All of these are choices to honor God in everyday living.
There is so much more about Joshua that I could opine on. The fact is, Joshua was a human like us with all the limitations of our flesh. He had to make choices to follow God, to be strong and courageous. He had to choose not to become dismayed or discouraged. He had to choose faith and prove himself faithful. He acted on what he believed when what he had to say was not popular or listened to. Being faithful to God is not a superhuman ability. It is a choice. We do have some insight as to how Joshua did it. He kept God's law before him. He meditated on it day and night. He was also given warnings to help keep him on track, not to turn to the right hand or left away from what God says. We can choose the same kind of faithfulness Joshua displayed.
I love Joshua's story. I'm so grateful God made sure his story was part of the Scripture for our hope and to disabuse us of any excuses from walking faithfully with Him. Joshua proves that faithful living is possible. Here is a caveat in, Joshua 9, the story of the Gibeonites, we can read what happens when eyes are taken off God and Joshua becomes complacent. This story reminds us why faithfulness continues as we choose reliance on God. As soon as we think we can do something in our own power, the world pulls the wool over us, and the stumbling begins. We can come back; Joshua made a serious error of judgment by depending on what he could see, feel, and touch. This is also a great read to understand how faithfulness to God is a work God is testing in us. He is ready to forgive when we miss it and need to repent and return. God's faithfulness remains even when ours might fail in a moment, but this doesn't need to be forever. Joshua returned and reminded himself he could not trust in his own understanding but needed to lean on the LORD. In Joshua 10, we can see the faithful, God-dependent Joshua back on track. That is amazing encouragement for us.
Joshua even ends his own story by confirming all I've said about his faithfulness to God being a choice. In Joshua 24, he challenges Israel, "choose this day whom you will serve... bus for me and my household, we will serve the LORD." He had been making that choice his entire history. This is why I say, "Joshua, proof that faithful living is possible." We get to choose whom we will serve.
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