Joshua
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Now after the death of Moses the servant of the Lord it came to pass, that the Lord spake unto Joshua the son of Nun, Moses’ minister, saying, Moses my servant is dead; now therefore arise, go over this Jordan, thou, and all this people, unto the land which I do give to them, even to the children of Israel. Every place that the sole of your foot shall tread upon, that have I given unto you, as I said unto Moses. From the wilderness and this Lebanon even unto the great river, the river Euphrates, all the land of the Hittites, and unto the great sea toward the going down of the sun, shall be your coast. There shall not any man be able to stand before thee all the days of thy life: as I was with Moses, so I will be with thee: I will not fail thee, nor forsake thee. Be strong and of a good courage: for unto this people shalt thou divide for an inheritance the land, which I sware unto their fathers to give them. Only be thou strong and very courageous, that thou mayest observe to do according to all the law, which Moses my servant commanded thee: turn not from it to the right hand or to the left, that thou mayest prosper whithersoever thou goest. This book of the law shall not depart out of thy mouth; but thou shalt meditate therein day and night, that thou mayest observe to do according to all that is written therein: for then thou shalt make thy way prosperous, and then thou shalt have good success.
Much of our learning comes through the power of examples. Therefore, the wise Christian will deliberately find godly examples and follow them. In Joshua we see a man who spent years in preparation under a great leader, and so became fit to become the leader himself in God’s own time.
We think of Joshua as a great warrior, whose power and success were due to the blessing of God on his life. At the same time, it is important for us to see that Joshua was a trained and prepared man as well. God used Joshua’s time of training under Moses to prepare him for the leadership of the nation. If we will take the time and effort to become prepared, God will be able to use us more effectively as well.
Introduction
Introduction
It is a wonderful thing when a great leader is succeeded by someone who continues to take the work forward effectively. Such was the case for Moses. God’s promises to the Israelites and to Moses were ultimately fulfilled because God’s man did God’s work in God’s way. Today, we will see how Joshua was trained and how he put that training into action in his life. The principles that we see in Joshua’s life are certainly applicable to those who seek to have God use them today.
Serving the Saint
Serving the Saint
Now after the death of Moses the servant of the Lord it came to pass, that the Lord spake unto Joshua the son of Nun, Moses’ minister, saying,
As has been the case with so many other men whom God has used, Joshua first showed a willingness to be a servant before becoming a sovereign. Unfortunately today, whether in the realm of politics, athletics, or church work, the step of servanthood is something that many attempt to disparage, get through quickly with the least effort possible. or bypass altogether. There is something to be said for one who has spent time in the trenches, whether the “trenches” be changing in the nursery, baking for dozens in the kitchen, or being broiled by the sun while directing cars and people safely through a parking lot. It has been said that the only place success comes before work is in the dictionary!
Dave Thomas, the founder of Wendy’s Restaurants, who died a few years ago, became a familiar sight to millions in his company’s TV commercials. Dave also appeared in a lot of in-store training films. In those, as in many of the more familiar commercials, he would dress the same as his workers. One year he appeared on the cover of one of the company’s annual reports dressed in a knee- length work apron holding a mop and a plastic bucket. For many years, a framed copy of that picture graced the back rooms and manager’s offices of most Wendy’s. That picture was built on the fact that Dave was a self-made millionaire. He didn’t finish high school. He worked his way up through the ranks of Colonel Sanders’ Kentucky Fried Chicken chain long before he went off on his own and started Wendy’s. Here’s how Dave explained that picture. “I got my M.B.A long before my G.E.D. At Wendy’s, M.B.A. does not mean Master of Business Administration: It means Mop Bucket Attitude.” Dave Thomas taught all of his employees that service comes before success.
Faithful to Follow
Faithful to Follow
And Moses rose up, and his minister Joshua: and Moses went up into the mount of God.
And he said unto the elders, Tarry ye here for us, until we come again unto you: and, behold, Aaron and Hur are with you: if any man have any matters to do, let him come unto them.
And Moses went up into the mount, and a cloud covered the mount.
And the glory of the Lord abode upon mount Sinai, and the cloud covered it six days: and the seventh day he called unto Moses out of the midst of the cloud.
And the sight of the glory of the Lord was like devouring fire on the top of the mount in the eyes of the children of Israel.
Joshua gives us a classic illustration of someone who faithfully followed his leader, even when Joshua did not know where the leader was or what the leader was doing. Moses, the leader and mentor, had taken Joshua with him to Mount Carmel - where he then “disappeared” for over a month. Joshua, however, did not desert the post where his leader has seemingly abandoned him. Rather, Joshua was steadfast, steady, and submissive to the wishes of his leader.
Dr. Bobby Roberson has said that the one thing that everyone can do is to “be in their place.” This was the case with Joshua. When Moses descended with the Ten Commandments in his hand, Joshua was right in his place - the same place to which Moses has assigned him weeks earlier.
Robert E Lee said of Stonewall Jackson, “Such an executive officer the sun never shone on. I have but to show him my design, and I know that if it can be done it will be done. No need for me to send or watch him. Straight as the needle to the pole he advances to the execution of my purpose.”
Faithful to Fight
Faithful to Fight
Then came Amalek, and fought with Israel in Rephidim.
And Moses said unto Joshua, Choose us out men, and go out, fight with Amalek: to morrow I will stand on the top of the hill with the rod of God in mine hand.
So Joshua did as Moses had said to him, and fought with Amalek: and Moses, Aaron, and Hur went up to the top of the hill.
And it came to pass, when Moses held up his hand, that Israel prevailed: and when he let down his hand, Amalek prevailed.
But Moses’ hands were heavy; and they took a stone, and put it under him, and he sat thereon; and Aaron and Hur stayed up his hands, the one on the one side, and the other on the other side; and his hands were steady until the going down of the sun.
And Joshua discomfited Amalek and his people with the edge of the sword.
If one were to attempt to describe Joshua, most would probably say that he was a great general. It is said that the tactics of Joshua have been studied by many students of the science of war at West Point Military Academy. Several times Joshua was commanded by Moses to fight, and we never see him dissent, balk or talk back at the orders of his leader. He was willing to follow God’s man and enter into dangerous and disagreeable situations, even when this placed him in great personal peril.
The Christian life is called “warfare” for a good reason. One characteristic that is inevitably tied to being a soldier is a willingness to fight. The reformer Martin Luther said, “Where the battle rages is where the loyalty of the soldier is proved...”
Joshua conquered 31 kings and 10 cites in his military career. God’s men have continually been willing to go into conflict - as David did at the valley of Elah, while his brothers and their fellow soldiers stood by with hands in their pockets. The Christian is faced with the choice of being either a spectator or a participant in the battle. As the old hymn says, “sound the Battle Cry,” See, the foe is nigh. Raise the standard high for the Lord..”
When asked to renounce his loyalty to the King or lose his head on the chopping block, the Scottish Marquis of Huntly responded, “You can take my head from my shoulders, but you will never take my heart from my king.” That has been the testimony of many followers of Christ in a multitude of situations over the centuries.
Seeking the Sovereign
Seeking the Sovereign
There shall not any man be able to stand before thee all the days of thy life: as I was with Moses, so I will be with thee: I will not fail thee, nor forsake thee.
In preparation of leadership, we find that Joshua was totally in tune with the desire and wishes of the man whom God had placed over him. While we think of Moses as on of God’s all-time great men, it would appropriate to realize that to Joshua, he was simply “boss.”
Will
Will
And Joshua the son of Nun, and Caleb the son of Jephunneh, which were of them that searched the land, rent their clothes:
And they spake unto all the company of the children of Israel, saying, The land, which we passed through to search it, is an exceeding good land.
If the Lord delight in us, then he will bring us into this land, and give it us; a land which floweth with milk and honey.
Only rebel not ye against the Lord, neither fear ye the people of the land; for they are bread for us: their defence is departed from them, and the Lord is with us: fear them not.
One of Joshua’s first important jobs was that of being a spy charged with reporting on the land of promise to Israel. Joshua accepted the responsibility and returned believing that God could and would bring them through into the land flowing with milk and honey. Joshua stood as the minority of the group and spoke up on God’s behalf.
We need people today who, though in the minority, believe that God can, but importantly, believe that He will accomplish His purpose.
Direction
Direction
Like Many great leaders in the Bible, Joshua was not faultless and did suffer defeat. The battle of Ai resulted in a crushing defeat because their was sin in the camp and Joshua had not sought God’s direction about his next move. When Joshua faithfully followed God’s directions, the victory was won. When he did not seek God’s directions he always fell in defeat.
Conquering a Country
Conquering a Country
Be strong and of a good courage: for unto this people shalt thou divide for an inheritance the land, which I sware unto their fathers to give them.
Only be thou strong and very courageous, that thou mayest observe to do according to all the law, which Moses my servant commanded thee: turn not from it to the right hand or to the left, that thou mayest prosper whithersoever thou goest.
This book of the law shall not depart out of thy mouth; but thou shalt meditate therein day and night, that thou mayest observe to do according to all that is written therein: for then thou shalt make thy way prosperous, and then thou shalt have good success.
The church of the living God is to be on the offensive. God’s Word says that the gates of Hell will not prevail against His church. Through God’s help, there can be victory over the world, the flesh, and the devil. As surely as Joshua fought against the Amalekites, Amorites, and others, Christians today will be involved in a continual spiritual warfare until the return of the Lord. And just as the victory was promised to Joshua, There is a sure outcome for our current war. We simply must decide to give out all in the fight.
Prospects looked very grim for England in June of 1940. Hitler’s German armies had overrun most of Europe and had driven the British forces to the coast of France. With the intervention of God and the valiant efforts of the entire British nation, well over 300,000 soldiers was rescued from the beaches of of Dunkirk. But as the British Prime Minister Winston Churchill noted, “Wars are not won by evacuations.” Now Britain stood virtually alone against the threatened Nazi invasion of their home Island. But Churchill refused to be intimidated, as he assured his people: “…we shall not flag or fail. We shall go on to the end; We shall fight in France; we shall fight on the seas and oceans; we shall fight with growing confidence and growing strength in the air; We shall defend our island. Whatever the cost may be, we shall fight on the beaches; we shall fight on the landing grounds; we shall fight in the fields and in the streets; we shall fight in the hills. We shall never surrender...”
The Land was Dangerous
The Land was Dangerous
And there we saw the giants, the sons of Anak, which come of the giants: and we were in our own sight as grasshoppers, and so we were in their sight.
In understanding the dangers of the land the spies explored. there is really only one word to be spoken… GIANTS! The problems that Christians face will not always be little problems. Sometimes, there was big problems, but no matter what size, we can be sure that we are on the winning side. Problems that can be hurled at believers today can and do come from all angles. From family, finances, physical health, or any number of things. When dangers arise, they should not bring shock or surprise, but rather, they should spur God’s people to a renewed dependence upon the Lord.
The Lord was Victorious
The Lord was Victorious
And he said unto the people, Pass on, and compass the city, and let him that is armed pass on before the ark of the Lord.
So the people shouted when the priests blew with the trumpets: and it came to pass, when the people heard the sound of the trumpet, and the people shouted with a great shout, that the wall fell down flat, so that the people went up into the city, every man straight before him, and they took the city.
God has victories for His people today that He is simply waiting for them to claim. There is no doubt that Joshua went forward to claim the victory because he firmly believed in his heart the promises of God. One song writer said it this way, “Every promise in this book is mine, every chapter, every verse, every line.”
While it is true that every knee will one day bow and every tongue will confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, it is equally true that victories can be claimed and won in the Christian life.
Conclusion
Conclusion
As believers, we can follow in the steps of Joshua in three ways: First, we need to make sure we follow the spiritual leaders whom God places in your lives. Next, We should seek to find God’s will for your life and walk in it. Finally, we must do our best to focus not on the challenges before us, but rather on the power of God in order that we might win victories for the cause of Christ. How are you doing?