When they had finished dividing the land into its allotted portions, the Israelites gave Joshua son of Nun an inheritance among them, as the Lord had commanded.
On the verge of entering Canaan, Moses turned to Joshua again, choosing him as one of 12 spies sent to collect information about the land. Ten came back frightened, with predictions of doom. Only Joshua and Caleb had faith that God would keep his promises to the Israelites despite military odds.
Joshua learned about the hazards of the leadership from that spy trip: On his return, thousands of angry Israelites called for his public stoning (Numbers 14). But he stood firm, and God rewarded him. Of all the Israelites who had left Egypt, only he and Caleb were allowed to enter the promised land- not even Moses was granted that honor. As Moses' death neared, God and Moses made Joshua their uncontested choice for a new leader for Israel. It was time for number two to become number one.
Joshua made a remarkably smooth transition into leadership. In fact, Joshua's life had many parallels to that of Moses. The miracle of crossing the Jordan River poignantly replayed Moses' crossing of the Red Sea. Moses encountered God directly at the burning bush; Joshua met God's special representative, the "commander of the army of the Lord," and likewise took off his shoes at the meeting. Both Moses and Joshua wrote the law onto stones: Moses creating a permanent record for Israel, and Joshua erecting a monument for the nation to pass by on the way into the new land (8:32). Both leaders pleaded with God on behalf of their people. And both ended their terms with stirring speeches that reviewed history and challenged the people toward a critical choice.
Apart from a few mistakes made by Joshua (battle of Ai and the treaty negotiations with the Gibeonites), his life was marked by unusual faith and obedience. Joshua never let the press of military action interfere with worship and the renewal of the covenant. When he divided up the land (an immense bureaucratic burden that takes up the last half of this book), he did so with wisdom and fairness, selecting his own portion only after all others had chosen.
The Bible records this simple legacy: "Israel served the Lord throughout the lifetime of Joshua" (24:31) History would show how rarely that occurred in the life of this troublesome nation.
Life Question: Often when a popular leader- a pastor, a politician, a teacher- retires from office, something slips. What made Joshua such an effective replacement? Can you think of a modern day Joshua?
In addition to having an incredible faith in his God, I think Joshua probably had a true respect for the guys who came before him....Moses, Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. I'm guessing that he realized that he was part of the puzzle that would eventually land the Israelites back home...and he took nothing for granted.
To make a sports analogy, the athletes who experience success today are usually the ones who know the history of the game and look to their predecessors for advice, encouragement, and wisdom...as Joshua did.
1 comment:
Joshua had the integrity to stand for the Lord when others doubted. He was tested with the doubters for 40 years and was still ready to march to God's purposes after enduring the wilderness wandering. He put shoeleather (literally) to God's will. A present day example of someone beginning to take the torch from a former great leader is Franklin Graham. He is being put into place to lead the Billy Graham Evangelistic Ministry. His work with Samaritans' Purse has marked him as a faithful servant in the Lord's Army.
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