Joshua, His Obedience, Faith and Dependence On God

This month, I want to examine the lives of four men, how God used each one, and what we can learn from each. Join me for this first week in the Book of Joshua, learning about obedience, faith, and how to depend on God.

Introducing Joshua, Son of Nun

We first meet Joshua after the Israelites crossed the Red Sea. He was born in Egypt and had been a slave. As a young boy, he would listen and pray with his elders for deliverance from the Egyptians.

When Moses came, Joshua witnessed the plagues God sent to persuade Pharaoh to free the Israelites. Then, he walked through the Red Sea with the others on dry land.

After crossing the sea, Joshua ate the manna with the others and saw the Cloud during the day and the Pillar of Fire at night to guide them. Joshua witnessed God’s faithfulness in delivering the Israelites from slavery.

Think about the life Joshua had growing up in Egypt. What would it have been like praying and hoping for someone to deliver you out of slavery? Then the plagues, walking through the Red Sea, eating the manna, what thoughts go through your mind as you witness these things?

Joshua’s military training

The Israelites begin their journey to the Promised Land and come under attack by the Amalekites. Moses instructs Joshua to choose men and go battle. They defeat the enemy with God’s help, and Joshua begins his military career.

The Israelites are now standing at the edge of the Promised Land. God instructs Moses to send twelve spies over and inspect the land. He is to choose one leader from each of the tribes. Joshua is one, and Caleb is another.

The twelve go spy out the land. They find it flowing with milk and honey, just as God said. When they return and report all they see, they say it is good, but giants live there. Also, the cities are fortified, and the Israelites will be defeated.

They all gave this report except Joshua and Caleb. They agreed with all the others but said the land would belong to them as long as God was with them.

The people took the report of the ten and let fear overrule; because of this fear and rebellion, every person over twenty years old would wander in the wilderness and never see the Promised Land except Caleb and Joshua.

As Joshua fought in the battle, what do you think he was thinking when they began losing and then when they started to win again? What did Joshua and Caleb see when they went to spy in the Promised Land? Why did the others give a bad report, and why did Joshua and Caleb believe they could take possession of the land?

Leadership training

While the Israelites traveled in the wilderness, God gave Moses instructions to teach to the people. Joshua was Moses’s assistant during this time, watching and learning from his mentor.

When Moses went to talk with God on the mountain, Joshua followed, and he assisted Moses in guiding the people to make the Tabernacle. Joshua also learned about the many laws Moses gave the people to follow through the teachings.

Finally, the day came when Moses gathered the people of Israel and told them that he would no longer be leading them, and God was placing Joshua as leader. It was to be Joshua who would lead the people into the Promised Land.

What would it be like to have Moses as your teacher? Do you have a mentor? Have you been in a leadership position?

Joshua is commissioned and begins leading

After the death of Moses, the Lord’s servant, the Lord spoke to Joshua, son of Nun, Moses’s assistant: “Moses, my servant, is dead. Now, you and all the people prepare to cross over the Jordan to the land I am giving the Israelites. I have given you every place where the sole of your foot treads, just as I promised Moses. Your territory will be from the wilderness and Lebanon to the great river, the Euphrates River — all the land of the Hittites — and west to the Mediterranean Sea. No one will be able to stand against you as long as you live. I will be with you, just as I was with Moses. I will not leave you or abandon you. Joshua 1:1-5

God tells Joshua that He will be with him in everything he does and wherever he goes. Then he orders the people to prepare themselves because, in three days, they will be crossing the Jordan River.

Joshua sends two spies to examine the land, especially Jericho. The spies come to Rahab’s home, where she takes them in and hides the men. While the men are there, Rahab tells them she believes God is with them and will give them the land.

Rahab then requests the men that when they come back to destroy the city, they remember her kindness and spare her and her family. They agree, and then Rahab helps the men escape through a window. She tells them that they will know how to find her home again by the red cord she will have hanging from that same window.

The spies reported to Joshua about everything they found and about the woman who helped them. Then he said, “The Lord has delivered the land into our hands.”

Why did Rahab help the spies? When the spies returned to Joshua, what did they report? How was this different from the ten spies with Joshua at the beginning?

Joshua and the people cross the Jordan River

Then, the following day, Joshua instructs the people to be ready to cross the river the next day, that they will follow the ark of the covenant, the priests, and the Levites that carry the ark to the river and cross over on dry ground.

As instructed, the next morning, the people followed the ark. When it got to the river, the water began to part. The people crossed over on dry ground. Then God told Joshua to gather one leader from each tribe and pick up a stone from the middle of the river.

Once the leaders gathered the stones, the priests and the Levites, with the ark, came out of the river. God then told Joshua to place the stones as a memorial to remind the Israelites that God had dried up the river so they could cross over on dry ground.

Why did God instruct Joshua to gather twelve stones for a memorial?

The battles begin for the Promised Land

After crossing the river and then healing after all the men had been circumcised, it was time to take possession of the land God had promised to their forefathers.

As they prepared, Joshua had a visitor. The Lord stood before Joshua as the Commander of the Lord’s Army. The Lord was going to lead Joshua and the Israelites into battle.

The first battle was Jericho. The Lord gave Joshua the orders. They would march around the city for six days, and the priests blew the ram’s horns. Then, on the seventh day, they were to march seven times. The horns would sound, and the people would shout to the Lord.

The walls of Jericho came down, and the Israelites were victorious. Anyone inside the city was crushed under the rubble from the walls, all except Rahab and her family.

How did Joshua know it was the Lord standing before him? What would it have been like to march around the city and watch the walls fall on the seventh day? Is there a battle you face for which you could use this strategy?

The sun stood still

After the battle of Jericho, Joshua and the Israelites began moving through the land. God was with them whenever they went into battle. One day, they were in a battle, and Joshua spoke to the Lord and asked the Lord for help.  

The Lord responded in a way that was truly a miracle.

And the sun stood still and the moon stopped until the nation took vengeance on its enemies. Isn’t this written in the Book of Jashar? So the sun stopped in the middle of the sky and delayed its setting almost a full day. There has been no day like it before or since, when the Lord listened to a man, because the Lord fought for Israel. Joshua 10:13-14

Promise fulfilled

As the Israelites defeated their enemies, they could take over the land. Joshua began dividing it among the twelve tribes.

So the Lord gave Israel all the land he had sworn to give their ancestors, and they took possession of it and settled there. The Lord gave them rest on every side according to all he had sworn to their ancestors. None of their enemies were able to stand against them, for the Lord handed over all their enemies to them. None of the good promises the Lord had made to the house of Israel failed. Everything was fulfilled. Joshua 21:43-45

Joshua was now old, and his time on Earth was ending. He gathered all the people around him and reminded them of God’s covenant with them. Then, he asked them a question about who they would serve.

‘But if it doesn’t please you to worship the Lord, choose for yourselves today: Which will you worship — the gods your ancestors worshiped beyond the Euphrates River or the gods of the Amorites in whose land you are living? As for me and my family, we will worship the Lord. Joshua 24:15

After making this covenant with the people, Joshua let them go back to their homes. Then, at one hundred and ten years old, the Lord called Joshua home.

Lessons to learn from Joshua

Joshua lived a life of obedience, faith, and dependence on God to help him lead Israel to the Promised Land. He sat and learned from Moses. He had courage as a military leader and would seek God before going into battle.

When God commanded Moses to send the twelve spies, Joshua showed his faith in God by reporting that the land was just as the Lord said it was and believing in God’s promise to give them the land.

Through Moses and Joshua’s lives, God shows He is faithful to His promises. God promised Abraham that his descendants would live in the land He showed him. God sent Moses to lead His people out of slavery, and then Joshua brought them into the land.

The story of Joshua is a promise for us today. Jesus is our Moses and came to free us from the bondage of sin. Then, like Joshua, Jesus will lead us to the Promised Land in Eternity.

For more study:

Exodus 17, 24, 32 and 33

Numbers

Deuteronomy

Joshua

Judges 1-2:23

1 Samuel 6:14-18

1 Chronicles 7:27

Nehemiah 8:17

Acts 7:45

Hebrews 4:7-9

I finished my godly women of the month with Martha and Mary, if you missed it click here to read it!

Resources

https://www.bible.com/bible/1713/JOS.24.15

https://www.bible.com/bible/1713/JOS.21.43-45

https://www.bible.com/bible/1713/JOS.10.13-14

https://www.bible.com/bible/1713/JOS.1.1-5

Biblical Consecration: 10 Examples Explained. https://scripturalthinking.com/examples-of-consecration-in-the-bible/