Joshua
1 - Introduction
The Bible opens up with the five books of Moses: Genesis, Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers and Deuteronomy. The next book we meet is the book of Joshua. It is named after the man who followed on from Moses in leading God's people, the Jews, into the land of Canaan after their deliverance from slavery in Egypt. He was originally called Hoshea (Salvation) but Moses called him Yeshua or Joshua (God saves). That was the very name given to our Saviour at his birth - Yeshua in Aramaic or Jesus as we have it, for "He shall save His people from their sins. In the one case, a deliverer from earthly enemies, and in the other a saviour from sin and hell and Satan.
Who was this man Joshua? What was he like? How did God use him in leading the Israelites? What does God still say to us today through this book? These are the questions I hope to answer as we work our way through this part of the Bible.
When the Israelites were led out of Egypt by Moses, a young man from the tribe of Ephraim was part of that vast throng. He soon showed his ability as a soldier, leading a force of men which drove back the Amalakites at a place called Rephadim (Exodus chapter 17). That was Joshua. Later on he served as a spy to look over the land of Canaan. When he came back he gave a confidant report on the land because he looked for victory under God's protection. He became the constant companion and supporter of Moses in all the wilderness journeys. Shortly before the death of Moses with the land of Canaan in sight, Joshua was appointed as his successor, being about 70 years old.
His temperament, his training and his experience were all brought together under God into a dynamic force which equipped him to lead his people into the Promised Land. Now you may not have all the ability or personality of Joshua. Neither do I, but God can mould and equip us for His service, taking us as we are and fashioning us for the battles that lie ahead as we serve Him.
What do we find in the Book of Joshua? It records the invasion of the land of Canaan by Israel just over three thousand years ago. It details the various military campaigns whereby the land was eventually subdued and shared out among the 12 tribes. But what are the lessons in all of this? The story of the Passover Lamb and the escape from Egypt are clear pictures for us in the book of Exodus. They speak plainly of the sacrificial death of Our Lord Jesus Christ for our sins, and our deliverance from a master far more cruel than the Egyptian Pharaoh, even Satan himself. The wilderness journeys illustrate the trials and difficulties of God's people as they travel though life.
What, then, are we to make of the crossing of the Jordan and the capture of the land of Canaan? Some have said it is an illustration of crossing over from this life to the next and entering heaven. Are we really to expect all sorts of battles and wars in the heavenly realm? The Book of Revelation describes heaven as a place filled with God's glory, were only righteousness, joy and peace are to be found. The land of Canaan, or the Promised Land, does not seem to point to that interpretation. Something else is plainly intended.
God promised great blessing and prosperity to the Israelites if they would drive out their enemies and all their evil practices and beliefs. The land would be purged of all that was harmful to their spiritual well-being and become a fit dwelling place for the people of God. Canaan, then, speaks to us of living disciplined, holy, God-fearing lives so as to have the smile of God upon us. It is a foretaste or preview of that better land, that far country, where there will be no evil and no enemies. It is in heaven that the Christian believer enters a perfect rest, the eternal sabbath, enjoying the presence of the Lord in an unbroken and everlasting way. Is that what you long for? Do you have that assurance concerning your eternal future?
It may be that right now you feel like the Israelites did in Egypt. You are a slave, a prisoner, held down with heaviness and fear. There seems no escaping from everything that surrounds you, or the sinfulness that is within you. You feel beaten and crushed like those Hebrew slaves in Egypt. You long for someone to come along and lead you out of it all and set you free. You cry out for a modern-day Moses or Joshua to lead you to freedom and victory. You long to drive out all the enemies that seem to encircle you, but have no plan of action and no power.
There is hope and there is help. The Lord Jesus Christ, the Son of God, is ready to deliver all those who call upon Him and believe in Him. He died on the Cross of Calvary 2000 years ago, not because it was a tragic mistake, but because He came into the world to save sinners. He is the final, complete sacrifice for our sins. Now God commands us to turn from our sins and believe in His only begotten Son. The Lord Jesus rose from the dead and is alive for evermore. If you trust in him as your Saviour and sin-bearer, He will live in you by His Holy Spirit and strengthen you to fight against evil, not only in your own heart but everywhere by prayer and His Word, the Bible.
Just as Joshua led his people to victory all those years ago, our captain and leader, the Lord Jesus Christ, leads His army to triumph and eternal peace. Will you share in it? The apostle Paul once said to a suicidal prison officer, frightened out of his wits in an earthquake, "Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ and you will be saved." He did, and his life was completely remade and redirected. In your need and desperation you also can find forgiveness and peace. You can be led out of your slavery and misery by the One Who is mighty to save, the One Who is far more powerful and wise than either Moses or Joshua. He will deliver you from sin and its power as well as it consequences. He will strengthen you against your enemies and give you victory over the last great enemy, death itself.
So as we begin this series on Joshua, I invite you to look through the opening chapters in readiness for our studies together. Pray that God will speak to you through His Word and meet with you through a look at the book of Joshua. It is such an important book, linking -up with the five books of Moses and the revelation of God's mercy to mankind, and to one man, Abraham, and to one people, the Jewish nation. We will see their early days of being settled in Canaan, and learn that God's promise to them concerning a homeland was to be gloriously fulfilled in the events of the book of Joshua.
I wonder what God will be saying to you from this part of Scripture? I look forward to sharing with you God's message from the Book of Joshua. Please don't think that events from just over the 3000 years ago can't speak to our age of the jumbo jet and the Internet. As men and women we remain basically the same in whatever age we live. "Whatever things were written in earlier times were written for our instruction and comfort. (Romans 15: 4). The book of Joshua still speaks to us today.