Joshua, the New Leader of Israel

From: Messages of God's Love: 1938

Book of Joshua, chapter 1

Before Moses died, God had chosen his helper, Joshua, to be the one to lead the great company of Israel into Canaan, the land God had promised to give them for their own (Num. 27:15-23¹⁵And Moses spake unto the Lord, saying, ¹⁶Let the Lord, the God of the spirits of all flesh, set a man over the congregation, ¹⁷Which may go out before them, and which may go in before them, and which may lead them out, and which may bring them in; that the congregation of the Lord be not as sheep which have no shepherd. ¹⁸And the Lord said unto Moses, Take thee Joshua the son of Nun, a man in whom is the spirit, and lay thine hand upon him; ¹⁹And set him before Eleazar the priest, and before all the congregation; and give him a charge in their sight. ²⁰And thou shalt put some of thine honor upon him, that all the congregation of the children of Israel may be obedient. ²¹And he shall stand before Eleazar the priest, who shall ask counsel for him after the judgment of Urim before the Lord: at his word shall they go out, and at his word they shall come in, both he, and all the children of Israel with him, even all the congregation. ²²And Moses did as the Lord commanded him: and he took Joshua, and set him before Eleazar the priest, and before all the congregation: ²³And he laid his hands upon him, and gave him a charge, as the Lord commanded by the hand of Moses. (Numbers 27:15‑23)).

Joshua had once been in Canaan (Numbers 14:6-8⁶And Joshua the son of Nun, and Caleb the son of Jephunneh, which were of them that searched the land, rent their clothes: ⁷And 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. ⁸If 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. (Numbers 14:6‑8)), so he knew of the land, and God now told him where the borders should be (vs. 4). He told Joshua to think much of the book of the law, which had all God’s directions for just what the people should do and have in that land, written while they were still in the deserts. And we find Joshua followed God’s words and was a brave leader.

There were many men to help Joshua, but there were many fierce enemies in Canaan, who would not want the people of Israel to enter. But God told Joshua, “Be strong and of good courage: be not afraid, for the Lord Thy God is with thee, whither-so-ever thou goest.”

So Joshua told the officers to go among, the people to tell them to be ready in three days to cross the River Jordan, winch they were near, and must cross before they could be in Canaan.

Joshua spoke to the men of the two tribes of Reuben and Gad and half of the men of Manasseh to remember that they had agreed to help the rest into Canaan, and afterward could come back to their homes on the east side of Jordan where they were to leave their wives and children, because they liked the pastures there.

Later we learn how the Jordan River was crossed (Joshua, ch. 3 and 4).

How could Joshua have good success? (Joshua 1, vs. 8).

In the Book of the Law which Joshua was to read, were the words we read in Leviticus and Deuteronomy.

Do you know, the first mention of “a book” in the Bible, is the one written for Joshua to remember how, in the wilderness, the Lord helped him win his first battle? (Ex. 17:14¹⁴And the Lord said unto Moses, Write this for a memorial in a book, and rehearse it in the ears of Joshua: for I will utterly put out the remembrance of Amalek from under heaven. (Exodus 17:14)).

ML 02/13/1938

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