Scribes of Scripture - Joshua: Wholly Followed the Lord

From: The Christian Shepherd: 2004

By: Thomas A. Roach

• 4 min. read • grade level: 8

That Joshua wrote this book seems evident from chapter 5:1,6, where the writer includes himself in the action. Joshua, meaning “Jehovah the Saviour,” is the same as Jesus in the New Testament Greek.

We first meet Joshua in Exodus 17 leading the army of Israel against Amalek a type of the flesh, an enemy against whom we must always be on guard. We meet Joshua again in Exodus 24:13-14¹³And Moses rose up, and his minister Joshua: and Moses went up into the mount of God. ¹⁴And 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. (Exodus 24:13‑14) accompanying Moses into the mount of God.

Moses pitched the tabernacle afar off from the camp. Joshua shared the outside place with Moses (Ex. 33:11¹¹And the Lord spake unto Moses face to face, as a man speaketh unto his friend. And he turned again into the camp: but his servant Joshua, the son of Nun, a young man, departed not out of the tabernacle. (Exodus 33:11)). When Moses went into the camp, “his servant Joshua, the son of Nun, a young man, departed not from the tabernacle.”

A young man told Moses, “Eldad and Medad do prophesy in the camp,” and Joshua replied, “My lord Moses, forbid them”! Moses’ gracious answer was, “Would God that all the Lord’s people were prophets” (Num. 11:27-29²⁷And there ran a young man, and told Moses, and said, Eldad and Medad do prophesy in the camp. ²⁸And Joshua the son of Nun, the servant of Moses, one of his young men, answered and said, My lord Moses, forbid them. ²⁹And Moses said unto him, Enviest thou for my sake? would God that all the Lord's people were prophets, and that the Lord would put his spirit upon them! (Numbers 11:27‑29)).

When Jesus’ disciples forbad someone, “because he followeth not with us,” the Lord told them, “Forbid him not: for he that is not against us is for us” (Luke 9:49-50⁴⁹And John answered and said, Master, we saw one casting out devils in thy name; and we forbad him, because he followeth not with us. ⁵⁰And Jesus said unto him, Forbid him not: for he that is not against us is for us. (Luke 9:49‑50)). We can be thankful when godly men, wherever they are, teach truth.

Confidence in the Lord Joshua had the confidence of his own tribe, Ephraim. He was chosen as one of the twelve spies to search out the land of Canaan (Num. 13:8⁸Of the tribe of Ephraim, Oshea the son of Nun. (Numbers 13:8)). Only Joshua and Caleb trusted God, saying, “We are well able to overcome it” (vs. 30). Although faithful themselves, they had to wander forty years in the wilderness with their unbelieving brethren. They only, of all that left Egypt, were promised a dwelling in the land. The Lord said of them, “They have wholly followed the Lord” (Num. 14:30; 32:12³⁰Doubtless ye shall not come into the land, concerning which I sware to make you dwell therein, save Caleb the son of Jephunneh, and Joshua the son of Nun. (Numbers 14:30)
¹²Save Caleb the son of Jephunneh the Kenezite, and Joshua the son of Nun: for they have wholly followed the Lord. (Numbers 32:12)).

Walking With the Lord

Before entering the land, Moses charged Joshua, “Be strong and of a good courage: for thou shalt bring the children of Israel into the land which I sware unto them” (Deut. 31:23²³And he gave Joshua the son of Nun a charge, and said, Be strong and of a good courage: for thou shalt bring the children of Israel into the land which I sware unto them: and I will be with thee. (Deuteronomy 31:23)).

The Lord Himself spoke to him, “I will be with thee: I will not fail thee, nor forsake thee” (Josh. 1:5⁵There 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. (Joshua 1:5)). We have the same promise in Hebrews 13:5⁵Let your conversation be without covetousness; and be content with such things as ye have: for he hath said, I will never leave thee, nor forsake thee. (Hebrews 13:5), “I will never leave thee, nor forsake thee.”

If Joshua and the people would keep the law, then “thou shalt have good success” (Josh. 1:8⁸This 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. (Joshua 1:8)). Our responsibility is on the ground of grace, and faithfulness is required of us. Oh, to hear Him say, “Well done, good and faithful servant.... Enter thou into the joy of thy Lord” (Matt. 25:23²³His lord said unto him, Well done, good and faithful servant; thou hast been faithful over a few things, I will make thee ruler over many things: enter thou into the joy of thy lord. (Matthew 25:23)).

Joshua’s diligence is seen in chapter 3:1: “Joshua rose early in the morning.” It was the same with Abraham (Gen. 22:3³And Abraham rose up early in the morning, and saddled his ass, and took two of his young men with him, and Isaac his son, and clave the wood for the burnt offering, and rose up, and went unto the place of which God had told him. (Genesis 22:3)) and with the Lord Jesus. “Rising up a great while before day, He went out, and... prayed” (Mark 1:35³⁵And in the morning, rising up a great while before day, he went out, and departed into a solitary place, and there prayed. (Mark 1:35)). If we prayed before the start of our busy day, how blessed our day would be!

Judging the Flesh On entering Canaan, Israel must exercise self-judgment before dealing with the inhabitants of the land. They had not circumcised their children in the wilderness. Now at Gilgal they had to do this. After each battle they returned to Gilgal, the place of self-judgment.

Before the battle at Jericho, Joshua was confronted by a man with a sword drawn in his hand. Joshua challenged him, “Art thou for us, or for our adversaries?” He responds, “Nay; but as captain of the host of the Lord” (Josh. 5:13-15¹³And it came to pass, when Joshua was by Jericho, that he lifted up his eyes and looked, and, behold, there stood a man over against him with his sword drawn in his hand: and Joshua went unto him, and said unto him, Art thou for us, or for our adversaries? ¹⁴And he said, Nay; but as captain of the host of the Lord am I now come. And Joshua fell on his face to the earth, and did worship, and said unto him, What saith my lord unto his servant? ¹⁵And the captain of the Lord's host said unto Joshua, Loose thy shoe from off thy foot; for the place whereon thou standest is holy. And Joshua did so. (Joshua 5:13‑15)). Joshua fell on his face to the earth and did worship. He learned he was under a higher authority and loosed his shoe as the true Captain of the host had commanded.

The Cost of Failure

God brings instruction for us out of Joshua’s failure at Ai in chapter 7. Without instruction from God, he sent spies to Ai and listened to their advice. Israel was defeated. God used Achan’s sin to expose the self-confidence of Joshua and Israel and to humble them.

Joshua and the elders were again deceived because they “asked not counsel at the mouth of the Lord” (Josh. 9:14¹⁴And the men took of their victuals, and asked not counsel at the mouth of the Lord. (Joshua 9:14)). They believed the lie of the Gibeonites. Had they lived so far away as they claimed, there was no need of a league with them, and Israel had been warned not to make any alliances with the people of the land.

Since they had sworn in the name of the Lord God of Israel, the passage of time didn’t alter the vow. Years later, Saul slew some Gibeonites, and during the days of David (2 Sam. 21:1¹Then there was a famine in the days of David three years, year after year; and David inquired of the Lord. And the Lord answered, It is for Saul, and for his bloody house, because he slew the Gibeonites. (2 Samuel 21:1)) the Lord allowed a famine until seven sons of Saul were slain.

Steadfast Faith

The tabernacle was set up at Shiloh. There from the presence of the Lord the land was divided to the tribes and cities of refuge were chosen. Joshua encouraged the people not to be slack in taking their inheritance, “though they have iron chariots, and though they be strong” (Josh. 17:18¹⁸But the mountain shall be thine; for it is a wood, and thou shalt cut it down: and the outgoings of it shall be thine: for thou shalt drive out the Canaanites, though they have iron chariots, and though they be strong. (Joshua 17:18)).

When Joshua was old, he encouraged the people to keep the law of Moses and reminded them that the Lord had driven out their enemies. “Not one thing hath failed of all the good things which the Lord your God spake concerning you” (Josh. 23:14¹⁴And, behold, this day I am going the way of all the earth: and ye know in all your hearts and in all your souls, that not one thing hath failed of all the good things which the Lord your God spake concerning you; all are come to pass unto you, and not one thing hath failed thereof. (Joshua 23:14)).

Joshua challenged the people, clearly declaring his own position. “Choose you this day whom ye will serve.... As for me and my house, we will serve the Lord” (Josh. 24:15¹⁵And if it seem evil unto you to serve the Lord, choose you this day whom ye will serve; whether the gods which your fathers served that were on the other side of the flood, or the gods of the Amorites, in whose land ye dwell: but as for me and my house, we will serve the Lord. (Joshua 24:15)). May this be the purpose of our hearts.

T. A. Roach

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