Joshua: The Man God Can Use

Joshua: The Man God Can Use

Deuteronomy 34:8-10

Introduction

For forty years Moses led the children of Israel. I do not believe that any man has ever been called upon to undergo any more hardship than Moses had.

Moses was a great man of God, but who was going to take his place. Which leads me to the first question for tonight’s study?

I. Who Can God Use?

• There was no man of the caliber of Moses upon the horizon.

o The most likely candidate to take over when Moses left off would be:

 Caleb

• He was an older man and full of experience and leadership

 Phinehas

• He was the son of Moses

• He would be the natural successor.

• But the very interesting thin is that God bypassed by these men, and chose Joshua, and ordinary man.

o I suspect that Joshua least of all, though that he would be called.

o Joshua is what Dr. Blackwood said years ago: “Joshua is a demonstration of what God can do with an average man when he is completely yielded to Him.”

• Now Joshua was definitely an average man.

o Why did God overlook better qualified applicants?

o Because that has always been the policy of God.

o God never chooses the strongest

o Note God’s rule, as Paul stated it in 1 Cor. 1:26-29, “For you see your calling, brethren, that not many wise according to the flesh, not many mighty not many noble, are called. But God has chosen the foolish things of the world to put to shame the wise and God has chosen the weak things of the world to put to shame the things which are mighty; and the base things of the world and the things which are despised God has chosen, and the things which are not to bring to null the things that are, so that no man may boast before God.”

• Moses was initially too strong for God to use.

o He was raised and trained in preparation to possibly be Pharaoh someday.

o God has to remove Moses from that and stick him in the wilderness herding sheep, until Moses came to the place where he would say, “Who am I that I should go to Pharaoh, and that I should bring the children of God out of Egypt.” (Exodus 3:11)

• You see that is the problem that god has with most of us.

o We are too strong for God to use us.

o God usually chooses for a particular task a person who has some weakness.

o Have you ever noticed it in Scripture?

 Gideon was the least in his father’s house, but God used him.

 David was just a little shepherd boy whom his own father overlooked.

 Elijah and Jeremiah were strong prophets, yet they were very weak men underneath.

• One wanted to commit suicide and the other wanted to resign.

• The great problem in our churches today is we have too may people who have talent and ability.

o They feel that God can and will use them.

• Let me ask you a very personal question right now.

o Have you ever wondered why God has not used you in a wider way?

• May I say to you that Joshua was the man that God could use, and he was only an average man?

o But Joshua was better equipped then even he thought he was.

o The Lord had already been preparing him.

• Joshua was an army man; a man used too taking orders.

o Even now as the new leader of the children of Israel, he understood this.

o From the get-go Joshua understood that even if he was the commander and chief now, he still wasn’t to give orders, but take them.

o As the children of Israel where starting there march into the promised land and Joshua had given strict orders to keep their swords at their sides and not doing anything aggressive, he notices a man standing outside the camp with his sword drawn and raised up and Joshua goes out to see who this was.

o Look at Joshua 5:15, “Then the Commander of the Lord’s army [the Pre-incarnate Christ] said to Joshua, “Take your sandals off your feet for the place where you stand is holy.” And Joshua did so.”

o Joshua when he was just a young man leaving Egypt till now understood one important thing; someone else gives the orders and he is merely to follow them.

• At this moment, right now, our Lord is in heaven at God’s right hand and he is still the commanding officer.

o The headquarters for the church are still up there, not down here.