THE BOOK OF JOSHUA
(Introduction: Part A)
Calvary Baptist Church
July 13, 2003
Warren Wiersbe reminds us that in the book of Joshua, the children of Israel will receive:
1) A New Leader - This is the Title of our message today.
2) A New Land
3) A New Life
A few notes on the book of Joshua:
1. Joshua is the Acts of the OT. It is the transition. As Acts moved from Gospel foundations to Gospel application and expansion, so Joshua moves from the promise of the land to the taking of the promised land.
2. Joshua marks the end of the wilderness wanderings and the entrance into the land.
3. NOTE:
Genesis - a book of Beginnings
Exodus - a book of Deliverance
Leviticus - a book of Worship
Numbers - a book of Wanderings
Deuteronomy - a book of the repetition of the Law prior to entering the land.
Joshua - a book of Conquering the Land.
I. A New Leader
A few general facts.
• His name was Hoshea (Salvation)
• This is the name given by his father (Nun) and his unnamed mother.
• They must have had tremendous faith.
• It is changed to Joshua (Jehovah is Salvation). This is most significant!
• When David stood before the Giant, he seems to quote his hero Joshua.
A. The Timing
• Joshua died at 110 years old in 1380 B.C.
• He assumed leadership around 1406 B.C.
• Therefore, he was around 85 years old when he took command from Moses!
• Before Joshua ever took the reigns, he had been a servant, a soldier and a spy.
• Some feel that you can make a man by giving him a position.
• That is contrary to God’s principles.
• God did not say look out among you seven men that we can make of good report!
• Positions are given to the faithful.
• It is a dangerous thing to give positions to try to create faithfulness.
• God teaches us that it takes time to develop leadership.
• Everyone wants the power, few want the piety.
• ILLUS: I wish I could play piano like that. No you don’t. You won’t practice!
B. The Training
1. The Mother (unnamed)
• Where are Moses’ sons (Gershom and Eliezer)?
• Evidently, their mother (Zipporah) has filled their mind with Ethiopian or Midianite doubts.
• Remember the circumcision of these boys and their mother’s response!
• We know that Joshua’s mother gave him a godly name!
2. The Mentor
Exodus 24:13 And Moses rose up, and his minister Joshua: and Moses went up into the mount of God.
Numbers 11:28 And Joshua the son of Nun, the servant of Moses, one of his young men [lit., from his youth], answered and said, My lord Moses, forbid them.
Numbers 27:18 And 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;
Deut. 31:7-8 And Moses called unto Joshua, and said unto him in the sight of all Israel, Be strong and of a good courage: for thou must go with this people unto the land which the Lord hath sworn unto their fathers to give them; and thou shalt cause them to inherit it. [8] And the Lord, he it is that doth go before thee; he will be with thee, he will not fail thee, neither forsake thee: fear not, neither be dismayed.
Deut. 34:9 And Joshua the son of Nun was full of the spirit of wisdom; for Moses had laid his hands upon him: and the children of Israel hearkened unto him, and did as the Lord commanded Moses.
• Every Paul should have a Timothy.
• Moses may have seen in Joshua what his heart had hoped to see in his own sons.
• Moses saw the potential early on and began the training. APPLY!
3. The Miracles
NOTE: Things that Joshua had seen.
1) His dad come home a little more dead every night from the taskmasters.
2) His personal experience at making bricks.
3) Moses boldness to go before Pharaoh.
4) The Plagues, including the death of the firstborn. (He was 1st born 1 Chron. 7:27)
5) The children of Israel cross the Red Sea on dry ground.
6) The death of the Egyptian army under the same waters that stood back for Israel.
7) Closer than anyone else, He saw the Mountain-top experience of Moses.
• Joshua had no illusion of what life was like in Egypt.
• Others in the wilderness might have longed for the “flesh pots” of Egypt but Joshua’s memory was not clouded.
• He knew that whatever meat was there was rotted.
• He saw no color in Egypt, only black and white.
• He had seen the worst, but he had also seen God act!
• For Joshua, there was not way to go but forward.
C. The Testing
1. His Leadership
a. One Failure
• The failure to realize that God does not limit himself to one man.
• The failure to realize that God appoints leaders! (See under C a 2 below)
b. One Success
Exodus 17:8-16 Then came Amalek, and fought with Israel in Rephidim. [9] And Moses said unto Joshua, Choose us out men, and go out, fight with Amalek: to morrow I will stand on the top of the hill with the rod of God in mine hand. [10] So Joshua did as Moses had said to him, and fought with Amalek: and Moses, Aaron, and Hur went up to the top of the hill. [11] And it came to pass, when Moses held up his hand, that Israel prevailed: and when he let down his hand, Amalek prevailed. [12] But Moses’ hands were heavy; and they took a stone, and put it under him, and he sat thereon; and Aaron and Hur stayed up his hands, the one on the one side, and the other on the other side; and his hands were steady until the going down of the sun. [13] And Joshua discomfited Amalek and his people with the edge of the sword. [14] And 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. [15] And Moses built an altar, and called the name of it Jehovah-nissi: [16] For he said, Because the Lord hath sworn that the Lord will have war with Amalek from generation to generation.
NOTE: The principle of first mention. Joshua is a soldier, and a successful soldier.
2. His Loyalty
a. To Moses
1) At the Mountain
• He faithfully awaits Moses.
• The successive chapters show that he waited.
• He did not go into the camp, for he did not know what the singing was for.
• Meanwhile Aaron is allowing the golden calf to be built.
Exodus 24:18 And Moses went into the midst of the cloud, and gat him up into the mount: and Moses was in the mount forty days and forty nights.
2) When Others Prophesied
• To Joshua, this threatened Moses authority.
• He does not respond rashly, but asks Moses to deal with it.
• Moses calms him down.
Numbers 11:28 And Joshua the son of Nun, the servant of Moses, one of his young men, answered and said, My lord Moses, forbid them.
Numbers 11:29 And 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!
b. To Israel
Numbers 14:1-15 And all the congregation lifted up their voice, and cried; and the people wept that night. [2] And all the children of Israel murmured against Moses and against Aaron: and the whole congregation said unto them, Would God that we had died in the land of Egypt! or would God we had died in this wilderness! [3] And wherefore hath the Lord brought us unto this land, to fall by the sword, that our wives and our children should be a prey? were it not better for us to return into Egypt? [4] And they said one to another, Let us make a captain, and let us return into Egypt. [5] Then Moses and Aaron fell on their faces before all the assembly of the congregation of the children of Israel.
[6] And Joshua the son of Nun, and Caleb the son of Jephunneh, which were of them that searched the land, rent their clothes: [7] And 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. [8] If 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. [9] Only rebel not ye against the Lord, neither fear ye the people of the land; for they are bread for us: their defence is departed from them, and the Lord is with us: fear them not. [10] But all the congregation bade stone them with stones. And the glory of the Lord appeared in the tabernacle of the congregation before all the children of Israel.
• Never was Joshua more faithful to his people than when they were ready to kill him.
• Your real friends are not those who tell you what you want to hear, your real friends are those who will tell you what is right, even when you don’t like it.
c. To God
Exodus 33:11 And 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.
D. The Trusting (of Joshua by Moses)
• He, along with Caleb, are the only two adults to endure the 40 years of wilderness wanderings and make it safely into Canaan.
• Moses leans upon him heavily, as we have seen above.
• There is no greater blessing to a leader than knowing that capable men, loyal to him, are standing by his side.
• Cf., Deut. 34:9 in B 2 above.
E. The Transfer (of power)
• NOTE: There is no hesitation, or resentment.
• Moses readily hands over power as the Lord has commanded.
• It is interesting that Moses does not assume that Joshua will be the man!
• He has asked God and God has chosen Joshua.
Numbers 27:15-17 And Moses spake unto the Lord, saying, [16] Let the Lord, the God of the spirits of all flesh, set a man over the congregation, [17] Which 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.
Numbers 27:18-23 And 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; [19] And set him before Eleazar the priest, and before all the congregation; and give him a charge in their sight. [20] And thou shalt put some of thine honour upon him, that all the congregation of the children of Israel may be obedient. [21] And 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. [22] And Moses did as the Lord commanded him: and he took Joshua, and set him before Eleazar the priest, and before all the congregation: [23] And he laid his hands upon him, and gave him a charge, as the Lord commanded by the hand of Moses.
CONCLUSION: What are the lessons which we may take home?
1. It takes time to develop leaders!
1 Tim. 3:6 Not a novice, lest being lifted up with pride he fall into the condemnation of the devil.
2. There is a balance to be found between confidence in God and dependence upon self.
There is a vast difference between character and Christ-likeness!
Zech. 4:6 Then he answered and spake unto me, saying, This is the word of the Lord unto Zerubbabel, saying, Not by might, nor by power, but by my spirit, saith the Lord of hosts.
3. If we are to one day lead, we need to start being faithful now.
No one is too young. The habits of future Christian leaders may be seen now.
Eccles. 12:1 Remember now thy Creator in the days of thy youth, while the evil days come not, nor the years draw nigh, when thou shalt say, I have no pleasure in them;
