The Book of Joshua gives us, in type, the subject of the Epistle to the Ephesians. The journey across the desert had come to an end, and the children of Israel were now going to cross the Jordan, led by a new guide. They were to take possession of the land of promise, driving out the enemies who dwelt there. It is the same for us as believers today. The heavenly places are our Canaan, our rest in Christ, by virtue of all that He has accomplished at the cross in defeating sin and death and hell.
Joshua was chosen as Moses’ successor to lead the children of Israel into the land that God had promised them. Moses could not lead the children of Israel into the land because of his failure to sanctify the Lord in following His Word explicitly (Num 27:12-14). The Lord said to Moses, “But Joshua the son of Nun, which standeth before thee, he shall go in thither: encourage him: for he shall cause Israel to inherit it” (Deu 1:38).1
Earlier, Moses had asked the Lord to set a man over the congregation of Israel, to lead them into the land that God had promised them. Moses described the character of the man that would be chosen: “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” (Num 27:17).
What a lovely picture of our Lord Jesus, the Good Shepherd. He goes before us and leads us into our rest. The Lord Jesus described the shepherd of the sheep: “And he calleth his own sheep by name, and leadeth them out. And when he putteth forth his own sheep, he goeth before them, and the sheep follow him: for they know his voice” (Joh 10:3-4). David wrote of the Lord his Shepherd: “He leadeth me beside the still waters. He restoreth my soul: he leadeth me in the paths of righteousness for his name’s sake” (Psa 23:2-3).
We are first introduced to Joshua when leading God’s people in victory in the battle against Amalek (Exo 17:9-14). We think of the time when we met the Saviour at the cross. He went into the valley to meet the foe and won a great victory, bringing us forgiveness of sins and peace with God through His sacrificial, atoning death and the shedding of His own precious blood.
Joshua was a man of tremendous courage, but the victories he accomplished were accomplished through the Lord who promised to be with him. The Lord said to him, “There 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. Be strong and of a good courage: for unto this people shalt thou divide for an inheritance the land, which I sware unto their fathers to give them” (Jos 1:5-6).
We too, as the people of God today, can be overcomers through the Lord Jesus. We are called to be “strong in the Lord, and in the power of his might” (Eph 6:10). We can live a victorious life, “strengthened with all might, according to his glorious power” (Col 1:11). The psalmist wrote, “Blessed is the man whose strength is in thee” (Psa 84:5).
Joshua had to learn submission to the Lord and dependence upon Him if he was going to experience victory in the fight against the enemy. When he was near Jericho, he saw a man with a sword in his hand. Joshua asked the man if he was a friend or an enemy. The man replied that he was captain of the host of the Lord. He told Joshua to loose his shoe from off his foot because he was standing on holy ground (Jos 5:13-15).
Joshua had to submit to God’s control and allow Him to go before him to face the enemy. When a great company came against Israel, King Jehoshaphat realized that they were helpless against the enemy but acknowledged their dependence upon the Lord. Then Jahaziel said, “Thus saith the LORD unto you, Be not afraid nor dismayed by reason of this great multitude; for the battle is not yours, but God’s” (2Ch 20:15).
Remember that Moses too had to remove his shoes from off his feet as he stood on holy ground at the burning bush (Exo 3:1-5). Joshua learned something of God’s control. Moses learned something of God’s eternal character.
If we are going to experience victory in our lives as the people of God, we too must learn to submit to the will of God and allow Him to go before us and direct us. We must also learn something of the holiness of God and separate ourselves from the world that we might be sons and daughters of the Lord Almighty (2Co 6:17-18).
Joshua was a man of commitment. It is written of him that he wholly followed the Lord his God (Num 32:12). Paul urges us to let the love of Christ constrain us to follow Him, and not to live unto ourselves but unto Him who died for us and rose again (2Co 5:14-15).
Joshua was also a man of consecration. The secret to Joshua’s success was his consecration, his dependence on the Lord and his devotion to His Word. The Lord said to him, “This 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 all that is written therein: for then thou shalt make thy way prosperous, and then thou shalt have good success” (Jos 1:8).
The psalmist wrote of the blessed man: “His delight is in the law of the LORD, and in his law doth he meditate day and night” (Psa 1:2). Paul exhorted Timothy to give attendance to reading the Word of God, to give himself wholly to its doctrines, that his profiting might be evident to all (1Ti 4:13-15).
Joshua was a man of conviction. While others might have chosen to serve idols, he made a choice to serve the Lord: “As for me and my house, we will serve the LORD” (Jos 24:15). Samuel reminded Israel, “Only fear the LORD, and serve him in truth with all your heart: for consider how great things he hath done for you” (1Sa 12:24).
1 Bible quotations in this article are from the KJV.
