The book of Joshua and its account of the conquest of the land of Canaan by the nation of Israel lends itself to many different applications, and some of the highest truth given to us in the ministry of the Apostle Paul is illustrated for us in type in this book. However, much of this precious truth has already been taken up in earlier issues of The Christian. In this issue, which is devoted to Joshua, we will seek to look at him mainly as a man — his training, his character, and how he handled various situations in the course of his life as a leader among God’s people. At the same time, we are considering two other faithful men who were with him and probably could be considered to be of the same generation as Joshua. These men are Caleb and Eleazar. Caleb was one of the two spies, along with Joshua, who did not agree with the other ten spies, all of whom strongly recommended that Israel not try to conquer the land of Canaan. Caleb, along with Joshua, were the only two men who survived the wilderness journey of 40 years and who eventually entered the land of Canaan. Eleazar was a priest, the son of Aaron, who was also a faithful man and who succeeded his father Aaron as priest when Aaron died.
Moses’ Right-Hand Man
We first hear of Joshua very early in Israel’s history, when they came out of Egypt. As soon as they entered on their journey to Canaan, the Amalekites met them and fought with them. Joshua already had established himself as Moses’ “right-hand man” and was commissioned to choose men to fight with Amalek. Amalek in Scripture speaks of the flesh in us, and at a young age, Joshua evidently took the lead in defeating them. This is a good example for all of us, for we need to learn at a young age that “the flesh profiteth nothing” (John 6:6363It is the spirit that quickeneth; the flesh profiteth nothing: the words that I speak unto you, they are spirit, and they are life. (John 6:63)). The Lord told Moses that there would be war with Amalek “from generation to generation,” and it was good for Joshua to realize this.
Later, when the Lord called Moses up into “the mount of God” in order to give him the ten commandments and the pattern for the tabernacle, we find that “Moses rose up, and his minister Joshua” (Ex. 24:1313And Moses rose up, and his minister Joshua: and Moses went up into the mount of God. (Exodus 24:13)). Although Moses was the one specifically called up into the mountain, Joshua, as his servant, went with him. It would seem that Joshua was privy to all that Moses heard and saw while up in the mountain. Again, it is a good example for us. How good it is for younger ones to keep company with those who are older and wiser, and from whom they can learn! Later, when Moses and Joshua came down from the mount, they talked together as they heard the noise of the wicked celebration that was going on around the golden calf Aaron had made (Ex. 32:17-1817And when Joshua heard the noise of the people as they shouted, he said unto Moses, There is a noise of war in the camp. 18And he said, It is not the voice of them that shout for mastery, neither is it the voice of them that cry for being overcome: but the noise of them that sing do I hear. (Exodus 32:17‑18)).
He Remained Outside the Camp
Shortly after this very serious sin, we find that “Moses took the tabernacle, and pitched it without the camp” (Ex. 33:77And Moses took the tabernacle, and pitched it without the camp, afar off from the camp, and called it the Tabernacle of the congregation. And it came to pass, that every one which sought the Lord went out unto the tabernacle of the congregation, which was without the camp. (Exodus 33:7)). (This was evidently not the tabernacle for which Moses received the pattern up in the mount, for it was not completed until about a year later. It seems that a temporary tent for the Lord to meet with His people had been arranged.) Moses himself went out to the tabernacle from time to time, but then went back into the camp. Joshua, however, “departed not out of the tabernacle” (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)). As a type of Christ, Moses went back into the camp, but Joshua, a type of the believer today, remained outside of that which had dishonored the Lord. We get a reference in the New Testament to going outside the camp in Hebrews 13:1313Let us go forth therefore unto him without the camp, bearing his reproach. (Hebrews 13:13), but space does not permit our developing that thought here.
Going along further in Joshua’s history, we find that two of the 70 elders of the people, Eldad and Medad, who were among those chosen to assist Moses in the administration of the nation, “went not out unto the tabernacle: and they prophesied in the camp” (Num. 11:2626But there remained two of the men in the camp, the name of the one was Eldad, and the name of the other Medad: and the spirit rested upon them; and they were of them that were written, but went not out unto the tabernacle: and they prophesied in the camp. (Numbers 11:26)). Joshua evidently felt this was an affront to Moses, and he wanted Moses to forbid them. But Moses, with the wisdom of his years and his relationship with the Lord, only replied, “Would God that all the Lord’s servants were prophets” (vs. 29). It would have been better for Eldad and Medad not to have gone back into the camp, but Moses did not envy them nor try to prevent them. They were prophesying, and Moses valued it, even in the camp.
One of the Twelve Spies
Going along further still, we find the 12 spies, one from each tribe, instructed to go and “search the land of Canaan” (Num. 13:22Send thou men, that they may search the land of Canaan, which I give unto the children of Israel: of every tribe of their fathers shall ye send a man, every one a ruler among them. (Numbers 13:2)). Joshua was one of those spies, from the tribe of Ephraim. Caleb was another, from the tribe of Judah. After searching the land for 40 days, ten of the spies could not see how Israel could conquer the land, for they had forgotten the Lord’s power in bringing them out of Egypt. Only Joshua and Caleb were ready to go in and possess the land. Their eye was on the Lord, not on the giants, the high walls of the cities, and the strength of the people in Canaan. But Caleb and Joshua were outnumbered, and the people actually wanted to stone them for their positive attitude. Because Caleb was evidently a little older than Joshua, the Word of God focuses on him, but Joshua was with him, and together they resisted the bad report of the ten spies.
This was a very severe test for two young men, and especially for Joshua, for it meant that the nation would spend the next 40 years wandering in the wilderness, until all those who had resisted the word of the Lord had died. Joshua and Caleb would spend the best years of their lives, naturally speaking, in the wilderness, instead of entering into and enjoying the land. Would they submit to this? Thankfully we do not read of any complaint on their part; they went along with those who wandered in the wilderness, and the Lord preserved them. We read that “Joshua the son of Nun, and Caleb the son of Jephunneh, lived still of the men that had gone to search out the land” (Num. 14:3838But Joshua the son of Nun, and Caleb the son of Jephunneh, which were of the men that went to search the land, lived still. (Numbers 14:38) JND).
Moses’ Request and God’s Choice
Finally, at the end of the wilderness journey, it came time for Moses to die. He had failed to honor the Lord when he was told to speak to the rock, to provide water for the people. Instead, Moses struck the rock, and the Lord told him that he would not be the one to lead the people into the land. But Moses’ answer to this disappointment is beautiful:
“Let the Lord, the God of the spirits of all flesh, set a man over the congregation, 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. 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 ... and thou shalt put some of thine honor upon him ... and Moses did as the Lord commanded him” (Num. 27:16-18,20,2216Let 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; (Numbers 27:16‑18)
20And thou shalt put some of thine honor upon him, that all the congregation of the children of Israel may be obedient. (Numbers 27:20)
22And Moses did as the Lord commanded him: and he took Joshua, and set him before Eleazar the priest, and before all the congregation: (Numbers 27:22)).
Moses cared for the people, and when he asked for a shepherd to lead them, the Lord had Joshua all ready to step into a place of leadership. It was the result of all the good training that Joshua had and the time he had spent in Moses’ company. Moses then is able to give Joshua a charge: “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” (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)).
Again, Joshua’s story is full of meaning for us, for it shows us the need for purpose of heart when we are young, a time of training under the Lord’s hand, and a readiness to submit to real disappointment, until we may be considered ready to undertake leadership among the people of God.
W. J. Prost