Yes, Joshua was a real man. Why? Because he took a tough job and did it the way it had to be done. He led the first all-out assault upon Jericho, the great city of the Canaanites, and began Israel’s conquest of Canaan.
This writing, however, is not about Jericho, but about Joshua. If there is such a thing as an “unsung hero” in the Bible it has to be Joshua. While his name is found in the Bible almost 200 times, he often falls in the shadows of Moses, Abraham, David and Elijah in the Old Testament narrative.
Although this is true, the legacy of Joshua stands tall among all men – in the Bible as well as any man alive today. The first mention of him is in Exodus 17:9-10 as Moses’ servant. The words describe him well:
“Joshua did as Moses had said to him, and fought with Amalek.”
As do many great men, he began as a “minister”, a servant of another, but his life is also characterized by other words and events. His legacy served Israel well for decades, and we honor him by recalling his life.
Challenges Faced By Joshua
As is true for all, including you and me, Joshua faced some powerful and difficult challenges – and he survived and prospered. That is often the quality that really “makes” a man. One who has faced tough challenges will be confident that he can face others and be successful.
A person can hide behind the door every time tough decisions and tough actions are faced. But avoiding all challenges merely allows one to hitch a ride on someone else’s vessel.
The Challenge Of Humility
In his early life he was a slave to the Egyptians as were all of the descendants of Abraham. Hard labor, degradation, futility and hopelessness described the life of a slave. Such a challenge usually results in either a broken man – or a strong man. In Joshua’s case he was made stronger rather than weaker. That experience could have broken him – but it did not.
His life as a servant did not end when Israel’s freedom began. He then served as Moses’ “minister” for forty years. Through it all, he survived to be Israel’s leader, leaving a legacy of courage, strength and wisdom.
The Challenge Of Peer Pressure
Many today would agree that the most severe challenge facing us is that of peer pressure. Follow the crowd; don’t be different; “go along to get along”; those thoughts can be a challenge to anyone. Joshua had a big dose of that when his fellow spies agreed that they could not take the city of Jericho. The people were “giants”, the walls were tall and strong, and some of the spies felt like “grasshoppers” standing next to giants, Numbers 13:33.
When the “chips were down” Joshua did not cave in to pressure, but along with Caleb said, “…we are well able to overcome,” Numbers 13:30. We could use a few men like Joshua today!
The Challenge Of Responsibility
How shocking it must have been to hear the words, “Moses my servant is dead; now therefore arise, go over this Jordan, thou, and all this people, unto the land which I do give to them,” Joshua 1:3. Suddenly, Joshua, a servant for forty years, is now their leader. He had watched Moses deal with the people’s problems, judged their charges. Now, all that responsibility was on Joshua.
He had been prepared well. The apprenticeship he served gave him the experience he needed, but still it would be a daunting task. Handling the responsibility well, he led them through the process of conquering the enemy and dividing the land.
The Challenge Of Controversy
Joshua had hardly begun his work when it was discovered there was sin in the camp. One man had taken loot, spoils from Jericho, and he was from a very prominent tribe and family. His name was Achan, and Israel would not prosper until the “sin in the camp” was settled in harmony with God’s word. Joshua had that to do. It would have been easy to put it off, to give the task to someone else, to ignore the serious nature of the sin. Not surprisingly, the challenge was met head-on and settled. Now, Israel could take the land God had promised to Abraham, Genesis 12:7.
His Legacy
We know Joshua was a human being with all the frailties that go with humanity. He was not perfect, but his leadership over God’s people was exactly what they needed. They had faced the huge task of conquering a land; they had divided the land among themselves fairly, and they had selected leaders among the tribes that were also just, willing to follow God’s instructions.
Note the words of Joshua 24:31
“Israel served the Lord all the days of Joshua, and all the days of the elders that outlived Joshua, and which had known all the works of the Lord, that he had done for Israel.”
The words of Joshua should ring in our ears as we look at life today:
“Choose you this day whom ye will serve… as for me and my house, we will serve the Lord,” Joshua 24:15.
Joshua – He ought to be one of
your role models?
