I have an answer for the question posed on my last post on April 13th, “Where are all the heroes?” Consider Joshua. While preparing my new sermon series on the book for Sunday mornings, I’ve come to a greater appreciation of Joshua than ever before. Of course, we all know Joshua as the man who succeeded Moses in leading the Israelites into Canaan, the land that God had promised them centuries before. But there’s much more to the story of Joshua than meets the eye. He’s not only a remarkable hero of his own right, as far as human standards provide, but he serves as the “type” of an even greater hero.
We can all imagine what must have been going through Joshua’s mind. Their leader was dead! And they still hadn’t realized their destiny. But how could anyone fill the sandals of the man who spoke to God face to face and led the people fearlessly? The people of Israel had proven to be contentious, disloyal, and slow to learn from the past. And, yet, Moses had successfully led them for almost 40 years without fail.
But the Lord would raise Joshua up to be the next leader, by miraculously confirming him as God’s anointed. When you consider the works that the Lord did for Joshua, especially early on in his ministry, you must evaluate them in light of the parallels in Moses’ ministry. God promised that He would still be with Joshua as He was with Moses. And, to vividly demonstrate the reality of that promise, He parted the Jordan river just as He had parted the Red Sea years before with Moses. There are many more comparisons that you’ll have to find out by listening to the sermons, but suffice it to say that there is a strong continuity between Moses in Joshua.
Joshua was an extraordinary man of God. He was first mentioned in Exodus 17 as a mighty military warrior that launched a successful campaign against some of Israel’s enemies. Later, he is chosen as one of the 12 spies that were sent to investigate the land of Canaan. When 10 of them give a bad report, only he and Caleb give encouraging news of God’s will and protection in giving them the land. Ultimately, he is acknowledged by Moses to be the one who would guide the people into the promised land.
But we must be careful not to give Joshua too much credit. Yes, he was a great man, but he represented a man who is even greater. The name “Joshua” literally means Jehovah saves, or the Lord is our salvation. More interestingly, his name is the Old Testament equivalent to the name Jesus in the New Testament. So, Joshua’s greatest contribution in life is not about his human accomplishments, but by the way that he becomes a type of Christ. In other words, the story of Joshua is intended, under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit, to point forward to salvation that only comes through Jesus Christ.
Therefore, although Joshua is a terrific hero in his own right, he’s really just a representative of the greatest hero, Jesus Christ. So much of what we see in Joshua is meant to demonstrate God’s saving purposes for His people. God had made a promise years before. A promise that would be fulfilled dramatically. But the fulfillment of those promises made to Abraham, and again to Moses, were finally and perfectly fulfilled in Christ. The Lord always keeps His promises. Jesus was and is the promised Messiah that has comprehensively delivered God’s people to their land of promise, through obedience and faith.
I’m looking forward to a prosperous journey in Joshua. I hope you will take the journey with me. May each of us recognize God’s faithfulness and His purposes in our lives.