In the Old Testament one does not read of argument between Moses and Joshua. These men were kindred spirits. Both had made a decision to serve God.
With them God's will was everything. They were meek men, but they were not weak men. They were directors, but not dictators.
Though not supermen, physically or mentally, they were supremely dedicated. They had tenacity of purpose, though they knew nothing of tyranny. Disappointed they were, yet never permanently defeated. From one word could be gathered the secret of their success—obedience. They had their weak moments. God was not so concerned about that as He was about the fact that the habitual trend of their lives was wholeness for Jehovah.
It could be said that when Moses left the leadership of the children of Israel another "Moses" came among them, a "Moses" who had only exchanged a rod for a spear. Joshua was an able man, a man of decision, action, courage, and purpose. He took his work seriously. He took God seriously. When God said to him, "Turn not ... to the right hand or to the left" and admonished him "to do according to all the law," Joshua believed God meant it. Joshua "left nothing undone of all that the Lord commanded." Joshua did as the Lord bade him. He went on from triumph to triumph because he allowed God to direct him and did not sit when God said, "Go."
Joshua displays an eagerness to be on with the work. It is recorded that Joshua rose up early in the morning and brought Israel by their tribes. On another occasion God told him to go and do battle with the Amorites, and immediately the order was given, the Scripture says, "Joshua therefore came unto them suddenly." He had to march all night in order to be where God wanted him to be in the morning. It is evident that self-sacrifice meant nothing to this man when he was getting the Lord's work through. Forty years of marking time in the wilderness had not made lethargic the man who had said, "Let us go up at once" when the spies reported to Moses.
In spite of his outstanding qualities, Joshua was very human. He needed the Jove, sympathy, and encouragement of his fellow men and his God. When God instructed Moses to appoint him leader, He remembered that Joshua "was dust" and understandingly said, "Moses, encourage Joshua." God spoke to Joshua many times Himself, and these contacts filled him with enthusiasm and courage. Since he had determined to be obedient, God could come close to him. He did not have to hide His face from His soldier servant. God had commanded him to be obedient, for He knew that disobedience would produce a guilty conscience, which in turn would sap his courage; and without courage he would never wrest Canaan from the heathen. Then there would be no inheritance for God's people. Without courage we will never help others into an inheritance in the heavenly Canaan; so let us remember Joshua, the man of obedience.
There came a day when God had to speak sharply to Joshua, not because of personal sin but because of sin in his congregation. Joshua was in a strange place—down with his face on the ground, his clothes in rags, dust in his hair, and defeat on his mind. He was really dawn, literally and emotionally. His efforts had not been successful. "Alas, O Lord," he cries, and continues there, mourning. God is not prepared to listen to his words, for it is action that is needed. God cuts him short. "Get up, Joshua," He commands. "There is sin in the camp." "Get up and DO something about it." Joshua gathered himself together, shook the dust out of his hair, and early the next morning, launching an attack on the plague spot, soon had it done to death and buried. Only then did the Lord and victory step back beside him. Is there defeat in the camp? Remember Joshua. God will not listen to words when action is needed.
Joshua had made his decision for God. This made him keep marching and fighting when the odds were against him. More than once he was doing his best and still could not handle the situation. He had no material resources with which to conquer number-one opposition—namely, Jericho. Nothing daunted, he kept his people moving forward even though, at times, he must have felt a little foolish. When he had done all of his part, God crashed the opposition at his feet.
God sent him to fight the Amorites. They turned and fled. Joshua could not catch them all. They were getting away from him in spite of determined effort. God looked down, and opening up the armory of heaven, went into action with iced "bullets." How unexpected! How swiftly devastating for the opposers of God's people! God hit Joshua's problems squarely on the head. Who knows what God has clasped in His hand? Only those who go on and on ever find out. How clearly is this revealed in the life of Moses. If Moses had become enraged at not being allowed to go into Canaan, and had turned from God, what would have been the result? It does not bear thinking about. Moses kept on, however, marching even though it was to Pisgah, "a view and a death." Then God unclasped His hand, and Moses found a Canaan, a Canaan he had not had to fight for after crossing Jordan.
Joshua's decision for God made him a famous soldier of the sword. It made him a famous soldier of the Spirit. He was dedicated by reason of his having allowed the Holy Spirit to convince him that God was right in everything. With the Holy Spirit to give his words power he became a supremely successful soul winner. The testimony to his success is found in these words: "And Israel served the Lord . . . all the days of the elders that overlived Joshua." Very often people stay with the Lord while the minister who first influenced them is in the district. When he moves, they move—out of the house of God.
Joshua did not need to read volumes on how to get along with people. Under the guidance of the Holy Spirit he instinctively knew. The example of his own life was his best influence. His firmness of decision gave his people confidence. We never read of Joshua's spending half the day walking in indecision up and down his tent or sitting under the nearest fig tree twirling his thumbs while debating the issue. The Holy Spirit knows he will listen, and so He tells him what to do. When morning comes Joshua knows and goes.
Joshua's courteous attitude won him friends. As revealed in the Scriptures, his manner is not that which provokes to resistence. He does not use the abominable bossy approach. He counsels firmly, clearly, and gently; then he says, "Choose." It is far from him even in leadership to override a God-given privilege of choice. If one could ask Joshua what he considered his greatest success it is almost certain that he would reply, "My greatest success is that I can say of my family and myself, 'We serve the Lord.'" No doubt Joshua, like many modern parents, felt that nothing in the wide world could compensate if his family was lost from the love of God. His home was his first sphere of responsibility to God. His example most certainly secured his family's decision to follow God also.
Had Joshua been a hot-tempered, sword-happy man, given to shouting and making foolish decisions, his people would have followed his example. This could have resulted in disaster and the disgracing of God's name when the majority of the tribes crossed the Jordan to take to task the leaders of the smaller group for having built an altar in their section of the land. The leaders of the minority, remembering Joshua's calmness in crisis, gave their irate accusers a peaceable answer that soothed their anger and allowed everything to be settled to everyone's satisfaction. Without this there could so easily have been sharp words flying, then sharp swords flashing, cutting, and killing. How the heathen would have mocked! "Behold the servants of the God of love. Behold the pious Jehovahites; come, see how they love one another!"
Joshua's character glows from the Old Testament with heart-warming radiance. When deceived he does not break his word. Instead of "flying off the handle" in rash retaliation, he organizes the deceivers to good purpose. "Biting" their heads off (with a sword) will not improve them, but placing them where they will be influenced by the worship of God certainly will. They will learn, too, that all deceivers go into bondage. If they escape physical bondage they will go into bondage to a troubled mind, which is much worse.
Joshua is never so great as when he has to deal with Achan, the man who made a fool of him, his soldiers, and his God. In spite of the embarrassing defeat, he goes to the cause of it all, and without anger and harshness says, "My son, . . . tell me now what thou hast done." When we read this it brings to our remembrance the record of the compassionate look Christ gave Peter when he had taken to himself the deceitful language of this world.
Joshua, the man of decision, courage, action, and obedience, laid down his sword, but his record of victory marches on around the world with the soldiers of the cross.
