“And he gave Joshua the son of Nun a charge, and said, ‘Be strong and of a good courage: for you shall bring the children of Israel into the land which I sware unto them.'” Deuteronomy 31:23
Dear Ones:
Many have been “great” men and women mentioned in the Bible, who accomplished great feats, in the will of God, by the power of God. Some of these events consisted in the conquest of enemies. Others were seen in the building, and rebuilding, of the temple in Jerusalem, and its wall. But one event that stands out in the history of Israel, which has ramifications today, thousands of years later, is the conquest of Canaan, the entrance and possession of the promised land. Between the moment that God revealed His promise, and commitment, to give to Abraham and to descendants this land of promise, many years and events would pass leading up to it. Perhaps the most significant event that was essential to the realizing of such a promise, was the formation of a man, his character, and perspective, in order that by him, the people of Israel could conquer and possess the land. That man was Joshua. Designated by God, and confirmed by Moses, this man was essential to the endeavor. Moses had told him, “Be strong and of a good courage: for you MUST go with this people unto the land which the Lord has sworn to their fathers to give them.” (Deut. 31:7) Why was this man chosen, and what did God do in his heart so that he could lead effectively the people into hostile territory to possess a land that was only theirs by a promise?
We read in Scripture where Joshua became Moses’ minister, i.e. he was Moses’ servant, attending to his needs, and assisting him in the implementation of his work. At one point, Moses appoints him to be the head of a fighting force to combat the Amalekites. At another time, we see him beholding how God revealed himself to Moses. Even when Moses would leave the tent of meeting, Joshua would stay behind to worship. Lastly, we see Joshua chosen to be a spy, to spy out the land of Canaan. This was done initially with twelve spies, Joshua being one of the two who brought back a favorable report of the land. Joshua was accompanied by Caleb. Both were men of faith who believed that the land of promise should be conquered and possessed. Between the two events of spying out the land, forty years passed, when Israel wandered in the desert. This was because she had not been willing to believe God meet her in the conquest. During all this time, we discover a progression in the training of Joshua. He became a good soldier, learning submission and faithfulness in being Moses’ minister. He learned to worship God, holding this exercise as primary to all other endeavors. But perhaps the central, and most crucial, aspect of his formation and preparation for the task at hand, and the “charge” that the Lord would give him, would be the training and discipline to believe and obey God fully, without reserve, regardless of the problems, obstacles, and opposition. How would God work this in him? He would bring him again and again to the matter of facing what perhaps was his greatest weakness, in order to make him at that point, strongest.
There is no doubt that Joshua was a very sensitive man, to some extent, as was Moses. He was sensitive to the Lord, and what He willed, but also, to the people, and what they needed. We find that he was also resolute in that sensitivity, and chose to obey God above all else. If he would be a man of faith, he must be what he was commanded to be, strong and courageous, not afraid, nor dismayed. That strength could only come from God, and Joshua came to realize it. God would put “steel,” His steel in him, in answer to faith, so that he could face the mountains of difficulty, and weight of responsibility.
Dear Father, Put in us this same quiet “steel” by the Spirit. In Jesus’ name, Amen.
Love, Dad