“But Joshua the son of Nun, which stands before you, he shall go in there; encourage him, for he shall cause Israel to inherit it.” Deuteronomy 1:38
Dear Ones:
What makes a man a conqueror, in particular, one who has truly trusted in Christ? Are conquerors made in a day? And lastly, what are the unifying characteristics that govern their lives of overcoming, and “reigning in life?”
In our pursuit of the answers to these questions, we look at the person of Joshua, the son of Nun. We first find him in the assembly of Israel, when, after leaving Egypt, under the direction of Moses, they are attacked by the Amalekites. Joshua is apparently chosen by Moses to lead the forces of Israel to engage the enemy. It will be by the intercession of Moses, as he is first standing and then sitting at the top of a hill with the “rod of God” in his hand, that Joshua will win the day, and the Amalekites will be defeated.
Next, we see Joshua, in company with Moses and the rest of Israel, en route to the promised land. The Tabernacle had been made by that time, and put outside of the camp, in order for any who sought the Lord to be able to go out to worship Him. Moses would meet the Lord there, the Lord speaking to him “…face to face, as a man speaks to his friend.” (Exodus 33:11) Here we see Joshua also, who saw this relationship that Moses had with God. Scripture tells us that when Moses returned to the camp, after communing with God, that, “…his servant Joshua, the son of Nun, a young man, departed not out of the tabernacle.” (v.11) What is the dominant thing that we see in the heart of this young “conqueror?” We see a heart after God, pursuing God. Here is a young man who is thirsting to know this God of Abraham, more specifically, this God of Moses.
After this, Joshua is found, having been chosen to be one of the twelve spies to scout out the land of Canaan. Caleb and Joshua distinguish themselves, as they are of a different spirit that the other ten spies. The two of them would see the same things that the ten other spies saw, and yet, their attitude toward the conquest of the land was entirely different. Even though the ten spies recognized the land to be one, “flowing with milk and honey,” yet, their perception of the obstacles, and the enemies who lived there, was greater than the God who had delivered them from Egypt, and slavery. For Joshua and Caleb, with regard to their assessment of the enemies and difficulties, there would be a monumental difference, demonstrated by their readiness to immediately go up and possess the land. These two men, who would “follow the Lord fully,” were men of faith in the faithfulness of God. Their God was to them bigger than the obstacles and enemies. They were fully assured that, “…if the Lord delight in us, then He will bring us into the land, and give it us.” (Deut. 14:8) We do not know the age of Caleb and Joshua at this moment, but almost certainly, they were in their twenties, or early thirties. This is important to note because soon they, with Moses and the remainder of Israel, will spend forty years in the wilderness before actually entering the promised land.
It was when Joshua was probably between seventy and eighty years old, that he replaced Moses, having being designated by God to lead the people of Israel into the promised land. Regardless of his experience and knowledge, his communion with God is paramount and foremost in his life. If he is to conquer still, and finish well, then he must choose to obey that which God specifically commands him to BE: “Be strong and of a good courage; be not afraid, neither be thou dismayed: for the Lord thy God is with you wherever you go.” (Josh. 1:9)
Dear Father, give us to derive all of our strength and courage from the Lord Jesus, refusing all fear and dismay. Grant us in communion with You, to truly conquer in our quest to know and serve Thee. In Jesus’ name, Amen.
Love, Dad