The Life & Times Of Joshua

by Pr. Paddick Van Zyl
(Johannesburg ,ZA)

Sep. 2014

The Life And Times of Joshua

Intro:

In 1832. long before Abraham Lincoln became president he gathered a group of men to fight in the Black Hawk war. In those days the person that put together a volunteer company for the militia often became its leaders an assumed a commanding rank. Lincoln was give the rank of captain. But he had a slight problem in that he knew nothing about soldiering. No prior military experience. He had trouble remembering the procedures and commands used in the military. One day while marching some men across a field, Lincoln had to guide them through a gate and he could not manage it: “I could not for the life of me remember the proper command for getting any company endwise” said Lincoln. He finally shouted: "This company is dismissed for two minutes, when it falls in again on the other side of the gate!” Over time his influence with the other militia decreased as did his rank. While others were proving themselves and being promoted, Lincoln began as a captain and ended up as a private at the end of this military career. Title and position did him little good. Over time and with experience though he became a great influence and a great leader.... #

God raised a leader, named Joshua who was very successful because he had the Spirit of God on him....

Text:

Joshua 1:1-18 NKJV

Sermon:

*We meet Joshua (Hoshea) ,mention for the very first time, as leader of a voluntary army in Exodus:

Exodus 17:9 NKJV
*His name was Hoshea = Salvation but Moses changed it to Joshua = Yahweh (The Lord) is Salvation:

Numbers 13:16 NKJV

Num 13:3-8 NKJV

* Moses turns over the leadership of leading the Israelites to Joshua officially:

Deut 31:7-13 NKJV

*The future apostasy of the Israelites is announced in the presence of Joshua so that he will be aware of the danger/strive in his day to avert it and he does so too:

Deut 31:16 NKJV

Joshua 24:31 NKJV

* Moses, while shaping young Joshua into a leader does what every excellent leader and mentor does: he encourages Joshua to lead God’s people:

Numbers 11:28-29 NKJV

* Joshua had the Spirit of God on him for the task of leadership:

Numbers 27:18-23 NKJV

* Joshua and Caleb were the only ones to cross over to the promised land since they had faith and spoke of what God can do:

Numbers 14:30-38 NKJV

I. Joshua's Exaltation

Robert E. Neighbour, in his "Wells of Living Water Commentary ## notes about Joshua:

1. Joshua's exaltation came after the death of Moses. The death of Moses took from among men one of earth's greatest noblemen, and one of Gods greatest generals. Some may have thought that the loss caused by Moses' death was irreparable. Not so. God always finds other men to fill in the great gaps. Luthers, and Savanarolas, and Calvins, and Wesleys, and Spurgeons, and Moodys may come, and they may go, but God always has in preparation others to take their places.

2. Joshua's exaltation came from servant to master. Is it not always true, "He that is faithful in that which is least is faithful also in much"?
Joshua, as Moses' minister, had proved faithful. He had, as a servant, learned much by way of leadership. In each menial task he had proved himself faithful and true,

3. Joshua's exaltation had come as a befitting reward. The Lord is not forgetful of our labors of love and patience. God knew how Joshua had, forty years before, brought back a good report of the land; God knew that Joshua had not been cowed by the Anakim who infested the land of promise.
Let us stop and think. Shall we not go with Christ outside the camp? Shall we not share with Him in His reproach, and bear with Him the bane of a mocking world? Shall we not serve Him with faithful heart? If we do, He will surely exalt us in due season. "If we suffer, we shall also reign with Him."

II. JOSHUA ENCOURAGED OF GOD (Joshua 1:9 )

1. A promise given. To Joshua God said, "There shall not any man be able to stand before thee all the days of thy life." The Lord was transferring to Joshua His power. Does not our Lord do the same toward us? Has He not said, "All power (authority) is given unto Me in Heaven and in earth. Go, * * and lo, I am with you always, even unto the end of the world"?

2. A good courage urged. This may seem strange. Was not Joshua always of good courage? Was it not because of his courage and valor that he was now being commissioned as Israel's leader? When all the spies but two had returned a bad report to the people, Joshua, in the fire of his faith, had said, "We are abundantly able to go up and possess the land."
Joshua was about to step into a place of responsibility and under burdens such as he had never known.
God knew that Joshua might well have trembled before this new and added responsibility. Joshua had more than once seen Moses almost in despair. Joshua had heard Moses' plaintive cry to God, "I cannot bear this people alone." He had known of many a time when Moses, mighty man that he was, had well nigh slipped under the tremendous weight of a disobedient and rebellious people. Yes, Joshua the brave, and Joshua the valiant, needed just the encouragement that God was giving him.

III. A COMMISSION TO STUDY THE WORD (Joshua 1:8 )

1. The strong and stalwart need the blessings of the Book. We might have thought that Joshua could paddle his own canoe, and hoe his own row. Not so. Joshua could not afford to fail in building upon the inerrant Law of God, The "Word" was to be constantly in Joshua's mouth; it was to be ever the burden of his meditations. By day and by night he was to be saturated with the "Law."

2. The leader of the people needed himself to be guided by the Word. Joshua was to study the Word in order that he might observe to do according to all that was written therein.
God seemed to be telling Joshua that in doing the Word he would never be in danger of acting contrary to God's Word. God never says one thing in His Word, and another thing by His voice, or vision. Remember, if any speak contrary to the Word, there is no truth in them. Our constant cry should be Back to the Law and the Testimony.

3. Joshua was promised prosperity and success through obedience to the Law. God said, "Then thou shalt make thy way prosperous, and then thou shalt have good success." True success and prosperity as God reckons it, is that which is achieved alone by knowing and doing the Law. We need to learn this secret.

Joshua was indeed a leader among leaders and obeyed the Word of God and made sure that he walked and led and lived in the fear of the Lord.

Illustration:

THE CLOCK OF PROVIDENCE ###

Joshua proved God's clock, and in the moment that the clock struck he led Israel out "' There is a clock with which Providence keepeth time and pace, and God Himself getteth it.' So that everything happens with Divine punctuality. Israel came out of Egypt on the self-same night in which the redemption was appointed, and afterwards wandered in the wilderness till the hour had come when the iniquity of the Amorites was full. Our time is always come, for we are in selfish haste; but our Lord when on earth had His set times and knew how to wait for them. The great God is never before His time, and never too late. We may well admire the punctuality of Heaven. Our trials come in due season, and go at the apointed moment Our fretfulness will neither hasten nor delay the purpose of our God. We are in hot haste to set the world right, and to order all affairs: the Lord hath the leisure of conscious power and unerring wisdom, and it will be well for us to learn to wait. The clock will not strike till the hour; but when the instant cometh we shall hear the bell. My soul, trust thou in God, and wait patiently when He says, 'My time is not yet come.' "

Closing:

God is seeking leaders in whom His Spirit dwells, leaders that re not afraid to stand up and be counted, leaders that will take stand and lead their families and communities in the fear of the Lord. Are you such a leader?

Let’s pray....

Credits:

#Taken From: The 21 Irrefutable Laws of Leadership: Follow Them and People Will Follow You By John Maxwell p19-20
## Neighbour, Robert E. "Wells of Living Water Commentary
### Neighbour, Robert E. "Wells of Living Water Commentary
http://www.studylight.org/commentaries/lwc/view.cgi?bk=5&ch=1&vs=1&search=joshua%201#joshua 1