Chapter XXVII: Joshua's Courage

JOSHUA 1.1-18

After the death of Moses, when the Lord, Himself, had buried His faithful servant, the Lord came to Joshua and told him that he was to be the one who should lead the Children of Israel into the Promised Land.

We hear of Joshua many times as we read the life of Moses.

He shared the glorious triumph when the Children of Israel were brought out of Egypt; and soon after that, Moses chose Joshua to lead the people to fight against Amalek.

Next we hear of him as the trusted servant (or minister, as it is called in the Bible), who went up with Moses to the Mountain called Sinai, when Moses received the Ten Commandments from God.

Joshua did not go all the way with Moses, but waited somewhere on the mountain till Moses should come down from talking with the Holy God.

And as they went down again, it was he who saw the Children of Israel worshipping the golden calf below.

Next, Joshua was one of the twelve spies who were sent to search out the Land; and you will doubtless remember that ten of these spies brought a bad report, and only two of them, Caleb and Joshua, brought a good report.

We see Joshua's splendid courage through all these circumstances.

He trusted God with all his heart, and the Lord was his sure Refuge and constant Helper.

And it is very wonderful to remember, that among the Israelitish men who came out of Egypt and wandered in the Wilderness for forty years, the only two who entered the Promised Land were Caleb and Joshua, the two faithful spies! All the rest of the Israelitish men who came out of Egypt died in the Wilderness for their disobedience, and only their children entered the Promised Land.

It is a very solemn thing to be disobedient to God.

So as I said, the Lord came and spoke to Joshua, and told him he was to lead the people into the Land of Canaan.

One day soon after this, Joshua sent two spies to bring back word what kind of a land it was which he had to conquer. When they came to Jericho they came to the house of a woman named Rahab, and lodged there.

But the King of Jericho heard of it, and sent to Rahab to give up the men to be killed.

But Rahab had heard of all the wonders that the Lord had done for His people, in bringing them out of Egypt; how He had dried the Red Sea for the people to pass over, and of other great victories; and instead of giving up those two Israelites to the King of Jericho, she quickly hid them on the flat roof of her house, under a lot of flax stalks, and when the messengers from the King came, they did not find them, and Rahab told the King's soldiers that they had better seek the men on the road to Jordan, as quickly as they could.

So the King's men went away to look for them, and the City gates were shut, and all was quiet again.

Then Rahab went up to the roof and told the spies that they must escape at once; and she begged them to promise her faithfully, that when God had given them the Victory, which she was sure He would do, that they would save her life.

So the men told her to bind a scarlet cord in her window which was on the outer wall, that they might recognise the place; and she let them down in the night through this window, and they got away.

All this the men faithfully carried out, and we read in the 11th of Hebrews, written nearly 1500 years after, that it was by faith that Rahab saved the spies, and by this saved her own life too.

God loves for us to have faith in Him! And it was this faith in God which made Joshua courageous all his life.

So Joshua and the people crossed the Jordan and entered into the Land, and came to Jericho; and one day when Joshua was standing viewing the strength of the City, suddenly he found Someone by him with a drawn sword in His hand.

So Joshua went to him at once, and asked "if he were going to fight for the Israelites or for their enemies?"

And the Stranger said: "Nay, but as Captain of the Lord's Host am I now come."

Then Joshua fell on his face and worshipped, for he knew that this was the Lord Who was speaking to him, and Who had taken the Supreme Command!

No wonder that when Joshua was old, and knew he was going to die, that he called all the Israelites together, and rehearsed all the wonderful doings of the Lord; and that he begged them with all his strength to serve and obey the Lord with all their hearts.

And Joshua set up a great Stone to be a Witness to them, that they had promised to love and obey God; and he said the Stone would remind them, lest they should forget their promise and turn back from serving God.

So the Israelites promised to be faithful, and while the elders who outlived Joshua were alive, they did follow the Lord. But after a time they began to forget, and this brought a great deal of sorrow upon them.

Perhaps you think within yourselves, "I should like to obey God, and follow Him! I wonder how I could begin?"

Think of Joshua. He followed the Lord wholly—which meant with all his heart. That was the first thing. So you can pray, "Take my heart, Lord Jesus, and help me to follow Thee!"

Then he obeyed whatever God told him to do. And whatever Command you find in the Bible, as shewing you God's Will—do it!