Today
we shall finish the study of the Book of Joshua and begin with the Book of
Romans. As we alternate
between the Old Testament and the New Testament, we hope that we will come to
appreciate the richness of God’s Word in both Testaments.
We have come to the end of the Book of Joshua which mentions the deaths of Joshua and Eleazar and the bones of Joseph. Let us use some time to reflect on their lives today:
(1) As we reflect on the life of Joshua, we naturally associate his life with that of Moses. Caleb and Joshua were the only ones in their generation (that came out of Egypt) who could see and enter the Promised Land (which not even Moses could).
a. What distinguished Joshua from the rest of the spies?
b. Subsequently, he was privileged to be the aide of Moses — the closest to Moses in his communion with God whether in the Tent of the Meeting or on the mountain. How special and precious was such a role he occupied? What had this meant to him?
c. He was also the field general in the battles east of Jordan under the command of Moses. How did this experience prepare him in his eventual role as the successor to Moses?
d. Now, in the book of Joshua, we have read how he assumed the leadership after Moses. How would you compare him with Moses in the following terms:
- His leadership
- His relationship with the people
- His walk with God
e. If you were to write a short epitaph on his tomb stone, what might you write?
(2) Reflect on v. 31 carefully. We know this period of history was succeeded by the times of the judges and the spiritual condition of the people went downhill quickly. What might be the reason for such a drastic change? What lesson can you learn from them?
(3) The wish of Joseph in Genesis 50:25 was honored. How does this speak to the faith of Joseph and the faithfulness of God?
(4) Eleazar was one of the sons of Aaron. He witnessed the sins of Aaron (the making of the golden calf in particular), and the death of his other brothers in the hand of God (Lev. 10). After the death of Aaron, he ministered as the High Priest and co-leader with Moses (Num. 20:28). At the death of Moses, he continued to lead the people in his capacity, together with Joshua, especially in the allotment of lands to the various tribes (Jos. 14:1) and was responsible for the inquiring of the Lord in making decisions in this respect (Jos. 19:51). Given the exceptional leadership role of Moses and Joshua, why was he needed? How important was his role?
(5) What is the main message to you today that you can apply to your life?
When an exceptionally good and capable leader leaves, we often like to say that you can replace the position, but not the person. Such was certainly the case with Moses. One can imagine the pressure that Joshua had in being appointed the successor of Moses.
As I come to the close of the Book of Joshua and read about his death at a hundred and ten, I can’t help but think if Joshua did measure up to the expectations of the people and how did he compare with Moses.
As I flip through the pages of the Book of Joshua, I am amazed to see that comparison with Moses was never a problem with Joshua. Time and again, it is said that he simply carried out what the Lord commanded through Moses. In other words, Joshua never aspired to be like Moses or be compared to him. He simply sought to be a faithful servant of both the Lord and Moses. He simply accepted who he was. He never pretended to be someone he was not.
I also admire his courage. Time and again also, the Lord sought to encourage him, telling him to be strong and courageous. The more the Lord encouraged him, the more obvious it was that Joshua was truly afraid, yet he never complained, he never thought of quitting, and he never showed his fear. He was willing to learn to trust God. It is fair to say that his life was one of constant battles, and yet he was fine with it because he knew it was his calling.
Finally, Joshua impressed me as a family man, although his family was hardly mentioned. He did mention his family though, and that was when he challenged the people of Israel to make a decision whether to serve the Lord or other gods. “As for me and my household, we will serve the Lord,” he said. (Jos. 24:15) It was obvious that he was not serving the Lord by himself, he had the support of his household, perhaps, even in the delay of receiving his share of the inheritance. (Jos. 19:49-50)
If I were to write his epitaph, I would simply write: A faithfully selfless servant without an ego.