CONCLUDING THOUGHTS ON THE BOOK OF JOSHUA
The Lord, not Joshua, is the key Person in this book. As you read the Book of Joshua, you discover many wonderful truths about God.
To begin with, He is the God of His people Israel, the God of the covenant that He made with Israel through Moses. Though Moses was dead, the living God was still at work in and through His chosen people. When Joshua commanded the people, he often called God “the Lord your God.” Israel belonged to Him.
But He is also “the Lord of all the earth” (Joshua 3:11). While He has a special relationship to Israel, He established that relationship in order to bring His blessing to all the nations (Genesis 12:1–3). The pagan nations in Canaan heard about what God had done for Israel, and they were frightened (Joshua 2:10–11); for none of their gods had ever done such mighty deeds.
He is the God who keeps His promises. He had promised the fathers of the Jewish nation that He would give them their land, and He kept His promise. He had promised Moses that Israel would drive out the nations in Canaan and defeat them, and He kept that promise too. At the close of his life Joshua was able to say to his people that not one thing had failed of all the good things that the Lord their God spoke concerning them (Joshua 23:14).
He is a holy God who will not tolerate sin. When Achan disobeyed the ban that God had put on Jericho, God withdrew His blessing. The army of Israel was defeated at Ai, and they could not expect victory until Joshua dealt with the sin in the camp. But He is also a forgiving God who cleanses us when we confess our sins, and then gives us another opportunity for victory.
He is a God who requires obedience on the part of His people. Before Israel could enter the land, they had to submit to the requirements that God had laid down; for they were His covenant people. The Lord told Joshua that the secret of his success would be faith and obedience to the Word of God. God had a plan for the conquest of the land; all Joshua had to do was obey that plan.
He is the God who never fails! We may fail Him, but He will never fail us. “When God ordains our service,” wrote J. Oswald Sanders, “He is morally obligated to see us through” (Robust in Faith, p. 72).
Although much more could be said, let’s close on this note: He is a God who is gracious. In view of the fact that thousands of people were slain during the conquest of Canaan, it may seem strange to think about God’s grace; but the grace of God was there just the same. God was gracious to delay His judgment for centuries before bringing Israel into the land (Genesis 15:16). He was gracious to send the reports about Israel into the land so that the people could fear and, like Rahab, turn to the Lord. He was gracious to wipe out the filthy religion of the Canaanites so that the Jewish boys and girls could grow up in a land where Jehovah was honored and worshiped.
He is still the God of wonders, and He is still calling us to be a sanctified people who will trust and obey. The God of Joshua lives—but where are the Joshuas?
Taken from the book “Be strong” by Warren Wiersbe
