The well-known sending of the two spies contrasts with the twelve sent forty years before, who offended the Lord by presuming to choose the route of conquest. We learn the necessity of honouring God’s prerogatives — prescribed directions for the Christian life and church.
The role of faith in spiritual work and endeavour. That’s really the theme of the book of Joshua. It is a literal history with many, many lessons or parallels with church life throughout the gospel age. These lessons are for us.
Joshua begins in the year 1405 BC, covering up to three decades following that date. It is possibly written by Joshua himself, although nowhere in the book is it explicitly stated that Joshua was the author (certainly the author was an eyewitness of the events) – but as with all Scripture it is inspired directly by God.
It is a book of history. Chapters 1 to 5 cover the crossing of Jordan, chapters 6 to 12 cover the conquest of the land of Canaan, 13 to 22 are all about the dividing of the land among the tribes, and 23 to 25 describe the end of Joshua’s life.
But although it is clearly a book of history, it is a book absolutely full of spiritual lessons, with pastoral parallels for our spiritual lives today. These include Joshua’s momentous call, the certain promise of instrumentality, the effort needed, the necessity of a focus for faith and many other principles – often neglected today yet so vital.
One example is that Joshua describes himself as God’s servant. He was not an innovator in the slightest. He was obviously a man of immense intelligence, and although he was 84 years of age, he seems to have had incredible energy. He was the driving force behind the entry into the land and the conquest. But he saw his calling as putting into effect what God had commanded. No more, no less. He was one who carried out to the letter everything that God designated.
That is something that’s slipping away today, that the people of God – all of them, all of us – are servants of the Lord. Today you get celebrity pastors setting up their own associations and societies. But such things are not found anywhere in the Bible. It isn’t enough for an able person to be a pastor of a local church, placed in God’s setting, under God’s jurisdiction, working with the limitations that God puts upon him, doing the things that God dictates. No, he has to form the such-and-such ministry, society, association, company – which he will personally direct, and seek direct subscriptions to, and promote himself, and do things in his own way.
But we are servants of the Lord God! Those who must fit into the format and blueprint that God has determined for the church, and one who simply serves, preaches and carries out the tasks before him. And whatever setbacks occur, whatever criticism we come under, and whatever pressures are against us, we can always – like Joshua – go to the throne of grace, confident and assured we are in God’s way and are obeying Him.
Related Resources
Answering Doubts About God And Faith
Here are several troubling objections to Christian faith drummed into modern society, and why they are entirely wrong. Here also are the chief evidences for the being of God, the basis for finding and knowing Him, and the proving of His life-changing power.
Four Essential Components of Saving Faith
If an encounter with God, or reconciliation, comes by faith (trust) what does this exactly involve? Here are the few things we need to understand and believe in order to approach Him, all seen in the experience of a Roman centurion who trusted in Christ.
The Simplicity of Saving Faith
‘That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved.’