Today I will wrap up our Joshua study by stating that it was a conclusion that isn’t an ending. Ponder that for a while and I will expand it further as we think about how this study ends.
I’ve really enjoyed our study of the book of Joshua. The scriptures and the sharing have made Joshua even dearer and more precious to my heart.
What a hero!
LEARNING FROM GREAT LEADERS
What have we learned from this character of the bible?
There are so many examples that I have no time to name them all. A good review will give you more than I can state here. One thing especially comes to mind though, now that we have reached the end of the book.
Let’s pause here to remember how Moses changed Joshua’s name from Hoshea to Joshua. The scriptures backing up this fact can be found in Numbers 13:16.
Hoshea means “salvation.”
Joshua means “Yahweh is salvation.”
GOD WILL GIVE YOU A NEW NAME
Though I’m sure Joshua loved having his new name, that isn’t the name he wished for us to discover.
Why was Joshua so successful in all that he set out to do? It was because he recognized the name of God upon his life. Joshua was faithful to give God credit for all of his accomplishments.
Even a great leader like Joshua could never have delivered the people into the promises alone. He could only accomplish such a feat with the help and guidance of God.
LOOKING FOR TODAY’S JOSHUAS
What should this mean to us today?
First and foremost I think we have learned, like Joshua, that when we came into the army of Christ, we were given new names and new identities in Christ.
By putting on the armor of God and following the ways of God instead of the world we have learned not to be afraid of the giants in the land.
We have seen that their foolish desire for going back to Egypt is wrong. It is time to put our shoulders to the plow and never look back.
Joshua summed it all up in these words: “As for me and my house; we will serve the LORD!”
NO MORE FEAR
It seems that we are living in a world very similar to the time of the conspiracy of certain leaders against Joshua. I speak of the time when Israel went to spy out the land for Moses. The majority of the spies (except for Joshua and Caleb) lived in fear.
We also live in a world ruled by fear. Our leaders have turned to and joined in with an ungodly world that desires to “go back to Egypt.” The societies of the earth, including our culture, still wish to cave into the old ways that limit freedom and promote luke-warm ambitions.
Those things will only enslave us and never bring us into our truest destiny from God.
NO MORE TAKING THE EASY WAY OUT
So many Americans now want the easy way out; the type of living that you don’t have to work for. Jesus warned us of the deceptions of this concept. The spirit of the explorers, pioneers and settlers who founded this country and desired for them to value freedom above all else has not thrived on as it should have.
We forgot to tell those stories!
They must be retold. Have we not learned that lesson from keeping Passover year after year? God has sent the message; we must heed it. Our story is vitally important to pass on to others.
STOP LETTING YOUR FREEDOM BE STOLEN
Our morals and values have been diminished by others who wish to rob and rape our lands. They wish to take what we have accomplished into their own greedy hands and to use our labor for their own pagan purposes.
It is time for our Joshua’s to rise up.
Good and godly leaders must continue to led us into the intended purposes of God. God wants us to live, thrive and worship Him in a land that is full of milk and honey.
Our part in this equation is to fight for our rights to do so. Like the culture of Joshua’s day we must learn how to reclaim our God-given inheritance.
RECLAIM YOUR INHERITANCE FROM GOD
Canaan was full of pagan and evil enemies of God when the Israelites arrived in the land. Joshua guided the people into reclaiming the lands that had once belonged to the descendants of Abraham. After 400 years of slavery caused by fleeing from famine and leaving their home; they were learning how to return. Joshua was teaching them God’s way of securing their lives.
As a shadow of Christ; Joshua’s great leadership mirrored the way that we need to be following Christ. Jesus will guide us back into peace and security if we allow him to do so.
LIVE IN THE KINGDOM TODAY
Through the life of Joshua we have seen how mighty warriors of God keep moving forward deeper into God’s Kingdom. The true ones were persistent in leaving the ways of the world behind. Now in studying the life and times of Joshua, we have learned how to take The Promised Land in the Name of our God.
There is no need for us to sit around and wait for God to send angels to fight for us; the Kingdom is available to us now. God is right here beside us and fighting for us and with us NOW. Should someone try to stop our progress to reclaim our birthright; God will step in and fight for us.
No enemy or fear can compete with the greatness of the One True God whom we serve.
REMEMBER YOUR BIRTHRIGHT
Deep in their hearts the ones who would like to take us back to Egypt know this is true. They are serving someone else; not God. That is why we have experienced the destruction of religion in America today. God’s enemies know and understand that they can’t stop people who unite under God and follow God’s ways.
Evil cannot exist within such a faithful structure and survive.
The lack of people who take a godly stance in this nation is the reason that our country now appears to be weak instead of strong. We were never strong from our own strength. All of our strength came from God.
If we turn back to God and follow His instructions; we will become strong enough to take back our country.
RESTORE THE WORSHIP OF OLD
We can rebuild the institutions that were once good and have not been completely destroyed.
Our cities that have been taken over by crime and injustice can thrive again.
We simply have to change the hearts of the people back to worshipping and following the ways of The One True God who rules Heaven and Earth. Like Joshua; we must trust Him and Him alone for every new ambition and every step that we take in His name.
We are NOT our own salvation. Like the change in Joshua’s name – God is our Salvation. Wake up and hear the truth. It matters.
LIVE INTO THE NEW IDENTITY
When we live into our new identity in Christ, the world cannot impose its values upon us.
There were ten doubters who tried to sway Joshua and Caleb from living outside of fear and into the truth of God. They were not able to do so. Joshua remained strong and able. God supplied him with strength and health. He did not cave and fall into the ways of those who outnumbered his judgments of what was right and what was wrong.
Joshua stayed with the path that God had shown to him.
HELP THROUGH END-TIMES
There is an end-time scripture that describes the actions of ten nations who will form an alliance against the people of God. It is very helpful to keep this analogy in mind if you wish to understand biblical prophesy. Read Revelation 12 and 13. Go to the words found in Daniel Chapter Seven. Read Ezekiel Chapter 38. Allow God to lead you; as Joshua did.
God is still our leader and He is still carrying out His plan to bring us into a final Promised Land. In this land our joy will never end.
CONCLUSIONS ABOUT JOSHUA
Our study of Joshua ends with these words found in Joshua 23:29-33:
(Joshua 23:29-33) After these things, Joshua son of Nun, the servant of the LORD, died at the age of a hundred and ten. And they buried him in the land of his inheritance, at Timnath Serah in the hill country of Ephraim, north of Mount Gaash.
Israel served the Lord throughout the lifetime of Joshua and of the elders who outlived him and who had experienced everything the LORD had done for Israel.
And Joseph’s bones, which the Israelites had brought up from Egypt, were buried at Shechem. This became the inheritance of Joseph’s descendants.
And Eleazar son of Aaron died and was buried at Gibeah, which had been allotted to his son Phinehas in the hill country of Ephraim.
There is a lifetime of astonishing news packed into those last last few verses of The Book of Joshua. It proclaims the loyalty and love of God from Joshua. The leaders who ruled in Joshua’s time are also praised.
OVERSEEING BURIAL OF JOSEPH’S BONES
The most astonishing thing; as if it were just an after thought, is the almost hidden fact that the people finally buried the bones of Joseph in The Promised Land. Joseph’s last request was that his bones be transported with the Israelites whenever they left Egypt. Moses saw to it that this promise was kept.
It was because they had to collect Joseph’s bones that the Israelites took the long route through the wilderness, turning a 3 days journey into 40 years. Yet; Joseph had his final resting place as he had desired; among his own people in the land of his birth. The whole story is quite amazing!
THE DEATH OF ELEAZAR
We also hear of Eleazar’s death. This son of Aaron had carried out the priesthood after Aaron and had raised a godly son named Phinehas who had been true and faithful to God.
His faithfulness saved the day for the Israelites in many circumstances.
They buried a much-loved Eleazar in the hill country of Ephraim.
A COMING RESURRECTION
God has written the story of Joshua’s life. It has been an amazing story full of twists and turns and great adventures. One day, God willing, we will again speak with Joshua. We could say the same for Joseph and Eleazar.
Where are their souls now?
I truly believe that the renewed body and soul of Joshua is resting peacefully with Christ after rising in Resurrection of the dead just after Christ. He became one of the first fruits of the first Resurrection’s harvest for God’s Kingdom. The Resurrection of Christ triggered those who died in faith to resurrection after him.
We just symbolically passed through the remembrance of this great day; three days after the Passover on the day of Early First Fruits. Jesus rose from the grave victorious and the souls that had believed in Messiah (even before He had come to earth) rose after him.
THE KEYS TO DEATH AND HADES
While Jesus was buried, for three days and nights, he went to hell and retrieved the keys to death from Satan.
Our Savior preached the gospel to those who were born before His crucifixion ever happened. They had died along with the very ancient who had not yet received eternal salvation. These people had been blindly faithful and had crossed over only to wait on His return to them. Jesus was faithful to follow through with His promises.
I truly believe that Joshua (and Joseph and Eleazar) made it into that early first-fruits resurrection because they would have heard the Word and believed on Jesus who now owned control over death and the grave.
Those who were faithful (think Abraham and Sarah too) were raised from the dead right after Christ our first-fruits arose from the grave on that astounding, prophetic and faithful day.
SUCH A CLOUD OF WITNESS
We have never had a more valid witness than this.
In God’s good time we will be able to find Joshua. As was the pattern of his whole life, we will find him again working with Jesus, the One his life foreshadowed in the future. It is just one of the many amazing things that we might see happen at the time when we too will rise to life everlasting.
Another resurrection is coming!
The future is set.
God has said it and it will happen.
A PROMISED LAND FOR ALL OF GOD’S CHILDREN
There is a Promised Land beyond that shadow of Israel which we have witnessed. Israel was our pattern for learning how to follow God into eternal life.
God’s people will live and reign with him in that place forever and ever. No one will ever be able to defeat our nation again! King Jesus will be in charge and the government will be on his shoulder. I’m sure Joshua will be serving in that army whenever the rest of us are encouraged to sign up.
Until that day; be prepared!
Get ready!
One like Joshua had an even greater victory. The battle has been won.
Jesus is coming again.