When Moses knew that he would be not be allowed to enter the Promised Land because of his disobedience in not honoring the LORD before the people, He asked God to appoint a successor so that the people would not be like “sheep without a shepherd.” The Lord’s choice for Moses’ successor was the younger man, Joshua.
Numbers 27:18-21: “So the LORD said to Moses, ‘Take Joshua son of Nun, a man in whom is the spirit, and lay your hand on him. Have him stand before Eleazar the priest and the entire assembly and commission him in their presence. Give him some of your authority so the whole Israelite community will obey him….At his command he and the entire community of the Israelites will go out, and at his command they will come in.’” [NIV]
Joshua had been at Moses’ side from the very beginning. He had been the commander during their various military engagements. He had been on the mountain with Moses, but the thing I like most about Joshua is found in a statement about him in Exodus 33.
Moses pitched a tent in the wilderness called the “tent of meeting.” When he would go out to the tent, the people would watch as the cloud of the Lord’s Presence would descend upon that tent and Moses and the Lord would talk. Joshua would accompany Moses into the tent, and we are told that when Moses would depart, his young aide, “Joshua son of Nun, would remain behind in the Tent of Meeting.” [v11 NLT]
That simple statement speaks to me of the piousness of the young man Joshua. It tells me he had a heart for God. Joshua remained behind to soak up as much of the glory of the Lord as he could. He would need every bit of it because, while he didn’t know it at the time, he would be the one to take Israel into the Promised Land.
What Joshua learned from Moses and from the LORD God would carry him through. Toward the end of his life he would challenge the people to remain faithful to God – “Choose this day whom you will serve…but as for me and my house we will serve the Lord.” [Joshua 24:14-15]
Joshua’s challenge is still relevant – choose this day.
