Joshua. Joshua was a believer in the Old Testament known for his great faithfulness, courage, and leadership. Joshua a man of the tribe of Ephraim, best known as the successor to Moses as the leader of Israel. It was Joshua's privilege to lead Israel over the Jordan river and into Canaan. He set the people off on a good heading in their new land, and worked with them to defeat the tribes of the Canaanites and possess their inheritance.
His life.1 Joshua first becomes known to us as a young man in the book of Exodus. His father's name was "Nun", and he is frequently called "Joshua, the son of Nun". His name from birth was "Oshea", meaning 'salvation' (Num 13:16). But when Moses chose him as the representative spy from the tribe of Ephraim, he changed his name to "Jehoshua", meaning 'Jehovah saves". This touching modification speaks to us of how deliverance, in every way, is only of and through God. Jehoshua was then contracted into Joshua. The Greek form of Joshua is Jesus; the very name chosen by God the Messiah, and given by the angel Gabriel to Mary before the conception (Lk. 1:31) and separately by another angel to Joseph after the conception (Matt. 1:21).
War with Amalek. The first time we read of Joshua is in Exodus 17 in the battle with Amalek. And that battle Moses trusted Joshua as the field commander of the armies of Israel, while Moses and Aaron were up on the mountain. In that chapter Joshua is a type of Christ working in His people, while Moses is a type of Christ interceding for them.
As Moses Minister. We then find Joshua as the minister or servant to Moses, and it appears that he went up on Mount Sinai (Ex. 24:13; 32:17). If this is indeed the case, it would have been an incredible privilege to witness the interaction between Moses and Jehovah, to see Moses receive the tables, etc. Joshua's inexperience is noted when he perceives the noise of Israel's idolatrous feasting as the noise of war, and is corrected by Moses that it was the noise of singing. We see Joshua's inexperience again when he exhorted Moses to forbid Eldad and Medad who prophesied under the power of the Spirit of God in the camp of Israel, after Moses had fainted under the weight of administrative responsibility. Joshua demonstrated that he was loyal to Moses, but Moses correctly pointed out that what was needed was not loyalty to him but loyalty to God. God was certainly resource enough for Moses to depend on to be the sole channel of God's communication to Israel. However, since Moses was unwilling, God's would simply use other vessels. Joshua witnessed a lesson in meekness in that Moses replied: "Enviest thou for my sake? would that all Jehovah's people were prophets, and that Jehovah would put his Spirit upon them!"
In the tent of meeting. Before the Tabernacle was built, there was a tent where the Lord's presence was, called the "tent of meeting". When Moses came down from the mountain and found the people going on wickedly, he broke the tables of the law lest the holy standard of God enter where His people, bound to it by their oath, were in such a state. Moses then temporarily removed the tent of meeting outside of the camp of Israel. Moses would speak with the Lord in the tent, and return to the people. It is noted that Joshua did not depart from that tent. It shows that he valued the presence of the Lord. "But his attendant, Joshua the son of Nun, a young man, departed not from within the tent." (Exodus 33:11).
As a spy. When Israel reached Kadesh-Barnea, Moses sent twelve spies across to survey the land (Num. 13-14). He sent one man from each tribe, and chose Joshua from the tribe of Ephraim. After surveying the land and returning with evidence of its fruitfulness, ten of the spies brought back an evil report, which the people believed. Joshua and Caleb on the other hand brought back a good report. Israel simply refused to believe that God was able to bring them into the land and give it to them. This was the tenth of the ten temptations. As a result of Israel's sin of unbelief, they would not be allowed to enter the land. As discipline, they would be forced to wander, going in a great circle through the wilderness for forty years, during which time all those at least twenty years old would die, except for Caleb and Joshua. Nevertheless, Caleb and Joshua would bear the trials of the wilderness along with the people. It is remarkable that we do not hear one word of complaint or rebuke from Joshua or Caleb. After forty years, they came again to Kadesh-Barnea, and from thence approached the land to enter it.
A successor to Moses. In Numbers 27:12-23 Joshua is formally named as Moses' successor. Having been told that he would not go up into the land, Moses cried out to the Lord, concerned about the people in his absence. He prayed to the Lord for a leader to take his place. The Lord answers beautifully: "Take Joshua the son of Nun, a man in whom is the Spirit, and thou shalt lay thy hand upon him, etc." Moses would put his honor upon Joshua, and the whole assembly of the children of Israel would obey him. Joshua did lead Israel into Canaan, and the book of Joshua records the progress of entering, possessing, and dwelling in the land. The great lesson in the book of Joshua is that God gives His people a portion, and His presence will be with them along the way, but there is courage, energy, and faith required to possess and dwell in it!