Let's see who Joshua is in the Bible

Joshua in the Bible began his life in Egypt as a slave, under cruel Egyptian teachers, but rose to become the head of Israel through faithful obedience to God.

Moses gave Hosea the son of Nun his new name: Joshua (Yeshua in Hebrew), which means "the Lord is salvation". This selection of names was the first indicator that Joshua was a "type", or image, of Jesus Christ, the Messiah.

When Moses sent 12 spies to explore the land of Canaan, only Joshua and Caleb, son of Jephunneh, believed that the Israelites could conquer the earth with God's help. Angry, God sent the Jews to wander in the desert for 40 years until on the death of that unfaithful generation. Of those spies, only Joshua and Caleb survived.

Before the Jews entered Canaan, Moses died and Joshua became his successor. The spies were sent to Jericho. Rahab, a prostitute, repaired them and then helped them escape. They vowed to protect Rahab and his family when their army invaded. To enter the land, the Jews had to cross the flooded Jordan River. When priests and Levites carried the Ark of the Covenant into the river, the water stopped flowing. This miracle mirrored what God had accomplished in the Red Sea.

Joshua followed God's strange instructions for the battle of Jericho. For six days the army marched around the city. On the seventh day they marched seven times, shouted and the walls fell to the ground. The Israelites swarmed inside, killing everything living except Rahab and his family.

Since Joshua was obedient, God performed another miracle in the battle of Gibeon. He made the sun stop in the sky for a whole day so that the Israelites could completely wipe out their enemies.

Under the divine direction of Joshua, the Israelites conquered the land of Canaan. Joshua assigned a part to each of the 12 tribes. Joshua died at the age of 110 and was buried in Timnath Serah in the hilly region of Ephraim.

Realizations of Joshua in the Bible
During the 40 years that the Jewish people wandered in the desert, Joshua served as Moses' faithful helper. Of the 12 spies sent to explore Canaan, only Joshua and Caleb trusted God, and only those two survived the desert test to enter the Promised Land. Against overwhelming odds, Joshua led the Israelite army in its conquest of the Promised Land. He distributed the land to the tribes and ruled it for a while. Without a doubt, Joshua's greatest achievement in life was his unwavering loyalty and faith in God.

Some Bible scholars see Joshua as a representation of the Old Testament, or prefiguration, of Jesus Christ, the promised Messiah. What Moses (who represented the law) was unable to do, Joshua (Yeshua) achieved when he successfully led the people of God out of the desert to conquer their enemies and enter the Promised Land. His successes indicate the accomplished work of Jesus Christ on the cross: the defeat of God's enemy, Satan, the liberation of all believers from captivity to sin and the opening of the way in the "Promised Land" of eternity.

The strengths of Joshua
While serving Moses, Joshua was also an attentive student, learning a lot from the great leader. Joshua showed enormous courage, despite the enormous responsibility assigned to him. He was a brilliant military commander. Joshua prospered because he trusted God in every aspect of his life.

Weaknesses of Joshua
Before the battle, Joshua always consulted God. Unfortunately, he did not do so when the people of Gibeon entered into a deceptive peace treaty with Israel. God forbade Israel to enter into treaties with any people of Canaan. If Joshua had sought God's direction first, he would not have made this mistake.

Life lessons
Obedience, faith and dependence on God made Joshua one of Israel's strongest leaders. He gave us a bold example to follow. Like us, Joshua was often besieged by other voices, but chose to follow God and did so faithfully. Joshua took the Ten Commandments seriously and ordered the people of Israel to live for them too.

Although Joshua was not perfect, he showed that a life of obedience to God brings great rewards. Sin always has consequences. If we live according to the Word of God, like Joshua, we will receive God's blessings.

Home town
Joshua was born in Egypt, probably in the area called Goshen, in the northeastern Nile delta. He was born a slave, like his Jewish companions.

References to Joshua in the Bible
Exodus 17, 24, 32, 33; Numbers, Deuteronomy, Joshua, Judges 1: 1-2: 23; 1 Samuel 6: 14-18; 1 Chronicles 7:27; Nehemiah 8:17; Acts 7:45; Hebrews 4: 7-9.

Occupation
Egyptian slave, personal assistant to Moses, military commander, head of Israel.

Genealogical tree
Father - Nun
Tribe - Ephraim

Key verses
Joshua 1: 7
“Be strong and very brave. Be careful to obey all the law that my servant Moses has given you; don't turn left or right from it, so that you can be successful wherever you go. " (NIV)

Joshua 4:14
That day the Lord exalted Joshua in the eyes of all Israel; and they venerated him for all the days of his life, just as they had venerated Moses. (NIV)

Joshua 10: 13-14
The sun stopped in the middle of the sky and delayed the sunset for about a whole day. There has never been such a day before or after, a day when the Lord listened to a man. Surely the Lord was fighting for Israel! (NIV)

Joshua 24: 23-24
"Now," said Joshua, "throw away the foreign gods who are among you and give your heart to the Lord, the God of Israel." And the people said to Joshua, "We will serve the Lord our God and obey him." (NIV)