Born a slave in Egypt, an inconspicuous lad named Oshea, the son of Nun, of the tribe of Ephraim, made his way across the dry bottom of the sea along with the rest of the nation of Israel. His first taste of freedom, unknown to previous generations was sweet and salty like the parted waters surrounding him like walls. He begins a journey that will take him from defeat to victory, from slavery to the Promised Land, through triumph and pain. History does not remember him as Oshea son of Nun, but by his more common name.
Numbers 13:16 These are the names of the men which Moses sent to spy out the land. And Moses called Oshea the son of Nun “Jehoshua.”
Joshua for short.
From Oshea the son of Nun to Joshua commanding the sun to stand still…his life is marked by his participation in what we refer to today as “The Prayer Closet.”
Joshua is first mentioned in Exodus 17, as the leader of the army that took on the Amalekites after the first miracle of water from the rock. During this time, Joshua fought with all his might, but it was the LORD, responding to Moses on the hill making the prayer, that brought the victory.
Exodus 17:11-13
11 And it came to pass, when Moses held up his hand, that Israel prevailed: and when he let down his hand, Amalek prevailed.
12 But Moses hands were heavy; and they took a stone, and put it under him, and he sat thereon; and Aaron and Hur stayed up his hands, the one on the one side, and the other on the other side; and his hands were steady until the going down of the sun.
13 And Joshua discomfited Amalek and his people with the edge of the sword.
Victory was won that day, not by might nor by power but by the Spirit of the LORD, for the battle belongs to the LORD. Consider the participants however….someone was fighting the battle, and someone was praying for the LORD to intervene. And the LORD Most High, merciful and gracious, ever faithful, brought the battle to victory in response to a PRAYER and an ACTION.
Joshua became Moses’ personal servant. He was intimately present during many difficult experiences. When Moses went up to the mount to receive the first tablets of the commandments, Joshua went with him as far as he could (Exodus 24:13). He therefore had no part whatsoever in the sin of the golden calf. He was near Moses at the base of the mountain. He thought there was “a noise of war in the camp” (Exodus 32:17), and he accompanied Moses back to the camp, where he watched as Moses broke the stone tablets of the commandments written with the finger of God in his anger. Joshua was a first-hand witness to all Moses and God said and did that day.
When Moses set up the first tent of meeting, predating the Tabernacle which had not been built yet, He went back and forth into this tent to meet with God. This was the camp’s Prayer Closet. It was not in the camp. It was pitched afar off from the camp, away from the distractions of everyday life.
Exodus 33: 8-11
8 And it came to pass, when Moses went out unto the tabernacle, that all the people rose up, and stood every man at his tent door, and looked after Moses, until he was gone into the tabernacle.
9 And it came to pass, as Moses entered into the tabernacle, the cloudy pillar descended, and stood at the door of the tabernacle, and the Lord talked with Moses.
10 And all the people saw the cloudy pillar stand at the tabernacle door: and all the people rose up and worshipped, every man in his tent door.
11 And the Lord spake unto Moses face to face, as a man speaketh unto his friend. And he turned again into the camp: but his servant Joshua, the son of Nun, a young man, departed not out of the tabernacle.
The book of Exodus does not record what Joshua was doing in the tabernacle. It does not record the intimate conversations that Joshua had with God, or the conversations that he overheard as the servant of Moses. It does not record the building of a relationship between God and Joshua as prayers went forth and answers came in return. There was a pillar of cloud and a pillar of fire, visible to all, but the inmost secrets between God and man stayed in the prayer closet.
But the results of this devotion are clear to all who study scripture. Joshua was bold and full of zeal. He was respected by men but humble enough to be corrected and accept instruction. In accepting correction and instruction, he learned powerful principles, as recorded here:
Numbers 11:27-29
27 And there ran a young man, and told Moses, and said, Eldad and Medad do prophesy in the camp.
28 And Joshua the son of Nun, the servant of Moses, one of his young men, answered and said, My lord Moses, forbid them.
29 And Moses said unto him, Enviest thou for my sake? would God that all the Lord’s people were prophets, and that the Lord would put his spirit upon them!
This was a powerful statement, which could only have altered Joshua’s perception of the relationship between God and Man. God has always wanted to dwell with Man, to be our God and for us to be His People. As Joshua grew in understanding, experience and relationship, he became accustomed to witnessing the supernatural, and relished and delighted in the Fear of the LORD.
It was this Fear of the LORD that allowed him to walk in Canaan as one of the 12 spies in Numbers 14 without fear of men, giants, beasts or any other obstacle in the land. Filled with zeal for his God, he and Caleb boldly declared “The land, which we passed through to search it, is an exceeding good land. 8 If the Lord delight in us, then he will bring us into this land, and give it us; a land which floweth with milk and honey. 9 Only rebel not ye against the Lord, neither fear ye the people of the land; for they are bread for us: their defence is departed from them, and the Lord is with us: fear them not.” (Numbers 14:7-9) His faithfulness was rewarded by God, who allowed Joshua and Caleb to survive the forty years in the wilderness and walk in the Promised Land again.
Joshua’s experiences and success were not happenstance. He was guided by the LORD through prayer, through intimate experiences with the presence of God. From witnessing the LORD on the mountain, from communing with the LORD in the tent of meeting, from witnessing the Spirit of the LORD fall upon the people and cause them to prophesy, from witnessing the results of the anger of the LORD, he developed a healthy relationship with God and awe of His Presence. Becoming the anointed leader of Israel to succeed Moses in Numbers 27, he carried the Spirit of the LORD, with wisdom, understanding, counsel, might, knowledge, and a Fear of the LORD (Isaiah 11). God spoke of him to Moses, 18 “Take thee Joshua the son of Nun, a man in whom is the spirit, and lay thine hand upon him; 19 And set him before Eleazar the priest, and before all the congregation; and give him a charge in their sight.
“A man in whom is the spirit.” This was a declaration of truth by the LORD Most High, who had tested and tried Jehoshua ben Nun through many experiences and had given to him what he needed. Joshua did not earn anything through his own accomplishments. It was the LORD who brought victory against the Amalakites, it was the LORD who met with him in the tent of meeting, it was the LORD who imbued him with boldness and zeal, it was the LORD who anointed him at the end of their journey. It would be the LORD who brought down the walls of Jericho, and the LORD who would stop the sun and the moon. Joshua’s success in Israel was not by his own works, but there were two things that Joshua absolutely needed to give to the LORD to accomplish all this in His sight: his Obedience, and his Availability.
Joshua didn’t have to “depart not from the tent of meeting.” He could have gone home when Moses did. But he didn’t, he gave the LORD his availability. He sought him diligently in prayer. He could have turned aside during any of his previous experiences, but he didn’t. He was obedient not only to the LORD but also to the man Moses whom God set over Joshua in authority. Joshua was Under Authority, and when one is Under Authority, one can act In Authority.
Joshua 1
1 Now after the death of Moses the servant of the Lord it came to pass, that the Lord spake unto Joshua the son of Nun, Moses’ minister, saying,
2 Moses my servant is dead; now therefore arise, go over this Jordan, thou, and all this people, unto the land which I do give to them, even to the children of Israel.
3 Every place that the sole of your foot shall tread upon, that have I given unto you, as I said unto Moses.
4 From the wilderness and this Lebanon even unto the great river, the river Euphrates, all the land of the Hittites, and unto the great sea toward the going down of the sun, shall be your coast.
5 There shall not any man be able to stand before thee all the days of thy life: as I was with Moses, so I will be with thee: I will not fail thee, nor forsake thee.
6 Be strong and of a good courage: for unto this people shalt thou divide for an inheritance the land, which I sware unto their fathers to give them.
7 Only be thou strong and very courageous, that thou mayest observe to do according to all the law, which Moses my servant commanded thee: turn not from it to the right hand or to the left, that thou mayest prosper withersoever thou goest.
8 This book of the law shall not depart out of thy mouth; but thou shalt meditate therein day and night, that thou mayest observe to do according to all that is written therein: for then thou shalt make thy way prosperous, and then thou shalt have good success.
9 Have not I commanded thee? Be strong and of a good courage; be not afraid, neither be thou dismayed: for the Lord thy God is with thee whithersoever thou goest.
The LORD was with Joshua in every way as He was with Moses, even giving him the same instruction:
Joshua 5
13 And it came to pass, when Joshua was by Jericho, that he lifted up his eyes and looked, and, behold, there stood a man over against him with his sword drawn in his hand: and Joshua went unto him, and said unto him, Art thou for us, or for our adversaries?
14 And he said, Nay; but as captain of the host of the Lord am I now come. And Joshua fell on his face to the earth, and did worship, and said unto him, What saith my Lord unto his servant?
15 And the captain of the Lord’s host said unto Joshua, Loose thy shoe from off thy foot; for the place whereon thou standest is holy. And Joshua did so.
Joshua was blessed of the LORD and granted the authority on earth to command things which man ought not to command. This supernatural authority is on display in Joshua 10:
Joshua 10:12-14
12 Then spake Joshua to the Lord in the day when the Lord delivered up the Amorites before the children of Israel, and he said in the sight of Israel, Sun, stand thou still upon Gibeon; and thou, Moon, in the valley of Ajalon.
13 And the sun stood still, and the moon stayed, until the people had avenged themselves upon their enemies. Is not this written in the book of Jasher? So the sun stood still in the midst of heaven, and hasted not to go down about a whole day.
14 And there was no day like that before it or after it, that the Lord hearkened unto the voice of a man: for the Lord fought for Israel.
It reminds one of Jesus in the boat, commanding the wind and the waves, and His disciples marveled, “who is this that the wind and the sea obey him?” (Matt 8:27)
Who is this Joshua? His name takes on several transliterations, written as Joshua, Jeshua, Yeshua, Jesus (Hebrews 4:8), Jehoshua.
The name that Moses gave him was Jehoshua,
‘הושע
This was a change from Oshea, which means “salvation.” The transformation from Oshea to Jehoshua was absolutely prophetic. Jehoshua is an amalgamation of two names:
יהוה and ישוע
When these two names are put together in the name Jehoshua, you get a statement: Yahweh is Yeshua. God is salvation. God is Jesus. Yahweh is Jesus. It was there the whole time, staring us in the face from the beginning, the mighty plan of God. Joshua and his actions were prophetic, and God was leading him all the way.
Joshua’s journey was defined by his willingness to linger in the prayer closet
Moses could not take the Israelites into the Promised Land. He had been disobedient before the LORD; he had struck the second rock to bring forth water instead of speaking to it. In doing so, he succumbed to his anger and frustration instead of bringing glory to God and sanctifying Him before His people. For this he was forbidden to enter the Promised Land. (Numbers 20)
Moses, representing the Law of Moses, could get the people to the border, but he could not bring them in. It was a man whom God chose, who was given the name “Jehoshua,” “God is Jesus,” who brought the people across the Jordan River, into the Promised Land, and proceeded to bring down walls, cast out giants, and claim the land in the Name of the Lord Most High, to the glory of God the Father. Just as the Israelites needed Joshua to bring them into the Promised Land, we need Jesus Christ Victorious to bring us through to the heavenly Promised Land of eternity.
The journey from humble slave to Jehoshua commanding the sun and moon to stand still took over 40 years. Likewise is our journey with the LORD, a long journey filled with experiences and tribulations, victories and miracles. Joshua’s journey was defined by his willingness to linger in the prayer closet, and his willingness to serve, trust, and obey. As followers of Christ, we too must devote our time to be in His Presence, developing a relationship with Him, and following through with actions of obedience and submission to His Authority.