The Story Thus Far …

“ ‘Get out of your country, from your family and from your father’s house, to a land that I will show you.’ ” So spoke God to Abraham as He called him to leave Ur and go to Canaan (Gen. 12:1). Abraham went, sojourning in Canaan all his days. But later, God made a solemn covenant with him, saying, “ ‘To your descendants I have given this land, from the river of Egypt to the great river, the River Euphrates’ ” (Gen. 15:18b). To be sure, Abraham’s progeny would suffer affliction in Egypt for four hundred years. Afterward, however, God would judge their oppressors—and the sinful occupants of the land of promise (Gen. 15:13–16).

In time, God fulfilled all of His prophecies and promises. Abraham’s grandson, Jacob, took his family to Egypt to escape famine in Canaan. There the family grew into a vast nation, multiplying despite the best efforts of Egypt’s Pharaoh to limit their numbers. Then, in His time, God called forth Moses and sent him to lead the people out of their bondage. God brought judgment on Egypt in the form of 10 horrendous plagues and the destruction of Pharaoh’s army in the waters of the Red Sea. But He led the descendants of Abraham through the waters and the wastelands to the foot of Sinai, there to be constituted a nation in covenant with Himself and given His law.

But when Israel came to Canaan’s border, its scouts returned with a chilling report: “ ‘They are stronger than we’ ” (Num. 13:31b). Only Joshua and Caleb were unafraid: “ ‘If the LORD delights in us, then He will bring us into this land and give it to us,’ ” they said (Num. 14:8a). But the people were afraid and rebelled, and though God spared them, He condemned them to wander 40 years in the desert until all the rebellious generation had died—except Joshua and Caleb.

As we come to the book of Joshua, the 40 years are ending. Moses has died short of entering the land, paying the penalty for his own disobedience (Num. 20:1–13). But before his death, Moses had pleaded with God to give the people another leader. And God has done so—the faithful Joshua, who had been Moses’ assistant (Num. 27:15–23). Inaugurated in the sight of all the people, Joshua has received the spirit of wisdom (Deut. 34:9). Though he is not a prophet on a par with Moses, he is God’s man to lead the people into the Land of Promise.