| FILLING MOSES' SHOES |
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| In fact, Joshua's life had many parallels to that of Moses. The miracle of crossing the Jordan River poignantly replayed Moses' crossing of the Red Sea. Moses encountered God directly at the burning bush; Joshua met God's special representative, the "commander of the army of the Lord," and likewise took off his shoes at the meeting (5:13-15). Both Moses and Joshua wrote the law onto stones: Moses creating a premanent record for Israel, and Joshua erecting a monument for the nation to pass by on the way into the new land (8:32). Both leaders pleaded with God on behalf of their people. And both ended their terms with stirring speeches that reviewed history and challenged the people toward a critical choice. Well-Rounded Leader Moses, who grew up in the courts of Pharaoh, obviously received a better education than Joshua. He showed a philosophical bent. Joshua, on the other hand, was action-oriented and pragmatic, a perfect military man. He had the rare combination of knowing how to follow orders as well as how to give them. The Bible, never guilty of glossing over it heroes' flaws, reveals some of Joshua's mistakes. In one incident in the desert, he was rash (Numbers 11:26-30). During the first battle of Ai and the treaty negotiations with the Gibeonites, he acted impulsively, without first seeking God's advice. And, faced with his first major defeat at Ai he uncharacteristically dissolved in fright, earning God's stern rebuke: "Stand up! What are you doing down on your face?" (7:6-12). Apart from these few incidents, Joshua's life was marked by unusual faith and obedience. Joshua never let the press of military action interfere with worship and the renewal of the covenant. When he divided up the land (an immense bureaucratic burden that takes up the last half of this book), he did so with wisdom and fairness, selecting his own portion |
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