Profiles of Faith: Joshua - God Is Salvation

Joshua's life is a living testimony for those who desire to obey God in living faith.

The task of taking the Promised Land from the Canaanites appeared impossible. "They are far too powerful for us to conquer!" "Their city walls are heavily fortified, and the inhabitants are giants!" "It's true that the land is rich and fertile, but how can we overcome these fierce warriors in their own land?"

So it was that 10 fearful men gave Moses what Scripture calls a "bad report" (Numbers 13:27-33 [27] And they told him, and said, We came unto the land whither thou sentest us, and surely it floweth with milk and honey; and this is the fruit of it.
[28] Nevertheless the people be strong that dwell in the land, and the cities are walled, and very great: and moreover we saw the children of Anak there.
[29] The Amalekites dwell in the land of the south: and the Hittites, and the Jebusites, and the Amorites, dwell in the mountains: and the Canaanites dwell by the sea, and by the coast of Jordan.
[30] And Caleb stilled the people before Moses, and said, Let us go up at once, and possess it; for we are well able to overcome it.
[31] But the men that went up with him said, We be not able to go up against the people; for they are stronger than we.
[32] And they brought up an evil report of the land which they had searched unto the children of Israel, saying, The land, through which we have gone to search it, is a land that eateth up the inhabitants thereof; and all the people that we saw in it are men of a great stature.
[33] And there we saw the giants, the sons of Anak, which come of the giants: and we were in our own sight as grasshoppers, and so we were in their sight.

See All...). All Israel, motivated by sight rather than faith, trembled with fear.

But the representative from the tribe of Judah, Caleb, was a faith-filled man. He quieted the people and countered the discouraging report: "Let us go up at once and take possession, for we are well able to overcome it" (verse 30). The 10 leaders staunchly disagreed with Caleb: "We are not able to go up against the people, for they are stronger than we" (verse 31).

One other man who had spied out the land supported Caleb's positive report. He was Joshua, from the tribe of Ephraim. Together he and Caleb confirmed that their trust was in God: "The land we passed through to spy out is an exceedingly good land. If the LORD delights in us , then He will bring us into this land and give it to us, 'a land which flows with milk and honey.' Only do not rebel against the LORD, nor fear the people of the land, for they are our bread; their protection has departed from them, and the LORD is with us . Do not fear them" (Numbers 14:7-9 [7] And they spake unto all the company of the children of Israel, saying, 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.

See All..., emphasis added throughout).

But Joshua and Caleb couldn't overcome Israel's fear. In fact, the Israelites demanded that Joshua and Caleb be stoned to death (verse 10). This angered God, who threatened to destroy the faithless Israelites (verse 12).

Moses pleaded with God: "Pardon the iniquity of this people, I pray, according to the greatness of Your mercy" (verse 19). God spared the Israelites, but imposed a sobering condition: They must still be punished for their lack of faith and testing of God. They would wander in the wilderness for another 40 years, until the complaining generation had died out. The Israelite fathers would not be allowed to enter the Promised Land, but their children would.

These were the same defenseless children their fathers said would surely die if they tried to enter the Promised Land (verses 3, 30-31). The unbelieving Israelites had said they would prefer to die in the wilderness rather than in this new land (verses 2-3).

Because they believed God's promise, Joshua and Caleb would live to enter the Promised Land. Eventually Joshua would succeed Moses as leader of Israel and would guide the people into the land God had promised them (Joshua 1:1-9 [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 whithersoever 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.

See All...).

Forty years later one of Joshua's first daunting challenges was to determine how his countrymen would cross the Jordan River, swollen from spring rains.

Crossing the Jordan on dry ground

Unknown to Joshua, God had a plan. "And the LORD said to Joshua, 'This day I will begin to exalt you in the sight of all Israel, that they may know that, as I was with Moses, so I will be with you. You shall command the priests who bear the ark of the covenant, saying, "When you have come to the edge of the water of the Jordan, you shall stand in the Jordan"'" (Joshua 3:7-8 [7] And the LORD said unto Joshua, This day will I begin to magnify thee in the sight of all Israel, that they may know that, as I was with Moses, so I will be with thee.
[8] And thou shalt command the priests that bear the ark of the covenant, saying, When ye are come to the brink of the water of Jordan, ye shall stand still in Jordan.

See All...).

Joshua did as he was told and reassured the Israelites that God was with them and would help them overcome their enemies in the land. Standing at the riverbank, the Israelites were astonished when, as the priests bearing the ark stepped into the water, "the waters which came down from upstream stood still, and rose in a heap." The waters backed up for miles, "and the people crossed over opposite Jericho" (Joshua 3:9-10 [9] And Joshua said unto the children of Israel, Come hither, and hear the words of the LORD your God.
[10] And Joshua said, Hereby ye shall know that the living God is among you, and that he will without fail drive out from before you the Canaanites, and the Hittites, and the Hivites, and the Perizzites, and the Girgashites, and the Amorites, and the Jebusites.

See All..., 13, 16).

God thus confirmed His choice of Joshua at the Jordan River as He had Moses at the Red Sea.

Joshua then instructed that 12 stones be gathered out of the Jordan riverbed and erected as a monument, a reminder to the Israelites of this miracle. This would recall for later generations their need to fear God and obey Him. Joshua instructed God's people: "When your children ask their fathers in time to come, saying, 'What are these stones?' Then you shall let your children know, saying, 'Israel crossed over this Jordan on dry land'; for the LORD your God dried up the waters of the Jordan before you until you had crossed over, as the LORD your God did to the Red Sea, . . . that you may fear the LORD your God forever" (Joshua 4:21-24 [21] And he spake unto the children of Israel, saying, When your children shall ask their fathers in time to come, saying, What mean these stones?
[22] Then ye shall let your children know, saying, Israel came over this Jordan on dry land.
[23] For the LORD your God dried up the waters of Jordan from before you, until ye were passed over, as the LORD your God did to the Red sea, which he dried up from before us, until we were gone over:
[24] That all the people of the earth might know the hand of the LORD, that it is mighty: that ye might fear the LORD your God for ever.

See All...).

God then commanded Joshua to have the sons of Israel circumcised, renewing God's covenant dating back to Abraham (Genesis 17:10-14 [10] This is my covenant, which ye shall keep, between me and you and thy seed after thee; Every man child among you shall be circumcised.
[11] And ye shall circumcise the flesh of your foreskin; and it shall be a token of the covenant betwixt me and you.
[12] And he that is eight days old shall be circumcised among you, every man child in your generations, he that is born in the house, or bought with money of any stranger, which is not of thy seed.
[13] He that is born in thy house, and he that is bought with thy money, must needs be circumcised: and my covenant shall be in your flesh for an everlasting covenant.
[14] And the uncircumcised man child whose flesh of his foreskin is not circumcised, that soul shall be cut off from his people; he hath broken my covenant.

See All...). The act of circumcision symbolized obedience and faithfulness to God. For 40 years in the wilderness the male children of Israel had not been circumcised, but now God required the renewal of this covenant with Israel.

The Israelites then celebrated the commanded Passover (Joshua 5:10And the children of Israel encamped in Gilgal, and kept the passover on the fourteenth day of the month at even in the plains of Jericho.
See All...). God stopped giving Israel the miraculous food, manna, at this point, allowing Israel to eat of the produce of the land, unleavened bread and parched grain (verse 11). These acts of obedience helped prepare Israel for its next major obstacle in the Promised Land: the fortress city of Jericho.

Help from inside Jericho

For Joshua to conquer the Promised Land, he needed help. God provided him supernatural help, but Joshua also needed help from humans besides his own army. Rahab was one who helped Joshua and Israel conquer Jericho. A citizen of Jericho, she provided Joshua an ideal means for infiltrating and spying out the city.

Rahab lived on one of Jericho's walls (Joshua 2:15Then she let them down by a cord through the window: for her house was upon the town wall, and she dwelt upon the wall.
See All...). A prostitute, she helped Joshua by hiding his spies. Led by faith, she protected Joshua's men and struck a shrewd bargain with them (Joshua 2:1-14 [1] And Joshua the son of Nun sent out of Shittim two men to spy secretly, saying, Go view the land, even Jericho. And they went, and came into an harlot's house, named Rahab, and lodged there.
[2] And it was told the king of Jericho, saying, Behold, there came men in hither to night of the children of Israel to search out the country.
[3] And the king of Jericho sent unto Rahab, saying, Bring forth the men that are come to thee, which are entered into thine house: for they be come to search out all the country.
[4] And the woman took the two men, and hid them, and said thus, There came men unto me, but I wist not whence they were:
[5] And it came to pass about the time of shutting of the gate, when it was dark, that the men went out: whither the men went I wot not: pursue after them quickly; for ye shall overtake them.
[6] But she had brought them up to the roof of the house, and hid them with the stalks of flax, which she had laid in order upon the roof.
[7] And the men pursued after them the way to Jordan unto the fords: and as soon as they which pursued after them were gone out, they shut the gate.
[8] And before they were laid down, she came up unto them upon the roof;
[9] And she said unto the men, I know that the LORD hath given you the land, and that your terror is fallen upon us, and that all the inhabitants of the land faint because of you.
[10] For we have heard how the LORD dried up the water of the Red sea for you, when ye came out of Egypt; and what ye did unto the two kings of the Amorites, that were on the other side Jordan, Sihon and Og, whom ye utterly destroyed.
[11] And as soon as we had heard these things, our hearts did melt, neither did there remain any more courage in any man, because of you: for the LORD your God, he is God in heaven above, and in earth beneath.
[12] Now therefore, I pray you, swear unto me by the LORD, since I have shewed you kindness, that ye will also shew kindness unto my father's house, and give me a true token:
[13] And that ye will save alive my father, and my mother, and my brethren, and my sisters, and all that they have, and deliver our lives from death.
[14] And the men answered her, Our life for yours, if ye utter not this our business. And it shall be, when the LORD hath given us the land, that we will deal kindly and truly with thee.

See All...).

Through her efforts the spies were saved. She helped smuggle them out of the city and directed where they could hide for a few days (verses 15-16).

God honored Rahab's actions many centuries later: "By faith the harlot Rahab did not perish with those who did not believe, when she had received the spies with peace" (Hebrews 11:31By faith the harlot Rahab perished not with them that believed not, when she had received the spies with peace.
See All...).

The apostle James extolled her faithful works: "Likewise, was not Rahab the harlot also justified by works when she received the messengers and sent them out another way?" (James 2:25Likewise also was not Rahab the harlot justified by works, when she had received the messengers, and had sent them out another way?
See All...). Rahab trusted God. Joshua didn't forget her help and faithfulness: "But Joshua had said to the two men who had spied out the country, 'Go into the harlot's house, and from there bring out the woman and all that she has, as you swore to her' " (Joshua 6:22But Joshua had said unto the two men that had spied out the country, Go into the harlot's house, and bring out thence the woman, and all that she hath, as ye sware unto her.
See All...).

And the walls came tumbling down

Out of fear of Israel, Jericho closed its massive gates, barring anyone from entering or leaving (Joshua 6:1Now Jericho was straitly shut up because of the children of Israel: none went out, and none came in.
See All...). Unknown to the walled city's residents, God had bottled up Jericho's king and warriors to turn them over to the Israelites (verse 2).

God gave Joshua specific instructions. The Israelites were to march around the city once each day for six days. On the seventh day they were to march around the city seven times, and then the priests were to sound their trumpets.

When they heard the long blast of the ram's horn, the Israelites were to shout. The wall of the city would then fall down flat, and the Israelite troops would enter the city, climbing over the fallen walls.

There was one stipulation in all this: The people were not to shout nor to make any noise with their voices until Joshua signaled them (verses 3-10).

Israel faithfully followed Joshua's instructions and gained a miraculous victory. We're reminded again by Joshua that Rahab and her father's household were spared for their cooperation and assistance in hiding the spies (Joshua 6:25And Joshua saved Rahab the harlot alive, and her father's household, and all that she had; and she dwelleth in Israel even unto this day; because she hid the messengers, which Joshua sent to spy out Jericho.
See All...). God shows no partiality (Acts 10:34Then Peter opened his mouth, and said, Of a truth I perceive that God is no respecter of persons:
See All...), as the Israelites soon discovered at Ai, the next city blocking their way.

A painful lesson

Joshua sent spies to Ai. When they returned to Joshua they recommended that he send about 3,000 men to attack the city.

"Do not weary all the people there, for the people of Ai are few," they reported (Joshua 7:3And they returned to Joshua, and said unto him, Let not all the people go up; but let about two or three thousand men go up and smite Ai; and make not all the people to labour thither; for they are but few.
See All...). But when the 3,000 men came into contact with the inhabitants of the city, they turned and fled for their lives. The men of Ai chased and killed 36 Israelite men in that fateful battle.

What a shock to Joshua! All he remembered was that God had promised him victory in all Israel's military campaigns. This defeat made no sense to him at all.

Joshua and the other elders of Israel fell on their faces before the ark of the LORD (verse 6). Joshua reasoned with God, reminding Him of His promise and that this defeat could endanger Israel in Canaan (verses 7-9).

But there was a deep-seated problem among the Israelites. The cause of the defeat was about to be revealed. God had warned them not to take anything from Jericho, commanding that the city be completely destroyed (Joshua 6:17-19 [17] And the city shall be accursed, even it, and all that are therein, to the LORD: only Rahab the harlot shall live, she and all that are with her in the house, because she hid the messengers that we sent.
[18] And ye, in any wise keep yourselves from the accursed thing, lest ye make yourselves accursed, when ye take of the accursed thing, and make the camp of Israel a curse, and trouble it.
[19] But all the silver, and gold, and vessels of brass and iron, are consecrated unto the LORD: they shall come into the treasury of the LORD.

See All...). One man, however, disobeyed God's instruction and stole clothing, gold and silver from the ruined city.

God told Joshua and his elders to get up and face their problem: "Israel has sinned . . . They have even taken some of the accursed things, and have both stolen and deceived . . . Therefore the children of Israel could not stand before their enemies, but turned their backs before their enemies, because they have become doomed to destruction. Neither will I be with you anymore, unless you destroy the accursed from among you" Joshua 7:11-12 [11] Israel hath sinned, and they have also transgressed my covenant which I commanded them: for they have even taken of the accursed thing, and have also stolen, and dissembled also, and they have put it even among their own stuff.
[12] Therefore the children of Israel could not stand before their enemies, but turned their backs before their enemies, because they were accursed: neither will I be with you any more, except ye destroy the accursed from among you.

See All...).

God showed there was a direct relationship between Israel's defeat and disobedience.

Joshua obeyed. He searched Israel by tribes and families and with God's help narrowed the search to Achan. When confronted, Achan admitted his sin and disclosed where the booty from Jericho was hidden (verses 19-21). Achan was stoned to death and his belongings burned (verses 24-25).

Victory at Ai

With Achan's sinful influence removed, Joshua was again sent to conquer Ai. Joshua chose 30,000 soldiers and approached Ai by night. He planned his strategy: Part of Israel's army would show itself to the men of Ai, then flee from them as before. When the men of Ai pursued the Israelites, the remaining Israelite forces would enter and take the city.

His plan worked perfectly. As the smaller group of Israelites retreated, the men of Ai poured out of their city to pursue them. "So all the people who were in Ai . . . pursued Joshua and were drawn away from the city. There was not a man left in Ai or Bethel who did not go out after Israel. So they left the city open and pursued Israel" (Joshua 8:16-17 [16] And all the people that were in Ai were called together to pursue after them: and they pursued after Joshua, and were drawn away from the city.
[17] And there was not a man left in Ai or Bethel, that went not out after Israel: and they left the city open, and pursued after Israel.

See All...).

The remaining Israelite forces entered the city and burned it in a great victory for Joshua and Israel. It was a greater victory for the glory of God.

The difference between the two battles against Ai was obedience. God is in charge of human affairs; He fights for those who humble themselves to honor and obey Him.

Even after this great victory and the greater one at Jericho, the Canaanite kings did not seek peace with Israel (Joshua 9:1-2 [1] And it came to pass, when all the kings which were on this side Jordan, in the hills, and in the valleys, and in all the coasts of the great sea over against Lebanon, the Hittite, and the Amorite, the Canaanite, the Perizzite, the Hivite, and the Jebusite, heard thereof;
[2] That they gathered themselves together, to fight with Joshua and with Israel, with one accord.

See All...). Their pride cost them their power, property and lives (Joshua 10). Not all the people of the land, however, were so proud. The Gibeonites were an exception.

The Gibeonites save themselves

The Gibeonites, terrified by the encroaching Israelites, concocted a deceitful plan to save their lives. Although they were really only a few miles away from the Israelites, some of their men posed as representatives of a faraway land seeking to establish a peace treaty with Israel.

"But when the inhabitants of Gibeon heard what Joshua had done to Jericho and Ai, they worked craftily, and went and pretended to be ambassadors. And they took old sacks on their donkeys, old wineskins torn and mended, old and patched sandals on their feet, and old garments on themselves; and all the bread of their provision was dry and moldy. And they went to Joshua, to the camp at Gilgal, and said to him and to the men of Israel, 'We have come from a far country; now therefore, make a covenant with us' " (Joshua 9:3-6 [3] And when the inhabitants of Gibeon heard what Joshua had done unto Jericho and to Ai,
[4] They did work wilily, and went and made as if they had been ambassadors, and took old sacks upon their asses, and wine bottles, old, and rent, and bound up;
[5] And old shoes and clouted upon their feet, and old garments upon them; and all the bread of their provision was dry and mouldy.
[6] And they went to Joshua unto the camp at Gilgal, and said unto him, and to the men of Israel, We be come from a far country: now therefore make ye a league with us.

See All...).

After questioning these men and being convinced they had traveled from far away, Joshua agreed to spare them. However, Israel had failed to inquire of God what should be done in this case (verses 14-15). Should Joshua have consulted God on the matter? Yes, but he didn't. Nonetheless, the Gibeonites became Israel's servants, and the Bible shows they remained faithful servants of Israel for centuries.

The Gibeonites accepted the requirements imposed on them, preferring service as woodcutters and water-carriers for Israel rather than the fate that met the other inhabitants of the land.

They also hoped for Israelite protection, for which a need quickly arose: Five Amorite kings gathered to attack the Gibeonites to teach them a lesson and strike fear in the hearts of others who might also consider surrendering to Israel.

Victory over Israel's enemies

When the Gibeonites saw the five armies poised to attack them, they sent for immediate help from Joshua and Israel.

Responding to the Gibeonites' call for help, Joshua and Israel marched all night from Gilgal to Gibeon (Joshua 10:9Joshua therefore came unto them suddenly, and went up from Gilgal all night.
See All...), striking the Amorites by surprise. "So the LORD routed them before Israel, killed them with a great slaughter at Gibeon, chased them along the road that goes to Beth Horon, and struck them down as far as Azekah and Makkedah. And it happened, as they fled before Israel and were on the descent of Beth Horon, that the LORD cast down large hailstones from heaven on them as far as Azekah, and they died. There were more who died from the hailstones than the children of Israel killed with the sword" (verses 10-11).

After this miraculous victory, Joshua went on to conquer northern Canaan (Joshua 11). However, he did not conquer all the kings of Canaan; some were left for Israel to remove later (Joshua 13). Joshua was growing old, so God directed him to divide the land among the 12 tribes.

Dividing the Promised Land

Joshua divided the land among all the tribes of Israel, with two tribes and half a tribe settling east of the Jordan River and the remainder throughout Canaan itself (same chapter). He established cities of refuge (Joshua 20) and specific towns for the Levites so all Israel could be properly served by God's servants (Joshua 13:14Only unto the tribe of Levi he gave none inheritance; the sacrifices of the LORD God of Israel made by fire are their inheritance, as he said unto them.
See All...; 14:4).

Finally, when Joshua was 110 years old, he called for all the Israelites, including their elders, judges and officers, and said to them: "I am old, advanced in age. You have seen all that the LORD your God has done to all these nations because of you, for the LORD your God is He who has fought for you" (Joshua 23:2-3 [2] And Joshua called for all Israel, and for their elders, and for their heads, and for their judges, and for their officers, and said unto them, I am old and stricken in age:
[3] And ye have seen all that the LORD your God hath done unto all these nations because of you; for the LORD your God is he that hath fought for you.

See All...).

Joshua reminded the Israelites, including their leaders, that as long as they obeyed God's commandments He would prosper and protect them. If they disobeyed God by taking on the ungodly ways of the Canaanites, He would "bring upon you all harmful things, until He has destroyed you from this good land which the LORD your God has given you" (verse 15).

Joshua gave God the credit for Israel's salvation and deliverance. His final admonition was to urge Israel to faithfully serve God and never forget His laws (Joshua 23-24).

Joshua's long journey of faith

Joshua fulfilled many roles during his life: slave, soldier, servant, spy, savior, statesman and saint. Joshua was born during Israel's years of bondage in Egypt. Toiling as a slave, he probably knew the cruel lash of the whip.

In the record about the Israelites in Egypt, we glimpse their despair and sense their anguished longing for liberty. Joshua witnessed the moral and social degradation of his countrymen, and when he came to a position of leadership he helped forge a nation established on the principles of justice.

As a soldier he was daring and imaginative, skillful in campaign strategy, the use of spies, the disciplining of his forces and, above all, he was faithful to God.

Joshua was initially a servant of Moses (Numbers 11:28And Joshua the son of Nun, the servant of Moses, one of his young men, answered and said, My lord Moses, forbid them.
See All...; Joshua 1:1Now 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,
See All...), although at the end of his days God referred to him as "the servant of the LORD" (Joshua 24:29And it came to pass after these things, that Joshua the son of Nun, the servant of the LORD, died, being an hundred and ten years old.
See All...), an affectionate and honorable title. Moses changed Joshua's name from Hoshea (meaning "help") to Joshua , "God is salvation." Moses and Joshua both learned to look to God's leadership rather than physical force and leaders.

Joshua fulfilled the meaning of his new name-"God is salvation"-leading his people into the Promised Land. He helped remove the Israelites' reproach of slavery and led them to possess their promised inheritance as a nation in their own land. In this he was a type of Christ, who leads His people to victory (1 Corinthians 15:57But thanks be to God, which giveth us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.
See All...; 1 John 5:4-5 [4] For whatsoever is born of God overcometh the world: and this is the victory that overcometh the world, even our faith.
[5] Who is he that overcometh the world, but he that believeth that Jesus is the Son of God?

See All...).

As a statesman Joshua directed the dividing up of the land among his countrymen, setting up the tabernacle and establishing the cities of refuge.

Finally, as a saint, he enjoyed the presence of God (Joshua 1:5There 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.
See All...; 6:27), was eminently knowledgeable of the Word of God (Joshua 1:8This 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.
See All...) and was faithfully obedient to the will of God (Numbers 32:12Save Caleb the son of Jephunneh the Kenezite, and Joshua the son of Nun: for they have wholly followed the LORD.
See All...). No wonder that at his death, when he was 110 years old, he was deeply mourned and his service to God and Israel was universally acknowledged.

Even after his death the memory of his example spoke for him and heavily influenced Israel and its leaders, for the nation continued to serve God all the days of the elders who were contemporary with but outlived Joshua (Joshua 24:31And Israel served the LORD all the days of Joshua, and all the days of the elders that overlived Joshua, and which had known all the works of the LORD, that he had done for Israel.
See All...).

Joshua lived up to his name, "God is salvation." His life is a living testimony for those who desire to obey God in living faith. In truth God, not man, is our salvation! GN