10Then Joshua commanded the officers of the people, saying, 11“Pass through the middle of the camp, and command the people, saying, ‘Prepare food; for within three days you are to pass over this Jordan, to go in to possess the land which Yahweh your God gives you to possess.’”
12Joshua spoke to the Reubenites, and to the Gadites, and to the half-tribe of Manasseh, saying, 13“Remember the word which Moses the servant of Yahweh commanded you, saying, ‘Yahweh your God gives you rest, and will give you this land. 14Your wives, your little ones, and your livestock shall live in the land which Moses gave you beyond the Jordan; but you shall pass over before your brothers armed, all the mighty men of valor, and shall help them 15until Yahweh has given your brothers rest, as he has given you, and they have also possessed the land which Yahweh your God gives them. Then you shall return to the land of your possession and possess it, which Moses the servant of Yahweh gave you beyond the Jordan toward the sunrise.’”
16They answered Joshua, saying, “All that you have commanded us we will do, and wherever you send us we will go. 17Just as we listened to Moses in all things, so will we listen to you. Only may Yahweh your God be with you, as he was with Moses. 18Whoever rebels against your commandment, and doesn’t listen to your words in all that you command him shall himself be put to death. Only be strong and courageous.”
The fact that God choose Joshua out of all the available leaders is very significant, especially as Caleb and Joshua were the only two of their generation to make it to the Promised Land. With this in mind let’s take one last look at the life and leadership of Joshua, before moving on.
As we know Joshua first started out as a servant of Moses, and in that time, he learned about and experienced the presence of God. Before the Tabernacle was completed, a tent was set up outside the camp, it was called the ‘Tent of Meeting’ and it was where God would talk to Moses (Exodus 33.) When the people saw the cloud of God descending on the Tent of Meeting, they would come out of their own tents and bow down. Moses would then walk out of the camp to meet with God and the people would await his return. Joshua would accompany Moses as he went to the Tent of Meeting, that was not unusual in itself it was his practice to follow him, but what happened after the meeting is of extreme significance. Moses left and returned to the camp, but this time Joshua did not go with him. He stayed at the ‘Tent of Meeting,’ remaining in the presence of God.
It is incredibly important that we meet with God’s people and to hear his voice through preaching and teaching and worship him together. However, we cannot neglect God’s personal presence in our lives. There is no substitute for spending time with God, it’s what set Joshua apart, it’s how he was able to recognise the voice of God in life and leadership. Today, may we too learn how to remain in the presence of God