Joshua, a heroic man with meek attitudes
E-mail story
It's easy. Send a link to the story you were just reading to a friend. Just fill out the form on this page and we'll send it along.
Your name and e-mail address are transmitted to the recipient. Otherwise, it is considered private information; see Privacy policy.
"Moses had worried about the selection of a successor, since he knew that he himself was not to be allowed to lead Israel into the Promised Land," wrote Elder Mark E. Petersen in the book, Joshua, Man of Faith.
"As the new prophet in Israel, Joshua was given two objectives by the Lord: to settle the tribes in the Promised Land and to cleanse Canaan of both its wicked people and its sinful religion so that the region would be suitable for Jacob's children to live in."In doing so, however, he must teach Israel to eschew idolatry and its accompanying perversions. That included wiping out idolatry's adherents, never marrying with the Canaanites, serving the one and only true and living God, and destroying the handmade images of Canaan together with the `high places' or pagan sanctuaries."
Joshua's actions were heroic and his attitudes were meek. Everything he did, from meeting Amalek blow for blow at Rephidim (Ex. 17:13-14) to leading the children of Israel around the walls of Jericho (Josh. 6:1-16) and further into Canaan, was based on the word of God.
A son of Nun of the tribe of Ephraim, Joshua was born about the time Moses fled Egypt to take refuge in Midian. He was about 40 when Moses returned to free his people from Egyptian bondage. He was in his 80s when he assumed leadership of Israel and 110 at his death. (Josh. 24:29.)
*****
(ADDITIONAL INFORMATION)
Articles on this page may be used in conjunction with the Gospel Doctrine course of study.
Information compiled by Gerry Avant
Sources: Articles of Faith, by Elder James E. Talmage; Joshua, Man of Faith, by Elder Mark E. Petersen; John A. Dickson's Bible Commentary and Dictionary; and October 1982 general conference report.
