St. Joshua

The Lord Saves

At the end of the Pentateuch, as Moses dies, he transfers leadership of Israel to Joshua by the laying on of hands and the impartation of the spirit of wisdom. The book of Joshua opens with God’s command for Joshua to lead Israel across the Jordan and into the promised land. Joshua first sends spies into the land, an action that produces even more believers – Rahab and all her household – but those who do not believe in the Lord must be blotted out.

Joshua himself, before assuming leadership of Israel, had already spied out the land with Caleb and ten others. Despite the goodness of the land, Joshua and Caleb were the only two spies who brought back a good report. The rest of their generation perished in the wilderness because of their failure to trust the Lord’s promises, yet finally these two faithful spies were permitted to enter the land of promise, with Joshua at the head of the whole people.

Upon spying out the land and entering, Joshua’s incredible career officially commences. He begins in no better way than to establish himself and God’s people wholly for the Lord, best captured in his speech to Israel: “choose for yourselves this day whom you will serve, whether the gods your ancestors served beyond the Euphrates, or the gods of the Amorites, in whose land you are living. But as for me and my household, we will serve the Lord” (Joshua 24:15). In this manner, through Joshua, God tears down mighty Jericho, tells the sun to stop over the battle at Gibeon, and accomplishes many other marvelous deeds, including the less fantastic but necessary allotment of the promised land to the houses of Israel.

Even to his last days, Joshua gave a faithful example of service to the Lord and encouraged the always-wavering people to abide by the Lord’s commandments. After convening the elders of Israel to admonish them toward this very thing, Joshua died at the age of 110.

Brief History

The Lutheran church remembers and gives thanks for Joshua on September 1st as the great prophet and type of Christ who foreshadowed our Lord’s entrance into the promised rest for his people so that we too might share in the victory!

It is difficult to pin down exactly when Joshua was added to the calendar of commemorated saints, but it is likely that he made his appearance after the fourth century when the liturgical calendar was first being established and unified under the major feasts such as Easter and Christmas. Up through the ninth century and into the middle ages, more and more saints, including such prominent Old Testament saints as Joshua, were added to the sanctoral calendar.

Collect

O Almighty God, who hast knit together Thine elect in one communion and fellowship in the mystical body of Thy Son Jesus Christ, our Lord: grant us grace so to follow Thy blessed saints in all virtuous and godly living, that we may come to the unspeakable joys which Thou hast prepared for those who unfeignedly love Thee; through the same, Jesus Christ, Thy Son, our Lord, who liveth and reigneth with Thee and the Holy Ghost: ever one God, world without end. Amen.

Readings

Resources

References:
1. The Lutheran Study Bible. Concordia Publishing House. 2016.

Images:
1. Joshua and Caleb, Albrecht Altdorfer, Germany, ca. 1520.
2. Joshua passing the River Jordan with the Ark of the Covenant, Benjamin West, ca. 1800.
3. Joshua Commanding the Sun to Stand Still upon Gibeon, John Martin, British, 1816.

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