Joshua enters His-story with no dramatic introduction unlike his mentor Moses. Even the detail that he belonged to the tribe of Ephraim comes late in the Scripture. He is called a minister and a servant to Moses. He was also the commander of the Israelite army. Joshua is seen receiving a command from Moses to go and fight against Amalek, a tribe that descended from Edom. And the battle was even – Israel prevailed when Moses held up his hand that had the rod of God whereas Amalek prevailed when Moses let down his hand to rest. Ultimately, Joshua discomfited Amalek and his people. And Moses built an altar and called the name of it Jehovahnissi; For he said, Because the LORD hath sworn that the LORD will have war with Amalek from generation to generation. – Exo 17:15. Even though Joshua was the captain of the army of Israel, it was the Lord who lifted up their banner of victory. Hence the name Jehovah-Nissi.

Amalek is a shadow of the real flesh that keeps fighting with the Spirit of God who is joined to and has taken control of the human spirit in a believer’s life. He that is joined unto the Lord is one spirit. – 1 Cor 6:17. As long as the believer keeps vigil over the enemy, the believer keeps winning. The moment the guard is down, the flesh will prevail and will drag the slack believer down into the pit of sin, decay, and death. And this war will continue from “generation to generation”, i.e., without ceasing throughout the life of the believer, here on earth. But, there certainly is coming the day of the Lord when He will utterly put out the remembrance of Amalek from under heaven. – Exo 17:14.

Joshua alone accompanied Moses to the foot of the mountain from the top of which Moses received the Ten Commandments. As they were returning to the Israelite camp, Joshua heard the noise of the people who were singing unto the calf that they had made around which they were dancing. He rightly interpreted it as a noise of war – it was indeed a noise of war of the people against their Lord who had delivered them out of Egypt and who had saved them from the oppressive hand of the Pharaoh.

Here is what the Lord has to say about Joshua: Joshua, the son of Nun, a young man, departed not out of the Tabernacle. – Exo 33:11. How he yearned for the Lord’s fellowship!

The Israelites had to pass through the wilderness between Egypt and Canaan. And there were a few city-states that they had to cut across on the way to their destination that flowed with milk and honey.
They were almost there. Now, Moses wanted to make sure that the entry into Canaan was a grand-gala event. So, he wanted a few spies to study the ground reality and report back. Twelve young men went. All but two returned with reports of the fertile land and its produce but also of the inhabitants of the land – there are man-eating cannibals and giants, tall and strong and we were like grasshoppers before them! Unbelievers. And these ten caused the people to cry, murmur and speak against the Lord and His servants Moses and Aaron.

The Lord had his own men among the spies. Caleb of the tribe of Judah, was of the believing remnant of Israel and so was Joshua. Caleb, the elder of the two said, “Let us go up at once, and possess it; for we are well able to overcome it”. – Num 13:30. They spoke encouragingly saying, “The Lord is with us. Fear them not” – Num 14:9. The people believed more in the report of the pessimistic ten than the reassuring two and wanted to go back to Egypt. The Lord saw the unbelief of His people and ruled that none of them except Caleb and Joshua would set foot in the promised land. Everybody else who had seen the mighty hand of the Lord at work in Egypt, who were delivered by the Lord from the hands of the Pharaoh and led out from the land of bondage would die in the wilderness, forfeiting the possession of the land to their children and grandchildren.

Later, after Joshua took command of the Israelites after the death of Moses (and his secret burial; God did not want the Israelites to make a shrine out of his burial site!), Christ, the Lord, met him on the outskirts of Jericho. He introduced Himself as “the Captain of the host of the Lord” and instructed Joshua on the strategy to bring down the walls of Jericho. This would then open the way for the children of God (including the believing descendants of Jacob) to walk across Jericho and possess Canaan. This was essential because it was then that Israel would be established as a nation in their own promised land. It was here that the promised Seed of the woman would be born. Joshua led the people across Jericho as per the instructions he received from “the Captain”.

God promised Joshua, “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”. – Josh 1:9. What encouraging words for a new leader! “As for me and my house, we will serve the LORD” – Jos 24:15 – a stern resolution from a servant of God who had his family go with him while everybody else around forsook God soon enough.
Joshua. Yehoshua in Aramaic. Iyeasu in Thamizh. Jesus in English. The very name that the Son of God would take as the Seed of the woman.

Seed of the woman! This sends jitters down the very nerves of Satan!