Consider David’s heart. Full of good intentions; and wanting to build God a house, yet hearing “Not you.”
David’s response mattered more than his disappointment. He didn’t sulk or fight the verdict. He gathered materials, blessed his son, and aligned with God’s plan. It was faith expressed as surrender.
And like David, Moses heard the same “not you.”
Moses led Israel out of slavery. But after 40 years, God said another would lead them into the land he promised. That man was Joshua.
God’s “not you” to Moses wasn’t rejection. It was preparation for what, and who, came next.
We begin this series titled, “Joshua: Encouraged by What’s Ahead.”
I’d like to start this series with a backstory from Exodus, Numbers and Deuteronomy. This lesson will help us see the formation of Joshua’s character before we dive into Joshua Chapter 1.
In Moses and Joshua, we see God guiding one leader to prepare for the next.
Joshua was mentored by Moses. We all need mentors. That’s what disciplemaking is all about.
Joshua had a front row seat to how Moses modeled faith and servant leadership. From their time together, we can trace four lessons that shaped Joshua’s character and this series: Strength from God’s presence, encouragement from God’s people, faith in God’s promises, and endurance through God’s plan of succession.
Each of these lessons still shapes how God forms leaders and encouragers today.
Let’s begin with how Strength Comes From God’s Presence.
Strength Comes From God’s Presence
Read Exodus 17:10-13 and Exodus 33:7-11 (ESV)
Joshua’s first battle comes not through strategy but surrender. While he fights Amalek in the valley, Moses lifts the staff of God on the hill. And his weary hands depended on Aaron and Hur to hold them up. Victory followed. Joshua learns early that strength doesn’t begin in the sword but in prayer.
Later, in Exodus 33, we find Joshua lingering near the “tent of meeting” after everyone else returns to camp. The same young warrior who once fought in the valley now waits quietly in God’s presence. It’s a vivid contrast. Public courage formed in private communion. Before Joshua ever leads a nation, he learns where strength lives: not in himself, but in the nearness of God.
Discussion
- Why would God link victory in the valley to prayer on the hill?
- What does it reveal about Joshua that he “did not depart from the tent”?
- How do Aaron and Hur shape our understanding of strength?
Key Takeaways
- Where is the hill we raise our hands? Where is the tent we meet with God?
- God’s presence is the source of real strength. Effort alone can’t secure victory.
- Spiritual strength is communal. God invites others to hold us up.
Joshua learned early that strength is born in God’s presence. But it doesn’t stay there. God’s strength multiplies when it’s shared.
What begins in private devotion becomes public encouragement. Let’s look at how that unfolds in Joshua’s life and in ours.
Encouragement Comes From God’s People
Read Numbers 11:16-30 and 1 Corinthians 14:3 (ESV)
When God shares His Spirit with seventy elders, they prophesy around the tent of meeting. But two (Eldad and Medad) prophesy back in the camp. Joshua wants to stop them, yet Moses refuses, longing for a day when all God’s people will speak words that build up.
The scene shows that God’s Spirit isn’t confined to the tent of meeting. True encouragement flows wherever His people live and work. Paul explained to the church in Corinth, “The one who prophesies speaks to people for their upbuilding, encouragement, and comfort.”
The Spirit’s voice moves freely, wherever we share it. And that’s the lesson Joshua needed to learn.
Discussion
- Why might God have allowed Eldad and Medad to prophesy back at the camp?
- How does Moses’ response reshape our idea of prophecy?
- What does this say about our role as a church today?
Key Takeaways
- The Spirit’s encouragement isn’t confined to the time and place we gather in God’s presence. It spills into daily life.
- Every believer should carry words of comfort and strength into their camp. Where are the tribes you can build up?
- We often picture prophets as doomsayers. But prophecy is the ministry of encouragement. Would that all the Lord’s people were prophets.
Encouragement keeps faith alive, but faith itself must stand the test.
Let’s turn to Numbers 13 and 14 to see how Joshua and Caleb’s faith clung to God’s promises when everyone else lost heart.
Faith Comes From God’s Promises
Ten let fear take over, spreading panic through the camp. Two, Joshua and Caleb, held fast to God’s promise: “If the Lord delights in us, He will bring us into this land.”
The difference wasn’t in what they saw. It was in what they trusted. The fearful imagined defeat before a single battle was fought, playing fear forward like a horror film in their minds. But faith looks back to what God has already done and forward to what He still will do. Fear grows in wild imagination. Faith stays anchored in hope and in trust in God’s love for us.
Then Joshua waited: forty years of sand and wandering, watching a fearful generation fade away. His faith endured the long delay, proving that what’s anchored in God’s love can outlast every setback.
Discussion
- Why does fear often spread faster than faith?
- How do our words shape the faith of others?
- What sustained Joshua’s faith through forty years of waiting?
Key Takeaways
- Fear grows in our imagination. Faith stays anchored in God’s love and promise.
- Our words either feed fear or build faith in others. We must choose the story we’ll tell.
- Faith remembers that God’s delight in His people is infinitely stronger than any giants ahead.
Joshua’s faith held firm for forty years through waiting and disappointment. But endurance is more than waiting. It’s mentoring others and passing the mission on when our part is done.
Let’s see how Moses and Joshua lived that out.
Endurance Comes from God’s Plan
Read Numbers 27:16-23; Deuteronomy 31-34; 2 Timothy 2:1-4 (ESV)
Moses has led for forty years. He’s carried the people, faced rebellion, and seen God’s power. But now his work is done. God tells him to commission Joshua: “Take Joshua, a man in whom is the Spirit, and lay your hand on him.” Moses obeys, passing the mantle in front of everyone. It’s a picture of humble endurance: finishing well by preparing another to continue the mission. Joshua receives that same charge: “Be strong and courageous.” Paul echoes it centuries later: “Entrust what you’ve heard to faithful people who will teach others also.”
Endurance isn’t only about holding on; it’s about passing on. The Great Commission calls us to make disciples, equip them, and then launch them. Too many ministries stop short, celebrating what was instead of preparing what’s next.
Discussion
- What does Moses teach us about finishing well?
- Why do you think God chose a public handoff between Moses and Joshua?
- How does this connect to Jesus’ Great Commission today?
Key Takeaways
- Endurance is more than holding on. It’s passing on.
- Faithful leaders equip and release others to carry the mission forward.
- The measure of endurance isn’t what we’ve built. It’s in who we’ve sent.
Moses sent Joshua in a God-planned succession, and Joshua will lead Israel into the promise.
And the same Spirit sends us… to strengthen, to encourage, to believe, and to build others up for what’s ahead.
Something to Sit With
We’ve walked through the long apprenticeship of Joshua: the quiet years before the spotlight. His story shows us how God forms leaders and encouragers long before He gives them a platform.
Strength comes from God’s presence. Joshua learned that power flows from dependence, not performance. Real courage is born in stillness with God.
Encouragement comes from God’s people. The Spirit’s work isn’t confined to sacred spaces. It spills into daily life. Every believer carries words of comfort and strength into their camp.
Faith comes from God’s promises. Fear grows in wild imagination, but faith stays anchored in God’s love and His Word. What He says matters more than what we see.
Endurance comes from God’s plan (of succession). Endurance isn’t just holding on. It’s passing on. The measure of endurance isn’t what we’ve built; it’s who we’ve sent.
Joshua’s story leaves us with a few questions worth wrestling with.
- Where do you draw your strength when the battle feels uphill?
- Who around you needs the kind of encouragement that once steadied you?
- What fears keep stealing your focus from God’s promises?
- Who is God calling you to mentor, equip and release?
These are the marks of a disciple who’s encouraged by what’s ahead: steady in presence, generous in spirit, anchored in faith, and faithful to pass the mission on.
Frequently Asked Questions
Who was Joshua in the Bible?
Joshua was Moses’ assistant and successor. He led Israel into the Promised Land after Moses died. His Hebrew name, Yehoshua, means “The LORD saves,” the same name later given to Jesus. Joshua served faithfully for decades before God placed him in command.
How did Moses prepare Joshua for leadership?
Moses mentored Joshua through years of shared experience. Joshua fought Israel’s first battle under Moses’ direction, lingered in God’s presence at the tent of meeting, stood firm alongside Caleb when the other spies lost heart, and received the public commissioning from Moses before all Israel.
What does Joshua’s backstory teach about disciplemaking?
Joshua’s formation shows that disciplemaking is long, personal, and rooted in shared life. He learned by watching Moses model faith and servant leadership. The pattern mirrors the Great Commission: make disciples, equip them, and send them out to do the same.
Why did God tell Moses he couldn’t enter the Promised Land?
God’s “not you” to Moses wasn’t rejection. It was part of His larger plan.
Moses and the Law brought Israel to the border of God’s promise, but the Law could not bring them in. God raised up Joshua, whose name points to Jesus, to lead the people into what was promised.
This lesson is part of the Encouraged by What’s Ahead series.
Scripture quotations are from the ESV Bible (The Holy Bible, English Standard Version), copyright 2001 by Crossway.