The National tribune. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1877-1917, 1888-09-20
SUNDAY MEDITATION.


We are specially interested in Joshua, since
he plays such an important part in Holy Scrip
ture, and particularly interested IN him 40 this
point Of our study from the fact he followed
Moses as leader Of the children Of Israel. That
would seem a vacancy hard to fill; and yet it
is quite humbling TO see how little the deaths
of great men affect society, and how their
places are filed. The Chicago Ledger lately
said No great man over yet died but dozens
were at work TO begin where he left off, even
before he was buried"
Who would have thought worthy successor
could be raised up, e. G., to follow Elijah? No
man seems to be absolutely necessary.
l. Time Of Birth.
joshua 11:23, shows the land of Canaan was,
when said verse was written, subdued. We
know the children of Israel were at kadesh-
Barnea IN the year 23l5 A. NJ The exodus
ceased in 1903 A. NJ. But at Kadesh-BaTuea
Caleb was DO years old. Jos, 147.) Thirty
eight years after the children of Israel left Ka-
desh-Barnea the exodus was terminated. Hence
at the close Of the exodus Caleb was 7S years
old. We learn from JOS, 1I:10 that when the
land ofCanaan was fully IN possession ofJoshua,
Caleb was SIS years old. Subtracting 70 from s.
and we have T. which was the number of
years required for settling Canaan after Joshua
took command, or II years from the tcrmiEa-
ton OF the exodus to the sutjugation OF the
Promised Land. Then it must have required
an additional year at least for dividing up the
land among the israolites and getting it settled
IS described in chapters 10 TO 10 inclusive. This
work finished Joshua died, aged 10 years. "a:
29) If sc deduct the eight years, We find the
age of Joshua at the time of the close Of the
exodus, TO wit 40 minus 8 - I02. That
was his age when ho took command as successor
OF Moses. He was a spy at hadesh- Barnea 80
years before that. Subtracting IS from l02 we
have o. his age when he went with Caleb as
spy. At that time Caleb was 40 years old
(14:7) Hence Joshua was 81 years older than
Caleb. The exodus closed in the year 2553 A.
H. Eight years later, when the land had been
divided, Joshua died, aged 10, to wit, in the
year 1851 A. II. IL we subtract 10 from 1851
we have 2,451 which was the year Of tho birth
Of Joshua. When the exodus began Joshua was
g years old. Moses was at said time 80 years
old. (Acts 7:23 3d. Hence Joshua was Is
years younger than Moses. In fixing exactly
the age of Joshua difficulty is found in deciding
for how long time he commanded the Israel
ties after the death Of Moses. The above csti-
mate has good support, and may De considered
practically correct.
2. Place Of Birth.
Joshua was born in Egypt. The IsTaelites
had been in that land 2Ij years at tho time Of
the origin of the exodus, when Joshua was -
years old. We may suppose he was born in the
land Of Goshen, which was the district OF
Egypt assigned to the Israelites. Gen, 35:lO;
1884; 474, 6, q; Elk. SD; g.26) Goshen
was east Of the eastern arm Of the Nile River,
its northern boundary being the Mediterranean
Sea and its western boundary the Nile. Joshua
was probably born a slave, and as such was
Inundated till 81 years Of age.
3. Derivation Of the Name Joshua.
The name Joshua is Of Hebrew origin. It IS
Of the same meaning as Jesus, to wit, Savior
1t was a tit name for him who was so emineutly
q rescuer and protector of his people. We
also find the following forms of the name of
Joshua-Oshea, M, Is q; Jehoshuah l Chr,
7:27 Jehoshua, M, Is 10; Joshua, Neh,
81; Jesus, ARts, Z IS; Heb, 4: 8. His name
was originally Oshea or Hoshea. Moses added
Je, making it JeEosea, or as it Is written in
M, IL: l6, Jehoshua. Je was an Authorization
of the name Jehovah. The idea is that God
saved through Hosea. Moses gave this modi
fed name TO him because IS leader of the Israel
itish forces against the Amalekites Joshua
saved his people from subsection to the heather.
lie was brave man aud always in the interest
| OF Gods chosen race. There is much in a name.
Cicero IN his first book of DiYiuatiOn makes
much of the importance Of a name signifying
luck or success. He believed that man named
Naevius Ia person having a molel should not
be intrusted with a crisis, bat that charge in d
critical case should be given rather to Gen
/ eral with the name Salvius (Savior.) There
was a favorable augery in the very name josh
ua. The name is the more impressive when we
remember it was earned nobly, heroically.
4. Pareatags
We know little Of the pedigree of Joshua.
| The name Of his father is preserved to wit,
! Nun. (Nu., 10: 8, 49, The first we know of
| Joshua is where he commanded the Israelites
! against the Amalekitcs in the year of the be-
| ginning Of the exodus to wit, 25l3 A. N.
| lie was then 81 years old Probably his
I fc OF hot tt~7,,
have been alive The fact his name is
mentioned lavors tho idea; or possibly Nun
! had been a man we'll known. No notice is
| found of his mother. We are not informed
whether he had brothers Or sisters.
5. Education.
Born a slave, it is not likely he enjoyed any
extended literary advantages. Moses was more
fortunate. Failing into royal hands, he was
reared in all the culture of Egyptian court life.
Joshua, however, WAS not al ignorant man.
/ His speeches are PROOF Of more than ordinary
intellectual range We read in Deut, 81 g.
Joshua was full of the spirit OF
! wisdom" The same verse shows US he was q
person who impressed himself OH others, gain
ing their respect and confidence. II is declared
-" The children of Israel hearkened unto him y
The lsraelites had not always been slaves
Perhaps in the childhood of Joshua prejudice
had not gone so far as to preclude some educa
tional advantages to the youthful Israelites.
6. Marriage.
We do not read of wife or children of Joshua
We can hardly think he remained single, fol
that state of life was METEOROLOGICAL among the
Jews Had he sons, they may have been al
sons of great men too frequently are, not quite
equal to their father.
T. Nationality and Tribe.
Joshua was Jew. He belonged to the tribe
of Ephraim. (Nu., 1889 lie was therefore
descendant of Joseph who had an Egyptian
wife. Gen, Al: 49, Joseph was practically
royal, and Joshua was probably grandson o
Joseph.
8. Religion
Joshua was doubtless trained in the Jewish
faith. 1t is evident, however, that during thei
seryitude in Egypt the Israelites became very
negligent of religious duties. 1t is moreOve
plain they were considerably impressed anC
more or less controlled by the heather prac
tees and beliefs of their masters. We have
reason to hope religious affairs are not in S,
deplorable condition during the childhood o
Joshua, and that he probably had quite fixeC
ideas of the true religion Then at Mt. Sinai
and on for nearly 40 years, he was under thu
discipline of the evor-present Deity, and wa
trained to elevated religious conceptions ant
practices.
8. Vocation.