Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1924-02-16

Joshua has been called the father of
his country. The career of the great
colonist and captain, who was select
ed as the successor of Moses upon
the leader and founders death, was
similar to that of Washington. Like
the great American, Joshua was pre-
pared for his great work by seeing
! the land as spy. and by his expert
ences as soldier while serving as the
| chief of staff for nearly forty years.
Like Washington, he was made com
, chief of the army by the
: appointing power and the ratifica-
, ton of the people; like him, he was
engaged in seven-year revolution
airy war; like him, he became ruler OF
| the land when the war closed; like
him. he settled and provided for the
government of thirteen states Cor
tribes. there being really thirteen aft
| err Ephraim and Manasseh were sub
stituted for Joseph. Like Washing
ton, he delivered a beautiful and
pathetic farewell address. which
forms part of our study for this week.
HIS personality was not unlike that
Iof our first President, whose birth
we celebrate during the coming
week. Joshua possessed all the quail
| ties of IA great leader. He was eau
tious, capable and courageous. He
| had the ability to create public senti-
ment, miraculously lead his follow
ers to victory, because he was con-
WINGED that he was called of God to
lead them, and he could inspire them
with his confidence because of his
unselfishness. He aroused such enthu-
siasm and devotion that in all his
military career he met with only one
defeat, due to the sin of Achan.
Every failure can under Gods bless
Ing teach us the way to success. When
we take our failures. as Joshua did.
to the Lord in prayer He will point
out the way to turn defeat into a
victory. Joshua's success can be at
! tributed to the fact that he was
ubedient to the divine law and COM
mands of God to conquer Canaan and
divide il.
During the wanderings in the
wilderness the towards of Israel had
died. After thirty eight years the
1sraelites were again ready to enter
the promised land. They were en-
camped on the slopes Of Pisgah, just
beyond the Jordan opposite Jericho.
The complaining hordes had been
transformed into a well disciplined
host. Moses, whose genius and char
acter made him by his work as de-
liver, lawgiver and organizer one of
the worlds great men, had disap-
peared from their midst. In the dark
hour of uncertainty Jehovah made
known to Joshua that Moses was
dead and called upon him to Garry
on" by conquering Canaan. With the
passing of Moses Joshua was sum-
moned to save the expeditionary
forces, and to be what his name signi-
fed. salvation.
He was eighty years of age when
God called him to the arduous task of
leadership of the people who, in the
past, had proven that they were fickl lie
and impulsive. Jehovah assured
Joshua that He would be with him
and that he would be uncomfortable
and Il great success. While from the
human standpoint the expedition ap-
peared perilous and promised obsti-
nate resistance, God was challenging
Joshua to prove his faith by taking
possession of the promised land,
which He had given to the nation
from the wilderness to the great
sea" They had to appropriate the
gift for themse Ives. He challenged
them to obtain by a conquest of foot
prints" land six times the size of
Palestine.
-Joshuas success depended upon
obedience to the law and the COM