It was a very common Jewish name, and of course was given in memory of
the great leader who brought the hosts of Israel to rest in the promised
land.
There is no sharper contrast conceivable than between Joshua and Jesus.
The contrast and the parallel are both most significant.
(a) The contrast.
Joshua is perhaps one of the least interesting of the Old Testament men;
a mere soldier, fit for the fierce work which he had to do, rough and
hard, ready and prompt, of an iron will and a brave heart. The one
exhortation given him when he comes to the leadership is 'be strong and
of a good courage,' and that seems to have been the main virtue of his
character. The task he had to do was a bloody one, and thoroughly he did
it. The difficulties that have been found in the extermination of the
Canaanites may be met by considerations of the changed atmosphere
between then and now, and of their moral putrescence. But no explanation
can make the deed other than terrible, or the man that did it other than
fierce and stern. No traits of chivalrous generosity are told of him,
nothing that softens the dreadfulness of war. He showed no touch of pity
or compunction, no lofty, statesmanlike qualities, nothing constructive;
he was simply a rough soldier, with an iron hand and an iron heel, who
burned and slew and settled down his men in the land they had
devastated.
The very sharpness of the contrast in character is intended to be felt
by us. Put by the side of this man the image of Jesus Christ, in all His
meekness and gentleness.
Does not this speak to us of the profound change which He comes to
establish among men?
The highest ideal of character is no longer the rough soldier, the
strong man, but the man of meekness, and gentleness, and patience.
How far the world yet is from understanding all that is meant in the
contrast between the first and the second bearers of the name!
We have done with force, and are come into the region of love. There is
no place in Christ's kingdom for arms and vulgar warfare.
The strongest thing is love, armed with celestial armour. 'Truth and
meekness and righteousness' are our keenest-edged weapons--this is true
for _Christian morals_; and for _politics_ in a measure which the world
has not yet learned.
'Put up thy sword into its sheath,'
(b) The parallel.
It is not to be forgotten that the work which the soldier did in type is
the work which Christ does. He is the true Moses who leads us through
the wilderness. But also He is the Captain who will bring us into the
mountain of His inheritance.
But besides this, we too often forget the soldier-like virtues in the
character of Christ.
We have lost sight of these very much, but certainly they are present
and most conspicuous. If only we will look at our Lord's life as a real
human one, and apply the same tests and terms to it which we do to
others, we shall see these characteristics plainly enough.
What do we call persistence which, in spite of all opposition, goes
right on to the end, and is true to conscience and duty, even to death?
What do we call the calmness which forgets self even in the agonies of
pain on the cross? What do we call the virtue which rebukes evil in high
places and never blanches nor falters in the utterance of unwelcome
truths?
Daring courage. |
Promptness of action. | All conspicuous in Jesus.
Iron will. |
It has become a commonplace thing now to say that the bravery which
dares to do right in the face of all opposition is higher than that of
the soldier who flings away his life on the battlefield. The soldiers of
peace are known now to deserve the laurel no less than the heroes of
war.
But who can tell how much of the modern world's estimate of the
superiority of moral courage to mere brute force is owing to the history
of the life of Christ?
We find a further parallel in the warfare through which He conquers for
us the land.
His own struggle ('I have overcome'), and the lesson that we too must
fight, and that all our religious life is to be a conflict. It is easy
to run off into mere rhetorical metaphor, but it is a very solemn and a
very practical truth which is taught us, if we ponder that name of the
warrior Leader borne by our Master as explained to us by Himself in His
words, 'In the world ye shall have tribulation; but be of good cheer, I
have overcome the world.'
Ps. cx. 'Thy people shall be willing in the day of thy power, in the
beauties of holiness from the womb of the morning: thou hast the dew of
thy youth.'