Meeting our Man

If you are following the Crossings homework, you are beginning to get to know Joshua. I like to visualize him as Moses' aide. Can you imagine! Numbers 11:28 tells us that he was Moses' aide from his youth. Well, how old was that? I've done a little investigating and here's what I've found... some things we know for sure and some are a good guess.

Going forward from his birth, we know these facts: Joshua was born in Egypt as a slave and was the son of Nun from the tribe of Ephraim. Joshua experienced the Exodus and with all Israel crossed the Red Sea on dry ground. We know he was Moses' aide and military man for forty years in the desert. We know he was God's assigned leader in charge of crossing Israel over the Jordan River. Joshua died at age 110 in Canaan, the Promised Land.

Going backward from his death, here's what we speculate: Joshua died at age 110 after living in the Promised Land for 25 years, so he was 85 years old when he led the crossing over the Jordan. He spent 40 years in the desert as Moses' aide, from ages 45 to 85. Two months into the desert, at around age 45, Joshua fought and gained a major victory at Rephidim while Aaron and Hur held up Moses' arms. A few months earlier, also at age 45, he watched the plagues, God's miracles, the hardening of Pharaoh, the deaths of the firstborn, and experienced the first Passover as he walked with his clan across the Red Sea. 45 was a big year for him. Living until age 110, 45 was just the beginning of the prime of his life.

And one more speculation: if Joshua was Moses' aide since his youth, that means he must have known Moses quite well and for quite some time back in Egypt.

Brand new thought for me.