Thank you for the biblical question, “Why did Joshua choose to serve the Lord?”
As I read Exodus, Numbers, and Joshua, here are some reasons why Joshua decided to choose to serve the LORD God of Israel:
A. Joshua experienced firsthand the deliverance of the LORD God from the Egyptian bondage.
Joshua 24 says this, “Then I sent Moses and Aaron, and I afflicted the Egyptians by what I did there, and I brought you out. 6 When I brought your people out of Egypt, you came to the sea, and the Egyptians pursued them with chariots and horsemen[a] as far as the Red Sea.[b] 7 But they cried to the Lord for help, and he put darkness between you and the Egyptians; he brought the sea over them and covered them. You saw with your own eyes what I did to the Egyptians. Then you lived in the wilderness for a long time” (NIV).
Joshua was among those who saw the 10 plagues on Egypt and the separation of water with his own eyes. There was no doubt of God’s existence with Joshua.
B. Joshua experienced firsthand the inability of the Egyptian and the Canaanites gods/goddesses to defeat the God of Israel.
Joshua 24 says this, “Now fear the Lord and serve him with all faithfulness. Throw away the gods your ancestors worshiped beyond the Euphrates River and in Egypt, and serve the Lord. 15 But if serving the Lord seems undesirable to you, then choose for yourselves this day whom you will serve, whether the gods your ancestors served beyond the Euphrates, or the gods of the Amorites, in whose land you are living” (NIV).
The gods/goddesses of the Egyptians and the Canaanites were not able to defeat the God of Israel. Those gods were powerless to defeat the Israelite army. Joshua had no reason to trust in the foreign gods.
C. Joshua experienced hearing God speak to Moses and to himself.
Exodus 33 says this, “Now Moses used to take a tent and pitch it outside the camp some distance away, calling it the “tent of meeting.” Anyone inquiring of the Lord would go to the tent of meeting outside the camp. 8 And whenever Moses went out to the tent, all the people rose and stood at the entrances to their tents, watching Moses until he entered the tent. 9 As Moses went into the tent, the pillar of cloud would come down and stay at the entrance, while the Lord spoke with Moses. 10 Whenever the people saw the pillar of cloud standing at the entrance to the tent, they all stood and worshiped, each at the entrance to their tent. 11 The Lord would speak to Moses face to face, as one speaks to a friend. Then Moses would return to the camp, but his young aide Joshua son of Nun did not leave the tent” (NIV).
Joshua 1 says this, “After the death of Moses the servant of the Lord, the Lord said to Joshua son of Nun, Moses’ aide: 2 “Moses my servant is dead. Now then, you and all these people, get ready to cross the Jordan River into the land I am about to give to them—to the Israelites” (NIV).
Joshua saw the glory of God and heard the voice of God speaking to Moses in the Tent of Meeting. It was after the death of Moses that God spoke to him directly. The experience of being in the Tent with Moses must have been awesome.
D. Joshua experience firsthand the power of God through him in defeating the Canaanites.
Joshua 2 says this, “3 I will give you every place where you set your foot, as I promised Moses. 4 Your territory will extend from the desert to Lebanon, and from the great river, the Euphrates—all the Hittite country—to the Mediterranean Sea in the west. 5 No one will be able to stand against you all the days of your life. As I was with Moses, so I will be with you; I will never leave you nor forsake you. 6 Be strong and courageous, because you will lead these people to inherit the land I swore to their ancestors to give them” (NIV).
Joshua 24 says this, “‘Then you crossed the Jordan and came to Jericho. The citizens of Jericho fought against you, as did also the Amorites, Perizzites, Canaanites, Hittites, Girgashites, Hivites and Jebusites, but I gave them into your hands. 12 I sent the hornet ahead of you, which drove them out before you—also the two Amorite kings. You did not do it with your own sword and bow.”
God gave Joshua his promise that he will be with him and that he will defeat the Canaanites. He was appointed the new leader of the Israelites. As Joshua reflected on his life, God fulfilled his promise to him. He was able to conquer most of the Canaanite land during his life time. He believe that the God of Israel is a faithful covenant keeping God. There is no question in Joshua’s mind and heart that the LORD God exists and is more than able to fulfill his words to him.
It is not enough to read or to know about the Biblical narratives. God can be experienced in our lives. See Revelation 3:10 and I John 1:3.
SUMMARY: Joshua’s firsthand experiences with God confirmed for him that the LORD God is the only true and living God. God was faithful in fulfilling his words to Moses and to Joshua.
-Kingston