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1 After the death of Moses the servant of the LORD, the LORD said to Joshua the son of Nun, Moses’ assistant, “Moses my servant is dead. Now therefore arise, go over this Jordan, you and all this people, into the land that I am giving to them, to the people of Israel. Every place that the sole of your foot will tread upon I have given to you, just as I promised to Moses. From the wilderness and this Lebanon as far as the great river, the river Euphrates, all the land of the Hittites to the Great Sea toward the going down of the sun shall be your territory. No man shall be able to stand before you all the days of your life. Just as I was with Moses, so I will be with you. I will not leave you or forsake you. Be strong and courageous, for you shall cause this people to inherit the land that I swore to their fathers to give them. Only be strong and very courageous, being careful to do according to all the law that Moses my servant commanded you. Do not turn from it to the right hand or to the left, that you may have good success wherever you go. This Book of the Law shall not depart from your mouth, but you shall meditate on it day and night, so that you may be careful to do according to all that is written in it. For then you will make your way prosperous, and then you will have good success. Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be frightened, and do not be dismayed, for the LORD your God is with you wherever you go.”
And Joshua commanded the officers of the people, “Pass through the midst of the camp and command the people, ‘Prepare your provisions, for within three days you are to pass over this Jordan to go in to take possession of the land that the LORD your God is giving you to possess.’”
And to the Reubenites, the Gadites, and the half-tribe of Manasseh Joshua said, “Remember the word that Moses the servant of the LORD commanded you, saying, ‘The LORD your God is providing you a place of rest and will give you this land.’ Your wives, your little ones, and your livestock shall remain in the land that Moses gave you beyond the Jordan, but all the men of valor among you shall pass over armed before your brothers and shall help them, until the LORD gives rest to your brothers as he has to you, and they also take possession of the land that the LORD your God is giving them. Then you shall return to the land of your possession and shall possess it, the land that Moses the servant of the LORD gave you beyond the Jordan toward the sunrise.”
And they answered Joshua, “All that you have commanded us we will do, and wherever you send us we will go. Just as we obeyed Moses in all things, so we will obey you. Only may the LORD your God be with you, as he was with Moses! Whoever rebels against your commandment and disobeys your words, whatever you command him, shall be put to death. Only be strong and courageous.”
(ESV)
The Israelites wandered in the desert for 40 years due to a lack of faith and a misunderstanding of their identity in the Lord. As Deuteronomy closes with Moses’ death, a new generation arose, ready to leave their fathers’ disobedience behind and follow God’s chosen leader, Joshua. The connection between these two men is clear. Joshua was discipled by Moses and was primed to be the next leader of Israel (Exo 24:13; Exo 33:11; Num 11:28). This was a process that the Lord had clearly explained to Moses (Num 27:18). Joshua was chosen by God as the man to lead Israel into the Promised Land.
However, the true leader of Israel was God and this is important to keep in mind. Moses was not permitted to enter the Promised Land because he violated God’s command and forfeited his opportunity to enter. This does not mean his reputation was tarnished, however, as Deuteronomy 34 closes with identifying Moses as “a servant of the Lord.” Joshua, similar to Moses, would receive instruction directly from the Lord in his leadership role.
It is ironic to consider that Joshua (‘Jesus’ in Greek) would be the one to lead Israel into their new land.
Joshua 1:4 describes the boundaries of the land which were only fully realized during the reign of David and Solomon. In Joshua 1:5-6, God gives Joshua the assurance of His presence and a promise of victory. God promises Joshua the following:
Because of God’s unwavering commitment to Joshua, His expectation in Joshua 1:6 is for Joshua (and the nation in general) to be “strong and courageous.” God reiterates this instruction in Joshua 1:7. His speech to Joshua is tender and assuring, promising care, protection, and presence while urging obedience to His Law. It exemplifies God’s gracious encouragement and reminds us that true success comes from knowing and following His will.
My favorite part is in verse 8 when the Lord tells Joshua not to let the Book of the Law (Genesis-Deuteronomy) depart from his mouth. In fact, He commands Joshua to meditate on it day and night.
Meditating on God’s Word is more than just contemplation or comprehension. The process involves allowing the Word to flow over you again and again so that the truth is close to the heart and ready to be applied at any moment. The Word was to be on his lips, in his mind, and seen within his decision-making. Many can speak God’s Word and many can understand God’s Word. But if that knowledge does not lead to application, it does not accomplish the intended outcome.
When God speaks to Israel, He tells them the land is a done deal. It’s already theirs. However, there is a process involved in acquiring it and that process is going to require strength and courage. Just because the land was given does not mean it will be enjoyed. That part will either be fulfilled or unfulfilled by Israel’s choice. The same is true for us. The book of Ephesians promises us that through Christ, the blessings of God are a done deal.
“Blessed is the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us with every spiritual blessing in the heavens in Christ.”
Ephesians 1:3 CSB
We read the same language all throughout the New Testament (2 Cor 1:3; 1 Pet 1:3; Jam 1:17; Rom 8:32; Col 1:12). The victory has already been won, however, there is still a process involved. For Israel, they did not possess all of the land in the way they were capable of. As mentioned earlier, the peak of their land occupancy did not happen until the reign of David/Solomon and even then it did not meet the standard that God had set.
“God gave Israel 300,000 square miles of land and the most they ever claimed was 30,000 square miles. They did not do very well, did they? They took possession of about one–tenth of what God had given them. That is about the same amount of spiritual possessions claimed by believers today.”
J. Vernon McGee
Although God has promised us victory and assured us of His presence, we often refuse to live in a way that experiences the fullness of God’s blessings.
There was once a man who lived alone in a small town. He had a hard life and struggled to pay bills. It seemed he was always just scraping by. One day, he received a letter from a law firm informing him that he had inherited a beautiful home in a wealthy neighborhood from a grandfather he had never known. The house was large, fully furnished, and worth a fortune.
However, the man, overwhelmed by his own financial worries and doubts about his ability to fit into such an upscale world, decided to ignore the letter. He thought, “I could never live in a place like that; it’s too far out of my reach.” So, he continued to live in his run-down apartment, never once visiting the home that was rightfully his.
Years passed, and one day, the property was sold to someone else, and the man’s inheritance was lost forever. He had lived just a few miles away from his new home all along but never saw it as his to claim.
Jesus has done the work. He has purchased a new identity for you by His body and His blood. We could never have done the work of Salvation, but we can do the work of walking out our Salvation by faith. Be strong and courageous!
“Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be frightened, and do not be dismayed, for the Lord your God is with you wherever you go.””
Joshua 1:9 ESV
“Whoever rebels against your commandment and disobeys your words, whatever you command him, shall be put to death. Only be strong and courageous.””
Joshua 1:18 ESV
We can see in these two instances in Joshua 1 that there is a call to be strong and courageous. This is a call to both Joshua and also to the nation of Israel. You’ll notice there is this back-and-forth that is happening. Joshua is telling the people to be strong and courageous and the Israelites are saying the same thing back to Joshua. They are confirming that they will stand firm and be strong in the Lord. They are agreeing to be courageous and put their trust in the Lord.
This is a high mark of the Exodus journey! Remember the past? Remember the wilderness? Now, there is no grumbling… there is only a call to obedience. They are about to enter the Promised Land so they must all commit to the journey and the process outlined by the Lord.
Today, are we strong and courageous in our faith in the Lord? I believe that kindness and passiveness have overtaken what love looks like in Western culture. Kindness is a fruit of the Spirit, but in our culture today, it is considered kind to NOT speak the truth. Is it kind to stay silent about Jesus in a conversation because of what someone else might think? No!
We must be strong and courageous in the Lord for Him to do His will. This is true for a pastor, a school teacher, a factory worker, a business professional, or anyone who desires to follow Jesus!