The Lord commissions Joshua
1
📚Now after the death of Moses 📖 the servant of the LORD it came about that the LORD spoke to Joshua the son of Nun, Moses’ assistant, saying, 2 📚“Moses my servant 📖 is dead. Now, therefore, arise, go over this Jordan 📖, you, and all this people, to the land which I give 📖 to them, to the children of Israel. 3 📚Every place that the sole of your foot treads on, I have given to you, just as I said to Moses. 1:3 Deut 11:24-25. God gave them the land but they had to occupy it.⚜
4 📚Your territory will be from the wilderness 📖 and this Lebanon to the great river, the River Euphrates 📖, all the land of the Hittites 📖, to the great sea 📖 toward the sunset. 5 📚No man will 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 fail you, or forsake you.
6 📚“Be strong and courageous 📖; for you will cause this people to possess 📖 the land, which I swore to their fathers to give them. 7 📚Only be strong and very courageous, so that you may be careful to do according to all the law which Moses my servant commanded you. Do not turn from it to the right hand or to the left, so that you may prosper wherever you go. 8 📚This book of the law must not depart from your mouth, but you must meditate in 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.
1:7-8 For a leader obedience to God was more necessary than any other quality (Deut 8:1; 11:8). This is still true. The Book of the Law was the revelation God gave through Moses at Mt Sinai (Ex 20:1; 21:1; Lev 1:1; Deut 4:5-8). Moses had written down all God gave him to write – Ex 17:14; 24:4; 34:27; Num 33:22; Deut 31:9. God’s people had to give it the highest importance in their lives (Deut 6:6-7). That was the only way to victory and the enjoyment of God’s blessings. Now we have God’s full revelation in the Bible, and God’s Word is of the utmost importance in the life of every believer (John 8:31-32; 14:24; Rom 15:4; Col 3:16; 2 Tim 3:16-17; Jam 1:22-25). Obedience to it is the only way to have success in the Christian life.⚜
9 📚Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid, and do not be dismayed; for the LORD your God is with you wherever you go”.
1:9 God with us is the remedy for fear and discouragement (v 5; Deut 33:27; Ps 23:4; 27:1-3; 46:1-3; 2 Tim 4:16-17; Heb 13:5-6).⚜
Preparations to cross the Jordan River
10 Then Joshua commanded the officers of the people, saying, 11 📚“Pass through the camp, and command the people, saying, Prepare food for yourselves; for within three days you will cross over this Jordan, to go in to possess the land which the LORD your God gives you to possess”.
1:10-11 A true leader obeys God’s instructions and urges the people to obey them.⚜
12 📚And Joshua spoke to the Reubenites and to the Gadites and to half the tribe of Manasseh, saying, 13 📚“Remember the word which Moses the servant of the LORD commanded you, saying, ‘The LORD your God has given you rest, and has given you this land. 14 📚Your wives, your little ones, and your livestock, will remain in the land which Moses gave you on this side Jordan; but you, all the valiant warriors, must go armed before your brethren, and help them 15 📚until the LORD has given your brethren rest, just as he has given you, and they also have possessed the land which the LORD your God gives them.’ Then you shall return to enjoy the land of your possession, which Moses the LORD’s servant gave you on this side of Jordan toward the sunrise”.
16 📚And they answered Joshua, saying, “We will do all that you command us, and will go wherever you send us. 17 📚Just as we listened to Moses in all things, so we will listen to you. Only may the LORD your God be with you, as he was with Moses. 18 📚Whoever rebels against your command, and will not listen to your words in all that you command him, he shall be put to death. Only be strong and courageous”.
1:18 They were right to insist that Joshua live in the presence and blessing of God. It is a risky thing to follow a leader out of touch with God. The taking of Canaan by the people of Israel has many lessons for believers now, and the physical events involved in it are pictures of our spiritual walk and warfare. Consider the following:
(a) Canaan was the “promised land”. God had given it to Israel and told them repeatedly that He had (note on v 2 above). It was their inheritance and they had a right to it. Now believers in Christ have been given a very precious thing – life in Christ and exceeding precious promises relating to it (2 Pet 1:4). They have spiritual possessions in Christ (Eph 1:3) which they have a right to claim and enjoy. These include victory over spiritual enemies and in all the circumstances of life (Rom 8:37), the fullness of God’s Spirit (Eph 5:18), and similar blessings. Just as the giving of Canaan to Israel was all of grace so this life in Christ is all of grace (Eph 2:8-10).
(b) What was promised to Israel they had to claim and possess. Believers in Christ now must claim the blessings given them in Christ. Their success in the Christian life will depend in large measure on claiming the promises of God by faith. What God gives, men must take. Believers may claim many things from God, and fight for them, and possess and enjoy them. Though the words “faith” and “believe” are not found in Joshua, faith was at the very basis of what they did. If they had not believed that God had given them the land they would not have gone in to possess it. If they had not believed God had appointed Joshua they would not have followed him. If they had not had faith in God’s instructions they would not have taken Jericho (see Heb 11:30). The relationship between faith and victory in the spiritual life now is made clear in the New Testament – Eph 6:16; 1 Tim 6:12; 2 Tim 4:7; Heb 6:12; 10:35-36; 1 Pet 5:9; 1 John 5:4-5. By faith we receive the empowering Holy Spirit (Gal 3:2, 14); by faith we walk (2 Cor 5:7; Gal 3:11); by faith we fight (Eph 6:16; 1 Tim 6:12).
(c) There were mighty enemies opposing Israel and they were determined that Israel should not possess the land (for example see Josh 11:1-5). Believers in Christ have enemies far stronger and more determined than the Canaanites (Eph 6:10-12). These enemies would, if they could, prevent us from claiming our possessions in the heavenly places.
(d) Because there were enemies Israel was required to fight. Being passive or lazy would have been ruinous. Believers now too are engaged in a warfare, whether they like it or not, but this warfare is spiritual (2 Cor 10:4; Eph 6:12; 1 Pet 5:8-9). To be passive is to be defeated.
(e) To enter into their inheritance Israel had to follow the leader God had appointed – Joshua. Believers now have a God appointed leader whom they must follow or face certain defeat – Jesus. Joshua means “Jehovah saves”. In Greek, the original language of the New Testament, the name became Iesus, with the same meaning. Jesus is our leader to glory, our captain in the battle of life (Heb 2:10; 12:1-3).
(f) For victory in Canaan certain qualities were very necessary to Israel – courage, strength, an obedient heart, and a mind always occupied with the word of God. These qualities are no less needed in the believer’s spiritual warfare now.
(g) God gave Israel the promise of victory (Josh 1:5). He does so now to believers (John 8:31-36; 16:33; Rom 8:37; 1 Cor 15:57).
(h) God promised Israel His continual presence, which indeed was the basis for their victory (Josh 1:5). So with us now (Matt 28:20; Heb 13:5-6).
(i) By overcoming the enemy Israel inherited the land and dwelt in it. Compare Rev 21:7.
(j) Taking the land was a process. It did not happen in a single day (Josh 11:18). Believers now do not immediately understand, claim, and enjoy all they have in Christ. See Paul’s prayers in Eph 1:15-19; 3:14-19.
(k) Even when Joshua was an old man and much of Canaan was taken there was still much land to be possessed (Josh 13:1; 23:4-5). Now how little of our riches in Christ do most believers ever claim and enjoy in this life! There is more to come (Matt 25:31-34; 1 Pet 1:4).⚜