Be Strong because you will lead these people to inherit the land (Josh 1)*

Joshua 1:1-18

Key Verse – Joshua 1:6

Introduction: With His mighty hand, God called Israel out of Egypt to fulfill His promise to Abraham. The promise was necessary to make Israel His nation and set Him up as their King. He freed Israel from the yoke of Egyptian slavery and entered into a father-son relationship Lord. This was done by establishing a covenant relationship with Israel at Mt. Horeb. Second, out of this relationship, the Israelite people were enabled to follow God their Father with a wholehearted mind. This was hard to come by, for Israel was sinful and could not fully keep the Law of the Covenant. All of the first generation died in the desert because of their unbelief, and the second generation had to be redeemed as God’s chosen nation, holy and righteous. Having been made acceptable to the Lord, they were finally ready to enter the land of God’s blessing, where they would establish God’s kingdom.

In preparation for the people of Israel to enter the land of His blessing, God disciplined and trained them to be faithful. Therefore, they were redeemed, holy, and worthy of His blessing, i.e., the land of His blessing. In addition, God demonstrated His will to give them the land by leading them to defeat the two mighty kings of the lands east of the Jordan River. Here, we are to note that there was no particular leader or leadership involved in conquering these two kings; neither Moses nor Joshua was present. In other words, God was going ahead of Israel as their leader. He was the one who handed these two kings over to Israel.

1.      Get ready to cross the Jordan River (1-2)          

God was initiating a new period in Israel’s life, entering and encountering the land of blessing. Before He commanded them to move, God marked the time like this:

“After the death of Moses the servant of the Lord, the Lord said to Joshua son of Nun, Moses' aide: "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.” (Joshua 1:1-2).

Moses’ death was an important element in Joshua’s decision. First, God did not want Moses to enter the land of His promise because he had not upheld His holiness (Deuteronomy 32:51-52; Numbers 20:24). Second, He wanted a man who trusted Him whole-heartedly. The word ‘wholehearted’ appears whenever Joshua’s faith is mentioned. Joshua’s ‘wholehearted’ spirit was contrasted by Moses’ heart, which did not fully honor the Lord’s glory. Moses was the only man left except Joshua and Caleb among the generation who had died in the desert because they did not believe that the Lord would deliver their enemies into their hands. So, when this passage says ‘after the death of Moses’, it means the closure of what God said to Israel’s first generation (Numbers 14:30). This is confirmed by God saying, “‘Moses my servant is dead’. Now then…” (2a).

After Moses’ death, the Israelites were to engage with the Lord differently. When Moses led them, he was like God and Aaron was like their prophet. That is to say, Moses was the full representation of God’s will, word, and law to His people. Whenever they faced a problem, Moses was to mediate before the Lord on their behalf. This meant that they had no direct access to the Lord, and, without Moses’ guidance, they would be left without anyone or anything to provide them with access to the Lord.

This is well seen in the incident where they made golden calves at Mt Horeb while Moses was up on the mountain with the Lord. When Israel experienced the physical absence of their mediator, they were totally at a loss, not knowing how to engage with the invisible God. Simply, they were not able to believe in the invisible. In other words, in their minds, God’s identity and nature were unknown.

Through the forty years of living with the Lord, His identity was revealed to their hearts, and they became able to engage with Him,  not by sight, but by trust and faith in and through His word. They began to acknowledge and believe the One who is invisible, has all authority of heaven and earth and possesses the character of absolute holiness.

The turning point came when Israel asked Moses to pray on their behalf after they were bitten by poisonous snakes. God told Moses to set a bronze snake up on a pole. They believed the His word and acted out of their belief in the One who is invisible and yet had spoken to them, and were healed This healing was evidence of YHWH’s presence, power, and authority over them.

This event provided the turning point for Israel after the entire older generation had died, except Moses (Deuteronomy 2:14; Numbers 21:12). The new generation became keenly aware of the existence of the One, who identified Himself as ‘YHWH, who is invisible and yet almighty, God in spirit. They not only accepted Him as their Lord but also learned to relate to Him through His word, for He was the character that made the covenant with them.

How can one relate with the Lord? Through faith in His WORD. So, we can call this new generation of Israel the ‘by faith’ generation. By faith, they began to give the Lord the full honor He deserved. Joshua was the character that captured this faith early and gave full honor to the Lord. Moses, even though he knew the Lord, did not honor Him as He deserved, that is by faith alone.

Now Moses was dead, and Israel could no longer relate to the Lord through him. Moses’ obituary reads:

“Since then, no prophet has risen in Israel like Moses, whom the Lord knew face to face, who did all those signs and wonders the Lord sent him to do in Egypt--to Pharaoh and to all his officials and to his whole land. For no one has ever shown the mighty power or performed the awesome deeds that Moses did in the sight of all Israel.” (Deuteronomy 34:10-12 NIV).

Joshua was not like Moses. He was not different from the other Israelites. He did not see the Lord as Moses had. He did not talk to Him directly like Moses did. The distinct place Moses held in God’s eyes is found in Numbers 12:6-8.

(“With him, I speak face to face, clearly and not in riddles; he sees the form of the Lord. Why then were you not afraid to speak against my servant Moses?" Numbers 12:8 NIV).

Joshua could not compete with Moses, particularly in his relationship with the Lord. Comparatively, he was just another Israelite. He could not function as Moses had, mediating on Israel’s behalf. Now all of Israel was to relate with Him in His word. They were to listen and obey His word by faith. There was no other person to work on their behalf, to plead for their causes.

Moses was a great servant of the Lord. Through him, God had led Israel out of Egypt and given them the Law of the Covenant, in which He sealed His relationship with His people. Moses was the person through whom God revealed Himself as the Lord of Israel. For Israel, it would have been impossible for them to know and understand who their God was if it were not for Moses’ servanthood. His death meant that the closest person to God was no longer with them, and there would be no one who could effectively represent God, His power, and His glory, in their midst. This would be great trouble for both the Lord and for Israel as well because Moses had been like God for them (Exodus 7:1). Who could take Moses’ place?  

He was the Lord’s greatest servant among all of His people. Even though Moses was strong enough to enter the land (Deuteronomy 34:7), God had ordained his death, as well as its time and place (Numbers 27:12-14). His reason for this was very clear; Moses had not honored the Lord before the Israelites at Meribah (Numbers 27:14b; 20:12).

God’s message for Moses, as well as Joshua and the rest of the people of Israel, was clear; those who dishonor the Lord or do not honor Him enough could not enter the land of His blessing. After the death of their greatest leader, Israel grieved for him for thirty days (Deuteronomy 34:8). Israel mourned for thirty days on only two occasions - when Aaron died and when Moses died.

The word ‘mourn’ (bkh) was not referring to ritualistic mourning, but denotes a deep sense of loss and sorrow, associated with a person’s death. In other words, the sorrow that came upon Joshua and the whole Israelite nation was profound grief over human frailty. This was not only the death of a great man of God but also, there was sorrow in the fact that he died before entering the land of God’s blessing. What was His sovereign will over these circumstances?

Death speaks loudly in the depths of men’s hearts, especially if it is the death of a godliest and revered man, like Moses. A person’s death speaks about his life as a whole.

Sorrow over Moses’ death drenched the Israelites’ spirit and hearts. Out of this sorrow and pain, both Joshua and Israel needed to assess the Lord’s command and will for them. If Moses was not allowed to enter the land, then who could? Even so, God was calling Joshua and all of Israel to move on because He was giving them the land. Out of this sorrow, they must hear God’s command and assess His will, because God the Sovereign Lord considered them worthy of the great blessing of His land! This sorrow and pain must be a springboard toward hope in a new vision. Moses’ death meant that Israel had to put away their dependence on his type and way of leadership. Instead, they were to proceed by faith in God’s word. Joshua was the leader of this ‘venture’, going by God’s word only, and the entire nation of Israel was to follow suit.

God gave them commands on how to go about this new venture.

2.      God’s open invitation to enter the land of His blessing (3-5)

First, He will give them every place where they set their foot.

“I will give you every place where you set your foot: 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.” (Joshua 1:3-4).

This was an open invitation to explore and occupy the land. This gave the Israelites the freedom to go anywhere they desired. It also encouraged them to have a piece of land that they wanted for so long and so dearly. This sounds like what God said to Adam and Eve in the Garden of Eden at the beginning of creation; they were free to eat from any tree in the garden. God wanted to freely give them as much as they wanted. They were given freedom; wherever they put their foot within the boundary of the land of God’s promise, they would be given it all as their promised possession. God would no longer be leading His people through a pillar of fire or cloud, but only by His word, which they were to receive by faith. Within the boundaries of the land of God’s blessing, wherever Israel set their foot, that land would be theirs. In this way, God called for their volitional will to move and take the land. Where and how much of the land would be left up to them to decide. Here, God was giving them the freedom to exercise their intellect, will, and strength within the perimeters of the blessed land. This was not micro-management, but rather a discretion, given by grace and to be exercised by faith.

Second, God gave Joshua His personal support.

“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.” (Joshua 1:5).

The reference to “you” in v2-3 is plural, i.e., even though this was spoken to Joshua, the message was for the whole Israelite nation. Here, in v5, ‘you’ is singular. God was personally giving Joshua a specific encouragement. Up until this time, Joshua had followed Moses, and he did not have to bear much of the burden as Israel’s leader. Now, he held the sole leadership for the nation. There was no Aaron, and he had no assistant, as he had been for Moses. In addition to this, what he and his people were about to do was in totally unchartered territory: conquering the land of God’s promise by destroying and removing all of the nations living in the land.

While facing such an enormous task, God said that no one would be able to stand against Him. Many times, the Israelite leaders and people challenged Moses’ decisions, directions, and leadership. Joshua, as Moses’ aide, saw all of these challenges. Through all of this, God had stood by Moses. Likewise, He would stand by Joshua throughout his life. This is amazing grace, comfort, and encouragement. In other words, God gave His confidence to Joshua. NOW, Joshua had full confidence in God’s grace and had His approval over his mind and heart. Joshua was good and commendable in the way he thought and reasoned, especially in how he carried out God’s directions. Simply, he had God’s full trust and blessing.

We would like to have such support from the Lord, whenever we embark on a new mission. More specifically, we would like to hear God’s word of confidence for what we are and what we are about to do. Even now, God speaks through His word. Paul said to the Corinthians:

“Examine yourselves to see whether you are in the faith; test yourselves. Do you not realize that Christ Jesus is in you--unless, of course, you fail the test?” (2 Corinthians 13:5 NIV).

In faith, we are God’s children, and He has confidence in us, since Christ is in us. John spoke about the issue of this confidence at the closing of his letter (1 John 5:18-20).

·        No one/no evil can harm the one who is born of God (18)

·        We are children of God and no longer part of the world (19)

·        Jesus came as God’s Son and gave us the truth; we know him and the truth he brings – the eternal life (20)

God spoke of His trust, specifically for Joshua, because he had demonstrated the faith that He wanted to see. But by giving His Son Jesus, God demonstrated His will to support us, believers, counting us as His people, guaranteeing our protection from the evil of this world, and securing our place in His kingdom. Practically speaking, God’s confidence in Joshua has been carried on to us as well through Christ.

Faith and confidence in God’s full support are not two different things, but one and the same, for faith is ours and confidence is what God imparts to us as we trust Him in faith.

Third, it was God’s will to empower Joshua above all of the people of Israel. Joshua was to be the channel of God’s will and purpose throughout Israel’s journey. Through Moses, God conveyed His will. Moses was Israel’s leader, who conveyed God’s message to His people. Joshua was a leader in whom God saw what He expected from His people; he provided an excellent example of how Israel was to respond to the Law of Covenant.

The essence of Israel’s leadership was faith. In other words, Moses was to be like God to His people, i.e., he was the model of who God was. We know he failed to fully reflect who God was to the Israelite people. This is what God meant when He said, “you did not trust in me enough to honor me as holy” (Numbers 20:12).

However, Joshua was the model of faith for the people. Therefore, he was to go ahead of the other people in the expedition of the promised land, and everyone was to follow him and emulate his wholehearted mind toward the Lord. By putting him above the rest of His people, God signaled that He wanted all of His people to have the same kind of faith as Joshua, along with his wholehearted obedience toward the Lord by faith.

Jesus later demonstrated that same faith that God wanted to see in all of His people. He then imparted that faith to all who believe in him. In other words, the faith that God saw and was happy within Joshua was fully revealed in Jesus, and we all have that faith because we have believed in Jesus Christ as our Lord and Savior. Because Jesus has imparted that faith to us, we are called to enter God’s kingdom, just as Joshua was called to lead his people to enter the land of God’s blessing. The hope that God had for Joshua and His people still stands with us, as He looks to make the whole world His kingdom. In this regard, we as a whole community of believers have a bigger task than Joshua did.

The task of leading Israel was fully entrusted to Joshua. What is entrusted to you? We are to search and discern the task that was entrusted to us personally, not only to know it clearly but also to know the task’s boundaries.

Fourthly, God’s plan was to restore the dream that was established in the Garden of Eden

So far, God had done two things; first, He created His people out of one man of faith, Abraham. This group grew from one family to a nation, amounting to two million. Second, God conformed them to His will and purpose as His people through the Law of Covenant. So, at the end of this journey, Israel became His people and He became their King, their Lord, who took firm authority over them and earned that authority in the depths of their hearts. The last and final stage of reestablishing the kingdom was conquering the land where His people will live and where He would govern them in their midst.

Numbers 33 recounts the stages of Israel’s journey, from Egypt to the land of Moab, east of the Jordan River (33:1-2). This journey was divided into six stages and was completed by securing the land during the seventh stage. Just as the day of rest was the seventh day of the week, the occupation of the land was to also give them rest (Joshua 22:4). Likewise, the land was the final fulfillment of God’s promise and was to be the land of rest, for which Israel had been dreaming and hoping for over forty years. If they were to make all of the sufferings, they’d experienced in the desert worthwhile, then they must occupy the land and enjoy it. The rest in God’s blessing is the key theme of the Law and the rest of the land was to be part of God’s law (Leviticus 25,26).

When one does not see the land of God’s blessing, it is a problem. The first generation saw the land as one that devours its inhabitants (Numbers 13:32). They all died in the wilderness, and God did not allow any of them to enter the land of His blessing. However, Joshua saw the land to be exceedingly good, flowing with milk and honey. Jesus gave his disciples this same hope just before his arrest:

“And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come back and take you to be with me that you also may be where I am.” (John 14:3 NIV).

This is God’s eternal plan; for this hope, He called us in Christ. God was calling Joshua and all of Israel to this hope as well.  

3.      “Be strong and courageous” (6-9)

What will it be like to live by faith alone? Or what will it be like to honor God fully as He is worthy of? He commanded Joshua to be strong and courageous three times. Each time, God gave him the reason why he needed to be strong and courageous.  

a.      Because you will lead these people to inherit the land (6)

“Be strong and courageous, because you will lead these people to inherit the land I swore to their ancestors to give them.” (Joshua 1:6).

Since Israel came out of Egypt, God led them to this land of His blessing. Until this time, they had suffered greatly in the wilderness; now they were to take the land that God was giving them. This is the land whereby they were to live permanently with God’s blessings. If they do not, then they would wander again as nomads. If they did not enter this land, God’s promise for Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob would be proven false, and the Covenant that He had made with Israel, (‘I will be their God and they will be my people’ Exo 6:7) would also be proven false or considered that He is unable to keep His promises for His chosen people.

The covenant that God had established with His people was to be everlasting, but if they failed to enter the land or if they could not occupy the land of His blessing, then God’s eternal plan to make His people into His earthly kingdom would be shattered. In this way, three things were at stake; Israel’s wellbeing as a nation, the relationship between God and His people, and God’s hope and plan for the world. As I noted in the first section, Israel’s journey from Egypt to this side of the Jordan was counted to be made in six stages, consisting of seven campsites.

Entering and occupying the land made the final, seventh stage. The seven camps signified resting after a long journey; the seventh camp symbolized their final stop with no more journeying. The rest they found in this final seventh camp would continue forever. It was like the Garden of Eden, where God’s blessing was full and His people found everlasting rest.

To enter that blessing and fulfill God’s purpose for them and for the world, this was the final time for their ultimate hope. Anything less than giving all of one’s strength and courage will not do it. Joshua had to pour out all of his strength and courage for this one purpose. In addition, Joshua was Israel’s leader. He knew what it meant to be strong and courageous; he had faith at Kadesh Barnea (Numbers 14:6-8), and when Israel fought against the Amalekites at Rephidim (Exodus 17:8-15). He must show this faith to Israel, for he was to lead them in the fight against her enemies.

b.      Because you have a genuine fear of the Lord according to the Law of the Covenant. (7-8)

"Be strong and very courageous. Be careful to obey all the law my servant Moses gave you; do not turn from it to the right or to the left, that you may be successful wherever you go. Keep this Book of the Law always on your lips; meditate on it day and night, so that you may be careful to do everything written in it. Then you will be prosperous and successful.” (Joshua 1:7-8).

God ordained Moses’ death, because he did not honor the Lord fully enough. He fell short in obeying the Lord fully; however, Joshua was to obey all the Law to the fullest of its authority, unlike Moses. One’s true honor begins with their full obedience to the Law that God gave; here, God added one more word of emphasis: “very”. He was to conjure up all of his strength and uphold the Lord’s glory and honor. In other words, one’s first and foremost will and strength must be to the Lord, not to people, enemies, human wisdom, or tactical or strategical wisdom. Just as the land they were to conquer was the land of God’s blessing, so also the first quality of those who entered and occupied it must be holy, in full honor to the Lord who blessed the land.

How then could Joshua show his ‘wholehearted’ honor to the Lord? V8 denotes two things; God’s word must be on his lips and he must meditate on it day and night. God or His Law must govern the hearts of those who went in and conquered the land of God’s blessing.

How do we know whether one’s heart is governed by God’s word? If one’s lips speak always of God’s words, or his leadership directives and commands are founded on His word, then we know that the word of God governs that leader’s heart. What does this teach us as leaders for many sheep? The success of one’s leadership is dependent on how much time and energy he devotes to learning and seeking God’s word. His heart must first be conformed to God’s will as he meditates on it, and he must dare to speak out that will to God’s followers.

Again, we are to note that Joshua was told to be ‘very courageous’, particularly in his attitude toward God’s Law. This recognizes that keeping the Law was more difficult than the war itself or the handling of the officers or soldiers. How can we not fall into the same failures of those who perished in the desert?

If the law is burdensome and infringes on our freedom, it is problematic. What does one see when he reads the law? What is the Law’s ending point? Is it endless obedience and submission or is it a source of joy and blessing? ‘Be strong’ is a command to see the Lord’s blessing in every part of the Law. It is to see God’s grace in the Law. How?

Lastly, he must set his eyes on God’s ultimate purpose in and through the Law. Obeying the Law is difficult. It goes directly against our sinful nature and against the grain of our innate character. This was well proven among those Israelites who perished in the desert; they complained, rebelled, and were all destroyed. If one sees only the hardship and difficulties in following the Law, then he will surely fail to see God’s grace and power, which are imparted through the Law. Instead, he must focus on the Law’s ultimate goal.

The ending of the Law is described in Exodus 23:20- 33. Here, the law ends with eight “I-will” statements. All of these I-wills are for Israel’s sake.

“I will send an angel ahead of you…I will be an enemy to your enemies…I will wipe them out… I will take away sickness among you… I will send my terror ahead of you to the enemies… I will establish borders… I will give into your hands the people… I will give the land into your hands.” (Exodus 23:20a, 22a,23a,25b,27a,31a,31b).

In other words, the Law and the Covenant had one purpose - to bless God’s people. It was based on His grace and love for them. When one sees God’s utmost will, exhibited in the Law of the Covenant, then they can and ought to become strong and courageous.

Giving them the land was the final step in fulfilling His promise of love for His people. The blessing was for them to enjoy this blessed rest forever. We are to see this and set our hearts on this hope and God’s utmost will to bless His people. What are we to do? We are to be strong and courageous. Having a whole-hearted spirit means to trust the Law and give the fullest honor to the Lord; this is being courageous.

c.      Because God, the Lord of heaven earth, the Almighty, is commanding you (9)

“Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged, for the Lord your God will be with you wherever you go." (Joshua 1:9).

This was God’s will: for His people to honor Him as the Lord of heaven and earth and to listen and follow His command, with their strength and confidence grounded in Him as God, the Almighty. This command came from the Creator of heaven and earth, the sole authority of the universe. No gods or men could challenge His authority and power. To be strong and courageous is to stand on the faith that the Lord is the Lord of all and that He is implementing His will. Simply, Israel was to take the Lord as the foundation of their lives.

4.      Israel followed God with full-hearted obedience and faith (10-18)

Joshua followed God’s command and told the leaders of Israel to get ready to move. This section is about how these leaders responded to this command.

“So Joshua ordered the officers of the people: "Go through the camp and tell the people, 'Get your provisions ready. Three days from now you will cross the Jordan here to go in and take possession of the land the LORD your God is giving you for your own." (Joshua 1:10-11).

Joshua accepted God’s command and began to take charge of Israel’s leadership. He called all of the leaders to prepare the people to cross the Jordan River in three days. They were to go in and take possession of the land that God was giving them. However, the Reubenites, Gadites, and the half-tribe of Manasseh were given a special command, for they took the land east of the Jordan (Deuteronomy 3:18-20).

“Your wives, your children and your livestock may stay in the land that Moses gave you east of the Jordan, but all your fighting men, ready for battle, must cross over ahead of your fellow Israelites. You are to help them until the LORD gives them rest, as he has done for you, and until they too have taken possession of the land the LORD your God is giving them. After that, you may go back and occupy your own land, which Moses the servant of the LORD gave you east of the Jordan toward the sunrise." (Joshua 1:14-15).

Even though these tribes had already received the land of their own, they should not rest. Instead, they were to go ahead of all the other tribes in their joint expedition of the land. These two and a half tribes were to work together with the rest of God’s people until they took possession of the land as their own. To this call, they answered:

“Then they answered Joshua, "Whatever you have commanded us we will do, and wherever you send us we will go. Just as we fully obeyed Moses, so we will obey you.” (Joshua 1:16-17).

They were accepting and adopting Joshua’s faith with a whole-hearted mind, in order to move forward with God’s cause. “We will do and we will go!” This was an unbridled commitment to their leader, Joshua. This was not a commitment to the person, Joshua, because he was good, but rather because, in him, was God’s will for them. Leaders are not perfect, and to many people, are not very admirable in many aspects. However, we are to see God’s will living in our leaders and must be able to say, “I will” or “we will”.

We need such people in every ministry, who say, “I will follow!” Joshua was a human leader, in whom was God’s call and purpose. When we commit ourselves to God’s purpose, we must express that commitment to a human leader, on whom God put such courage for His causes. In this way, the spirit that was in Joshua should permeate through the entire Israelite community. In this way, they became united in heart and spirit for God’s cause—to conquer and occupy the land of His blessing.

These two and a half tribes were to help their brothers until all of the tribes had found their places to rest. They were to fight together for one purpose - to find places for their fellow brothers to rest. Only then could they go back and possess the whole land, from the place where the sun rises to the place where it sets, conquering the land from the east to the west and from the north to the south. Together, they must be the forerunners of this expedition.

To what extent were they to be committed to this cause?

“Whoever rebels against your word and does not obey it, whatever you may command them, will be put to death. Only be strong and courageous!"” (Joshua 1:18).

When these tribes said that they would put to death anyone who rebelled against Joshua this meant that they themselves were fully committed to his leadership, even to the point of death. Just as Joshua was wholeheartedly committed to the Lord and to becoming Israel’s leader, so also his followers were to be equally as wholehearted in their efforts. By saying this, these leaders of the two and a half tribes were willing to put their lives at risk in order to uphold Joshua’s leadership.

Likewise, we are to stand firm with our leaders and support them with our lives. We cannot do just one and neglect the other. We are not running our own show; we are to collectively pursue God’s will to give us the land of His blessing and to have us as His people forever.

Through faith, expressed through wholehearted obedience, no matter how different from and at odd with my own thought, we are to align our hearts along with that of our leaders, in whom is the Lord’s will, no matter how different our own thoughts may be. What can we learn from this?

To “be strong and courageous is to act by faith and demand obedience.