Joshua Israel's New Leader
Book of Joshua Chapter 1
Who is this, Joshua?
The name "Joshua" as written can mean "Jehovah is his help" but it can also mean "Jehovah the Savior".
Joshua is sometimes written Jehoshua, and Jehoshuah but in the New Testament we see it written as Jesus.
Act 7:45 Which also our fathers that came after brought in with "Jesus" into the possession of the Gentiles, whom God drave out before the face of our fathers, unto the days of David;
Act 7:46 Who found favour before God, and desired to find a tabernacle for the God of Jacob.
We should not be confused by these things and if we study the context of the Scripture we will not be.
We see the same thing happen in the Book of Hebrews:
Heb 4:8 For if "Jesus" had given them rest, then would he not afterward have spoken of another day.
Heb 4:9 There remaineth therefore a rest to the people of God.
Joshua did not have it in his power to give rest to the people of God, only the Lord Jesus Christ has this power!
Again look at the context of this Scripture.
This Joshua is the son Nun to distinguish him from any other man name Joshua and there were others.
Joshua as a child was born into the slavery of Egypt and reached the age for military as he traveled to freedom with Moses and all of Israel.
No doubt as a young man He worked in the brick fields of Egypt.
We can believe all these things because it is Joshua, led by the Holy Spirit who has written all these things for us.
It is Joshua who also wrote the final words of the Book of Deuteronomy after the death of Moses again led by the Holy Spirit.
The Holy Spirit does not make mistakes, so there are no mistakes in the "Received Text"!
We can say the Book of Joshua was written to the Israelites to teach them their great history and the mistakes they had made.
We also know that All Scripture is written for the Church!
2Ti 3:16 All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness:
2Ti 3:17 That the man of God may be perfect, throughly furnished unto all good works.
The Book of Joshua shows us how Israel conquered and divided up the land promised to these descendants of Abraham by Isaac and Jacob.
The Book of Joshua shows all readers that God is faithful to keep His promises.
The main purpose to the Book of Joshua is to teach the Doctrines of God to the Israelites and to all readers of this precious book of the Old Testament, which means the New Testament Church.
Some of those Doctrines are:
The Doctrine of Faith.
The Doctrine of the Holiness of God.
The Doctrine of Sin. God will not tolerate evil and wickedness, not forever.
The Doctrine of "Mercy and Grace". Yes, we can see the "Grace" of God in the Old Testament and His "Mercy"!
The Doctrine of the "All Powerful" God of Creation.
The Doctrine of the "All Knowing" God of knowledge.
The Doctrine of the Sovereign Ruler of all Creation.
The Doctrine that states that God places people in certain locations for His Own Purposes!
*****Jos 1:1 Now after the death of Moses the servant of the LORD it came to pass, that the LORD spake unto Joshua the son of Nun, Moses' minister, saying,
Jos 1:2 Moses my servant is dead; now therefore arise, go over this Jordan, thou, and all this people, unto the land which I do give to them, even to the children of Israel.
Moses at the age of 120 years old had now been taken out of the picture by God Himself, his purpose complete and God told Joshua to fill in the gap that Moses left behind.
It is our duty to answer the call of God!
Moses was a mighty man of God. How could anyone fill in for him?
Moses had already selected Joshua by the word of God and had already begun his training.
Deu 31:14 And the LORD said unto Moses, Behold, thy days approach that thou must die: call Joshua, and present yourselves in the tabernacle of the congregation, that I may give him a charge. And Moses and Joshua went, and presented themselves in the tabernacle of the congregation.
Deu 31:23 And he gave Joshua the son of Nun a charge, and said, Be strong and of a good courage: for thou shalt bring the children of Israel into the land which I sware unto them: and I will be with thee.
It was Moses that had established Israel as a nation through the guidance of Jehovah making him the father of the nation of Israel.
A band of Egyptian slaves had become the nation that had set back Egypt for many years which they have never really overcome.
It was time for Israel to leave off mourning for what was, and accept what God had planned for the destruction of the sinful nations of Canaan Land
Gen_15:16 But in the fourth generation they shall come hither again: for the iniquity of the Amorites is not yet full.
On a much smaller scale than the worldwide flood, Israel was the hand of God for the destruction of the sin full people of Canaan Land.
They needed a strong leader and God gave them Joshua.
Joshua was now the Commander-in-Chief of the new nation of Israel.
We should understand Moses was a great man of God, but his death did not affect the plan of God.
God simply selects some other human to keep the plan of God moving forward at all times!
If Joshua for some reason rejected the call of God, God would simply have chosen someone else.
When God plan is in action, He will then provide all the tools and materials necessary to keep moving forward in the work God has given all the Church to accomplish.
The "providence" of God is always in His hands, and it does not depend upon any one upon this earth, or anywhere else humans are seeking to run and hide.
*****Jos 1:3 Every place that the sole of your foot shall tread upon, that have I given unto you, as I said unto Moses.
It was the death of Moses that opened the door for Joshua, so we see that it is God who is the giver of life and only He can take a life.
Satan may have had the power of death before the work of the Lord Jesus was completed, but he could not cause death at his will, he needed the permission of God, and he still does today.
Satan answers to God, Jehovah God and he is also condemned to Hell which is why the world is moving so fast toward wicked, immoral corrupted, iniquity.
Some of the promises God made to Abraham were becoming reality.
The walk of Abraham had defined the boundaries of the nation of Israel more than four hundred years prior to the day of Joshua.
Moses had led the children of Israel right up to the shores of the River Jordan, right at the most awkward time of the rainy season, but God had a reason even for this.
It would be Joshua that led the crossing of Jordan!
What were the boundaries that God set aside for the nation of Israel?
*****Jos 1:4 From the wilderness and this Lebanon even unto the great river, the river Euphrates, all the land of the Hittites, and unto the great sea toward the going down of the sun, shall be your coast.
South: the desert of Negev.
North: Lebanon. Mount Lebanon the tallest mountain of Syria.
East: the Euphrates River.
West the Mediterranean Sea.
To this day, Israel has never possessed all this land and will not until the return of Christ Jesus.
Why? Many of them became cowards.
Many of them refused to obey the Word of God.
The closest that Israel ever came to control of all this land was in the days of King David and King Solomon.
It is at the death of King Solomon when Israel became a divided nation and disappeared from History for a time.
A divided nation cannot stand in this world of sin!
America is more divided today than it has ever been in our brief history and America could disappear from history and it is because of our corrupt, and wicked, and immoral government!
Why is this so true? Because America has booted God out!
Why did Israel begin to show dominance for many years? It was because God was with them until they demanded God to leave.
What was God's promise to Israel?
*****Jos 1:5 There shall not any man be able to stand before thee all the days of thy life: as I was with Moses, so I will be with thee: I will not fail thee, nor forsake thee.
What wonderful words given to a new leader.
God promised Joshua that no nation would be able to stand against him.
To us this means as a believer, we will have a full life, a victorious life, if we continue to serve the Lord with all our heart!
We know that as this new nation of Israel moved forward, they would face many obstacles.
We can also say the same thing about them today as much of the world hates them without a reason.
This tiny nation of Israel has met many a foe on the battlefield, all of them trying to erase them as a nation, but God has not allowed this to happen, and the Bible says He will not allow it to happen.
God promises those who love Him a full and victorious life, but we must also move forward claiming victory over the obstacles we face.
We can do this because we are never alone!
With the power of God there is no obstacle that we cannot overcome!
It begins with obedience!
1Jn 5:3 For this is the love of God, that we keep his commandments: and his commandments are not grievous.
1Jn 5:4 For whatsoever is born of God overcometh the world: and this is the victory that overcometh the world, even our faith.
1Jn 5:5 Who is he that overcometh the world, but he that believeth that Jesus is the Son of God?
We have the promise of our Savior that He will never forsake us.
Even on those days we may not feel our Lord God, we have the assurance that He is with us.
Our life is not about feelings, our life is about the promises of God!
This is one of the greatest promises God has given to us, that He will never forsake us!
No matter what trouble, no matter what difficulty, no matter what problem we face, God will never leave us and He will walk with us through these things!
*****Jos 1:6 Be strong and of a good courage: for unto this people shalt thou divide for an inheritance the land, which I sware unto their fathers to give them.
Joshua had been an eyewitness, as these people had rebelled against Moses many times.
The challenge of Israel was very great to be a conqueror of the many nations of Canaan Land.
They needed a leader who was equipped to manage these times and it was Joshua.
Joshua was God's man!
What was Joshua first task? He was to trust God! He was to be strong and very courageous!
When God calls us, He knows that our task will not be easy. If it was easy, then anyone could do it without God!
The army of God must be strong and courageous.
When we put on the armor of God we are not dressing for peace, we are dressing for war!
We are to be obedient to the Word of God.
We are to never stop sharing the Word of God.
We are to meditate on God's Word day and night!
The result of obedience to God will always be prosperity and success! This does not mean riches.
It means all that we put our hands to, that is in the will of God, will prosper!
Again, it takes strength in the Lord and obedience to overcome discouragement!
*****Jos 1:7 Only be thou strong and very courageous, that thou mayest observe to do according to all the law, which Moses my servant commanded thee: turn not from it to the right hand or to the left, that thou mayest prosper whithersoever thou goest.
God did not place Joshua in this position of leadership to be lord over this people!
They would follow Joshua if he continued to follow the Lord.
Until till the last days of Joshua's life, every day brought a new enemy to defeat.
Every year brought a new enemy.
Every day he had to send the young people of Israel into battle, and he would witness the blood shed of many of them.
These things are hard on any commander. Joshua would need much courage and strength.
No matter where we are on the battlefield of the Lord, we must know that we cannot do these things in our own strength so our relationship with the Lord must be steady and enduring.
We must follow the Word of God not veering to the left or to the right.
The pathway to Heaven remains a narrow path and few will ever find it.
Mat_7:14 Because strait is the gate, and narrow is the way, which leadeth unto life, and few there be that find it.
God will reveal to us the obstacles we will face by teaching us the deep things of God!
1Co 2:10 But God hath revealed them unto us by his Spirit: for the Spirit searcheth all things, yea, the deep things of God.
1Co 2:11 For what man knoweth the things of a man, save the spirit of man which is in him? even so the things of God knoweth no man, but the Spirit of God.
1Co 2:12 Now we have received, not the spirit of the world, but the spirit which is of God; that we might know the things that are freely given to us of God.
1Co 2:13 Which things also we speak, not in the words which man's wisdom teacheth, but which the Holy Ghost teacheth; comparing spiritual things with spiritual.
1Co 2:14 But the natural man receiveth not the things of the Spirit of God: for they are foolishness unto him: neither can he know them, because they are spiritually discerned.
The key to our prosperity in this world is obedience to all the Word of God!
Again this does not mean riches!
How are we to study the Word of God?
*****Jos 1:8 This book of the law shall not depart out of thy mouth; but thou shalt meditate therein day and night, that thou mayest observe to do according to all that is written therein: for then thou shalt make thy way prosperous, and then thou shalt have good success.
In order for Joshua to succeed as the Commander-in-Chief of Israel, he was to know and obey all the Word of God. (Which is a type of Christ)
This has not changed for every national leader today! They have the same instructions, no matter who they are or where they are located!
We must never turn our backs to the Word of God as we see this world do so today.
If there is a godly leader in this world today, they are noticeably quiet and ashamed of the Word of God, because they are too silent!
God will give us purpose, a sense of achievement and a fulfillment throughout our Christian Life, but only if we obey God by meditating in His Word day and night, throughout our lifetime.
In other words, we should always be doing what God says to do!
Deu 5:29 O that there were such an heart in them, that they would fear me, and keep all my commandments always, that it might be well with them, and with their children for ever!
This is the key to our success in the plan of God!
Again, we must be strong and courageous in the things of God!
*****Jos 1:9 Have not I commanded thee? Be strong and of a good courage; be not afraid, neither be thou dismayed: for the LORD thy God is with thee whithersoever thou goest.
If God says a thing one time, then it is enough, but when God says things three times then He knows how easy it will be for us to get discouraged when we see what is going on in our world.
We must never let these things keep us from serving the Lord!
We must be strong and courageous as we walk through our Christian Life.
We must know that when God gave these lands to Abraham, all Abraham had was his faith and he had enough faith that he could trust the Word of God is true.
Abraham trusted in the promises of God, and it is no different for us here today.
Now in this day of Joshua more than four hundred years later, Joshua is in position to begin fulfilling some of God's promises to Abraham.
We should know that the land promised to Abraham was indeed the land called Palestine. Palestine is an area and not the name of some country.
We should also know that the land promised to Abraham also refers to the New Heaven.
Canaan Land is just a symbol of God's Promise.
Rom 4:13 For the promise, that he should be the heir of the world, was not to Abraham, or to his seed, through the law, but through the righteousness of faith.
The inheritance that Abraham had so much faith in, refers to the entire world, the New Universe which God is going to recreate in the very end.
It is not this world we live in now that is so full of sin, immorality, and wicked corruptness!
This world that is wasting away, deteriorating, running down, that our world calls "Climate Change". They have seen nothing yet!
2Pe 3:4 And saying, Where is the promise of his coming? for since the fathers fell asleep, all things continue as they were from the beginning of the creation.
2Pe 3:5 For this they willingly are ignorant of, that by the word of God the heavens were of old, and the earth standing out of the water and in the water:
2Pe 3:6 Whereby the world that then was, being overflowed with water, perished:
2Pe 3:7 But the heavens and the earth, which are now, by the same word are kept in store, reserved unto fire against the day of judgment and perdition of ungodly men.
2Pe 3:8 But, beloved, be not ignorant of this one thing, that one day is with the Lord as a thousand years, and a thousand years as one day.
2Pe 3:9 The Lord is not slack concerning his promise, as some men count slackness; but is longsuffering to us-ward, not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance.
The promise to Abraham refers to the New Heaven and the New Jerusalem, our Heavenly Home!
Rev 21:10 And he carried me away in the spirit to a great and high mountain, and shewed me that great city, the holy Jerusalem, descending out of heaven from God,
All these things Abraham knew and, on this day, Joshua would begin that journey with Israel as they would cross the River Jordan.
This is where Joshua would derive his courage and his strength!
It was the promises made to Abraham that drove Joshua to be the great man of God that he was, and we should be encouraged just as Joshua was encouraged.
Gen 12:1 Now the LORD had said unto Abram, Get thee out of thy country, and from thy kindred, and from thy father's house, unto a land that I will shew thee:
Gen 12:2 And I will make of thee a great nation, and I will bless thee, and make thy name great; and thou shalt be a blessing:
Gen 12:3 And I will bless them that bless thee, and curse him that curseth thee: and in thee shall all families of the earth be blessed.
Joshua told this new nation of Israel, "let us go an obtain the promises of God".
This is exactly what the Church is doing today!
*****Jos 1:10 Then Joshua commanded the officers of the people, saying,
Jos 1:11 Pass through the host, and command the people, saying, Prepare you victuals; for within three days ye shall pass over this Jordan, to go in to possess the land, which the LORD your God giveth you to possess it.
After forty years the long-awaited command came. "prepare the people for we are going to cross the River Jordan".
We should remember that this people of Israel would have been several million people.
There is not an army on the face of the earth that can go from rest to moving forward for war in three days, which shows us how Moses had prepared this army.
This was not just the army but also all their families and livestock.
We should also think about those three days!
Three days to our Lord Jesus was the time of His death to His resurrection.
In three days, this rag tag bunch of slaves would resurrect as the nation of Israel.
We should be able to see the typology of all these things.
What do we know? We know that God had spoken to Joshua and the crossing of the Jordan was to be done at once.
As Israel had been at camp until this command came, they had certainly seen that the River Jordan was running out of its banks at this time of the year.
In our service to the Lord, we had better understand that the natural things must be exhausted before the supernatural is brought in.
At this time we believe the "manna" had ceased and the word "victuals" would mean the food that was natural to their surroundings.
Jos 5:12 And the manna ceased on the morrow after they had eaten of the old corn of the land; neither had the children of Israel manna any more; but they did eat of the fruit of the land of Canaan that year.
We also believe that before this command was given, that Joshua had already sent out those spies to Jericho, and they had returned.
On this side of this flooded river was Israel ready for war and on the other side stood the walled city of Jericho, which had to fall for Israel to be successful.
Jericho had already heard of the wars Israel had already fought, and won, and the city was afraid of Israel.
Between them lay a vast expanse of rushing water.
Joshua commanded this people of God "to prepare", then "passover" and then "to possess".
We must understand as a soldier in God's Army, we must always be prepared, and we have that "Heavenly Manna" with us at all times if we are carrying the Word of God.
We must feed on the Lord Jesus Christ; He is our Passover!
No doubt that many of these people had the fear of death for war brings death!
But to the child of God, death has but one meaning and that meaning is New Life.
There would be no possessing of that land until they crossed over the flood waters of the River Jordan.
As Christians we have nothing on this side of Jordan, but the New Heaven, the New Jerusalem lie on the other side.
What lies on the other side will be the treasures of God!
A share of the inheritance of the Lord Jesus Christ!
Still that raging river seemed unsurpassable.
But the Lord will always say:
Jos 3:5 And Joshua said unto the people, Sanctify yourselves: for to morrow the LORD will do wonders among you.
When the flood waters of this world are raging, then this is when we need to trust the Lord the most!
Mar_6:50 For they all saw him, and were troubled. And immediately he talked with them, and saith unto them, Be of good cheer: it is I; be not afraid.
We must never forget that as we travel in this life, the Lord Jesus Christ will walk before us showing us the way!
We know that God would stop the flow of the River Jordan and several million Israelites would cross the River Jordan on dry land!
Amen
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