Gtcotr/ss081615
The
life and times of Joshua were some of the most
exciting but clearly some the most challenging times for the Nation of Israel
as well. Joshua was the man whom God chose to lead the Children of Israel into
the Promised Land. Moses was their deliverer however it was Joshua who led them
to their inheritance.
The
history of the Jewish people reveals their undeniable victories over enemies
who were much larger in numbers, more experienced in battle and better equipped
to fight. Under Joshua’s leadership the young soldiers in the army of Israel
went against fortified cities and fought battle hardened warriors, some of whom
were giants that others feared to combat.
What
made Joshua able to successfully lead these Chosen Children of God against
these seemingly insurmountable forces? When facing enemies who are bigger and
more powerful than you it would be good to remember what gave Joshua his winning
edge.
On
top of being a child of God and called by God … Joshua also received some winning
edge instructions which ended up giving him the upper hand in battle. Today we
are going to take a critical look at the three commands God gave to Joshua that
gave him the edge he needed against his enemies. These three facts of life will
give you the upper hand as well.
Joshua 1:5 "No man shall
be able to stand before you all the days of your life; as I was with
Moses, so I will be with you. I will not leave you nor forsake you.
Here
God is saying to Joshua, I will not fail you … now don’t you go failing me! In
other words, “I will do My part – you do yours!”
6 "Be strong and of good
courage, for to this people you shall divide as an inheritance the land which I
swore to their fathers to give them.
Be
strong! The Hebrew word translated into
the English word “strong” in this verse is found 290 times in the Old Testament
and denotes action. The first time this word is used it is in connection with
the two angels God sent to Sodom and Gomorrah.
Genesis 19:16 And while
Lot lingered, the men took hold of his hand, his wife’s hand, and the hands of
his two daughters, the LORD being merciful to him, and they brought him out and
set him outside the city.
These
angels weren’t playing around … they “took hold” of Lot and his family and
carried or dragged them out of the city before the fire came down. The same
Hebrew word translated “hold” in Genesis 19 is the same word translated
“strong” in Joshua 1:6.
Many
of you might be familiar with a common Christian quote from the Bible, “The joy
of the Lord is my strength.” It’s also part of a Charismatic Christian song. It
is taken from a verse in the Book of Nehemiah at the dedication of the Temple
of Ezra and the public reading of God’s Word.
Nehemiah 8:10 Then he said to
them, "Go your way, eat the fat, drink the sweet, and send portions to
those for whom nothing is prepared; for this day is holy to our
LORD. Do not sorrow, for the joy of the LORD is your strength."
You
see that word strength in Nehemiah 8:10 – well it’s not translated from the
same Hebrew word as the one in Joshua 1 or Genesis 19. This word strength is
referring to a refuge or a safe hiding place … somewhere to retreat and find
protection in times of trouble. Thank God for the joy that is our refuge in
times of trouble but if we are going to win in all out war against the enemies
of the cross we must be willing to advance instead of retreat.
God
told Joshua that he could win against the seemingly insurmountable odds of the
enemies entrenched against him by taking an aggressive posture and advancing
against them.
You’ve
heard it said: “Sometimes the best
defense is a great offense …” Instead of looking for a place to run backwards,
we run towards the fight.
The
second element God required of Joshua in order to gain each victory needed to
inherit the promises was that of Courage. Three
times in these 4 verses we will study today the Lord God commanded Joshua to be
strong and courageous.
The
Hebrew word God chose to speak when commanding Joshua was a familiar word to
Joshua. In his language and in his day this word encompassed the concept of
bravery. Broken down today we would say that God told Joshua to:
·
Stay alert
·
Be determined
·
Remain persistent
In
other words, be courageous! Courage, at least this type of courage, is not the
absence of fear but rather what a person does in the face of fear.
In
order for God to work with Joshua to take the Children of Israel into the
Promise Land as He had worked with Moses to bring the Children of Israel out bondage,
Joshua was going to have to:
·
Stay alert
·
Be determined
·
Remain persistent
·
Advance against the enemy
Verse
6 tells us that God wanted Joshua to be strong and courageous so that he could
help others obtain the blessings God wanted them to have.
Joshua 1:7 Only be strong and very courageous, that you may observe
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, that you may prosper wherever
you go.
In
verse 7 God encourages Joshua to be strong and courageous so that he also might
inherit the blessings of God himself and become a prosperous man. How was
Joshua going to be able to accomplish this tall order and develop the winning
edge? Next verse …
Joshua 1:8 This Book of the
Law shall not depart from your mouth, but you shall meditate in it day and
night, that you may observe 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.
God
wants us to be strong and courageous, not only for ourselves but also for
others. The way we can strengthen ourselves and find courage to be brave
against the enemies that want to defeat us is to do exactly what God told Joshua
to do:
“Stick to the Word of God!”
·
Think
about it
·
Talk
about it
·
Live
it
For
then you will make your way prosperous and then you will have good success!
We
close this morning with the next verse, perhaps one of the many most quoted
verses in the entire world:
Joshua 1:9 "Have I not commanded you? Be strong and of good
courage; do not be afraid, nor be dismayed, for the LORD your God is
with you wherever you go."
It
went from a conversation to a command … and now God is commanding each one of
us … Be strong and courageous … don’t allow this world to intimidate you, make
you afraid, confuse or discourage you …
The
LORD your God is with you wherever you go!
·
Stay alert
·
Be determined
·
Remain persistent
·
Advance against the enemy
(Note: What is the enemy? Anything that
stands between God and the blessings He has promised to His Children)
·
Stick to the Word of God
