Be Strong Courageous Joshua 1 1 9 16
Be Strong & Courageous Joshua 1: 1 -9 16 September 2018 1
Joshua 1: 5 -9 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. 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. 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. 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. 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. ” 2
Be Strong & Courageous • Context of the Command • Meaning of the Command • Coupled Concepts • Other Occurrences of the Command 3
Context of the Command • “Wandering” is over; Moab defeated: time to conquer the land! • “Moses … is Dead” (Josh 1: 1 -2, and see Dt 34: 8 -9) • Originally spoken by Moses (Dt. 31: 5 -8) 5 The LORD will give them over to you, that you may do to them according to every commandment which I have commanded you. 6 Be strong and of good courage, do not fear nor be afraid of them; for the LORD your God, He is the One who goes with you. He will not leave you nor forsake you. ” 7 Then Moses called Joshua and said to him in the sight of all Israel, “Be strong and of good courage, for you must go with this people to the land which the LORD has sworn to their fathers to give them, and you shall cause them to inherit it. 8 And the LORD, He is the One who goes before you. He will be with you, He will not leave you nor forsake you; do not fear nor be dismayed. ” 4
Context of the Command (Joshua 1) 2 “Moses My servant is dead. Now therefore, arise, go over this Jordan, you and all this people, to the land which I am giving to them —the children of Israel. 3 Every place that the sole of your foot will tread upon I have given you, as I said to Moses. 4 From the wilderness and this Lebanon as far as the great river, the River Euphrates, all the land of the Hittites, and to the Great Sea toward the going down of the sun, shall be your territory. … 10 Then Joshua commanded the officers of the people, saying, 11 “Pass through the camp and command the people, saying, ‘Prepare provisions for yourselves, for within three days you will cross over this Jordan, to go in to possess the land which the LORD your God is giving you to possess. ’ ” 5
Be Strong & Courageous • Context of the Command • Meaning of the Command • Coupled Concepts • Other Occurrences of the Command 6
“Be Strong and Courageous” is not… • Physical strength • Fearsome, intimidating demeanor • Self-centered defensiveness of personal interests • Foolish risk-taking • Illogical optimism • Rebellious resistance to submission 7
“Be Strong and Courageous” (Joshua 1: 9) Be: Be not: Strong Afraid (Trembling) Courageous Dismayed (Intimidated, Discouraged) An emotional resistance to frightening things that enables obedience. 8
Be Strong & Courageous • Context of the Command • Meaning of the Command • Coupled Concepts • Other Occurrences of the Command 9
Coupled Concepts • Obedience to God’s Written Law 10
Joshua 1: 5 -9 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. 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. 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. 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. 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. ” 11
Coupled Concepts • Obedience to God’s Written Law – And the LORD your God will expel them from before you and drive them out of your sight. So you shall possess their land, as the LORD your God promised you. 6 Therefore be very courageous to keep and to do all that is written in the Book of the Law of Moses, lest you turn aside from it to the right hand or to the left… (Josh 23: 6) – “Therefore you shall keep every commandment which I command you today, that you may be strong, and go in and possess the land which you cross over to possess… (Dt 11: 8) 12
Coupled Concepts • Obedience to God’s Written Law • The Presence of God 13
Joshua 1: 5 -9 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. 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. 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. 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. 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. ” 14
Coupled Concepts • Obedience to God’s Written Law • The Presence of God – (See Numbers 27: 13 -21) – Then Moses went and spoke these words to all Israel. 2 And he said to them: “I am one hundred and twenty years old today. I can no longer go out and come in. Also the LORD has said to me, ‘You shall not cross over this Jordan. ’ 3 The LORD your God Himself crosses over before you; He will destroy these nations from before you, and you shall dispossess them. Joshua himself crosses over before you, just as the LORD has said. 4 And the LORD will do to them as He did to Sihon and Og, the kings of the Amorites and their land, when He destroyed them. (Dt 31: 1 -4) 15
Coupled Concepts • Obedience to God’s Written Law • The Presence of God – The LORD will give them over to you, that you may do to them according to every commandment which I have commanded you. 6 Be strong and of good courage, do not fear nor be afraid of them; for the LORD your God, He is the One who goes with you. He will not leave you nor forsake you. ” 7 Then Moses called Joshua and said to him in the sight of all Israel, “Be strong and of good courage, for you must go with this people to the land which the LORD has sworn to their fathers to give them, and you shall cause them to inherit it. 8 And the LORD, He is the One who goes before you. He will be with you, He will not leave you nor forsake you; do not fear nor be dismayed. ” (Dt 31: 5 -8) 16
Coupled Concepts Confidence in God’s Presence Obedience to God’s Commands Strength & Courage (Resistance to Fear & Discouragement) 17
Be Strong & Courageous • Context of the Command • Meaning of the Command • Coupled Concepts • Other Occurrences of the Command 18
Other Occurrences • So far: Death of Moses, Commission of Joshua, Joshua’s Death 19
Other Occurrences • Death of Moses, Commission of Joshua, Joshua’s Death • To Solomon – And David said to his son Solomon, “Be strong and of good courage, and do it; do not fear nor be dismayed, for the LORD God—my God—will be with you. He will not leave you nor forsake you, until you have finished all the work for the service of the house of the LORD. (I Chr 28: 20) – “I go the way of all the earth; be strong, therefore, and prove yourself a man. 3 And keep the charge of the LORD your God: to walk in His ways, to keep His statutes, His commandments, His judgments, and His testimonies, as it is written in the Law of Moses…” (I Kgs 2: 2 -3) 20
Other Occurrences • Death of Moses, Commission of Joshua, Joshua’s Death • To Solomon • To Hezekiah – Be strong and courageous; do not be afraid nor dismayed before the king of Assyria, nor before all the multitude that is with him; for there are more with us than with him. 8 With him is an arm of flesh; but with us is the LORD our God, to help us and to fight our battles. ” And the people were strengthened by the words of Hezekiah king of Judah. (II Chr 32: 7 -8) 21
Other Occurrences • • Death of Moses, Commission of Joshua, Joshua’s Death To Solomon To Hezekiah To the Remnant (Hab 1: 12; 2: 4 -5) – 1: 12 Then Zerubbabel the son of Shealtiel, and Joshua the son of Jehozadak, the high priest, with all the remnant of the people, obeyed the voice of the LORD their God, and the words of Haggai the prophet, as the LORD their God had sent him; and the people feared the presence of the LORD. – 2: 4 Yet now be strong, Zerubbabel, ’ says the LORD; ‘and be strong, Joshua, son of Jehozadak, the high priest; and be strong, all you people of the land, ’ says the LORD, ‘and work; for I am with you, ’ says the LORD of hosts. 5 ‘According to the word that I covenanted with you when you came out of Egypt, so My Spirit remains among you; do not fear!’ 22
Other Occurrences • • • Death of Moses, Commission of Joshua, Joshua’s Death To Solomon To Hezekiah To the Remnant New Testament – Watch, stand fast in the faith, be brave, be strong. (I Cor 16: 13) – Finally, be strong in the Lord and in the strength of His might. 11 Put on the full armor of God, so that you will be able to stand firm against the schemes of the devil. (Eph 6: 10 -11) – Belt = Truth; Shoes = Gospel; Shield = Faith; Sword = Word of God (14 -17) 23
Other Occurrences • • • Death of Moses, Commission of Joshua, Joshua’s Death To Solomon To Hezekiah To the Remnant New Testament – Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God; 7 and the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus… 9 The things which you learned and received and heard and saw in me, these do, and the God of peace will be with you. (Phil 4: 6 -7, 9) 24
Be Strong… Confidence in God’s Presence Obedience to God’s Commands Strength & Courage (Resistance to Fear & Discouragement) 25
A Challenging Commission Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit, 20 teaching them to observe all that I commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age. ” (Matt 28: 19 -20) 26
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