Standing When Times are Tough
Joshua 1:5-9
February 2008
Introduction
There was a test conducted by a university where 10 students were placed in a room. 3 lines of varying length were drawn on a card. The students were told to raise their hands when the instructor pointed to the longest line. But 9 of the students had been instructed beforehand to raise their hands when the instructor pointed to the second longest line. 1 student was the stooge. The usual reaction of the stooge was to put his hand up, look around, and realizing he was all alone, pull it back down. This happened 75% of the time, with students from grade school through high school. The researchers concluded that many would rather be president than be right.
C. Swindoll, March 27, 1984.
Courage means to stand up even when it might cost you something. Courage is the ability to stand even when no one else does. Courage is the radical dependence on God to redeem and deliver us.
Whatever you do, you need courage. Whatever course you decide upon, there is always someone to tell you that you are wrong. There are always difficulties arising that tempt you to believe your critics are right. To map out a course of action and follow it to an end requires some of the same courage that a soldier needs. Peace has its victories, but it takes brave men and women to win them. Ralph Waldo Emerson.
Courage is a great need within the church. We need to face the challenges awaiting us with courage and conviction. Many times Christians cower in the corner instead of standing up for what is right. We back down when others call us intolerant. We back down in times of crisis. We are called to stand.
Biblical Examples of Courage
David faced Goliath when no one else would
Daniel stood for his faith and ended up in the lion’s den
Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego when they were thrown in the furnace
Esther risked her life going before the king
Stephen when he stood before the Sanhedrin
Ananias when he went to Saul following his conversion
5 No one will be able to stand up 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. 6 "Be strong and courageous, because you will lead these people to inherit the land I swore to their forefathers to give them. 7 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. 8 Do not let this Book of the Law depart from your mouth; 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. 9 Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be terrified; do not be discouraged, for the LORD your God will be with you wherever you go."
God made a commitment to Joshua (5)
5 No one will be able to stand up 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.
God makes some incredible promises to Joshua here. The first is that no one will be able to stand against him. God is essentially telling Joshua that there is no enemy that will be able to defeat him. Every battle that he will have to face has already been won. What an amazing confidence builder! Joshua is told that the battles are already won, all he needs to do is to follow and obey. Joshua already knows the challenges that await them in the Promised Land, he scouted it out 40 years before and saw their enemies.
God tells Joshua that this promise is not on a short term basis or for one set of battles. Instead, God says “all the days of your life” This means that as long as Joshua lives and obeys, he will walk in victory. Each and every day that Joshua gets up, he is promised success. From the moment that God speaks to Joshua to the day he dies, he carried a promise of personal victory.
The second promise is one of personal closeness. As I was with Moses so I will be with you. Think about what that would have meant to Joshua. Joshua had a close relationship with Moses and knew the connection that existed between Moses and God.
Remember that Joshua was the aide of Moses and would have seen a number of his encounters with God. Joshua was with Moses when he went to the tent of meeting. Joshua was with Moses when he went up the mountain of God. The Bible makes it clear that God spoke with Moses as a friend, face to face. God promises a similar type of relationship with Joshua. Joshua would have had a clear understanding of the kind of relationship God was promising.
God also promises to support Joshua in all of his efforts. Moses relied on God’s strength through all of the wilderness wanderings. Joshua understood that God was going to be his source of strength through the coming conflict.
If God was going to be the source of Joshua’s strength, he was going to be with them through every battle. Look at what God tells Joshua. I will never leave you nor forsake you. God promises that He will be with Joshua in every battle and every difficulty. Joshua would never be alone and would never face any challenge on his own.
God’s Charge to Joshua (6-8)
6 "Be strong and courageous, because you will lead these people to inherit the land I swore to their forefathers to give them. 7 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. 8 Do not let this Book of the Law depart from your mouth; 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.
God’s charge for strength and courage
God knew that Joshua was going to need plenty of strength and courage to handle the coming war that needed to be fought. Joshua was given the task of leading the people into the Promised Land.
Three different kinds of strength
Strength of heart
The strength of the heart is being strong in the area of will. It is a determination that drives us on to accomplish the tasks that lay in front of us. It is an attitude that never gives in and never gives up. Joshua wholeheartedly followed God.
Strength of spirit
The strength of spirit is exactly that, spiritual strength. Our spiritual strength reveals itself in our character, our conduct and our commitment. Joshua was described as a man filled with the Spirit and led with spiritual wisdom.
Strength of stamina
The strength of stamina is the strength of physical proportions. This is not about how much a person can lift or bench press but instead is how long someone can keep going. Joshua was going to need a great deal of this kind of strength. Joshua would have a great deal of long and difficult days ahead.
Joshua is likely afraid of the situation that he is in. Joshua had been in this same place before and the people turned tail and ran from the call of God. The biggest fear in Joshua’s mind was not about the coming battles but the commitment of the people. Joshua had scouted the land forty years before and knew the challenges that awaited them. He also knew the enemies that they would have to face. Above all of these things Joshua knew that God would fight the battle for them.
God’s charge for character
God tells Joshua to take the lead and set the course for the Promised Land. Joshua was to lead Israel to attempt the impossible and allow God to accomplish the impossible. This means that Joshua was to advance the nation and move them forward toward the goal God set for them.
God makes it clear that His divine assistance is dependant on certain conditions. Joshua would need to obey what God directed him to do. The only thing that would separate Joshua from God would be Joshua. The covenant relationship with God begins with the leader. God wants to have a dynamic, personal relationship with His people.
Joshua understood that if he obeyed and followed God, the results were not on his shoulders. When we follow God and live to honor Him; the results are up to God. Joshua trusted God for the results in the coming war. He trusted God for the outcome, even when the methods seemed less than logical.
The only way that Israel was going to be successful was to follow God. The completion of the conquest was going to be through God’s own hand. God was opening a new chapter in the nation of Israel. He was fulfilling the Promises made so long ago to Abraham. Joshua just needed to see the leadership trough to the end. Joshua just needed to trust and obey. Joshua was to trust God for the right direction and then to obey those directions.
God’s Commission to Joshua (9)
9 Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be terrified; do not be discouraged, for the LORD your God will be with you wherever you go."
Joshua was given the command to be strong and courageous. It was no longer optional to wait; the time had come to move forward. God was giving the order to go. God would be the source of Israel’s strength. Joshua needed to keep his eyes on the goal and to not lose sight of what needed to be done.
Joshua was to move forward and to not waste any time. Israel had waited for 40 years and the time for waiting was over. God was ready and the people were to get ready as well because God was about to move. Joshua only needed to keep his eyes on God and follow no matter what the guidance was.
The odds were against Israel, their enemies had larger armies, better equipment, stronger weapons and fortified cities. They had well trained soldiers while the people of Israel were a bunch of ragtag shepherds and herdsmen. The success of Israel was not coming from them but instead was going to come from God.
Notice that God gives Joshua one last promise, I will be with you wherever you go. Joshua would never have to face the enemy alone. He would never have to doubt that God was with them. He would never have to face a challenge without the support of God. Whatever Joshua was going to have to do; he would never have to stand alone. Each new day was another day for God to prove Himself and for Joshua to walk in faith.
