Recently I came across an article that described the Cherokee Indian youth's rite of passage from boyhood to manhood? In this ritual the father leaves his son alone in a forest blindfolded. He is told to sit on a tree stump the whole night and to not remove the blindfold until the rays of the morning sun shine through. He is forbidden to cower, cry out or seek help from anyone. In the ritual it is said that once he survives the night, he is a man. Because each boy must come into manhood on his own, he cannot tell the other boys of this experience. The boy is naturally terrified. Can you imagine the anxiety, tension and fear that lurks from without and within. He can hear all kinds of noises. Wild beasts must surely be all around him. Maybe even some human might do him harm. The wind blows the grass and shakes the trees, but the boy is to sit stoically, never removing the blindfold. Finally, after a horrific night, the sun appears and the boy removes his blindfold. But much to his surprise and delight he discovers his father sitting on the stump next to him. Interestingly, the proud father has been there the entire night, watching over and protecting his son from harm.
When I first read that story I thought about the fact that there is a thin divine line between spiritual infancy and spiritual maturity. So often we will become fearful and frightened by the hounding winds of helplessness and the haunting howls of hopelessness, despair and discouragement. But God, Who is our sovereign, resourceful, omniscient, all-wise heavenly Father sees us and knows where we are. Even when He cannot be viewed by us, we are still in His view and foresight. The problems we face in time are eternally in His view. He will never leave us nor forsake us.
This is the message that God rings clear to young Joshua. The opening words of the book of Joshua describe a period of transition. It marks not only a change in leadership but a change in purpose. The people would change from Moses to Joshua and also from wanderers to warriors. This change would not only be difficult for the fledging nation, but also for Joshua. Verse 1 informs us that Moses is dead. The death of Moses was a heavy blow to the Israelites. He was the one who had led them out of the oppressive Egyptian bondage.
- When the people were discouraged and wanted to go back to Egypt, God uses Moses to calm and rally the people to ‘Fear not, stand still and see the salvation of the Lord’.
- When the Israelites were thirsty, God used Moses to cause water to flow from a stone.
- When the Israelites were hungry, God answered Moses' prayers and sent quail and bread from heaven.
- For almost 40 years, Moses had served as the Israelite's leader and legislator. He alone spoke face-to-face with God on their behalf. But now he was dead!
Here Israel is still encamped on the plains of Moab, directly east of the Jordan River, at the very edge of the Land of Promise. For 30 days they mourned Moses, their beloved leader, but now it was time to inherit the land God had promised to Abraham and their forefathers hundreds of years earlier. Joshua, God’s newly anointed and appointed leader of the Israelites, according to Numbers 27:22 and 23, had been commissioned by Moses before his death, and he was now being ordained by God. So let’s walk through these opening verses of the call of Joshua and consider the practical implications of possessing God’s promises.
I. We are Called to Follow God’s Plan
Verse 1 is an historical summary of the death of Moses. But verse 2 is the actual recording of God’s visit with Joshua to reiterate to this new kid on the black, ‘Moses my servant is dead.’ In verse 2 we have both a negative inference and a positive inference tucked away in the text. The negative inference here is that Moses, God’s servant, is now dead. Let me stop long enough to remind you that life has a way, through the providential orchestration of God, of shifting, moving and rearranging certain aspects of the plan in His own time and in His own way. He will allow some things, people and spiritual moments of grandeur to fade off the scene so that He may set up His new plan and purpose; in order that He may reinforce the fact of His sovereignty and glory. The negative inference in the text is that Moses, this great leader is dead. It’s painful and it hurts. But the positive inference in the text is when God begins to unfold His plan to the new guy, Brother Joshua. He says, in verse 2, Joshua He says, ‘Joshua, grieve the loss of your leader; but don’t grieve long’. You can grieve over what has been lost or what has been left behind; but don’t allow your grief to cause you to abandon your progress or stop your mobility.
In essence, God was saying to Joshua is the very thing He is saying to use right now; and that is that He has a plan for us. That sounds real simple, doesn’t it? But it’s one thing to hear it; but it’s another thing to believe it, much less to carry it out in a way that honors and pleases God. In a real sense, Joshua was called to stand up and follow God’s plan even when his FAITH wasn’t sure, the FACTS said he wasn’t the right candidate, and his FEELINGS didn’t want to cooperate.
Question: Can you follow God’s goal and plan for your life even when your faith is shaken, the facts are precarious and your feelings aren’t on board?
When Robert Moffat, Scottish missionary to South Africa, came back to recruit helpers in his homeland, he was greeted by the fury of a cold British winter. Arriving at the church that cold night, he was to speak he noted that only a small group had braved the cold winter night to hear his appeal. What disturbed him even more was that there were only women in attendance that evening, for he had chosen as his text Proverbs 8:4, “Unto you, O men, I call.”
In his anxiety and dismay he almost failed to notice one small fellow in the church balcony who had come to work the bellows of the organ. Dr. Moffat felt hopeless as he gave the message, realizing that few women could be expected to undergo the rigorous experiences they would face in the undeveloped jungles of the continent where he labored. But what Moffatt didn't realize and what I need you to get today is that God works in mysterious ways to carry out His wise purposes. Although no one volunteered, the young fellow assisting the organist was thrilled by the challenge. Deciding that he would follow in the footsteps of this pioneer missionary, he went on to school, obtained a degree in medicine, and then spent the rest of his life ministering to the unreached tribes of Africa. His name: David Livingstone, the great 19th century British missionary to Africa who today is arguably the most popular Christian missionary in modern day human history and his writings and curriculum today as a guide to reach the world for Christ. Buildings, towns, awards and even institutions are named and dedicated to this great missionary who, after Billy Graham, is said to have won millions of souls to Christ. People today (like me) even name their children after this great man. But we would perhaps never known of him today if it were for a lesser known missionary named Robert Moffat who followed God’s plan.
What are the plans for Joshua and, moreover, the believer? This account of Joshua on the edge of possessing God’s promise in following God’s plan is threefold:
a. It Is a Plan for Freedom (Verse 2a)
He says ‘arise’ from this place and go ‘over the Jordan’ to the place ‘I am giving to them’. There are two pivotal moments for the people of Israel, between the Book of Exodus and Joshua. One of them had already taken place through the leadership of Moses; that is to get them out of Egypt. The other was to take place under the leadership of Joshua; and that is to get Egypt out of them! The picture of the people of Israel to the land of Pharaoh in Egypt is symbolic of you and I, the believer’s, encounter with the world in which we live. Those of us, you and I, who have been saved have been set free from the enemy (Pharaoh, Satan) and from the land of Egypt, the world, but the other end of the fight is to get the world out of you.
• 2 Corinthians 5:17 says, ‘if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creature; the old things passed away; behold, all things are made new.’
• Romans 8:9 says, ‘…you are not in the flesh but in the Spirit, if indeed the Spirit of God dwells in you. And if anyone does not have the Spirit of Christ, he is not His.’
John chapter 11:1-11 records the story of Lazarus, the relative of Mary and Martha. Scripture records Christ receiving the report that says Lazarus has died. Christ calls for him to come forth. Lazarus did come forth in a miracle of resurrected life. But yet, while the resurrection was, in fact, effective, the work was yet incomplete. Lazarus still had on the grave clothes. And Jesus tells His disciples to loose him and let him go! In a real sense, Jesus was showing, now that you are out of the grave, my work is not complete until I get the grave off of you. God wanted the Israelite people free. He wanted them to be free of Pharaoh and of Egypt, but He wanted them to also be free of an Egyptian mindset and wilderness mentality. In the same way, the Christian life for the believer can be a difficult life unless you are liberated from legalism, laziness and lethargy. You must be filled with God's Spirit and know that there is more to being a Christian than just being saved.
Stuart Briscoe has stated that the average Christian is like an old, iron bed:
Strong on both ends but sagging in the middle. By this he means that the average Christian has settled his salvation and knows he is going to heaven - thus, both ends are strong. The problem lies in the middle. Many believers are sagging in the middle, that is, they lack the strength of the Lord in their daily living. We need to get out of the wilderness and into the Promised Land of all that God has promised us. We need to be liberated from negative thinking. We need to be liberated from the sin that does so easily beset us. We need to be liberated from wrong attitudes.
b. It is a Plan for Fullness (Verse 2b) ‘I am giving; inheritance’.
When we read the word "am," which in Hebrew is `asah and means "accomplish, bestow, perform, or fulfill," we see what God is doing. This verb describes something that is happening in the present tense and the active voice. The promise for this land was given to Abraham hundreds of years before, and now Israel are at the actual moment of possessing the land which God promised to them. They are standing on the banks of the Jordan River and can look across at the Promised Land.
The Hebrew word for "give" is nathan. It can mean "grant, deliver, put, let, hand over, assign, designate, allot, or make." God as the giver of the land was an important concept for the people to understand. Although the land was treated as an inheritance which was to be passed on through the generations, in reality it was a trust given from God.
Verse 6 uses the word “inheritance”, nachal is the Hebrew word for "inheritance." This is the central concept in the book of Joshua, which revolves around the Israelites taking possession of the land which God had promised them.
The Hebrew people had been living out in the desert for forty years. It was a rough and difficult life. They could not relax. They were on the move, picking up their tents and going from place to place. They were surrounded by dangers on every side. They had the promise of God that they could sit under their own olive tree in the new land, but no such place existed in the desert. Jesus has called us to a place of rest. "Come unto me all of you who labor and are heavy laden and I will give you rest." This did not mean that no battles would be fought in the new land of victory; it just meant that such battles would be fought from the ground of blessing rather than from the ground of a curse.
Some of you today need to move into your Canaan rest. God wants you to lay down some burdens today. A woman boarded a bus with a heavy suitcase. She had held it so long that she kept on holding unto it. A man spoke up and said, "Lady, why don't you sit that suitcase down and let the bus carry it." We need to lay some things on the Lord today. He can help us. "Casting all your cares upon Him, because He cares for you."
c. It is a plan that requires faith (Verse 6a, 7a, 9b)
Consider Joshua was like some of us, for a moment. Joshua must have been anxious and fearful because of Israel’s past failure to enter the Promised Land and because of the death of Moses. In verse 6a, God’s message to Joshua is “be strong and courageous.” The message was so important that God repeats it three times.
The Hebrew word for "strong" is chazaq. The word for "courage" is 'amat. Both words have similar meanings. It means to be resolute and make the choice to stand firm and hold your ground. He says, in a real sense, go back to the time when you went out to spy the land, have a tenacity to take it. But the use of the two words (chazaa and amat) give the allusion that the fight is not going to be easy. While it wont be easy, the inference is that it has to be fought. But now remember, Joshua, this is not your fight. You may be in the fight right now, but remember that it’s not your battle.
• 1 Samuel 17:47 says, ‘…the battle is the Lord’s’.
As you face your future and the adversity of life, you can respond in fear or faith. You can let circumstances dictate your actions, or you can have faith in God to give you direction. Solomon writes, “Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not unto your own understanding in all your ways acknowledge Him and He will direct your paths.” As you face adversity in life you can respond in fear or in faith. I challenge you to respond in faith. Life is like a mansion. Many of us spend our life in the hallways, stuck between the big room of a regrettable yesterday from which we cannot get free and the fantasy of the large room of a tomorrow to which we are going. Many of the persons I know seem to be going nowhere. They are stuck somewhere between a yesterday that enslaves them and the fantasy of a tomorrow onto which they cannot grab. Life is like that, and too many of us are frozen between potential experiences that beckon us and the memories that enslave us.
II. We are Commanded to Treasure God’s Precepts (Verses 7 and 8)
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Some years ago a passenger train was rushing into New York as another train was emerging. There was a head-on collision. And some fifty lives were lost. An engineer was pinned under his engine, frightfully injured, and tears were running down his cheeks. In his dying agony he held a piece of yellow paper crushed in his hand, and said: “Take this. This will show you that someone gave me the wrong orders.”
Verses 8 and 9 give in detail the special relationship Joshua was to have for the written law of Moses. According to the very first paragraphs of the book of Joshua, Joshua—this new leader—has the law of Moses. Moreover, the law of Moses already had the exalted status of a revelation from God. Important as it was to possess the Word of God in written form, as we also possess it, that was not enough to assure Joshua’s success as Israel’s new commander. He was not only to possess the Bible in a technical or theoretical sense; God says to Joshua, in verse 7 and 8 that it must be personal. This is the heart of his instruction by God.
There are four parts to Joshua’s instruction to treasuring God’s precepts.
a. God’s Word must be Known. That is, he was to read it and study it. Neither the word know nor study is used in this section, but the other words presuppose them. If the law of Moses was to be Joshua’s guide, as these verses clearly indicate it was, then Joshua would have to know what that law said. The first five books—his Bible—would not be laid up in the ark of the covenant as some revered relic to be looked at but as a map to guide his very life. Joshua has to get the book out on a regular basis or make a copy he could hold, read, and study as he sought to conform his thinking to the mind of God, the book’s author.
Timothy Dwight has said, ‘The Bible is a window in this prison-world, through which we may look into eternity.’
Being that Joshua has spent some time as the minister of God’s servant Moses, I’m certain that this was no new revelation for him, for I cannot doubt that Joshua had picked up the importance of the Law from Moses during the years of his association with him. If Moses had spent much of the preceding thirty-eight years working on these written documents (as he undoubtedly had), Joshua must have been a witness to that labor, have come to value that Law, and know it to some extent. In other words, he must already have been a student of the Word, even before God commissioned him to his new responsibilities.
Psalm 119:11 says, ‘Thy Word have I hidden in my heart, that I might not sin against Thee.’
Psalm 37:31 says, ‘The law of his God is in his heart; none of his steps shall slide.’
b. God’s Precepts must be Spoken. The text says, “Do not let this Book of the Law depart from your mouth” (Josh. 1:8). Joshua was to talk about the Bible in his normal day-by-day contacts with family, soldiers, friends, and others who were part of the nation. Tragically, most of us would rather talk to God about people then to talk to people about God’s Word.
c. God’s Precepts must be Digested. The Hebrew word for "meditate" is hagah, which literally means "to mutter" or "to murmur." Our contemporary concept of meditation may be skewed by eastern mysticism, which views meditation as emptying one's mind or perhaps thinking on a single word or a single picture. Biblical meditation is just the opposite. It is filling our minds with God's Word. Those in biblical times meditated aloud. Imagine reciting Scripture aloud and answering in spoken prayer. It might sound like a private conversation between the believer and the Almighty God as the Word is spoken aloud and the one meditating responds orally. Perhaps we should try this method at times when we find our minds wandering instead of focusing on God's Word.
The Eastern concept of meditation can be a dangerous one. We read in Matthew 12:43-45 that when an evil spirit is cast out, if there remains a vacuum, the evil spirit will return with seven additional evil spirits. This reminds us of the old adage that an empty mind is the devil's playground. Our objective should not be to empty our minds but to fill them with God's Word.
To meditate on God’s Word is a step beyond mere knowledge of the Scripture or mere talking about it. Meditating on the Word implies reasoning about the Word and deducing things from it. Meditation has application as it’s goal; the pursuit of God’s plan as it’s aim’ and the digesting of what God says as it’s desire. Unfortunately, this is a discipline far too few Christians today know anything about. We live in an age of superficiality and spoon-feeding. Consequently, many of today’s Christians think that all a person has to do to be successful in the Christian life is go to church, pay passing attention to the sermon, have a few Christian friends, and go on about their business as one would without these other elements.
We act like the world because we think like the world. And we think like the world because the world is all we hear. Their conduct and the conduct of pagans, apart from the grosser sins, is indistinguishable. What’s missing is a deep, genuine, and persistent meditation on the Word of God. It is only as the Word of God gets into our minds and begins to become part of our normal, day-to-day reasoning and thinking that we begin to act differently and thereby make a difference.
d. God’s Precepts must be Lived. The last element in this list of requirements is the most important. Not only was Joshua to know, speak about, and meditate on the law of Moses, he was also and chiefly to obey it. God said, “Be careful to obey all the law my servant Moses gave you; do not turn from it to the right or to the left.… Be careful to do everything written in it” (Josh. 1:7–8).
Someone has said that, ‘Men do not reject the Bible because it contradicts itself, but because it contradicts them.
It is true that often we do not know the Word of God as we should. We do not speak of it as often as we ought or meditate on the Word. But most of us know enough of the law of God to get on much better in the Christian life than we do. It is not that we do not know what is right; it is that we do not practice even what we know. We are not like the righteous man of Psalm 1, the man who “is like a tree planted by streams of water, which yields its fruit in season and whose leaf does not wither. Whatever he does prospers” (v. 3). We are like the wicked whose works, even if (in the case of genuine believers) it is not they themselves, are “like chaff that the wind blows away” (v. 4).
That is what we need today: not increasingly clever methods, still less increasingly clever people, but obedience informed and motivated by the living and abiding Word of God.
Joshua had been one of the original spies sent out to see the Promised Land. The memory of its beauty had not dimmed. But he also remembered the walled cities and trained armies. But notice, Joshua’s instructions for success had nothing to do with the upcoming battles. To be successful, Joshua had to do three things. Joshua was told to meditate on God’s Word and to talk about God’s Word, and be careful to do all that was written in the Book of the Law. If he did, he would be successful.
If you want to be successful in life, you need to live according to God’s Book. That means that you need to obey all his commands, not just pick and choose. He doesn’t want us to change them to suit our needs. Faith and obedience are every where, linked in Scripture, for true faith releases us from our fears and results in obeying God gladly.
Just like Joshua, you must be very careful not to forget the law of the Lord. I read about a man named Sam. He was on vacation and stopped in Montgomery, AL for gas. After pumping gas, he got in his car and had driven more than 5 hours before he noticed that he had left something behind—his wife (Our Daily Bread 1-1-99). It is hard for us to understand how a man could have forgotten his wife, but I’m afraid we’re not much different when it comes to our relationship to God. R. G. Ingersoll once said that, ‘the inspiration of the Bible depends on the ignorance of the gentleman who reads it.’
How does the world define success: More things and more money? How does God define success? The Bible indicates that when salvation comes to a person, that person has been brought from death unto life. He or she is transferred from the kingdom of darkness to the kingdom of light. The very life of God takes up residence in the life of a person who has been changed by the power of God. Jesus indicated that he would give the peace that passes all understanding, and an abundant life. Jesus said, “Seek first the Kingdom of God and His righteousness and all these things shall be added unto you.”
If you want to be successful in life, according to God’s definition, you must do these three things: know God’s word, speak God’s Word, Digest God’s Word, and live according to God’s Word. If we are careful to do all that God commands we will be victorious.
III. We are Commissioned to Trust the Promise of God’s Provision
The Lord commanded Joshua to prepare himself and the people to cross the Jordan and take possession of the land. He makes three promises to His new leader: (1) A promise of land, "'Wherever you set foot, you will be on land I have given you'" (Joshua 1:3, NLT); (2) A promise of victory, "No one will be able to stand against you as long as you live" (from 1:5, NLT); and (3) A promise of presence, "For I will be with you as I was with Moses. I will not fail you or abandon you" (1:5b, NLT).
a. God will Equip us
Here is a promise of land: "'Wherever you set foot, you will be on land I have given you'" (Joshua 1:3, NLT). Joshua was going to experience the fulfillment of the promise God made to Abraham and repeated to his sons Isaac and Jacob. He would lead the people into the land that had been promised to Moses. The Israelites would occupy the land from the great river to the great sea. The area described is roughly the same area God promised to Abraham (Genesis 15:18-20).
God is in every line and detail. He has prepared all things for you and they will work together for your good. Our Lord has left nothing to chance. He is never surprised or caught off guard. He is a sovereign God who has carefully planned a beautiful life for you. He who loves you more than you know has left nothing to chance. What a perfect blueprint God outlines! He promised Joshua vast territory on every side—from the desert to Lebanon, to the great Euphrates River, all the land of the Hittites, all the way to the great sea where the sun sets in the west. God also outlines the north, south, east, and west borders of your life. God’s will is going to be done in your life if you love Him, trust Him, and go forward. He has prepared everything specifically for you so that all things will work together for your good.
The equipping of Joshua doesn't begin for Joshua when Moses dies; God began to equip Joshua long before Joshua even knew who Joshua was.
You're a part of the plan but it's not your plan. He the Director and you are just the actor who is on stage performing for an audience of One. While you may not get the biggest piece of the cake; you must remember that it’s not your party.
b. God will Encourage us
Here is a promise of victory: "No one will be able to stand against you as long as you live" (1:5a, NLT). God promised Joshua victory over anybody and everybody who came against him. This promise was not limited to the taking of the Promised Land, but was extended for as long as Joshua lived. However, this promise came with a warning. The people who lived in the land were protected by powerful armies and fortified cities. The battles would be hard fought. As it was in Canaan, the Christian life is a life of conflict with enemies who must be confronted and overcome. Although the outcome of our battle is assured, we must be prepared for conflict if we are to claim the kingdom's earthly promise of righteousness, peace, and joy in the Holy Spirit (Romans 14:17, NLT).
I love how God, in His Word, always keep ever before us that we don't have what it tales to accomplish the task or reach the goal; but He always seems to point out...but you got it in you! * seems like a contradiction in terms
c. God will Enable us
Mark it down: What God appoints, He anoints.
Here is a promise of presence: "For I will be with you as I was with Moses. I will not fail you or abandon you" (from Joshua 1:5, NLT).
God will be with you, just as He was with Moses. He will never leave you nor forsake you. He will prosper you wherever you go. How could young Joshua be confident and courageous in the challenge of tomorrow? The answer lies in God’s faithfulness Joshua had observed in the life of Moses yesterday. What He has done, He will do. Be strong and be encouraged.
God gives you the power to do everything He asks you to do. There are things that will have to be conquered in order to be successful. Israel had to cross rivers, tear down massive walls, and battle big giants. God gave them the power to do this. Israel had been at this point before, but they felt the battle too great, so they continued to wander in the wilderness.
What is there in your life you need to conquer?
Is there some Fear That Paralyzes You? Maybe there’s Some Sin That Imprisons You? Or perhaps there’s Some Hang Up That Haunts You?
Fear of tomorrow can be as crippling as slavery to the past, but God is already in your tomorrow. He’s already been where you’re going. Child of God, do not fear what lies ahead. He holds the future, and He holds you in His hand. God has gone before you and secured tomorrow on your behalf. Notice God does not say, “Everywhere your foot shall trod I will give you,” but rather, “I have given unto you.” He’s already done it. With God, there’s no yesterday, today, and tomorrow. He not only sees the beginning and the end, He is the beginning and the end. Tomorrow is already today with God. Don’t be afraid to walk into it.
He will enable you!
Isaiah 40:29-31:
He giveth power to the faint
And to those who have no might He increases strength.
Even the youths shall faint and be weary,
And the young men shall utterly fall,
But those who bwait on the Lord
Shall renew their strength;
They shall mount up with wings like eagles,
They shall run and not be weary,
They shall walk and not faint.
