B13-devotions

Joshua 1:1-9

Devotions for Friday 12th February

Review

At the end of Deuteronomy, God took His servant Moses to Mount Nebo (Deut 34:1f.), where he died. Moses had been Israel’s enigmatic and powerful leader for a long time, through the extraordinary Exodus (Ex 12-14) and the formative years of the nation’s life whilst travelling in the desert (as in Exodus 16f., Numbers and Deuteronomy). Moses was a unique man of God and leader of the people, but who would come after him? The answer is that God had been preparing someone to take over from Moses; and this was Joshua, the son of Nun (Josh 1:1f.). It is not easy for us to understand, but in ancient times, the power vacuum created when a great leader passed away could be disastrous. A quick succession was necessary, and God moved swiftly to appoint Joshua with a prophetic word which connected Joshua seamlessly with the rule of Moses (Josh 1:1,2).

We have already met Joshua in previous stories of Israel’s wilderness experiences. He led the people of Israel against the Amalek (Exodus 17:9f.), accompanied Moses on his spiritual pilgrimages up various mountains (see 24:13 etc.), and was one of the ‘spies’ who entered the Promised Land. At the time, Joshua advised entering the land, but the people were scared because of the presence in Canaan of ‘Nephilim’, who appeared to them to be huge (Numbers 13:33). As a consequence, Joshua escaped the great judgement that came on Israel because of this sin of unbelief (Numbers 14:1f.). Joshua was a man marked by the favour of God (Deut 3:28, 31:3f. etc.), so when Moses died and Israel stood poised to enter the Promised Land, Joshua was ready and willing to step into Moses’ shoes.

Joshua may have been ready and willing, but he still needed God’s specific blessing and anointing for service. Just as Moses met with the Lord at the burning bush (Exodus 3) and was commissioned to act, so God spoke to Joshua here at this critical moment of time in Israel’s history. He was given a specific commission to complete the work of Moses and bring the people into the Promised Land (1:2-5), and to do this, he was given the blessing of God’s presence (1:5). Then, to complement this, God spoke to Joshua to give him a personal word (1:6-9). He was told to be ‘strong and courageous’ (1:6,7,9), and was also told to keep the ‘Book of the Law’ close at hand, physically and spiritually (1:7,8). The last words of this commission have now become famous; ‘be strong and courageous, do not be frightened or discouraged, for the Lord your God is with you wherever you go’ (1:9).

The commission of Joshua was a remarkable event, because God revealed to Joshua the extent of the Promised Land and the area of land he had to conquer to fulfil the commission (1:4,5). The description of the Promised Land found here is very different from the vision given to Abraham (13:10,14), and also different from the land eventually invaded by Joshua (see at the end of Joshua and the beginning of Judges). In reality, the promise of God was never acquired in full, despite the valiant efforts of Joshua; but Joshua himself need this great promise of God to enable him to take on the great task of winning a homeland for the people of Israel.

The most interesting feature of God’s call and commission of Joshua is the combination of a threefold command of God to be strong (1:6,7,9) and the command to keep close to the laws of God. The promise of God was that if Joshua kept God’s laws and did so with boldness, then he would become ‘prosperous ... and successful’ (1:8). Now it is too easy for some to suggest from this that if we are completely loyal to the Lord and do His will boldly today, then we will have the same rewards. However, we must remember that Joshua was not called to personal benefits. The result of ‘success and prosper’ was for God’s people as a whole, not for Joshua personally, as later generations of Israelites discovered.

Nevertheless, we can learn from the call of God to Joshua, which required him to be obedient and utterly grounded in God’s law. The scrolls he obtained from Moses were the only ‘Scripture’ of the day (1:8), and even in those times, God required that it be a natural part of Joshua’s speech and thought at all times. We too, can learn to be God’s people by being obedient to the revelation He has given us in Christ, and being people who are grounded in the His Word as we now have it, which is the Bible.

go to discipleship notes

1 After the death of Moses the servant of the Lord, the Lord said this to Joshua son of Nun, Moses' assistant;

2 ‘My servant Moses is dead. Now, you and all this people, get ready to cross over the Jordan into the land that I am giving to them, to the Israelites. 3 Everywhere that you will place your feet I have given to you, as I promised to Moses. 4 Your territory will be from the wilderness and the Lebanon here as far as the great river (the Euphrates), and all the land of the Hittites as far as the Great Sea in the West. 5 No one will be able to stand against you all the days of your life. As I was with Moses, so I will be with you; I will not leave you or forsake you.

6 ‘Be strong and courageous; for you will put this people in possession of the land that I swore to their ancestors to give them. 7 Only be strong and very courageous, and be careful to do everything according to the law my servant Moses commanded you; do not turn from it to the right hand or to the left, so that you may be successful wherever you go. 8 Do not let this book of the law leave your speech; you will meditate on it day and night, so that you are careful to do everything written in it. Then you will become prosperous, and you will be successful. 9 Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous; do not be frightened or discouraged, for the Lord your God is with you wherever you go.’

O Lord Jesus Christ, our Saviour and Redeemer, be our sanctuary of peace and security within this world of jumbled emotions, confusing situations, mixed up rights and wrongs, and unknown futures. Thank You for the assurance of eternal peace with God the Father by means of Your death and Resurrection; for this is our Faith, our sure hope and certain destiny. AMEN

Lord Jesus, grant me the gifts and graces I need to do Your will;

May I be a faithful disciple of Yours, and may I

accept the nature of the life I have been given;

refrain from jealousy about the gifts of others;

hold my tongue so that I might not hurt others;

smile to show my true delight, and not falsely;

question my own motives and put others first;

conquer my anger before it can conquer me;

give attention to all so they know they are heard;

strive to be a peacemaker, and a person of love,

Complete this work of grace in me so that I may become more like You,

Christ Jesus, my Saviour and my Lord.

Prayer ideas

Ask the Lord for the blessing of His healing and sustenance, for all those in your family who need help

On-going prayers

Pray for persecuted Christians Pray today for young Christians, the children of Christian parents, who find it hard to live their faith at school
Pray for the people of North Korea who live under oppression
Give thanks to God for the joy of sight, and how it enriches life

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