Joshua 1
Pastor David Groendyk
Don’t you wish you could get a pep talk like the one God gave Joshua? After hearing what God had to say, I have to imagine Joshua was ready to run through a wall for the Lord, as the saying goes. Before we get into the specifics of Joshua 1, though, let’s orient ourselves to the whole book of Joshua.
Joshua is the first of the historical books in the Old Testament and walks us through the conquering and settling of the land of Canaan. The major theme of the book is that Israel is finally coming to possess their Promised Land that had been promised to their ancestor Abraham approximately 700 years earlier. Ever since Genesis 12:7 where God promised to give the land of the Canaanites to Abraham’s offspring, God’s people had been looking forward to this very moment of time. In one sense, the major lesson of this book is that God is a covenant fulfilling God who keeps all his promises. As will be said later in the book multiple times, not one single word of the Lord can ever fail.
From Ralph Davis’ commentary, notice a few things from this chapter, especially regarding the Lord’s speech to Joshua in verses 1–9. First, God is unchanging. There is a new leader, new generation of Israelites, new situation, many years later, but God reiterates the same truths as he always has for all of his people so far: the land will be theirs, and God will not leave them. In the seniors Bible study on Friday mornings, we’ve been working through Genesis and are right around Genesis 17 now. Something that stands out in Abraham’s life is how often God repeats the same exact promises to him over the course of his life. God keeps saying the same thing. Why? Because it’s easy to forget. Whether sin plagues us, doubts creep in, or circumstances test us, our confidence in God very easily fades over time. That’s why we talk about the same ol’ gospel and same ol’ promises and same ol’ truths over and over in the church. We need to be reminded, and we need to know that God can be counted on always. The God of Abraham is the same God of Moses is the same God of Joshua is the same God of Paul is the same God of you.
Second, God’s presence is an awesome encouragement. Again, there’s nothing particularly new here, but three times in this chapter, God encourages Joshua that he is with him. “I will be with you” (v. 5), “I will not leave you or forsake you” (v. 5), “the Lord your God is with you wherever you go” (v. 9). And every single time God tells him that, did you notice that there’s a specific command attached to it? “Be strong and courageous” (v. 6), “be strong and very courageous” (v. 7), “be strong and courageous” (v. 9), “do not be frightened” (v. 9), “do not be dismayed” (v. 9). With God’s presence, there is nothing we cannot face, and there’s nothing for us to fear. This fact is one of the greatest treatments and aids for Christians who struggle more and more with anxiety. Call it to mind when you’re afraid: the Lord is with you.
Third, God’s Word must be central. Aside from going out and fighting with courage, the other great command in this speech is to keep God’s law (vv. 7–8). And it’s an intense description of keeping God’s law too! Do not deviate from it to the left or right, meditate on it day and night, be careful to do everything written in it. God isn’t saying, “Well, try your best and get in the ballpark, and we can work with it.” No, every single letter and punctuation mark must be kept to its fullest. Why? Because the Word of God is our very life (Deut. 32:47). God’s Word is how we know God, please God, study God, worship God, and live God’s plan for a good life. To delight in, think about, meditate on, and love God’s Word is to love God himself. God’s Word keeps us close to God. What happens when you neglect God’s Word? Ask Israel. Over the course of their long history, they drift farther away from God and his precepts and slide closer to the judgment of exile. A professed Christian who does not love, read, and obey God’s Word is in great danger.
As you read through Joshua, notice the same gospel themes that mark the rest of Scripture (a promise-keeping God, his unfailing presence, the need for faith and obedience), and be both encouraged and challenged.