Be Strong and Very Courageous

Joshua faces a daunting task. He’s been called to lead the Israelites into the Promised Land. It might sound straightforward but the Israelites aren’t easy people to lead.

As Moses’ long-time aide, Joshua knows the challenges. He heard God’s people murmur against Moses and Aaron and against the Lord. He saw them rebel, argue against God’s commands, and whine to go back to Egypt.

Joshua also knows what’s on the other side of the Jordan River. It’s a beautiful land: flowing with milk and honey. The last time Joshua was in Canaan, he came back w/ grapes. The bunches were so big that they needed 2 men to carry 1 cluster of grapes.

Joshua knows how powerful the Canaanites are. 40 yrs ago, he spied out how large and fortified the cities were. He saw the walls of Jericho and the size of their warriors. He heard his fellow spies whimper in fear, “We seemed like grasshoppers in our own eyes, and we looked the same to them” (Nu. 13:33b). 40 yrs ago, Joshua and Caleb were the minority urging God’s people:

Do not rebel against the Lord. And do not be afraid of the people of the land, because we will devour them. Their protection is gone, but the Lord is with us. Do not be afraid of them.” Numbers 14:9 (NIV)

Maybe it was easier 40 yrs earlier; Moses was the leader. Now, Joshua was the leader. The responsibility was on his shoulders.

Can you relate? Are you facing a daunting task?

Pregnancy – caring for an infant

Exams and assignments are due

New job

Someone irreplaceable gone from your life

Maybe you’re just playing a scenario in your mind.

Crosspoint is looking for people to lead Bible studies – it sounds daunting if you’ve never done it before.

Crosspoint is looking for new elders and new deacons – could YOU give leadership in this season of congregation’s life?

Where do you find the confidence, the boldness, the courage to tackle these kinds of responsibilities?

The promises and encouragement that the Lord gave to Joshua – does that apply to you & me today or is it an historical event never to be repeated?

Could you sit on the couch beside a discouraged person and read Joshua 1: 1-11 together, trusting that God will do the same today as he did for Joshua?

Joshua’s situation was unique. God promised this land to Abraham and his descendants 400 years earlier. God warned Abraham that the Canaanites faced judgement for rebelling against God. The Lord spoke of his judgement on the Canaanites as he reaffirmed his covenant with Abraham:

In the fourth generation your descendants will come back here, for the sin of the Amorites has not yet reached its full measure.” Genesis 15:16 (NIV)

Was it really so bad? I did some research. One author reports:

The Canaanites were a brutal, aggressive people who engaged in bestiality, incest, and even child sacrifice. Deviant sexual acts were the norm. The Canaanites’ sin was so repellent that God said, “The land vomited out its inhabitants” (Leviticus 18:25).[1]

Joshua led God’s people in a very specific task at a specific time in the history of salvation. Moses commissioned Joshua as the next leader in Dt 31:

The Lord your God himself will cross over ahead of you. He will destroy these nations before you, and you will take possession of their land. Joshua also will cross over ahead of you, as the Lord said. And the Lord will do to them what he did to Sihon and Og, the kings of the Amorites, whom he destroyed along with their land. The Lord will deliver them to you, and you must do to them all that I have commanded you. Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid or terrified because of them, for the Lord your God goes with you; he will never leave you nor forsake you.” Deuteronomy 31:3–6 (NIV)

We need to pause here to deal with an uncomfortable topic. The Israelite’s Conquest of the Promised Land was violent. The Israelites killed Canaanites and took over their land, their cities, and their livestock. Reading this passage might feel uncomfortable.

It’s a sensitive issue. Right now, there’s heightened awareness of colonialism in Canada. Europeans came to North America, bringing disease, war, and broken promises. Pigeons and buffalo and other animals the First Nations relied on for food were hunted almost to extinction and First Nations were dispossessed of their land.

When the colonists came to North America, they were not called to bring God’s judgement. Quite the contrary, many of the colonists confessed as Christians that they were called to love their neighbours. That raises the Q: Is it okay to celebrate the victories of Joshua and the Israelites at the same time as seeking reconciliation with the First Nations in Canada?

I would argue they aren’t the same thing. Joshua and the Israelites were directly commissioned by God to bring the Lord’s judgement on rebellious people – just as the Assyrians and Babylonians were later used by God to bring God’s judgement on the Israelites after generations of unfaithfulness.

In his uncomfortable role as leader, as warrior and judge, Joshua had a big responsibility to lead with integrity. It’s not surprising that God wanted Joshua to be guided by the Book of the Law. This is the 10 Commandments and all the other instructions for righteousness that God delivered to his covenant people when Moses and Joshua (!) met w/ the Lordon Mt. Sinai.

Here's the uncomfortable truth: God expects his people to be righteous and obedient to his instructions. It gets really uncomfortable when we realize that the Canaanites . . . and Israelites . . . and all of us can’t live up to God’s standards of holiness, even though the Lord created humankind with the ability to love him 100% and love our neighbours as ourselves.

The seriousness of God’s expectations come home to us when we see God’s judgement upon the Canaanites and late in OT books of I & II Chronicles and the OT prophets. God holds people accountable for their wrongdoing and sin.

But God is also loving and merciful. Time after time in the OT, we hear of God’s forgiveness and mercy. In the gospels, we find God’s love and mercy embodied in Jesus Christ.

God himself entered his creation. Jesus obeyed all God’s laws and instructions perfectly, teaching, healing, and serving his neighbours with love and kindness. But Jesus’ teaching and example was rejected. Jesus was convicted by the Jewish religious court and the Roman political court and sentenced to death. Jesus was crucified, died, and was buried.

Are you aware that Jesus has the same name as Joshua?

“Hoshea,” “Joshua,” and “Jesus” all mean: “the Lord saves.” It’s the meaning of the word “Hosanna” as well: “the Lord saves.”

When Jesus rose from the grave, he was victorious over sin and death and evil. The Lord saved his creation and his dearly loved people by sending Jesus to take the punishment for our sin and to conquer all the forces of evil. Jesus’ victory over sin and death and evil are part of his conquest of the world. No rebellious forces can stand against Jesus!

Jesus pushes past all opposition so that God’s dearly loved people can live in God’s presence for all eternity. Under Jesus’ reign, lasting peace – the fullness of Shalom – will be established throughout all creation.

That’s one of the reasons, we look back to Joshua and the Israelites entering the Promised Land.

· Joshua’s victories in the power of the Lord point ahead to Jesus’ victories.

· The punishment that Joshua brought on rebellious nations pointed ahead to the accountability and judgement that King Jesus will bring on the glorious day of his return!

· Joshua’s obedience to God’s instructions, his reliance on God for strength and courage, point ahead to Jesus and give each of us confidence that we can answer God’s call – not in our own strength, but because the Lord gives us strength and courage.

Like Joshua we face daunting tasks from the Lord.

Like Joshua, we need the reminder that the Lord saves.

Like Joshua, we can do all things through him who gives us strength.

Is it fair to sit down on the couch beside a discouraged person, pull out the Bible, and read these verses from Joshua 1? Yes! Absolutely!

When we tackle the challenges and tasks that the Lord has put in front of us to do, whether it’s raising children, getting educated, or taking responsibilities in the church and Kingdom of God, we can rely on the Lord our God to be with us wherever we go.

It's not just something the Lord promised to Joshua. When Jesus charged his disciples with making disciples of all nations, he gave them this assurance:

All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age. Matthew 28:18b–20 (NIV)

But we have the same responsibility as Joshua did to know God’s will as revealed in God’s book. We don’t just have the book of the Law, we have everything from Genesis – Revelation. Like Joshua, we’re called to know God’s word:

Keep this Book of the Law always on your lips; 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. Joshua 1:8 (NIV)

When we’re following God’s instructions, we can move forward with strength and courage, for God will surely equip his people with everything they need in his service. God’s word to Joshua echoes through the centuries:

Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged, for the Lord your God will be with you wherever you go.” Joshua 1:9 (NIV)

[1] Got Questions Ministries. 2002–2013. Got Questions? Bible Questions Answered. Bellingham, WA: Logos Bible Software.