Strength for Success

Intro: In the operating room of a large hospital, a young nurse was completing her first full day of responsibilities. “You’ve only removed 11 sponges, doctor,” she said to the surgeon. “We used 12.” “I removed them all,” the doctor declared. “We’ll close the incision now.” “No,” the nurse objected. “We used 12 sponges.” “I’ll take full responsibility,” the surgeon said grimly. “Suture!” “You can’t do that!” blazed the nurse. “Think of the patient.” The surgeon smiled, lifted his foot, and showed the nurse the 12th sponge. “You’ll do,” he said.

orientate

CPS:

I. Strength and courage to wage war (5,6,9)

A. God’s Command

Joshua and all of Israel was standing at the edge of the promise land. A land that was flowing with milk and honey. But, also a land that 40 years ago the spies said they could not take, (Num. 13:28) (Num. 13:31- 33) Now God commands Joshua his servant to be Strong and Courageous because he was going to lead them into the land and divide it as an inheritance for the people just as God had promised so many years before.

The words Strong and Courageous have similar meanings. Strong is the Hebrew verb ḥā·zǎq - (it is used 290x in the OT) it means to grow or make strong. Courage is the Hebrew verb ā·mēṣ (it is used 41x in the OT) it means to make firm be strong or strengthen, prove to be strong. These verses are the only place in Scripture that they are used together!

It would take strength and courage to enter the land and wage war with the Canaanites. Some say that courage is fear holding on a little longer than normal. It takes courage to stand before an enemy in warfare, and perhaps as mentioned 40 years prior the people seemed bigger and badder… but there is always someone even more bigger and badder.

ILL: An old fellow had been in the north woods for weeks by himself, camping out. Each night at dusk he built a campfire, boiled water for coffee, and took out his skillet to fry up some bacon for dinner. As he was sitting by the fire one night, the water boiling and the bacon sizzling, he heard a tremendous racket in the brush. The sound was like a roaring freight train, and as trees fell over and branches snapped, the biggest bear he’d ever seen lumbered into the clearing. On the bear’s back was a tough-looking hombre holding a seven-foot live rattlesnake in his hands.

The man shouted and screamed as he brought the bear to a skidding halt, bit the head off the rattlesnake, and flung it into the brush. Then he slid off the bear’s back, turned, and hit him between the eyes, knocking him unconscious.; The camper was speechless as this wild-eyed renegade walked over to the fire, tossed the boiling coffee down his throat, drank the hot grease from the skillet, and ate all of the bacon in one bite. As he wiped his hands with poison ivy and slapped the bear back to consciousness, he turned to the camper and said, “Partner, I’m sorry I can’t stay around and visit with you a while, but I’ve got to keep moving ‘cause a real bad dude is chasing me

God is telling Joshua there is someone bigger and badder, and He is not chasing him but stands with him, and God reminds Joshua what Moses told him before he died.. Deuteronomy 31:7–8 “Then Moses called to Joshua and said to him in the sight of all Israel, “Be strong and courageous, for you shall go with this people into the land which the Lord has sworn to their fathers to give them, and you shall give it to them as an inheritance. “The Lord is the one who goes ahead of you; He will be with you. He will not fail you or forsake you. Do not fear or be dismayed.””

B. God’s Promise

No man shall stand before you! Stand is the Hebrew verb yā·ṣǎḇ, meaning take one’s stand, i.e., take a defensive fighting position against. God is saying I will fight for you! A list is made of what God will do for Joshua and the Israelites....

I will be with thee. God’s presence! If God is with thee who can stand against you? Nobody.... isn't it interesting that whenever a person encounters God the first thing they experience is trembling fear and before they fall on their face in fear. (Josh. 5:13-14, Rev. 1:17)

I will not fail thee. Fail is the verb rā·p̄ā(h) which means to leave alone, abandon, i.e., make linear motion away from an area, and so make departure, implying a withdrawal support

3. Nor forsake thee. Again it means to abandon. All three is a promise of God’s presence and assurance that God will fight for them!

They had great reason to have strength and courage God was with them. In verse 9 God doubles down.. Be strong and of good courage.... be not afraid..... nor dismayed.... for the Lord thy God is with thee whithersoever thou goest! I believe God is instructing them to have peace in their hearts and minds in the face of obstacles to come. Peace is not the absence of trouble but the presence of God. Ps. 23:4 And, God proves his promise to Joshua..... Josh 5:13 - 15 and then gives instruction for the first battle.. Jericho.. (God wins, archaeologists note the wall was destroyed by violent force.)

APP: We are not Joshua nor an Israelite, we are removed from this situation by nearly 4,00 years. We may not stand in front of a people ready to wage war but none the less we will encounter opposition and have an enemy prowling around with the desire to devour us..... but by grace through faith in Jesus God’s command and promise stands with us too. Be strong and courageous for I am with thee and if I am with thee no powers, forces, or people can stand against thee.. Romans 8:31 “What then shall we say to these things? If God is for us, who is against us?” Why is that, becuse God loves us and we will never be seperated from Him! Romans 8:38 “For I am convinced that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor things present, nor things to come, nor powers,”

II. Strength and courage for Success (7-8)

It would take strength and courage to enter the land even with the promise of God’s presence. As I have stated above, these texts are the only place in scripture where these similar words are used together… its an emphasis placed on the need for courage as they enter into battle..... strength and courage to let God fight for them. But now notice the two adverbs used in verse 7… Only be strong and Very courageous. Only is the adverb rǎq it means exclusively. Very is the adverb meʾōḏ which means greatly, utterly. In the context of this passage these two adverbs give the meaning of resolve to the verbs strong and courageous. Its the quality of being strong and very determined. Joshua needed stregth and courage to lead Israel into the land to wage war but he need resolve and determination to do things God’s way! “That thou mayest observe to do according to the Law, which Moses my servant commanded the:

A. Gods Way

Joshua must obey the Law of Moses. What was written down by Moses in the Pentateuch. Observe is the Hebrew verb šā·mǎr it means to be careful, or, make sure to keep. Joshua is instructed to not to deter from it in the slightest degree. The Palmist tells us that God’s Word is a lamp unto my feet and a light unto my path. It is God’s instruction and moral compass for His people and as Joshua was told not to depart from it neither are we. Don’t turn to the left or the right.

ILL: While being certified for Scuba Balen and I had to navigate underwater with a compass to get to a certain location. Navigation under the water is extremely difficult because you do not have a fixed reference point ahead of you, you have to keep the needle of the compass on the degree you are navigating. if you are off just a degree at 50 yards you miss your destination by many feet. If you are off a degree at a mile you miss your destination but hundreds of yards! God’s word is the compass and reference guide for our lives and you vary from it you will be lost and wandering in the wilderness of zin!

Now it took about 7 years to conqoeur the land, plenty of time to get way off track… but God instructed Joshua’s that his success depended on keeping the Law! So that thou mayest prosper wherever thou goest! Prosper is the verb śkl it means to have success. This is not financial success as the word views success, it is not necessary triumph in his tasks though it implies it. It is holiness and keeping oneself unstained from the world. They were entering into a heathen land with pagan God and it would take strength and courage to follow God’s plan for battle but much more God’s plan for life. Perhaps the double use of whithersoever here is tied to God’s presences to be with Him whithersoever he goes. Its not that God’s presence has left but that you have left God! Triumph and victory is not success and will never satisfy if you go about it without God!

ILL: Alexander the Great was not satisfied, even when he had completely subdued the nations. He wept because there were no more worlds to conquer, and he died at an early age in a state of debauchery. Hannibal the Carthaginian General, who filled three bushels with the gold rings taken from the knights he had slaughtered, committed suicide by swallowing poison. Few noted his passing, and he left this earth completely unmourned. Julius Caesar, ‘staining his garments in the blood of one million of his foes,’ conquered 800 cities, only to be stabbed by his best friends at the scene of his greatest triumph. Napoleon, the feared conqueror, after being the scourge of Europe, spent his last years in banishment.

Success isn't what you make of yourself, it isn’t the wealth you have, nor the lands you conquer. Its not the title you hold. It is not the comfortable living conditions you obtain nor the toys you acquire. True Success is found in faithfulness to God and It is being holy!

Notice the emphasis of obedience to God’s word tied to success. It is mentioned twice! that thou mayest prosper… for then thou shalt make thy way prosperous,and then thou shalt have good success. Then God gives application to help Joshua observe all that the Law commands

The word shall not depart from thy mouth; but thou shalt meditate therein day and night that thou mayest observe to do all that is written there in. Meditate is the Hebrew verb hā·ḡā(h) it means to ponder, give serious thought and consideration to selected information. It is the intentional mental focus on God’s Word. Have you ever noticed that most actions begin with a thought. Input output! What you think most about is what you end up doing. What you think and talk about you will most likely do! In Joshua’s day He could likely be distracted with war anf the idols of the land thus not kept God’s Law. Today we are distracted by business, T.V., Social Media, sports, activities so this instruction applies to us today. If you want success in life you MUST meditate on God’s word, talk God’s word so that you will do Gods Word!

Con: If Joshua found success in life, and he did, {at His death he is given the title that God gave Moses.... the servant of the Lord (Josh. 24:29) } if he was able to conquer Canaan having only the 1st 5 books of the Bible, how much more success will we have, how much more will we overcome now that we have the complete Bible and the Presence of God the Holy Spirit in our hearts.