Inner Courage
Notes
Transcript
Now after the death of Moses the servant of the Lord it came to pass, that the Lord spake unto Joshua the son of Nun, Moses’ minister, saying, Moses my servant is dead; now therefore arise, go over this Jordan, thou, and all this people, unto the land which I do give to them, even to the children of Israel.
Every place that the sole of your foot shall tread upon, that have I given unto you, as I said unto Moses. From the wilderness and this Lebanon even unto the great river, the river Euphrates, all the land of the Hittites, and unto the great sea toward the going down of the sun, shall be your coast.
There shall not any man be able to stand before thee all the days of thy life: as I was with Moses, so I will be with thee: I will not fail thee, nor forsake thee. Be strong and of a good courage: for unto this people shalt thou divide for an inheritance the land, which I sware unto their fathers to give them.
Only be thou strong and very courageous, that thou mayest observe to do according to all the law, which Moses my servant commanded thee: turn not from it to the right hand or to the left, that thou mayest prosper whithersoever thou goest. This book of the law shall not depart out of thy mouth; but thou shalt meditate therein day and night, that thou mayest observe to do according to all that is written therein: for then thou shalt make thy way prosperous, and then thou shalt have good success.
Have not I commanded thee? Be strong and of a good courage; be not afraid, neither be thou dismayed: for the Lord thy God is with thee whithersoever thou goest.
Then Joshua commanded the officers of the people, saying,
Pass through the host, and command the people, saying, Prepare you victuals; for within three days ye shall pass over this Jordan, to go in to possess the land, which the Lord your God giveth you to possess it.
And to the Reubenites, and to the Gadites, and to half the tribe of Manasseh, spake Joshua, saying, Remember the word which Moses the servant of the Lord commanded you, saying, The Lord your God hath given you rest, and hath given you this land.
Your wives, your little ones, and your cattle, shall remain in the land which Moses gave you on this side Jordan; but ye shall pass before your brethren armed, all the mighty men of valour, and help them;
Until the Lord have given your brethren rest, as he hath given you, and they also have possessed the land which the Lord your God giveth them: then ye shall return unto the land of your possession, and enjoy it, which Moses the Lord’s servant gave you on this side Jordan toward the sunrising.
And they answered Joshua, saying, All that thou commandest us we will do, and whithersoever thou sendest us, we will go. According as we hearkened unto Moses in all things, so will we hearken unto thee: only the Lord thy God be with thee, as he was with Moses.
Whosoever he be that doth rebel against thy commandment, and will not hearken unto thy words in all that thou commandest him, he shall be put to death: only be strong and of a good courage.
Introduction
Introduction
In our passage this morning, we see the central focus of the book of Joshua: God wants us to move forward and take ahold of the blessings of our salvation.
Pass through the host, and command the people, saying, Prepare you victuals; for within three days ye shall pass over this Jordan, to go in to possess the land, which the Lord your God giveth you to possess it.
As we saw in our study of Ephesians, God has blessed us with spiritual blessings. All the saved have access to these blessings. Do we share them with the lost? Do we live them faithfully in our lives? Do we thank God for them daily?
The book of Joshua leads us along the path of living the victorious Christian life. All we need to live victoriously, we already have in Christ. We must just cross over the river of fear and take ownership of the land of Promise!
One of my favorite times in the history of preaching is the reign of Queen Victoria in England. Her reign dates from 1837 to 1901. This long reign covers the preaching ministries of Charles Spurgeon, F. W. Robertson, Alexander Maclaren, R. W. Dale, and Alexander Whyte, among many others. The preaching in the churches of England and Scotland was phenomenal and powerful. There were periods of revival and countless souls trusted Christ as their personal Saviour. Reading the sermons of these faithful preachers is such an encouragement.
However, we live over 100 years later. None of those men are alive today. Instead, we are faced with a great legacy that we must shoulder in our own day. What will we do for Christ? What will be our testimony in the years ahead? What will the epitaph of the Christians of 2025?
As we begin to look at the book of Joshua, we should realize we are reading an account of our own day as well. Then, Moses has passed away. One of the most important and central figures of the Bible has now gone to be with his Lord. Today, these leaders of the past have passed on. Then, Joshua is left to shoulder the legacy of Moses and move forward for God. today, we are given a choice whether we too will be faithful.
What is Joshua to do in this situation? What will keep him from failing? What will work inside as he faces the future without his beloved mentor? What will we do with the opportunity we have to live for God?
Declaration
Declaration
Proper preparation for victory builds upon a receptive heart of the gift of God's courage. Joshua was promised the presence of God and commanded to live a courageous life. We too have been given the same promise and command today. Two factors contribute to the Inner Courage of Joshua.
1. God’s Promises
1. God’s Promises
Now after the death of Moses the servant of the Lord it came to pass, that the Lord spake unto Joshua the son of Nun, Moses’ minister, saying, Moses my servant is dead; now therefore arise, go over this Jordan, thou, and all this people, unto the land which I do give to them, even to the children of Israel. Every place that the sole of your foot shall tread upon, that have I given unto you, as I said unto Moses. From the wilderness and this Lebanon even unto the great river, the river Euphrates, all the land of the Hittites, and unto the great sea toward the going down of the sun, shall be your coast. There shall not any man be able to stand before thee all the days of thy life: as I was with Moses, so I will be with thee: I will not fail thee, nor forsake thee. Be strong and of a good courage: for unto this people shalt thou divide for an inheritance the land, which I sware unto their fathers to give them. Only be thou strong and very courageous, that thou mayest observe to do according to all the law, which Moses my servant commanded thee: turn not from it to the right hand or to the left, that thou mayest prosper whithersoever thou goest. This book of the law shall not depart out of thy mouth; but thou shalt meditate therein day and night, that thou mayest observe to do according to all that is written therein: for then thou shalt make thy way prosperous, and then thou shalt have good success. Have not I commanded thee? Be strong and of a good courage; be not afraid, neither be thou dismayed: for the Lord thy God is with thee whithersoever thou goest.
This passage is filled with the promises of God’s presence. So is the rest of the Bible. God loves to promise goodness to His people and He carries it out through His presence in our lives. Wiersbe said,
Be Strong Joshua 1
What a new leader needs is not advice but encouragement. “To encourage” literally means “to put heart into.”
A. You have victory in the spiritual battles v. 1-4
A. You have victory in the spiritual battles v. 1-4
The event mentioned in the first verse is shown in the background of the book. This is gives us the frame of mind of both Joshua and the people as the book begins. Though God is pained by His people’s death, He want us to rejoice in the promise of eternity and live in the reality of today. (Ps 116:15)
Moses is called the “servant of the LORD”. This is a title that is connected with the special status of someone who is in close contact and intimate relationship with Jehovah. But now Moses is dead. The great leader is not there to point the direction toward the worship of God. In Deuteronomy, Moses had moved the authority over the entrance into the land to Joshua who will also move toward this designation of “servant of the Lord” as the book continues.
And it came to pass after these things, that Joshua the son of Nun, the servant of the Lord, died, being an hundred and ten years old.
Joshua, “Jehovah saves” is the focus of the communication of God in these verses. God is looking to develop His servant in the day ahead. A picture of Christ, Joshua will be a victorious leader for others to follow to a new life in the presence of God among His people. Joshua has been the military leader of Israel. He is going to speak into the lives of the people as they face the battle of Canaan. God speaks to him.
Verse 2 gives us a command from God, “arise, go over this Jordan.” Stand up and move out! Joshua is one of the two oldest people in this group. Instead of being content with God has accomplished so far in his life, Joshua is willing to get up and follow the victorious standard of the undefeated God! God tells Joshua that He has given them the land. Victory is waiting for them in the spiritual battles.
The geography of the land was such that going over the river was going to be a challenge. But the promise of God was implicit in the command given to Joshua. There is victory waiting in the land of living by faith! Today, we have this promise of victory as well.
For whatsoever is born of God overcometh the world: and this is the victory that overcometh the world, even our faith.
B. You have God’s presence in your life forever v. 5-6
B. You have God’s presence in your life forever v. 5-6
Be Strong Joshua 1:7–8
“In whatever man does without God,” wrote Scottish novelist George MacDonald, “he must fail miserably, or succeed more miserably.”
If the Joshua expected to be alone in the land, he was incorrect. If he guessed that God would wait outside for Joshua to prove His presence was needed, Joshua was wrong. God is there in the thick of our lives with us. His presence is our comfort in the faithful obedience of the Word of God.
Verse 5: God says, “I will be with thee. ” God is there in the land. God is there in the battle. God is there in the cities filled with overconfident warriors. God is there in the silence and loneliness of the darkest night. Moses spoke to the people,
And the Lord, he it is that doth go before thee; he will be with thee, he will not fail thee, neither forsake thee: fear not, neither be dismayed.
Verse 5: God says, “I will not fail thee.” God is not going to take His hand off of you in your time of challenge. He is with you to the completion of whatever He has commanded and guided to. He is moving invisibly to bring the best to pass.
And David said to Solomon his son, Be strong and of good courage, and do it: fear not, nor be dismayed: for the Lord God, even my God, will be with thee; he will not fail thee, nor forsake thee, until thou hast finished all the work for the service of the house of the Lord.
Verse 5: God says, “I will not forsake thee.” God is not going to go away and leave you. He is there for all time. He is there with His people.
Let your conversation be without covetousness; and be content with such things as ye have: for he hath said, I will never leave thee, nor forsake thee.
Therefore, God commands Joshua: be strong and of a good courage v. 6
Be strong: this is the bravery that is found in direction by God before encountering a battle. God works inside of us to prepare us for the coming struggle. He is calling Joshua to a spiritual conflict already determined as a victory. Prayer for direction was a necessary part of the Holy War.
Good courage: this is the firmness that is a result of faithfully spending time in the Word of God. There is a safety in the obedient carrying out of the Bible and its commands. We will see the importance of the Bible as the next promise.
Joshua is promised the presence of God in his life as we are promised the same. God loves us and He is working always for His plan and our good. Such a promise gives us inner courage.
C. You have the Word of God to guide your path v. 7-9
C. You have the Word of God to guide your path v. 7-9
God repeats the command of verse 6. A choice for strength and courage was necessary for the inner courage of Joshua’s life. Joshua needed to walk spiritually over the river before the people. The well-spring of a faith life is the daily time spent in the Word of God. The Word of God is the source of this knowledge of God. Without studying the law, Joshua would despair of direction in the land he was being sent to. While God doesn’t always promise His audible presence, God does promise His literary presence. We find this in the Word of God we are commanded to meditate on!
Meditation is reading the Bible in a hushed whisper. We have an awe of the Bible. We remember and think about what it says. We repeat it throughout our day and spend time living it out. The meditation of Joshua will result in prosperity and success. These are the same word. They tell us that obedience to God and meditation on His Word will result in knowing and living out truth. We will have a life that is worthy of the victorious believer in Christ. This is the life of God-defined success. While it may not look like prosperity, in eternity, it will feel like it!
Blessed is the man That walketh not in the counsel of the ungodly, Nor standeth in the way of sinners, Nor sitteth in the seat of the scornful. But his delight is in the law of the Lord; And in his law doth he meditate day and night.
The Word of God speaks into our hearts the inner courage of a victorious life. The stories of Joshua and Moses and the other characters tell of the goodness of a victorious God. The commands of Scripture move us from walking in the flesh to living in the Spirit. We have the promise of the Word of God to guide us.
Christian, don’t live in fear. Live in faith. Don’t spend your life fearing the wrath of God. Spend your life leading others to the mercy and kindness of a God who keeps His promises in the lives of those who obey His Word!
And he gave Joshua the son of Nun a charge, and said, Be strong and of a good courage: for thou shalt bring the children of Israel into the land which I sware unto them: and I will be with thee.
2. Joshua’s Actions
2. Joshua’s Actions
Then Joshua commanded the officers of the people, saying, Pass through the host, and command the people, saying, Prepare you victuals; for within three days ye shall pass over this Jordan, to go in to possess the land, which the Lord your God giveth you to possess it.
And to the Reubenites, and to the Gadites, and to half the tribe of Manasseh, spake Joshua, saying, Remember the word which Moses the servant of the Lord commanded you, saying, The Lord your God hath given you rest, and hath given you this land. Your wives, your little ones, and your cattle, shall remain in the land which Moses gave you on this side Jordan; but ye shall pass before your brethren armed, all the mighty men of valour, and help them; Until the Lord have given your brethren rest, as he hath given you, and they also have possessed the land which the Lord your God giveth them: then ye shall return unto the land of your possession, and enjoy it, which Moses the Lord’s servant gave you on this side Jordan toward the sunrising.
And they answered Joshua, saying, All that thou commandest us we will do, and whithersoever thou sendest us, we will go. According as we hearkened unto Moses in all things, so will we hearken unto thee: only the Lord thy God be with thee, as he was with Moses. Whosoever he be that doth rebel against thy commandment, and will not hearken unto thy words in all that thou commandest him, he shall be put to death: only be strong and of a good courage.
A. He speaks forth with immediate obedience v. 10-11
A. He speaks forth with immediate obedience v. 10-11
Joshua gives the people a trust to carry out. They are to get together what is needed for carrying out the commands of God. This is the call to gather for the final stage of their wilderness journey. As you enter the land of promise, God is ready to reward your faith!
The central theme of the book is found in verse 11. God wants the people to have the joy of experiencing what He has promised. The inheritance is there for them to go in and be a part of. Joshua’s actions show us that he has inner courage as He sees God work in the people according to his immediate obedience.
For if any be a hearer of the word, and not a doer, he is like unto a man beholding his natural face in a glass: For he beholdeth himself, and goeth his way, and straightway forgetteth what manner of man he was. But whoso looketh into the perfect law of liberty, and continueth therein, he being not a forgetful hearer, but a doer of the work, this man shall be blessed in his deed.
B. He expects faithful entrance into rest v. 12-16
B. He expects faithful entrance into rest v. 12-16
These other tribes were living on the outside of the land of promise. Instead of getting the best that God had promised to them, they took the leftovers from the world. They were willing to look at a reminder of the worship of God instead of the real thing.
Joshua commands these tribes to remember. This is a command found throughout Scripture that we must often take heed to. If we are not remembering, we will be only forgetting!
Two Divine Actions: God gave them rest and land v. 13, God will give the others rest v. 15 This rest is connected to the enjoyment of the covenant of God. Just as the Israelites would be receiving what God had promised them, we too have blessings waiting for us that we can rest in. This word reminds us of Deuteronomy and the completion one day of the battles. There will be a day that we will truly rest in the heaven that God has for us in eternity. The action of Joshua to expect rest strengthens his inner courage to follow God to the final destination.
There remaineth therefore a rest to the people of God. For he that is entered into his rest, he also hath ceased from his own works, as God did from his. Let us labour therefore to enter into that rest, lest any man fall after the same example of unbelief.
C. He listens for the encouragement of others v. 17-18
C. He listens for the encouragement of others v. 17-18
The presence of God is the necessary component of the leadership of Moses and Joshua. They spend time with God in prayer. They dwell in the Word of God and teach it to the people. These men wish the presence of God on Joshua as they commit to following him.
There is a final qualification by these men who are listening to the speech of Joshua and are responding to his call for rest. They speak to Joshua to remind him of what God had said in the verses above. A wise leader listens to any means of reminding by God. They remind him, “only be strong and of a good courage.” The inner courage of Joshua is strengthened by listening to the counsel of God through other people.
Conclusion
Conclusion
Proper preparation for victory builds upon a receptive heart of the gift of God's courage. Joshua was promised the presence of God and commanded to live a courageous life. We too have been given the same promise and command today.
The chapter includes two distinct pictures. The first is of God preparing a leader internally. The second is of God using a leader externally. In my own life, I have seen God work in me to prepare me for greater things ahead. We must desire to have the same responsive attitude as Joshua.
As Joshua steps out by faith to lead the people into the land that God has already prepared for them, he surely is scared. He is surely saddened by the death of Moses. He is surely uncertain of the years ahead. But in the first chapter of Joshua, we don’t see these visible in his life. Joshua shows us the picture of a man who is eager and active in obedience to the plan of God.
How then should we be when God points us in the direction of challenging circumstances? There are tough circumstances that we face in our lives. There is a spiritual battle with complacency and apathy. God knows us intimately and He has a path for us over a river and through the hills to the sea of the sun’s setting. He had this same path for Israel.
This morning, check your heart for courage. Check your heart for obedience to the commands of God. Check your heart for receptiveness to the speaking of God’s Word. If not from the promises of God and the actions of faith, where can we find spiritual courage?
I have at my house a cassette tape from the church I grew up in. It has a number of songs that remind me of my childhood and being in services as a kid. Remembering the past is comforting. Living in the present is rewarding. Looking into the future is strengthening. God wants us looking toward what He has for us in the rest of our Christian life. Christian, turn around, listen up, and look forward!
If you don’t know this Jesus we speak of, you can know Him personally today. Jesus came to earth and lived a perfect life. On Calvary, He died in your place because of your sin. He rose again and offers you new life today. Accept that free gift and enter into the blessings of salvation!
