Joshua 1

Introduction-

-There have been many great leaders who died in history who left others fearful that they would not adequately be able to take their place. Think of what happens when a faithful elder or preacher dies in the Lord’s church. And the question is asked who will fill their shoes? Someone must and obviously someone will. But will anybody be able to do it as well as he did. When we go to Joshua 1, it is very possible that Joshua was fearful about leading Israel, having to follow the steps of Moses.

-As we open our Bibles to Joshua 1, we open up to what happened after the death of Moses, who was a faithful servant and leader for God. This morning, we will be going verse by verse through Joshua 1, and he we will see the actions Joshua took after Moses died. Specifically, we will be able to see the actions necessary for godly leaders to take.

We will see three major sections today,

1. The Lord instructs Joshua- Joshua 1:1-9

2. Joshua instructs the People- Joshua 1:10-15

3. The Peoples response to Joshua -Joshua 1:16-18

1) The Lord instructs Joshua- 1:1-9- Lets began by reading the text

-Verse 1- Moses the servant of the Lord has just died

-Deut. 34 gives us background information to where we are      

-Moses has died for the sin he committed in Numbers 20:7-13

Deut. 34 v. 4-Moses was able to see the land v. 5- Moses died v. 10- arose not a prophet in israel like unto Moses        

Moses was the man that led them out of Egypt, the man that led them threw the wilderness all those years, the man that put up with their complaining, the man who had made request to God for Israel to not be destroyed (Exodus 32:11-14) The man they looked up to the most was dead. And they still had to go conquer the promised land.

-- Verse 1- The Lord spake unto Joshua the son of Nun Moses’s minister saying

the Lord spake. How?

Numbers 12:6-8- To Moses God spake mouth to mouth which is not how he spoke to any of the other prophets (Deut. 34:10) Hebrews 1:1- God spoke by many different ways under the OT. We do not know exactly how God spoke to Joshua here but we know it did happen.

-Joshua the son of Nun, WHAT DO YALL KNOW ABOUT JOSHUA THE SON OF NUN?

We can observe at least three things prior to this about Joshua from the biblical text

Ex. 17:9-10, 13-14

1) Moses trusted him (v. 9)

2) He was obedient  (v. 10)

3) He could fight/was strong (v. 13)

Numbers 14:6-10, 30, 32:1- wholly followed the Lord

Num. 27:12-23- Jehovah trusted Joshua!!!!!!

----Before Joshua was going to be taking over as a leader he was already trustworthy

-1 Timothy 3:8-10, he was already proved to be trustworthy

Verse 2- Joshua’s charge

1) Moses is dead-Joshua’s mentor the man he probably looked up to more than anyone else was dead. Has anyone ever lost someone they looked up too more than anyone else? I fortunately have not lost anyone that I extremely look up to, but I cannot even imagine how id be feeling if I did then be told I was taking their place.

2) Joshua had to get up and go over the Jordan in three days according to Josh 1:11

3) The people- Deuteronomy 9:6 lest any of us has forgotten about the attitude of these people. They were stiff-necked people that at best were complainers and at worst were people who tried to overthrow Moses.

VERSES 3-4- God was giving them this land, and he is merely reminding Joshua of this fact

Deut. 7:6-8

Psalm 44:1-3-They get not get the land by their own sword, did they have to fight, yes but God gave them the land.

EX. 14:14- THE LORD SHALL FIGHT FOR YOU

Deut. 1:30- THE LORD YOUR GOD WHICH GOETH BEFORE YOU, HE SHALL FIGHT FOR YOU, according to all that he did in EGYpt before your eyes.

Joshua 1:5-This should have been the most comforting thing possible for Joshua to hear. What else would be able to comfort him more than the very God of Heaven telling him he will be with him and that he won’t fail him or forsake them…. Nothing!!! As Christians God has promised the exact same thing to us, which should be so comforting Hebrews 13:5-6, Romans 8:31-What shall we then say to these things, if God be for us who can be against us?

Ps 37:25-I have been young, and no am old: yet have I not seen the righteous forsaken, nor his seed begging bread.

Matt. 6:33-Seek ye first the kingdom of God and His righteousness and all these things will be added unto you.

Sadly, I fear that sometimes we don’t let God’s word comfort us as it should. We don’t live in such a way that shows we really understand that if we are doing our best to be faithful and walk in the light God will be with us.

Joshua 1:6-Be strong (strengthen, conquer, fasten, withstand) courage (be courageous, stedfastly minded)

God is telling Joshua he must be strong and courageous because he is going to be the leader. We need the leaders of the church today to be strong and courageous.

David tells Solomon the same thing 1 Chron 28:20

Joshua 1:7-Only be thou strong and very courageous that thou mayest observe to do according to all the law, which Moses my servant commanded you turn not from it to the right and or to the left.

-Not only does Joshua have to be strong and courageous but as the leader of God’s people he MUST observe (guard, take heed, keep) to do according to ALL the law which Moses had commanded he was not to turn from it to the right hand or the left hand. Joshua had to stay in the book and do the book and not leave the book. How often are you making sure you are in observing to do all in the book of God? How much do you love the word of God?

How would Joshua know how not to turn to the right or the left hand?

I was thinking about the idea that as Joshua was the leader he was not to turn from the right hand or the left of God’s word, but he would also need to be making sure the people weren’t turning from the word of God either. This is what the job of an elder is Titus 1:5-6, 9-11, what Paul points out to Titus here is that faithful elders need to be set up who 1) know the word of God 2) teach the word of God 3) exhort and convince those who speak against the word of God and 4) Actually stop the mouths of false teachers. 2 Tim 2:15-17 We have been putting up with false teaching for far too long in the church. It starts with the elders that oversee congregations we need men who know the word, love the word, and hate false doctrine but far too often we have Elders the leaders of the congregation who don’t know or don’t love the word of God. 2 Tim 1:7

And what God is telling Joshua is that he must not depart from the word of God at all.

Joshua 1:8-The book of the law was to always be in Joshua’s mouth. Meditate-to murmur, to ponder. Joshua was to be pondering and muttering the book of the Law Day in and day out. Ps. 1:1-2, Ps 19:4, Ps 37: 30-31, 119:11, 15, 42-43, 97, 99, Prov 2:1-5, Duet 6:5ff

I want you to focus in on the end of the verse “then thou shalt make thy way prosperous, and then thou shalt have good success.” If Joshua stook to the word of God & adhered to it he was going to be prosperous. Do you know why there is so much depression today? Why there are so many people unhappy with life? Stressed out? I strongly argue it is because they do not have a love for the word of God, and they do not take the time to look into the word of God.

Joshua 1:9-Even though Joshua had a huge task in front of him God is telling Joshua he has nothing to be afraid of. If Joshua will simply be strong and courges and take heed to the Book of the Law, God will be with him wherever he goes.

Any comments or questions?

Read Joshua 1:10-15-Joshua instructs the people

Verse 11 Joshua tells the officers to tell the people to prepare for themselves provisions for in three days they will pass over the Jordan to possess the land.

In verses 12-15-he reminds the Rubeinites, Gadites, and to half tribe of Manassah that their inheritance is on this side of Jordan, but the men of these tribes will go over and help conquer and once the conquering has ended will return.

Read Joshua 1:16-18-The people pledge to be obedient and to listen to Joshua just as they hearkened to Moses.

-This is a very bold claim. Sometimes we believe we are more faithful than we actually are: Matthew 26:31-35, 41 the spirit is often times willing but are flesh is weak. The children of Israel in a very easy time can easily sit there and make the claim they will be obedient but what happens when a difficult time comes?

Proverbs 24:10 what the day of adversary shows you is if your faith is small or big. If you faint in the day of adversary your faith didn’t all of the sudden get small but instead has been small the entire time.

Application

-God has spoken to us today through his word and we should be doing everything we can to study it and meditate upon it day and night.

-We need to be about serving God wholly from a young age to the day we die.

-Leaders in the church, Elders need to know the word and not turn from it to the right hand or the left and they shouldn’t allow anyone else to be doing that either.

-Faithful Christians have God on their side and that should bring us so much comfort.

-We need to make sure we aren’t just claiming that we will be faithful but that we follow through with it.

Any comments or questions before we end?