The Promises of God

Introduction to the Book of Joshua

Maybe the most interesting thing to me about the book of Joshua is that he has the same name as Jesus. Joshua is the English adaptation of the Hebrew name Yeshua, and Jesus is the English adaptation of the Greek name lesous (yay-soose).

And the wonderful thing about the book of Joshua is that under Moses, the entire nation of Israel died, but under Joshua, Israel was ushered into the promised land.

That’s just like us. Under the law of Moses, we are dead and condemned before God, but now in Jesus, we are being ushered into Heaven.

Here’s how the book of Joshua breaks down.

Preparing to Enter Promised Land (1-5)

Entering into the Promised Land (6-12)

Allocation of the Promised Land (13-21)

Holding Onto the Promised Land (22-24)

This is an action packed book and Joshua is one of the best persons in all of the Bible. He has bravery, he lives with intentionality, but most importantly, he was so obedient to God.

This book addresses Godly leadership, holiness, and obedience. It is very closely related to the New Testament book of Ephesians. Both put on display for us the richness found in God. Often times people think that wealth and satisfaction are found by the things on this earth, but Scripture says this,

1 Timothy 6:6 NKJV

Now godliness with contentment is great gain.

Paul writes this to Timothy, the pastor of the church there in Ephesus.

That means that for us, as we are moving towards Heaven, are we are preparing to receive our inheritance of Heaven, we need to walk in obedience to God, just as Joshua did, and just as Paul encourages us to do in the book of Ephesians.

And, so, now Moses is dead, and Joshua is at the helm of the nation Israel.

Joshua 1:1 NKJV

After the death of Moses the servant of the Lord, it came to pass that the Lord spoke to Joshua the son of Nun, Moses’ assistant

Talk about some big shoes to fill. Moses is the greatest leader and one of the greatest prophets of Israel. When Jesus was transfigured in Matthew 17, Scripture says that only Moses and Elijah were there talking with Jesus.

In Jude 1:9, we see this contention between Michael the Archangel and satan about the body of Moses.

Jude 9 NKJV

Yet Michael the archangel, in contending with the devil, when he disputed about the body of Moses, dared not bring against him a reviling accusation, but said, “The Lord rebuke you!”

Moses was such a picture of Godliness and such a picture of what it means to be in connection with the Lord, that satan came to accuse Moses and make him out to be a fraud. The devil knew if he could get Moses to look like a fraud, then he could dishearten the rest of the world.

Moses, in the Lord’s strength, brought the 10 plagues, he parted the Red Sea, he spoke with God verbally.

Moses was, at one time, so connected with the Spirit of God that his face radiated with the presence of God.

All that being said, imagine following that guy. Joshua had some big shoes to fill, but he was the man for the job. A remarkable man…full of the Spirit, someone ordained by God as the next leader of Israel.

Numbers 27:18–21 NKJV

And the Lord said to Moses: “Take Joshua the son of Nun with you, a man in whom is the Spirit, and lay your hand on him; set him before Eleazar the priest and before all the congregation, and inaugurate him in their sight. And you shall give some of your authority to him, that all the congregation of the children of Israel may be obedient. He shall stand before Eleazar the priest, who shall inquire before the Lord for him by the judgment of the Urim. At his word they shall go out, and at his word they shall come in, he and all the children of Israel with him—all the congregation.”

He was a man selected by God for the job. How can you go wrong following the instruction of the Lord?

If we would simply learn to do that, we would all be in much better shape.

What we are going to see as we get to v. 2, is that God is a God of promises. That He is a God of restoration. What we think has been lost in life, God will restore it to us if we trust in Him. That doesn’t always mean it will happen here on earth, but it does mean that we can trust God in this life as well as the next. God’s plan is not for us to find our home here, but His plan is for us to dwell with Him in the land of Promise.

I. The Promise Restored

Joshua 1:2 NKJV

“Moses My servant is dead. Now therefore, arise, go over this Jordan, you and all this people, to the land which I am giving to them—the children of Israel.

When we read in Numbers just a moment ago, we saw that some of the responsibility of Israel was given to Joshua. Now, we are here in v. 2, and God has given everything over to Joshua.

Transition

One thing that I am convicted of is the word, “transition.”

God didn’t just toss Joshua into leadership, and He didn’t thrust Israel under Joshua’s leadership either. God rightly and wisely set apart a time where Joshua would take some responsibilities of leading the nation, and then at the proper time established him as the leader.

This was God’s timing

Joshua was, by all accounts, an extremely humble man. His strength and his ability to win wars never caused Joshua to rely on his own strength.

More than that, his obvious talent and resolve to be a leader never came into conflict with Moses. Joshua was talented enough to lead, but humble enough to serve.

Now, in the church, and in the Christian life, that’s the ticket. Joshua didn’t get ahead of himself in his service or in his leadership capabilities…he strictly relied on the Lord to give him direction and to establish him.

James 4:10 NKJV

Humble yourselves in the sight of the Lord, and He will lift you up.

So, this wasn’t something that Joshua asked for, but something that God gave him.

Is it wrong to ask for opportunity? I guess that depends on who you’re asking.

One thing I’ve observed as a leader is that the people who believe that they cannot lead are usually the ones that God wants, and those who jump at every opportunity to lead are the ones God is trying to slow down.

I know that second part through personal experience. When God called me into the ministry, I thought everyone should be giving me opportunities just because I was called, I had no idea the humility and the service that it takes to faithfully serve in the ministry.

The minute that a person gets a big head is the minute a person is disqualifying themselves as Godly leaders.

So, the point about transition is this, God will exalt you in His timing, and He’s not going to do it all at once. He is going to transition you into a place where you are fit for leadership.

Joshua followed Moses for 40 years to lead Israel for 25 years. Most of our life is God using us in lesser capacities so that He can transition us to places of greater standing.

Judgement was Served

The truth is that the nation of Israel wasn’t ready for the Promised Land. They showed that by their character time and time again.

First, they were rescued from Egypt in the most miraculous fashion possible…immediately they want to go back.

That’s the nature of people. We see someone saved, and sometimes it’s like you’re immediately saying to them, “Nope, don’t go that way again.”

There was a video that I saw one time, and this sheep had gotten stuck in the mud way down in a ditch, and that shepherd gets down in the mud with that sheep and lifts him out.

The sheep takes off and then the shepherd is struggling to crawl out of that ditch, and when he finally gets to the top, he looks down and that sheep had run back into the ditch.

I mean, the people in Israel were freed from slavery and oppression and now they’re asking to go back!

Then, when they got to the outskirts of the Promised Land, they send in 10 spies, and only Joshua and Caleb have the faith to obey God. The people would not go.

So, God is having to transition, not only the leadership of Israel, but He is having to transition the heart and the minds of the people so that they will go to the Promised Land!

This is the reality in so many churches and in so many people’s lives, that they will get right to the edge of the Promised Land, they will get right on the edge of where God wants them to be…

and then all of sudden they want to go back. All of a sudden they are afraid of the giants on the other side.

They’ve seen the sea parted, they’ve seen the presence of God, they’ve experienced the miracles, but their faith is still lacking. They just can’t quite make it.

And what happens is they end up in this cycle where they wander around in the dessert until they are transitioned into the people that God wants them to be. Until the clay is molded by the Potter’s hand.

So, judgement was finally served to the nation Israel, and now they are prepared in their hearts to enter into the place that God has already given them.

An Old Destination

Maybe the largest theme in this first point is that this is actually an old promise. God has already promised Israel that they would enter into Canaan and has already promised that a savior would come from them.

Look there in v. 2 again,

Joshua 1:2 NKJV

arise, go over this Jordan, you and all this people

This was a call to Joshua to lead Israel into Canaan. The first mention of the promise is found in Genesis 12:7, and they don’t get there until Joshua 6.

When they are freed from Egypt, the journey to Mt. Sinai was about 45 days.

The journey from Sinai to Canaan across the Jordan was 11 days.

11 Days after experiencing God we get to Numbers 14

In Numbers 13, we see the 8 spies give the bad report, and this is the nation’s response:

Numbers 14:1–10 NKJV

So all the congregation lifted up their voices and cried, and the people wept that night. And all the children of Israel complained against Moses and Aaron, and the whole congregation said to them, “If only we had died in the land of Egypt! Or if only we had died in this wilderness! Why has the Lord brought us to this land to fall by the sword, that our wives and children should become victims? Would it not be better for us to return to Egypt?” So they said to one another, “Let us select a leader and return to Egypt.” Then Moses and Aaron fell on their faces before all the assembly of the congregation of the children of Israel. But Joshua the son of Nun and Caleb the son of Jephunneh, who were among those who had spied out the land, tore their clothes; and they spoke to all the congregation of the children of Israel, saying: “The land we passed through to spy out is an exceedingly good land. If the Lord delights in us, then He will bring us into this land and give it to us, ‘a land which flows with milk and honey.’ Only do not rebel against the Lord, nor fear the people of the land, for they are our bread; their protection has departed from them, and the Lord is with us. Do not fear them.” And all the congregation said to stone them with stones. Now the glory of the Lord appeared in the tabernacle of meeting before all the children of Israel.

They were right there, and now they want to return. Here’s what God says in reply.

Numbers 14:26–35 NKJV

And the Lord spoke to Moses and Aaron, saying, “How long shall I bear with this evil congregation who complain against Me? I have heard the complaints which the children of Israel make against Me. Say to them, ‘As I live,’ says the Lord, ‘just as you have spoken in My hearing, so I will do to you: The carcasses of you who have complained against Me shall fall in this wilderness, all of you who were numbered, according to your entire number, from twenty years old and above. Except for Caleb the son of Jephunneh and Joshua the son of Nun, you shall by no means enter the land which I swore I would make you dwell in. But your little ones, whom you said would be victims, I will bring in, and they shall know the land which you have despised. But as for you, your carcasses shall fall in this wilderness. And your sons shall be shepherds in the wilderness forty years, and bear the brunt of your infidelity, until your carcasses are consumed in the wilderness. According to the number of the days in which you spied out the land, forty days, for each day you shall bear your guilt one year, namely forty years, and you shall know My rejection. I the Lord have spoken this. I will surely do so to all this evil congregation who are gathered together against Me. In this wilderness they shall be consumed, and there they shall die.’ ”

Man, this was an old destination. This was a destination promised before Israel was ever a nation, and now they are rejecting what God has said. And because they rejected Him, they have set themselves up for miserable failure and death.

Now, instead of being a victorious nation, they are a lesson for the entire world to see.

But, God is good.

Because even though these people vacated their promise, God already had His plan of redemption in motion, and it came through the man named Joshua.

Can you see it church?

Even though we failed, God already had His plan of redemption is motion, and it came through the man named Jesus.

Romans 5:18 NKJV

Therefore, as through one man’s offense judgment came to all men, resulting in condemnation, even so through one Man’s righteous act the free gift came to all men, resulting in justification of life.

We think that God does things differently now than He has in the past, but God is always working and He is constant.

That doesn’t mean that styles don’t change, and that doesn’t mean that nations don’t change…all it means is that the things that were happening in the Bible are happening now, and all you have to do is look.

Elizabeth just got back from Peru. And when you hear those missionaries tell the stories of how God is moving, it should give you chills because it feels like you’re reading the book of Acts.

When I read about the Billy Graham Crusades, it may be true that God isn’t currently using tent revivals, but I see the hand of God in those situations and I see God doing those very same things all across North Alabama and even here in our church.

God can employ different methods and different people, but His miracles are always according to His nature. They are always amazing, but they are never surprising.

I cannot express to you the blessing you will get if you will just get out of the way and let God do what He wants to do.

Some of you have a command from God right now.

Maybe its that you pick up your Bible and read it.

Maybe its that you finally start to give 10% of your pay to His service.

Maybe its that you share your faith with someone you know.

And what’s happening is you are right on the edge of the Jordan. You are right on the edge of the Promised Land…all you gotta do is decide if you’re going to trust God and cross the Jordan.

It’s an Old destination, something that God has already told you to do, and now He’s giving you another chance…don’t let it pass you by.

An Old Gift

Joshua 1:2 NKJV

arise, go over this Jordan, you and all this people, to the land which I am giving to them—the children of Israel.

The craziest part is that it’s already theirs. Its been given to them, they’re just afraid to go and get it.

That’s so much like the victory in our lives.

Jesus has already won the victory, He has already said that He has given us everything that we will need to face any challenge in this world, but we’re too scared to trust Him.

Maybe it’s not even that we’re scared. Maybe for some of you its just that you’re too careless. You think that you’re of no value and so you think that God doesn’t value you.

That couldn’t be farther from the truth. You are valuable, and God values you…and so do the people in this church.

You say, “I can’t give 10% of my money because I don’t have 10% to give”. Jesus says, “Seek first the Kingdom of God and all these things will be added to you.”

You say, “I don’t have the strength to forgive.” Jesus says, “Forgive us our debts as we forgive our debtors.” Scripture testifies and says, “even as Christ forgave you, so you must also do.”

You say, “I can’t get peace or rest in my life, I’m too busy.” Jesus says, “Come to Me all you who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.”

You’re on the brink of the Promised Land, and all you can think to do is go back to Egypt, go back to the bondage of sin. The bondage of worry, of discontentment, or whatever sin you’ve come out of.

Listen, trust in the Lord and His instruction, live by the Word of God, and you will find peace and contentment in ways that you didn’t know existed.

Proverbs 3:5 NKJV

Trust in the Lord with all your heart, And lean not on your own understanding;

This is exactly what God commands Joshua in this first chapter.

Joshua 1:8–9 NKJV

This Book of the Law shall not depart from your mouth, but you shall meditate in it day and night, that you may observe to do according to all that is written in it. For then you will make your way prosperous, and then you will have good success. Have I not commanded you? Be strong and of good courage; do not be afraid, nor be dismayed, for the Lord your God is with you wherever you go.”

God has already given the gift, all you have to do is respond and walk right in. There are going to be battles along the way…but when you already know you’ve won, the opposition just doesn’t seem as fierce.

So, God has restored this promise to Israel, they are ready to go into the Promised Land.

II. The Promise Guaranteed

Joshua 1:3–4 NKJV

Every place that the sole of your foot will tread upon I have given you, as I said to Moses. From the wilderness and this Lebanon as far as the great river, the River Euphrates, all the land of the Hittites, and to the Great Sea toward the going down of the sun, shall be your territory.

What Has He Given?

v. 3, “Every place”.

God is giving them a guarantee of their inheritance. He says, “Israel, don’t worry about it. It’s yours. It’s right there, just go and get it.”

What is our guarantee?

Well, our guarantee is the Holy Spirit.

Ephesians 1:13–14 NKJV

In Him you also trusted, after you heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation; in whom also, having believed, you were sealed with the Holy Spirit of promise, who is the guarantee of our inheritance until the redemption of the purchased possession, to the praise of His glory.

When you are saved, you are sealed with God, and you have a guarantee that all of Heaven’s riches are yours.

In fact, Scripture reminds us that we are going to be just like Christ one day.

Romans 8:29–30 NKJV

For whom He foreknew, He also predestined to be conformed to the image of His Son, that He might be the firstborn among many brethren. Moreover whom He predestined, these He also called; whom He called, these He also justified; and whom He justified, these He also glorified.

That’s not saying that some are chosen for salvation and some are chosen for Hell. What it’s saying is that we are guaranteed perfection. We are guaranteed resurrection from the dead. We are guaranteed eternal life in Jesus Christ.

Just as Jesus has been glorified in Heaven, we will be also.

Just as Jesus is One with God the Father, we are one with God the Father…and that makes us one with one another. We are all members of Jesus Christ, here for His glory and for His purposes.

What are the Obstacles?

Well, they are many.

Joshua 1:4 NKJV

From the wilderness and this Lebanon as far as the great river, the River Euphrates, all the land of the Hittites, and to the Great Sea toward the going down of the sun, shall be your territory.

That’s a lot of land to conquer, and that’s a lot enemies to face. But they’re not final destinations. They’re just obstacles.

They might cause some delays, they might cause some to fear, but when you have the guarantee, then you can always make it through the obstacles.

When you get it down into your heart, and you embrace the promises of God, and you learn to trust Him no matter what, then you’ll begin to act on the promise and you’ll have ultimate freedom and rest in Jesus Christ.

All those problems we named earlier, money, forgiveness, fear or worry, they are all signs that we lack trust in Jesus. The refusal to enter into the Promised Land was a sign that Israel didn’t trust God.

Don’t let the obstacles of life overrule the guarantee found in Jesus.

What is Our Guarantee?

Heaven.

We can know that if we trust in Jesus He’s bringing us to Heaven.

Security.

We can know that if He saved us, we are saved for good and we cannot lose it.

Romans 8:38–39 NKJV

For I am persuaded that neither death nor life, nor angels nor principalities nor powers, nor things present nor things to come, nor height nor depth, nor any other created thing, shall be able to separate us from the love of God which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.

3. Provision

One of the names of God is Provider (Jehove Jireh)

Genesis 22:14 NKJV

And Abraham called the name of the place, The-Lord-Will-Provide; as it is said to this day, “In the Mount of the Lord it shall be provided.”

God is going to provide our need if we are living for Him

Matthew 6:33 NKJV

But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added to you.

God has sealed us for Heaven, His salvation is secure, and He will provide all of our needs according to His riches in glory.

III. The Promise Given

Joshua 1:5 NKJV

No man shall be able to stand before you all the days of your life; as I was with Moses, so I will be with you. I will not leave you nor forsake you.

“Do not fear”

“My Promise is Sure”

“I am With You Always”

Conclusion