Strong and Courageous

Series: Joshua, Judges, Ruth

Title – Strong and Courageous

Verses – Joshua 1:1-11,16-18

Subject – Follow

Central Theme – Successful Christian

Objective Statement – Every believer can live a successful Christian life by taking 3 actions found in Joshua

Action #1 – Actively Trust (1-5)

Action #2 – Courageously Obey (7-11)

Action #3 – Faithfully Follow (16-18)

Introduction

Russell Kelso Carter was a professor at the Pennsylvania Military Academy in 1886 when he wrote “Standing on the Promises.” For well over a century this great hymn has been sung by believers all over the world. Why? Because its lyrics remind believers that God is trustworthy and His promises “cannot fail.” Consequently, those who are trusting in God “cannot fall.” Joshua discovered these truths and grounded his courage in the assurance of God’s trustworthiness.

What makes a person trustworthy?  

One of my favorite approaches to Bible study involves focusing on key characters in God’s story of redemption. For these personalities, responding to God’s call demanded courage.

Abram leaving his homeland.

Moses confronting Pharaoh.

Stephen preaching to the Sanhedrin.

Paul repeatedly facing persecution. They all required courage.

God specifically commanded Joshua to be courageous as He called him to lead Israel into the promised land (Josh. 1:9). That courage was grounded in the assurance of God’s trustworthiness as He promised to stay with His people and to give them Canaan.

Reflect on situations in your life that required courage in following the Lord.

Maybe it was sharing the gospel or venturing into a new service opportunity outside your comfort zone.

It may be a spiritual challenge you are facing right now.

Pray for the strength and courage to act boldly in the assurance of God’s trustworthiness. And ask God to help you to communicate that assurance to the adults in your group, challenging them to trust God with courage as well.

UNDERSTAND THE CONTEXT

(JOSHUA 1:1-18)

The name Joshua means “Yahweh delivered” or “Yahweh is salvation.” However, the central character in the narrative is the Lord, the One who led His people into the promised land and drove out their enemies. God was the One who rescued His people, using Joshua as His human instrument. 

Joshua, son of Nun, succeeded Moses as Israel’s leader after their decades of wilderness wandering. Following Moses’s death, the Lord commanded Joshua to cross the Jordan River and enter Canaan in fulfillment of His promises. While His promises included an extensive tract of land (Josh. 1:3-4), God also promised His presence with this new leader (v. 5). The book of Joshua has been divided into two main parts that highlight his calling: conquering the land (chaps. 1–12) and distributing the land (chaps. 13–24).

The Lord instructed Joshua to be strong and courageous in carrying out His commission, a command that He repeated three times (vv. 6,7,9). By a threefold repetition of His directive, the Lord emphasized the requirement of Joshua’s complete obedience. Israel’s human leader could be strong and courageous only by leaning on the Lord, not by depending on his own strength.

The key to Joshua’s success lay in obeying God’s laws (vv. 7-8). Although the Israelites would face many battles in conquering the promised land, the Lord’s instructions to Joshua concerned keeping His Word (a spiritual matter) rather than depending on military strength or planning.  

Verses 10-11 reveal Joshua’s obedience to the Lord’s command about crossing the Jordan (v. 2). He ordered the Israelites’ leaders to instruct the people to prepare for their move into Canaan. Such preparation would have included breaking camp and assembling food supplies for the journey. While the people needed to get ready, Joshua emphasized that the Lord would give His people the victory.

Verses 12-15 focus on the tribes of Reuben and Gad, along with half of Manasseh. These tribes had requested and received Moses’s permission to remain on the east side of the Jordan River, an area known as the Transjordan. Reuben and Gad particularly viewed the Transjordan as more suitable for their large flocks and herds of livestock. While Moses had allowed them to remain on the east side of the river, his blessing came with an expectation. They had to cross the Jordan and help the other tribes conquer the western territory when the time came (see Num. 32).

The Transjordan tribes again affirmed their loyalty to Joshua and their commitment to their brothers. Likely, their positive response to Joshua reflected the feelings of all the tribes (vv. 16-18). The chapter concludes with the command to “be strong and of a good courage.”

Ask:What makes a person trustworthy?

Share:Point out that trust is earned. Note that as people demonstrate trustworthiness, it becomes easier to trust them.

“When God called Joshua to be Moses’s replacement, humanly speaking, Joshua had every reason to be intimidated. He had witnessed many of the things God did through Moses. However, as with Moses, God had prepared Joshua for his task. . . . God’s assignment for Joshua would be different in nature from what Moses’s assignment had been. Nonetheless, as with Moses, God providentially prepared Joshua for the task before him. Therefore, there was every reason for Joshua to trust the Lord and be strong and courageous.”

Ask:What might have been going through Joshua’s mind when God installed him as the leader after Moses?

Transition:Today’s study examines the transition from Moses’s leadership to Joshua’s leadership. It was a huge challenge. But while the human leadership had changed, God had not.

Every believer can live a successful Christian life by taking 3 actions found in Joshua

Action #1 – Actively Trust

After Moses’s death, the Lord chose Joshua to lead Israel. His first assignment involved preparing the people to move forward and see God keep His promises.

Joshua 1:1 KJV 1900

1 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,

(v. 1)The biblical writer identified Moses as the servant of the Lord, a title Joshua would later receive (Josh. 24:29). The designation Lord translates a Hebrew term often written as Yahweh. This personal name for God emphasizes the truth that He always has existed and remains faithful.

Before becoming Israel’s leader, Joshua served as Moses’ minister. The Hebrew word rendered minister comes from a verb meaning “to serve.” The verb can designate a servant’s work on behalf of a master or a ministry of worship performed by priests.

Joshua 1:2 KJV 1900

2 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.

(v. 2)Because of Moses’s rebellion at Meribah-kadesh, the Lord had prohibited him from entering Canaan (Num. 20:1-13). This typically faithful leader had struck the rock to bring forth water instead of speaking to it as God commanded. As a result, Moses had died while the nation still stood on the eastern side of the Jordan River.

God’s words, Moses my servant is dead, may have awakened Joshua more fully to his new reality. Instead of serving as Moses’s assistant, he was commanded to lead the people across the Jordan River into the promised land.

Note that the Lord identified this territory as the land which I do give. Joshua had been one of only two faithful spies among those who had scouted out Canaan (Num. 13–14). He, along with Caleb, had presented the positive report that the Israelites could conquer the land’s powerful inhabitants because the Lord was with them. They had challenged the people to remember that the Lord would fight for them as they depended on Him.

Joshua 1:3 KJV 1900

3 Every place that the sole of your foot shall tread upon, that have I given unto you, as I said unto Moses.

(v. 3)The Lord promised His people every place that the sole of your foot shall tread upon. Although the Lord pledged to give them the land, His people had to act in faith to take possession of it. From God’s perspective, Israel already owned Canaan, but God’s timing would determine when they finally took possession. (See Deut. 11:24-25.) The biblical writer highlighted God’s fulfillment of His promises through the conquest.

Joshua 1:4 KJV 1900

4 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.

(v. 4) This verse describes the general boundaries of the promised land (see Deut. 11:24). Wildernessdesignates a southern desert area, sometimes called the Negev. Lebanonroughly identifies present-day Lebanon in the north. The Euphrates is called the great river and, in biblical geography, represented a useful eastern border. Finally, the great sea (the Mediterranean) would serve as Israel’s western boundary.

The Israelites would not own the full extent of these borders until the reigns of David and Solomon. Still, God described the land between the eastern and western limits as all the land of the Hittites. The term Hittitescan refer to a number of groups living west of the Jordan River. Here, it seems to serve as a general term for Canaanites.

Joshua 1:5 KJV 1900

5 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.

(v. 5)The Lord assured Joshua of His continuing presence. In fact, He promised to be with Joshua just as He had been with Moses (Deut. 11:25a). Verses 6-9 delineate the conditions for the Lord’s promise that shall not any man be able to stand before thee. The Israelites’ failure to meet these conditions later resulted in their defeat at Ai (Josh. 7:1-5).

God’s presence with Joshua would be the guarantee of his success. It remains the vital cog in His people’s success today. We can find courage in the truth that the Lord keeps His promises.

Application Point: We can find courage in the truth that God keeps His promises. 

Recap: Briefly note that Moses had not been allowed to enter the promised land because of his sin. Provide more information about Israel’s new leader, Joshua:  

Deuteronomy 34:1-8 records Moses’s death. Moses had lead Israel for forty years, and during that time Moses and Joshua became close. For instance, in Numbers 13:16, Moses changed Joshua’s name from Hoshea, meaning “deliverance,” to the name Joshua, which means “Yahweh saves.” In the Greek traditions of the Old Testament, it is the same name as Jesus in the New Testament. Joshua’s name foreshadows how the Lord Himself would deliver the Israelites from their enemies. . . . The Israelites mourned Moses’s death for thirty days east of the Jordan River in the plains of Moab. After that, it was time for Joshua and the people to prepare to cross over the Jordan and enter Canaan.

Ask:How have you experienced God’s faithfulness? 

Transition:God’s promise of land also included the promise of His presence with Joshua and the Israelites.

Group Activity Option

Object Lesson: Rings

Encourage volunteers to show their engagement rings or wedding rings. Ask: What do these rings represent? What is the difference between giving a ring and getting a ring?Share that when we give this type of a ring, we make a promise for the future. Note that those getting the ring expect us to keep that promise. Compare this to how we expect God to be faithful in fulfilling His promises.

Every believer can live a successful Christian life by taking 3 actions found in Joshua

Action #2 – Courageously Obey

Joshua 1:6 KJV 1900

6 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.

(v. 6)Joshua needed to be strong and of a good courage to lead the Israelites. The command translated be strong most often appears in a military context. The term actually is similar in meaning to good courage. Joshua needed boldness and resolve to carry out God’s commands.

The mandate to show strength and courage occurs in verses 6, 7, and 9. The number three in biblical thought often emphasized completion. The Lord required Joshua’s total obedience.

Joshua 1:7 KJV 1900

7 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.

(v. 7)The Lord associated Joshua’s strength and courage with careful observance of all the law. The Hebrew word for law is torah. It designated Israel’s covenant responsibilities to the Lord. Eventually, the term was used for the Pentateuch, the first five Old Testament books. Joshua could not deviate to the right hand or to the left, a vivid way of stating he could not stray from absolute obedience to God.

Obedience was key to Joshua’s success. The term prosper rarely referred to financial wealth in the Old Testament. Instead, it commonly related to wisdom. It describes prospering through right choices and actions. Such success occurs when people are centered on God and His ways.

Joshua 1:8 KJV 1900

8 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.

(v. 8)In Hebrew, meditate can mean “utter” or “mutter.” It also can describe groaning. While we tend to mutter about things we don’t like, the Lord instructs us to mutter His Word, to keep it on our lips and in our hearts. Doing so helps keep life in the right perspective.

Day and night suggests a continual, disciplined study of God’s Word (see Ps. 1:2). The Old Testament concept of meditation has nothing to do with trying to empty one’s mind. Rather, it requires focused attention on God’s works and ways. It was an activity practiced aloud.

Joshua 1:9 KJV 1900

9 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.

(v. 9)The Lord expressed His command negatively, as well as positively. For Joshua, strength and courage meant refusing to be afraid or dismayed. The verb translated dismayed can depict the panic of a military leader whose courage has failed. Only the Lord’s presence would enable Joshua to stand courageously. 

Joshua 1:10–11 KJV 1900

10 Then Joshua commanded the officers of the people, saying, 11 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.

(vv. 10-11)Assured of the Lord’s presence, Joshua turned to the officers, most likely a group of administrative officials. His commands offered a perfect reflection of God’s words to him. In turn, the officers passed those words to the people (v. 11). In a nutshell, the time of waiting was over. They would be moving into the promised land. Victuals designated food and other supplies needed to cross the Jordan and possess Canaan. Joshua emphasized preparation or readiness. 

Israel would succeed only if the people acted in accordance with the Lord’s commands. Likewise, we can discern and experience God’s best for our lives only by studying and obeying His Word.

Application Point: We can discern God’s best for our lives by studying His Word.     

Ask:How does God’s Word provide courage and direction for our lives?                    

Memorize:Point out that Joshua 1:8 serves as the memory verse for this session. Lead adults to read aloud the verse three times. Encourage them to memorize it this week. 

Transition:Responding to God’s challenge, Joshua prepared the people to move into the promised land.

Every believer can live a successful Christian life by taking 3 actions found in Joshua

Action #3 – Faithfully Follow

Joshua 1:16 KJV 1900

16 And they answered Joshua, saying, All that thou commandest us we will do, and whithersoever thou sendest us, we will go.

(v. 16)In verses 12-15, Joshua reminded the tribes settling east of the Jordan River—Reuben, Gad, and half of Manasseh—that they had promised to help conquer the land. So in verses 16-18, they indicates the commitment of these tribes, but it probably mirrors the sentiment of every Israelite. The people’s pledge of loyalty must have encouraged Joshua, as they promised to do all he commanded and to go whithersoever he sent them.

Joshua 1:17 KJV 1900

17 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.

(v. 17)However, the people’s next words may have raised some concern. The Israelites sincerely pledged to hearken unto Joshua as they had hearkened unto Moses, but the nation’s history of disobedience may have been discouraging. At the very least, their response was ironic.

For example, at Mount Sinai, the Israelites had solemnly sworn obedience (Ex. 24:6-7). Yet, Aaron had led them in making and worshiping a golden calf. Repeated grumbling, rebellion, and waywardness had characterized the Israelites’ lengthy period in the wilderness.

The generation that entered the promised land did not fully carry out the Lord’s instructions either. Yet various Scriptures record how the people failed to completely carry out their spiritual obligations (Josh. 11:22; 13:1; 15:63; 16:10; 17:12-13). The book of Joshua highlights this tension between what Israel said and how Israel acted.

After pledging obedience, the Israelites affirmed Joshua’s leadership. Only the Lord thy God be with thee could be another affirmation of their loyalty or spoken as a prayerful blessing. The people may have been saying they would follow Joshua’s leadership as long as they saw evidence of God’s leadership in his life.

Joshua 1:18 KJV 1900

18 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.

(v. 18)The Israelites’ assertion to Joshua that whosoever he be that doth rebel against thy commandment . . . shall be put to death stressed the degree of their devotion. They were willing to hold themselves accountable for disobedience. The military situation in which the Israelites were engaged under Joshua’s command required strict discipline and thus severe punishment for rebellion.

The death sentence was actually carried out in Joshua 7:24-26. At the conquest of Jericho, Achan took some spoil that belonged to the Lord. When God revealed Achan’s sin, Joshua commanded the man’s entire family and his possessions be destroyed.

Verse 18 concludes with the people’s reiteration of the Lord’s command to Joshua to be strong and of a good courage. We can encourage the kingdom work of others by supporting them and partnering with them.

Application Point: We can encourage the work of God through others by supporting them and partnering with them. 

Explain:Point out that the commitment voiced by the tribes east of the Jordan River was shared by the entire nation. Note that to emphasize the significance of their commitment, the tribes promised to hold themselves accountable, even to the point of putting rebels to death. 

Ask:How does a shared commitment to God’s purposes encourage other people? 

Discuss:Lead the group to discuss how believers, like the Israelites, often make promises to God but fail to keep them. Discuss the difference between intent and action. Emphasize the importance of holding one another accountable. 

Conclusion- CHALLENGE

Summarize:

We can find courage in the truth that God keeps His promises.

We can discern God’s best for our lives by studying His Word.

We can encourage God’s work through others by supporting them and partnering with them.