Untitled Sermon

The book of Joshua is a story within the Story. The narratives in Joshua serve as instructions, warnings, and encouragements for the church today. The Israelites experienced the grace of God, accepted the responsibilities of being the people of God, and faced the challenge of daily obedience in fulfilling the will of God. Several writers have considered the book of Ephesians to be the New Testament counterpart to the book of Joshua.[5] The church has experienced the grace of God and is depicted in the New Testament as the New Israel: “You are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people of God’s own possession so that you may proclaim the excellencies of him who called you out of darkness into His marvelous light” ().

The book of Joshua relates the story of a people already redeemed from Egyptian bondage and constituted into a nation by the Lord God. The people of Israel had been promised their own land. Forty years after crossing the Red Sea, they were ready to “cross over Jordan” into the land of Canaan, the Promised Land. In spite of Israel’s “murmurings” and “rebellions,” God had not given up on them. Whatever progress they made was accomplished by God leading them each step of the way. The   Canaanites were well aware of God’s role in the conquest of Canaan. Rahab said, “I know that the Lord has given you the land, and that the terror of you has fallen on us, and that all the inhabitants of the land have melted away before you” ().

Call and Preparation of a New Leader (). Joshua received the divine call, accepted the role of leadership and carried out the Lord’s instructions. The two main characters in this passage are God and Joshua. The emphasis is on God’s calling and on equipping Joshua not only to succeed Moses but to lead the people in conquering the land.

The enduring nature of God’s promises is evident as the Israelites waited to enter the land God had given to them.[6] Hundreds of years had passed since God first promised the gift of land to Abraham (; ; cf. ). God’s promise moved toward fulfillment, in spite of rebellion. Thirty-eight years earlier, the Israelites at Kadesh rejected the opportunity to possess the land, and that generation died in the wilderness. Yet, the Promise endured regardless of circumstances:

Moses may die; God’s promise lives on. There is the passing of an era yet the endurance of the promise. Yahweh’s fidelity does not hinge on the achievements of men, however gifted they may be, nor does it evaporate in the face of funerals or rivers.[7]

The focus on Joshua’s situation leads to the provisions God makes for those he calls. “Moses, my servant is dead; now therefore, rise, cross this Jordan, you and all this people, to the land which I am giving to them, to the sons of Israel” (). What an assignment! “And in his sorrow, Joshua forgets three hundred commandments and acquires seven hundred doubts.”[8]

Do you identify with Joshua? You are struggling with what God is calling you to do. You know what it is to be afraid. You have faced insurmountable odds. You have been called, it seems, to an impossible task. Your security has been shattered by circumstances beyond your control. But then his word speaks to you. You become aware again of God’s faithfulness and his presence in your life. The interweaving of such feelings with the experience of Joshua could produce a sermon on divine resources for accomplishing the impossible.

The importance of God’s word is emphasized in . Obedience to God’s law is a recurring theme in Deuteronomy and Joshua. Life is to be shaped by obedience to the Lord’s instructions.[9]

Obeying God’s word brings fulfillment of God’s promises and guarantees participation in the divine purpose. Obedience to the Lord’s will is life itself.

The response of the people was affirmation of Joshua’s call (). They promised obedience to his commands and faithful service. Joshua accepted the leadership role and took command of the people (1:10). Moses was dead but Joshua faced the enemy with the Lord’s promise, his presence, the book of law, and a faithful and loyal people.[10] The call of Joshua could be the basis for an ordination sermon for a minister: The Leader Who Makes a Difference or The Mystery of Leadership.

6.↑The giving of the land is emphasized in . (All Scripture references are from the New American Standard Version unless otherwise noted.)

7.↑Dale Ralph Davis, No Falling Words: Expositions of the Book of Joshua (Grand Rapids, MI: Balcer Book House, 1988), 18.

8.↑Elie Wiesel, Five Biblical Portraits (Notre Dame: University of Notre Dame Press, 1981), 3.

9.↑; ; . See also .

10.↑See .