Prepared for Promises

Get Ready

Commentary on the Book of Joshua Chapter 1

The second chapter must therefore be regarded as a kind of interposed parenthesis, explaining to the reader more fully what had happened, when Joshua at length commanded the people to collect their vessels.

Joshua 1:10–11 ASV 1901

Then Joshua commanded the officers of the people, saying, Pass through the midst of the camp, and command the people, saying, Prepare you victuals; for within three days ye are to pass over this Jordan, to go in to possess the land, which Jehovah your God giveth you to possess it.

We too must be ready. This requires preparation and anticipation of what is ahead. The Israelites were commanded to take food, but we are commanded to feed on God’s Word. The Israelites had three days to prepare for their journey, Jesus was raised on the third day to pave the way for our journey. At that third day, God gave them the land and they possessed it. Since Jesus has been raised on the third day, we have been given the Promised Land and possesses as long as we march in Christ by faith.

Do Your Part

Joshua 1:12–15 ASV 1901

And to the Reubenites, and to the Gadites, and to the half-tribe of Manasseh, spake Joshua, saying, Remember the word which Moses the servant of Jehovah commanded you, saying, Jehovah your God giveth you rest, and will give you this land. Your wives, your little ones, and your cattle, shall abide in the land which Moses gave you beyond the Jordan; but ye shall pass over before your brethren armed, all the mighty men of valor, and shall help them; until Jehovah have given your brethren rest, as he hath given you, and they also have possessed the land which Jehovah your God giveth them: then ye shall return unto the land of your possession, and possess it, which Moses the servant of Jehovah gave you beyond the Jordan toward the sunrising.

We should strive to have no Christian left behind. There was to be no soldier left behind—everyone had a role to play. Everyone was to be at battle.

Christians, you have been saved and given a purpose by Christ (). There is not one of you who should be sitting while your brethren are at war.

Follow the Commands

Joshua 1:16–18 ESV

And they answered Joshua, “All that you have commanded us we will do, and wherever you send us we will go. Just as we obeyed Moses in all things, so we will obey you. Only may the Lord your God be with you, as he was with Moses! Whoever rebels against your commandment and disobeys your words, whatever you command him, shall be put to death. Only be strong and courageous.”

Joshua 1:16-

We must submit dutifully and cheerfully for “God loves a cheerful giver” ().

The same commands which were given to the Wilderness generation had now been accepted by the conquering generation. Those commands were based on God himself and the promises which he had made to the people.

We too should want to follow God’s demands more than anything else. We should first, want to display our love for him because he has first loved us. We should want to obey him because that obedience is a necessary ingredient to faith. We should also want to obey him because we want to be a part of his purposes. We should also want to obey him because we want to submit to him so that we too can enter the Promised Land.

Are you ready for the promised land?

They had to pass through the Jordan River to get to the Promised Land. “There was no means of crossing either by a bridge or by boats: and nothing could be easier for the enemy than to prevent the passage. The only thing, therefore, that remained was for God to transport them miraculously” )John Calvin and Henry Beveridge, Commentary on the Book of Joshua (Bellingham, WA: Logos Bible Software, 2010, 36).

Their faith moved them to act in obedience to God as they stepped into the water and God delivered them, not only from the water, but to the Promised Land.

John Calvin and Henry Beveridge, Commentary on the Book of Joshua (Bellingham, WA: Logos Bible Software, 2010), 36.

I hope that we would have the same faith—faith to step toward the Promised Land by stepping in the water. Not the Jordan River, but as Jesus was baptized into the Jordan, we are baptized into Jesus.