Joshua 1:1-2 After the death of Moses, the Lord’s disciple, God spoke to Moses’ assistant, whose name was Joshua (the son of Nun), and said to him, “Now that my disciple is dead, you are the new leader of Israel. Lead my people across the Jordan River into the Promised Land.
3-5 I say to you what I said to Moses: ‘Wherever you go will be part of the land of Israel—all the way from the Negeb Desert in the south to the Lebanon mountains in the north, and from the Mediterranean Sea in the west to the Euphrates River in the east, including all the land of the Hittites.’ No one will be able to oppose you as long as you live, for I will be with you just as I was with Moses; I will not abandon you or fail to help you.
6-9 “Be strong and brave, for you will be a successful leader of my people; and they shall conquer all the land I promised to their ancestors. You need only to be strong and courageous and to obey to the letter every law Moses gave you, for if you are careful to obey every one of them, you will be successful in everything you do. Constantly remind the people about these laws, and you yourself must think about them every day and every night so that you will be sure to obey all of them. For only then will you succeed. Yes, be bold and strong! Banish fear and doubt! For remember, the Lord your God is with you wherever you go.”
10-11 Then Joshua issued instructions to the leaders of Israel to tell the people to get ready to cross the Jordan River. “In three days we will go across and conquer and live in the land which God has given us!” he told them.
12-15 Then he summoned the leaders of the tribes of Reuben, Gad, and the half-tribe of Manasseh and reminded them of their agreement with Moses: “The Lord your God has given you a homeland here on the east side of the Jordan River,” Moses had told them, “so your wives and children and cattle may remain here, but your troops, fully armed, must lead the other tribes across the Jordan River to help them conquer their territory on the other side; stay with them until they complete the conquest. Only then may you settle down here on the east side of the Jordan.”
16 To this they fully agreed and pledged themselves to obey Joshua as their commander-in-chief.
17-18 “We will obey you just as we obeyed Moses,” they assured him, “and may the Lord your God be with you as he was with Moses. If anyone, no matter who, rebels against your commands, he shall die. So lead on with courage and strength!”
If anyone ever needed to wait on the Lord, Joshua would be that man! True, Joshua had followed Moses, ascending part-way up Mount Sinai, remaining in the Tent of Meeting, and closely observing Moses’ every move. But it was one thing to be the assistant and a totally different matter to take up leadership. Forty years had taught Joshua that the Israelites were difficult, stubborn, ungrateful, and liable to rebel anytime things didn’t happen to suit them. Joshua had watched as Moses, the meekest man on the face of the earth, had lost his temper, striking the rock rather than speaking to it to bring forth water. And Joshua knew full well that incident had cost Moses the opportunity to enter Canaan. Little wonder that Joshua might be fearful. What if Joshua were to lose his temper and commit some sin that would cause God to smite him? How was Joshua to follow a leader with the stature of Moses?
When did God speak to Joshua? We don’t know; however, we do know that Joshua spent long hours sitting or kneeling quietly before the Lord in the Tent of Meetingfor forty years. Presumably, that was when God spoke these words to Joshua.
Before television took over American entertainment, variety shows with musicians, gymnasts, magicians, and other acts were quite popular. But the most popular acts were always those involving trained dogs or trained ponies. These acts were thrilling and entrancing, with the audience sitting on the edge of their seats to see what would happen next. The problem came if your act was scheduled immediately after an act involving these animals, for people might leave the arena to buy popcorn and soft drinks, missing your act entirely. Since those managing the theaters depended on audience approval, if people left before your act began, you were unlikely to be invited to return to perform on subsequent dates. It took an amazing performance to keep people from leaving after the dog and pony acts were done. Because of these challenges, people in show business developed sayings about the problems of following the dog and pony show.
“Be strong and brave, for you will be a successful leader of my people; and they shall conquer all the land I promised to their ancestors. You need only to be strong and courageous and to obey to the letter every law Moses gave you, for if you are careful to obey every one of them, you will be successful in everything you do.
The challenges Joshua was facing were very similar to those faced by the itinerant performers. Moses was a prophet, a priest, and a monumental leader. By comparison, almost anyone else would fall short. But here God was assuring Joshua that He would ensure Joshua’s success.
The challenges Joshua faced are common to all of us. Young pastors find themselves succeeding those with decades of successful ministry. Businessmen and women must take over flourishing companies, doing their best to maintain success and build on it. The examples are endless.
What can we learn from God’s advice to Joshua? When we obey God, He will help us to be strong and courageous. We must continue to follow God closely. When we are obedient, God is the One who guarantees great results. But remember that Joshua spent 40 years waiting on the Lord in that Tent of Meeting before God moved him into leadership. There is no such thing as instant obedience to God; we must build relationship with Him on an hourly and daily basis if we are to succeed.
PRAYER: Father God, thank You for loving us and caring for us. Lord, help us to study Your Word and to listen for Your Voice. In the mighty and precious Name of King Jesus. Amen.
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