“I’ve commanded you to be strong and brave. Don’t ever be afraid or discouraged! I am the Lord your God, and I will be there to help you wherever you go.” (Joshua 1:9, CEV)

God’s command to Joshua was brief and straightforward: he was to take the land of Canaan. Israel would not win the land without a fight, but the people had God’s assurance that wherever they advanced they would gain possession. As the leader of the people, Joshua was exhorted to be strong and courageous because the Lord is going to give the land to the Israelites, thereby fulfilling his promise to their forefathers. Joshua will accomplish this as he devoted himself to the task of understanding and obeying God’s law (Joshua 1:1-9). Although the conquest was successfully achieved by means of several battles. the narrative stresses throughout that the Israelites are entirely dependent upon the Lord for their success.

This great exhortation is still true to us today. We ought to be very careful in obeying God’s word and acknowledge that we are entirely dependent on God. If we do this God will honor us with phenomenal success!

Sources:

Bartholomew, Craig G. and Goheen, Michael W. The Drama of Scripture. Finding Our Place in the Biblical Story. Grand Rapids, Michigan: Baker Academic, 2004.

Halley, Henry H. Halley’s Bible Handbook. ePub Format. Grand Rapids, Michigan: Zondervan, 2000.

MySword for Android. Riversoft Ministry, 2011-2019.

The NKJV Bible

http://www.biblegateway.com

Published by Pastorbluejeans Unplugged

Friend of a Jewish Carpenter. View all posts by Pastorbluejeans Unplugged