The name Joshua in Hebrew means "Jehovah (God) saves." Joshua is Moses' successor and will lead the Israelites into the land of Canaan. The land of Canaan was promised to Abraham's descendants in the first book of the Bible, Genesis. The Israelites (children of Israel) are comprised of twelve tribes. Each tribe is named after one of Jacob's (Abraham's grandson) children.
The reason why God is guiding and blessing the children of Israel is because they are a group of people (at least trying) to follow the word of God. God has given them commandments and life-guidelines on how to live a joyful and compassionate life. God has extended this covenant to any person who will follow Him. If we maintain a faithful relationship with Him, He will faithfully bless our lives well beyond our journey on earth.
God knows that as humans, we have many weaknesses and vulnerabilities, Deuteronomy 7:7. He has compassion on us and seeks to restore us and bless us through all tribulation. Each of us has our own metaphorical "wilderness" but as long as we cling to Him, Deuteronomy 13:4, and remain faithful, He leads us directly into abundant blessing.
After 40 years in the wilderness, the children of Israel have finally reached their destination. The only reason it took so long was because they Israelites needed time and space to learn and grow in their faith. Many of the Israelites are children who grew up in the wilderness, their parents were formerly enslaved in Egypt. As a group, each member is still working on the development of their faith.
Joshua's God-assigned quest is to continue where Moses left off. Not only will he need to lead the Israelites into the land, but also through battles and the journey of faith. Joshua has deep, solid faith in God and will follow His commands... the difficulty for him will be to convince the twelve tribes to do the same.
1:1-2 Joshua receives his first command from God as appointed leader of the Israelites: it is time to lead these thousands into the land God has promised.
1:3 As we move forward in faith, God gives us the ground we continue to cover. The space of every step we take toward Him becomes ours. Our space to live and thrive and worship. For the Israelites this is a literal promise, they will actually be walking into land given to them by God. In contemporary time, land has been distributed among humanity. We have well established nations (many of them settled by these 12 tribes long ago).
God's promise for us extends even beyond physical land. God gives us a home within ourselves. He converts our soul into a temple in which He is ever-present. He restores and reestablishes our external life as well as our internal life. When God says to us "Arise, go..." His intention is for us to be animated by our faith as we make our way through earth. Not only to journey with Him but to journey toward Him, living a purposeful and blessed life along the way.
1:4 God outlines the area he is giving to the Israelites: "From the wilderness...". It is helpful to always remember from where God pulled you. No matter who we are, God found us in some kind of wilderness. Out of place, directionless, maybe even desolate or in direct opposition to Him. He takes us from one place and then plants us in another. Deeply rooted in an abundant home, the living water rushing beneath us. Providing us life, sustenance and spiritual nutrition.
God blesses the Israelites with a beautiful place to create a nation. Not because they are better than anyone else, in fact they are quite pitiful, but because they are at least trying to be good in an evil world, Deuteronomy 7:8.
As Creator, all land on all planets is God's to give. God arranged for the cities of this place to be build by their enemies, Deuteronomy 16:10. The only reason they lose it is because of their evil actions, Deuteronomy 9:5.
1:5 Joshua inherits a monumental task. He is bold in faith but not naive or reckless; Joshua understands that the only way to accomplish the task ahead is to give God full authority over it. Compared to their enemies, the children of Israel are a feeble, nomadic group. Without God by their side, this task would be laughable even in concept.
Joshua, like us, needs encouragement from God. Our empathetic God is continually willing to provide us with reassurance: I will not leave you nor forsake you. These are the words Joshua needs to here from God before he enters into enemy territory. These are the words we need to hear before we enter into any territory. We are needy creatures but God is prepared and patient enough to fill our every need.
Like Moses, Joshua has the voice of God leading him on. Because of Jesus, we know that we have the Holy Spirit leading us on, actually dwelling within us, 1 Corinthians 3:16. It is a tool God has promised each of us... we need only to remember to utilize it. To bring Him into every situation, thought, and action.
God promises Joshua that no enemy will be able to break through God's barrier of protection. With the Holy Spirit dwelling within us, we have a secret weapon. Our enemies and our fears have no idea the power and influence that is present within us. Our fears and enemies do not not but we should.
God can advocate for each of us. He brought thousands out of enslavement, split seas, crushed kingdoms and will conquer nations purely on the faith of His children. He can handle your problem! He is present inside of you and when you acknowledge that, He is patiently, meticulous doing maintenance on everything you need fixed. You are temple! We just read it. You don't think He's going to respond when a light goes out? Or the foundation is cracked? If you are His home, He's going to make YOU a place fit for a King. The King.
1:6 Be strong and of good courage, God tells Joshua, because he will conquer and tell divide up the land between the 12 tribes. Be strong and of good courage, God tells each of His children, because whatever our specific task it, He's going to cause us to conquer it.
1:7 God is always present to reinforce our strength should we falter. We do not have to be afraid when we trust Him but He understands that sometimes we will still be weak. He is going to supplement our weaknesses. As long as we stay in range. If we venture out from the sphere of God, we declare to Him that we do not want His help. How do we venture out? We neglect our faith. We live and act in opposition to His philosophy.
God's directive to Joshua is to maintain his faith and to live according to the philosophy He has given. God's philosophy serves as the cobblestone path that leads us directly into His blessings. When following Him, we cannot go wrong or get lost.
1:8 Joshua is told by God to keep this philosophy in his mouth, in the words that he speaks and the orders he gives. To meditate on God's word: for as we contemplate His guidelines we realize they are lifelines. There is much wisdom in each directive that He gives us. We are constantly students in Him, graduating to new levels of understanding and spirituality.
God promises that following Him will always be a prosperous and successful journey. Prosperity and success to each of us means accomplishments in a myriad of aspects. God wants us to understand that whether we are leading a group into a new land, attending a university, beginning a new career, creating a family, painting a masterpiece, composing a song... no matter what is is, God is going to make us prosperous and successful in it. But He can only do that if we are willing to listen and follow His advice.
Prosperous and successful to God is always rooted in some kind of creation. As children of a creator, He is most proud when we create things: justice in places where there is none, friendships in places and hearts of loneliness, joy in sadness, opportunity in hopelessness. Whatever our talent or interest or position in life is, God is ready to propel us through it, by faith, into prosperity and success.
As mortal, imperfect beings, we cannot plan for perfection. We can only be delivered into it. And there is only one Capable Deliverer - Our God. He establishes us in places we never even dreamed we could thrive. He exceeds expectations, all we need is the faith to trust that, the patience to wait for Him to build it (and He takes His time so that we have time to learn, grow and become prepared for what He builds).
1:9 God asks: Have I not commanded you? Be strong and of good courage; do not be afraid, not be dismayed, for the Lord your God is with you wherever you go. If He has said it (and He has) it is because He can get it done. God understands the concept of "with" better than we do. He knows that He is right beside us but we frequently doubt. If we faithfully fight through that doubt, we find ourselves rooted in the foundation of our Father's love.
1:3 As we move forward in faith, God gives us the ground we continue to cover. The space of every step we take toward Him becomes ours. Our space to live and thrive and worship. For the Israelites this is a literal promise, they will actually be walking into land given to them by God. In contemporary time, land has been distributed among humanity. We have well established nations (many of them settled by these 12 tribes long ago).
God's promise for us extends even beyond physical land. God gives us a home within ourselves. He converts our soul into a temple in which He is ever-present. He restores and reestablishes our external life as well as our internal life. When God says to us "Arise, go..." His intention is for us to be animated by our faith as we make our way through earth. Not only to journey with Him but to journey toward Him, living a purposeful and blessed life along the way.
1:4 God outlines the area he is giving to the Israelites: "From the wilderness...". It is helpful to always remember from where God pulled you. No matter who we are, God found us in some kind of wilderness. Out of place, directionless, maybe even desolate or in direct opposition to Him. He takes us from one place and then plants us in another. Deeply rooted in an abundant home, the living water rushing beneath us. Providing us life, sustenance and spiritual nutrition.
God blesses the Israelites with a beautiful place to create a nation. Not because they are better than anyone else, in fact they are quite pitiful, but because they are at least trying to be good in an evil world, Deuteronomy 7:8.
As Creator, all land on all planets is God's to give. God arranged for the cities of this place to be build by their enemies, Deuteronomy 16:10. The only reason they lose it is because of their evil actions, Deuteronomy 9:5.
1:5 Joshua inherits a monumental task. He is bold in faith but not naive or reckless; Joshua understands that the only way to accomplish the task ahead is to give God full authority over it. Compared to their enemies, the children of Israel are a feeble, nomadic group. Without God by their side, this task would be laughable even in concept.
Joshua, like us, needs encouragement from God. Our empathetic God is continually willing to provide us with reassurance: I will not leave you nor forsake you. These are the words Joshua needs to here from God before he enters into enemy territory. These are the words we need to hear before we enter into any territory. We are needy creatures but God is prepared and patient enough to fill our every need.
Like Moses, Joshua has the voice of God leading him on. Because of Jesus, we know that we have the Holy Spirit leading us on, actually dwelling within us, 1 Corinthians 3:16. It is a tool God has promised each of us... we need only to remember to utilize it. To bring Him into every situation, thought, and action.
God promises Joshua that no enemy will be able to break through God's barrier of protection. With the Holy Spirit dwelling within us, we have a secret weapon. Our enemies and our fears have no idea the power and influence that is present within us. Our fears and enemies do not not but we should.
God can advocate for each of us. He brought thousands out of enslavement, split seas, crushed kingdoms and will conquer nations purely on the faith of His children. He can handle your problem! He is present inside of you and when you acknowledge that, He is patiently, meticulous doing maintenance on everything you need fixed. You are temple! We just read it. You don't think He's going to respond when a light goes out? Or the foundation is cracked? If you are His home, He's going to make YOU a place fit for a King. The King.
1:6 Be strong and of good courage, God tells Joshua, because he will conquer and tell divide up the land between the 12 tribes. Be strong and of good courage, God tells each of His children, because whatever our specific task it, He's going to cause us to conquer it.
1:7 God is always present to reinforce our strength should we falter. We do not have to be afraid when we trust Him but He understands that sometimes we will still be weak. He is going to supplement our weaknesses. As long as we stay in range. If we venture out from the sphere of God, we declare to Him that we do not want His help. How do we venture out? We neglect our faith. We live and act in opposition to His philosophy.
God's directive to Joshua is to maintain his faith and to live according to the philosophy He has given. God's philosophy serves as the cobblestone path that leads us directly into His blessings. When following Him, we cannot go wrong or get lost.
1:8 Joshua is told by God to keep this philosophy in his mouth, in the words that he speaks and the orders he gives. To meditate on God's word: for as we contemplate His guidelines we realize they are lifelines. There is much wisdom in each directive that He gives us. We are constantly students in Him, graduating to new levels of understanding and spirituality.
God promises that following Him will always be a prosperous and successful journey. Prosperity and success to each of us means accomplishments in a myriad of aspects. God wants us to understand that whether we are leading a group into a new land, attending a university, beginning a new career, creating a family, painting a masterpiece, composing a song... no matter what is is, God is going to make us prosperous and successful in it. But He can only do that if we are willing to listen and follow His advice.
Prosperous and successful to God is always rooted in some kind of creation. As children of a creator, He is most proud when we create things: justice in places where there is none, friendships in places and hearts of loneliness, joy in sadness, opportunity in hopelessness. Whatever our talent or interest or position in life is, God is ready to propel us through it, by faith, into prosperity and success.
As mortal, imperfect beings, we cannot plan for perfection. We can only be delivered into it. And there is only one Capable Deliverer - Our God. He establishes us in places we never even dreamed we could thrive. He exceeds expectations, all we need is the faith to trust that, the patience to wait for Him to build it (and He takes His time so that we have time to learn, grow and become prepared for what He builds).
1:9 God asks: Have I not commanded you? Be strong and of good courage; do not be afraid, not be dismayed, for the Lord your God is with you wherever you go. If He has said it (and He has) it is because He can get it done. God understands the concept of "with" better than we do. He knows that He is right beside us but we frequently doubt. If we faithfully fight through that doubt, we find ourselves rooted in the foundation of our Father's love.
1:10 Joshua is now ready to command with the authority given to Him by God. It is beautiful to see the previous moment and this moment juxtaposed. We just witnessed the very personal pep-talk God has given Joshua (of the same promise and nature that He gives to us) and now we witness Joshua command with confidence and belief in himself as a child of God.
Without God's encouragement and wisdom, we enter into situations in either of these two ways: foolish or frightened. Joshua did not step out to the officers of the Israelites and say "Umm... I think..." because there is no hesitation to follow God's commands. There's no doubt necessary. Therefore he is no longer frightened. Neither does Joshua command in this way: "I know what to do!", because Joshua is not foolish. This wisdom, this directive is not born of his own ability but of God's.
Let God give you the same personal pep-talk. Walk into every situation, out into life with squared shoulders, confident in the promises and ability of God.
1:11 Following the command of God, Joshua tells the leaders of each tribes to prepare to set forth within three days. To enter into the land, they will need to cross the Jordan river.
1:12-14 Joshua gives the Israelites their own pep talk: this is the moment God has been promising and preparing us for! Each tribes and the families within it will settle in this place of abundance, a gift that keeps on giving from God.
1:15 The women, children and livestock will remain safely where they are while the soldiers go in to conquer the new land. God has provided haven for the mothers, the young and the animals while their home is being acquired. Each solider of each tribes is expected to remain while each portion of land is acquired (for example: the tribe of Gad must not stop fighting once they have received their own inheritance).
God teaches us unity in our lives. Accomplishment is achieved by Him but ideally attained by each of His children together. They have journeyed with each other through the wilderness and were enslaved together before that. God is gathering back the family. Although we have distinctive characteristics on earth and in our personalities, God wants us to understand that we are of the same fabric.
In every task God prepares us for, He teaches us compassion, work-ethic, selflessness, justice. It is only right the children of Israel would help each other receive their allotment of land. Rest and enjoyment come when everyone can settle peacefully. Reminiscent of our spiritual home, where everyone is able to rest and enjoy life. While there is work to be done (like right now on earth) we are meant to be working (for compassion with selflessness toward justice).
Notice that Moses is continually called God's servant. It is ironic because God's servants are treated like royalty. Spiritual royalty. Yourself included. The harder we work for Him, the harder He works for us. Moses was constantly busy helping, leading, teaching and praying on behalf of this task, his purpose, the Israelites. Yet in the midst of that, God provided for him. Moses had a wife and children. God built courage and self-confidence in Moses. He restored Moses from orphan to claimed child of God. He rescued Moses from death. Split the seas for him!
We have the opportunity and spiritual responsibility to be tools through which God's good will and work comes into the world. Yet while we devote ourselves to His task, selflessly, He pours blessings into us personally. A child, a fellow-worker of God, does not have license to be lazy and entitled. Children of God are workers with Him, 1 Corinthians 3:9. The more selflessly we live, the more abundant and spectacular our blessings from Him are.
Without God's encouragement and wisdom, we enter into situations in either of these two ways: foolish or frightened. Joshua did not step out to the officers of the Israelites and say "Umm... I think..." because there is no hesitation to follow God's commands. There's no doubt necessary. Therefore he is no longer frightened. Neither does Joshua command in this way: "I know what to do!", because Joshua is not foolish. This wisdom, this directive is not born of his own ability but of God's.
Let God give you the same personal pep-talk. Walk into every situation, out into life with squared shoulders, confident in the promises and ability of God.
1:11 Following the command of God, Joshua tells the leaders of each tribes to prepare to set forth within three days. To enter into the land, they will need to cross the Jordan river.
1:12-14 Joshua gives the Israelites their own pep talk: this is the moment God has been promising and preparing us for! Each tribes and the families within it will settle in this place of abundance, a gift that keeps on giving from God.
1:15 The women, children and livestock will remain safely where they are while the soldiers go in to conquer the new land. God has provided haven for the mothers, the young and the animals while their home is being acquired. Each solider of each tribes is expected to remain while each portion of land is acquired (for example: the tribe of Gad must not stop fighting once they have received their own inheritance).
God teaches us unity in our lives. Accomplishment is achieved by Him but ideally attained by each of His children together. They have journeyed with each other through the wilderness and were enslaved together before that. God is gathering back the family. Although we have distinctive characteristics on earth and in our personalities, God wants us to understand that we are of the same fabric.
In every task God prepares us for, He teaches us compassion, work-ethic, selflessness, justice. It is only right the children of Israel would help each other receive their allotment of land. Rest and enjoyment come when everyone can settle peacefully. Reminiscent of our spiritual home, where everyone is able to rest and enjoy life. While there is work to be done (like right now on earth) we are meant to be working (for compassion with selflessness toward justice).
Notice that Moses is continually called God's servant. It is ironic because God's servants are treated like royalty. Spiritual royalty. Yourself included. The harder we work for Him, the harder He works for us. Moses was constantly busy helping, leading, teaching and praying on behalf of this task, his purpose, the Israelites. Yet in the midst of that, God provided for him. Moses had a wife and children. God built courage and self-confidence in Moses. He restored Moses from orphan to claimed child of God. He rescued Moses from death. Split the seas for him!
We have the opportunity and spiritual responsibility to be tools through which God's good will and work comes into the world. Yet while we devote ourselves to His task, selflessly, He pours blessings into us personally. A child, a fellow-worker of God, does not have license to be lazy and entitled. Children of God are workers with Him, 1 Corinthians 3:9. The more selflessly we live, the more abundant and spectacular our blessings from Him are.
1:16-18 The Israelites promise to follow Joshua's commands. With the prize right in front of them, their faith is strong. Yet we are as fickle as the children of Israel have been: it is easy to believe when we can see the blessing. Yet in the wilderness, they were flooded with doubt. This serves as a lesson to each of us: God can see what we cannot yet see. He always new of this promised land. He always knew they would reach it.
There is something in each of our lives that we want but might not believe we will have. If God has determined that it is good for us, then we will have it. He will enable us to receive it. But we cannot be fair-weather believers. We need to be in it as deeply as God is in it. Are you wadding in up to your kneecaps? Because God is is submerged for you.
Each blessing is a process. God prepares us to receive; He teaches us to be grateful, respectful, wise. He prepares us to achieve; He teaches us perseverance, work-ethic, purpose, intention. He prepares a place in a heart and soul ready to take on the responsibility of the blessing we ask for. He maneuvers the furniture so to speak, to fit it right into the perfect space. Because when we receive a blessing, God wants us to be capable of keeping it. Fostering it. Pushing it forward, expanding it.
Be willing to follow His command faithfully, confidently in the interim. In waiting. In the learning.
