Josué 1
J. Vernon McGee · Citado em PreceptAustin
Josué 1
Vernon McGee - There is to be a successor appointed to take the place of Moses. He must be a Spirit-filled man . (Joshua 1) Micah 3:8+ On the other hand I am filled with power– With the Spirit of the LORD– And with justice and courage To make known to Jacob his rebellious act, Even to Israel his sin. Related Resource: Filled with His Spirit/Richly Indwelt with His Word - Chart Deuteronomy 3:21-22+ “I commanded Joshua at that time, saying, ‘Your eyes have seen all that the LORD your God has done to these two kings; so the LORD shall do to all the kingdoms into which you are about to cross. 22 ‘Do not fear them, for the LORD your God is the one fighting for you.’ Deuteronomy 34:9-12+ Now Joshua the son of Nun was filled with the spirit of wisdom, (cf MESSIANIC PASSAGE IN Isaiah 11:2 WHICH CLEARLY RELATES WISDOM TO THE HOLY SPIRIT) for Moses had laid his hands on him; and the sons of Israel listened to him and did as the LORD had commanded Moses. (GREATNESS OF MOSES) Since that time no prophet has risen in Israel like Moses, whom the LORD knew face to face, 11 for all the signs and wonders which the LORD sent him to perform in the land of Egypt against Pharaoh, all his servants, and all his land, 12 and for all the mighty power and for all the great terror which Moses performed in the sight of all Israel. 1 Corinthians 10:6,11+ Now these things happened as examples for us, so that we would not crave evil things as they also craved....11 Now these things happened to them as an example, and they were written for our instruction, upon whom the ends of the ages have come. Romans 15:4+ For whatever was written in earlier times was written for our instruction, so that through perseverance and the encouragement of the Scriptures we might have hope. A PASSION FOR PASSING THE BATON The Christian life is like a relay race in which each runner passes the baton on to the next runner. Jesus would describe it as making disciples who make disciples, "teaching them to observe all that I commanded you" (Mt 28:19-20+). Paul described it this way "The things which you (TIMOTHY) have heard from me (PAUL) in the presence of many witnesses, entrust (NOT A SUGGESTION - A COMMAND = aorist imperative see our need to depend on the Holy Spirit to obey) these to faithful men (THE THIRD "RUNNER" IN THE RELAY) who will be able (COMPETENT - hikanos) to teach others (THE FOURTH "RUNNER") also." (2Ti 2:2+). THOUGHT- Are you running in the race? (Heb 12:1-2+, 2Ti 2:5+). "Run (present imperative see our need to depend on the Holy Spirit to obey) in such a way that you may win." (1Co 9:24-27+) Are you preparing to hand off the baton like Moses did to Joshua? Are you making disciples, obeying one of the last commandments given by our Lord Jesus Christ? (see Mt 28:19-20+). Listen to this great song Run Like Heaven. Claiming God’s promises for spiritual victory requires engaging and conquering the enemy by grace through faith. -- Paul Apple David Thompson writes "Joshua teaches us that conflict is always a prelude to conquest. Struggles always precede success." Workmen die, but God lives. God's sovereign work continues. Before the mountains were born Or You gave birth to the earth and the world, Even from everlasting to everlasting, You are God. --Ps 90:2+ Irving Jensen - When the thirty days’ mourning over Moses’ death had come to an end (Deut. 34:8), and when all the tears of deep grief (no professional mourning here!) over the departure of this man of God had cleansed the spiritual eyes to see more clearly from the perspective of the eternities, God spoke from heaven directly to Joshua and reiterated his appointment as successor to Moses which had been given him earlier by Moses. The work of God must go on. His servants die, but God does not die, no less His divine program. (Joshua- Everyman's Bible Commentary: Rest-Land Won) Observe the overview charts above, noting especially that these first 5 chapters are preparation for conquest of the promised land. Now - This links Joshua with the end of Deuteronomy. It came about after the death of Moses the servant ('ebed) of the LORD - Notice the important time phrase AFTER which tells us life goes on even when one of God's servants pass on. "Moses the magnificent" is gone! "Joshua was destined to step into the largest sandals he'd ever had on his feet!" (Getz) And yet the promise has yet to be possessed! This beautiful description of Moses (Moses the servant of the LORD) is mentioned three times in chapter 1 (Josh 1:1, 13, 15, cf first use by Moses in Ex 4:10+ and Ex 14:31+ and and 13x elsewhere in the Book of Joshua). Joshua begins as the servant of the servant of the LORD and ends his life by himself being designated as "the servant of the LORD!" (Joshua 24:29) This reminds me of the old Maranatha praise song "If you want to be great in God's kingdom, learn to be the servant of all (Play this song)." The death of Moses occurred circa 1405 B.C. Joshua was from the tribe of Ephraim (1Chr 7:20, 27; cf. Nu 13:8, 16; 14:6, 30, 38). Notice in the overview chart above that the events of Joshua occupy about 25 years, so if Joshua was 110 when he died, he would have been about 80-85 years old at the beginning of this great military campaign! THOUGHT - I am reminded by Joshua's actions at 80-85, that retirement is NOT in the Bible. If you are a believer and retired and sitting on your duff or playing golf or fishing all the time (these activities are good some of the time, but not all of the time), you need to soberly ponder the words of James 4:14-15+ that "you do not know what your life will be like tomorrow. You are just a vapor that appears for a little while and then vanishes away. Instead, you ought to say, “If the Lord wills, we will live and also do this or that.” Then you might pray the prayer of the Psalm written by another older man, Moses "So teach us to number our days, That we may present to You a heart of wisdom." (Ps 90:12) I am 75 years old as I write these notes, and by the grace of God have been given the priceless privilege to disciple young men in various parts of America and in India via 2 hour zoom sessions 3-4 times per week. I say this not to boast because “LET HIM WHO BOASTS, BOAST IN THE LORD.” (1Cor 1:31+). I boast in our Father with a grateful heart that He has given me this "opportunity of a lifetime," and by His Spirit and His Word has enabled me to redeem the time (Eph 5:16+), the last lap of my short race to Heaven (listen to "Run Like Heaven"). Brother (sister), let me strongly encourage you to "look not at the things which are seen, but at the things which are not seen; for the things which are seen are temporal, but the things which are not seen are eternal." (2Cor 4:18+) "Store up for yourself treasure in Heaven." (Mt 6:20+) If you are a disciple of Christ, then your heavenly Father has given you a race to run (Hebrews 12:1+), BUT He will not force you to run. You must make the choice to live life in light of eternity! Remember that you are "His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand so that we would walk in them." (Eph 2:10+). Can I ask you dear older saint, is there some Timothy to whom you might be willing to become their Paul, instructing them in the faith you have walked in for decades, so that they might pass on the same eternal truths to other faithful men who will be able in turn to teach others? (2Ti 2:2+) From my limited experience (when I was a new believer in a strong, large Bible church I was unable to find even one man to personally disciple me 37 years ago), I can assure you that there is some young man who would like to be seriously discipled in the Word of Truth! If you are still breathing, you can redeem your last breaths in a way that you will never regret throughout eternity! This section could also be subtitled "Follow the Leader," which was a game many of us played as children, but for Joshua the task was not a game, for Moses had "big shoes to fill," in fact the largest sandals a man has ever seen! While Joshua followed Moses in one sense, there was now only one Leader Joshua could follow and that Leader was Jehovah. The real Leader will proceed to give Joshua his marching orders. Moses was dead, but God's promise and purpose was still very much alive! THOUGHT - All God's men and women in leadership are expendable. God uses us as His "vessels of honor, set apart, useful to Him, prepared for every good (God) work." (2Ti 2:21+). He first sets us apart and when our work is accomplished He sets us aside (so to speak, cf Rev 11:7+ "when they had finished their testimony"). God's servants are immortal until they have finished His work! Our job on earth is over in this short life, the "blink of an eye," but our reward in Heaven will last forever. May we all be sober minded, redeeming the precious time, ever seeking to imitate those who through faith and patience inherited the promises, men like Moses and like Joshua. (Heb 6:12+). God’s work is not affected by the death of His servants because the true Leader is not dead! There are two words for servant in this verse 'ebed (Moses) and sharath (Joshua), the latter translated with the adjective hupourgos (only in Josh 1:1) meaning one who renders service, a helper, an assistant. In short Joshua learned to become a leader by serving under Moses. The way "up" in service to God is first "down!" Jesus said it this way "everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, and he who humbles himself will be exalted." (Lk 14:11+) THOUGHT - Are you willing to first serve humbly or do you seek to serve in an exalted position? If the latter is the case, then "look out," for you will likely "be brought back down to earth," so to speak! (see Mt 23:12). Reading Joshua 1 it is almost like Moses is not dead, for his name is mentioned 11x in 9 verses! Josh 1:1 Josh 1:2 Josh 1:3 Josh 1:5 Josh 1:7 Josh 1:13 Josh 1:14 Josh 1:15 Josh 1:17 As Davis quips "What do you have left when everything the first five books of the Bible have been preparing you for ends in a funeral?" (Joshua: No Falling Words Focus on the Bible) One additional strange providential "coincidence" is that the book of Joshua begins and ends with funerals, one at the beginning (Joshua 1:2) and three at the end (Joshua - Joshua 24:29-31, Joseph - Joshua 24:32 and Eleazar - Joshua 24:33! There must be a message herein but of that message I am not certain. "God buries his workmen, but his work goes on." -On plaque at burial site of John Wesley J Vernon McGee on Moses - As we have seen, Moses was not essential to lead the children of Israel into the land. In fact, he could not bring them into the Land of Promise. Moses represented the Law and the Law cannot save us. The Law is a revealer and not a redeemer. It shows us that we are sinners. The Law was never a savior. Moses could not lead Israel into the land because of his failure. The problem was not with the Law but with Moses just as the problem is with us. The Law reveals that we have fallen short of the glory of God (Ro 3:23). "Moses my servant is dead." Only Jesus our Savior, our Joshua, can lead us into the place of blessing He has for us. (Joshua 1) Bob
Josué 1
Vernon McGee - This verse tells us that the land was given to Israel. Israel’s ownership was unconditional. God promised it to Abraham and his offspring. God reaffirmed His promise again and again in the Book of Genesis. In the Book of Deuteronomy God made the Palestinian covenant with Israel which gave them the land as an everlasting possession. (Joshua 1) Past failure doesn’t affect the promise made by God to His children. GEORGE BUSH Notes Critical and Practical on the Book of Joshua - Chapter 1 Review by Cyril Barber on George Bush - Bible students, whether laypeople or pastors, should eagerly acquire the writings of this fine biblical scholar and for their own edification and enrichment read what he wrote. (The Minister's Library - Vol 2 The Minister's Library - Vol 3) 2. Moses my servant is dead. As Joshua was of course aware of the fact of Moses’ decease, these words could not be intended merely to announce to him that event. They are equivalent to saying, ‘The death of my servant Moses has left the people without a leader and a head to conduct them into the promised land. It is necessary that his place should be immediately filled. Thou hast been selected for that office, and the time has now come for thee to enter upon the active discharge of its duties. Arise therefore, and go at once about the work of thy high calling.’ Probably Joshua’s deep sense of his own insufficiency and unworthiness, and of the many dangers and difficulties which encompassed his path, had caused him somewhat to despond and waver in spirit, and rendered necessary this direct and rousing summons, which, for the same reason, God was pleased to accompany with so many encouraging promises. When it is considered that Joshua was now ninety-three years of age, that he had to govern a very perverse and rebellious people, and was going to contend with a warlike and formidable enemy, it will perhaps appear, that nothing short of the divine assurance he now received, could have sustained his courage in such an arduous station. Go over this Jordan. This river, which you now have in full view before you, and on the banks of which you are encamped. For a description of the Jordan, see ‘Illustrations of the Scriptures,’ p. 20. It was doubtless a severe trial to Joshua’s faith, to be thus called upon to make immediate preparation for crossing a river that was now overflowing its banks, chap. 3:15, and for getting over which he was totally unprovided with the ordinary means, whether of boats or bridges. But as God had given the command, he must not doubt that he would open a way for his people, though it should be by cleaving the waters and repeating the miracle witnessed at the Red Sea. It was as certain that they should be conducted over the Jordan, as it was that they should be led into Canaan, and to this the Most High had pledged himself by the most solemn promises, renewed from age to age, from the time of Abraham down to that of Moses. With a ‘thus saith the Lord’ for our warrant, we may boldly go forth in the face of obstacles that are absolutely insuperable to human power. Thou and all this people. That is, with the exception of Reuben, Gad, and the half tribe of Manasseh, to whom was granted, at their own request, a possession on the eastern side of the Jordan, where they were now encamped, Num. 32. Unto the land which I do give to them. Heb. אשר אנוכי נתך להם asher ânoki nothën lâhem, which I am giving to them. That is, the land of which I have long promised them the inheritance, and of which I am now in the very act of putting them in possession. Though the promises of God may be slow in fulfilling, yet the accomplishment will come at last; not one jot or little shall fail. Though ‘the vision be for an appointed time, yet at the end it shall speak, it shall not lie; though it tarry, wait for it; because it will surely come, it will not tarry. Paul Apple - What side of the Jordan are you living on? God desires spiritual victory and rest for all of His children … not just some small elite group Think of the spiritual giants who have gone before us … great missionary pioneers … out to fulfill the Great Commission; they are now home with the Lord … we are the ones left to fulfill the mission Are we motivated by a sense of Mission – God has called us to Great Things – things that are not humanly possible …. But divinely enabled; Let other people busy themselves with the tasks that don’t require God’s power J . Oswald Sanders - Under Moses, Joshua learned to serve . This was a necessary part of his training. God knew Joshua better than he knew himself or anyone else knew him, so He put him under discipline to Moses and compelled the mettlesome and impatient servant to obey commands and e xecute orders. It was not until he had spent what seemed the better part of a lifetime taking orders that he was set in a place of command and permitted to issue them. Some persons are said to be natural leaders, and this of ten means nothing more than that they are by nature dictatorial and overbearing, enjoying nothing so much as "lording it over God's heritage." God understands the strength and the weakness of such persons and prepares them for usefulness by putting them in the school of obedience. Joshua was such a man. Moses himself had led sheep before he was qualified to lead Israel, and Joshua had to learn to obey Moses before he would be fit to command Israel. (A. W. Tozer) (Promised Land Living, J . Oswald Sanders on Joshua) Give, have given, am giving in Joshua - Study the uses in just Joshua 1 and as you do, recall that Joshua's name means Jesus, so as you read about God's gift of land to Israel, ponder the blessed gift of God's promise of life in Jesus (e.g., Eph 1:3). God is the greatest GIVER of all time, but His gifts must always be received by FAITH, and faith that receives His good gifts is always faith that OBEYS! Obedience does not earn or merit God's good gifts, but only serves to demonstrate that our faith is not false, but is genuine. Stated another way, obedience is the fruit of genuine faith. Why? Because believers (receivers) have received the good gift of God's Holy Spirit, Who initiates, energizes and enables obedience or a walk of holiness (see Php 2:12+ and Php 2:13NLT+). Jos. 1:2; Jos. 1:3; Jos. 1:6; Jos. 1:11; Jos. 1:13; Jos. 1:15; Jos. 2:9; Jos. 2:12; Jos. 2:14; Jos. 2:24; Jos. 5:6; Jos. 6:2; Jos. 6:16; Jos. 7:19; Jos. 8:1; Jos. 8:18; Jos. 8:33; Jos. 9:24; Jos. 10:8; Jos. 13:14; Jos. 13:33; Jos. 14:3; Jos. 14:4; Jos. 14:12; Jos. 15:16; Jos. 15:19; Jos. 17:4; Jos. 17:14; Jos. 18:3; Jos. 20:4; Jos. 21:2; Jos. 21:43; Jos. 22:4; Jos. 22:7; Jos. 23:1; Jos. 23:13; Jos. 23:15; Jos. 23:16; Jos. 24:33 Joshua 1:2 Theodore Epp - Workmen Die, but God Lives The first statement made in Joshua 1:2 is, "Moses my servant is dead." Moses was dead but not God. The work of God is in no way hindered by the death of His servants, no matter how eminent they may be. The workman may be removed, but the work goes forward as ordained by God. This is God's doing. I think of a remarkable organization that God has raised up in this century, starting it through one man. There came a day when God called that man home, and many people wondered if the organization would continue. I can say to the glory of God that it is not only going on, but it is larger than it ever was. When we recognize that the spiritual life is God's doing, we will begin to grow. Until we do, we will not grow. God can change servants in order to show that He may use whatever instrument He pleases. He is not tied down by, or to, any certain individual. God is sovereign and can terminate the ministry of any of His servants when He pleases. He may change His principle of working any time He desires. A Moses can die, but God is eternal. He never dies. "Before the mountains were brought forth, or ever thou hadst formed the earth and the world, even from everlasting to everlasting, thou art God" (Ps. 90:2 -
Josué 1
Vernon McGee - God has given them the land. The land is theirs, but their enjoyment of it depends upon their taking possession of it. That part of the land upon which they walked would belong to them. Comparatively speaking, we have been told in Ephesians 1:3+ that we are blessed with all spiritual blessings in the heavenlies. Unfortunately, very few Christians lay hold of the spiritual blessings that belong to them. ILLUSTRATION - Years ago a certain Englishman moved to the United States. Soon after he arrived he dropped out of sight. One day his uncle in England died and left him about a five-million dollar estate. Scotland Yard went about trying to locate the man whose last address had been in Chicago. They searched for him but never found him. Later I heard that he was found one morning frozen to death in an entryway of a cheap hotel. He could not afford twenty-five cents for a room although he was heir to five million dollars! He did not claim what was his. He did not lay hold of what belonged to him. Although God gave Israel the Promised Land, they never possessed all of it. As a matter of fact, Israel got very little of the land. Many Christians today are like Israel in that they are blessed with all spiritual blessings and yet they die like bums in a doorway without claiming those blessings as their own. What a tragedy that is. The Book of Joshua is going to tell us how to lay hold of our possessions. Because there will be conflict, we are told in Ephesians 6 to put on the whole armor of God. We have a spiritual enemy fighting against us. “For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places” (Eph. 6:12). Ours is a spiritual enemy. We will have to wear the whole armor of God. The victory has to be won. However, you and I don’t get the victory; the Lord Jesus Christ gets the victory. We will get what Israel got—deliverance and possessions. Every victory Israel gained was given by God. If you and I ever win a victory, He will win it for us. We will, by faith, enter into these wonderful possessions. (Joshua 1) A W
Josué 1
Vernon McGee - God gave Israel 300,000 square miles of land and the most they ever claimed was 30,000 square miles. They did not do v ery well, did they? They took possession of about one tenth of what God had given them. That is about the same amount of spiritual possessions claimed by believers today. GEORGE BUSH Notes Critical and Practical on the Book of Joshua - Chapter 1 Review by Cyril Barber on George Bush - Bible students, whether laypeople or pastors, should eagerly acquire the writings of this fine biblical scholar and for their own edification and enrichment read what he wrote. (The Minister's Library - Vol 2 The Minister's Library - Vol 3) From the wilderness, &c. God here proceeds, in very brief terms, to mark out and define the boundaries of the land of promise. Its utmost limits should be from the wilderness of Sin, or the desert of Arabia Petræa on the South, to Lebanon on the North; and from the Euphrates on the East, to the great sea, or the Mediterranean, on the West. The Israelites did not indeed possess the full extent of this grant until the time of David, but their failure to do so was owing entirely to their own remissness, unbelief and disobedience, as was every reverse with which they met during the whole period of their history. They were not straitened in God, but in themselves; and the same remark holds good with regard to his people in all ages. And this Lebanon. That is, unto this Lebanon, which was the boundary opposite to that of the wilderness. See Note on Deut. 11:24. The mountain range is thus particularized because it could doubtless be seen from the spot where Joshua now stood, rearing its lofty summits towards the clouds in the northern extremity of Canaan. For an account of this well-known range of mountains, any of the various works in sacred geography may be consulted. See also ‘Illustrations of the Scriptures,’ p. 103. The name ‘Lebanon’ comes from the Heb. root לבו laban white, from its summits being so constantly covered with snow. All the land of the Hittites. This clause is wanting in the Gr. version of the LXX, and in the Arabic it is rendered upon (i. e. beyond) the land of the Hittites. But as nothing is known tending to invalidate the reading of the text, we must presume it to be genuine, and leave it undisturbed. It is not the name of a region lying without the limits above specified, or of a country promised in addition to that which had been so long assigned, in the divine purpose, to Israel, but it was one of the seven nations of Canaan, so often alluded to in the books of Moses, and here probably mentioned by synecdoche, a figure of speech by which a part is put for the whole. In like manner, in other instances, the nation of the Amorites stands for the whole of the Canaanitish people. As a reason for the particular mention of the Hittites here, rather than any other of the devoted nations, it may be remarked, that it appears from the transaction of Abraham with the sons of Heth, or the Hittites, (Gen. 23,) that they inhabited the southern borders of the land about the region of Beersheba and Hebron, where subsequently the spies saw the gigantic Anakims, who inspired them with so much terror. It was natural, therefore, that they should regard these people as the most formidable enemies whom they would be likely to encounter, and equally natural that God, in assuring them of the complete conquest of all these nations, should specify that one which more than all others they dreaded. He would thus banish their fears where they would be most certain to rise, and by promising them a victory, where they might apprehend a defeat, inspire them with unwavering confidence of success in contending with all the rest of their enemies. The great sea. The Mediterranean; so called as being the greatest in the vicinity of the land of promise, the greatest with which the Israelites were acquainted, and especially so termed in respect to the smaller seas in Judea, such as the sea of Gennesaret or Tiberias, and the Dead Sea, which were comparatively mere lakes. The Hebrews, however, were accustomed to give the name of ים yâm, sea, to every large collection of waters. Toward the going down of the sun. Heb. מבוא חשמש mebō hashshëmesh, lit. the going in of the sun. The Heb. usage is to speak of the sun’s going in instead of setting, as is common with us. According to the usual analogy of rendering adopted by our version, the word toward should be printed in Italics, as there is nothing to answer to it in the original. So also in v. 15. Shall be your coast. Your border, your boundary, your limits. Thus Mat. 2:16, ‘Then Herod sent forth, and slew all the children that were in Bethlehem, and in all the coasts thereof;’ i. e. in all the region or territory bordering upon it. Such also is the import of the word coast, as used by some of the early English writers. QUESTION - Has Israel’s territory ever encompassed the promise in Joshua 1:4? ANSWER - In Joshua 1:4 God promised Joshua that the land of Israel would include territory extending “from the desert to Lebanon, and from the great river, the Euphrates—all the Hittite country—to the Mediterranean Sea in the west.” This territory would include the land from the southern tip of Israel along the Red Sea to the Euphrates River on the east, the border of Syria on the north (land of the Hittites), and the Mediterranean Sea (Great Sea) to the west. As of yet, Israel has not controlled this entire land area. In Joshua’s time, much of the land of Canaan was brought under Israelite control. In the time of David and his son Solomon (approximately 1000 BC, or 400 years after Joshua), a wide area of land was under Israel’s control or influence. Yet the entire territory promised to Israel in Scripture, both in Joshua 1:4 and elsewhere, has yet to be fulfilled. Some point to a passage later in the book of Joshua as contradicting the promise of Joshua 1:4. After the conquest of Canaan, the historical account says, “So the LORD gave Israel all the land which He had sworn to give to their fathers, and they possessed it and lived in it. And the LORD gave them rest on every side, according to all that He had sworn to their fathers, and no one of all their enemies stood before them; the LORD gave all their enemies into their hand. Not one of the good promises which the LORD had made to the house of Israel failed; all came to pass” (Joshua 21:43–45). There is really no contradiction. At the time referred to in Joshua 21, all of Israel’s enemies were subdued. No one posed a threat to God’s people. God had given them a right to everything He had promised in Joshua 1:4, and they were authorized to take possession of the entire land—all the way to the Euphrates—as soon as they needed it and as soon as they called on the Lord for aid. The fact that they never did so does not negate the fact that God had kept His promise. After Joshua’s death, the book of Judges teaches, the Israelites turned away from God. As punishment, God allowed their enemies to increase in power, and Israel lost territory that God had given earlier. Judges 2:14 says, “In his anger against Israel the LORD gave them into the hands of raiders who plundered them. He sold them into the hands of their enemies all around, whom they were no longer able to resist.” Various judges arose during this period, and there was an ongoing battle for the control of Israel’s territory. Later, during the reigns of David and Solomon, Israel controlled the largest part of the Promised Land to date. After Solomon’s reign, the kingdom was divided into the Kingdom of Israel to the north and the Kingdom of Judah to the south. Both kingdoms eventually sinned to such a degree that God allowed outside nations to defeat them, and most of the Jews were exiled. Yet God was not done with His people, and He restored Israel’s territory. The books of Ezra and Nehemiah document the return of the Jewish people from Babylon seventy years after their exile. The temple was rebuilt, and worship in Jerusalem was re-established. Israel continued in their land until AD 70 when the Romans destroyed the temple and overtook Jerusalem. It would not be until 1948 that the modern nation of Israel was established following World War II. Now, more than sixty years later, Israel has become a thriving nation and the longest-established democracy in the Middle East. Yet many of its neighbors remain hostile, and a Palestinian movement seeks to develop its own nation within the borders of modern Israel’s territory. The Bible teaches that God will eventually fulfill the promise to give Israel full control over the Promised Land. (cf 1Chr 16:15-18) Israel’s full territory will ultimately be ruled by the Messiah during the Millennium (Revelation 20:1–6). God’s promises, partly fulfilled throughout history, will have complete, literal, fulfillment prior to God’s creation of new heavens and a new earth (Revelation 21—22; cf. Psalm 72:8).GotQuestions.org Joshua 1:5 "No man will be able to stand before you all the days of your life. Just as I have been with Moses, I will be with you; I will not fail you or forsake you. No man will be able to stand before you De 7:24 Dt 20:4 Ps 46:11 Ro 8:31,37 Just as I have been with Moses,: Jos 1:9,17 3:7 6:27 Ex 3:12 De 31:8,23 Mt 28:20 Ac 18:9,10 2Ti 4:17 I will not fail you or forsake you De 31:6-8 Isa 41:10-14 Isa 43:2-5 Heb 13:5 Joshua - Portrait of the Man God Uses - overview of Joshua's life Joshua 1 Resources - Multiple Sermons and Commentaries Related Passages: Deuteronomy 7:24 “He will deliver their kings into your hand so that you will make their name perish from under heaven; no man will be able to stand before you until you have destroyed them. Deuteronomy 11:25 “No man will be able to stand before you; the LORD your God will lay the dread of you and the fear of you on all the land on which you set foot, as He has spoken to you. Deuteronomy 20:4 for the LORD your God is the one who goes with you, to fight for you against your enemies, to save you.’ Deuteronomy 31:6-7 “Be strong and courageous, do not be afraid or tremble at them, for the LORD your God is the one who goes with you. He will not fail you or forsake you.” 7 Then Moses called to Joshua and said to him in the sight of all Israel, “Be strong and courageous, for you shall go with this people into the land which the LORD has sworn to their fathers to give them, and you shall give it to them as an inheritance. Romans 8:31, 37 - What then shall we say to these things? If God is for us, who is against us?....37 But in all these things we overwhelmingly conquer through Him who loved us. Hebrews 13:5-6 (NT PARALLEL OF THE PRINCIPLE OF GOD'S UNWAVERING PRESENCE WITH HIS CHILDREN) Make sure that your character is free from the love of money, being content with what you have; for (TERM OF EXPLANATION - EXPLAINING TRUE CONTENTMENT) He Himself has said, “I WILL NEVER DESERT YOU, NOR WILL I EVER FORSAKE YOU,” 6 so that we confidently say, “THE LORD IS MY HELPER, I WILL NOT BE AFRAID. WHAT WILL MAN DO TO ME?” Isaiah 41:10 ‘Do not fear, for I am with you; Do not anxiously look about you, for I am your God. I will strengthen you, surely I will help you, Surely I will uphold you with My righteous right hand.’ Isaiah 43:2-5 “When you pass through the waters, I will be with you; And through the rivers, they will not overflow you. When you walk through the fire, you will not be scorched, Nor will the flame burn you. 3 “For I am the LORD your God, The Holy One of Israel, your Savior; I have given Egypt as your ransom, Cush and Seba in your place. 4 “Since you are precious in My sight, Since you are honored and I love you, I will give other men in your place and other peoples in exchange for your life. 5 “Do not fear, (WHY NOT?) FOR I am with you; I will bring your offspring from the east, And gather you from the west. JEHOVAH'S PROMISE OF PROVISION PROTECTION AND PRESENCE No man will be able to stand before (NET = "resist") you all the days of your life. - This is a good summation of Lev 26:3-13. How many commanders have ever received such a word of assurance that they would win every battle all the days of their life? If Joshua was timid or wavering, this promise from God was what he needed to hear. The all powerful God does not say "most will not be able to stand," but no man at all will be able to stand before Joshua. And this promise came with a "lifetime" guarantee!