Josué 1
Ray Stedman · Citado em PreceptAustin
Josué 1
Stedman - The book of Joshua falls into three main divisions. Chapters one through four concern the entrance into the land and all that involves. If you are struggling right now with how to enter into a life of victory with Christ, how to move out of the wilderness of doubt, restless wanderings, and mere subsistence into the full blessing of the Spirit-led experience, then this is the section you ought to be concerned with -- Israel's entrance into the land -- out of the wilderness and into Canaan. Chapters five through twenty-one cover Israel's conquest of the land through many battles and conflicts as they came into the land of promise. Chapters twenty-two through twenty-four, including many passages from Joshua's own lips, set before us the perils and dangers in the land that we must guard against in order to remain in the place of victory that the land represents....The land of Canaan is a picture, as we have mentioned, of the Spirit-filled life -- the life that God intended for every Christian to live. There are no exceptions to this. The Spirit-filled life is not just for certain advanced saints, but is provided by God for every one of his people. Beginning in chapter one we have a marvelously descriptive picture of it (Guidebook to Victory) Transcribed excerpt from the mp3. - Some of what Dr Stedman says in his introduction is for some reason NOT transcribed in the associated transcript which is too bad. In these opening words there is a most incredible statement from one of the great Bible teachers of the twentieth century and hopefully it will motivate you to listen to the full 45 minute audio (and not just read the transcript). Dr Stedman's opening words are especially insightful if you are thinking something like "O well this is just another one of those archaic Old Testament books and there is really nothing practical for living the Christian life in the twenty-first century." If that is your mindset, you need to hear Dr Stedman's opening remarks which hopefully will motivate you to study (or teach or preach) this great Old Testament book. Dr Stedman begins with a question... "And I wonder how many have been able to read through the book of Joshua today...here are 2 hands! Anyone else? Well, when you meet Joshua up in heaven, you can explain to him why you did not have time. Joshua is the guidebook to victory. What a tremendous book. I think there is no book in the Bible that is so packed with helpful,practical lessons as the book of Joshua. No book has been more helpful to me in grasping the principles of spiritual life than the book of Joshua and this includes all the books of the New Testament as well! There's no book that's so challenging in its concepts and so thorough in its analysis of life than this book...if you know how to read it. There's a key of course to the book of Joshua as there is to every book of the Bible. That key is the pattern given to us in the New Testament, where Paul says "Now these things happened to them as an example (FOR US). What Israel went through in their actual historical experiences become figures, become patterns, metaphors that we can apply to the spiritual battles, the spiritual journey, the pilgrimage on which we are launched and they have an exact and accurate application to us." And if you read the books of the OT with this key in hand, it becomes a very vivid and a very fascinating book. I almost hesitate to begin this survey of the book of Joshua because I am so captured by the lessons involved in so many places through this book that I tend to bog down in details. It's hard to keep going in an overall survey. And I hope you'll bear with me....so that we can get through the book in the time allotted to us, for my tendency is to stop and look more closely at some of these tremendous illustrations of the spiritual life. There are two books of the Old Testament that I would strongly recommend that every Christian master its message. These are two books that I particularly feel every young Christian ought to know. One is the book of Joshua and the other is the book of Daniel for these messages are primarily designed for young Christians as they are engaged in the first full impact in their battle against the world, the flesh and the devil. If you feel the force of the opposing powers; if the tremendous, subtle deceptiveness of the principalities and powers against which we are engaged have come upon you so that you sense that you are in the conflict (Ephesians. 6:12), I urge upon you the book of Joshua and the book of Daniel." (mp3) George Bush (ONLINE OR HERE) - Now after the death of Moses, &c. The literal rendering of the Heb. is, ‘And it was (or happened) after the death of Moses, and the Lord spake, &c.’ This rendering discloses more perfectly the use of the copulative ‘and’ in the original, which is so employed as to bring this book into immediate connexion with the foregoing, and thus makes it a regular continuation of the sacred narrative begun and carried on by Moses in the five preceding books. In like manner the book of Ruth commences with a similar phraseology, ויהי And it came to pass, &c., although it cannot be questioned that there are other instances, as in the opening of the books of Esther and Ezekiel, where the ו v cannot have a copulative, but merely a conversive sense; i. e., it converts, according to a peculiarity of the language, the future into the past or preterite sense.—The time referred to at the opening of this book, was probably at the conclusion of the thirty day’s mourning for Moses, spoken of Dt. 34:8; or it might have been during that period; in which time also it is the opinion of some commentators that the spies (Josh 2:1) were sent out. The servant of the Lord. A high and honorable title, applied to Moses, not merely in the sense in which it is applied to pious and good men generally, who may justly be styled servants of the Most High, inasmuch as it is the grand aim of their lives to serve and obey him; but in this connexion carrying with it, a reference to the peculiar nature of the service in which Moses was employed, viz., that of a minister, mediator, deputy, or vicegerent of God, the honored organ through whom he communicated his will to his chosen people and managed all their varied interests. It is in this character that he stands so highly commended in the sacred volume, having received the divine testimony to his being ‘found faithful in all God’s house as a servant,’ and being expressly distinguished by this title, not only here, where God himself is pleased so to denominate him, v. 2, but also in Rev. 15:3, where it is said of the company standing upon the sea of glass, that they ‘sing the song of Moses the servant of God.’ On the sense of ministerial ruling oftentimes involved in the term servant, see Note Gen. 24:2. The Lord spake unto Joshua, &c. The name of this illustrious leader of Israel appears in a somewhat different form in several different connexions in which it occurs. In Num. 13:16, we are informed that ‘Moses called Hoshea the son of Nun, Jehoshua,’ where the original is in the first instance הושע hoshëa, the same name with that of the Prophet Hosea, and in the second יהושע yehoshua, having the first letter of ‘Jehovah’ (יהוח) appended. The first of these the Gr. of the Sept. represents by Αυση, Ausè, the other by Ιησους Jesus. The Hebrew root of the name has the import of salvation, and from this the sense of Saviour has been transferred into the Greek Ιησους, Jesus. In Neh. 8:17, we have still another form; ישוע yeshua, Jeshua, where the Gr. preserves the usual form Ιησους Jesus. It was doubtless from this current usage of the Septuagint that the New Testament writers have in two instances applied to Joshua the name of the Saviour, of whom he was undoubtedly an eminent type. The first is Acts 7:45, ‘Which also our fathers, that came after, brought in with Jesus,’ i. e. Joshua. The other is Heb. 4:8, ‘For if Jesus (Joshua) had given them rest, then would he not afterward have spoken of another day.’ This change of names, in the case of various Scripture personages, appears to have been governed by a change of relations, either to God or to man, as in the case of Abraham, Sarah, Jacob, Daniel, Paul, and others. See Note on Gen. 17:5. Of the manner of the communication now made to Joshua, we are not expressly informed. From the fact that Moses and Joshua, just before the death of the former, were summoned together into the ‘tabernacle of the congregation,’ Deut. 31:14, that the dying charge of Moses might be given to his successor, it seems highly probable that the instructions and encouragements imparted on this occasion were delivered from the same place. Moses’ minister. Heb. משרת משה meshâreth Moshëh, he that served, or ministered to, Moses. The original שרת shârath, to minister, is used with the accusative of the person ministered to, and is found for the most part in those connexions, where the service of God is spoken of, especially that which was rendered by the Priests and Levites. Joshua was Moses’ minister in the sense of an immediate attendant, one who waited upon his person, and assisted him in business; one of whose services he availed himself in a variety of ways, as Elisha, of those of Gehazi. In Deut. 1:38, it is expressed by a different, but equivalent phrase העמד לפניך hâomëd lepânëkâ, who standeth before thee, a usual mode of expressing the idea of ministration. The word is rendered in some copies of the Greek, ὑπεργος, an under-workman, in others, θερἀπων, one that waits, attends upon, ministers to. Previous to the death of Moses, Joshua had been specially designated to the office which he is now called to assume, Deut. 1:38; 31:3, 6–8; and for which he was peculiarly qualified by his long familiarity with Moses, and by the training which he would naturally receive in the station occupied under him. An humble and devoted spirit, a willingness to serve God in the meanest employments, is the best preparative, and often the surest precursor to posts of honor and dignity in the church. Wherever this is the case, no previous lowness or obscurity of origin is, in God’s sight, an obstacle to advancement. Persons of this character are often surprised to look back, and see from what small beginnings they have been raised step by step, under the guidance of Providence, to stations of the most extensive influence and usefulness. Irving Jensen - Applying the Message of Joshua Today Like the other historical books of the Old Testament, Joshua has much to say about who God is, and what man is like, with emphasis on the former. God is shown to be holy, almighty, sovereign, just, full of mercy, a designer of order, worthy of worship, and a rewarder of those who fear and obey Him. These and other truths of the character and works of God are profusely illustrated throughout the book of Joshua. What makes Joshua so practical for the Christian is that its major application concerns the Christian’s pursuit of that abundant life which Christ talked about when He said, “I have come for people to have life and have it till it overflows” (John 10:10, Charles B. Williams translation). Israel dwelling in the rest-land of Canaan is a vivid type of the Christian living in intimate relationship to Christ, abiding in Him (John 15:4-5), and being filled with His joy (John 15:11, Eph 5:18, Gal 5:22-23, Ro 15:13). The Christian’s rest is a peace that comes out of victory over the soul’s enemies, through the power and help of God (Heb. 4:9–10). The story of Joshua is the story of God’s people driving the enemies out of Canaan, so that they might take the promised land inheritance, and make their dwelling place there. The Israelites were promised all the land, but would possess only what they would appropriate and receive from God. This Joshua made very clear when he said to the people, “Go in to possess the land, which Jehovah your God giveth you” (Joshua 1:11). For the Christian, the blessings of abiding in Christ originate in the divine act of regeneration, but are contingent upon the Christian’s diligence to enter into that abiding life (Heb. 4:11). (ED: Since the victory belongs to the Lord, our diligence is enabled by His Spirit in us giving us the desire and power to pursue diligence - Php 2:13NLT+. Yes, we must fight our own "Canaanites," but never forget the parallel truth that God fights for us - we see this juxtaposition of 100% Dependent and 100% Responsible" in Romans 8:13b+) But the foes of Israel were many and formidable. Whether it was a flooded river to cross, a strong fortress to destroy, or an alliance of armies to conquer, the entrance and possession were impossible—without God. But God was with Israel, and God fought for Israel, and this made the difference. How very vital for the Christian intent on having God’s best to learn that the enemies (so many!) of his soul are not driven out by his impotent efforts, well intended as they may be, but by God’s devastating dynamite; not by the arm of flesh, but by the whole armor of God (Eph. 6:11-18). When Israel’s major campaigns were over, the newly gained land was divided among the tribes. Now it was the Israelites’ task to maintain and multiply the blessings of dwelling in the place given by God. It was no easy task, but the Israelites were enlightened as to how to accomplish it: in the same manner by which they secured the land in the first place. Thus the reader of Joshua will see on every page illustrations of God’s conditions for the Christian’s securing, maintaining, and multiplying the blessings of the rest promised by Jesus, “Ye shall find rest unto your souls” (Matt. 11:28-30). (Joshua- Everyman's Bible Commentary: Rest-Land Won) Alan Redpath - I would suggest that the clue to the interpretation of this Old Testament book is found in the epistle to the Ephesians and in the epistle to the Hebrews. For example, in the third and fourth chapters of Hebrews we find that the land of Canaan is a picture of the spiritual rest and victory which may be enjoyed here on earth by every believer, a rest of faith in the Lord Jesus Christ. Again, the Ephesian letter speaks of life “in the heavenly places ” (Eph 2:6) – not in heaven, but in the experience of oneness with our Risen Lord in His victory here and now, the place of the fullness of God’s blessing. I believe that we shall understand the real significance of the book of Joshua only if we recognize that what it is in the Old Testament the epistle to the Ephesians is in the New. This suggestion, of course, has to be substantiated from the Word of God itself. Therefore, as in this opening chapter we survey the book and its meaning as a whole, I want you to think of the analogy between the land of Canaan and the land of full salvation which is the portion of every believer in the Lord Jesus Christ. First of all, we realize that Canaan was the goal to which God was leading His people. When He appeared to Moses in the burning bush, He pledged Himself not only to deliver the Israelites from the bondage of Egypt, but also to bring them into a land flowing with milk and honey. In other words, the deliverance from Egypt was only in preparation for the enjoyment of Canaan. The passover, the shedding of the blood, the crossing of the Red Sea, the destruction of Pharoah’s hosts, all would have been useless unless they led to the place of rest in Canaan. Furthermore, it was only by possession of the land of Canaan that the promise of God to Abraham could be fulfilled....The foundation of our faith – regeneration and justification – are deeply laid in order that they may carry the superstructure of sanctification and holiness....Yet is it not true that the majority of Christians come far short, and are content with a wilderness experience – justified, but not enjoying the possession of all their inheritance in Christ” (ED: DOES THIS DESCRIBE YOUR CHRISTIAN EXPERIENCE?) Full blessing in the Christian life is not bestowed except to eager, hungry people who press in to receive it (ED: NOTE - NOT THAT WE CAN WORK TO MERIT IT - WE ENTERED BY GRACE, STAND BY GRACE AND POSSESS BY GRACE - HIS POWER MYSTERIOUSLY SYNERGISTIC WITH OUR EFFORTS, OUR RESPONSIBILITY). . . He desires every one of His children to press in against all the assaults of the enemy, that we may lay hold of that which is our inheritance in the Lord Jesus Christ, knowing that every foe we shall ever meet in that battle already has been met and conquered by our Joshua (cf Jn 16:33, Gal 6:14+, Heb 2:14-15, Ro 6:5-6, et al - see discussion of HOW TO HAVE VICTORY IN EVERY SPIRITUAL BATTLE). Therefore, from these analogies which I have drawn I think you will see that this book of Joshua will open up for us what will be, to many people, new areas in God’s plan of redemption for us all, new possibilities of spiritual victory, new secrets of the way of blessing. This book of Joshua will cease to be, if indeed it is now to any of my readers, a mere record off historic events, and will become a revelation of what God can do in and through the life that is utterly yielded to Him (AND WHOLEHEARTEDLY OBEDIENT TO HIM). ILLUSTRATION - Crossing a border security check point can be intimidating. On one such trip, while passing through Frankfurt, Germany, I was asked to show my identification. The security officer flipped through the pages of my passport, shook her head sternly, and handed it back to me. “I can’t let you in,” she declared. “There is nowhere left to stamp.” My stomach dipped. Frantically, I paged through the booklet and was relieved to discover one empty space. One little thing had almost sabotaged my trip and kept me from crossing the border. I wonder how many of us, spiritually, are kept on this side of the border, away from where God wants us to be? I encounter many believers who are stuck in a spiritual desert. God has set you free, but you’ve never crossed the border. You are exhausted, anxious, failing to experience the spiritual rest that God has promised His children (Hebrews 4). In Joshua, the Israelites were waiting at the border of the Promised Land, the place God had prepared for them. Free from slavery in Egypt, they followed Moses into the desert. But because of their disobedience and unbelief, the journey was long and arduous. Unwilling to trust God, they found themselves stuck in a place they didn’t want to be, unable to enter the Promised Land for 40 years. This land was the fulfillment of God’s promises to His people, giving them expanded territory (Josh 1:3, 4), victory over their opponents (Josh 1:5), His close companionship, strength, and courage (Josh 1:6). What was required of them? To be strong and courageous, obedient to God’s Law, with a laser-focus on Him (Josh 1:7–9). But they were stuck; and we can get stuck also. We are often reluctant to step out in faith when God calls us, and this delayed obedience is always disobedience. Friend, if you hear God calling you, do not harden your heart. The author of Hebrews challenges us to follow God out of the desert and into His promises: “Since the promise of entering His rest still stands, let us be careful that none of you be found to have fallen short of it” (Heb. 4:1). Stepping forward in faith, we can live out the truth of our salvation, follow Him in obedience, and enter His abundant rest. (Dr. John Koessler) QUESTION - Who is the Servant of the Lord in the Bible? ANSWER - A servant is someone who carries out the will of another. The Servant of the Lord fulfills God’s will and is often presented in Scripture as someone chosen by God to hold a leadership position, to represent Him, and to accomplish a certain divine work. In the Bible, the term Servant of the Lord has been applied to individual people, certain groups of people, the nation of Israel, and the Messiah, who is identified as Jesus Christ in the New Testament. The book of Isaiah contains four “Servant Songs” describing the Servant of the Lord. The first is found in Isaiah 42:1–9; the second in Isaiah 49:1–13; the third in Isaiah 50:4–11; and the fourth in Isaiah 52:13 through 53:12. In Jewish tradition, the Servant of the Lord in all four passages refers to the nation of Israel. In the final Servant Song of Isaiah 53, a singular pronoun he is used for the Servant of the Lord. Rabbis understand this singular pronoun to be a collective reference to a faithful remnant of Israel, a personification treating the group as one person. The New Testament clearly identifies the Servant of the Lord in Isaiah as our Savior, Jesus Christ of Nazareth. This unique Servant takes a preeminent place above all others in Scripture. This perfect Servant never fails to accomplish the will of the Lord and the purposes of God (John 17:5). The final Servant Song (Isaiah 53) is about an innocent Suffering Servant who dies in place of the guilty. That passage foretells the life, ministry, death, and resurrection of Jesus Christ. Isaiah 53:3 says about the Servant of the Lord, “He was despised and rejected by mankind, a man of suffering, and familiar with pain. Like one from whom people hide their faces he was despised, and we held him in low esteem.” Jesus was despised by the religious people of His day and rejected as their Messiah. Jesus Christ, the Servant of the Lord, was “pierced for our transgressions, he was crushed for our iniquities; the punishment that brought us peace was on him, and by his wounds we are healed” (Isaiah 53:5). In giving His life for us, “he was oppressed and afflicted, yet he did not open his mouth; he was led like a lamb to the slaughter, and as a sheep before its shearers is silent, so he did not open his mouth” (verse 7). At His trial, Jesus did not defend Himself but remained silent against His accusers. He suffered and died in the place of guilty sinners. The sins of all people were placed upon Him, the sacrificial Lamb of God. Jesus paid the price for our salvation. These are just a few of many details in Isaiah 53 that point to Jesus Christ as the fulfillment of messianic prophecy (Matthew 8:17; Luke 22:37; John 12:38; Acts 8:32–33; Romans 10:16; 1 Peter 2:22, 24–25). When God the Son came to earth, He took on the role of a servant. The Creator chose to serve His creatures. Jesus said that He had come “to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many” (Matthew 20:28). In the book of Acts, the word servant is applied to Jesus four times in connection with His death (Acts 3:13, 26; 4:27, 30 ). The humility of Jesus, the Servant of the Lord, is unmistakably seen in Philippians 2:7–8: “He gave up his divine privileges; he took the humble position of a slave and was born as a human being. When he appeared in human form, he humbled himself in obedience to God and died a criminal’s death on a cross” (NLT). While Jesus the Messiah is the ultimate fulfillment of prophecies concerning the Servant of the Lord, the Bible also applies the title to others. In the Old Testament, God describes about fifteen different individuals as “My servant” or “the servant of the Lord.” The patriarchs are often named as servants of the Lord: “Remember your servants Abraham, Isaac and Israel, to whom you swore by your own self: ‘I will make your descendants as numerous as the stars in the sky and I will give your descendants all this land I promised them, and it will be their inheritance forever’” (Exodus 32:13; see also Genesis 18:3; 32:10; Deuteronomy 9:27; 1 Chronicles 16:13; Psalm 105:6). God called Job His servant: “Then the LORD said to Satan, ‘Have you considered my servant Job?’” (Job 1:8; cf. Job 2:3 and Job 42:7–8). Moses is repeatedly called the servant of the Lord: “And Moses the servant of the LORD died there in Moab, as the LORD had said” (Deuteronomy 34:5; see also Exodus 14:31; Numbers 12:7–8; Joshua 1:1–2; Nehemiah 1:7–8; Malachi 4:4). Significantly, Moses told the people that “the LORD your God will raise up for you a prophet like me from among you, from your fellow Israelites. You must listen to him” (Deuteronomy 18:15). This messianic prophecy was fulfilled in Jesus, who, like Moses, was “the servant of the Lord” but in an even greater way (see Acts 3:22 and Hebrews 3:3). The Bible describes leaders like Caleb, Joshua, and Samson as servants of the Lord (Numbers 14:24; Joshua 5:14; 24:29; Judges 2:8; 15:18). David, Solomon, and Hezekiah are kings referred to as the Lord’s servants (Psalm 89:20; 1 Samuel 23:11; 2 Samuel 7:5; 1 Chronicles 17:4; 1 Kings 3:7–9; 14:8; 2 Chronicles 32:16). Prophets such as Ahijah, Elijah, Jonah, and Isaiah are also called servants of the Lord (1 Kings 14:18; 18:36; 2 Kings 14:25; Isaiah 20:3). Samuel’s mother, Hannah, describes herself as a servant of the Lord in 1 Samuel 1:11. Zerubbabel, governor of Judah, is described as a servant of the Lord in Haggai 2:23. Even the pagan kings Nebuchadnezzar and Cyrus are named among the servants of the Lord in that they fulfilled the purposes of God (Jeremiah 25:9; 43:10; Isaiah 45:1). Groups referred to as servants of the Lord in the Bible are the people of Israel (Isaiah 41:8–9; 43:10; Leviticus 25:42,55; Nehemiah 1:6,10; Jeremiah 30:10–11; 46:27–28; Luke 1:54), the priests (Exodus 28:1, 41; Leviticus 7:35; Numbers 18:7), the Levites (Deuteronomy 18:7; 1 Chronicles 23:28–31; Ezra 6:18; Ezekiel 44:11), and the prophets (Jeremiah 7:25; 29:19; 44:4; Ezekiel 38:17; Daniel 9:6; Amos 3:7; Zechariah 1:6; Matthew 21:34–36; Mark 12:2–5; Luke 20:10–12; Revelation 10:7). Other nations are also called the Lord’s servants on occasion (Psalm 72:11; Isaiah 56:6; Zephaniah 3:9). In the New Testament, several believers define themselves or are named by God as servants of the Lord. They include Mary the mother of Jesus (Luke 1:38, 48), Simeon (Luke 2:29), Paul (Acts 27:2; Romans 1:1; Ephesians 3:1), James (James 1:1), Simon Peter (2 Peter 1:1), Jude (Jude 1), and John (Revelation 1:GotQuestions.org Joshua 1:2 "Moses My servant is dead; now therefore arise, cross this Jordan, you and all this people, to the land which I am giving to them, to the sons of Israel. Moses: Jos 1:1 Isa 42:1 Heb 3:5-6 7:23,24 arise: Nu 27:16-21 De 3:28 Dt 31:7 Joshua - Portrait of the Man God Uses - overview of Joshua's life Joshua 1 Resources - Multiple Sermons and Commentaries Related Passages: Genesis 12:7+ (THIS LAND IS YOUR LAND!) The LORD appeared to Abram and said, “To your descendants I will give this land.” So he built an altar there to the LORD who had appeared to him. Numbers 20:12+ (MOSES FORBIDDEN TO ENTER PROMISED LAND) But the LORD said to Moses and Aaron, “Because you have not believed Me, to treat Me as holy in the sight of the sons of Israel, therefore you shall not bring this assembly into the land which I have given them.” Deuteronomy 2:24 ‘Arise (command) , set out, and pass through the valley of Arnon. Look! I have given Sihon the Amorite, king of Heshbon, and his land into your hand; begin to take possession and contend with him in battle. Deuteronomy 10:11 “Then the LORD said to me, ‘Arise (command), proceed on your journey ahead of the people, that they may go in and possess the land which I swore to their fathers to give them.’ GOD COMMANDS TO CROSS TO POSSESS Moses was forbidden to enter Palestine because of his unbelief in striking the rock for water (see Nu. 20:12). The Jordan, then at flood stage (Josh. 3:15), would be difficult to cross, its width ranging from 200 yd (183 m) to one mi (1.6 km). As noted above many of the hymns depicting the crossing of the Jordan River use it as an illustration of death and the land of Canaan as heaven. Clearly this is a poor illustration at best and in truth is Biblically inaccurate, because once Joshua led the Israelites across the Jordan, they immediately experienced warfare in Canaan, not rest as in Heaven! It is more accurate to see Canaan as a place of warfare! However if we compare Hebrews 3-4, (Hebrews 4:3+ and Hebrews 4:10-11+) we see that God does provide spiritual rest and victory for believers in the Lord Jesus Christ. This rest and victory is entered into by faith in the Lord Jesus Christ. An even closer parallel is seen in the book of Ephesians. Therefore, as in this opening chapter we survey the book and its meaning as a whole, I want you to think of the analogy between the land of Canaan and the land of full salvation which is the portion of every believer in the Lord Jesus Christ. Moses My servant is dead - One down but more to come. God could have used a donkey (Nu 22:27-28+) to lead Israel over, but He used a man, a man that had been prepared for the past 40 years in "Moses U" so to speak. Yes Moses is dead but it is no time for weeping (the nation had mourned 30 days Dt 34:8), but time to "man up!" There is the passing of an era yet the endurance of the promise. -- Dale Ralph Davis John
Josué 1
Stedman points out that "The land is given to the people of Israel, just as the life in Christ is made available to you absolutely without effort on your part. In the third verse you will notice that although the land has been given, it still needs to be possessed. Title to it is the gift of God; possession of it is the result of an obedient walk. The idea is, you can have all that you will take. You can have every bit of the spiritual life that you want. You will never get any more. God will never give you more than you are ready to take. So if you are not satisfied with the degree of your real experience of victory, it is because you haven't really wanted any more. You can have all that you want. "Every place where the sole of your foot will tread upon I have given to you." Title to it is the gift of God; possession of it is the result of an obedient walk. -- Ray Stedman Every place on which the sole of your foot treads - While in one sense Yahweh's gift of the land was "unconditional" in the sense that they could do nothing to merit this gift, in another sense it was "conditioned" on obedience. Joshua had to lay hold of these precious promises (2Pe1:4+) by faith and patience just as do all His children (Heb 6:12+). God has already given them the land, but it is their responsibility to put one foot in front of the other and start taking the territory, to step out in faith in obedience to Yahweh. When Abraham first came into the land, the same dynamic was called for. See God's word to him in (Ge 13:14,15,17). There is an important lesson for us today. God has given us "every spiritual blessing" in Christ Jesus (Eph 1:3), and we must step out by faith (genuine faith obeys) and lay hold of God's precious and magnificent promises. The Lord has set before each of us in His body an open door that nobody can close (Rev 3:8+). We are called to walk through that door by faith, to claim new territory for the Lord. Perhaps it's in a tough family situation that you have to claim new territory. Maybe it's in the workplace---an especially difficult relationship that you need to face, or a challenge that you've been given that you don't feel capable of meeting. Maybe it's something at school, if you're a student. In this short, clipped command, the call is to go on from spiritual immaturity to maturity, to go on from always being fed by Bible teachers to becoming those who understand and can handle and teach the word of God. It means moving ahead into new territory. Claiming God’s Promises for Spiritual Victory Requires a Commitment to Courage and Obedience Guzik on I have given it to you - Your foot … I have given you: Entrance into the land of Canaan was entrusted to a representative. Joshua was the trustee of the land for the people. In the same way, our representative Jesus goes before us and what we have in God we possess in Him. The whole land was given, but they could only posses that which they claimed (every place that the sole of your foot will tread upon I have given you). What they took must be fought for against a determined opposition.. God certainly could have simply eliminated all their enemies with a mere thought; but He calls Israel into partnership with Himself to see His will done.. Because taking the land took effort, the challenge ahead was not for those content with Egypt, but for those who would press ahead for what God had called them to. Paul Apple - There is no possession without appropriation. Stepping out in faith is the key … we must take that initiative in response to God’s direction. "For whatever is born of God overcomes the world; and this is the victory that has overcome the world–our faith." (1Jn 5:4+) I have given it to you, just as I spoke to Moses - This verse speaks of the dichotomy of 2 truths, God's sovereign pleasure to give whatever He desires to whomever He desires and man's responsibility to possess the possessions which have been given to him by God's grace. God gives, but man still must "lay hold of" what God gives. How do we lay hold of God's promises? By faith, " as you have received Christ Jesus the Lord, so walk in Him" (Col 2:6, 2Co5:7). It's the idea of "possessing in reality the possessions that are already yours because of Christ's victory over the the world, the flesh and the devil at Calvary" (See HOW TO HAVE VICTORY IN EVERY SPIRITUAL BATTLE). So on one hand we are "filled with the fruit of righteousness" (Php 1:11+), and yet we still must "work our our salvation in fear and trembling" (Php 2:12+). THOUGHT - What has God given to us today beloved? Read about your inheritance in Christ - NOW, not only in HEAVEN! Ephesians 1:3+ Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places in Christ, 2 Peter 1:3-4+ Seeing that His divine power has granted to us everything pertaining to life and godliness, through the true knowledge of Him who called us by His own glory and excellence. 4 For by these He has granted to us His precious and magnificent promises, so that by them you may become partakers of the divine nature, having escaped the corruption that is in the world by lust. The promise of victory over every enemy. The promise of the presence and power of God. The promise of the faithfulness of God. How could Joshua lay hold of the promises? What did Joshua have to do to make these things happen? Just one thing - trust and obey. If you really trust, you will obey. Every act of disobedience is an act based on failure to believe God at some point. God was going to give Israel the victory. Joshua was merely the instrument that God had chosen to use to do it. These things were going to happen! For Joshua to be a part of it, all he had to do was trust and obey! The same promises God made to Joshua are in still valid for believers today! For Israel the promises had to do primarily with a land, but for believers the promise has to do primarily with a life (in Christ)! You can count on the Lord to fulfill His part. Enabled by the Spirit will you begin to step out into the "life" God has promised you in Christ (cf Jn 10:10b)? Chuck Smith - Now I like that (Joshua 1:3) because this is stepping in and laying claim to that which is already yours. Notice it's in the past tense, "Every place you put your sole, I have already given to you." Now God has already given to you a glorious, full, rich life of victory. All you have to do is go in and take it by faith, go in (ED: TRUE FAITH IS REFLECTED IN WHOLEHEARTED OBEDIENCE! YOU CANNOT JUST "NAME IT AND CLAIM IT" [WHATEVER PROMISE GOD HAS MADE] AND THEN GO AND SURRENDER YOUR WILL TO YOUR FALLEN FLESH! See Gal 6:7-8+!). "Wherever you put the sole of your foot", the Lord said, "I have given to you". You can go in and begin to lay claim to the blessings of God, to the promises of God (2 Peter 1:3-4+). Let us beware lest God having given us the promise that we would fail to receive it, or enter into it. It is important that we begin to lay claim to those victories over the flesh life that God has promised to give to us (cf the world, the flesh and the devil). "Every place you put the sole of your foot, I have given to you."...Now it is also tragically true that so many times we fail to take all that God has given to us. We fail to enter fully into that life of victory in Jesus Christ. We hesitate, or we become as they did, satisfied, "That's all we need." We become more or less complacent in our spiritual growth. We just hit a plateau and we say, "Oh praise the Lord. This is wonderful." We don't press on any further....God has so much for you. God wants to do so much for you. If you'll just press in by faith, lay claim, take it, it's yours. 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) Every place that the sole of your foot shall tread upon. That is, every place within the limits specified in the ensuing verse. The expression in this, as in innumerable other cases, must be qualified by the connexion. The extent of the grant is more expressly defined in the striking parallel passage, Deut. 11:24, ‘Every place whereon the soles of your feet shall tread, shall be yours; from the wilderness and Lebanon, from the river, the river Euphrates, even unto the uttermost sea, shall your coast be.’ It is to these words spoken to Moses that allusion is made in the next clause. Indeed, nearly every sentence in this address to Joshua, occurs somewhere in the course of the foregoing history, especially in the book of Deuteronomy. J Oswald Saunders - William Penn, from whom the state of Pennsylvania takes its name, so befriended and ingratiated himself with the Indians of that state that they made a gift to him of all the land he could walk around in a day. Taking them at their word, Penn rose early the next morning and walked briskly all day until dusk. When he returned to the camp at twilight, one of the Indian chiefs quizzically said, "The paleface has had a very long walk today!" But they were not displeased. He had honored their word, and they honored his trust. The land he encircled that day is now the city of Philadelphia. J
Josué 1
Stedman - A promised, abundant LAND was given to the people of Israel, just as a promised, abundant LIFE in Christ (Jn 10:10b) is made available to believers, not based on any merit of our own but solely on God's sovereign grace and goodness. To repeat, just as the land that had been given to Israel needed to be possessed, so too, believers today must lay hold of God's precious and magnificent promises by faith. Title to it is the gift of God; possession of it is the result of an obedient walk. The idea is, you can have all that you will take. You can have every bit of the spiritual life that you want. You will never get any more. God will never give you more than you are ready to take. So if you are not satisfied with the degree of your real experience of victory, it is because you haven't really wanted any more. You can have all that you want. "Every place where the sole of your foot will tread upon I have given to you." The land is described as abundant and far-reaching; a land in which you will find all you need, in every area of life; "a land flowing with milk and honey," (Ex 3:8): But we find that it is also a land of both conflict and victory: One of the first things we learn in coming into this place of walking in the Spirit is that although it is a place of conflict, every conflict can be a victory. There need not be any defeats. It is a frontier, if you like, and there is nothing more exciting than life on a frontier. This life is especially frontier living in the victory of Christ. The secret of living in the land includes both a promise and a presence; an obedient heart and an empowering spirit.[Jos 1:6-7a] It is going to take courage. There can be no drifting aimlessly along with the crowd. You are going to have to walk against the current. The written word must be our constant, prescribed meditation and study so we may "know the truth and the truth shall set us free," (cf Jn 8:32). And there is the accompanying presence of the Holy Spirit: an obedient heart brings an empowering Spirit (to our spirit). That is life in the land. (Joshua: Guidebook to Victory) George Bush (ONLINE OR HERE) - Every place that the sole of your foot shall tread upon. That is, every place within the limits specified in the ensuing verse. The expression in this, as in innumerable other cases, must be qualified by the connexion. The extent of the grant is more expressly defined in the striking parallel passage, Deut. 11:24, ‘Every place whereon the soles of your feet shall tread, shall be yours; from the wilderness and Lebanon, from the river, the river Euphrates, even unto the uttermost sea, shall your coast be.’ It is to these words spoken to Moses that allusion is made in the next clause. Indeed, nearly every sentence in this address to Joshua, occurs somewhere in the course of the foregoing history, especially in the book of Deuteronomy Joshua 1:4 "From the wilderness and this Lebanon, even as far as the great river, the river Euphrates, all the land of the Hittites, and as far as the Great Sea toward the setting of the sun will be your territory. From the wilderness:. Ge 15:18-21 Ex 23:31 Nu 34:2-18 De 1:7 3:25 11:24 1Ch 5:9 1Ch 18:3 Joshua - Portrait of the Man God Uses - overview of Joshua's life Joshua 1 Resources - Multiple Sermons and Commentaries Related Passages: Genesis 15:18-21+ (SEE REPETITION OF PROMISE IN Genesis 12:6–7; Ge 13:14–15; Ge 15:7, 18–21; Ge 17:8, Ge 24:7; Ge 26:3–4; Ge 28:13–14; Ge 35:12; Ge 48:3–4; Ge 50:24) On that day the LORD made a covenant with Abram, saying, “To your descendants I have given this land, From the river of Egypt (PRESUMABLY THE NILE RIVER) as far as the great river, the river Euphrates: 19 the Kenite and the Kenizzite and the Kadmonite 20 and the Hittite and the Perizzite and the Rephaim 21 and the Amorite and the Canaanite and the Girgashite and the Jebusite.” Dale R Davis comments on God's repeated promise of the land - Hence the theological roots of Joshua 1 are sunk deeply into the soil of Genesis 12 and following, and that ancient promise is about to receive its contemporary fulfilment. (Joshua: No Falling Words Focus on the Bible) Deuteronomy 1:6-8+ “The LORD our God spoke to us at Horeb, saying, ‘You have stayed long enough at this mountain. 7 ‘Turn and set your journey, and go to the hill country of the Amorites, and to all their neighbors in the Arabah, in the hill country and in the lowland and in the Negev and by the seacoast, the land of the Canaanites, and Lebanon, as far as the great river, the river Euphrates. 8 ‘See, I have placed the land before you; go in and possess the land which the LORD swore to give to your fathers, to Abraham, to Isaac, and to Jacob, to them and their descendants after them.’ Deuteronomy 11:24+ “Every place on which the sole of your foot treads shall be yours; your border will be from the wilderness to Lebanon, and from the river, the river Euphrates, as far as the western sea." Numbers 34:1-12+ Then the LORD spoke to Moses, saying, 2 “Command the sons of Israel and say to them, ‘When you enter the land of Canaan, this is the land that shall fall to you as an inheritance, even the land of Canaan according to its borders. 3 ‘Your southern sector shall extend from the wilderness of Zin along the side of Edom, and your southern border shall extend from the end of the Salt Sea eastward. 4‘ Then your border shall turn direction from the south to the ascent of Akrabbim and continue to Zin, and its termination shall be to the south of Kadesh-barnea; and it shall reach Hazaraddar and continue to Azmon. 5 ‘The border shall turn direction from Azmon to the brook of Egypt, and its termination shall be at the sea. 6 ‘As for the western border, you shall have the Great Sea, that is, its coastline; this shall be your west border. 7 ‘And this shall be your north border: you shall draw your border line from the Great Sea to Mount Hor. 8 ‘You shall draw a line from Mount Hor to the Lebo-hamath, and the termination of the border shall be at Zedad; 9 and the border shall proceed to Ziphron, and its termination shall be at Hazar-enan. This shall be your north border. 10‘ For your eastern border you shall also draw a line from Hazar-enan to Shepham, 11 and the border shall go down from Shepham to Riblah on the east side of Ain; and the border shall go down and reach to the slope on the east side of the Sea of Chinnereth. 12‘And the border shall go down to the Jordan and its termination shall be at the Salt Sea. This shall be your land according to its borders all around.’” Approximation of the Significant Amount of Land God Promised to Israel! (Note the small size of Israel which was originally possessed!) BOUNDARIES OF THE GIFT OF THE LAND From the wilderness and this Lebanon, even as far as the great river, the river Euphrates - (See Related Passages above for other descriptions of the borders - they are somewhat difficult to correlate as they are not exactly the same description). From the southern desert to the great Lebanon mountains on the north, and from the mighty Euphrates on the east (cf Ge 15:18, Dt 1:7, Dt 11:24) to the Mediterranean Sea on the west. This had been promised to Abraham (Ge 15:18), but because of disobedience, the children of Israel never took all of it except for a brief time under King David (1Chr 18:3). The ultimate fulfillment must be in the future. Most commentators agree that while the kingdoms of Solomon and David were the most land the nation ever possessed, never in her history did Israel occupy the extent of territory described in Joshua 1:4. THOUGHT - See the map above for the huge land God promised Israel. Now think about the "huge spiritual life" (so to speak) which God promises believers in Ephesians 1:3 where Paul says the Father has "has blessed us with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places in Christ." Now think about your past life as a believer. How much of this incredible gift of abundant life in Christ have you possessed? It is notable that the largest portion of the promised land which Israel possessed was during the time the kingdom was undivided and under the wise, godly leadership of David and Solomon (in his earlier years). Sadly, Solomon failed to finish the race strong and remain wholly devoted to Yahweh. Instead his heart was "divided" between Yahweh and idols and almost symbolically God judged his divided heart by dividing his kingdom! So here is the application question for all us -- Is my Christian walk like David and Solomon (when he was obeying early in his reign)? Or have I repeatedly disobeyed His clear commands and thus failed to possess all of the abundant life promised to me in Christ? If the latter is the case, who is to blame? My contention is that if you are reading this and have failed to possess most of your possessions in Christ (to some degree that is most of us, certainly yours truly!), it is not too late to step out in faith and obedience. David's obedience was not perfect, and yet God allowed him to possess much of the promised land. While our obedience will never be perfect, we can resolve, enabled by God's Spirit, to henceforth walk in such a manner worthy of the Lord, so that every place the sole of our foot treads, we will possess the abundant life in Christ. And if you are like me and your heart has too often been divided like Solomon, then pray Psalm 86:11 "Teach me Your way, O LORD. I will walk in Your truth. Unite my heart to fear Your name." Remember that "The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit; A broken and a contrite heart, O God, You will not despise." (Ps 51:17) "Give me an undivided heart, that I may fear Your Name." -- Psalm 86:11NIV All the land of the Hittites - This is usually understood to mean northern Syria (not the Hittite territory in Turkey), though this phrase is not found in this verse in the LXX nor in Dt 11:24. The Hittites are mentioned in (Ge 15:18-21). One solution is to interpret the designation land of the Hittites as synecdoche in which a part represents the whole (or vice versa), and so would include all 10 of the "--ites" in the description above (see passage). NET Note on Hittites - The expression "the land of the Hittites" does not refer to Anatolia (modern Turkey), where the ancient Hittite kingdom of the second millennium B.C. was located, but rather to Syria, the "Hatti land" mentioned in inscriptions of the first millennium B.C. (see HALOT 1:363). The phrase is omitted in the LXX and may be a scribal addition. And as far as the Great Sea toward the setting of the sun will be your territory - The Great Sea is the Mediterranean. Setting of the sun of course means toward the east. J