A Brief Intro to a New Series

I’ve been thinking lately about getting back to a Bible study. I discovered as a Sunday School teacher (and again teaching electives at another church) that even though I am interested in other fields, the Bible is the best bridge with fellow believers. If something in history, philosophy, or theology is relevant, it will be most apparent when it comes up in conversation about the Word.

I plan to continue my previous writing plans as able, but they were taking a lot of time and I needed something more manageable for an everyday commitment. More importantly, I want to make sure whatever time I am investing here is maximally useful to those around me.

So after debating a bit, I thought I would do the obvious thing and pick up my personal studies in the Bible and write about them each day. I spent the better part of the last 2 years in the Pentateuch, and after flirting with more ambitious follow-ups, it now seems clear to me that I should just keep going.

So today I am beginning a series in Joshua. I have no ulterior motives for picking this book over others. I am simply stepping out in full confidence that whatever is here contains truths that are useful in some way or another. My intent is to simply share a bit of what I see, and explain some of the process behind my thinking. That way you can benefit from whatever fruit is there, but also perhaps find insights that improve your own study skills as well.

Exploring Joshua 1

There’s a lot one can say about everything that has led up to the beginning of this book, but you get the gist of it right here. Moses is gone. This is one of the most famous religious figures in world history. Moses led them for 40 years, represented them before God, represented God to them, and passed on hundreds of laws (summed up in the original Big Ten).

Joshua has some big shoes to fill.

The text doesn’t get into even those details. What it emphasizes is God saying He will bring to fruition in Joshua what He promised to Moses (verse 3), and He would be with Joshua just as He was with Moses. Moses may be gone, but God is not. Whatever Moses’s personal strengths and abilities, God was the true source of his wisdom and power. Because of this, Joshua take comfort in knowing that what matters most hasn’t changed.

What really hits you over the head in this chapter is the phrase “be strong and courageous.” It shows up directly four times (verses 6, 7, 9, and 18) and then again in the negative form “do not be afraid or discouraged” (verse 9). The command is clear enough; we know what courage is, and we know what kind of strength goes along with it. But two additional things strike me because of it.

First, the relationship between this command and the assurance before it. “I will be with you, . . . I will not leave you or abandon you. [Therefore] Be strong and courageous.” God is there, God is almighty, God is all-wise, God is supremely good, and so knowing that He is here to fulfill what He has promised should be enough, right? But the command implies that Joshua doesn’t get to simply coast and watch God work. God is calling Joshua to join Him in leading, to join Him in the victory.

You see, God will give them victory, but they still have to fight. They still have to choose courage over fear. They still have to spend their strength accomplishing what ultimately God will do. We sometimes think something happens either because of God or because of us, but this verse is a great example of how God works in, with, and through us to accomplish His purposes. To watch God work often includes working with Him.

Second, I imagine all this repetition is needed for some reason. There are reasons to be afraid. There are reasons to feel weak. I won’t speculate what they are because the Bible doesn’t give them here, but it’s safe to assume Joshua (or at very least those around him) would benefit from some encouragement. Before Moses, there was slavery in Egypt. They had come a long way. And if the record is any indication, Joshua probably trusted Moses more than anyone else did. Whatever might have given him pause, God is saying there is a greater truth, a reason to be strong anyway, to be courageous anyway.

But again, I’m not interested in speculation. If the reason were important, God would have given it. What is here is the command: be strong and courageous. The reason doesn’t matter. The call to action does.

I also love the way God put those words in the mouths of other Israelites as well. God said those words directly in one form or another three times. Joshua heard those words from the mouth of God. Then, in holding some of the tribes accountable for their part of the fight, he hears the same words coming from them! “Certainly the LORD your God will be with you, as He was with Moses. . . . Above all, be strong and courageous!”

That had to feel good. God was confirming His words through His people, the very people who could let him down in battle just as their parents often did to Moses in the wilderness. If God could confirm His words through them, it’s a reminder that God can fulfill His promises through them, too.

One final thought. “Be strong and courageous” was not God’s only command. He begins with “prepare to cross over” (verse 2) and eventually gets to the next set of commands, which have to do with keeping the law.

But this isn’t just a third item on the list. I almost missed an incredibly important little word! To. (This is why prepositions get me really excited in Bible studies!) Verse 3 says that “be strong and courageous” is not just a blanket admonition but is attached to keeping the law. He says in verse 7, “Above all, be strong and very courageous to observe carefully the whole instruction my servant Moses commanded you” (CSV).

This sheds light on our “why?” question above. You may be afraid to follow through on God’s Law. You may be discouraged and give up following God’s commandments. Don’t be.

Now here’s where reading Exodus through Deuteronomy becomes essential to understanding the passage. If you read through them all, you might find them discouraging. It is a lot to remember, and a high standard to keep. The people have already demonstrated time and again an unwillingness to obey these commandments. Don’t give up. Don’t give in. Be strong in obedience. Be courageous in leading according to the Law.

And so God tells Joshua to meditate on the Law in order to keep it, and that in doing so, Joshua would find success.

Application

You might be tempted to read this passage and think God is telling you right now to be bold and courageous in whatever you plan to do. But that’s not what He was telling Joshua. God had already told him what to do: take the land and follow the Law. He was, in a very specific set of circumstances, reminding Joshua that He was doing something and would work through Joshua to complete it. “Be strong and courageous” is a command firmly rooted in those circumstances.

But if you are in Christ, you have a parallel set of circumstances. You are not called to conquer a land, but you are called to take up your cross. You may not be called to lead a people, but you are a part of the people of God. You may not have heard God speak to you directly, God’s Holy Spirit is with you. You may not be living under the Mosaic covenant, but you do have God’s instructions in the 66 books of the Bible (Moses+61, for those keeping score). You may not be promised victory tomorrow, but you have been promised that Christ will return victorious.

So this passage should remind you of the similar commands and circumstances you face. If you are in Christ, God is with you, has given you His Word, has included you in His people, and has promised you a place in the Kingdom of Christ to come. And in these circumstances, the same words apply as much as ever: be strong. Be courageous. Not to live out your personal mission, but to be faithful to the mission that God has already given to every one of His disciples.

And the great thing is even when we are weak or discouraged, we can look to Christ. He was strong under the greatest temptations. He was courageous to death, even death on a cross. And because He was faithful in everything, we who are weak can find strength in Him. You who are discouraged can be emboldened because of Christ.

Of course, if you haven’t put your faith in Jesus yet, you don’t have the same ability Joshua did to be strong or courageous. God is not with us because we are good enough, but because we have aligned ourselves with His mission by trusting Him, submitting to Him, and being reconciled with Him. Being strong in your own strength and courageous in your own plans might get you somewhere for a while, but in the end even the strongest man grows weak and the most courageous woman dies. And without being reconciled to God, you live all that time as God’s enemy. And you die as God’s enemy. And then what?

I didn’t plan to go here today, but understand that whoever you are, the encouragement for you to be strong and courageous today depends entirely on Jesus Christ. If you don’t know Him yet, you can. And if you do, you have everything you need right now to be strong in Him and courageous in Him.