Joshua is one of the few people in the Bible who didn’t have any major moral weaknesses or character flaws. He was strong, courageous, lived a life of faithfulness to the Lord, and became one of Israel’s most prosperous and successful leaders!
Joshua’s Life
Joshua was the son of Nun of the tribe of Ephraim, was born a Hebrew slave in Egypt, and he became Moses’ aide when he was a young man. Other than this, the Bible doesn’t tell us anything about Joshua’s background. We don’t even know anything about his role in the Exodus from Egypt.
Joshua’s first job was as a spy. Moses sent representatives from each of the twelve tribes of Israel to spy out the land of Canaan. Joshua was selected as the representative from the tribe of Ephraim. His early days as a spy prepared him for his future role as Israel’s military general.
Later, Joshua emerged in the battle against the Amalekites at Rephidim. While Moses held his staff above his head and Aaron and Hur supported Moses’ arms on top of the hill, Joshua became the general of the Israelite army and led them to victory in the valley. It was here that he distinguished himself as a strong and courageous warrior and brilliant military strategist.
From there, Joshua went with Moses to receive the Ten Commandments on Mount Sinai. He was such a faithful servant that Moses chose Joshua to succeed him as leader of Israel. With great strength and courage, Joshua was confirmed and commissioned to be Israel’s next leader.
After the death of Moses, Joshua made preparations to cross the Jordan River and take possession of the Promised Land. As the Lord had done for Moses at the Red Sea, he miraculously stopped the waters and Joshua led the people across the river on dry ground. They camped at Gilgal on the eastern shore of the river and Joshua took 12 stones from the river and built an altar to remind them that God had dried up the Jordan until all the people had crossed.
When they came to conquer the city of Jericho, they ran into a big problem. The city wall was high and thick. The fledgling Israelite army had no natural means of penetrating the wall, but the commander of the Lord’s army appeared and told Joshua to march the soldiers around the city seven times and the walls would collapse. So, Joshua fought the battle of Jericho, Jericho, Jericho. Joshua fought the battle of Jericho, and the walls came tumblin’ down!
After the fall of Jericho, Joshua and the Israelites went on to conquer Ai, Bethel, and number of other cities. As long as Israel obeyed the Lord, they won every battle; even though the Israelite army was usually outnumbered. God gave Joshua strength and courage to lead his people and fight their enemies.
The first half of the Book of Joshua tells the story of Israel’s conquest of the Promised Land; the second half of the books tells the story of the dividing of the land between the twelve tribes of Israel. Joshua was the leader of the Israelites until he died at the ripe old age of 110. Like Moses before him, he delivered a farewell speech where he reminded the Israelites of the great deeds that God had done for them and challenged them to keep the covenant. When he died, he was buried in an unmarked grave somewhere in the hill country of Ephraim.
Joshua’s Fear
When we read about Joshua and all of the amazing things he accomplished, we might be tempted to think that he had so much strength and courage that he never feared anything. But that is simply not true. There was a time in Joshua’s life when he faced great uncertainty and was overcome with fear. His fear never surfaced when he was a spy or a military commander, but it came when Moses died and it was his time to assume leadership of Israel. Even though he had already been appointed as Moses’ successor, he probably thought that day would never come.
His fear is certainly understandable. He was following in the footsteps of Israel’s greatest leader. He witnessed Moses perform miracles in Egypt! He was there when Moses parted the Red Sea! He was there when Moses delivered the Ten Commandments from Mount Sinai. He saw Moses put up with a cantankerous people for forty years and still love them.
Now the baton of leadership had been passed to Joshua, and so many unanswered questions left him terrified! Would he be able to live up to the mentor? Would the people follow his leadership? Would he be able to finish the mission that Moses started and lead the people into the Promised Land? He was facing the biggest change of his life, and he was paralyzed by fear.
Our Fears
Change always produces fear! That is why we can all identify with Joshua! When we don’t know what is going to happen or how things are going to work out, it naturally causes fear to stir in our hearts.
Are you facing any changes or transitions in your life today? Maybe you are facing a change at work? Perhaps you are moving to a new position or changing jobs altogether? Maybe you are facing changes in your family? Perhaps you are still trying to adjust to life since the loss of a loved one? Maybe you are worried about the future of your marriage? Maybe you are concerned about the condition of a relationship with another family member? Maybe you are facing changes in your body? None of us are getting any younger! Maybe you are experiencing physical problems that you have never experienced before and you are afraid that you won’t be able to do the things you used to do?
What changes and transitions are you facing today? What fears are you struggling with? Are you like Joshua? Do you need some strength and courage today?
Well, if you do, look with me at Joshua 1! Strength and courage come from God! The Lord always gives us exactly what we need to get through the transitions of our life. Joshua 1 reveals four ways that he gives us strength and courage. Let’s take a look at them!
1.) God gives us strength and courage through continual encouragement (6, 7, 18)
Since Joshua was so overcome by fear, God knew that he would need continuous encouragement to face his fears and lead the Israelites into the Promised Land. Notice the phrase “Be strong and courageous!” This phrase had already been introduced back in Deuteronomy 31. It was spoken by Moses twice and God once, and now it is repeated by God three times in this chapter. This phrase became the mantra of Joshua’s life and it gave him the strength and courage to move forward.
It is very interesting to see that Joshua actually uses this phrase a number of years later when he was encouraging the Israelite army to march against the five Amorite kings who were hiding in the cave of Makkedah. In Joshua 10:25 he says, “Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged. Be strong and courageous. This is what the Lord will do to the enemies you are going to fight.” This shows how far Joshua had come since chapter 1. The continual encouragement he received from this repeated phrase gave him great strength and courage.
I had something very similar happen to me a number of years ago. Not long after I became a Christian, I started to sense a call to pastoral ministry, but this terrified me. I was afraid that I wasn’t smart enough or had the right abilities to be a pastor. Public speaking petrified me! I was also afraid of what my family and friends would think if I became a pastor.
As God continued to encourage me privately in my prayers, he used about eight different people over a period of a couple of months to encourage me toward vocational ministry. Random people would come up to me at church and said, “I think you would make a good pastor!” At the time, I thought that they were crazy, but that repeated phrase became the mantra that gave me the strength and courage to move forward.
How about you? What has God been speaking to you about? What has he been continually encouraging you to do? How is he doing it? Through your prayers? Through other people in your life? Has he given you some word or phrase to help you face your fears and move into the future?
2.) God gives us strength and courage through his Word (7-8)
In verses 7-8 God tells Joshua to be careful to obey the law that Moses gave to Israel. As long as he followed God’s word, he would be successful no matter what he did. If he kept the Book of the Law on his mind and in his mouth at all the time, he would be prosperous and successful. It is like a simple mathematics equation: Knowledge of God’s Word + Obedience to God’s Word = Prosperity and Success.
Joshua obeyed God’s Word throughout his whole life, and God blessed everything he did. He even obeyed God when it didn’t make sense to him. Apart from God’s command, marching around the city of Jericho was the most ridiculous military maneuver in the history of warfare. But Joshua trusted God and kept his command, and the walls came tumbling down. God’s Word gave Joshua the strength and courage he needed to lead the people into the Promised Land.
The same thing is true for us today. When we know God’s Word, we know what he wants us to do. And when we obey God’s word, we do what he wants us to do. Then he blesses us with success and prosperity.
Just as it did for Joshua, God’s Word gives us strength and courage to overcome our fears. His Word sustains us in times of doubt and despair. His Word gives us wisdom and guidance to make good decisions. His Word empowers us in the midst of an uncertain future.
How well do you know God’s Word? Are you meditating on it day and night? How well are you obeying God’s Word? Are you following it right down the middle? God gives us strength and courage through his Word!
3.) God gives us strength and courage through his presence (5, 9-11, 17)
The third way that God gives people strength and courage is through his presence. The three promises of God’s presence in Joshua 1 are also recapitulations of Deuteronomy 31, showing that God repeated various forms of the phrase many times. In verses 5 and 17 there is a direct comparison to God’s presence with Moses, which is quite profound if we remember the burning bush, the pillar of cloud and fire, the Ten Commandments. This assurance of God’s presence greatly increased Joshua’s strength and courage.
God’s promise of his presence in verse 11 is very interesting. The words “the Lord your God will be with you wherever you go” sound very much like Jesus’ promise to his disciples right before he ascended to heaven, “And I will be with you to the very end of the age.”
We too can be strong and courageous because God is with us. As God’s presence was with Moses and Joshua, his presence is always with us no matter where we go or what we do. So, whether your fears have to do with your family, finances, or some sort of failure, know that God is with you. Whether your fears are driven by changes, transitions, or just the unknown, know that the omnipresent God of the universe is with you at all times.
As I said, Joshua was filled with fear as he encountered the biggest transition of his life. But through God’s constant encouragement, God’s Word, and God’s presence, Joshua became one of the strongest and most courageous leaders not only in the history of Israel, but in the history of the world! I hope we will follow in Joshua’s footsteps! Be strong and courageous!