Joshua 1 is an exciting chapter where God has given a new
leader to the nation of Israel, to lead them into a new land, and to let them
experience a new life of blessing and victory. For Joshua to accomplish his new
task he needed encouragement, so God gave him at three specific encouragements
and three promises to enable him with confidence to by faith trust the LORD on
this journey. First Joshua was assured that God had called and commissioned him
to be the leader of Israel. God then promised Joshua that He would be with him
(vv.5, 9), that he would be victorious over all their enemies (v. 5), and that he
would apportion the land to each tribe as its inheritance (v. 6).
Joshua must have been greatly encouraged by his specific
calling from God and by these three great promises of His presence and victory
over the enemy. But maybe the greatest encouragement that Joshua received was
from God’s written Word! (vv. 7-9). It's one thing to say to a leader, "Be
strong! Be very courageous!" and quite something else to enable him to do
it. Joshua's strength and courage would come from meditating on the Word of
God, believing its promises, and obeying its precepts. This was the counsel
Moses had given to all the people (Deut. 11:1-9), and now God was applying it
specifically to Joshua.
During the years of his leadership, Moses kept a written
record of God's words and acts and committed this record to the care of the
priests (Deuteronomy 31:9). The "Book of the Law" included "the
Book of the Covenant" (Deut. 24:4, 7), a record of the journeys of the
people from Egypt to Canaan (Numbers 33:2), special regulations dealing with
inheritance (Numbers 36:13), and also the song that Moses taught the people
(Deuteronomy 31:19).
In Deuteronomy 31:23-26, we read Moses closing words to the
nation of Israel just before he died: “Then He inaugurated Joshua the son of
Nun, and said, "Be strong and of good courage; for you shall bring the
children of Israel into the land of which I swore to them, and I will be with
you." So it was, when Moses had completed writing the words of this law in
a book, when they were finished..."
We have reason to believe the entire five
Books of Moses (Genesis through Deuteronomy) comprised "the Book of the
Law," the greatest legacy Moses could leave to his successor.
But it wasn't enough for the priests to carry and guard
this precious book; Joshua had to take time to read it daily and make it a part
of his inner person by meditating on it (Ps. 1:2; 119:97; see Deut. 17:18-20).
The Hebrew word translated "meditate" means "to mutter." It
was the practice of the Jews to read Scripture aloud (Acts 8:26-40) and talk
about it to themselves and to one another (Deut. 6:6-9). This explains why God
warned Joshua that the Book of the Law was not to depart out of his mouth (Joshua
1:8).
In the life of the Christian believer, prosperity and
success aren't to be measured by the standards of the world. These blessings
are the by-products of a life devoted to God and His Word. If you set out on
your own to become prosperous and successful, you may achieve your goal and
live to regret it. The questions God's people need to ask are: Did we obey the
will of God? Were we empowered by the Spirit of God? Did we serve to the glory
of God? If we can answer yes to these questions, then our ministry has been
successful in God's eyes, no matter what people may think.
David began with Book of Psalms telling us that the “blessed”
person will be the one whose “delight is in the law of the LORD, And in His
law he meditates day and night. He shall be like a tree Planted by the rivers
of water, That brings forth its fruit in its season, Whose leaf also shall not
wither; And whatever he does shall prosper” (Psalm 1:2-3). David might have
been meditating on Joshua chapter one when he wrote this!
God bless!
