GOD SPEAKS TO JOSHUA ABOUT THE ENEMY
Josh. 1:5 “There shall not any man be able to stand before thee all the days of thy life: as I was with Moses, so I will be with thee: I will not fail thee, nor forsake thee.”
Israel had not done much fighting for the past forty years . . . except among themselves. That is not the kind of training one needs to defeat the Amalekites and the Canaanites. However, there is no instruction for training for fighting even though God sends them against the enemy. The conclusion is obvious. It is not the horse or sword that wins in the battle in Israel’s case. It is the LORD. He goes to battle with them and they never lose. That is right. When Israel lost a battle, it was because God did not go out to battle with them.
We are reminded of our Spiritual battle. Paul says if you want to win, “ . . . be strong in the Lord, and in the power of his might. Put on the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil. 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. Wherefore take unto you the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand” (Eph. 6:10-13). The secret of victory for the child of God is the presence of the Lord. When He is with us, we are fighting a battle already won.
The LORD is preparing Joshua to lead Israel into the land He has given them. The first thing He does is say, “Moses my servant is dead . . .” He is not around. He will not be fighting earthly battles any more. Joshua must realize this. He is no longer a servant of Moses, he is a servant of the LORD like Moses. The next thing the LORD wants Joshua to know, is that He will now be speaking to him. The LORD says, “ . . . arise, go over this Jordan . . .” Joshua must finish the job that the LORD started. The responsibility has now fallen on him. He must know that the leadership has fallen on his shoulders. The LORD also speaks to Joshua about the land. He tells him that the land is given but they must claim the land by walking through it. The LORD says, “Every place that the sole of your foot shall tread upon . . .” The LORD gave the land but there is the walk by faith. He gives Joshua and Israel something to believe.
Now the LORD speaks to Joshua about the enemy. You know you can have the land but if it is occupied by one stronger than you, there is a slight problem. Joshua has to be a little nervous over his new position. He had followed Moses as a servant. The decisions were Moses’ decisions. Being a second man has its advantages. When the people disagreed with Moses and became disagreeable, they did not murmur against Joshua. It was always against Moses and Aaron. Moses and Aaron are dead. These men were more popular in death than they were in life. It is amazing how man deifies a dead man that he would have nothing to do with when he was alive. Joshua liked being the second man! Now he has been thrust into being the leader. It was not his choice. It was the LORD’s.
The LORD says, “There shall not any man be able to stand before thee . . .” That takes care of “How in the world will we stand up against this strong enemy?” There are a couple of questions that every man of God needs to have answered. Has God called me and will He be with me? God determined the success of Joshua in this statement. Joshua will be fighting a battle already won.
There was only one Moses and one Joshua out of millions of Jews. Can’t you just see the disappointment in the faces of those who feel rejected because The LORD did not choose them instead of Joshua? The LORD is the answer to Joshua’s success. And the LORD sets that record straight here in the first chapter of Joshua. I have taught something for years that has met opposition in some of my dear friends. I will state it here.
