Joshua 1:1-18
Key Verse: 1:6

"Be strong and courageous, because you will lead these people to
inherit the land I swore to their forefathers to give them."

In today's passage, God establishes General Joshua as Moses'
successor. When we look back on the story of Moses the servant of God,
we want to be as great a general as Moses. When we look back on the
story of Moses the servant of God, we want to be as humble as Moses,
whose humbleness covered the face of the earth (Nu 12:3). Moreover,
when we look back on how God used Moses the servant of God, it is very
tearful to think about. God chose Moses when he was in a most fatalistic
situation. God, in his great mercy, let him live in the palace of the
Egyptian Empire as the son of Pharaoh's daughter. God trained him as a
noble prince for forty years. All of a sudden, God brought him to the
wilderness because of a tragic event of killing an Egyptian, siding with
the Hebrews. There God trained him in humbleness. God put him among
seven women, who by birth were very talkative. In order to bear with
their talkativeness, he silenced himself. As a result, he became a man of
few words. In addition, God made him a shepherd of sheep for Jethro the
priest. There he had shepherded faithfully in great loneliness, for sheep
cannot speak English well. In the wilderness, God gave him humbleness
training so that he might be a leader of 600,000 Israelites who were
still under the bondage of slavery in the Egyptian Empire. Finally God
called him through the burning bush. God told him the mission he had
to carry out. It was to liberate his people Israel from the yoke of
the Egyptian Empire, and to lead them to the entrance of the promised
land. Moses might have thought he would set his foot in the promised
land. But God was very clear. Because he sinned against God by striking
the rock with his staff two times in anger, he did not reveal God's glory
to his people. So he was disqualified to enter the promised land. This
story is repeated in several places in the Bible. God did not let him
enter the promised land. But it was not really because of his failure,
but because he had fulfilled his mission. He brought his people out from
the hand of King Pharaoh, and gave them daily bread training for forty
years in the wilderness. After that, he brought his people to the mouth
of the promised land. In this way, he had fulfilled God's mission. As God
had told him he went up into the Abarim Range and see the full view of the
promised land, and die there on the mountain (Dt 32:48-52). Now God is
going to establish a successor of Moses. He chose General Joshua as his
successor and gave him instructions on how to be the leader of his people.

First, God gives Joshua several instructions as a leader (1-5). Look at
verses 1-2. "After the death of Moses the servant of the Lord, the Lord
said to Joshua son of Nun, Moses' aide: `Moses my servant is dead. Now
then, you and all these people, get ready to cross the Jordan River into
the land I am about to give to them--to the Israelites.'" These verses
are an implication that as Moses crossed the Red Sea as on dry land,
so his people under General Joshua's leadership, will cross the Jordan
River--as their fathers crossed the Red Sea by faith. These verses also
imply that God would not give them the promised land free of charge. They
must cross the Jordan River where the enemies made a defense line. In
short Joshua, the successor of Moses, must fight and conquer the promised
land. From God's point of view, the promised land was the promised land,
but it would not be given without any cost. They had to conquer and drive
out all the inhabitants of all kinds and take possession of the land.

The territory of the promised land was not a small one. It was a
vast land with over fifty tribes of people. Look at verses 3-5. "I will
give you every place where you set your foot, as I promised Moses. Your
territory will extend from the desert to Lebanon, and from the great
river, the Euphrates--all the Hittite country--to the Great Sea on the
west. No one will be able to stand up against you all the days of your
life. As I was with Moses, so I will be with you; I will never leave you
nor forsake you." The people of Israel were not strong enough to fight
against so many enemy countries and defeat them. But it was possible
when their leader was strong and courageous.

Second, be strong and courageous (6-9). In verse 6, God said to General
Joshua, "Be strong and courageous, because you will lead these people
to inherit the land I swore to their forefathers to give them."At the
beginning of verse 7 God says to Joshua, "Be strong and very courageous."

Here we have to think about what it means to be strong
and courageous. The first condition of being a leader is strong
courage. Without strong courage, no one can be a leader. We like the
story of Napoleon Bonaparte; there is a hidden dream in all men's hearts
to be like General Napoleon and Emperor Napoleon. Napoleon Bonaparte
was a very strong man and a genius in military strategy. As we know,
there was a Russio-Austrian allied army, whose number was a little
more than 100,000. General Napoleon Bonaparte's army was nothing but
10,000. Napoleon's army was surrounded by the Russio-Austrian allied army
on three sides, and on the other side was the open sea. Russio-Austrian
commanders were sure that they could capture them or drive them into the
open sea. In this situation, Napoleon was not weak. He was very strong
and courageous. He was more than confident that he would defeat them,
even though the number of enemy soldiers was ten times larger than
his. In addition, their headquarters was heavily fortified. But when
Napoleon had a strong and courageous spirit, God gave him wisdom to
defeat the Russio-Austrian allied army of 100,000. Napoleon trained
100 men who were already experts in guerilla warfare. After ten days,
he sent his guerilla soldiers into the headquarters' fortress. Then
he ordered around 200 soldiers to play the role of deserters, and the
rest of his soldiers to climb up the back side of the mountain where
the headquarters' fortress was. When the "deserters" were fleeing,
the commander of the Russio-Austrian army followed them and those
who were in the fortress all came out to attack the "deserters," the
fleeing soldiers of Napoleon. Out of nowhere, there was smoke and fire
arose in the fortress of the Russio-Austrian headquarters. Napoleon's
guerilla soldiers killed all the commanders and high-ranking officers
in the fortress. Then those who had climbed up the back side of the
headquarters' fortress began to chase the Russio-Austrian army. That day
those who drowned among Russio-Austrian soldiers were more than those
who were caught by Napoleon's soldiers. Because of this one event,
Napoleon became very famous. Napoleon was courageous and a genius in
military strategy. But his human integrity was known as very proud. So
all the European people began to fear to stand up against him. One day,
when he his stomach stuck out, he lost his courage and was defeated by
Wellington, an English General. Another leader was Adolph Hitler. He
was very handsome and a genius in speech. Because of this, all European
people, especially young people, were fascinated by his appearance and
his power of speech. They blindly supported him. His support was more
than by his own country people. His support mostly came from all other
European countries, except England. He looked as if he had courage, but he
did not. He was very deceptive. Making an issue of racial discrimination,
he massacred the Jewish people who, in actuality, had built and educated
Deutschland. After the massacre of Jews, his popularity went down. In
this way, he lost his power as the top leader. And, at the same time,
he lost the second World War, and he committed suicide.

We thought a little bit about men of courage in human history. Their
courage arose according to the national situation or their personal
appearance. But Biblically speaking, "Be strong and courageous" means
to have great courage by having an absolute love of God in the heart.

It sounds unreasonable. But it is true. When we love God with all
our strength, God gives us unquenchable courage and wisdom. This is the
reason Deuteronomy 6:5 says, "Love the Lord your God with all your heart
and with all your soul and with all your strength." This verse was the
secret that enabled the people of Israel to conquer the people in the
promised land, and to maintain God's blessing to the end.

True courage is not duel fighting. Once Andrew Jackson heard that
Charles Dickinson made an insulting remark about his wife. He challenged
him to a duel. They say that he fought many duels. Fighting duels is not
true courage. This is no more than empty pride. Andrew Jackson needed
to know the love of God. When we review world history, in a real sense,
it is the history of love. One who just loved God could love his enemies
too. This is the source of courage. Paul said in Romans 8:35-37, "Who
shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall trouble or hardship or
persecution or famine or nakedness or danger or sword? As it is written:
`For your sake we face death all day long; we are considered as sheep
to be slaughtered.' No, in all these things we are more than conquerors
through him who loved us." Paul, who experienced the love of God, was a
man of courage. Paul was in a Roman prison; he was old and tired. But he
taught the Bible to Jewish immigrants from his prison cell. His people
did not keep their Bible study promises. So he taught the Bible to the
prison guards. It came from the love of God he had received from the
Risen Christ when he was called on the road to Damascus and appointed
as an apostle for the Gentiles. Paul knew that he was in charge of
evangelizing the whole world. In actuality, he conquered the world in
his time with the gospel of Jesus. He was not afraid of misunderstanding
from his people and trial and imprisonment. We don't know how he died,
because there is no legend about his death. But it is very sure that he
was martyred. He was not afraid of martyrdom, because he was courageous
in the love of God. Love of God changes a man. Love of God changes the
world. Love of God changes all the weaklings and lazy people and physical
people. When we study Luke's Gospel, we see the baby in a manger. The baby
in a manger is the revelation of God's love for all mankind. God gave
his one and only Son as a ransom sacrifice for the sin of the world.
Here we see that true courage comes from the love of God.

The love of God comes when we obey the word of God. Look at verse
7. "Be strong and very courageous. Be careful to obey all the law my
servant Moses gave you; do not turn from it to the right or to the left,
that you may be successful wherever you go." Also verse 8a says, "Do not
let this Book of the Law depart from your mouth; meditate on it day and
night, so that you may be careful to do everything written in it." Human
wisdom has a great limit. Time magazine chose as "Man of the Century"
Albert Einstein. In America in the past, there were signs in many places
which read, "No dogs. No Jews." It is ironic that once America despised
Jews, but honored a Jew as the "Man of the Century." Einstein was Jewish
and he lived in Germany. But he didn't like Hitler killing his people. So
he came to America and disclosed the formula of making atomic bombs. Of
course, he is very famous because of his theory of relativity. He was
chosen as "Man of the Century" in America because he contributed the
formula of making atomic bombs to the U.S. government. However, when we
read about Einstein, we find that he concentrated so much on his work
that he did not even know when his wife left him. His eyesight was very
weak, so he used a magnifying glass to read something. Finally he said,
"The secret of this world is that it is made by God." But he did not have
space in his heart to have God or to love God. He played the violin when
he was lonely. But his violin performance was very poor. He was indeed
a great man. But he was like an orphan in an orphanage. One who knows
the love of God should have adopted him so that he might have learned
the love of God. Then he could have had rest in his soul. He could have
had the peace of God in his soul. He could have had the love of God,
which compels him to love his wife. And he could have had several kids
around him. But it was impossible, because he was living in the world
of theory. However, the Russians through "Pravda" claimed that Albert
Schweitzer was the light of the 20th century.

We are living in "Generation X." The 1900's was a "Generation X." The
new millennium 2000 will be a "Generation X." Why is it so? Because
people do not obey the word of God with all their strength and soul.
This is the reason God told General Joshua, "Be careful to obey all
the law my servant Moses gave you" (7). How can we keep the word of God
unceasingly? We must see everything from God's word's point of view. When
we are going to keep the word of God we confront the cultural difference,
and the philosophy of modern people, and the obsession of young people
in this generation. They think they can achieve something, make a lot
of money, and then live forever with the money they earned. This is
the modern psyche. But God said to General Joshua, "Do not turn from
it to the right or to the left" (7). He also said to General Joshua,
"Do not let this Book of the Law depart from your mouth; meditate on it
day and night..." (8). This is the way we can be strong and courageous:
by keeping the word of God in our hearts as our life standard. Sometimes
we want to fall down to the left; sometimes we want to fall down to the
right. But the word of God holds us to stand firm. Without the word of
God, we become scatterbrained and soon, promiscuous. One's weak heart is
not pleasing to God. We must have the word of God in our hearts and stand
firm. Therefore, Colossians 2:6,7 says, "So then, just as you received
Christ Jesus as Lord, continue to live in him, rooted and built up in
him, strengthened in the faith as you were taught, and overflowing with
thankfulness." These verses fully explain that we must take root in the
word of God and keep it growing as a big tree so that we may not fall down
because of the stormy winds or the ever-changing worldly pattern of life.

When we summarize what we thought about so far in this lecture, we
can come to the conclusion that without God's help we cannot be strong
and courageous men. It is true that God is Almighty. God created the
heavens and the earth. And God gave each of us his life to live in this
world for a certain amount of time and no more. God is the source of
power and God is the source of love. God's power is God's love. A true
leader is a man of God who has God's power and God's love in himself.

Third, people recognize Joshua as their commander (10-18). When we
study world history, we always remember Julius Caesar and Brutus, and
Lenin and Stalin, and Wilhelm II and Bismarck. The worldly politicians
really wanted to have a proper successor after them. A good example
is Lenin and Stalin. But when Stalin was rising to power, old and sick
Lenin wanted to cast him out. But by any means Stalin rose to power. He
killed according to what Lenin had planned. World history is nothing but
a power struggle and lobbying activity. Those who have power struggle
to defeat opponents. Those who are smart and weak want to gain benefits
through lobbying.

It is amazing to know that Abraham Lincoln became the father of
America, even though he was the sixteenth president of the United States.
It was not his achievement that made him the father of America. It was
his noble human integrity which made him the father of America. No one
disagrees that Abraham Lincoln is the father of America. According to his
biography, he was honest, he was hard working, he read the Bible always,
and he prayed in the midst of intensive fighting between the North and
South. In short, he was a man of God who loved God's truth more than his
own life. We are greatly honored that Abraham Lincoln is our national
father, throughout the generations, and forever.

Why did the people of Israel recognize General Joshua as their
commander? It was because they sensed he had the Spirit of God, and
that he had the word of God. In this way he looked like a strong and
courageous leader that no one can say anything against.

Look at verses 10-11. "So Joshua ordered the officers of the people:
`Go through the camp and tell the people, "Get your supplies ready. Three
days from now you will cross the Jordan here to go in and take possession
of the land the Lord your God is giving you for your own."'" General
Joshua's order was thunderous and terrifying to the people of Israel. To
cross the Jordan River, which was the defense line, was beyond imagination
to the people of Israel. But when Joshua told them with the authority of
God, and according to the promise of God, people immediately responded
to his command. General Joshua gave special orders to the Reubenites,
the Gadites, and the half-tribe of Manasseh. His order was as follows:
"Remember the command that Moses the servant of the Lord gave you: `The
Lord your God is giving you rest and has granted you this land.' Your
wives, your children and your livestock may stay in the land that Moses
gave you east of the Jordan, but all your fighting men, fully armed,
must cross over ahead of your brothers. You are to help your brothers
until the Lord gives them rest, as he has done for you, and until they
too have taken possession of the land that the Lord your God is giving
them. After that, you may go back and occupy your own land, which Moses
the servant of the Lord gave you east of the Jordan toward the sunrise"
(13-15). If General Joshua had ordered, "Advance and attack," it would
have been easier for them to obey. But General Joshua ordered the chief
tribes, the Reubenites and the others, "Leave your family members behind
and go and fight; help your helpless brothers first. After that you
may go back to occupy your own land." That's a very difficult command
to obey. Usually we work for our children and our family. But General
Joshua ordered them to fight and die in order to help the weaker tribes
of his people first, and let them have their territory. After that, they
could go back to occupy their own territory. Do you think they could obey
him? If we tell people one by one, "Go, work hard and make money for your
brothers, and next make more money for yourselves," then nobody would say,
"Amen." They would answer, "Are you talking to me?" But the people of
Israel obeyed Joshua's command as they had obeyed Moses. Let's see what
their response was. Look at verses 16-18. "Then they answered Joshua,
`Whatever you have commanded us we will do, and wherever you send us we
will go. Just as we fully obeyed Moses, so we will obey you. Only may the
Lord your God be with you as he was with Moses. Whoever rebels against
your word and does not obey your words, whatever you may command them,
will be put to death. Only be strong and courageous!'"

It was not likely that they would obey General Joshua's command
because they had been under Moses' command. Moses' shoes were too big
for General Joshua. Still, people obeyed his command even though it was
a somewhat difficult command that they occupy the land first for their
weaker brothers and next for their own families.

It is indeed amazing that they not only obeyed, but also strongly
encouraged Joshua by saying, "Only be strong and courageous!" Here we
learn that the people of Israel wanted a strong and courageous leader
above them. How can a leader be strong and courageous? As verses 7-8 say,
to be strong and courageous they must obey the word of God and be firm
in the word of God. They must also be men of thought who meditate on
the word of God day and night.

Through Joshua chapter 1 we learn that God successfully established
Joshua as Moses' successor. At the time of appointing him as Moses'
successor God gave him a few words. The main point is "Be strong and
very courageous ; keep the Law of God day and night; don't stray to
the left or the right." When we carefully review what we have studied,
courage comes from the word of God. Courage also comes when we love God
with all our hearts, strength and soul. Why are there so many who are
cowardly these days? It is because they do not have the word of God in
their hearts. Let's have the word of God in our hearts and be strong
and courageous men of God.
 

STUDY QUESTIONS

1. Read verses 1-2. What was the situation of the people of Israel
as this chapter opens? (Dt 32:44-52) Who was Joshua? What command
did the Lord give him? Of what does crossing the Jordan remind us?

2. Read verses 3-4. What had God promised Moses? (Dt 11:24-25) How
extensive was the promised land? Read verse 5. What did God promise
Joshua? What did it mean that God would be with him? Why must they
fight for the "promised" land?

3. Read verses 6-9. What does it mean to be strong and courageous? Why
must a leader possess these qualities? Can you think of any such
leaders? How can one be strong and courageous? (7,8,9; Dt 6:5;
Ro 8:35-37)

4. Why is it so important to study and obey God's word? How can we
continually put God's word into practice? (See Col 2:6,7)

5. Read verses 10-11. How did Joshua obey God's command? Read verses
12-15. What were the special instructions given the tribes of Reuben,
Gad and the half-tribe of Manasseh? Why?

6. Read verses 16-18. How did the people respond? What kind of leader
did they want?