Joshua's name means "the Lord is Salvation."
Some of the memorable verses in the book include: 1:8-10; 5:14; 14:12; 23:14; and 24:15.
Joshua 1:5-9
5 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.
6 "Be strong and courageous, because you will lead these people to inherit the land I swore to their forefathers to give them. 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. 8 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. Then you will be prosperous and successful. 9 Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be terrified; do not be discouraged, for the LORD your God will be with you wherever you go."
God told Joshua 3 times to be strong and courageous.
God reassured Joshua 4 times:
1. No one will be able to stand up against you all the days of your life.
2. As I was with Moses, so I will be with you.
3. I will never leave you, nor forsake you.
4. For the Lord your God will be with you wherever you go.
Hallelujah! Praise the Lord God!
Joshua 1:16-18
16 Then they answered Joshua, "Whatever you have commanded us we will do, and wherever you send us we will go. 17 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. 18 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!"
In crtical, high-risk situations, the Leader needs to be:
1. Obeyed by his team of people.
2. Together with God.
3. Be strong and corageous.
Joshua 2:8-12 (Joshua 2....Rahab aand the Spies)
8 Before the spies lay down for the night, she went up on the roof 9 and said to them, "I know that the LORD has given this land to you and that a great fear of you has fallen on us, so that all who live in this country are melting in fear because of you. 10 We have heard how the LORD dried up the water of the Red Sea [b] for you when you came out of Egypt, and what you did to Sihon and Og, the two kings of the Amorites east of the Jordan, whom you completely destroyed. [c] 11 When we heard of it, our hearts melted and everyone's courage failed because of you, for the LORD your God is God in heaven above and on the earth below. 12 Now then, please swear to me by the LORD that you will show kindness to my family, because I have shown kindness to you. Give me a sure sign 13 that you will spare the lives of my father and mother, my brothers and sisters, and all who belong to them, and that you will save us from death."
1. Usage of intelligence info about enemy scenario/situation is important.
2. Lord God does miracles & wonders....bringing about fear, respect, confidence, faith, etc.
3. Non-believers could be touched by hearing/seeing the miraacles & wonders.
(Joshua 3 - 4...Crossing the Jordan)
Joshua 3:14-17
14 So when the people broke camp to cross the Jordan, the priests carrying the ark of the covenant went ahead of them. 15 Now the Jordan is at flood stage all during harvest. Yet as soon as the priests who carried the ark reached the Jordan and their feet touched the water's edge, 16 the water from upstream stopped flowing. It piled up in a heap a great distance away, at a town called Adam in the vicinity of Zarethan, while the water flowing down to the Sea of the Arabah (the Salt Sea [b] ) was completely cut off. So the people crossed over opposite Jericho. 17 The priests who carried the ark of the covenant of the LORD stood firm on dry ground in the middle of the Jordan, while all Israel passed by until the whole nation had completed the crossing on dry ground.1. God did a miracle through Joshua, i.e. drying up the river of Jordan for all the people to cross.
2. God wanted to show the people that He was with Joshua.
Joshua 3:5
5 Joshua told the people, "Consecrate yourselves, for tomorrow the LORD will do amazing things among you."
To prepare for God's miracle/wonders/amazing works, one should:
1. Prepare himself spiritually and mentally.
2. Consecrate himself.
3. Make right himself before God.
Joshua 4:8-9
8 So the Israelites did as Joshua commanded them. They took twelve stones from the middle of the Jordan, according to the number of the tribes of the Israelites, as the LORD had told Joshua; and they carried them over with them to their camp, where they put them down. 9 Joshua set up the twelve stones that had been [a] in the middle of the Jordan at the spot where the priests who carried the ark of the covenant had stood. And they are there to this day.
1. Placement of the 12 stones representing 12 tribes is to remember the miracle of cutting off of Jordan river to enable the people to cross the river.
2. We should remember God's work of miracles/wonders.
3. I think one way is by writing it down. For example, in a blog.
4. In future, I will want to write down God's wonderful deeds for me in this blog....so that I can read back and remember the goodness of God.
Joshua 4:14
14 That day the LORD exalted Joshua in the sight of all Israel; and they revered him all the days of his life, just as they had revered Moses.
1. God would exalt the Leader so that the people would respect the Leader.
2. God do great deeds through the Leader...that others may see.
Joshua 4:18
18 And the priests came up out of the river carrying the ark of the covenant of the LORD. No sooner had they set their feet on the dry ground than the waters of the Jordan returned to their place and ran at flood stage as before.
1. God completed the miracle. After completion, everything went back to normal.
Joshua 4:20-23
20 And Joshua set up at Gilgal the twelve stones they had taken out of the Jordan. 21 He said to the Israelites, "In the future when your descendants ask their fathers, 'What do these stones mean?' 22 tell them, 'Israel crossed the Jordan on dry ground.' 23 For the LORD your God dried up the Jordan before you until you had crossed over. The LORD your God did to the Jordan just what he had done to the Red Sea [b] when he dried it up before us until we had crossed over. 24 He did this so that all the peoples of the earth might know that the hand of the LORD is powerful and so that you might always fear the LORD your God."
1. Important to set up some items of remembrance.
2. To remember God's wonderful deeds.
3. To remember that God is powerful.
4. To love and honour our Lord God.
"God is great!"
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