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Josh. 1:5-9 (5/5) |
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THE PROMISE OF HIS PRESENCE |
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The Promise of His Presence/Joshua 1:5-9
#1 The Promise of His Presence/Joshua 1:5-9/Fear no man (1/5)
#2 The Promise of His Presence/Josh.1:6/Be Strong and of Good Courage (2/5)
#3 The Promise of His Presence/Josh. 1:7/Turn Not to the Left or Right (3/5)
#4 The Promise of His Presence/Josh.1:8/God's Word In Our Mouth (4/5)
#5 The Promise of His Presence /Josh.1:9/Commands and Supplies (5/5)
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#1 The Promise of His Presence/Joshua 1:5-9/Fear no man 1/5
Sun Feb 18, 2001
SCRIPTURE LESSON
Jos 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.
Jos 1:6 Be strong and of a good courage: for unto this people shalt thou divide for an inheritance the land, which I sware unto their fathers to give them.
Jos 1:7 Only be thou strong and very courageous, that thou mayest observe to do according to all the law, which Moses my servant commanded thee: turn not from it to the right hand or to the left, that thou mayest prosper withersoever thou goest.
Jos 1:8 This book of the law shall not depart out of thy mouth; but thou shalt meditate therein day and night, that thou mayest observe to do according to all that is written therein: for then thou shalt make thy way prosperous, and then thou shalt have good success.
Jos 1:9 Have not I commanded thee? Be strong and of a good courage; be not afraid, neither be thou dismayed: for the LORD thy God is with thee whithersoever thou goest.
Fear No Man
Through the years I have taken various passages to be my "motto" Scripture. I encourage people to do this also. It gives an opportunity to memorize Scripture and it gives focus and strength for our lives. Let God direct you in choosing your passages, He knows what you will need. I took this one a long time ago when I was first starting in the ministry. It has seen me through many difficult places and still does.
Joshua had been with Moses when he led the Children of Israel out of Egypt, through the Red Sea, to the foot of Mt. Sinai, through the land of the Amalekites and up to the border of the Promised Land. He had been there when God opened the Red Sea, when God made the bitter waters sweet, when God sent the quail for food, when God gave water from a rock, when God sent the manna from heaven, when God gave them water that followed them, when God gave the cloud by day and the pillar of fire by night, when God gve them victory over their enemies, when God opened the earth to swallow the rebels, when God gave the ten Commandments, when God healed the people from the snake bites. He had seen Moses lead through the wilderness for 40 years. God had never failed Moses. But Moses, after all, was Moses. Now God had given the leadership position of the Israelites into the hands of Joshua. Joshua could have thought within himself, "I am no Moses." Moses had led Israel out from under Pharoah's rule; led the Israelites to victory against the Amalekites; stood firm against Miriam and Aaron's whisper campaign and overcame Israels threats of mutiny. Now God was telling Joshua that, "There shall not any man be able to stand before thee all the days of thy life: as I was with Moses, so shall I be with thee. I will not leave thee nor forsake thee." (5) Joshua took the promise personally and set out to do greater things than Moses did.
When I read it, I took this verse personally too. I figured that God would love and care for me just as he had for Moses and then Joshua. I realized that I was neither Moses nor Joshua, but God is still God and He is no respector of persons. He would care for me, in this period of grace, as much as He did for them in the period of Law. After all, I had all of the Scriptures and I had the availability of the Holy Spirit and I had the cleansing of the blood of Jesus. I made up my mind to fear no man, since God said, "no man shall be able to stand against thee." The old saying is, "God plus one is the majority." As long as I know that God is with me I do not fear what man can do to me. I did not have a haughty or independent spirit, I just figured that if God was for me, who could be against me. I remembered that God had told me in His word, Greater is He that is in me than he that is in the world. Another old saying is, "God said it, and I believe it and that settles it for me." If no one ever believed what God said, it wouldn't change a thing. Because if God said it, that settles it. But when it comes to confidently living by what God said, I need to have a living faith in what He says. And this passage tells me that no man shall stand before me all the days of my life. How about you? Are you fully convinced that He is with you, no matter who you must face this week.
Join me in believing, "God never failed Moses or Joshua and He will never fail me. He never left Moses or Joshua and He will never leave me. I either believe God or I don't." As Joshua said at the end of his life, "Choose ye this day whom ye will serve...but as for me and my house, we will serve the Lord."
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#2 The Promise of His Presence/Josh.1:6/Be Strong and of Good Courage (2/5)
Josh.1:6 "Be strong and of good courage: for unto this people shalt thou divide for an inheritance the land, which I sware unto their fathers to give them."
Joshua has just been assigned the leadership position over the two and one half million Hebrews that came out of Egypt and slavery. Moses had led them for 40 years and then God gave the responsibility to Johsua. God promised Joshua that He would be with him just as He had been with Moses (5). Moses had led the Hebrews out of Egypt after God overwhelmed Pharoah with the famous 10 plagues. When Moses called on God, He delivered the Hebrews from the pursuing Egyptian army by swallowing them in the Red Sea. Moses had faced many opponents and dangers, but God had led him and the Israelites safely through. But now the responsibility becomes Joshua's. It is easier to be strong and courageous as a follower. It goes to another level as a leader.
If we want to serve God we must be strong and of good courage. God has a task He wants fulfilled and He won't do it through people who are weak or cowardly. We cannot expect people to follow us if we are weak and fearful. God leads us through troubles and trials for a couple of reasons. One reason is He wants us to overcome our present adversities so that we may be victorious, and the other reason is, He is preparing and perfecting us for our place and work in eternity through our troubles and trials here. There are many enemies and obstacles we have to defeat and overcome. But we will not succeed if we are weak and cowardly. Though the strength and courage is not inherently within us, it is available to us when we call on God who is all suficient. Our testing comes through a variety of channels, but there is one common source, satan. satan is an adversary with great and terrible power. But with Jesus as our shield and sword, we can be strong and of good courage. If satan cannot de-rail you completely, he will try to side-track you. You must not fear him. You must not be intimidated by him. Sometimes you must look him in the eye and proceed in the way God is leading you. Your faith in Jesus must be strong. All outward evidence says you will fail, be strong; your family will think you have lost your mind, be strong; your friends will abandon you, be strong; your foes will mock you and threaten you, be strong. God wanted Joshua to lead the Children of Israel into the Promised Land. God has a mission He wants us to accomplish. As He was with Moses and as He was with Joshua, He will be with us. He wants us to inherit the life of victory. He wants us to lead others into the life of victory. We will never live the victorious life if we settle for being weak and fearful. We must be strong and of good courage. We will never lead others into the victorious life if we are weak and fearful. Faith secures the strength, faith secures the courarge. This is the victory that overcomes the world, even our faith.
If God calls us to victory, He will give us the victory. If God commands us to be strong and of good courage, He will give us the strength and courage. If God wants us to lead others to a life of victory, strength and courage, He will equipe us. But we must want what God wants, we must trust God for our supply, we must follow Him in faith and be pleasing to Him.
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#3 The Promise of His Presence/Josh. 1:7/Turn Not to the Left or Right (3/5)
Joshua 1:7 "Only be thou strong and very courageous, that thou mayest observe to do according to all the law, which Moses my servant commanded thee: turn not from it to the right hand or to the left, that thou mayest prosper
whithersoever thou goest."
Anytime God says something, we need to listen. But when God repeats Himself, we need to "double listen." He told Joshua to be strong and of good courage and in the next breath He says again, "be strong and very courageous." This is one of those "double listen" moments. Sometimes people think they have everything all figured out and that they are totally capable of handeling any situation. God says, "Let him who thinks he stands, take heed lest he fall." He also told us that "pride goes before destruction and a haughty spirit before a fall." This is why God repeats Himself sometimes, because He knows we think we are self sufficient when we need to be God sufficient. Our strength must be in Him. We must not lean unto our own understanding but on Him. He is our strength and our shield, our song and our salvation.
It takes strength and courage to observe what God commands us to do. It is true that the way of the transgressor is hard, but it is also true that God's way is not always an easy way. Joshua was not allowed the luxury of half-hearted aligiance. He was not allowed to pick and choose what commandments to keep. He was called and equipped by God to obey fully. We are not under obligation to keep the Old Testament dietary laws or the ceremonial laws or even the Sabbath laws. Nor do we save ourselves by keeping the moral law. However, when we are saved, we are called and equipped to keep the moral law of God. Whereas law came by Moses, "grace and truth came by Jesus Christ." With that grace comes power and courage. We can face any trouble, trial or task set before us and we can overcome it. "There has no temptation taken you but such is common to man: but God is faithful, who will not allow you to be tempted beyond what you are able to handle; but will with the temptation also make a way to escape, that ye may be able to bear it." (I Cor.10:13) When we know the truth, the truth sets us free from the power of sin. God told Joshua not to turn to the left or the right. Jesus told us to walk in the strait and narrow way. Remember, we are not under obligation to the Old Testament laws, but as believers in Christ, who saves us FROM our sins, we are able to walk in a way that is pleasing to God.
Joshua was told that if he did not veer to the left or right, he would prosper or succeed wherever he would go. God said, through the Psalmist in Psalm 1, that the blessed man meditates day and night on God's law and that because of this he shall be like a tree planted by the rivers of water bringing forth his fruit in his season. If we meditate on God's word we will also find success in our Christian walk. The secret to overcoming temptation is in God's word. "Thy word have I hid in my heart that I might not sin against thee." How shall a young man cleanse his way, by taking heed to God's word.
Joshua would face many problems, but because he chose to be strong and courageous and to meditate on God's word, and not to veer to the left or right, he could come to the end of his life and say, "Choose ye this day whom you will serve, but as for me and my house, we will serve the Lord."
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#4 The Promise of His Presence/Josh.1:8/God's Word In Our Mouth (4/5)
Joshua 1:8 "This book of the law shall not depart from your mouth, but you shall meditate on it day and night, so that you may be careful to do according to all that is written in it; for then you will make your way prosperous, and then you will have success."
Here again we find God repeating Himself. This time He is emphasizing the importance of knowing His Word. In verse 7 He said, "...according to all the law...do not turn from it to the right hand or to the left..." now in verse 8 we read, "This book of the law shall not depart from your mouth..." God is wanting Joshua to understand the importance of His word in Joshua's life. God's Word is a lamp to our feet and a light to our path*...a hammer which breaks stone*...a sword which kills and sets free*...food for the hungry soul*...fire which devours all chaff*...water which washes away uncleanness*, among other things. There are two verses in the New Testament which are almost identical, one of which says that we are to be filled with the Holy Spirit* and the other says instead to be filled with the Word of God*. If we will not be filled with the Word of God we will not be filled with the Holy Spirit. Without the Word of God there is no spiritual life at all, since faith comes by hearing and hearing by the Word of God*. Without the Word of God there is no cleansing and setting apart for God and His use, since Jesus said, "Sanctify them through Thy truth, Thy Word is truth."*
Keep in mind that the Law, the writings of Moses, along with the Book of Job, was all of the Word of God they had in those days. Joshua was to meditate on these few books day and night. If we hope to be successful in our walk and service to God, we must meditate day and night in God's Word also. We have the advantage of the entire Bible at our disposal. We can go to Psalms and Proverbs, The Gospels and Acts and the Letters of the New Testament along with all the other books as well as Revelation. Someone has quipped, "7 days without the Bible makes one weak."
God told Joshua that he needed to meditate day and night on the law, in order to do according to all that was written there. The Scriptures are spoken of as truth* and Jesus said that we should know the truth and the truth would set us free*. When we know God's Word in our hearts, not just in our heads, it will set us free from sin, legalism, fear, and even the bondage of satan. God repeats another truth which He had just stated to Joshua. In meditating on His Word and doing His will, Joshua would insure himself success in his life. It may not be everyone else's idea of success, it may not even be our own idea of success, but if we "stay" in God's Word, we will have success in life. God wanted Joshua to always have His Word in his mouth. He needed to not only know and believe God's Word, he needed to make It part of his daily life. He needed to confess it. It needed to be part of his daily conduct and conversation.
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#5 The Promise of His Presence /Josh.1:9/Commands and Supplies (5/5)
Joshua 1:9 "Have not I commanded thee? Be strong and of good courage; be not afraid, neither be thou dismayed: for the LORD the God is with thee whithersoever thou goest."
I guess He couldn't make it any clearer, could He? BE STRONG AND OF GOOD COURAGE. But this is more than just a repeat of what He just said. He now makes it clear that this is His command. "Have I not commanded you?" There are times in our lives when situations arise which are distracting and even disrupting. In those times we are required to rearrange our schedules. However, we do not have the luxury of setting aside our Divine assignments or commandments. Many situations which we face can interrupt our daily routine. Some are tragic, some are urgent and some are emergencies. Regardless of the problem being faced, we cannot take a break from obeying God.
Cain was not doing what he should have been doing and he went into depression. God says, do what you are supposed to do and your face will be lifted up. Obedience dispells depression. He has commanded that we be strong and of good courage. Regardless of our adversity, by His grace we can be strong and of good courage. Whether the enemy is in hot pursuit (as with the Egyptians and the Israelites) or some unknown factor waiting in the shadows ahead of us, as with Joshua in this passage, we are to be strong and of good courage. Always remember, our strength and courage come from God. We must trust Him and obey Him, even when the troubles and trials abound. Remember what James said in the New Testament, "Consider it all joy brethren, when you encounter various trials, knowing that the testing of you faith produces endurance (patience). And let patience have its perfect result, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking nothing.*" James 1:2-4
The strength and courage which He gives is not superficial. He tells us to not tremble or be dismayed. It is not a "fake it till you make it" deal. Our confidence is not in ourselves or some other shifting sand foundation, our hope is in Him who never changes, nor fails*. Remember, He tells us that we are more than conquerers through Christ*. Remember, He tells us that we always triumph in Christ*. Remember, He tells us that greater is He who is in us, than he that is in the world*. The reason we can be so strong and courageous, not tremble and not be dismayed is because He is with us wherever we go.
When I was a small child, my family visited some friends one evening. That night, the mother of the home told one of her sons to put the broom on the back porch. He was just a very young boy and told his mother that he was afraid to go out on the dark porch. His mother told him not to be afraid, "Jesus is out there." My little friend thought about it briefly, took the broom in hand and went to the door. He opened the door, stuck the broom out and said, "Jesus, if you are out there would you please put this broom away?" Sometimes we try the same thing with God. We want Him to do what we are supposed to do. He is with us wherever we go. But we must do the going. He has commanded us and with His commands, comes His empowering and enabeling.
Whether your threatening enemy lurks in the shadows of the past, or looms large in the struggles of the now or lies in the secrets of the future, God is with you. He will never leave you nor forsake you. He is your shield and sword*. He is your strength and salvation*. You are not your own, you are bought with a price. And with that investment, God gives protection and supply for whatever problems we face.
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