…the Lord spoke to Joshua…
Joshua 1:1
So, after Moses died, the Lord appointed another leader of His people. The Lord spoke to Joshua. We don’t know exactly how the Lord spoke. Burning bush, dream, vision. Or, it could have been “face to face” or literally mouth to mouth, “directly,” without a go between, as He had spoken to Moses. The Hebrew word used for speak in Joshua 1:1 is amar which means to utter, speak, say. We assume, but we always need to be careful, based on the translation, that the Lord literally said words to Joshua. We can’t be certain and it doesn’t really matter, it’s not a salvation issue, so the point isn’t how He spoke, it’s that He spoke.
Why did the Lord speak to Joshua? Because Moses had requested that God appoint the next leader. The time had come to move into the Promised Land, to cross the Jordan and enter that land they had heard about for so long, the milk and honey spot, and Moses knew he wouldn’t be the one to lead the charge, God had told him that.
The Israelite organizational chart, or family tree would rightly reflect that Aaron or another immediate descendent of Moses would be next in line to lead the Israelites. But, because of disobedience, neither Moses nor Aaron would enter the Promised Land. Remember that?
But the Lord said to Moses and Aaron, “Because you did not trust me enough to demonstrate my holiness to the people of Israel, you will not lead them into the land I am giving them! Numbers 20:12
Ouch! Seems harsh, but Moses blatantly disobeyed the Lord’s direct command. He dishonored God in the presence of his people. God could not let this go unpunished, Moses and Aaron were their leaders, their shepherds, they were in charge of the flock. Shepherds lead by example. What a shepherd does, a flock will do. Sheep mirror their shepherd. Oh my…
These verses bring so many thoughts to mind: Do I trust God enough? What blessing am I missing out on because of my lack of obedience? What disobedience do I need to confess and get into check? Do I lead well (we’re all leaders of someone in some way), be it a flock, a tribe, a family, a church? Who am I mirroring? What do I mirror?
But we follow the Great Shepherd. Despite Moses’ lack of obedience, his sin, God still loved him, God still blessed him and was merciful to him. Even though confessed sin is forgiven, sin sets into motion events and actions that are far reaching. Forgiveness of sin does not mean we are absolved from the consequences of that sin. Although Moses did not enter the Promised Land, the Lord blessed him by allowing him to see Canaan, the fruit of his life’s labor.
…Look out across the land of Canaan, the land I am giving to the people of Israel as their own possession. Then you must die there on the mountain…So you will see the land from a distance, but you must not enter the land I am giving to the people of Israel. Deuteronomy 32:48-52
There are consequences for our disobedience, but there is also grace. Moses was not perfect, but He loved God. He made mistakes when he ran headlong and buckled under the pressures of the world. He took his eyes off God and put them on the people. Moses’ successor would not be his son but his servant, Joshua. Then God spoke:
…you must lead my people…
Joshua 1:2
The key to Joshua’s success, leading this mess of a people, directing 12 tribes, removing enemies, and moving into an unknown land, was his obedience to God. Yes, we’ll see that he was a strong leader, a successful military strategist, a strong spiritual influencer (he’d set TikTok ablaze), but all of who he was was because of his submission to, his obedience to, his faith in God. God spoke, Joshua believed and followed.
We all submit to someone or something. Who or what is that? Do we listen to the world? Do we submit to the world’s demands to think this way or that. To do this thing or that because it will make us happy? Do this or that and we will get ahead in life? Do what you feel like doing, it’s your life? It’s worth thinking about for a minute. Who is your leader? Who are you following?
I promise you what I promised Moses: “Everywhere you go, you will be on land I have given you…No one will be able to stand their ground against you as long as you live. For I will be with you as I was with Moses. I will not fail you or abandon you. Joshua 1:2-5
What a promise! The God of the universe, the God of all creation, the Creator and Sustainer of every living thing will defend you, be present with, never let you down and never abandon you. Who in this world wouldn’t want that? A Creator, a Sustainer, a Defender, a Preserver, an Upholder? Well, we have that, and so much more. This was a perpetual promise. A promise for all time. It was a promise for the Israelites then, and it is for God’s children now and for God’s children to come. Jesus said:
And be sure of this: I am with you always, even to the end of the age.
Matthew 28:20
Do you love that, or what!?! Jesus promises to be with us for all time, forever, eternally! But, check this out, Jesus says “And be sure of this:” Jesus says, I promise! He doesn’t say yeah, I’ll be with you, or hey, I’ll be around. He says you can bank on it, you can count on me – be sure!
And guess what? All God’s promises always come true. Maybe not in the way or the time we expect, but you can bet your life that His promises always come true. Check this out:
Christ is the visible image of the invisible God.
He existed before anything was created and is supreme over all creation,
for through him God created everything
in the heavenly realms and on earth.
He made the things we can see
and the things we can’t see—
such as thrones, kingdoms, rulers, and authorities in the unseen world.
Everything was created through him and for him.
He existed before anything else,
and he holds all creation together.
He made peace with everything in heaven and on earth
by means of Christ’s blood on the cross.
Colossians 1:15-17
Booyah! Promise kept from thousands of years before! God promised King David that he would have an earthly dynasty. But God said, that that house, that dynasty, would be an eternal dynasty. David’s reign would come to an end here on earth, but a direct descendant of David would fulfill God’s promise to David and reign for all eternity.
“‘Furthermore, the LORD declares that he will make a house for you—a dynasty of kings! For when you die and are buried with your ancestors, I will raise up one of your descendants, your own offspring, and I will make his kingdom strong. He is the one who will build a house—a temple—for my name. And I will secure his royal throne forever…Your house and your kingdom will continue before me for all time, and your throne will be secure forever.’”
2 Samuel 7:11-16
Booyah! Promise kept! God promised His people a leader, a shepherd. For a time He called Joshua to lead His people. Then for all time, Jesus came to lead God’s people, His own people. As promised, Jesus came to save, redeem, and deliver God’s people, His people. All of God’s promises are found and fulfilled through Christ Jesus His Son who will never leave us or forsake us. He always keeps His promises! Who is your Leader? Don’t hurry over this. Make sure you know who you are following.
Next week, we will conclude our study of Joshua 1:1-9. Again, I don’t usually have successive parts, but I don’t want to rush through, I don’t want to miss anything God might have to say because I just want to move to the next thing. So, I’ll carry on next week. In the meantime, do read around some of the scripture references quoted above and check out Numbers 27:12-23, 20:1-12, Deuteronomy 32:48-52, and Colossians 1.