Joshua 1:1-9
1 After the death of Moses the servant of the LORD, the LORD said to Joshua son of Nun, Moses' aide:
2 "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.
3 I will give you every place where you set your foot, as I promised Moses.
4 Your territory will extend from the desert to Lebanon, and from the great river, the Euphrates—all the Hittite country—to the Great Sea [a] on the west.
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.
1 After the death of Moses the servant of the LORD, the LORD said to Joshua son of Nun, Moses' aide:
2 "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.
3 I will give you every place where you set your foot, as I promised Moses.
4 Your territory will extend from the desert to Lebanon, and from the great river, the Euphrates—all the Hittite country—to the Great Sea [a] on the west.
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."
The Book of Joshua shows God is faithful to His promises. After all those years of slavery in Egypt and then 40 years in the desert, the Israelites can now enter into the promised land. Moses is now dead and the mantle of leadership is being passed to Joshua. God is telling him to get ready and cross the river. From what I have read, the Jordan River was overflowing at the time and it would have taken some faith to cross over. But God promises He will be with the Israelites. God always makes a way when there seems to be no way. Two times God tells Joshua to be strong and courageous and one time to be strong and very courageous. Very means in a high degree; to no small extent; exceedingly, excessively, extremely. It is also used as an intensifier. So Joshua is to be exceedingly and to a high degree courageous. I love this. We are to be strengthening ourselves in the Lord so that we obey the command to be strong and courageous. God told Joshua that no man will be able to stand before you. It is also a warning. The land was theirs but they would have conflicts or battles; but the victory would be theirs. We should always be meditating on the Word of God so we know what we have to do to obey His instructions completely. Sometimes as believers, we start to turn away from the Word whether it be we're just comfortable in doing the same thing over and over or we are just unconcerned anymore. We have put busyness before God - before reading the Word. When we do that we are turning away from the Lord and into defeat. So we need to strengthen ourselves in the Lord and just meditate on the Lord. He says to do it day and night - not just once in awhile. We are to listen to the Lord - hear and respond. Then we will have the victory just as He promised.
