II) Joshua Led Israel Out

The Expository Book Study of Joshua

II) Joshua Led Israel Out
Joshua 1   Verses 10 - 18          

Week # 02  of  This Series  02 June 2010          
Week # 23  of  Prayer Meeting Teaching Ministry

10Then Joshua commanded the officers of the people, saying, 11Pass through the host, and command the people, saying, Prepare you victuals; for within three days ye shall pass over this Jordan, to go in to possess the land, which the LORD your God giveth you to possess it. 12And to the Reubenites, and to the Gadites, and to half the tribe of Manasseh, spake Joshua, saying, 13Remember the word which Moses the servant of the LORD commanded you, saying, The LORD your God hath given you rest, and hath given you this land. 14Your wives, your little ones, and your cattle, shall remain in the land which Moses gave you on this side Jordan; but ye shall pass before your brethren armed, all the mighty men of valour, and help them; 15Until the LORD have given your brethren rest, as he hath given you, and they also have possessed the land which the LORD your God giveth them: then ye shall return unto the land of your possession, and enjoy it, which Moses the LORD's servant gave you on this side Jordan toward the sunrising. 16And they answered Joshua, saying, All that thou commandest us we will do, and whithersoever thou sendest us, we will go.

17According as we hearkened unto Moses in all things, so will we hearken unto thee: only the LORD thy God be with thee, as he was with Moses.

18Whosoever he be that doth rebel against thy commandment, and will not hearken unto thy words in all that thou commandest him, he shall be put to death: only be strong and of a good courage.

Israel has had a long eventful wandering episode in the wilderness. 40 Years, several generations have passed, and they could have made the journey in just 11 days… Forty years making their way through the miserable wilderness land, they were tired, and broken. Now – God could lead His people. God led them to the Promised Land via the wilderness all those years, knowing they would be discouraged if they would have immediately came in contact with their enemies.

Remember; God permitted Moses to send out spies in order to confirm or verify that God was as good as His Word!! God told them of the land of milk and honey, but the people requested Moses to send out spies to see what it actually was like. SO, Moses sent out 12 men that went throughout Palestine investigating. Do you remember their report when they returned? 10 of the men reported that the land was everything God said it was – BUT, “we will never be able to overcome the nations that dwell there. They are stronger than we; their cities are walled up to heaven; and there we saw the giants; and we were in their sight as grasshoppers, and so we were in our own sight. We are not able to go against them.”

Only two men of the 12 encouraged the people, Joshua and Caleb. They said, “let us go up at once and possess the land; for we are well able to overcome the foes.” BUT – The people would not believe them… SO, God turned them back and they wandered for 38 years. They refused to do what God commanded – they refused!!! Think about for a few seconds folks, they Refused to Obey!!! Yet, God did not destroy them, nor did He forsake them; instead – He watched over them and protected them, and fed them all the years they were in the wilderness… Sound familiar to the age of Grace?

Now in verses 10 thru 18, God is commanding them once again to march into Palestine. They were to go 3 days journey over the Jordan and into the Land towards Jericho, to “Possess” the land, which was “given” to them by the “Lord Your God”.

The land was typical of what we have in Christ. God “hath blessed us with all Spiritual Blessings in Heavenly places in Christ Jesus”. But folks, we can possess our Spiritual Inheritance ONLY as we recognize our death and resurrection with our Lord Jesus Christ. God had told Israel long before when in Egypt that they were to go three days journey into the wilderness, which speaks of the death and resurrection. Now the people of Israel were to go over Jordan in three days.

REFER TO PAGES 21, 22 & 23 OF IRONSIDE’S BOOK ON JOSHUA…

Do we pine for God every day? Or are we content with where we are? Are we holding too so to the world, that our Spirit’s can’t hear the voice of GOD? I hope Joshua’s 1st chapter has given you insight to the God we serve, and has caused your heart to stir for Him.

I was always taught – salvation does not give you clear claim of Christ as Savior without “making Him Lord” of your life and will. Paul said we must crucify ourselves with Christ on that old Cross. Then we are to allow the new man / woman to create a NEW MIND. New desires, not of this world but of the world yet to come… New Life – New Master…

Adam Clarke’s Commentary on Joshua 1:16

All that thou commandest us we will do—Here they acknowledge the Divine mission of Joshua, as they had done that of Moses, and consequently promise to follow his directions in all things.

Adam Clarke’s Commentary on Joshua 1:17

Only the Lord thy God be with thee—Provided God be with thee, as he was with Moses, we will implicitly obey thee. The words however may mean no more than an earnest prayer for Joshua’s prosperity: May God be with thee, as he was with Moses!

Adam Clarke’s Commentary on Joshua 1:18

He shall be put to death—This was martial law; he who disobeyed the command of his general should be put to death. To this the people agreed, and it was essentially necessary in order that proper discipline should be kept up in this great army. By insubordination their fathers had suffered much in the wilderness; they rejected the authority of Moses, mutinied and made themselves a leader to conduct them back to Egypt. (See Numbers 14:4). And Joshua himself, for attempting to encourage them against their fears, was near being stoned to death. It was necessary, therefore, that they should give him the most positive assurance that they would not act as their fathers had done.

1. NOTWITHSTANDING the great honor God put on his servants Moses, Aaron, Phinehas, and Joshua, yet we find him using every means to induce the people to trust in himself alone. Hence he is ever showing them that even those great men had nothing but what they had received, and that they were as fully dependent upon himself as the meanest of the people. What was even Moses without his GOD?

2. Is it not strange that at the death of Moses utter despair had not overwhelmed the whole camp, as he whom they expected to give them rest had died before any conquest was made in Canaan? We find, however, that they are not discouraged; he who gave them Moses, has now given them Joshua in his place; and they had now fully learned that if God be for them, none could be successfully against them.

3. From all this we may learn, that when God has a great work to accomplish, he will provide himself suitable instruments; and though one which he has greatly honored, appear to fail, we should know that he is not confined to work by that one alone. He has way every where, and all things serve the purposes of his will. He will as surely support his Church on earth, as he will support the earth itself; and while the sun and moon endure, the Church shall flourish: this is for his own honor, and he certainly is more concerned for his own glory in the administration of justice, judgment, and salvation in the earth, than any of the children of men can possibly be.

4. Though God had so implicitly promised them his help, yet he strongly insists on their own co-operation. He requires the use of every power and talent he has given; even Joshua himself must be strong and very courageous, and the people must obey him in all things, in order that they may go over the Jordan to possess the good land; and without this they had never got into the promised rest.

Shall we suppose, then, that if we be not workers together with God we shall be saved? Vain expectation! He works in us to will and to do, i.e., he gives the principle of volition in things that are holy, and the principle of power to bring the acts of will into good practical effect; therefore, says the apostle, work out your own salvation with fear and trembling. Will, therefore, under the influence of the gracious principle of volition; act under the influence of the principle of power. Without the power you can neither will nor do; but having the power it is your duty to will and do. It is enough that God gives the power. It is our duty, when we receive these talents, to improve them. In a million of cases a man may be both able to will and to do, and yet do neither to the salvation of his soul.