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“Enough Talk, Let's Fight!” • 10.13.13
• Calvary Christian Fellowship, Sunday Morning Service
Intro.
- In order to give Joshua a proper introduction,
it's appropriate to see his story as the culmination of centuries of expectation.
God had made a promise!
- Genesis details the creation of a perfect
world, ruined by the introduction of human sin and rebellion against the
creator. One nation is chosen to bring forth One who will save all from sin.
- Exodus details Israel's phenomenal growth
under 430 years of slavery. Joshua was one of those slaves. He was a young man
on the night when Israel left town under Moses' lead!
- Joshua was there at the Red Sea watching God
work through Moses. He came to the other side that night and watched all of his
enemies drowned behind him. He was a free man!
- It wasn't long before Joshua was put into
action. At the first battle, Joshua was sent to fight the Amalekites who had
attacked the weak and tired back ranks of Israel. (Exodus 17)
- After that victory, Joshua became Moses'
right hand man though little is made of that relationship. For the most part
little vignets are given to us that convey his character.
- One major turning point happens 40 years
prior to this day we are about to study. God's people have come to the border
of Canaan.
- Joshua is part of a twelve person survey
crew, which spends 40 days in Canaan. When they return from their visit, ten of
the spies brought an unbelieving report.
- "There are giants in the land and we
were like grasshoppers before them!" Joshua and Caleb rose up to protest,
both speaking in unison that they were able if God was with them! (Num. 14:6-9)
- That rousing call to faith was met with the
threat of death as the people rose up to stone Joshua and Caleb!
- It was a sad and ironic moment, as they who
wanted to end lives, were literally giving signal to their own demise!
- The people listened to the bad report and
blasphemed God, accusing Him of leading them to their death, their wives and
children would now be victims to His cruelty.
- God was grieved and pronounced judgment upon
them. He would keep His promise to Israel, but none of them would live to see
it.
- Numbers
14:27-39 are some of the most difficult emotional moments to witness. God
tells them that they will have a 40 year return into the wilderness, one year
for each day of unbelief.
- The 10 Spies died from a plague that day and
the rest of that group, age 20 and above began to die each day thereafter for
forty years!
- Joshua and Caleb walked amongst the original
walking dead for 40 years! One generation passing and another rising to take
it's place!
- One cannot believe that when all was said and
done, their number was virtually the same as it had been 40 years earlier! God
miraculously birthed an entire new nation!
- This is why Deuteronomy is necessary as that
new nation needed to hear God's law before entering into the Promised land.
- This brings us to this moment and the raising
of God's man Joshua to leadership. Joshua chapter 1 will include four parts,
the first two we will examine today.
I. The Calling Of Joshua (v.1,2)
II. The Confidence Of The Called (v.3-5)
III. The Command Of God To The Called (v.6-9)
IV. The Commitment Of The Called (v.10-18)
Text
I. The Calling Of Joshua (v.1,2)
• Joshua
1:1,2 : "After the death of Moses the servant of the Lord, it came to pass that the Lord spoke to Joshua the son of Nun,
Moses’ assistant, saying: 'Moses My servant is dead. Now therefore, arise, go over this
Jordan, you and all this people, to the land which I am giving to them—the
children of Israel." : God had to tell Joshua that
Moses was dead because Moses died before the Lord alone on a mountain.
- Moses had disobeyed the Lord, striking a rock
in anger, misrepresenting God's heart to the people of Israel. God, in His
grace, allowed Moses to come up to a summit point and see the land.
- When that had transpired, Moses died before
the Lord. Nobody else, including Joshua witnessed that.
- God went from talking directly to Moses and
began to talk directly to Joshua, who had been Moses' assistant, literally his
ministering servant, for 40 years! Can you imagine their relationship?
- Joshua's active calling begins at the death
of a hero, a man vernerated today by Judaism, Islam and Christianity! Joshua
will serve in that shadow, but it is God who has called him!
- Even though Moses is revered, he was still
simply a servant of the Lord. That is what Joshua was being called into, after
having served the Lord as Moses' servant!
- We never graduate above that call in our
life. Wherever we are, we are called to serve the Lord! No matter how much
renown your name receives, ultimately, you and I are simply servants!
- Note first that Joshua was Moses' assistant
for all of those years. God was not calling someone who was a novice. Joshua
had already been serving faithfully!
- Joshua never once thought of supplanting
Moses, nor did he join himself to groups that had been hostile toward Moses.
- Joshua's first assignment is one that he's
been waiting 40 years to complete. He gets the task of leading the nation of
Israel into it's inheritance, the very promise of God!
- Moses' call had been to lead Israel out of
Egypt. Joshua's call was to lead them into Canaan!
- Moses led them out of a hostile nation.
Joshua was leading them in as God's army!
- God uses two different men to accomplish two
different goals. God uses all kinds of people to accomplish His work. We
needn't fear what we are not!
II. The Confidence Of The Called (v.3-5)
• Joshua 1:3-5 : "Every
place that the sole of your foot will tread upon I have given you, as I said to
Moses. From the
wilderness and this Lebanon as far as the great river, the River Euphrates, all
the land of the Hittites, and to the Great Sea toward the going down of the
sun, shall be your territory. No man shall be able to stand before you all the days of your
life; as I was with Moses, so I will be with you. I will not leave you nor
forsake you." : God is so gracious to
infuse confidence in His man. Joshua could expect the same quality of service
that Moses received!
- There would be no change in the promise.
Joshua could be confident in God's call because it was God's call and desire to
do this for His people.
- Listen to these words: Every place that the
sole of your foot will tread. No man shall be able to stand before you all the
days of your life!
- Wherever you march and whoever stands in your
way will be yours! God is giving Joshua the credit card and telling him to go
forth in all of His power and strength!
- The land was extensive, far more than they
would ever take historically. However much of it they would take was theirs by
the promise of God!
- God was going to be with Joshua in the exact
same way that He had been with Moses! He was not going to leave him or forsake
him!
- One of the last things that Jesus said to His
disciples contained a promise very similar to this. He said that He would be
with them, even to the end of the age! (Matthew
28:20)
- Would they be around to the end of the age!?
No, the disciples all will have died, but the disciples that are the fruit of
that ministry have the same assurance! Jesus will not leave us!
- I like the way that the KJV translates this
verse: "I will be with thee. I will not fail thee, nor forsake thee!"
- The word "not fail" can be
translated as not letting go or relaxing one's grip! The word
"forsake" means to abandon or to leave behind.
- What a promise Joshua had! For all that God
would call Him to do, it was a given that God would not drop the ball of leave
Him alone to do it!
- This is why following God's call is the best
thing for us. It's the only place that we are given this kind of assurance.
- Joshua is not given carte blanche to do just
anything that he wanted to do. This promise is for those who follow closely,
something that Joshua needed to do.
“Enough Talk, Let's Fight!” • 10.20.13
• Calvary Christian Fellowship, Sunday Morning Service
Intro.
- Joshua the son of Nun is around 80 years of
age. For the first half of his life, he lived under an oppressive Egyptian
government, as a Hebrew slave.
- Around the 40th year of his life, God called
Moses out of retirement and employed him to deliver His people from their
bondage. Joshua began a 40 year career as Moses' assistant.
- That ended with Moses' death, on the border
of the land that God had promised the people of Israel. Joshua is now pressed
into action.
- We covered the first two parts of chapter 1 last week, dealing first with the Calling Of Joshua where he is promoted
to take Moses' place as "head servant!"
- Our calling is never different than that! We
are called to serve the Lord!
- Moses served the Lord by leading God's people
out of bondage. Joshua would serve the Lord by bringing His people into their
inheritance! Typically, you and I have similar calls.
- If we are around unbelievers all the time, we
are called to share the gospel with those in bondage to sin. If we are around
believers, we are called to encourage them to march forward!
- The second section dealt with the "Confidence Of The Called." Every
place he marched would be theirs and every foe he faced would be vanguished!
- Why? Because God was with Him and Joshua was
fighting God's battle, which will always issue in God's resource availability!
- Joshua was following God's express command
and executing God's plan for the nation of Israel. When you follow His Word and
execute His plan for His glory, you can be just as confident!
- This brings us to the final two sections of Joshua 1. Please notice:
III. The Command Of God To The Called (v.6-9)
IV. The Commitment Of The Called (v.10-18)
Text
III. The Counsel Of God To The Called (v.6-9)
• Joshua
1:6,7 : "Be strong and of good courage, for to this people you shall
divide as an inheritance the land which I swore to their fathers to give them. Only be strong and very courageous,
that you may observe to do according to all the law which Moses My servant
commanded you; do not turn from it to the right hand or to the left, that you
may prosper wherever you go." : God's command
to Joshua was that he move forward in strength and courage.
- It's interesting that God has to say this,
given the basis for the confidence that has been revealed to His man, but
therein does the proverbial rubber meet the road!
- The head knows what the Bible says, but the
heart still knows that whatever is done in heaven, still requires doing on
Earth!
- God commands Joshua to be strong, to be
severe or rigid. "You be resolute!" Being a command carries with it
our choice to adopt it!
- You can be strong if God tells you to be
strong! If you are willing to be strong, then God will accomplish that on your
behalf as you commit to be that!
- Along with resolute strength, Joshua is to be
of "good courage" otherwise translated brave! Bravery is always needed
as you walk forward in what God's calls you to.
- Joshua needed to be brave, not just for
himself but for the nation and for the sake of the call and their inheritance.
- Note again the finality: God says you
"SHALL" divide the inheritance to them. This was finished in the mind
of God! It was going to happen because He swore that it would!
- That part was God's to accomplish. Joshua had
enough on his plate to be strong and very courageous to do all of God's law
given to Moses!
- What an important word for you and I to hear:
God will take care of the result of our obedience. We need to take care of our
part to obey His Word!
- Today more than ever, we need this strength
to boldly, courageously attend ourselves to His Word! We need the strength to
follow it directly, right along the path that He has cut for us!
- We're not to turn to the right hand, where we
take things to their logical extreme!
- The same thing is true about the left, where
we lose all confidence in the supernatural and everything becomes a metaphor
and a metanarrative!
- Joshua's success will be tied directly to his
devotion to following God's Word. True success in the eyes of the Lord is tied to
our attitude regarding His scripture! Listen to how he continues.
• Joshua
1:8 : "This Book of the Law shall not depart from your mouth, but you
shall meditate in it day and night, that you may observe to do according to all
that is written in it. For then you will make your way prosperous, and then you
will have good success." : How is it that we remain
close to His Word, keeping ourselves straight in it? First, it's not to depart
from our mouth! It is not to be removed from his conversation!
- The HCSB carries the word "recite"
while the TLB uses the phrase to "constantly remind."
- Joshua was always to speak the Word with the
people of God. He was to remind them, instruct them, correct them and rebuke
them with the law!
- Alternately, he was to encourage, strengthen,
and embolden them with the same Word! In other words, the Word was to be the
word for every season!
- It was not to depart from his conversation or
his meditation! You shall meditate on it day and night! The word "meditate"
is related to words like "plot" and "plan."
- The concept is one of imagining and
considering how best to employ the Word. How does this fit our situation? What
answer does this give to our current questions?
- The Word of God was to be His public policy
as well as His private musing!
- This is to be a day and night situation, a
constant activity. We're to be more than simply passive students of the Word.
We're to be active strategists of the Word's application!
- Listen: You and I are to observe in order,
with the goal in mind, to do all that is written! Is that your heart? Are you
observing but not doing? Are you doing, but not all?
- While we are on the subject, please remember
that some things in the Bible were directly related to the nation of Israel.
Dietary, as well as ceremonial laws would be excluded.
- Additionally, each of us should recognize
that there is always a dynamic growth of understanding that takes place over the
life of individual believers. You and I don't get it all at once.
- Whatever part you do understand is to be
immediately implemented. You will never be held responsible for that which you
do not know. You are accountable before God for what you do know!
- The call to Joshua, to God's people Israel
then and the church today is to observe God's Word and practice all that it
commands or cease from practicing all that it condemns!
- The reason for doing that is clearly given:
That there would be observation leading to personal application! This will lead
to a successful walk with the Lord!
- In their case, it would sometime be the
difference between life and death, victory and defeat!
• Joshua
1:9 : "Have I not commanded you? Be strong and of good courage; do not
be afraid, nor be dismayed, for the Lord your God is with you wherever you go.'" : You wonder if Joshua was wandering off in his mind. "More
than 2 million people and an established, hostile, set of imbedded nations? How
am I supposed to do this!?"
- God speaks it again because Joshua needed it
again! Don't you need things repeated to you? I know I do! "Joshua, be
strong and of good courage!"
- That's the positive side of the command. The
negative side is to not give into fear or dismay, hopelessness. How often have
you found yourself nursing fear at the sight of your circumstance?
- Joshua had quite a responsibility before the
Lord and fear was the natural response.
- Fear is only the first step, as hopelessness
sinks in quickly thereafter. You doubt your ability and then you absolutely
know without a shadow of a doubt that you are in over your head!
- But that is the point! God tells Joshua not
to be afraid or dismayed because the Lord His God is with him wherever he goes!
- I am often glad to have the presence of just
one person with me when I speak or minister somewhere. It's comforting not to
be alone.
- God promises His presence with us always and
calls us to trust that even in our most difficult moments, we need only remind
ourselves that He is there with us!
- Honestly, how many fears are greater than the
Lord? What situation can you conceive of that warrants a hopeless response in
light of God's presence with us?
- Whenever I have given into fear, it's been
because of my failure to trust the Lord or to perceive His imminence.
- He is never surprised by what comes in the
mail, or by what I face on a difficult day. Joshua needed to see his call in
light of God's presence and power, and to act accordingly.
IV. The Commitment Of The Called (v.10-18)
• Joshua
1:10,11 : "Then Joshua commanded the officers of the people, saying, 'Pass through the camp and command
the people, saying, ‘Prepare provisions for yourselves, for within three days
you will cross over this Jordan, to go in to possess the land which the Lord your God is giving you to possess.’" : There is no timeline given, but I can't imagine it being very
long before Joshua committed the people of Israel to this God appointed task.
- Immediate obedience is what we need more of,
especially in areas of difficulty. I need more than a resolve. I need to begin
doing things and commit myself immediately if ground is to be taken!
- Notice also the authoritative tone. "All
officers report to Joshua's tent immediately!"
- The people are going over and that's that!
But look at Joshua's heart: The Lord your God is giving you this land!
- Joshua knows that he has to be strong and
courageous, to be wary of giving into fear and dismay. However, when all was
said and done, it was still the Lord's job to deliver the land to them!
- Never forget that while you cooperate with
the Lord it is He that accomplishes it! The victory belongs to the Lord and Joshua
credits Him before they even get moving!
• Joshua
1:12-15 : "And to the Reubenites, the Gadites, and half the tribe of
Manasseh Joshua spoke, saying, 'Remember the word which Moses the servant of the Lord commanded you, saying, ‘The Lord your God is giving you rest and is
giving you this land.’ Your wives, your little ones, and your livestock shall remain in
the land which Moses gave you on this side of the Jordan. But you shall pass
before your brethren armed, all your mighty men of valor, and help them, until the Lord has given your brethren rest, as
He gave you, and they also have taken possession of the land which the Lord your God is giving them. Then you
shall return to the land of your possession and enjoy it, which Moses the Lord’s servant gave you on this side of
the Jordan toward the sunrise.'" : God will
be the victor and He rightly deserves the glory. This doesn't mean that we
don't practically arrange ourselves.
- Joshua, in this section secures the help of
these two and a half tribes, who had decided to remain on the East side of the
Jordan because of the pastureland.
- Before Moses died, there was a near riot when
these tribes made their decision not to cross over the Jordan river. Moses was
livid with these tribes because it was a potential stumbling block.
- He secured their military service for the
rest of the tribes as they went out to war. Here, Joshua reminds them of their
promise to go out armed with all their men!
- Remember something here: God could have wiped
out the armies of the Canaanite cities by Himself, with no help from the
Israelis.
- He chooses to use them, that they might know
by experience, the power of God! In so doing, they are blessed and empowered to
face any difficulty.
• Joshua
1:16-18 : "So they answered Joshua, saying, 'All that you command us we
will do, and wherever you send us we will go. Just as we heeded Moses in all
things, so we will heed you. Only the Lord your God be with you, as He was with Moses. Whoever rebels against your command
and does not heed your words, in all that you command him, shall be put to
death. Only be strong and of good courage.'" : Now, one cannot be sure if these two and half tribes understood
the question or had read any of the previous chapters, because this seems
amiss!
- They promise to do whatever Joshua tells
them, just as they had done for Moses previously! This can't be what they
meant, given their history!
- It seems that what they mean is that in
regard to their commitment to fight for the rest of the nation of Israel, they
had indeed followed Moses' command.
- They did not simply settle on the other side
of the Jordan. They had traveled with the entire nation and were now ready to
follow Joshua into battle.
- They actually even go so far as to strengthen
the word of Joshua, telling him that they will back him against any that would
rebel against his authority.
- Their commitment is such that they intend him
to be free just to focus on himself. They repeat the word that the Lord had
given to Joshua, to be strong and courageous.
- "We'll serve you completely. You won't
have to worry about us! We're all in!"
- However things would eventually play out,
this was their intentioned commitment and it must have been a wonderful thing
for Joshua to hear.
- The support that he gathered from their
sentiments toward him was no doubt very assuring.
Conclusion
- You and I have been called by God and we have the confidence that if we walk in His Word, we will walk well!
- You and I have been called by God and we have the confidence that if we walk in His Word, we will walk well!
- Therefore, we are commanded as Joshua before
us, to walk courageously forward into all that God's Word calls us into, never
straying to the right or to the left!
- Like Joshua, that issues in a complete
committing of ourselves immediately. We resolve as we observe and we act as
soon as possible.
- This is the key to taking what God has
already set apart for us.
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