Joshua was Moses' field commander in the fight against the Amalekites Exodus 17:9 and his assistant when the Law was given at Mount Sinai Exodus 24:13. After initially exploring the land of Canaan, Joshua was one of only two men to advise the Israelites to trust God and enter the promised land Numbers 14:6-9. When the people refused, Joshua received an additional 39 years of leadership training from Moses while the Israelites were led through the desert.
God then selected Joshua to succeed Moses; "At his command he and the entire community of the Israelites will go out, and at his command they will come in" Numbers 27:21. After Moses died, God gave final instructions to Joshua before leading the people into the land of Canaan.
"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."Joshua 1:9
Joshua would be required to fight many battles and lead a great multitude of people, so God repeated His encouragement several times; "Be strong and courageous!"
This is an awesome exhortation for us today. God has given us His instructions, empowered us with His Spirit, and has told us to boldly proceed down His path, knowing He is by our side wherever we go. But there's an additional lesson God desires all His children to learn.
Prior to his first battle in Canaan, Joshua "saw a man standing in front of him with a drawn sword in his hand" Joshua 5:13. This caused Joshua some obvious concern, so he approached the man and asked; "Are you for us or for our enemies?"
"'Neither,' he replied, 'but as commander of the army of the Lord I have now come.' Then Joshua fell facedown to the ground in reverence, and asked him, 'What message does my Lord have for His servant?'"Joshua 5:14
We are called to be bold, but our boldness will always become self-serving unless we totally submit to God's leadership - unless we say with complete humility: "Lord, You are the Commander and this is Your army. I will fight with courage and strength, but these are Your battles. What would You have me do, and where would You have me go?"
As we boldly go forward into God's Land of Promise, our marching orders are clear: we are to always be strong, courageous, and humble.
- steve troxel
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