vv.1-4 The Leader and the Land. The book of Joshua naturally follows the five books of Moses, resuming the history “after the death of Moses the servant of Jehovah”. We find that Joshua replaces Moses as Israel’s leader. Moses is a type of Christ in bringing us out of the world, and in leading us through the wilderness. Joshua is a type of Christ as the captain of our salvation, in the power of the Spirit of God, leading us into the understanding and enjoyment of our place in heaven where He is now. We see that the land had been given to Israel by Jehovah. It was now a matter of faithfulness and energy to possess the land. They must claim the land for their own; “Every place whereon the sole of your foot shall tread have I given to you”. The borders of the land are given as promised to the fathers (Genesis 15:18-21; Exodus 23:31; Deuteronomy 1:7-8). During most of Israel’s history they only possessed a small fraction of this promised land. At its maximum extent, during the reign of Solomon, Israel had dominion over much of this land, but they did not possess it. In the Millennium they will possess it (Ezekiel 47:13-20). Like Israel in their land, we must walk in the truth in order to make it our own.

 

vv.5-6 Jehovah’s Presence, Strength and Courage. The Lord gives Joshua a tremendous encouragement. As he had been with Moses, so the Lord would be with Joshua. This verse is quoted in Hebrews 13:5 and applied to the believer in a spiritual sense. The Lord’s presence would be with Joshua through his whole life! The Lord encourages Joshua to “be strong and courageous”, or resolute and steadfast. It is the courage of faith, not of human will. The first time we get those two Hebrew words together is in Deut. 3:28, the Lord telling Moses to instruct Joshua. Then they come up three times in Deut. 31 with respect to crossing over the Jordan. Then we get them five times in the book of Joshua, four times in ch.1 and once in Josh. 10:25. In 1 Chron. 22:13, 28:20 David used the same expression in instructing Solomon, especially in building the temple. Finally, Hezekiah used both words together in speaking to the military chiefs of the the people before the attack of Sennacherib. Whether it is a new land, a long and difficult labor, or a terrible battle ahead of us, we can find help in these words – “I will not leave thee, neither will I forsake thee… be strong and courageous”.

 

vv.7-8 Obedience to the Book: Required to Prosper. It takes strength and courage to do what we find in the Word of God. Joshua was not to turn aside from it! Do we want to prosper? Obedience is vital. What allows us to have courage in the combat is that we are obeying God. If we are doing things according to our own will, there is no true ground for courage. We find much advice in the world today about how to “have good success in thy ways”. In Christianity the kingdom of heaven is in mystery form. It is not material success that we are seeking today, but spiritual success. Nevertheless, God provides for His own. The wisdom of God for His people at all times is that they should obey His Word.

 

v.9 Strength and Courage, Jehovah’s Presence. One final time, the Lord reminds Joshua, “Have I not commanded thee: Be strong and courageous?” It is a bit stronger now: a command. Joshua is told not to be afraid or dismayed. If we are afraid, it is because we are comparing ourselves with the enemy rather than having our eye on God. This is the rationale for being fearless: “for Jehovah thy God is with thee whithersoever thou goest”. One is reminded of Paul’s prayer in the third chapter of Ephesians; “That he would grant you, according to the riches of his glory, to be strengthened with might by his Spirit in the inner man; that Christ may dwell in your hearts by faith” (Ephesians 3:16-17). That was spoken in the context of encouraging the saints to lay hold of their spiritual inheritance. Paul could tell Timothy, “God hath not given us the spirit of fear; but of power, and of love, and of a sound mind” (2 Tim. 1:7). John could say, “greater is he that is in you, than he that is in the world” (1 John 4:4). The abiding presence of the Lord with us (a promise) coupled with the attributes and character of God (revealed) is enough to dispel all fear.

 

vv.10-11 Joshua to the Leaders of Israel. As we mentioned in the introduction, the crossing of the Jordan River is a type of our death and resurrection with Christ. The mention of three days in Joshua’s instructions to the people would hint at the truth of resurrection. The Jordan was the boundary of the land as far as what they would possess initially. Far more was promised to them, but they must cross the Jordan to take possession of the land. We have these two things that go together: that Jehovah had given them the land, but that they must enter it to take possession. We too must put forth energy, in order to “be able to comprehend with all saints what is the breadth, and length, and depth, and height” of the mighty truths of Christ and the church, “… and to know the love of Christ” (Ephesians 3:18).

 

The Two and a Half Tribes. In Numbers 32 we find the two and a half tribes (Reuben, Gad, and the half-tribe of Manasseh) desire the cattle-land east of Jordan. They request that the land of Gilead be given to them for their possession, and that they might forfeit their portion in the land. “Bring us not over Jordan.” Moses, who was prevented from entering because of his failure, is angry with them because he would happily go in if Jehovah would let him. The answer to the two and a half tribes is in 2 Timothy 4 where Demas had forsaken Paul and the truths that belong to Canaan. It wasn’t that he no longer wished to be a Christian, no more than the tribes wished not to be called Israelites. But he loved this present world, and like the two and a half tribes said “Bring us not over Jordan”. God doesn’t want us to be Christians who have possessions down here to which our hearts cling. To be Christians who hardly ever enjoy their heavenly blessings that were purposed for them before time began. The portion desired by the two and a half tribes was acquired by the people of God outside of Canaan. These lands were won by the Lord, but they are not the spiritual blessings in heavenly places. They speak of His material provision for passage through the world. These tribes were the first to be taken over in Israel’s captivity. If through human impatience we settle for less than what God has promised us, we miss out on a blessing and make ourselves prone to attack by the enemy. Here we find that the 2 1/2 tribes would come over with the rest of the nation, and we find elsewhere that in the case of national war, the men from the two and a half tribes would go over and help. But whose heart can really be in the battle when his possessions are on the east side of Jordan?¹

 

vv.12-15 Joshua to the 2 1/2 Tribes. Here we find that the 2 1/2 tribes were going to go over Jordan with the other tribes and help them defeat the Canaanites. This pictures to us how every believer, regardless of whether they choose to enjoy and lay hold of their spiritual inheritance, is positionally in the land, “seated in heavenly places in Christ Jesus”. The description that the land that Moses had given the 2 1/2 tribes, at their request and despite Moses’ protest, was “toward the sun rising” is interesting. Perhaps the mention of “the sun rising” suggests that it was only the beginning of the blessing God intended for them, and therefore to settle for it was a short-sighted choice to make.

 

vv.16-18 The 2 1/2 Tribes’ Reply to Joshua. The two and a half tribes enthusiastically respond, promising to do all that was commanded of them, and then took upon themselves the penalty of death for any who did not obey. So stirred up where they, that they themselves exhorted Joshua, “Only be strong and courageous.”