Passage: Joshua 1
The Big Idea
Moses is dead, and Joshua will lead God’s people into the land God is giving them. The Law can’t take you into the promised land. Only Joshua can, and our Joshua is Jesus. The key to victory isn’t our effort; it’s God’s presence and His promises, received by faith.
Real History, Real Pictures
The Old Testament is real history. These things really happened: wars, miracles and all.
But it’s also a foreshadowing of Jesus and everything He would accomplish for us. Israel was redeemed out of Egypt; we are redeemed out of sin, which is even more true. Paul says these things happened as examples and were written for our instruction (1 Corinthians 10:11).
It was all supernaturally put together as part of a bigger plan. So is your life, by the way. This is a story with real significance, a movie that actually matters. And it will show us the path into the promised land: the victorious Christian life.
The promised land isn’t heaven. It still has battles. It’s life, as God intends it.
How They Got Here
Genesis:
- God creates man; man sins and is separated from God. God promises to destroy the serpent (Genesis 3:15).
- Mankind grows more evil until the flood. Noah is saved by grace, and God promises never to flood the earth again.
- God scatters the languages at Babel.
- God chooses Abraham and promises to bless all people through his descendant.
- God stops Abraham from sacrificing Isaac and promises He will provide His own sacrifice.
- Jacob, renamed Israel, has twelve sons, the twelve tribes. God keeps making promises to this family.
- Joseph becomes prime minister of Egypt, and God brings the family there to survive famine.
Exodus and the wilderness:
- Four hundred years pass as the nation grows in Egypt, just as God promised.
- Pharaoh enslaves them. God raises up Moses and speaks from a burning bush.
- Moses has a one-round fight with Pharaoh. God wins.
- God parts the Red Sea, drowns Egypt’s army, sends manna, water from the rock, and the pillar of cloud and fire.
- At Mount Sinai, God gives the Ten Commandments: keep them and be blessed; break them and be cursed. That’s the Law.
- They send spies into the land, but lack the faith to trust God. So they wander forty years until that generation dies, except Joshua and Caleb.
Out of Egypt, Into Canaan
The deliverance from Egypt was only preparation for enjoying Canaan. We are brought out of sin so that we can be brought into abundant life (John 10:10).
The wilderness is never God’s intended destination. Yet sometimes we wander for years before learning how to enter. Many Christians even die without knowing the victory God has given them, dry and thirsty and unsatisfied. That’s not what He intended.
The Star of the Show: Joshua
Joshua leads believers into the promised land. He’s a picture of Jesus. In fact, Joshua and Jesus are the same name: Joshua is the Hebrew form, Jesus the Greek. It means “the Lord saves.”
Whatever Israel received in the land, they received through Joshua. Whatever we receive from God, we receive through Jesus, our Joshua.
Moses Is Dead (Joshua 1:1-2)
God tells Joshua that Moses His servant is dead. So now it’s time to get up and cross the Jordan, Joshua and all the people, into the land God is giving them (Joshua 1:2).
After the death of Moses
Moses represents the Law. The picture couldn’t be clearer: the Law can’t lead you into the promised land. Only grace can. Only Jesus can.
Why does that matter? Because so many are burned out and dying in the wilderness, looking to the Law to lead them out. “What can I do to deliver myself? Go to church more? Give more? Cry more? Try harder?” The Law is dead as a way to get there.
Go over the Jordan
This river blocked the way into the land. It seemed impossible to cross, and they were afraid. But Joshua was commanded to lead them over. We don’t need to look at ourselves or the size of the challenge. Keep your eyes on Jesus, because He has been commissioned to carry you through. It’s His mission and His delight.
I am giving
Give is the language of grace. Always given, never earned.
Notice God calls them the children of Israel. He wants us to see Him as a Father. Not a self-centered father, not an abusive one, not what we’ve settled for, but a real, kind, loving, providing, protecting, redeeming Dad.
Already Given, Taken by Faith (Joshua 1:3)
God has given them every place the soles of their feet will step on (Joshua 1:3).
The land is already given. But they will have to take what was given, by faith.
Faith is active. Some think it’s passive. It’s the most active way to live.
Why didn’t God just wipe out all the enemies before they arrived? Because He loves to share the victory with His kids. He loves for us to partner with Him and take part in His kingdom.
“I Will Be with You” (Joshua 1:4-5)
God gives specific boundaries. Not a made-up life, but a specific one He promised. Jesus calls it the abundant life, and it’s all a free gift.
No one will be able to stand against Joshua all his life. As God was with Moses, He will be with Joshua. He will never leave him or forsake him (Joshua 1:5).
That’s the guarantee. Not because the people are great, or try hard, or fight hard, or do everything right, or go to church. The one key to victory is the presence of God.
The same holds true today. God’s work in your life isn’t done by the flesh. You are free from that pressure. It’s His presence that makes grace work: Christ in you, the hope of glory (Colossians 1:27).
Is He in you? It’s easy to know. Do you believe Jesus died for your sins and rose again the third day? Then He is. You can have assurance. And notice: if you want confidence, look at what Jesus has done, not at what you have or haven’t done. He will never leave you or forsake you (Hebrews 13:5).
Be Strong and Courageous (Joshua 1:6-9)
Three times God says, “Be strong and of good courage.” And He says don’t let the Book of the Law depart from your mouth; meditate on it day and night.
Here’s the problem. When someone tells me to be strong and courageous, I look to myself for strength. What’s actually needed is to look to God for strength.
How? By faith. Faith in what? The Word of God. And who is the Word? Jesus (John 1:14).
That’s the difference between God-confidence and self-confidence. True courage is laying yourself in God’s hands.
The Book of the Law
For Israel, God’s commands were opportunities to trust Him. But we can never keep them perfectly, because we have a deep sin problem. So our Joshua, Jesus, kept the law for us and gave us a new Spirit. Now we share in His life and live out what the Law described, from the inside, without a rulebook driving us (Ezekiel 36:26-27; Romans 8:3-4).
For them and for us, success depends completely on trusting God’s Word and God’s Redeemer.
Ready to Cross (Joshua 1:10-18)
Joshua tells the people to prepare, because in three days they’ll cross the Jordan to possess the land God is giving them. You enter the promised land after three days. I wonder if that theme will come back…
The tribes who’d already settled east of the Jordan agree to go and fight alongside their brothers until everyone has rest. Am I my brother’s keeper? Yes.
And their answer ends with the same words: may the Lord your God be with you, and be strong and courageous (Joshua 1:17-18).
That’s faith in the promise. That’s the foundation of this book, and how we’ll enter the promised land: only faith.
Grace Takeaway
The Law is dead as your guide into abundant life. Jesus, your Joshua, is alive, and He has already given you the land. Take it by faith, stand on His promises, and be strong in His strength. He will never leave you nor forsake you.