February 23, 2000

EXPLORE THE BIBLE SERIES:
God's promises give us the courage to take action
___ Joshua 1:1-6,13; 2:8-11,24
___By Ellis Orozco
___Calvary Baptist Church, McAllen
___The book of Joshua opens with Joshua standing at the most important crossroads of his life. Moses is dead. Now Joshua must lead the people into the coveted Promised Land. It doesn't look any easier now than it did 40 years before when the people elected to run the other way.
___We know the end of this story. Joshua enters the land and is victorious in a miraculous way. His victory and subsequent success were based on some very specific things.
___ God's promises (Joshua 1:1-6). Joshua's victory is based on the promise that God had made many years before.
___ The promise of a land "flowing with milk and honey" had been made to Moses, Joshua's immediate predecessor (Joshua 1:3). The promise also had been made to Abraham, Joshua's ancient forefather (Joshua 1:6; Genesis 12:1-3). God's promises are passed from generation to generation and are the stream from which we draw strength. Joshua is able to forge ahead and claim victory against insurmountable odds because he believed in God's promises.
___The Bible is filled with the promises of God, beginning with God's promise to love Adam and ending with God's promise to come again and be with us forever. God never fails on his promises.
___ God's proclamation (Joshua 1:7-8). Joshua's victory is also based on his obedience to God's word. God gives Joshua a stern warning. If Joshua is to be successful, then God's book of the law--his proclamation to Israel--is to be obeyed without wavering (Joshua 1:7). God mentions three things Joshua is to do with God's word: Preach the word of God, pray the word of God, and practice the word (Joshua 1:8).
___We can accomplish a lot of things in this life, but if those accomplishments are not grounded in the word of God, they will not last. His word must be at the center of everything we do.
___ God's presence (Joshua 1:9). Joshua's victory is based on God's greatest promise--to be with us always. It is such an important promise that God repeats it in verse five, and again in verse nine. Repetition was an important part of the Hebrew language. In Hebrew poetry it was used in much the same way we use rhyme, but in historical narratives, such as the book of Joshua, repetition was almost always used for the purpose of emphasis. It was as if God were saying with an emphatic voice, "I will never forsake you!" This final promise is what gives Joshua the courage he needs to enter the battle.
___ Our practice (Joshua 1:10-2:24). The rest of the passage is the story of how Joshua reacts to God's promises, proclamation and presence. The Scriptures do not record one word from Joshua in response to God's words to him. Joshua simply acts on all that has been given to him. Actions speak louder than words.
___Joshua's obedience to God is manifested in a number of ways: He takes charge of the situation (Joshua 1:11-12); he imparts God's vision to the troops (Joshua 1:12-17); he develops a plan of action (Joshua 2:1); and he relies on God to bring the victory (Joshua 2:2-24). Ultimately, Joshua is victorious because he allowed himself to be used by God.

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