Today’s Sermon Notes: 3-23-2025
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Joshua: Courage Over Fear
A Sermon Series
“Be Strong and Courageous”
Joshua 1
Introduction
Prayer
God’s Purposes Do Not Change (vv. 1-9)
There have been three delays for God’s people entering into the promised land:
God Calls People to His Purposes (vv. 1-5)
After the death of Moses the servant of the Lord, the Lord said to Joshua the son of Nun, Moses’ assistant, 2 “Moses my servant is dead.[3] Now therefore arise, go over this Jordan, you and all this people, into the land that I am giving to them, to the people of Israel. 3 Every place that the sole of your foot will tread upon I have given to you, just as I promised to Moses. 4 From the wilderness and this Lebanon as far as the great river, the river Euphrates, all the land of the Hittites to the Great Sea toward the going down of the sun shall be your territory. 5 No man shall be able to stand before you all the days of your life. Just as I was with Moses, so I will be with you. I will not leave you or forsake you.
Numbers 27:18-23. (V. 22) “And Moses did as the Lord commanded him. He took Joshua and made him stand before Eleazar the priest and the whole congregation, 23 and he laid his hands on him and commissioned him as the Lord directed through Moses.”
God’s Purposes Are Accomplished When His People Obey His Word (vv. 6-9)
6 Be strong and courageous, for you shall cause this people to inherit the land that I swore to their fathers to give them. 7 Only be strong and very courageous, being careful to do according to all the law that Moses my servant commanded you. Do not turn from it to the right hand or to the left, that you may have good success wherever you go. 8 This Book of the Law shall not depart from your mouth, but you shall meditate on it day and night, so that you may be careful 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. 9 Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be frightened, and do not be dismayed, for the Lord your God is with you wherever you go.”
In order to do this Joshua is given four things to do with God’s Word: 1) Study God’s Word “being careful to do according to all the law that Moses my servant commanded you.”
2) (v. 8) Talk About God’s Word “This Book of the Law shall not depart from your mouth . . .”
3) “meditate on it day and night,” – To meditate in something is more than studying it, and talking about it, now you are pulling things from it.
4) Obey the Word of God “being careful to do according to all the law that Moses my servant commanded you,” Psalm 1:2-3 talks about the righteous man “ . . but his delight is in the law of the Lord, and on his law he meditates day and night. 3 He is like a tree planted by streams of water that yields its fruit in its season, and its leaf does not wither. In all that he does, he prospers.” In order to prosper in the ways of the Lord, and to be a success at the task that God has called you to, the place the Word of God occupies in your life is critical.
Joshua Assumes Command (vv. 10-18)
Numbers 14:6-9 “And Joshua the son of Nun and Caleb the son of Jephunneh, who were among those who had spied out the land, tore their clothes 7 and said to all the congregation of the people of Israel, “The land, which we passed through to spy it out, is an exceedingly good land. 8 If the Lord delights in us, he will bring us into this land and give it to us, a land that flows with milk and honey. 9 Only do not rebel against the Lord.”
There is nothing more terrifying to a leader than wasted years walking around in a desert.
10 And Joshua commanded the officers of the people, 11 “Pass through the midst of the camp and command the people, ‘Prepare your provisions, for within three days you are to pass over this Jordan to go in to take possession of the land that the Lord your God is giving you to possess.’”
12 And to the Reubenites, the Gadites, and the half-tribe of Manasseh Joshua said, 13 “Remember the word that Moses the servant of the Lord commanded you, saying, ‘The Lord your God is providing you a place of rest and will give you this land.’ 14 Your wives, your little ones, and your livestock shall remain in the land that Moses gave you beyond the Jordan, but all the men of valor among you shall pass over armed before your brothers and shall help them, 15 until the Lord gives rest to your brothers as he has to you, and they also take possession of the land that the Lord your God is giving them. Then you shall return to the land of your possession and shall possess it, the land that Moses the servant of the Lord gave you beyond the Jordan toward the sunrise.”
Numbers 14:1-14 “Then all the congregation raised a loud cry, and the people wept that night. 2 And all the people of Israel grumbled against Moses and Aaron. The whole congregation said to them, “Would that we had died in the land of Egypt! Or would that we had died in this wilderness! 3 Why is the Lord bringing us into this land, to fall by the sword? Our wives and our little ones will become a prey. Would it not be better for us to go back to Egypt?” 4 And they said to one another, “Let us choose a leader and go back to Egypt.” . . . (v. 11) “Then all the congregation said to stone them with stones.”
16 And they answered Joshua, “All that you have commanded us we will do, and wherever you send us we will go. 17 Just as we obeyed Moses in all things, so we will obey you. Only may the Lord your God be with you, as he was with Moses! 18 Whoever rebels against your commandment and disobeys your words, whatever you command him, shall be put to death. Only be strong and courageous.”
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[1] https://www.sermonillustrations.com/a-z/c/courage.htm
[2] For more information about God’s covenant with Abram, Genesis 15 https://drewboswell.com/gods-covenant-and-abrahams-response-genesis-151-21/
[3] For more information about Moses’ death, Jude 9 https://drewboswell.com/426926-2/
[4] James Montgomery Boice, Joshua We will Serve the Lord (Old Tappan, New Jersey; Fleming H. Revell Publishing, 1989) 21.
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