In The Word
Read Joshua 1
God’s Charge to Joshua
1 Now it came about after the death of Moses the servant of the Lord, that the Lord spoke to Joshua the son of Nun, Moses’ servant, saying, 2 “Moses My servant is dead; now therefore arise, cross this Jordan, you and all this people, to the land which I am giving to them, to the sons of Israel. 3 Every place on which the sole of your foot treads, I have given it to you, just as I spoke to Moses. 4 From the wilderness and this Lebanon, even as far as the great river, the river Euphrates, all the land of the Hittites, and as far as the Great Sea toward the setting of the sun will be your territory. 5 No man will be able to stand before you all the days of your life. Just as I have been with Moses, I will be with you; I will not fail you or forsake you. 6 Be strong and courageous, for you shall give this people possession of the land which I swore to their fathers to give them. 7 Only be strong and very courageous; be careful to do according to all the law which Moses My servant commanded you; do not turn from it to the right or to the left, so that you may have 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 success. 9 Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous! Do not tremble or be dismayed, for the Lord your God is with you wherever you go.”
Joshua Assumes Command
10 Then Joshua commanded the officers of the people, saying, 11 “Pass through the midst of the camp and command the people, saying, ‘Prepare provisions for yourselves, for within three days you are to cross this Jordan, to go in to possess the land which the Lord your God is giving you, to possess it.’”
12 To the Reubenites and to the Gadites and to the half-tribe of Manasseh, Joshua said, 13 “Remember the word which Moses the servant of the Lord commanded you, saying, ‘The Lord your God gives you rest and will give you this land.’ 14 Your wives, your little ones, and your cattle shall remain in the land which Moses gave you beyond the Jordan, but you shall cross before your brothers in battle array, all your valiant warriors, and shall help them, 15 until the Lord gives your brothers rest, as He gives you, and they also possess the land which the Lord your God is giving them. Then you shall return to your own land, and possess that which Moses the servant of the Lord gave you beyond the Jordan toward the sunrise.”
16 They answered Joshua, saying, “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 Anyone who rebels against your command and does not obey your words in all that you command him, shall be put to death; only be strong and courageous.”
New American Standard Bible (NASB) Copyright © 1960, 1962, 1963, 1968, 1971, 1972, 1973, 1975, 1977, 1995 by The Lockman Foundation
Walking In The Word
After the completion of the Pentateuch, the first five books of the Bible, we come to the book of Joshua. Moses passed away, and Joshua had taken over as commander of Israel. The first instruction Joshua received from God was to cross the Jordan and take possession of the Promised Land. Verse 2 (KJV) states, “…the land which I do give them.” This was spoken before the land was given. God is presently giving Israel the land. In the next verse (Joshua 1:3), God tells Joshua, “… have I given unto you,” which changed the context from pre-gift to past tense. This confirms the completion of the promise.
Although Israel had already been given the Promised Land, they still didn’t possess it. After the promise had been fulfilled in verse 3, Joshua later prepared all the people in verse 11 “to go in to possess the land.” After God had given them the land, they could have just stayed on the bank of the Jordan River. Instead, they moved forward, went in, and took the Promised Land.
Sometimes in life, we get stuck like the Israelites did in verse 3, never moving to verse 11. We wait for God to fulfill a promise in our lives that has already been fulfilled. It is not because of God that our promises do not get fulfilled, but because we have not gone in and taken possession of the promise. The Bible is filled with God’s promises for you. If He promised it, He will also fulfilled it. Now, it’s up to you to possess it!