Be Strong and of Good Courage For Scripture Reading (Psalm 31:19-24) Moses gave his final instructions to Joshua (his protégé) before his death (Deuteronomy 31:7-8), “Then Moses called Joshua and said to him in the sight of all Israel, ‘Be strong and of good courage, for you must go with this people to the land which the Lord has sworn to their fathers to give them, and you shall cause them to inherit it. 8 And the Lord, He is the One who goes before you. He will be with you, He will not leave you nor forsake you; do not fear nor be dismayed.’” (Deuteronomy 31:23), “Then He inaugurated Joshua the son of Nun, and said, “Be strong and of good courage; for you shall bring the children of Israel into the land of which I swore to them, and I will be with you.” These instructions to Joshua were repeated by the Lord to Joshua. (Joshua 1:1-9) “After the death of Moses the servant of the Lord, it came to pass that the Lord spoke to Joshua the son of Nun, Moses’ assistant, saying: 2 “Moses My servant is dead. Now therefore, arise, go over this Jordan, you and all this people, to the land which I am giving to them—the children of Israel. 3 Every place that the sole of your foot will tread upon I have given you, as I said to Moses. 4 From the wilderness and this Lebanon as far as the great river, the River Euphrates, all the land of the Hittites, and 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; as I was with Moses, so I will be with you. I will not leave you nor forsake you. 6 Be strong and of good courage, for to this people you shall divide as an inheritance the land which I swore to their fathers to give them. 7 Only be strong and very courageous, that you may observe to do according to all the law which Moses My servant commanded you; do not turn from it to the right hand or to the left, that you may prosper wherever you go. 8 This Book of the Law shall not depart from your mouth, but you shall meditate in it day and night, that you may observe 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 of good courage; do not be afraid, nor be dismayed, for the Lord your God is with you wherever you go.” This text repeats the words God spoke to Moses (Deuteronomy 11:24-25), “Every place on which the sole of your foot treads shall be yours: from the wilderness and Lebanon, from the river, the River Euphrates, even to the Western Sea, shall be your territory. 25 No man shall be able to stand against you; the Lord your God will put the dread of you and the fear of you upon all the land where you tread, just as He has said to you.” The words, “Be Strong and of Good Courage”, in our context, gives us a number of things to think about and apply. I want to share with you 3 of them… Joshua 1

Be Strong and of Good Courage God Keeps His Promises (6) Genesis 12:1-3; 13:14-17 John 3:16; Romans 8:37-39 (Joshua 1:6), “Be strong and of good courage, for to this people you shall divide as an inheritance the land which I swore to their fathers to give them.” Victory was assured. The land would be inhabited. Because God keeps His promises! (Genesis 12:1-3), “Now the Lord had said to Abram: ‘Get out of your country, from your family and from your father's house, to a land that I will show you. 2 I will make you a great nation; I will bless you and make your name great; and you shall be a blessing. 3 I will bless those who bless you, and I will curse him who curses you; and in you all the families of the earth shall be blessed.” (Genesis 13:14-17), “And the Lord said to Abram, after Lot had separated from him: “Lift your eyes now and look from the place where you are—northward, southward, eastward, and westward; 15 for all the land which you see I give to you and your descendants forever. 16 And I will make your descendants as the dust of the earth; so that if a man could number the dust of the earth, then your descendants also could be numbered. 17 Arise, walk in the land through its length and its width, for I give it to you.” God kept His promise to Abraham. The book of Joshua describes Israel’s successful military campaign to inhabit and take control of the land of Canaan God also kept His promise, “and in you all the families of the earth shall be blessed.” (Messianic) (John 3:16), “For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life.” (Romans 8:37-39), “Yet in all these things we are more than conquerors through Him who loved us. 38 For I am persuaded that neither death nor life, nor angels nor principalities nor powers, nor things present nor things to come, 39 nor height nor depth, nor any other created thing, shall be able to separate us from the love of God which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.” We can be strong and good courage, because the promise of salvation is given by a God who keeps His promises!

Be Strong and of Good Courage Be faithful and Obedient to God (7) Exodus 19:3-6 John 15:9-10; 5, 7-8; James 1:25 (Joshua 1:7), “Only be strong and very courageous, that you may observe to do according to all the law which Moses My servant commanded you; do not turn from it to the right hand or to the left, that you may prosper wherever you go.” The Call to be strong and very courageous is a call to be obedient to the will of God For the Israelites, it was the law of Moses, with the conditional promise of prosperity by His hand (Exodus 19:3-6), “And Moses went up to God, and the Lord called to him from the mountain, saying, “Thus you shall say to the house of Jacob, and tell the children of Israel: 4 “You have seen what I did to the Egyptians, and how I bore you on eagles’ wings and brought you to Myself. 5 Now therefore, if you will indeed obey My voice and keep My covenant, then you shall be a special treasure to Me above all people; for all the earth is Mine. 6 And you shall be to Me a kingdom of priests and a holy nation.’ These are the words which you shall speak to the children of Israel.” Notice the conditional nature of God’s promises regarding the continued reception of His blessings For us, it is obedience to the will of our Lord (Jesus Christ) (John 15:9-10), “As the Father loved Me, I also have loved you; abide in My love. 10 If you keep My commandments, you will abide in My love, just as I have kept My Father's commandments and abide in His love.” Note: This passage follows Jesus’ metaphor “I am the vine, you are the branches “ (vs. 5) (John 15:7-8), “If you abide in Me, and My words abide in you, you will ask what you desire, and it shall be done for you. 8 By this My Father is glorified, that you bear much fruit; so you will be My disciples.” Our promise (James 1:25), “But he who looks into the perfect law of liberty and continues in it, and is not a forgetful hearer but a doer of the work, this one will be blessed in what he does.”

Be Strong and of Good Courage God is Always With Us (9) Joshua 7:6-7, 10-12 Romans 8:31-34; Philippians 4:13; John 10:27-29 (James 1:9), “Have I not commanded you? Be strong and of good courage; do not be afraid, nor be dismayed, for the Lord your God is with you wherever you go.” The realization that our protector is God Himself, gives cause for strength and courage! The Israelites were ALWAYS successful when God was with them. Question: When Israel was defeated by the small city of Ai, was this a failure on the part of God? (Joshua 7:6-7), “Then Joshua tore his clothes, and fell to the earth on his face before the ark of the Lord until evening, he and the elders of Israel; and they put dust on their heads. 7 And Joshua said, “Alas, Lord God, why have You brought this people over the Jordan at all—to deliver us into the hand of the Amorites, to destroy us?” (Joshua 7:10-12), “So the Lord said to Joshua: “Get up! Why do you lie thus on your face? 11 Israel has sinned, and they have also transgressed My covenant which I commanded them. For they have even taken some of the accursed things, and have both stolen and deceived; and they have also put it among their own stuff. 12 Therefore the children of Israel could not stand before their enemies, but turned their backs before their enemies, because they have become doomed to destruction. Neither will I be with you anymore, unless you destroy the accursed from among you.” The Lesson: God is always with US, when we are His People, “zealous for good works” (Romans 8:31-34), “What then shall we say to these things? If God is for us, who can be against us? 32 He who did not spare His own Son, but delivered Him up for us all, how shall He not with Him also freely give us all things? 33 Who shall bring a charge against God's elect? It is God who justifies. 34 Who is he who condemns? It is Christ who died, and furthermore is also risen, who is even at the right hand of God, who also makes intercession for us.” (Philippians 4:13), “I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me.” (John 10:27-29), “My sheep hear My voice, and I know them, and they follow Me. 28 And I give them eternal life, and they shall never perish; neither shall anyone snatch them out of My hand. 29 My Father, who has given them to Me, is greater than all; and no one is able to snatch them out of My Father's hand.”

We need to encourage one another! Isaiah 41:6-10 Acts 28:15 There is good reason for us to be strong, and of good courage However, we know that from time to time that strength can falter in the face of adversity God has given us one another to encourage and edify, that we may maintain that strength and courage! (Isaiah 41:6-10), [In a time of renewal, Israel came together!], “Everyone helped his neighbor, and said to his brother, “Be of good courage!” 7 So the craftsman encouraged the goldsmith; he who smooths with the hammer inspired him who strikes the anvil, saying, “It is ready for the soldering”; then he fastened it with pegs, that it might not totter. 8 “But you, Israel, are My servant, Jacob whom I have chosen, the descendants of Abraham My friend. 9 You whom I have taken from the ends of the earth, and called from its farthest regions, and said to you, ‘You are My servant, I have chosen you and have not cast you away: 10 Fear not, for I am with you; be not dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen you, yes, I will help you, I will uphold you with My righteous right hand.’” Paul, at a dire time in his life – the voyage to Rome to make his petition to Caesar – was met by his brethren (from Rome, before his arrival). (Acts 28:15), “And from there, when the brethren heard about us, they came to meet us as far as Appii Forum and Three Inns. When Paul saw them, he thanked God and took courage.”