Bible Commentaries
Joshua 1

Verses 1-9

Joshua’s Divine Commission (A Call to Be Fruitful and Multiply) Joshua 1:1-9 contains the divine commission of Joshua. We often find a divine commission at the beginning of the story of God’ servants in the Scriptures. We see in the book of Genesis that Adam, Noah, Abraham, Isaac and Jacob each received their commissions at the beginning of their genealogies which divide the book of Genesis into major divisions. We also see how Moses received his divine commission near the beginning of his story found within Exodus to Deuteronomy. Joshua received his commission in the first few verses of the book of Joshua. Also, we see that Isaiah, Jeremiah, and Ezekiel each received a divine commission at the beginning of their ministries. The book of Ezra opens with a divine call to rebuild the Temple and the book of Nehemiah begins with a call to rebuild the walls of Jerusalem, which callings Ezra and Nehemiah answered. In the New Testament, we find Paul the apostle receiving his divine commission in Acts 9:1-22 at the beginning of the lengthy section on Paul’s life and ministry.

Each of these divine callings can be found within God’s original commission to Adam in the story of Creation to be fruitful and multiply. For these men were called to bring the about the multiplication of godly seeds. The patriarchs were called to multiply and produce a nation of righteousness. Moses was called to bring Israel out of bondage, but missed his calling to bring them into the Promised Land. Joshua was called to bring them in to the land. Esther was called to preserve the seed of Israel as was Noah, while Ezra and Nehemiah were called to bring them back into the Promised Land. All of the judges, the kings and the prophets were called to call the children of Israel out of sin and bondage and into obedience and prosperity. They were all called to bring God’s children out of bondage and destruction and into God’s blessings and multiplication. The stories in the Old Testament show us that some of these men fulfilled their divine commission while others either fell short through disobedience or were too wicked to hear their calling from God.

Joshua’s calling falls under God’s original command to Adam and Eve while in the Garden of Eden to be fruitful and multiply and to take dominion over the earth. In this command, God was referring to the multiplication of a righteous people. Thus, Joshua was simply building upon the foundation laid by his predecessor Moses. We see God’s original plan for mankind is still being given to His children of righteousness, who are the children of Israel during the time of Moses and Joshua up until the time of the New Testament church. The command to be fruitful and to multiply has never changed and will be given again to the apostles in the Great Commission by our Resurrected Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ, for He will command the apostles to go and to train, or to make disciples, of all nations. In other words, the Church was to be fruitful and multiply and subdue the earth. This was God’s original plan for mankind and this plan has not changed in the least. The Gospel of Matthew serves as the training manual by which the Church is to go and make disciples just as the Law of Moses found in the Pentateuch served as Joshua’ guide to fulfil his divine calling and destiny; for the Gospel of Matthew is structured into five major discourses which parallel and built upon the five books of the Pentateuch. The Great Commission is found in the first book of the New Testament and therefore serves to lay the foundation for the work of the New Testament Church. We find in the book of Acts how the early Church followed this command. In the same way, the book of Joshua serves as an example and a pattern for the nation of Israel in subduing the nations around them in order to fulfil Israel’s “Great Commission” of taking dominion over the earth.

However, one difference in Israel’s divine commission and the Church’s divine commission is that Israel was given the Promised Land to live in and to become a witness of God’s love and redemption for mankind. In contrast, the Church was not given land, but rather told to go into all of the nations and become witnesses of the Gospel of Jesus Christ.

In Joshua 1:1-9 God gives Joshua a specific and clear two-fold commission. As with the patriarchs Joshua had a destiny to fulfil, a divine calling to obey and accomplish. We see in Joshua 1:2-5 that God commanded Joshua to take possession of the Promised Land, and in Joshua 1:6 he is told to divide it by lot among the twelve tribes of Israel. The Lord then gives Joshua the divine rules for him to follow in order to accomplish this otherwise impossible task (Joshua 1:7-9).

Joshua 1:1-9 Joshua’s Divine Commission (God’s Method of Preparing Joshua in Order to Fulfil His Divine Commission) - Joshua 1:8 reveals to us how God created the human to respond to information. We find within this verse how God created the human body to respond to information. God created man as a three-fold creature: spirit, soul (or mind) and body. He gave to us five senses, or five sense gates, within our physical bodies whereby all information has access to our minds. These are called our seeing, our hearing, our smell, our taste and our touch. These sense gates of the human body are the method by which all external information reaches our minds for processing in order for man to make decisions about his surroundings and circumstances. The human mind is created to then process this information through its ability to reason and through a person’s emotions. God created the man to be more reason-oriented while the woman tends to be more emotion-oriented. The human spirit, also called the heart of man, then examines the evidence and speaks to the mind through man’s conscience, for God has created the conscience to be the voice of the spirit. Here lies man’s opportunity to meditate and learn to listen to his conscience and to the voice of God. The mind, where the human will lies, then chooses whether to receive or reject this information that it has received and to either obey or to disobey his conscience. Then, based upon whether a person listens to external information or to his heart and conscience, he makes a decision as to how to respond to such information. Thus, the third make-up of man, the human body, is commanded what to do in order to have victory over his circumstance.

We learn from Joshua 1:8 that when a person has allowed God’s Word to continually enter through the gates of seeing and hearing, the mind becomes programmed to respond to this information more readily than to his circumstances. This is because God’s Word is now dominating his thoughts. But this takes place in the life of a person who has learned to humble himself and to receive God’s Word as his primary source of information. With such an attitude of the heart, the person learns what God’s Word says to do in all circumstances and he then learns how to exercise himself according to the teachings revealed within God’s Word.

This process will work for anyone because we have all been created with this same three-fold make up. This is why God tells us in Proverbs 22:6 to “train up a child in the way he should go: and when he is old, he will not depart from it.” Why will a child not depart: because such a child has been programmed how to behave and conduct his life in the midst of all circumstances through parental training and discipline. This is a natural process that will take place within every human being and not something that we hope our child will grasp. It is a sure and certain process. If our children depart from God, it is because the parents failed somewhat in their training. Divine training is a natural process that works within the three-fold human make up for God has created the human to respond through such training and discipline.

Meditating upon God’s Word is the process by which faith is developed, for we read in Romans 10:17 that faith comes by hearing and hearing by the Word of God. This is the method by which fear is driven out of our heart. This is why God commands three times in this one passage to be strong and of good courage, since this leader must be able to overcome fear in order to fulfil his destiny and divine calling.

Therefore, we see within this passage that God not only gives Joshua his divine commission, but He also tells him that it will be fulfilled by being strong and courageous. God gives Joshua the method by which strength and courage are developed in the human heart. Joshua did go on to fulfil his calling by God, which means that he did mediate in God’s Word and develop the strength and courage to obey God’s Word. Unfortunately, this was not the case for most of the kings of Israel during the period of the kingdom.

Joshua 1:1 Now after the death of Moses the servant of the LORD it came to pass, that the LORD spake unto Joshua the son of Nun, Moses' minister, saying,

Joshua 1:1 “Now…it came to pass” Comments - A number of books in the Old Testament begins with the common Hebrew idiom “and it came to pass” ( וַיְהִי ), made from the conjunction ( ו ) “and” and the imperfect verb ( הָיָה ) “to be.” Douglas Stuart identifies the books that commence with this Hebrew construction as Joshua, Judges, 1 Samuel, Ruth, Esther, Jonah, and Lamentations ( LXX). [17] This phrase is used at least three hundred eighty eight (388) times in the Old Testament to begin narrative stories, and to move the plot from one scene to another within the narrative material. Although some of the books listed above are a part of a collection of narratives that follow each other in a chronological order, Stuart believes this opening phrase is intended to begin a new book.

[17] Douglas Stuart, Hosea-Jonah, in Word Biblical Commentary: 58 Volumes on CD-Rom, vol. 31, eds. Bruce M. Metzger, David A. Hubbard and Glenn W. Barker (Dallas: Word Inc., 2002), in Libronix Digital Library System, v. 3.0b [CD-ROM] (Bellingham, WA: Libronix Corp., 2004), “Introduction: Form/Structure/Setting.”

Regarding the book of Joshua, the view that it is an entirely independent book is supported by the fact that the Pentateuch, as a collection of five books, had a definitive conclusion The a section of poetry (Deuteronomy 32-33) and the epilogue (Deuteronomy 34:0) serve to conclude this collection of books. [18] The term “Hexateuch” was first applied to the Pentateuch and the book of Joshua by J. Wellhausen (1876) in the belief that they were all “compiled from a single set of literary sources.” [19] However, the book of Joshua has been historically collected with the prophetic books in the 3-fold arrangement of the Hebrew Bible, and with the historical books in the 4-fold arrangement of the English Bible. [20] Sailhamer explains that the opening passage of the book of Joshua (Joshua 1:7) is intended on acknowledging the Pentateuch, and thus, must be interpreted in light of these preceding books. [21] In other words, the events that take place in Joshua cannot be understood without a prior understanding of the theology of the Pentateuch.

[18] John H. Sailhamer, Introduction to Old Testament Theology (Grand Rapids, Michigan: Zondervan Publishing House, c1995), 210.

[19] F. L. Cross, ed., “Hexateuch,” in The Oxford Dictionary of the Christian Church (Oxford: Oxford University Press, 1983), 645. See also A. Kuenen, An Historical-Critical Inquiry into the Origin and Composition of the Hexateuch (Pentateuch and Book of Joshua) (London: MacMillan and Company, 1886).

[20] F. F. Bruce, The Books and the Parchments (Old Tappan, New Jersey: Fleming H. Revell Company, 1963), 89-90.

[21] John H. Sailhamer, Introduction to Old Testament Theology (Grand Rapids, Michigan: Zondervan Publishing House, c1995), 238.

Joshua 1:1 “after the death of Moses the servant of the Lord” Comments - Only a few individuals are called servants of the Lord in the Old Testament. It is used of Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, Moses, Caleb, David, and Zerubbabel.

Joshua 1:1 “that the LORD spake unto Joshua the son of Nun, Moses' minister, saying” - Comments - The book of Joshua opens with the Lord telling Joshua that Moses was dead, an event that was weighing heavily upon his mind. The Lord was telling him this to get him focused upon his future calling, rather than looking back. In such difficult times God often speaks to us. We can imagine how the children of Israel felt when their leader, the man who had led them for forty years out of Egypt and through the wilderness. Joshua needed to step forward and give the Israelites a word from the Lord to confirm his ability to lead in a similar manner. We see God speaking to Isaiah when King Uzziah died (Isaiah 6:1), and giving him a divine commission in a similar way that God gave Joshua his commission.

Isaiah 6:1, “In the year that king Uzziah died I saw also the Lord sitting upon a throne, high and lifted up, and his train filled the temple.”

“Joshua the son of Nun, Moses' minister” - Comments - We see in Joshua 1:1 the divine principle of God promoting those into an office who first serve in the ministry of helps. Joshua was a faithful servant to Moses long before he became a leader. This principle is seen under the old covenant as well as the new. For example, David served under King Saul before becoming king. Philip served as a deacon in the early Church before becoming an evangelist

Joshua 1:1 Comments - Joshua 1:1 refers back to the epilogue of Deuteronomy, which gives us the account of the death of Moses. It tells us what came to pass after Moses’ death, so that it serves to lead us into the next phase of Joshua’s new leadership over Israel and their conquest of the Canaanites and settlement of the Promised Land.

Joshua 1:2 Moses my servant is dead; now therefore arise, go over this Jordan, thou, and all this people, unto the land which I do give to them, even to the children of Israel.

Joshua 1:2 “Moses my servant is dead” Comments - The first statement that the Lord said to Joshua is recorded in Joshua 1:2. We have no other record of the Lord speaking to Joshua before this time of God giving him divine commission. It was necessary for Joshua to first understand that Moses was not coming back, that he was dead. The elders had watched as Moses departed from the camp and made his way from the plains of Moab unto the mountain of Nebo. He must have then returned from this mountain to a certain valley where he simply rested himself and gave up the ghost and was buried. Thus, Joshua and the elders needed a supernatural word from the Lord that Moses was indeed dead, that they no longer needed to wait for his return, but to prepare themselves to cross over the river Jordan and possess the land. So for Joshua, these words that “Moses my servant is dead” served as a closure for that time of waiting and looking to Moses as their leader, through whom the Lord spoke so clearly and accurately.

Joshua 1:2 “thou, and all this people” Comments - Mike Bickle describes an encounter with the Lord in 1983 regarding the responsibility of helping the Lord lead the Church into maturity. One morning in prayer he was complaining about the heavy responsibility of pastoring a congregation of five hundred people. He said he was simply pleased with perfecting holiness in his own life. The Lord spoke to him Joshua 1:2, “Moses my servant is dead; now therefore arise, go over this Jordan, thou, and all this people , unto the land which I do give to them, even to the children of Israel.” The Lord then quickened a question to him, “What is more important on earth than a holy person.” While being puzzled with such a question, the Lord answered, “A whole generation of holy people.” The Lord explained that He wanted not only the pastor, but the whole church to inherit the land. [22] In other words, in the life of a mature believer the most important thing to the Lord becomes his willingness to lead other believers into Heaven.

[22] Mike Bickle, Session 20 - The Bride’s Final Intercession and Revelation (Song of Song of Solomon 8:8-14 ), in Song of Songs (Kansas City, Missouri: International House of Prayer, 1998), 5-6.

Joshua 1:3 Every place that the sole of your foot shall tread upon, that have I given unto you, as I said unto Moses.

Joshua 1:3 “Every place that the sole of your foot shall tread upon, that have I given unto you” Comments - The Lord spoke a similar promise to Abraham after separating from Lot.

Genesis 13:17, “Arise, walk through the land in the length of it and in the breadth of it; for I will give it unto thee.”

Joshua 1:3 “as I said unto Moses” - Comments - This statement is recorded in Deuteronomy 11:24.

Deuteronomy 11:24, “Every place whereon the soles of your feet shall tread shall be yours: from the wilderness and Lebanon, from the river, the river Euphrates, even unto the uttermost sea shall your coast be.”

Joshua 1:4 From the wilderness and this Lebanon even unto the great river, the river Euphrates, all the land of the Hittites, and unto the great sea toward the going down of the sun, shall be your coast.

Joshua 1:4 Comments - The wilderness, called the Wilderness of Sin, represents the southern border of the nation of Israel (Numbers 34:3). Lebanon represents its northern border. The river Euphrates represents the eastern border. The great sea is the Mediterranean Sea, representing the western border of the land of Israel.

Numbers 34:3, “Then your south quarter shall be from the wilderness of Zin along by the coast of Edom, and your south border shall be the outmost coast of the salt sea eastward:”

Note that the kingdom of Israel reached these boundaries for a short period of time during the reign of King Solomon.

1 Kings 4:21, “And Solomon reigned over all kingdoms from the river unto the land of the Philistines, and unto the border of Egypt: they brought presents, and served Solomon all the days of his life.”

Joshua 1:3-4 Comments Every Place Your Foot Shall Tread In Joshua 1:3-4 God promised to give the children of Israel every piece of land that they walked upon, marking a huge boundary that went beyond the area of the Canaanites, reaching unto the Euphrates River. However, the children of Israel were going to have to take possession of this land through warfare, as mentioned in the next verse (Joshua 1:5).

Illustration Applying God’s mandate to Joshua in the opening passage to go in and take the land of Canaan, God has also given the New Testament Church a similar mandate which is commonly called the Great Commission, taken from Matthew 28:18-20. The Church is called to preach the Gospel to all nations, converting souls and discipling these nations. I was with Andrew Wommack and his ministry team when we flew to the primitive region of Kamaroja in north eastern Uganda, East Africa, on 20 October 2012. The local pastor took us to a village and brought us into one of their huts, where they were roasting rats for lunch on an open fire. As a result of this trip, Andrew Wommack decided to take the Gospel of Jesus Christ to this primitive people group. He would evangelize them using the Jesus film; and he would disciple them using a curriculum called Discipleship Evangelism. He would have the pastor over this district of Kamaroja organize the twenty-two churches under his fellowship to take this task as their personal, divine mandate. Four church members would be chosen from each of the twenty-two churches and discipled using the Discipleship Evangelism curriculum. They would, in turn, disciple other church members. I observed how Andrew Wommack determined to reach out to this group of primitive people when he set his feet upon their soil. The Lord then gave him wisdom about organizing this effort. Thus, the Lord will give us divine wisdom to take a people group and a nation if we will simply determine to fulfil the Great Commission.

Joshua 1:6 Be strong and of a good courage: for unto this people shalt thou divide for an inheritance the land, which I sware unto their fathers to give them.

Joshua 1:6 Comments - Kenneth Copeland defines courage as a decision and not a feeling. By this, he means that it is the sheer determination to choose to obey the Word of God when circumstances, feelings, and every other natural force contradict God’s will. [23]

[23] Kenneth Copeland, Believer’s Voice of Victory (Kenneth Copeland Ministries, Fort Worth, Texas), on Trinity Broadcasting Network (Santa Ana, California), television program.

Joshua 1:7 Only be thou strong and very courageous, that thou mayest observe to do according to all the law, which Moses my servant commanded thee: turn not from it to the right hand or to the left, that thou mayest prosper whithersoever thou goest.

Joshua 1:6-7 Comments God’s Charge to Joshua Similar to Moses’ Charge - God’s command to Joshua in Joshua 1:6-7 is similar to Moses' command in Deuteronomy 31:7-8; Deuteronomy 31:23.

Deuteronomy 31:7-8, “And Moses called unto Joshua, and said unto him in the sight of all Israel, Be strong and of a good courage: for thou must go with this people unto the land which the LORD hath sworn unto their fathers to give them; and thou shalt cause them to inherit it. And the LORD, he it is that doth go before thee; he will be with thee, he will not fail thee, neither forsake thee: fear not, neither be dismayed.”

Deuteronomy 31:23, “And he gave Joshua the son of Nun a charge, and said, Be strong and of a good courage: for thou shalt bring the children of Israel into the land which I sware unto them: and I will be with thee.”

This command is also similar to the promise that Jesus gave the disciples in the Great Commission, when He said that He would be with them always.

Matthew 28:20, “Teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you: and, lo, I am with you alway, even unto the end of the world. Amen.”

Hebrews 13:5, “Let your conversation be without covetousness; and be content with such things as ye have: for he hath said, I will never leave thee, nor forsake thee.”

Joshua 1:8 This book of the law shall not depart out of thy mouth; but thou shalt meditate therein day and night, that thou mayest observe to do according to all that is written therein: for then thou shalt make thy way prosperous, and then thou shalt have good success.

Joshua 1:8 “This book of the law shall not depart out of thy mouth” - Comments Speaking God’s Word over our circumstances is the final step in success in life. Looking at Joshua 1:8 as a series of steps, it tells us to read God’s Word, then meditate on it, and finally, to speak it forth over our circumstances during the course of our day.

Joshua 1:8 “but thou shalt meditate therein day and night” Comments - When we meditate, we “think about,” and “ponder with our minds.” We meditate every day. The world meditates upon fear and this is called “worry.” A person can worry while he is busy by thinking about his problems, or a person can meditate on God’s Word while he is also busy, thinking about Scripture verses that apply to his situation. A child of God is to meditate upon God’s Word and this builds faith in the heart; for meditation is the avenue by which information becomes revelation. The phrase “day and night” simply means “continually” or “on a regular basis.” It means to take a regular and perhaps designated time each to wait upon God in order to learn to hear His voice. It also means that we allow our minds to allow the Word of God to become a part of each activity that we involve ourselves during the course of our work day.

Joshua 1:8 “then thou shalt have good success” - Comments - Anyone who has ever became a success in life will realize that true success in life is based on relationships, that is, relationships with a husband, a wife, a business colleague, a pastor. Failure in life comes from having poor habits of relating to people.

Joshua 1:8 Comments The Theme of the Book of Joshua - Joshua 1:8 is a very popular verse for preachers today and is often used as a sermon text. There is a reason for such interest in this verse. It stands as the key verse that states the theme of the book of Joshua as well as the theme of the historical books of the Old Testament. The historical books teach us how to serve the Lord with all of our strength. They give us examples of those who did so and of those who failed to do so. This theme is revealed in the opening passage to the Historical books when the Lord tells Joshua that if they would come to know His Word, then they would make their way prosperous and have good success.

Joshua 1:8, “This book of the law shall not depart out of thy mouth; but thou shalt meditate therein day and night, that thou mayest observe to do according to all that is written therein: for then thou shalt make thy way prosperous, and then thou shalt have good success.”

Thus the historical books give us examples of how the children of Israel served the Lord and prospered and how they disobeyed and fell into lack and divine discipline.

Joshua 1:8 Comments God’s Plan of Servanthood before Promotion - God’s commandment to Joshua as the leader of God’s people Israel is basically the same teaching and commandment that must be heeded by any man today who is placed in a position to lead God’s children if success is to come. Joshua had already been imparted an anointing and a spirit of wisdom while serving as Moses’ assistance, and by the laying on of hands as Moses’ successor (Numbers 27:22-23, Deuteronomy 34:9). Ministers of the Gospel follow this same pattern of servanthood today in God’s plan of promotion for church leadership. This divine charge does not override the fact that Joshua had to study the Word of God, as we also must study God's Word daily, although we walk in an anointing in a ministry.

Numbers 27:22-23, “And Moses did as the LORD commanded him: and he took Joshua, and set him before Eleazar the priest, and before all the congregation: And he laid his hands upon him , and gave him a charge, as the LORD commanded by the hand of Moses.”

Deuteronomy 34:9, “And Joshua the son of Nun was full of the spirit of wisdom; for Moses had laid his hands upon him : and the children of Israel hearkened unto him, and did as the LORD commanded Moses.”

Joshua 1:8 Comments God’s Plan for Success - Joshua 1:8 gives us the pattern of how Joshua was to fulfil his divine commission. He was to spend time meditating upon God’s Word in order to know how to lead the nation of Israel into success. As we examine the stories found within the book of Joshua, we find that they serve as an example of Joshua’s ability to hear God’s voice and follow divine instructions. We can see how Joshua practiced this command on a daily in a practical way, which will also serve as an example to us. In the story of the Gibeonites and how they deceived the elders of Israel (Joshua 9:1-27), we find an example of Joshua’s failure to wait upon the Lord before making a decision. The Gibeonites, who were of the land of Canaan, came to the children of Israel and convinced them that they were from a foreign land and made a covenant with them, which thing Moses had strictly forbidden them to do (see Exodus 23:32; Exodus 34:12).

Exodus 23:32, “Thou shalt make no covenant with them, nor with their gods.”

Exodus 34:12, “Take heed to thyself, lest thou make a covenant with the inhabitants of the land whither thou goest, lest it be for a snare in the midst of thee.”

This covenant was made because Joshua did not first “seek counsel from the Lord (Joshua 9:14). In other words, Joshua should have withdrawn himself in prayer and meditation after listening to the voice of the Gibeonites and of the elders of Israel. In this way, Joshua would have also heard God’s counsel and been able to make a wise decision. This is the procedure that God had given Joshua to follow. But too often, we as Christians, neglect this procedure because it appears as an encumbrance in our busy day or because of peer pressure from those around us. Also, we are not sure how to hear from God through waiting on Him in prayer and meditation because we have not practiced this procedure often enough. Therefore, we often attempt to make decisions after hearing only on voice. But does not the Scriptures say in Proverbs 18:17 that “He that is first in his own cause seemeth just; but his neighbour cometh and searcheth him.” In other words, the first voice appears to be the right information until the second voice is heard and “searches out,” or corrects or evaluates, the first voice. This is the way that God instructed Joshua to make a decision.

Let’s take a practical example from my missionary work in Africa. When I took over the management of Lighthouse Television in July 1999, I could not make any decision without first consulting the board of directors of this company. At first, this was indeed cumbersome and the office work proceeded rather slowly. But this procedure was critical and necessary in those early stages of managing a Christian ministry in a foreign land. Through the years, however, I was released to make many daily decisions because these decisions were based upon the precedence set by former decisions of similar circumstances. Things began to move a little more briskly in the office because I could now make some of the more simple decisions. But there are always new and challenging situations that require the counsel of the board of directors. This procedure will never be abandoned.

This is the procedure that God commanded Joshua to follow. When he followed them, his decisions were successful. When he disobeyed, those decisions brought problems. In the case of the Gibeonites, we read later how King Saul yielded to the temptation of violating this covenant and this act of disobedience brought judgment upon the nation of Israel during the reign of King David. As a result, Saul’s decision brought much ruin upon the nation before David sought God for a remedy and healed the land with the death of seven of Saul’s sons.

Joshua 1:8 Scripture References - Note a similar verse:

Psalms 1:2, “But his delight is in the law of the LORD; and in his law doth he meditate day and night.”

Joshua 1:9 Have not I commanded thee? Be strong and of a good courage; be not afraid, neither be thou dismayed: for the LORD thy God is with thee whithersoever thou goest.

Verses 10-18

Joshua’s First Command to Israel as Their Leader - God had commanded Joshua to meditate upon God’s Word day and night (Joshua 1:8). We then see in Joshua 1:10-15 how this time of meditation produced revelation and insight into the words of Moses and God’s plan for the people of Israel. Joshua is then able to stand up with courage and command the people with words that are accurate and correct, words that come from the presence of God. God had a plan for this time and place in the life of His people and He has revealed it to Joshua their leader. The people responded positively with a willingness to follow Joshua’s command (Joshua 1:16-18).