Holy Ground:

Joshua 1:1-9; 5:13-15

We have glimpses of this man, Joshua, all through the time of Moses. In fact, during every single important event of Israel’s history from the time of the Exodus to the death of Moses, Joshua was present, just off to one side. So loyal to Moses was he, that he was given the title of “Moses’ minister” or “Moses’ servant.” He was a strong and decisive military leader who defeated the enemy of Israel (Ex. 17:13) and maintained his faith in God and commitment to God’s plan while many of his fellow citizens were rebelling.

After 40 years of working together, Moses died, leaving Joshua alone. And yet, he wasn’t alone. Joshua’s faith in God was not dependent on his relationship with Moses; Joshua kept in touch with God despite Moses’ departure.

1. Background, verse 1

After the death of Moses the servant of the LORD, the LORD said to Joshua son of Nun, Moses’ aide

The first thing that strikes us about this man Joshua is his name. When it is translated into Greek, it become “Jesus,” which means “Savior.” Chester Mulder, in his commentary on the book of Joshua, refers to Joshua as the “Old Testament Jesus,” for his name foreshadows many characteristics of the New Testament Jesus. Here are a few similarities:

• he had nothing negative or evil in his background;
• he had no lust for power or personal gain;
• there was no taint of selfishness: all Joshua wanted to fulfill God’s will for himself and his people;
• he was a man of courage and perseverance;
• he had a cheerful confidence in the face of insurmountable obstacles;
• Joshua never once failed to exemplify a deep concern for others.

And so, in due time, God chose Joshua when He needed a leader who was ready, willing and able to listen and obey to God’s instructions. The years he spent with Moses more than prepared Joshua for the mission and they showed God how he could be faithful to his earthly leader.

2. The Command, verse 2

“Moses my servant is dead. Now then, you and all these people, get ready to cross the Jordan River into the land I am about to give to them—to the Israelites.

We are never told exactly how God spoke to Joshua, but speak He did, and often. Here, the Lord gives Joshua the command to “cross the Jordan River.” The crossing of the Jordan marked Israel’s entrance into the Promised Land, just as crossing the Red Sea marked their departure from Egypt.

It is interesting that the death of Moses is treated merely as a comma, not a period, in the history of Israel. Human leaders, great or weak, are incidental to the continuity of God’s will. God’s plans and purposes continue to unfold and exceed the life-span of any man. And they continue even if the man is weak. Because of his disobedience, Moses was not allowed to lead the people into the Promised Land (Numbers 27:12-14).

The events about to unfold under Joshua’s leadership are built upon the ancient promises given to Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, and Joseph. As great as the miraculous preservation of Israel as a nation for 400 years in Egypt and their miraculous deliverance from Egypt were, those things were not ends in themselves, but were harbingers for the next great event: possession of the Promised Land. God’s presence in our lives is continuous, as is His intervention; we should always be expecting the next move of God in our lives and never think that the last one is the last one. In the case of Israel, we see a continuity of God’s command to enter Canaan, and a continuity of God’s intervention. The entire history of Israel is a history of Divine intervention. God influenced human history in the past, and He was continuing to do so in Joshua’s day. Understanding that simple fact is key to understanding the meaning of the book of Joshua.

The forty years of training and tutelage under Moses had prepared Joshua for this one specific assignment. Imagine being educated and trained all those years to perform one duty. He surely needed it: How was he to lead the people across the flooded Jordan? What’s interesting is that this assignment didn’t seem to bother Joshua; he was convinced that whatever God commanded, God made possible. Remember what he said in Numbers 14:8-9,

If the Lord is pleased with us, he’ll lead us into that land. It’s a land that has plenty of milk and honey. He’ll give it to us. “But don’t refuse to obey him. And don’t be afraid of the people of the land. We will swallow them up. The Lord is with us. So nothing can save them. Don’t be afraid of them.” (NIRV)

3. A Second Chance, verse 3-4

I will give you every place where you set your foot, as I promised Moses. Your territory will extend from the desert to Lebanon, and from the great river, the Euphrates—all the Hittite country—to the Great Sea on the west.

When did God promise this to Moses? In Number 13:1-2, we read this:

The Lord spoke to Moses. He said, “Send some men to check out the land of Canaan. I am giving it to the people of Israel.

The result of this is found in the next chapter:

The people of Israel spoke against Moses and Aaron. The whole community said to them, “We wish we had died in Egypt or even in this desert. Why is the Lord bringing us to this land? We’re going to be killed with swords. Our enemies will capture our wives and children. Wouldn’t it be better for us to go back to Egypt?”

They said to one another, “We should choose another leader. We should go back to Egypt.” (Numbers 14:2-4)

As a result of their attitude and mistrust of God, Israel suffered severely in the intervening years. Under Joshua’s leadership, the people are given a second chance. We serve a God who gives second chances to us to get it right. It might take a long time, years in the case of Israel, but the second chance comes as God’s people learn their lesson.

Israel was now ready to complete the “God-man circuit so that God’s power could work on their behalf” (Mulder).

The territory God was going to give the Israelites was extensive. This would be more land, in fact, than the nation ever occupied. David and Solomon extended the borders close to God’s promise, but even their efforts were temporary.

The extent of these boundaries illustrates the lavishness of God’s provision for His people: He always provides more than what is needed. Had Israel fully obeyed God, they would have made influenced all nations surrounding them for righteousness. But did they? According to Judges 1 and 2, Israel again broke their covenant with God. As a result of their unfaithfulness, nations and people who could have been enlightened were left in darkness and the Israelites, who should have been conquerors became slaves once again.

4. The Keys to Success, verses 5-8

No one will be able to stand up against you all the days of your life. As I was with Moses, so I will be with you; I will never leave you nor forsake you.

“Be strong and courageous, because you will lead these people to inherit the land I swore to their forefathers to give them. Be strong and very courageous. Be careful to obey all the law my servant Moses gave you; do not turn from it to the right or to the left, that you may be successful wherever you go. Do not let this Book of the Law depart from your mouth; meditate on it day and night, so that you may be careful to do everything written in it. Then you will be prosperous and successful.

In these verses, we can see certain keys that led Joshua to success in his commission.

(1) God’s very real presence. As He was Moses, so God would be with Joshua, so He continues to be with the Church. God gave him the assurance, and that was all Joshua needed. Because Moses maintained a rapport with God, bitter water had been made sweet, serpent bites healed, leprosy made to vanish, bread came down from heaven, and water flowed from rocks. Joshua was convinced that God’s resources would never come to an end. Again, Mulder offers this great observation:

The extension of divine assistance to the new leader suggests that great men of God may pass away, but the power that made them great remains. God wants His people of all ages to remember that He will not fail them when they are weak, for forsake them even when they are faulty.

(2) He was genuinely optimistic. His leadership of the nation was characterized by his optimism and confidence, both in God and himself. God was counting on Joshua to fight the fight of faith, go in and possess the land and divide it up among the tribes of Israel. The Lord made no provision for failure, and it seems as though Joshua had that same kind of attitude. Joshua had faith, and without it, he couldn’t have pleased God.

(3) Joshua kept the Word of the Lord. The Law of God was always on Joshua’s mind and in his heart. The word “Law” in verses 7 and 8 refers to what God had instructed Moses to write down. “Turing to the right or left” is another way of saying, “Do not compromise.” Any deviation from God’s Word would have spelled disaster. Forgetting the Word would have proven hazardous to the nation’s health, which is why God told his servant to “meditate on it day and night.”

5. The Initiative Was God’s, verse 9

Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be terrified; do not be discouraged, for the LORD your God will be with you wherever you go.

Joshua was not to follow his own ideas, plans or whims. It couldn’t be simpler: all Joshua had to do was follow the commands of the Lord. God was not the silent partner in Joshua’s mission, God was the Initiator of the whole plan.

God’s plan for man did not originate with Joshua and it didn’t end with him. Consider Paul’s words in Ephesians 1:4,

God chose us to belong to Christ before the world was created. He chose us to be holy and without blame in his eyes. He loved us.

This is what God has planned for us, and this kind of plan demands our undivided loyalty. Like Joshua, we need to keep our eyes focused on God, not compromising His Word and having complete confidence and faith in Him.

6. First in Command, 5:13-15

Now when Joshua was near Jericho, he looked up and saw a man standing in front of him with a drawn sword in his hand. Joshua went up to him and asked, “Are you for us or for our enemies?”

“Neither,” he replied, “but as commander of the army of the LORD I have now come.” Then Joshua fell facedown to the ground in reverence, and asked him, “What message does my Lord have for his servant?”

The commander of the LORD’s army replied, “Take off your sandals, for the place where you are standing is holy.” And Joshua did so.

Joshua renewed the covenant with God and celebrated Passover, then made a reconnaissance of Jericho. While he was doing this, a stranger approached him.

This One with the drawn sword assumed authority and then demanded that Joshua remove his shoes. Who was this stranger? George Bush (not either President) said:

It is the established opinion of both ancient and modern expositors that this was no other than the Son of God, the Eternal Word, appearing in that form which he was afterward to assume for the redemption of men.

When Joshua realized who this person was, he submitted immediately. The only thing the Captain of the Lord’s Army wanted from Joshua was his reverence. The stranger’s response put everything into perspective. God is sovereign, and it is never a question whether or not God is on our side, but whether we are on God’s side. Why did the stranger ask Joshua to remove his shoes? There was nothing particularly special about this section of ground. Anywhere God chooses to reveal Himself is special by that revelation.