GOD’S PLAN FOR ISRAEL’S NEW RESIDENCE

Pastor Jerry Rockwel

GOD’S PLAN FOR ISRAEL’S NEW RESIDENCE

Joshua 1:1-5

Introduction: Israel is on the brink of the Jordan River and the people need to cross over to the land of promise. Israel has spent 40 years in the wilderness because of disobedience. They had refused to enter the land earlier when the ten spies came back with a negative report of the conditions in the land they were going to possess. The people were persuaded not to go in because of the giants in the land. The ten, a majority, had more persuasion than the two, Joshua and Caleb, the minority, and the people listened to the ten. This led them to 40 hard years of carnality and complaining. God was disciplining them for their disobedience. Look at Deuteronomy 8:1-6 (KJV) 1 All the commandments which I command thee this day shall ye observe to do, that ye may live, and multiply, and go in and possess the land which the LORD sware unto your fathers. 2 And thou shalt remember all the way which the LORD thy God led thee these forty years in the wilderness, to humble thee, and to prove thee, to know what was in thine heart, whether thou wouldest keep his commandments, or no. 3 And he humbled thee, and suffered thee to hunger, and fed thee with manna, which thou knewest not, neither did thy fathers know; that he might make thee know that man doth not live by bread only, but by every word that proceedeth out of the mouth of the LORD doth man live. 4 Thy raiment waxed not old upon thee, neither did thy foot swell, these forty years. 5 Thou shalt also consider in thine heart, that, as a man chasteneth his son, so the LORD thy God chasteneth thee. 6 Therefore thou shalt keep the commandments of the LORD thy God, to walk in his ways, and to fear him.  [Emphasis added.] 

This land was given to Israel. God had promised Abraham in Genesis 13:17 (KJV) Arise, walk through the land in the length of it and in the breadth of it; for I will give it unto thee. God tells Joshua the same thing in Joshua 1:3 (KJV) Every place that the sole of your foot shall tread upon, that have I given unto you, as I said unto Moses. As far as I know we do not have a record of this promise to Moses except here and in Exodus 33:1 (KJV) And the LORD said unto Moses, Depart, and go up hence, thou and the people which thou hast brought up out of the land of Egypt, unto the land which I sware unto Abraham, to Isaac, and to Jacob, saying, Unto thy seed will I give it. This confirms the promise to Abraham and applies it to Israel. Because it is recorded here, we must believe that God told Moses the same thing. God did tell Moses what the land was like and what the people of Israel could expect. Deuteronomy 6:10-13 (KJV) 10 And it shall be, when the LORD thy God shall have brought thee into the land which he sware unto thy fathers, to Abraham, to Isaac, and to Jacob, to give thee great and goodly cities, which thou buildedst not, 11 And houses full of all good things, which thou filledst not, and wells digged, which thou diggedst not, vineyards and olive trees, which thou plantedst not; when thou shalt have eaten and be full; 12 Then beware lest thou forget the LORD, which brought thee forth out of the land of Egypt, from the house of bondage. 13 Thou shalt fear the LORD thy God, and serve him, and shalt swear by his name. Again in Deuteronomy 8:7-11 (KJV) 7 For the LORD thy God bringeth thee into a good land, a land of brooks of water, of fountains and depths that spring out of valleys and hills; 8 A land of wheat, and barley, and vines, and fig trees, and pomegranates; a land of oil olive, and honey; 9 A land wherein thou shalt eat bread without scarceness, thou shalt not lack any thing in it; a land whose stones are iron, and out of whose hills thou mayest dig brass. 10 When thou hast eaten and art full, then thou shalt bless the LORD thy God for the good land which he hath given thee. 11 Beware that thou forget not the LORD thy God, in not keeping his commandments, and his judgments, and his statutes, which I command thee this day. Again in Deuteronomy 11:10-12 (KJV) 10 For the land, whither thou goest in to possess it, is not as the land of Egypt, from whence ye came out, where thou sowedst thy seed, and wateredst it with thy foot, as a garden of herbs: 11 But the land, whither ye go to possess it, is a land of hills and valleys, and drinketh water of the rain of heaven: 12 A land which the LORD thy God careth for: the eyes of the LORD thy God are always upon it, from the beginning of the year even unto the end of the year.  [Emphasis added.] The book of Joshua can be studied in the following three sections:

  1. Crossing the Jordan, Joshua 1-5.
  2. Combat in the land, Joshua 6-12.
  3. Capturing the land, Joshua 13-24. 

 

There are two major divisions of the book: Joshua 1-12, the battles for the land, and Joshua 13-24, the dividing of the land among the twelve tribes. One writer suggests:

      “In one sense, verses 1-9 are a preamble to the whole book. They contain the basic principles that were to guide Joshua and Israel, so they could obtain all that God had promised their forefathers.”

The purpose of the book of Joshua is to provide a narrative of the conquest of the land and the fulfillment of God’s promise to Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, and Moses.

The name “Joshua”  has been considered the counterpart to Jesus in the Old Testament (OT) and the New Testament (NT). The name “Joshua” in Hebrew is Yehosua, meaning in the OT, “Jehovah is salvation.” The name in the NT “Jesus” means “Saviour.” They are equivalent in meaning. Being that Jesus is “God in the flesh” (John 1:1, 12), they apply to the same person, God. There is a verse in the book of Hebrews that has stumped the critics. It says in Hebrews 4:8 (KJV) For if Jesus had given them rest, then would he not afterward have spoken of another day. The context of this verse would provide the name “Jesus” with a meaning to the name “Joshua.” The “new Bible translations” have changed the name to “Joshua” even though the Greek Text (whether TR or Critical) has the word “Jesus” (Ἰησοῦς).

  1. GOD’S PERSON FOR THE PROCESS, Joshua 1:1-4. The book begins with the statement in Joshua 1:1–2 (KJV) 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, 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. These two men had a positive report and the ten others had a negative report because of the “giants” in the land (Num. 13:33). This brought about the death of those 20 years and older during the next 40 years who did not enter the land. If there were approximately 3 million people in the company of the people of Israel, there would probably be funerals every day. There would be a lot of funerals over the forty years. 
  1. GOD’S PLAN FOR JOSHUA, Joshua 1:5-9.These verses are some of the most encouraging words a man could receive, directly from God. It says in Joshua 1:1–2 (KJV) 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, 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 narrative that follows would be the most encouraging statement a human could receive. Joshua is filling some huge shoes in taking over for Moses. God is confirming to him that He will have the same status with God as Moses. What could be more reassuring than a “fact-to-face” conversation with God? Everything in verses 2-9 is a comment from God. We often ask, what would it be like to have God communicate with us personally? You have in your hands or lap, the Bible, the word of God. What more could you ask? The exegesis of this passage will be dealt with next week.