Joshua Chapter 1
The Book of Joshua — Introduction
The Book of Joshua is a historical continuation of Deuteronomy and serves as the bridge between Israel’s wilderness journey and their actual possession of the Promised Land. It records real events of conquest, war, failure, restoration, and faith. It is not a mythical tale but a divinely inspired record of how God’s covenant promises to Abraham began their fulfillment through Joshua’s leadership. The book is thrilling—filled with divine miracles such as the crossing of the Jordan River, the fall of Jericho, the sun standing still, victories, defeats, and the faithfulness of God displayed through judgment and mercy.
Joshua begins where Moses leaves off, introducing Israel’s history inside the land. To understand Joshua, we recall what the previous books establish. Genesis is the book of beginnings—creation of heaven, earth, humanity, and the origin of Israel through Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, and Joseph. It establishes the doctrine of election. Ephesians 1:4 says, “According as he hath chosen us in him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and without blame before him in love.” In the same way, 2 Thessalonians 2:13 declares, “But we are bound to give thanks alway to God for you, brethren beloved of the Lord, because God hath from the beginning chosen you to salvation through sanctification of the Spirit and belief of the truth.” Genesis shows God choosing Israel and setting His plan in motion.
Exodus records deliverance from bondage in Egypt and establishes the doctrine of redemption. The Lord tells Moses in Exodus 6:6, “Wherefore say unto the children of Israel, I am the LORD, and I will bring you out from under the burdens of the Egyptians, and I will rid you out of their bondage, and I will redeem you with a stretched out arm, and with great judgments.” After their deliverance, Moses sings in Exodus 15:13, “Thou in thy mercy hast led forth the people which thou hast redeemed: thou hast guided them in thy strength unto thy holy habitation.” This redemption was by grace, symbolized through the Passover Lamb.
Leviticus gives the manner of worship. It contains very little narrative history but instead focuses on holiness, sacrifice, sanctification, and fellowship with God. Numbers records Israel’s wilderness wanderings and doctrinally reflects the failure of unbelief—their refusal to enter, overcome, and occupy the land God promised. Deuteronomy is Moses’ final sermon, emphasizing obedience as the precondition to blessing and serves as the bridge between life outside the land and life inside it.
Now the Book of Joshua begins. God’s promise to Abraham enters a new phase—Israel will finally take possession. The Canaanites’ iniquity had reached its limit. Genesis 15:16 says, “But in the fourth generation they shall come hither again: for the iniquity of the Amorites is not yet full.” Now, in Joshua’s day, it is full. The land itself was defiled by idolatry and bloodshed. Leviticus 18:25 says, “And the land is defiled: therefore I do visit the iniquity thereof upon it, and the land itself vomiteth out her inhabitants.” Israel is God’s instrument of judgment and inheritance.
Practical Theme of Joshua
Joshua is not only historical; it is deeply practical. It is a book of warfare. God’s people are not spectators—they are soldiers. Christ did not build a Church to hide from Hell; He built one to storm it. Matthew 16:18 says, “And I say also unto thee, That thou art Peter, and upon this rock I will build my church; and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it.” Gates are defensive structures. The Church is to advance.
This book illustrates victorious Christian living. 1 John 5:4 declares, “For whatsoever is born of God overcometh the world: and this is the victory that overcometh the world, even our faith.” Joshua is the Old Testament picture of what Ephesians teaches doctrinally: how believers, already redeemed, now walk in obedience to possess what God has already given. Joshua is to the Old Testament what Ephesians is to the New. Deuteronomy parallels Acts—transition, leadership change, instruction. Leviticus parallels Hebrews—worship through a priestly mediator fulfilled in Christ.
Lessons for Today’s Christian – Paragraph Format (KJV Included)
The Book of Joshua is not primarily about life after death, but about life after spiritual birth. Just as Israel was not redeemed from Egypt merely to wander in the wilderness, but to enter the Promised Land, so the Christian is not saved only from Hell but unto victorious living in Christ. God delivers not only from Egypt—a picture of sin and bondage—but into Canaan, a picture of inheritance, obedience, conflict, and rest. When God spoke to Moses at the burning bush, He said in Exodus 3:7–8, “I have surely seen the affliction of my people which are in Egypt… and I am come down to deliver them out of the hand of the Egyptians, and to bring them up out of that land unto a good land and a large, unto a land flowing with milk and honey.” Abraham pursued kings to rescue Lot, showing victory follows covenant loyalty. Genesis 14:13–17 records how Abram armed his servants, smote the kings, and returned victorious. God never intended Israel to be merely redeemed; His will was that they occupy, conquer, and rest in the land of promise.
Hebrews explains this for believers. Hebrews 4:9–10 says, “There remaineth therefore a rest to the people of God. For he that is entered into his rest, he also hath ceased from his own works, as God did from his.” This “rest” is not Heaven; it is the life of obedience and faith now. Likewise, Ephesians describes the believer already “raised up” and “seated” in Christ. Ephesians 2:6 says, “And hath raised us up together, and made us sit together in heavenly places in Christ Jesus.” God intends His people to walk in victory, not in defeat. Romans 8:30 confirms this, saying, “Moreover whom he did predestinate, them he also called: and whom he called, them he also justified: and whom he justified, them he also glorified.” Each verb is past tense—God sees every believer already complete in Christ. Therefore, a Christian does not fight for victory, he fights from victory already won by Christ. We do not work our way up toward victory; we work downward from it, applying what Christ has already finished.
Moses represents the Law, and the Law can lead us to the border of promise but cannot bring us into possession. Moses died east of the Jordan. Joshua—whose name in Hebrew is Yeho-Shua, meaning “The LORD is salvation”—is a picture of Christ who leads His people into inheritance. The Law reveals sin, but it cannot conquer sin. Christ fulfills what the Law could not. John 1:17 declares, “For the law was given by Moses, but grace and truth came by Jesus Christ.” Romans 8:3–4 adds, “For what the law could not do, in that it was weak through the flesh, God sending his own Son… condemned sin in the flesh: That the righteousness of the law might be fulfilled in us, who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit.”
Spiritual Warfare and Enemies
Joshua is also a manual of war. Believers today, like Israel then, face fortified enemies. These are not Canaanite soldiers but spiritual powers. Ephesians 6:12 says, “For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places.” God commands not compromise but conquest. Ephesians 6:11 says, “Put on the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil.” Spiritual enemies are real, not fictional creatures like in novels, but often respectable, influential, polished, wearing suits, carrying briefcases, and shaping culture and ideology against God.
Prophetic and Christological Significance
Joshua’s Hebrew name (Yehoshua) becomes Iēsous in Greek—Jesus. His name means “The LORD is salvation.” He is a type, a foreshadowing of Christ. Moses, the Law, could not bring Israel into rest, but Joshua could. In the same way, the Law cannot bring a soul into salvation or victory—only Jesus can. Joshua is prophet, priest in the sense of mediator, and king-like leader. He speaks God’s word, ministers beside Moses as his servant (as seen in Exodus 33:11, “And the LORD spake unto Moses face to face, as a man speaketh unto his friend. And he turned again into the camp: but his servant Joshua… departed not out of the tabernacle.”), and leads Israel militarily as commander.
He comes after Moses just as Christ comes to fulfill the Law. Romans 10:4 says, “For Christ is the end of the law for righteousness to every one that believeth.” He leads into victory, not defeat. Romans 8:37 says, “Nay, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him that loved us.” When Israel fell in defeat at Ai due to sin, Joshua interceded. This pictures Christ our Advocate. 1 John 2:1–2 says, “My little children… if any man sin, we have an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous: And he is the propitiation for our sins.” Joshua also divides the inheritance, just as Christ does spiritually. Ephesians 1:11 says, “In whom also we have obtained an inheritance, being predestinated…”
Crossing the Jordan – Symbolism and Spiritual Meaning
The Jordan River marks the boundary between the wilderness and the Promised Land. Israel’s journey began at a place called Bethabara, meaning “House of Crossing.” This is significant, because John 1:28 says, “These things were done in Bethabara beyond Jordan, where John was baptizing.” John the Baptist stood in the same area where Joshua led Israel across, preaching repentance and preparing the way for Christ. This crossing is not a picture of death or Heaven. Many hymns describe “crossing Jordan” as dying and entering Heaven, but that does not align with Scripture. After Israel crossed the Jordan, there were still enemies, battles, failures, and victories. In Heaven there will be no warfare, no sin, and no defeat. Instead, crossing the Jordan portrays the believer’s entrance into the life of faith, surrender, and spiritual conflict where we fight from the victory Christ has already won.
Joshua did not send twelve spies, as Moses had done. He sent only two, showing faith rather than doubt. The twelve sent by Moses returned with fear and unbelief; only Joshua and Caleb believed God. The two spies in Joshua’s day acted quietly, and God honored their mission. Their purpose was not to determine whether Israel could win—that was already settled—but to discern how God would deliver the enemy into their hands. They hid for three days in the mountains before returning to Joshua, picturing the death, burial, and resurrection of Christ that makes victory possible for God’s people.
Before crossing, all males born in the wilderness were circumcised at Gilgal, meaning “rolling away.” God says in Joshua 5:9, “This day have I rolled away the reproach of Egypt from off you.” This occurred on the tenth day of the first month, and they crossed on the fourteenth—the day of the Passover. The manna, which had sustained them in the wilderness, ceased afterward. Joshua 5:12 says, “And the manna ceased on the morrow after they had eaten of the old corn of the land.” This teaches that once the believer enters spiritual maturity and begins possessing the promises of God, he must feed on the Word in deeper ways and no longer rely on wilderness provisions.
Why Jordan Matters Spiritually
The crossing of the Jordan typifies the believer’s identification with Christ in death and resurrection—not physical death, but reckoning the old life dead and walking in newness of life. Paul writes in Romans 6:4, “Therefore we are buried with him by baptism into death: that like as Christ was raised up from the dead… even so we also should walk in newness of life.” To cross Jordan is to enter battle, obedience, and inheritance. It is the moment a believer stops wandering and starts conquering.
The sending of spies reveals that faith does not ignore reality but sees it through the lens of God’s promises. Joshua already believed God would give the land, but he acted wisely, gathering information while trusting the outcome to the Lord.
What Canaan Represents
Canaan does not represent Heaven. There are giants, walled cities, defeats like Ai, and ongoing warfare. Heaven is rest without battle. Canaan represents the Christian’s present position in Christ—where we must conquer by faith and obedience. It is the realm of spiritual conflict described in Ephesians 6:12, “For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers…” Hebrews explains Canaan as “rest,” but not laziness—obedient participation in God’s promises. Hebrews 4:8–9 says, “For if Jesus (Joshua) had given them rest, then would he not afterward have spoken of another day. There remaineth therefore a rest to the people of God.”
Israel did not enter Canaan as peaceful pilgrims. They came as an army to take possession of land promised to them. Their campaign lasted seven years. Numbers 14:30 reveals that only Joshua and Caleb of the older generation would enter, saying, “Doubtless ye shall not come into the land… save Caleb… and Joshua.” Deuteronomy 2:14 states, “And the space in which we came… until all the generation of the men of war were wasted out… was thirty and eight years.” Forty-five years total had passed since the promise, showing that delay does not cancel God’s plan.
Canaan symbolizes three things: first, the believer’s promised rest in obedience, as in Deuteronomy 6:10–11, “to give thee great and goodly cities… houses full of all good things…”; second, bounty and abundance, for Exodus 3:8 calls it “a land flowing with milk and honey.” Third, it is a place of triumph—Deuteronomy 7:1 says, “When the LORD thy God shall bring thee into the land… and hath cast out many nations before thee…” This is not peace without conflict, but victory through conflict.
The Restitution of All Things – Prophetic Significance
Joshua does not just look back to Israel’s history, it looks forward to Christ’s return. Peter speaks of the future restoration promised by God in Acts 3:21, “Whom the heaven must receive until the times of restitution of all things, which God hath spoken by the mouth of all his holy prophets since the world began.” This “restitution of all things” refers to the Second Coming of Christ when He will restore Israel, judge the nations, and establish His kingdom on earth. Some scholars argue that this prophetic restoration begins not at Rosh HaShanah, the Feast of Trumpets, but at Yom Kippur, the Day of Atonement on the tenth day of Tishri, when national repentance and cleansing are symbolized. Whether this timing is exact or not, the point stands: Joshua’s conquest prefigures Christ returning to cleanse the Land and establish righteous rule.
Some have observed that Christ began His ministry during the 29th Jubilee cycle, and that the Church has ministered through forty Jubilee cycles since, raising the question if we are nearing the 70th Jubilee. Though these calculations are debated, the symbolism remains compelling, for Leviticus 25:10 declares, “And ye shall hallow the fiftieth year, and proclaim liberty throughout all the land unto all the inhabitants thereof: it shall be a jubile unto you; and ye shall return every man unto his possession, and ye shall return every man unto his family.” Jubilee means restoration, return, and inheritance—exactly what Joshua pictures in type and Christ fulfills in reality.
The Kind of Man God Uses – Joshua’s Background and Call
Joshua is a model of the kind of man God uses: one who is called, prepared, and obedient. He appears first in Scripture as a warrior. He was the oldest son of his father, Nun, of the tribe of Ephraim. Being a firstborn in Egypt, he would have had a personal interest in the Passover night when the blood of the lamb was applied. Exodus 12:13 says, “And the blood shall be to you for a token upon the houses where ye are: and when I see the blood, I will pass over you.” Joshua knew deliverance by blood before he ever knew victory by sword.
His genealogy in 1 Chronicles 7:20–24 reveals a mixed heritage. Some of his relatives were involved in cattle theft, showing that Joshua did not come from perfect stock, yet God chose and transformed him. He first appears in active service only two months after the Exodus when Amalek attacked. Exodus 17:8–10 says, “Then came Amalek, and fought with Israel in Rephidim. And Moses said unto Joshua, Choose us out men, and go out, fight with Amalek…” After the victory, the Lord commanded Moses to record the event specifically for Joshua’s hearing. Exodus 17:14 says, “And the LORD said unto Moses, Write this for a memorial in a book, and rehearse it in the ears of Joshua…” This implies Joshua was being marked for future military leadership. It is the first time Scripture mentions a “book” to preserve revelation.
Joshua is seen on Mount Sinai with Moses. Exodus 24:13 says, “And Moses rose up, and his minister Joshua: and Moses went up into the mount of God.” When Israel corrupted themselves with the golden calf, Joshua was not among them. Later, the Bible says in Exodus 33:11, “And the LORD spake unto Moses face to face… but his servant Joshua, the son of Nun, a young man, departed not out of the tabernacle.” He stayed at the tent of meeting when even Aaron was not there. In Numbers 11:28, Joshua is called “Moses’ minister,” a servant willing to learn before he ever commanded.
Originally his name was Hoshea—meaning “salvation”—as in Numbers 13:8, “Of the tribe of Ephraim, Oshea the son of Nun.” But Moses changed it to Jehoshua (Joshua), meaning “The LORD is salvation.” Numbers 13:16 says, “And Moses called Oshea the son of Nun Jehoshua.” This is the Hebrew equivalent of Jesus. Matthew 1:21 declares, “And she shall bring forth a son, and thou shalt call his name JESUS: for he shall save his people from their sins.” The New Testament even calls Joshua “Jesus” in Acts 7:45 and Hebrews 4:8, using the same name.
Joshua was one of the twelve spies sent to search out Canaan, but together with Caleb, he refused to fear the giants. They were the only two who believed God. As a result, they were the only two men over twenty years old who survived the wilderness and entered the Promised Land. Numbers 14:30 says, “Doubtless ye shall not come into the land… save Caleb the son of Jephunneh, and Joshua the son of Nun.” Israel reached Sinai in only two months after leaving Egypt. God kept them there for a year to teach them His law and dwelling place. But unbelief made their journey last forty years. It took only days to get Israel out of Egypt, but forty years to get Egypt out of Israel.
God’s Commission to Joshua — Introduction: From Egypt to Canaan
The commission given to Joshua by God in Joshua chapter one is founded upon the history of Israel’s journey from bondage to inheritance. Israel’s deliverance from Egypt was a real, historical event, yet it was more than history. It was spiritual revelation. Egypt represents the world and the cruel bondage of sin. Just as Pharaoh enslaved Israel under harsh labor, sin enslaves mankind in corruption and misery. God delivered Israel through the blood of the Passover lamb, just as believers are delivered by the blood of Christ. Paul confirms that these events were not just historical but were written for spiritual instruction. 1 Corinthians 10:6 says, “Now these things were our examples, to the intent we should not lust after evil things, as they also lusted.” Again in 1 Corinthians 10:11, “Now all these things happened unto them for ensamples: and they are written for our admonition, upon whom the ends of the world are come.” In the New Testament, the central act of redemption is the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ, whereas in the Old Testament the central act of redemption is God’s deliverance of Israel from Egypt.
After leaving Egypt, Israel journeyed into the wilderness under the leadership of Moses. This season was marked by supernatural provision and divine presence. God fed them daily with manna from heaven, according to Exodus 16:15, “And they said one to another, It is manna: for they wist not what it was. And Moses said unto them, This is the bread which the LORD hath given you to eat.” He brought water from the rock. Exodus 17:6 says, “Behold, I will stand before thee there upon the rock in Horeb; and thou shalt smite the rock, and there shall come water out of it, that the people may drink.” God guided them visibly. Exodus 13:21 says, “And the LORD went before them by day in a pillar of a cloud, to lead them the way; and by night in a pillar of fire, to give them light.” During this time, Israel also received divine revelation through Moses. God gave His holy law, revealing His character and His righteous standard to His people.
Yet God did not save Israel just to wander. The land of Canaan was always the destination that God intended for His people after bringing them out of bondage. Canaan does not represent heaven, as some hymns and sermons have implied. Many Christians know the hymn, “Swing Low, Sweet Chariot,” which says, “I looked over Jordan, and what did I see, coming for to carry me home…” But biblically crossing the Jordan into Canaan does not picture dying and going to heaven. Canaan was a land filled with enemies, battles, failure, and victory. Heaven has no warfare or defeat. Instead, the Book of Hebrews identifies Canaan as a picture of the believer entering into the rest and victory of a surrendered and obedient life. Hebrews 4:8–9 says, “For if Jesus (Joshua) had given them rest, then would he not afterward have spoken of another day. There remaineth therefore a rest to the people of God.” This rest is not physical death, but a spiritual state of trust, obedience, and victorious living.
This is why many Bible teachers, such as F. B. Meyer, have connected the Book of Joshua with the Book of Ephesians. Ephesians describes the believer's spiritual position “in the heavenlies” in Christ, blessed with all spiritual blessings and called to walk in victory. Joshua shows that truth illustrated. Canaan is not a picture of heaven, but of the Christian’s inheritance in Christ now. Deliverance from Egypt was only the beginning. God did not bring His people out of bondage simply to leave them in the wilderness. Exodus 6:7–8 says, “And I will take you to me for a people… And I will bring you in unto the land, concerning the which I did swear to give it to Abraham.” In the same way, believers are saved not merely to escape Hell, but to live in the fullness of life in Christ. Jesus said in John 10:10, “I am come that they might have life, and that they might have it more abundantly.”
However, just as an entire generation of Israel died in the wilderness because of unbelief, many Christians live and die in spiritual dryness, never experiencing the victorious and fruitful life God intended. They are saved from Egypt yet never enter Canaan. They know forgiveness but not fullness, deliverance but not inheritance. Hebrews 3:19 says of Israel, “So we see that they could not enter in because of unbelief.” This stands as a warning and an invitation—God has more for His people than wilderness wandering.
The leader appointed to bring Israel into the land was Joshua, and he is a type of Jesus Christ. The name Joshua in Hebrew is Yehoshua, meaning “The LORD is salvation.” The Greek form of this name is Jesus. Matthew 1:21 says, “And she shall bring forth a son, and thou shalt call his name JESUS: for he shall save his people from their sins.” Thus what Joshua was to Israel in the Old Testament, Jesus is to believers under the New Covenant. Whatever Israel received in Canaan they received through Joshua’s leadership. Whatever we receive from God we receive through Jesus Christ, our Captain and Savior.
B. God Commissions Joshua’s Work
1. (Joshua 1:1) Moses is dead, and God speaks to Joshua.
“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,”
Moses, the servant of the Lord, is now dead. Moses represented the Law of God, and although the Law is holy and perfect, it could not bring Israel into their inheritance or the place of rest God promised. That work would now be accomplished under Joshua, whose name means “The Lord is salvation,” the Hebrew equivalent of the Greek name “Jesus.”
The Lord spoke to Joshua. Joshua was not a young man; he had served Moses faithfully for decades, always in the position of a servant—Moses’ minister. God often calls a man to lead only after he has learned to serve. Joshua’s preparation did not occur on a battlefield or in the public eye, but in quiet obedience behind Moses.
“Moses’ minister” teaches us that greatness in the service of God begins with faithfulness in little things. Just as a plaque once read, “Divine service is conducted here three times daily” over a humble kitchen sink, so Joshua’s service in ordinary duties prepared him for extraordinary leadership.
2. (Joshua 1:2–3) God gives the commission: “I am giving” and “I have given.”
“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. Every place that the sole of your foot shall tread upon, that have I given unto you, as I said unto Moses.”
God first declares reality—Moses is dead. The time of mourning is over. Israel must move forward. God now commands Joshua to arise and lead the people across the Jordan into the land He is giving.
“Every place that the sole of your foot shall tread upon, that have I given unto you.” The promise is both present and past. God says, “I do give” and “I have given.” The land is theirs by divine grant, but their actual possession depends on their obedience to set foot upon it. The gift is guaranteed, but the experience of the gift requires faith and action.
Joshua is entrusted as the representative of the nation, just as Christ is our representative. What Israel received in Joshua, believers receive in Christ—an inheritance that must be entered into and walked out by faith.
The land was wholly given, yet Israel could only possess what they would claim with the sole of their foot. God could have wiped out every enemy with a word, but He chose to involve His people in the process. They would need to battle, believe, and advance. This work was not for those satisfied with Egypt or wilderness wandering, but for those willing to press forward into everything God had promised.
3. (Joshua 1:4–5) The promise of victory because Joshua is called by God.
“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. There shall not any man be able to stand before thee all the days of thy life: as I was with Moses, so I will be with thee: I will not fail thee, nor forsake thee.”
God did not give Joshua a vague or mystical promise. The land was described with clear boundaries: from the southern wilderness, up to Lebanon in the north, to the Euphrates in the northeast, including the land of the Hittites, and westward to the Mediterranean Sea. This was tangible, visible territory. God’s promises are not imaginary or symbolic; they are real and measurable.
God also gives Joshua absolute assurance of victory. “There shall not any man be able to stand before thee all the days of thy life.” This confidence did not come from Joshua’s strength or Israel’s military ability but from God’s presence. “As I was with Moses, so I will be with thee: I will not fail thee, nor forsake thee.” The same God who parted the Red Sea, sent manna, and spoke on Sinai would now walk with Joshua. The promise of God’s presence is the foundation for courage and obedience. No man can stand against someone whom God stands with. Victory is not rooted in human greatness, but in divine faithfulness.
4. (Joshua 1:6–9) The conditions and character of true success.
“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. 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. 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. 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.”
Joshua is commanded three times to “be strong and of a good courage.” This repetition reveals that even a seasoned warrior like Joshua needed divine encouragement. God was not telling him to be fearless because he was naturally bold, but because God Himself would be with him. Biblical courage does not come from self-confidence; it comes from God-confidence.
Joshua’s success is tied to obedience. He must observe to do according to all the law. God’s Word is not merely to be admired or studied; it is to be obeyed. Joshua is told not to turn from it to the right hand or to the left. This stresses full obedience, not partial or selective obedience.
The Word of God must shape Joshua’s speech (“shall not depart out of thy mouth”), his thoughts (“meditate therein day and night”), and his actions (“observe to do”). Meditation here is not passive reflection, but active, continual pondering with the intention of obedience. It means to speak it, think it, and live it.
“For then thou shalt make thy way prosperous, and then thou shalt have good success.” The Bible gives the only place in Scripture where the word “success” is used, and it ties it to obedience to God’s Word. This is not the worldly definition of success—wealth, fame, or power—but a life aligned with God’s will and strengthened by His presence. True prosperity is the ability to accomplish God’s purpose through God’s power.
The final reminder repeats the source of Joshua’s strength: “for the Lord thy God is with thee whithersoever thou goest.” God’s presence guarantees that Joshua will never stand alone. This is the ultimate answer to fear and discouragement. It is not Joshua’s ability, discipline, or experience that ensures victory, but the abiding presence of the Lord.
C. Preparations to Cross the Jordan
1. (Joshua 1:10–11) Command to the officers.
“Then Joshua commanded the officers of the people, saying, Pass through the host, and command the people, saying, Prepare you victuals; for within three days ye shall pass over this Jordan, to go in to possess the land, which the Lord your God giveth you to possess it.”
Joshua’s first act as leader is not hesitation but command. He speaks to the officers to prepare the people for movement. God had promised, but now the people must respond in obedience and readiness. “Prepare you victuals” indicates practical preparation: gather food, pack possessions, be ready to move. Faith is never an excuse for passivity; it works hand in hand with obedience.
“For within three days ye shall pass over this Jordan.” This three-day period was not wasted time. With God, waiting is never inactivity—it is preparation. The people would use these days to organize families, pack belongings, and prepare their hearts for the greatest step of faith they had ever taken. The Jordan River lay before them, in flood season (Joshua 3:15), but God had already said they would cross. Waiting time in God’s plan is not lost time.
2. (Joshua 1:12–15) Reminder to the eastern tribes.
“And to the Reubenites, and to the Gadites, and to half the tribe of Manasseh, spake Joshua, saying, Remember the word which Moses the servant of the Lord commanded you, saying, The Lord your God hath given you rest, and hath given you this land. Your wives, your little ones, and your cattle, shall remain in the land which Moses gave you on this side Jordan; but ye shall pass before your brethren armed, all the mighty men of valour, and help them; until the Lord have given your brethren rest, as he hath given you, and they also have possessed the land which the Lord your God giveth them: then ye shall return unto the land of your possession, and enjoy it, which Moses the Lord’s servant gave you on this side Jordan toward the sunrising.”
Joshua now turns to the tribes of Reuben, Gad, and the half-tribe of Manasseh. These tribes had requested to settle on the east side of the Jordan, where the land was ideal for livestock (Numbers 32:1–5). Moses agreed to their request on one condition: their men of war must cross over and help their brethren conquer the land west of the Jordan (Numbers 32:16–32). Now Joshua reminds them to keep their word.
Their families and livestock would remain east of the river, but their warriors must go before their brethren armed. They had already received rest, but they were not free to enjoy it fully until their brothers received the same. This reveals a crucial principle in God’s people: blessing carries responsibility, and rest is not selfish. Those who are settled must help those still striving.
This reflects the heart of Christian unity. “That there should be no schism in the body; but that the members should have the same care one for another. And whether one member suffer, all the members suffer with it; or one member be honoured, all the members rejoice with it” (1 Corinthians 12:25–26). No believer should be content while his brother is still in battle. God calls His people to mutual responsibility, loyalty, and shared labor.
When their work was complete—“when the Lord hath given your brethren rest”—then they would return and fully enjoy their inheritance. Duty came before comfort; obedience before enjoyment.
3. (Joshua 1:16–18) The eastern tribes pledge allegiance to Joshua.
“And they answered Joshua, saying, All that thou commandest us we will do, and whithersoever thou sendest us, we will go. According as we hearkened unto Moses in all things, so will we hearken unto thee: only the Lord thy God be with thee, as he was with Moses. Whosoever he be that doth rebel against thy commandment, and will not hearken unto thy words in all that thou commandest him, he shall be put to death: only be strong and of a good courage.”
The response from the tribes of Reuben, Gad, and the half-tribe of Manasseh is immediate and wholehearted. They declare their obedience to Joshua: “All that thou commandest us we will do, and whithersoever thou sendest us, we will go.” This is a powerful display of national unity. These tribes, though settled east of the Jordan, do not see themselves as detached or independent from the rest of Israel. They are committing to fight for their brethren before enjoying their own inheritance.
Their submission to Joshua also confirms his God-given authority. “According as we hearkened unto Moses in all things, so will we hearken unto thee.” Joshua is no longer the assistant; he is now God’s appointed leader. The people acknowledge this, and their willingness to follow him is another way God strengthens Joshua’s heart. God had already said, “As I was with Moses, so I will be with thee,” and now the people echo that truth.
They add one request: “Only the Lord thy God be with thee, as he was with Moses.” Joshua’s success as leader did not rest on his military strategy, personal charisma, or strength, but on the presence of God. They understood that Joshua’s leadership would only prosper if God was with him. They also establish a serious consequence for rebellion: “Whosoever...will not hearken unto thy words…he shall be put to death.” Unity and obedience were not optional; they were essential for the conquest of the land.
Finally, they repeat God’s command to Joshua: “Only be strong and of a good courage.” These words, spoken by God three times in this chapter, are now spoken by the people. It is a divine confirmation through human voices. God often strengthens His servants by repeating His truth through others. Joshua, about to lead Israel into danger and uncertainty, hears the same encouragement from the mouths of his people—be strong, be courageous, for God is with you.
