JOSHUA - Chapter 1 - The Victory of Faith
THE VICTORY OF FAITH
Joshua – Chapter 1- Tuesday Morning Bible Study
May 16, 2016, the Year of Our Lord
Pastor Carolyn Sissom
The book of Joshua reveals a people who enter, overcome, and occupy the Land of God’s promise. This is the principle of Victory by Faith. For the New Testament Church, it is the principle of the overcomer who lives, walks, and has his being in Christ, in the Kingdom of God on earth as it is in Heaven.
Moses (the old order) is dead. A new generation under new leadership now is arising to walk into the promises of God. The new generation had a new leader in a new sphere of living.
“The response of men’s hearts to divine destiny must be birthed by the Holy Ghost. The Lord of Glory has but one theme, message, and project to build Himself a holy habitation in the earth that will contain and then dispense His glory, a people out of whom He can live and bless the nations. Survival in these last days pivots on two hinges: We must know the Lord is with us, and we must declare that we are with the Lord.” (K.V.)
There is not an Old Testament Jesus and a New Testament Jesus. There is One Jesus Christ, the Son of God. He continually leads His people into victory and rest. As we make our journey through the book of Joshua, we will see Christ Jesus as the Captain of Our Salvation, and the One who leads the Church into our inheritance of rest, bounty, and triumph.
God-sent men/women must be “in” the Lord’s message. The message in the prophet is his spiritual heredity---Christ in the man. The man in Christ. You might be the Lord’s messenger, but are you in the Lord’s message.
Joshua teaches us the lesson that FAITH is “the victory that overcomes the world.” (1 Jn. 5:4).
As believers, by FAITH, we are responsible to surmount formidable obstacles, engage in protracted warfare, and overcome fierce foes before we possess the blessings and power of the Kingdom of God.
Heaven is the realm of God, there is no conflict there, only REST. Canaan in typology is a picture of the believer’s present position and possession in Christ. Canaan is Kingdom Living.
Thus Canaan in typology was a habitation and the promise of God, pointing to the heavenly places of the realms of the Spirit which is our heritage as New Testament Christians. However, like the Israelites, we have to destroy the demons in our own lives that separate us from possessing that inheritance.
Joshua 1: 1-9: “After death of Moses, the servant of the Lord, it came to pass, that the Lord spoke to Joshua the son of Nun, Moses’ minster saying, Moses My servant is dead. Joshua was Moses’ minister to attend serve and attend to the duties of the ministry. The Lord is not hindered by the decease of His servants, no matter how eminent they may be. That does not mean the Lord will supply another servant for a work that He has finished. (Men sometimes perpetuate what God has finished.). Bury the past!
Moses died in the 11th month of the 40th year (Deut. 1:3, 38; 34:5-9). Moses speaks of the Law and also the realm of the servant which must die to give way to the realm of Christ.
“Now arise, go over this Jordan, you and all this people to the land which I give to them, even to the children of Israel.”
The word “Now” connects this book with the first five books. This one being the sixth book to form the Hexateuch.
Jordan means the descender, flowing river of judgment, and speaks of an impossible circumstance. Joshua is to arise first and then all the people (601,730- Num. 26:51). Arise to walk in new territory. Moses speaks of the Law, and Joshua reveals grace and truth.
Joshua was a leader with a covenant relationship with God. Verse 2 reveals Jehovah, the Covenant God, “…to the land which I am giving to them”
“Every place that the sole of your foot shall tread upon, that I have given to you, as I said to Moses.”
The God of Moses is the God of Joshua.
“From the wilderness and this Lebanon even to the great river, the river Euphrates, all the land of the Hittities, and to the Great Sea toward the going down of the sun, shall be your coast.”
(a) Southern border – Wilderness (desert of Arabia)
(b) Northern border – Lebanon
(c) Eastern border – the river Euphrates
(d) Western border – the great sea (Mediterranean)
The Old Testament nation actually only occupied about 1/10 of the promise of God. In Chapter 13, the Lord rebuked Joshua that he had not taken all the land which God had given to Israel. (13: 1-7).
“ There shall not any man be able to stand before you all the days of your life; as I was with Moses, so will I be with you; I will not fail you, nor forsake you. Be strong and of good courage.”
If God be for you, who can be against you? In Joshua’s Great Commission we see divine assurances, divine injunctions, and the primacy of God’s word. “Be strong and of Good courage” is repeated three times. We will need the strength and courage of the Lord for each of the three realms of Christian maturity (Mt. 13:23). Joshua was used to cause others to inherit the land. Observe to do all the Word and you will prosper. The word is to be constantly in our mouth (preaching, studying, and conversing). Don’t be afraid or dismayed. The presence of God makes the difference.
“For to this people shall you divide for an inheritance the land, which I swear to their fathers to give them. 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. This book of the law shall not depart out of your mouth; but you shall meditate therein day and night, that you may observe to do according to all that is written therein; for then you shall make your way prosperous, and then you shall have good success. Have I not commanded you? Be strong and of good courage; do not be afraid, neither be dismayed; for the Lord your God is with you wherever you go.”
I know absolutely that “courage” is given to us as a “Grace” from the Lord. Once-upon-a-time, long, long, ago, I was a very shy, timid, and fearful woman. About 28-years ago, I had a visitation from the Lord. I awoke sitting straight up in my bed. The Lord spoke to me. “Carolyn you have courage.” Since that day, I have never been afraid. Oh how beautiful are the words of Christ Jesus. Oh how beautiful our souls become after the supernatural touch of the Lord.
Shortly after that, was when Jesus placed me in full time public ministry, the giants and devils in the ministry keep on coming. I would not have been able to take on the giants sent to resist ministry if I had not defeated my own giants through a supernatural impartation of courage.
Joshua’s commission carried a contingency that he was to “meditate” on the “Law” day and night. I conclude that His power and (motivational giftings) would be activated through his meditating on the Word.
Teaching is my motivational gift. From that gift, flows the “preach”, “prophecy” and all the other gifts and callings of the Holy Spirit. The Prophetic is my “modem”. Teaching is my “computer”.
We are commanded as ministers of the gospel to not compare ourselves one with the other. Joshua’s choosing and commission is unique to His calling. We are each chosen and commissioned unique to our Kingdom calling which may change at different seasons of life.
The Hebrew word for “meditate” in verse 8 is “hagah” which means to ponder, imagine, meditate; speak or utter in a low sound, talk, study, talking to oneself.”
Just so you know, that means that those of us who live alone have the privilege of talking to ourselves.
There are here two benefits to this meditation.
- “You shall make your way prosperous.” Meaning “to push forward, break out, come mightily, go over, be good, be profitable, prosperity, success, or to accomplish successfully, to go through.”
- “Then you shall have good success.” Meaning “to be or act circumspect, intelligent, consider, expert, instruct, prosper, deal prudently, skillful, teach, make to understand, wisdom, behave wisely. Success that is a result of thinking through a complex arrangement of thoughts resulting in wise dealing; godly insight or comprehension.
In verses 10-15, Joshua addresses the people:
“Then Joshua commanded the officers of the people, saying, Pass through the host, and command the people, saying prepare your provisions; for within three days you shall pass over this Jordan, to go in to possess the land, which the Lord your God gives you to possess. Joshua spoke to the Reubenites, and Gadites, and the half tribe of Manasseh. ‘Remember the word which Moses the servant of the Lord your god has given you rest, and has given you this land. Your wives, your little ones, and your cattle, shall remain in the land which Moses gave you on this side of Jordan; but you shall pass before your brethren armed, all the mighty men of valor, and help them. Until the Lord has given your brethren rest, as He has given you, and they also have possessed the land which the Lord your God gives them; then you shall return to the land of your possession, and enjoy it, which Moses the Lord’s servant gave you on this side of Jordan toward the sun rising.”
Here Joshua addresses the people and takes over the leadership of Israel. His authority is based on the Word. “Within 3 days you shall pass over this Jordan.” This is the Passover of conquest, which speaks of the preparation of God’s people for the full possession of the Kingdom. The reproach of Egypt is rolled away (slavery to anything). The enemy is afraid. This results in a new dimension of warfare which we will see in chapter 5.
Within three days is the number of resurrection. It is only as the Christian conducts himself as one who is risen with Christ that he can go forth to overcome the world, the flesh, and the devil. This requires faith to see oneself as God see us. This is the reckoning of Rom 6:11 “Likewise reckon yourselves to be dead indeed to sin; but alive to God through Jesus Christ our Lord.”
We cannot walk on resurrection ground until we know that we are on resurrection ground. Then we can fight the good fight of faith.
Joshua charged the 2-1/2 tribes of Reuben, Gad, and the half tribe of Manasseh. Prepare to possess the land by preparing to assist your brethren!
WE CANNOT ENTER OUR INHERITANCE WITHOUT FIGHTING!
Joshua commands them to spearhead and to lead out in the conquest of Canaan. Their request was a selfish one. They showed unbelief and a reluctance to go to war. Later in history, they were the first to be carried away CAPTIVE.
“All the mighty men of valor” in verse 14 reveals that conquering Canaan will take valor and courage. “The Captain of the Lord of Hosts” visits Joshua in chapter 5. Joshua received a supernatural and illogical strategy of warfare.
1:16-18: reveals the response of Faith. But in days of inflation, talk is still cheap. This response may have included all the tribes. “Thy commandment’ in verse 18 is literally “thy mouth.”.
“They answered Joshua saying, all that you command us we will do, and wherever you send us, we will go. According as we listened to Moses in all Things, so we will listen to you; only the Lord your God be with you, as He was with Moses.”
Over and over through the Bible, we see the Israelites agreeing to follow God’s appointed and anointed leadership and cursing those who rebel. Then they end up coming under their own curse.
“Whoever rebels against your commandment and will not listen to your words in all that you command him, he shall be put to death; ONLY BE STRONG AND OF A GOOD COURAGE.”
Next week the spies.
Carolyn Sissom, Pastor
Eastgate Ministries Church
Scripture from K.J.V. – I entered into the labors of Principles of Present Truth – Joshua. Comments and conclusions are my own and not meant to reflect the views of those from whom I have gleaned.