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I'll reread verses one to nine, 
and then our focus is on the commission given to Joshua. Remember, 
the Pentateuch has been concluded. They have their instructions. 
They're supposed to go into the land of promise. God had promised, 
that's repeated here several times, the land that he is giving 
to them. And so now it has come time for 
the conquest, where God told them, specifically in Deuteronomy 
7, to go into the land and dispossess the land of the Canaanites. So 
I'll read beginning in chapter one at verse one. After the death 
of Moses, the servant of the Lord, it came to pass that the 
Lord spoke to Joshua, the son of Nun, Moses' assistant, saying, 
Moses, my servant is dead. Now therefore arise, go over 
this Jordan, you and all this people, to the land which I am 
giving to them, the children of Israel. Every place that the 
sole of your foot will tread upon I have given you, as I said 
to Moses. From the wilderness and this 
Lebanon, as far as the great river, the river Euphrates, all 
the land of the Hittites, and to the great sea toward the going 
down of the sun. shall be your territory. No man 
shall be able to stand before you all the days of your life. 
As I was with Moses, so I will be with you. I will not leave 
you nor forsake you. Be strong and of good courage, 
for to this people you shall divide as an inheritance the 
land which I swore 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 from your mouth, but you shall meditate in it day and 
night, that you may observe to do according to all that is written 
in it. For then you will make your way prosperous. and then 
you will have good success. Have I not commanded you? Be 
strong and of good courage. Do not be afraid, nor be dismayed, 
for the Lord your God is with you wherever you go. Amen. Well, 
let us again ask God's blessing upon the preaching of His Word. 
Our Father, we know that we stand in dependence upon our Lord Jesus. 
In John 15, He says, apart from Him, we can do nothing. We have 
that blessed promise in John 14 that He doesn't leave us as 
orphans, but He comes to us. We know that the power and the 
presence of our of our blessed Holy Spirit is with us as we 
gather together in worship, bringing Christ in the midst of the congregation. We pray that even now we would 
know the presence of the Lord of glory, that you would guide 
us now in our thoughts, forgive us of all of our sins, cleanse 
us in that precious blood. And we ask through Jesus Christ 
our Lord. Amen. Well, in this particular chapter, 
we have two sections. First, the commission given to 
Joshua in verses one to nine, which we'll look at this evening, 
and then the instructions given to Israel by Joshua for the conquest. So when we look at this commission 
given to Joshua, there are four things that I think the text 
affords or holds out to us. First, The reminder of God's 
promise in verses 1 to 4. Secondly, the blessing of God's 
presence in verses 5, 9, and 17. Third, the charge to God's 
servant in verses 6 and 7. And then finally, the importance 
of God's word in verse 8. So let's first look at the reminder 
of God's promise, and you see that there in verses 1 to 4. Before we look specifically at 
Joshua and the commission given to him, let's remind ourselves 
of the role of Moses, the Lord's use of Moses. He was obviously 
the earthly leader of the nation of Israel, Old Covenant Israel. 
As well, he was the author, under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit, 
of the Pentateuch. So Genesis, Exodus, Leviticus, 
Numbers, and Deuteronomy were all given by the pen of Moses. 
Throughout the Pentateuch we see a foreshadowing, not foreshadowing 
even, but specific announcement that Joshua would be his successor, 
that Joshua would be the one that after the death of Moses 
would be tasked to take the children of Israel on the conquest into 
the land of Canaan. There is this promise of succession. We see this in Exodus 17. Not a promise of succession there, 
but we see the prominence of Joshua being a close assistance 
to the man Moses. You see that as well in chapter 
24 of the book of Exodus. Numbers 13 and 14. I alluded 
to this this morning when I was giving an illustration about 
the spies going into the promised land. Remember, they go on a 
reconnaissance mission. They're told to vet the land, 
to examine the land, to see what threats are in the land, but 
as well to see the bounty and then to bring back word. So Moses 
dispatches 12 of them, two of which are Joshua and Caleb, then 
10 others. So they go into the land, Joshua 
and Caleb survey the land, they see that it's a good land, it's 
filled with many blessings, it has been given by God to them, 
and so they're ready to go at once to conquer and to engage 
in the fruition of God's promise. Of course, the ten spies, the 
other ten spies, they go into the land, and their first initial 
report is that it is a good land, but there are giants in the land. 
And then they revise that, and they basically say, well, it's 
not that good of a land after all, and those giants are formidable. So, of course, the congregation 
sides with the ten spies. There is a simple pattern that 
we observe in Fallen Man. the path of least resistance. If there's giants, we don't want 
to face that. If there's difficulties, we don't 
want to face that. If there's ways to get around 
those things, and it means whining and grumbling, we'll go ahead 
and sign up for that. So that's precisely what takes 
place. But nevertheless, Joshua was one of those men, one of 
those spies on that recon mission. And then I want you to turn specifically 
to Numbers 27, where there is an announcement proper concerning 
the succession of Joshua once Moses dies. Notice specifically 
in Numbers 27, beginning in verse 12. Now the Lord said to Moses, 
go up into this Mount Aberim and see the land which I have 
given to the children of Israel. And when you have seen it, you 
also shall be gathered to your people as Aaron your brother 
was gathered. For in the wilderness of Zin, 
during the strife of the congregation, you rebelled against my command 
to hallow me at the waters before their eyes. These are the waters 
of Meribah at Kadesh in the wilderness of Zin. Then Moses spoke to the 
Lord, saying, Let the Lord, the God of the spirits of all flesh, 
set a man over the congregation, who may go out before them and 
go in before them, who may lead them out and bring them in, that 
the congregation of the Lord may not be like sheep which have 
no shepherd. We'll continue on in just a moment, 
but that's a significant statement there, specifically at the end 
of verse 17, that the congregation of the Lord may not be like sheep 
which have no shepherd. It's the exact language employed 
by Matthew in Matthew chapter 9, specifically at verse 36, 
when our Lord Jesus looked at the multitudes and he had compassion 
on them because they were like sheep having no shepherd. So 
under that godless, reprobate leadership provided by the Jews, 
they were in a state of destitution. And so Jesus looks upon them 
with that compassion because they were like sheep having no 
shepherd. Joshua would function in a similar 
manner. Notice in verse 18, and the Lord 
said to Moses, take Joshua, the son of Nun with you, a man in 
whom is the spirit and lay your hand on him. set him before Eliezer, 
the priest, and before all the congregation, and inaugurate 
him in their sight. And you shall give some of your 
authority to him that all the congregation of the children 
of Israel may be obedient. You shall stand before Eliezer, 
the priest, who shall inquire before the Lord for him by the 
judgment of the Uriam. At his word, they shall go out, 
and at his word, they shall come in, he and all the children of 
Israel with him. all the congregation. So Moses 
did as the Lord commanded him. He took Joshua and set him before 
Eleazar the priest and before all the congregation. And he 
laid his hands on him and inaugurated him just as the Lord commanded 
by the hand of Moses. as well throughout the book of 
Deuteronomy. Deuteronomy 1.38, 3.21, 3.28, and then an extended 
narrative of succession in chapter 31, verses one to eight. So Joshua was not self-appointed. 
Joshua was not a usurper. Joshua wasn't vying for position, 
but rather Joshua was the man of God's own choosing to succeed 
Moses upon his death so that the children of Israel would 
not be like sheep having no shepherd, that they'd have a shepherd that 
would take them into the promised land and that would engage in 
the execution of the covenant upon the people in Canaan. So 
back to our particular text, before we move on to consider 
Joshua properly, consider the pattern of God. The pattern of 
God is that oftentimes he uses means. Well, I would say most 
of the time he uses means. Miracles are simply a theological 
explanation for those times where he suspends means. But the regular, 
ordinary providence of God is by the use of means. And we have 
to acknowledge that God often uses men to affect his purposes 
in this present evil age. I've often cited Ephesians 4. Jesus was led on high, he ascended 
on high, he led captivity captive and he gave gifts to men. And 
the gifts that he gives to men in that context are men. to preach, 
to teach, and to evangelize such that they can extend the kingdom 
of God and its visible representation, namely the church, in this present 
evil age. So God uses human means to accomplish 
his purposes. There's a great analogy of this 
in the book of 1 Kings. On the heels of six terrible 
kings, you had Basha, Elah, Zimri, Tibni, Omri, and Ahab. And on the heels of that, we 
read that Elijah comes on the scene. In 17-1 it says, And Elijah 
the Tishbite of the inhabitants of Gilead said to Ahab, As the 
Lord God of Israel lives, before whom I stand, there shall not 
be dew nor rain these years except at my word. It's almost like 
he parachutes right into the text, right into the narrative. There's no build up. There's 
no Elijah and Mrs. Elijah had a little parcel of 
land and they farmed it and they were in love with one another 
and Elijah had a side gig as a prophet. None of that. The 
important thing is, is that when these evil kings rose up, God 
had his man. Wallace says, whenever evil flourishes, 
it is always a superficial flourish. For at the height of the triumph 
of evil, God will be there, ready with his man and his movement 
and his plans to ensure that his own cause will never fail. 
and as well when we consider the fact that God often uses 
human means, in this case, Moses. We need to understand that the 
death of Moses does not mean the death of God. The death of 
Moses does not mean the death of the plan of God. The death 
of any preacher doesn't mean the stopping up of the advancement 
of the kingdom of our Lord Jesus Christ. God uses men instrumentally. Men come, men go, but God is 
forever. And Calvin makes the observation, 
this suggests a very useful reflection, the idea that Moses died, and 
some might look at that and say, wait a minute, what's going to 
happen to the Kingdom of Israel? This suggests a very useful reflection, 
that while men are cut off by death and fail in the middle 
of their career, the faithfulness of God never fails. On the death 
of Moses, a sad change seemed impending. The people were left 
like a body with its head locked off. While thus in danger of 
dispersion, not only did the truth of God prove itself to 
be immortal, but it was shown in the person of Joshua as in 
a bright mirror. that when God takes away those 
whom he has adorned with special gifts, he has others in readiness 
to supply their place. And that though he is pleased 
for a time to give excellent gifts to some, his mighty power 
is not tied down to them, but he is able, as often as seemeth 
to him good, to find fit successors, nay, to raise up from the very 
stones persons qualified to perform illustrious deeds. So on the 
one hand, God uses human means. On the other hand, those human 
means are not the end-all, be-all. They are instruments in the hand 
of our faithful God, and our hope and our confidence is ultimately 
in that God. Now, specifically, this is God's 
reminder of His promise in verses 1 to 4. Look specifically at 
the address given to Joshua in verses 3 and 4. It says, every 
place that the sole of your foot will tread upon, I have given 
you. As I said to Moses, from the wilderness and this Lebanon, 
as far as the great river, the river Euphrates, all the land 
of the Hittites and of the great sea toward the going down of 
the sun shall be your territory. Brethren, the book of Joshua 
is very easy to outline. I think outlining is helpful 
to get an understanding comprehensively of a book. You take a big body 
of text and you outline it, and then you're able to see it and 
hopefully appropriate it or appreciate it in a way that you hadn't previously. 
The book of Joshua is quite simple. There is a command to enter the 
land in chapters 1 to 4. There is then a command to conquer 
the land in chapters 5 to 12. There is then a command to possess 
the land in chapters 13 to 21, and then the book ends with a 
command to retain the land in verses 22 to 24. So I think that's 
the essence of the charge given by God to Joshua in this particular 
place. Enter, conquer, possess, retain. Enter, conquer, possess, retain. And again, the underlying refrain 
is, as I am giving you. They're not going in their own 
strength. They're not going because they're genocidal freaks. They're 
going because God Most High had promised to Abraham, Isaac, and 
Jacob that he was going to give them this land. As I mentioned 
this morning, when they go into the land and Joshua presents 
a very favorable impression of that, Judges not so much. Judges shows us the dark underbelly 
of the conquest. So that when the children of 
Israel become like the Canaanites themselves, God doesn't say, 
well, that's okay because you're my special chosen people. No, 
God raises up the Assyrian power to decimate the northern tribes 
of Israel. He raises up the Babylonians 
to decimate the southern tribes of Israel. Why? Because God's 
justice, God's law, God's righteousness is unbending. It is not capricious. It is not arbitrary. God exacts 
justice on those who violate his law. And so there is no arbitrariness 
with our God. And then as I mentioned, the 
emphasis on the grace of God, the repeated emphasis on the 
giving of the land, recalls the promise made to Abraham, Genesis 
12, Genesis 13, Genesis 15, Genesis 17, that ball is moved down the 
field to Isaac and to Jacob, such that they all know the particular 
purpose of God is that after having come out of the land of 
Egypt, They are now to go into the land that the Lord had given 
to them. This was grace. This was mercy. As Dale Ralph 
Davis says, hence the theological roots of Joshua are sunk deeply 
into the soil of Genesis 12 and following. And that ancient promise 
is about to receive its contemporary fulfillment. So that's the reminder 
of God's promise. Let's look secondly at the blessing 
of God's presence. And as I said, 5, 9, and then 
extending out from this context, verse 17. But remember the Lord's 
presence was with Moses. Look at chapter 1, verse 5, specifically 
at verse 5. No man shall be able to stand 
before you all the days of your life. As I was with Moses, so 
I will be with you. God had a proven track record. God wasn't the new kid on the 
block. God wasn't the new deity vying 
for preeminence in the nation-state of Israel. No, God was the living 
and the true God. God had shown his pedigree. God 
had shown his consistency. God had shown his faithfulness 
by being present with Moses. Remember when God commissions 
Moses, specifically in Exodus 3 at verse 12. And I will certainly 
be with you. In fact, turn to Exodus chapter 
4. in that commissioning section where Moses is called to function 
as the deliverer of God's people, God's firstborn. Notice in Exodus 
chapter four, specifically at verse 10, then Moses said to 
the Lord, oh my Lord, I am not eloquent, neither before nor 
since you have spoken to your servant, but I am slow of speech 
and slow of tongue. Remember the scene, God calls 
Moses and Moses says, here am I, send Aaron. Here am I, send 
somebody else. Here am I, I don't want to do 
this. Here am I, I'm not qualified for this. Here am I, I don't 
have the native gifts. Here am I, I don't have the requisite 
mind or intellect. Here am I, I don't have the military 
savvy. Moses was trying to evade the 
call of God. I'm not blaming him. I'm not suggesting he's 
a horrible man. I think that it indicates that 
he was a true man, a real man, a man mindful of the fact that 
he had his shortcomings, that he wasn't the brightest bulb 
in the chandelier, that he didn't have the military savvy and the 
strength necessary to go out and engage in the conquest. Notice 
in verse 11, so the Lord said to him, who has made man's mouth 
or who makes the mute, the deaf, and the seeing, or the blind, 
have not I the Lord? Now therefore go, and I will 
be with your mouth, and teach you what you shall say. But he 
said, Oh my Lord, please send by the hand of whomever else 
you may send. So the anger of the Lord was kindled against 
Moses, and he said, Is not Aaron the Levite your brother? I know 
that he can speak well, and look, he is coming out to meet you. When he sees you, he will be 
glad in his heart. Now you shall speak to him and 
put the words in his mouth, and I will be with your mouth and 
with his mouth, and I will teach you what you shall do. So he 
shall be your spokesman to the people, and he himself shall 
be as a mouth for you, and you shall be to him as God, and you 
shall take this rod in your hand with which you shall do the signs." 
So God has a proven track record of being present in the trenches 
with his people when they go to battle. And this holds true 
with reference to Joshua. Notice specifically in verse 
five, no man shall be able to stand before you all the days 
of your life as I was with Moses, so I will be with you. Notice 
in verse nine. Have I not commanded you, be 
strong and of good courage, do not be afraid nor be dismayed 
for the Lord your God is with you wherever you go. And then 
notice again in verse 17, just as we heeded Moses in all things, 
so we will heed you. Only the Lord your God be with 
you as he was with Moses. Turn to chapter two, specifically 
at verse 24. We're gonna look at all these 
passages. I think that's a problem with 
us, brethren, or at least me. I'm not gonna blame you, third 
grade lecturing teacher again. I'm not gonna do that, but it's 
tough at times in the midst of chaos, in the midst of hardship, 
in the midst of affliction. Remember that blessed promise 
that, lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age. You 
look around at the church, it doesn't always seem to be as 
vibrant or as vital or as important or as wonderful as it ought to 
be, and it gets a bit discouraging. But we have the promise from 
Christ that when we're about the Great Commission, He is with 
us even to the end of the age. Well, getting a good dose of 
this in the book of Joshua, I think, or hope, will be helpful for 
us. Notice in 224, and they said to Joshua, And then notice specifically 
in 3, 7 rather, 3, 7. And the Lord said to Joshua, 
this day I will begin to exalt you in the sight of all Israel, 
that they may know that as I was with Moses, so I will be with 
you. Drop down to verse 10. And Joshua 
said, by this you shall know that the living God is among 
you and that he will without fail drive out from before you 
the Canaanites and the Hittites and the Hivites and the Perizzites 
and the Girgashites and the Amorites and the Girgashites. Notice in 
4.14, 4.14, on that day, the Lord exalted Joshua in the sight 
of all Israel and they feared him as they had feared Moses 
all the days of his life. Notice in 6.27, so the Lord was 
with Joshua and his fame spread throughout all the country. Notice 
in Joshua 10, specifically at verse 14. And there has been 
no day like that, before it or after it, that the Lord heeded 
the voice of a man, for the Lord fought for Israel. Notice in 
chapter 10, specifically at verse 42. All these kings and their 
land, Joshua took at one time because the Lord God of Israel 
fought for Israel. Notice it's not because of his 
military savvy. It's not because of his keen 
intellect. It's not because he went to war college. It is rather 
because God was with him. God was with the children of 
Israel. Notice in 13.6. 13.6. all the inhabitants of the mountains 
from Lebanon, as far as the brook Mishrafoth, and all the Sidonians, 
them I will drive out from before the children of Israel, only 
divide it by lot to Israel as an inheritance, as I have commanded 
you." Notice in 1412. 1412, now therefore give me this mountain 
of which the Lord spoke in that day for you heard in that day 
how the Anakim were there and that the cities were great and 
fortified. It may be that the Lord will be with me and I shall 
be able to drive them out as the Lord said. Do you understand 
that? That's Caleb, the son of Jephunneh. Do you hear what he's saying? 
Remember when that recon mission obtained? What was the problem? the giants that were in the land, 
the sons of Anak. We don't wanna go against them. 
What piece of property does Joshua want? He wants the sons of Anak's 
property. It was a man who understood. 
It was a man who walked in faith. It was a man who knew that the 
God who promised is the God who is faithful. Notice in 21, 44, 
again, the underlying emphasis, or overarching emphasis, rather, 
is that God is with his people. Verse 44, chapter 21, the Lord 
gave them rest all around, according to all that he had sworn to their 
fathers, and not a man of all their enemies stood against them. 
The Lord delivered all their enemies into their hand. And 
then notice in 23, three and 10. 23, three, you have seen 
all that the Lord your God has done to all these nations because 
of you, for the Lord your God is he who has fought for you. 
And then in verse 10, one man of you shall chase a thousand, 
for the Lord your God is he who fights for you as he promised 
you. So what do we learn in this particular 
section? that the God of glory who promises 
his presence and pledges his presence to Moses and to Joshua 
is the God of glory who promises his presence to the church in 
this new covenant era. We're not engaged in a conquest 
wherein we're going into neighboring nation states and gunning them 
down for Jesus. There is some degree of parallel 
in the Great Commission. Go, therefore, make disciples 
of all the nations, baptize them in the name of the Father, the 
Son, and the Holy Spirit, and teach them to observe all things 
that I have commanded you. And lo, I am with you always, 
even at the end of the age. Brethren, Christ is always with 
His church. His church is doing what she's 
supposed to be doing. See, I think that's the disconnect. 
Where's Jesus? Well, when you're having, you 
know, rah-rah sessions, or when you're having entertainment that 
is the focal point of your worship, or when you've turned evangelism 
into God loves you and has a wonderful plan for your life, or here's 
a hot dog in Jesus' name, when you've done that, Yeah, then 
arguably Jesus isn't present with us because that's not the 
contours of the commission. Go, make disciples, baptize those 
disciples, and teach those disciples. The marching orders for the Church 
of Christ are very simple, just like they were for General Joshua. 
Go into the land, kill people, break things, take things, and 
then reside there. I know that sounds crass, brethren. 
I'd love to put a finer polish on it or spin it a bit, but that's 
what the conquest was. So again, we're not engaged in 
a physical conquest with military might and wartime savvy, but 
there is a wartime savvy in the spiritual realm. And the ace 
in the hole of the church is Jesus Christ, that He's on His 
throne, that He's promised His presence, that He has said, I 
will be with you even to the end of the age. I don't know 
why we fumble. I don't know why we stumble. 
Moreover, Paul says in 1 Corinthians 4-2, it is required of stewards 
that they be found, what, sensational Famous? Gregarious? On the front page of every local 
paper? On the front page of Facebook? 
On the front page of Twitter? No! It's required of students 
that they be found what? Faithful. We do what God calls 
us to do. We have the special promise of 
God that he will be with us. General Joshua never had to doubt. General Joshua sought his own 
history, just as God was with Moses. Now, when God was with 
Moses, that didn't mean there was no trials, there was no afflictions, 
there was no hardships, there were no difficulties. Remember, 
Christ gets into the boat with the disciples and the storm still 
comes. Christ in the boat doesn't mean 
the absence of storms. Christ in the boat means the 
presence of Christ in the midst of the storms. It's a blessed 
reality. It's a wonderful thing. So that 
when Moses or Joshua were down, as no doubt they were, Moses 
at times said, I can't do this anymore. The bottom line is that 
the way to gird oneself up is not in your own strength or resources, 
but in the divine resources that we have in Father, Son, and Holy 
Spirit. The result of God's presence 
with Joshua, specifically there in verse 5, the inability of 
man to stand against Joshua. Probably a good bit of information 
to have when you're going to go against the Canaanites in 
war. To know that God has promised 
that there would be an inability on the part of those men to stand 
against him, that's got to put a bit of a skip in your step 
when it comes to battle. The inability of the Lord to 
ever leave or forsake Joshua, according to 5b. I will not leave 
you nor forsake you. Again, brethren, a great boon 
when you're going into combat and you need divine aid. God's 
promised that your enemies are not going to win. God's promised 
that he's going to make sure that he never leaves you nor 
forsakes you. The presence of the Lord would be wherever Joshua 
went. Specifically, verse 9, if I not 
commanded you, be strong and of good courage, do not be afraid 
nor be dismayed for the Lord your God is with you wherever 
you go. And lo, I am with you always, 
even at the end of the age." If you're in Asia, if you're 
in Africa, if you're in America, wherever you might be, God the 
Lord is with his people. Christ, the divine word, enthroned 
at the right hand of the majesty on high, has promised a special 
presence to the people of God when they engage in the commission. Now notice, thirdly, the charge 
to God's servant in verses six and seven. Be strong and of good 
courage, for to this people you shall divide as an inheritance 
the land which I swore 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. What's God's emphasis with it? 
Be courageous. Be a man, have some backbone. The Nancy boys can go drink tea 
with the Kirgishites. You're about to go in to the 
land of Canaan and engage in dispossessing. That's gonna require 
courage and strength. Now, I had mentioned that the 
book of Judges gives us a bit of an alternate picture concerning 
the conquest. Turn to Judges 15. Judges 15, 
the Samson narrative. Drop down to about verse nine. Now the Philistines went up and 
camped in Judah and deployed themselves against Lehi. And 
the men of Judah said, why have you come up against us? So they 
answered, we've come up to arrest Samson to do to him as he has 
done to us. Now, before we proceed, I should 
remind you that the first tribe mentioned in the book of Judges 
in terms of conquest was Judah. And Judah did quite well. Oh, 
how things have changed by the time Samson is on the scene. 
So you've got the Philistines who want Samson. Samson was a 
bee in the bonnet. He was a burr in the saddle. 
He was a pain in the neck. They did not want Samson around. And from their vantage point, 
could you blame them? That lovable, wonderful, spirit-filled 
God-servant was awesome. So look how Judah responds. Instead 
of rebuking the Philistines, instead of taking arms up against 
the Philistines, this is an act of war. This is an act of transgression. When the Philistines want your 
leader, If ever there's a time to take 
up arms, that's the time. Then 3,000 men of Judah went 
down to the cleft of the Rock of Edom. They send an army against 
Samson, not against the Philistines. They arm up against their leader, 
not against their enemy. Just by way of a brief observation, 
they knew the threat that Samson posed. If it were us, we'd send 
five of our biggest guys. Probably not 3,000. Seems a bit 
overkill-ish, doesn't it? Not with Samson. Then 3,000 men 
of Judah went down to the cleft of the Rock of Edom and said 
to Samson, do you not know that the Philistines rule over us? 
What is this you have done to us? Remember this morning I made 
that offhand remark that I don't know that everybody wants freedom? 
The Judahites didn't. The Judahites didn't at all. 
They were perfectly content with their captors. They were perfectly 
content with their slavery. In fact, the narrative cycles 
in the book of Judges follow a pattern. The people of God 
sin against God. God raises up a foreign oppressor 
to bring judgment or chastisement upon them. They cry out in distress, 
and then God raises up a savior. God raises up a judge. In this 
narrative cycle, beginning in chapter 13, Judah does not cry 
out for relief. Judah does not cry out in their 
distress. Judah has made peace with the 
status quo. In fact, notice the personal 
pronoun that they use. Do you not know that the Philistines 
rule over us? What is this you have done to 
us? If ever you want to see an occasion 
of the professed people of God showing absolute contempt for 
God, for his man, and any regard whatsoever to courage or bravery, 
it's here in Judges 15. This is abject cowardice at the 
highest level. As he said to them, as they did 
to me, so I have done to them. You know, the picture that we 
have of a bumbling ogre, an oaf that's governed by his lusts, 
is not what Samson was. Samson invokes the lex talionis, 
eye for eye, tooth for tooth, what they've done for me, I'll 
do to them. But they said to him, we have come down to arrest 
you, that we may deliver you into the hand of the Philistines. 
And Samson said to them, swear to me that you will not kill 
me yourselves. He's such a trusting fellow, too. He's such a great 
guy. Everything about Samson's wonderful, 
brethren. I love the guy. I got a grandson 
named Samson. It makes me happy. And Samson 
said to them, swear to me that you will not kill me yourselves. 
So they spoke to him saying, no, but we will tie you securely 
and deliver you into their hand, but we will surely not kill you. 
And they bound him with two new ropes and brought him up from 
the rock. we're not gonna kill you, Samson. Come on. We're just 
gonna tie you up and hand you over to the Philistines and they're 
gonna kill you. Brethren, this is cowardice. 
This is reprehensible. This is foul and offensive. This 
is godless and reprobate. There ought to be none of this 
in the Church of the Lord Jesus Christ. Through God, we shall 
do valiantly, for he it is that will tread down our enemies. Either we believe that statement, 
Psalm 60, 12, or we don't. Either we understand God's presence 
with his people, God's power for his people, or we don't. 
The church today better start living in light of, and lo, I 
am with you always, even to the end of the age. We have to finish. Keep going. Verse 14. When he 
came to Lehi, the Philistines came shouting against him. Then 
the Spirit of the Lord came mightily upon him, and the ropes that 
were on his arms became like flax that is burned with fire, 
and his bonds broke loose from his hands. He found a fresh jawbone 
of a donkey. The narrator gives us that detail. 
It's fresh. If it wasn't fresh, it would 
be brittle and it would break on the first face of the first 
Philistine. He picks up this fresh jawbone 
of a donkey, reached out his hand and took it and killed a 
thousand men with it. Then Samson said, brethren, if 
I had done this, the last thing I would be doing is composing 
poetry or limericks or, you know, witty sayings. With the jawbone 
of a donkey, heaps upon heaps, with the jawbone of a donkey, 
I have slain a thousand men. Moffat renders it this way, with 
the jawbone of an ass, I have piled them in a mass. And so 
it was when he had finished speaking that he threw the jawbone from 
his hand and called that place Ramath-Lehi. So back to Joshua 
chapter one, the charge is simple. Verse six, be strong and of good 
courage, for to this people you shall divide as an inheritance 
the land which I swore to their fathers to give them. Only be 
strong and very courageous. This is the requirement on our 
part. And notice, as the text proceeds 
from verses 10 and following, and throughout the entirety of 
the book, it's not that God's just wiping out, you know, random 
Cainites here and there. They have to fight. They have 
to sally into battle. They have to arm up. They have 
to be ready to engage the enemy. They have to be ready to exchange. 
They have to use the means. God's presence and his power 
in our lives does not reduce the necessity of the use of means, 
but rather it's the foundation for the use of means. As well, 
the connection ought to be apparent. The presence of God with Joshua 
is the basis upon which Joshua can in fact be strong and of 
good courage. The presence of God enables Joshua to comply 
with the charge. No God, no strength or courage. But with God, strength and courage, 
and then mighty exploits in his name. And then note the necessity 
of all this there at the end of verse seven. So verse seven, 
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. So what is God saying? I want you to succeed. I've covenanted 
my presence for you to succeed. I'm in this for you to succeed. 
Again, think in Matthew 28 terminology. Do you think the Lord Jesus Christ 
lived for sinners, died for sinners, was raised for sinners, received 
all authority in heaven and on earth, and then tells his church 
to go and make disciples of all the nations? so that only a handful 
of sinners could be saved? Are the hyper-Calvinists right? 
There's only five of us that are going to be in heaven? They're 
absolutely wrong. He shed his blood for the remission 
of sins for many. Christ is invested in the Great 
Commission. We've seen it in the upper room, 
John 14, specifically in verse 12. I want you to do greater 
works, not in competition to Jesus, but as an extension of 
Jesus' power when he's enthroned at the right hand of the majesty 
on high through the disciples, through the apostolic ministry, 
through the foundational church, through the church, through subsequent 
ages. What do we see when we see a sinner conquered? We see 
the glory, the majesty, and the efficacy of the precious blood 
of the lamb. Christ is in the commission. Christ is about the commission. Christ wants the commission. I used the language of men there. Christ has determined, rather, 
the commission to be successful. Again, not without difficulty, 
not without challenges, not without ebbs and flows, not without godless 
states, not without godless churches, not without internal strife. It's not the suspension of all 
those trials and hardships and difficulties, rather it's Christ 
in the midst of the lampstand as they navigate those things 
for His glory. And then that brings us finally 
to the importance of God's Word. How is Joshua going to be the 
most successful sort of military campaign leader ever? Because 
he went to war college, because he's got the savvy, because he's 
got the intellect. No, because he has the word of 
the living God. Notice the centrality of the word, specifically in 
verse eight. This book of the law shall not depart from your 
mouth, but you shall meditate in it day and night that you 
may observe to do according to all that is written in it. Turn 
back for just a moment to the book of Deuteronomy. Deuteronomy 
chapter 17. Deuteronomy chapter 17. We have principles governing 
the monarchy. Principles governing the monarchy. I'm not suggesting that Joshua 
was a monarch or a king in Israel, but there's certainly some connection. The judges weren't monarchs, 
they weren't kings, but they weren't circuit court judges 
either. And it wasn't Judge Wapner in the People's Court hearing, 
you know, civil disputes. Judges at the time of the judges 
were saviors. Judges at the time of judges 
functioned in a kingly capacity. Judges in the time of the judges 
protected Israel from foreign invasion, protected Israel from 
being decimated by all the ites that surrounded them. So the 
judges functioned in a kingly capacity. We had principles governing 
kings, specifically in Deuteronomy 17. Notice in verse 14, when 
you come to the land which the Lord your God is giving you, 
possess it and dwell in it and say, remember, Joshua is not 
a king. some connection, some overlaps, 
and certainly, you know, some things that I think will sink 
in as we read the passage. I will set a king over me like 
all the nations that are around me. You shall surely set a king 
over you whom the Lord your God chooses, one from among your 
brethren you shall set as king over you. That makes sense. You're 
not going to have an Ehivite occupy the throne in Israel. 
That wouldn't happen. That's not That's not legit. 
I mean, even civil governments today recognize this, though 
increasingly less. But nevertheless, notice verse 
16, he shall not multiply horses for himself. That doesn't mean 
God's against you having an equestrian habit or a love. It's multiplying 
horses for combat, multiplying horses for war. Now, Israel was 
to have a standing army, but I think the prohibition here, 
specifically against war and wealth and women, speaks specifically 
to the reality that those things can draw your heart away from 
the living God. If you've got more horses than 
your neighbor, you don't really need God after all. If you've 
got more money than those competitors, you really don't need God after 
all. If you've got women, and in this instance, the ancient 
Near Eastern world, the multiplication of wives very often was for political 
alliance. It wasn't simply to increase 
a harem, it was for political alliance. So the multiplication 
of wives certainly greased the wheels of political power. So 
if you had wealth, you had warfare ability, or you had a lot of 
women, you might just be tempted to forget your God. So I think 
that's the way we should understand this. Not that they weren't supposed 
to have a standing army, not that they weren't supposed to 
be ready to withhold the nation state, not that they weren't 
supposed to be ready to decimate any foreign invasion or be able 
to win when they went up against a competitor. I don't think that's 
what's in view. He shall not multiply horses for himself, 
nor cause the people to return to Egypt to multiply horses. 
For the Lord has said to you, you shall not return that way 
again. Neither shall he multiply wives for himself, lest his heart 
turn away, nor shall he greatly multiply silver and gold for 
himself. Also, it shall be when he sits on the throne of his 
kingdom That he shall write for himself a copy of this law in 
a book from the one before the priests the levites And it shall 
be with him and he shall read it all the days of his life That 
he may learn to fear the lord as god and be careful to observe 
all the words of this law and these statutes That his heart 
may not be lifted above his brethren that he may not turn aside from 
the commandment to the right hand or to the left And that 
he may prolong his days in his kingdom he and his children in 
the midst of israel So, it's not out of the ordinary that 
even though Joshua is not a king, in some sense he's functioning 
in a kingly capacity. He's over the people, he's tasked 
with the defending of the people, he's tasked with invading the 
iths and dispossessing the land of Canaan with them. So we see 
the centrality of the word. Notice as well, though, in chapter 
one, specifically verse eight, this book of the law shall not 
depart from your mouth, but you shall, what? Meditate in it day 
and night. Give yourself to it. Be constant 
in it. I've often said that with us, 
well, I don't have time to read my Bible. I don't have time to 
pray. Excuse me, are you invading the 
nation of Canaan? Are you decimating the various 
ites that occupy the land? I have to think there were probably 
more hands on Joshua's time than ours. Just taking a stab at it. Mrs. Joshua didn't have a dishwasher, 
didn't have a washing machine, didn't have cars, didn't have 
planes, didn't have air conditioning, didn't have heat. Brethren, think 
about this passage the next time you're going to say, well, I'm 
just too busy to read my Bible. That's the third grade teacher 
lecture face, voice, action. Give yourself constantly. Constant, careful absorbing of 
the Word of God leads to obedience to it. Lack of study results 
in lack of obedience. That's Dale Ralph Davis. Let 
me just read that again. Constant, careful absorbing of 
the Word of God leads to obedience to it. Lack of study results 
in lack of obedience. Something to think about. How 
busy are you? Are you out hacking down Canaanite 
nations? No. I know some of you. I know 
all of you. I do. You work hard, really hard. Some harder than others. But 
ain't nobody in here got the job of Joshua. And as far as 
God is concerned, you are to give yourself constantly to my 
book. What's Paul's admonition to Timothy? You have known the sacred scriptures 
from your youth. Those scriptures which are able 
to make you wise unto salvation through faith that is in Christ 
Jesus. You're to take that word, Timothy, 
and you're to contemplate it. You're to be constant with it. 
You're to be in earnest, Timothy, because the gospel and the salvation 
of sinners and the sanctification of the saints depends not wholly, 
God is sovereign over these things, but instrumentally on the faithful 
minister or ministry of the word in the church. And Timothy, if 
you're not doing that, go get another job. It's not a bad thing. You can be a plumber. It's a 
good job, right? Had a plumber from the Hall family 
come and fix something recently. It's a good job. Oh, there he 
is. It's a good thing. Be an electrician. It's a good 
thing, too. Be a truck driver. Whatever! 
You don't have to be a minister, but if you're going to be a minister, 
moreover, it is required of them that they be found faithful. 
That's what Paul's overarching concern is for the next generation 
in terms of pastoral ministry. So the internalization of the 
word leads to the obedience of that word. This book of the law, 
verse eight, shall not depart from your mouth, but you shall 
meditate in it day and night, that you may observe to do according 
to all that is written in it. And then note the blessing associated 
with that, for then you will make your way prosperous, and 
then you will have good success. Have I not commanded you? Be 
strong and have good courage. Do not be afraid nor be dismayed, 
for the Lord your God is with you wherever you may go. Joshua, 
and again, Dale Ralph Davis says, Joshua 1 and Psalm 1 alike tell 
us that a life of pleasing God does not arise from mystical 
experiences or warm feelings or from a new gimmick advocated 
in a current release from one of our evangelical publishers. 
No, it comes from the word of God or the word God has already 
spoken and from obedience to that word. I wanna be spiritual, 
I wanna be holy. Do you read your Bible? No. then 
I don't know what to tell you, man. I want to be healthy. Well, do you get out and walk 
around once in a while? Do you pick up heavy things? 
Do you eat a lot of protein? No, I don't know what to tell you. 
See, brethren, it's not rocket science. We have a gift to overcomplicate 
everything under the sun. It's really not that hard. You're 
a minister, be faithful. If you're the people of God, 
be faithful. Always in the context of being 
strong, being of good courage, knowing that it's the Lord who 
is with you, the Lord who has pledged and covenanted and promised 
to be there with you in the midst of whatever the hardship and 
the trial and the difficulty may be. In conclusion, the gravity 
of the task facing Joshua was mitigated by the glory and the 
presence of God in the life of Joshua. So whenever God calls 
us to something extremely difficult, we can trust that God is there 
with us. If God calls us to things that 
aren't extremely difficult, we can trust that God is with us. 
That's the recurring refrain throughout scripture. Secondly, 
again, the Great Commission is not a physical conquest of nation-states 
in the name of Jesus to slay our enemies with military might. 
But there's obviously at least a spiritual parallel between 
the Great Commission and the conquest instruction given here 
by God to Joshua in Joshua chapter 1. We can read in the books of 
Deuteronomy and Joshua. We can read in the book of Judges. The negative side of the conquest, 
it nevertheless is balanced out by God's presence with them in 
giving them saviors. giving them Othniel, giving them 
Ehud, giving them Samson, giving them Jephthah, giving them Barak, 
giving them the various judges that functioned as saviors to 
deliver God's people from foreign oppression. So in a book that's 
bleak and dark, God is there. In a book that seems otherwise 
untenable to the mind of man that reads the rest of the Bible, 
especially in light of the fact that God's promises are sure, 
they're yea and amen, nevertheless, God is there. When he raises 
up a Jephthah, he does it for the good of his people. And then 
the final thing, by way of concluding application, is turn to Judges, 
I'm sorry, Joshua 21. Joshua 21, verses 43 to 45 summarize 
the entirety of the book. The summary of chapters 13 to 
21 is in verse 43. So the Lord gave to Israel all 
the land of which he had sworn to give to their fathers, and 
they took possession of it and dwelt in it. The summary of chapters 
1 to 12 is in verse 44. The Lord gave them rest all around 
according to all they had sworn to their enemies. And not a man 
of all their enemies stood against them. The Lord delivered all 
their enemies into their hand. And the summary of the entire 
book is in verse 45. Not a word failed of any good 
thing which the Lord had spoken to the house of Israel all came 
to pass. The God who commands is the God 
who is present. The God who is present shall 
tread down our enemies. The God who is present has called 
the church to faithfulness, to go, to make disciples, to baptize 
those disciples, to teach those disciples under the overarching 
context of the promise of Christ, and lo, I am with you always, 
even to the end of the age. Well, let us pray. Our Father 
in heaven, we thank you for your word, we thank you for this book 
of Joshua, and we thank you for what it tells us concerning our 
gracious and our glorious God. And we know you are unchanging, 
you are immutable and impassable, and certainly we see this in 
the Old Testament, the unchangeable character of God, the nature 
of God with his people, We know that's the same way in the New 
Covenant. We know that Christ isn't going to abandon us. He's 
not going to leave us or forsake us when He calls us to evangelize, 
when He calls us to gospel missions, when He calls us to faithfulness 
and faithless society. Give us grace, give us courage, 
give us boldness, and give us a firm commitment to the truth 
of Holy Scripture. May we give ourselves constantly 
to the study of it so that we may obey it. We ask that you 
would go with us now, provide the spirit so that we can engage 
in these things, and we pray through Jesus Christ our Lord. 
Amen. We close with a brief time of 
meditation.