Wednesday, September 12, 2018

2018.09.12 Hopewell @Home ▫ Joshua 1:1-9

Questions for Littles: Who had just died (v1)? Whose servant was he? To whom did Yahweh speak? Whose assistant had Joshua been? What does Yahweh call Moses in v2? Where does He command Joshua to go? Whom does He command Joshua to take? What does God call the land in v2? What has God done with every place that the feet of the Israelites will step on (v3)? To whom had He told this? What were the boundaries of their territory going to be (v4)? Who would be able to stand before Joshua (in battle, v5)? Why not? What does God command Joshua in vv6, 7, 9? What does God remind Joshua in v6 to help him be strong? What does God tell Joshua to do with his strength and courage in v7? What must Joshua do if he is going to obey (v8)? What will the result of his obedience be? Again, in v9, why should Joshua be strong and courageous?
In the passage for this week’s Old Testament reading, we moved to a different book, since we’ll now be hearing sermons from Genesis.

Joshua begins with a funeral of sorts. Moses, the servant of Yahweh is dead. The one who stood up to Pharaoh. The one who led them out of Egypt. The one who led them across the Red Sea. The one who interceded successfully, when God was about to destroy Israel for the golden calf.

That’s a big loss. How do they move on from something like that? Well, the best of men are still men at best. All the good that Moses did, he did by grace, because Yahweh was with him. Moses was just the servant of Yahweh. And Yahweh isn’t dead.

In fact, He’s with Joshua. And He promises to stay right there. Joshua will have the presence of Yahweh and the Word of Yahweh, wherever he goes.

Of course, the Lord doesn’t just have promises for Joshua. He also has commands for Him—the first of which is to trust those promises! Be strong and courageous! But to do what? Answer: whatever the Lord says to do.

Since true biblical strength is trust in the Lord, we find its expression not so much in gritty hardness as in solid faithfulness. Meditating on God’s Word day and night. Doing whatever the Bible says without departing to the left or to the right. So a life of confidence is demonstrated by obedience—because if the Lord is making everything work for good, then we don’t have to!
What habits do you have in place for always meditating upon God’s Word?
Suggested songs: ARP1 “How Blessed the Man” or TPH1B “How Blest the Man”

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