The video version is available at: https://youtu.be/0Lm5ziq60t4
Reading
– Joshua 1:1-18
By
Dan and Brenda Cathcart
In
this new series, we will be studying the books of Joshua through Second Samuel.
These books trace the forming of the nation of Israel from the time Joshua
leads the children of Israel in the Promised Land, through the time of the
judges, and the reign of Saul. It culminates with David’s reign as king over
Israel. The title of this new series is “The Promise of Rest.” What is this connection between building and
establishing the Kingdom of Israel and the promise of rest?
This
series begins with the children of Israel camped on the Plains of Moab across
the Jordan River from the Promised Land. Moses spent a month reminding the
people of what God had done for them and what He planned to do when they
crossed into the Promised Land. He warned them that they had not yet obtained
the inheritance promised to them and connected it with receiving the LORD’s
rest.
Deuteronomy 12:8-11 NKJV 8 "You
shall not at all do as we are doing here today-every man doing whatever is
right in his own eyes- 9 "for as yet you have not come to the rest and the
inheritance which the LORD your God is giving you. 10 "But when you cross
over the Jordan and dwell in the land which the LORD your God is giving you to
inherit, and He gives you rest from all your enemies round about, so that you
dwell in safety, 11 "then there will be the place where the LORD your God
chooses to make His name abide. There you shall bring all that I command you:
your burnt offerings, your sacrifices, your tithes, the heave offerings of your
hand, and all your choice offerings which you vow to the LORD.
Moses
opens with the admonition that when they enter the land, they are not to do as
they were doing at that time; that is, every man was not to do what was right
in their own eyes. The explanation of this statement was that they had not come
to the rest and the inheritance which the LORD their God was giving them. This
seems to imply that once they enter into the rest and the inheritance that God
is giving them, they can do what is right in their own eyes. But taken in
context, this is not what the passage implies.
The
context of this instruction is found in the previous verses where they were
told not to worship at just any place like the Canaanites did. They were,
instead, to bring their offerings to the place where God would place His name.
Deuteronomy 12:5-7 NKJV 5 "But
you shall seek the place where the LORD your God chooses, out of all your
tribes, to put His name for His dwelling place; and there you shall go. 6
"There you shall take your burnt offerings, your sacrifices, your tithes,
the heave offerings of your hand, your vowed offerings, your freewill
offerings, and the firstborn of your herds and flocks. 7 "And there you
shall eat before the LORD your God, and you shall rejoice in all to which you
have put your hand, you and your households, in which the LORD your God has
blessed you.
In
this context, The Stone Edition Chumash says that the statement every
man doing what is right in his own eyes applies to bringing sacrifices to
private altars especially during the time between entering the Land and setting
up the Tabernacle at Shiloh. They state that private altars are allowed for
bringing the offerings described in verse six until they find and choose a
place for God’s name.
When you cross the Jordan and enter
the Land and the only national altar will be the one at Gilgal, private altars
will be permitted. But on your private altars, you shall not do everything that
we are doing today [i.e., you are forbidden to bring every kind of offering on
a private altar.] …The reason this new condition will prevail is because you
will not yet have come to the resting place [i.e., Shiloh, which was a temporary
resting place for God’s presence] or to the heritage [i.e., the Temple in
Jerusalem which was His eternal heritage.[i]
Other
commentaries on this passage remark that the unsettled state of the children of
Israel as they were traveling through the wilderness kept them from being able
to fully observe the requirements for the offerings. In particular, seventeenth
century theologian Matthew Poole comments:
Here; where the inconveniency of the
place, and the uncertainty of our abode in and removal from several places,
would not permit exact order in sacrifices, and feasts, and ceremonies, which
therefore God was pleased then to dispense with; but saith he, he will not do
so there. …not that universal liberty was given to all persons to worship whom
and how they listed, but that in many things their unsettled condition gave
every one opportunity to do so if he thought good.[ii]
Both
the Chumash and Matthew Poole agree that being able to fully carry out
God’s instructions for worship depended on them being in the land and seeking
out the place where God chooses to put His name. The phrase “every man doing
what is right in his own eyes” refers to doing the best they could to bring
their offerings to the LORD until they were able to do so fully. This would be
when God brings them fully into the land so that they receive their inheritance
dwelling in the land. God then gives them rest from their enemies causing them
to dwell in safety, and finding the place where God chooses for His name to
abide. Moses goes on to explain what would be permissible once they entered the
land. The pitfall that they needed to avoid was to begin to worship like the
Canaanites worshipped!
These
three conditions, dwelling in the land, receiving rest from their enemies, and
finding the place where God chose for His name to abide, define the mission of
the children of Israel as they enter the Land! Notice that merely dwelling in
the land was not enough; they needed to also have rest from their enemies, and
they needed to seek out the place where God’s name would abide. With this
understanding, we can now see that the many instances in the book of Judges
where it states that “every man did what was right in his own eyes” refers to
the incomplete mission of the children of Israel! Also, we can look forward to
the final parts of this series when David has a heart to build a house for the
LORD as a completion of this mission! At the time of David, they will have
taken the land, had rest from their enemies, and, through David, found the
place where God chose for His name to abide!
Now,
back to Moses and the beginning of the mission! God told Moses that he would
die on the mountains of Abarim and would not be allowed to lead the children of
Israel into the land. Moses asked that God appoint a man to be over the people.
Numbers 27:15-17 NKJV 15 Then Moses
spoke to the LORD, saying: 16 "Let the LORD, the God of the spirits of all
flesh, set a man over the congregation, 17 "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."
Moses
addressed the LORD as the God of the spirits of all flesh, the aspect of God
that knows the heart and spirit of each man. Moses wanted the very best for the
children of Israel. His concern was that the man would be a strong leader able
to go out before them in battle and care for them like a shepherd cares for his
sheep.
God
told Moses to choose Joshua, in whom was the Spirit! Joshua had the spirit that
Moses was looking for; God’s spirit lived in Joshua.
Numbers 27:18-21 NKJV 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; 19 "set him before Eleazar the priest
and before all the congregation, and inaugurate him in their sight. 20
"And you shall give some of your authority to him, that all the
congregation of the children of Israel may be obedient. 21 "He shall stand
before Eleazar the priest, who shall inquire before the LORD for him by the
judgment of the Urim. 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."
The
selection of Joshua was witnessed by the entire congregation and verified by
the Urim in the hands of the high priest Eleazar. God left no doubt that Joshua
was the leader to succeed Moses! Moses did all that God commanded him including
laying his hands on Joshua to give to him some of the authority that God had
given to Moses.
Numbers 27:22-23 NKJV 22 So Moses did
as the LORD commanded him. He took Joshua and set him before Eleazar the priest
and before all the congregation. 23 And he laid his hands on him and
inaugurated him, just as the LORD commanded by the hand of Moses.
At
the laying-on of Moses hands, God filled Joshua with the spirit of wisdom!
Deuteronomy 34:9 NKJV 9 Now Joshua the
son of Nun was full of the spirit of wisdom, for Moses had laid his hands on
him; so the children of Israel heeded him, and did as the LORD had commanded
Moses.
Moses
addressed the people and declared that Joshua was the one who would cross over
the Jordan River before them. Joshua would go out before them in battle against
the Canaanites; he would lead them out of the wilderness and into the Promised
Land!
Deuteronomy 31:3 NKJV 3 "The LORD
your God Himself crosses over before you; He will destroy these nations from
before you, and you shall dispossess them. Joshua himself crosses over before
you, just as the LORD has said.
The
children of Israel had been on the brink of entering the Promised Land once
before thirty-eight years earlier. At that time, their fear and lack of belief
in God’s sovereign power resulted in them backing down from the battles ahead
and refusing to go into the Land. Moses did not want this to happen again! He
exhorted the people to be strong and have courage! Then he addressed Joshua and
exhorted him to be strong and courageous.
Deuteronomy 31:6-8 NKJV 6 "Be
strong and of good courage, do not fear nor be afraid of them; for the LORD
your God, He is the One who goes with you. He will not leave you nor forsake
you." 7 Then Moses called Joshua and said to him in the sight of all
Israel, "Be strong and of good courage, for you must go with this people
to the land which the LORD has sworn to their fathers to give them, and you
shall cause them to inherit it. 8 "And the LORD, He is the one who goes
before you. He will be with you, He will not leave you nor forsake you; do not
fear nor be dismayed."
The
announcement of Joshua as their new leader probably occurred early in the final
month of Moses’ life as he addressed the people. In Moses’ opening remarks to
the people on the first day of the eleventh month of the fortieth year since
they came out of Egypt, he concluded by relating God’s words to him that he
would not be able to lead them into the Promised Land, but that Joshua would
lead them.
Deuteronomy 3:28 NKJV 28 'But command
Joshua, and encourage him and strengthen him; for he shall go over before this
people, and he shall cause them to inherit the land which you will see.'
After
the death of Moses and the thirty-day period of mourning, the word of the LORD
came to Joshua for the first time.
Joshua 1:1-2 NKJV 1 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: 2 "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.
Twice
in these two verses, Moses is referred to as the servant of the LORD. The
Stone Edition Chumash comments on the great honor of this title.
“When he was alive he was called man
of God (33:1), but in death he is called a servant for the first time, to
allude to a new and higher status, for a servant is permitted, as it were to
enter the inner chamber of the king (R.’Bachya). …In receiving this
title, Moses was given the highest possible compliment: he lived completely and
solely for the sake of God.[iii]
The
NKJV Study Bible also comments on the recipients of this title “servant
of the LORD.”
In the Hebrew Scriptures, it is a
special title given only to Moses, Joshua, David, and the Messiah.[iv]
At
this transition from authority from Moses to Joshua, Moses, through his
faithful service to God, received the title servant of the LORD. Joshua will
later receive the accolade of this same title at his death. Joshua, like Moses,
lived completely and solely for the sake of God. So, as we begin the book of
Joshua, we will see his total devotion to God.
It
begins with God promising that all of the land that the children of Israel walk
on would be given to him.
Joshua 1:3 NKJV 3 "Every place
that the sole of your foot will tread upon I have given you, as I said to
Moses.
The
“you” in this verse is in the plural form referring to all of Israel. Every
place that they walked was already theirs! Abraham received a similar promise after
he came out of Egypt! He would receive all that land that he walked through!
Genesis 13:15-17 NKJV 15 "for all
the land which you see I give to you and your descendants forever. 16 "And
I will make your descendants as the dust of the earth; so that if a man could
number the dust of the earth, then your descendants also could be numbered. 17
"Arise, walk in the land through its length and its width, for I give it
to you."
Through
Joshua, the promise to Abraham would be fulfilled. They would take possession
of the land that God had already given to them! In order to fulfill this,
Joshua would need to be a strong leader. God promised that no man would be able
to stand against Joshua.
Joshua 1:5-6 NKJV 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. I will not leave you nor forsake you. 6 "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.
Previously
Moses had encouraged Joshua to be strong and courageous, and that God would
never leave him; now the LORD spoke these same words directly to Joshua. He
commands Joshua to be strong in possessing the land and dividing it as an
inheritance among the tribes. God repeats the words to be strong and courageous
in regard to Joshua keeping the Torah.
Joshua 1:7-8 NKJV 7 "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. 8 "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.
God
tells Joshua that the way to be strong and courageous in keeping the Torah was
to meditate in it day and night. The Word was to be continually in his thoughts
and deeds! God concludes this first conversation with Joshua with the
reiteration to be strong and courageous and that He would be with Joshua
wherever he went.
Joshua 1:9 NKJV 9 "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."
Joshua
immediately carried out God’s instructions and told the people to get ready to
go. They would leave in three days!
Joshua 1:10-11 NKJV 10 Then Joshua
commanded the officers of the people, saying, 11 "Pass through the camp
and command the people, saying, 'Prepare provisions for yourselves, for within
three days you will cross over this Jordan, to go in to possess the land which
the LORD your God is giving you to possess.'"
We
have seen three days of preparation before! When the children of Israel were
camped at Mt. Sinai, God gave them three days to get ready to hear His voice
and receive God’s covenant making them God’s people! Now they have three days
to get ready to cross over the Jordan and receive the Land that He promised to
Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob.
Jewish
tradition says that Moses died on the seventh day of the twelfth month. The
mourning for his death lasted thirty days taking us to the seventh day of the
first month. The three days of preparation mean that Joshua led the children of
Israel across the Jordan River on the tenth of Nisan, the same day forty years
earlier that the children of Israel chose the lamb for the Passover sacrifice. Exactly
forty years to the very day after the children of Israel began their exodus
from Egypt, Joshua led them into the Promised Land.
The
people received Joshua’s instructions with enthusiasm and confirmed their
loyalty and commitment to Joshua.
Joshua 1:16-18 NKJV 16 So they
answered Joshua, saying, "All that you command us we will do, and wherever
you send us we will go. 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. 18
"Whoever rebels against your command and does not heed your words, in all
that you command him, shall be put to death. Only be strong and of good
courage."
The
people conclude their words with the final admonition to be strong and
courageous. Moses, God, and the people all encouraged Joshua as he began the
mission to take possession of the land and dwell in it, to defeat their enemies
and have rest from their battles, and to seek the place where God’s name would
abide.
Join
us as we travel with Joshua, the judges of Israel, Samuel, and David to
complete this mission.
Study
Questions:
1. 1 - How does this teaching change the way you
understand the phrase “every man doing what is right in his own eyes?” Yeshua
may have been referring to this understanding in his conversation with the
Samaritan woman in John 4:21-24. How are His statements connected to this
phrase?
2. 2 - What are the three parts of the “mission?” Why
is each part essential? Has the mission been completed? If so, when was it
completed? If not, when will it be completed?
3. 3 - Joshua received the spirit of wisdom when Moses laid his hands on him. Who else in the Bible received the spirit of wisdom? What is the spirit of wisdom?
4. 4 - Moses and Joshua receive the title “Servant of
the LORD.” Why does this title, as the Chumash puts it, “allude to a new
and higher status?” What does Yeshua say about the status of a servant?
5. 5 - God told Joshua to be strong and courageous in
both taking possession of the land and in keeping Torah. Why would Joshua need
to be strong and courageous in keeping the Torah?
6. 6 - What other insights did you gain from this
teaching? What indicators are there in this reading that point to Messiah
Yeshua?
©
2023 Moed Ministries International. All rights reserved.
[i] The
Stone Edition Chumash. General Editor Rabbi Nosson Scherman. Mesorah
Publications, ltd. ©1998, 2000. Page 1001.
[ii]
Matthew Poole. Commentary on the Whole Bible
[iii] The
Stone Edition Chumash. General Editor Rabbi Nosson Scherman. Mesorah
Publications, ltd. ©1998, 2000. Page 1122.
[iv] NKJV
Study Bible. General Editor Earl D. Radmacher. Thomas Nelson Publishing.
2007. Page 327.
