The Promise of Rest: #1 – Joshua 1 – Take Joshua in Whom Is the Spirit

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.

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[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.