To begin with, the Jews were entrusted with the oracles of God. ³ What if some were unfaithful? Does their faithlessness nullify the faithfulness of God? ⁴ By no means! – Romans 3

Joshua 1 

God Commissions Joshua

After the death of Moses the servant of the Lord, the Lord said to Joshua the son of Nun, Moses’ assistant, ² “Moses my servant is dead. Now therefore arise, go over this Jordan, you and all this people, into the land that I am giving to them, to the people of Israel. ³ Every place that the sole of your foot will tread upon I have given to you, just as I promised to Moses.

⁴ From the wilderness and this Lebanon as far as the great river, the river Euphrates, all the land of the Hittites to the Great Sea toward the going down of the sun shall be your territory.

⁵ No man shall be able to stand before you all the days of your life. Just as I was with Moses, so I will be with you. I will not leave you or forsake you. ⁶ Be strong and courageous, for you shall cause this people to inherit the land that I swore to their fathers to give them. ⁷ Only be strong and very courageous, being careful to do according to all the law that Moses my servant commanded you. Do not turn from it to the right hand or to the left, that you may have good success wherever you go.

⁸ This Book of the Law shall not depart from your mouth, but you shall meditate on it day and night, so that you may be careful 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. ⁹ Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be frightened, and do not be dismayed, for the Lord your God is with you wherever you go.”

It is a covenant relationship with a covenant people chosen by the LORD. The Hebrew people about to enter the land of Israel promised to Abraham have ONLY to obey the LORD.

Two basic commands for those entering the Promised Land:

“This Book of the Law shall not depart from your mouth

“you shall meditate on it day and night. – Joshua 1:8

Joshua 11:3 So Joshua took the whole land, according to all that the LORD had spoken to Moses. And Joshua gave it for an inheritance to Israel according to their tribal allotments. And the land had rest from war.

Yet between the days of Moses and Joshua, until the days of the Kings of Israel: Saul, David, Solomon and generations to follow; did the people of God not do what was evil in the sight of the LORD?

And lest we become so full of grace as to not confess our own failings:

Are Christians any better at keeping the Commandments of God as part of our speech or keeping it in prayer and our thoughts day and night?

Chosen or adopted, each of us sins and we all struggle with obedience to God.

Joshua 23:14 NKJV

“When you have transgressed the covenant of the LORD your God, which He commanded you, and have gone and served other gods, and bowed down to them, then the anger of the LORD will burn against you, and you shall perish quickly from the good land which He has given you.”

The LORD God is a personal God. He loves those who love Him and hates those who love other gods and do evil. He IS a God of justice, yet a God of mercy. He has compassion on those wronged and will avenge those to whom we do evil.

What is your witness and covenant?

Who IS your lord?

To be continued…