Be Strong and Very Courageous

—God’s Solution to Joshua’s Problems (and ours) – Joshua 1:1–9

  • Andrew Fountain – Jan 24, 2022

 
 
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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.

Joshua 1:9

Be Strong and Very Courageous

  1. Background Story
  2. How Joshua’s problems relate to ours
  3. God’s Solution and promise

Joshua’s Problems

  1. External: a huge task and vicious enemies
    • Massive hostility to their presence in the land
    • Joshua didn’t even have an army, but an unarmed rabble of ex-slaves
  2. Internal: His own people
    • A history of constant rebellion against their leaders and God

Be Strong and Very Courageous

  1. Background Story
  2. How Joshua’s problems relate to ours
  3. God’s Solution and promise

Hebrews 3 – This life is our “wilderness journey”

  1. Therefore, as the Holy Spirit says, “Today, if you hear his voice,
  2. do not harden your hearts as in the rebellion, on the day of testing in the wilderness,
  3. where your fathers put me to the test and saw my works for forty years.

Hebrews 4 – Rest

  1. for whoever has entered God’s rest has also rested from his works as God did from his.
  2. Let us therefore make every effort to enter that rest, so that no one may fall by the same sort of disobedience.
  3. For we do not have a high priest who is unable to sympathize with our weaknesses, but one who in every respect has been tempted as we are, yet without sin.
  4. Let us then with confidence draw near to the throne of grace, that we may receive mercy and find grace to help in time of need.

2 Corinthians 10

  1. For though we live as human beings, we do not wage war according to human standards,
  2. for the weapons of our warfare are not human weapons, but are made powerful by God for tearing down strongholds. We tear down arguments
  3. and every arrogant obstacle that is raised up against the knowledge of God, and we take every thought captive to make it obey Christ.

Be Strong and Very Courageous

  1. Background Story
  2. How Joshua’s problems relate to ours
  3. God’s Solution and promise

Joshua 1:1–9

Total devotion to the Scriptures

  • Read the Bible regularly.
  • Meditate on it
  • Be obedient to it.
  • Amazing promises

Joshua 1:1–9

God’s solution

  1. Devotion to the Scriptures he’s given us
  2. Strength and Courage coming from a trust in himself
    • v6 says “Be strong and of good courage”
    • v7 says “Only be strong and very courageous”
    • v9 says “Be strong and of good courage; do not be afraid, nor be dismayed”

God’s solution

  1. Devotion to the Scriptures he’s given us
  2. Strength and Courage coming from a trust in himself
    • v6 says “Be strong and of good courage”
    • v7 says “Only be strong and very courageous”
    • v9 says “Be strong and of good courage; do not be afraid, nor be dismayed”

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.

Joshua 1:9