Joshua's introduction in the book bearing his name is somewhat odd: "After the death of Moses the servant of the LORD, the LORD said to Joshua the son of Nun, Moses' assistant" (1:1). While Moses is referred to as the servant (slave) of Jehovah, Joshua is merely the assistant of Moses. While Joshua has been a faithful helper to Moses, clearly his status before God is still to be determined. It is pretty clear how this winds up as, at his death, Joshua holds the same title as Moses. "After these things Joshua the son of Nun, the servant of the LORD, died, being 110 years old" (24:29). What happened in between? God made it clear in chapter 1 what He expected of Joshua.
Josh. 1:7-9 "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. 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. 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.”
Last time we discussed the care Joshua took to keep the law, down to the smallest detail. What is of interest here is God saying Joshua needs courage and strength to follow His law.
For God to exhort Joshua to have courage and strength as he led the people in battle would not be surprising, but God says that courage and strength were needed "to do according to all the law." Why was this the needed? I can think of several possibilities.
1) From experience, I can say that the step from top assistant to boss is a large one. Joshua could have succumbed to timidity thinking that the people would say, "Why should we listen to you?"
2) These were a notoriously hard-headed group of people. Their fathers had repeatedly rebelled and murmured against God. They, themselves, had only recently sinned at Baal-Peor. While the people seemed to have learned their lesson from that, it was a good bet that leading them in following the law would be an arduous task.
3) Insisting on following the Law could easily lead to others mocking/complaining that Joshua was an old stick-in-the-mud. "He never lets us have fun," and the pressure builds.
Joshua was strong and courageous and overcame these and any other temptations to stray from doing all that God commanded him, even the difficult task of punishing Achan for taking from the devoted things in Jericho. In the end, Joshua was called the servant of God.
For me, I need to acknowledge that sometimes it can be a bit scary to follow after God. Speaking of religion might be forbidden at work and my boss could deny my promotion. My friends may make it clear that they don't want to hang out with me anymore. People on social media could blast me for speaking truth, to the point that I am banned from certain sites and it might even affect job possibilities. My business, which has been my life dream and which has absorbed my life savings, may be forced to close or be ruined. I may wind up in jail (yes, this has happened in America).
All of these things could happen if I am "careful to do according to all" that God commands. Like Joshua, I need to be strong and courageous. Like Joshua, I need to remember that God is with me wherever I go. Then, like Joshua, I will be remembered as the servant of the LORD.
Acts 18:9-10 "And the Lord said to Paul one night in a vision, 'Do not be afraid, but go on speaking and do not be silent, for I am with you'"
Lucas Ward