sn 102217 joshua 1 - jersey shore baptist church - god is love€¦ · joshua 1 – the leadership...
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SundayNightMessageOctober15,2017Joshua1–TheLeadershipQualitiesofJoshuaSeries–JoshuaText–Joshua1:6-9;18;24:15-16
IntroductiontotheBookofJoshua
Joshua is the first of the twelve historical Books of the Bible. The breakdown of the OldTestamentisasfollows:
5BooksoftheLaw(Genesis–Numbers;alsoknownasTheBooksofMoses;Pentateuch) 12BooksofHistory(Joshua–Esther) 5BooksofPoetry(Job–SongofSolomon) 5MajorProphets(Isaiah–Daniel) 12MinorProphets(HoseatoMalachi)
39OldTestamentBooksTotal
The name Joshua means “Jehovah is salvation”. It is the Hebrew equivalent of the name,“Jesus”.
Joshuawas“thesonofNun”fromtheTribeofEphraim.(Numbers13:8)JoshuawasmostlikelyborninEgyptianslavery.HeservedasMosesminister(Exodus24:13;Joshua1:1)Heremainedseparated from the apostate congregation of IsraelwhenMoseswas up on themountwithGod. (Exodus32:7–18)HeandCalebbroughtbackagood reportafter spyingout the land,whereastheothertenspiesbroughtbackanevilreport.(Numbers13:1–14:9)Twice,GodsaidofJoshuathathehad“thespirit”:
"AndtheLORDsaiduntoMoses,TaketheeJoshuathesonofNun,amaninwhomisthespirit,andlaythinehanduponhim;"(Numbers27:18)
"AndJoshuathesonofNunwasfullofthespiritofwisdom;forMoseshadlaidhishandsuponhim:andthechildrenofIsraelhearkeneduntohim,anddidastheLORDcommandedMoses."
(Deuteronomy34:9)
ItisbelievedthatthisBookwaswrittenaround1400B.C.byJoshua(seeJoshua24:26),thoughsomepartsoftheBookcouldnothavebeenwrittenbyhim.(Joshua24:29–31)Theauthorhadtobeaneyewitnessoftherecordedevents.(Joshua5:1–“we”;5:6–“us”)Rahabtheharlothidtwospies inchapter2,andwasstillalivewhentheBookof Joshuawaswritten,so it is likelythatJoshuawaswrittenshortlyaftertheeventsrecordedintheBook:
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"AndJoshuasavedRahabtheharlotalive,andherfather'shousehold,andallthatshehad;andshedwellethinIsraelevenuntothisday;becauseshehidthemessengers,whichJoshuasentto
spyoutJericho."(Joshua6:25)
TheBookhadtohavebeenwrittenbeforethereignofDavid.Joshuarecords:
"AsfortheJebusitestheinhabitantsofJerusalem,thechildrenofJudahcouldnotdrivethemout:buttheJebusitesdwellwiththechildrenofJudahatJerusalemuntothisday."(Joshua
15:63)
2Samuel5:5–9recordsthatDavideliminatedtheJebusitesfromJerusalem.
The context of this Bookprimarily dealswith the entering in of the People of Israel into thePromisedLandofCanaan.ThisBookpicksupwhereDeuteronomyleavesoff.GodtoldMosestochooseMosesforhisreplacement.(SeeNumbers27:12–23;Deuteronomy31:7-15)
AccordingtoRyrie:
ThebookdescribestheconquestanddivisionofthelandofCanaanandissetagainstthebackgroundofthe corrupt and brutal features of Canaanite religion, depicted clearly in the Ras Shamra Tablets.Prostitutionof both sexes, infant sacrifice, and religious syncretismwere someof the evils forwhichGod commanded the Israelites to exterminate the inhabitants of Canaan.Much of the later spiritualdeclensioninIsraelwasduetothefactthattheCanaaniteswerenotcompletelydestroyed.Asaresult,theirreligionwastoleratedandfrequentlyabsorbedbytheIsraelites.1
TheemphasisoftheBookisonthefaithfulnessofGodinkeepingHispromisetotheChildrenofIsrael;theholinessofGodinjudgingtheCanaanites,andtheimportanceoftheWordofGod.
I TheCommissionofJoshua(vs.1–4)
God promises to give to Israel the land thatHe had previously promisedMoses. The land isdescribedasextendingnorthwardtoLebanon,westwardtotheEuphratesRiver,southwardtothewilderness,andeastwardtoMediterraneanSea.(SeeMap)
II TheCourageandQualificationsNeededfortheJob(vs.5–9)
FourtimesinJoshuachapterone,GodadmonishesJoshuatobestrongandcourageous.Joshuahadaverydifficulttaskaheadofhim:hewastotakeoverforperhapsthegreatestleadertheworld had ever seen – Moses. He was to bring the congregation of Israel into the land ofpromise,andhewastoleadtheminbattleagainstalloftheinhabitantsoftheland.Thiswasahuge job foranyman,andGodwanted tomake sure that Joshuawasmentallyprepared forwhatlayaheadforhim.WhenwegettotheendoftheBookofJoshuaandtheendofJoshua’slife,weseethatJoshuaisstillagoodman;heisstillstandingfortheLord,andheisleadinghis1Ryrie,C.C.(1994).RyriestudyBible:KingJamesVersion(Expandeded.,p.335).Chicago:MoodyPress.
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house,hisfamily,hischildrentodothesame.
JoshuahaddemonstratedcourageandstrengthinhislifepriortohisbeinggiventhepositionastheleaderofthenationofIsrael,andcontinuedtomanifesttheseattributesthroughouthislifeasheledthepeopleofGod.ConsiderthethreequalitiesthatJoshuapossessedastheleaderofIsrael,andalsoastheleaderofhisfamily:
1 HeWasWillingtoServe.BeforehewasIsrael’sleader,hewas“Mosesminister”.Ittakesa strong and secureman to serve anotherman faithfully. Joshuawas the “behind thescenes guy” inmuch of the first five books of the Bible, butwe never read of JoshuamurmuringorrebellinginanywayagainsttheleadershipofMoses.HeservedMosesfor40yearsastheywanderedthroughthewilderness.
Thewordministermeanstoserve. Inordertoservesomeone,youneedtobehumble.Pridedemandstobeserved;pridedemandsthespotlight.Ittakesahumble,yetsecuremantoserve–mostofthetimesbehindthescenes,notreceivingthecredit.
"Butyeknowtheproofofhim,that,asasonwiththefather,hehathservedwithmeinthegospel."-(Philippians2:22)
"ForDavid,afterhehadservedhisowngenerationbythewillofGod,fellonsleep,andwaslaiduntohisfathers,andsawcorruption:"-(Acts13:36)
"ServetheLORDwithgladness:comebeforehispresencewithsinging."-(Psalm100:2)
Inordertoservesomeone,youwillalsoneedtobewillingtowork.TheBiblesaysthatifamandesirestheofficeofabishop,hedesiresagoodwork.Ifamanisgoingtoservehisfamily,hewill have to bewilling towork. Paul told themen at the church at Thessalonica that if theywouldnotwork,theyshouldnoteat.
2 HeWasaStudentoftheWordofGod.HewasanexpertintheLawthatGodhadgivenMoses.Godstatedthat the“Bookof theLaw”was inhismouth. (Joshua1:8)HeknewtheBible.HehadstudiedtheScriptureswithhismentorfor40years.
InorderformentoserveGod,wemustknowwhatGodexpectsofus.Wearebombardeddailywiththephilosophiesoftheworldsystemthatsurroundsus.MostofthesephilosophiesareincompletecontradictiontotheprinciplescontainedintheWordofGod.Wespendfartoomuchtimebeinginfluencedbytheworld,andnotenoughtimeallowingthewordofGodtoinfluenceus.
"Blessedisthemanthatwalkethnotinthecounseloftheungodly,norstandethinthewayofsinners,norsittethintheseatofthescornful.ButhisdelightisinthelawoftheLORD;andinhis
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lawdothhemeditatedayandnight.Andheshallbelikeatreeplantedbytheriversofwater,thatbringethforthhisfruitinhisseason;hisleafalsoshallnotwither;andwhatsoeverhedoeth
shallprosper.Theungodlyarenotso:butarelikethechaffwhichthewinddrivethaway.Thereforetheungodlyshallnotstandinthejudgment,norsinnersinthecongregationoftherighteous.FortheLORDknoweththewayoftherighteous:butthewayoftheungodlyshall
perish."-(Psalm1:1-6)
"Andthesewords,whichIcommandtheethisday,shallbeinthineheart:Andthoushaltteachthemdiligentlyuntothychildren,andshalttalkofthemwhenthousittestinthinehouse,andwhenthouwalkestbytheway,andwhenthouliestdown,andwhenthourisestup.Andthoushaltbindthemforasignuponthinehand,andtheyshallbeasfrontletsbetweenthineeyes.Andthoushaltwritethemuponthepostsofthyhouse,andonthygates."-(Deuteronomy6:6-
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Joshua’ssourceofstrengthwastheWordofGod:
"ForthewordofGodisquick,andpowerful,andsharperthananytwoedgedsword,piercingeventothedividingasunderofsoulandspirit,andofthejointsandmarrow,andisadiscerner
ofthethoughtsandintentsoftheheart."-(Hebrews4:12)
"Andthatfromachildthouhastknowntheholyscriptures,whichareabletomaketheewiseuntosalvationthroughfaithwhichisinChristJesus.AllscriptureisgivenbyinspirationofGod,andisprofitablefordoctrine,forreproof,forcorrection,forinstructioninrighteousness:ThatthemanofGodmaybeperfect,throughlyfurnisheduntoallgoodworks."-(2Timothy3:15-17)
"Thywordisalampuntomyfeet,andalightuntomypath."-(Psalm119:105)
"TrustintheLORDwithallthineheart;andleannotuntothineownunderstanding.Inallthywaysacknowledgehim,andheshalldirectthypaths."-(Proverbs3:5-6)
3 HeWas Faithful to Stand forGod. Back in Exodus,when the rest of the congregation,includingAaron,wasworshippingagoldencalf,Joshuawasseparatedfromthem,waitingpatientlyforthereturnofMoses.
When tenof thespiescamebackwithanevil reportafter spying the land, JoshuaandCalebcameback ready to fight.Theyknewthat theirGodwas far superior toanygiants thatwereopposingtheminthelandofCanaan.
Attheendofhislife,hewasabletosay,“Asformeandmyhouse,wewillservetheLord”.Hetoldhispeers,“Youdowhatyouwanttodo,butwearegoingtostandfortheLord”.
"WhereforetakeuntoyouthewholearmourofGod,thatyemaybeabletowithstandintheevil
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day,andhavingdoneall,tostand.Standtherefore,havingyourloinsgirtaboutwithtruth,andhavingonthebreastplateofrighteousness;Andyourfeetshodwiththepreparationofthe
gospelofpeace;Aboveall,takingtheshieldoffaith,wherewithyeshallbeabletoquenchallthefierydartsofthewicked.Andtakethehelmetofsalvation,andtheswordoftheSpirit,whichisthewordofGod:PrayingalwayswithallprayerandsupplicationintheSpirit,andwatching
thereuntowithallperseveranceandsupplicationforallsaints;"-(Ephesians6:13-18)
Thosethreequalities–serving,studying,andstanding-arethe ingredientsofagreat leader,andtheingredientsofagreatdad.Joshuawassomeonewhoknewwhatwasrighttodo,andwasstrongandcourageousenoughtodoit,evenwhentherestofthecrowdwaspushinghimand pressuring him to move in the other direction. We could use some more Joshua’s inAmericatoday.Wecoulduseafewmoregoodmen(andwomen).Areyouwillingtobeone?
Wearelivinginverydarkdays–“periloustimes”–Godsaystoyouandmetoday“bestrongandcourageous”–servemypeople,studymyWord,andstandforwhatisright.
III TheCommnadmentofJoshuatothePeople(vs.10–15)
A TotheOfficers(vs.10–11)
B TotheReubenites,Gadites,andtothehalf-tribeofManasseh(vs.12–15)
SeeNumbers32forthebackgroundtothisstory.
IV TheCooperationofthePeople(vs.16–18)
The people of Reuben, Gad, and Manasseh pledged complete obedience to Joshua. TheBackgroundtothisstorycanbefoundinNumbers32.[ThefollowingnotesweretakenfromamessageoriginalpreachedonMarch4,2012]
SundayMorningMessageMarch4,2012BeSureYourSinWillFindYouOutTopic–TheSinofDiscouragingText–Numbers32:1-23CongregationalReading–Numbers32:20-23
Introduction
Readv.23again
Explainhowthephrase“BeSureYourSinWillFindYouOut”iscommonlyused.
Examples:amanandwomancommittingadultery;achildcheatingona test (illustratewithsomeofthewayskidshavecheatedattheacademy(blueinkinaredbarrelpenat
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thegradingstation;gradingkeystakenhome;textmessagingduringtests)
AnysinthatamancancommitcanbeapplicabletothisBiblicalprinciple.
"Benotdeceived;Godisnotmocked:forwhatsoeveramansoweth,thatshallhealsoreap."-(Galatians6:7)
"Forthereisnothingcovered,thatshallnotberevealed;neitherhid,thatshallnotbeknown.Thereforewhatsoeveryehavespokenindarknessshallbeheardinthelight;andthatwhichyehavespokenintheearinclosetsshallbeproclaimeduponthehousetops."-
(Luke12:2-3)
Wecan’thideanythingfromGod–Heseesitall
Wenevergetawaywithanything.
However,intheimmediatecontextofthispassagethephrase“besureyoursinwillfindyouout”isnotusedinreferencetosomeactofimmorality–itisreferringtoagroupofpeoplediscouraginganothergroupofpeoplefromthefulfillmentofthewillofGod.
Beginreadinginv.1andexplainthestorybehindthephrase.(Refertomaps)
Transition
TheBiblehasalottosayaboutdiscouragingpeople:
"Butwhososhalloffendoneoftheselittleoneswhichbelieveinme,itwerebetterforhimthatamillstonewerehangedabouthisneck,andthatheweredrownedinthedepthof
thesea."-(Matthew18:6)
"Fathers,provokenotyourchildrentoanger,lesttheybediscouraged."-(Colossians3:21)
DiscouragingothersfromfulfillingthewillofGodfortheirlifeisasin.GodwantsustoliftupandencourageoneanothertodothethingsthatHehaswilledustodo.
ThismorningIwanttoconsiderthreewaysthatyouandIcanencourageeachotherinthewillofGod.
I YourAttendance(YourPresence-JustBeingThere)
"Letusholdfasttheprofessionofourfaithwithoutwavering;(forheisfaithfulthatpromised;)Andletusconsideroneanothertoprovokeuntoloveandtogoodworks:Notforsakingtheassemblingofourselvestogether,asthemannerofsomeis;butexhortingoneanother:andsomuchthemore,asyeseethedayapproaching."-(Hebrews10:23-
25)
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WehaverecentlystudiedinourWednesdayNightseriesonTheLifeandMinistryoftheLord Jesus Christ when our Lordwas about to be crucified, and then Hewas to soonascend intoHeaven.TheLordadmonished thedisciples tostick together– to loveoneanother–toassembletogether.
Yourpresencecanbeagreatencouragement.
Illustrate–churchplantersoftengetdiscouragedbecausetherearenotinitiallyalotofpeopleattendingtheirservices.
Illustrate–yesterdayagroupofuswentoutinthebusandknockedon159doors.
Illustrate–largeturnoutforMelissa’sfuneralwasanencouragementtotheStahls
II YourActions(YourParticipation)
As far as our corporate worship is concerned – when you come – participate in theservices.
1 SingthesongsofGod2 Greetpeople3 Lookforsomebodythatneedsencouragement4 Lookforvisitorsandhelpthemfeelcomfortable5 Bewillingtohelpout–nursery,ushers,greeters,juniorchurch,busworkers
anddrivers,soulwinners,disciplers,SSteachers,helpsetup,helpcleanup(Illustrate–BrotherBobF.helpedmecleanupafterthebanquet)
Getinvolvedinyourchurch–Yourparticipationisagreatwaytoencourageotherstogetinvolved–and themorepeopleweget involved– themorewewill beable towin toChrist,andthentraintowinothers.
III YourAttitude(YourPosition–BePositiveandSupportive)
The expression on your face can either be a source of encouragement or a source ofdiscouragementtothepeoplearoundyou.
Thewords that you saywill eitherpointpeople toChrist and thewill ofGod,orpointthemaway.
Youshouldnothavetomanufactureagoodattitudeartificially,either.Wehaveanawfullottobehappyabout.
LetyourfacebeanadvertisementforthegoodnessofGod.
Conclusion
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Illustration–RayChaney–alwayshadakindwordtosay–nevergotinvolvedinthejunkgoingaroundinthechurch.
Letyourattendance(presence),youractions(yourparticipation),andyourattitude(yourpositiveposition)beasourceofencouragementtothosearoundyou.
Map1–WanderinginWilderness
Map2LandDivisions
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Conclusion
AsweconcludeJoshuaChapterOne,let’sberemindedofwhatwehaveseen:
I TheCommissionofJoshua(vs.1–4)
II TheCourageandQualificationsNeededfortheJob(vs.5–9)
1 HeWasWillingtoServe.2 HeWasaStudentoftheWordofGod.3 HeWasFaithfultoStandforGod.
III III TheCommnadmentofJoshuatothePeople(vs.10–15)
A TotheOfficers(vs.10–11)
B TotheReubenites,Gadites,andtothehalf-tribeofManasseh(vs.12–15)
IV TheCooperationofthePeople(vs.16–18)
Asofnow,everythinglooksgoodforthepeopleofGod.
Israelhadnothingbutopportunityinfrontofthem.TheyhadaninvincibleGod,andawesomehumanleader,andwide-openlandbeforethem.AlltheyhadtodowastrustGodandobeyHim.Ifweweretostopreadingnow,wewouldbetemptedtothinkthateverythingwentaccordingtoplan.However,ourunderstandingofhumannatureandsinshouldhelpusrealizethatmanwouldlimittheunlimitedplanofGod.