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
The opening charge to Joshua is meant to be more than just God's private encouragement to an important leader. It served as a charge to all of Israel. It was a call to serve God in a unique and challenging way during a unique and challenging time. It was not a call for the apathetic to hear and ignore.
God wanted leaders, and a nation of followers, that were strong and courageous. They would need strength and courage to fight the battles and claim their inheritance in the Promised Land. They would be tempted toward fear and lack of faith, just like their parents had before them when they stood at the border and failed to trust God. They would need the reminder that God was always with them in the hardships of the battle and in the joys of victory.
The military nature of the conquest of Canaan makes Joshua a unique bit of Old Testament history. But it also has tons of spiritual treasure worth exploring. We cannot be literal in how we apply it... at least not in the sense of killing people over territory. We can be blessed by its call to courage and strength... characteristics still needed in the call to stand up in a culture that often defies God and definitely no longer holds to biblical values.
- Prepare your minds for action.
1 Peter 1:13
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