“Be strong and very courageous, for you will distribute the land I swore to their ancestors to give them as an inheritance. Above all, be strong and very courageous to observe carefully the whole instruction that my servant Moses commanded you. Do not turn from it to the right or the left, so that you will have success wherever you go.” (1 Joshua 1:6-7, Christian Standard Bible, CSB)
“Haven’t I commanded you to be strong and courageous? Do not be afraid or discouraged, for the LORD your God is with you wherever you go.” (1 Joshua 1:9, Christian Standard Bible, CSB)
“Be strong and courageous, for you shall cause this people to inherit the land that I swore to their fathers to give them. Only be strong and very courageous, being careful to do everything according to the law that Moses, my servant, commanded you. Do not turn from it to the right or to the left, that you may have good success wherever you go.” (Joshua 1:6-7, English Standard Version, ESV)
“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, English Standard Version-ESV)
“Be strong and courageous, for you are the one who will lead these people to possess all the land I swore to their ancestors I would give them. Be strong and courageous. Be careful to obey all the instructions Moses gave you. Do not deviate from them, turning either to the right or to the left. Then you will be successful in everything you do.” (Joshua 1:6-7, New Living Translation, NLT)
“This is my command—be strong and courageous! Do not be afraid or discouraged. For the LORD your God is with you wherever you go.” (Joshua 1:9, New Living Translation, NLT)
Who is giving this command, and to whom?
In this portion of scripture, we see God giving the command, Be strong and courageous’, to his servant Joshua, the son of Nun, who has just taken over from Moses as the leader of the children of Israel.
The Bible records that before his death, Moses had appointed his assistant Joshua as his successor. We read this in Deuteronomy 34:9, which says
“Now Joshua the son of Nun was full of the spirit of wisdom, for Moses had laid his hands on him; so the children of Israel heeded him, and did as the LORD had commanded Moses.”
When was this command given?
This command was given after the death of Moses at Mount Nebo. It so happened that because of Moses transgression at the waters of Meribah, God had told him that he would only ‘see’ but ‘not enter’ the promised land (Numbers, 20:12).
And so it came to pass that after the incident at Meribah, the children of Israel sojourned until they arrived at Mount Nebo. While here, God told Moses to go up the mountain because his time to die had come. But before he died, God showed him the Promised Land as far as his eyes could see. After his death, the Bible records that God Himself buried his body on this mountain. Consequently, the children of Israel mourned for him for 30 days, as was the custom (Deuteronomy 34).
So, it was after the death of Moses that God spoke to Joshua, instructing him to prepare the children of Israel to cross over the Jordan River to possess the Promised Land. We read this in Joshua 1:1–2, which says
“After the death of Moses the servant of the LORD, it came to pass that the LORD spoke to Joshua the son of Nun, Moses’ assistant, saying: ‘Moses My servant is dead. Now therefore, arise and go over this Jordan, you and all this people, to the land which I am giving to them—the children of Israel.’”
Why did God command Joshua to be strong and courageous?
God gave this command to Joshua because of the arduous task ahead of him in bringing the children of Israel into the Promised Land and apportioning it amongst them.
It should be noted that the Promised Land was by then under the occupation of the Canaanites, and the only way to take it was by waging war against them. In light of this, God required his commander Joshua to be strong, courageous, and fearless as he waged this war. It is only by so doing that the children of Israel will follow suit and, in turn, remain strong, courageous, and fearless during the conquest.
It is also good to remember that Joshua walked side by side with Moses and Aaron from the time the children of Israel left Egypt in their journey through the wilderness up to the borders of the Promised Land. So he was a first-hand witness to all that had transpired throughout this journey under the leadership of Moses and Aaron.
For instance, Joshua had witnessed the constant rebellion by the people against God throughout their journey and the subsequent punishments that they had suffered. Therefore, God wanted Joshua to remain as strong and focused as Moses was because He had chosen him to lead the people in conquering and occupying the land of promise. This is because God was keen to fulfill the promise that He made to their ancestors, Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob.
Joshua had also witnessed the uprising against Moses by some leaders of the children of Israel. God was therefore commanding him to be strong and courageous in the face of any such challenge that would arise against his leadership. That is why he told Joshua that no man would be able to prevail against him, as long as he remained strong and courageous.
God also commanded Joshua to be strong and courageous because of the unbelief that the children of Israel had constantly portrayed as far as God’s promises were concerned. So, by remaining strong and courageous in the face of unbelief, God knew Joshua would help strengthen and encourage his people.
Note that for Joshua to remain strong and courageous, he needed God’s support. We therefore see God assuring him of the same in Joshua 1:5, which says
“No man shall be able to stand before you all the days of your life; as I was with Moses, so I will be with you. I will not leave you nor forsake you.”
However, this support came with a condition. The condition was that Joshua had to keep God’s laws according to what Moses had commanded him. We read this in Joshua 1:7-8, which says
“Only be strong and very courageous, that you may observe to do according to all the law which Moses My servant commanded you; do not turn from it to the right hand or to the left, that you may prosper wherever you go. This book of the Law shall not depart from your mouth, but you shall meditate in it day and night, that you may observe to do according to all that is written in it. Then you will make yourself prosperous, and then you will have good success.”
As a result of his obedience to the Laws of God as given to him by Moses, we further read that Joshua successfully conquered the land and apportioned it amongst the children of Israel as directed by God.
At the end of his life, we still see Joshua exhorting the children of Israel to serve God in truth and with a sincere heart in order to remain prosperous and successful. This we read in Joshua 24:14, which says
“Now therefore, fear the LORD, serve Him in sincerity and in truth, and put away the gods that your fathers served on the other side of the River and in Egypt. Serve the Lord! And if it seems evil to you to serve the LORD, choose for yourselves this day whom you will serve, whether the gods that your fathers served that were on the other side of the river or the gods of the Amorites, in whose land you dwell. But as for me and my house, we will serve the LORD.”
Why does God want us to be strong and courageous?
As believers, God is still calling us to be strong and courageous in the wake of all the tasks and challenges facing us on a day-to-day basis.
Through His word, we get to know that He is together with us in all that we go through, as recorded in Isaiah 43:2
“When you pass through the waters, I will be with you; and through the rivers, they shall not overflow you. When you walk through the fire, you shall not be burned, nor shall the flame scourge you.”
I leave you with the words found in Ephesians 6:10, as penned by the Apostle Paul:
“Finally, my brethren, be strong in the Lord and in the power of His might.”
I hope the information was helpful. Thank you.
Related Post: Be anxious for nothing Bible verse
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Prayer to become a born-again Christian
“Lord Jesus, I confess that I am a sinner and hereby ask for your forgiveness;
I believe in my heart and confess with my mouth that you are the only begotten Son of the living God.
I believe that you were sent by your Father to the earth to save sinners like me.
I now accept you as my personal Lord and Savior.
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Thank you for saving me.
In the Name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit,
Amen!”
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Benediction
“The LORD bless you and keep you;
The Lord make His face shine upon you,
And be gracious to you;
The LORD lift up His countenance upon you,
And give you peace.”
(Numbers 6:24-26)
Shalom.
Source: https://www.biblegateway.com/
My name is Nicodemus. I'm a Kenyan by birth. I got saved over 30 years ago while in high school.
I love studying scriptures in order to enhance my comprehension of God and His plan for mankind.
I have an MBA degree in strategic management and a BSc degree in botany and zoology.
I’m married to a loving lady called Leah. God has gifted us three sons: Wayne, Salem, and Michael.
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