Rancho Bernardo Community Presbyterian Church

Joshua 1:1-9

My job was not going the way I had hoped. I grabbed my Bible out of my Jeep, walked down to the river and found a comfortable place to sit. The river was racing and churning by, at its peak level for the year. Its intensity seemed to match mine; frustrated and angry, things moving too fast and out of control.

So I sat to pray, and wrestle with God. And I started with that great challenge that God must giggle when he hears it. “OK God, I am really mad about this. If you are out there and you really care, then give me a sign! For starters, I am going to start flipping the pages of my Bible and when I stick my finger in there, you better give me something good!”

So I did just that. I started flipping the pages and randomly stuck my finger in there. I opened up to the first page of the book of Joshua and began reading. “OK, God, this better be good!”

Joshua 1:1 After the death of Moses the servant of the LORD, the LORD said to Joshua son of Nun, Moses' aide: “What, this has nothing to do with me right now! I am not dying over this!” I took a breath, and continued reading.

Joshua 1:2-3 2 "Moses my servant is dead. Now then, you and all these people, get ready to cross the Jordan River into the land I am about to give to them-- to the Israelites. 3 I will give you every place where you set your foot, as I promised Moses.

“Well, maybe we are getting somewhere with this,” I thought. “I am sitting at a river, here’s a river in the story. Something about promises and I think I remember this is when Joshua was taking over for Moses and about to start a military campaign. Maybe this is a promise of victory!” I had accepted that God was close enough to the mark on giving me something I wanted to hear [isn’t that nice of me], so I read on.

Joshua 1:4-5 4 Your territory will extend from the desert to Lebanon, and from the great river, the Euphrates-- all the Hittite country-- to the Great Sea on the west. 5 No one will be able to stand up against you all the days of your life. As I was with Moses, so I will be with you; I will never leave you nor forsake you.

Now I was not so much interested in real estate at that time. So I skimmed over the boundaries of this promise. But I liked the part about no one standing up to me, and God being with me; I liked hearing God would never leave me.

I was teetering between being a self-justified spoiled brat who believed he was wiser than the people who had caused my angst and being humbled in realizing how unjustified my complaining and discouragement actually was. Any guess which way this goes?

Joshua 1:6-9 6 "Be strong and courageous, because you will lead these people to inherit the land I swore to their forefathers to give them. 7 Be strong and very courageous. Be careful to obey all the law my servant Moses gave you; do not turn from it to the right or to the left, that you may be successful wherever you go. 8 Do not let this Book of the Law depart from your mouth; meditate on it day and night, so that you may be careful to do everything written in it. Then you will be prosperous and successful. 9 Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be terrified; do not be discouraged, for the LORD your God will be with you wherever you go."

Is there a message God had for Joshua? Three times in these four verses, “Be strong and courageous.” “Be strong and very courageous.” “Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous.” What was the message for me? “Be strong and courageous.”

I stopped reading at that point and began to reflect on my situation. Why was I angry? Why was I frustrated? I am scared and weak. What if I don’t measure up in the eyes of my employer? What if I can’t do the work assigned? Am I really too inexperienced? And in this sudden rush of self-doubt and critical thinking, I heard the echo of God’s command to Joshua, “Be strong and courageous. I will be with you wherever you go.” My anger and frustration began to wash away. I was being renewed with strength and courage. My problems seemed much smaller, my confidence was restored but balanced, and I, maybe for the first time, really believed God would never abandon me.

About twelve years later, I was neck deep in a two year search for the right place and the right job to which God would call me. Two years of searching, wondering, interviewing; of hearing thanks for applying, good luck. I had a young child with another on the way, and no certainty of where we would go and what I would do.

In that place of uncertainty, fearfulness, weakness, and self-doubt, I was about to pick up my Bible and challenge God to give me a sign as I stuck my finger in the Bible. But then I remembered, Joshua. I went back to Joshua 1. Once there, I was renewed with strength and courage.

There is a great story in Exodus 17. Israel is under attack from Amalek. Moses chooses a young man to lead Israel into battle, while Moses, Aaron, and Hur go up to the top of the hill overlooking the battle ground. When Moses keeps his arms up, Israel prevails. When his arms get tired and he lowers them, Amalek prevails. Eventually, Aaron and Hur move a big rock over for Moses to sit on, and then they each stand to one side and hold his arms up. A great image of the way the community of faith works, supporting one another.

The young man chosen to lead, down in the battle, leading Israel… Joshua. The first time we meet this man, he is hand-picked by Moses. Joshua was recognized as a leader early on.

The next time we read of Joshua, Exodus 24, he is referred to as the “assistant of Moses.” Joshua continued to develop in leadership and influence. In Deuteronomy 3, God tells Moses to give Joshua authority, and “encourage and strengthen him, because it is he who shall cross over at the head of this people and who shall secure their possession of the land that you will see.” Early in Joshua’s growth as a leader, Moses was “encouraging and strengthening him.”

Then, in the book of Numbers, comes one of Joshua’s greatest moments. Moses has led Israel to the doorstep of the Promise Land, and he selects twelve men, one from each tribe, to serve as spies. Their mission, to enter the land God has promised them and scout out the current residents.

Many of you know the story. Ten of the twelve come back from their mission saying, “The land is flowing with milk and honey, it would be perfect! But, we can’t do it! There are giants in the land! They are stronger than us.” Two of them come back saying, “No, let’s go. We can occupy this land at once!” Those two men believed God was with them. They were Caleb and Joshua. They were strong and courageous; they believed God would not abandon them. No “giant” they saw was larger than their God.

The ten spies took their report to the people if Israel, who cried out and complained against Moses. And Moses listened to them, and Israel did not enter the Promised Land.

Then, years later, after wandering in the Wilderness, Israel is again at the doorstep of the Promised Land, and Moses is dying. The mantle of leadership is passed to Joshua. And after Moses dies, Joshua hears from the Lord, “Be strong and courageous.”

That message was from God to Joshua, but also from Joshua to the people. For all of Joshua’s life, to this point in the Bible, we have seen a man who has been strengthened and encouraged. If he were to map out his life, he likely would have seen all those things in his past coming culminating in this moment! The focus of his life was to be strong and courageous, not just for himself, but also in the call on his life; to lead Israel into the Promise Land.

It is like God, in that moment, reminded Joshua what he has designed him to do. And the source, the reason Joshua could be strong and courageous, “The Lord is with us!” No matter what he was about to face, God would be with him, he could be strong and courageous.

If Joshua were to map out his life, and probe deeply into the events of his past, he could clearly see God’s hand at work in his life. Through every step, God, Moses, or someone else was whispering to him, “Strength and Courage.”

Does this focused life of Joshua’s have a message for us today? Let’s try this little thought/feelings experiment. This is a number and an ABC-C-C list. As you see and hear these, pay attention to your thoughts and emotions.

9-11.

Al Qaeda.

Crime.

Columbine.

Cancer.

“There are giants in the land.” All those things are real, with real pain, real suffering, real loss. In April 2000, a book written by Barry Glassner was published, titled Culture of Fear: Why Americans are Afraid of the Wrong Things. One profound statistic he cites is [on screen] “between 1990 and 1998, when the nation’s murder rate declined by 20 percent, the number of murder stories on network newscasts increased by 600 percent (not counting stories about OJ Simpson).” I don’t want to claim that news networks or “media” is the ultimate evil, but they are one of the giants we face in our culture and time. Media is driven by the same things as other sectors of our economy, success and money.

And speaking of money, anyone have any giants they can think of related to money?

Faltering economy? OK, the Lord is with us.

Bank foreclosure? Deep breath, this won’t be easy, but we can be strong and courageous.

Uncertainty about our country’s political future? Be strong and courageous.

Personal crisis? Failing health? Broken relationship? All incredibly difficult, very painful, very real. Do not be afraid, God does not abandon. Be strong and courageous.

We live in a land of many giants. So the message of God to Joshua, on the doorstep of fulfilling one of the great purposes of his life, the focus of Joshua’s life, is a message we need to hear today. Do you have giants? It may be that things we have depended on in the recent past are no longer available to us or no longer work. But God is always able to do a new work, and he will not abandon you. He will never forsake you. Be strong and courageous.