Joshua 1:1–9

 

As you imagine Joshua being called to follow Moses, what gives you courage from the Lord’s words to him—and how does Joshua’s mission point you to Jesus Christ?

"1 Now after the death of Moses the servant of the Lord it came to pass, that the Lord spake unto Joshua the son of Nun, Moses’ minister, saying,

2 Moses my servant is dead; now therefore arise, go over this Jordan, thou, and all this people, unto the land which I do give to them, even to the children of Israel.

3 Every place that the sole of your foot shall tread upon, that have I given unto you, as I said unto Moses.

4 From the wilderness and this Lebanon even unto the great river, the river Euphrates, all the land of the Hittites, and unto the great sea toward the going down of the sun, shall be your coast.

5 There shall not any man be able to stand before thee all the days of thy life: as I was with Moses, so I will be with thee: I will not fail thee, nor forsake thee.

6 Be strong and of a good courage: for unto this people shalt thou divide for an inheritance the land, which I sware unto their fathers to give them.

7 Only be thou strong and very courageous, that thou mayest observe to do according to all the law, which Moses my servant commanded thee: turn not from it to the right hand or to the left, that thou mayest prosper whithersoever thou goest.

8 This book of the law shall not depart out of thy mouth; but thou shalt meditate therein day and night, that thou mayest observe to do according to all that is written therein: for then thou shalt make thy way prosperous, and then thou shalt have good success.

9 Have not I commanded thee? Be strong and of a good courage; be not afraid, neither be thou dismayed: for the Lord thy God is with thee whithersoever thou goest." (Joshua 1:1–9)

And here's the commentary entitled: "God will be with me as I strive to be faithful to Him." : 

"Imagine what it might have been like for Joshua to be called to replace Moses. Notice what the Lord said in Joshua 1:1–9 to encourage him. Think about the difficult challenges you face; what in these verses gives you courage?

The name Joshua (Yehoshua or Yeshua in Hebrew) means “Jehovah saves.” And the name Jesus comes from Yeshua. So as you read about Joshua, consider his role in leading the children of Israel across the Jordan River and into the promised land. How was his mission similar to what Christ does for us?"

What gives me courage in these verses is the Lord's promise that He will not fail me, nor forsake me; instead, He may prosper wherever I go, as long as I choose to be strong and very courageous, and that I observe to do according to all the law, turn not from it to the right hand or to the left. 

Joshua's mission was similar to what Christ does for us in that He led the Israelites to the promised land, breaking barriers (the river Jordan and the walls of Jericho), just as Jesus broke the bands of death for us, so that we could enter our promised land (eternal life)

1 Nephi 17:35; Joshua 1:9; Joshua 3:5

 

What difference does it make when you know the Lord is walking beside you?

"35 Behold, the Lord esteemeth all flesh in one; he that is righteous is favored of God. But behold, this people had rejected every word of God, and they were ripe in iniquity; and the fulness of the wrath of God was upon them; and the Lord did curse the land against them, and bless it unto our fathers; yea, he did curse it against them unto their destruction, and he did bless it unto our fathers unto their obtaining power over it." (1 Nephi 17:35)

"9 Have not I commanded thee? Be strong and of a good courage; be not afraid, neither be thou dismayed: for the Lord thy God is with thee whithersoever thou goest." (Joshua 1:9)

"5 And Joshua said unto the people, Sanctify yourselves: for to morrow the Lord will do wonders among you." (Joshua 3:5)

And here's the introductory commentary to this week's reading assignment: "May 18–24: “Be Strong and of a Good Courage” Joshua 1–8; 23–24

"It had taken several generations, but the Lord’s promise was about to be fulfilled: the children of Israel were finally going to inherit the promised land. But in their way stood the Jordan River, the walls of Jericho, and a mighty people who had rejected the Lord (see 1 Nephi 17:35). And they would have to face all of that without their beloved leader Moses. The situation may have made some Israelites feel weak and fearful, but the Lord said, “Be strong and of a good courage.” What reason did they have to be courageous? It wasn’t because of their own strength—or even Moses’s or Joshua’s—but because “the Lord thy God is with thee whithersoever thou goest” (Joshua 1:9). When we have our own rivers to cross and walls to bring down, wonderful things can happen in our lives because “the Lord will do wonders among [us]” (Joshua 3:5).

For an overview of the book of Joshua, see “Joshua, book of” in the Bible Dictionary."

When I know that the Lord is walking beside me, I know I am not alone, and the most powerful being is with me. So this gives me all the courage that I need to face my challenges and rise above them. With God, I know I can do all things because with Him, nothing is impossible. I can cross my own rivers, and I can bring down my own walls when I'm with the most powerful being in the entire universe. 

Deuteronomy 29:9; 30:15–20; 2 Nephi 2:26–29; 4:4;

 

What inspires you to choose life?

"9 Keep therefore the words of this covenant, and do them, that ye may prosper in all that ye do." (Deuteronomy 29:9)

"15 ¶ See, I have set before thee this day life and good, and death and evil;

16 In that I command thee this day to love the Lord thy God, to walk in his ways, and to keep his commandments and his statutes and his judgments, that thou mayest live and multiply: and the Lord thy God shall bless thee in the land whither thou goest to possess it.

17 But if thine heart turn away, so that thou wilt not hear, but shalt be drawn away, and worship other gods, and serve them;

18 I denounce unto you this day, that ye shall surely perish, and that ye shall not prolong your days upon the land, whither thou passest over Jordan to go to possess it.

19 I call heaven and earth to record this day against you, that I have set before you life and death, blessing and cursing: therefore choose life, that both thou and thy seed may live:

20 That thou mayest love the Lord thy God, and that thou mayest obey his voice, and that thou mayest cleave unto him: for he is thy life, and the length of thy days: that thou mayest dwell in the land which the Lord sware unto thy fathers, to Abraham, to Isaac, and to Jacob, to give them." (Deuteronomy 30:15–20)

"26 And the Messiah cometh in the fulness of time, that he may redeem the children of men from the fall. And because that they are redeemed from the fall they have become free forever, knowing good from evil; to act for themselves and not to be acted upon, save it be by the punishment of the law at the great and last day, according to the commandments which God hath given.

27 Wherefore, men are free according to the flesh; and all things are given them which are expedient unto man. And they are free to choose liberty and eternal life, through the great Mediator of all men, or to choose captivity and death, according to the captivity and power of the devil; for he seeketh that all men might be miserable like unto himself.

28 And now, my sons, I would that ye should look to the great Mediator, and hearken unto his great commandments; and be faithful unto his words, and choose eternal life, according to the will of his Holy Spirit;

29 And not choose eternal death, according to the will of the flesh and the evil which is therein, which giveth the spirit of the devil power to captivate, to bring you down to hell, that he may reign over you in his own kingdom." (2 Nephi 2:26–29)

"4 For the Lord God hath said that: Inasmuch as ye shall keep my commandments ye shall prosper in the land; and inasmuch as ye will not keep my commandments ye shall be cut off from my presence." (2 Nephi 4:4)

And here's the commentary entitled: "The Lord invites me to choose between good and evil." : 

"It might be interesting to compare Moses’s words in Deuteronomy 29:9; 30:15–20 with some of Lehi’s final teachings to his family in 2 Nephi 2:26–29; 4:4. How did Lehi expand on what Moses taught? What do you find in these passages that inspires you to “choose life”? (Deuteronomy 30:19)." 

Lehi expands on what Moses taught by teaching how we are given the gift of free agency because the Messiah redeemed us from the fall. We can continue to remain free when we choose liberty and eternal life, or we can choose the opposite--captivity and death, and become subject to the devil who wants us to become miserable like unto himself.

What I find in these passages that inspires me to "choose life" :

• The Lord wants to bless me with prosperity and eternal life, while the devil wants me to become miserable because he is miserable himself.
• I have the power to choose. Whether I choose life or death is totally up to me. Whether I choose to stay in God's presence or be cut off from His presence and become subject to the devil is totally up to me.
• The Lord invites me to choose between good and evil. He's not forcing me to choose good over evil.
• God wants me to use my freedom of choice wisely by keeping His commandments and being always in His presence now and forever.