Strong and Courageous

Strong and Courageous
February 1, 2012 4:30 AM -0600
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Outline
Notes
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We all dream of being strong and courageous, but strength and courage are meaningless without a few things. Find out what God thought Joshua and we need to do to be truly strong and courageous!
Thesis: If we’re going to be strong and courageous to advance in our faith, then meditating on God’s Word and applying it to our lives is absolutely essential.
Objective: Challenge believers to spend time daily studying Scripture toward applying it to their lives.
  1. Intro
    1. Recap of Dive so far
      1. Rest (Exodus 20:8-11): Single most overlooked key to growing spiritually is deliberately taking time to rest.
      2. Forgiveness (Matt 18:21-35): Possibly the single hardest key to growing spiritually is choosing to forgive others.
      3. Accountability (Heb 10:19-25): Essential key to accomplishing real spiritual depth is fostering accountability relationships.
      4. Language (Ephesians 4:29): If we want to grow spiritually, we have to eliminate the foul language, coarse joking, gossip, etc., and seek to bless people by what we say.
      5. Serve (Romans 12:3-8): To grow spiritually, we must use our spiritual gifts to serve in the church and beyond.
      6. Teach (Philippians 3:12-17): Spiritual depth is accelerated by recognizing that, even though we might not have arrived at perfection just yet, we should be encouraging others to follow or imitate the things we think, say, and do in order for them to get closer to Jesus.
    2. Today, Joshua.
      1. Picks up just after Moses climbs the mountain alone to look across the river into the promise land and dies, the last of the condemned generation.
      2. Name for the guy that followed Moses as leader of Israel
        1. Long-time aide to Moses
        2. Military commander
        3. One of two original 12 spies who returned a favorable report
      3. Covers conquest of the Promise Land.
    3. Joshua 1:6-9
      1. “Be strong and courageous, for you will distribute the land I swore to their fathers to give them as an inheritance. Above all, be strong and very courageous to carefully observe the whole instruction 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. This book of instruction must not depart from your mouth; you are to recite it day and night so that you may carefully observe everything written in it. For then you will prosper and succeed in whatever you do. Haven’t I commanded you: be strong and courageous? Do not be afraid or discouraged, for the Lord your God is with you wherever you go.”
    4. It’s fun and easy to focus on the “Be strong and courageous” part.
    5. Real manly.
    6. “In this present age man is beset on every hand by evil forces let loose in the world by sin. The question is: how shall a man, how shall a Christian, relate himself to these? Will he be deterred by them, will he flee them, will he without taking thought flail out at them, or will he stand up to them by the exercise of a will made firm through the power of a compelling and governing ideal? That is, will he be fearfully immobilized by the dangers of existence, will he flee from them in terror, will he with an almost animal instinct rush headlong against them, or will he face and meet them with steeled endurance and resolute action? If he does the latter he will be acting courageously.” (Zondervan Pictorial Encyclopedia of the Bible)
    7. The key to deepening spiritually is strength and courage. The key to valid strength and rel courage is direction. The key to direction is Scripture.
  2. We must know our job (6).
    1. We must be strong and courageous (“Be strong and courageous;” Strength and courage are certainly virtues in and of their own right, but strength is irrelevant and courage meaningless if they are not paired to do something deliberate and essential. ILLUSTRATION: An old Klingon proverb tells of a man who remained outside in the face of a great wind storm. He said, “I will not hide my face behind stone and mortar. I will stand before the wind and make it respect me.” But when the storm came, the man was killed. “The wind does not respect a fool.”).
    2. We must know what to conquer (“for you will distribute the land” (HCSB); “you are the one who will lead these people to possess all the land” (NLT); “You must lead these people in the conquest of this land” (NET); God didn’t create us to accept the status quo. He has a mission for us, but we need to know what that mission is. Scripture outlines a great deal of it, exploring holiness and issuing the call to make more and better disciples.).
    3. We need God’s promises (“the land I swore to their fathers to give them as an inheritance;” God doesn’t just send us into battle alone. He makes very specific promises to us which are key to us accomplishing our Biblical mission. For example:
      1. He promised that we can and will do great things: “I assure you: The one who believes in Me will also do the works that I do. And he will do even greater works than these, because I am going to the Father” (John 14:12).
      2. He will answer prayer: “Whatever you ask in My name, I will do it so that the Father may be glorified in the Son. If you ask Me anything in My name, I will do it” (John 14:13).
      3. He will save us and cleanse us of sin: “If we confess our sins, He is faithful and righteous to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness” (1 John 1:9).
      4. He will make us holy: “Now to Him who is able to protect you from stumbling and to make you stand in the presence of His glory, blameless and with great joy, to the only God our Savior, through Jesus Christ our Lord, be glory, majesty, power, and authority before all time, now and forever. Amen” (Jude 24).
      5. He will be present with us: “And remember, I am with you always, to the end of the age.” (Matthew 28:20).
  3. We must be obedient (7-8).
    1. This is the second of three points, but it is emphasized more than the others (e.g., “Above all, be strong and very courageous” (HCSB); “Only be strong and very courageous (ESV, et al)), and for good reason!
    2. “Most difficult of all will be the middle responsibility—namely, to make the Lord’s instructions (Hb. Torah) integral to who he is and what he does (v. 8a), meditating on them constantly so as to do them (v. 8b).” (ESV Study Bible)
    3. We must be strong and courageous (“Above all, be strong and very courageous” (7); Strength and courage are meaningless if they are not coupled with moral right.).
    4. We must observe the whole instruction (“...to carefully observe the whole instruction My servant Moses commanded you. Do not turn from it to the right or the left” (7); To be truly strong and courageous, we must be committed to doing the right thing, going the right way. Proverbs 4:26-27: “Carefully consider the path for your feet, and all your ways will be established. Don’t turn to the right or to the left; keep your feet away from evil.”).
    5. Obedience is integral to success (“so that you will have success wherever you go” (7); Real success is dependent on real and complete obedience. QUOTE: “The Hebrew terminology used in these assurances has nothing to do with worldly wealth or worldly success, but has everything to do with accomplishing one’s mission and acting with keen insight in any circumstance that presents itself” (ESV Study Bible)).
    6. Practical steps to effective Bible study (i.e., understanding what to do to obey).
      1. Read the passage silently and aloud (“This book of instruction must not depart from your mouth;” QUOTE: In the ancient world, reading written texts and even meditating on them were rarely completely silent” (NIV Study Bible).).
      2. Meditate on the passage all day (“you are to recite it day and night so that you may carefully observe everything written in it” (HCSB); “you shall meditate on it day and night, so that you may be careful to do according to all that is written in it.” If our objective is to observe the whole instruction, we must get everything out of it. To meditate on a passage is to ponder it over and over and over, like a cow chews the cud. QUOTE: “God wants us to get every ounce of spiritual nutrition out of his Word. He wants us to chew on it, digest it, and then chew on it some more” (Rick Warren, Daily Hope Jan 25, 2012).).
      3. Memorize it (“you are to recite it day and night...” If our objective is to observe the whole instruction, it probably wouldn’t hurt us to be able to remember it even without a Bible, Bible app, concordance, commentary, etc., in hand.).
      4. Apply it to life (“so that you may carefully observe everything written in it;” If our objective is really obedience, then at some point, the rubber needs to hit the road. We have to start doing the things we see in Scripture. This won’t happen if we’re anything but careful - deliberate and diligent - about applying everything we’re learning.).
      5. Ask God to help you understand (“Help me understand the meaning of Your precepts so that I can meditate on Your wonders.” (Psalm 119:27)).
  4. We need God’s presence (9).
    1. We must be strong and courageous (“Haven’t I commanded you: be strong and courageous?” Strength and courage are irrelevant all by themselves if there is no chance of victory. On our own, that’s most certainly the case, but with God’s presence, all things are possible (Phil 4:13)!).
    2. We must not be afraid (“Do not be afraid;” DEFINITION: afraid: “feeling fear or anxiety; frightened” (Google). We all have fears, particularly when it comes to deepening our faith. What if I have to give up my pet sin? What if God calls me to the ministry? What if I fail? We need to get over that fear.).
    3. We must not be discouraged (“Do not be... discouraged;” DEFINITION: discourage: “to lose confidence or enthusiasm” (Google). We all get discouraged easily, particularly when it comes to deepening our faith. We see how far we have to go. We see all that we are called to sacrifice. We fail. QUOTE: “This is to be drained of courage. It’s when circumstances of life or the criticism of people leaves us empty. It’s variously referred to as burn-out or dryness of soul. We’re unable to muster the internal fortitude necessary to take the next steps” (Wayne Schmidt, Ministry Velocity). We need to get past the discouragement.).
    4. We must not be dyscouraged (“Do not be... discouraged;” Not only can we be drained of courage, but our courage can be misdirected, particularly when it comes to deepening our faith. We focus on some wrong interpretation or trivial point. We make it our way or the highway. We assume we know it all and there is nothing more for us to learn or do. QUOTE: “This is dysfunctional courage. It is when we create cheap substitutes for the real thing. It is when we inflate our ego or become insensitive in order to rise above the circumstances of life or the criticism of people. It is the beginning of pride that eventually invites confrontation from our God who ‘opposes the proud’ (James 4:6)” (Wayne Schmidt, Ministry Velocity). We need to correct the dyscouragement.).
    5. We must have God (“for the Lord your God is with you wherever you go;” Ultimately, we need the Scriptures because it is God’s love letter and handbook for life. He reveals Himself to us through the Bible, His Word. ILLUSTRATION: Suitcase notes. QUOTE: “For the Christian, courage of every sort is possible in the measure that he knows himself to be in the almighty hands and under the beneficent protection of his heavenly Father” (Zondervan Pictorial Encyclopedia of the Bible)).
  5. Conclusion
    1. We must be strong and courageous.
    2. We need to know our objective, our method, and our strength.
    3. We need to spend time daily in Bible study.
    4. One Hour Challenge
Ryrie
  • (8) “The success of Joshua’s mission would lie in his personal obedience to the law of God.”
  • (8) meditate is “to ponder, muse, involving half-aloud reading and rereading of the word.”
  • (8) “Notice that the law was already written at this time and was held to be authoritative.”

Reflecting God
  • (6) The “land I swore to their forefathers” is a reference to “the long-awaited inheritance pledged to the descendants of Abraham (Ge 15:7,8-21) and of Jacob (Ge 28:13).”
  • (7) “Success was not guaranteed unconditionally.”
  • (8) “A documentary form of the laws from Sinai was already extant.”
  • (8) “The law was usually read orally.”
  • (9) “Have I not commanded you?” is “a rhetorical question that emphasizes the authority of the speaker.”
ESV Study Bible
  • (5-9) “Three times the Lord charges Joshua to be strong and courageous, words reminiscent of Joshua’s earlier commissioning under Moses (see Deut. 31:6–8, 23)”
  • (5-9) “Joshua will need strength and courage to accept his task (you shall cause this people to inherit the land; Josh. 1:6); to obey the Torah (Book of the Law [v. 8]; most likely this would have included at least the book of Deuteronomy or portions thereof [see Deut. 31:26, “this law”]); and to resist being terrified (do not be frightened, and do not be dismayed; Josh. 1:9).”
  • (5-9) “Most difficult of all will be the middle responsibility—namely, to make the Lord’s instructions (Hb. Torah) integral to who he is and what he does (v. 8a), meditating on them constantly so as to do them (v. 8b). Thus the middle exhortation is made emphatic by the addition of two small words: “only be strong and very courageous.””
  • (5-9) “Given Joshua’s leadership responsibilities, this charge to be strong and courageous would be daunting were it not for the framing promises: I will be with you. I will not leave you or forsake you (v. 5); and the Lord your God is with you wherever you go (v. 9). Fortified by these assurances of the Lord’s abiding presence, Joshua is empowered to receive his commission with courage.”
  • (5-9) “The Hebrew terminology used in these assurances has nothing to do with worldly wealth or worldly success, but has everything to do with accomplishing one’s mission and acting with keen insight in any circumstance that presents itself. Only when one fails to “ask counsel from the Lord” (9:14) is such insight lacking.”


HCSB Study Bible
  • (6) “God's command, Be strong and courageous, already spoken by Moses to Israel (Dt 31:6), appears three times here (Jos 1:7,9). The expression is used before great undertakings, like David's charge to Solomon to build the temple (1Ch 28:20), King Hezekiah's encouragement to his subjects to withstand the enemy's siege (2Ch 32:7), and Joshua's own charge to Israel to fight (Jos 10:25).”
  • (7) “The word success (Hb sakal; cp. "succeed" in v. 8) is found frequently in the Wisdom literature to describe one's mastery of the world and insight into its challenges ("wise" in Pr 1:3).”
  • (7) “The whole instruction (Hb torah) describes God's revelation in the form of the previous books of the law of Moses.”
  • (8) “Two more references to the instruction affirm the key importance of God's revelation. Study and learning of it are to form so much a part of one's life that the words are fully obeyed as in Dt 6:6-9.”
  • (8) “The "frame" of God's promised presence in Jos 1:5,9 indicates that Joshua's success will come because God is with him, enabling him to read and observe God's word (Eph 2:8-10).”

Glo
  • NIV Study Bible
    • In the ancient world, reading written texts and even meditating on them were rarely completely silent.
  • Courage from The Zondervan Pictorial Encyclopedia of the Bible
    • Courage “is one of the four fundamental virtues discriminated by the Greeks and one of the seven catalogued by the Christian moralists of the Middle Ages.”
    • “Virtues existing separately or merely in the aggregate, and not adjusted to each other within an overarching unity, do not as such constitute a man good.”
    • “Considered in its more perfected state... courage is a moral attainment, an excellence achieved through the exercise of will.”
    • “In this present age man is beset on every hand by evil forces let loose in the world by sin. The question is: how shall a man, how shall a Christian, relate himself to these? Will he be deterred by them, will he flee them, will he without taking thought flail out at them, or will he stand up to them by the exercise of a will made firm through the power of a compelling and governing ideal? That is, will he be fearfully immobilized by the dangers of existence, will he flee from them in terror, will he with an almost animal instinct rush headlong against them, or will he face and meet them with steeled endurance and resolute action? If he does the latter he will be acting courageously.”
    • “The courageous man reacts to pain and danger not with indecision, cowardice, or rashness, but with spirit, strength, and firmness. Courage may, accordingly, be defined as strength of purpose and steadfastness of will in the presence of life’s threats and tribulations.”
    • There are different types of courage.
      • “Physical courage, or valor, though seldom called for in civilized suburbia, is requisite in battle; there is no place in war for the coward or the fainthearted.” Physical courage would be essential to the claiming of the promise land and is often encouraged in the OT, “but it is significant that this courage is always made to rest upon the promises and presence of Jehovah.”
      • “More important than physical courage, although it may involve this, is moral courage. The courage of endurance, akin to patience, is the will to bear manfully the pains and frustrations of life and is frequently enjoined in the Bible. The courage to venture forth, akin to faith, is the mark of the saints celebrated in Heb 11. So likewise is moral steadfastness and religious fidelity, the courage to stand up for truth and justice, and, esp. for the Lord and His kingdom.”
    • “For the Christian, courage of every sort is possible in the measure that he knows himself to be in the almighty hands and under the beneficent protection of his heavenly Father.”
  • Ryrie, Charles C. Ryrie Study Bible Expanded Edition. Chicago: Moody Press, 1994.
  • Barker, Kenneth, ed. Reflecting God Study Bible. Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan Publishing House, 2000.
  • The ESV Study Bible. Wheaton, IL: Crossway Bibles, 2008.
  • The HCSB Study Bible. http://www.mystudybible.com
  • Glo Bible. http://www.globible.com
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Des Moines, IA
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