I would like for everyone to open up to Joshua 1.
And we can read together here in a couple minutes.
When you hear the word meditation or meditate, what's
the first thing that kind of comes to our mind.
Sometimes we think about somebody holding their hands out
with their thumb and their index finger touching with their eyes
closed looking up crisscrossed and and might think of Buddhism
or or some other Eastern. Religion or belief.
Where they focus and meditate on emptying, their soul or emptying
their mind. and, they do that in order to focus on their soul as
a result we as Christians virtually avoid the idea and
practice of meditation because of that stereotype And for good
reason because we know that meditation has no, no way, not
even a way to Salvation. Meditation does not get us
salvation, but when we read text like we're going to read this
afternoon. This evening, we have to ask
ourselves. What are we supposed to do with
some of these? Some of these things that are
said we need to meditate on the word of God.
So to avoid meditation. All together is, in fact, a
Disobedience to God. One writer said, meditation is
deep thinking on the truths and spiritual realities revealed in
scripture for the purpose of understanding, application and
prayer. So meditation is not necessarily
about our posture. It's about the goal.
It's about what we're trying to understand.
So the goal of Eastern mysticism or even New Age meditation is
emptying of your mind in order to have complete Focus.
But the goal in biblical meditation is totally different.
The goal would be the same. We want to have complete Focus,
but the means of accomplishing that goal.
It is not the meditation that empties our minds, but
meditation that fills our mind with truth of God's word.
So that's the reason why we meditate is, so we can fill our
minds with the word of God. That's why in the one that's
passions In this passage, we are getting ready to read.
If you look at verse 8, it says they're the book of the law
shall not depart from your mouth, but you shall meditate on
it day and night. So, meditation involves filling
our minds with God's word and it's in doing that.
We find the right Focus for our lives.
The kind of focus this kind of focus necessitates more than
just reading the Bible. So we can read that in verse 8.
It says it does not say that the book of the law shall not depart
from your mouth but you shall read it day and night and said
it says you shall meditate on it day and night.
So reading it alone is not enough.
So, there's a difference there. So meditation does not need to
be some sort of mystery to us. When we read God's word, it does
need to be, doesn't need to be a mystery to us as Christians.
We need to be doing it every day.
Actually, so there's a couple words in the Hebrew that are
translated, meditate that we can read in the Old Testament.
The first one is used in Psalms one, where base basically, it
says to meditate and that is talking about a murmuring that
somebody may do murmuring over and Over repeat repeating the
word of God. Psalms 1 says blessed is the man
who walks not in the counsel of the wicked, nor stands in the
way of Sinners, nor sits in the seat of scoffers.
But his Delight is in the law of the Lord.
And on his law, he meditates day and night.
That is where it is referring to a murmuring over and over again
every day and every night, the other word for meditate is in in
Psalms 119 and verse 99, it says there I have more understanding
than All my teachers for your testimonies are my meditation.
And the word for meditation there in that passage is, is
talking about reflecting quietly and deep devotion.
So, notice the difference, reading the Bible is good and
it's necessary as a starting point for meditation, but it's
not where it stops because we don't just read the Bible.
Like, we're reading a novel for entertainment or nonfiction book
for information. We read the Bible, we want to
absorb what's in the Bible. We want to understand what's in
the Bible. So do we ever find ourselves
doing that? Just reading words, I know I do,
you know, we've we've read at home and we can read a chapter
or two and at the end of that reading, we kind of just go what
in the world did I just read? I have no remembrance of what I
just read. We were just reading, just to
read. We need to do more than that,
you know, think about it like this, you know, this is guys or
husbands or may go out on a date with our a wife or girlfriend or
fiance and we want to have conversation with them and we
sit down at a table for dinner and our wife or girlfriend is
right across from us but just beyond Them is a television
sports center or a game something like like that and
there's conversation happening and all of a sudden you realize
that there's a pause from your wife and you realize she was
talking about something to me that I need to respond to and
you do not remember what she was talking about.
That's what we're talking about. We can't just read to read.
We have to understand. We have to focus.
We have to realize What is going on in the scriptures?
So, One writer said, most Christians read the Bible but
few Christians. Meditate on it as a result so
many cents, little spiritual impact from the time.
They invest in scripture intake. So the main reason more
Christians, don't find their daily time.
In the scriptures, more profitable has little to do with
the strength of their memory, the level of their average
education or their our IQ. Rather, the problem is very
simple, a lack of meditation on scripture.
James 1:22 says, be doers of the word and not hearers only
deceiving yourselves. So is it possible that us here
at this congregation completely can be extremely biblically
literate and yet be totally deceived in the process.
Do we understand? Can we recite passages?
Do we know how to how to memorize the Bible?
But yet, not understand the contents of the Bible and and
what God is really wanting us to know.
I don't think that's the case here.
But I think it can be the case if we're not careful.
So while we read this passage, I want us to understand.
And and I'm going to deliberately slow down and read
this. So we can understand what's here
and think about these things and understand them as we read them.
So, let's read Joshua chapter 1 and we will read through verse
9. And it says there.
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 go over this Jordan, which you and all this
people to the land, which I am giving to them the children of
Israel. Every place that the sole of
your foot will. Tread upon I have given to you
as I said to Moses from the Wilderness and this Lebanon, as
far as the Great River, the river Euphrates, all the land of
the Hittites and to the great seed, toward the going down of
the sun shall be your territory. No man should 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 be
strong and of good courage for to this people you shall divide
as an inheritance, the land which I swore to their fathers
to give them. 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. For then you will make your way
prosperous and then you will have good success.
Have I not commanded. You be strong and of good
courage. Do not be afraid.
Nor be dismayed for the Lord. Your God is with you wherever
you go. Okay, so when we read this
passage, there's a couple of phrases that stick out
immediately. And the first one is a command
and that command is to be strong and courageous.
It is a command May want to take note of that and maybe even
underlining if you got your pencil out or anything like that
and verse 7 says, only be strong and very courageous and in verse
9 have I not commanded you be strong and courageous.
And then another phrase. So I was three times that he had
that they said that phrase and then the other phrase that is
repeated, three times is a promise and it's the promise
that God is going to be with Joshua.
Excuse me, God is going to be with Joshua.
You see it twice, at the end of verse 5, God says, just as I was
with Moses so I will be with you.
That is the promise God promised to be with Joshua.
And then he says it again, but he rephrase it.
He says, I will not leave you or forsake you.
That's the second time. Then you may go down to the end
of the passage. The end of verse 9 says, do not
be frightened and do not be dismayed for the Lord your God
is with you wherever you go three times.
This is not the first time, we see these phrases in the Old
Testament. If you go back just a few
chapters in to Deuteronomy 31, if you want to turn their will
read a few verses out of Deuteronomy.
It says they're beginning in verse 1.
Then Moses went and spake these words to all Israel and he said
to them, I am 120 years old today.
I can no longer go out and come in.
Also the Lord has said to me, you shall not cross over this
Jordan. The Lord your God himself
crosses over before you. He will destroy these nations
from before you and you shall dispose.
Dispossess them. Joshua himself crosses over
before you just as the Lord to sit and the Lord will do to them
as he did to Sion and OG the kings of the amorites and their
land and he destroyed them, the Lord will give them over to you
that you may do to them according to every commandment
which I have commanded you And then here in verse 6, be strong.
And of good courage, do not fear nor be afraid of them for the
Lord, your God. He is the one who goes with you,
he will not leave you nor forsake you the same command in
the same promise. Then in verse 7, Moses speaks
directly to Joshua. And here's what he says, then
Moses called Joshua and said to him in the inside of all of
Israel, be strong and of good courage for.
You must go with his people to the land which the Lord has
sworn to their fathers to give them and you shall cause them to
inherit it. And the Lord, he is the one who
goes before you, he will be with you.
He will not leave you nor forsake you do not fear, nor be
dismayed. That's pretty familiar.
That is a constant reoccurring phrase that is said in the Old
Testament that we can read about.
And then, if you go later in the chapter into verse 23 of
Deuteronomy 31, God speaks directly to Joshua and it says
there in verse 23. Then he inaugurated Joshua, the
son of nun, and said, be strong and of good courage for you
shall bring the children of Israel into the land, which I
swore to them and I will be with you.
Now. When something is repeated like
that as many times as it has, I think it's something that we
need to take. Notice of God is telling us,
take notice of what I am telling you.
Now, I didn't even point out yet in Joshua 1 at the end of the
chapter, which we, of course, we did read, but the people there
of Israel are speaking to Joshua's what, as well.
And they say the same thing in verse 16 of Joshua 1.
It says, then they answered Joshua, whatever you have
commanded us, we will do. And wherever you send us, we
will go just as we fully obeyed Moses, so we will obey, you only
met the Lord, your God be with you.
As As he has, or was with Moses Verse 18, whoever Rebels against
your word and does not obey it, whatever you may command them
will be put to death, only be strong and courageous.
So, the promise here is that God will be with Joshua.
And there's a command that is required from that promise of
God and the command in light of God, being with Joshua, the
command is to be strong and be courageous.
So that's what we're going to kind of study on here for a few
minutes tonight. So what we want, we understand
what Joshua was going through at that time, but I want to try to
apply these things to our life as well today.
So, Being a Christian, what effect does knowing god that he
is with, you have upon your life. so when God is with us or
with you, We have confidence, amidst uncertainty.
So when God is with us, when God is with me, I have confidence
admits uncertainty. So the context of the Bible
leading up to Joshua, one is is pretty Monumental in Deuteronomy
30. For the last book of
Deuteronomy. There was a huge event in
Israel's, in the time of Israel's people Moses had Died.
That was huge the man who led them out of Egypt.
The man who who went to Mount Sinai and the tick, brought the
Ten Commandments down and led the people of Israel out of
Egypt had died. It was their leader.
They saw him as their leader. so, And Joshua saw him in the
same light as well. Here stands God's people on the
brink of the promised land and their leader is dead.
So you can only imagine the uncertainty that Joshua and the
People Israel may have had. Sure, Joshua had been appointed
by Moses as his successor, but there was so much Unknown about
how he would lead them and what would happen after Moses death.
It comes right into Joshua 1 and verse 1 of Joshua 1.
It says there after the death of Moses, the servant of the Lord,
the Lord said to Joshua And we are reminded right here, that
Moses was only a servant to God. that's all he was the Lord was
with his people, regardless of who, the leader was And if you
go on to verse 5 of Joshua 1, he says, just as I was with Moses,
so I will be with you. So the man who leads God's
people is not ultimately what matters.
Ultimately, what matters is that the Lord Who leads his people
will be with his people. The Lord is our leader, God is
our leader, and when God is with his people, they can have
confidence and missed a certainty.
Now this I think has some corporate application as well.
We can think about it. You know, it's good to remember
that we here at this congregation and Bakersfield.
Are not dependent on one leader or a group of leaders anywhere,
we don't have any biblical text for that at all.
You know, we are not dependent on on my on Frank or Darren or
Danny or anybody here to lead our leader is God in Jesus and
we have to remember that and this is a perfect example of how
God shows us that the person does not matter.
But as long as the people are following God, that is what
matters. So, when things like that happen
in our life, if we have uncertainty in our life, Maybe
someone in our lives is all of a sudden, not there anymore that
we've relied upon, maybe it's all of a sudden.
We lose our job. There's an uncertainty of how
we're going to provide for our family.
In any type of situation we can rely on God that he is still
there with us. So, God is saying to Joshua
Joshua in the middle of his uncertainty around him.
I'm with you and you can be confident me in me.
God also says, don't put your confidence in the circumstances.
They may be around. You put your confidence in me
myself because I will always be here.
Secondly, when God is with you, you have strength despite your
weakness in verse 5. It says no one will be able to
stand 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 Joshua needed strength in his room in his
weakness. I didn't know this until I
started studying but did you know that Josh would tried to
lead the people of Israel. One time before back in numbers
and numbers 13, Joshua and Caleb.
This was about 40 years prior had gone into the promised land
as spies with the other 12 Spies.
And when the spies came back, all these of the tribes came
back to report, to Moses all of them, except for Caleb, and
Joshua did not want to go, enter into the Promise, Land into
Canaan. So Caleb and Joshua spoke up and
said, yeah, let's go, let's go get this goat.
Start taking this over, because God is with us.
We can do it in numbers, 14, Joshua specifically Rises to
speak, and he tells the people we can take this land.
Do you know how the people Bonded to Joshua, they wanted to
rise up to Stone him. They disagreed with Joshua and
what he wanted to do. Now.
It has been about 40 years. Since that situation happened
until we until the first chapter of Joshua, but I don't think
that kind of situation could ever be forgotten by somebody
who's trying to lead. You try to leave one time and
you got the people who you're trying to lead one to Stone you.
That's pretty discouraging. So, Joshua had fear, Joshua had
had concerns about his leadership, I think. so, God
says to him, I am with you and in light of this, even though
that you are weak with me, you are strong.
Have any of us ever felt overhead?
In like we're in over our heads in life.
Whether it be with our relationships, whether it be
with overhead in our marriage or overhead and parenting or in
over your head at work, you know, when Lizzie and I had
Kylie, we were 23 years old. Anthony was six years old. 18
months later. We had Emma. 23.
And we have three kids. We were in way over our head.
We wouldn't change you for anything though.
Ever. So I think all of us can kind of
relate that there are. There are situations in our life
where we feel like we are over in over our head.
Emotional difficulty. Is there any of that that we may
be facing? Maybe physical challenges that
we're encountering relational strain and you just don't know
what to do with those points in time.
Maybe the only thing you do know.
To do is extremely hard to do. So all those Christian men and
women husbands and wives moms and dads and employees and
employers facing all kinds of situations God is with us, he is
with you and he gives you strength despite your weakness
also. When God is with you, you have
courage in the face of fear. So think about this.
Why did God tell Joshua three different times to be strong and
courageous. Well, the implied answer in the
text is obvious. God told Joshua three times to
be strong and courageous because Joshua was scared to death to
enter land of Canaan and take them over and take over the
land. He was looking at land of Canaan
currently divided into 31 different city states and he
supposed to lead God's people to conquer them.
All, how's he going to do that? Starting with a major city of
Jericho that has walls as thick as you and I can read of in the
Bible. So I think Joshua had a lot to
be afraid of, I mean, that's a huge task that God is asking if
Joshua. So let's see what God says to
him in verse 6 of our passage says, be strong and courageous,
because you would lead these people to inherit the land ice
work to their ancestors, to give them.
That's God. Saying you're going to cause
this people to inherit this land, I swore a long time ago
and give to them, God just said back up.
In verse 3, I will give you every place where you set your
foot as I promised Moses. Every place verse for your
territory will extend from the desert to Lebanon.
And from the Great River, the Euphrates, all the hittite
country to the Mediterranean Sea in the west, that is a guarantee
from the almighty God. And that's the reason For
courage, in the face of fear. Joshua hasn't even fought one
battle in the promised land yet. God is already guaranteeing
victory. That's pretty amazing.
When they'll God, the one true God, the only God who is
Sovereign over all the people and all the nations and all the
universe universe. When this God is with us, we
have no reason to fear You know, I don't know what kind of fears
you guys are facing in your life right now, but I do know that we
have a God who spoke creation into existence The God Who
Reigns over all creation and Over All Nations, he holds them
in the palm of his hands. And when this God is on your
side, we have nothing to be afraid of.
We have courage in the face of fear also.
When God is with us. We have success in battles
according to scripture. Notice how everything here on
this text hinges on God's word to Joshua, God's word to his
people, which is why in verse 7. God 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. Now, success here is tied to
obedience. Now, when I say the word
success, I'm not talking about financial success.
I'm not talking about success in your job or success with your
personal life success. Here is success in the battles
that we may be facing in our life and success of
understanding what God's will is for us.
That's what success is talking about.
Your he was talking telling Joshua, if you do and stay with
me, if you follow, Me, I will be with you and you will be
successful in the battles. Coming in front of you, taking
over the land of Canaan, verse 8, 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 for.
Then you will make your way prosperous and then you will
have good success. It's interesting in the way this
plays out in the, in the upcoming chapters of Joshua.
If you read it, Israel's mirror military success in the Book of
Joshua is never based on the strength of the army of Israel.
Never it is always based on God being with them because they are
following God. Human strength, human strategy,
have nothing to do with whether or not the Israelites.
When different battles instead their battles are totally tied
to whether or not these Israelites are obeying God.
When they're walking in obedience to God's word, they
can win a battle with nothing but trumpet players and people
shouting yet on the other hand, when they're not walking in The
Obedience of God's word, they can't even defeat the smallest
tiniest town of AI, even with their strongest men, So, let's
all notice this, what we're talking about, we're talking
about confidence strength, courage, success.
All these things hinge on trusting in and clinging to
God's word God doesn't give specifics at this point to
Joshua on on what is going to happen when he goes to battle
this city or the strategy or anything like that, God doesn't
give any specifics like that. So we may not know the specifics
in our life when we're going through any type of battle or
struggle. We may not know how to make the
next move. But God is with us.
If we are with Him, Frank mentioned this morning.
God never leaves us. We are the ones who choose to
leave God. So as long as we don't leave God
God will be with us and our success is found in
understanding the scriptures and how to apply those to our life.
God leads his people. According to his word, he has
not left us in the dark regarding his will and he will
give us success and understanding his will if we
follow his work. Also.
When God is with you, you have hope in the face of despair.
This passage closes out in verse nine with God saying, have I not
commanded you be strong and courageous do not be frightened
and do not be dismayed. The do not be dismayed, do not
be discouraged. Do not be disheartened downcast
or distressed. Don't let your heart.
Give way to despair because the Lord, your God is with you,
wherever you go. Whenever you get to a point in
your life or situation where you have no idea what to do next
when it looks like there is nothing, but Darkness all around
you. And you don't know if there's
any way to go forward at all. Know that you have hope in God,
you have hope. Why not?
Because we are guaranteed that the circumstances are going to
change. Either tonight, tomorrow or the
situation may get flipped around to, where it's going our way.
Our hope is not in the circumstance of the Searchers or
the situation. Our hope, the hope of our heart
is in the Rock. Solid reality that the Lord our
God Is with us wherever we go. So don't be dismayed. if we go
back to Numbers, Chapter 13, Moses sent the twelve spies out
into the land, he gives the names out of the twelve spies
that are going in. But when Joshua is name is
mentioned, he is not initially called Joshua and numbers. 13:8,
he's called hoshea son of nun and it's not until we get to
verse 16 in that chapter that we read.
It says there. There were the names of men whom
Moses sent to spy out the land and Moses called hoshea, the son
of nun. Joshua.
So, why did Moses change the name of hoshea to Joshua?
Well, there's always a difference and there's always a
meaning to names in the Old Testament and even the New
Testament. And the answer is hoshea means,
Deliverance or salvation, but Moses makes a slight but
significant change at the beginning of his name, where he
changes it to Joshua. So now it doesn't just mean
Mean, Deliverance or salvation. But now it means Yahweh
delivers. Or Yahweh saves.
In other words, the Lord delivers, the Lord saves.
It's the first name we see in the Bible that explicitly
incorporates Lord or Yahweh into a someone's name.
And it is deliberate. God is always deliberate in
everything that we can read out of the Bible. so, When we come
to this book, that bears, the name of Joshua, the overall
message of the Book of Joshua is clear.
The Lord delivers, his people the Lord saves his people
because of yahweh's presence because of God's presence with
his people. They can have hope in the face
of this bear. He will deliver them.
He will save them. God delivers God Saves his
people. Now, if that's like change in
the Old Testament, isn't isn't cool enough for pretty, pretty
neat enough. The Hebrew name Joshua is
translated into the New Testament into the Greek and
Joshua translated into the New Testament as Yeshua.
Or Jesus. For in the Greek New Testament,
it's the name of Jesus, that's translates the Lord saves or the
Lord delivers. So let's not miss, what is going
on here? All this talk about God's
presence with his people was foreshadowing a day.
When God would come literally to dwell on Earth with man among
his people and that is Jesus, the Lord, who saves, who would
come to Earth as a man, the perfect presence of God dwelling
with and among his people, Oh, Jesus, stood in our place on the
cross willingly suffered and died for our sins and he
purchased our reconciliation to God and in his unique life in
his substitutionary, really nari death and in his resurrection
over sin and death, Jesus had made it possible for you and I
to be restored to the presence of God.
So it's only through Christ and through faith and trust in who
he is. And what he has done that these
promises Can be reality to our lives and obeying the gospel
apart. From God, we are separated from
God in our sin. We can put our trust in him when
we are reconciled. When we are baptized restored to
God, that we can just consider these promises what they mean
for you. And I All these promises are for
us as Christians. Also, something else happens,
let's look at some a few verses here.
In Colossians 1 verse 27. It says there to them, God,
willed to make known what are the riches of the glory of this
mystery, among the Gentiles, which is Christ in.
You the hope of glory, I believe this is talking about the holy
spirit being in this when we choose to follow Christ.
So the picture that the Holy Spirit who raised Jesus from the
Dead comes to live inside us. Ephesians 1 says that the holy
spirit is in you sealing our Eternal redemptions.
So we are sealed with the holy spirit inside of us, as long as
we do not leave God. The scripture also talks about,
not how just Christ is in this, but how we are in Christ as well
as be when we are Christians. Second Corinthians 5.
And 17 says, therefore if anyone is in Christ, he is a new
creation old things have passed away, behold?
All things have become new. So we are in Christ.
We are seal, we are a new creation, the old has gone.
The new must the newest come, but it gets even a little bit
better for us. In Colossians 3:3.
It says for you died, and your life is hidden with Christ in
God. So we are hidden with Christ in
God. The spirit is in us, and we are
in Christ and Christ in God. There's a lot going on there.
Now, we can think about that and think about how when we are
being tempted by the devil. Or when he we feel like he's
coming at his pretty hard. We are protected by a lot of
things going on there. We're protected by the spirit
and this were protected by being in Jesus Christ and and we're
protected by Christ being in God.
So we have no reason to be afraid or to be dismayed and we
have no reason to not have strength.
Despite our weakness. God is with us.
Hudson Taylor says, This in his biography called Hudson, Taylor
Spiritual Secret. He said there, I know he is able
to carry out his will and his will is mine.
It makes no matter where he places me or how that is rather
for him to consider than for me, for the, for in the easiest
position, he must give me his grace, and in the most
difficult, his grace will be sufficient.
So God should Place me in. Great perplexity, must he not
give me much guidance. In positions of great
difficulty, much grace in circumstances of great pressure
and trial much strength. I have no fear that his
resources will be unequal to the emergency and his resources are
mine for, he is mine and he is with me and he dwells in me.
We can have confidence that God is with us as long as we are
following the scripture. So in conclusion, amidst
uncertainty, we have confidence despite our weakness.
We have strength in the face of fear, we have nothing to be
afraid of. We have courage, God will grant
us, success and understanding his will, according to the
scripture, he gives us hope. Even in the deepest darkest,
most difficult circumstances, he is with us.
Don't be afraid, don't be dismayed.
The Lord God is with us in. You and him wherever we go and
this is all a blood blood bought reality for every Christian.
We thank you for listening to our podcast, put on by the
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Please email us at info at True Church of Christ
Bakersfield.com. Our service times are on Sundays
at 10:30 a.m. and 5 p.m. and Wednesdays at 7:30 p.m.
Please make plans to join us. We would love for you to be our
honored guest.