Joshua 1:9 NIV
Be strong and of a good courage:
This phrase occurs four times in this chapter (vv. 6,7,9,18) and is God’s
encouragement to Joshua concerning his future task. Moses had previously
received a command from god to encourage Joshua (Deut. 1:38; 3-28).
WORD WEALTH
Strong. Valiant, strengthened, established, firm,
fortified, obstinate, and mighty. This word occurs nearly 300 times in the OT;
for example, "to encourage," as when David encourage himself (literally,
"made himself strong”) in the Lord (1 Sam. .30:6). Chazaq
is the root of several Hebrew names, including "Hezekiah,"
meaning "Strengthened by Yahweh."
KINGDOM DYNAMICS
Courageousness.
LEADER TRAITS. Courageousness is often the fruit of encouragement. Joshua is a
marvelous example of a leader who is exhorted to be courageous.
His first
exhortation comes from his mentor Moses; here it is a courage to lead God’s
people into the Land of Promise (Deut. 31:7). The second exhortation comes from Moses
as well but this one is related to Moses’ charge to Joshua and lends
emphasis to the seriousness of the task ahead (Deut.31:23). The third exhortation
comes from the Lord Himself, here the issue is Joshua’s need to go beyond Moses’
leadership and take the land from the Lord’s enemies (Josh. 1:6).
The fourth
exhortation is joined with the commandment not to fear (Josh. 1:9).
The
fifth exhortation comes from the officers of the children of Israel
encouraging Joshua to take the leadership (Josh 1:18). The last exhortation
comes from the now encouraged Joshua, who is now able to encourage the
children of Israel (Josh. 10:25). It is interesting to see that this attribute
was present in Joshua’s life during his entire walk with Moses.
The Standard for Moral Courage. BIBLICAL
MANHOOD. Our society is declining morally at an alarming rate. While
giving in to the overwhelming decadence in our world is generally far easier
than standing against the tidal wave of indifference, the man of god had been
given power to withstand the flood of evil. To take a moral position in a quiet
yet "steadfast" way is a thoroughly "manly"
act (John 18:4). The courage to do this comes from a conviction that God is
sovereign and in control, no matter how bad things may look.
Moral choices fail to all of us. The man who is willing to accept the consequences of his stand is courageous indeed. Although he may seem to stand alone, god has promised to be with him (2 Chr. 19:11).
In Christ,
Janet
Irene Thomas
Playwright/Director/Screen
Writer/Producer/Lyricist
Founder/CEO
Bible
Stories Theatre of
Fine
& Performing Arts
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