“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.” Joshua 1:6 The children of Israel had wandered for forty years in the Wilderness after leaving Egypt. They would have arrived sooner except for the unbelief of their fathers. For, their generation was not allowed to go into the promised land because they were, a “stiffnecked” and “rebellous” people since they left Egypt, Deuteronomy 9:6-7. God told them that no one twenty years and up would possess the promised land, except for Caleb and Joshua. Numbers 32:11-12 The children of Israel that were of the generation under twenty years of age, along with Joshua and Caleb, were the ones that would cross over the Jordan river, to possess the promised land, that God had given them. Numbers 14:27-31 God showed Moses the promised land before his death. He was not allowed to enter into the promised land because of the incident, in Horeb, where at God’s instruction, Moses struck a rock and water came out and it provided water for the children of Israel to drink. Moses did not give God the credit for providing the water for them. Moses did not “sanctify God in eyes of Israel” for providing them with water. Numbers 17:1-7 Numbers 20:12 “And the Lord spake unto Moses and Aaron, Because ye believed me not, to sanctify me in the eyes of the children of Israel, therefore ye shall not bring this congregation into the land which I have given them.” Numbers 20:12 The whole account is in Exodus 17:1-7 and Numbers 20:1-12. In Deuteronomy 34:4-6 - What God told Moses and Aaron in Numbers 20:1-12, that they would not go into the promised land, was fulfilled in Deuteronomy 34:4-6 and Numbers 20:23-26. “4 And the Lord said unto him, This is the land which I sware unto Abraham, unto Isaac, and unto Jacob, saying, I will give it unto thy seed: I have caused thee to see it with thine eyes, but thou shalt not go over thither. 5 So Moses the servant of the Lord died there in the land of Moab, according to the word of the LORD. 6 And he buried him in a valley in the land of Moab, over against Bethpeor: but no man knoweth of his sepulchre unto this day.” Numbers 20:23-26 “23 And the Lord spake unto Moses and Aaron in mount Hor, by the coast of the land of Edom, saying, 24 Aaron shall be gathered unto his people: for he shall not enter into the land which I have given unto the children of Israel, because ye rebelled against my word at the water of Meribah. 25 Take Aaron and Eleazar his son, and bring them up unto mount Hor: 26 And strip Aaron of his garments, and put them upon Eleazar his son: and Aaron shall be gathered unto his people, and shall die there.” The reference, concerning Meribah, was the name given to the place, by God, where God instructed Moses to strike the rock at Horeb. Exodus 17:7 and Numbers 20:13 Exodus 17:6-7 “6 Behold, I will stand before thee there upon the rock in Horeb; and thou shalt smite the rock, and there shall come water out of it, that the people may drink. And Moses did so in the sight of the elders of Israel. 7 And he called the name of the place Massah, and Meribah, because of the chiding of the children of Israel, and because they tempted the Lord, saying, Is the Lord among us, or not?”: Numbers 20:13 “13 This is the water of Meribah; because the children of Israel strove with the Lord, and he was sanctified in them.” After Moses died, Joshua was chosen by God to lead the children of Israel over the Jordan River into the promised land. God told Joshua that He was giving them the land that He told Moses about. In Joshua 1:1-3 - Joshua was selected by God to lead the children of Israel over the Jordan river and possess the land He had told Moses about. “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.” Joshua 1:4-5 - God gave Joshua the boundaries the children of Israel would possess. ”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.” Joshua 1: 6-7 - The call from God to Joshua, was to “Be strong and of a good courage.” God repeated the charge to Joshua emphasizing the need to be “strong and very courageous.” “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 withersoever thou goest.” Notice, that God was very specific to Joshua, to “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,“ and God promised Joshua that he would prosper wherever he went, as he kept the commandments of God. Joshua 1:8-9 - Their success was contingent upon their keeping the commandments of God. “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.” God said again to Joshua, “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.” After the charge God gave to Joshua, the children of Israel passed over the Jordan river on dry ground and began to possess the land God gave them. God parted the waters for them, so they could go over on dry ground. Joshua 3:13-17 Joshua 3:13-17 “13 And it shall come to pass, as soon as the soles of the feet of the priests that bear the ark of the LORD, the LORD of all the earth, shall rest in the waters of Jordan, that the waters of Jordan shall be cut off from the waters that come down from above; and they shall stand upon an heap.” 14 And it came to pass, when the people removed from their tents, to pass over Jordan, and the priests bearing the ark of the covenant before the people; 15 And as they that bare the ark were come unto Jordan, and the feet of the priests that bare the ark were dipped in the brim of the water, (for Jordan overfloweth all his banks all the time of harvest,) 16 That the waters which came down from above stood and rose up upon an heap very far from the city Adam, that is beside Zaretan: and those that came down toward the sea of the plain, even the salt sea, failed, and were cut off: and the people passed over right against Jericho. 17 And the priests that bare the ark of the covenant of the Lord stood firm on dry ground in the midst of Jordan, and all the Israelites passed over on dry ground, until all the people were passed clean over Jordan.” The account of Joshua is one of loyalty, trust, strength, and courage. For he believed God and was loyal to God. He put his complete trust in God, because he knew God would be with him, strengthen him, and keep His promises to him.. He was a man of strength and great courage as he did as God commanded and led the children of Israel, over on dry ground, to possess the promised land given to them by God. God told Joshua to “Be strong and of a good courage.” He was not to be “afraid” or “dismayed,” because God promised Joshua that He would be with Him wherever he went. And Joshua told the children of Israel to make a choice of whom they were going to serve, either false gods or the LORD, but for Joshua, he said, “but as for me and my house, we will serve the LORD.” Today, God is looking for strong leaders, like a Joshua, with strength and courage, to take the gospel of Jesus Christ to the lost. As we, like Joshua, go forward for God, let us do so with strength and courage, knowing that God will never forsake us, so long as we believe and obey His only begotten Son Jesus Christ, John 3:16: John 14:15: 15:7-14: Hebrews 13:5. God has given us the Holy Spirit to abide with us and help us in obeying the commandments of Jesus Christ. John 14:15-17; Romans 8:26-28 Therefore, with God for us, who can be against us. Let us make our choice by serving our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ to the best of our ability. What you have just read is how God takes care of His people. Today, God takes care of His people through His only begotten Son Jesus Christ. Just as Joshua was not to depart, from the commandments given to Moses by God, so it is that we are not to depart from the commandments of His Son Jesus Christ, John 14:15: 15:1-7. As Jesus obeyed the commandments of His Father, we are to obey the commandments of God’s only begotten Son Jesus Christ. All of what Jesus said, in the four Gospels, are His commandments. It is what all of the writers of the New Testament taught. Therefore, let us not depart from His commandments, but rather let us obey His commandments. If you are not a Christian, you can become a Christian by obeying what Jesus commanded and what the apostles taught. Read John 3:16: Matthew 28:18-20: Acts 2:36-38: Acts 8:26-39: and Romans 10:9-10, and you will find what Jesus wants you to do to become a faithful follower of His. If you need help in finding a church that teaches the complete truth of the Bible. You can contact me and I will look up a church near you that teaches the complete truth of the Bible. References: Bible Gateway Thank you for providing public access to Bible verses. By Public Domain The Internet is a good resource to find different scripture reference and events. For example, I found the incident at Horeb from an online source, rapture ready. com bibleview . org / en/Bible/Moses/DeathOfAaron Thank you for proving the Scripture for Aaron’s death. Bing Answers - Thank you for helping me find Numbers 14:27-31, in reference to the age limit of the children of Israel, that were allowed to go into the promised land.
Posted on: Mon, 11 Nov 2013 23:11:59 +0000
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