What is happening in this passage when God speaks to Joshua?

This passage takes place right after Moses has died. Moses had led Israel out of Egypt and through the wilderness, but he did not enter the promised land. Now the people are camped near the Jordan River, looking across at Canaan. In this moment of change and uncertainty, God speaks directly to Joshua, Moses’ assistant, and appoints him as the new leader. God tells Joshua to get the people ready to cross the Jordan and take the land He promised to their ancestors. So it is both a handover of leadership and the start of entering the land.

Who is Joshua in this passage and why is he chosen to lead?

Joshua is called “the son of Nun” and “Moses’ minister,” which means he had served closely under Moses for years. He was not a stranger to the people or the work. He had learned to obey before being asked to rule. In this passage, God Himself chooses and speaks to Joshua, not the people. Joshua is given the task of leading Israel over the Jordan River and dividing the land as an inheritance. His calling shows that God provides a new leader when an old one dies and that God prepares people through faithful service before giving them greater responsibility.

What does it mean when God tells Joshua to be strong and of a good courage?

When God tells Joshua to be strong and of a good courage, He is not talking about pretending to be brave on the outside. Joshua is about to face large enemies, lead a huge nation, and step into Moses’ place. God calls him to inner strength that trusts God’s promises and does not give up when things look hard. This courage is tied to God’s presence and to obedience. Joshua is to be strong so that he will carefully do all that God commanded through Moses. The strength comes from knowing, “I will be with you; I will not fail you or forsake you.”

What is the book of the law and why must it not depart from Joshua’s mouth?

The “book of the law” is the instruction God had already given through Moses. God tells Joshua that this law must not depart from his mouth, meaning he should be speaking it, thinking about it, and using it in all his decisions. Joshua is to meditate on it day and night, not just glance at it now and then. The goal is not head knowledge only, but that he would “observe to do” everything written in it. God ties Joshua’s success and prosperity as a leader to this steady attention and obedience to God’s Word, not to military skill alone.

What does this passage teach about God’s promises and presence?

This passage shows that God’s promises do not die when a leader dies. He tells Joshua that the land is already given to Israel, and He even lays out the borders from the wilderness to Lebanon, the Euphrates, and the great sea. God promises that no one will be able to stand before Joshua all his life. The heart of the promise is, “As I was with Moses, so I will be with you; I will not fail you, nor forsake you.” God’s presence is the real reason Joshua can be brave and expect victory. It teaches that God stays with His people and keeps His word across generations.

Why did Joshua tell the people to prepare food and get ready in three days?

Joshua tells the officers to go through the camp and tell everyone to prepare food because, in three days, they will cross the Jordan River to take possession of the land. Up to this point, God had been feeding them with manna in the wilderness. Now they are to take practical steps and get ready for a new way of living in the land. This shows that trusting God’s promise does not mean sitting still. They must act in faith, organize themselves, and be ready to move when God says it is time. The three-day notice gives the people time to prepare their households and hearts for this big change.

Why did the Reubenites, Gadites, and half of Manasseh have to go fight if they already had land?

These tribes had asked for land on the east side of the Jordan because it was good for their cattle. Moses had agreed, but only on the condition that their fighting men would cross over and help their brothers take the land west of the Jordan. In this passage, Joshua reminds them of that promise. Their families and livestock can stay in their settled land, but their warriors must go ahead, armed, to help the rest of Israel. They are to stay with their brothers until God gives them rest as well. This shows that God’s people are not to seek comfort for themselves while ignoring the needs of others.

How can this passage about Joshua’s calling apply to believers today?

This passage speaks into times of change, fear, and new responsibilities. God’s words to Joshua show that He is not limited to one leader or one season. When people face new roles or hard tasks, they can remember that true strength comes from God’s nearness and from holding tightly to His Word. The call to “be strong and very courageous” is linked to careful obedience and regular meditation on what God has said. Believers today can take comfort that God does not leave them when circumstances shift, and they can seek to live and lead in line with His commands, trusting Him with the outcomes.

What does this passage show about the unity and responsibility of God’s people?

The way Joshua speaks to the tribes who already have land shows that God wants His people to care for one another. Those settled east of the Jordan are not free to stay home while others risk their lives. They must cross over first, armed, and help until the rest also have rest and land. The people’s reply to Joshua, promising to obey and even punish rebellion, shows their desire for unity under God’s chosen leader. Together these details teach that God’s blessings are to be shared, and that His people are called to support each other in stepping into what He has promised, not just look out for themselves.

Josh.1.1

Joshua 1:1

KJV

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,

God Instructs Joshua

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 Takes Charge

10 ¶ Then Joshua commanded the officers of the people, saying,

11 Pass through the host, and command the people, saying, Prepare you victuals; for within three days ye shall pass over this Jordan, to go in to possess the land, which the Lord your God giveth you to possess it.

12 ¶ And to the Reubenites, and to the Gadites, and to half the tribe of Manasseh, spake Joshua, saying,

13 Remember the word which Moses the servant of the Lord commanded you, saying, The Lord your God hath given you rest, and hath given you this land.

14 Your wives, your little ones, and your cattle, shall remain in the land which Moses gave you on this side Jordan; but ye shall pass before your brethren armed, all the mighty men of valour, and help them;

15 Until the Lord have given your brethren rest, as he hath given you, and they also have possessed the land which the Lord your God giveth them: then ye shall return unto the land of your possession, and enjoy it, which Moses the Lord’S servant gave you on this side Jordan toward the sunrising.

16 ¶ And they answered Joshua, saying, All that thou commandest us we will do, and whithersoever thou sendest us, we will go.

17 According as we hearkened unto Moses in all things, so will we hearken unto thee: only the Lord thy God be with thee, as he was with Moses.

18 Whosoever he be that doth rebel against thy commandment, and will not hearken unto thy words in all that thou commandest him, he shall be put to death: only be strong and of a good courage.

Cross References

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