“‘No weapon that is formed against thee shall prosper; and every tongue that shall rise against thee shalt thou condemn. This is the heritage of the servants of the Lord, and their righteousness is of Me.’ saith the Lord.” Isaiah 54:17
For forty years the people of Israel had been living in the wilderness not being able to enter into the promised land because of their unbelieving disobedience. During that time, God provided for them, kept them, and taught them His ways, giving to them by the hand of Moses, His law, and instructions on how they were to live in Canaan. Moses would die, and Joshua, his servant would take his place. As the time approached when God would bring them into the land, He revealed Himself to Joshua, and gave him certain promises, accompanied by commandments, all of which were centered and founded upon the dominant matter of fellowship, or communion with Him. That which would remain the primary responsibility of Joshua, and the people, would be a walk of faith and obedience to God. All would be possible, especially the impossible in the eyes of men, if the people would walk before God, with God, and according to His purposes and ways. This dominant persuasion that God had worked into the people over forty years is seen in the people’s response to the authority of Joshua, as they recognized that he was God’s man, put there in that place of authority to lead the people in the conquest of Canaan. They would tell Joshua, “All that thou commandest us we will do, and whithersoever thou sendest us, we will go.” (Joshua 1:16) So emphatic and committed to the principle of obedient faith, the very basis for communion with God, were the people of Israel, that they would be willing to put to death those who would rebel against the authority of Joshua. The great spiritual enemy of the people were the powers of darkness that stood in opposition to them. The great “trap” by the enemy, would be that of tempting the people, or individuals into sinning against God, rebelling against Him. On the other hand, with regard to the certain, assured conquest of Canaan, God had promised it, giving specific promises for the people to believe, as they faced the specific, mountainous needs before them. What were those promises, and do they apply today in the believer’s struggle in the life of faith and obedience?
With the specific command by God to Joshua to, “…arise, go over this Jordan, thou, and all this people, unto the land which I do give to them,…,” came the specific promise: “EVERY PLACE that the sole of your foot shall tread upon, that have I given unto you.” (1:3) God went on to set the boundaries of the conquest, certain limits which He would establish. Israel’s conquest was not that of the world, but that of Canaan. Why did God speak of the soles of the people’s feet, and wherever they went walking over the land? Every step into Canaan was a measure of the gift of God, a gift over their adversaries, and a granting of the territory designated to them. As walking was a very tangible act of covering ground, so it was also, a tangible sign and certainty given by God of His work to grant them success, and possession of the land.
There was another need for a specific promise, and it had to do with specific enemies, “men” who would resist Israel’s conquest. To this need, God would speak the following words to Joshua: “…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.” (1:5) The enemies of Canaan were very real and determined to resist the conquest of the land by Israel. Jericho’s walls would be a declaration of this opposition, and defiance. To those walls would come God’s word of destruction, and the success to Israel, the victory over every foe.
Dear Father, Fulfill Thy promises today. In Jesus’ name, Amen.