Joshua 1:14, 15 – Your wives, children, and livestock may stay in the land that Moses gave you east of the Jordan River. However, all your best soldiers must march in battle formation ahead of your relatives. You must help your relatives 15 take possession of the land the Lord your God is going to give them. Then they will have a place to rest like you do. After that, you may go back and take possession of the land east of the Jordan River which the Lord’s servant Moses gave you.
When we have received what Yahweh had/has for us, it is now our duty to go before and help others achieve their rest. They had to go before their relatives. They had already received their promise.
Joshua 2:11 – When we heard about it, we lost heart. There was no courage left in any of us because of you. The Lord your God is the God of heaven and earth.
Joshua was charge to be strong and courageous. The very thing that the people of Jericho no longer had.
Joshua 5:1 – All the Amorite kings west of the Jordan River and all the Canaanite kings along the Mediterranean Sea heard that the Lord had dried up the Jordan River so that the Israelites could cross. So they lost heart and had no courage left to face the people of Israel.
There goes courage again.
Joshua 8:6,7 – They’ll come out after us, and we will lure them away from the city. They’ll say, ‘They’re running away from us just like the first time.’ As we run away from them, you come out of hiding and capture the city. The Lord your God will hand it over to you.
The Israelites had failed at Ai because of Achan’s sin, but this is a perfect example of Yahweh using our past mistakes to win our future/present victories. The people of Ai, thought that they would win the battle once more and the Israelites pretended to run away the way they had actually run before. Except this time, it was a battle strategy to capture the city. And they won.
I think that even if Moses had made it to the Promised Land, there still would have been a changing of the guards. Joshua was a warrior. Straight up. Even in the wilderness, Moses wasn’t the one fighting physically, it was Joshua. And what was needed in Canaan was a warrior. Yahweh even appeared to Joshua at the beginning of his season as a warrior. Line after line: then Joshua and all of Israel marched and attacked. There were no survivors.
Thirty-one kings were defeated by Joshua and Israel.
Joshua 17:3 – Zelophehad, son of Hepher, grandson of Gilead, and great-grandson of Machir, whose father was Manasseh, had no sons—only daughters. Their names were Mahlah, Noah, Hoglah, Milcah, and Tirzah.
I have always loved this story. Instead of just letting their father’s inheritance die, they asked for it and got it!! never be too afraid to ask Yahweh for something, even if it’s unprecedented.
Joshua 24:19 – But Joshua answered the people, “Since the Lord is a holy God, you can’t possibly serve him. He is a God who does not tolerate rivals. He will not forgive your rebellious acts and sins.
As the most holy God, we cannot serve him of ourselves. Not by might, nor by power, but by His Spirit.