Scripture:
Joshua 1:1b-.6; 11:16-19, 21-23
“As the LORD had commanded his servant Moses, so Moses commanded Joshua, and so Joshua did; he left nothing undone of all that the LORD had commanded Moses”. —Joshua 11:15

GOD’S PROMISES FULLFILLED
“After the death of Moses the servant of the LORD, the LORD spoke to Joshua son of Nun, Moses' assistant, saying, "My servant Moses is dead. Now proceed to cross the Jordan, you and all this people, into the land that I am giving to them, to the Israelites. Every place that the sole of your foot will tread upon I have given to you, as I promised to Moses. From the wilderness and the Lebanon as far as the great river, the river Euphrates, all the land of the Hittites, to the Great Sea in the west shall be your territory. No one shall be able to stand against you all the days of your life. As I was with Moses, so I will be with you; I will not fail you, or forsake you. Be strong and courageous; for you shall put this people in possession of the land that I swore to their ancestors to give them.

So Joshua took all that land: the hill country and all the Negeb and all the land of Goshen and the lowland and the Arabah and the hill country of Israel and its lowland, from Mount Halak, which rises toward Seir, as far as Baal-gad in the valley of Lebanon below Mount Hermon. He took all their kings, struck them down, and put them to death. Joshua made war a long time with all those kings. There was not a town that made peace with the Israelites, except the Hivites, the inhabitants of Gibeon; all were taken in battle....

At that time Joshua came and wiped out the Anakim from the hill country, from Hebron, from Debir, from Anab, and from all the hill country of Judah, and from all the hill country of Israel; Joshua utterly destroyed them with their towns. None of the Anakim was left in of the Israelites; some remained only in Gaza, in in Ashdod. So Joshua took the whole land, according to all that the LORD had spoken to Moses; and Joshua gave an inheritance to Israel according to their tribal allotments. And the land had rest from war.”

Even after the Israelites had land of their own, several threats remained. The Israelites were a tribal people who gathered occasionally to retell the story of God's deliverance of them from slavery. Always they wanted to remind themselves that God had been faithful to them. If you listen to the words of Joshua, you will hear a testimony to God’s faithfulness. God had promised the Israelites land, and land meant security. Several things in this scripture passage remind the gathered community that God is faithful and fulfills the promises. These stories, repeated throughout the generations, serve as reminders that God is trustworthy and always in control

Hearing the stories of their ancestors, hearing the promises that had been given and fulfilled, reminded the Israelites that God would provide for them and would not forget them. These were stories of triumph and stories of encouragement. When things got tough for the people of Israel, they could look back on these stories and be reminded of who they were and who God was—a loving provider and promise keeper.

God affirms Joshua as the one chosen to lead the beloved people into the land promised to Moses. The text begins: "After the death of Moses." There are other times in Scripture where we read similar words of transition: (Judg. 1:1, 2 Sam. 1:1). Times of transition are difficult; it would be easy for confidence in the Lord to falter. God wants to build up trust within the Israelite people. Naturally, the Israelites would be anxious after the death of Moses. God reminds Joshua that he has some big sandals to fill.

We have all known people like Joshua who have had to step up their performance when a strong leader has moved on. Joshua may have some anxiety about the weight of this responsibility, but God initiates this conversation. God's affirmation of Joshua shows how mighty and in control God is. Joshua's name means "God saves." No matter what mighty things Joshua does, God is the source of the power. Joshua's name reminds everyone that God is in control and will provide.

God has blessed Joshua's foot to "tread" and receive the land. The people cannot receive the gift that God has given them without Joshua's leadership. The weight of this leadership opportunity is bearable because God carries it. God promises to be present with Joshua: "As I was with Moses, so I will be with you." In fact, the actions required of Joshua and the people are small compared to the actions of God. The people may take steps, but God promises:
“the land shall be your territory;
no one shall be able to stand against you all the days of your life;
I will never fail you or forsake you;
you shall put this people in possession of the land that I swore to their ancestors.”

All of these promises of God make the human action seem superfluous, like the people are about to go on a cakewalk into the land. Perhaps the words of the Lord are stated this way because of how quickly the people forget God. We always face the temptations of pride and boasting. Now the people can follow the leader named "God saves" and remember that God's promise is their lifeline. God's strength is all the more evident in weakness.
For us humans, even with the best of intentions, broken promise are unavoidable. We learn that lesson at one point or another in life. God's promises to us are quite different. In the history of God's relationship with humanity, humanity always breaks its promises. God's word is beyond reproach.

Even so, the Lord recognizes our need for a promise, for more than "trust me." God's covenant with Abram was repeated several times, often in dramatic ways. Gen. 15 tells of one of the particularly dramatic instances of God’s promises to Abram. When "cutting a covenant," two parties would walk between carcasses that were cut in half, essentially saving to each other, "Let this be done to either of us if we break this covenant." God tells Abram to prepare the animal carcasses. That night, God appeared as a flaming torch and passed between the animals, saying, "To your descendants I give this land..." Abram was not asked to pass through the animals; the full burden of this covenant was borne by the Lord. This was God's ”I promise. Cross my heart and hope to die."

The band of travelers that entered the land with Joshua had heard stories of God's promise. The stories had been passed from generation to generation. Perhaps they questioned whether the promise had ever been made, if it was still good, or if God ever intended to keep it. Here and now, they were experiencing the fulfillment of God’s promise. They knew God is faithful, even when the people are not. Now, thousands of years later, we tell these stories to teach our children and to understand for ourselves that God is faithful, even when we are not. We never have to ask God; "Cross your heart and hope to die?"
A common experience for many people today is feeling stuck, unable to make move. In the years since the recession, many people have not been able to find fulfilling or sustainable work. Through our faith, we expect God to take care of us in all times. At times, it may seem that the odds are against us. This strikes fear in our hearts.

At the beginning of the book of Joshua, the people of Israel are camped in the land of Moab at a spot called Shittim, where they have been for months, seven miles east of the Jordan River. It feels like limbo. This is not a good place to live. God has promised to take care of them and give them a land, but it does not appear that God is keeping that promise. The enemies they face mean nothing to us but were more than enough to strike fear in their hearts: Canaanites, Hittites, Hivites, Perizzites, Girgashites, Amorites, and Jebusites. The enemy had chariots and superior weaponry. Israel had foot soldiers and their leader Moses had died.

Have you ever felt fear? Have you ever been overwhelmed with the enormity of what lies ahead? Many things that people face on a daily basis strike fear in our hearts. We want assurance from God in those times. God was ready to do a new thing with Joshua as leader; the Israelites could not let fear stand in the way. The tribes of Israel needed these teachings, so that they might trust God rather than fear their enemy. In reality, their biggest obstacle was fear. Threats were daunting, but God always delivers. God gives life to dry bones, as Ezekiel's story teaches. God is the God of resurrection. God is what makes the difference against all odds. These words can build us up today and remind us that God keeps God's promises against all odds.

QUESTIONS FOR REFLECTION
What are some of God's promises to us today? How do we see them fulfilled?
How do you think you would have felt if you had been with the people of Isreal, on the verge of entering the land?
Are there times when it feels like God doesn't keep promises? What do we make of those times? Does it change our understanding of who God is?

PRAYER
Our Father, we ask you to instruct us as we study, read, and meditate. Change our lives and thinking so that we might become, through faith, all you want us to be. In Jesus' name, we pray. Amen


Compiled from The Present Word and Congregational Ministries Publishing is not liable for for the content of this Bible Study and Blog.

From The Present Word © 2011 Congregational Ministries Publishing. Used by permission.