The waiting is over.
Israel stands at the edge of the Jordan River, staring across at the land God promised generations ago. Moses is gone. A new leader stands in his place.
Before Joshua ever picks up a sword, God calls him to pick up courage. To trust. To obey. To move.
God speaks His promise. Joshua finds his strength. The people unite and prepare to follow.
This isn’t only Israel’s story. It belongs to every believer who faces the same call: “Get up, go, be strong and courageous, for I am with you.”
Get Up and Go
Moses is gone. He had given Israel the Law, and with a rod he led them through the wilderness to the edge of the promised land. But Moses and the Law could only bring God’s people to the border of His promise. The Law could not lead them into it. God called Joshua for that.
Yehoshua. That’s Joshua’s name in Hebrew. It means “The LORD saves.” It is the Hebrew name for Jesus. Just as Joshua led Israel into God’s promise, only God’s chosen Deliverer can bring His people into the fullness of His promise.
What looked like a hopeless end was really a new beginning. The land was right before them, ready to possess. God told Joshua, “As I was with Moses, so I will be with you.” And just as He was with Jesus, He promises to be with us “to the end of the age.”
God’s work never ends with one person. His promises keep moving forward. The Law could never make a way. Only Jesus, the true Yehoshua, is the way.
Discussion
- Why do we sometimes cling to what’s ending instead of stepping into what God has next?
- What does Joshua’s name, Yehoshua (“The Lord saves”), teach about how God finishes what the Law cannot?
- If God promised Joshua the same presence He gave Moses, what does that say about His presence with us now?
Key Takeaways
- God’s work never ends with one person. His promises keep moving forward, carried by the people He calls.
- The Law brings us to the border. Only Jesus brings us in. Moses and the Law could point the way, but only the true Yehoshua opens the door.
- God’s presence is the real inheritance. His promise to be with us never expires.
Be Strong and Courageous
Three times God tells Joshua, “Be strong and courageous.” Each time, the reason changes.
First, because of God’s promise (v. 6). Then, because of God’s precepts (v. 7). Finally, because of God’s presence (v. 9).
God is not trying to hype Joshua up. He is grounding him in truth. Real courage doesn’t come from a big personality. It comes from steady obedience. Real strength, the kind God calls for, is spiritual. It is the quiet resolve to do what is right when fear or pressure say otherwise.
Joshua’s battle plan depends on how closely he walks with God’s Word. God commands him to meditate, hagah in Hebrew: to speak, to mutter, to chew on Scripture until it fills the mind and directs the steps. Courage grows the same way today. As truth fills our hearts and aligns our actions, fear begins to lose its grip.
At the center stands this unshakable promise: “The LORD your God is with you wherever you go.”
If God goes with us, courage is no longer optional. It’s reasonable.
Discussion
- Why does God build Joshua’s courage on His Word instead of experience or personality?
- What happens to our strength when we stop meditating (hagah) on God’s Word?
- How does knowing “God is with you wherever you go” change how you face the week ahead?
Key Takeaways
- God’s command to be strong is anchored in promise, precepts, and presence. Courage has a foundation. It’s not wishful thinking.
- True courage grows from obedience, not emotion. Feelings shift. God’s Word holds.
- The more God’s Word shapes our minds, the steadier our steps become. Meditation is the battle plan.
Possess Your Place of Rest
Joshua didn’t wait for another sign. The moment God finished speaking, he called his officers together. “Get ready. In three days, we cross.” Faith prepared. Faith anticipated.
The Jordan River was still at flood stage. Yet the people remembered the Red Sea and readied themselves for another miracle.
Joshua reminded the eastern tribes of their promise to Moses. Though their families already had land east of the Jordan, their fighting men were to cross with their brothers and help them take their portion. God’s people do not rest until all of them do. This is covenant love: shared struggle, shared victory, shared rest.
Hebrews looks back on this moment and says, “If Joshua had given them rest, God would not have spoken of another day later on.” The rest Joshua offered was real, but it pointed to something greater.
Jesus said, “Come to me, all who are weary and heavy laden, and I will give you rest.” True rest isn’t found in a place. It’s found in the presence of our Savior, Yehoshua, Jesus.
Discussion
- Why does Joshua act immediately instead of waiting for the river to part first?
- What does the call for the eastern tribes to fight alongside their brothers reveal about God’s heart?
- How does the picture of “shared rest” challenge the way we think about the church today?
Key Takeaways
- Faith doesn’t wait for conditions to improve. It prepares to cross.
- God’s people are called to strive for one another’s rest. Covenant love means no one crosses alone.
- True rest isn’t found in a place. It’s found in the presence of Jesus, the true Yehoshua.
Commit to God’s Will
The people’s answer was short, strong, and unified: “All that you have commanded us we will do, and wherever you send us, we will go.”
After years of grumbling and rebellion, Israel finally responded in faith. What a contrast to their parents’ generation, who doubted, delayed, and died in the desert. This new generation, born in the wilderness, chose obedience over fear.
Their pledge wasn’t blind loyalty to Joshua. It was shared devotion to God’s will. They said, “May the LORD your God be with you, as He was with Moses.” That was a prayer with a boundary: lead us as you follow Him.
Then they repeated the same words God had spoken to Joshua: “Only be strong and courageous.” Courage spread from heaven to the leader, and then to the people. True unity was born as their hearts aligned with God’s Word and His will.
Real leadership doesn’t demand loyalty. It inspires it by walking closely with God.
Discussion
- Why do you think this generation responds so differently from their parents in the wilderness?
- What does “lead us as you follow Him” reveal about healthy spiritual leadership?
- Why is encouragement like “be strong and courageous” so important in the church today?
Key Takeaways
- Obedience to God’s Word unites more deeply than emotion. Shared devotion to His will creates real unity.
- Godly leaders and followers live under the same authority. God’s Word, not personality.
- Encouragement is a sacred duty. When spoken in faith, it gives courage to the whole body.
Something to Sit With
Joshua 1 began in mourning and ended in motion. God’s Word still leads. God’s presence still strengthens. And God’s people still encourage one another to step into His rest together.
Get up and go. Be strong and courageous. Possess your place of rest. Commit to God’s will.
A few questions worth sitting with:
- Where in your life are you still standing at the border of God’s promise, believing it but not yet stepping into it?
- How would your life look different this week if you truly believed God is with you wherever you go?
- Have you mistaken comfort for rest, settling for ease instead of Christ’s presence?
- When was the last time your words ignited courage in someone else’s faith?
“Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be frightened, and do not be dismayed, for the LORD your God is with you wherever you go.” (Joshua 1:9, ESV)
Frequently Asked Questions
What does Joshua 1 teach about courage?
Joshua 1 shows that real courage is not a personality trait. It is grounded in God’s promise, His Word, and His presence. God tells Joshua three times to “be strong and courageous,” each time pointing to a different foundation: what God has promised, what God has commanded, and the fact that God goes with him.
What does the name Joshua (Yehoshua) mean?
Joshua’s Hebrew name, Yehoshua, means “The LORD saves.” It is the same name as Jesus. Just as Joshua led Israel into the Promised Land, Jesus leads His people into the fullness of God’s promises. The connection is intentional and runs through all of Scripture.
What is the significance of rest in Joshua 1?
Joshua 1 introduces the concept of rest as something God’s people enter together. The eastern tribes were called to fight alongside their brothers before returning to their own land. Hebrews 4 later explains that Joshua’s rest pointed forward to a greater rest found in Christ.
How does Joshua 1 connect to the New Testament?
Joshua’s name (Yehoshua/Jesus) connects directly to the Savior. The theme of rest points forward to Hebrews 4 and Matthew 11:28-29. The call to be strong and courageous echoes throughout Paul’s letters. And God’s promise to be with Joshua “wherever you go” mirrors Jesus’ promise in Matthew 28:20.
This lesson is part of the Encouraged by What’s Ahead series.
Scripture quotations are from the ESV Bible (The Holy Bible, English Standard Version), copyright 2001 by Crossway.