We looked at Joshua’s long season of preparation. Those quiet years of faithfulness shaped him before God ever placed him in command. We saw that strength comes from God’s presence, His people, His promises, and His plan.
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, and 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’s ours too. Because sooner or later, every believer faces the same call: “Get up, go, be strong and courageous, for I am with you.”
When one season closes, God is already preparing us for the next. God used Moses and the Law to lead Israel to the border of His promise, but He raised up Joshua to lead them across the Jordan and into it.
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 (or Joshua) means “YHWH is salvation” or “The Lord saves.” It is the Hebrew name for Jesus. Yehoshua.
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.” (Matthew 28:20)
Discussion
- Why do we sometimes cling to what’s ending instead of stepping into God’s call?
- What does Joshua’s name (Yehoshua, “The Lord saves”) teach us about how God finishes what the Law cannot?
- If God promised Joshua the same presence He gave Moses, what does that say about God’s presence with us now?
Key Takeaways
- God’s work never ends with one person. His promises keep us moving forward.
- The Law could never make a way for us. Only Jesus, the true Yehoshua, is The Way.
- God’s presence is the real inheritance. His promise to be with us never expires.
God’s presence with us never expires. But we must cross the waters into His promises. Stepping into them takes courage and strength.
The next verses show where courage begins and how strength is revealed. God doesn’t just call Joshua to move. He calls him to trust and obey.
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 does not 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): to speak, to mutter, and to chew on Scripture until it fills his mind and directs his steps.
Our own courage grows the same way. As we fill our hearts with God’s truth and align our actions with it, fear begins to lose its grip.
At the center stands this unshakable promise: “The Lord your God is with you wherever you go.”
Discussion
- Why does God build Joshua’s courage on His Word instead of his 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 His promise, His precepts and His presence.
- True courage grows from obedience; not emotion.
- The more God’s Word shapes our minds, the steadier our steps become.
Now the call to courage moves from the heart to action. In verses 10 through 15, Joshua must lead God’s people to prepare, to move, and to help one another enter the promise together.
Possess Your Place of Rest
Joshua didn’t wait for another sign. The moment God finished speaking, he called his officers together. “Get ready,” he told them. “In three days, we cross.” Just like the three days before Jesus’ resurrection. Faith prepared. Faith anticipated.
The Jordan River was still at flood stage. Yet the people remembered the Red Sea account 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 us do. This is covenant love: shared struggle, shared victory, shared rest. We are called to move together.
Hebrews 4:3-8 says, “We who have believed enter that rest…” but, “…it remains for some to enter it… For if Joshua had given them rest, God would not have spoken of another day later on… Let us strive to enter that rest, so that no one may fall by the same sort of disobedience.”
In Matthew 11:28-29, Jesus said, “Come to Me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls.”
Discussion
- Why does Joshua act immediately instead of waiting for the river to part first?
- What does the call for the eastern tribes to strive for 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.
- True rest isn’t found in a place, but in the presence of our Savior, (Yehoshua) Jesus.
Joshua’s obedience stirred a response. They were ready, united in purpose, anchored in promise, and eager to follow.
In the final verses, they pledge their loyalty, not just to Joshua, but to the God who led them.
Commit to God’s Will
The people’s answer to Joshua 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 a blind loyalty to Joshua. It was a shared devotion to God’s will. They said, “May the Lord your God be with you, as He was with Moses.” It 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.
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 His people more deeply than emotion or tradition ever could.
- Godly leaders and followers live under the same authority: God’s Word.
- Encouragement is a sacred duty. When spoken in faith, it gives courage to the whole body.
Joshua 1 began in mourning but ended in motion. God’s Word still leads us. God’s presence still strengthens us. And God’s people still encourage one another to step into His rest… together.
Something to Sit With
We’ve seen Joshua’s preparation turn into participation. The waiting is over. The words God once spoke in private now echo through a whole nation: “Get up, go, be strong and courageous.”
Get up and go. God’s presence with us never expires. But we must cross the waters into His promises.
Be strong and courageous. Meditate on God’s Word. The more it shapes our mind, the steadier our steps become.
Possess your place of rest. True rest isn’t found in a place. It’s found in the presence of our Savior, (Yehoshua) Jesus.
Commit to God’s will. Encourage one another with His words.
This first chapter of Joshua leaves us with a few questions worth considering.
- Where in my life am I still standing at the border of God’s promise… believing it, but not yet stepping into it?
- How would my life look different this week if I truly believed God is with me wherever I go?
- Have I mistaken comfort for rest, settling for ease instead of Christ’s presence?
- When was the last time my words ignited courage in someone else’s faith?
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.