What is Joshua 1 about?
Joshua 1 opens just after the death of Moses. God speaks to Joshua, Moses' assistant, and commissions him to lead Israel across the Jordan River into the land God promised to their ancestors. Three times God tells him to "be strong and of a good courage." He promises, "as I was with Moses, so I will be with thee: I will not fail thee, nor forsake thee." God tells Joshua to keep the book of the law in his mouth and meditate on it day and night (verse 8). Verse 9 is the most famous: "be not afraid... for the LORD thy God is with thee whithersoever thou goest." The people pledge to follow Joshua.
What does Joshua 1 mean?
Joshua 1:9
God spoke these words to Joshua just after the death of Moses. Joshua now had to lead the whole nation of Israel across the Jordan River into a land full of fortified cities and powerful enemies. Three times in this chapter God tells him to be strong and courageous. The command does not rest on Joshua's own ability. It rests on a promise: "the LORD thy God is with thee whithersoever thou goest." Courage here is not the absence of fear but the choice to move forward because God is present. The verse speaks to anyone facing a new and daunting task, reminding them they do not go alone.
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