Sharon Reformed Presbyterian Church · Sermon study sheet

Joshua's Commission

Bryan Schneider · August 21, 2021

Joshua 1:1-9

sharonrpc.org/sermons/joshua-s-commission

Summary

Moses' death creates a real leadership transition, but God's speaking and covenant faithfulness continue without interruption.
God commissions Joshua to cross the Jordan, lead Israel, and distribute the land promised to the patriarchs.
The repeated promise that God will not leave or forsake Joshua supplies the foundation for strength and courage.
Joshua's success will not rest on superior weapons or tactics but on careful obedience to the whole law without turning aside.
Keeping the book of the law in his mouth and meditating on it day and night joins reading, speaking, remembering, and doing God's Word.
God's grace and human responsibility are not enemies: Joshua receives promise and presence, then is commanded to walk faithfully.
Joshua cannot fulfill the calling perfectly and points to Jesus, the greater Joshua who keeps the law, fulfills God's promises, and brings his people into true rest.
Christians therefore stand on Christ's finished work while courageously doing the good works God has appointed.

What uncertainty does Moses' death create at the beginning of Joshua?
How does God's immediate speech demonstrate that his promises do not depend on one human leader?
What covenant promise gives Israel a claim to the land before the conquest begins?
Why is God's presence the foundation of Joshua's strength and courage?
What does the heightened command to be very courageous reveal about the difficulty of obeying the whole law?
How does meditation keep God's Word in Joshua's mouth, heart, and actions?
What does prosperity mean within Joshua's specific commission, and why should it not be detached into a universal promise of wealth?
How do divine grace and commanded responsibility operate together in the passage?
In what ways does Joshua point to Jesus as the leader who brings God's people into lasting rest?

Commission: The authoritative charge God gives Joshua to lead Israel across the Jordan and into its inheritance.
Covenant faithfulness: God's unwavering reliability in keeping promises despite human death, weakness, and changing circumstances.
Promised land: The inheritance sworn to Abraham's descendants and now entrusted to Joshua to enter and distribute.
Courage: Confidence to obey God's Word amid fear or opposition because God is present and faithful.
Meditation: Continual reading, speaking, remembering, and turning over God's Word so that it directs conduct.
Prosperity: In this passage, success in accomplishing the particular covenant mission God gives Israel under Joshua.
Greater Joshua: Jesus Christ, who perfectly obeys God, fulfills the promises, conquers his people's enemies, and gives true rest.