DTB Joshua: Choose Holiness & Victory 

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I. God is with Us as We Focus on Obeying His Word Josh 1:5 No man will be able to stand before you all the days of your life. As I was with Moses, so I will be with you. I will not fail you nor forsake you. 6 "Be strong and courageous; for you shall cause this people to inherit the land which I swore to their fathers to give them. 7 Only be strong and very courageous, to observe to do according to all the law, which Moses my servant commanded you. Don’t turn from it to the right hand or to the left, that you may have good success wherever you go. [Meditate=thinking {revolve in the mind} thru implications for applications]

   8 This book of the law shall not depart out of your mouth, but you shall meditate on it day and night, that you may observe to do according to all that is written therein: for then you shall make your way prosperous then you shall have good success. 9 Haven’t I commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Don’t be afraid, neither be dismayed: for Yahweh your God is with you wherever you go"

2:9 Rahab said  "I know that Yahweh has given you the land, and that the fear of you has fallen on us, all of the land melt away before you. 10 For we have heard how Yahweh dried up the water of the Red Sea before you, 11 heard it, our hearts melted, neither did there remain any more spirit in any man, b'cs of you: for Yahweh your God, He is God in heaven above, and on earth beneath. 12 swear to me by Yahweh, since I have demonstrated hesed/covenant loyalty with you, that you also will demonstrate hesed with my father’s house, and give me a true token; 13 that you will save...and will deliver our lives from death." (DTB WEB)

II.  Miracles are for Saints who Walk by Faith 3:13 when the soles of the feet of the priests who bear the ark of Yahweh, the Lord of all the earth, rest in waters of the Jordan, waters of the Jordan will be cut off, from above; and they shall stand in one heap

4:5 Joshua said, "Pass over before the ark of Yahweh your God into the middle of the Jordan, and each of you pick up a stone and put it on your shoulder 6 that this may be a sign among you...children ask in time to come, ‘What do you mean by these stones?’

III. Humble Holiness Before Victory 5:13 Joshua by Jericho, lifted his eyes, a man stood in front of him with his sword drawn. Joshua went and said to him, "Are you for us, or for our adversaries?" 14  "No; but I have come now as commander of Yahweh’s army." Joshua fell on his face to the earth, and worshiped, and said to him, "What does my lord say to his servant?" 15 The prince of Yahweh’s army said to Joshua, "Take your shoes off of your feet; for the place on which you stand is holy." Joshua did so.

6:6 At the 7th time, when the priests blew the trumpets, Joshua said, "Shout, for Yahweh has given you the city! 17 The city shall be devoted to Yahweh, even it and all that is in it. Only Rahab the prostitute shall live, b'cs she hid the messengers that we sent. 18 But keep away from the devoted things, so that you will not bring about your own destruction by taking any of them..or you will make Israel liable to destruction and bring trouble on it (NIV). 19 But all the silver, and gold, holy to Yahweh...Yahweh’s treasury."

IV. Disobedience Yields Death. Deliberate Obedience Yields Victory 7:10 Yahweh said to Joshua, "Get up! Why are you fallen on your face like that? 11 Israel has sinned. Yes, they have even transgressed my covenant which I commanded them. taken of the devoted things, and have also stolen, and also deceived. They have even put it among their own stuff. 12 Therefore the children of Israel can’t stand before their enemies. I will not be with you any more, unless you destroy the devoted things from among you. 13 "Get up! Sanctify the people, and say, ‘Sanctify yourselves for tomorrow, for Yahweh, the God of Israel, says, "There is a devoted thing in the midst of you, Israel. You cannot stand before your enemies until you take away the devoted thing from among you."

8:35 There was not a word of all that Moses commanded, which Joshua didn’t read before all the assembly of Israel...foreigners 

V. God Aids as we Obey 9:14 The men sampled their (Gibeonite) provisions, and didn’t ask counsel from the mouth of Yahweh.

10 6  Gibeon sent to Joshua  "Don’t abandon your servants! Come up to us quickly, and save us, and help us; for all the kings of the Amorites that dwell in the hill country have gathered together against us." 7 So Joshua went up from Gilgal, he, and all the people of war with him, and all the mighty men of valor. 8 Yahweh said to Joshua, "Don’t fear them, for I have delivered them into your hands. Not a man of them will stand before you." 9 Joshua came on them suddenly. He went up from Gilgal all night. 10 Yahweh confused them before Israel, and he killed them with a great slaughter at 11 As they fled  Yahweh cast down great stones from the sky on them, and they died,more who died from the hailstones than who the children of Israel killed with the sword. 

11:6 Yahweh said to Joshua, "Don’t be afraid because of them; for tomorrow at this time, I will deliver them up all slain before Israel. You shall hamstring their horses and burn their chariots with fire." 7 So Joshua came, and all the people of war with him, against them by the waters of Merom suddenly, and fell on them. 8 Yahweh delivered them into the hand of Israel, and they struck them, and chased them...until they left them none remaining. 9 Joshua did to them as Yahweh told him. He hamstrung their horses and burnt their chariots with fire.

15 As Yahweh commanded Moses his servant, so Moses commanded Joshua. Joshua did so. He left nothing undone of all that Yahweh commanded Moses. 19 There was not a city that made peace with the children of Israel, except the Hivites, the inhabitants of Gibeon. They took all in battle. 20 For it was of Yahweh to harden their hearts, to come against Israel in battle, that he might utterly destroy them, that they might have no favor, but that he might destroy them, as Yahweh commanded Moses. 

VI. Wholehearted 14:14 Therefore Hebron became  inheritance of Caleb; because he wholly followed Yahweh, the God of Israel.

15:14 Caleb drove out the three sons of Anak...15 He went up against the inhabitants of Debir/Kiriath Sepher. 16 Caleb said, "He who strikes Kiriath Sepher, and takes it, to him will I give Achsah my daughter as wife." 17 Othniel the son of Kenaz, the brother of Caleb, took it: and he gave him Achsah his daughter as wife. 18 It happened, when she came, that she had him ask her father for a field. She got off of her donkey, and Caleb said, "What do you want?" 19 She said, "Give me a blessing. Because you have set me in the land of the South, give me also springs of water." He gave her the upper springs and the lower springs.

14:7 He had integrity, as was not afraid to go against majority opinion

14:8 He fully followed God, and did not discourage others from doing so

14:9 He remembered God's word (from 45 years ago) and patiently waited for God to fulfill His promises. He submissively asked for permission to take what was his. He was content to play second fiddle to Joshua.

14:10 He was conscious of God's provision for every breath he took

14:11 He recognized that God sustained and strengthened him for His purposes

14:12 He was fearless in doing God's will b'cs conscious of God being w/ Him (which is the result of a clear, obedient conscience)

15:14 He faithfully followed through on God's commands to drive out the giants, taking the toughest job himself

15:16 He encouraged others to demonstrate Hall of Fame faith

15:19 He generously shared God's hard earned blessing so they could enjoy God's plan to bless His people. May his tribe increase!

15:63 The chapter ends on an ominous note (echoed in the next two chapters), with Judah failing to follow Caleb's example of relying on God to do their job of driving out the pagans and their influence.

VII. Failure to Trust and Fearlessly Obey 17:12 Yet the children of Manasseh couldn’t drive out the inhabitants of those cities; but the Canaanites would dwell in that land. 13 It happened, when the children of Israel had grown strong, that they put the Canaanites to forced labor, and didn’t utterly drive them out.

VIII. The Lord Gives, and the Lord Takes Away when we Disobey  23:11 Take good heed therefore to yourselves, that you love Yahweh your God. 12 But if you do at all go back, and hold fast to the remnant of these nations, even these who remain among you, and make marriages with them, and go in to them, and they to you; 13 know for a certainty that Yahweh your God will no longer drive these nations from out of your sight; but they shall be a snare and a trap to you, a scourge in your sides, and thorns in your eyes, until you perish from off this good land which Yahweh your God has given you. 15 It shall happen that as all the good things have come on you of which Yahweh your God spoke to you, so Yahweh will bring on you all the evil things, until he has destroyed you from off this good land which Yahweh your God has given you, 16 when you disobey the covenant of Yahweh your God, which he commanded you, and go and serve other gods, and bow down yourselves to them. Then the anger of Yahweh will be kindled against you, and you will perish quickly from off the good land which he has given to you.

IX. Victory and Blessing is Our Choice  24:14 Now therefore fear Yahweh, and serve Him completely and faithfully. Put away the gods which your fathers served beyond the River, in Egypt; and serve Yahweh. 15 "If it seems evil to you to serve Yahweh, CHOOSE this day whom you will serve; whether the gods which your fathers served that were beyond the River, or the gods of the Amorites, in whose land you dwell: but as for me and my house, we will serve Yahweh." 16 The people answered, "Far be it from us that we should forsake Yahweh, to serve other gods"; 17 for it is Yahweh our God who brought us and our fathers up out of the land of Egypt, from the house of bondage, and who did those great signs in our sight, and preserved us in all the way in which we went, and among all the peoples through the midst of whom we passed. 18 Yahweh drove out from before us all the peoples, even the Amorites who lived in the land. Therefore we also will serve Yahweh; for He is our God.

X. God Blesses Imperfect People in Process 19 Joshua said to the people, "You can’t serve Yahweh; for He is a holy God. He is a jealous God. He will not forgive your disobedience nor your sins." 20 If you forsake Yahweh, and serve foreign gods, then he will turn and do you evil, and consume you, after he has done you good. 21 The people said to Joshua, "No; but we will serve Yahweh." 22 Joshua said to the people, "You are witnesses against yourselves that you have chosen Yahweh yourselves, to serve Him." They said, "We are witnesses." 23 "Now therefore put away the foreign gods which are among you, and incline your heart to Yahweh, the God of Israel." 24 The people said to Joshua, "We will serve Yahweh our God, and we will listen to His voice." 

25 So Joshua made a covenant with the people that day, and made for them a statute and an ordinance in Shechem. 26 Joshua wrote these words in the book of the law of God; and he took a great stone, and set it up there under the oak that was by the sanctuary of Yahweh. 27 Joshua said to all the people, "Behold, this stone shall be a witness against us; for it has heard all the words of Yahweh which he spoke to us. It shall be therefore a witness against you, lest you deny your God." 28 So Joshua sent the people away, every man to his inheritance.

Questions for Reflection/Discussion/Response:

1. How, when, and why do you meditate on the Scriptures?  How does Bible Study (Observation, Interpretation, Application) aid meditation?

2. Do you intend to live a victorious or defeated Christian life?  Do you have any control over what you reap?

3. What “battles” do you face? Who fights them? Are you a coward or courageous? How can you get God to fight your battles?

4. How committed are you to serving God? How does that commitment show up in your daily activities? Have you chosen Him exclusively?