Joshua 1:8-9 8 This book of the law shall not depart out of thy mouth; but thou shalt meditate therein day and night, that thou mayest observe to do according to all that is written therein: for then thou shalt make thy way prosperous, and then thou shalt have good success.

9 Have not I commanded thee? Be strong and of a good courage; be not afraid, neither be thou dismayed: for the LORD thy God is with thee whithersoever thou goest.

Moses was the great servant of the LORD and leader of Israel. His death is recorded in Deuteronomy 34. As great as Moses was, he would never lead the people of God into the land of promise. Joshua - who was not a young man at this time - had spent his entire career previously as the assistant of Moses. Joshua found that now it was his time to lead, but only after God had prepared him.

At God's command, Moses had already formally recognized Joshua as his successor to lead Israel (Numbers 27:18-23). Though Joshua was not of noble birth or a literal son of Moses, there were many things that qualified him to be the successor of Moses.
· Joshua had led the army of Israel against the Amalekites (Exodus 17:8-16).
· Joshua was an assistant to Moses (Exodus 24:13).
· Joshua helped Moses at the tabernacle after the golden calf disaster (Exodus 33:7-11).
· Joshua was zealous to preserve the authority and leadership of Moses (Numbers 11:28).
· Joshua was one of the two faith-filled spies among the total of twelve who spied out the land of Canaan (Numbers 13:30-14:38).
· Joshua was a "man in whom is the Spirit" (Numbers 27:18), the most important qualification of all. The Holy Spirit would empower and enable him to fulfill the challenging role of leading the nation into Canaan.

God used the consistent, demonstrated faithfulness of Joshua in many small things to prepare him for this essential role of leading Israel into Canaan; land with strong enemies reluctant to leave their land.

Joshua spoke to the people of Israel to encourage them and let them know the path that they would be taking in their move into the Promised Land. At God's command, Moses had already formally recognized Joshua as his successor to lead Israel (Numbers 27:18-23). Though Joshua was not of noble birth or a literal son of Moses, there were many things that qualified him to be the successor of Moses.
· Joshua had led the army of Israel against the Amalekites (Exodus 17:8-16).
· Joshua was an assistant to Moses (Exodus 24:13).
· Joshua helped Moses at the tabernacle after the golden calf disaster (Exodus 33:7-11).
· Joshua was zealous to preserve the authority and leadership of Moses (Numbers 11:28).
· Joshua was one of the two faith-filled spies among the total of twelve who spied out the land of Canaan (Numbers 13:30-14:38).
· Joshua was a "man in whom is the Spirit" (Numbers 27:18), the most important qualification of all. The Holy Spirit would empower and enable him to fulfill the challenging role of leading the nation into Canaan.

God used the consistent, demonstrated faithfulness of Joshua in many small things to prepare him for this essential role of leading Israel into Canaan; land with strong enemies reluctant to leave their land.

Be strong and of good courage: Joshua was called to be bold in God. The emphasis given to this command (Joshua 1:6, 1:7, 1:9, 1:18) suggests that Joshua needed this strong encouragement. He would need God's strength and courage to conquer Canaan and divide the land as an inheritance to Israel. The sense is that Joshua would find this strength and courage in Yahweh, not in himself. As Paul would later explain in Ephesians 6:10, Joshua was to be strong in the LORD and in the power of His might. This is a pattern for believers, to find their strength in God and not in self.

That you may observe to do according to all the law: As a people, Israel was bound to God in covenant (Exodus 24:3-8). A significant part of the covenant was God's promise to bless an obedient Israel (Leviticus 26:1-13, Deuteronomy 28:1-14) and to curse a disobedient Israel (Leviticus 26:14-46, Deuteronomy 28:15-68). When Israel and their leadership did according to all the law, they were invincible with God's blessing and strength.

This Book of the Law: Since obedience to God's law was required for Israel's success, it was important to know and value God's word. Joshua did not only need to read God's word. It had to be on his lips (shall not depart from your mouth), in his mind (meditate in it day and night), and he had to do it (observe to do according to all that is written).

For the LORD your God is with you wherever you go: The final encouragement, repeated from Joshua 1:5, reminds us that Joshua's success did not depend solely on his ability to keep God's word. The presence of God with him was an even greater factor. Make sure God is present in your life and be not afraid.