FRESH FOCUS ON THE DIVINE PLAN
Text: Joshua 1:1-5; 18:3-4,10; 24:1,13.18,31.
The plan of God for the children of Israel remained even after the death of Moses and wanted all the children of Israel and their leaders to focus on His divine plan. As we think about the plan of God for the church and the Great Commission of Christ to the church, we need to have a fresh focus on the calling, command, and commission God has given us. God’s plan, programme and project for the church have not changed, but we need to renew our focus so that we will not get tired on the way because there is still much land to be possessed.
1. FOCUSED PREPARATION FOR POSSESSING THE PROMISED INHERITANCE
Joshua 1:1-6,11: 11:23; 23:4-6.
“Be strong and of a good courage: for unto this people shalt thou divide for an inheritance the land, which I sware unto their fathers to give them. Pass through the host, and command the people, saying, Prepare you victuals; for within three days ye shall pass over this Jordan, to go in to possess the land, which the LORD your God giveth you to possess it.” (Joshua 1:6, 11). Israel had already spent 40 years of unbelief in the wilderness when they should have inherited the promised land, and now that the land was so near to them, they needed a focused preparation to inherit it.
The Divine Plan and the Promise for the Commissioned – Joshua 1:1-9; 2:8-12, 24; 3:5-7; 4:1, 14, 24; 5:13-15
“Every place that the sole of your foot shall tread upon, that have I given unto you, as I said unto Moses. From the wilderness and this Lebanon even unto the great river, the river Euphrates, all the land of the Hittites, and unto the great sea toward the going down of the sun, shall be your coast. There shall not any man be able to stand before thee all the days of thy life: as I was with Moses, so I will be with thee: I will not fail thee, nor forsake thee.” (Joshua 1:3-5). The promise of God was there for them, but the project did not depend only on the promise but also on their participation and their doing what the Lord had called them to do. Although the giants would still be in the land, God gave them the promise of His presence and their assured victory. “And before they were laid down, she came up unto them upon the roof; And she said unto the men, I know that the LORD hath given you the land, and that your terror is fallen upon us, and that all the inhabitants of the land faint because of you. For we have heard how the LORD dried up the water of the Red sea for you, when ye came out of Egypt; and what ye did unto the two kings of the Amorites, that were on the other side Jordan, Sihon and Og, whom ye utterly destroyed.” (Joshua 2:8-10). As the children of Israel were about to enter the Promised Land they had a confirmation even from the camp of their enemies that God had already given them the land. We should be encouraged by the testimonies of people ready to receive the gospel, and as we bring together the confidence we have on the inside and confirmation from the outside, we know that the Lord will use us to carry out the divine plan of the Great Commission. “And Joshua said unto the people, Sanctify yourselves: for to morrow the LORD will do wonders among you.” (Joshua 3:5). We are to sanctify and set ourselves apart because the time of higher-level wonders, inheriting the land and bringing the inheritance of Christ to the world has come. “And it came to pass, when all the people were clean passed over Jordan, that the LORD spake unto Joshua, saying, On that day the LORD magnified Joshua in the sight of all Israel; and they feared him, as they feared Moses, all the days of his life. That all the people of the earth might know the hand of the LORD, that it is mighty: that ye might fear the LORD your God for ever.” (Joshua 4:1, 14, 24). The same God that led the children of Israel over the Red Sea led them to pass over Jordan, although He used a different method. God wants us to have a reverential fear for Him as our Redeemer who brought us up and is sending us forth. “And it came to pass, when Joshua was by Jericho, that he lifted up his eyes and looked, and, behold, there stood a man over against him with his sword drawn in his hand: and Joshua went unto him, and said unto him, Art thou for us, or for our adversaries? And he said, Nay; but as captain of the host of the LORD am I now come. And Joshua fell on his face to the earth, and did worship, and said unto him, What saith my lord unto his servant? And the captain of the LORD’S host said unto Joshua, Loose thy shoe from off thy foot; for the place whereon thou standest is holy. And Joshua did so.” (Joshua
5:13-15). Christ appeared to Joshua in His pre-incarnate form to assure him of victory as the captain of our salvation. We know that this is Christ and not an angel because He accepted worship from Joshua.
Their Dutiful Preparation and Predisposition with Courage – Joshua 1:11, 16-18; 3:9-17; 11:6-9; 10:25; Deuteronomy 31:6-8, 23.
We must give all our strength, power, and resources to the work that God has set before us so that we can accomplish what He has called us to accomplish. “Pass through the host, and command the people, saying, Prepare you victuals; for within three days ye shall pass over this Jordan, to go in to possess the land, which the LORD your God giveth you to possess it. And they answered Joshua, saying, All that thou commandest us we will do, and whithersoever thou sendest us, we will go. Whosoever he be that doth rebel against thy commandment, and will not hearken unto thy words in all that thou commandest him, he shall be put to death: only be strong and of a good courage.” (Joshua 1:11, 16, 18). Just as the people assigned to lead the rest of the armies of the Israelites to battle showed a good example and proclaimed their readiness for duty, we must respond in like manner with consecration and commitment to the call of the gospel and the work our Saviour has given us to do. God wants all creatures to hear about the gospel but if there are areas in the whole world that we are not willing to go to for whatever reasons, the work of world evangelisation will not be done. Those who would not do as God commanded were punished so that they would not be a source of discouragement to others. “Be strong and of a good courage, fear not, nor be afraid of them: for the LORD thy God, he it is that doth go with thee; he will not fail thee, nor forsake thee. And Moses called unto Joshua, and said unto him in the sight of all Israel, Be strong and of a good courage: for thou must go with this people unto the land which the LORD hath sworn unto their fathers to give them; and thou shalt cause them to inherit it. And the LORD, he it is that doth go before thee; he will be with thee, he will not fail thee, neither forsake thee: fear not, neither be dismayed. And he gave Joshua the son of Nun a charge, and said, Be strong and of a good courage: for thou shalt bring the children of Israel into the land which I sware unto them: and I will be with thee.” (Deuteronomy 31:6-8, 23). Moses called the people to courage so that they would take away any hinderance and go to where God had sent them. We must not be weak in our mind, or fidgeting and anxious, but we must have strength in our soul, spirit, and commitment and put it all in the work that God has called us to do. Because the promises of God to be with us cannot fail, and they are Yes and Amen, God is dependable, and we can trust Him.
The Definite Project and Priority of our Commission – Acts 26:16-19; 2 Corinthians 5:18-21; 1 Corinthians 9:16-22; 2 Timothy 4:5; Colossians 1:28.
“But rise, and stand upon thy feet: for I have appeared unto thee for this purpose, to make thee a minister and a witness both of these things which thou hast seen, and of those things in the which I will appear unto thee; Delivering thee from the people, and from the Gentiles, unto whom now I send thee, To open their eyes, and to turn them from darkness to light, and from the power of Satan unto God, that they may receive forgiveness of sins, and inheritance among them which are sanctified by faith that is in me.” (Acts 26:16-18). The people need to know the evil and danger of sin and sinfulness, and that they cannot turn themselves around or change themselves. The preacher needs to let them know that if they are going to have redemption, forgiveness, and freedom from sin, it is through the Lord Jesus Christ. This is the definite project we have, and it is the priority of our commission. “But watch thou in all things, endure afflictions, do the work of an evangelist, make full proof of thy ministry.” (2 Timothy 4:5). You must do the work of an evangelist; don’t just think about it, plan it, or pass it on to others. “Whom we preach, warning every man, and teaching every man in all wisdom; that we may present every man perfect in Christ Jesus:” (Colossians 1:28). We are to preach Christ as our Saviour, Substitute, and the only One that the Father has appointed to grant us forgiveness and freedom and to bring reconciliation and full redemption.
2. FORTHRIGHT PURSUIT WITH THE PASSION OF PECULIAR INHERITORS
Joshua 6:5, 20; 10:14, 40; 11:12a, 15.
“And it shall come to pass, that when they make a long blast with the ram’s horn, and when ye hear the sound of the trumpet, all the people shall shout with a great shout; and the wall of the city shall fall down flat, and the people shall ascend up every man straight before him.” (Joshua 6:5). The children of Israel were to be forthright and definite about their pursuit of conquering their enemies. “And all the cities of those kings, and all the kings of them, did Joshua take,” (Joshua 11:12). Because of the concentration and consecration, and did everything they ought to do, they were able to take all the cities they took. “As the LORD commanded Moses his servant, so did Moses command Joshua, and so did Joshua; he left nothing undone of all that the LORD commanded Moses.” (Joshua 11:15). This is an example, model, and pattern for us that as Joshua left nothing undone of all that God commanded Moses, we must leave nothing undone in the words we hear, in the work He has given us to do and in the assignment that He has given us to do.
The Pure Persevering Faith that Collapsed the Walls – Joshua 6:1-5, 10, 14-15, 20; Hebrews 11:30; Isaiah 22:5, 22; Proverbs 25:28.
“Now Jericho was straitly shut up because of the children of Israel: none went out, and none came in. And the LORD said unto Joshua, See, I have given into thine hand Jericho, and the king thereof, and the mighty men of valour. And ye shall compass the city, all ye men of war, and go round about the city once. Thus shalt thou do six days. And seven priests shall bear before the ark seven trumpets of rams’ horns: and the seventh day ye shall compass the city seven times, and the priests shall blow with the trumpets. And it shall come to pass, that when they make a long blast with the ram’s horn, and when ye hear the sound of the trumpet, all the people shall shout with a great shout; and the wall of the city shall fall down flat, and the people shall ascend up every man straight before him.” (Joshua 6:1-5). What you do at the beginning of the project will determine what you do as you move on. “So the people shouted when the priests blew with the trumpets: and it came to pass, when the people heard the sound of the trumpet, and the people shouted with a great shout, that the wall fell down flat, so that the people went up into the city, every man straight before him, and they took the city.” (Joshua 6:20). If we don’t listen, we will not know what to do at the time we ought to do it, and there will be confusion. However, because the people were listening to Joshua and they were committed to doing what the Lord had commanded, they did what they ought to do, and the project was fulfilled. “By faith the walls of Jericho fell down, after they were compassed about seven days.” (Hebrews 11:30). The obedience of the people was a demonstration of their faith, and that was what brought them victory. The key in our hands is the obedience of faith. “And the key of the house of David will I lay upon his shoulder; so he shall open, and none shall shut; and he shall shut, and none shall open.” (Isaiah 22:22). It is the faith we have in the Lord that translates to obedience that is the key in our hands, and when by that key of the obedience of faith we open, none will shut, and when we shut, none will close.
The Practical, Perfect Faith that Conquered the Warriors – Joshua 10:9-14, 25; Hebrews 11:33-34; Joshua 10:42; 23:3.
Because Joshua gave himself in total devotion to the work the heavenly Father had given Him, He was able to declare by faith that the sun should stay until his victory was worn, and God answered his prayer. God gave this special sign and wonder to them because they were devoted to the work He had given them to do, and they had a priority in that work.
The Passionate, Pursuing Faith that Converted the World – Acts 15:3, 12; 17:6; Romans 10:13-18; Mark 16:15-20.
The apostles in the New Testament brought the same consecration, commitment, and faith of the people of old into the new day of evangelisation, conquering the enemy, and covering the whole land as God commanded them. Their concentration was on the conversion of the people. The passion of the apostles and the lives that were transformed by their ministries in different places publicised them when they went to new cities. . If we are as committed to the message of life in making the people come to eternal life as the Old Testament warriors were in killing and destroying, they will call on the name of the Lord and be saved. It takes repentance and faith to be saved, to be born again, and to be reconciled with the Lord. But faith comes by hearing, and we have to go and tell the people who have not heard so that they can hear and have faith. “And he said unto them, Go ye into all the world, and preach the gospel to every creature. He that believeth and is baptized shall be saved; but he that believeth not shall be damned. And these signs shall follow them that believe; In my name shall they cast out devils; they shall speak with new tongues; They shall take up serpents; and if they drink any deadly thing, it shall not hurt them; they shall lay hands on the sick, and they shall recover. So then after the Lord had spoken unto them, he was received up into heaven, and sat on the right hand of God. And they went forth, and preached every where, the Lord working with them, and confirming the word with signs following. Amen.” (Mark 16:15-20). We are to go into the world of different languages, different cultures, and different religions and preach the gospel to them. The signs will follow us as we go because they will draw the attention of the Gentiles. In obedience to Christ’s command, the disciples did not delay, hold back, give excuses, or complain about anything; they just obeyed and went to preach everywhere, and the Lord worked with them. If we are not working, if we are idle, if we are laid back, if we do nothing, He cannot work He cannot work with us; it is as we obey the Great Commission and we are willing to pay the price of taking the gospel everywhere that the Lord will work with us.
3. FULFILLED PLAN OF POSSESSION WITH PURGED INHABITANTS: Joshua 13:1; 21:43-45; 23:1-4; 24:13, 21, 24, 31.
Continuation Until the Ordained Assignment is Finished – Joshua 13:1, 6-7; 14:6, 10-14; 18:3-4; Philemon 1:9-10; 2 Timothy 4:7-8.
We won’t continue until we get tired until the resources are still flowing, or until we feel we still have the strength; as long as the assignment is still there, we continue until it is finished. When Joshua became stricken in years, age was telling on him, and he became physically weak as his strength was abating. Despite his physical condition, God did not ask Joshua to retire but to continue dividing the land for the children of Israel. This means that as we look at the assignment that He has ordained, listen to Him, and not have our personal opinions or ideas, we continue until that assignment is finished. “Then the children of Judah came unto Joshua in Gilgal: and Caleb the son of Jephunneh the Kenezite said unto him, Thou knowest the thing that the LORD said unto Moses the man of God concerning me and thee in Kadeshbarnea. And now, behold, the LORD hath kept me alive, as he said, these forty and five years, even since the LORD spake this word unto Moses, while the children of Israel wandered in the wilderness: and now, lo, I am this day fourscore and five years old. As yet I am as strong this day as I was in the day that Moses sent me: as my strength was then, even so is my strength now, for war, both to go out, and to come in. Now therefore give me this mountain, whereof the LORD spake in that day; for thou heardest in that day how the Anakims were there, and that the cities were great and fenced: if so be the LORD will be with me, then I shall be able to drive them out, as the LORD said.” (Joshua 14:6, 10-12). God kept Caleb alive because of the assignment He had given him. “Yet for love’s sake I rather beseech thee, being such an one as Paul the aged, and now also a prisoner of Jesus Christ.” (Philemon 1:9). Paul was old and aged, and he continued in the ministry. As believers, we don’t borrow our examples from the political or industrial world, but we take our example, pattern, and model from the scriptures. As they were getting old in the strength of the Lord, they were not getting weary or tired, or slowing down. “I have fought a good fight, I have finished my course, I have kept the faith: Henceforth there is laid up for me a crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous judge, shall give me at that day: and not to me only, but unto all them also that love his appearing.” (2 Timothy 4:7-8).
Commission for Occupied Ambassadors to Fulfil – Luke 19:10, 13; 2 Corinthians 5:18-20; 2 Timothy 4:5; Colossians 4:17.
“For the Son of man is come to seek and to save that which was lost. And he called his ten servants, and delivered them ten pounds, and said unto them, Occupy till I come.” (Luke 19:10, 13). Christ has given us an example to follow His steps and example as He came to seek and save the lost. We are to continue the work until He comes. “And say to Archippus, Take heed to the ministry which thou hast received in the Lord, that thou fulfil it.” (Colossians 4:17). What ministry have you received in the Lord? If we have received the ministry to preach, evangelise, edify the body of Christ, convert, and reconcile sinners unto the Lord, help the converts to follow the Lord until the end, and make the church strong, stable, and steadfast, we must fulfil it.
Completion by Omnipotent Almighty in Fulness – Joshua 21:43-45; 22:4; 23:1-4; 24:13, 21, 24, 31.
“And the LORD gave them rest round about, according to all that he sware unto their fathers: and there stood not a man of all their enemies before them; the LORD delivered all their enemies into their hand. There failed not ought of any good thing which the LORD had spoken unto the house of Israel; all came to pass.” (Joshua 21:44-45). Because they all pursued and continued, the Lord gave them victory, and no one could stand before them. “And now the LORD your God hath given rest unto your brethren, as he promised them: therefore now return ye, and get you unto your tents, and unto the land of your possession, which Moses the servant of the LORD gave you on the other side Jordan.” (Joshua 22:4). They pursued everything and they possessed everything. “And it came to pass a long time after that the LORD had given rest unto Israel from all their enemies round about, that Joshua waxed old and stricken in age.” (Joshua 23:1). Despite Joshua’s advancement in age, he continued with the armies of Israel until the Lord gave them everything that He had promised to give them. “And the people said unto Joshua, The LORD our God will we serve, and his voice will we obey.” (Joshua 24:24). The people had served the Lord from the time Joshua began to lead them, and they still promised to do whatever needed to be done, to go wherever they needed to go and do whatever Joshua commanded them to do. “And Israel served the LORD all the days of Joshua, and all the days of the elders that overlived Joshua, and which had known all the works of the LORD, that he had done for Israel.” (Joshua 24:31). Israel served the Lord all the days of Joshua and the elders that outlived Joshua without slacking back, tiredness, weariness, disobedience, or rebellion. The Lord is calling us to have the same fresh, fervent, and faithful focus for the divine plan. As they fulfilled their commission in the time of Joshua, we also have our commission that the Lord has given us, we must dedicate and devote ourselves to everything the Lord has called us to do. We must pursue and renew our strength so that we will do everything that still needs to be done.
