1. GOD’S PROMISE AND PRESENCE
Joshua 1:5-9 – “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. 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. Only be thou strong and very courageous, that thou mayest observe to do according to all the law, which Moses my servant commanded thee: turn not from it to the right hand or to the left, that thou mayest prosper whithersoever thou goest. 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. 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.”
In-Depth Explanation
God doesn’t call us and then leave us alone to figure things out. When Joshua stood at the edge of the Jordan River, looking at the impossible task ahead, God gave him something better than a battle plan—He gave him a promise. “I will be with thee.” That’s not just comfort food for the soul; that’s the foundation of everything. Moses was dead. The people were scared. The enemies were giants. But God said, “I’m still here.”
Notice God tells Joshua to be strong and courageous three times. Why? Because courage isn’t natural—it’s supernatural. It comes from knowing God is with you. And it’s tied directly to God’s Word. Strength doesn’t come from feeling brave; it comes from feeding on Scripture day and night. You can’t have courage without God’s promises, and you can’t claim God’s promises without knowing His Word.
Three Theological Comments
Comment 1: The continuity of God’s faithfulness transcends human leadership. What God began with Moses, He continues with Joshua. This reveals that God’s purposes don’t depend on any single person but on His unchanging character. Jesus Christ is the ultimate fulfillment of this principle—He is the same yesterday, today, and forever (Hebrews 13:8). Every promise God makes finds its “yes” and “amen” in Christ (2 Corinthians 1:20).
Comment 2: The repeated command to “be strong and courageous” reveals that spiritual warfare begins in the mind and heart. Fear is faith in the wrong thing. When God commands courage, He’s not being insensitive to our weakness—He’s pointing us to where real strength lives: in His presence. True courage is Christ-confidence, not self-confidence. We can face anything because He faced everything—including death itself.
Comment 3: The inseparable link between God’s Word and success shows us that biblical prosperity is obedience-based, not performance-based. God isn’t promising Joshua a easy life, but an effective life. When we meditate on Scripture and obey it, we align ourselves with the will of God, and that’s where true success is found. Christ Himself is the Living Word, and apart from Him we can do nothing (John 15:5).
Prayer
Father, we come to You just as Joshua came—facing impossible situations with inadequate resources. But we thank You that You never call us to something without promising to go with us. Forgive us for the times we’ve tried to manufacture courage in our own strength, for the times we’ve looked at our enemies instead of looking at You. Teach us that real courage isn’t the absence of fear but the presence of faith. Help us to know deep in our bones that You will never leave us nor forsake us.
Lord Jesus, You are our Joshua, our commander, our pioneer. Where we are weak, You are strong. Where we are fearful, You are faithful. Fill us with Your Spirit that we might face this day, this week, this battle with the kind of courage that only comes from knowing You are with us. Let Your Word dwell in us richly, not just in our minds but in our hearts, transforming how we think, how we act, how we live. We don’t ask for easier circumstances; we ask for a deeper confidence in You. In Jesus’ name, Amen.
2. RAHAB’S FAITH AND REDEMPTION
Joshua 2:8-13 – “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. And as soon as we had heard these things, our hearts did melt, neither did there remain any more courage in any man, because of you: for the Lord your God, he is God in heaven above, and in earth beneath. Now therefore, I pray you, swear unto me by the Lord, since I have shewed you kindness, that ye will also shew kindness unto my father’s house, and give me a true token: And that ye will save alive my father, and my mother, and my brethren, and my sisters, and all that they have, and deliver our lives from death.”
In-Depth Explanation
Here’s a prostitute in a pagan city who has more faith than most church members today. Rahab heard the same reports everyone else heard about what God did at the Red Sea, but she responded differently. Everyone else trembled in fear; Rahab trembled in faith. She didn’t just believe God was powerful—she believed He was the God, the only God, in heaven above and earth beneath. That’s not intellectual assent; that’s saving faith.
Notice she asks for mercy for her whole family. Real faith isn’t selfish. When you truly encounter God, your first thought is, “What about my people?” Rahab’s faith put her in the genealogy of Jesus Christ (Matthew 1:5). A Gentile prostitute became a grandmother of the Messiah. That’s not just redemption; that’s resurrection. God takes the broken, the outcast, the sinful, and writes them into His story of salvation.
Three Theological Comments
Comment 1: Rahab demonstrates that saving faith responds to revelation. She heard the same testimony as everyone in Jericho, but she alone acted on it. This shows us that faith isn’t just mental agreement with facts—it’s trusting commitment based on truth. James 2:25 calls Rahab righteous because of her works, showing that genuine faith always produces obedience. She believed, and therefore she acted. This is the faith that saves—the kind that risks everything on the truth of who God is.
Comment 2: The scarlet cord Rahab hung in her window (Joshua 2:21) is one of the most powerful pictures of Christ’s blood in the Old Testament. Just as the scarlet cord identified her house for salvation, the blood of Jesus marks us as God’s own. On judgment day, God looks for the blood. Not our goodness, not our works, not our religious pedigree—just the blood of Jesus. Rahab and her family were saved not because they deserved it but because they were covered.
Comment 3: Rahab’s inclusion in Christ’s genealogy reveals the radical inclusiveness of the gospel. God doesn’t just save despite our past; He redeems our past and uses it for His glory. Every person reading this, no matter what you’ve done, no matter where you’ve been, no matter how far you’ve fallen—Christ can save you, cleanse you, and use you. If God can put a Canaanite prostitute in the family tree of Jesus, He can certainly save you.
Prayer
Lord, we thank You for Rahab’s story because it’s our story too. We were all outsiders, all enemies of God, all living in a city marked for destruction. But You had mercy on us. Just as Rahab heard about Your mighty works and believed, we have heard the gospel and by Your grace we have believed. Thank You that salvation isn’t limited to the “good people” or the “religious people” but is offered to anyone who will trust in You.
Jesus, You are our scarlet cord. Your blood shed on Calvary is what saves us from the wrath to come. We don’t hang our hope on our own righteousness—we have none. We hang our hope on Your finished work, Your perfect sacrifice, Your precious blood. And Lord, give us Rahab’s heart for our families. Burden us for those we love who are still in Jericho, still facing judgment, still without hope. Use us to point them to the only One who can save. In Your saving name we pray, Amen.
3. CROSSING THE JORDAN
Joshua 3:14-17 – “And it came to pass, when the people removed from their tents, to pass over Jordan, and the priests bearing the ark of the covenant before the people; And as they that bare the ark were come unto Jordan, and the feet of the priests that bare the ark were dipped in the brim of the water, (for Jordan overfloweth all his banks all the time of harvest,) That the waters which came down from above stood and rose up upon an heap very far from the city Adam, that is beside Zaretan: and those that came down toward the sea of the plain, even the salt sea, failed, and were cut off: and the people passed over right against Jericho. And the priests that bare the ark of the covenant of the Lord stood firm on dry ground in the midst of Jordan, and all the Israelites passed over on dry ground, until all the people were passed clean over Jordan.”
In-Depth Explanation
God’s timing is usually inconvenient. The Jordan was at flood stage—the worst possible time to cross. But that’s exactly when God said, “Go.” Why? Because God doesn’t work around our obstacles; He works through them to display His glory. If the Jordan had been a trickle, anyone could cross it. But at flood stage, there’s only one explanation for what happened—God did it.
Notice the priests had to step into the water first, before it parted. That’s faith. They couldn’t see the miracle before they obeyed. They had to get their feet wet. And as long as they stood in the middle holding the ark—representing God’s presence—the waters stayed back. The moment God’s presence was in the middle of the impossible situation, everything changed. That’s not just a history lesson; that’s a principle for living.
Three Theological Comments
Comment 1: The ark of the covenant going before the people represents Christ our forerunner. Jesus goes before us into every trial, every test, every impossible situation. Hebrews 6:19-20 tells us Jesus has gone before us as our forerunner, entering the very presence of God on our behalf. We never face anything Jesus hasn’t already conquered. The ark stopped in the middle of Jordan; Christ stopped death in the middle of the grave. And because He stands firm, we can pass through.
Comment 2: The requirement to step into the water before seeing the miracle teaches us that obedience precedes understanding. God rarely shows us the full picture before He asks us to trust Him. Abraham didn’t know where he was going when he left Ur. Moses didn’t know how God would deliver Israel when he returned to Egypt. Mary didn’t understand how she could bear the Messiah, but she said, “Be it unto me according to thy word.” Faith acts on God’s Word even when circumstances scream the opposite.
Comment 3: The twelve stones taken from the Jordan and set up as a memorial (Joshua 4:1-9) remind us that we are to remember God’s faithfulness. We’re a forgetful people, quick to panic when new challenges arise. But every trial we’ve faced where God brought us through should be a stone of remembrance. He who brought you through the last Jordan will bring you through the next one. Past faithfulness is the foundation for present faith.
Prayer
Father, how many times have we stood at the edge of flooding rivers, looking at impossible situations and wondering where You were? Forgive us for wanting easy crossings, for wishing You would drain the river before we have to step in. Teach us that the flood stage is exactly where You show up in power. Help us to trust You enough to get our feet wet, to obey before we see, to move forward when everything in us wants to stay put.
Lord Jesus, You are our ark, the very presence of God in the middle of our impossibilities. When the waters of judgment should have swept us away, You stood firm and took the full force of God’s wrath. Thank You for being our substitute, our shield, our shelter. Now help us to follow You through whatever Jordan we’re facing today. We know that if You’re in the middle of it, we can make it through. Give us faith to take the next step, even when we can’t see the bottom. In Your faithful name, Amen.
4. THE FALL OF JERICHO
Joshua 6:2-5, 20 – “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… 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.”
In-Depth Explanation
If you had asked a military strategist how to take Jericho, he would have given you siege warfare tactics, battering rams, scaling ladders. God’s plan? Walk around it and blow some trumpets. It sounds foolish, doesn’t it? That’s the point. God’s methods often look ridiculous to human wisdom because He wants to make sure He gets the glory, not us. If Israel had conquered Jericho through conventional warfare, they could have bragged about their military prowess. But marching and shouting? That’s all God.
Notice God told Joshua, “I have given into thine hand Jericho”—past tense. The victory was already won before the first march. Faith is acting like God has already done what He said He would do. For six days they marched in silence, probably listening to the jeers from the walls. But on the seventh day, they shouted—not to make the walls fall, but because the walls were already defeated in God’s plan. Faith shouts before the walls come down.
Three Theological Comments
Comment 1: Jericho represents the strongholds in our lives that can only fall by God’s power. We all have our Jerichos—habits, fears, sins, circumstances that seem impregnable. We’ve tried to knock them down in our own strength and failed. The lesson? Stop fighting in the flesh and start walking in faith. Second Corinthians 10:4 says the weapons of our warfare are not carnal but mighty through God to the pulling down of strongholds. Prayer, obedience, and faith in God’s Word—these are the weapons that bring walls down.
Comment 2: The seven-day march around Jericho prefigures the completeness and perfection of God’s timing. Seven is the number of completion in Scripture. God could have dropped those walls on day one, but He wanted to test Israel’s faith and obedience. Sometimes God makes us wait not because He’s slow but because He’s thorough. He’s working on us while He’s working on the problem. Jesus is our Sabbath rest (Hebrews 4:9-10)—in Him, the warfare is finished and the victory is won.
Comment 3: The shout of faith before the walls fell demonstrates the power of confident expectation. Israel didn’t shout to try to make something happen; they shouted because they believed it was already happening. Romans 4:17 says God calls those things that are not as though they were. Abraham believed God and it was counted to him as righteousness. We shout the promises of God not to manipulate Him but to agree with Him, to align our faith with His Word. When we stand on Christ, we stand on victory already accomplished at Calvary.
Prayer
Lord God, we confess that we’ve tried to knock down our own walls. We’ve used human strategies, carnal weapons, worldly wisdom, and all we’ve done is bloody our fists against stone. Forgive us for trusting in our own strength instead of Yours. Teach us that some battles are won not by fighting but by faithful obedience, not by striving but by trusting. Help us to hear Your battle plan even when it makes no sense to us.
Jesus, You faced the greatest Jericho of all—death itself—and You brought down those walls by Your resurrection power. Every enemy we face, You’ve already defeated. Every stronghold in our life, You have authority to demolish. We ask You now by the power of Your Spirit to bring down the walls that have held us captive for too long. We march around them in faith. We shout the victory that is already ours in You. Let the walls fall, Lord, not by our might, not by our power, but by Your Spirit. In Your victorious name, Amen.
5. ACHAN’S SIN AND CORPORATE CONSEQUENCES
Joshua 7:1, 10-12 – “But the children of Israel committed a trespass in the accursed thing: for Achan, the son of Carmi, the son of Zabdi, the son of Zerah, of the tribe of Judah, took of the accursed thing: and the anger of the Lord was kindled against the children of Israel… And the Lord said unto Joshua, Get thee up; wherefore liest thou thus upon thy face? Israel hath sinned, and they have also transgressed my covenant which I commanded them: for they have even taken of the accursed thing, and have also stolen, and dissembled also, and they have put it even among their own stuff. Therefore the children of Israel could not stand before their enemies, but turned their backs before their enemies, because they were accursed: neither will I be with you any more, except ye destroy the accursed from among you.”
In-Depth Explanation
One man sinned, but the whole nation suffered. That seems unfair until you understand that God sees us not just as individuals but as a body. What affects one member affects all. Achan thought he could hide his sin—a Babylonian garment and some silver wedged under his tent. But sin is never just personal; it’s always communal. His private disobedience led to public defeat. Thirty-six men died at Ai because one man coveted what God had forbidden.
The question God asked Joshua is the question He asks us: “Why are you lying on your face praying when there’s sin in the camp?” Prayer is not a substitute for obedience. We can’t expect God’s blessing when we’re harboring God’s enemy. Before Israel could move forward, they had to deal with sin. It’s not enough to feel bad about defeat; we have to find out why we’re defeated and deal with it radically. Hidden sin will always produce visible consequences.
Three Theological Comments
Comment 1: Achan’s sin reveals the deceitfulness of sin and its progressive nature. First he saw, then he coveted, then he took, then he hid. That’s exactly how sin works—it never stops at looking. James 1:14-15 describes this progression: “Every man is tempted, when he is drawn away of his own lust, and enticed. Then when lust hath conceived, it bringeth forth sin: and sin, when it is finished, bringeth forth death.” What starts as a glance ends in death. This is why Jesus calls us to radical amputation of sin (Matthew 5:29-30). Better to lose a hand than lose your soul.
Comment 2: The corporate nature of Achan’s sin points to the biblical reality that we are interconnected in ways we don’t often recognize. First Corinthians 12:26 says when one member suffers, all suffer. This is especially true in the church. We are not isolated Christians living isolated lives; we are members of one body, and our sin affects our brothers and sisters. This should make us take sin more seriously, not just for our own sake but for the sake of the whole body of Christ.
Comment 3: The severity of God’s judgment against Achan reminds us that God is holy and sin is serious. We live in a therapeutic age that wants to excuse sin, minimize it, reframe it. But God hasn’t changed His mind about sin. The good news is that Jesus bore the judgment we deserved. He was stoned by the stones of God’s wrath, buried under the avalanche of our sin. Because He bore our judgment, we can be forgiven. But forgiveness doesn’t mean we treat sin lightly—it means we take it seriously enough to repent and turn from it.
Prayer
Heavenly Father, we come before You knowing that nothing is hidden from Your sight. You see not just our actions but our motives. You see not just what we do in public but what we hide in private. Lord, search us and know our hearts. Try us and know our thoughts. See if there be any wicked way in us and lead us in the way everlasting. We confess that we’ve minimized sin, excused it, blamed others for it, everything except deal with it.
Lord Jesus, thank You that though our sin is serious, Your grace is greater. You took the judgment that Achan deserved, that we all deserve. You were cursed so we could be blessed. You were buried so we could rise. Now by Your Spirit, give us the courage to bring our hidden sins into the light, to confess them, to forsake them. We don’t want secret sins sabotaging our lives and hurting others. Make us clean, Lord. Make us pure. Not because we can purify ourselves, but because You have already made purification for sins. We rest in Your finished work. In Your holy name, Amen.
6. COVENANT RENEWAL AT MOUNT EBAL
Joshua 8:30-35 – “Then Joshua built an altar unto the Lord God of Israel in mount Ebal, As Moses the servant of the Lord commanded the children of Israel, as it is written in the book of the law of Moses, an altar of whole stones, over which no man hath lift up any iron: and they offered thereon burnt offerings unto the Lord, and sacrificed peace offerings. And he wrote there upon the stones a copy of the law of Moses, which he wrote in the presence of the children of Israel. And all Israel, and their elders, and officers, and their judges, stood on this side the ark and on that side before the priests the Levites, which bare the ark of the covenant of the Lord, as well the stranger, as he that was born among them; half of them over against mount Gerizim, and half of them over against mount Ebal; as Moses the servant of the Lord had commanded before, that they should bless the people of Israel. And afterward he read all the words of the law, the blessings and cursings, according to all that is written in the book of the law. There was not a word of all that Moses commanded, which Joshua read not before all the congregation of Israel, with the women, and the little ones, and the strangers that were conversant among them.”
In-Depth Explanation
Right in the middle of conquest, Joshua stops for worship. That’s significant. Victory hadn’t made Israel forget who gave them the victory. They built an altar, offered sacrifices, and read the entire law—blessings and curses. This wasn’t just a ceremony; it was a reminder. “Remember, Israel, it’s not your power that wins battles. It’s your covenant with God.”
Notice they read all the words—not just the blessings, but the curses too. We like the “God will bless you” parts of Scripture, but we skip over the “if you disobey, you’ll suffer” parts. But both are true, and both are loving. God tells us the consequences of disobedience not to scare us but to save us. And the altar with whole stones—uncut by human tools—reminds us that we can’t improve on what God has established. We come to Him on His terms, not ours.
Three Theological Comments
Comment 1: The altar of whole stones represents Christ and His perfect, complete sacrifice. Exodus 20:25 commanded that altars be made of uncut stones because using tools would defile them. Why? Because human effort can only corrupt worship. We cannot contribute to our salvation; we can only receive it. Jesus Christ is the stone the builders rejected who became the chief cornerstone (1 Peter 2:7). His sacrifice needs no improvement, no addition, no human enhancement. It is finished.
Comment 2: The public reading of both blessings and curses emphasizes the covenant faithfulness God expects. Deuteronomy 28 lays out the terms clearly—obedience leads to blessing, disobedience leads to cursing. But here’s the amazing truth: Jesus became a curse for us (Galatians 3:13) so that we might receive the blessing. He absorbed the curses we deserved so we could inherit the promises we don’t deserve. Every curse that should fall on us fell on Him at Calvary.
Comment 3: The inclusion of women, children, and strangers in this covenant ceremony reveals that God’s covenant is not limited by gender, age, or ethnicity. Joel 2:28-29 prophesied that God would pour out His Spirit on all flesh—sons and daughters, old and young, servants and free. This is fulfilled in the new covenant through Christ. In Him there is neither Jew nor Greek, slave nor free, male nor female (Galatians 3:28). All who believe are Abraham’s seed and heirs according to the promise.
Prayer
Father, we thank You that You are a covenant-keeping God. From Genesis to Revelation, You have never broken a single promise. You have remained faithful even when we have been faithless. Forgive us for treating Your Word casually, for picking and choosing which parts we like and ignoring the parts that convict us. Give us ears to hear all Your Word—the comforting and the confronting, the promises and the warnings.
Lord Jesus, You are the altar and the sacrifice, the priest and the offering. You are the fulfillment of every type and shadow in the Old Testament. Thank You for becoming the curse so we could receive the blessing. Thank You for living the obedience we couldn’t live and dying the death we should have died. We bring nothing to this altar except our sin, and You exchange it for Your righteousness. That’s grace. That’s the gospel. Renew our covenant with You today. May we not just remember Your Word but live it, not just hear it but obey it. In Your covenant-keeping name, Amen.
7. THE DECEPTION OF THE GIBEONITES
Joshua 9:14-16, 18-19 – “And the men took of their victuals, and asked not counsel at the mouth of the Lord. And Joshua made peace with them, and made a league with them, to let them live: and the princes of the congregation sware unto them. And it came to pass at the end of three days after they had made a league with them, that they heard that they were their neighbours, and that they dwelt among them… And the children of Israel smote them not, because the princes of the congregation had sworn unto them by the Lord God of Israel. And all the congregation murmured against the princes. But all the princes said unto all the congregation, We have sworn unto them by the Lord God of Israel: now therefore we may not touch them.”
In-Depth Explanation
Israel made a huge mistake, and it started with five words: “asked not counsel at the mouth of the Lord.” The Gibeonites came dressed in rags, carrying moldy bread, wearing worn-out shoes, claiming to be from a distant country. It looked convincing. It sounded reasonable. But they never asked God. They relied on what they could see, what made sense to them, and they were deceived.
Here’s the lesson: appearances lie. What looks good isn’t always God. What sounds spiritual might be satanic. We cannot trust our own judgment, our own wisdom, our own discernment apart from seeking God. Israel’s failure to pray before they made a covenant with the Gibeonites resulted in a permanent compromise. They couldn’t break their oath, even though it was made in ignorance. Prayerlessness is costly.
Three Theological Comments
Comment 1: The Gibeonite deception illustrates Satan’s primary tactic—he comes as an angel of light (2 Corinthians 11:14). He doesn’t announce himself with a pitchfork and horns. He looks reasonable, sounds spiritual, and appeals to our logic. This is why we need the discernment that only comes through prayer and Scripture. First John 4:1 commands us to test the spirits because many false prophets have gone out into the world. We test everything by the Word of God and through prayer.
Comment 2: Joshua’s commitment to keep the oath, even though it was made through deception, shows the importance of integrity and the seriousness of vows made in God’s name. God’s people must keep their word even when it costs them (Psalm 15:4). But this also points to the greater truth that God keeps His promises even when we don’t deserve it. His covenant faithfulness is not based on our worthiness but on His character. Jesus is the guarantor of a better covenant (Hebrews 7:22), secured by His blood, not by our performance.
Comment 3: The story warns us about the danger of spiritual presumption. Israel had just experienced incredible victories at Jericho and Ai. Success can breed spiritual laziness. When things are going well, we’re tempted to think we don’t need to pray as much, seek God as desperately, or check His will as carefully. But it’s precisely in times of success that we’re most vulnerable to deception. We must remain dependent on God in victory as much as in defeat.
Prayer
Lord, forgive us for the times we’ve made decisions without asking You first. Forgive us for trusting our eyes instead of seeking Your face, for relying on our wisdom instead of Your Word. How many mistakes could we have avoided if we had just stopped and prayed? How many wrong relationships, wrong jobs, wrong choices could have been prevented if we had sought Your counsel? We confess our prayerlessness and our presumption.
Father, we thank You that even when we make mistakes, You are still sovereign. You can work even our errors into Your plan. You don’t waste anything—not even our failures. But Lord, we don’t want to keep making the same mistakes. Give us a heart that seeks You first, that prays before deciding, that waits for Your wisdom instead of rushing ahead in our own understanding. Make us people who walk by faith, not by sight. And Jesus, thank You for being the wisdom of God for us. In You are hidden all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge. We lean on You. In Your wise name, Amen.
8. THE SUN STANDS STILL
Joshua 10:12-14 – “Then spake Joshua to the Lord in the day when the Lord delivered up the Amorites before the children of Israel, and he said in the sight of Israel, Sun, stand thou still upon Gibeon; and thou, Moon, in the valley of Ajalon. And the sun stood still, and the moon stayed, until the people had avenged themselves upon their enemies. Is not this written in the book of Jasher? So the sun stood still in the midst of heaven, and hasted not to go down about a whole day. And there was no day like that before it or after it, that the Lord hearkened unto the voice of a man: for the Lord fought for Israel.”
In-Depth Explanation
Joshua prayed an audacious prayer. He asked God to stop the sun. Not speed up time, not give them extra strength—stop the sun. And God did it. Why? Because God honors bold faith. Joshua wasn’t being presumptuous; he was being obedient. God had promised to deliver Israel’s enemies, and Joshua simply asked God to give them enough time to complete the victory. It wasn’t about Joshua’s faith being strong enough to manipulate nature; it was about God’s promises being trustworthy enough to pray with confidence.
Notice the last verse: “the Lord fought for Israel.” That’s the key. This miracle wasn’t to showcase Joshua’s power but God’s. When God is fighting for you, impossibilities become realities. The sun obeys God. The moon obeys God. And they will obey Him on your behalf when you’re in the center of His will doing His work. The question isn’t whether God can do the impossible—of course He can. The question is, are we bold enough to ask?
Three Theological Comments
Comment 1: This miracle demonstrates that the God of Scripture is the God of nature. He is not bound by natural laws because He established them. The same God who spoke the universe into existence can speak to the sun and tell it to stand still. This refutes any theology that limits God to working only within natural processes. Our God is supernatural. Jesus walked on water, calmed storms, multiplied bread, and rose from the dead. Nothing is too hard for the Lord (Jeremiah 32:27).
Comment 2: Joshua’s prayer reveals the power of praying according to God’s will. First John 5:14-15 promises that if we ask anything according to His will, He hears us, and if He hears us, we have what we ask. Joshua wasn’t guessing about God’s will; he knew God had promised victory. So he prayed with boldness, expecting God to do whatever was necessary to fulfill His promise. When we pray God’s promises back to Him, we’re praying with authority and faith, and God honors that.
Comment 3: The statement that “the Lord hearkened unto the voice of a man” shows us the incredible partnership between divine sovereignty and human prayer. God could have given Israel victory without Joshua’s prayer, but He chose to work through prayer. This doesn’t make God dependent on us, but it does make us participants in His work. Prayer isn’t twisting God’s arm; it’s aligning our will with His. And when we pray in faith, God moves heaven and earth—literally—to accomplish His purposes.
Prayer
Lord God, we marvel at what happened that day when the sun stood still. But even more, we marvel that You would listen to a man’s prayer and respond with such power. Forgive us for our small prayers, our safe prayers, our prayers that never risk believing You for anything beyond what we can accomplish ourselves. Increase our faith.
Teach us to pray bold prayers that match Your big promises. We’re not asking You to do our will; we’re asking You to do Yours. But Lord, we confess we often pray with more doubt than faith, more hesitation than confidence. Help us to know Your Word so well that we can pray Your promises back to You with certainty.
Jesus, You are the One who calmed the storm with a word, who raised the dead with a command, who conquered sin and death and hell. You are the same yesterday, today, and forever. What You did then, You can do now. We don’t need You to stop the sun, but we do need You to move in our lives with power. Fight for us, Lord. Do what only You can do. And give us the faith to ask for it, the courage to expect it, and the humility to give You all the glory when You do it. In Your mighty name, Amen.
9. DIVIDING THE INHERITANCE
Joshua 14:6-9, 12 – “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. Forty years old was I when Moses the servant of the Lord sent me from Kadeshbarnea to espy out the land; and I brought him word again as it was in mine heart. Nevertheless my brethren that went up with me made the heart of the people melt: but I wholly followed the Lord my God. And Moses sware on that day, saying, Surely the land whereon thy feet have trodden shall be thine inheritance, and thy children’s for ever, because thou hast wholly followed the Lord my God… 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.”
In-Depth Explanation
Caleb was eighty-five years old when he said, “Give me this mountain.” Most people his age would be looking for a rocking chair and a retirement village. Caleb wanted the hardest territory—the mountain where the giants lived. Why? Because forty-five years earlier, God had promised it to him, and Caleb never forgot. He “wholly followed the Lord.” Not partially. Not occasionally. Not when it was convenient. Wholly.
The phrase “wholly followed” appears four times in this passage. That’s Caleb’s epitaph. He didn’t follow God just when everyone else did. When the other ten spies came back from Canaan saying, “We can’t do it,” Caleb said, “We’re well able.” When the nation wanted to stone him for his faith, he didn’t back down. And now, forty-five years later, he’s still following wholly. Age hadn’t diminished his faith; it had deepened it. He wanted his mountain not because he was arrogant but because he knew God keeps His promises.
Three Theological Comments
Comment 1: Caleb’s wholehearted devotion to God stands in stark contrast to the half-hearted commitment of his generation. Jesus said in Revelation 3:15-16, “I know thy works, that thou art neither cold nor hot: I would thou wert cold or hot. So then because thou art lukewarm, and neither cold nor hot, I will spue thee out of my mouth.” God doesn’t want part of us; He wants all of us. Wholehearted following isn’t perfection—Caleb wasn’t sinless. It’s direction. It’s a heart that consistently chooses God over self, faith over fear, obedience over comfort.
Comment 2: Caleb’s request for “this mountain” teaches us that God’s promises often come with challenges attached. The Anakims were the descendants of the giants that terrified the ten spies forty-five years earlier. But what others saw as obstacles, Caleb saw as opportunities. Faith doesn’t avoid hard places; it runs toward them because that’s where we see God work. Jesus promised His disciples not an easy life but an abundant life (John 10:10)—abundant in meaning, purpose, and the presence of God, even in the midst of trials.
Comment 3: The fact that God remembered His promise to Caleb for forty-five years demonstrates that God never forgets what He has said. Numbers 23:19 declares, “God is not a man, that he should lie; neither the son of man, that he should repent: hath he said, and shall he not do it? or hath he spoken, and shall he not make it good?” Every promise God has made in His Word is still good. If He promised it, He will perform it. Our job is to keep believing even when decades pass between the promise and the performance.
Prayer
Father, we want to be like Caleb—men and women who wholly follow You. Forgive us for our divided hearts, for the way we try to serve You and the world at the same time. Forgive us for following You only when it’s easy, only when others are watching, only when it doesn’t cost us anything. We want to follow You in the wilderness as faithfully as we follow You in the Promised Land, in defeat as wholeheartedly as in victory.
Lord, some of us have been waiting for Your promises to be fulfilled for a long time. We’re tempted to give up, to think maybe we heard You wrong, to settle for less than what You said. But Caleb waited forty-five years, and You came through. Help us to keep believing, keep trusting, keep following. And Jesus, when we face our giants, remind us that You have already defeated every enemy. Greater is He that is in us than he that is in the world. Give us mountain-moving faith. Give us giant-killing courage. Give us Caleb’s heart. In Your faithful name, Amen.
10. JOSHUA’S FINAL CHARGE
Joshua 24:14-15, 24 – “Now therefore fear the Lord, and serve him in sincerity and in truth: and put away the gods which your fathers served on the other side of the flood, and in Egypt; and serve ye the Lord. And if it seem evil unto you to serve the Lord, choose you this day whom ye will serve; whether the gods which your fathers served that were on the other side of the flood, or the gods of the Amorites, in whose land ye dwell: but as for me and my house, we will serve the Lord… And the people said unto Joshua, The Lord our God will we serve, and his voice will we obey.”
In-Depth Explanation
Joshua’s last act wasn’t to celebrate his victories or build a monument to himself. It was to call the nation to a decision. “Choose this day whom you will serve.” Not tomorrow, not someday, not when it’s more convenient—today. And he didn’t just challenge them; he testified. “As for me and my house, we will serve the Lord.” Leadership isn’t telling people what to do while you do something else. It’s going first, setting the example, living what you preach.
Notice Joshua didn’t say, “As for me, I will serve the Lord, and I hope my house follows.” He said, “Me and my house.” That’s spiritual leadership in the home. Joshua took responsibility for the spiritual direction of his family. He wasn’t dictatorial; he was decisive. He wasn’t controlling; he was courageous. Every husband, every father, every mother should be able to say, “As for me and my house, we will serve the Lord.” Not perfectly, but purposefully. Not because we’re better than others, but because we’ve chosen whom we’ll follow.
Three Theological Comments
Comment 1: The call to “choose this day” emphasizes the urgency and personal nature of faith. Salvation is not inherited, not automatic, not assumed. Every generation must choose for themselves. Every person must decide. Deuteronomy 30:19 says, “I call heaven and earth to record this day against you, that I have set before you life and death, blessing and cursing: therefore choose life, that both thou and thy seed may live.” The choice is clear, but it must be made. Jesus said in Matthew 12:30, “He that is not with me is against me.” Neutrality is not an option.
Comment 2: Joshua’s declaration “as for me and my house” establishes the principle of spiritual leadership in the home. Ephesians 6:4 commands fathers to bring up their children “in the nurture and admonition of the Lord.” First Timothy 3:4-5 requires that church leaders manage their own households well. This doesn’t mean we can save our families—only Christ can do that. But it does mean we’re responsible to lead them toward Christ, to create a home where God is honored, where His Word is taught, where prayer is practiced, where the gospel is lived out in real time.
Comment 3: The contrast between the gods of the past and the Lord reveals that every person worships something. The question isn’t whether you’ll worship, but what you’ll worship. Jesus said where your treasure is, there your heart will be (Matthew 6:21). We serve what we value. For Israel, it was the choice between the living God and dead idols. For us, it might be money, comfort, success, pleasure, or popularity. But only One deserves our complete devotion—the Lord Jesus Christ, who gave Himself for us.
Prayer
Lord, we stand at the same crossroads where Israel stood. Every day we face the choice: will we serve You or will we serve the gods of this world? Forgive us for the times we’ve tried to serve both, for the way we’ve compartmentalized our lives—giving You Sunday but serving ourselves the rest of the week. We want to serve You in sincerity and truth, not in pretense and performance.
Father, we think of our homes, our families, and we make Joshua’s declaration our own: “As for me and my house, we will serve the Lord.” Not because we’re perfect families, but because we’ve chosen to follow a perfect Savior. Help us to lead our children not just by our words but by our lives. Let them see in us a genuine love for You, a real faith that works in everyday life, a commitment that doesn’t waver when things get hard.
And Jesus, You are the ultimate Joshua, the true Leader who brings Your people into rest. You didn’t just challenge us to choose; You chose to die for us. You didn’t just call us to follow; You went ahead of us, all the way to the cross and through the grave and out the other side. We choose You today. Not because we’re strong enough to keep ourselves saved, but because You’re strong enough to keep us. Hold us fast. Don’t let us go. And at the end of our lives, may it be said of us what was said of Joshua’s generation: “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.” Keep us faithful to the end. In Your saving name, Amen.
HOW THEN SHALL WE LIVE?
If the book of Joshua teaches us anything, it teaches us that the Christian life is not a vacation—it’s a war. It’s not a playground—it’s a battleground. God has given us promises, but those promises come with enemies. He’s given us an inheritance, but that inheritance must be possessed. It won’t fall into our laps. We have to fight for it in faith.
First, live in the presence of God. Joshua 1:9 says, “The Lord thy God is with thee whithersoever thou goest.” You’re never alone. You’re never on your own. Whether you’re facing your Jordan or fighting your Jericho, God is with you. That changes everything. Stop trying to fight battles in your own strength. Stop trying to figure everything out in your own wisdom. Acknowledge His presence. Seek His face. Walk with Him daily.
Second, live by the Word of God. Joshua meditated on God’s Word day and night. Not occasionally. Not when he felt like it. Day and night. If you want to live victoriously, you must live biblically. You can’t obey what you don’t know, and you can’t know what you don’t read. Open your Bible. Read it. Study it. Memorize it. Let it dwell in you richly. When temptation comes—and it will come—you’ll need a “thus saith the Lord” to stand on.
Third, live in obedience to God. Faith without works is dead. It’s not enough to know what God says; you have to do what God says. The walls of Jericho didn’t fall because Israel understood God’s plan—they fell because Israel obeyed God’s plan. Sometimes God’s instructions won’t make sense. Sometimes His timing will seem wrong. Sometimes His methods will look foolish. Obey anyway. God doesn’t explain Himself to us; He expects us to trust Him.
Fourth, live in purity before God. Achan’s story is a sobering reminder that hidden sin will destroy us. You can’t harbor secret disobedience and expect public victory. Confess your sin. Forsake your sin. Flee from sin. Don’t play with it, don’t excuse it, don’t minimize it. Jesus didn’t die on the cross to give us permission to sin; He died to give us power over sin. Walk in the light. Live transparently. Be honest with God, with yourself, and with at least one other believer who can hold you accountable.
Fifth, live with wholehearted devotion to God. Be like Caleb. Wholly follow the Lord. Not half-heartedly. Not when it’s easy. Not when others are watching. All the time. In every area of your life. With everything you have. Don’t give God your leftovers—give Him your best. Don’t give Him part of your week—give Him all your days. Don’t give Him some of your heart—give Him all of it. Jesus said the greatest commandment is to love the Lord your God with all your heart, soul, mind, and strength. Not some. All.
Finally, choose this day whom you will serve. Stop straddling the fence. Stop trying to have one foot in the kingdom and one foot in the world. Joshua said, “Choose.” Not next week. Not when you get your life together. Today. This moment. Whom will you serve? As for me and my house, we will serve the Lord. Make that your declaration. Make that your decision. Make that your life.
CONCLUSION
The book of Joshua is the story of God keeping His promises. He promised Abraham a land, and centuries later He delivered it. He promised Moses that Israel would enter Canaan, and they did. He promised Joshua victory, and the walls came down. God always keeps His Word. Always.
But more than that, Joshua is a picture of Jesus. The name “Joshua” and “Jesus” are the same name in Hebrew—Yeshua, which means “the Lord saves.” Joshua led Israel into the Promised Land; Jesus leads us into eternal rest. Joshua conquered Canaan’s enemies; Jesus conquered sin, death, and hell. Joshua gave Israel an inheritance; Jesus gives us an inheritance that can never perish, spoil, or fade.
The question is not whether God is faithful—He is. The question is whether we will trust Him. Will we cross our Jordans in faith? Will we march around our Jerichos in obedience? Will we wholly follow the Lord our God even when it costs us everything? Will we choose this day whom we will serve?
The Christian life is not easy. Jesus never promised it would be. But He did promise He would never leave us nor forsake us. He promised to be with us always, even to the end of the age. He promised that greater is He that is in us than he that is in the world. He promised that nothing can separate us from His love. He promised that He who began a good work in us will complete it. He promised that we are more than conquerors through Him who loved us.
So be strong and very courageous. Not because you’re strong, but because He is. Not because you’re courageous, but because He is with you. The same God who parted the Jordan, who brought down Jericho’s walls, who stopped the sun in the sky, who kept His promise to Caleb for forty-five years—that same God is your God. And He is able to do exceedingly abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to the power that works in us.
As for me and my house, we will serve the Lord. Not because we’re better than others. Not because we have it all figured out. But because we know who He is, and we know what He’s done, and we know we can trust Him. Come what may—giants or floods, battles or trials, questions or doubts—we will serve the Lord.
Will you join us? Choose this day whom you will serve. And may the God of Joshua be your God, the presence of Joshua be your companion, the victory of Joshua be your inheritance, and the faith of Joshua be your example, all the way home.
In Jesus’ name, Amen.
Joshua
God buries His workmen but continues His work. Moses dies but the promise marches forward. New leader, same Lord, unshaken covenant.
The Jordan swells at harvest time, impossible to cross. Priests step into flooding water before it parts. Obedience precedes the miracle every time.
A prostitute hangs scarlet cord from her window. Faith sees what unbelief cannot, saves her whole house. The outsider becomes grandmother to the King of Kings.
Marching looks foolish until the walls collapse. God’s battle plans mock human wisdom on purpose. Victory belongs to those who trust what they cannot see.
One man’s hidden sin kills thirty-six soldiers. Secret disobedience produces public defeat always. What we bury in our tents will bury us.
The sun stops moving because a man prayed boldly. Heaven obeys when earth aligns with divine purpose. God still fights for those who fight His battles.
At eighty-five years old, Caleb demands his mountain. Giants live there but so does the promise from forty years back. Wholehearted following never retires, never quits, never settles.
Israel stops mid-conquest to build an altar and read the law. Success makes us forget whose strength won the war. The Word keeps us grounded when victory makes us proud.
They asked not counsel of the Lord and signed a foolish treaty. Prayerlessness opens doors to deception wearing religious clothes. What looks right to human eyes often contradicts heaven’s plan.
Choose today whom you will serve, not tomorrow. Every person decides, every generation must answer for itself. As for me and my house, the choice is already made.
