The number of times that the Lord tells Joshua to be strong and of a good courage is worthy of note. After telling him that He will be with him even as He was with Moses, and that He will not fail him, the Lord says: "Be strong and of a good courage." (Joshua 1:6)
Then follows the assurance that he shall divide the land among the Israelites. In the next verse He says again: "Only be strong and very courageous." (Joshua 1:7)
Then follows an admonition to do according to all that was written in the law, and to meditate upon it day and night; and then exhortation is again given: "Have not I commanded you? Be strong and of a good courage; be not afraid, neither be dismayed." (Joshua 1:9)
The Lord does not desire that His people should give way to discouragement. The same exhortation that was addressed to those who were about to enter into the earthly Canaan, is applicable to the Israel of God, who are striving for an inheritance in the heavenly Canaan. "Be strong and of a good courage; be not afraid, neither be dismayed." (Joshua 1:9)
Why not to be discouraged? Are we not weak? and is not our enemy powerful? Would it not be presumptuous in us to feel strong and confident? Yes; it would if we depended only on our own strength; but fortunately we have also the same promise that was made to Joshua. It is this: "For the Lord your God is with you wherever you go." (Joshua 1:9)
And He has also said: "I will not fail you, nor forsake you." (Joshua 1:5)
The Christian should ever realize this glorious truth: "The eternal God is my refuge, and underneath are the everlasting arms." (Deuteronomy 33:27)
Knowing this, how can he be discouraged? The apostle's exhortation is: "Be strong in the Lord, and in the power of His might." (Ephesians 6:10)
Holy Things
It is sometimes claimed that there is no such thing as holy time; that is absurd to think that one day is really any better than another; that man can make any day a holy Sabbath by resting upon it. It would be interesting to hear such ones explain Joshua 5:15. The case is similar to that of Moses at the burning bush. Joshua had seen the man standing by Jericho, and had learned that he was the "captain of the host of the Lord. And the captain of the Lord's host said unto Joshua: Loose your shoe from off your foot; for the place whereon you stand is holy. And Joshua did so." (Joshua 5:14-15)
Now did the ground become holy because Joshua took off his shoes, or was it holy before? The answer is, It was holy before, for the Lord said so. Then it seems that there may be a difference between things of the same kind. There was no outward difference between the ground on which Joshua was standing and the ground in other places, yet there was a difference. One was holy, on account of the presence of the Lord, the other was not. The ground on which Joshua stood would have remained holy even if he had not removed his shoes.
So it is with the Sabbath. The Lord has made it holy, and it will remain holy whether man regards it or not. The failure to discriminate between the holy and the profane is that which brings the judgments of God upon mankind.
The Defeat at Ai
In this case it was well shown how dependent the people were on God. When they trusted in themselves they failed. And what was the reason that God was not among them? Because there was sin among them.
And by this we can learn the necessity of the church being pure as a whole. There was only one man in the camp of Israel that had transgressed, yet God withheld His presence from them. So a single individual in the church may, by his wrong course, defeat all the labors of those who would make advance moves.
This also shows the necessity of maintaining strict church discipline. The sin of Achan was imputed to the entire camp, until the offender was searched out and punished. The record says: "But the children of Israel committed a trespass in the accursed thing: for Achan ... took of the accursed thing." (Joshua 7:1)
Yet there is no evidence that anybody besides Achan was concerned in the theft, or knew of it. The Lord showed by this that he would have his people have a care for one another. We are each our brother's keeper. The Lord has said: "You shall not hate your brother in your heart; you shall in any wise rebuke your neighbor, and shall not suffer sin upon him." (Leviticus 19:17)
When the church, then, searches out the erring one, and rebukes him, it is doing that which is absolutely necessary to its own existence. Just as a man cannot be said to be sound if one of his limbs is diseased, so the church is not pure unless each individual member is walking orderly. And each person should also consider how much responsibility attaches to his course. By a wrong course he may involve many others in his own ruin; so true it is that "None of us lives to himself." (Romans 14:7)
The Miracle at Gibeon
"Then spoke 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 still upon Gibeon; and you, Moon, in the valley of Ajalon. And the sun stood still, and the moon stayed, until the people had avenged themselves upon their enemies. ... So the sun stood still in the midst of the heaven, and hasted not to go down about a whole day." (Joshua 10:12,13)
Some, in their eagerness to overthrow the Sabbath of the Lord, have found in this occurrence a loss of time. But there was no time lost. It was simply a lengthening of the day. If such a miracle should occur on the Sabbath, it would simply lengthen the Sabbath. Two days were not combined in one, but it was one long day. "And there was no day like that before it or after it." (Joshua 10:14)
Skeptics find an abundance of food for caviling in this miracle, as, indeed, they may in any. But the Bible student need not be troubled about it. To say that it could not occur, is in reality to deny that God is the creator of the heavens and the earth; for if God made the planets it is certain that he can control them.
It is said that God instituted fixed laws by which they should be governed. Very true; but did He put those laws out of His own power? The maker of a threshing machine designs that it shall work according to a certain plan; yet he can stop the machine without altering the plan.
One thing is certain: the universe did not create itself. Although the mind of man cannot conceive of its extent, nor fathom the laws by which it is governed, there must be a creator who is infinitely greater than the universe. "He takes up the isles as a very little thing." (Isaiah 40:15)
It is evident that the Creator can do as He pleases with what He has created. If it is asked how it is possible that such a miracle could be performed without disarranging the whole planetary system, I would reply: "I do not know; I cannot imagine; If I could, it would cease to be a miracle."
The disbelief in miracles arises from the fact that men are too proud to acknowledge that there is anything which they cannot understand. He who believes only what he can comprehend and explain, will have a very short creed. It is no shame for man to confess that he cannot by searching find out God. (Job 11:7 Can you by searching find out God? Can you find out the Almighty unto perfection?)--Signs of the Times, February 1, 1883--Notes on Lesson for February 10--Joshua 1 to 10
E.J. Waggoner