Fit For Service (Part 1- Joshua)

We have just completed our study on the tactics of the enemy vs. the strategies of the believer. We will now begin a study on being fit for service. We will be looking at the lives of individuals in the Word to see what made them usable by God.  

Today we will look at Joshua. 

First, Joshua kept the Word of God before him through study and meditation. 

Joshua 1:8-9, Study this Book of Instruction continually. Meditate on it day and night so you will be sure to obey everything written in it. Only then will you prosper and succeed in all you do. This is my command—be strong and courageous! Do not be afraid or discouraged. For the Lord your God is with you wherever you go.” (NLT)  

In these verses we read God’s command to Joshua to study the Law and to meditate on it day and night.  

Proverbs 4:20-22, My child, pay attention to what I say. Listen carefully to my words.  Don’t lose sight of them. Let them penetrate deep into your heart, for they bring life to those who find them, and healing to their whole body. (NLT) 

We know that wisdom can only come from God. What is called wisdom by the world is called foolishness in the Word. In 1 Corinthians 1:27 Paul says, But God has selected [for His purpose] the foolish things of the world to shame the wise [revealing their ignorance], and God has selected [for His purpose] the weak things of the world to shame the things which are strong [revealing their frailty]. (AMP) All of man’s wisdom can never equal one crumb of the wisdom of God. We gain this wisdom through reading and meditating on the Word of God.  

Meditation is the practice of deep contemplation or reflection, and it is something that has been a part of the Christian tradition for centuries. When we meditate on God’s word, we are not simply reading it; we are allowing it to permeate every aspect of our being. We are dwelling on its meaning and significance, and we are allowing it to shape our thoughts, actions, and attitudes.i 

As we read in the quote above, we must read the Word, then meditate on it, allowing it to shape every area of our life. By meditating on the Word, Joshua grew in his understanding of God and learned to discern His voice from other voices. Remember, God will never speak something to us that is contrary to His written Word or His nature.  

Second, Joshua walked in total obedience.  

In Joshua chapter 1 we read that God commanded Joshua to take the people across the Jordan into the Promise Land. Joshua immediately sent two spies into the land and prepared the people to cross Jordan.  

In chapters 3-4 we see that Joshua obeyed to Lord’s instructions and the people passed through the Jordan River on dry ground. As per the Lord’s instructions, 12 men each took one stone out of the river, and they used them to build a memorial to the Lord as a reminder of what God had done for them.  

In chapter 5 God told Joshua to circumcise all the Israelite males who had been born in the wilderness as a sign of their covenant with God.  

In chapter 6 the angel of the Lord gave Joshua specific instructions on how to defeat Jericho (which made no sense to Joshua or anyone else), however, Joshua commanded the people to do exactly as they had been instructed.  

Continually, throughout his years as the leader of the Israelites, Joshua fully obeyed the Lord. In Joshua 11:15 we read an incredible testimony to the obedience of Joshua. “Just as the Lord had commanded Moses His servant, so Moses had commanded Joshua, and so Joshua did; he left nothing undone of all that the Lord had commanded Moses.” (AMP) 

I want us to take note of the phrase, “he left nothing undone of all that the Lord had commanded Moses.” God commanded Moses, who in turn commanded Joshua. Joshua was then totally obedient to do all that God had said. Joshua’s total obedience made him useful to God. God is looking for people who will hear and obey His leading in total submission.  

Thirdly, Joshua walked in faith not in fear. 

Numbers 14:6-9, Joshua the son of Nun and Caleb the son of Jephunneh, who were among those who had spied out the land, tore their clothes [as a sign of grief], and they spoke to all the congregation of the sons of Israel, saying, “The land through which we passed as spies is an exceedingly good land. If the Lord delights in us, then He will bring us into this land and give it to us, a land which flows with milk and honey. Only do not rebel against the Lord; and do not fear the people of the land, for they will be our prey. Their protection has been removed from them, and the Lord is with us. Do not fear them.” (AMP) 

Joshua was one of the 12 spies Moses sent to spy out the promised land. Of the 12, only Joshua and Caleb brought back a good report. They trusted God to bring them safely into the land and knew that He would help them defeat even the giants, of whom the other 10 spies were afraid.  

Joshua 14:7, I was forty years old when Moses the servant of the Lord sent me from Kadesh-barnea to spy out the land, and I brought him word again as it was in my heart. (ESV)  

By doing simple addition we come to understand that Joshua was over 80 when Moses died, and he took over leading the people of Israel. (ESV) You will remember that it took about 11 months between the flight from Egypt to the spies entering Cannan. That makes Joshua around 39 when they left Egypt. This means that Joshua had lived in Egypt as a slave for 39 years. He had seen God send the plagues in Egypt, had witnessed firsthand how God had protected His people in the land of Goshen during the last 7 plagues, showing them that He was with them and had distinguished them from other nations. He had been there during the miraculous plundering of Egypt by Israel and had a front row seat to God’s care for the stubborn and stiff-necked Israelites during their 40-year wilderness journey.  

I believe that when God spoke these words, “Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be frightened, and do not be dismayed, for the Lord your God is with you wherever you go” (Joshua 1:9, ESV) that it was just a gentle reminder for Joshua that the God in whom he had put his trust was still taking care of him.  

We know from reading the rest of the Book of Joshua, that in his 110 years, Joshua faithfully trusted the Lord, not allowing fear to defeat him. Today God is looking for men and women who will serve him with the Joshua kind of faith. He is looking for those who, despite the circumstances, battles, trials, and temptation to fear, will walk in bold faith trusting that He is the same yesterday, today, and forever (Hebrews 13:8). 

Fourth, Joshua never quit! 

In Joshua 10 we read an amazing account of a battle between Israel and Gibeon and the five kings of the Amorites, the king of Jerusalem, the king of Hebron, the king of Jarmuth, the king of Lachish, and the king of Eglon. Joshua had mistakenly made a treaty between Israel and Gibeon which caused fear among the other nations in Cannan. This fear led the kings of the Amorites to solicit assistance from the other nations who joined together to fight Gibeon.  

Ture to their word, the Israelite army went to assist and defend Gibeon. Joshua 10:7-8, So Joshua went up from Gilgal, he and all the people of war with him, and all the mighty men of valor. And the Lord said to Joshua, “Do not fear them, for I have given them into your hands. Not a man of them shall stand before you.” (ESV)  

As the battle progressed the sun began to go down. Joshua, aware that there were still enemy soldiers to overcome, commanded the sun to stand still. Joshua 10:12b-13, “Sun, stand still at Gibeon, and moon, in the Valley of Aijalon.” And the sun stood still, and the moon stopped, until the nation took vengeance on their enemies. 

Joshua could have rallied his troops and went home because it was too dark to continue the fight, however, in Joshua 10:8, God had told Joshua that “not a man shall stand before you”. Joshua knew that if God’s word was to come to pass, their army needed more daylight. With bold faith, he spoke to the sun and the moon, and they obeyed his command.  

Today, God is looking for those who will not quit when the going gets tough, those who will grab hold of His promises and press on to see them fulfilled.   

Finally, Joshua depended on God.  

Joshua 8:1, And the Lord said to Joshua, “Do not fear and do not be dismayed. Take all the fighting men with you, and arise, go up to Ai. See, I have given into your hand the king of Ai, and his people, his city, and his land. (ESV) 

Joshua 10:30, And the Lord gave it also and its king into the hand of Israel. (ESV) 

Joshua 10:32, And the Lord gave Lachish into the hand of Israel, and he captured it on the second day and struck it with the edge of the sword, and every person in it, as he had done to Libnah. (ESV) 

Joshua 10:43, And Joshua captured all these kings and their land at one time, because the Lord God of Israel fought for Israel. (ESV) 

Joshua 11:6 and 8, And the Lord said to Joshua, “Do not be afraid of them, for tomorrow at this time I will give over all of them, slain, to Israel. You shall hamstring their horses and burn their chariots with fire.” 8And the Lord gave them into the hand of Israel, who struck them and chased them as far as Great Sidon and Misrephoth-maim, and eastward as far as the Valley of Mizpeh. And they struck them until he left none remaining. (ESV)  

Joshua 21:43-45, Thus the Lord gave to Israel all the land that he swore to give to their fathers. And they took possession of it, and they settled there. And the Lord gave them rest on every side just as he had sworn to their fathers. Not one of all their enemies had withstood them, for the Lord had given all their enemies into their hands. Not one word of all the good promises that the Lord had made to the house of Israel had failed; all came to pass. (ESV) 

Joshua put his dependance in God and God honored that by winning every battle through Israel. In the battle with Gibeon, God caused hail stones to assist in the killing of the enemy. In Jericho, God caused the fortified walls of the city to fall, allowing the Israelites unhindered access to the city to destroy it. In every battle God gave wisdom to Joshua and strength to the army and together they defeated the nations of Cannan.  

In conclusion, Joshua was fit for service because he kept the Word of God before him through study and meditation, walked in total obedience, walked in faith not in fear, never quit, and he depended on God. If you find yourself falling short in any of these areas, take heart. God is faithful to forgive, strengthen, equip, defend, and lead if we are willing to humbly acknowledge our weakness and ask for His assistance in becoming fit for service and usable by our King!! 

Works Cited:

i https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/walking-god-lessons-from-joshuas-obedience-ruben-opperman