Be Strong and Courageous
"Be strong & courageous. The Lord your God will be with you wherever you go" ~ Joshua 1:9
This verse always takes me back to VBS - my 10-year-old-me remembers learning about Joshua and singing (screaming) "Joshua fought the Battle of Jericho" with 50 other hyped-up children. Bless those poor church ladies who volunteered to teach us. The music is upbeat and catchy - add in the motions (stomping around in a circle - the harder the stomp the better!) and you have one big excited chaos of kids. But it stuck with me! I know Joshua 1:9 because of it!
The Lord actually gave this command to Joshua before he took command of the Israelites. Moses has died and the Lord gives Joshua a pep talk. Within three verses, Joshua 1:6-9, God instructs Joshua to "be strong and courageous" THREE TIMES! In the Bible, the number three conveys completeness. Think of how reassured Joshua must have felt - the Almighty God promises never to leave him. God also warns him not to forsake the Word of God - "meditate on it day and night" and "do not depart from it". He was promised success. I wonder if he was as pumped up as we were when singing about the walls of Jericho tumbling down? Can you picture him? Maybe pumping his fist and yelling, "Yeah! YEAH!"
Joshua was a foreshadow of Jesus - their names are even the same in Hebrew/Greek and mean 'salvation'. Joshua led the Israelites into the promised land, giving an indication of what Jesus would do for the world.
John 3:17 "God sent His Son into the world, not to condemn the world, but to save the world."
This verse always takes me back to VBS - my 10-year-old-me remembers learning about Joshua and singing (screaming) "Joshua fought the Battle of Jericho" with 50 other hyped-up children. Bless those poor church ladies who volunteered to teach us. The music is upbeat and catchy - add in the motions (stomping around in a circle - the harder the stomp the better!) and you have one big excited chaos of kids. But it stuck with me! I know Joshua 1:9 because of it!
The Lord actually gave this command to Joshua before he took command of the Israelites. Moses has died and the Lord gives Joshua a pep talk. Within three verses, Joshua 1:6-9, God instructs Joshua to "be strong and courageous" THREE TIMES! In the Bible, the number three conveys completeness. Think of how reassured Joshua must have felt - the Almighty God promises never to leave him. God also warns him not to forsake the Word of God - "meditate on it day and night" and "do not depart from it". He was promised success. I wonder if he was as pumped up as we were when singing about the walls of Jericho tumbling down? Can you picture him? Maybe pumping his fist and yelling, "Yeah! YEAH!"
Joshua was a foreshadow of Jesus - their names are even the same in Hebrew/Greek and mean 'salvation'. Joshua led the Israelites into the promised land, giving an indication of what Jesus would do for the world.
John 3:17 "God sent His Son into the world, not to condemn the world, but to save the world."
Have a blessed day!
Bev
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Bev
🅂🄰🅅🄴 our posts to view later!
🅂🄷🄰🅁🄴 our posts and stories!
Use code ➡️ BLOG45 ⬅️to receive 45% OFF our Christian Jewelry