Joshua 1:9, commentary and pictures

God repeatedly commanded Joshua to be strong and of good courage, not afraid or dismayed, because the Lord his God would be with him wherever he went. The charge was repeated because he faced real peril and strong pressures that could turn him aside, and God's promise to be with him as He had been with Moses answered his fears about leading Israel into Canaan. The courage required was tied to leading Israel into the promised land in faithful obedience, with assurance of victory if he kept God's commandments and walked in strict integrity under God's guidance. Because the Lord is continually present with His people everywhere they go, those working in harmony with His plan can be unafraid and undismayed, trusting Him to sustain them, know their needs, and give strength to meet them. That same presence calls those who carry heavy responsibilities and face rebuffs, hardships, and trials today to go forward hopeful and courageous, clinging to God, seeking His counsel, and bearing His testimony without fear.

Joshua's Command and Context

The verse is God's repeated command to Joshua to be strong and of good courage, not afraid nor dismayed, because the Lord his God is with him wherever he goes. The charge is given over and over because Joshua stood in real peril under the strongest influences against righteous principles, with danger of being drawn under misleading influences to turn to the right hand or to the left. God's promise to be with Joshua as He had been with Moses answered Joshua's fears about leading Israel into Canaan and gave him courage for his commission.

The courage required was bound to leading Israel into the promised land and to faithfully keeping God's commandments, with the assurance that Canaan would be an easy conquest if he obeyed. The verse calls those carrying large responsibilities to walk in the path God has marked out under a Counsellor whose wisdom is far above human wisdom, holding to strictest integrity with God as Guide amid all cares. Joshua was a wise general because God was his Guide, and his first sword was the sword of the Spirit, the Word of God.

The passage from Joshua 1:1-9 does not place one present-day leader in the position of Moses and another in the position of Joshua to carry the work forward, and it does not belong to Seventh-day Adventists in that sense. Lifting its strong words together with other chosen Scriptures and applying them by private judgment to authorize a new messenger, to denounce persons and things, and to warn that refusal fixes eternal destiny is misinterpreting, misapplying, and wresting God's Word.

Presence Gives Courage Strength

Those who work in harmony with God's plan can be strong and courageous, unafraid and undismayed, because He sustains and keeps them and is continually present with them. Because the Lord is with His people wherever they go, they are not to worry about the future but to do their best without overdoing and to go forward hopeful and courageous in Him. When burdens lie heavy and it seems impossible to take another step, they are to cast their burdens on the Lord, repose in God, wait in trust, and draw strength and courage from His abiding presence.

In perplexing labor they can be courageous and unafraid because the Lord is with them, knows their needs, and gives strength to meet them. His presence accompanies them wherever they go, imparting strength and courage so that they need not fail or be discouraged, and by trusting Him, seeking His counsel, and following His leading they are enabled to advance and accomplish their work. Good courage means clinging to the Mighty One as a constant help, leaving the choice of the way to the Lord for Him to direct the course, and going straight ahead in bearing the testimony He gives even where few have confidence and need is great, trusting that He will work and His salvation will be seen. It is shown by walking humbly yet trustingly before God, leaning upon the Mighty One and refusing to fail or become discouraged. Courage rests on the Lord's presence, and the command to be strong and unafraid is echoed in the exhortation to be of good courage in the Lord, alongside faith and hope.

Courage for Present Service

Those leading and advancing God's work are to be courageous and move forward, because the Lord is leading, guiding, blessing, and helping them. The command brings courage and freedom from fear or discouragement to all who go forward in the duty He gives them, since the Lord is with them and helps them.

For those working for present truth in Washington, this courage is grounded in God's presence and help, calling them to be strong in every emergency, to hold firmly to truth, to guard their souls against resisting the Spirit of God, and to put on Christ's righteousness. God's workers are to be brave and of good courage when they face rebuffs and hardships, rather than expecting ease. The call to be strong and not discouraged applies to financial troubles and the challenge of leading a new enterprise, teaching trust in the Lord for help, seeking His wisdom, and remembering His past care, which gives courage and steadiness for difficult work.

The verse calls a person facing a difficult struggle to go forward without fear, because God is with him and will not forsake him. It calls for courage and firmness in a time of trial, grounded in trust in the Lord God. God's command calls for strength and courage rather than discouragement, so one who is discouraged, as Uriah was, is to overcome discouragement and take hold of God's salvation with energy and courage, since God's assisting grace is available but must be wrestled for. Because God would open the way, grant victories, and be present, a worker like Haskell sent to New York City could be of good courage.