Please turn with me to the book of Joshua.  This morning we’re beginning our study of the Book of Joshua - Conquest By Faith.  As you’re turning let me share with you a set of instructions that I think are really helpful for us in understanding where we’re going in this series.

The instructions are entitled “How To Give Your Cat A Pill.”

1. Pick cat up and cradle it in the crook of your left arm as if holding a baby.  Position right forefinger and thumb on either side of cat's mouth and gently apply pressure to cheeks while holding pill in right hand.  As cat opens mouth, pop pill into mouth.  Allow cat to close mouth and swallow.

2. Retrieve pill from floor and cat from behind sofa.  Cradle cat in left arm and repeat process. 

3. Retrieve cat from bedroom, and throw soggy pill away.

5. Retrieve pill from goldfish bowl and cat from top of wardrobe.  Call spouse from garden.

6. Kneel on floor with cat wedged firmly between knees, holding front and rear paws.  Ignore low growls emitted by cat.  Get spouse to hold cat’s head firmly with one hand while forcing wooden ruler into mouth.  Drop pill down ruler and rub cat's throat vigorously.

7. Retrieve cat from curtain rail, get another pill from foil wrap.  Make note to buy new ruler and repair curtains.  Carefully sweep shattered figurines from hearth and set to one side for gluing later.

8. Wrap cat in large towel and get spouse to lie on cat with its head just visible from below spouse's forearm.  Put pill in end of drinking straw, force cat's mouth open with pencil and blow down drinking straw.

9. Check label to make sure pill not harmful to humans, drink glass of water to take taste away.  Apply band-aid to spouse's forearm and remove blood from carpet with cold water and soap.

10. Retrieve cat from neighbor's shed.  Get another pill.  Place cat in cupboard and close door onto neck to leave head showing.  Force mouth open with dessert spoon.  Flick pill down throat with elastic band.

11. Fetch screwdriver from garage and put door back on hinges.  Apply cold compress to cheek and check records for date of last tetanus shot.  Throw T-shirt away and fetch new one from bedroom.

12. Ring fire brigade to retrieve cat from tree across the road.  Apologize to neighbor who crashed into fence while swerving to avoid cat.  Take last pill from foil wrap.

13. Tie cat's front paws to rear paws with garden twine and bind tightly to leg of dining table.  Find heavy duty pruning gloves from shed.  Force cat's mouth open with small spanner.  Push pill into mouth followed by large piece of fillet steak.  Hold head vertically and pour 1/2 pint of water down throat to wash pill down.

14. Get spouse to drive you to emergency room; sit quietly while doctor stitches fingers and forearm and removes pill remnants from right eye.  Stop by furniture shop on way home to order new table.

Have you ever been in a situation where you were expected to do something way beyond what you felt capable of doing?  And the only way to accomplish the impossible was to trust God?  That’s the book of Joshua.  Learning to trust God while He accomplishes the impossible.

We’ve all been there.  Whether its having to hang in there in a nightmare marriage - or pick up the pieces when it falls apart.  Or dealing with kids or parents or siblings - family situations that seem like a foretaste of hell.  Work - school - sports - crud that goes on in the community.  Dealing with deep down personal issues that plague us - rip into our hearts and drag us down - beating us up from within - guilt - fear - anxiety.  Trying to get free of sins and past failures.

We know the answer is to trust God.  That’s a Sunday School answer.  Right?  You can answer any question in Sunday School with the same basic answers:  God - Jesus - pray - its in the Bible - trust God - the pastor is always right.  But knowing we need to trust God and trusting God are two different things.  That’s the Book of Joshua.  Learning to trust God while He accomplishes the impossible.

Joshua is about real people facing enormous challenges and learning to trust God along the way.

Joshua 1 - starting at verse 1:  Now it came about after the death of Moses the servant of the Lord, that the Lord spoke to Joshua the son of Nun - his father was Nun - doesn’t mean he doesn’t have parents - the Lord spoke to Joshua the son of Nun, Moses’ servant

Let’s pause.  There’s a lot of background information crammed into this first verse that we need to latch onto.

Moses is the servant of the Lord.  That’s powerful.  God would speak to Moses face to face - just like a man speaks to his friend.  That’s intimate.  Moses spoke with God at the burning bush.  He was with God on Mount Sinai.  In obedience to God’s commands Moses served God.

He’s led God’s people.  Led them out of Egypt - through the Red Sea.  He’s carried the 10 Commandments - communicated God’s law.  The whole Old Covenant priesthood and sacrificial system was set up through Moses.  Through 40 years of wandering in the desert he’s been there - interceding for the people - putting up with the people - judging - administrating - prophesying - admonishing.

From Exodus chapter 2 through the end of the Book of Deuteronomy - which is a significantly large portion of the Old Testament - the focus has been on Moses - God’s chosen leader.  Moses even gets mentioned 50 times in the Book of Joshua - and he’s dead.  The book is about Joshua - enough already.  Moses is larger than life.

Verse one states, “Now it came about after the death of Moses the servant of the Lord.”  That word “now” means that we’ve turned a page in history.

The generation that had come up out of slavery in Egypt - that had heard the report of the 12 spies - then rebelled against God - failed to trust God to lead them in conquest of the Promised Land - that generation - those who were 20 years and older - they’ve wandered in the wilderness for 40 years - now they’re dead.

Moses is dead.  God buried him in the land of Moab.  The thirty days prescribed for mourning the death of Moses have come to an end.  

In verse 1 God now speaks to Joshua. - son of Nun - Moses’ servant.

Joshua was born a slave in Egypt.  He was the oldest son born to Nun - a man from the tribe of Ephraim.  When he was born his parents named him “Hoshea” - which means “salvation.”  Living as slaves it was probably an act of faith on their part.  Joshua’s parents trusted God.

On the night of the Passover - as the first born Joshua’s life was in danger.  But, his parents - trusting God - must have put the blood of the lamb over the doorpost and Joshua was spared.

Joshua would have seen the plagues first hand.  The parting of the Red Sea and the destruction of Pharaoh's army.  Joshua went up with Moses - part way - onto Mount Sinai - when Moses went up to receive the 10 Commandments.  He served Moses.  Was trained by Moses.  Witnessed first hand - while at Moses’ side - the power and wonders performed by God.

It was Moses who changed Hoshea’s name - Hoshea meaning “salvation” - to Joshua - meaning “Yahweh is salvation.”  Joshua is the Hebrew form of the name Jesus.  Joshua - servant of Moses - learned to trust God for God is salvation - the God who saves.

Joshua - along with Caleb - were the only 2 of the 12 spies - who spoke for trusting God and entering into the Promised Land.  40 years later - God commissioned Joshua - who  trusted God - to lead His people into the Promised Land.

Bottom line:  We’re ready to move on.  Joshua is God’s man.  Prepared by God.  What God requires of Joshua is faith - trust Me and move forward.

Verses 2 to 9 focus on The Faith God requires of Joshua.  There are three parts here of that requirement for us to notice.  Part one comes in verses 2 to 4 and focus on God’s Command.

Say that with me:  “God’s command.”

Verse 2:  “Moses My servant is dead; now therefore arise, cross this Jordan, you and all this people, to the land which I am giving to them, to the sons of Israel.  Every place on which the sole of your foot treads, I have given it to you, just as I spoke to Moses.  From the wilderness and this Lebanon, even as far as the great river, the river Euphrates, all the land of the Hittites, and as far as the Great Sea toward the setting of the sun will be your territory.”

God commands Joshua to do three things.  First:  Get up.  Second:  Take the people across the Jordan River.  Third:  Take the land.  Seize it.  Conquer it.  Take out the people who stand against you.  Claim your inheritance.

The first is easy.  Start moving.  The second is problematic.  Cross the Jordan River at the height of the flood season.  With some careful planning - use of the gray matter - its possible.  The third command stretches the limits of reality.  Impossible to imagine.

Look at the map.  The dark area is the general area God promises His people.  The land is vast.  It stretches from the Great Sea - the Mediterranean - east to the Euphrates River - notice Babylon.  It starts in the north - up in Lebanon - and goes all the way south to Egypt.

Today that land touches or covers countries like Iraq, Syria, Lebanon, Jordan, Saudi Arabia, Egypt, Palestine.  Can you imagine why some of present day Israel’s neighbors might be just a tad uneasy.  Conflict over that land goes on today.  The roots of that conflict go back through Joshua - through these verses - back to Abraham.  It is an amazing promise - seemingly impossible to imagine the fulfillment of - even today.

God promised this land to Abraham and his descendants.  For centuries God has been reaffirming that promise.  In Deuteronomy 34 God takes Moses up on Mount Nebo - shows Moses the land.  God says to Moses, “I promised this land to Abraham.  I’m going to give it to His descendants.  You can’t enter it because you disobeyed Me.  But this generation is going in to claim it.”

God says to Joshua, “Wherever you walk in that land, its yours.” 

In Joshua’s day they conquered part of it - the part they tread on.  The actual fulfillment does come during the reign of Solomon where the kingdom extends to a city called Tiphsah - which was on the west bank of the Euphrates River.  (1 Kings 4:21,24).

Grab this - if it seems impossible today - the same impossibility occurred to God’s people when they turned back the first time under Moses.  Now - the next generation - 40 years later - under Joshua - the same challenge is before them.  But God’s command - and His promise - His calling of Joshua isn’t a call to fear - a call to try and figure things out or somehow muddle ahead trying to do what seems impossible.

God’s command is a very simple call to action - trust Me and move forward.  Get up.  Get the people.  Get the land.  I’ve given it to you.

Verse 5 - going on with what God requires of His man Joshua.  Verse 5:  “No man will be able to stand before you all the days of your life.  Just as I have been with Moses, I will be with you; I will not fail you or forsake you.” 

Second - God’s requirement of faith includes God’s Presence.

Say that with me, “God’s presence.”

God is emphatic.  No man - not some men - or a few men - but no men will be able to stand before you.  In Hebrew the personal pronouns “you” are all singular.  “You - Joshua - you - are going to be invincible.”  Why?  “Because I’ll be with you just like I was with Moses”  Think about what that was like - God bringing the mightiest nation on earth to its knees though Moses.  The friendship of God and Moses.  “I was with Moses.  I’ll be with you.  I will not fail you.  I will not forsake you.”  

“Fail” in Hebrew is the word “raphah.”  It has the idea of letting go - giving up on someone - cutting them lose - because they’re just too much trouble to hang on to. 

“Forsake” is the Hebrew word “azab.”  It has the idea of desertion.  If people can’t keep up - you leave ‘em behind.  The Pirate’s Code.

Anybody ever have someone do that to you.  “You’re just so not worth it.”  Or, “You’re just not my kind of person.”  “I don’t love you anymore.”  God emphasizes the point.  Repeats it three times.  “I’m not going to give up on you.  I will not abandon you , leave you out to dry, stop helping you, or stop loving you.  No matter how difficult the situation I will always be there for you.”

To leader after leader - over and over to His people - down through history God has repeated that promise - to Moses and Gideon - to His people returning from exile - on and on He repeats the promise.

In Acts 1 Jesus commands His disciples - commands us to be His witnesses - to take His Gospel to the ends of the earth.  To witness is the Greek word “martus” which is where we get the English word… “martyr” from.  It’s a total commitment - trusting God - living with Jesus - sharing the Gospel - with everything we are - even if it means death - type of life witness.  Its what God requires of us.

Jesus when He commanded His disciples - commands us -  to martyrdom - Jesus repeated the promise.  “I am with you always.”

Grab that.  As God requires us to live for Him.  When His command is to hang in there when the going seems impossible.  When living for Him for Him seems to go counter-intuitive.  When giving Him total control over your life and circumstances seems risky at best.  When our faith gets stretched.  God will never fail you.  He will never forsake you.  He will be with you - always.

Say this with me, “God will not fail me.”  “God will not forsake me.”  “God will be with me.”

God’s requirement of faith includes God’s command - includes God’s presence.  Third - coming to verse 6 - God’s requirement includes The Certainty of God’s Word.

Say that with me, “God’s Word.”

Verse 6:  “Be strong and courageous, for you shall give this people possession of the land which I swore to their fathers to give them.”  Notice that - “you shall” -  there’s a absolute certainty to what God says will happen.  “I promised it.  It will happen.”

Verse 7:  “Only be strong and very courageous” 

Scripture repeats things so we don’t miss the point of what God is saying.  God hitting us over the head with a 2X4.

Don’t miss the emphasis here.  God could have sent some kind of plague or pestilence - hit the “smite” button on His computer - wiped out everyone in the land - and just had His people walk in and take over.  But that wouldn’t help His people learn to trust Him - conquest by faith.  So God says, “I will do this.”  But you need to understand this - you need to be strong and courageous.  You’ve got to go in an take the land..

Going on in verse 7.  Here’s how to be strong and courageous:  “Be careful to do according to all the law which Moses My servant commanded you - basically that’s the Book of Deuteronomy and what was required of Israel to live in a covenant relationship with God - to live rightly before God - Be careful to do according to all the law which Moses My servant commanded you; do not turn from it to the right or the left, so that you may have success wherever you go.  This book of the law shall not depart from your mouth, but you shall meditate on it day and night, so that you may be careful to do according to all that is written in it; for then you will make your way prosperous, and then you will have success.”

And then - just in case we didn’t get it the first 2 times - God repeats Himself again - verse 9:  “Have I not commanded you?  Be strong and courageous!  Do not tremble or be dismayed, for the Lord your God is with you wherever you go.”

Jesus said, “Enter through the narrow gate; for the gate is wide and the way is broad that leads to destruction, and there are many who enter through it.  For the gate is small and the way is narrow that leads to life, and there are few who find it.”  (Matthew 7:13,14)

Today we hear words like “tolerance,” “openness,” and “inclusion” spoken without belief in an absolute reality or truth.  In the rush towards postmodernism - personal experience vs. objective reality - reality and truth have become relative not absolute.  Reality, and so truth, is whatever my experience suits me to believe.

What good is relativism when we’re searching for answers to live by?  What Jesus presents - what God declares to Joshua - is the absolute truth of His word.

Think about what that means.  So many people - maybe some here - suffer from a terrible sense of failure.  They’re weighed down with shame and guilt about things in their past.  They’re suffering inwardly from hurt, despair, depression, and hopelessness about the past, present, and future.  So many today are gripped by fear, worried, anxious, and insecure.  They’re bound, limited, and unable do live as they long to live.  How are we suppose to move forward by faith?

When we come to Jesus as our Savior, entering through the small gate by placing our lives in His care as our Savior, we can know with absolute certainty that God forgives our sins and that we no longer need be bound by them nor feel guilty for them.  When we walk on the narrow way - being careful to do all that He has commanded us to do - living in obedience to God - we open ourselves up to His power and working in our lives - we know with certainty that we’re living life the way it was designed to be lived - we can know with absolute certainty that God will care for us - never leave us alone - and guide us victoriously through life. 

That promise was made to Joshua.  Be careful to live according to My word - read it - study it - meditate on it - live according to My word and you will live in the truth of how to live and be victorious in life.  “Joshua, when you take the people and go to take the land - its not some wild crazy idea you had - its not by your cleverness - its not by your strength and power - that you’re going to be victorious.  Its because you’re obeying My commands.”  There is strength and courage in knowing that we’re living in obedience to the Almighty God of creation.

God requires the Joshua have faith in Him - to trust Him.  With that requirement of faith God commands Joshua as to what he’s to do.  Promises him His presence.  Gives him the certainty of His word.

Verses 10 to 18 - focus on The Response of God’s People to what God has required of them.

Verse 10 - The Response of Joshua.  Verse 10:  Then Joshua commanded the officers of the people, saying, “Pass through the midst of the camp and command the people, saying ‘Prepare provision for yourselves, for within three days you are to cross this Jordan, to go in to possess the land which the Lord your God is giving you, to possess it.’”

Imagine.  “Let’s form a Promised Land Provisions Committee to research provisions necessary for the upcoming conquest.  And we’ll need a Promised Land Jordon River Crossing Committee to focus on the various aspects of the river crossing.  And then we’ll need to do further Torah studies and have discussion groups and finally a meeting of the people to form a consensus and take a possible vote on the resolution to move forward.”

Joshua’s response is a tremendous act of faith.  Its spring.  The river is at flood stage - a mile-wide torrent.  He didn’t tell the people how they were going to cross the river.  God hasn’t told him.  He doesn’t need to know in advance how all this is going to work out.  God said, “Now” and Joshua said “Prepare.  We’re going to cross the Jordan in three days.”

There’s a practicality in giving the people 3 days.  This is the beginning of a seven year campaign to take the Promised Land.  At the very least it takes time to pack up.  Once they cross the river - when they get to a place called Gilgal - God will no longer be providing manna.  Remember manna?  They’re going to have to start living off the land.  So there’s a practicality here.  But not a lack of faith. 

Joshua responds by moving forward trusting God.

Verses 12 to 15 focus on The Response of The Reubenites, Gadites, and Half of The Tribe of Manasseh.

Verse 12:  To the Reubenites and to the Gadites and to the half-tribe of Manasseh, Joshua said, “Remember the word which Moses the servant of the Lord commanded you, saying ‘The Lord your God gives you rest and will give you this land.’  Your wives, your little ones, and your cattle shall remain in the land which Moses gave you beyond the Jordan, but you shall cross before your brothers in battle array, all your valiant warriors, and shall help them, until the Lord gives your brothers rest, as He gives you, and they also possess the land which the Lord your God is giving them.  Then you shall return to your own land, and possess that which Moses the servant of the Lord gave you beyond the Jordan toward the sunrise.”

When Israel defeated and occupied the lands east of the Jordan River - these 2½ tribes - Ruebenites, Gadites, and ½ of Manasseh asked Moses if they could stay there and not cross over and occupy the land on the western side of the river.  Apparently in the east - where they were - there was a lot of good grazing land.  Things could easily grow there.  It was a good place to live.

Moses struggled with the idea.  But, he let them stay on the condition that when the rest of Israel moved across the Jordan to conquer the land - these 2½ tribes would have to send warriors to fight with the rest of the people.

If we were to go ahead a bit in the book what we find is that these tribes did exactly what they promised to do.  They could have tried to play it safe.  Kept to their homes and familiar territory.  But without grumbling - without rebellion - with coercion - they stepped forward in faith and followed Joshua.

Part of that response comes in verses 16 to 18 - which is The Reponse of The People - which is everyone else - including these 2½ tribes.

Verse 16:  They answered Joshua, saying, “All that you have commanded us we will do, and wherever you send us we will go.  Just as we obeyed Moses in all things, so we will obey you; only may the Lord your God be with you as He was with Moses.  Anyone who rebels against your command and does not obey your words in all that you command him, shall be put to death; only be strong and courageous.”

“We’ll follow you.  But, make sure that you’re following God.”  Ultimately the response of the people is to trust God and move forward.

In every situation we face in life - no matter how enormous the challenge or how deep the issue - how seemingly impossible - in every situation we face in life there are always two choices.  To go it alone or to trust God. 

For us today.  God requires us to have faith in Him.  Between you and God you know the specifics of that requirement.  Will you trust Him - to give you specific direction - to be with you - to guide you?  Will you respond in faith and follow where He leads?