
God told Joshua that in this transition, His promise still stands. Joshua 1:3 I promise you what I promised Moses: ‘Wherever you set foot, you will be on land I have given you—4 from the Negev wilderness in the south to the Lebanon mountains in the north, from the Euphrates River in the east to the Mediterranean Sea in the west, including all the land of the Hittites.’ 5 No one will be able to stand against you as long as you live. For I will be with you as I was with Moses. I will not fail you or abandon you. [1]
Even though there was a leadership change from Moses to Joshua, God’s promises remained the same. God would remain faithful to what He first promised Abraham. Genesis 15: 7 Then the Lord told him, “I am the Lord who brought you out of Ur of the Chaldeans to give you this land as your possession.” [2]
God had renewed this covenant with Isaac, Jacob, and, most recently, Moses. Deuteronomy 34: 4 Then the Lord said to Moses, “This is the land I promised on oath to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob when I said, ‘I will give it to your descendants.’ I have now allowed you to see it with your own eyes, but you will not enter the land.” [3] It was time for Joshua to lead the people into their inheritance.
God’s Promises to Joshua
God initiated the original covenant concerning the land, and now the people would receive it by God’s hand. God gave Joshua the boundary lines of this promised land. Then God went on to give Joshua several promises. We know this applies to Joshua because the “you” in verse 5 is singular.[4]
God promises to be with and not forsake Joshua, with the result that as they conquer the land, their enemies will not be able to stand against him. God promises to be with Joshua as He was with Moses. Joshua had been Moses’ assistant and had observed the relationship between God and Moses. Now God’s faithfulness will continue through Joshua’s leadership.
God’s Promises to Us
Just as God had made promises to those in the Old Testament, He continues to give us promises because of what Jesus has done for us:
John 3: 16 “For this is how God loved the world: He gave his one and only Son, so that everyone who believes in him will not perish but have eternal life. [5]
Romans 10: 9 If you openly declare that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. 10 For it is by believing in your heart that you are made right with God, and it is by openly declaring your faith that you are saved.[6]
Ephesians 1: 3 All praise to God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly realms because we are united with Christ.[7]
We can trust God to be faithful. His promise still stands for us believers today. To find out more, listen here:
https://podpoint.com/light-of-christ-church-podcast/be-strong-and-courageous
[1-3,5-7] Tyndale House Publishers. (2015). Holy Bible: New Living Translation. Tyndale House Publishers.
[4] Strong, J. (1995). In Enhanced Strong’s Lexicon. Woodside Bible Fellowship.








