Joshua 1:10-18

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TALKS FOR GROWING CHRISTIANS

The Israelites Prepare to Cross the Jordan River

BACKGROUND NOTES



DOCTRINAL POINT(S)

  1. God wants His people in the land He has given them.

  2. God wants His people with the courage He has given them.

PRACTICAL APPLICATION

  1. Don't belittle a fellow believer from the two and one-half tribes.

QUESTIONS

  1. What are the historical events of the Book of Exodus? What are the historical events of the Book of Joshua?

  2. Is the Abrahamic Covenant of Genesis 12:7 still valid today?

  3. Was the Abrahamic Covenant unconditional?

  4. What is the assurance of Romans 11 concerning this Abrahamic Covenant?

  5. Name the two and one-half tribes who decided to settle in Trans-Jordan.

  6. Why did the two and one-half tribes want to stay on the side east of the Jordan?

  7. What was the condition by which the Lord allowed this?

ANSWERS

  1. Exodus records how God led His people out of Egypt under the leadership of Moses. Joshua records how God led His people into the Promised Land under the leadership of Joshua.

  2. Yes.

  3. Yes, but the land was only enjoyed fully when Israel was following the Lord.

  4. There will be a spiritual revival in the nation of Israel, and many will turn to the Messiah they once rejected. Then the Lord will come and overcome Israel's enemies and the land will belong to the nation of Israel.

  5. The Reubenites, the Gadites and the half tribe of Manasseh.

  6. Because it was good grazing land and more protected for their families.

  7. The military from these tribes must cross the river and fight with the rest of the tribes until the land was conquered.

DISCUSS/CONSIDER

  1. God wanted His people to be in the land He gave them. Because He was not pleased with their attitude He rebuked them for their lack of faith. The same is true today - the Lord wants His people in the spiritual land He has given us. But, as with Israel, God allows us to be only as committed as we choose. Are you a 100% committed Christian? Or are you less committed like the Trans-Jordan tribes?

  2. The two and one-half Trans-Jordan tribes lacked faith and courage. They admired it in others and realized its importance, but they did not avail themselves of the courage that God would have given them if they had crossed over the Jordan. Do you have the courage to obey all that the Lord has commanded? Do you have the faith and courage to believe all that God has promised? Or are you holding back from full commitment? Are you afraid that God will not take care of you in every area of your life if you commit yourself to Him 100%? Read 2 Timothy 1:7. When God calls us to be 100% committed, He gives us the courage to do so.

CHALLENGE

  1. Don't belittle a fellow believer from the two and one-half tribes. They fell short of all that God wanted of them and for them, but they still were God's people. He allowed them their choice of partial commitment. Some Christians may not be 100% committed, but they are not 0% committed either. Where do you stand on the scale of commitment? Are you 100% committed in all areas of your life?

KEY VERSES

  • "Go in and possess the land which the Lord your God is giving you." (Joshua 1:11)

  • "Fight...until the Lord has given your brethren rest and they have taken possession of the land...then you will return." (Joshua 1:12-15)

Joshua, Old Testament, TalksRon ReidJOSHUA 1:10-18