Admonition Podcast

Aaron Cozort begins a study of Joshua, tracing the transition from Moses’ leadership and Israel’s wilderness years to Joshua’s commission in chapter 1. He highlights God’s promises, Joshua’s faithfulness, the call to courage and obedience, and the tribes’ responsibility to fight alongside their brethren.

Chapters

00:00 A Bible Bowl series returns with Joshua
03:36 The wilderness years and God’s extraordinary provision
09:53 Joshua’s service beside Moses
13:12 God appoints Joshua to lead Israel
16:14 The eastern tribes’ inheritance and obligation
19:01 The promised land and its boundaries
23:47 God promises Joshua protection and presence
28:55 Courage, obedience, and meditating on the law
32:12 Prosperity, possessions, and faithfulness
34:41 Preparing to cross the Jordan
36:04 The tribes go before their brethren
39:19 A community’s encouragement for new leadership

Creators and Guests

Host
Aaron Cozort

What is Admonition Podcast?

The Admonition podcast brings you Bible lessons and sermons from the Collierville Church of Christ with host Aaron Cozort. Each episode focuses on interpreting Scripture in its original context, exploring the background of key passages, events, and teachings. Gain deeper insight into God’s Word as we study together, applying timeless truths to everyday life.

Aaron Cozort (00:04)
For those who have been around here for enough years, you will remember there was a time when all of the classes were essentially coordinated, studying the same material. And as we would go through, now the adult class was always a little behind everybody else, but as we would go through.

We would periodically take a Wednesday evening and all of us join in the fellowship hall and we would have a Bible bowl. We would actually go through and answer the questions because we were all studying the same questions. Well, we're going to begin doing that again for a at least for a while, for a quarter or two, ⁓ not promising we don't go a little further than that.

Yeah, we've got some more studying that we're doing in our adult class on worship. We're going to conclude those lessons before we switch back over. But what we've done, the class that is Micah's age, is in the same material, but there's still a few lessons behind where we're starting. So you say, why are we starting at lesson 69? The answer is because they're already at lesson 62. And we're going to pick up with the book of Joshua.

And they'll catch up to us soon enough. But what we'll do is we'll have a new set of questions each Sunday, each Wednesday, after we finish the the worship material, and then we'll go through these lessons during the quarter, and then we'll pick out a a Wednesday night to go through the questions together ⁓ on Teams and ⁓ enjoy the fellowship and time together, especially watching the younger ones grow. So we're gonna open our Bibles to Joshua chapter one.

this morning and we're going to begin with a little bit of history behind the book of Joshua and then ⁓ as well cover chapter one as we go through our study this morning. But as we get started, let's open with a word of prayer. Our gracious Father in heaven, we bow before your throne, grateful for the day that you've blessed us with, grateful for the opportunity that we have to serve you, desirous that we might

Do those things which are right in your sight and in accordance with your word and your will. Lord, we pray that and ask that you be with those who are traveling. Pray especially that you be with those ladies from the congregation that are still away from us, and pray that they have safety returning home today. Lord, we pray for those who are grieving over the loss of loved ones. Pray also for those who

⁓ are struggling to recover their health and recover from surgeries or illnesses. We pray that you be with each and every one of them. And we know there are many needs that we don't know, that we're not aware of. And Lord, we pray on behalf of those who have those needs that you also will provide for those things. We pray for our country, for its leaders, for its citizens to open your word

To know your will, to do what you would have them to do in their daily lives. And Lord, we pray that you will help us to do the same. Pray that you will be with us as we go through this period of worship this morning. May all that we say and do be in accordance with your will and right in your sight. All this we pray and ask in Jesus' name. Amen.

So as we go through the text, ⁓ you can feel free to fill out the the questions and the sheets as we go. ⁓ we're not going to necessarily go question by question in our study, but we will seek to review the questions when we've completed a lesson before we get into the next chapter. When you open up the book of Joshua, you will find you're in the middle of a story. events have gone on and

The writer assumes that you know what has gone on. ⁓ when you open the book of Joshua, you will find that the life of Moses has concluded. And Moses has been leading Israel for 40 years. Aren't you glad we don't have to put up with any of the precedents that we've had in our lifetime in the li for 40 years? Even the ones we like. We're like, ⁓ eight's enough.

Thank you. Sometimes four is more than enough. Fact of the matter is, Moses led Israel for 40 years. And much like some of today's leaders, he started at age 80. He led them until he was 120 years old. The difference was Moses was as ⁓ invigorated and and able to lead at 120 as he was at 80.

Because God preserved him. Matter of fact, it's similar, I believe, to what you read in ⁓ the text about Joshua and Caleb. That their ability, they they were young men when they were sent to spy out the land. Forty years later, they're now 40 years older, and they're just as able, just as as ⁓ strong in their age at that point.

To be able to carry out the command to go and conquer the land that they did. And we know that Caleb will even go, and he and his family will conquer a mountain ⁓ and those who lived on it. So God did things for Israel that were not natural in the course of their forty years wandering in the wilderness. What was one of the things that was unnatural about what God did for Israel as they were wandering in the wilderness?

All right. He provided food, manna every morning, ⁓ and they were provided that manna how many times a week?

Six, because on the sixth day they were supposed to gather enough for what day? Seventh day. If they gathered double portion on the first day, what would happen to it by the second day? It would spoil. But on the sixth day, and on the sixth day only, they could gather enough for the seventh day, and it wouldn't spoil on the seventh day until the eighth day. All right. Clothes didn't wear out. That's correct. Their clothes did not wear out.

Put all the seamstresses out of business. because there were never any holes to patch. There were never can you I as a matter of fact, I've got a sleeve right here on my suitcoat that the inside lining is fraying and I'm every Sunday I have to cut more more off of it until I finally get around to getting it fixed. They didn't have that problem. They woke up in the morning. You know the garments that they made for the priests when Aaron first became priest.

At Mount Sinai didn't have a stitch that needed to be fixed by the day that they walked into the land of Canaan.

God did things during that forty years that were not natural.

That's correct. He parted the River Jordan. He parted the Red Sea as they would go into s ⁓ to the area where Mount Sinai is and escape the Egyptians. He will cause the sun to stand still during a battle that will occur. He will cause water to come forth from a rock.

What else? Joshua er Justin, sorry. Yeah, that's right.

Well, to the point of them wandering in the wilderness, they were instructed by God that they were to move when the cloud moved by day, and they were to camp when the cloud stood still by day, and they were to move when the pillar of fire moved by night, and they were to camp when the pillar of fire remained still by night.

The indication as I understand it from the text, you know, sometimes we think okay, that's that led them to sign it. Every indication that I can find indicates that every morning and every night for forty years there was a pillar of cloud and there was a pillar of fire.

Can you imagine what it would have been like to be the peoples on the edges of where the the the Israelites were wandering for forty years and looking up going, I don't know what's going on over there, but I'm not going over.

Whatever's going on with that people, I'm leaving them alone.

Everybody except their family, by the way, the Moabites, the Ammonites, those that were the descendants of Lot, they didn't allow them to pass through their lands unless they did so by first going to battle. And so God did all of these things for Israel.

And at the time that they came out of Egypt, there was a young man. Now, the text lets us know that Joshua is going to be at least 20 years old when they come out of Egypt. How will we know that?

He was a soldier, and he was among those who met the qualification for the Lord's commandment that anyone 20 and older who was a male who refused to go into the land was going to perish in the wilderness. Except what two people? Joshua and Caleb. So we know Joshua and Caleb were both over the age of 20 when they came out of Egypt. But

They were younger men. They were they were the younger generation of that period of time. Joshua is going to end up in the position of becoming essentially an aide to Moses. We're able to look back into that history of the time where they're at Sinai and when Moses moves the tabernacle outside of the camp of Israel because of.

Israel bowed down to the golden calf. I think it's Exodus chapter 33 or 34 that records that. And Moses would go out to the tabernacle. His dwelling place would become with the tabernacle outside the camp. And the people would have to leave the camp to come out to the Lord, where previously, when the original setup that God commanded, the tabernacle was in the middle of the camp.

It was in the midst, and every tribe was arrayed around the tabernacle. But because of their sin, the tabernacle moves outside the camp. And now they have to come to Moses outside the camp. And they have to come to the Lord outside the camp. But where Moses dwelled, so did Joshua. And we're even told that there are times that Joshua will remain inside.

With the tabernacle when Moses goes to the people. So Joshua is an aid to Moses, but he's more than an aid. He is the one who the Lord has determined will lead Israel when Moses' time is over. And that's where we pick up when the book of Joshua opens. Moses.

Has been granted the opportunity by the Lord to go up and to see the land that he would never get to step foot in. The land that Israel would inherit, and then Moses will end his life in what circumstance we don't know, his life will end, and he will be buried in a place that we don't know.

Never to be found again.

And Joshua will begin to lead the people. We read in Joshua chapter one and verse one. After the death of Moses, the servant of the Lord, it came to pass that the Lord spoke to Joshua the son of Nun, Moses his assistant, saying, Moses, my servant, is dead. Now therefore arise, go over this Jordan, and

You and all this people to the land which I am giving them, the children of Israel.

God addresses Joshua. God does not leave it to Israel to choose their own leader. God does not put it in the hand of the Sanhedrin, the 70, that had already been established as the judges and the leaders of Israel in order to pick their own leader. God does not use the judges of tens, the judges of fifties, the judges of hundreds, the judges of thousands, the judges of ten thousands.

To pick their leader. God doesn't even use the high priest, the son of Aaron, to pick the leader.

God picks the leader. God addresses Joshua directly because for forty years Joshua has been faithful to two things.

Moses technically three things Israel and the Lord.

Joshua was still with Israel, even though Israel had said, I think we're going to kill Moses and go back. Joshua was still with Moses, even when Moses failed and had hardships and dealt with difficult things, even in a period of time where Moses' own brother and sister turned their back on Moses. Joshua was still with Moses.

And Joshua was still with the Lord. Joshua was dedicated to the Lord after 40 years of wandering in the wilderness where Joshua could have just as easily have said, I'm out, I'm done, I'm going back to Egypt.

But Joshua didn't. Joshua was faithful to the Lord. He was faithful to Moses. He was faithful to Israel. But now they're on the east side of the Jordan River. They have gone into this area and they have ⁓ defeated two different nations that were on that side of the Jordan River.

And as a matter of fact, some of the tribes have determined that they were going to remain on that side of the Jordan River. Which tribes remained on the east side of the Jordan River?

Alright. Ephraim, ⁓ half tribe of Manasseh, and Gad, I believe, is is correct. Y'all can all you pull up the map, check me on that. But the fact of the matter is, two and a half tribes say, Mm, we kinda like this land. The Lord's given the land to Israel, and we would prefer to just remain here.

If you go and look into the passage where that is recorded, I believe it's the end of the book of Numbers, you will find that there's a statement that gets quoted quite often. Because Moses will address those two and a half tribes, and he will address the men of those two and a half tribes, and he will point out to them: just because you've made your dwelling place, and just because you found your your land where you're going to have in your inheritance,

Do not believe that means that you can stay on this side of the Jordan River while your brethren go over and fight. And the phrase that is often quoted from Moses is Moses says to those two and a half tribes that if they do that, if they remain in the land while their brethren go into fight for this land, he says, Be sure your sin will find you out.

So two and a half tribes are going to remain on this side of the Jordan River. They found their dwelling place, they found their inheritance, but they're going to have to send their men, their soldiers, their adult males across the Jordan with the remainder of the tribes to go conquer the land. And they're going to be there for five years doing that before they finally come back across the Jordan River.

at the end of that period of time. So here we are. We're on the east side of the Jordan River. We're preparing to go across and God says

Moses, my servant, is dead. Now therefore, arise, go over this Jordan, you and all this people, to the land which I am giving to them, the children of Israel. Every place that the sole of your foot will tread upon, I have given to you, as I said to Moses.

When when you go back into the history of Israel and you think about Abraham, when God told Abram to go to come to this land, he said, You go to a land that I will show you. And the Hebrew writer tells us in Hebrews chapter 11 that ⁓ Abram and Sarai went into that land and they dwelt in that land and they dwelt as sojourners.

In the land, dwelling in tents, looking for a city made by God. They weren't traveling around going, maybe this is the city made. No, no, no. They were looking for an eternal dwelling place with God. And in the meantime, they were sojourning in a land where God said, I will give this land to your descendants.

So Abraham dwelt in a land that wasn't his. And Isaac dwelled in a land that wasn't his. And Jacob dwelt in a land that wasn't his. And Esau dwelt in a land that wasn't his until eventually Esau and the Edomites received a land that would be theirs. And Lot dwelled in a land that wasn't his, until eventually the Ammonites and the Moabites would receive a land.

That would become theirs. And now, finally, the sons of Jacob, the children of Israel, will receive a land that belongs to them. God is going to tell Joshua every place your foot hits the ground.

Is going to belong to the descendants of Israel. But he then says, from the wilderness of this Lebanon, as far as the great river, the river Euphrates, all the land of the Hittites and to the great sea toward the going down of the sun shall be your territory.

Sometimes I have to check myself when I'm talking about which side of the Jordan River we're on and say, wait a minute, is it the right is it the east side or the west side? It makes it easy when the Lord says, Hey, the sun goes down over there over the Mediterranean.

We're on the other direction. We're off the Mediterranean. But God is going to tell Joshua here are the ultimate borders of your land. Question Is Israel going to possess all of that land and control all of that land in the lifetime of Joshua?

No. As a matter of fact, there's cities and there's parts of Israel that they're not going to possess yet in the lifetime of Joshua. Are the Hittites still going to be around come the time of David? Yes, they are. Ultimately, you will find the largest period of time, the greatest expanse of control of Israel, which will hit every single one of these borders.

is in the time of Solomon. During the days of Solomon, the nation will expand to its largest point and to its greatest borders. And then what's going to cause that to change?

Solomon's sin. Solomon's treaties and intermarrying with the wives of foreign leaders and foreign people, and Solomon bringing in false worship which had not been present in Israel as a governmentally condoned activity is going to result in Israel shrinking and shrinking and dividing and shrinking.

shrinking until there are periods of time where Israel controls no more than a few sections of the land of Israel and ultimately until they're all in exile and they control none of it.

God is going to tell Joshua, this is what I am going to do. Now notice the significance of that. He says, this is what he is going to do for them. He says, I have given you this land.

But also, notice that he says verse five, no man shall be able to stand before you all the days of your life. What does he mean by that?

Mean that Joshua's got just such a big personality nobody can stand around him?

Okay? It means that his leadership will be unopposed and he will not be deposed by anyone. He will not be taken off of the position that God placed him in. In the same way that God would protect Moses from anyone else encroaching upon the role God had given to Moses. If you remember back in the book of Numbers, there are

Those who will come to Moses and to Aaron, and they will accuse Moses and Aaron, you've taken too much upon yourself. We're just as good as you are, we're just as holy as you are, say Korah, Dathan, Abiram, and on, and 250 of the Levites who want to be priests and not helpers to the tabernacle, but they were in the wrong family.

And God says, Well, why don't we just find out? And so Moses tells them, You bring your scepters and you show up at the tabernacle, and we'll let God decide whether He's chosen Aaron and his sons, or you, Korah, and your followers.

What's gonna happen to Cora, Dathan, Abiram, on and the two hundred and fifty followers of them?

The earth is going to open up and swallow them whole, and fire is going to come down from heaven and destroy their dwelling places and their encampments and their families.

That's what God means when he says, No one will be able to stand before you. When Aaron and Miriam will question Moses' leadership, and they will question his role and his responsibility before God, what is going to happen to Moses' sister?

She's going to be stricken with leprosy. God will make the point. My relationship with Moses is mine. And you don't get to question it. I will deal with my servant, Moses. God is now placing Joshua in a similar situation. Now, this is no opportunity for Joshua to go, hey, I can do whatever I want to, the Lord.

Gonna protect me, that I I can just live however I want, I can do whatever I want, I can make the people give to me and serve me, and they will just be my pawns, and I will be the king and the ruler over. ⁓ no, I don't think so. That probably wouldn't have worked out all that well. No, rather, this was an opportunity for Joshua to continue in his faithfulness to the Lord.

And in return the Lord says, You will be unopposed.

But then notice he says, so I will be with you, I will not leave you nor forsake you. Numerous times in chapter one, God is going to tell Joshua, I will not leave you nor forsake you.

We all at times in our lives have periods being alone. There was a Dr. Seuss story that ⁓ all the places you'll go, I believe it is, speaks about the fact that sometimes you're just going to be alone.

And while we all have times in our lives that we're going to be alone, God is going to tell Joshua, as a leader of Israel, he will never lead alone.

And God will always be with him. He says to Joshua verse six, Be strong and of good courage. For to this people you shall divide as an inheritance the land which I swore to their fathers to give them. Only be strong and very courageous, that you may be that you may observe to do according to all the law which Moses my servant commanded you.

Do not turn from it to the right hand or to the left that you may prosper wherever you go.

Have you noticed there's a tendency among people that when one generation dies off, the next generation goes, Well, I know that was fine for mom and dad, but

I think we need to do it differently. I think we need to go this way. I think we need to live this way. And God says to Joshua, you don't depart to the right hand or to the left.

You stay on course. You follow exactly what Moses laid out for you. Then notice, he will say, verse eight, this book of the law shall not depart from your mouth. During the forty years of the wilderness wandering, technically, during the 38 and a half years of the wilderness wandering after they left Mount Sinai.

Moses is going to write Genesis, Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers, and Deuteronomy. By all indications of Scripture, it is during those 38 and a half years as they're wandering in the wilderness that the book of the law is written. And God is going to tell Joshua, you've been handed the instruction manual.

And it's your responsibility to put it in your heart and in your mind and to judge and act and live in accordance to it. He says, This book of the law shall not depart from your mouth, but you shall meditate in it day and night, that you may observe to do according to all that is written in it. For then you will make your way prosperous, and then you will have good success.

It is unfortunate that so many in the world, and sometimes some within the church, seek to make their way prosperous by departing from the Word of God.

You know, there was a man that Jesus spoke about who did that. He was one who planted his fields and planted his harvest and brought in the harvest, and the harvest was so abundant that he had to ask himself, what was he going to do with all of it?

So he said, Well, I'll tear down my barns and I'll build bigger barns. And I'll say to myself, Self, you have a plenty so that you can live the rest of your days.

You know how many times every day young men, y working age individuals are presented by individuals, people with a sales pitch for the opportunity to make so much money they'll never have to work again.

Every day, non stop. Never have to worry again.

What did Jesus say happen to the person who finally got all the money that they never had to worry or work again?

It was right. The promise is true. He never had to work or worry again. Of course he didn't live till the next day either. So, you know, probably could have made it that far on what he had before.

The fact of the matter was he exchanged his soul for the possession.

Ultimately lost both. God is going to tell Joshua, You don't depart from my word, and I'll take care of your prosperity. You don't depart from my work, and I'll make your way prosperous, and you will have good success. But then he says, Have I not commanded you?

Be strong and of good courage, do not be afraid, nor be dismayed, for the Lord your God is with you wherever you go.

Over in Hebrews chapter 13, the Hebrew writer will tell the Christians the exact same thing. He will tell the Christians that the Lord is the same yesterday, today, and forever, and that the Lord will not depart from you. Jesus will tell the disciples as he is about to ascend back into heaven and return to the Father, Lo, I am with you wherever you go, even to the end of the age.

Matthew chapter twenty eight. Verse ten we read, Then Joshua commanded the officers of the people, saying, Pass through the camp, and command the people saying, Prepare provisions for yourselves, for within three days you will cross over this Jordan to go in to possess the land which the Lord your God is giving you to possess.

Question.

Were excluding Joshua and Caleb, were any of these people alive the last time they crossed over any body of water on dry ground?

Nope.

At most, you could say, well, there might have been someone who was a child. There might have been someone who was below the age of 20 who crossed over the Red Sea and was still alive.

But not any adults that experienced that, except Joshua and Caleb. And Joshua's first order as he is as he is taking leadership of Israel, first order is get yourself ready, we're about to cross the Jordan.

And then notice what's going to happen to the Reubenites, the Gadites, and the half-tribe of Manasseh. Joshua spoke, saying, I think we said Ephraim earlier. It's the Reubenites, the Gadites, and the half tribe of Manasseh. He said, He spoke to them, saying, Remember the word which Moses, the servant of the Lord, commanded you, saying.

The Lord your God is giving you rest and is giving you this land. Your wives, your little ones, your livestock shall remain in the land which Moses gave you on this side of the Jordan. But you shall pass before your brethren armed, all your mighty men of valor and helpful.

Where is Joshua going to position, where did Moses technically position the Rumenites, the Gadites, and the half tribe of Manasseh?

On the east side the Jordan, but they're going to go in front of their brethren. They're the ones who've received their land, and they are going to go before their brethren into the land. They are going to be the front of the spear. They had the ability to remain in their land. They had the obligation to fight for their brethren, and they're going to fight from the front.

They're not going to hang around at the back of the line and go, well, yeah, I just need to live till I can get back to my land. No, Joshua says, You all are the front of the spear. You're going first. But then notice, he says, until the Lord has given your brethren rest, as he gave you, verse 15, and they also have taken possession of the land which the Lord your God is giving them.

Then you shall return to the land of your possession and enjoy it, which Moses, the Lord's servant, gave you on this side of the Jordan towards the sunrise. So they answered Joshua, saying, All that you command us we will do, and wherever you send us we will go. Just as we heeded Moses in all things, so we will heed you. Only the Lord your God be with you as he was with Moses. There is a different temperament.

to this generation than there was to the prior generation. The prior generation got to the edge of the Jordan and they said, We will not

their children that grew up in the wilderness, that watched all of their parents and their grandparents die and buried them in the wilderness.

didn't answer the same way. They said to Joshua, We will go. We will go and we will heed you the way we heeded Moses, and we will follow you as we followed Moses. We only ask that the Lord be with you as he was with Moses.

Verse eighteen They said Whoever rebels against your command and does not heed your words in all that you command him shall be put to death only be strong and of good courage.

God will tell Joshua, be strong and of good courage. God will tell Joshua again, be strong and of good courage. And then the people will tell Joshua, be strong and of good courage.

We don't really know much about Joshua on a personal level. We don't have all of the interactions that we have recorded like in Moses' life. We have more in his interactions in relationship to Moses and his interactions in relationship to the people. But consider: here's a man who's no less than 60 years old. And God's having to tell him.

Be of be strong and of good courage. And the people are having to tell him, be strong and of good courage. You know, sometimes I think that we think that by the time someone's sixty plus they're mature enough, you shouldn't have to encourage them anymore.

Well, much like Joshua, there will be times in our lives where we will be encouraging mature men to do something harder than they've ever done before.

Someone's put in as an elder, that's a challenge. If they've never been an elder before, that's a challenge that they've never faced, no matter how long they've lived.

That means we should be doing the same thing Israel should have been doing and was doing here with Joshua and saying, we'll be with you, we'll help you, we'll encourage you, we'll follow you. You do the work that God's given you to do. All right. Thank you for your attention. We'll close up and we'll cover we're we will cover the questions. So you can use this as a review. We will cover these questions next Sunday as we open our study.

Thank you for your