After the death of Moses, the servant of the Lord, the Lord spoke to Joshua the son of Nun, Moses’ assistant, and said that Moses His servant was dead and that Joshua must now arise and lead the people across the Jordan River into the land that God was giving to the children of Israel.
The Lord promised that every place where the sole of their feet would tread would belong to them, just as He had spoken to Moses. Their territory would extend from the wilderness and Lebanon to the great river Euphrates, including the land of the Hittites and reaching to the Great Sea toward the setting of the sun. God assured Joshua that no one would be able to stand against him all the days of his life, and just as God had been with Moses, He would also be with Joshua, promising never to leave nor forsake him.
Therefore, Joshua was commanded to be strong and courageous because he would divide the land as an inheritance to the people, just as the Lord had sworn to their fathers. God instructed him to be very courageous and to carefully obey the law that Moses had commanded, not turning from it to the right or the left so that he would prosper wherever he went.
The Book of the Law was not to depart from his mouth, but he was to meditate on it day and night so that he would observe everything written in it; then his way would prosper and he would have good success. God reminded Joshua that He had commanded him to be strong and courageous, not to be afraid or discouraged, because the Lord his God would be with him wherever he went.
Joshua then commanded the officers of the people to go throughout the camp and tell the people to prepare provisions, because within three days they would cross the Jordan River to take possession of the land that the Lord their God was giving them.
Joshua also spoke to the Reubenites, Gadites, and the half-tribe of Manasseh, reminding them of the command Moses had given them that the Lord was granting them rest and the land on the east side of the Jordan. Their wives, children, and livestock would remain in that land, but their warriors were to cross over armed ahead of their fellow Israelites to help them conquer the land until the Lord had given the other tribes rest as well. After their brothers had received their inheritance, they would return to the land Moses had already given them east of the Jordan.
The people responded to Joshua by declaring that they would do everything he commanded and go wherever he sent them. Just as they had obeyed Moses in all things, they promised to obey Joshua.
They prayed that the Lord his God would be with him just as He had been with Moses, and they declared that anyone who rebelled against Joshua’s command or refused to obey his words would be put to death. They ended by encouraging Joshua with the same charge the Lord had given him: to be strong and courageous.
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