Then Moses called to Joshua and said to him in the sight of all Israel, “Be strong and courageous, for you shall go with this people into the land which the Lord has sworn to their fathers to give them, and you shall give it to them as an inheritance. The Lord is the one who goes ahead of you; He will be with you. He will not fail you or forsake you. Do not fear or be dismayed.” (v.7-8)
Here Joshua is being commissioned as Moses' successor by the command of God. Joshua had proven his capacity for leadership by; successfully leading the military effort against the Amalekites, showing courage when the twelve spies returned from their exploratory mission to the Promised Land and demonstrating a faith/belief that God's power would defeat the giants in the land. He had also seen God act miraculously to bring them out of Egypt, and believed that God had the power to bring the Israelites into the Promised Land.
Even with Joshua's impressive resume Deuteronomy 31 reiterates that God (not Moses nor Joshua), was ultimately the leader of the Israelites. He was the one going before them, the one who ensured their victory. Bringing the people into the Promised Land was God’s work. He was going to do it. But God almost always does His work through men and women who make themselves available to Him. Sometimes people wrongly say, “It is all the LORD, it’s all the LORD.” True, God does His work, but He does it through people. Moses had the confidence to lead the Israelites based on the assurance that God was with him and would never leave him, and now this guarantee is being given to Joshua (v.8)
Men of encouragement like Moses are a blessing. Moses knew that Joshua might be wavering, so he encouraged him, and pushed him forward to be more than he perhaps thought he could be. God uses encouraging people to help us fulfill the destiny He has for us. Joshua was now going to be the man; but the work was still the LORD’s: He is the one who goes before us all.
In a world where we can’t always depend on guarantees, God’s promises will last through all time and eternity. Because He is eternal, He can give us an eternal guarantee.
The Truth: “For the Lord will not forsake His people, for His great name’s sake, because it has pleased the Lord to make you His people.” (1 Samuel 12:22)
