Photo by Andre Guerra on Unsplash

In the message, Deliverance from Darkness -Faith in Dire Situations Pt. 2, we learn about Moses who GOD calls upon to deliver the Israelites from slavery in Egypt. Moses tells the LORD he is not a good speaker and to send someone else. GOD lets Aaron, his brother, speak for him and still uses Moses who obeys HIM. GOD is faithful to HIS promise to rescue the Israelites keeping them and Moses safe through it all.

1. Noah -man of righteousness and endurance
2. Abraham -man of extreme faith and obedience
3. Joseph -man of diligence and service
4. Moses -man of humbleness and patience
5. Joshua -man of dedication and leadership
6. Deborah -woman of wisdom and judgement
7. Gideon -man of valor
8. Ruth -woman of faithfulness
9. David -man after GOD’s own heart
10. Elijah -man of boldness
11. Nehemiah -man of restoration
12. Esther -woman of courage
13. Job -man of righteousness and perseverance
14. Jeremiah -man of weeping and sorrows
15. Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego -men of integrity
16. Daniel -man of prayer and devotion
17. Jonah -man of recommitment
18. Mary -woman of favor
19. Peter -man of outspoken truth
20. Paul -man of transformation and conviction

Let me encourage you if you’re facing a difficulty, obstacle, trial, or tribulation. GOD is using it for your good and HIS purposes…

Isaiah 33:2

O LORD, be gracious to us; we long for YOU. Be our strength every morning, our salvation in time of distress.

Isaiah 43:2

When you pass through the waters,
    I will be with you;
and when you pass through the rivers,
    they will not sweep over you.
When you walk through the fire,
    you will not be burned;
    the flames will not set you ablaze.

Jeremiah 29:11-14

¹¹ For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the Lord, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future. ¹² Then you will call on me and come and pray to me, and I will listen to you. ¹³ You will seek me and find me when you seek me with all your heart. ¹⁴ I will be found by you,” declares the Lord, “and will bring you back from captivity.

Romans 8:28-39

²⁸ And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose. ²⁹ For those God foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to the image of his Son, that he might be the firstborn among many brothers and sisters. ³⁰ And those he predestined, he also called; those he called, he also justified; those he justified, he also glorified.

More Than Conquerors

³¹ What, then, shall we say in response to these things? If God is for us, who can be against us? ³² He who did not spare his own Son, but gave him up for us all—how will he not also, along with him, graciously give us all things? ³³ Who will bring any charge against those whom God has chosen? It is God who justifies. ³⁴ Who then is the one who condemns? No one. Christ Jesus who died—more than that, who was raised to life—is at the right hand of God and is also interceding for us. ³⁵ Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall trouble or hardship or persecution or famine or nakedness or danger or sword? ³⁶ As it is written:

“For your sake we face death all day long;
    we are considered as sheep to be slaughtered.”

³⁷ No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us. ³⁸ For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, ³⁹ neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord.

Let’s take a peak at a hero of the faith who becomes commander of the Israelite army, serves as assistant to Moses, and appointed as the next leader succeeding Moses to lead the Israelites into the promised land.

Joshua

The first we hear about Joshua is Moses commanding Joshua to choose men to go and fight the Amalekites. He is faithful to obey.

The Amalekites Defeated

⁸ The Amalekites came and attacked the Israelites at Rephidim. ⁹ Moses said to Joshua, “Choose some of our men and go out to fight the Amalekites. Tomorrow I will stand on top of the hill with the staff of God in my hands.”

¹⁰ So Joshua fought the Amalekites as Moses had ordered, and Moses, Aaron and Hur went to the top of the hill. ¹¹ As long as Moses held up his hands, the Israelites were winning, but whenever he lowered his hands, the Amalekites were winning. ¹² When Moses’ hands grew tired, they took a stone and put it under him and he sat on it. Aaron and Hur held his hands up—one on one side, one on the other—so that his hands remained steady till sunset. ¹³ So Joshua overcame the Amalekite army with the sword.

¹⁴ Then the Lord said to Moses, “Write this on a scroll as something to be remembered and make sure that Joshua hears it, because I will completely blot out the name of Amalek from under heaven.”

¹⁵ Moses built an altar and called it The Lord is my Banner. ¹⁶ He said, “Because hands were lifted up against the throne of the Lord, the Lord will be at war against the Amalekites from generation to generation.”

We later find out that Joshua is Moses’ aide or assistant. It is suggested that Joshua goes up the Mountain of Sinai (at least part way) with Moses where GOD gives Moses the ten commandments.

Exodus 24:12-14

¹² The Lord said to Moses, “Come up to me on the mountain and stay here, and I will give you the tablets of stone with the law and commandments I have written for their instruction.”

¹³ Then Moses set out with Joshua his aide, and Moses went up on the mountain of God. ¹⁴ He said to the elders, “Wait here for us until we come back to you. Aaron and Hur are with you, and anyone involved in a dispute can go to them.”

We learn that Moses and Joshua are in the tent where Moses meets with GOD. After Moses leaves, Joshua remains in the tent.

Exodus 33:10-11

¹⁰ Whenever the people saw the pillar of cloud standing at the entrance to the tent, they all stood and worshiped, each at the entrance to their tent. ¹¹ The Lord would speak to Moses face to face, as one speaks to a friend. Then Moses would return to the camp, but his young aide Joshua son of Nun did not leave the tent.

We learn in Numbers 11:28 that Joshua had been Moses’ aide since youth.

When we choose to spend time by serving a servant leader such as a pastor, we may learn valuable insights into relating with GOD and come to benefit from this amicable relationship. More importantly, it is when we choose to spend time with the LORD in HIS Presence that we are equipped for servant leadership ourselves to bring benefit to the Body of Christ in HIS church...

We learn that Joshua is from the tribe of Ephraim and is named Hoshea, son of Nun in Numbers 13:8. Moses changed his name to Joshua as recorded in Numbers 13:16. Joshua, or Jehoshua means “Yahweh is deliverance” or “salvation.”

GOD commanded Moses to send men, 1 leader from each of the 12 tribes, to explore Canaan to which HE was giving to the Israelites as the promised land. Joshua is the leader of Ephraim who is sent. All the men spent 40 days investigating the land GOD was giving them.

When they returned to report their findings to Moses, they presented a sampling of the fruit of the land that was exceedingly good. However, they told Moses how big the people and the fortified cities were. Caleb, son of Jephunneh, the leader of the tribe of Judah, interjected by saying to Moses and all the Israelites that they should go and possess the land with confidence that they could do it. However, the men who had gone with him responded with fear that they can’t attack for those that live in Canaan are more powerful than them.

When GOD is about to give something special that HE promises, we may be overcome with fear or even undergo spiritual attack by the enemy that delays the gift. If we just keep the faith, GOD will do HIS part in helping us overcome our fear and bring victory over our enemy...

At nightfall, the Israelites responded with loud voices and weeping. They complained to Moses and Aaron that it would have been better to die in Egypt or in this wilderness. They were in fear that they were being led to die by the sword in Canaan. They succumbed to despair and thought of assigning a leader to lead them back to Egypt.

If we linger in fear and doubt and fail to trust the LORD, we may want to go back to a previous place even though it is spiritually enslaving or seemingly comforting because it is what we're "used to."  We need to remember GOD wants to provide for us more abundantly and bring more freedom into our lives...

Joshua and Caleb show courage and confidence in GOD with their declaration of the LORD being with them and HIS promise to them to possess the land from the people inhabited their.

Numbers 14:5-9

⁵ Then Moses and Aaron fell facedown in front of the whole Israelite assembly gathered there. ⁶ Joshua son of Nun and Caleb son of Jephunneh, who were among those who had explored the land, tore their clothes ⁷ and said to the entire Israelite assembly, “The land we passed through and explored is exceedingly good. ⁸ If the Lord is pleased with us, he will lead us into that land, a land flowing with milk and honey, and will give it to us. ⁹ Only do not rebel against the Lord. And do not be afraid of the people of the land, because we will devour them. Their protection is gone, but the Lord is with us. Do not be afraid of them.”

Two believers standing together in truth with courage and confidence in the LORD can overcome all challenges presented.  GOD will help them overcome and be successful to do HIS will and obtain HIS promises...

The Israelites responded by saying they should stone Joshua and Caleb. However, the glory of the LORD came to the tent of meeting to be shown among them all. GOD is angry and tells Moses HE will destroy them that do not believe and trust in HIM, but Moses intercedes on their behalf reminding that the LORD is slow to anger, abounding in love, and forgiving sin and rebellion. Then GOD relents and agrees to not destroy all of them. GOD does bring judgement against them for their sin and unbelief. Those who saw HIS glory and HIS signs and wonders in bringing them out of Egypt would not be allowed to enter HIS promised land except for Joshua and Caleb.

Numbers 14:30-35

³⁰ Not one of you will enter the land I swore with uplifted hand to make your home, except Caleb son of Jephunneh and Joshua son of Nun. ³¹ As for your children that you said would be taken as plunder, I will bring them in to enjoy the land you have rejected. ³² But as for you, your bodies will fall in this wilderness. ³³ Your children will be shepherds here for forty years, suffering for your unfaithfulness, until the last of your bodies lies in the wilderness. ³⁴ For forty years—one year for each of the forty days you explored the land—you will suffer for your sins and know what it is like to have me against you.’ ³⁵ I, the Lord, have spoken, and I will surely do these things to this whole wicked community, which has banded together against me. They will meet their end in this wilderness; here they will die.”

It is wise to heed the commands of GOD, move forward in obedience, and let HIM give the victory to gain rewards rather than have disbelief, draw back in fear, and not trust in HIM only to suffer loss...

The 10 other men who explored the land died of a plague because they gave a bad report to the Israelites causing them to complain to Moses. Only Joshua and Caleb survived.

It is wise to stand for truth on the promises of GOD to encourage and build up our brothers and sisters with faith and not tear them down with unbelief which leads to fear and despair...

Moses asks the LORD to appoint a leader over the Israelites who will lead them into the promised land. The LORD chooses Joshua.

Numbers 27:12-23

Joshua to Succeed Moses

¹² Then the Lord said to Moses, “Go up this mountain in the Abarim Range and see the land I have given the Israelites. ¹³ After you have seen it, you too will be gathered to your people, as your brother Aaron was, ¹⁴ for when the community rebelled at the waters in the Desert of Zin, both of you disobeyed my command to honor me as holy before their eyes.” (These were the waters of Meribah Kadesh, in the Desert of Zin.)

¹⁵ Moses said to the Lord, ¹⁶ “May the Lord, the God who gives breath to all living things, appoint someone over this community ¹⁷ to go out and come in before them, one who will lead them out and bring them in, so the Lord’s people will not be like sheep without a shepherd.”

¹⁸ So the Lord said to Moses, “Take Joshua son of Nun, a man in whom is the spirit of leadership, and lay your hand on him. ¹⁹ Have him stand before Eleazar the priest and the entire assembly and commission him in their presence. ²⁰ Give him some of your authority so the whole Israelite community will obey him. ²¹ He is to stand before Eleazar the priest, who will obtain decisions for him by inquiring of the Urim before the Lord. At his command he and the entire community of the Israelites will go out, and at his command they will come in.”

²² Moses did as the Lord commanded him. He took Joshua and had him stand before Eleazar the priest and the whole assembly. ²³ Then he laid his hands on him and commissioned him, as the Lord instructed through Moses.

Moses, the leader of the Israelites, encouraged Joshua who was to lead the Israelites after he died to be the one who would go before them into the promised land. Then the LORD, HIMSELF, encouraged Joshua again.

Deuteronomy 31:7-8

⁷ Then Moses summoned Joshua and said to him in the presence of all Israel, “Be strong and courageous, for you must go with this people into the land that the Lord swore to their ancestors to give them, and you must divide it among them as their inheritance. ⁸ The Lord himself goes before you and will be with you; he will never leave you nor forsake you. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged.”

Deuteronomy 31:23

²³ The Lord gave this command to Joshua son of Nun: “Be strong and courageous, for you will bring the Israelites into the land I promised them on oath, and I myself will be with you.”

Before doing GOD's will, we may be encouraged by the pastor or other leader in the church as well as from the LORD to carry it out...

Deuteronomy 34:9

⁹ Now Joshua son of Nun was filled with the spirit of wisdom because Moses had laid his hands on him. So the Israelites listened to him and did what the Lord had commanded Moses.

We may ask the LORD for the spirit of wisdom for being equipped to do HIS will...

Joshua 1

Joshua Installed as Leader

1 After the death of Moses the servant of the Lord, the Lord said to Joshua son of Nun, Moses’ aide: ² “Moses my servant is dead. Now then, you and all these people, get ready to cross the Jordan River into the land I am about to give to them—to the Israelites. ³ I will give you every place where you set your foot, as I promised Moses. ⁴ Your territory will extend from the desert to Lebanon, and from the great river, the Euphrates—all the Hittite country—to the Mediterranean Sea in the west. ⁵ No one will be able to stand against you all the days of your life. As I was with Moses, so I will be with you; I will never leave you nor forsake you. ⁶ Be strong and courageous, because you will lead these people to inherit the land I swore to their ancestors to give them.

⁷ “Be strong and very courageous. Be careful to obey all the law my servant Moses gave you; do not turn from it to the right or to the left, that you may be successful wherever you go. ⁸ Keep this Book of the Law always on your lips; meditate on it day and night, so that you may be careful to do everything written in it. Then you will be prosperous and successful. ⁹ Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged, for the Lord your God will be with you wherever you go.”

¹⁰ So Joshua ordered the officers of the people: ¹¹ “Go through the camp and tell the people, ‘Get your provisions ready. Three days from now you will cross the Jordan here to go in and take possession of the land the Lord your God is giving you for your own.’”

¹² But to the Reubenites, the Gadites and the half-tribe of Manasseh, Joshua said, ¹³ “Remember the command that Moses the servant of the Lord gave you after he said, ‘The Lord your God will give you rest by giving you this land.’ ¹⁴ Your wives, your children and your livestock may stay in the land that Moses gave you east of the Jordan, but all your fighting men, ready for battle, must cross over ahead of your fellow Israelites. You are to help them ¹⁵ until the Lord gives them rest, as he has done for you, and until they too have taken possession of the land the Lord your God is giving them. After that, you may go back and occupy your own land, which Moses the servant of the Lord gave you east of the Jordan toward the sunrise.”

¹⁶ Then they answered Joshua, “Whatever you have commanded us we will do, and wherever you send us we will go. ¹⁷ Just as we fully obeyed Moses, so we will obey you. Only may the Lord your God be with you as he was with Moses. ¹⁸ Whoever rebels against your word and does not obey it, whatever you may command them, will be put to death. Only be strong and courageous!”

Upon preparation to do GOD's will, HE will continue to encourage and build us up to be strong and courageous...

Joshua 3:5-17

⁵ Joshua told the people, “Consecrate yourselves, for tomorrow the Lord will do amazing things among you.”

⁶ Joshua said to the priests, “Take up the ark of the covenant and pass on ahead of the people.” So they took it up and went ahead of them.

⁷ And the Lord said to Joshua, “Today I will begin to exalt you in the eyes of all Israel, so they may know that I am with you as I was with Moses. ⁸ Tell the priests who carry the ark of the covenant: ‘When you reach the edge of the Jordan’s waters, go and stand in the river.’”

⁹ Joshua said to the Israelites, “Come here and listen to the words of the Lord your God. ¹⁰ This is how you will know that the living God is among you and that he will certainly drive out before you the Canaanites, Hittites, Hivites, Perizzites, Girgashites, Amorites and Jebusites. ¹¹ See, the ark of the covenant of the Lord of all the earth will go into the Jordan ahead of you. ¹² Now then, choose twelve men from the tribes of Israel, one from each tribe. ¹³ And as soon as the priests who carry the ark of the Lord—the Lord of all the earth—set foot in the Jordan, its waters flowing downstream will be cut off and stand up in a heap.”

¹⁴ So when the people broke camp to cross the Jordan, the priests carrying the ark of the covenant went ahead of them. ¹⁵ Now the Jordan is at flood stage all during harvest. Yet as soon as the priests who carried the ark reached the Jordan and their feet touched the water’s edge, ¹⁶ the water from upstream stopped flowing. It piled up in a heap a great distance away, at a town called Adam in the vicinity of Zarethan, while the water flowing down to the Sea of the Arabah (that is, the Dead Sea) was completely cut off. So the people crossed over opposite Jericho. ¹⁷ The priests who carried the ark of the covenant of the Lord stopped in the middle of the Jordan and stood on dry ground, while all Israel passed by until the whole nation had completed the crossing on dry ground.

GOD will be with us who do HIS will and provide for the means in which to be successful...

Joshua 4

4 When the whole nation had finished crossing the Jordan, the Lord said to Joshua, ² “Choose twelve men from among the people, one from each tribe, ³ and tell them to take up twelve stones from the middle of the Jordan, from right where the priests are standing, and carry them over with you and put them down at the place where you stay tonight.”

⁴ So Joshua called together the twelve men he had appointed from the Israelites, one from each tribe, ⁵ and said to them, “Go over before the ark of the Lord your God into the middle of the Jordan. Each of you is to take up a stone on his shoulder, according to the number of the tribes of the Israelites, ⁶ to serve as a sign among you. In the future, when your children ask you, ‘What do these stones mean?’ ⁷ tell them that the flow of the Jordan was cut off before the ark of the covenant of the Lord. When it crossed the Jordan, the waters of the Jordan were cut off. These stones are to be a memorial to the people of Israel forever.”

⁸ So the Israelites did as Joshua commanded them. They took twelve stones from the middle of the Jordan, according to the number of the tribes of the Israelites, as the Lord had told Joshua; and they carried them over with them to their camp, where they put them down. ⁹ Joshua set up the twelve stones that had been^[a] in the middle of the Jordan at the spot where the priests who carried the ark of the covenant had stood. And they are there to this day.

¹⁰ Now the priests who carried the ark remained standing in the middle of the Jordan until everything the Lord had commanded Joshua was done by the people, just as Moses had directed Joshua. The people hurried over, ¹¹ and as soon as all of them had crossed, the ark of the Lord and the priests came to the other side while the people watched. ¹² The men of Reuben, Gad and the half-tribe of Manasseh crossed over, ready for battle, in front of the Israelites, as Moses had directed them. ¹³ About forty thousand armed for battle crossed over before the Lord to the plains of Jericho for war.

¹⁴ That day the Lord exalted Joshua in the sight of all Israel; and they stood in awe of him all the days of his life, just as they had stood in awe of Moses.

¹⁵ Then the Lord said to Joshua, ¹⁶ “Command the priests carrying the ark of the covenant law to come up out of the Jordan.”

¹⁷ So Joshua commanded the priests, “Come up out of the Jordan.”

¹⁸ And the priests came up out of the river carrying the ark of the covenant of the Lord. No sooner had they set their feet on the dry ground than the waters of the Jordan returned to their place and ran at flood stage as before.

¹⁹ On the tenth day of the first month the people went up from the Jordan and camped at Gilgal on the eastern border of Jericho. ²⁰ And Joshua set up at Gilgal the twelve stones they had taken out of the Jordan. ²¹ He said to the Israelites, “In the future when your descendants ask their parents, ‘What do these stones mean?’ ²² tell them, ‘Israel crossed the Jordan on dry ground.’ ²³ For the Lord your God dried up the Jordan before you until you had crossed over. The Lord your God did to the Jordan what he had done to the Red Sea when he dried it up before us until we had crossed over. ²⁴ He did this so that all the peoples of the earth might know that the hand of the Lord is powerful and so that you might always fear the Lord your God.”

As Joshua is near Jericho, the commander of the LORD’s army stands with sword in front of him and gives the command for Joshua to remove his sandals for he is standing on holy ground to which he obeys. Then the LORD gives direction on how to overtake Jericho.

Joshua 6:1-5

6 Now the gates of Jericho were securely barred because of the Israelites. No one went out and no one came in.

² Then the Lord said to Joshua, “See, I have delivered Jericho into your hands, along with its king and its fighting men. ³ March around the city once with all the armed men. Do this for six days. ⁴ Have seven priests carry trumpets of rams’ horns in front of the ark. On the seventh day, march around the city seven times, with the priests blowing the trumpets. ⁵ When you hear them sound a long blast on the trumpets, have the whole army give a loud shout; then the wall of the city will collapse and the army will go up, everyone straight in.”

Joshua and the Israelites go on to take Jericho when the wall falls down after marching around the city as the LORD instructed. However, GOD had also instructed that no Israelites take for themselves any of the devoted things in that city. Achan had taken some of the valuables he coveted and the Israelites are routed in the next battle for the city of Ai. The Israelites stone him and his family and all his livestock due to his sin and causing trouble for Israel. GOD’s anger is then turned away.

Our sin can cause us harm, even for our family, and extend to our brothers and sisters in Christ.  GOD's wrath was put on JESUS, HIS SON, who died on the cross for our sins.  We must humble ourselves and repent when we fail and make mistakes.  When we sin, we can confess our sin and HE will forgive our sins and cleanse us from all unrighteousness.  JESUS is our mediator who defends us and GOD remembers what HIS SON did for us to forgive us and show us mercy...  

GOD helps the Israelites to then take over Ai in the subsequent battle. The people of Gibeon who lived nearby told Joshua that they were from a far off land and offered to make a treaty with them. The treaty is made and Joshua finds out they live in the land they are taking over. So Joshua makes them slaves who serve the Israelites for this deception. They agree and Joshua prevents them from being killed. Joshua also comes to their rescue in Gibeon when the king of Jerusalem, king of Hebron, king of Jarmuth, king of Lachish, and king of Eglon join forces to attack Gibeon. Joshua is summoned by Gibeon and he and the Israelites attack them by surprise. GOD once again fights for the Israelites and puts their enemies into confusion so that they’re defeated at Gibeon. Joshua spoke in faith during the battle:

Joshua 10:12-14

¹² On the day the Lord gave the Amorites over to Israel, Joshua said to the Lord in the presence of Israel:

“Sun, stand still over Gibeon,
    and you, moon, over the Valley of Aijalon.”
¹³ So the sun stood still,
    and the moon stopped,
    till the nation avenged itself on its enemies,

as it is written in the Book of Jashar.

The sun stopped in the middle of the sky and delayed going down about a full day. ¹⁴ There has never been a day like it before or since, a day when the Lord listened to a human being. Surely the Lord was fighting for Israel!

GOD goes on to help Joshua and the Israelites take the southern and northern cities as well.

Joshua 11:23

²³ So Joshua took the entire land, just as the Lord had directed Moses, and he gave it as an inheritance to Israel according to their tribal divisions. Then the land had rest from war.

We can trust in and depend on GOD to fight our battles for us as we move forward in faith to do HIS will...  GOD gets all the praise, honor, and glory for what HE helps us to do for HE is ultimately the ONE who gives the victory...  So be strong and courageous!!...

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