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Joshua 1:9
Courage and God's Presence
Joshua 1:9
Haven’t I commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Don’t be afraid. Don’t be dismayed, for Yahweh your God is with you wherever you go.”
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Why it is worth knowing
- Courage is commanded: it is a choice, not just a feeling
- God’s presence is the basis for fearlessness, not circumstances
- Joshua was stepping into enormous responsibility after Moses’ death
- “Wherever you go” is a comprehensive promise: no exclusions
Where it sits: Joshua 1:7-9
Only be strong and very courageous. Be careful to observe to do according to all the law which Moses my servant commanded you. Don’t turn from it to the right hand or to the left, that you may have good success wherever you go. This book of the law shall not depart from your mouth, but you shall meditate on it day and night, that you may observe to do according to all that is written in it; for then you shall make your way prosperous, and then you shall have good success. Haven’t I commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Don’t be afraid. Don’t be dismayed, for Yahweh your God is with you wherever you go.”
Hear the passage it sits in, sung word for word, on BibleDo's Joshua page.
Background
Joshua had just been appointed to lead Israel after the death of Moses: one of the most formidable tasks in all of Scripture. God speaks these words directly to him three times in the first chapter. The charge to be strong is always paired with a reason: God’s presence and the promise of his Word. Courage, here, is not blind: it is anchored in the character of God.