Be Strong and Courageous
Toward the end of his first letter, the apostle John reminds his readers that to show their love and gratitude to the Lord, they have to obey Him.
“For this is the love of God, that we keep His commandments; and His commandments are not burdensome.” - 1 John 5:3
By following the dictates of His will for us, we demonstrate our heart-felt commitment to Jesus Christ, the One who sacrificed Himself for us.
In general, we’re willing to obey Him, but we may question the limits of our dedication. Can we handle His demands? Is He asking too much of us?
In other words, are His commandments burdensome?
The Greek word translated “burdensome” is barus and it basically means “weighty” or “heavy.”
Bible scholars say there are 613 laws in the Old Testament. Adding New Testament commandments to this list, we’re sure to find at least one that we find tough to shoulder.
I can think of one!
In the Old Testament, there’s a command (actually a compound imperative) which intrigues me. It’s the phrase, “be strong and courageous” which occurs 16 times.
Now think about this. If someone tells us to be strong, doesn’t that imply that we’re going to have to do something arduous? If someone tells us to be courageous, doesn’t that suggest that we’re about to encounter danger?
So what seems like positive words intended to encourage us could backfire and unnerve us!
The context of this expression reinforces my concern. 12 of the 16 verses deal with the issue of warfare. And 7 of those 12 verses are addressed to or spoken by Joshua, the man God charged with leading the Israelites to fight for the Promised Land.
“Then Moses called to Joshua and said to him in the sight of all Israel, ‘Be strong and courageous, for you will go with this people into the land which the LORD has sworn to their fathers to give them, and you will give it to them as an inheritance.’” - Deuteronomy 31:7
“Then He commissioned Joshua the son of Nun, and said, ‘Be strong and courageous, for you will bring the sons of Israel into the land which I swore to them, and I will be with you.’” - Deuteronomy 31:23
“Be strong and courageous, for you shall give this people possession of the land which I swore to their fathers to give them. 7Only be strong and very courageous; be careful to do according to all the Law which Moses My servant commanded you; do not turn from it to the right or to the left, so that you may achieve success wherever you go. 8This Book of the Law shall not depart from your mouth, but you shall meditate on it day and night, so that you may be careful to do according to all that is written in it; for then you will make your way prosperous, and then you will achieve success. 9Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous! Do not be terrified nor dismayed, for the LORD your God is with you wherever you go.” - Joshua 1:6-9
“Anyone who rebels against your command and does not obey your words in all that you command him, shall be put to death; only be strong and courageous.” - Joshua 1:18
“Joshua then said to them, ‘Do not fear or be dismayed! Be strong and courageous, for the LORD will do this to all your enemies with whom you fight.’” - Joshua 10:25
Strength and courage seem to be the major themes of Joshua’s life!
Do you feel that way about yourself? How is the Lord prodding you to act with fortitude and daring?
Yet even if we engage the enemy, prolonged combat can drain our resolve. Battle fatigue is a real problem. We can prepare ourselves to stay in the fight, but eventually, our determination gets tested.
And one of the biggest tests is that of necessity. In the middle of battles, it occurs to us to ask, “Why am I fighting for what God promised me? Couldn’t He have just handed it to me? Why this war?”
Ever feel that way?
The Lord promised Joshua and the Israelites the land of Canaan. To get them there, He miraculously liberated them from slavery in Egypt. They didn’t have to declare war on Pharaoh; they just needed to follow the Lord as He delivered them.
Couldn’t the entry into the Promised Land have been the same? Shouldn’t they have been able to walk in and take over with no resistance?
That’s what I would have wished for, but that’s not what God had in mind for His people. He promised them the land, but they would have to fight for it by obeying His instructions. Every battle was different; no situation was the same. On each occasion, they had to seek the Lord for His direction. Joshua could lead them only because he himself was directed by God.
Both Egypt and Canaan were filled with idolaters who worshiped false gods and indulged in immoral practices. When the Lord freed Israel, He did so by fighting the gods of Egypt.
“For I will go through the land of Egypt on that night, and fatally strike all the firstborn in the land of Egypt, from the human firstborn to animals; and against all the gods of Egypt I will execute judgments--I am the LORD.” - Exodus 12:12
And He judged the Canaanites for similar behavior, while also warning the Israelites to remain holy.
For the land has become defiled, therefore I have brought its punishment upon it, so the land has vomited out its inhabitants. 26But as for you, you are to keep My statutes and My judgments, and you shall not do any of these abominations, neither the native, nor the stranger who resides among you 27(for the people of the land who were there before you did all these abominations, and the land has become defiled), 28so that the land will not vomit you out should you defile it, as it has vomited out the nation which was there before you. - Leviticus 18:25-28
The difference between the territories is that Canaan was the home God promised to Abraham and his descendants while Egypt was not. The Egyptians, although judged, could remain where they were. The Canaanites? Different story!
God wanted a clean land for His sanctified people. The terrain could no longer tolerate the wicked residents, so the Lord used the Israelites to drive them out. Under His guidance, Israel could thrive in holiness and fruitfulness.
As followers of Jesus Christ, we know we’re not to conduct warfare against people, but against spiritual beings.
“Then Jesus said to him, ‘Put your sword back into its place; for all those who take up the sword will perish by the sword.’” - Matthew 26:52
“For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the powers, against the world forces of this darkness, against the spiritual forces of wickedness in the heavenly places.” - Ephesians 6:10
The battle for our homes is real. It involves dealing with our hearts, but also with social and spiritual powers at work around us. To the greatest degree possible, we must steel ourselves to live for Christ and to share the gospel of His victory over the enemies of humanity. Egypt suffered judgment and Canaan was judged. But our society doesn’t have to be next.
If we’re strong and courageous in Jesus, we can make a difference in this world.
With His Word in our hearts, we will!
(The verses in this post are from the NASB20 version of the Bible.)
(Image is from https://www.agapebiblestudy.com/images/Joshua_study.jpg.)
Amen. Very good message. Sometimes it is hard to remember AND put these things in to practice during life's struggles. Thankfully, we have the Holy Spirit living inside of us!!