Joshua 1:10-18
Jos 1:10
Then Joshua commanded the officers of the people,
saying,
This is a common pattern found throughout the Old
Testament where God will speak to the leader and then the leader will convey the
message to the other officers or leaders.
These officers or rulers would be the heads of the individual tribes as
they are ready to cross the Jordan into Canaan.
Jos 1:11
Pass through the host, and command the people, saying,
Prepare you
victuals; for within three days ye shall pass over this
Jordan, to go in to possess the land, which the LORD your God giveth you to
possess it.
Now they had to make preparations for the crossing.
Victuals would be food which probably included the Manna that came from
Heaven. This verse was probably
spoken by Joshua after the return of the spies in Chapter 2.
It is not out of the ordinary that sometimes phrases are written in the
Bible before they actually happened.
In this case the spies that Joshua sent out remained in the land three
days.
And they went, and came unto the
mountain, and abode there three days, until the pursuers were returned: and the
pursuers sought them throughout
all the way, but found them
not. (Joshua 2:22) So they came
back with a good report, much better than they did forty years prior.
They were then to go into the land which the LORD gave them by covenant
with Abraham. The wording in this
verse is very encouraging because it is worded in the way that they will possess
the land, not may possess the land.
God’s promises are always a sure thing.
Jos 1:12
And to the Reubenites, and to the Gadites, and to half
the tribe of Manasseh, spake Joshua, saying,
Then Joshua spoke specifically to the tribe of Reuben,
Gad and the half tribe of Manasseh.
They had a special arrangement with Moses as written in Deuteronomy 3:12-20.
12 And this land, which we possessed
at that time, from Aroer, which is by the river Arnon, and half mount
Gilead, and the cities thereof, gave I unto the Reubenites and to the Gadites.
13 And the rest of Gilead, and all Bashan, being the kingdom
of Og, gave I unto the half tribe of Manasseh; all the region of Argob, with all
Bashan, which was called the land of giants. 14 Jair the son of
Manasseh took all the country of Argob unto the coasts of Geshuri and Maachathi;
and called them after his own name, Bashan-havoth-jair, unto this day. 15
And I gave Gilead unto Machir. 16 And unto the Reubenites and unto
the Gadites I gave from Gilead even unto the river Arnon half the valley, and
the border even unto the river Jabbok, which is the border of the
children of Ammon; 17 The plain also, and Jordan, and the coast
thereof, from Chinnereth even unto the sea of the plain, even the
salt sea, under Ashdoth-pisgah eastward. 18 And I commanded you at
that time, saying, The LORD your God hath given you this land to possess it: ye
shall pass over armed before your brethren the children of Israel, all that
are meet for the war. 19 But your wives, and your little ones,
and your cattle, (for I know that ye have much cattle,) shall abide in
your cities which I have given you; 20 Until the LORD have given rest
unto your brethren, as well as unto you, and until they also possess the
land which the LORD your God hath given them beyond Jordan: and then
shall ye return every man unto his possession, which I have given you.
(Deuteronomy 3:12-20)
Jos 1:13
Remember the word which Moses the servant of the LORD
commanded you, saying, The LORD your God hath given you rest, and hath given you
this land.
He now reiterates the portion of Deuteronomy 3 where
they had the special arrangement with Moses that they would live on the east
side of the Jordan river. The rest
that he gave them was the fact that they were now enjoying the fulfillment of
the covenant that God made with Abraham.
They will enjoy rest in the land where they will dwell in safety by
promise of the LORD.
And Moses said unto them, If the children
of Gad and the children of Reuben will pass with you over Jordan, every man
armed to battle, before the LORD, and the land shall be subdued before you; then
ye shall give them the land of Gilead for a possession: (Numbers 32:29)
Then Joshua reminds them that they will come into the land armed so they
would be ready for battle but the LORD had promised they would receive the land
so the battle would have been the Lord’s but they were to remain vigilant.
Jos 1:14
Your wives, your little ones, and your cattle, shall
remain in the land which Moses gave you on this side Jordan; but ye shall pass
before your brethren armed, all the mighty men of valour, and help them;
Then Joshua states that all the wives and children were
to remain in the land which was on the east side of the Jordan.
They were to put down roots and were to start living in those lands as
their homes.
And they came near unto him, and said, We
will build sheepfolds here for our cattle, and cities for our little ones:
(Numbers 32:16) Since many
battles were to be fought on the western side of the Jordan, Joshua is stating
that the men were to be ready for battle as they were to aid the other tribes in
their fight for their new homeland.
According to Joshua 4:13 there approximately 40,000 armed men.
About forty thousand prepared for
war passed over before the LORD unto battle, to the plains of Jericho. (Joshua
4:13)
Jos 1:15
Until the LORD have given your brethren rest, as he
hath given you, and they also have possessed the land which the LORD your
God giveth them: then ye shall return unto the land of your possession, and
enjoy it, which Moses the LORD'S servant gave you on this side Jordan toward the
sunrising.
25 And
the children of Gad and the children of Reuben spake unto Moses, saying, Thy
servants will do as my lord commandeth. 26 Our little ones, our
wives, our flocks, and all our cattle, shall be there in the cities of Gilead:
27 But thy servants will pass over, every man armed for war, before
the LORD to battle, as my lord saith. (Numbers 32:25-27)
The tribes of Gad and Reuben were to fight alongside the other tribes
until all the land was subdued.
There could have been no peace for the Israelites if the heathens were allowed
to dwell among them. Eventually
they became a snare to Israel but for now they were to fight them and remove
them from the land until all the tribes had peace.
Then once peace and security was obtained, then they would be allowed to
return to their land on the east side which is spoken of as “toward the
sunrising.”
Jos 1:16
And they answered Joshua, saying, All that thou
commandest us we will do, and whithersoever thou sendest us, we will go.
Then the heads of the three tribes told Joshua that they
would obey all that he commands and would be willing to be deployed wherever
they were needed.
Jos 1:17
According as we hearkened unto Moses in all things, so
will we hearken unto thee: only the LORD thy God be with thee, as he was with
Moses.
The heads of the three tribes stated just as when the
arrangement was made with Moses concerning helping the tribes on the west side
of the Jordan, that as they hearkened which is careful attention to what Moses
said they would now fulfill those words with actions but it was contingent upon
the LORD being with Joshua as he was with Moses.
This means that Joshua must be acting under the direction of the LORD
because if he was acting on his own it could spell disaster for the troops.
Jos 1:18
Whosoever he be that doth rebel against thy
commandment, and will not hearken unto thy words in all that thou commandest
him, he shall be put to death: only be strong and of a good courage.