进入应许地
约书亚记一章1至9节
1耶和华的仆人摩西死了以后，耶和华晓谕摩西的帮手，嫩的儿子约书亚，说：
2我的仆人摩西死了。现在你要起来，和众百姓过这约但河，往我所要赐给以色列人的地去。
3凡你们脚掌所踏之地，我都照着我所应许摩西的话赐给你们了。
4从旷野和这黎巴嫩，直到幼发拉底大河，赫人的全地，又到大海日落之处，都要作你们的境界。
5你平生的日子，必无一人能在你面前站立得住。我怎样与摩西同在，也必照样与你同在；我必不撇下你，也不丢弃你。
6你当刚强壮胆！因为你必使这百姓承受那地为业，就是我向他们列祖起誓应许赐给他们的地。
7只要刚强，大大壮胆，谨守遵行我仆人摩西所吩咐你的一切律法，不可偏离左右，使你无论往那里去，都可以顺利。
8这律法书不可离开你的口，总要昼夜思想，好使你谨守遵行这书上所写的一切话。如此，你的道路就可以亨通，凡事顺利。
9我岂没有吩咐你么？你当刚强壮胆！不要惧怕，也不要惊惶；因为你无论往那里去，耶和华─你的神必与你同在。
信息分享
我们已经在上个月的读经中，大致读完了出埃及记。新一代以色列人走到西乃山脚下扎营。然而，神并非要他们永远留在山下，也不是要他们永远在旷野中漂流；神的心意是要带领他们进入迦南地。约书亚记便记述了他们进入迦南地的经过。
以色列民的种种经历，可以成为我们人生的借鉴，让我们领悟到很多属灵的道理。约书亚记大致可以分为三大部分：进入迦南(第一至五章)，征服迦南(第六至十二章)，占领迦南(第十三至二十四章)。
全书以约书亚作为中心人物。他在埃及出生，跟随以色列人一同出埃及，在旷野生活了整整40年；可是，当众人不断向神抱怨，并作出种种背逆行为的时候，他却一直尽忠于神。如今，他被神拣选作摩西的接任人，成为众民的领袖。神在他成为领袖的一开始，便给他三个应许和三个命令。请再读第5节。神对他说：「我必与你同在，我必不撇下你，也不丢弃你。」还有甚么应许比这更宝贵呢？
然后，神吩咐约书亚「要刚强、要胆壮、不可偏离左右」。言下之意，是当约书亚继续往前走，他所遇到的境况，必定使他感到软弱、胆怯，甚或是想往后退。
恐惧是我们的头号敌人；只有信心才能克胜恐惧。然而，唯有我们愿意花时间去研读神的话语──圣经──我们才能得着神的应许，信心才能刚强起来。留意神在第8节对约书亚说甚么。约书亚当时只有摩西所写的五经──即旧约的头五卷书──但我们现在却拥有全本新旧约圣经，因此，我们对神的认识理应可以更深。神昔日吩咐约书亚的话，同样是对我们今天的信徒说的──要用心研读和思想神的话语；这既是我们的责任，也是我们的特权。
反思：
假设第8节所记的那句话，是神对你的吩咐，你会怎样回应呢？
TIME TO ENTER IN
Joshua 1: 1-9
1 After the death of Moses the servant of the LORD, it came to pass that the LORD spoke to Joshua the son of Nun, Moses’ assistant, saying:
2 “Moses My servant is dead. Now therefore, arise, go over this Jordan, you and all this people, to the land which I am giving to them—the children of Israel.
3 Every place that the sole of your foot will tread upon I have given you, as I said to Moses.
4 From the wilderness and this Lebanon as far as the great river, the River Euphrates, all the land of the Hittites, and to the Great Sea toward the going down of the sun, shall be your territory.
5 No man shall be able to stand before you all the days of your life; as I was with Moses, so I will be with you. I will not leave you nor forsake you.
6 Be strong and of good courage, for to this people you shall divide as an inheritance the land which I swore to their fathers to give them.
7 Only be strong and very courageous, that you may observe to do according to all the law which Moses My servant commanded you; do not turn from it to the right hand or to the left, that you may prosper wherever you go.
8 This Book of the Law shall not depart from your mouth, but you shall meditate in it day and night, that you may observe to do according to all that is written in it. For then you will make your way prosperous, and then you will have good success.
9 Have I not commanded you? Be strong and of good courage; do not be afraid, nor be dismayed, for the LORD your God is with you wherever you go.”
Message
Earlier in this series we read together part of the book of Exodus. We left the Children of Israel camped at Mt Sinai, but that was not the place God intended them to live permanently. Nor did he intend that they should wander for ever in the wilderness. His plan was to take them to Canaan. The book of Joshua tells us how they entered into that land.
This book tells us of their experiences and we can learn many lessons from those happenings. Here is historical fact which illustrates spiritual truth. There are three sections in the book:
- Entering the land - Chapters 1-5
- Overcoming the land- Chapters 6-12
- Occupying the land - Chapters 13-24
The story centres around the man Joshua. He had been born in Egypt and lived through the 40 years of the wilderness wanderings. He had been faithful when others complained and rebelled.
Now, as leader of the people, God gives to him three promises and three commands. Look at verse 5 again. God said, 'I will be with you; I will not fail you; I will not forsake or leave you'. Aren't those tremendous promises?
Then God said to Joshua 'Be strong'. That means he must have felt weak as he looked ahead. 'Be courageous.' That means he must have been afraid. 'Be not dismayed.' Does that mean he felt like resigning?
Fear is one of our worst enemies. Faith is the answer to it. Faith is made stronger by spending time in the Word of God, the Bible. Notice what God also said to Joshua in verse 8. Joshua had only the first five books of the Bible. We have the whole Bible. But our responsibility and privilege are the same - to spend time in reading and meditating on what God has said.
A QUESTION:
What is your response to verse 8?