THE COVENANT CONTINUES
LESSON FOR THE JUNIOR CLASSES
STUDY SCRIPTURE:
JOSHUA 1: 1-11
Key Verse
“Have 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”.
Joshua1:9
INTRODUCTION
Have you ever had someone that is very close to you who passed on (died)? That was a tremendous loss, a big loss. That sad experience however calls on you to step up after that loss. You would have certainly cried a lot and you missed that person or that pet that you were close to, but in real life you have to step up and adjust.
In our Study Lesson we see how God helped the people of Israel to react to a great loss that they experienced. The great leader Moses had guided the nation for over 40 years through all kinds of tough experiences after he had under the direction of God LED the nation in their deliverance from bondage and slavery in Egypt. Now that they were about to enter the Promised Land, the land that God had promised them. Moses had died and so they needed a new leader. God provided this new leader in the person of Joshua who had been Moses’ personal servant and associate. Moses had taught Joshua well and Joshua was prepared and now ready to lead the people under the direction of God. Joshua had fought battles to protect the nation and he had been with Moses when he went to Mount Sinai. So Joshua was very close to Moses and had learned a lot from him.
But that was not enough to lead the people and. God knew that so God promised that just as He had been with Moses He would be with Joshua.
But God knew that the task would be a difficult one for Joshua had to lead the people to fight some very powerful tribes in the land of Canaan. So God promised that He would be always present with Joshua. He would never leave Joshua alone and by himself.
But then God commanded Joshua to show courage and to show that he was fearless because he depended on God. God told Joshua that he should be strong. He should not be terrified. He did not need to have any of those bad emotions because he should know that God would be with him. God is all powerful and so the enemies of Joshua and the nation of Israel would not be able to resist their coming into the land of Canaan.
Joshua believed God. Joshua accepted that promise from God and so he called together the elders and the leaders of the people and he told them that God had given him this promise and that they should move ahead and enter the land of Canaan to inherit.
It is important to remember that all the people that Joshua was talking to were under the age of 20. They were young people. Their parents had died in the wilderness travel because they had disobeyed God. But since God had promised the people of Israel that they would inherit the land of Canaan God had stuck with them and carried them through all kind of difficulties. Now they were ready to enter the land that was promised to them.
The promise was first given to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. This was a very powerful one because it was part of the Covenant that God had established with Abraham.
So let us remember that we are in the Covenant established by God with Abraham. God promised Abraham that He would bless all the nations of the earth through Abraham.
This means something very important for you personally. The God you believe in is a God of the Covenant. He will always be with you and will make you a child in His family as long as you accept the Lord Jesus Christ as your Saviour.
So do not be afraid of anything when you accept the Lord Jesus Christ as your Saviour. That is a guarantee that the presence of God will be with you and you will have the guarantee that you will survive and do well. So have courage and be strong and do what God has called you to do.