Be strong and courageous, because you will lead these people to inherit the land I swore to their forefathers to give them. Be strong and very courageous….Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be terrified; do not be discouraged, for the LORD your God will be with you wherever you go. (Joshua 1:6-7, 9)

Moses is dead, but Joshua is not, and he has inherited the mantle to continue the work. God reaffirms the promises he made to Abraham, Moses, and Israel. And he assures Joshua that the divine presence and power would remain with him.

Now Joshua must lead the people forward in a mission of military conquest. Courage that arises from God’s promises is indispensable to any believer, and indeed all of Israel was told, “Be strong and courageous” (Deuteronomy 31:6). But the necessity of courage is especially pronounced in a leader. He would encounter not only violent opposition from the enemies, but he must also endure criticisms from his own people. When both enemies and friends turn against him, he must persist in his mission. When his own people are afraid and discouraged, he must overcome their despair and restore them to faith. So God says to Joshua, “Be strong and courageous. Be strong and courageous. Be strong and courageous.”

Those who are supposedly on your side are often your greatest enemies. They would criticize you when they do not know what they are talking about. They would force their counsel upon you, although their suggestions are frequently unintelligent and contradictory. If you do not listen, they will call you arrogant. Indeed, “in the multitude of counsellors there is safety” (Proverbs 11:14, 24:6); however, and in the context of Proverbs, the Bible refers to wise counselors, but most of those who pressure you to accept their ideas will be very, very stupid people, and they will be as aggressive as they are stupid.

An excellent Christian leader or scholar would listen to people of faith, knowledge, and obedience, and take their words into account, but then he must follow God for himself and learn the truth for himself, so that he may become confident and self-possessed, and not easily swayed. He must be clear on his mission and doctrine, and then move forward no matter what, bulldozing over obstacles and oppositions.

Joshua’s generation indeed appears more faithful than the previous one. The people pledge their support to him, and they also say, “Only be strong and courageous” (1:18). There are those who do not think this way. They will criticize and complain, and they will say that your courage is arrogance, because they do not know courage for themselves. But God may also arrange for a different kind of people to come to you. They will be like Caleb, who had a different spirit in him and wholly followed God (Numbers 14:22), and who faithfully fought alongside Joshua all his life.