Did you ever count how many times the Bible says, “Do not fear,” or “Do not be afraid”? The exact number is…a lot! (And, by the way, the popular meme on social media that says the number is 365 is incorrect, so the next time it makes its way around to your wall, don’t bother sharing it.) After Moses told the Israelites that God had told him he would not be crossing the Jordan River, he called Joshua, the son of Nun, and commissioned him to lead the people of God. Moses told him: “Be strong and courageous, for you shall go with this people into the land which the Lord has sworn to their fathers to give them, and you shall give it to them as an inheritance. The Lord is the one who goes ahead of you; He will be with you. He will not fail you or forsake you. Do not fear or be dismayed” (Deuteronomy 31:7, 8). I love that passage!
Think for a moment what Joshua was being asked to do. He was to lead a nation of refugees, over a million strong, into a region made up of several established nations with standing armies and fortified cities and kick them all out! This nation of refugees had proven themselves more than capable of being a handful for their leader. In fact, for almost forty years now, these Israelites had been wandering in the wilderness, forbidden by God to enter the land of Canaan, precisely because of their rebellious attitude. They gave Moses fits. Granted, after forty years in the wilderness, being cared for miraculously by Jehovah God, the people’s faith had grown, but this was still no easy task. And Moses says, “Don’t be afraid!”? Yeah, right!
On the other hand, did you catch Moses’ reasoning for saying not to fear? Joshua didn’t have to be afraid because the Lord was going ahead of him. If you’re a running back in football, how would you like your lead blocker to be the Creator of the universe; the One Who can command the opposition (or even the grass) to get out of your way and it has no choice but to obey? I’m not talking about anything miraculous in the application for us today, but imagine…the Lord goes ahead of His people!
I hope no one misunderstands what I’m saying here and think that God will condone sinful behavior. God doesn’t go head of you or me in endeavors opposed to His will. God did go ahead of Joshua, but when Joshua led the people away from God, or when they abandoned God, He did not remain with them. Notice Joshua 7:12, where God said to Joshua, “Therefore the sons of Israel cannot stand before their enemies; they turn their backs before their enemies, for they have become accursed. I will not be with you anymore unless you destroy the things under the ban from your midst.” Moses told Joshua that he didn’t have to be afraid because God was going ahead of him. Now, God tells Joshua that He will no longer be with him unless there is repentance. That translates into, “Joshua, unless you and the people repent, be afraid…be very afraid!”
Look what happened next. After Joshua and the people repented and the offender was punished, we read: “Now the Lord said to Joshua, ‘Do not fear or be dismayed. Take all the people of war with you and arise, go up to Ai; see I have given into your hand the king of Ai, his people, his city, and his land’” (Joshua 8:1).
What does all this have to do with us right now? It strikes me that there are a lot of people in this world who are faced with some rather daunting tasks; in fact, some tasks that appear downright impossible to accomplish. If those tasks involve fulfilling the will of God in your life, hear Moses’ words that we read from Deuteronomy 31:7, 8. If you are guilty of sin, then the words of Jehovah in Joshua 7:12 are vital for you to hear and understand. And when you repent, take Joshua 8:1 to heart. The particulars of what is required for true repentance are different for us now than they were for Joshua and the Israelites. Those particulars that apply to us are found in the New Testament and are not difficult to understand, but the principle is true for all. The life every person leads is difficult at times, but if you step out in fellowship with God (according to His definition of fellowship with Him), you do not have to be afraid of anything, as long as you remain His. Isn’t it wonderful to know that God loves you so much? Well, He does and so do I.
Donnie Bates