Sunday Morning Bible Study 1/24/2010

“Be Strong and Courageous” (Joshua 1)

I. Observation
A. Context
1. Who are the main people of this passage? What do we know about them?
a. Joshua ____________________________________________________________
b. “East-Side” Tribes: ________________________________________________
2. When does this passage take place? __________________________________________
3. Where does this passage take place? __________________________________________
B. Summary of the Passage
1. The Lord Speaks to Joshua (1:1-9)
2. Joshua Speaks to His Officers (1:10-11)
3. Joshua Speaks to the Reubenites, Gadites, and half-tribe of Manasseh (1:12-15)
4. The “East-Side” Tribes Respond to Joshua (1:16-18)
C. Observation Questions
1. What commands does the Lord give Joshua? ____________________________________
________________________________________________________________________
2. Three times in this passage, the Lord tells Joshua to be strong and courageous….
a. Why did he need to be? (v. 6) __________________________________________
b. How was this courage to be maintained? (v. 7-8)
__________________________________________________________________
c. What is the basis for this courage? (v. 9) _________________________________
3. How does Joshua respond to the Lord’s words of affirmation and instruction?
________________________________________________________________________
4. What is Joshua’s message to the “East-Side Tribes”? _____________________________
5. How do the “East-Side” Tribes respond to Joshua’s words?
________________________________________________________________________

II. Interpretation
1. What does God reveal about His character or about Himself in this passage?
________________________________________________________________________
2. Why do you think God stresses this message of “be strong and courageous” to Joshua?
________________________________________________________________________
3. What does the E-S Tribes’ response to Joshua’s words tell us about them?
________________________________________________________________________
4. What are some of the main principles of this passage? What would you say is the theme?
Principles: ______________________________________________________________
Theme(s): _______________________________________________________________

III. Application
1. God doesn’t call us to failure. Joshua is presented with a seemingly impossible task,
but his assurance of success is not drawn from his own character or military experience.
Joshua’s hope for success rested in God’s promises to go before him and to be with him.
Whatever God calls you to do, rest assured that he will enable you to do it.
2. God knows what we need most from Him at all times. Faced with an impossible task,
Joshua needed reassurance that God was with him. When we face challenges in our
lives, we can rest assured that God is not absent from us; he know our fears and our
weaknesses and will never leave us nor forsake us. Cry out to Him; He will hear you!
3. God is faithful…always. His timing may not always be our timing, nor his methods our
methods, but God will do what he says He will do. God is the God who keeps His Word!

The Metropolitan Young Adult 2.0 Ministry (MYA 2.0) is a ministry of Metropolitan Baptist Church, OKC, OK (http://www.mbcokc.org)