International Sunday School Lesson September 6, 2026
Welcome to another edition of our treatment of the International Sunday School Lesson. Today’s lesson is entitled, “Joshua Leads Courageously”, and it’s taken from Joshua the first chapter verse 1 through 11. It’s for September the 6th 2026.
Joshua 1:1–2 (ESV)
1 After the death of Moses the servant of the LORD, the LORD said to Joshua the son of Nun, Moses’ assistant, 2 “Moses my servant is dead. Now therefore arise, go over this Jordan, you and all this people, into the land that I am giving to them, to the people of Israel.
Now, the after in verse one emphasizes the connection between Deuteronomy 34 and Joshua 1. This also supports the theory that Joshua wrote the last chapter of Deuteronomy. The land that I am giving in these verses clearly states the promised land was given to the descendants of Abraham. God gave Israel 300,000 square miles of land and the most they ever claimed was only 30,000 square miles. They were given the land, but did not claim all of it. Much like we often don’t claim all we’re given. Ephesians 1:3 says, “Blessed be the God and father of the of our Lord Jesus Christ who has blessed us in Christ with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places.”1 We often do not claim and use all of the blessings that God has blessed us with. We need to try to correct that and try to claim and use all of these many blessings that we have received from the Lord God Almighty.
Joshua 1:3–5 (ESV)
3 Every place that the sole of your foot will tread upon I have given to you, just as I promised to Moses. 4 From the wilderness and this Lebanon as far as the great river, the river Euphrates, all the land of the Hittites 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. Just as I was with Moses, so I will be with you. I will not leave you or forsake you.
Now, it’s important for us to understand Israel’s ownership of the land was unconditional, but their possession of it was conditional. What do we mean by that? God gave them the title to it, but they had to go out and put their feet down to take what God had given them. Now, let’s think a little bit about Joshua. Joshua, before Moses’s death, was designated his successor. And we know that from Numbers 27:15-23, Deuteronomy 3:21-22, and Deuteronomy 31:1 through 8. Joshua had been Moses’s young aid for number of years. We know that from Exodus 24:13 and Numbers 11:28. Joshua was from the tribe of Ephraim. Numbers 13:8. And also too, Joshua lived to be a good old age. He lived to be 110 years old. We know that from Joshua 24:29. So, Joshua had a very unique life and he really was dedicated to the cause of God. He was really obedient to God. And I can’t think of a time in the Bible where it talks about Joshua messing up. We know Moses messed up. But Joshua, I can’t think of a time where he really dropped the ball and didn’t do what he was supposed to do. He was obedient.
6 Be strong and courageous, for you shall cause this people to inherit the land that I swore to their fathers to give them. 7 Only be strong and very courageous, being careful to do according to all the law that Moses my servant commanded you. Do not turn from it to the right hand or to the left, that you may have good success wherever you go. (Joshua 1:6–7, ESV)
Now Joshua was commanded to do three things with regard to the Law. First, the law was not to depart from his mouth. He was to talk about it. We know from Deuteronomy 6:7, “you shall teach them diligently to your children and shall talk of them when you sit in your house and when you walk by the way and when you lie down and when you rise.”2 Joshua was to meditate on the on the law day and night. Psalm 1:2 says, “But his delight is in the law of the Lord, and on his law he meditates day and night.”3 And Joshua was to do everything written in the law. He was to obey the commands fully and act on them. We know from James 1:22-24,”But be ye doers of the word and not hearers only, deceiving yourselves. For if anyone is a hearer of the word and not a doer, he is like a man looks intently at his natural face in a mirror, and he looks at himself and goes away, and once he once forgets what he was like. But the one who looks into the perfect law, the law of liberty, and perseveres, being no hearer who forgets, but a doer who acts. He will be blessed in his doing.”4 Talk is cheap. Be a doer.
Joshua 1:8–9 (ESV)
8 This Book of the Law shall not depart from your mouth, but you shall meditate on it day and night, so that you may be careful 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 courageous. Do not be frightened, and do not be dismayed, for the LORD your God is with you wherever you go.”
Now this third call to courage addressed to Joshua was based on the promise of God’s presence. We know from Galatians 2:20, “I have been crucified with Christ. It is no longer I who live but Christ who lives in me and the life I now live in the flesh. I live by the faith in the son of God who loved me and gave himself for me.”5 We have a comforting thought that Jesus is with us. It is his presence and when we are facing facing difficulty it’s his presence that helps see us through.
Joshua 1:10–11 (ESV)
10 And Joshua commanded the officers of the people, 11 “Pass through the midst of the camp and command the people, ‘Prepare your provisions, for within three days you are to pass over this Jordan to go in to take possession of the land that the LORD your God is giving you to possess.’ ”
The Jordan River is a miraculous spot in the history of the Bible. The river was dried up by a miracle three different times. It was Joshua used as the instrument the first time. And we see that in Joshua 31 through 4:23 and 51. Then Elijah was the instrument God used to drive the Jordan River. And we see that in 2 Kings 27:8. And then Elisha was the instrument that God used to dry up the Jordan River. We know see that in 2 Kings 23:4.
A couple concluding thoughts. First, do what God called you to do. If Joshua had just sat down and said this just looks too hard, then that would have been catastrophic. But he didn’t. He knew what he was commanded to do. He went to do what God had commanded him to do. And that’s exactly what we are to do. We are to do what God’s called us to do. Properly prepare the next generation just as Moses did when he was working with Joshua. There was a lot of mentoring between Moses and Joshua. That may very well be why Joshua was so successful and so dedicated. Moses had put so much effort into Joshua to mentor him. Also too, don’t be in fear with God on your side. Let go of the fear because God’s going to look out after you. Another thought, meditate on the word of God and obey it. The last thing I want to remind you from this lesson is occupy and receive the promises of God. Don’t just sit there. Go out there and and and take those promises. Accept those promises. Walk in His goodness. Walk in His power. Walk in His strength. Accept the blessings of God. Well, friends, good Lord willing, I’ll be back with you next weekend.
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