It took Israel 40 years after leaving Egypt, but they made it. Dwelling on the edge of the Promised Land, the people listened to Moses remind them of their past and teach them about their future.
The aging leader, soon to die, stressed the covenant God had made with them. Israel wasn’t like the other nations; they were God’s chosen people. Belonging to Him, they owed Him their loyalty. And if the Israelites were faithful, the Lord would reward them.
Big time!
“So you will keep the words of this covenant and do them, in order that you may be successful in everything that you do.” – Deuteronomy 29:9 (NASB)
No matter what they encountered in the new land, God would bless them. Battles, business, farming, family–”whatever” covers a lot of ground! The Lord wants His people to succeed. And if they honor Him, they’ll prosper.
When Moses passed away, his leadership mantle fell to Joshua. He was responsible to lead the Israelites into the Promised Land and rid the region of the wicked nations that occupied it. Would he be up to the task? Or did he fear this challenge was too demanding?
God didn’t leave Joshua hanging; He told him what to do.
“Only be strong and very courageous; be careful to do according to all the Law which Moses My servant commanded you; do not turn from it to the right or to the left, so that you may achieve success wherever you go. 8This 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 achieve success.” – Joshua 1:7, 8 (NASB)
Covenant loyalty was the key. As Moses advised the Israelites, so now the Lord prodded Joshua. “This Book of the Law” contained the provisions of the covenant. As Joshua reflected on Scripture, he’d learn what God wanted him to do. And putting it into practice would pave the way to victory.
Not only for Joshua, but for the whole nation.
But what if Israel disobeyed? What if they forsook the covenant or neglected its obligations? The people wanted success, but they sought it their own way. Disregarding the covenant, the Israelites imitated the ways of the surrounding nations. They worshipped foreign gods and tried to appease idols.
God could have forsaken His failed people and they’d have deserved it. But He used this occasion to promise something better than the broken covenant.
A new covenant.
The prophet Jeremiah spoke about it centuries before Jesus Christ fulfilled it. The writer of the letter to the Hebrews quotes the prophet’s words:
“For in finding fault with the people, He says, ‘Behold, days are coming, says the Lord, when I will bring about a new covenant with the house of Israel and the house of Judah, 9not like the covenant which I made with their fathers on the day I took them by the hand to bring them out of the land of Egypt; for they did not continue in My covenant, and I did not care about them, says the Lord. 10For this is the covenant which I will make with the house of Israel after those days, declares the Lord: I will put My laws into their minds, and write them on their hearts. And I will be their God, and they shall be My people.’” – Hebrews 8:8-10 (NASB)
There’s nothing wrong with God’s Law; there’s a problem with us! Left to ourselves, we’ll drift from our commitment to the Lord. Other things will absorb our attention and over time, God will seem less and less important.
But the new covenant solves that problem. Through Jesus, we have something greater than excellent rules and regulations. His Word is now engraved on our hearts.
We still have responsibilities but now we have holy inclinations. Our “want tos” have changed! We seek to deepen our relationship with God. We look to tackle the problems we face with the wisdom His Spirit speaks within us. And we trust Jesus to help us overcome all the trials of life.
Inner transformation results in good works that enrich us and bless others. This is success in God’s way.
