I doubt any writer could inspect Joshua chapter 1 without commenting on that great 8th verse. I suspect it ranks as one of the greatest promises in all the Bible.
The Lord meant it to encourage Joshua too, undoubtedly. I say that because the very next verse seems to have linkage with its neighbor, verse 9 I mean.
“This book of the law shall not depart out of thy mouth; but thou shalt meditate therein day and night, that thou mayest observe to do according to all that is written therein: for then thou shalt make thy way prosperous, and then thou shalt have good success.” Joshua 1:8
Then subsequently, verse 9. “Be strong and of a good courage; be not afraid, neither be thou dismayed: for the LORD thy God is with thee whithersoever thou goest.”
Wow!
Let’s discuss these truths.
The expression “this book of the law” is a synonym for the writings of Moses (Genesis through Deuteronomy) at least. But I think the phrase also represents (now) the whole (completed) Word of God, all the Bible!
Keep its words, Joshua, in “thy mouth!”
Then immediately God commanded his new General … “meditate” therein day and night.
These two expressions have similarities.
The noun “mouth” is “peh” in Hebrew, with its root verb suggesting the action of “breaking, shattering, destroying” something! Yes, the words we speak are that dangerous! Think of this! A “danger warning” is built into the very word God chose to represent our tongues, our vocabulary, our speaking!
And the verb “meditate?”
It is spelled “hagah” in Hebrew and basically means “to mutter, to growl, to speak” lowly, almost under one’s breath! (In other words, get a piece of God’s Word and think about it all day, rolling it off your tongue, uttering its phrases all through the night!)
By the way, we learn to mediate on the Word … in order to obey the Word! (“That thou mayest observe to do!”) That’s a given in all Bible study!
And then IF (instead of hurting people with my words) I use my tongue to talk the Bible … to edify myself … God will then do some things! God will send some parallel blessings along with that “pondering” and all that “doing” His Word!
And those are?
“Then thou shalt make thy way prosperous, and then thou shalt have good success.” Prosperity and success!
The first word (translated “to make one’s way prosperous”) means “to break out, to make progress.”
And the second (“having good success”) means ” to become wise!”
This is thrilling!
Then (verse 9 as I said earlier) it seems that God’s Word might be equivalent to (in some ways) to God’s very Presence!
Again … consequently … “the LORD thy God is with thee whithersoever thou goest.”
The order now …
Get some Scripture in your mind.
Talk it, speak it quietly (meditate) all day (and night).
Determine to obey it, letting it impact your life.
Then let God do the rest, blessing you as He sees fit, as He has promised.
And you will thereby be (and likely stay) encouraged!
Amen!
Like I said, how could any Preacher omit sharing this thought?
This great promise?
— Dr. Mike Bagwell