STEPPING INTO OUR FUTURE - PART 5

“Only be strong and very courageous, that you may observe to do according to all the law which Moses My servant commanded you; do not turn from it to the right hand or to the left, that you may prosper wherever you go. This Book of the Law shall not depart from your mouth, but you shall meditate in it day and night, that you may observe 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” (Joshua 1:7 and 8, NKJV).

The terms “prosper, prosperous and success” are used in verses 7 and 8. Equating these terms primarily with affluence, influence and/or money is a very Western/American point of view and cultural response. Over the last several decades, whole theological positions have come to prominence that are more influenced by Western culture than they are appropriately balanced and founded on strong biblical principles. It is a mistake to impose on scripture a totally Western cultural viewpoint.

Does God take care of his people? Yes, He does! Psalm 23:1 and Psalm 37:25 make it very plain that God cares for His children. Does God promise to make His people rich? Does He promise that they will have big houses, drive fancy cars, and wear expensive clothes? No, He doesn’t! There is nothing wrong with that at all but this is not the predominant promise of scripture and those things are not guaranteed to anyone.

What do these verses mean then when they talk about success and prosperity?

When trying to interpret a scripture, it is always helpful to look at the larger context of what was happening at the time the portion of scripture was written. In this chapter, Joshua is being established in his leadership role and the nation is being prepared for their future.

Secondly, it is helpful to understand the original meaning of the Hebrew words that are used here and have been variously interpreted as prosper (v. 7), prosperous (v. 8), and success (v. 8).

The word prosper in verse 7 comes from the Hebrew word that means “to be circumspect, to be prudent, to act wisely.” This is a promise that God will bless His people with “wisdom.” I would rather be given wisdom than riches because a wise person will eventually translate that wisdom into affluence but an unwise person with riches will always be unwise and eventually will be broke. When God asked Solomon what He could bless him with…and Solomon asked for wisdom rather than gold…God smiled! (1 Kings 3:9-13) Solomon asked for wisdom and along the way became one of the wealthiest men in history.

It is not wrong to openly ask God for wisdom. “If any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask of God, who gives to all liberally and with out reproach, and it will be given to him” (James 1:5 & 6). I have made this scripture a prayer more times than I can ever remember.

In Joshua 1:8 the phrase we will look at says, “For then you will make your way prosperous.” This is speaking of our journey of life, our “way” or path. The word used here for “prosperous” means in the original language “to advance, prosper, make progress, succeed, be profitable.” This is a promise that life is not going to be able to hold us back but as we are obedient and open to Him, we will move ahead, break out and be successful as we follow His plan for our life.

The second phrase we will look at in verse 8 reads, “And then you will have good success.” The word used here for success is identical to the Hebrew word used for prosper in verse 7; the meaning is to “act prudently and with wisdom.”

What an interesting and thought-provoking flow there is in these scriptures. As I see it, what the Lord is saying is, “Ask for the right thing, ask for wisdom. Wisdom will get you on the right path and keep you there. Moments of breakout, of advance for you, will come. As you are centered in Me and are keeping My Word in you, My wisdom will continue to flow in you and will protect your forward progress.”

Remember that Joshua was being installed as the leader of a nation and I am sure that was not a comfortable fit to start with. It would take some time for Joshua to get into the harness and feel like he could do this. God spoke to him about his “way” or his “journey.” What we learn from this is that the principles that God was establishing for Joshua, for Solomon, are also true for us. God will give us wisdom and will teach us how to draw on Him and His Word for wisdom. Wisdom will get us on, and keep us on, the right road to the future.

Success is a relative term. Success to one person is having enough to eat and a dry place to sleep. To others, success means having a good job, a nice home and money in the bank. Success to the child of God cannot be measured by material possessions, bank accounts, or academic degrees. To a child of God, success means fulfilling God’s plan for his or her life. Joshua stepped boldly into God’s plan for him and it is recorded in Joshua 11:23:

“So Joshua took the entire land, just as the Lord had directed Moses, and he gave it as an inheritance to Israel according to their tribal divisions.”