PROSPERITY AND SUCCESS

“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- 8, NKJV). 

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

Does God take care of His people? Yes, He does! Psalm 23:1 and Psalm 37:25 make it very plain that He 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 any of that 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 was being established in his leadership role and the nation was being prepared for their future. The prosperity and success spoken of in these verses has to do with their crossing into the Promised Land — into their future.

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

It is never wrong to ask God for wisdom. “If any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask of God, who gives to all liberally and without reproach, and it will be given to him” (James 1:5-6).

Joshua 1:8 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” in the original language means “to advance, 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.

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. God spoke to him about his “way” or his “journey.” What we learn from this is that the principles God was establishing for Joshua 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 and keep us on the right road to success in our life’s journey.

Success is a relative term. To one person it may mean 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.”