And Jehovah, he it is that goeth before thee he will be with thee; he will not leave thee, nor forsake thee; fear not, neither be dismayed.
Moses is one hundred and twenty years old and cannot cross the Jordan, so he hands the people over to Joshua in front of the whole nation. Does Israel's future rest on the man who leads them, or on the One who goes ahead of them?
A failing leader, an abiding God
Moses gives this charge just as Israel loses its human support. One writer explains why losing Moses need not shake them:
They need not be afraid, then, even though Moses' strength is about to fail, and even though God strikes him down and sets him aside. The Lord remains, and He will cross over before them and subdue all their enemies. Joshua will also go ahead of them. They will have a leader, so that they learn to submit. Yet the One they truly submit to must be God. Leader and people, let them be strong, because weakness dishonours the God they belong to. He will not fail nor forsake.
A word to one man, a promise for all
Moses names Joshua in front of everyone. But what he tells him is not only for people in high office:
Joshua needed a special word for himself, because God called him to a leading place among the people. But the word to him contains the same precious truth as the word addressed to the whole assembly. God assures him that His presence and power are with him. This is enough for each, for all — for Joshua as for the most obscure member of the assembly. Yes, reader, and enough for you, whoever you are, and whatever your place in life.
The real Leader out in front
One writer looks past the human leader to the One who actually goes first, once the people's doubt has been answered:
So the Lord clears Himself of the blame that the unbelief of His people has laid on Him. He is the real Leader, the only one, and He is enough. He is the Shepherd of Israel. His eyes never grow tired, and His heart is never wrong. He is the One who "will neither slumber nor sleep."
The promise in the Lord's service
The same promise stands over the Lord's service. One writer links it to the courage that service asks for:
At the same time, the promise of never being left nor forsaken (Deut. 31:6, 8) keeps its full force. This is what you can count on in the Lord's service. His presence carries such power that no one will be able to stand before His servant. That power will never leave him. With this full encouragement, God calls the one who walks by the Spirit to be strong and courageous.
From Moses' assurance to God's promise
The New Testament repeats these words. One writer traces where the quotation comes from and how its standing changes:
The nearest wording to these words in Scripture is found in Deut. 31:6 and 1 Chron. 28:20. In the first passage Moses was addressing Israel before his death... Deut. 31:6 is the first place where both "fail" and "forsake" appear. So we may believe it was in the Apostle's mind. There Moses gives his assurance that the Lord keeps watching over His people. The Apostle saw that Moses was speaking the truth of God. Moses stated it as a fact he was sure of. The writer of Hebrews brings it forward as God's promise to His people, because God inspired Moses to say it.
Why fear is out of place
The command not to be afraid is not a call to summon up nerve. It rests on the strength of Another:
This strength comes from an arm that is not our own. It is the sweetest strength a creature can know. It is companionship, closeness, perfect security — all holiness and all wisdom. God with us means all that God is.
Summary
- Leader fails. Moses' strength is gone and God sets him aside. But God remains. The people's confidence must rest on Him, not on the man in front.
- God goes first. God Himself is the real Leader, and He is enough. He is the Shepherd whose eyes never tire and who never sleeps.
- Presence promised. God promises Joshua His presence and power. That is enough for each and for all, down to the least known person in the camp.
- Promise passed on. Moses stated it as a certainty. The New Testament repeats it as God's own promise, because Moses spoke by inspiration. It still holds in the Lord's service, where no one can stand before His servant.
- Fear silenced. The courage commanded comes from an arm that is not our own — "God with us" means all that God is.