A note of introduction… Joshua was a man of valor. He was valiant not because of his personal determination but because he relied on God to provide him everything he needed to fight the battles of his life. Joshua’s motto could have easily been Joshua 1:9, where God tells him, “Be strong and courageous. Do not be terrified; do not be discouraged, for the Lord your God will be with you wherever you go.” Joshua was a man of war. From the beginning of his life as a slave in Egypt, to his death in the Promised Land, Joshua fought the flesh and blood battles God directed him to fight. He led the Israelites into the Promised Land and he directed them, under God’s guidance, into their inheritance. We are a people of war. Ephesians 6:12 tells us “For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms.” Although our fight is in a different realm from Joshua’s fight, in many other ways it is the same. And, just like the Israelite nation, we are awaiting our inheritance (I Peter 1:4). If you want to be valiant, if you want to be strong and courageous as you fight the battles of life, if you are anxious to enter into your inheritance, join us as we examine the life of Joshua. Like all other Illumination studies, this workbook is written from the New International Version. You should be able to answer all the questions by either examining the text or examining your life. Please be sure to pray before you begin each lesson. We would like to add a word of explanation about the introductory boxes and the last section of each lesson entitled The Joshua Connection. The boxes at the beginning of each lesson are to help you set your mind for that lesson. They all have a New Testament reference, helping to tie the Old Testament book of Joshua to the New Testament. The Joshua Connection includes questions to show how the book of Joshua relates to life today. Our lives have been so blessed by this study of Joshua. Both of us have learned things about God and about ourselves that we have never noticed before. We hope you will receive the same blessing by your study of this book. Connie Barker and Karla Taylor
