Discussion Questions

In Joshua 1 God repeats “Be strong and courageous…do not be cowardly or fearful” three times; what does that repetition reveal about what God expects from His leaders emotionally and morally, and how does that challenge the way Christians sometimes treat fear as unavoidable or excusable? JumpstartAnother way to ask: God tells Joshua three times to be strong and not afraid. What does that say about how God expects leaders to handle fear, and how does it challenge the idea that fear is just normal or excusable for Christians?

The speaker highlights God’s promise, “I will not forsake you nor disregard you”; how should Joshua’s situation shape our understanding of God’s presence—especially when God’s presence is paired with dangerous assignments rather than an easier life? JumpstartAnother way to ask: God promises Joshua, “I will not forsake you,” even while giving him a dangerous job. What does that teach us about God being with us when life gets harder, not easier?

The teaching states that Israel “will conquer and inherit the land…through obedience to God’s law and his commands,” and that “failures are the result of disobedience”; how does that framing confront modern evangelical instincts to separate “grace” from concrete obedience, and what do you do with that tension in your own theology? JumpstartAnother way to ask: The teaching says Israel would succeed by obeying God and would fail by disobeying. How does that push back on the idea that “grace” can be separated from real obedience, and how do you deal with that in what you believe?

The speaker argues that the Canaanite religion “had the potential of becoming a snare” and connects that to God’s command to wipe out Canaan; how do you wrestle with what this reveals about God’s seriousness toward idolatry and spiritual contamination, and what parallels (if any) should Christians draw without flattening the Old Covenant/New Covenant differences? JumpstartAnother way to ask: The speaker says Canaanite religion could trap Israel, and links that to God’s command to destroy Canaan. How do you wrestle with what this says about how serious God is about idolatry, and what lessons (if any) Christians should take while still respecting Old vs. New Covenant differences?

The transcript suggests an exercise: read Joshua and say “Jesus” every time you see “Joshua,” calling it “eye-opening” and “kind of creepy”; what specific scenes or themes become clearer (or more troubling) when you do that, and what does that imply about how the early church read “types and shadows”? JumpstartAnother way to ask: If you replace the name “Joshua” with “Jesus” while reading Joshua, what parts suddenly make more sense—or feel more disturbing? What might that say about how the early church read “types and shadows”?

Joshua is first seen as a young military commander (Exodus 17), yet the victory depends on Moses’ raised hands supported by Aaron and Hur; how does the speaker’s comparison (Joshua fighting with help vs. Jesus “alone” on the cross) reshape the way you think about spiritual warfare, suffering, and the role of the community? JumpstartAnother way to ask: Joshua fought while Moses, Aaron, and Hur supported him, but Jesus suffered “alone” on the cross. How does that comparison change how you think about spiritual battles, suffering, and how much we need other believers?

In Exodus 33 the people keep their distance while Moses meets God, but “his servant Joshua…did not depart from the tabernacle”; what might that detail reveal about early Israel’s assumptions about access to God’s presence, and what habits today show Christians “standing at the tent door” versus pressing in? JumpstartAnother way to ask: In Exodus 33 the people stay back, but Joshua stays near the tabernacle. What might that show about who felt close to God’s presence then, and what does it look like today to “stay at the door” versus drawing near to God?

The speaker says Joshua “understood what he needed most…good influence and good preparation,” and calls it rare to regret “too much preparation”; where do you see anti-preparation attitudes in modern Christian culture (including “just step out in faith” rhetoric), and what would it look like to pursue Joshua-like preparation without turning it into self-reliance? JumpstartAnother way to ask: The speaker says Joshua valued good influence and preparation, and that too much preparation is rarely a regret. Where do you see Christians resisting preparation (like “just step out in faith”), and how can we prepare well without relying on ourselves instead of God?

In Numbers 13 Joshua (Hosea) undergoes a name change and then publicly opposes the fearful majority, risking his life; what does this episode teach about loyalty to God when the religious crowd is unified in unbelief, and how would a first-century Christian community have expected believers to imitate that kind of costly dissent? JumpstartAnother way to ask: In Numbers 13 Joshua’s name changes and he stands against a fearful majority, even risking his life. What does that teach about staying loyal to God when the religious crowd is wrong, and how might early Christians have expected believers to take that kind of costly stand?

The speaker draws a strong line: “Moses, the lawgiver, could not bring Israel into the promised land…shows that the law of Moses cannot save…But Joshua/Jesus was able to bring them in…through grace”; how do you keep that typology from becoming a cheap “grace means no commands” conclusion, especially when Joshua 1 ties prosperity/understanding to meditating on and doing “the book of this law…day and night”? JumpstartAnother way to ask: The speaker says Moses (the law) couldn’t bring Israel in, but Joshua/Jesus could by grace. How do you keep that from turning into “grace means no commands,” especially since Joshua 1 links success to thinking about and obeying God’s law day and night?