Week 21 (May 18–24): Joshua 1–8; 23–24

“Be Strong and of a Good Courage”

Orientation and Doctrinal Architecture (Three-Lens Framework)

1) Ancient Context (Joshua as covenant successor)

Israel stands at a covenant threshold. The bundle frames the moment with concrete obstacles and a leadership transition: “the children of Israel were finally going to inherit the promised land. But in their way stood the Jordan River, the walls of Jericho, and a mighty people who had rejected the Lord (see 1 Nephi 17:35). And they would have to face all of that without their beloved leader Moses.” (Come, Follow Me, For Home and Church: Old Testament 2026, “May 18–24. ‘Be Strong and of a Good Courage’”)

The divine answer to fear is not self-reliance but covenant presence: “Be strong and of a good courage.” (Joshua 1:9, quoted in CFM lesson introduction)

2) Modern Application (discipleship in personal “Jordan” moments)

The bundle applies Joshua’s threshold to contemporary discipleship: “When we have our own rivers to cross and walls to bring down, wonderful things can happen in our lives because ‘the Lord will do wonders among [us]’ (Joshua 3:5).” (CFM lesson introduction)

3) Eternal Principle (the Lord’s presence, mediated through covenant faithfulness)

The repeated rationale for courage is the Lord’s accompanying presence: “the Lord thy God is with thee whithersoever thou goest” (Joshua 1:9, quoted in CFM lesson introduction). Covenant faithfulness positions disciples to recognize divine “wonders” (Joshua 3:5, quoted in CFM lesson introduction) and to choose enduring allegiance (Joshua 24:15, referenced in Teaching Children section).

Historical and Cultural Matrix (from bundle-provided framing)

Threshold geography and symbolic barriers

The bundle names two emblematic barriers, “the Jordan River” and “the walls of Jericho,” and situates them as the final approach to promised inheritance. (CFM lesson introduction)

Leadership succession as covenant continuity

The bundle emphasizes that Israel must face these barriers “without their beloved leader Moses.” (CFM lesson introduction) Joshua’s call becomes a case study in how the Lord sustains covenant communities through prophetic succession.

Naming theology (Joshua as a typological sign)

The bundle provides a direct onomastic link: “The name Joshua (Yehoshua or Yeshua in Hebrew) means ‘Jehovah saves.’ And the name Jesus comes from Yeshua.” (CFM, “God will be with me as I strive to be faithful to Him”) This anchors typology in language: Joshua’s saving-leadership points to the Messiah’s saving work, as framed by the lesson.

Exegetical Analysis of Key Passages (8–10), using bundle-cited text and questions

Note: The bundle supplies selective direct quotations and study prompts rather than full chapter text. Exegesis below stays within those boundaries and quotes only what the bundle quotes verbatim.

1) Joshua 1:9, covenant courage grounded in divine presence

The bundle cites the Lord’s reason for courage:

“the Lord thy God is with thee whithersoever thou goest” (Joshua 1:9, quoted in CFM lesson introduction)

The theological logic is covenantal. Courage is commanded, then anchored in presence. The bundle explicitly rejects a strength-based reading: “It wasn’t because of their own strength, or even Moses’s or Joshua’s, but because ‘the Lord thy God is with thee whithersoever thou goest’ (Joshua 1:9).” (CFM lesson introduction)

2) Joshua 1:8, scripture meditation as covenant governance

The bundle highlights Joshua 1:8 as counsel about “the scriptures, or ‘the word of the law.’” (CFM, “The word of God can make my way prosperous”) It also provides the two key phrases for the study table:

Invitation: “Meditate day and night” (Joshua 1:8, in CFM table)
Promised blessing: “Prosper in the land” (Joshua 1:8, in CFM table)

The bundle’s pedagogical angle is practical and administrative: “Considering Joshua’s heavy responsibility, why might this counsel have been especially helpful?” (CFM, “The word of God can make my way prosperous”) Scripture is presented as governing wisdom for covenant stewardship.

3) Joshua 3:5, sanctification preceding divine wonders

The bundle quotes the promise and frames the condition:

“the Lord will do wonders among [us]” (Joshua 3:5, quoted in CFM lesson introduction)

It then poses the interpretive question: “Why do you think the Israelites needed to sanctify themselves before they crossed the Jordan River? (see Joshua 3:5).” (CFM, “With faith in Jesus Christ, I can experience God’s ‘wonders.’”) The logic is preparatory holiness preceding miraculous passage.

4) Joshua 3:13, 15, priestly feet and enacted faith

The bundle spotlights the timing of the miracle: “the river parted only after ‘the feet of the priests … were dipped in the brim of the water’ (Joshua 3:13, 15). Why is that significant?” (CFM, “With faith in Jesus Christ, I can experience God’s ‘wonders.’”) The lesson directs attention to embodied obedience that precedes visible deliverance.

5) Joshua 3:17, recognition of wonders

The bundle suggests Joshua 3:17 as a lens for recognizing wonders “more often”: “How can you experience, or recognize, those wonders more often? (for example, see Joshua 3:17).” (CFM, “With faith in Jesus Christ, I can experience God’s ‘wonders.’”) The emphasis is not only on miracles occurring but on covenant perception and remembrance.

6) Joshua 6:1–5, divine instructions and covenant warfare

The bundle asks readers to attend to the Lord’s “instructions for taking Jericho” (Joshua 6:1–5). (CFM, “Obedience invites God’s power into my life”) The exegetical emphasis is methodological: God’s deliverance operates through commanded patterns that may test trust.

7) Joshua 7:10–13, diagnosing defeat and removing “accursed” things

The bundle applies Joshua 7 to personal repentance and communal holiness: “Perhaps the account in Joshua 7 will inspire you to determine if ‘there is an accursed thing’ in your life that you need to remove (Joshua 7:13).” (CFM, “Obedience invites God’s power into my life”) It also offers the interpretive frame of temptation and moral struggle: “consider how you battle temptation (for example, see Joshua 7:10–13).” (CFM, same section)

8) Joshua 23:8, covenant adhesion as the end-of-life charge

The bundle names Joshua’s final counsel and asks why it comes at life’s end, then points to a phrase of covenant loyalty: “What do you find that inspires you to ‘cleave unto the Lord’? (Joshua 23:8).” (CFM, “Choose you this day whom ye will serve.”) “Cleave” functions as covenant language of attachment and fidelity.

9) Joshua 24:15, moral agency and household covenant identity

The Teaching Children section centers a memorization project in Joshua 24:15: “Memorize a short phrase from Joshua 24:15.” (CFM, “I can choose to serve Jesus Christ”) The adult lesson likewise foregrounds Joshua’s culminating call: “‘Choose you this day whom ye will serve.’” (CFM, “Joshua 23–24”) The passage is treated as covenant decision, not mere preference.

10) Joshua 2 with Hebrews 11:31 and James 2:25, faith and works in salvation

The bundle provides the interpretive key: “New Testament Christians saw Rahab as an example of the power of both faith and works (see Hebrews 11:31; James 2:25).” (CFM, “Both faith and works are necessary for salvation”) It then directs attention to outcomes: Rahab’s “faith and works” saving “herself, her family, and the Israelite spies.” (CFM, same section) The lesson’s doctrinal claim is explicit: “Both faith and works are necessary for salvation.” (CFM heading)

Scholarly Cross-Reference Web Matrix

Doctrinal Threads Across Dispensations

Primary Pattern: Covenant courage and obedient passage into promised inheritance ├─ Ancient Foundations (Genesis through Malachi) │ ├─ Joshua 1:9: │ │ > “the Lord thy God is with thee whithersoever thou goest” (Joshua 1:9, quoted in CFM lesson introduction) │ ├─ Joshua 3:5: │ │ > “the Lord will do wonders among [us]” (Joshua 3:5, quoted in CFM lesson introduction) │ └─ Prophetic type/symbol: Joshua’s name-sign points to divine salvation, “Joshua (Yehoshua or Yeshua in Hebrew) means ‘Jehovah saves.’ And the name Jesus comes from Yeshua.” (CFM, “God will be with me as I strive to be faithful to Him”) │ ├─ Meridian Fulfillment (New Testament parallels) │ ├─ Mark 1:9–11: see also Mark 1:9–11 (listed in CFM, “With faith in Jesus Christ, I can experience God’s ‘wonders.’”) │ ├─ Hebrews 11:31: see also Hebrews 11:31 (listed in CFM, “Both faith and works are necessary for salvation”) │ └─ James 2:25: see also James 2:25 (listed in CFM, “Both faith and works are necessary for salvation”) │ ├─ Restoration Revelation (D&C/Pearl of Great Price) │ ├─ Doctrine and Covenants 84:85: see also Doctrine and Covenants 84:85 (listed in CFM table under Joshua 1:8) │ ├─ 1 Nephi 15:23–24: see also 1 Nephi 15:23–24 (listed in CFM table under Joshua 1:8) │ └─ Helaman 3:29–30: see also Helaman 3:29–30 (listed in CFM table under Joshua 1:8) │ └─ Living Prophets (From bundle sources only) ├─ Russell M. Nelson, “Hear Him,” Ensign or Liahona, May 2020, last paragraph on page 89: see also this reference (listed in CFM table under Joshua 1:8) ├─ Dale G. Renlund, “Choose You This Day,” Ensign or Liahona, Nov. 2018, 104–6: see also this reference (listed in CFM, Joshua 23–24 section) └─ Modern application: The bundle directs further study to these prophetic sources but does not supply their exact wording.

Seminary and Institute Integration (bundle-grounded)

Scripture study as disciplined covenant practice

The bundle frames Joshua 1:8 with verbs beyond casual reading and connects them to promised outcomes: “When the Lord invites us to read the scriptures, He often uses words that go beyond just reading. He also promises great blessings.” (CFM, “The word of God can make my way prosperous”) The table format models a seminary-ready method: identify invitation language, then identify promised blessings (Joshua 1:8; 1 Nephi 15:23–24; 2 Nephi 32:3; Mosiah 1:7; Helaman 3:29–30; Doctrine and Covenants 84:85, all listed in the bundle).

Faith and works as a doctrinal pair

The Rahab unit explicitly ties Old Testament narrative to New Testament doctrinal interpretation (Hebrews 11:31; James 2:25), then asks learners to articulate how faith and works influence others. (CFM, “Both faith and works are necessary for salvation”)

Theological Discussion Points (10–12, progressing in sophistication)

Joshua 1:9 is quoted in the bundle as the reason for courage. How does the logic of divine presence function as covenant assurance rather than motivational rhetoric? (Joshua 1:9; CFM introduction)
The bundle contrasts courage grounded in God with courage grounded in “their own strength.” What forms of discipleship distortions arise when courage is treated as self-generated? (CFM introduction)
Joshua 1:8 links “Meditate day and night” with “Prosper in the land.” How does the bundle’s framing of “the word of the law” suggest governance for a covenant community? (Joshua 1:8; CFM “The word of God can make my way prosperous”)
The bundle asks why sanctification precedes crossing the Jordan (Joshua 3:5). What does sanctification imply about readiness to witness “wonders”? (Joshua 3:5; CFM “With faith… ‘wonders’”)
The river parts only after priestly feet enter the water (Joshua 3:13, 15). How does this sequence shape a theology of enacted faith? (CFM “With faith… ‘wonders’”)
The bundle points to multiple Jordan River events (2 Kings 2:6–15; 5:1–14; Mark 1:9–11). What continuities does the bundle encourage readers to trace across these passages? (CFM “With faith… ‘wonders’”)
Joshua 6:1–5 is presented as a case study in obedience and divine power. How does the bundle’s question about the Lord’s “instructions” shape a discipleship ethic for confronting temptation? (CFM “Obedience invites God’s power…”)
Joshua 7:13 uses the phrase “accursed thing” (quoted in the bundle). How does the bundle’s framing guide personal inventory without turning repentance into mere self-optimization? (Joshua 7:13; CFM “Obedience invites God’s power…”)
Joshua 23–24 appears as Joshua’s final teachings. Why might covenant warnings and blessings be concentrated at the end of a leader’s life, as the bundle asks? (CFM “Choose you this day…”)
Joshua 23:8 uses the phrase “cleave unto the Lord.” How does “cleaving” operate as covenant language rather than momentary commitment? (Joshua 23:8; CFM “Choose you this day…”)
Joshua 24:15 is presented for memorization and role-play with children. How does household discipleship shape covenant identity across generations? (CFM “I can choose to serve Jesus Christ”)
Rahab is framed as a New Testament example of “both faith and works” (Hebrews 11:31; James 2:25). How does the bundle’s claim that both are “necessary for salvation” shape readings of Joshua 2 as more than political espionage? (CFM “Both faith and works are necessary for salvation”)

Modern Prophetic Synthesis (bundle-limited)

The bundle provides two modern prophetic study anchors without quoting their text. They should be consulted directly as assigned readings:

Russell M. Nelson, “Hear Him,” Ensign or Liahona, May 2020, last paragraph on page 89 (listed in CFM table under Joshua 1:8).
Dale G. Renlund, “Choose You This Day,” Ensign or Liahona, Nov. 2018, 104–6 (listed in CFM, Joshua 23–24 section).

Teaching Applications (home, classroom, and family systems)

For adults and youth

Use the bundle’s two-part method for Joshua 1:8: identify the invitation (“Meditate day and night”) and the promised blessing (“Prosper in the land”), then extend the same method to the bundle’s listed cross-references. (CFM table under Joshua 1:8)
For Joshua 3–4, teach the sequence emphasized in the bundle: sanctify (Joshua 3:5), step into the water (Joshua 3:13, 15), then mark remembrance and recognition (see Joshua 3:17 as suggested). (CFM “With faith… ‘wonders’”)

For children

The bundle’s child-focused suggestions are concrete:

Memorize the repeated phrase from Joshua 1:6, 9, 18: “Be strong and of a good courage” (Joshua 1:6, referenced in Teaching Children section; repeated phrase noted there).
Relate Jordan crossing to baptism as symbol: “giving up our old life in the wilderness and starting a new one in a covenant relationship with God.” (CFM “I must be baptized to enter the kingdom of heaven.”)
Memorize a phrase from Joshua 24:15 and role-play choices to follow the Savior. (CFM “I can choose to serve Jesus Christ.”)

Personal Study Pathways (structured, bundle-based)

Courage dossier: Read Joshua 1:1–9 and collect every phrase the Lord uses to strengthen Joshua, then anchor each phrase to the bundle’s rationale in Joshua 1:9. (CFM “God will be with me…”; CFM introduction)
Scripture-covenant audit: Use the bundle’s invitation-blessing table method beginning with Joshua 1:8, then follow the listed references (1 Nephi 15:23–24; 2 Nephi 32:3; Mosiah 1:7; Helaman 3:29–30; Doctrine and Covenants 84:85). (CFM table)
Obedience and cleansing: Read Joshua 6–8 with the bundle’s temptation lens, then use Joshua 7:13’s phrase “accursed thing” as a prompt for repentance and removal. (CFM “Obedience invites God’s power into my life”)

Research Extensions (Church-approved, bundle-cited)

“Joshua, book of” in the Bible Dictionary (explicitly recommended in the bundle).
“Teaching in the Savior’s Way,” page 31 (quoted in the bundle: “Varying your teaching methods will help you meet their diverse needs”). (CFM Teaching Children section)
Hymn: “As I Search the Holy Scriptures,” Hymns, no. 277 (listed in the bundle).
“Joshua the Prophet” and “Rahab and the Spies” in Old Testament Stories, pages 85–91 (listed in the bundle).

These materials encourage careful attention to covenant presence, sanctified obedience, and deliberate choosing, as framed in Joshua 1–8 and 23–24 and reinforced by the bundle’s study prompts and cross-references.

Scholarly Study Guide: Joshua 1–8;23–24