📖 Kozi ya Kina ya Yoshua — Sehemu ya 1: Agizo📖 Joshua Intensive — Unit 1: The Commission

Mwongozo wa KoziCourse Orientation

Karibu katika Kozi ya Kina ya Yoshua — somo la kina la sehemu kumi juu ya kitabu cha Agano la Kale cha Yoshua. Kozi hii inafuata kitabu cha Yoshua sura kwa sura, ikipitia ushindi wa Kanaani, vita vikuu vya imani, kugawanywa kwa urithi, na hatimaye agizo la mwisho la Yoshua alipokuwa akiwaaga watu: "Lakini mimi na nyumba yangu tutamtumikia BWANA." Kila sehemu inamalizika kwa mtihani wa maswali thelathini, na unahitaji asilimia 90 ili kufaulu. Ukishindwa sehemu ya maswali ya kuchagua jibu, sehemu hiyo inafungwa kwa dakika mbili; kwa wanafunzi wa ngazi ya uzamili, ukishindwa sehemu ya majibu mafupi, inafungwa kwa dakika kumi na tano. Kozi hii inatoa cheti cha kuhitimu baada ya kumaliza sehemu zote kumi.Welcome to the Joshua Intensive — a ten-unit, deep-dive study of the Old Testament book of Joshua. The course follows Joshua chapter by chapter, walking through the conquest of Canaan, the great battles of faith, the dividing of the inheritance, and finally Joshua's farewell charge: "As for me and my house, we will serve the Lord." Each unit ends with a thirty-question exam, requires 90% to pass. A failed multiple-choice section locks for two minutes; for master's-level students, a failed short-answer section locks for fifteen minutes. The course awards a certificate of completion upon finishing all ten units.

Kitabu cha Yoshua kimekaa kama bawaba katika Agano la Kale. Kitabu cha Mwanzo hadi Kumbukumbu la Torati vinasimulia jinsi Israeli walivyofika mpakani mwa nchi. Yoshua kinasimulia jinsi Israeli walivyoingia ndani ya nchi. Vitabu vitano vya Musa vinamalizika kwenye mto Yordani, Musa akiwa amekufa na watu wakiwa wamepiga kambi ng'ambo ya mashariki. Yoshua kinaanzia wakati huo huo hasa na kuendeleza hadithi kuvuka Yordani, kuzunguka Yeriko, kupitia dhambi ya Akani na kushindwa huko Ai, hadi kwenye udanganyifu wa Wagibeoni na ile siku ndefu ya Yoshua, kupitia ushindi wa kaskazini na wa kusini, na hatimaye hadi kugawanywa kwa urithi kati ya makabila kumi na mawili. Kitabu kinafungwa Yoshua akiwa na umri wa miaka mia na kumi, akisimama mbele ya watu aliowaongoza kwa kizazi kizima, akiwaagiza wachague ni nani watakayemtumikia.The book of Joshua sits at a hinge in the Old Testament. Genesis through Deuteronomy tell the story of how Israel got to the land. Joshua tells the story of how Israel got into the land. The five books of Moses end at the Jordan River with Moses dead and the people camped on the eastern bank. Joshua picks up at that exact moment and carries the story across the Jordan, around Jericho, through Achan's sin and Ai's defeat, into the Gibeonite deception and the long day of Joshua, through the conquest of the north and the south, and finally into the dividing of the inheritance among the twelve tribes. The book closes with Joshua at one hundred and ten years old standing before the people he had led for a generation, charging them to choose whom they would serve.

Neno kuu linaloshikilia kitabu hiki pamoja ni Ahadi. Mungu alikuwa amemwapia Ibrahimu nchi ya Kanaani zaidi ya miaka mia tano kabla ya matukio ya kitabu hiki. Aliirudia ahadi hiyo kwa Isaka, kwa Yakobo, na kwa Musa. Kitabu cha Yoshua ni utimizo wa kihistoria wa ahadi hiyo. Kile Mungu alichosema angefanya, alikifanya. Kile Mungu anachoahidi, Mungu hukitimiza. Hayo ndiyo mapigo ya moyo ya kitheolojia ya kitabu hiki, na yatakuwa mapigo ya moyo ya kila sehemu ya kozi hii.The keyword that holds the book together is Promise. God had sworn the land of Canaan to Abraham more than five hundred years before the events of this book. He repeated the promise to Isaac, to Jacob, and to Moses. The book of Joshua is the historical fulfillment of that promise. What God said He would do, He did. What God promises, God keeps. That is the theological heartbeat of the book, and it will be the heartbeat of every unit of this course.

Kitabu kwa MuhtasariThe Book at a Glance

Mwandishi: Yoshua mwenyewe aliandika sehemu kubwa ya kitabu, na Yoshua 24:1–26 imetajwa hasa kuwa maandishi yake; habari ya mwisho ya kifo na kuzikwa kwake huenda iliongezwa na kuhani Eleazari. Sehemu za mwanzo ziliandikwa wazi na mtu aliyeshuhudia kwa macho yake matukio yaliyoandikwa.Author: Joshua himself wrote the bulk of the book, with Joshua 24:1–26 specifically identified as his composition; the closing account of his death and burial was likely added by the priest Eleazar. The earlier portions were clearly written by an eyewitness of the events recorded.

Tarehe: Kutoka Misri kulitokea takriban 1448 K.K.; ushindi wa Kanaani chini ya Yoshua ulifanyika takriban 1400 K.K.Date: The Exodus from Egypt occurred around 1448 BC; the conquest of Canaan under Joshua took place around 1400 BC.

Mazingira: Dini ya Wakanaani wakati wa ushindi ilikuwa imeoza sana — ukahaba wa hekaluni wa wanaume na wanawake, kutoa watoto wachanga dhabihu, na machukizo ya kila namna. Ushindi huo ulikuwa hukumu ya Mungu juu ya utamaduni uliokuwa umejaza kipimo cha dhambi yake (Mwanzo 15:16; Mambo ya Walawi 18:24–25). Haikuwa vita vya Israeli; ilikuwa vita vya Mungu, vilivyopiganwa kupitia Israeli kama chombo chake.Background: Canaanite religion at the time of the conquest was deeply corrupt — temple prostitution of both sexes, infant sacrifice, and a wide array of abominations. The conquest was God's judgment on a culture that had filled up its measure of sin (Genesis 15:16; Leviticus 18:24–25). It was not Israel's war; it was God's war, fought through Israel as His instrument.

Misisitizo mitatu mikuu: uaminifu wa Mungu kwa ahadi yake ya nchi; umuhimu mkuu wa Sheria ya Mungu iliyoandikwa (1:8; 8:32–35; 23:6–16; 24:26–27); na utakatifu wa Mungu katika kuihukumu dhambi ya Wakanaani.Three central emphases: the faithfulness of God to His promise of the land; the supreme importance of the written Law of God (1:8; 8:32–35; 23:6–16; 24:26–27); and the holiness of God in judging the sin of the Canaanites.

I. Mazingira — Mazishi na Agizo (Yoshua 1:1–2)I. The Setting — A Funeral and a Commission (Joshua 1:1–2)

Kitabu kinaanza kwa mojawapo ya mabadiliko yenye matokeo makubwa kuliko yote katika Maandiko. "Ikawa, baada ya kufa kwake Musa, mtumishi wa BWANA, BWANA akamwambia Yoshua, mwana wa Nuni, mtumishi wa Musa, akisema, Musa, mtumishi wangu, amekufa; haya basi, ondoka, vuka mto huu wa Yordani, wewe na watu hawa wote, mwende hata nchi niwapayo, yaani, wana wa Israeli" (Yoshua 1:1–2).The book opens with one of the most consequential transitions in all of Scripture. "After the death of Moses the servant of the Lord, it came to pass that the Lord spoke to Joshua the son of Nun, Moses' assistant, saying: 'Moses My servant is dead. Now therefore, arise, go over this Jordan, you and all this people, to the land which I am giving to them — the children of Israel'" (Joshua 1:1–2).

Musa, mkombozi aliyewatoa Israeli Misri na kuwachunga kwa miaka arobaini jangwani, alikuwa amekufa. Kiongozi mkuu kuliko wote ambaye Israeli waliwahi kumjua alikuwa amezikwa katika kaburi lisilo na alama mahali fulani juu ya mlima Nebo. Israeli walikuwa wamemlilia siku thelathini katika nchi tambarare za Moabu (Kumbukumbu la Torati 34:8). Na sasa swali lilining'inia juu ya kambi kama vumbi la jangwa nyuma yao: sasa nini? Ni nani anayeweza kuchukua nafasi ya Musa? Ni nani anayeweza kuwaongoza watu hawa kuvuka Yordani kuingia katika nchi ya miji yenye ngome na wafalme waliozoea vita?Moses, the deliverer who led Israel out of Egypt and shepherded them through forty years of wilderness, was dead. The greatest leader Israel had ever known was buried in an unmarked grave somewhere on Mount Nebo. Israel had wept thirty days for him on the plains of Moab (Deuteronomy 34:8). And now the question hung over the camp like the dust of the wilderness behind them: what now? Who can replace Moses? Who can lead this people across the Jordan into a land of fortified cities and battle-hardened kings?

Jibu la Mungu linakuja mara moja. "Musa, mtumishi wangu, amekufa; haya basi, ondoka." Mungu huwazika watendakazi wake. Hauzikii kazi yake. Kifo cha hata kiongozi mkuu kuliko wote hakichelewesha makusudi ya Mungu hata kwa siku moja. Yoshua, mwanafunzi aliyesimama kando ya Musa kwa miaka arobaini, sasa ndiye mtu wa kazi. Mazishi yamekwisha. Agizo linaanza.God's answer comes immediately. "Moses My servant is dead. Now therefore, arise." God buries His workmen. He does not bury His work. The death of even the greatest leader does not slow the purposes of God by a single day. Joshua, the apprentice who had stood beside Moses for forty years, is now the man. The funeral is over. The commission begins.

II. Ahadi — Iliyongojewa Miaka Mia Tano, Sasa Imetimizwa (Yoshua 1:3–5)II. The Promise — Five Hundred Years Delayed, Now Fulfilled (Joshua 1:3–5)

"Kila mahali vitakapopakanyaga nyayo za miguu yenu nimewapa ninyi, kama vile nilivyomwambia Musa. Tangu jangwa hili na Lebanoni hata mto ule mkubwa, mto Frati, nchi yote ya Wahiti, hata bahari kubwa upande wa machweo ya jua, hiyo ndiyo itakayokuwa mipaka yenu. Hapatakuwa na mtu atakayeweza kusimama mbele yako siku zote za maisha yako; kama nilivyokuwa pamoja na Musa, ndivyo nitakavyokuwa pamoja na wewe; sitakupungukia wala sitakuacha" (Yoshua 1:3–5)."Every place that the sole of your foot will tread upon I have given you, as I said to Moses. From the wilderness and this Lebanon as far as the great river, the River Euphrates, all the land of the Hittites, and to the Great Sea toward the going down of the sun, shall be your territory. No man shall be able to stand before you all the days of your life; as I was with Moses, so I will be with you. I will not leave you nor forsake you" (Joshua 1:3–5).

Nchi ambayo Yoshua alikuwa karibu kuiingia ilikuwa imeahidiwa kwa Ibrahimu karne tano mapema katika Mwanzo 15. Kwa Ibrahimu, kisha kwa Isaka, kisha kwa Yakobo, kisha tena kwa Musa — Mungu alikuwa ameirudia ahadi hiyo kizazi baada ya kizazi. Sasa, miaka mia tano baadaye, wakati wa utimizo ulikuwa umefika. Mungu anayelitimiza neno lake kwa karne nyingi alikuwa karibu kuonyesha kwamba hulitimiza neno lake kwa karne nyingi.The land Joshua was about to enter had been promised to Abraham five centuries earlier in Genesis 15. To Abraham, then to Isaac, then to Jacob, then again to Moses — God had repeated the promise generation after generation. Now, five hundred years later, the time of fulfillment had come. The God who keeps His word across centuries was about to demonstrate that He keeps His word across centuries.

Booker T. Washington anasimulia habari ya mtu aliyekuwa mtumwa huko Virginia ambaye, miaka miwili au mitatu kabla ya Tangazo la Ukombozi wa Watumwa, alifanya mkataba na bwana wake wa kununua uhuru wake kidogo kidogo. Tangazo hilo lilipotolewa, mtu huyu aliyewekwa huru bado alikuwa na deni la dola mia tatu kwa bwana wake wa zamani. Kisheria, Tangazo hilo lilimweka huru kutoka kwa wajibu wowote. Lakini mtu huyu alitembea kwa miguu sehemu kubwa ya njia kurudi Virginia na kuweka dola ya mwisho, pamoja na riba, mikononi mwa bwana wake wa zamani. Alimwambia Washington kwamba alijua hakulazimika kulipa deni hilo — lakini alikuwa ametoa neno lake, na neno lake hakuwahi kulivunja. Hakuweza kufurahia uhuru wake mpaka alipokuwa ameitimiza ahadi yake.Booker T. Washington tells the story of an ex-slave from Virginia who, two or three years before the Emancipation Proclamation, made a contract with his master to buy his freedom over time. When the Proclamation came, this freedman was still in debt to his old master for three hundred dollars. Legally, the Proclamation freed him from any obligation. But this man walked the greater portion of the way back to Virginia and placed the last dollar, with interest, in his old master's hands. He told Washington he knew he did not have to pay the debt — but he had given his word, and his word he had never broken. He could not enjoy his freedom until he had fulfilled his promise.

Huo ni mfano unaomhusu Mungu. Kile Mungu anachosema, Mungu hukifanya. Kile Mungu anachoahidi, Mungu hukitimiza. Miaka mia tano si kitu kwa Mungu anayelitimiza neno lake. Mungu yule yule aliyemwahidi Ibrahimu, aliyetembea na Isaka, aliyeshindana mweleka na Yakobo, aliyesema kutoka katika kichaka kilichokuwa kikiwaka moto, sasa alikuwa amesimama pamoja na Yoshua ukingoni mwa Yordani akisema, "Kila mahali vitakapopakanyaga nyayo za miguu yenu nimewapa ninyi." Ahadi haikuchelewa. Ilikuwa imepangiwa wakati wake.That is a parable of God. What God says, God does. What God promises, God keeps. Five hundred years is nothing to a God who keeps His word. The same God who promised Abraham, who walked with Isaac, who wrestled with Jacob, who spoke from the burning bush, was now standing with Joshua at the edge of the Jordan and saying, "Every place the sole of your foot will tread upon, I have given you." The promise was not delayed. It was timed.

III. Agizo — Uwe Hodari na Moyo wa Ushujaa (Yoshua 1:6–9)III. The Charge — Be Strong and Courageous (Joshua 1:6–9)

Mara nne katika sura ya kwanza Yoshua anaagizwa kuwa hodari na mwenye moyo wa ushujaa. Kurudiwa huko si kwa bahati mbaya. "Uwe hodari na moyo wa ushujaa; kwa maana wewe utawarithisha watu hawa nchi hii niliyowaapia baba zao kwamba nitawapa" (1:6). "Uwe hodari tu, na moyo wa ushujaa mwingi, uangalie kutenda sawasawa na sheria yote" (1:7). "Je! Si mimi niliyekuamuru? Uwe hodari, na moyo wa ushujaa" (1:9). Na baadaye katika mstari wa 18, watu wenyewe wanamrudishia Yoshua agizo hilo: "Uwe hodari tu na moyo wa ushujaa."Four times in the opening chapter God charges Joshua to be strong and courageous. The repetition is not accidental. "Be strong and of good courage, for to this people you shall divide as an inheritance the land which I swore to their fathers to give them" (1:6). "Only be strong and very courageous, that you may observe to do according to all the law" (1:7). "Have I not commanded you? Be strong and of good courage" (1:9). And later in verse 18, the people themselves echo the charge back to Joshua: "Only be strong and of good courage."

Mungu alijua kile ambacho Yoshua alihitaji kusikia. Mtu aliyekuwa akiingia katika viatu vya Musa alikuwa akitazama ng'ambo miji yenye ngome, maboma yenye kuta, na majitu ambayo kizazi kilichotangulia kilikataa kuwakabili. Alikuwa kiongozi wa watu ambao baba zao walikuwa wameshindwa tayari katika mpaka huo huo mara moja kabla. Alikuwa na kila sababu ya kuogopa. Kwa hiyo Mungu alirudia agizo hilo mpaka likachomwa ndani ya mifupa ya Yoshua: uwe hodari, uwe na moyo wa ushujaa, usiogope, usifadhaike, kwa kuwa BWANA, Mungu wako, yu pamoja nawe kila uendako.God knew what Joshua needed to hear. The man stepping into Moses' shoes was looking across at fortified cities, walled fortresses, and giants the previous generation had refused to face. He was the leader of a people whose fathers had already failed at this same border once before. He had every reason to be afraid. So God repeated the charge until it was burned into Joshua's bones: be strong, be courageous, do not fear, do not be dismayed, for the Lord your God is with you wherever you go.

Huu ndio mstari nanga wa kitabu na mstari wa Maandiko wa kozi hii nzima ya kina: "Je! Si mimi niliyekuamuru? Uwe hodari, na moyo wa ushujaa; usiogope wala usifadhaike; kwa kuwa BWANA, Mungu wako, yu pamoja nawe kila uendako" (Yoshua 1:9).This is the anchor verse of the book and the course Scripture for this entire intensive: "Have I not commanded you? Be strong and of good courage; do not be afraid, nor be dismayed, for the Lord your God is with you wherever you go" (Joshua 1:9).

Yoshua alikuwa akiamriwa kuwa jasiri, lakini msingi wa amri hiyo haukuwa tabia yake ya asili. Msingi ulikuwa uwepo wa Mungu: "BWANA, Mungu wako, yu pamoja nawe kila uendako." Ondoa uwepo huo wa Mwenzi huyo, na Yoshua hakuwa na ujasiri wowote wa kuuita. Ongeza uwepo huo wa Mwenzi huyo, na hapakuwa na mahali ambapo Yoshua asingeweza kwenda.Joshua was being commanded into courage, but the basis of the command was not Joshua's natural temperament. The basis was the presence of God: "the Lord your God is with you wherever you go." Strip away that companion presence and Joshua had no courage to summon. Add that companion presence, and there was no place Joshua could not go.

IV. Neno Mchana na Usiku (Yoshua 1:8)IV. The Word Day and Night (Joshua 1:8)

Katikati ya maagizo ya ujasiri kuna mstari ambao ni rahisi kuupita bila kuuona lakini ni kiini cha kila kitu kinachofuata. "Kitabu hiki cha torati kisiondoke kinywani mwako, bali yatafakari maneno yake mchana na usiku, upate kuangalia kutenda sawasawa na maneno yote yaliyoandikwa humo; maana ndipo utakapoifanikisha njia yako, kisha ndipo utakapositawi sana" (Yoshua 1:8).Tucked between the charges to courage is a verse easy to overlook but central to everything that follows. "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 1:8).

Angalia masharti yanayofungamana na kufanikiwa na kusitawi. Si ustadi wa kijeshi. Si ujuzi wa kisiasa. Si mvuto wa asili. Kitabu cha torati kisiondoke kinywani mwako. Yatafakari maneno yake mchana na usiku. Uangalie kutenda yote yaliyoandikwa humo. Ndipo utakapoifanikisha njia yako. Ndipo utakapositawi sana. Kufanikiwa kwa kiongozi kumefungwa na jinsi kiongozi anavyojazwa na Neno la Mungu.Notice the conditions that link to prosperity and success. Not military genius. Not political skill. Not natural charisma. The Book of the Law shall not depart from your mouth. You shall meditate in it day and night. You shall observe to do all that is written in it. Then you will make your way prosperous. Then you will have good success. The leader's success is tethered to the leader's saturation in the Word of God.

Yoshua alikuwa mtumishi binafsi wa Musa kwa miaka arobaini (Kutoka 24:13). Aliona utoaji wa Sheria pale Sinai. Aliona kilichotokea Israeli walipotii na kilichotokea Israeli walipoasi. Alijua. Na sasa, akiwa mlangoni mwa kazi kubwa kuliko zote maishani mwake, jambo la kwanza Mungu alilomkumbusha halikuwa mpango wa vita bali Kitabu. Jijaze Neno langu. Linene. Litafakari. Lilitii. Kila kitu kingine kinatiririka kutoka hapo.Joshua had been Moses' personal attendant for forty years (Exodus 24:13). He had seen the giving of the Law on Sinai. He had seen what happened when Israel obeyed and what happened when Israel rebelled. He knew. And now, on the threshold of the greatest assignment of his life, the first thing God reminded him of was not the battle plan but the Book. Saturate yourself in My Word. Speak it. Meditate on it. Obey it. Everything else flows from there.

V. Amri ya Kwanza ya Yoshua (Yoshua 1:10–15)V. Joshua's First Order (Joshua 1:10–15)

Hatua ya kwanza ya Yoshua kama jemadari inashangaza. Haitishi baraza la vita. Hawashauri wapelelezi. Anayageukia makabila ya mashariki — Reubeni, Gadi, na nusu ya kabila la Manase — ambao urithi wao ulikuwa umekwisha kupangwa upande wa mashariki wa Yordani tangu Hesabu 32. Wangeweza kubaki nyumbani. Nchi yao ilikuwa tayari mali yao. Familia zao zilikuwa zimekwisha kutulia. Walikuwa na kila kisingizio cha kuwaacha Israeli wengine wavuke mto bila wao.Joshua's first move as commander is striking. He does not call a war council. He does not consult the spies. He turns to the eastern tribes — Reuben, Gad, and the half-tribe of Manasseh — whose inheritance had already been settled on the eastern side of the Jordan back in Numbers 32. They could have stayed home. Their land was already theirs. Their families were already settled. They had every excuse to send the rest of Israel across the river without them.

Lakini Yoshua anawakumbusha makubaliano waliyokuwa wamefanya na Musa: "Likumbukeni lile neno Musa, mtumishi wa BWANA, alilowaamuru, akisema, BWANA, Mungu wenu, anawapa ninyi raha, naye atawapa nchi hii. Wake zenu, na watoto wenu, na wanyama wenu, watakaa katika nchi hii aliyowapa Musa ng'ambo ya Yordani; bali ninyi mtavuka mbele ya ndugu zenu, hali mmevaa silaha, mashujaa wenu wote, mkawasaidie" (1:13–14).But Joshua reminds them of the agreement they had made with Moses: "Remember the word which Moses the servant of the Lord commanded you, saying, 'The Lord your God is giving you rest and is giving you this land.' Your wives, your little ones, and your livestock shall remain in the land which Moses gave you on this side of the Jordan. But you shall pass before your brethren armed, all your mighty men of valor, and help them" (1:13–14).

Hili ndilo somo la kwanza la uongozi wa kichungaji na wa jumuiya ambalo kitabu cha Yoshua kitafundisha. Waliokwisha kutulia hawawezi kuwaacha wasiotulia bado. Wale waliokwisha kupokea urithi wao bado wanawadai ndugu zao panga zao mpaka kila ndugu amevuka mto. Makabila ya mashariki yatapigana katika ushindi mpaka kila kabila lipate nchi yake — na hapo tu ndipo watakaporudi nyumbani kwa amani.This is the first lesson in pastoral and corporate leadership the book of Joshua will teach. The settled cannot abandon the unsettled. Those who have already received their inheritance still owe their brothers their swords until every brother is across the river. The eastern tribes will fight in the conquest until every tribe has its land — and only then will they return home in peace.

VI. Watu Wanaitikia (Yoshua 1:16–18)VI. The People Respond (Joshua 1:16–18)

Jibu la makabila ya mashariki ni mojawapo ya ahadi za kujitoa zinazoshangaza kuliko zote katika Maandiko. "Hayo yote uliyotuamuru tutayafanya, na kila mahali utakapotutuma tutakwenda. Kama vile tulivyomsikiliza Musa katika mambo yote, ndivyo tutakavyokusikiliza wewe; BWANA, Mungu wako, na awe pamoja nawe tu, kama alivyokuwa pamoja na Musa. Mtu awaye yote atakayeasi juu ya amri yako, asiyeyasikiliza maneno yako katika mambo yote utakayomwamuru, atauawa; uwe hodari tu na moyo wa ushujaa" (1:16–18).The eastern tribes' answer is one of the most striking commitments in all of Scripture. "All that you command us we will do, and wherever you send us we will go. Just as we heeded Moses in all things, so we will heed you. Only the Lord your God be with you, as He was with Moses. Whoever rebels against your command and does not heed your words, in all that you command him, shall be put to death. Only be strong and of good courage" (1:16–18).

Angalia mambo matatu katika jibu hili. Kwanza, utii kamili: hayo yote uliyotuamuru tutayafanya. Pili, utegemezi wenye sharti: BWANA, Mungu wako, na awe pamoja nawe tu, kama alivyokuwa pamoja na Musa. Hawajitoi kwa Yoshua kwa sababu ya Yoshua mwenyewe. Wanajitoa kwa sababu wanamtambua Yoshua kuwa mtu ambaye Mungu amemweka mahali pa Musa. Tatu, mwangwi wa agizo la Mungu mwenyewe: uwe hodari tu na moyo wa ushujaa. Jemadari anasikia kutoka kwa Mungu katika mstari wa 9, na kutoka kwa watu katika mstari wa 18, neno lile lile: uwe hodari na moyo wa ushujaa. Wito wa Yoshua unathibitishwa kwa wima na kwa ulalo — kutoka juu kwa Mungu na kutoka kwa watu.Notice three things in this answer. First, total obedience: all that you command we will do. Second, conditional dependence: only the Lord your God be with you, as He was with Moses. They are not committing to Joshua because of Joshua. They are committing because they recognize Joshua as the man God has set in Moses' place. Third, an echo of God's own charge: only be strong and of good courage. The commander hears from God in verse 9, and from the people in verse 18, the same word: be strong and of good courage. Joshua's calling is confirmed both vertically and horizontally.

VII. Jina "Yoshua" — Yehoshua, Yahweh HuokoaVII. The Name "Joshua" — Yehoshua, Yahweh Saves

Jina la Kiebrania Yehoshua limejengwa kwa sehemu mbili. Sehemu ya kwanza ni jina binafsi la agano la Mungu — Yahweh. Sehemu ya pili ni kitenzi chenye maana ya kuokoa au kukomboa. Zikiunganishwa, Yehoshua maana yake ni Yahweh huokoa, au BWANA ni wokovu.The Hebrew name Yehoshua is built from two parts. The first part is the personal covenant name of God — Yahweh. The second part is the verb meaning to save or to deliver. Put together, Yehoshua means Yahweh saves, or the Lord is salvation.

Hili ni zaidi ya jina tu. Yehoshua, likipelekwa katika Kigiriki, linakuwa Iēsous — jina lile lile tunalolijua kwa Kiswahili kama Yesu. Yoshua na Yesu wana jina moja. Wana maana moja. Wana huduma moja katika maumbo tofauti. Yoshua anawaongoza Israeli kutoka jangwani na kuingia katika urithi wa nchi. Yesu anawaongoza watu wake kutoka katika utumwa wa dhambi na kuingia katika urithi wa uzima wa milele. Yoshua anapigana kwa upanga na tarumbeta. Yesu anapigana kwa msalaba na kaburi tupu. Yoshua anawaleta Israeli Kanaani. Yesu analileta Kanisa nyumbani katika utukufu.This is more than a name. Yehoshua, when carried into Greek, becomes Iēsous — the very name we know in English as Jesus. Joshua and Jesus share the same name. They share the same meaning. They share the same office in different forms. Joshua leads Israel out of the wilderness and into the inheritance of the land. Jesus leads His people out of the bondage of sin and into the inheritance of eternal life. Joshua fights with sword and trumpet. Jesus fights with the cross and the empty tomb. Joshua brings Israel into Canaan. Jesus brings the Church home to glory.

Kitabu cha Yoshua si historia tu. Ni kivuli. Kila ukurasa unaelekeza kwa Yoshua aliye mkuu zaidi ambaye angekuja miaka elfu moja na mia tano baadaye, akiwa na jina lile lile, akiwaongoza watu wakuu zaidi kuingia katika urithi mkuu zaidi.The book of Joshua is not only history. It is shadow. Every page points toward the greater Joshua who would come fifteen hundred years later, bearing the same name, leading a greater people into a greater inheritance.

VIII. Matumizi — Kudai Kilicho Chetu TayariVIII. Application — Claiming What Is Already Ours

Miaka mingi iliyopita Mwingereza mmoja alihamia Marekani. Muda mfupi baada ya kufika alitoweka asionekane. Siku moja mjomba wake huko Uingereza alikufa na kumwachia mali yenye thamani ya takriban dola milioni tano. Polisi wa Scotland Yard walijaribu kumtafuta; anwani yake ya mwisho iliyojulikana ilikuwa Chicago. Walitafuta lakini hawakumpata. Baadaye habari zilikuja kwamba alikuwa amekutwa asubuhi moja amekufa kwa baridi katika ukumbi wa kuingilia wa hoteli ya bei rahisi. Hakuweza kulipa senti ishirini na tano kwa chumba — ingawa alikuwa mrithi wa dola milioni tano. Hakudai kilichokuwa chake. Hakushika kile kilichokuwa mali yake.Years ago an Englishman moved to the United States. Soon after he arrived he dropped out of sight. One day his uncle in England died and left him about a five-million dollar estate. Scotland Yard tried to locate him; his last known address had been in Chicago. They searched and could not find him. Later word came that he had been found one morning frozen to death in the entryway of a cheap hotel. He could not afford twenty-five cents for a room — although he was heir to five million dollars. He did not claim what was his. He did not lay hold of what belonged to him.

Hiyo ni picha inayotisha ya kile ambacho Wakristo wengi mno hufanya na urithi wao katika Kristo. Kila ahadi ya Mungu katika Maandiko, kila baraka iliyopatikana msalabani, kila karama ya Roho iliyohakikishwa kwa ufufuo — yote inasimama ikingoja kudaiwa na mwamini. Na waamini wengi hufa kwa baridi katika ukumbi wa kuingilia wa hoteli ya bei rahisi, bila kuwahi kushika kile ambacho kisheria kilikuwa chao tayari.That is a haunting image of what far too many Christians do with their inheritance in Christ. Every promise of God in Scripture, every blessing won at the cross, every gift of the Spirit secured by the resurrection — all of it stands waiting to be claimed by the believer. And many believers freeze to death in the entryway of a cheap hotel, never having laid hold of what was already legally theirs.

Mungu hakumwambia Yoshua, "Nitakupa nchi ukipigana vizuri vya kutosha." Alisema, "Kila mahali vitakapopakanyaga nyayo za miguu yenu nimewapa ninyi." Nchi ilikuwa imekwisha kutolewa. Kazi ya Yoshua haikuwa kuistahili. Kazi ya Yoshua ilikuwa kuingia ndani yake. Kazi ya maisha ya Kikristo kwa sehemu kubwa ni hiyo hiyo — si kustahili kile kilichokwisha kutolewa, bali kuingia ndani yake kwa imani, kwa utii, kwa kusonga mbele kila siku kwa miguu juu ya ardhi ambayo Mungu amekwisha kuikabidhi kwa hati.God did not say to Joshua, "I will give you the land if you fight well enough." He said, "Every place that the sole of your foot will tread upon I have given you." The land was already given. Joshua's work was not to earn it. Joshua's work was to walk into it. The work of the Christian life is largely the same — not earning what is already given, but walking into it by faith, by obedience, by the daily pressing forward of feet on ground that has already been deeded by God.

Hitimisho — Ahadi na MtanguliziClosing — The Promise and the Pioneer

Sura ya kwanza inamalizika kambi ikiwa tayari ukingoni mwa Yordani. Mazishi yako nyuma yao. Ahadi iko mbele. Jemadari amepewa agizo. Neno limewekwa kinywani mwake. Watu wameahidi utii wao. Kesho wanavuka.Chapter one ends with the camp poised at the edge of the Jordan. The funeral is behind them. The promise is ahead. The commander has been commissioned. The Word has been put in his mouth. The people have pledged their obedience. Tomorrow they cross.

Hapa ndipo kila maisha ya Kikristo hujikuta hatimaye — kwenye Yordani, ahadi ikiwa ng'ambo na mto katikati. Uwe hodari, ndugu yangu. Uwe na moyo wa ushujaa. Usiogope; usifadhaike. BWANA, Mungu wako, yu pamoja nawe kila uendako. Ahadi aliyoitoa miaka mia tano iliyopita kwa mtu ambaye hata hujui jina lake ni ahadi ile ile anayoitimiza leo kwa mwanamke kijijini, kwa mchungaji mjini, kwa mwanafunzi seminarini, na kwa mmisionari shambani. Kile Mungu amenena, Mungu atakifanya. Mungu aliyemaliza kazi katika kizazi cha Yoshua atamaliza kazi katika kizazi chako.This is where every Christian life finds itself eventually — at a Jordan, with a promise on the far side and a river in between. Be strong, brother. Be of good courage. Do not be afraid; do not be dismayed. The Lord your God is with you wherever you go. The promise He made five hundred years ago to the man whose name you do not know is the same promise He keeps today to the woman in the village, the pastor in the city, the student in the seminary, and the missionary in the field. What God has spoken, God will do. The God who finished the work in Joshua's generation will finish the work in yours.

Vuka Yordani yako. Piga hatua inayofuata. Nchi iliyo mbele yako imekwisha kukabidhiwa kwa hati.Cross your Jordan. Take the next step. The land ahead is already deeded.

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