Deuteronomy 31:6 - Be Courageous. God is With You!

Deuteronomy 31:6 - "Be strong and courageous, don't be afraid, nor be scared of them: for Yahweh your God, he it is who does go with you; he will not fail you, nor forsake you." (WEB).

Shortly before his death, Moses gathered the Israelites in the land of Moab and prepared them for the next steps in their journey. Led by Joshua, the son of Nun, the people would enter the land promised by God and conquer the Canaanites. Moses reminded the people of the victories that God had already given them and assured the people that God would continue to be with them and make them victorious. But Moses charged the people that they should stay mindful of God's assurance. They should therefore be strong and courageous.

In the Septuagint, the Greek translation of the Old Testament, The phrase "be courageous" is the Greek verb transliterated as andrizó, and meaning "act like a man" or "play the man." It's not certain the origin of this usage. Perhaps it is a reference to the ideal man, or the ideal woman, who would fully possess and demonstrate all of the virtues, including courage. Whatever the origin, this word is used in a similar fashion in the surrounding passage and also at the beginning of the book of Joshua, in which God reminds Joshua to "be strong and courageous." The Apostle Paul may have been familiar with the Septuagint and may have been thinking of these passages when he wrote his first letter to the Corinthians, because he used the same Greek root word for courage.

Watch! Stand firm in the faith! Be courageous! Be strong! - 1 Corinthians 16:13 WEB

Moses told the people and Joshua to be strong in their faith in God. God would not fail them or forsake them. God would not leave them to themselves, but would be always present with them to assist and make them successful in their undertakings. God repeated this promise to Joshua in Joshua 1:5. This promise, though made at that time to Israel and to Joshua, yet belongs to all who believe in and follow the Lord Jesus Christ. And the writer of the letter to the Hebrews must have reflected on these two passages when he reminded his readers of the changelessness of Jesus Christ.

Be free from the love of money, content with such things as you have, for he has said, "I will in no way leave you, neither will I in any way forsake you." - Hebrews 13:5 WEB

Whatever our battles, be they physical, emotional, mental, spiritual, personal, professional, financial, and more, God is with us. God will never leave us. So take courage. Be strong!

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