书一3　凡你们脚掌所踏之地，我都照着我所应许摩西的话赐给你们了。

　　6　你当刚强壮胆，因为你必使这百姓承受那地为业，就是我向他们列祖起誓要赐给他们的。
　　在创世记，神应许亚伯拉罕要将美地赐给他的后裔。四百多年后，神差遣摩西去拯救以色列人出埃及，告诉他说，祂要差遣他将百姓带进美地。神已将那地赐给以色列人，这是个事实，但尚未成为实际；这乃是仍待应验的应许。甚至以色列人在约书亚的带领之下，来到摩押平原时，神将美地赐给以色列人，还不是实际的事实，因那地还没有成为以色列的产业。唯有以色列人得着美地，据有美地以后，那地才真正成为他们的，成为实际的事实（约书亚记生命读经，四〇页）。

　　Josh. 1:3 Every place on which the sole of your foot treads I have given to you, as I promised Moses.

　　6 Be strong and take courage, for you will cause this people to inherit the land which I swore to their fathers to give to them.

　　In Genesis God promised Abraham that He would give the good land to Abraham's descendants. More than four hundred years later, God sent Moses to deliver Israel out of Egypt, telling him that He was sending him to bring the people into the good land. It was a fact that God had given the land to Israel, but this fact was not yet practical. Rather, it was a promise that still needed to be fulfilled. Not even at the time when Israel came to the plains of Moab under the leadership of Joshua was the giving of the good land to Israel a practical fact, for the land had not yet become Israel's possession. Only after Israel had gained the good land and had taken possession of it did the land actually become theirs as a practical fact. (Life-study of Joshua, pp. 31-32)

　　美地已应许给以色列人，环境也预备好，使那地能真正地赐给以色列人。神这赐与者作了一切，但仍需要以色列人这接受者作些事，好据有神所赐给的。
　　今天传福音的原则是一样的。神的救恩已在基督里且凭着基督应许、预备并完成了。一切都预备好，使这救恩能赐给罪人。神要将救恩赐给罪人，但他们需要借着接受祂救恩的恩赐来回应祂。借着接受神的救恩回应神，就是为神作有助益的事。事实上，接受神的救恩就是帮助神。你若知道神的心，就会领悟每当罪人悔改并接受基督时，那个罪人就是在帮助神。
　　在约书亚记的开头，以色列人预备好可以往前，取得美地，据有美地并享受美地。以色列人这样作，意思就是他们在为美地所预表的基督作些事；否则，美地就闲置在那里。今天，基督这美地预备好给祂的信徒取得并据有。然而，那些预备好取得祂，据有祂，并享受祂作包罗万有之美地的人在哪里？许多罪人不愿回应基督，甚至祂许多的信徒也不愿意借着取得祂，据有祂，并享受祂来回应祂。
　　为了让神从仇敌篡夺的手中重新得着这地，我们需要在成为肉体的原则里，与神完全合作、配合。我们需要在神的心愿和祂在地上的行动上与祂是一。今天神要拯救人，但要作这事，祂需要我们照着成为肉体的原则与祂是一。
　　神的吩咐（一1~4）乃是要约书亚进入神应许之地。祂对这些上去得地者的吩咐，乃是基于祂的命定、发起和拣选。得地者需要牺牲自己，否认自己，在一切事上放下自己的权益和偏爱，甘冒生命的危险，以完成神永远的经纶。
　　在一章二节，神对约书亚说，“我的仆人摩西死了；现在你要起来，和众百姓过这约但河，往我所要赐给以色列人的地去。”这里我们看见，神已将美地赐给以色列人。……“凡你们脚掌所踏之地，我都照着我所应许摩西的话赐给你们了。”（3）这节指明，虽然神已将美地赐给以色列人，他们仍然需要去取得那地。一面，神已经赐给了美地；另一面，神的子民需要与神合作，起来完成神的使命去据有那地（约书亚记生命读经，四〇至四一、一二至一三页）。
　　参读：约书亚记生命读经，第一至二篇。

　　The good land had been promised to Israel, and the situation was ready for the land to be given to Israel in actuality. God, the Giver, had done everything, but there was still the need for Israel, the receiver, to do something to take possession of what God had given.

　　The principle is the same with the preaching of the gospel today. God's salvation has been promised, prepared, and completed in Christ and with Christ. Everything is ready for this salvation to be given to sinners. God wants to give salvation to sinners, but they need to respond to Him by receiving His gift of salvation. To respond to God by receiving His salvation is to do something helpful for God. Actually, to receive God's salvation is to do God a favor. If you know the heart of God, you will realize that whenever a sinner repents and receives Christ, that sinner is doing God a favor.

　　At the beginning of the book of Joshua, Israel was ready to go forward, to take the good land, to possess it, and to enjoy it. For Israel to do this meant that they were doing something for Christ, who is typified by the good land. Otherwise, the good land would have lain there idle. Today, Christ as the good land is ready to be taken and possessed by His believers. However, where are those who are ready to take Him, possess Him, and enjoy Him as the all-inclusive good land? Many sinners are not willing to respond to Christ, and even many of His believers are not willing to respond to Him by taking Him, possessing Him, and enjoying Him.

　　In order for God to regain the earth from the usurping hand of the enemy, we need to be in full cooperation and coordination with Him in the principle of incarnation. We need to be one with God in His heart's desire and in His move on earth. Today God wants to save people, but in order to do this, He needs us to be one with Him according to the principle of incarnation.

　　God's charge (Joshua 1:1-4) was that Joshua should enter into God's promised land. His charge to the land-takers was based upon His ordination, initiation, and choosing. The land-takers needed to sacrifice themselves, deny themselves, give up their own interest and preference in all things, and run the risk of their lives for the carrying out of God's eternal economy.

　　In verse 2 God said to Joshua, "Moses My servant is dead; now then arise, and cross over this Jordan, you and all this people, into the land which I am giving to them, to the children of Israel." Here we see that the good land had been given to Israel by God.

　　"Every place on which the sole of your foot treads I have given to you, as I promised Moses" (v. 3). This verse indicates that even though God had given Israel the good land, Israel still needed to take the land. On the one hand, there was God's giving of the good land; on the other hand, there was the cooperation of God's people in rising up to fulfill God's commission to possess the land. (Life-study of Joshua, pp. 32, 9-10)

　　Further Reading: Life-study of Joshua, msgs. 1-2