书一16~17　他们回答约书亚说，你所吩咐我们行的，我们都必行；你所差遣我们去的，我们都必去。我们从前怎样在一切事上听从摩西，现在也必照样听从你；唯愿耶和华你的神与你同在，像与摩西同在一样。
　　约书亚记的内容乃是：约书亚领以色列人进入神应许的地，并且取得、据有、分配、享受这地。这里的次序是相当有意义的。首先以色列人进入应许之地，之后他们得着并占有这地；接着是用特别的方法将这地拈阄分给各支派，然后他们享受这地（约书亚记生命读经，五页）。

　　Josh. 1:16-17 And they answered Joshua, saying, All that you have commanded us we will do, and wherever you send us we will go. As in all things we listened to Moses, so we will listen to you. Only may Jehovah your God be with you, as He was with Moses.

　　The content of the book of Joshua is that Joshua led the children of Israel to enter the promised land and to take it, possess it, allot it, and enjoy it. The sequence here is quite significant. First, the children of Israel entered the promised land, and then they possessed it and occupied it. Following this, the land was allotted, apportioned, to each tribe in a particular way. Then they enjoyed the land. (Life-study of Joshua, p. 4)

　　以色列人同意约书亚，接受神的任命〔书一16~18〕。他们的回答含示他们是乐意的，是预备好的，并且他们不只与约书亚同心合意，也与耶和华他们的神同心合意；这显于他们在他们神的名里给约书亚祝福的事上。他们在神经纶的大轮里与三一神是一，目的是要得着美地（约书亚记生命读经，一七页）。
　　占据应许之地的异族表征天然生命不同的各方面。……神已经应许要剪除一切的异族，就是我们天然生命的每一方面。祂要将其剪除、撵走。……然而，重要的是，我们要领悟，神撵出天然生命在于两件事。第一，在于我们的长大、扩增、复制与繁增。我们越长大，神就越多撵走天然的生命。第二，神撵出异族在于我们主动的将这些族类撵出。在出埃及二十三章二十八至三十节神指明祂要撵出各族，但在三十一节祂说，“你要将他们从你面前撵出去。”不错，神应许要撵出他们，但是我们必须主动的将他们撵出去（出埃及记生命读经，一〇二七页）。
　　约书亚一章给我们看见，一切都预备好了。以色列人借着数百年在埃及，以及四十年在旷野，神在他们身上的对付，已经预备好了。以色列人成了团体的约书亚，蒙神拣选、呼召、救赎、拯救、训练并预备好，已经合格了。在摩押平原那里，他们没有任何地或基业。他们已经预备好，与神是一，往前去取得迦南地，那地乃是预表丰富、包罗万有的基督。
　　在约书亚一章，神的行动已经达到一种情形。那时全地满了偶像、满了鬼。就某种意义说，神被赶逐离开了地，而这地乃是神为祂自己所创造的；神无法作地上的主，像祂作诸天的主那样。然而，神从列国和万民中，把祂的选民以色列人分别出来，为着完成祂的经纶。他们与偶像和鬼无分无关；反之，他们乃是被天地的神所占有。神的百姓被形成、被构成、受管教、受训练，并且合格了，就来到摩押平原，等候着要进入美地，取得并据有这地。
　　神进来呼召约书亚，吩咐他起来领头，使他和以色列人能进入美地并据有这地。约书亚接受了耶和华的话，就吩咐以色列人执行神的任命（1~15）。这些上去得地者必须预备自己，在神的行动里与神一同行动，……在神的行动里与神完全配合。以色列人若看自己，就会说这是不可能的。但他们的能，乃在于独一的神；神需要祂的选民在祂执行祂经纶的行动上、在祂经纶大轮里行动的愿望上与祂合作。神好像在说，“我的选民以色列啊，你们必须知道，你们不需要作任何事，只要与我合作。我在推动大轮转动，你们必须与我是一。你们进去据有这地，我就要借着你们把那些拜偶像的人杀死。没有你们，我不能作什么。”（约书亚记生命读经，一九、一一至一二页）
　　参读：约书亚记生命读经，第四、六、十篇。

　　The children of Israel agreed with Joshua in taking God's commission [Josh. 1:16-18]. Their response implied their willingness, their readiness, and their being in one accord not only with Joshua but also with Jehovah their God as expressed by their blessing of Joshua in the name of their God. They were one with the Triune God in the great wheel of His economy for the purpose of gaining the good land. (Life-study of Joshua, p. 12)

　　The pagan tribes which occupied the promised land signify the different aspects of the natural life....God has promised to cut off all the pagan tribes, all the aspects of our natural life.

　　However, it is important for us to realize that God's driving out of the natural life depends on two matters. First, it depends on our growth, on our increase, reproduction, and multiplication. The more we grow, the more God drives away the natural life. Second, God's driving out the pagan tribes depends on our taking the initiative to drive out these tribes. In Exodus 23:28-30 God indicates that He will drive out the tribes, but in verse 31 He says, "You shall drive them out from before you." Yes, God promises to drive them out, but we must take the initiative. (Life-study of Exodus, p. 881)

　　Joshua 1 shows us that everything was ready. Israel had been prepared through God's dealing with them for several hundred years in Egypt and for forty years in the wilderness. Israel had become a corporate Joshua, chosen, called, redeemed, saved, trained, prepared, and qualified by God. There in the plains of Moab they did not have any land or inheritance. They were ready to go on with God as one to take the land of Canaan, which typifies the rich, all-inclusive Christ.

　　In Joshua 1, God's move had reached a certain situation. At that time the entire earth was full of idols and demons. In a sense, God had been chased away from the earth, which He had created for Himself, and did not have a way to be the Lord of the earth as well as of the heavens. However, among all the nations and peoples, God had separated Israel, His elect, for the carrying out of His economy. They had nothing to do with any idols or demons. On the contrary, they were occupied with the God of the heavens and the earth. After being formed, constituted, disciplined, trained, and qualified, God's people had come to the plains of Moab where they were waiting to enter into the good land, to take it, and to possess it.

　　God came in to call Joshua and to tell him to take the lead so that he and the children of Israel could enter into the good land and possess it. Joshua took the word from Jehovah and charged the children of Israel to perform God's commission (vv. 1-15). The land-takers had to prepare themselves to move with God in His move....To take the good land, they had to enter into a full coordination with God in His move. If the children of Israel had looked at themselves, they would have said that there was no possibility. But their possibility was the unique God, who needed His elect people to cooperate with Him in His move to carry out His economy, in His desire to move in His economy as the great wheel. Here God seemed to be saying, "Israel, My elect, you must know that there is no need for you to do anything. Simply cooperate with Me. I am motivating the wheel to run. You need to be one with Me. Go in to possess the land, and I will slaughter the idol worshippers through you. Without you I cannot do anything." (Life-study of Joshua, pp. 13-14, 8-9)

　　Further Reading: Life-study of Joshua, msgs. 4, 6, 10