One benefit of reading Joshua is to be encouraged by a rather unusual bright spot in biblical history of faithfulness to Yahweh. There are not many places in Scripture where an entire generation’s faithfulness is recorded, but we have such a recording in Joshua. 

Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be frightened, and do not be dismayed, for the LORD your God is with you wherever you go. (ESV) – Joshua 1:9
If the Pentateuch (the first five books of the Old Testament) is conceived as a series on the life of Moses, then the book of Joshua is a spinoff. Joshua plays a prominent and positive role in the books of the Law. He serves alongside Caleb as one of the two faithful spies to Canaan and is Moses’s right-hand man.
Yahweh’s conversation with Joshua to kick off the book sets the tone for the rest of the book. The Book of Joshua records a mostly flawless history of Israelite success following the death of Moses. Joshua is a worthy successor. When read in light of Moses’s final pleas for faithfulness in the book of Deuteronomy, the people of Israel look to be off to a great start. Sadly, the book is in stark contrast to the stories that will follow in the book of Judges.
An Outline of Joshua
Joshua represents the story of how the first generation to enter the Promised Land fared as they went about conquering and settling in the land.
Chapters 1-6 record the miraculous crossing of the Jordan and the approach to the first city to be conquered: Jericho. Chapters 7-8 record the sin of Achan and the people’s initial defeat at the hands of Ai. Achan’s sin is discovered and punished before the people go on to defeat Ai handily. Chapters 9-12 describe in rapid fashion the large number of kings and territories defeated, with the Gibeonites excepted. Chapter 9 records how the Gibeonites pretend to be from a distant land and succeed in securing a covenant with Israel before Joshua consults Yahweh on the matter. As a result, Joshua is forced to come to their aid when they are threatened.
By chapter 13, Joshua is old and God tells him so (Josh. 13:1). Yahweh commands Joshua to divide the rest of the land among the remaining tribes. This apportioning is described all the way through chapter 21, and at the end of the chapter there is a summary statement of Yahweh’s faithfulness to the people in keeping every promise he made to them (Josh. 21:44-45).
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Never tire of marveling over how the Lord elected you from all eternity to be His chosen one (Col. 3:12)! Recall continually the incredible holy love that He has for His people, and how He wants that exhibited in the church (Col. 2:12-14)! Marvel again and again over the peace He has brought to you in Christ –  He tells you “to be thankful” for it (Col. 3:15)! Go to worship to fulfill your duty “to teach and admonish” your brothers and sisters with Christ’s Word so they remember His salvation as well!

As believers, we should not only be seasonally thankful but ever thankful. We can demonstrate our thanks to the Lord by obeying His Word, offering prayers of gratitude, and expressing appreciation to one another. But another means we have is that we can sing our thanks. The Apostle Paul told the church at Colossae:
Let the word of Christ richly dwell within you, with all wisdom teaching and admonishing one another with psalms, hymns, and spiritual songs, singing with thankfulness in your hearts to God. (Col. 3:16)
On a Saturday afternoon recently, I was invited by the director of the Pittsburgh Gospel Chorale, Dr. Herbert Jones, to be a special guest at their concert at a historic African-American Baptist church in the city. He actually asked me to take center stage in the middle of the concert. Now, I’ve tried to relate this to my children in such a way that is sounds like I was asked to sing. But they know better! Dr. Jones just actually asked me to give a greeting on behalf of Reformed Presbyterian Theologically Seminary.
This wonderful concert expressed joy and wonder for Christ’s salvation from beginning to end that was off the charts. While listening and watching, I was reminded of something my junior high school choir director would often tell us, “Don’t only sing with your voices. Sing with your faces.” That’s what this choir was doing.
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God is glorified in two ways by our works. First, by doing them we faintly reflect his glory. God is loving, joyful, kind, faithful, and self-controlled. The God who shows his goodness through tangible works of service every day loves to see his children growing up to be like him (Matt. 5:44–45; Heb. 13:20, 21). Jesus put it this way, “By this is my father glorified, that you bear much fruit and so prove to be my disciples” (John 15:8). Second, by doing good works we help others to glorify God. 

Martin Luther began his 95 Theses emphasizing the need for repentance. “When our Lord and Master Jesus Christ said, ‘Repent’ (Mt 4:17), he willed the entire life of believers to be one of repentance.” Luther also understood that Jesus’ instruction “does not mean solely inner repentance; such inner repentance is worthless unless it produces” a changed life. This is how repentance leads into the topic of good works. Repentance is turning from sin “unto God, purposing and endeavoring to walk with him in all the ways of his commandments” (15.2).
Christianity tells us how our sins can be forgiven. It also instructs us in the life of good works to which we have been called (Eph. 2:10).
What Are Good Works?
It would be easy for us to define works the way we look at art, as if beauty is merely in the eye of the beholder. We might suppose that God just wants us to do our best. Good intentions executed zealously seem honorable to us. But rigor and sincerity do not guarantee the goodness of a work. The 9/11 terrorists were zealous. The doctors who drained forty percent of George Washington’s blood shortly before he died probably meant well.
We need a biblical definition of good works. According to God good works are actions prompted by the Holy Spirit which harmonize with God’s commands, proceed from faith, and are done for God’s glory.
Prompted by the Holy Spirit
By virtue of their divine image-bearing even non-Christians can be kind and just. They can be inventive, and productive, contributing to society. But an unbeliever can do no spiritual good. “To the defiled and unbelieving, nothing is pure; both their minds and their consciences are defiled. …They are detestable, disobedient, unfit for any good work” (Titus 1:15, 16).
Only when God puts his Spirit within us will we keep his judgments and do them (Ezek. 36:27). Only those branches connected to the vine will bear good fruit (John 15:4–6). Our “ability to do good works is … wholly from the Spirit of Christ” (see Phil. 2:13) Even so God sanctifies our works by Christ’s work on the cross. Even the works of believers are so imperfect that they cannot be grounds for God accepting us. They are instead, evidence of God’s acceptance of us.
Pursuant with God’s Commands
The creator defines good and evil. He has told us what is good and what he requires of us (Micah 6:8). We mustn’t wait for a special prompting of the Spirit. We must do the good works that he commands. So to know and do God’s will the godly man “makes God’s law his portion and delight, and meditates upon that law with gladness day and night.”[i]
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