INTRODUCING..... JOSHUA The Pilgrim's Guide to the Bible No. 20.

‘They’ve made it!

After forty years of wandering around in the Sinai Peninsula, the people of Israel have travelled north through the land of the Moabites (modern day Jordan). From the top of Mount Nebo, high above the Dead Sea, the Lord has shown Moses the Promised Land. Moses has given a series of farewell sermons (the Book of Deuteronomy), which have summarised the story of the nation so far and re-asserted the Law for a new generation. After the death of Moses, Joshua, one of the two faithful spies who had entered the land and brought back an encouraging message forty years ago (Numbers 13), has assumed leadership of the nation, and now, the stage is set for the conquest of Canaan.

The Book of Joshua provides an overview of the military campaigns that resulted in the conquest of the land that God had promised to the Israelites. The story that we have in Joshua provides an abbreviated and selective account of many of the battles that occurred and the manner in which the land was not only conquered, but how it was divided into tribal areas.

This book documents the conquest of Canaan under Joshua’s leadership. It is the first of the biblical books of history, but rather than simply narrating the salient facts concerning the conquest, the history is very selective. It is, in effect, the story of God’s relationship with the nation. So although the book of Joshua covers a period of about forty years, it focuses upon some very selective incidents in which the hand of God is clearly in evidence as events unfold.

Key Verses:

"Be strong and courageous, because you will lead these people to inherit the land I swore to their forefathers to give them. Be strong and very courageous. Be careful to obey all the law my servant Moses gave you; do not turn from it to the right or to the left, that you may be successful wherever you go. Do not let this Book of the Law depart from your mouth; meditate on it day and night, so that you may be careful to do everything written in it. Then you will be prosperous and successful. Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be terrified; do not be discouraged, for the LORD your God will be with you wherever you go." (Joshua 1:6-9)

"Now fear the LORD and serve him with all faithfulness. Throw away the gods your forefathers worshipped beyond the River and in Egypt, and serve the LORD. But if serving the LORD seems undesirable to you, then choose for yourselves this day whom you will serve, whether the gods your forefathers served beyond the River, or the gods of the Amorites, in whose land you are living. But as for me and my household, we will serve the LORD." (Joshua 24:14-15)

The twenty-four chapters of the Book of Joshua can be summarized as follows:

Conquest (1:1 – 13:7)

The first five chapters record the spiritual, moral, physical and military preparation of Joshua and the people for the conquest of Canaan.

Chapter 1 describes the commissioning of Joshua, the Lord’s instructions and encouragement for him. Joshua must carry forward the task begun by Moses. He is exhorted to stand firm in his faith, adhere to the Law and be obedient to God in order that he should prosper. Prosperity should not be interpreted as financial reward. Rather, it means that he will achieve all that he sets out to do.

In chapter 2 two spies enter Jericho and are hidden by Rahab the harlot. It is evident that the Canaanites had heard all about the Israelite victories east of the Jordan, and are fearful of the imminent invasion. Rahab is clearly convinced that the invaders will succeed, so offers to assist them, and assures herself of a place, not just in the genealogy of Jesus (Matthew 1:5), but also amongst the heroes of faith, recorded in Hebrews (Hebrews 11:31).

Chapters 3 and 4 detail the crossing of the Jordan River on dry ground, a miracle reminiscent of the earlier parting of the Red Sea, which the ancestors of this generation of Israelites had experienced. Obedience and faith are united in this episode. A memorial was established to ensure that future generations would remember God’s faithfulness.

In chapter 5 the ceremonial ritual of male circumcision was re-established. This illustrates a new desire to obey the Law – demonstrating that the nation’s spiritual condition was important. The nation celebrated the Passover, using their first supply of food that came from the Promised Land. After this, the miraculous supply of manna came to an end. This chapter ends with the Lord appearing to Joshua and giving further instruction about His methods for conquering the land.

Chapters 6 – 8 outline the campaign in central Canaan, which places a strategic wedge between the northern and southern cities, thus preventing a massed Canaanite alliance against Israel. The strategy is clear: divide and conquer. The conquest of Jericho is a test for the nation – undoubtedly a crazy military strategy! It teaches the people that they must rely upon God, not their own, human might.

In chapter 6 the Lord continues to give His instructions. Jericho falls as the people obey God’s instructions and march around the city.

Chapter 7 deals with a particular issue of sin, which is in the Israelite camp. As a result several men die in a minor battle for Ai. The camp is purged of sin by the execution of a man named Achan (the sinner) and his family. The lessons learned deal with over-confidence. God’s blessing must never be taken for granted. And secondly, sin must be dealt with because it brings severe consequences.

Chapter 8 describes the defeat of Ai, illustrating how, once again, the people are following God’s precise instructions.

The southern and northern campaigns (Chapters 9 – 13:7).

In chapter 9 the Israelites are tricked by the Gibeonites, and in consequence could not take their cities, but the resulting outcome was that the Gibeonites remained in slavery to Israel.

Chapter 10 outlines further victories as the Lord throws enemy armies into confusion. It is also in this chapter that the miracle of the stopping of the earth’s revolution occurs, to give the Israelites time to defeat the Amorites.

Chapters 11 and 12 provide a lengthy list of battles and of areas conquered.

Settlement (13:8 – 21)

Chapters 13-19 provide detailed descriptions of the allocation of the land by tribes and by families. The key word is ‘inheritance’. The land was an inheritance for Israel to pass on through all generations. However, in many cases Israel did not drive out and destroy the godless people living in the land, thus creating problems for themselves in the future.

Chapter 20 focuses upon the establishment of the cities of refuge, where those who accidentally kill another person can flee for safety. The law provides safeguards, which distinguish between accidental and premeditated killing.

Chapter 21 deals specifically with the tribe of Levi. They are given no formal inheritance - serving the Lord is their inheritance, but they needed to be allocated towns and villages to live in which are situated amongst the other tribes.

Conclusion

The final chapters of Joshua record the conditions for the continuing successful conquest of Canaan. It is imperative to maintain the divinely established sacrificial system. The western tribes misinterpret what the eastern tribes are doing and in chapter 22 a near disaster is adverted through Godly confrontation and Spirit-led intervention. The tribes west of the Jordan declare war on the tribes east of the Jordan because of their perceived idolatry. However, they manage to talk to each other before any fighting occurs. Joshua 22:5 sets the tone:

’be very careful to keep the commandment and the law that Moses the servant of the Lord gave you: to love the Lord your God, to walk in all His ways, to obey His commands, to hold fast to Him and to serve Him with all your heart and with all your soul.’ (22:5)

In chapter 23, Joshua, now advanced in years, recounts the faithfulness of Jehovah God to Israel, and in a very moving farewell address admonishes the nation to live in obedience to God’s law. Chapter 24, the final chapter continues in a similar theme, but now Joshua is delivering the words of God Himself. It is God’s initiative that has brought the nation back. The people are exhorted to honour and fear the Lord. He dies at the age of 110.

Practical Application

The story of Joshua offers a good example of the benefits of having a worthy mentor. For years he had remained close to Moses. He had watched Moses as he followed God in an almost flawless manner. He learned to pray in a personal way from Moses. He learned how to obey through the example of Moses. Joshua apparently also learned from the negative example that prevented Moses from actually entering the Promised Land. The lesson that we can learn is that we should be aware of how our actions are viewed by other people. Do we serve as good examples and mentors to those who look up to us? Mentoring is far more than the words that are spoken by the mentor. His or her life is on display.

Blessing and victory come through obedience and trust in God, rather than military might or numerical supremacy. Active faith leads to obedience, which in turn leads to blessing. God requires His people to set out to do His will, even when it seems impossible, but under submission to His directions. ‘With God all things are possible.’ (Mark 10:27)

We see God’s covenant faithfulness to His promises regarding the land, and God’s holiness in bringing judgment upon the immoral Canaanites.

Throughout the book, we see examples of God’s word to the people. He has pledged to be faithful to the people and to stay with them.

Joshua offers three important lessons for the Christian today:

· Faith. Both Joshua and Rahab are cited as examples of faith. This book reminds us that faith in God leads directly to God’s blessing.

· Sin. There are consequences to sin, and the warning is clear that God’s people must actively avoid falling in to sin. Achan’s sin in chapter 7 is mirrored in the New Testament by the story of Ananias and Sapphira (Acts 5). The consequence of sin is the judgement of God.

· Salvation. The name ‘Joshua’ literally means ‘God saves’, and is the Hebrew form of the Greek name ‘Jesus’. Joshua is the saviour who leads the people into the Promised Land. His life illustrates a truth that points us forwards to Jesus himself, who leads us to salvation, out of the wilderness of sin to freedom in the Kingdom of God.

Joshua dies at the grand old age of 110. Perhaps the greatest tribute to him as a man of God is recorded in chapter 24:31:

‘Israel served the Lord throughout the lifetime of Joshua and of the elders who outlived him and who had experienced everything the Lord had done for Israel.’

True greatness lies, not in self-aggrandisement, but in the humble fear of the Lord.