Bible

We’ve read the first five Bible books covering over 25 centuries from the creation story through the life of Moses, and God’s promise that He would give His people the land of Canaan to be their permanent home. After Moses, their new leader is Joshua, who will take them into Canaan.

We have met Joshua before, and today we read more about this unique man of God.

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Joshua

Introduction to Joshua:

Author: To most Bible historians, it is unclear whether this book is written by Joshua, or about Joshua. Many have surmised that it could be both. It is possible that various writers composed the book as a historical document, using Joshua’s contemporaneous descriptions of certain events, along with the available accounts written by others.

Scope: This year is approximately 1406 B.C., forty years after Israel’s exodus from slavery in Egypt. The Israelites are encamped on the plains east of the Jordan River, directly across from Jericho and the land of Canaan. From there, Moses’s personal aide and protege, Joshua, is chosen by God to yield the rest of his tumultuous life leading Israel’s invasion into Canaan, and their ultimate possession of the land God had promised to Abraham, his son, Isaac, and his son, Jacob. Succeeding Moses as Israel’s leader, Joshua’s final calling would be to establish a new nation of morally upright, God-fearing people. Through his 110-year life, Joshua would know war, intrigue, and conflict, as well as times of peace and miracles as he remained the obedient servant of God in completing his calling.       

Chapter 1. Ready

Moses’s aide, Joshua, is ready to lead Israel into Canaan:

• God’s promises for Israel’s success are repeated;
• Joshua instructs his 600,000-man army: three days to get ready;
• He reminds Gad, Reuben, Manasseh of their responsibility;
• The people promise to follow Joshua as they did Moses.

Chapter 2. Spies

Joshua sends two men to spy out the land around Jericho:

• They hide in the home of Rahab, a prostitute;
• She promises them safety in exchange for her safety;
• She marks her home with a red ribbon, to be spared.

Chapter 3. Crossing

Crossing the Jordan River into Canaan:

• Joshua tells the Levites to carry the sacred Ark into the river;
• The river has stopped flowing and the ground is dry;
• The entire army and people cross the river on dry land.

Chapter 4. Memorial

The dry ground crossing is memorialized with 12 stones:

• Joshua commands 12 men to gather 12 stones from the river to erect a memorial of remembrance at Gilgal.

Chapter 5. Convinced

The miracle of the river crossing impresses the regional kings:

• They are convinced that Joshua has supernatural power;
• Joshua orders all males to be circumcised under Abraham’s covenant with God;
• Passover is celebrated at Gilgal near Jericho;
• Manna stops falling:  Israel now eats the grain of Canaan;
• The ground around Jericho is declared holy;
• Joshua establishes his main camp at Gilgal.

Chapter 6. Delivered

Jericho will be delivered into the hands of the Israelites:

• Israel is to parade around the walls of Jericho once a day for six days, carrying the sacred Ark;
• On day seven they are to have seven priests take the Ark around the city seven times, blow seven horns, make noise;
• The walls of Jericho collapse;
• The men enter the city, kill everyone and every animal;
• Only Rahab and her family are spared, as promised;
• Jericho is burned to the ground;
• Joshua’s fame spreads.

Chapter 7. Humiliation

The Israelites suffer a humiliating defeat at the city of Ai:

• Joshua sends spies to Ai; They report it can be taken easily;
• Secretly, one spy, Achan, steals some items from Ai, after God had instructed Israel not to steal;
• The army of Ai learns of the theft, are ready for the attack;
• Joshua sends only 3,000 men to go up against Ai; 
• God punishes Israel for disobedience: They are defeated, humiliated, and 36 men die;
• Someone has disobeyed: Joshua questions each tribe, each family, each man;
• Achan finally admits to the theft: Joshua and his people stone Achan, his family, burn his possessions.

Chapter 8. Retaliation

Joshua executes a plan to retaliate against Ai for the 36 deaths:

• Joshua lures the army of Ai out of the city;
• An ambush is set up, the Ai army are all killed;
• The city of Ai is destroyed, burned to the ground;
• The king of Ai is hung on a tree;
• Joshua copies the law of Moses on stones.

Chapter 9. Treaty

Fearing for their lives some nearby neighbors want a treaty:

• Israel’s fame spreads throughout the land of Canaan;
• Many cities are fearful of being destroyed;
• Some come to Joshua pretending to be visitors from afar;
• Joshua makes a treaty with them to let them live;

Chapter 10. Daylight

On a day of battle the Lord lengthens the daylight:

• The king of Jerusalem hears what Joshua does to Ai and Jericho:
• He and four other city kings ally together to fight Joshua in the valley of Aijalon;
• Joshua needs more daylight to complete the victory:
• The sun stands still according to Joshua’s prayer;
• He destroys all the major cities of the southern region;
• Executes all the kings as commanded by the Lord.

Chapter 11. Totally

As instructed, Joshua destroys the cities of the northern region:

• All the city kings are put to the sword;
• Nothing is spared, everything that breathes dies;
• Not even the Anakites (giants) are left in Israel’s area;
• Then comes a time of peace in Canaan.

Chapter 12. Lists

Defeated kings on both sides of the Jordan River are listed:

• (Earlier) Moses leads the defeat of the kings east of Jordan;
• Joshua leads the defeat of the kings west of Jordan;
• So far, thirty-one kings have succumbed to the Israelites.

Chapter 13. Subdivision

Joshua is starting to show his age; there is still land to be taken:

• God has additional land planned for Canaan to take;
• Land previously taken by Moses east of the Jordan is subdivided among the tribes of Gad, Reuben, and the half-tribe of Manasseh;
• No land is inherited by the Levites as they belong to God.

Chapter 14. Inheritance

West of the Jordan River, the land of Canaan is inherited by the remaining nine and one-half tribes of Israelites:

• Joshua, Eleazar, and other leaders mark out boundaries;
• Moses had left instructions to cast lots to determine the order of assignments of the areas to be inherited;
• The Levites do not inherit any land;
• At this time, Canaan is at peace.

Chapter 15. Judah

The clans of Judah receive their inheritance:

• Boundaries are described.

Chapter 16. Ephraim

Joseph’s sons, Ephraim and Manasseh, receive their inheritance:

• Jacob had decreed his grandsons would receive Joseph’s land; 
• Ephraim receives a region within the territory of Manasseh.

Chapter 17. Manasseh

Manasseh receives their inheritance:

• They complain of not having enough tillable area;
• Joshua tells them to clear the forested area and use it;
• He tells them to drive out the Canaanites in that area.

Chapter 18. Benjamin

Joshua orders the captured lands to be surveyed for division:

• Seven tribes have yet to receive their inheritance:
• Benjamin’s lot comes up next.

Chapter 19.  Next

• Simeon’s lot comes next: Their share is taken out of the area awarded to Judah whose land was more than they needed;
• Zebulun is next;
• Issachar is next;
• Asher is next;
• Naphtali is next;
• Dan is last: They are forced into battle to claim their land;
• Finally, Joshua is awarded his choice of a town for his new home;
• He chooses to live in the mountains of Ephraim.

Chapter 20.  Refuges

Per the Lord, Joshua orders cities of refuge be established:

• There shall be three cities east of the Jordan, three cities west of the Jordan;
• Anyone accused of an accidental murder can flee to a city of refuge and be safe until time of a trial.

Chapter 21.  Fulfilled

As Moses had commanded, the Levites will have land: 

• The Levites are given 48 towns with fields and pastures scattered throughout the land inherited by the Israelites;
• Finally, the Lord has given Israel all the land he had promised to their forefathers;
• Israel has finished taking possession of the promised land;
• Every promise the Lord made to Israel is fulfilled.

Chapter 22.  Finished

The work of Reuben, Gad, and Manasseh is finished:

• These were the tribes who were given the lands east of the Jordan on condition they help conquer the land to the west;
• Joshua tells them their work is finished, they can go home.

Chapter 23.  Farewell

Joshua is getting old, Canaan has been at peace for years now:

• He affirms that no promise of the Lord has failed;
• Every promise is fulfilled;
• Israel must never violate the Covenant made with God;
• The time has come for Joshua to say his farewell.

Chapter 24.  Recommitment

Before he goes, Joshua calls for a gathering before the Lord:

• He calls for a recommitment to their Covenant with God:
• He recounts many of the adventures they have been through, and the blessings of God along the way;
• He calls for remembering how the Lord fought their battles and the Agreements they made with the Lord;
• As he has done before, he presents to them the choice of whom they will serve: “But as for me and my house, we will serve the Lord.” v. 15 (NKJV)
• Joshua, servant of the Lord, dies at 110 years of age, buried in Ephraim, in the Promised Land of Canaan.

END OF THE BOOK OF JOSHUA