Studies in the Life of Joshua
#1: Introduction and Background
The story of God’s faithfulness and how, by faith in God’s promises, God’s people
can overcome and experience His life-changing deliverance
We’re going to begin a journey today through the book of Joshua. It’s a thrilling book, a book of victory!
We’ll cross swollen rivers; we’ll see large, massive walls come tumbling down; we’ll see giants and enemies of the Lord routed and put to flight. We’ll see cities conquered and the land finally become a part of God’s inheritance to His people!
Joshua is not record of the dry, dusty past of simply what God has done and said.
The possession God wants us to possess is victory. He doesn’t want us to live as a victim but as a victor! Why would people find themselves as victims rather than victors? Because they haven’t claimed the promises or the victory God has already given to them!
It’s not that God has failed them; it’s that they will not claim what God has already given them.
The Bible admits the possibility of failure, but the Bible never admits the necessity of failure.
A minister takes a risk beginning a study about war at a time in history when war in general, and “religious wars” in particular, are detested, and when some religious groups would be happy if we removed the “militant” songs from the church hymnal.
But I’ll take that risk, because I think the church needs the message of the Book of Joshua more than ever before. We’re living in a day of reproach and defeat; we’re tempted to ‘hold back’ and it would cause us to look more like a bunch of prisoners of war.
Whether we like it or not, God’s people are expected to be soldiers. At least Paul thought so:
(2 Timothy 2:3-4 NIV) Endure hardship with us like a good soldier of Christ Jesus. {4} No one serving as a soldier gets involved in civilian affairs--he wants to please his commanding officer.
The Book of Joshua tells us how to be victorious soldiers and how to claim our rich spiritual inheritance in Jesus Christ. It tells us how to be strong and courageous as we face our enemies and march forward to claim new territory for the Lord.
“There never was a good war, or a bad peace,” Benjamin Franklin wrote in 1783; but it’s possible that the wise old patriot was wrong. After all, God called Joshua to be a general and to lead the army of Israel in holy conquest. But there were bigger issues involved in that conquest than the invasion and possession of a land—issues that touch our lives and our faith today.
That’s why we’re embarking on this study. The Book of Joshua is the book of new beginnings for the people of God, and many believers today need a new beginning. After forty years of wandering in the wilderness, Israel claimed their inheritance and enjoyed the blessings of the land that God had prepared for them, “as the days of heaven upon the earth” (Deut. 11:21).
That’s the kind of life God wants us to experience today. Jesus Christ, our Joshua, wants to lead us in conquest now and share with us all the treasures of His wonderful inheritance. He has “blessed us with all spiritual blessings” (Eph. 1:3), but too often we live like defeated paupers.
For centuries, the descendants of Abraham had anticipated possessing the land God had promised to the Patriarch in the Abrahamic Covenant, and then reiterated to Isaac and Jacob. Joshua is the compelling history of the fulfillment of that promise. It is the story of God’s faithfulness and how, by faith in God’s promises, God’s people can overcome and experience His life-changing deliverance. The message of Joshua can encourage and have a wonderful impact on one’s life. For that to occur, however, we need to be serious in our study of Scripture.
Joshua is an exciting adventure story, and it is
real history. It's an important part of holy, inspired Scripture that has great
meaning for us today as the story of God calling Joshua to lead the people of
Israel in holy conquest of the land of Canaan.
There are bigger issues involved in that conquest than the invasion and
possession of a land. There are issues that will touch our lives and faith
today. The book of Joshua is a book of new beginnings for the people of God.
Many of us today have a weary sense of our spiritual need for a new beginning.
After forty years of wandering in the wilderness,
Israel claimed their inheritance and entered the land. They enjoyed the blessing
that God had prepared for them, and God wants us to experience that same kind of
life today. Jesus Christ, our Joshua, wants to lead us into victorious spiritual
conquest now, and he wants to share with us all the spiritual treasures of his
wonderful inheritance. The apostle Paul writes in Ephesians 1:3 that God has
blessed us in Christ with every spiritual blessing. But too often we live like
victims, defeated soldiers, or spiritual paupers.
I'll briefly survey three new beginnings in this book: a new leader, a new land, and a new life that God wanted to give his people through the conquest.
First let's consider the new leader.
Deuteronomy 34:7-12: Moses was a
hundred and twenty years old when he died; his eye was not dim, nor his natural
force abated. And the people of Israel wept for Moses in the plains of Moab
thirty days; then the days of weeping and mourning for Moses were ended.
And Joshua the son of Nun was full of the spirit of wisdom, for Moses had laid
his hands upon him; so the people of Israel obeyed him, and did as the LORD had
commanded Moses. And there has not arisen a prophet since in Israel like Moses,
whom the LORD knew face to face, none like him for all the signs and the wonders
which the LORD sent him to do in the land of Egypt, to Pharaoh and to all his
servants and to all his land, and for all the mighty power and all the great and
terrible deeds which Moses wrought in the sight of all Israel.
From the third chapter of Exodus through
Deuteronomy, the focus is on the ministry of Moses. He seems larger than life.
He was God's chosen leader to serve the people of Israel. This text tells us
that Moses died, though he would not be forgotten; his name appears more than
fifty times in the book of Joshua. But then a new servant of the Lord took his
place---Joshua. When we study Joshua chapter 1 we're going to see that this
change in leadership carries with it tremendous spiritual lessons. For those of
us who care deeply that our lives have spiritual impact in the world, who want
to experience God's best for our lives, this change of leadership is very
significant.
God spent many years preparing Joshua for this new responsibility of leadership.
Joshua was born a slave in Egypt. His parents named him Hoshea, which means
"Salvation." That was really an act of faith on their part, because they were in
bondage; they had no control over their lives or their future. Yet they claimed
the promise that God had made to Abraham many years before that there would be
salvation from Egypt. Years later, Moses changed Hoshea's name to Joshua, which
means "Yahweh is Salvation." Joshua is the Hebrew form of the name Jesus.
Joshua was the oldest son of a man named Nun of the tribe of Ephraim. The fact
that Joshua was the first-born meant that his life was in danger on the night of
Passover. But Joshua and his family had faith in the Lord and put the blood of
the lamb over the doorpost, and he was protected by that blood. As a young man
Joshua saw all the signs and wonders that God performed in Egypt. There was a
growing awareness in him that Yahweh was a God of power who would care
for his people. He saw God humiliate the demonic gods of Egypt, demonstrating
that he alone was the true God. Joshua saw God roll back the waters of the Red
Sea to save Israel, and then close those same waters to drown Pharaoh's army.
Through all that, Joshua was becoming a man of faith, knowing the Lord and
trusting him as the God of deliverance from slavery.
The first time we meet Joshua in the Scriptures is as a soldier, about two
months into the wilderness after the deliverance from Egypt. Exodus 17:8-10a:
Then came Amalek and fought with Israel at Rephidim. And Moses said to Joshua, "Choose for us men, and go out, fight with Amalek; tomorrow I will stand on the top of the hill with the rod of God in my hand." So Joshua did as Moses told him, and fought with Amalek....
Moses chose Joshua, a man who was willing to follow orders, a man of courage who was not afraid to take on enemies of God and his people. The text goes on to tell us that Joshua won the battle. Look at verses 13-14:
And Joshua mowed down Amalek and his people
with the edge of the sword.
And the LORD said to Moses, "Write
this as a memorial in a book and recite it in the ears of Joshua, that I will
utterly blot out the remembrance of Amalek from under heaven."
That suggests that God had already chosen Joshua
for the ministry he would be given some forty years later. Without Joshua's even
knowing what was involved in this battle, God was using it to season him, to
strengthen his faith and courage. This conflict with the Amalekites was
preparation for many battles that he would fight in the promised land.
The next time Joshua appears in the text, it is as a servant of Moses in Exodus
24:12-13. This time he was with Moses on Mount Sinai as God gave the Law, his
revealed truth.
The LORD said to Moses, "Come up to me on the mountain, and wait there; and I will give you the tables of stone, with the law and the commandment, which I have written for their instruction." So Moses rose with his servant Joshua, and Moses went up into the mountain of God.
Here Joshua was a personal assistant to the
leader of Israel. Joshua was intimately involved with Moses as truth was given.
That was important in the process of preparing Joshua to learn revealed truth,
to know both the holy God of Israel who met Moses face-to-face on the mountain,
and also the holy Law that God gave his people to obey.
One of the things that has been challenging to me as I've read and reread the
book of Joshua is the fact that the secret of his military victories was not his
giftedness as a great general, tactician, or swordsman, but rather his
willingness to serve the word of God. In God's call to Joshua in Joshua 1:8, he
said, "This book of the law shall not depart out of your mouth, but you shall
meditate on it day and night, that you may be careful to do according to all
that is written in it; for then you shall make your way prosperous, and then you
shall have good success." Joshua was called to personal submission to the word
of God. Later on in the book, before the very first battle - for Jericho - God
confronted Joshua face-to-face and once more called him to obedience to his
leadership.
Joshua served the Lord, his word, and the people of Israel with amazing personal
humility. Usually the way we learn humility (at least if we are stubborn) is
through humiliation. That happened in Joshua's life. There is a story of an
embarrassing episode for him recorded in Numbers 11. Joshua was very loyal to
Moses and very jealous for Moses' honor and authority among the people. There
were two men who were filled with the Spirit and began prophesying in the camp.
These men were not among the seventy elders whom Moses had appointed to
leadership. It upset Joshua, and he bristled at this irregularity. Remember, he
was a disciplined young military officer.
So in Numbers 11:28-29 he complained to Moses:
And Joshua the son of Nun, the minister of Moses, one of his chosen men, said, "My lord Moses, forbid them." But Moses said to him, "Are you jealous for my sake? Would that all the LORD's people were prophets, that the LORD would put his spirit upon them!"
That is mature leadership, in contrast to
Joshua's misguided, youthful zeal and blind loyalty to Moses. Joshua was saying,
"Let's restore ecclesiastical order around here. You're in charge. These guys
are not under your leadership. There shouldn't be any prophetic freelancing!"
But Moses' response was beautifully humble. He claimed no special privilege for
himself, saying, "Even though I have leadership responsibility, I'm thrilled
that God can do whatever he wants among his people." That response must have had
an effect on Joshua, because we're going to see in chapter 19 that when the
tribal inheritance was allotted after the conquest of the promised land, Joshua
took his share last.
In Numbers 13-14 we meet Joshua the spy. These chapters record Israel's arrival
at Kadesh-Barnea on the southern border of Canaan. God commanded Moses to
appoint twelve men to spy out the promised land, and Joshua was one of them. For
forty days these men traveled the length and breadth of the land investigating
it. When they came back, they reported to Moses that the land really was
wonderful, but they were split on what the nation ought to do. Ten of the spies
discouraged the people by telling them that the enemy cities and armies were too
great; Israel just wasn't strong enough to take the land. Two of the spies,
Joshua and Caleb, had the minority view. They encouraged the people to trust
God, to go ahead and move into the land. Do you know what the names of those ten
faithless spies were? No, we don't remember their names, but we do remember
Joshua and Caleb.
The tragedy was that the people chose to listen to the ten. The Scriptures are
clear that this decision was an act of rebellion. It delayed the conquest of the
land for forty more years. But the crisis did reveal some wonderful character
qualities developing in Joshua. He was a realist. He wasn't blind to the
realities of the situation. He did say, "Yes, there are walled cities, chariots
of iron, and giants in the land." But he didn't allow the king-sized
difficulties and problems to weaken his faith in God. Ten of the spies looked at
God through the circumstances, and that was what controlled their view of the
supernatural. Joshua and Caleb chose to interpret the circumstances through what
they knew was true about God and his power and strength. Their God was big
enough for the battles that lay ahead. Joshua was also a man of conviction. He
knew he was right, and he was not afraid to stand against the majority opinion.
The people threatened to execute Joshua and Caleb for this minority view. But
God was with them and spared their lives. We're going to see over and over again
in the book of Joshua that this ability to see spiritual reality and this strong
spiritual conviction were crucial to Joshua's leadership of the nation in
defeating all their enemies and in claiming their inheritance.
We follow Joshua the successor through the forty years in the wilderness, as he
patiently stayed with Moses and did his job. Just imagine how tough it was on
Joshua and Caleb to be patient with that process, to not to get resentful and
frustrated with the disobedience of the people around them. But there was a
process going on through those forty years of preparation for this ministry of
succession to Moses. When he was preparing to die he asked God to give them a
leader, and God told him to choose Joshua.
In Deuteronomy 31:1-8, Moses' final message to Israel, he passed the mantle of leadership to Joshua:
So Moses continued to speak these words to
all Israel. And he said to them, "I am a hundred and twenty years old this day;
I am no longer able to go out and come in. The LORD has said to me, 'You shall
not go over this Jordan.' The LORD your God himself will go over before you; he
will destroy these nations before you, so that you shall dispossess them; and
Joshua will go over at your head, as the LORD has spoken. And the LORD will do
to them as he did to Sihon and Og, the kings of the Amorites, and to their land,
when he destroyed them. And the LORD will give them over to you, and you shall
do to them according to all the commandment which I have commanded you. Be
strong and of good courage, do not fear or be in dread of them: for it is the
LORD your God who goes with you; he will not fail you or forsake you."
Then Moses summoned Joshua, and said to him in the sight of all Israel, "Be
strong and of good courage; for you shall go with this people into the land
which the LORD has sworn to their fathers to give them; and you shall put them
in possession of it. It is the LORD who goes before you; he will be with you, he
will not fail you or forsake you; do not fear or be dismayed."
With those words this new leader was now in
place, and he would follow the Lord with the same confidence that Moses had
followed the Lord in all of his years of leadership.
The second new beginning in the book of Joshua is a new land. Let's consider first the promise of the land. That word "land" is found eighty-seven times in the book of Joshua, because it is the record of Israel's entering, conquering, and claiming the promised land. God had promised to give that land to Abraham many generations before.
The promise was first made in Genesis 12:5b-7. God spoke to Abraham after he arrived in Canaan with all of his family in response to God's call.
When they had come to the land of Canaan, Abram passed through the land to the place at Shechem, to the oak of Moreh. At that time the Canaanites were in the land. Then the LORD appeared to Abram, and said, "To your descendants I will give this land." So he built there an altar to the LORD, who had appeared to him.
God reaffirmed that promise to Isaac, then to
Jacob, and then to each one of their descendants. Eleven times in Exodus, seven
times in Leviticus, and ten times in Numbers the promise of the land was
reaffirmed. The book of Deuteronomy in its entirety is Moses' farewell speech to
the nation, and in it he frequently mentioned the promise of the land and the
nation's responsibility to possess it. The word "land" is found two hundred
times in Deuteronomy, and the word "possess" fifty times.
Israel owned the land because of God's gracious
gift based on his covenant with Abraham. But their enjoyment of the land
depended on their entering into it - accepting the gift and following God in
faithful obedience. And as long as the Jews obeyed the truth revealed by God in
the Torah, God blessed them and prospered them in the land. But whenever they
turned from God to idols, God would discipline them in the land (that is what
the book of Judges is all about). But finally God took them out of the land into
Babylon. Then after seventy years of chastening he brought them back to the
land.
Why is that land, that little piece of territory on the eastern end of the
Mediterranean Sea, so important? The prophet Ezekiel said of the city of
Jerusalem that it was the "center" of the nations, and that the land of Israel
was the "center" of the world. The Hebrew word translated "center" means navel,
suggesting the idea of the umbilical cord that connects a fetus to the mother.
The land was like the spiritual lifeline between God and this world. Remember
Jesus' words to the Samaritan woman at the well: "...Salvation is from the Jews"
(John 4:22). God chose the land of Israel to be the stage on which the great
drama of redemption would be presented.
Back in Genesis 3, sin entered the world in the fall from grace, and God listed
the consequences of sin. God cursed Satan, the deceiving serpent, and told him
that he would be defeated. Then he made the first promise in Scripture, that he
would send a Savior into the world. And the first step in fulfilling that
promise was the call of Abraham.
Beginning with Genesis 12, Old Testament history
focuses on the Jews and the land of Israel. Abraham left Ur of the Chaldees to
go to that new land, and there Isaac and Jacob were born. God announced that the
redeemer was going to come from the tribe of Judah in Genesis 49. Later in 2
Samuel 7, God revealed that he would come from the family of David. Much later
it was prophesied that he would be born of a virgin, in the town of Bethlehem,
and that one day he would die for the sins of the world. All of these important
events were predicted in the Old Testament, and they were to be played out in
this drama of redemption on the stage of the land of Israel, the land that
Joshua was called to conquer and to claim. That is why the promise and the gift
of the land were so important.
The third theme of new beginnings in this study of Joshua is that of new life -
a new way of living, a life of adventure, a life of faith. It was a life of
experiencing spiritual victory over the world system that confronted them -
Canaanite military, political, and economic power. It was also victory over
their own fleshly struggles with fear, rebellion, and all that churned inside;
and over Satan himself. They would confront supernatural, demonic evil in the
conquest of the land. The events recorded in the book of Joshua have to do with
life for God's people, not with death. It's the kind of life that Jesus said he
came to give abundantly. Yes, they would encounter failure - there would be
bloody battles and humiliating defeat. But primarily, this history in Joshua is
one of victorious life for God's people. Joshua will illustrate for us how we as
believers today can say good-bye to sin, to the old ways of living, and enter
into the richness of our life in Christ.
There are two themes of provision that we will find in Joshua which are echoed
in the New Testament. One is spiritual riches that Jesus wants to give us.
Joshua illustrates how we can enjoy the spiritual resources given us to enrich
and enhance life so that we can meet enemies, difficulties, and horrible
circumstances and defeat them. It illustrates how to claim for ourselves all
that we have in Jesus Christ. I read Joshua a number of times this summer, and I
kept turning to the book of Ephesians, which is a book about riches and blessing
and resources which we already have, but which we have to learn to understand
and claim. The book of Joshua illustrates practically how to claim our riches in
Christ.
The other theme of provision has to do with claiming our spiritual rest in
Christ. In the history of the nation Israel, Canaan was a place of rest. After
four hundred years of slavery in Egypt and forty years of wandering in the
wilderness, the Jews would finally be given rest in their promised land. That
theme is mentioned seven different times in the book of Joshua. It's a strange
juxtaposition of warfare and rest, of claiming an inheritance and learning to
rest in the God who gave the land. That theme is explained in chapters 3 and 4
of Hebrews. Canaan is a picture of the rest that we experience as Christians as
we surrender completely to the Lordship of Jesus Christ, as we learn to let go
of confidence in ourselves and trust God more and more for every aspect of life.
This issue of new life has a geography to it. Let me summarize the four
locations in Israel's history that illustrate the four spiritual experiences of
life and death. First, Egypt is the place of death and bondage from which Israel
was miraculously delivered. They were saved from death by the blood of the lamb,
and they were saved from bondage by the power of God, who opened the Red Sea and
took them across to safety and freedom.
This is a picture of the salvation that we have
through faith in Jesus Christ. John the Baptist said of him, "Behold, the
Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world!" (John 1:29.) Through his
death and resurrection, Jesus Christ delivers the believing sinner from bondage
and from the judgment of death. As Israel was transported from Egypt, according
to Paul, we are transported from the dominion of darkness to the kingdom of the
Son (see Colossians 1:13).
The second location on Israel's spiritual map is the wilderness. This experience
of Israel is evidently God's purpose for each of us at least for a time. That is
where we learn to function on a different basis as new Christians. The goal is
being transferred from the world's ways of doing things, but it's really tough
for habit patterns to change, and most of us try to sustain our spiritual life
on the same basis on which we sustained ourselves as non-Christians---doing it
ourselves, trusting our own resources. So we need some time in the wilderness,
as Israel did, so that we can learn to trust God and his word completely, to
follow him completely, and to do things his way on an entirely different basis
than that of our old life.
But it is not God's intention for us to spend forty years in the wilderness.
It's possible to wander around as a Christian, resisting Jesus' full and
complete control of our lives, keeping strings attached to all the old comfort
zones and the old habit patterns, meandering through life without ever enjoying
the fullness of what God has designed for us. There is a problem with being just
Christian enough to be miserable, still living with fear and bitterness and
dabbling with idolatry, rebelling in some area of life. We don't have to stay
there in the wilderness.
The third place is the land of Canaan. Entering the promised land in the book of
Joshua pictures how the Christian life ought to be lived - a great adventure
full of intense warfare but with victory, faith, and obedience; spiritual
richness and rest in God's power and provision. It's an exciting life of faith,
trusting Jesus Christ, our Joshua. Hebrews 2:10 calls him the captain of our
salvation. John says in 1 John 5:4 that Jesus leads us from victory to victory.
That's how we can live.
Victorious Christian living isn't a once-for-all triumph that ends all our
problems. Joshua is going to teach us that it is a series of conflicts and
victories. We're going to defeat one enemy after another, claiming more of our
inheritance little by little to the glory of God. The Scottish preacher
Alexander White says, "Victorious Christian living is a series of new
beginnings." In Joshua 11:23, after the land had been conquered and the major
campaigns were accomplished, it says, "...Joshua took the whole land...."
But in Joshua 13:1 it says, "...There remains yet
very much land to be possessed." Is that a contradiction? No, it's a basic
spiritual principle. In Christ, we have all that we need for victorious
Christian living, but we have to learn how to possess our inheritance by faith,
a day at a time, a decision at a time, a choice at a time, a step at a time. In
Joshua 1:3, God says to Joshua, "Every place that the sole of your foot will
tread upon [every step you take in conquest---future tense], I have given to
you, as I promised to Moses [it's yours---past tense]." But you have to keep
walking into it to understand it, experience it, and enjoy it.
The last location on Israel's spiritual map is Babylon. That's where they spent
seventy years in captivity because they disobeyed God and worshipped the idols
of the pagan nations around them. And whenever we as God's children are
willfully rebellious, our loving heavenly Father must discipline us until we
learn once again to be submissive, trusting, and malleable in his hands. But
when we confess our sins and forsake them, God forgives us, forgets it ever
happened, and restores us as his children to full fellowship with him and to
fruitfulness in life.
A final aspect to this new life that we'll find in Joshua, and the most
important aspect, is the Giver of life himself. The most important character in
this exciting history is not the man, Joshua. It's Yahweh, the God of
Joshua and the God of Israel. In everything Joshua did by faith, his heart's
desire was to glorify God. We're going to see that when the Jews crossed the
Jordan River, Joshua reminded them that the living God was among them, and he
would overcome their enemies. Joshua also called the people to obedience so that
all the nations around them would believe in God.
Their obedience to God would have a saving effect
on all the people who observed the conquest. In his farewell address to the
leaders of the nation at the end of the book, Joshua gave God the glory for all
that Israel had accomplished under his leadership. At least fourteen times in
the book God is called "the LORD God of Israel." Everything that Israel did in
this book either glorified God, or it disgraced his reputation. When Israel
obeyed by faith, God's promises were fulfilled and he was their strong ally. But
when they disobeyed in unbelief, God basically let them have their way. He
abandoned them to self-determination, and defeat was the result. The same
spiritual principle applies to us today.
Our studies in Joshua are going to allow us to look at the spiritual map of our
Christian lives. Today as we look at our lives, do we see ourselves wandering in
the wilderness or conquering in the promised land? In the wilderness the Jews
were complainers. In Canaan they were a conquering people. In the wilderness
they kept looking back, yearning for what they had left behind in Egypt. But in
the promised land they looked forward to conquering their enemies, claiming the
rest and riches. The wilderness march was an experience of delay, defeat, and
death for the nation. Their experience in Canaan was one of life, power, and
victory. A great way to begin the study of this book is to ask ourselves, where
am I living? Am I in need of a new beginning?
Hebrews 13:5 quotes the opening section of Joshua and echoes the words of Moses
in Deuteronomy before Joshua assumed leadership: "[God] has said, 'I will never
fail you nor forsake you.' " The context for that promise is a number of areas
of practical Christian living: relationships in the church, hospitality to
strangers, serving the needs of prisoners, learning to value the marriage
relationship, avoiding the dangers of immorality, struggles with money and
learning to live life with contentment, trusting spiritual leadership in the
church, and not being seduced by false teachers. These are very practical areas
of struggle for most of us, if we're honest. These may be some of the
experiences in which we need a new beginning spiritually. But we really can
start with confidence.
After quoting the opening section of Joshua, "...I will never fail you nor forsake you," Hebrews 13 continues in verses 6-9: "...Hence we can confidently say,
'The Lord is my helper, I will not be afraid; what can man do to me?''
...Jesus
Christ is the same yesterday and today and for ever...it is well that the heart
be strengthened by grace...." New Testament Christians were struggling with the
same need for new beginnings as we are.
It's my prayer for us that this series will begin wonderful new things in our
lives individually and in our church, that our hearts will be strengthened by
grace.
Some additional devotional thoughts
For centuries, the descendants of Abraham had anticipated possessing the land God had promised to the Patriarch in the Abrahamic Covenant, and then reiterated to Isaac and Jacob. Joshua is the compelling history of the fulfillment of that promise. It is the story of God’s faithfulness and how, by faith in God’s promises, God’s people can overcome and experience His life-changing deliverance. The message of Joshua can encourage and have a wonderful impact on one’s life. For that to occur, however, we need to be serious in our study of Scripture.
For those who want the message of Joshua to positively influence their lives for God, the following four words are offered as food for thought:
(1) Thirst: The psalmist wrote, “As the deer pants for streams of water, so my soul pants for you, O God. My soul thirsts for God, for the living God. When can I go and meet with God?” (Psalm 42:1-2, NIV). Sadly, men too often seek to fill the void in their souls with things that never truly satisfy. We were all created with a void that only God Himself can satisfy. The psalmist recognized this and after the analogy of the deer thirsting for water, spoke of the thirst in his soul that only God could fill. But then there was the question, “When can I go and meet with God?” One time and place where we can do just that is in our Bible study. The most effective Bible study occurs when we study out of a thirst to know God. May it be so as we study the book of Joshua.
(2) Toil: In our fast foods, mall-oriented society where we expect everything to be quick and easy, we too often approach our Bible study in the same way. Effective Bible study is hard work and requires diligence as in anything worthwhile if we want to accomplish much. “Be diligent to present yourself approved to God as a workman who does not need to be ashamed, handling accurately the word of truth” (2 Tim. 2:15).
(3) Time: We can heat a cup of water in a microwave in a minute and quickly mix a tablespoon of our favorite instant coffee and have something hot to drink, but the greatest blessing usually comes from meditating, reading, and spending time in God’s precious book.
(4) Teachableness: Again, in a world so full of man’s ideas, theologies, ideologies, and philosophies, we will get the most when we come to the Scripture with a teachable spirit asking God to teach us His truth, for it is His truth and only His truth that sanctifies and sets us free (John 17:17; 8:32).
As you read this study, hopefully with your Bible in hand, may these four ‘Ts’ be in your mind and heart.
The book of Joshua describes the conquest and possession of the land of Canaan and may be divided into three simple divisions: (1) invasion or entrance, (2) conquest, and (3) possession or division of the land. This is the land God had promised Israel through Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. Here God fulfilled that promise, though not exhaustively since there still remains a rest for the people of God (Heb. 4). Joshua describes the military triumph of God’s people through faith and obedience. However, unlike most military histories, in the book of Joshua the focus is on the commander’s Commander, the Captain of the Lord’s host (5:15). Repeatedly, as Joshua’s name illustrates (Yahweh saves), the book demonstrates that Israel’s victories were due to God’s power and intervention.
1. In Genesis, Israel was born as a nation in the call and promises of God to Abraham (Election of the nation).
2. In Exodus, the nation was delivered out of bondage in Egypt, crossed the Red Sea, and was given God’s Holy Law (Redemption of the nation).
3. In Leviticus, the nation was taught how to worship in view of God’s holiness (Sanctification of the nation).
4. In Numbers, they were tested and numbered as a nation (Direction and Wandering of the nation).
5. In Deuteronomy, the law was reviewed and reiterated and closed with the assurance that Israel would possess the land (Instruction of the nation).
6. In Joshua, the nation crossed over Jordan and took possession of the land (Possession by the nation). If Moses is the symbol of deliverance, then Joshua is the symbol of victory. Joshua teaches us that faith “is the victory that overcomes the world” (1 John 5:4).
Joshua 1:3 “Every place on which the sole of your foot treads, I have given it to you, just as I spoke to Moses”
Joshua 1:3 compares to Ephesians 1:3 in the New Testament, “… blessed with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places in Christ.” Literally, “in the heavenlies”; i.e., in the realm of heavenly possessions and experiences into which the Christian is brought because of his association with the risen Christ.1
The key concept of the book of Joshua is possession through conflict by the power of Yahweh, the Captain of the Lord’s host. In this regard, it is also like Ephesians, for though we are blessed with every spiritual blessing in Christ, we must realistically face the fact of our enemies (Eph. 6:12) and strengthen ourselves by putting on the full armor of God (Eph. 6:10-11, 13-18). It is important to realize that Israel’s ownership of the land was unconditional under the Abrahamic covenant, but possession of the land was conditional upon faith and obedience. And so today, conflict and conquest by faith go with laying hold of that which we have positionally in Christ; the experience of our blessings in Christ comes through faith in the midst of conflict.
As mentioned, Joshua is the history of Israel’s conquest of the land of Canaan in fulfillment of God’s promises for the people of Israel. After 400 years of slavery in Egypt and 40 years in the desert, the Israelites finally are able to enter the Promised Land. Abraham, a sojourner and alien all his life, never really possessed the country to which he was sent. The only piece of ground he owned he purchased himself as a burial plot for Sarah and his family, the cave and field of Machpelah (Gen. 23).
However, Abraham did leave both his physical and spiritual descendants the legacy of God’s covenant promises that would make them the eventual heirs of all of Canaan and the spiritual blessings we have in Christ including a heavenly city (see Gen. 15:13,16,18; 17:8; Rom. 4:12-14; Heb. 11:11; 4:1-11). In the book of Joshua that long anticipated promise became a reality.
The primary purpose of the book of Joshua is to show God’s faithfulness to His promises; that He had done for Israel exactly what He had promised (cf. Gen. 15:18 with Josh. 1:2-6 and 21:43-45). The events recorded in Joshua are selective to set forth God’s special intervention on behalf of His people against all kinds of tremendous odds. The fulfillment of God’s promises, as is so evident in the birth of Isaac to Abraham and Sarah and in possessing the land with its fortified cities, is the work of God and that which man cannot do no matter how hard he tries (see Rom. 4).
The secondary purpose is to show that just as God had taken them out of Egypt by faith in the power of God, so He would take them in to possess the land through faith in the power of God. It emphatically declares the truth that though justified by faith, as was Abraham, or delivered out of bondage, as was Israel from Egypt, victory over those enemies of life that stand opposed to our walk with God must come through faith in the power of God as well (Josh 1:5-7; 3:7, also cf. Heb. 4:1-3). Joshua, then, stands in contrast to Numbers where we see Israel’s failure through unbelief and wandering in the wilderness even though they were the redeemed people of God.
Unlike the first five books of the Old Testament, this book takes its name from the chief human personality of the book, Joshua, the son of Nun, Moses’ servant. While Joshua is not explicitly identified as the author, the general substance of the book indicates that the author was an eyewitness of most of the events, which are described with great vividness and minuteness of detail, and occasionally in the first person (‘we’ and ‘us’; e.g., 5:1, 6).
Other factors support Joshua as the author: (1) Jewish tradition as the Talmud (Baba Bathra 14b) names Joshua as the author of the Book; (2) it seems evident the book was written shortly after the events happened (cf. 6:25); (3) the unity of style also suggests one author wrote the bulk of the work though some portions obviously had to have been written by others like Eleazar the priest or Phinehas, his son (note the first person “he” referring to Joshua in 15:13-17 and see also 24:29-31); (4) finally, it is specifically stated in 8:32 and 24:26 that Joshua did some writing. The evidence, then, supports Joshua as the author of the book.
But unlike the first five books of Moses, why does this book take its name from the author? First, because as the successor of the great law giver and leader, Moses, Joshua might be easily forgotten and the Lord does not want us to forget this man and his ministry as a faithful leader and servant of the Lord. In addition, Joshua also stands as a special type of Christ. This is seen in his name 2 and in the work he accomplished in bringing the people into the land, a picture of our ‘Sabbath rest’ in Christ (Heb. 4).
This is the man who challenged the people at the end of the book with,
“Now, therefore, fear the Lord and serve Him in sincerity and truth; and put away the gods which your fathers served beyond the River and in Egypt, and serve the Lord. 15 And if it is disagreeable in your sight to serve the Lord, choose for yourselves today whom you will serve: whether the gods which your fathers served which were beyond the River, or the gods of the Amorites in whose land you are living; but as for me and my house, we will serve the Lord” (Joshua 24:14-15).
A second reason for calling this book Joshua, is found in the meaning of Joshua’s name. Joshua’s original name was Hoshea (Num. 13:8; Deut. 32:44) which means literally “salvation.” But during the wilderness wanderings Moses changed his name to Yehoshua, meaning “Yahweh is salvation” or “save, Yahweh” (Num. 13:16). Joshua is a contracted form of Yehoshua. This amounted to a prophetic anticipation and reminder to Joshua, to the spies, and the people that victory over the enemies and possession of the land would be by the power of Yahweh rather than by human skill or wisdom or power. This book is given the name Joshua because, though Joshua was one of the world’s greatest military strategist of history, his wisdom and military achievements came from Yahweh who alone is our salvation. It was Yahweh Himself who brought about victory for Israel and vanquished Israel’s enemies giving them possession of the land.
Significantly, the Greek form of this name is ‘Jesus,’ the name Mary was instructed to give to her son because it was He who would save His people from their sins (Matt. 1:21).
(1) Canaan was Israel’s place of rest: Instead of their toil in Egypt and their wandering in the wilderness, Israel was to be able to settle down and find a home in Canaan where they were to function as the people of God and as a light to the nations. Possessing and subjugating the land filled with enemies was to lead to that rest and fellowship with the Lord (cf. Deut. 6:10-11 and Lev. 26:6-8).
(2) Canaan was the place of bounty: Here was a land flowing “with milk and honey,” a “good and spacious land” (Ex. 3:8, 17; 13:5; 33:3; Lev. 20:24; Num. 13:27, etc.). Some 16 times it is called “a land of milk and honey.” It was a land of extraordinary fruit (Num. 13:26,27), a land of corn and wine, kissed with the dew of heaven (Deut. 33:28; Lev. 26:5; Deut. 11:10-12).
(3) Canaan was a place of triumph: In Canaan were enemies and forces much mightier than Israel, yet these enemies were a defeated foe even before Israel ever struck a blow. Why? Because the victory of Israel lay not in its own skill or power, but in the power and might of Yahweh their God (Deut 7:2; 9:3; Josh. 1:2f). The battle is always the Lord’s (1 Sam. 17:47).
1. The new leader
Joshua the slave.
God spent many years preparing Joshua for his calling. He was born into slavery in Egypt and was given the name Hoshea (Num. 13:8), which means “salvation.” Moses later changed it to Joshua (v. 16, niv), “Jehovah is salvation,” which is the Hebrew form of “Jesus” (Matt. 1:21; see Acts 7:45 and Heb. 4:8).
When his parents gave the baby the name “salvation,” they were bearing witness to their faith in God’s promise of redemption for His people (Gen. 15:12-16; 50:24-26). Joshua belonged to the tribe of Ephraim and was the firstborn son of Nun (1 Chron. 7:20-27). This meant that his life was in danger the night of Passover, but he had faith in the Lord and was protected by the blood of the lamb (Ex. 11-12).
Joshua the soldier.
The first official recorded act of Joshua in Scripture is his defeat of the Amalekites when they attacked Israel about two months after Israel’s exodus from Egypt (17:8-16). Moses was a prophet and legislator, but Joshua was a general with exceptional military skills. He was also a man of great courage, who wasn’t afraid to confront the enemy and trust the Lord for victory.
According to Exodus 17:14, the writer suggests that God had chosen Joshua for a special work in the future. Unknown to Joshua, the battle with Amalek was a testing time when God was examining his faith and courage. Joshua’s conflict with Amalek was the preparation for many battles he would fight in the Promised Land.
“Make every occasion a great occasion, for you can never tell when someone may be taking your measure for a larger place” (Marsden).
Joshua the servant.
In Exodus 24:13, Joshua is called Moses’ servant (“minister”), which indicates that Joshua was now an official assistant to the leader of Israel. He accompanied Moses to the mount and went with him when he judged the people for making the golden calf (32:17). It wasn’t enough that Joshua be a good warrior; he also had to know the God of Israel and the holy laws God gave His people to obey. We shall discover that the secret of Joshua’s victories was not his skill with the sword but his submission to the Word of God (Josh. 1:8) and to the God of the Word (5:13-15).
During Israel’s wilderness journey, Moses had a special tent set up outside the camp where he could meet with God (Ex. 33:7-11). It was Joshua’s responsibility to stay at the tent and guard it. Not only was Joshua a warrior, but he was also a worshiper and knew how to live in the presence of God.
Joshua was jealous not only for the glory of God but also for the honor and authority of Moses. This is a good characteristic for a servant to have, and it showed up when God sent His Spirit upon the seventy elders Moses had chosen to assist him in his work (Num. 11:16-30). When the Spirit came upon Eldad and Medad in the camp, two men who had not assembled with the other elders at the tabernacle, Joshua protested and asked Moses to stop them from prophesying.
The breadth of Moses’ spirit must have moved Joshua as Moses claimed no special privileges for himself. It’s worth noting that when the inheritance was allotted after the conquest of the Promised Land, Joshua took his share last (Josh. 19:49-51).
Joshua the spy.
When Israel arrived at Kadesh Barnea, on the border of the Promised Land, God commanded Moses to appoint twelve men to spy out the land of Canaan—Joshua among them (Num. 13). After forty days of investigating the land, the spies returned to Moses and reported that the land was indeed a good one.
But ten of the spies discouraged the people by saying that Israel wasn’t strong enough to overcome the enemy, while two of the spies—Caleb and Joshua—encouraged the people to trust God and move into the land. Sadly the people listened to the faithless ten spies. It was this act of unbelief and rebellion that delayed the conquest of the land for forty years.
This crisis revealed some fine leadership qualities in Joshua. He was not blind to the realities of the situation, but he didn’t allow the problems and difficulties to rob him of his faith in God. The ten spies looked at God through the difficulties, while Joshua and Caleb looked at the difficulties through what they knew about God. Their God was big enough for the battles that lay ahead!
Knowing he was right, Joshua wasn’t afraid to stand up against the majority. He, Moses, and Caleb stood alone and risked their lives in so doing; but God stood with them. It has well been said that “one with God is a majority.” It would take that kind of courage for Joshua to lead Israel into their land so they could defeat their enemies and claim their inheritance.
Think of the years of blessing in the Promised Land that Joshua forfeited because the people had no faith in God! But Joshua patiently stayed with Moses and did his job, knowing that one day he and Caleb would get their promised inheritance (Num. 14:1-9).
Leaders must know not only how to win victories but also how to accept defeats. Some have shared a suspicion that Joshua and Caleb met each other regularly and encouraged each other as the time of their inheritance drew near. Day after day, for forty years, they saw the older generation die off, but each day brought them closer to Canaan.
Joshua the successor.
Throughout that wilderness journey, God was preparing Joshua for his ministry as successor to Moses. When Israel defeated Og, king of Bashan, Moses used that victory to encourage Joshua not to be afraid of his enemies (Deut. 3:21-28; Num. 21:33-35).
(Numbers 21:33-35 NIV) Then they turned and went up along the road toward Bashan, and Og king of Bashan and his whole army marched out to meet them in battle at Edrei. {34} The LORD said to Moses, "Do not be afraid of him, for I have handed him over to you, with his whole army and his land. Do to him what you did to Sihon king of the Amorites, who reigned in Heshbon." {35} So they struck him down, together with his sons and his whole army, leaving them no survivors. And they took possession of his land.
(Deuteronomy 3:21-28 NIV) At that time I commanded Joshua: "You have seen with your own eyes all that the LORD your God has done to these two kings. The LORD will do the same to all the kingdoms over there where you are going. {22} Do not be afraid of them; the LORD your God himself will fight for you." {23} At that time I pleaded with the LORD: {24} "O Sovereign LORD, you have begun to show to your servant your greatness and your strong hand. For what god is there in heaven or on earth who can do the deeds and mighty works you do? {25} Let me go over and see the good land beyond the Jordan--that fine hill country and Lebanon." {26} But because of you the LORD was angry with me and would not listen to me. "That is enough," the LORD said. "Do not speak to me anymore about this matter. {27} Go up to the top of Pisgah and look west and north and south and east. Look at the land with your own eyes, since you are not going to cross this Jordan. {28} But commission Joshua, and encourage and strengthen him, for he will lead this people across and will cause them to inherit the land that you will see."
When Moses was preparing to die, he asked God to give the people a leader; and God appointed Joshua (27:12-23; Deut. 3:23-29).
(Numbers 27:12-23 NIV) Then the LORD said to Moses, "Go up this mountain in the Abarim range and see the land I have given the Israelites. {13} After you have seen it, you too will be gathered to your people, as your brother Aaron was, {14} for when the community rebelled at the waters in the Desert of Zin, both of you disobeyed my command to honor me as holy before their eyes." (These were the waters of Meribah Kadesh, in the Desert of Zin.) {15} Moses said to the LORD, {16} "May the LORD, the God of the spirits of all mankind, appoint a man over this community {17} to go out and come in before them, one who will lead them out and bring them in, so the Lord's people will not be like sheep without a shepherd." {18} So the LORD said to Moses, "Take Joshua son of Nun, a man in whom is the spirit, and lay your hand on him. {19} Have him stand before Eleazar the priest and the entire assembly and commission him in their presence. {20} Give him some of your authority so the whole Israelite community will obey him. {21} He is to stand before Eleazar the priest, who will obtain decisions for him by inquiring of the Urim before the LORD. At his command he and the entire community of the Israelites will go out, and at his command they will come in." {22} Moses did as the LORD commanded him. He took Joshua and had him stand before Eleazar the priest and the whole assembly. {23} Then he laid his hands on him and commissioned him, as the LORD instructed through Moses.
(Deuteronomy 3:23-29 NIV) At that time I pleaded with the LORD: {24} "O Sovereign LORD, you have begun to show to your servant your greatness and your strong hand. For what god is there in heaven or on earth who can do the deeds and mighty works you do? {25} Let me go over and see the good land beyond the Jordan--that fine hill country and Lebanon." {26} But because of you the LORD was angry with me and would not listen to me. "That is enough," the LORD said. "Do not speak to me anymore about this matter. {27} Go up to the top of Pisgah and look west and north and south and east. Look at the land with your own eyes, since you are not going to cross this Jordan. {28} But commission Joshua, and encourage and strengthen him, for he will lead this people across and will cause them to inherit the land that you will see." {29} So we stayed in the valley near Beth Peor.
In his final message to Israel, Moses told the people that God would use Joshua to defeat their enemies and help them claim their promised inheritance; and he also encouraged Joshua to trust God and not be afraid (31:1-8). Moses laid hands on Joshua and God imparted to Joshua the spiritual power he needed for his task (34:9).
Like Moses, Joshua was human and made his share of mistakes; but he was still God’s chosen and anointed leader, and the people knew this. This is why they said to Joshua, “Just as we heeded Moses in all things, so we will heed you” (Josh. 1:17, nkjv).
God’s people in the church today need to acknowledge God’s leaders and give them the respect that they deserve as the servants of God (1 Thes. 5:12-13).
The secret of Joshua’s success was his faith in the Word of God (Josh. 1:7-9), its commandments and its promises. God’s Word to Joshua was “Be strong!” (vv. 6-7, 9, 18; and see Deut. 31:6-7, 23); and this is His Word to His people today.
As you can see by the forgoing, Joshua is a book rich in pictures for the believer today. It is rich in analogies and this is supported by Hebrews 3:7-4:12 and 1 Corinthians 10:6, 11. The book of Joshua portrays the faith-rest life of the believer today who experiences the blessings of his salvation through a faith that overcomes the various trials, temptations, and difficulties of life that he or she faces from our three enemies, the world, the flesh, and the devil.
Note some of these analogies:
(1) Though we are to appropriate our salvation and put it to work (discipline ourselves unto godliness), in Christ we do not work for our salvation or for our spirituality, but are to rest by faith in what God has done for us. Being in Christ is our place of rest, forms the basis for rest over our enemies in this life, and looks forward to an eternal rest.
(2) In Christ we are blessed with every spiritual blessing. This is our bounty (Eph. 1:3).
(3) In the world we face enemies and struggles, but in Christ we are promised victory through faith and endurance.
(4) Joshua, the leader of the people of Israel, is a type of Christ, the “Captain of our salvation” (cf. Heb. 2:10-11; Rom. 8:37; 2 Cor. 1:10; 2:14).
(5) The crossing of the Jordan is a picture of a Christian reckoning on his death and resurrection with Christ and moving into the place of growth and victory.
(6) The conquests of Canaan portray the Christian’s conflicts with the enemies of the world, the flesh, and the devil. (a) Taking Jericho pictures victory over the satanic world system that stands walled up against our spiritual progress. (b) The defeat and then victory at Ai illustrates our struggle with and deliverance over the sinful nature or our propensity to sin or to seek to live the Christian life in our own strength. (c) The deception of and experience with the Gibeonites surely illustrates our battle with Satan and his demonic deceptions.
Over and over again God’s Word faces us with our need of the deliverance which comes only from God. Here we are faced with the absolute necessity of the saving life of Christ. Christ is the life and the only life which saves. Without His death, giving us a justified standing with God, and without Him and His life within, all we have is man working from the source of his own weakness or temperament attempting to be Mr. Nice Guy, attempting to conform himself to some cultural or religious standard. Such is not authentic Christianity. It is a counterfeit, a distortion, and a deception. It is a trick of Satan designed to move people away from God’s solution in and through Christ in the light of His authoritative Word, the Bible.
Satan wants to blind us to the “light of the gospel of the glory of Christ, who is the image of God” (1 Cor. 4:4). And what is the gospel of the glory of Christ? It is the saving life of Christ, the fact that man is saved and delivered from himself by the glorious life and work of Jesus Christ who is the very image of God.
We are never to be the source of our Christianity. Its source is Christ. We are never to control our Christianity, but Christianity and all that is ours through Christ is to control us. We are not to try to reproduce the image of God in us. Instead, Christianity is God reproducing Himself in us through His Son, Jesus Christ, by the power of the Spirit.
In this study we will present basic spiritual truths or principles from the text of Joshua, but we will also seek to illustrate a number of parallels or analogies to the Christian life. The justification for doing this is found in passages like Luke 24:27, “And beginning with Moses and with all the prophets, He explained to them the things concerning Himself in all the Scriptures” and 1 Corinthians 10:4, 6, 11.
Verse 4. “And all drank the same spiritual drink, for they were drinking from a spiritual rock which followed them; and the rock was Christ.” The rock spoke of the presence and work of Christ.
Verse 6. “Now these things happened as examples for us, that we should not crave evil things, as they also craved.”
Verse 11. “Now these things happened to them as an example, and they were written for our instruction, upon whom the ends of the ages have come.”
These verses teach us that these Old Testament events were historical events that manifested the saving work of God in the life of ancient Israel. But they also provide principles, pictures, and illustrations that form warnings and teach us truth practical to the believer’s life in Christ today.
They form fascinating and instructive parallels and analogies to the believer’s life in Christ as he faces a hostile and contrary world.
(1) Egypt portrays the world with all its human ideas, idolatries, mysticism, and antagonism to the salvation, deliverance, and purposes of God for His people.
(2) Being in Egypt portrays a lost condition, a slave to Satan, the world, and the flesh.
(3) Coming out of Egypt through the Passover lamb and the Red Sea portrays deliverance by the death of Jesus Christ and the mighty power of God alone. It speaks of redemption through the saving life of Christ.
(4) A believer going down into Egypt like Abraham did in Genesis 12:10f pictures a believer turning to the world and its substitutes and solutions rather than turning to the Lord for deliverance.
(5) Israel in the Wilderness is a type or picture of the believer in carnality. He or she is redeemed and blessed with marvelous privileges yet fails to go on in his or her life with God and is living outside of the place of maximum blessing, out of the will of God and in constant defeat, wandering about because of failure to trust the Lord and the deliverance He has promised.
(6) Crossing the Jordan and moving into Canaan is a type or picture of the believer possessing his or her possessions by faith in the power and provision of God. It portrays the believer in fellowship, faced with conflict and enemies, yet able to be delivered when dependent upon the Lord and walking by faith in the principles and promises of the Word.
(7) The Canaanites in the Land portray the believer’s enemies who stand to oppose us in the Christian way of life, but who are at the same time a defeated foe though we must appropriate our God-provided victory, the saving life of Christ. Some believe Jericho may illustrate the world, Achan and Ai the flesh or the sinful nature, and the Gibeonites may illustrate the deceptions of Satan and the world system.
From the Holman Bible Dictionary
JOSHUA (Jahsh ew uh) Personal name meaning, “Yahweh delivered.” 1. Leader of Israelites who first took control of Promised Land of Canaan. Joshua is one of the unsung heroes of the Old Testament. He, not Moses, led the people into the Promised Land. He was a person of such stature that he could succeed the incomparable Moses and compile a record of notable success (Josh. 24:31). The Hebrew variations of Joshua are Oshea (Num. 13:16); Hosea (Hos. 1:1). English versions differ in their transliteration of the Hebrew names. Its New Testament equivalent is Jesus.
Joshua was born in Egypt during the period of slavery. He was a member of Ephraim, the important tribe that later formed the heart of the Northern Kingdom of Israel. He first appeared during the battle with the Amalekites during the desert travels. He was Moses’ general, who led the troops in the actual fighting while Aaron and Hur held up Moses’ hands (Ex. 17:8-13).
Joshua was Moses’s servant (Ex. 24:13). He was on the mountain when Moses received the Law (Ex. 32:17). He was also one of the twelve spies Moses sent to investigate Canaan (Num. 13:8). He and Caleb returned with a positive, minority report. Of all the adults alive at that time, only the two of them were allowed to live to enter the land of Canaan (Num. 14:28-30, 38).
The Lord selected Joshua to be Moses’ successor long before Moses’ death (Num. 27:15-23; Deut. 31:14-15, 23; 34:9). Joshua was a military leader, a political leader, and a spiritual leader. He was quiet and unassuming, but he was not buffaloed by his responsibilities or the task that lay before him. He was a battlefield genius, particularly in the areas of careful planning, strategy, and execution. He was a capable administrator for the nation, effective in maintaining harmony among people and groups. He was a spokesman to the people for the Lord. Though he did not receive the Law as Moses had, he communicated the Lord’s will and the Lord’s message much like Moses.
Joshua was at the helm of the nation during the conquest and the distribution and settlement of Canaan. He led in the covenant renewal at mount Ebal and Shechem (Josh. 8:30-35; 24:1-28). He was able to challenge his people by both word and example. His pattern is a hard one to better.
Book Outline
I. God Brought Victory to a People of the Book (1:1-12:24).
A. To possess the promise, God’s people must be faithful to the book (1:1-18).
B. God uses unexpected persons to fulfill His promises (2:1-24).
C. God exalts His leaders and proves His presence so all people may know Him (3:1-4:24).
D. God’s people must worship Him to prepare for the victories He promises (5:1-15).
E. Divine power, not human might, provides victory for God’s people (6:1-27).
F. A disobedient people cannot expect God’s victories (7:1-26).
G. A repentant people receive a strategy for victory from God (8:1-35).
H. Human cunning and disobedience cannot overcome the purposes of God (9:1-27).
I. God fights for His people (10:1-43).
J. God fulfills His promises, giving victory to an obedient people (11:1-12:24).
II. God Divides the Spoils of Victory According to the Needs of His People (13:1-21:45).
A. The complete rest is still incomplete (13:1-7).
B. History shows God’s provision for His people (13:8-33).
C. God rewards heroes of faith (14:1-15).
D. God fulfilled His promise of land to His people (15:1-17:13).
E. God provided for specific needs of His people (17:14-18).
F. God called a hesitant people to action to receive the promised gift (18:1-10).
G. God gave the land to an obedient people (18:11-19:48).
H. God and His people rewarded their faithful leader (19:49-51).
I. God decreed legal protection for the accused among His people (20:1-9).
J. God provided for the needs of His priests (21:1-42).
K. God fulfills all His promises (21:43-45).
III. God Calls His Victorious People to Unity in Worship and Devotion (22:1-24:33).
A. God’s rest, commandments, and blessing unify His people (22:1-6).
B. Worship unifies God’s people forever despite geographical barriers (22:7-34).
C. Israel had to be faithful to God’s direction or face the loss of His gifts (23:1-16).
D. God calls His people to remember the history of God’s faithfulness and choose to serve only Him (24:1-28).
E. Faithful leaders keep a people faithful (24:29-33).
In preparation for this study, may I suggest the following:
1 Charles Caldwell Ryrie, Ryrie Study Bible, Expanded Edition, Moody, p. 1877.
2 Joshua is called by the name Jesus in Acts 7:45.