This Photo by Unknown Author is licensed under CC BY-SA JOSHUA Lesson # 18 BIBLE REFERENCE: (The book of Joshua) BOOK OF STUDY: Joshua Season of Study: Season of Bringing the Savior into the world HISTORY The book of Joshua belongs to the history section of the Old Testament. Joshua is embraced in the Season of Bringing the Messiah into the world. Joshua records the history of the Children of Israel from the death of the great leader and lawgiver Moses, to their entering the land of Canaan (the Promised Land) and until a great portion of the land is possessed by them as a people. During Joshua s life, the Children of Israel did not possess all of the land promised to them by God. Joshua, the minister to Moses, is credited with the authorship of this book bearing his name. The name Joshua is of Hebrew origin and means Jehovah is Salvation. Joshua is one of the two (2) men who departed Egypt with Moses and was blessed and honored to cross into the Promised land. The other was the man Caleb. All other men who departed from Egypt perished in the wilderness because of disobedience. 1
The ATS Bible dictionary says of Joshua, His last grand convocation of all Israel, at Shechem, and his solemn address to them and renewal of their covenant with God, form the worthy close of a life on which in the sacred records no blot rests. The book can be divided into three (3) sections: The defeat of the Canaanites, chapters 1 12; The Division of the land, chapters 13 21; and The Death of Joshua, chapters 22 24. INTRODUCTION God speaks to Joshua after the death of Moses and passes on to him the mantle of leadership, to lead the Children of Israel into the land He (God) promised. God, as is His pattern, spoke to Joshua. God did not speak to the multitude of the Children of Israel! He spoke to one individual, the man Joshua. God is clear in His instructions as to what Joshua was purposed to do. It was the task of Joshua to clearly explain to the Children of Israel that which God required of them, and to acquire from them their obedience, as he would lead them into the land of promise. Obedience from the Children of Israel was necessary. They were to undertake a significant stage in bringing the Messiah into the world. God would now put into place, the last part of the puzzle needed to send His Savior, and that was the conquering of the land of promise. God set them free from their bondage in Egypt, protected and provided for them 40 years in the wilderness, and now He would reward them with a homeland. Here they would settle and grow into a respected nation through whom the Christ would come. God established Himself as their leader by lodging with them in the tabernacle, providing them the law and would now grant to them the land necessary to establish themselves as a nation. THE PRINTED TEXT (Joshua 1: 1 9) 1 Now after the death of Moses the servant of the Lord it came to pass, that the Lord spake unto Joshua the son of Nun, Moses' minister, saying, 2 Moses my servant is dead; now therefore arise, go over this Jordan, thou, and all this people, unto the land which I do give to them, even to the children of Israel. 2
3 Every place that the sole of your foot shall tread upon, that have I given unto you, as I said unto Moses. 4 From the wilderness and this Lebanon even unto the great river, the river Euphrates, all the land of the Hittites, and unto the great sea toward the going down of the sun, shall be your coast. 5 There shall not any man be able to stand before thee all the days of thy life: as I was with Moses, so I will be with thee: I will not fail thee, nor forsake thee. 6 Be strong and of a good courage: for unto this people shalt thou divide for an inheritance the land, which I sware unto their fathers to give them. 7 Only be thou strong and very courageous, that thou mayest observe to do according to all the law, which Moses my servant commanded thee: turn not from it to the right hand or to the left, that thou mayest prosper withersoever thou goest. 8 This book of the law shall not depart out of thy mouth; but thou shalt meditate therein day and night, that thou mayest observe to do according to all that is written therein: for then thou shalt make thy way prosperous, and then thou shalt have good success. 9 Have not I commanded thee? Be strong and of a good courage; be not afraid, neither be thou dismayed: for the Lord thy God is with thee whithersoever thou goest. VERSE TO REMEMBER This book of the law shall not depart out of thy mouth; but thou shalt meditate therein day and night, that thou mayest observe to do according to all that is written therein: for then thou shalt make thy way prosperous, and then thou shalt have good success (Joshua 1: 8 kjv). EXPLORING THE PRINTED TEXT I. GOD S PLAN GIVEN TO JOSHUA (Joshua 1: 1-2). God accomplishes His work in Seasons. In the Seasons God accomplishes His will in stages. The work God accomplished in the book of Joshua is only but a stage in the Season of Bringing the 3
Messiah into the world. Joshua, in carrying out this stage of possessing the Promised land, would not complete the Season of Bringing the Messiah into the world, even though this was a necessary stage to be completed. The death of Moses completed a stage of God s will in freeing the Children of Israel from slavery in Egypt and bringing them to the borders of the Promised Land. Possession of the Land of Promise would be to complete another stage in God s will in the Season of Bringing the Savior into the world. God spoke to Joshua, Moses minister after the death of Moses, and assigned to him the responsibility of completing this stage of possessing the land of Promise. God said to His servant Joshua, Moses my servant is dead; now therefore arise, go over this Jordan, thou, and all this people, unto the land which I do give to them, even to the children of Israel. God in His instructions to Joshua does not consider the logistics in this great undertaking of crossing over the Jordan river into the land of Promise. God just simply instructs Joshua and the people to Go. The logistics, God suggest, will be taken care of in the faith that Joshua and the Children of Israel placed in Him as God. They simply had to Go, trusting in His command. II. GOD S PROMISE TO JOSHUA (Joshua 1: 3 6). God promise Joshua and the Children of Israel that their possession will only be limited by the amount of land they can traverse on foot. God assures Joshua, Every place that the sole of your foot shall tread upon, that have I given unto you. The promise of God to Joshua means, As far as you and Israel can walk in your life time over this land; wherever you walk, will be yours and the Children of Israel s possession. What is to be recorded on the deed and 4
title of the land for Israel, would be determined by how far Israel wished to walk. God, in His promise to Joshua and the Children of Israel, did not only set the boundaries of their possession, but assured them of His full and complete protection. God said, There shall not any man be able to stand before thee all the days of thy life: as I was with Moses, so I will be with thee: I will not fail thee, nor forsake thee. God assures Joshua that no human power would be able to prevail against him and the Children of Israel. God s promise to Joshua and the Children of Israel carried not only the assurance of their possession, and protection, but it also carried with it the encouragement of power. By way of encouragement, God said to Joshua, Be strong and of a good courage: for unto this people shalt thou divide for an inheritance the land, which I sware unto their fathers to give them. This power of courage God that says to Joshua, it is a choice. Men and women choose to be courageous. We choose fear over faith. We choose in the face of danger to remain steadfast, or to run. It is a conscious decision. God encourages Joshua, in this stage of possessing the land of Promise as a leader, to choose the power of courage, And in choosing courage, his courage had success in the promise He (God) had made to Joshua s forefathers, Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. III. GOD S PLATFORM FOR JOSHUA (Joshua 1: 7 9). There were certain to be times in the future when Joshua would be met with discouragement and depression as he undertook this awesome task and responsibility. Just the consideration and thoughts of this enormous task, would lead to moments of downswings and depression. Joshua would possibly face moments when he would desire to quit, throw up his hands and walk away from such a demanding charge of duty. 5
In those moments that God seems to make clear to Joshua, Joshua would not always hear His (God s) voice. God, however, would have Joshua to know that He (God) had not left or abandon him. God points Joshua to that which would reassure him: the platform for the hope of all generations. God says to Joshua in those moments and times when discouragement set in, you can depend upon that which has already been spoken, the Word. This book of the law shall not depart out of thy mouth; but thou shalt meditate therein day and night, that thou mayest observe to do according to all that is written therein: for then thou shalt make thy way prosperous, and then thou shalt have good success. Here God points Joshua to the first five books in the Bible, God s Word, and known by bible scholars as the Pentateuch. LIFE APPLICATION What sort of person does God use? Imagine a group of people gathered before you. You need to select from among them those most likely to play a pivotal role in God s plans for humanity. They are so at ease with you that they open up and share their darkest secrets. One tells you that after a night of heavy drinking he was sexually abused by one of his own sons. Another confesses that he gave his wife to another man to sleep with. Yet another plotted with his mistress to kill her husband. Another murdered a man and is still on the run from the law. One is a prostitute. Another has a lifestyle marked by violence he even killed people to impress a girlfriend and his prospective father-in-law. Yet another confesses that he cheated his brother out of his inheritance. Could you use them? I hope so, for they are the heroes of faith described in Hebrews 11. Noah is the man who got drunk and was sexually abused; Abraham is the man who gave his wife to sleep with another; David is the one who plotted to have his mistress husband killed. Moses is the one who murdered an Egyptian and was never brought to account for it. Rahab was the prostitute. Samson is the man whose life was marked by violence and who killed to impress his girlfriend. Jacob is the person who cheated his brother out of his inheritance. Scripture shows that God uses very flawed people indeed! 6
Source: Scott Higgins WHAT WE KNOW ALREADY: PREMISE OF THE CHRISTIAN FAITH: 1. God Is 2. God Speaks 3. God Speaks Through That Which Has Already Been Spoken - We believe the Bible to be the inerrant Word of God. WORKING DEFINITION OF GOD: God is the Personal Spirit, who in Holy Love, Creates. Orders, and Sustains all. SEASONS TO SPIRITUAL PERFECTION God created the physical universe in six (6) days. God creates the perfect universe in six (6) seasons. And I saw a new heaven and a new earth: for the first heaven and the first earth were passed away; and there was no more sea. And I John saw the holy city, new Jerusalem, coming down from God out of the heaven, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband (Revelation 21:1-2). 1. Season of Beginnings - Genesis 1-3 2. Season of Boundaries and Borders - Genesis 4-11 3. Season of Bringing Christ or the Messiah into the World - Genesis 12 thru the Gospel of John. 4. Season of Broadcasting Christ to the World - Acts - Revelation 5. Season of Burdens and Tribulations - Revelation 6. Season of Birthing a New Creation - Revelation 7