Introduction to the Book of Joshua Subject Sentence: God s promises and Joshua s obedience undergird the conquest of Canaan. AIM: Cause us to know that God fulfills every promise, and He includes obedient believers to participate with His plans. Promises: Amongst the repertoire of hymns and songs that Christians sing are ones that talk about the river Jordan and the land of Canaan. But do you know the Biblical background of these and if they are doctrinally sound? What does the old saying mean to cross the Jordan? The book of Joshua will be an interesting study as we read about these real places, and we find out where and what is the land of Canaan and the River Jordan, and what they can truly represent. In this study, we will see how God is faithful in keeping His promises. So, let s look at what some of those promises have been prior to the book of Joshua. The Bible shows in the book of Genesis how God called Abraham to establish a nation of people and desired them to be set apart as His own people. In Genesis 17:7-8, God promised Abraham, And I will establish My covenant between Me and you and your offspring after you thoughout their generations for an everlasting covenant, to be God to you and to your offspring after you. And I will give to you and to your offspring after you the land of your sojournings, all the land of Canaan, for an everlasting possession, and I will be their God. Because of famine, Abraham s descendants moved to Egypt. In Egypt, over a period of 400 years, they multiplied into over a million people and were enslaved there. God eventually called Moses to lead this huge group of people out of Egypt to head toward what would eventually be their homeland, the promised land of Canaan (See Genesis 47 through Exodus 12). Moses was a Godly man and had a special relationship with God. It was no small task to lead that many people as they traveled, to keep them together physically, morally, and spiritually. Moses was a strong personality and was one who often interceded and prayed for the Israelites as they showed themselves to be stubborn, ungrateful, rebellious, and pagan in many ways. Yet, God was gracious and merciful, slow to anger and abounding in steadfast love, and relenting from disaster (Jonah 4:2) time after time with His people as they moved across and around the desert. God directed Moses and the people spiritually as God gave them the Ten Commandments and all of the laws by which to live then, as well as when they got to Canaan. There were many commands and 4
promises given to Moses concerning the Promised Land, and Scripture says that Moses knew the Lord face to face, speaking directly with the Lord. Deuteronomy 34:10-12 describes Moses when it says, 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 that the Lord sent him to do in the land of Egypt, to Pharoah and to all his servants and to all his land, and for all the mighty power and all the great deeds of terror that Moses did in the sight of all Israel. Now you might wonder why, if this study is to be about Joshua, we start out emphasizing Moses! Because the lives of Moses and Joshua were so heavily intertwined, and the training and instruction that Joshua received from Moses were so integral to the book of Joshua, we begin with Moses. It cannot be emphasized enough how much the Book of Joshua is dependent on God s instructions, commands, promises, and training which was given to and through Moses. Person of Joshua: Well, who was Joshua anyway? Most people cannot readily recall much about him. Isn t there some song about him like the one that says, Joshua fought the battle of Jericho? Note: The name Joshua is a compilation of two elements, the first one is the name of the Lord, YHWH. The second element of the name Joshua means to save, deliver, or to be loosed. So, the meaning of the name Joshua is Yahweh (the Lord) is salvation. Joshua is also the original Hebrew form of the Greek name, Jesus. Joshua was born in Egypt and the Bible says that he was Moses assistant from his youth (Num. 11:28). Now that s pretty important! His original name was actually Hoshea, but Moses renamed him Joshua (Num. 13:16) when the spies were sent to explore the land of Canaan. We know that he was instructed by Moses in Exodus 17 to choose men to fight a war against the Amalekites who were attacking. Scripture says that Joshua overwhelmed the Amalekites with the sword. So, Joshua was the assistant to the leader of over a million people, and he was also a general in Moses army. That s a lot of responsibility! When God called 5
Moses to receive the laws and commandments on Mt. Sinai in Exodus 24, Moses took Joshua (his aide) with him, while other leaders were told to wait in camp. Even Eleazar the priest and Aaron, from whom the line of priests came from, were not chosen to attend Moses, but it was Joshua. The account in Exodus goes on to say that when Moses and Joshua returned from receiving the laws and commandments, they found the Israelites worshipping an idol. Moses prayed and interceded to God on the people s behalf because of their great offense, and Joshua was a witness of Moses intercession (Exodus 32, 33). Under Moses, Joshua learned that absolute obedience was imperative for a leader of God s people when Moses struck the rock out of anger and was, in the end, not allowed to enter Canaan himself (Numbers 20). As we study the book of Joshua we will see that one of the most outstanding character traits that is noted about Joshua is his obedience to everything that the Lord commanded. Joshua 11:15 (NIV) says, As the Lord commanded his servant Moses, so Moses commanded Joshua and Joshua did it; he left nothing undone of all that the Lord commanded Moses. A remarkable statement! Do we not remember or know anything about Joshua because he was so similar to Moses, a clone so to speak? We ve talked about some of the ways that Joshua learned how to lead from Moses. Actually, their assignments were quite different. Moses was to lead the people from point A to point B. During that time, he was to communicate all the ways of God to the people as they formed their understanding of God and who they were. Joshua, on the other hand, was to conquer the Promised Land of Canaan, assign territories, and settle the people there. Purpose of the Book: So, the book of Joshua is, as commentator Boice calls it, a transition book. It is a transition from the patriarchal age (the era of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob), in which the nation of Israel was being called, formed, delivered, and trained, to the age of settled occupation of the land (Boice 12). It is not until we get to Joshua that we see the one who was specifically called to participate in the fulfillment of God s promise concerning the land, a promise that had been given to Abraham more than 500 years earlier (Gen. 12:7). Francis Schaeffer was impressed by this transitional element and called Joshua a bridge book. Nearing the end of Moses life, Moses asked God to appoint a man over Israel, someone who would shepherd them. In Numbers 27:18-19, God said to Moses, Take Joshua, son of Nun, a man in whom is the Spirit, and lay your hand on him. Make him stand before Eleazar the priest and all of the congregation, and you 6
shall commission him in their sight. Note a big difference that there would be between Moses and Joshua. The text goes on to say in verse 21 that Joshua would stand before Eleazer the priest, who shall inquire for him...before the Lord. Moses period of time was unique in that he spoke face to face with God. This would be different with Joshua, as his way of communicating with God would be through Eleazar the priest. Extra Notes: Isn t it interesting that: Joshua begins with After the death of Moses. Judges begins with, After the death of Joshua. Joshua begins with After the death of Moses, the servant of the Lord. Joshua ends with, Joshua the son of Nun, the servant of the Lord, died. Perceived Problem with the Book: We live in a time when we see horrible acts being committed in the name of religion. The book of Joshua will show the Israelites obedience (and the consequences of disobedience) to God s commands to destroy the inhabitants of Canaan. God had told Abraham 400 years before the Israelites entered Canaan that He would be deferring judgment until the sins of the Canaanites would be at the point of no return. So, some questions to be thinking about as you study the book of Joshua may include: Why were the Canaanites singled out for God s severe treatment? Why weren t the Israelites permitted or even ordered to treat other nations the same way? Why was Rahab not included in the judgment of destruction since she was a Canaanite? Why were the Gibeonites (Canaanites) not included in the judgment of destruction? How can we see the Old Testament s view that the conquest is not gross injustice but the highest and most patient justice (Davis 52)? 7
Then, how does one reconcile the God of love and mercy with the God of justice and judgment? Is the God of the Old Testament (of Joshua) the same as the God of the New Testament? What is the Biblical view of humanity? Quote: Theology, the study of God, is the means by which we fight against our own idolatry. We study to know God as He is, not as we imagine Him. RC Sproul Jr. OUTLINE FOR THE BOOK OF JOSHUA The ESV Study Bible notes that the book of Joshua divides logically in the middle, with the first half focusing on Israel s conquest of the land of Canaan and the second half on the distribution of the conquered territories among the Hebrew tribes. Better, however, is an analysis of the book as four sections, each characterized by a key Hebrew word. To show the progression and results of the conquest, the sound similarities between the Hebrew words yield the following pattern: abar Pass over or through the Jordan into the land (chapters 1-5) laqakh Take the land 9 (chs. 6-12) khalalq Divide the land (chs. 13-21) abad Serve the Lord in the land (chs. 22-24) 8
Sources: Boice, J. M. (2006). Joshua: An Expositional Commentary. United States: Baker Books, a division of Baker Publishing Group. Cowles, C. S., Merrill, E. H., Gard, D. L., & Longman III, T. (2003). Show them no mercy: 4 views on God and Canaanite genocide. (E. H. Merrill, Ed.). Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan. Davis, D. R. (2006). Joshua: No Falling Words. United Kingdom: Christian Focus Publications Ltd. Dillon, K. (2014, December 11). God s Justice in the Land of Canaan. Retrieved 5 May 2015, from http://www.thegospelcoalition.org/article/gods-justice-in-the-land-of-canaan. The ESV Study Bible Hardcover (2008). United States: Good News Publishers. Hess, R. (2008). Joshua: An Introduction and Commentary. United States: Inter-Varsity Press,US. Howard, D., & Publishers, B. H. (1998). Joshua: New American Commentary, Vol. 5. United States: Broadman & Holman Publishers. Josephus, F., Whiston, W., & Burder, S. (2007). The Genuine Works of Flavius Josephus, the Jewish Historian: Containing Twenty Books of the Jewish Antiquities, Seven Books of the Jewish War and the Life of Josephus. (W. Whiston & S. Burder, Eds.). United States: Kessinger Publishing. Kaiser, W., & Kaiser, W. (1991). Toward Old Testament Ethics (Ethics - Old Testament Studies). United States: Zondervan Publishing Company. Meyer, F. B. (2013). Joshua and the Land of Promise. London: Forgotten Books (Original work published 1912). Packer, J. I. (1973). Knowing God. United States: InterVarsity Press. Sanders, O. (1984). Promised-land living. United States: Moody Publishers. Schaeffer, F., & Middelmann, U. (2004). Joshua and the Flow of Biblical History (2nd ed.). United States: Crossway Books. 9
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QUESTIONS FOR INTRODUCTION LESSON: 1. Why study the Old Testament? Check the reasons that you think are important. Star the two that you think are MOST important. o It has some great stories. o Some parts, especially Psalms and Proverbs, give us comfort, help us express our feelings and give practical helps. o Its characters give us good examples. o The New Testament commands it. o It s the foundation to the New Testament. o Jesus, the apostles, and the New Testament letters (epistles) quote it. 2. If you ve read or studied the book of Joshua previously, give two things that you can remember from the book of Joshua. 3. Look up the following verses and tell whether God s promise relates to land and/or people. Genesis 12:2 Genesis 26:3-4 Genesis 13:14-15 Genesis 28:4 Genesis 15:18-21 Genesis 35:11-12 Genesis 17:8 Exodus 3:8, 17 Genesis 22:17 Exodus 6:4, 8 4. (a) After reading the notes, tell who Joshua was. (b) What are some things we know about Joshua that took place prior to the book of Joshua? 5. Name four qualities that you think would be essential for someone whose job description includes: lead a million people, direct their military movements, divide a newly conquered land among 12 tribes, and teach the people the Word of God. 11
Prayers And Praises 12