Joshua: What I Learned
See also the outline of Joshua.
In the past, I have been lazy about details and facts. I’ve often been convicted, thinking, “I should look into that more,” but have just wanted to get my daily reading done. I’ve enjoyed clarity on facts this time around as I’ve been more deliberate in my attempts to understand, e.g. Gilead, Bashan, half-tribe of Manasseh, even whether the Israelites had maintained circumcision during their time in Egypt or in the wilderness (they did leave Egypt circumcised, but the new generation had to be circumcised after they crossed the Jordan [Joshua 5:4-5]).
God’s charge to new leader Joshua, who was Moses’ servant and commissioned in his stead before Moses died, is convicting for all of us: “This book of the law shall not depart from your mouth, but you shall meditate on it day and night, so that you may be careful to do according to all that is written in it; for then you will make your way prosperous, and then you will have success. Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous! Do not tremble or be dismayed, for the LORD your God is with you wherever you go” (Joshua 1:8-9).
The book of Joshua contains the amazing story of Rahab, a harlot in Jericho. She lies to the king and protects the spies from Israel. She declares, “the LORD your God, He is God in heaven above and on earth beneath” (Joshua 2:11b). She asks for and is granted protection from Israel when Jericho is destroyed (Joshua 6:25). Amazingly, she becomes part of the genealogy of Jesus, by marrying Salmon and giving birth to Boaz, who eventually marries another “stranger” to Israel, the Moabite widow Ruth, who gives birth to Obed, the grandfather of King David (Matthew 1:5). All are so welcome in the family of God that they can be part of the genealogy of the Savior.
We need memorial stones. After the Israelites crossed the Jordan River into the Promised Land on dry ground, God had the leaders of the twelve tribes pick up twelve stones from the river bed and place them on the bank of the Jordan: “When your children ask their fathers in time to come, saying, ‘What are these stones?’ then you shall inform your children, saying, ‘Israel crossed this Jordan on dry ground.’ For the LORD your God dried up the waters of the Jordan before you until you had crossed, just as the LORD your God had done to the Red Sea, which He dried up before us until we had crossed; that all the peoples of the earth may know that the hand of the LORD is mighty, so that you may fear the LORD your God forever’” (Joshua 4:21-24).
We know Passover is important, but it continues to be an important marker of time. The sons of Israel left Egypt after the first Passover. They celebrated the second Passover (or the first anniversary of the first Passover) immediately after the year in the wilderness of Sinai where God revealed His Law and all that was required for the tabernacle (Numbers 9). They celebrated the Passover after they had crossed the Jordan River into the Promised Land (Joshua 5:10). They ate produce from the land on the day after that and the manna ceased on the day after that (Joshua 5:11-12).
The captain of the host of the Lord has no allegiance other than to God (Joshua 5:14).
Joshua had many moments that were like Moses’, in which God confirmed him as a servant/leader in Moses’ stead: parting of Jordan, standing on holy ground (Joshua 5:15), being told to go forward (Joshua 6:7), dealing with an unfaithful people (Joshua 7:11-15), stretching out his hands while his people were at war (Joshua 8:18).
Joshua still got ahead of God. After the unique victory at Jericho (where they marched around the city for 7 days and then the city walls fell at the sound of their trumpets and shouting), they attacked Ai without seeking the Lord first…and they lost. Joshua then sought the Lord, who revealed to him that Israel had sinned because Achan had taken some things from Jericho as spoils of war that God had specifically banned (Deuteronomy 7:25-26, Joshua 6:17-19). Achan and his family and even his livestock were killed because of his sin. Israel then successfully conquered Ai at God’s command.
Before he died, Moses directed that the people of Israel should recite the blessings of obedience and the curses of disobedience while standing between Mount Gerazim and Mount Ebal (Deuteronomy 11:29-32). After their victory over Ai, the people of Israel did just that (Joshua 8:33). After that, Joshua read “all the words of the law” while the people were standing there (Joshua 8:34). This is incredibly convicting when we reflect on our often negative attitude about reading the Old Testament Law.
Israel faced defeat when they did not seek God regarding attacking Ai. They also did not seek the Lord when they made a covenant with the inhabitants of Gibeon (Joshua 9:14), something God had expressly forbidden them to do with the inhabitants of the land of Canaan (Deuteronomy 7:2). Even though the Gibeonites lied to them, Israel was faithful to this covenant (fearing God’s wrath for violating it [Joshua 9:19b-20]), even to the point of coming to their defense when other Canaanite kings attacked them (Joshua 10:6).
Promises kept:
When the twelve spies of Israel spied out the Promised Land, only Joshua and Caleb gave a favorable report. Israel wandered in the wilderness until all of that generation died, except Joshua and Caleb. Joshua and Caleb received their promised land inheritance in the Promised Land (Joshua 14:13, Joshua 19:49).
“Zelophehad, the son of Hepher, the son of Gilead, the son of Machir, the son of Manasseh, had no sons, only daughters…’The LORD commanded Moses to give us an inheritance among our brothers.’” Ten portions of land were allotted for the sons of Manesseh west of the Jordan, and five of these were for Zelophehad’s daughters (Joshua 17:3-6).
“So the LORD gave Israel all the land which He had sworn to give to their fathers, and they possessed it and lived in it. And the LORD gave them rest on every side, according to all that He had sworn to their fathers, and no one of all their enemies stood before them; the LORD gave all their enemies into their hand. Not one of the good promises which the LORD had made to the house of Israel failed; all came to pass” (Joshua 21:43-45).
“they buried the bones of Joseph, which the sons of Israel brought up from Egypt, at Shechem, in the piece of ground which Jacob had bought from the sons of Hamor the father of Shechem for one hundred pieces of money; and they became the inheritance of Joseph’s sons” (Joshua 24:32).
Things to notice that are important for the subsequent history of the nation of Israel:
“Cursed before the LORD is the man who rises up and builds this city Jericho; with the loss of his firstborn he shall lay its foundation, and with the loss of his youngest son he shall set up its gates” (Joshua 6:26b).
one of the sons of Manasseh, Machir, had a portion of land east of the Jordan, Gilead and Bashan, land taken from the kings Sihon and Og; the rest of Manasseh had a portion of land west of the Jordan according to the other sons, and the son who had no sons had a potion allotted to his daughters by the command of God (Joshua 17)
the tent of meeting was set up at Shiloh in the territory of Ephraim (Joshua 18:1)
the tribe of Benjamin’s land fell by lot between Joseph (Ephraim and Manasseh) and Judah (Joshua 18:11)—this will be important with the kingdom is split between Judah (David’s descendants) and the northern kingdom, often referred to as Ephraim
the sons of Israel do not drive out the Canaanites as the Lord commanded (Joshua 15:63, Joshua 16:10, Joshua 17:12-13, Joshua 18:3)
there is a Bethlehem in the territory of Zebulun (Joshua 19:15) that is different than the Bethlehem of Judah, where Christ was born
the tribe of Dan took territory beyond what was given to them by lot (Joshua 19:47)
the sons of Israel did what the Lord commanded in dividing up the Promised Land by tribe, by setting aside cities of refuge, and in giving an inheritance of land among their tribes to the Levites; all the cities of refuge were also cities given to the Levites (Joshua 20)—seems appropriate that the servants of God who had themselves been given refuge would then be responsible for giving refuge
“Israel served the LORD all the days of Joshua and all the days of the elders who survived Joshua, and had known all the deeds of the LORD which He had done for Israel” (Joshua 24:31).
God gives a great summation of the history of Israel: “From ancient times your fathers lived beyond the River, namely, Terah, the father of Abraham and the father of Nahor, and they served other gods. Then I took your father Abraham from beyond the River, and led him through all the land of Canaan, and multiplied his descendants and gave him Isaac. To Isaac I gave Jacob and Esau, and to Esau I gave Mount Seir to possess it; but Jacob and his sons went down to Egypt. Then I sent Moses and Aaron, and I plagued Egypt by what I did in its midst; and afterward I brought you out. I brought your fathers out of Egypt, and you came to the sea; and Egypt pursued your fathers with chariots and horsemen to the Red Sea. But when they cried out to the LORD, He put darkness between you and the Egyptians, and brought the sea upon them and covered them; and your own eyes saw what I did in Egypt. And you lived in the wilderness for a long time. Then I brought you into the land of the Amorites who lived beyond the Jordan, and they fought with you; and I gave them into your hand, and you took possession of their land when I destroyed them before you. Then Balak the son of Zippor, king of Moab, arose and fought against Israel, and he sent and summoned Balaam the son of Beor to curse you. But I was not willing to listen to Balaam. So he had to bless you, and I delivered you from his hand. You crossed the Jordan and came to Jericho; and the citizens of Jericho fought against you, and the Amorite and the Perizzite and the Canaanite and the Hittite and the Girgashite, the Hivite and the Jebusite. Thus I gave them into your hand. Then I sent the hornet before you and it drove out the two kings of the Amorites from before you, but not by your sword or your bow. I gave you a land on which you had not labored, and cities which you had not built, and you have lived in them; you are eating of vineyards and olive groves which you did not plant” (Joshua 24:2b-13).
The conclusion? “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” (Joshua 24:14). God cares very much that we serve Him and Him alone.
“as for me and my house, we will serve the LORD” (Joshua 24:15b).