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The Story of Joshua |
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As for me and my household, we will serve the
LORD
(Jos 24:15) |
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Introduction |
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The Book of Joshua
demonstrates the faithfulness of the LORD
to those who are faithful to Him. It is
the book that recounts the fulfillment of
the promise of the LORD to the Israelites
to deliver to them the Promised Land, the
land of Canaan. It recounts the battles
that the Israelites waged against
seemingly unbeatable enemies and how the
Israelites overcame seemingly
insurmountable obstacles. It tells of the
misery and punishment one can expect if he
dares break the law of God. It tells of
the destruction and slaughter of those who
oppose the will of God. |
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The story of Joshua begins when Moses
sends twelve spies, including Caleb and
Joshua, to survey the land of Canaan. All
the spies come back to Moses with reports
of the bounty of the
Promised Land. All, except Caleb and Joshua
recommend not entering the land of Canaan.
Joshua and Caleb plead with the Israelites to
enter Canaan and take possession of their
inheritance from God but Israel rejects and
stones them.
A Successor to Moses
After Moses had
dies, Joshua, the aide of Moses, son of
Nun becomes his successor. The LORD
promises Joshua that as He was with Moses, the
LORD will be with him, and no one can
withstand |
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him while he lives. The LORD
orders Joshua to be firm and steadfast; to
observe the entire law which Moses left for
him; to keep the book of the law and recite it
by day and by night; and to observe carefully
all that is written in it.
The LORD orders and Joshua prepares to cross
the River Jordan with all the people into the
land the LORD promised the Israelites. Joshua
also reminds the Reubenites, the Gadites, and
the half-tribe of Manasseh of their promise to
Moses that all their warriors cross over armed
ahead and help them, in return for the land
east of the Jordan that Moses promised for
their wives, children, and livestock. They
affirm their allegiance to Joshua as
completely as they obeyed Moses. |
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The Spies in Jericho
Then Joshua sends out two spies from Shittim to
Jericho. The spies go into the house of a harlot
named Rahab and there they live while in
Jericho. However news of their presence reaches
the king of Jericho who orders Rahab to give up
the spies. Rahab instead hides them and she
tells the king that the spies left and she does
not know where they went.Later Rahab goes to the spies and tells them
that the Canaanites know that the LORD has given
the Israelites the land and that fear has come
upon them. Rahab then asks the spies to spare
her father and mother, brothers and sisters, and
all their kin. The spies tell her that if she
does not betray their mission the Israelites
will spare them. |
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She then lets them
down through the window with a rope to escape. As a
sign of the oath Rahab ties a red cord in the window
of her house. Those who are in her house when the
Israelites invade will be spared. The spies make
their way back to the camp and report to Joshua all
that happened. They assure Joshua that the
Canaanites are overcome with fear of them. |
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Crossing
the Jordan
The next morning, Joshua moves with all the
Israelites from Shittim to the Jordan, where
they camp before crossing over. Then the LORD
tells Joshua that this day He will begin to
exalt him among his people so that they may know
the LORD is also with him as He was with Moses.
Joshua
assures his people that the LORD is in their
midst. And as the LORD ordered, he tells his
people to sanctify themselves for the LORD and
follow a certain distance behind the Ark of the
Covenant, which the priests of the tribe Levi
will carry. He then tells the priests to take up
the Ark, go on ahead of the people and stop at
the water’s edge. He also tells them that when
the
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soles of
the feet of the Levite priests touch the waters of
the Jordan, it will cease to flow.
Just as the LORD told Joshua when the priests
carrying the Ark touch the waters the River Jordan
stops flowing and river bed dries up. The priests
stop at the river bed and let the whole nation cross
over on dry ground. After the Israelites cross the
River Jordan, the LORD tells Joshua to choose twelve
men, one from each tribe of Israel to pick up stones
from the river bed with which to build two perpetual
memorials to the Israelites. One is built at the
river bed and the second at the other side of the
Jordan where they camp after crossing. When the
whole nation had crossed over to the other side, the
Ark of the LORD, borne by the priests, also cross to
dry ground and the waters of the Jordan resume their
course.
When the kings of the Amorites and the kings of the
Canaanites hear that the LORD had dried up the
waters of the Jordan before the Israelites until
they crossed over, they became fearful.
Preparing for Battle
The LORD tells Joshua to make flint knives and
circumcise the Israelites. At this time, every man
of military age who came out of Egypt had died in
the desert during the journey, after they left
Egypt. However, none of those born in the desert
during the journey after the departure from Egypt
were circumcised. They remain in the camp until they
recover.
Then the LORD tells Joshua that He has removed the
reproach of Egypt from him. While at Gilgal, the
Israelites celebrate Passover and they eat of the
produce of the land in the form of unleavened cakes
and parched grain. On that same day the manna
ceases.
While Joshua is near Jericho, he sees one standing
facing him with a drawn sword in hand. Joshua goes
to him and asks if he is one of them or of his
enemies. The man declares that he is the captain of
the host of the LORD. Where upon Joshua falls to the
ground in worship, and asks what he needs from
Joshua. The captain of the host of the LORD tells
Joshua to remove his sandals from his feet, for the
place on which he is standing is holy. |
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The
Fall of Jericho
As the LORD commanded Joshua instructs all
the nation to encircle and march around the
city for six days with seven priests
carrying ram's horns ahead of the Ark. Then
on the seventh day they are to march around
the city seven times, and have the priests
blow the horns. When they give a long blast
on the ram's horns all the people shall
shout aloud.
They did as they are ordered and the walls
of the city collapse. Joshua and his army
make a frontal attack. Every living creature
in the city is put to death and the city is
burned. Only the harlot Rahab and all who
are in the house with her are spared. |
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As the LORD
ordered, Joshua also instructs his people not to
take, in their greed, anything that is under the
ban that is sacred to the Lord else they will
bring upon the camp of Israel misery. On this
occasion Joshua also imposes a curse before the
LORD to the man who attempts to rebuild Jericho.
With the LORD in Joshua’s side, his fame spreads
throughout the land. But some Israelites violate
the ban and take goods that are under the ban,
and the anger of the LORD flares up against the
Israelites.
The
Fall of Ai
Joshua next sends men from Jericho to Ai to spy
for him. When they had explored Ai, they return
to Joshua and advise him not to send all the
people up but only about two or three thousand
because the enemies are few. He then sends about
three thousand of the soldiers to attack, but
they were defeated by those at Ai.
Joshua, together with the elders of Israel,
prays for guidance. The LORD then says to Joshua
that someone stole goods subject to the ban. The
LORD also says the He will not remain with
Joshua unless he removes from among the
Israelites whoever has violated the ban. With
the guidance of the LORD Joshua arrests the
Israelite who stole the treasures and all of
Israel come to stone him and everyone that
belong to him to death.
Then the LORD orders Joshua to prepare attack Ai
and draw out the soldiers from the city. Then
Joshua’s soldiers hidden behind the city rush in
to capture of the unprotected city and set it on
fire. When Joshua sees that his soldiers have
taken the city he turns on the people of Ai who
were pursuing them and there was great
slaughter. Only the king survived, whom they
take alive and bring to Joshua. He orders the
king of Ai hanged.
Later Joshua builds an altar to the LORD, the
God of Israel, on Mount Ebal, of unhewn stones
in keeping with the command to the Israelites of
Moses, as recorded in the book of the law. On
this altar they offered holocausts and peace
offerings to the LORD. |
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The Sun
and the Moon Stand Still
Instead of joining the other cities to attack
Joshua and the Israelites, the inhabitants of
Gibeon pretend to be strangers from a far-off
land. They then travel to Joshua in the camp at
Gilgal to propose an alliance with them, and a
promise to become their servants. Then the
Israelite princes partake of the provisions that
they brought with them without seeking the
advice of the LORD. So Joshua makes an alliance
to spare them.
Later the Israelites learn that the alliance is
a ruse but Joshua still honors his word. And for
this the inhabitants of Gibeon at that time are
made hewers of wood and drawers of water for the
entire community. The kings of the other cities
hear that the inhabitants of Gibeon made an
alliance with |
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Israel, so they make their own alliance to
attack Gibeon. The inhabitants of Gibeon ask
Joshua for help and Joshua marches up from
Gilgal with his soldiers.
Joshua prays to the LORD in the presence of
Israel and causes the sun to stand still at
Gibeon and the moon in the valley of Aijalon, so
the Israelites can take vengeance on their foes.
The Israelites inflict a great slaughter on
their enemies for the LORD is with them. Joshua
and his army destroy the cities and put their
kings to death. In a single campaign, several
cities and mountains fall to Joshua as the LORD
said.
And the campaign to reclaim the land of Israel
continues. Joshua defeats huge and powerful
armies and put to death their kings. He destroys
and burns the cities except those cities built
on raised sites. The Israelites take all the
spoil and livestock of these cities as their
booty; but the people they put to the sword, and
not one was left alive, as the LORD had
commanded his servant Moses, so Moses commanded
Joshua, and Joshua acted accordingly. |
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Apportioning the Promised Land
Thus Joshua captures the whole country, just
as the LORD had foretold to Moses. Joshua
gives to Israel the land as their heritage,
apportioning it among the tribes. Joshua
assigns land to the Reubenites, the Gadites,
and the half-tribe of Manasseh, as their
property, for they are loyal to the LORD and
served Him well. He releases them to return
to their own inheritance.
Joshua
assigns land to all the tribes of Israel
except the tribe of Levi, since the LORD
himself, the God of Israel, is their
heritage, as he promised. The families of
the tribe of Levi also are given by all the
tribes as the LORD commanded through Moses,
cities for them to dwell in, with pasture
lands for our livestock. |
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The LORD
commands Joshua to designate the cities as a
sanctuary for those who kill another by accident
and not by previous hatred. There he will plead
his case before the elders, until the killer may
go back home to his own city from which he fled.
Joahua's Last Sermon
When Joshua is old and
advanced in years, he gathers together all the
tribes of Israel at Shechem, summoning their
elders, their leaders, their judges and their
officers. Then he tells them to observe and
carry out all that is written in the book of the
Law of Moses, not straying from it in any way,
or mingling with these nations while they
survive among them. He also tells them that they
must not invoke their gods, or swear by them, or
serve them, or worship them, but they must
remain loyal to the LORD, their God, as they
have been to this day.
He also
tells them to decide that day whom they will
serve, the gods their fathers served beyond the
River or the gods of the Amorites in whose
country they are dwelling. Joshua swears that as
for him and his household, they will serve the
LORD.
Joshua reminds his people that the LORD had been
faithful to those who are faithful to him. He
also says to the people that the LORD is a holy
God; a jealous God who will not forgive their
transgressions or their sin and will destroy
them.
Joshua therefore says to the people that they
will be their own witnesses and that they have
chosen to serve the LORD. Joshua makes a
covenant with the people that day and makes
statutes and ordinances for them at Shechem,
which he records in the book of the law of God.
Then he takes a large stone and sets it up under
the oak that is in the sanctuary of the LORD, as
their witness, for it has heard all the words
which the LORD spoke to them. Joshua tells them
that it shall be a witness against them, should
they wish to deny their God. Then Joshua
dismisses the people, each to his own heritage.
The Death of Joshua
After these events, Joshua, son of Nun, servant
of the LORD, dies at the age of a hundred and
ten. He is buried within the limits of his
heritage at Timnath-serah in the mountain region
of Ephraim north of Mount Gaash. Israel serves
the LORD during the entire lifetime of Joshua
and that of the elders who outlived Joshua and
knew all that the LORD had done for Israel.
The bones of Joseph, which the Israelites had
brought up from Egypt, were buried in Shechem in
the plot of ground Jacob had bought from the
sons of Hamor, father of Shechem, for a hundred
pieces of money. This was a heritage of the
descendants of Joseph. When Eleazar, son of
Aaron, also died, he was buried on the hill
which had been given to his son Phinehas in the
mountain region of Ephraim. |
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Joshua: An Introduction and Commentary (Tyndale Old Testament Commentaries)
In this new Tyndale Old Testament Commentary, Richard S. Hess explores these
historical, theological and literary dimensions of the book of Joshua. An
exceptional feature of his commentary is his careful consideration of the
allocation of the Promised Land and the boundary lists the book of Joshua so
prominently displays. And in a day when grave doubts have been raised over the
historicity of the "conquest" story, Hess presents |
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historical
and archaeological evidence for placing the
events of Joshua in the late second millennium
B.C.
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Moses Great Lives Series: Volume 4 ,
by Charles R. Swindoll. This book presents the Bible's real Moses-the
Moses who tried to decline his assignment from God; the Moses who dazzled Pharoh;
the Moses who received the Ten Commandments; the Moses who was disobedient and
weak; the Moses who was the greatest leader of God's people in all of history.
Through his faith and selfless dedication, Moses continually chose to follow
God's will through difficult and seemingly impossible situations. |
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Jacob and Esau
by Harriette Augusta Curtiss and F. Homer
Curtiss (Paperback - Dec 30, 2005) |
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The Prophecy of Isaiah: An Introduction & Commentary
by J. A. Motyer
Recipient of a Christianity Today 1994 Critics
Choice Award! Among Old Testament prophetic books no other equals Isaiah's
brilliance of style and metaphor, its arresting vision of the Holy One of Israel
and its kaleidoscopic vision of God's future restoration of Israel and the
world. Now, after over three decades of studying and teaching Isaiah, Alec
Motyer presents a wealth of commentary and perspective on this book. |
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Saint of the Day: Lives, Lessons, and Feasts
(Paperback)
by Leonard Foley (Editor), Pat McCloskey (Editor) |
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Lives of the Saints You
Should Know by Margaret R. Bunson, Matthew E.
Bunson |
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New Illustrated Book of
Saints
Author: Catholic Book Publishing Company |
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One Hundred Saints: Their
Lives and Likenesses Drawn from Butler's
This is a
coffee-table collection of 100 popular saints
illustrated with art works taken from
international galleries. The saints are listed
alphabetically in a valuable table of contents,
with a larger list of patron saints following
the text. Inclusion is based on popularity
within the Christian world and the
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availability of
atypical art works. Entries are
generally based on the 1926-38 edition
of Butler's Lives of the Saints, with
the length of each entry varying from
one-half page to several pages. Short
entries giving written insight into the
lives of pious individuals are combined
with depictions rendered by artists such
as Raphael and El Greco. An inexpensive
tribute to art and faith more
appropriate for gift-giving than for
libraries. |
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Apologetics |
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Mary
and the Saints |
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Mass
and the Eucharist |
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Prayers |
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Novenas |
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The Rosary |
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Traditional Prayers:
Discover the origin of your favorite prayer. We might
even have the original Latin version, too. |
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Novenas:
Learn how
to say a novena in honor of your favorite
Saint.
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Archived Articles |
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Prayer Requests |
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Tours and Pilgrimages |
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