Author : Keith Sharp
Bible Survey : Lesson Ten (Joshua)
Moses had died, and Joshua, Moses’ servant, had become leader of Israel. Israel had become a nation with an army of 601,730 soldiers (Numbers 26:51) hardened and disciplined by years of wilderness wanderings and by victorious wars with the Amalekites, the Amorites, the people of Bashan, the Moabites, and the Midianites. The tribes of Reuben, Gad and half of Manasseh had chosen to settle in this pasture land east of the Jordan River but agreed that their soldiers would go with the rest of Israel to conquer the land God had given them. It was tiem for Israel to take Canaan, a “land flowing with milk and honey,” that God promised Abraham hundreds of years earlier.
At the time god promised the land to Abraham, the inhabitants of the land were not wicked enough for God in justice to destroy them and give their land to Israel. But in the centuries since they had thoroughly corrupted themselves in Baal and Ashera worship. They sacrificed their children to the idol Baal, and committed fornication in worship of the Ashera. they were so corrupt that justice demanded their extermination. If they were left to live beside the Israelites, Israel would learn their wicked way.
The Lord appeared to Joshua to prepare him to lead Israel into Canaan. He promised to give him the land and exhorted Joshua:
Only be strong and very courageous, that you may observe to do according to all the law which Moses My servant commanded you; do not turn from it to the right hand or to the left, that you may prosper wherever you go (Joshua 1:7)
The city of Jericho guarded the pass from the plain of Jordan to the high country beyond. Before Israel could proceed further into Canaan, they had to conquer Jericho, a city with strong walls for defense.
Joshua sent two spies to determine the situation. They entered Jericho, but the king heard of their presence. the harlot Rahab hid them and gave them the information that the people of the land had heard of the great miracles the Lord had done for them and the mighty victories He had given them, and the inhabitants of Canaan were paralyzed with fear. She helped them escape back to the camp of Israel, and the spies agreed to spare Rahab and her family when Jericho was destroyed.
Israel set out to cross the Jordan River when the river was at flood stage. As the Levites bearing the ark of the covenant before Israel stepped into the edge of the river, the waters were stopped upstream, and Israel crossed on dry ground. At Joshua’s command one leader from each tribe gathered a stone from the river bed, and with them they built a monument at Gilgal, on the western bank of the Jordan.
The Israelites had neglected to circumcise their boy babies in the wilderness, so here at Gilgal all the men were circumcised. Here the Lord appeared to Joshua, as He had in the wilderness of Sinai to Moses, but now “as Commander of the army of the LORD” (Joshua 5:14).
Israel came to Jericho, and the Lord commanded them to march around the city one time a day for six days. On the seventh day they were to go around the city seven times, the priests were to blow on rams horns, and the people were to give a mighty shout. They obeyed the Lord, and the walls of Jericho fell down flat. Israel took the city and sparied only Rahab and her family.
Joshua decided to send only 3000 men against the little city of Ai, but the Israelites were defeated. They found out that Achan had taken some of the plunder from Jericho, in violation of the Lord’s command, and had caused their defeat. Achan and his family were stoned to death, and then Israel conquered Ai.
Then Joshua obeyed the command God had given Moses in the wilderness. All Israel went to Shechem, where Abraham had first worshiped the Lord in the land. Joshua built an altar to the Lord on Mt. Ebal and wrote a copy of the Law on it. Then, as half of Israel stood on Mt. Gerizim and half on Mt. Ebal, he stood between the mountains and read the blessings and cursings of the Law to them.
The people of Gibeon tricked Israel into signing a treaty with them to allow them to live. Joshua and the leaders of Israel should have consulted the Lord before agreeing to the treaty. When the deceit was discovered, Israel made the Gibeonites their servants, but they kept their promise and did not kill them.
When the Amorite cities of central Canaan learned that Gibeon had made a treaty with Israel, they banded together and attacked Gibeon. The Gibeonites sent word to Joshua, and Israel marched quickly from Gilgal to Gibeon, surprised the Amorites, and routed them. As Israel pursued the defeated enemy, God killed many of the Amorites with hail stones. Joshua prayed to the Lord that the daylight would continue so Israel could finish their victory, and the sun stood still for about a day. The Israelite victory was complete.
After Israel conquered the cities in the southern part of Canaan.
When Jabin, King of Hazor, heard of Israel’s victories, he gathered an alliance of all the peoples in the North of Canaan. They assembled near the waters of Merom to fight Israel. Once again, Joshua and Israel quickly attacked the enemy and destroyed them. The conquest of Canaan was complete.
Now the land had rest from war and was divided among the tribes by lot. Only Levi, the priestly tribe, did not inherit land. Rather, they were given forty-eight cities throughout Israel. The tabernacle was set up at Shiloh.
So the LORD gave to Israel all the land of which He had sworn to give to their fathers, and they took possession of it and dwelt in it. The LORD gave them rest all around, according to all that He had sworn to their fathers. And not a man of all their enemies stood against them; the LORD delivered all their enemies into their hand. Not a word failed of any good thing which the LORD had spoken to the house of Israel. All came to pass. (Joshua 21:43-45)
The Lord God kept completely the Land promise He had made to Abraham hundreds of years earlier.
Joshua allowed the men of Reuben, Gad, and half of Manasseh to return to their families east of Jordan. As they returned, the men built a great altar next to Jordan as a witness that they too belong to Israel and that the Lord was their God. Those west of the river thought this was an idolatrous altar and prepared to go to war with them. When, however, the men from east of the Jordan told them the purpose of the monument, they went home in peace.
Some time after the land had been divided, when Joshua was very old, he called Israel together to give them his farewell speech. This brave soldier of the Lord exhorted Israel:
And if it seems evil to you to serve the LORD, choose for yourselves this day whom you will serve, whether the gods which your fathers served that were on the other side of the River, or the gods of the Amorites, in whose land you dwell. But as for me and my house, we will serve the LORD (Joshua 24:15).
The people replied, “We also will serve the LORD, for He is our God” (verse 18).
Joshua died at the age of 110. “Dare to stand like Joshua. Dare to say the word, ‘As for me and for my house, we will serve the Lord.'”
