JOSHUA

Joshua, who has been Moses right hand for the last forty years (Exo 17:10, 33:11), becomes Israel’s leader after Moses’ death, as God instructed (Num 27:18, Deu 31:14). God charges him to put Israel into possession of Canaan, the land promised to Abraham and his offspring some six hundred years ago (Gen 12;7, 15:18-21). The portion of the promised land lying east of the Jordan has already been conquered by Moses and allotted to the tribe of Reuben, Gad and East Manasseh (Num 21, 32). But the entire land west of the Jordan till the Mediterranean and the Euphrates in the north remains to be conquered.
The book of Joshua describes the history of how Israel conquers this Canaan. First God performs a miracle that has many parallels to the Red Sea parting at Moses time (Exo 14): He stops the flow of the flooding Jordan and lets Israel pass over on dry foot (Jos 3:16). This miracle has an important triple message: God exalts Joshua as the new leader in the sight of all Israel (Jos 4:14), God confirms to Israel his presence and power with them for the coming conquest and God signals to the Canaanites that their protection is removed from them.
The first city that Joshua conquers is Jericho, an impregnable fort city. God commands that all Jericho be put to the sword and all possessions burnt. In this way Jericho becomes like a first fruit, something God claims entirely for his own (Jos 6:17-18). God’s special focus on Jericho’s walls (which fall flat in an instant, Jos 6:20) may be to destroy the Canaanites’ false trust in their fortresses. Or it may be because the Canaanites ‘fortified’ their walls by sacrificing humans to the gods of Canaan.
God clearly commanded to destroy seven specific peoples living in Canaan (the Canaanites, Jebusites, Girgashites, Perizzites, Amorites, Hivites and Hittites) in Deu 7:1-2. Their destruction is God’s judgment on their perversion and wickedness, their degenerate religious practices (like child sacrifice), and its associated societal evil and injustice (Deu 9:4). It is not due to God ‘needing land’ to give to his favored Israel. God has removed nations and given their land to other nations many times before (Deu 2:10, 2:21). God repeatedly warns Israel that if they will not drive out these seven peoples, resulting in a co-living and intermarrying, they will be influenced to participate in the same degrading practices (Deu 7:2-4). And if Israel does so after all, they too, will eventually be driven from the land by God himself (Lev 18:24-31).
It is interesting that all Canaanites who acknowledge the superiority of Israel’s God and thus don’t fight Israel but seek mercy, are indeed saved (the Canaanite Rahab of Jericho in Jos 2 and the Hivite Gibeonites in Jos 9).
With the exception of one case (Achan stealing valuables devoted to destruction, Jos 7), Israel steps up in faith, obeys God and follows Joshua faithfully into many battles, though the Canaanites are greater in number and far better equipped militarily. Joshua wins one battle after the other. In about seven years the land is subdued, the Canaanite kings and armies are destroyed and the peoples are driven out (Jos 18:3).
Joshua, with the help of the High Priest and with all the tribal leaders present, apportions the land to each tribe according to the size of their population by casting lots. The exact borders of the promised land (Num 34:1-12, Jos 1:4), the borders of the tribal lands (Jos 13-20) and the forty-eight cities for the Levites (Jos 21), including the six cities of refuge (Jos 20) are officially apportioned and carefully recorded.
As Moses did before him, at the end of his life Joshua calls the leaders (Jos 23) and all Israel (including the new generation, which has not seen these God events with their own eyes, Jos 24) to remind them one more time of God’s utter faithfulness in fulfilling his promises. He also reminds them of the covenant, warning them that Israel will be blessed and stable only as long as they love God, serve him and obey his law. But if Israel will leave God, turn to idols and disobey God’s law, the blessing will turn into curse and weakness, lack and death will ensue. Joshua pleads with the new generation to choose God and live (Jos 24:14-15).

The author and the readers

Joshua (or Hoshea), son of Nun, of the tribe of Ephraim (Num 13:8,16) has been Moses right hand man for the last forty years. Already right after the exodus from Egypt Moses makes him the leader of Israel’s army in the battle against the Amalekites (Exo 17:10). He is also Moses’s faithful assistant, highly motivated and seeking God (Exo 32:13, 33:11). He loves Moses and is jealous for his honor (Num 11:28). Joshua is one of the twelve spies sent into Canaan (Num 13:1-16) and the only one besides Caleb who has faith in God and courage to face the conquest and tries to influence Israel positively. After years of faithful service Joshua is officially acknowledged by God to become Israel’s next leader (Num 27:18-22). Moses slowly hands over more and more leadership responsibilities to Joshua, ensuring a smooth and peaceful transition of leadership. That such a slow handover is possible speaks for the humility and wholehearted service of both. When Moses dies Joshua is re-confirmed as Israel’s new leader. God encourages him (as he has very big shoes to fill!) and charges him with putting Israel into possession of the promised land (Jos 1).
Joshua is courageous and obedient to God all throughout the challenging battles against the Canaanites who are far more numerous and militarily better equipped. He seeks God when in crisis and obeys his instructions, leading Israel from victory to victory (Jos 6-12). He then apportions the land with the help of the high priest in a fair and transparent manner (Jos 13-21). He leaves behind a true model and a legacy of faithfulness (Jos 23-24).
He instructs written surveys (Jos 18:3) and keeps written records (Jos 24:26). He is most likely the author of the book that bears his name. He writes to the third generation of Israel coming up, people who have been born later and have not seen the exodus or the conquest of the promised land with their own eyes. Joshua writes to them – and to all future generations of Israel – to ensure that they get the message of God’s utter faithfulness and their desperate need for obedience and allegiance to him (Jos 23-24). Joshua probably wrote the book bearing his name towards the end of his life, which can be dated roughly at 1370-1360 BC (Jos 24:29-30).

Preparations for the conquest chapters 1-5

Israel is camping near Shittim, East of the Jordan. Behind them lie the Amorite area east of the Jordan that they already conquered and allotted to the tribes of Reuben, Gad and East Manasseh under Moses’ leadership. Before them, west of the Jordan lies Canaan, the promised land, inhabited by the seven nations they are meant to remove. Joshua, the new leader, is re-confirmed and encouraged by God (Jos 1:2-9) and Israel, particularly the eastern tribes, express their loyalty to him.
Joshua sends spies to Jericho, the first city they will have to conquer in the West. They are hidden and saved by a Canaanite prostitute named Rahab, who tells them that all Canaan is melting in fear before Israel (Jos 2:8). She has heard reports of Israel’s exodus and their conquest of Transjordan. From this she has concluded that the God of Israel is more powerful than any Canaanite god. So she is suing for mercy from this God (Jos 2:8-14). Her steps of faith are rewarded: she and her family alone are saved in the coming battle, she marries into Israel and becomes an ancestor of David and Jesus (Rut 4:17, Mth 1:5-6). She is also listed as an example of faith in Heb 11:31 and Jam 2:23-25).
When Israel is to set over the Jordan, God performs a miracle that has many parallels to the Red Sea parting in Moses’ time (Exo 14): God stops the flow of the flooding Jordan before the priests carrying the ark. Israel passes on dry foot (Jos 3:16). This miracle has an important triple message: God exalts Joshua as the new leader in the sight of all Israel (Jos 4:14), God confirms to Israel his presence and power with them for the coming conquest and he signals to the Canaanites that their protection is removed from them. To immortalize this moment, Joshua builds the first of many memorials: stones from the river bed of the Jordan are set up in Gilgal, on the west side.
At God’s command Joshua then circumcises Israel (Jos 5:2-9), which shows that the first generation Israel in the wilderness was not faithful to obey that instruction on their newborn children. Circumcision, the outward sign of the covenant (Gen 17), is a sign of consecration to God. It is also a step of faith, for to camp in enemy land and to make all males unable to fight for days, is not what military strategy would commend.
They also keep the Passover feast at its proper time (Jos 5:10), commemorating God’s mighty acts on behalf of Israel in Egypt, the tenth plague and the exodus. By celebrating God’s powerful help in the past, Israel is building up its faith for the huge challenge before them: the conquest of Canaan.
That very day the manna that has been falling every morning to nourish Israel for over forty years stops (Jos 5:10-12). This event is significant as God indicates a clear shift by it: Now they will eat of the produce of the land. The miraculous provision of manna was needed for a time and was granted generously by God, but now they will take possession of the land and will have to provide their daily food from agricultural labor. They are ‘weaned’ and released into a new level of self-responsibility.
As a final preparation God grants Joshua a special encounter (Jos 13-15): he sees a mighty warrior, who identifies himself as ‘the commander of the army of the LORD’. This could be an angel of God or else a Christophany (an occasion where Jesus appears visibly before his incarnation). Presumably he gives Joshua detailed instruction as to how to conquer Jericho. But this passage is important in another way also: When Joshua first challenges him ‘Are you one of us, or one of our adversaries?’ the warrior replies ‘Neither’. This has vast implications: Joshua is about to launch the most clearly God-commanded war in all the Bible, and yet God says he is not any more ‘for Israel’ as ‘for Canaan’. Though God helps Israel win this war over the Canaanites, this doesn’t mean he is ‘against the Canaanites’. God is always for people and against evil, whoever commits it.

The conquest of Jericho chapter 6

Jericho was a small but strategic city that guarded a trade route. It was a city-fortress with double walls, considered impregnable at the time. God’s special focus on Jericho’s walls (which fall flat in an instant, Jos 6:20) may be be to destroy the Canaanites’ false trust in their fortresses. Or it may be because the Canaanites ‘fortified’ their walls by sacrificing humans to the gods of Canaan. God commands that all Jericho will be put to the sword and all possessions burnt, making it like a first fruit that God claims entirely for his own (Jos 6:17-18).
God’s directions for taking Jericho are foolishness from a military point of view: circling the city once a day with rams’ horns blowing and seven times on the last day, all in complete silence. They must have marched outside of bow-shot distance. Maybe the inhabitants of Jericho taunted them for their ridiculous marches or maybe the silent vigil was threatening and fear-inspiring. On the seventh day, upon shouting, the walls fall flat and every Israelite in the surrounding circle charges straight ahead (Jos 6:1-21). Evidence for a 1400 BC destruction and burning of the city have been excavated in the ruins of Jericho (Tell es-Sultan).

The ban

God clearly commanded to destroy the seven specific peoples that lived in Canaan (the Canaanites, Jebusites, Girgashites, Perizzites, Amorites, Hivites and Hittites, Deu 7:1-2). Their destruction is a judgment on their perversion and wickedness, their degenerate religious practices, child sacrifice and associated societal evil and injustice (Deu 9:4). It is not due to God ‘needing land’ to give to his favored Israel. God has removed nations and given their land to other nations many times before (Deu 2:10, 2:21). God repeatedly warns Israel that if they will not drive out these seven peoples, resulting in a co-living and intermarrying, they will be influenced to participate in the same degrading practices (Deu 7:2-4). And if Israel does so after all, they too, will eventually be driven from the land by God himself (Lev 18:24-31).
It is interesting that all Canaanites who acknowledge the superiority of Israel’s God and don’t fight Israel but rather take steps of faith to seek mercy, are indeed saved (the Canaanite Rahab of Jericho in Jos 2, the Hivite Gibeonites in Jos 9). Presumably many other Canaanites, who had lost faith in the Canaanite gods’ protective power before the God of Israel, fled Canaan in time and their lives were spared.

Defeat due to sin chapter 7

Israel is defeated when conquering the next city, Ai, with thirty-six Israelites falling victim (Jos 7:2-5). Understanding that this defeat must have a specific reason and following Moses’ example, Joshua prostrates himself before God, seeking his guidance (Jos 7:6-9). God is faithful to tell him the reason: an Israelite has taken loot during the conquest of Jericho. The guilty person, a man of Judah named Achan, is taken by lot and executed along with his family. Achan, who held on to a thing devoted to destruction becomes devoted to destruction himself. This is contrasted with Rahab, who ceases to be ‘devoted to destruction’ by her faith, resulting in her and her family being saved. Achan’s grave becomes another memorial. Since Israel is a tool in God’s hand to execute judgment on other nations, a high standard applies to them.

The central campaign chapter 8

In the second attempt Israel easily defeats Ai by an ambush. Then Israel marches further west and north, till the city of Shechem, where they hold a ceremony specifically instructed by Moses (Deu 27). In order to do so they are marching deep into unconquered land, cutting Canaan in two, and in this way making themselves vulnerable to attacks from north and south. They build an altar on Mount Ebal, on the one side of Shechem. They offer sacrifices and put up a plastered stone on which the law is written (Deu 8:30-35). They then gather six tribes on Mount Ebal and six tribes on Mount Gerizim (which form a natural amphitheater with Shechem in the middle) and perform the ceremony of yelling ‘Amen’ to the curses called out by the Levites. This ceremony is significant because it puts the whole conquest under the theme of bringing obedience to God’s law to the land. It is also an expression on reliance on God, as they are extremely vulnerable at this time.

The peace treaty with the Gibeonites chapter 9

Upon hearing the defeat of Jericho and Ai, the kings of Canaan’s hilly lands, the lowlands and the coast lands towards Lebanon make an alliance to fight Joshua (Jos 9:1-2). Only the Hivite Gibeon chooses a different path: They deceive Joshua to think they are from far away and obtain a peace treaty with him (Jos 9:3-15,19). After three days the bluff is exposed (Jos 9:16).
They obtained the peace treaty by lies and deception and they are Hivite, one of the peoples on God’s death list (Deu 7:7). Is Joshua bound to keep this treaty? Our modern answer would be ‘no!’ But Joshua thinks differently: He doesn’t attack Gibeon (and Chephirah, Beeroth and Kiriath-jearim belonging to it, Jos 9:17-18) but rather defends them from attacking Canaanite troops (Jos 10:6-7).
God seems to side with Joshua, not us: When much later in history King Saul kills many Gibeonites, breaking the three hundred and fifty year old treaty, God sends a three year famine on Israel during King David’s reign. David inquires of God. God explains the reason for the famine. David apologizes to the Gibeonites and makes restitution as they demand (2 Sam 21:2-3). God holds Israel accountable to this very treaty centuries later!

The Southern Campaign chapter 10

The Amarna tablets (see right, discovered in 1887 AD) contain letters from Canaanite kings appealing to the Pharaoh of Egypt for help. They are archaeological evidence for the reality of the conquest.
When the five kings of the Amorites (Jerusalem, Jarmuth, Hebron, Eglon, Debir) hear of Gibeon’s peace treaty with Joshua, they bring out joint troops against Gibeon as punishment for their betrayal (Jos 10:1-5). Gibeon requests Joshua to help. Joshua is assured by God of victory and brings up troops overnight (Jos 10:6-9). In the ensuing Southern campaign (Jos 10:10-39) God supports Israel by throwing the enemy into panic (Jos 10:10), by a supernatural hail (Jos 10:11), by a supernatural time extension (Jos 10:13) and victory in general. In this way Joshua in a very short time defeats and conquers the entire South of Canaan.

The Northern Campaign chapter 11

Very similar to the South, the kings of northern Canaan make an alliance to fight Joshua and gather numerous troops, horses and chariots at the waters of Merom (Jos 11:1-5). God again assures Joshua of victory. Joshua manages a surprise attack on them and pursues them in different directions (Jos 11:6-9). Israel then regroups and mounts an attack on the most powerful city of the area, Hazor. They put Hazor to the sword as per God’s instructions. Evidence of this 1400 BC destruction has been found, also statues of idols with their heads and hands slashed off. Joshua fought years to complete the Northern Campaign, a total of about seven years (Jos 11:19).

Allotment of the land to the Western tribes

Joshua, with the help of the High Priest and all the tribal leaders present, apportions the land to each tribe according to the size of their population by casting lots. This transparent and inclusive process as well as the careful recording brings a peaceful and stable land division that will last unchallenged for centuries.
The exact borders of the promised land (Num 34:1-12, Jos 1:4), the borders of the tribal lands (Jos 13-20) and the forty-eight cities for the Levites (Jos 21) including the six refuge cities (Jos 20) are officially apportioned and carefully recorded:

Jos 13 Allotment of Reuben, Gad, East Manasseh allotted by Moses in Transjordan
Jos 14-15 Allotment of Judah (including Caleb’s portion) allotted by Joshua at Gilgal
Jos 16 Allotment of Ephraim allotted by Joshua at Gilgal
Jos 17 Allotment of West Manasseh (Zelophehad) allotted by Joshua at Gilgal
Jos 18 Allotment to Benjamin allotted by Joshua at Shiloh
Jos 19 Simeon, Zebulun, Issachar, Asher, Naphtali, Dan allotted by Joshua at Shiloh

Unconquered land

The promises of God to Abraham are now a reality: Joshua conquers the whole area from the Negev, the coast land till the valley of Lebanon before Hermon. He destroys all kings and defeats all armies (Jos 11:16-23). Many cities are taken as none made peace with Joshua except for Gibeon and their populations are largely killed. Joshua has won the overall victory as God promised.
But it is one thing to win a battle, kill a king, defeat an army or conquer a walled city. It is a different thing to fully move in, settle down, bring land under one’s authority and control and establish presence and maintenance. Joshua wins the overall victory, he fulfilled what he was supposed to do (Jos 11:9 15, 23). Only the tribes can do the taking possession of their individual land. But they are slack to do so (Jos 18:3). Consequently many Canaanites who fled or were displaced, rather than killed, start moving back into their former cities and thus the conquered areas re-populate because Israel is not forward about populating them (Jos 13:2-7,13, Jdg 1).
It is typical of the book of Joshua that all who step up, take action and demand an inheritance, indeed receive it: whether Caleb (who receives Hebron, Jos 14:6-15) or Othniel (who receives Debir, Jos 15:13-17), or Achsah (who receives springs, Jos 15:18-19), or the daughters of Zelophehad (who receive land as sons would, Jos 17:3-6) or the Levites (who receive cities, Jos 21:1-3).

Miscommunication among Israel’s tribes chapter 22

After finishing the northern Campaign, Joshua and dismisses the two and a half Transjordan tribes (Reuben, Gad and East Manasseh) in peace, commending them for their faithfulness (Jos 22:1-3), reminding them to stay obedient (Jos 22:5), blessing them (Jos 22:6) and allowing them part in the spoil of the Canaan conquest (Jos 22:8).
They depart. During their journey east when crossing the Jordan, the two and a half tribes build a great altar on the western side of the river (Jos 22:10-11). When the western tribes see this, they gather at Shiloh with the intent to make war against the eastern tribes. They fear that the Eastern tribes have already lapsed into disobeying God’s law (sacrifices are permissible only at the altar of the central tabernacle (Deu 12:5, 11) and are slipping into idolatry (Jos 22:12).
Before going to war they are wise enough to send a delegation, with a tribal leaders each and Phinehas, the High Priest (Jos 22:13-14). The delegation blames the eastern tribes of unfaithfulness, but make a generous offers to have them move over to the West, sharing land in order to prevent idolatry (Jos 22:15-20). The Eastern tribes agree that idolatry is intolerable but explain themselves by saying that the altar was never meant for sacrifice but as a witness and reminder that the eastern tribes also belong to God and have the right of access to the tabernacle (Jos 22:21-29). Upon hearing this the western delegation is satisfied and reports back accordingly to those who sent them and all plans for war are gladly abandoned.
This classic example of miscommunication and its excellent solution shows that Israel is in a good place spiritually: concerned, sacrificial and fair.

Joshua’s final words chapters 22-23

As Moses did before him, at the end of his life Joshua calls the leaders (Jos 23) and all Israel, including the new generation, which has not seen these God events with their own eyes (Jos 24). He reminds them of God’s utter faithfulness in fulfilling every promise spoken to them and their forefathers.
He also reminds them of the covenant, warning them that Israel will be blessed and stable only as long as they love God, serve him and obey his law. But if Israel will leave God, turn to idols and disobey God’s law, the blessing will turn into curse and weakness, lack and death will ensue. Joshua one last time pleads with the new generation to choose God and live, as he himself has (Jos 24:14-15). They respond positively and pledge themselves to serve God. Joshua then creates one last memorial, a huge stone who bears witness to the covenant the third generation Israel has just made with God. This is Joshua’s final act in ensuring the pass-down to the next generation.
Joshua then dies at the age of one hundred and ten years and is buried in his own inheritance at Timnath-Serah, a picture of the peace and rest God has given Israel (Jos 24:29-30).

BACKGROUND INFORMATION

Who wrote?

• Jos 24:26       Joshua is described as writing ‘these words’ in a book, and on a large stone. Clearly he is trying to ensure a pass down of God’s deeds in history to the next generation. The book of Joshua serves the very same purpose and in most likely what he writes.
• Jos 18:3, 8-9 Joshua commands a written, ordered description of the Land (a land survey)
• Jos 2:3-22, 4:8-18, 7:16-27 are historical narratives (two spies, crossing the Jordan, Achan’s sin) rich with vivid detail, suggesting an eye-witness writing.
• Jos 5:1,6:17  ‘we’ and ‘us’ sounds very much like an eye-witness describing the events, slipping from historical narrative style into direct story telling.
• Jos 6:26       Joshua’s curse or oath concerning the rebuilding of Jericho is very much known and mentioned in 1 Kin 16:34, showing that the book of Joshua was known and read. > all this point to Joshua as author
• Jos 24:29-30(-33) Description of Joshua’s death and burial must be a later editing.
• Jos 19:47     Also (minimum) one event mentioned in Joshua happened most likely after Joshuas’s death: Jos 19:47 mentions the migration of the Danites to Leshem (Jdg 18:29).
• Some also say Caleb’s conquest of Hebron (Jos 15:13-14, Jdg 1:1,10,20) and Othniel’s conquest of Debir (Jos 15:15-19, Jdg 1:1, 11-15) also happened after Joshua’s death, but since Caleb is still alive and well (and 85 years old, compared to Joshua’s death at 110 years), this is not necessarily so.
• Jewish Talmud The Jewish Talmud, a post New Testament Rabbinic writing identifies Joshua as author (except Jos 24:29-30).
• Jos 10:13 Joshua mentions the Book of Jashar (‘upright one’). The way the Book of Jashar is quoted here and in 2 Sam 12:28 seems to suggest it was well known and respected. But nothing is known about it, except that it would have to be written very early if Joshua can quote it. Rather this is also a later added editing comment.
• Phinehas Phinehas is often suggested as the natural person to add the finishing touches to the book of Joshua. He is also the last person mentioned in Joshua, making it a bit like a signature. Phinehas, son of Eleazar, son of Aaron was most likely still born in Egypt (Exo 6:25 mentions his name). He took a strong stand for God at Baal Peor (Num 25:7-13) at a time he wasn’t High priest yet. He was sent in Jos 22 to mediate during the conflict over the altar near the Jordan.

Written to whom?

• Joshua is written to third generation Israel and also to all future generations.

When written?

• Joshua During the Exodus and the battle against Amalek in 1446 BC Joshua was chosen as general.
• If we assume his age to be 24 to 34 years at this time, he is 65 to 75 years when he becomes Israel’s leader in 1405 BC and his death at 110 years occurs in 1370-1360 BC.
• The book of Joshua is then written before 1370-1360 BC.
• Phinehas’ final touches would be slightly later. He could be still alive during Dan’s migration, for he is still alive during the near extinction of Benjamin (Jdg 26:28).

Written from where?

• From Canaan, the promised land. For Joshua as writer probably Timnath-Serah in Ephraim (Jos 19:49-50, 24:30), for Phinehas probably Gibeah or possibly Silo or Bethel, where the tabernacle finds itself (Jos 24:33).

Importance of the book for Israel?

• Joshua covers Israel’s history from 1405 to about 1360 BC, the story of the successful conquest of the promised land (West part). It is the long-awaited fulfillment of God’s promise to Abraham (Gen 12:7, Gen 15:18-21) some 500 years later, showing God’s faithfulness to his promise. Joshua is a high time for Israel, where faith and obedience bring about a great blessing. It is also the anchor document for the borders of the promised land, and the tribal land distribution in Israel.

Main Characters?

• Joshua Main character, see separate character study
• Caleb Besides Joshua the only remaining person of the first generation. He is full of faith and action and finally sees the fulfillment of God’s promise to Israel and personally to him (Jos 14:6-15).
• Eleazar third son of Aaron (Exo 6:23), becomes High priest as his two older brothers die (Lev 10:1-2, Num 20:28). He assists Moses to allot the land of the Transjordan tribes as God appoints (Num 32:28, 34:17). He assists Joshua to allot the land for the Western tribes (Jos 14:1, 19:51). He has an only son Phinehas (1 Chr 6:4). Eleazar died not long after Joshua, it seems.
• Phinehas only son of Eleazar, son of Aaron (Exo 6:23, 1 Chr 6:4), probably still born in Egypt. He takes a strong stand for God at Baal Peor, bringing about a national atonement (Num 25:7-13) at a time he wasn’t High priest yet. He was sent in Jos 22 to mediate during the conflict over the altar near the Jordan and may well be the one to put the finishing touches on Joshua’s book (Jos 24:29-33).
• Rahab She is a Canaanite prostitute, living in Jericho, who keeps record of the historical events (Red Sea parting, Israel’s conquest of the Transjordan Amorites) and concludes that the God of Israel is superior to Canaanite gods (Jos 2:9-14). She takes steps of faith, hides the Israelite spies and makes a deal to save herself and her family in the coming conquest, which Israel heeds (Jos 6:17). She is listed as one of the only two women of the heroes of faith (Heb 11:31). James compares Rahab’s faith and action to Abraham’s faith and action (Jam 2:23-25). The flax on the roof and crimson cord suggests she was working on alternative employment to prostitution. Rahab marries an Israelite man Salmon > Boaz & Ruth > Obed > Jesse > David > … > Jesus (Mth 1:5, Rut 4:17).
• Rahab is significant as a Canaanite who throws herself on the God of Israel and believes there is mercy.
• Achan Israelite man who disobeys God’s clear ban on Jericho and by his greed (holding on to a thing devoted to destruction) brings destruction on himself and his family.

Character study – Joshua

• Deu 3:28, 31:3, 31:7-8, 31:14-23, 34:9 Important point: who does the leadership NOT go to?
• Not to Moses’ sons, not to Moses’ relatives, is doesn’t even stay in Moses’ tribe. Moses is of Levi, Joshua is of Ephraim (Num 13:8, 13:16). Political leadership does not run in families, but here by God’s indication and by the will of the people (Deu 1:9-15). How is Joshua chosen? By God? By himself? … co-working of God’s calling a d man’s will
• Exo 17:8-16   commander of Israel’s troops against Amalek
• Exo 24:13     Moses’ helper, goes up on mountain with Moses, waits outside cloud … 40 d
• Exo 32:13     Joshua waits and is rejoined by Moses > is not present during golden calf
• Exo 33:11     young men, does not depart from the tent of meeting
• Num 11:28   jealous for Moses’ sake about 2 elder who got the Spirit but didn’t come when Moses’ called
• Num 13:16   he is the spy chosen for Ephraim … Hoshea (deliverer) to Joshua (Jehovah is salvation/deliverer)
• Num 14 ff    Joshua and Caleb had a different spirit, warned people, do not get killed like other spies, survive the 40 y
• Num 27:18-22 take Joshua, a man in whom is the spirit > stand before Eleazar who shall inquire for him > leader of the whole Israel > announced before all
• Num 32:28   Reuben, Gad and Manasseh accountable to Eleazar and Joshua to send troops for conquest
• Num 34:17   Eleazar and Joshua will divide the land
• Deu 1:38       Moses can’t go, but encourage Joshua, your assistant, he will take Israel into Canaan
• Deu 3:21       Moses charges Joshua to remember the victory over Sihon & Og > God will do same to all kingdoms
• Deu 3:28       charge Joshua, encourage & strengthen him > he will cross over at head of Israel > shall secure possession
• Deu 31:7       handover of power in the sight of all Israel
• Deu 31:14     Moses will die, call Joshua, present yourselves at tent > God will commission Joshua > God appears in cloud
• Deu 31:23     God commissioning Joshua: be strong & bold, for you shall bring the Israelites into the land, I will be with you
• Deu 34:9       Joshua was full of the spirit of wisdom, because Moses had laid his hands on him, and Israel obeyed him
• God chooses Joshua, but it seems to be almost a natural conclusion of who he is, has become and has been all along.
• Joshua is self-initiative, self-motivated, hardworking, self-chosen … he desires the presence of God, he does not fear and stay away when all stay away, he loves Moses, he loves God, he seeks his presence, he is worried for integrity and rightness of things, he is an able leaders, he inspires the obedience of the troops, …
• We stress God’s calling … but our response to God may also determine calling … or at least not abort calling.
• Many are called, few are chosen … maybe our response determines the difference
• God does not close doors on willing people … the lack of will or desire is not on God’s side.
• “All get what they really wanted, not all will like it when they get it” C.S. Lewis

Surrounding Countries as Deuteronomy, here more detail

• General Canaan was a land of smaller city states, each with a king. The kings owned the land and distributed it to his subjects for tax, military service and general obedieence. The kings duty was to protect the subjects > Feudal system.The kings allied themselves with each other to defeat Joshua (Jos 10:3, 11:1-5). Canaan was on a land bridge / trade route and traded with Egypt, Northern Mesopotamia and Cyprus.
  Archeology Excavations show Canaanite culture had rich pottery and elaborate architecture. Tel Amarna Clay Tablets were found (discovered 1887 BC), with urgent appeals of Canaanite kings to sent armies to defend themselves against the ‘apiru’ (stateless people, a description which fits Israel very well), otherwise Canaan would be lost. But Egypt was weak at that time (maybe still weakened from the disaster 40 years earlier.

Hittites

• Noah > Ham > Canaan > Heth (2nd son) > Hittites (Gen 10:15). They ruled Asia Minor (Turkey, along the Halys River), original capital , numerous, powerful (probably most powerful people at the time beside Egypt) moved into area 2300 BC, dominated Northern Syria (by military and good diplomacy), conquered Babylon 1600 BC. They were the first to have iron weapons. They created a vast net work of vassal states, by offering suzerainty covenants to conquered peoples. Under the suzerainty coveneant the local king could rule freely in internal affairs and got military protection of his boundaries. But he gave up the right to foreign policy / action and had to give tax to the Hittite capital. The Hittites worshiped 1000 gods (male storm god, female sun goddess), 1100 BC mainland Greeks conquer their North empire.
• Abraham bought a burial place from a Hittite living in Hebron (Gen 23:3-20). Esau married two Hittite wives, which distressed his mother Rebekah (Gen 26:34). Due to failure to live up to the command of God and the covenant, Israel couldn’t fully drive out the Hittites (Jdg 3:5) but rather intermarried against God’s law. David committed adultery with Bathsheba, the wife of Uriah the Hittite (2 Sam 11-12).
• Solomon pressured foreigners into forced labor (1 Kin 9:20-22). From Solomon to Ezra Israelite-Hittite intermarriages continued (1 Kin 11:1, Eze 9:11). Ezekiel provokes Israel by saying ‘Your mother was a Hittite, your father an Amorite” (Eze 16:3, 45).

Girgashites

• interrelated with Caananites, many gods, among them god of light. Not much known. Tradition says they fled to Africa.

Perizzites

• area that later is allotted to Judah, so they must have lived in the South. They re distinct from the Canaanites (Gen 13:7, 34:30) but not much else is known.

Hivites

• Noah > Ham > Canaan > Hivites (Gen 10:15). The people of Shechem or at least Hamor father of Shechem is called a Hivite (Gen 34:2). Inhabitants of Gibeon in the hilly land North of Jerusalem is identified as Hivite (Jos 9:7, 11:19). Hivites under Hermon in the land of Mizpah is mentioned, locating them in the are East of the Sea of Galilee (Jos 11:3). Hivites were also located in the Lebanon hills (Jdg 3:3).

Jebusites

• inhabitants of Jerusalem. Defeated by Joshua (king and army of Jebus) but population not driven out (Jos 10, 15:63). In Jdg 19:10-12 an Israelite Levite doesn’t want to spend the night in Jebusite Jerusalem. Only during David’s time Jebus is fully conquered and taken possession of and made the capital of the united Israel called Jerusalem (2 Sam 5:6-10).

Canaanites

• West of Jordan, worshiped fertility gods Baal / El, under Egyptian control?, Astarte, Molech. Since Ham’s son Canaan is the father of a whole bunch of peoples, the term ‘Canaanite’ often is inclusive of the other groups: Jebusites, Amorites, Hivites, Girgashites and others (Gen 10:15-19). Canaanites were spread in many different places, but especially lived in the low land by the Sea and in the Jordan valley (Num 13:27).

Rephaim

• Deu 2:11,20 describes them as tall / giants, related to the Anakim and driven out by God before the Ammonites. Amorite King Og, Sihon considered last Rephilim (Jos 12:4, 13:12, 17:15), so probably that’s why they are no longer mentioned when Joshua conquerst the West.
• Anakim giants, like the Rephaim (Deu 2:10-11). Three chiefs of the Anakim lived in Hebron at the time the 12 leaders spy out the land at Moses’ command (Num 13:22) till the day Caleb defeats them (Jos 15:13-14). Remnants of them remained in Gaza, Gath and Ashdod (Jos 11:21-22).
• Amorites Noah > Ham > Canaan > Amorites (Gen 10:15). At one time a large kingdom including areas of Assyria and Babylon. During Abraham’s time they are mentioned to be present on the Western shore of the dead sea and around Mount Hermon (Gen 14:7, Deu 3:8). 1792 BC Hammurabi, King of Babylon, was an Amorite > Hammurabi law code. During their supremacy in Canaan they conquered a large part of
• Moab and settled in it under King Sihon. In Moses’ time much of their land is East of the Jordan (Jos 24:8), which is conquered by Moses. But also Joshua in his southern campaign in 1405 BC defeats an alliane of 5 Amorite kings, the kings of Jerusalem, Hebron, Jarmuth, Lachish and Eglon (Jos 10:1-43). In 1380-1345 BC the Amorites became vassals of the Hittites.
• Kenites Blacklisted in Gen 15:17-21. Cursed by Balaam in Num 24:21-22. Not mentioned in the later black list of Deu 7:1, Jos 3:10 (why? Disappeared?). Jdg 1:16 mentions the Kenites as descended from Moses’ father-in-law Jethro (Num 10:29-30), which would make them a different group from the Kenites mentioned as far back as Ge 15. They are also called Midianites.
• Kenizzites Blacklisted in Gen 15:17-21. No longer mentioned in the black lists of Exo 3, Deu 7, Jos 3. Died out? Moved away? Assimilated? Became more moral? Joshua’s father Jephunneh is called a Kenizzite (Jos 14:6, 14). Some think that the Kenizzites were an Edomite clan, for Esau has a grandson named Kenaz (Gen 34:11,15). It could be that the Kenizzites were connected to or even absorbed into Israel.
• Kadmonites Blacklisted in Gen 15:17-21. No longer mentioned in the black lists of Exo 3, Deu 7, Jos 3. Died out? Moved away? Assimilated? Became more moral?
  Philistines Noah > Ham > Egypt > Caphtorim > Philistines (as far as I know). Joshua defeats his enemies all the way till Gaza (Jos 10:41), but the Philistines are not really fully conquered at all (Jos 13:2). Of the 5 main cities of the Philistines Gaza, Ashdod, Ashkelon, Gath and Ekron only Gaza is mentioned as conquered (Jos 13:3, 10:41). The Philistines willl become a permanent enemy of Israel (during Saul, David and later times).
• Joshua wins the overall war (Jos 10-11) and the many kings he defeats are listed in Jos 12, but people remained (Jos 11:21-23) and a list of areas that remain to be possessed is in Jos 13:1-7. This shows that to ‘win the war’ and to actually ‘take possession’ is not the same thing. Joshua did well with his overall objective. It is the job of the tribes to really settle in these places and make them their own. But – due to failure to do so – these nations indeed become ‘pricks in your eyes and throns in your side’ (Num 33:50-56) as God warned Israel.

Deities of the surrounding countries

General

The Canaanite religion was essentially a nature religion, with gods and goddesses associated with the yearly cycle of the seasons. Fertility cult. Archeology shows that the Canaanite religion had by the 2nd millenium BC become notorious for its depravity. In a Canaanite sanctuary there would be the altar, a stone pillar (male deities), wooden poles (female deities). Sanctuaries could be found on hill tops (‘high places’) or in groves. Because Canaanite deities were utterly devoid of moral character, their worship and religious practices were accordingly.

• El: Canaanite male chief god. El simply means god. The plural is ‘Elohim’ which is used in Gen 1:1 and becomes / is the Jewish term for the supreme God. El is a bit shadow, worshiped as the father of men, father of gods, father of years. He dwelt at the ‘source of the two deeps’. His instructions were conveyed by messengers, which shows his remoteness. His onsort is Astaroth, the ounsellor of gods.
• Baal: Canaanite male god. Young storm and weather god (1 Kin 16:31; 18:18-46), in charge of the yearly cycle of weather and associated agriculture. In a land dependent on regular rain, Baal was considered crucial to agriculture and fertility. Worshiped by incense and sacrifices (Jer 7:9), sexual practices beyond description (1 Kin 14:23-24), sometimes sacrifice of children (extra-ordinary occasions). Originally many local versions (Baal of Peor, Num 25:3, Baal Hermon, Jdg 3:3, etc). Later this was unified to a more overarching worship. In Jdg 6:28-32 Gideon cuts down the Baal altar of his father. In Jdg 9:4 Shechemites worship a Baal-Berith. In 1 Kin 18:26-29 the baal priests use self-cutting, frenzied dancing / screaming in the power-encounter with Elijah on Mount Carmel.
• Ashtoreth (plural Ashtaroth) / Astarte/ Anat / Ishtar (Babylon) / Queen of Heaven: Canaanite female goddess. Mother-goddess; goddess of love and fertility (Jdg 2:13; 10:6; 1 Sam 12:10; 1 Kin 11:5, 33, Jer 7:18; 44:17-25). Cosort of Baal. Worshiped (both) by sexual practices beyond description, sometimes sacrifice of children.
• Asherah: Canaan female goddess. Mother-goddess, goddess of the sea (Jdg 3:7; 1 Kin 18:19; 2 Kin 22:4; 2 Chr 15:16)
• Chemosh: Male god. Moab’s national god of war, child sacrifice was common (Num 21:29; Jdg 11:24; 1 Kin 11:7, 33; Jer 48:7)
• Molech / Malcam / Milcom: Male god, Ammon’s national god. Depicted with bull’s head, outstretched arms, child sacrifice was common (1 Kin 11:5, 7, 33; Jer 49:1; Zph 1:5)
• Dagon: Male god. Philistia’s national god, god of grain, depicted with fish tail (Jdg 16:23; 1 Sam 5:2-7)

Spiritual situation of surrounding countries

• Deu 9:4-5       The seven nations were involved in long-standing, pervasive evil, injustice as a nation or culture. That is the reason God’ cancels their right to exist (and not because ‘favorite’ Israel needs land).
• Lev 18, 18:24 Lists some of the sins that were rampant in both Egypt and Canaan: sexual license, incest, rape, homosexuality, bestiality and child sacrifice.

Israel’s spiritual life

• Israel is mostly standing in faith, obedient to God, the Law and Joshua, loyal and in tribal unity (Jos 1:12-18) > one of the highest times in Israelite history.
• The only departures from that are Achan’s greed (Jos 7), Joshua’s lack of discernment concerning the Gibeonites (Jos 9) and Israel’s lack of keeping conquering (Jos 18:3).

Literary Category?

• Prose > literal interpretation. Only Joshua’s curse in Jos 6:26 is poetry > figurative interpretation.

Structure?

• Historical Narrative (roughly chronological) with extensive geographical records Jos 13-21.

Composition?

• Continuity or even Repetition in the lists and descriptions of geography.

Main Ideas / Topics?

• History of the Conquest of Canaan and the Allotment of the Promised land to the 12 tribes of Israel.
• As Israel is obedient and puts their trust in God, the Covenant blessings start fulfilling: unity, victory, prosperity and possessing the land.
• God fulfills his promises to Abraham (Gen 12:7, Gen 15): they have become a great nation, now they get ownership of the land
• God is revealed as the covenant-keeping, faithful, powerful, caring and holy God
• Official geographical record of the borders of the promised land, the exact tribal inheritance, the Levitical cities and the cities of refuge.
• Seven memorials to remind Israel and future generations of the covenant and of God’s mighty acts.

Main Reasons / Goals?

• To tell the third generation Israel and future generations … the History of the Conquest of Canaan and the Allotment of the Promised land to the 12 tribes of Israel.
• To challenge the third generation Israel and future gnerations to trust in God, to walk in his ways, to be obedient to the law for only by so keeping the Covenant can God bless them.
• To give them a revelation of God who is covenant-keeping, faithful, powerful, caring and holy God.
• To give Israel the official geographical record of the national and tribal borders and inheritances.

Background Information – Archeology pertaining to Joshua

Jos 3: 14-17              Jordan dammed up

• Nelson Glueck maintains that the dozen miles between Adamah and Zarethan is the only stretch in the Jordan Valley where such a damming up and a going over on dry ground could have taken place (Unger, Bible Handbook).
• Below Adam, the water drained off. At Adam the Jordan flows through clay banks 40 ft. high, which are subject to landslides. In 1927 an earthquake caused these banks to collapse, so that no water flowed past them for 21 hours. Jesus was later baptized in this same approximate area (Halley, Bible Handbook).
• “On at least three occasions in known history the River Jordan has ceased to flow, possibly in a somewhat similar way to that recorded in the Bible – in 1267, 1907 and 1927. Garstang actually witnessed the occurrence in 1927.” (Wilson, That Incredible Book, The Bible).

Jos 6:20-21               Jericho

• Jericho was apparently not a large city. So crowded were the living conditions that the houses, such as Rahab’s were built on the walls (Unger,Bible Handbook).
• The wall of Jericho enclosed about 7 acres! Two significant excavations have ocurred at Jericho‑John Garstang and Katherine Kenyon.
• Garstang found evidence that the city had been destroyed about 1400 BC. Jos 6:20 “The wall fell down flat.” The outer wall 6 ft. thick, the inner wall, 12 ft. thick; both being about 30 ft. high. Built on uneven foundations with brick 4 inches thick and 1 ‑2 ft. long. Two walls were linked together by houses (e.g.Rahab). Garstang found that the outer wall fell outward dragging the inner wall with it; Garstang feels that an earthquake caused this.
• They burnt the city with fire. Garstang found great layers of ash, charcoal and wall ruins reddened by fire. A top layer of black burnt debris, under this was a layer of reddish brick then were pockets of white ash. “Keep yourselves from the devoted thing”(18). Garstang found, under the ashes and fallen walls, in the ruins of storerooms, an abundance of food stuffs, wheat, barley, dates, lentils, and such, turned to charcoal by intense heat, untouched and uneaten; evidence that the conquerors refrained from appropriating the foods (Halley, Bible Handbook. Unger, Archaeology and the Old Testament).
• Excavations in 1951 under Katherine Kenyon have brought some of Garstang’s conclusions into question although even after Kenyon’s discoveries Garstang still stuck with his own excavatory works which were done earlier in the century. Kenyon agreed that Garstang’s discoveries were early but is not wholly convinced that these were Joshua’s destruction (Harrison, Old Testament Times).
• For rather convincing evidence backing Garstang’s conclusions see Leon Wood, A Survey of Israel’s History, pp.95ff. Wood also points out: “Miss Kenyon’s description of the walls of this city is of significance. The walls were of a type which made direct assault practically impossible. An approaching enemy first encountered a stone abutment, eleven feet high, back and up from which sloped a thirty‑five degree plastered scarp (a line of cliffs, a steep slope cut into) reaching to the main wall some thirty‑five verti­cal feet above. The steep smooth slope prohib­ited battering the wall by any effective device or building fires to break it. An army trying to storm the wall found difficulty in climbing the slope, and ladders to scale it could find no satisfactory foot­ing. The normal tactic used by an enemy to take a city so protected was siege, but Israel did not have time for this, if she was to occupy all the land in any reasonable number of months.”
• Jirku Anton in The World of the Bible states: “The walls, which according to the Biblical account, were so strong that they could only be overcome by supernatural force were discovered in the course of French excavations in 1914. But the walls had already been destroyed two hundred years before the immigration under Joshua took place. The connection between the two events was a later invention. There was a small settlement in a much later period, but it was of no significance.”

Jos 7 – 8                Ai and Bethel

• Ai and Bethel apparently were conquered together Jos 8:9, 12, 17. In 1934, William Albright excavated Bethel and found that it had been destroyed at a time coinciding with Joshua’s invasion by a “tremendous conflagration” which “raged with peculiar violence.”There was a solid mass, 5 feet thick of “fallen brick, burned red, black ash‑filled earth, and charred and splintered debris.” Albright said he had seen nowhere in Palestine indications of a more destructive fire! (Halley, Bible Handbook. Harrison, Old Testament Times).
• G.Ernest Wright of Harvard writes: “It was the privilege of this writer to participate in this excavation…….by far the worst destruction which the city experienced in all its history … The Canaanite city destroyed was a fine one, with excellent houses, paved or plastered floors and drains … there can be no doubt that this was the Israelite destruction.” (Wilson, That Incredible Book, The Bible).
• J.A.Thompson states in The Bible and Archaeology: “In the south such towns as Jericho, Ai, Lachish, Debir, Eglon, and Libnah were taken and destroyed. ……The town of Ai poses its own peculiar problem because it seems that the site that has been identified with Ai was destroyed about 2350B.C. and lay in ruins at the time of the Israelite conquest. Its very name means “ruin.” Various suggestions have been offered to account for the fact that Ai is mentioned as being taken by Joshua. One is that it was merely an outpost of Bethel under the control of a military captain. He is styled “king”, but this need occasion no difficulty as the Hebrew root simply means “ruler.” If Ai was only a military outpost there may not have been any substantial buildings there and so nothing tangible would remain! However, this is one of the problems still remaining to be solved.

Jos 10:32                  Lachish

• Lachish, 1931 the Wellcome Archaeological Expedition found a great layer of ashes coinciding with Joshua’s time (Halley, Bible Handbook).

Jos 10:38                Kiriath-sepher

• In Kiriath‑sepher there is a great burned layer with a Hebrew city built on top of it (Finegan, Light from the Ancient Past).

Jos 10:39                  Debir

• A deep layer of ashes, charcoal and lime, with indications of a terrible fire, and cultural marks of Joshua’s time; everything under it Canaanite; everything above it Israelite (Halley Bible Handbook. Harrison, Old Testament Times).

Jos 11:11                    Hazor

• Garstang found ashes of this fire, with pottery evidence that it had occurred about 1400 BC. Also on one of the Amarna tablets (written around 1380 BC to Pharoah) by the Egyptian ambassador in northern Palestine”Let my lord the king recall what Hazor and its king have already had to endure.” (Halley, Bible handbook).
• Archer, A Survey of Old Testament Introduction mentions that the reports to the Pharoh in the Amarna tablets with greatest alarm that the Hebrews are destroying everything in their path. Kline points out that on several of the Amarna tablets terms of peace were being constantly sought with the Hebrews. He thus regards them as chariot owners (the highest of the warrior caste.) (Ibid).

Jos 12:12                 Gezer

• Gezer’s city walls were 14 feet thick (Unger, Bible Handbook).
• In 1904, Macalister found the ruins of a high place dated around 1500 which was a temple to Baal and Ashtoreth. It was an enclosure 150ft. by 120ft., surrounded by a wall, open to the sky, ……under the debris in this high place were found numbers of jars containing the remains of children who had been sacrificed to Baal. The whole area proved to be a cemetery for new born babies. Further foundation sacrifices were found in Gezer, Megiddo and Jericho‑many were found in Gezer. Also amidst the destruction, Macalister found enormous quantities of images and plaques of Ashtoreth with rudely exaggerated sex organs, designed to foster sensual feelings (Halley, Bible Handbook).

Jos 17

• “We find that there were cities which were not destroyed in the times of Joshua, Megiddo being the outstanding example. When the excavators went down through the levels of occupation of this city they found there was no evidence of the Israelites destroying the civilisation of Joshua’s day, thus corroborating the Bible statement. The Canaanites still lived at Megiddo at that time‑as shown in Jos 17. (Wilson, That Incredible Book, The Bible)

JOSHUA TEXT

Time Frame for the Events in Joshua

• 1405 BC          1 month Camping on the East side of the Jordan
• 1405 BC          3 weeks Gilgal
• 1405 BC          1 year Initial conquest, central, southern and northern campaign
• 1404 BC          6 years further battles
• 1398 BC           18 years settling the land
• 1370? 1360?   Joshua dies aged 110 years.

CHAPTER 1   GOD & PEOPLE’S ENCOURAGEMENT

Joshua’s re-commissioning as the new leader

• Num 27:18-23      God indicates Joshua as the next leader. Instructs Moses to impart some fo the Spirit and do a partial handover to Joshua. Moses obeys that > good, slow hand over with quite some overlap time.
• Deu 31:14-23        God instructs Moses to hand over leadership to Joshua in the sight of all Israel.
• Deu 34:9, Jos 1:1  With Moses’ death Joshua’s leadership becomes a sole reality.
• Jos 1:2                    God says ‘My servant Moses is dead. Now proceed to cross the Jordan…’. God is a God of reality, of facts. The old leader is well and truly gone. It’s up to the new leader now.
• Jos 1:2-9                 God speaks to Joshua after Moses death – this is the new working modus! – and personally re-affirms to him one more time his calling. Why is this needed? Joshua knows all this since a while and is as mentally prepared as any leader at a handover. He has grown into this role since 40 years. Yet still: God grants him this re-commissioning.
• Probably because he is following one of the greatest leaders Israel ever had and will ever have – big shoes to fill! Probably also because now is the crucial time: all the preparation and years of faithfulness have lead to this point. Also the time is curcial for Israel’s 2nd generation: will they ‘fall apart’ again as they did under Moses 40 years ago? Joshua must feel vulnerable. God with these words not only calms Joshua’s fears, but he also lays the foundation of his success and the fulfillment of his calling.
• Jos 1:5                   “just as I was with Moses, so I will be with you, I will not fail or forsake you.”
• Deu 3:21-22           God to Joshua: “Your eyes have seen all that the Lord has done to these two kings, so the Lord will do to all thekingdoms into which you are bout to cross. Do not fear them for it is the Lord youf God who fights for you.”
  • > God’s presence, God’s witness, God’s promise to Joshua, which is the foundation of this authority, anoiniting and wisdom.
  • > Remembering how God worked in and through Moses. Remembering God’s faithfulness in the past to feed faith for the future. Memorials are a repeated theme in this book. Record and remember God’s hand in our lives. Thankfulness and celebration feeds faith.
• Jos 1:6                   “be strong and very courageous” > Direct encouragement and challenge. This is a command, so humans can are able to do this if responding to God.
• Jos 1:8-9               “This book of the law shall not depart out of your mouth, you shall meditate on it day and night, so that you may be careful to act in accordance with all that is written in it.’ For then … you shall be successful.”
  • > To discuss, teach, think about and seriously apply the law > the fruit will be prosperity & success, which will unfold and fulfill in Joshua’s live.
• Just as shown with Joshua, the third generation needs to claim just that God’s presence, remembering the past and obediece to the law.
• Jos 1:12-18           The Transjordan tribes assure Joshua of their obedience and submission to his leadership. Their troops are ready to cross the Jordan with their brothers as they had sworn to Moses (before Joshua) in Num 32:6, 16-17. The are displaying loyalty, selflessness, commitment to their oath, faith and obedience. They encourage Joshua to take up his role fully. Actually their very loyalty would be more than encouraging to Joshua who is picking up his greatest challenge right now.
• This loyalty and unity is also very crucial right now for the nation. If they had refused, this could have demoralized the remaining tribes and precipitated a repetition of the ‘Numbers 13‘ disaster.
  The beauty and need for support and loyalty at the right time! The faithfulness of anyone makes it more easy for everyone else to be faithful. In the same way each faithlessness has a discouraging effect on all around, making it harder for them to be faithful. Every small action matters.
• In Jos 22:2-3     Joshua will dismiss them with honor and thankfulness, acknowledging their obedience and contribution. This is after 7 years of warfare in Canaan.

Repeated Theme God keeps his word

• Jos 1:3     “just as I promised to Moses”
• Jos 1:6     “that I swore to their fathers to give them”
• Jos 1:13   ‘remember’ God is providing a place of rest, God will give this land
• God reminds Joshua of his faithfulness, trustworthiness, covenant keeping and his desire to give them what is good. This is also a reminder to the second and third generation to have faith in God’s promises, to obey his law and also his command to conquer and take possession and tto trust God for help and victory.
• This will help create fear of God in them, when they ponder their fathers’ obedience and faith.

Repeated Theme God is the Giver

• Jos 1:2     “the land I am giving to them”
• Jos 1:3     “I have given…”
• Jos 1:11    “the Lord gives you … take possession”
• Jos 1:13    “the Lord … will give you this land”
• Jos 1:15    “the Lord your God is giving them …”
• God is the Giver, they are the recipients … God will fight the battle with and for them, putting them into possession of the land. It is a Gift, but they need to value the gifts, take the gift, hold on to the gift, cultivate the gift, work the gift … so thy will enjoy blessing off the gift. A reminder to the second and third generation: a gift … but take ownership!

CHAPTER 2   SPIES IN JERICHO

• Jos 2:1-7     Joshua sends out two spies to report on the situation on the other side of the Jordan, especially on Jericho, which is the first city in their path.
• They end up in the house of the prostitute Rahab, who hides them on her roof. She lies to the emissaries sent by the king to protect them (‘true, the men came, but I don’t know where they went’) and later lets them out by a rope.
• Jos 2:8-14   Rahab says: “I know that the Lord has given you the land, and theat dread of you has fallen on us, and that all the inhabitants of the land melt in fear before you … Red Sea … Two kings of the Amorites … The Lord your God is indeed God in heaven above and on earth below.”
• This is faith: ‘reasonable conclusions’ from the knowledge she has. The God of Israel is stronger than any of the gods of Canaan. And she is acting on it: She hopes that by helping Israel the God of Israel will accept her. For that she takes the risk of being a traitor, and of being rejected by this God.
• Objection: lie Why do people lie? > for fear, for shame, for pride, for greed, for self-advancement, for self-protection. Why is it that Rahab lies, but that is rewarded?
• She is a Canaanite, and has no clear teaching of the law, the ten commandments or God’s morality. She lies to protect the spies, and to protect herself from the coming disaster. She is like a sinner taking first steps, to ask complete fidelity is a bit much. She responds to revelation, she throws herself at this new God in faith. At a time when Jericho is probably crazily doing sacrifices to implore protective deitites, she recognizes that as a lie (or as inferior) and acts on that. At a time when Jericho was considered unconquerable, she doesn’t believe that will save them. She could have probably scored high favor by hiding them and then telling the king, but she doesn’t trust that anymore. Or she is willing to forego that because she is convinced Jericho won’t last anyway.
• Jos 2:15-24     Rahab makes a deal with the spies: their lives for hers and her family’s. It is interesting that the two spies obviously feel authorized to make this oath to her even though they know the general ‘death command’ for Canaanites. Is this an understanding of God’s mercy and (basically) open arms to anyone who will convert, even if Canaanite. Or just a necessary war-strategy not falling under morality? They do keep it, though, and Joshua tells them to do so (Jos 6:22-25).
• Jos 2:12-13      Rahab includes her family so they can be saved, too, though none of them has shown faith like her. This also shows forgiveness from her side, it turns out she has father, mother, brothers and sisters … who didn’t seem to take care of her so she didn’t have to earn by prostitution.
• Out come Rahab is listed as one of the only two women of the heroes of faith (Heb 11:31). James compares Rahab’s faith and action to Abraham’s faith and action (Jam 2:23-25). The flax on the roof and crimson cord (concentrated die) suggests she was working on alternative employment to prostitution: fabric weaving and dyeing.
  Rahab and her family joins Israel (Jos 6:25) and later marries an Israelite man Salmon > Boaz & Ruth > Obed > Jesse > David > … > Jesus (Mth 1:5-6, Rut 4:17).

CHAPTER 3   CROSSING OF THE JORDAN

• Jos 3:1        After the Transjordan conquest Israel has been camping at Shittim, where the Balaam story, Baal-Peor and all of Deuteronomy happens. Now Israel moves West, the 6 to 7 miles to the Jordan. It is flood time, with the Jordan overflowing the banks. Maybe Jericho trusted in this protection (though Rahab clearly didn’t).
• Jos 3:2        It seems they stayed at the Eastern shore of the Jordan for 3-4 days.
• Jos 3:3-13  God instructs how the crossing of the Jordan needs to happen: The people need to consecrated themselves. This is a spiritual battle, not just a physical battle. The ark will be packed up as usual (presumable) and carried by priests. It will set out first, the people following at about a kilometer of respectful distance. The ark now shows the way (no cloud over top anymore?). When the priests feet will touch the water, the Jordan will be cut off by God’s miraculous interventions. Priests with the ark will stand in the middle with all Israel crossing over.
• The ark signifies God’s presence, but also the Law. Israel is lead by God. Israel is lead by the Law. In coming into this new promised land they need to ‘follow the ark’, which means to ‘follow the law’. This visualizes the challenge to the second and third generation Israel.
• Jos 3:7, 4:14   “This day I will begin to exalt you in the sight of all Israel, so that they may know that I will be with you as I was with Moses. You are the one who shall command the priests …”. God affirms the new leader and visibly endorses him in front of everybody.
• Jos 3:14-17     Joshua does accordingly and God does accordingly. The conquest starts with a miracle: the parting of the Jordan.
• It says the waters stood in a heap at Adam (roughly 30 kilometers (?) North near the confluence of the Wadi Jabbok (Jos 3:16). It is said that the area also in modern times is subject to mudslides and a cutting off of the Jordan were recorded in 1267, 1906 and 1927 AD.
• The 30 kilometer of ’emptied riverbed’ is also a message: at God’s command hals of Canaan’s ‘side’ s exposed, anyone can walk across. Maybe God also did the heaping up so far away to send the message to the Canaanites … for fear: their protection is removed, maybe for repentance: the wider the breech the more people will be aware of it and maybe still repent.
• Comparison: Parting of the Red Sea and the Parting of the Jordan. Both events have in common:
  • passed on dry ground
  • supernatural return of the water
  • specific guidance
  • crossed in haste
  • no chance of return or retreat
  • witnessed by enemies
  • everyone made it across
• Contrasts between the Parting of the REd Sea and the Parting of the Jordan:
  • Leader Moses                                   Leader Joshua
  • first generation                                 second generation
  • murmuring                                       obedient
  • Moses staff touched the water      feet of the priests trouched the water
  • Angel of the Lord goes first           ark of the covenant goes first
  • water stood like walls                     water in heap afar off
  • Israel in danger (escape)               Israel in no danger (offensive attack)
  • out of bondage (Egypt)                  into the promised land (Canaan)
  • Egyptian army drowned                12 stones left in the midst of the river bed
  • Egypt defeated                                 Canaan still to conquer
• This miracle is a strong message to Joshua, to Israel now going into the conquest, but also to the third and later generations, showing God’s power, presence and faithfulness to an obedient Israel.

CHAPTER 4   MEMORIAL OF THE CROSSING

The purpose of Memorials

• to actively and intentionally remember an event, ‘let’s make a memory’ … to maintain our devotion
• to teach future generations about past events and God’s hand in their history
• to mark a location (for example a site, boundaries, a battle field …)
• to be a witness to a treaty or covenant or promise

First Memorial

• Jos 4:1-9      God commands for 12 stones (representing the 12 tribes) to be taken from where the priests with the ark stood in the middle of the Jordan river bed and to be set up (on the Western side, in Gilgal Jos 4:20) as a memorial of the miraculous crossing, a sort of re-enactment of the Red Sea deliverance (Exo 15).
• Joshua (at his own initiative?) also takes 12 stones and places them in the river bed where the priests stood, creating an ‘under water memorial’ (Jos 4:9).
• The memorials have a direct message to second and third generation Israel, commemorating God’s faithfulness to Israel, God’s sovereign and miraculous action for them, which he is happy to repeat for later
• Israelites in their present need of completing the conquest! For future generations this will become and encouraging ‘national memorial’, teaching history and revealing God’s character.
• What event, what ‘hand of God’, what encounter with God, what Word God gave do I need to remember, repeatedly be reminded of, make a memorial from?

CHAPTER 5   PREPARATIONS

In the three weeks at Gilgal (before the conquest starts) three major things of preparation happen:

Circumcision

• Jos 5:2-9    Josha commands Israel to be circumcised. This show they were not circumcised ‘on the eigth day’ as Genesis stipulates (Gen 17:12).
• Jos 5:4-5    The reason is give why Israel in not circucised in the first place: Those born in Egypt (roughly the first generation) had been circumcised as per Jewish custom. But the second generation (roughly born during the 40 years in the wilderness had not been circumcised. Basically the first generation, murmuring, complaining and with no faith had simply refused to continue the custom! It can also be thought that Moses himself was not very mindful of circumcision (Exo 4:24-26) and may not have actively instructed it as he did with other law.
• Jos 5:9     ‘Gilgal’ sounds like the Hebrew word of rolling, rolling the shame of slavery from them. This word picture is aa bit suprising, as we thought that happened long before, at the Red Sea, or at Sinai. Maybe it signifies that only when I choose a new master can I be free from the old.
• Shame is a powerful thing, holding back people, discouraging people before they even face the battle. It is by whole-hearted consecration and God’s cleaning that shame is removed.
• To circumcise your entire fighting army in enemy territory on the eve of battle with no retreat is not a smart military strategy! It will make your troops unusable for days (Gen 34:25). It is and expression of faith and consecration, though. The spiritual nature of the battle is stressed again. If God uses Israel to judge other nations, they need to be consecrated and holy, different from the Canaanites. This is also a message to the third generation.

Passover

• Jos 5:10     It’s the 14th day of the 1st month again, time for the Passover. This is presumably Passover No. 41 for Israel, assuming that they kept them during the wilderness years (no specific mention).
• Passover commemorates the 10th plague and the Exodus, celebrating God as Israel’s powerful Redeemer and Deliverer, a fitting feast for the beginning of the conquest
• Jos 5:10-12 First day they eat produce of the promised land (Canaan side). That very day Manna stops. This is significant: God has sustained them miraculously over the 41 years, but now it’s back to farming and cultivating. Of course they will live off loot the first (or so) year (s), but then they’ll have to settle and provide for themselves by daily labor. This is healthy. This shows God is fulfilling his promises. This is also a message of taking, owning and working the land to the third generation.

Joshua’s encounter with the army commander

• Jos 5:13-15   In an event with clear parallels to Moses’ burning bush (‘Remove the sandals from your feet for the place where you stand is holy’) God grants Joshua a ‘special encounter’. Why? > maybe to encourage him further, to show him God is with him like he is with Moses, to give him specific instructions about the battle to come.
• Jos 5:13        It seems Joshua is ‘roaming about’ near Jericho … alone. Again not something military strategy would advise: He is in unconquered enemy territory, as main leader and focal figure alone, near Jericho, which would likely send out scouts as well. To be able to ambush Joshua at this time would be a severe blow to Israel.
• Jos 5:13        Though the appearance of the commander with the drawn sword is threatening (large? Tall? Shiny?) Joshua approaches him and challenges him to declare his allegiance: “Are you one of us, or aone of your adversaries?” … Did Joshua not recognize and Israelite from a Canaanite? Or is this just a question to talk until able to reach a decision what to do?
• Jos 5:14       The person identifies himself as “commander of the army of the LORD”. But his answer to Joshua’s question is intriguing: “Neither”, meaning he is neither on Israel’s nor on Canaan’s side. What an amazing statement! Here is a representative of God commenting at the time of the most clearly God initiated and God commanded war in all the Bible: Israel conquering the 7 nations. And he says that he is not any more ‘for Israel’ than ‘for the Canaanites’. God is always for humans (wherever they find themselves) and against evil and injustice (whoever commits it).
• Jos 5:15       It seems that this is followed by the commander’s specific instruction on the conquest of Jericho, though not actually mentioned here. This expresses God’s sovereignty concerning his plans for Israel. His was has to be fought his way.
• Who is this? Basically two ideas have been put forward: Either an angelic being executing God’s command concerning this war (like Michael or so) or else this is a ‘christophany’, an appearance of Jesus before his time in human history (Other possible Christophanies: Gen 14 Melchisedek, Gen 18 three visitors, Dan 3 fiery furnace, …). Jesus as commander in chief (like in Rev 19) is not a far fetched picture. Joshua falls on his face before him and ‘worships him’, other translations say ‘bowing down’ or ‘prostrating himself’. Worship would point to a Christophany.

CHAPTER 6   CONQUEST OF JERICHO

Background on Jericho, the city of palms (Deu 34:3)

• Jericho is located 5 miles West of the Jordan, 7 miles North of the Dead Sea, 800 ft below sea level. The climate is tropical, in summers hot as Jericho is in the rain-shadow of the Judeah hills.
• The city was strategic, it guarded the way along the Jordan ascended towards the hills in West. It was small in size (10 acres) and very crowded, so much so that houses built between the thick city walls. It was considered impregnable with strong fortifications. The outer wall was 6 ft thick, the inner wall was 12 ft thick and both being about 30 ft high. Bricks were used of 4 inch thickness and 12 ft (?) length.
• Why the strong focus on the walls of this city? There is indication that humans sacrifice / child sacrifice was used in the construction of the walls (blood mixed with mortar? People walled in and starved? Bones of sacrifices children put into walls?). Maybe that’s why God so specifically destroys the walls (versus the gates, for example).
• Jos 6:1-21 God’s directions for taking Jericho are foolishness from a military point of view: circling the city once a day with rams’ horns blowing and seven times on the last day, all in complete silence. Then shouting. They must have marched outside of bow-shot distance. Maybe the inhabitants of Jericho taunted them for their ridiculous marches. Or maybe the silent vigil was threatening and fear-inspiring.
• Jos 6:20, Heb 11:30 On the seventh day, upon them shouting, the walls fell flat (probably outwardly), and every Israelite in the surrounding circle charged straight ahead.
• Jos 6:22-25 God must have spared the specific place where Rahab is with her family, which the Israelites allow to live.
• Jos 6:17-19 Israel executed the ban on Jericho, everthing was devoted to destruction, people (men, women, children) and silver, gold, valuable items. No looting allowed in the ‘first conquest’, though later (from Ai onward) it is allowed. It is almost like a ‘first fruit’ which belongs to God. Also:
• Jos 6:26    Joshua curses anyone who will rebuild the city, which fulfills in 1 Kin 16:34, when Hiel the Bethlehemite rebuilds it. It seems Joshua makes the ruins of Jericho another memorial, a destruction visible for generations to come. Usually cities are quickly rebuilt because of their strategic location in the first place. But not here.
• Archeological evidence of the Fall of Jericho (Tell es-Sultan)
  • The testimony of the cementary at Tell es-Sultan (site of Old Testament Jericho) is quite conclusive for a date around 1400 BC.
  • John Garstang (1930-1936 AD) discovered of that many scarabs in the graves, not a single one dates later than Amenhotep III (1412-1376 BC).
  • Furthermore of the 150,000 fragments of pottery found in the cemetery, there was only one sherd of the Mycenean type found, which began to be imported from 1400 BC onwards. (unless of course this cemetery was abandoned from 1400BC, but no other cemetery has been found).
  • Garstang found that the outer wall had fallen outward, dragging the inner wall with it. Garstang thinks an earthquake caused the fall.
  • Kathleen Kenyon’s later investigations (1952-1957 AD) led her to question Garstang’s identification of the collapsed city walls because of potsherd found in the earth-fill of these walls were from a period centuries earlier than 1400 BC. Such would be expected if walls were leveled several generations after they were built, and therefore could not be expected to show construction evidence of the period of their destruction (as she said). She found strong fortifications of the walls: below a 11 ft high stone structure to support the walls., on top of that a steep sloping wall area, to allow no footing for siege ladders or siege towers.
  • Everything combustable in the city was put to the torch; and all articles of gold, silver, iron and bronze ware devoted to the treasury of the tabernacle (Gen 6:21). Garstang found great layers of ash, charcoal and walll ruins reddened by fire. He also found (below the ashes / fallen walls) ruins of store rooms filled with and abundance of food stuffs, wheat, barley, dates, Lentils turned to charcoal by the heat.
  • Some excavations found clay figurines of animals and the mother goddes Ashtaroth. They also found several human skulls with the features modeled in clay and with shells for eyes, used probably for Baal and Ashtaroth worship.
  • One other ritual that was practiced was child sacrifice with subsequent placing of the bones in the walls for strength or good luck.

CHAPTER 7   ACHAN’S SIN

• Jos 7:2-5    Ai, a small city and military outpost for Bethel is the next target. Spies declare that only a partial army will do. 3000 men attack Ai and are defeated, with 36 dying.
• Jos 7:6-9    Joshua (and the elders with him) tears his clothes and puts dust on his head (a sign of extreme distress and grief) and falls on his face before the ark (probably outside the tent), as Moses used to in these situations.
• He prays to God, asking ‘why?’, complaining about the loss or moral this will mean, and worrying about God’s name as a consequence of this. Clear parallels to Moses, though a bit more of ‘blaming God’.
  This is what the third generation should do: Fall on their face before God and say: Why are we not able to drive them out? What is the reason? What should we do?
• Jos 7:10-13    God tells him “Stand up! Why have you fallen upon your face? Isreal hs sinned.” God is faithful enough to tell him the reason, and tells him to deal with it. Before then no crying and praying will do anything. God explains: by holding on to an item devoted to destruction that person has brought destruction onto himself and unto Israel. Again direct to the third generation: The reason is sin, not God’s weakness or unfaithfulness to the promise.
• Jos 7:14-21     Next morning by the Urim and Thumim the perpetrator is found: Judah > Zerah > Zabdi > Carmi > Achan.
• If it is assumed that Urim and Thumim was a ‘yes-no’ thing, then with 4 levels of inquiry with each twelve or less options, the natural probability of this hitting one line only (and hitting the right person) is very small indeed. God must be acting.
• Achan confesses, but only upon being taken. He is guilty of the death of 36 people and he is now devoted to destruction. Joshua executes the death sentence on him and the family and all their possessions by stoning and then burning. The stone heap above their burning spot becomes the secong memorial. The place gets the name ‘valley of Achor’ (‘trouble’).
• Spiritual battle comes first, then the physical. God’s solution to sin: burn it! Deal radically with sin. You can’t be the tool in God’s hands for judgment and be corrupt yourself.
• Why the family They didn’t speak up and are in this sense co-guilty. Their demands might have been driving forces behind Achan taking something. The covertousness, lying, greed of their father maybe theirs as well. Common at that time?
• Contrast:      Rahab                                            Achan
                         her faith saved her family         his unfaithfulness killed his family
                         devoted to destruction              devoted to the Lord
                         became devoted to the Lord     became devoted to destruction
                         shunned wealth of Jericho        stumbled over wealth of Jericho

CHAPTER 8   CONQUEST OF AI

Conquest of Ai in the second attempt

• Jos 8:1        After dealing with sin, God reaffirms his presence and help and gives specific instructions about the conquest of Ai: an ambush behind the city. God instructs a strategy, which makes the past failure into the tool for victory.
• Jos 8:2        This time: ban on all people, but allowed to take spoil and animals.
• Jos 8:3-29  The city is made to believe they have one another quick victory, but when drawn away from the city the ambush will set fire and the army will be attacked from front and behind. Israel wins a resounding victory.
• Jos 8:28-29 Joshua hangs the king of Ai on a tree all day (Deu 21:23, cursed who hangs on a tree), then corpse thrown at the gate and stone heap raised up > Third memorial.

Covenant Renewal at Mount Ebal and Gerizim

• Geography: Mount Ebal and Gerizim are to the two sides of Shechem, which is quite a bit North from Jericho, Ai and Bethel. Miliarily speaking this is again madness. First of all they enter the promised land in the middle, making them vulnerable to attacks from both sides (North and South).
• But not only that: before winning any major battle in the hilly area they have the entire people leaving Gilgal and the tabernacle behind to march deep into unconquered territory to hold a ceremony!
• Jos 8:30-35 Joshua follows here very clear instructions by Moses in Deu 27, where this moment in Israel’s history is foretold and instructions are laid down. Joshua obeys this to the letter.
• Jos 8:30-35 Mount Ebal and Mount Gerizim are on opposite sides of a valley and form a natural amphi theater, where accoustics are such that sound would travel far (see picture).
• Mount Ebal An altar of unhewn stones (as Exo 20:24-25) is built for sacrifices (commanded sacrifices away from the tabernacle!) and a double stone is plastered and the Law inscribed on it (all of it?). Burnt and wellbeing offerings are offered.
• Mount Gerizim: 6 tribes shall take position on Ebal (with elders, officers, judges), which signifies curses. 6 tribes shall take position opposite on Garizim (also with elders, officers, judges, which signifies blessing. In the middle are the ark, the priests (and the Levites?) and read out the law, not just the curses of Deu 27, but all of it, it seems (Jos 8:34).
• High place? Deu 12:2-14 commands to destroy high places, and Mount Ebal and Gerizim have the chance to become that, but they are not at this time.
• This ceremony must have been breath taking for 2nd generation Israel, like dedicating their new land (which they haven’t conquered yet, mind you!) from the very first day to God, and committing it to be a land of lawfulness and fear of God. The element of risk of attack must have made it even more memorable.
• This has a strong message to the thrid generation also: To wholeheartedly commit oneself to trust in God and obedience to his Law is the way to get blessed by God, victorious in battle and blessed in one’s inheritance.

CHAPTER 9   COVENANT WITH THE GIBEONITES

Peace Treaty with the Gibeonites

• Jos 9:1-2    Upon hearing the defeat of Jericho and Ai, all kings of Canaan, the lowlands and towards Lebanon (six nations mentioned, Girgashites missing) make an alliance to fight Joshua.
• Jos 9:3-15  But Hivite Gibeon (Jos 9:19) chooses a different path: They deceive Joshua to think they are from far away and obtain a peace treaty with him.
• Jos 9:16      After three days the bluff is exposed. They obtained the peace treaty by lies and deception and they are Hivite, one of the peoples on God’s death list (Deu 7:7). Is Joshua bound by this treaty? Does he have to keep it? Our modern answer would be: ‘no!’
• Jos 9:17-18  But Joshua thinks differently: He doesn’t attack them (Gibeon, Chephirah, Beeroth, Kiriath-jearim. In Jos 10:6-7 he will defend them from attacking troops.
• God’s opinion? Much later in history King Saul kills many Gibeonites, breaking the 350 y old treaty. In answer, God sends a 3 year famine on Israel during King David’s reign. David inquires of God. God explains the reason for the famine. David apologizes to the Gibeonites and makes restitution as they demand (2 Sam 21:2-3). So: 350 years later God still holds Israel accountable to this very treaty! > Importance of word faithfulness
• Jos 9:19-27   Israel complains against Joshua. As a compromise he puts them to forced labor but doesn’t kill them as per the treaty. They accept the forced labor.
• Interpretation It is interesting that the Gibeonites have no false hope in their gods not in an alliance of all Canaanite kings. Like Rahab they choose the other route, and are rewarded for that. Were there more like this? Was there a general movement of people joining Israel? Did God hope for this? Many probably fled Canaan for their lives. Either way taking Israel’s God serious would have saved their lives.

CHAPTER 10   THE SOUTHERN CAMPAIGN

• Jos 10:1-5    Five kings of the Amorites (Jerusalem, Jarmuth, Hebron, Eglon, Debir) bring out joint troops against Gibeon in punishment. This also shows the decentralized nature of Cannan.
  Archeology The Amarna tablets (see right) were 320 clay tablets found in 1887 AD by a peasant woman, seeking the dust from ancient buildings with which to fertilise her garden was digging in the ruins of tell el-Amarna. An American missionary heard of this and immediately had a Cunieform scholar go dig and thus the other 320 tablets were found. They contain letters of Canaanite kings, appealing to Pharaoh of Egypt for help.
• Jos 10:6-9     Gibeon sends requests Joshua to help. Joshua is assured by God of victory. Israel marches all night (uphill) to surprise them. Though exhausted they go straight into battle > the Southern Campaign.
• Jos 10:10-39 God supports Israel by throwing the enemy into panic (Jos 10:10), by a supernatural hail (Jos 10:11), by a supernatural time extension (Jos 10:13) and victory in general.
  Gibeon > Makkedah > Libnah > Lachish > Eglon > Hebron > Debir. Gezer and Jerusalem are also defeated in battle.
• Jos 10:16-27 The 5 kings have holed themselves up in a cave. Joshua has them brought out and has the Israelite chiefs to put their foot on the kings’ neck (maybe remembering Nu 13-14) and encourages them that God will grant victory. The kings are killed, hung on rees, then buried in the cave, over the mouth of which great stones are set up > the 5th memorial.
• Joshua pursues the armies and defeats them, conquers the cities all the way till Kadesh-Barnea (very south), Gaza (West), Goshen till Gibeon (entire South part of Canaan.
• Joshua’s long day It has been projected that if in fact the earth was stopped in its rotation for a period of 24 hours, inconceivable catastrophes would have befallen the entire planet and everything on its surface. But from the text it is not necessary to hold that the planet suddenly halted in it rotation.
• NASB: ‘the sun did not hasten to go down for about a whole day’, NRSV ‘the sun stopped in mid heaven, and did not hurry to set for about a whole day’. This points to a retardation of the movement so that the rotation required 48 hours rather than the usual 24 hours.
• This is supported by reports from Egyptian, Chinese & Hindu sources of a long day. Astronomers have come to the conclusion that one full day is missing in our astronomical calculations. Pickering of the Harvard Observatory (& Totten of Yale) have traced this missing day back to the time of Joshua.
• Other interpretations: Joshua’s prayer was for the sun to cease pouring down its heat on his struggling troops so that they might be permitted to press the battle under more favourable conditions, so that the work of 2 days could be accomplished in it the work of 2 days. Or; God may have produced an optical prolongation of the sunshine continuing its visibility long after the normal sun set by means of a special refraction of the rays.
• Summary: The Southern campaign is unbelievably quick and decisive, the Northern campaign will take years. Some victories are fast, others take years.

CHAPTER 11   THE NORTHERN CAMPAIGN

• Jos 11:1-5     Very parallel to the southern campaign: the kings of Northern Canaan make an alliance to fight Joshua together at the waters of Merom. They have numerous troops, very many horses and chariots (Jos 11:4).
• Jos 11:6-14    God assures Joshua of victory and so it happens. Joshua again makes a suprise attack. After the initial battle at Merom Israel pursues the enemy in different directions.
• Jos 11:10-15  Then Joshua returns and strikes Hazor and its king. Hazor was a city on a mound, covering about 200 acres, with about 40’000 inhabitants and many chariots. It was the main city of the area and the strongest military opponent of Israel.
• Archeology Evidence for the destruction and burning of Hazor has been found. As commanded in Deu 9:5, Israel destroyed many idolatrous statutes, slashing off their heads and feet, remains of which have been found.
• Jos 11:16-23    Summary of the conquest: from the Negev, Coastland / lowland till valley of Lebanon before Hermon. Joshua destroyed all kings and defeated all armies. Many cities were taken as none made peace with Joshua except for Gibeon (and adjacent cities) and their populations killed.
• Later it will show that these are ‘generous’ descriptions, many fled or were displaced, not killed, and many move back in slowly and become those Canaanites that start co-living with Israel or that Israel will drive out in the later years of Joshua or after Joshua (Jdg 1).
• Jos 11:19         Joshua fought a long time … the total seems to be seven years.

CHAPTER 12   SUMMARY OF THE CONQUEST

• Jos 12:1-6    Kings that Moses defeated while conquering Transjordan.
• Jos 12:7-14  Kings that Joshua defeated while conquering Canaan. The promises are fulfilled. The victory is a reality.

Joshua’s Battles

CHAPTER 13   ALLOTMENT REUBEN, GAD, EAST MANASSEH

Second Division Overview

• Jos 13-17   Land allotted to    Reuben, Gad, East Manasseh                    by Moses         at Transjordan
• Jos 14-15   Land allotted to    Judah (including Caleb’s portion)             by Joshua        at Gilgal
• Jos 16         Land allotted to    Ephraim                                                         by Joshua        at Gilgal
• Jos 17         Land allotted to    Western Manasseh (Zelophehad)             by Joshua        at Gilgal
• Jos 18         Land allotted to    Benjamin                                                        by Joshua        at Shilo
• Jos 19         Land allotted to    Simeon, Zebulun, Issachar, Naphtali, Dan   by Joshua     at Shilo
• Jos 22         Miscommunication over an altarbuilt by Tranjordan tribes
• Jos 23         Joshua addressing officials
• Jos 24         Covenant Renewal with third generations
• Jos 13:1     Joshua is old by now
• Jos 13:2-7  Much land is unconquered (listed): Philistine region (SW Coastal plain), the land of Gebalites (N Lebanon), Sidon, Baal-gad, Hamath, Geshur & Maaca (NE of the Jordan).

Why were there people left in the land? Did Joshua fulfill his task?

• Jos 11:9,15,23                   states that Joshua obeyed God fully
• Jos 11:16, 21:44               Joshua won all the wars, conquered and defeated all
• Jos 13:13, Judg 1:27-36  not all inhabitants are killed or driven out, or they drifted back in after originally fleeing
• It is one thing to win a battle, kill a king, defeat or even decimate and army or conquer a walled city. It is a different thing to fully move in, settle down, bring land under one’s authority and control and establish presence and maintenance. Joshua won the overall victory, he did what he was supposed to do. Only the tribes can do the taking possession, Joshua can only live in one place.
• It seems many people fled before the Israelite invasion. Maybe Israel did not really execute the ban on people as fully as it sounded. After the war has stopped displaced people would naturally start drifting back and if they don’t find things taken over, retake their own holdings.
• This is very directly the challenge to the third generation who has to do exactly that: Stop being complacent and go out and take possession of the land.
  It’s one thing to receive an inheritance, it’s another thing to manage it well. It’s one thing to get saved, it’s another to bring our lives fully under God’s reign. It’s one thing to receive a calling or vision, it’s another thing to make this vision reality by continued faith-ful action. Do not be satifsfied with the ‘somewhat’, go for the full.
• Jos 13:15-23   Allotment of Reuben, already given by Moses (Num 32).
• Jos 13:24-28    Allotment of Gad (=Gilead), altready given by Moses (Num 32).
• Jos 13:29-31    Allotment of East Manasseh, altready given by Moses (Num 32).
• Jos 13:14,33    Allotment to Levi: 48 cities with pasture lands. God himself is their inheritance. Their calling is to serve him.

CHAPTER 14   ALLOTMENT WEST, CALEB

• Jos 14:1-5     Allotment for the 9 ½ Western tribes by lot. Joshua, High priest Eleazar and the heads of the families of the tribes are present. 2 ½ Eastern tribes have already received their inheritance.
• Jos 14:6-12  Caleb comes before Joshua at Gilgal and claims his inheritance promised by God and confirmed by Moses (Num 13-14, 14:24, Deu 1:36): the hill country wher the Anakim live (Num 13:28,33), among it Hebron. Caleb says “I am today 85 years old. I am still as strong today as I was on the day that Moses sent me” (Jos 14:10-11).
• What a testimony, a strong lone survivor from the first generation, but with as much faith, zest, strength and courage as 41 years ago. He had to wait a long time for no fault of his own, but now God lets him come into his own. This is a powerful message to the third generation of what they need to be!
• Faith, obedience and vision has kept him young and strong, just as visionlessness and discontent shortened the lives of the other first generation Israelites.
• Even today: sedentary lifestyle is linked to earlier aging and higher dementia risk. Caleb teaches us to step up, to claim the promises, to take responsibility, to not wait till something falls into our lap, rather to be pro-active and faith-filled. Retirement is not in his vocabulary.
• Jos 14:13-15  Joshua happily grants it to him and blesses him. Joshua and Caleb have a good, even relationship here, with mutual respect.
• Joshua must have drawn much encouragement from Caleb’s attitude and model to the others. Caleb precisely is, what Israel needs to be. The author comments on Caleb’s wholehearted pursuit of God, challenging his readers to do the same.

CHAPTER 15   ALLOTMENT JUDAH, CALEB

• Jos 15:1-12     Allotment of Judah, now apportioned by Joshua in Gilgal.
• Jos 15:13-19   Caleb takes possession of his portion. He holds out a price (his daughter Achsah) for the one conquering Debir (Kirjath-Sepher). Othniel rises to the occasion. Achsah asks her father Caleb for springs, and he grants them. It seems that in Joshua, whoever asks and really wants something, gets it.
• Jos 15:20-62   List of the cities of Judah
• Jos 15:63        Judah could not drive out the Jebusites living at Jerusalem > co-living there with Judah ‘to this day’ (showing that the book was written soon. By David’s time Jerusalem is conquered (2 Sam 5:6-10), around 1000 BC).

CHAPTER 16   ALLOTMENT EPHRAIM

• Jos 16:1-4     Joseph’s two sons, Ephraim and (West) Manasseh receive their allotted land.
• Jos 16:5-10   Allotment of Ephraim, given by Joshua at Gilgal.
• Jos 16:5-9     Ephraim has town that fall within the interitance of West Manasseh (Jos 16:9).
• Jos 17:8-10   Again: On West Manasseh’s land are towns that are allotted to Ephraim.
• Jos 16:10      The Canaanites at Gezer and not driven out but co-live with Ephraim (pushed into forced labor). Joshua in his Southern campaign defeated the king of Gezer and his armies (Jos 10:33, 12:12), ‘leaving no survivor’. It seems that either this is an exaggerated summary statement or that many people fled upfront and laater drifted back, but Canaanites remain in Gezer.
• Gezer is later given to the Kohathites (Moses’ clan), who cared for the ark and the tabernacle furnishings (Num 7:8-9).

CHAPTER 17   ALLOTMENT WEST MANASSEH

• Jos 17:1-2     Manasseh’s firstborn Machir (a warrior) is allotted Gilead and Bashan (Transjordan), the other brothers Abiezer, Helek, Asriel, Shechem, Hepher and Shemida are also allotted land (in the East? West?)
• Jos 17:3-6     Daughters of Zelophehad (of the Hepher clan, see Num 27, 36) are allotted land along with their brothers in East Manasseh (on the condition of marrying within their clan). So at least the Hepher clan is givne land in East Manasseh.
• Jos 17:7-13   Allotment of West Manasseh (“the other Manassites” Jos 17:6?), given by Joshua at Gilgal.
• Jos 17:8-10   On West Manasseh’s land are towns that are allotted to Ephraim.
• Jos 17:11       Manasseh also receives some cities within the tribal land of Issachar and Asher: Beth-dhean, Ibleam, Dor, En-dor, Taanach and Megiddo, each city with villages. These are roughly the Jezreel valley and in the area South of it till the sea.
• Jos 17:12-13  The Manassites could not drive out the Canaanites of these cities, but co-lived with them and put them to forced labor.
• Jos 17:14-18   “The tribe of Joseph” complains, Ephraim and West Manasseh it seems, that they got too little land for their big numbers and that it is further reduced as they can’t drive the Canaanites from the lowland cities due to the iron chariots.
• Joseph affirms their sizeable population, but tells them to put that to work: they are powerful enough to drive out the Canaanites from the lowland cities and they also have much land that is hilly / forested, which they can clear and make into liveable land. Joshua turns around the very argument for more demands into a reason for self-initiative and self-responsibility, motivating them to step up in faith.
• This is also the attitude Joshua wants the third generation to have: stake your claims, take initiative and responsibility, don’t wait but do something. Learn the value of the gift and put it to work.
• Very much an attitude we often have: complaining and waiting till things come to us. Rather God challenges us to stake claims, to take initiative, to put ourselves to work … to seek, knock, find (Luk 11:9-10), in New Testament language.

CHAPTER 18   LAND SURVEY, ALLOTMENT BENJAMIN

• Jos 18:1     Tent of meeting has moved from Gilgal to Shiloh (in Ephraim) > Israel meets there. It is unclear when and why and guided by what the tabernacle moves now. No mention of the cloud. Maybe something the High priest inquired of God about?
• “the land lay subdued before them”. Joshua has done his job, the overall victory is assured, kings and armies are defeated and decimated, no people left to give resistance. Joshua was successful at that. But this is a bit of a vacuum-situation. Unless Israel fills this vacuum in by moving in, settling down, taking possession and start working the land, it will draw back in the displaced or fled population.
• Jos 18:2-3   Joshua upraids Israel: “How long will you be slack about going in and taking possession of the land?” It is amazing that the tribes seems to be camping at Shiloh and are neither demanding their land as others have done nor being out there doing something about it. In the book of Joshua everybody who stakes a claim or demands land gets it. But some are not asking for it. Joshua wants the third generation to step up.
• Jos 18:4-7    Joshua orders a detailed written survey of land not allotted, a description of quality, nature of the land and size of the land, it seems. He orders three representatives from the 7 tribes which don’t have land yet, to ensure engagement, understanding, ownership and fairness, as this survey will be the basis of the land allotment to those 7 tribes.
• Jos 18:8-10    The land survey is made.
• Jos 18:11-28  Allotment of Benjamin.

CHAPTER 19   SIMEON, ZEBULUN, ISSACHAR, ASHER, NAPHTALI, DAN

• Jos 19:1-9       Allotment of Simeon. Thier allotment was part of the allotment of Judah (a circle inside), because Judah’s portion was too large for them. The principle is: land allotment according to population size. And also: Land can’t just be owned, it needs to be put to work. This is in accordance with Jacob’s prophecy that Simeon and Levi will be ‘divided’ or ‘scattered’ in Israel (Gen 49:7).
• Jos 19:10-16   Allotment of Zebulun
• Jos 19:17-23   Allotment of Issachar
• Jos 19:24-31   Allotment of Asher
• Jos 19:32-39   Allotment of Naphtali
• Jos 19:40-48   Allotment of Dan. It also mentions their later migration North, conquering the city of Laish / Leshem and area and settling. This seems to happen a bit later (Jdg 18:27-28) and may be a later added editorial remark.
• Jos 19:49-50 Israel allots to Joshua by the command of God the city he asked for, Timnath-Serah in the hill country of Ephraim. Joshua rebuilds the town nd settles in it. A picture of a gratefulness Israel, officially honoring their leader, an act that gives a good story of completion. Joshua is again a model to Israel in what is now the will of God: settling and taking possession. It also shows that Joshua as a leader was not dominant, grabbing or greedy. Only when everyone has land does he take his.
• Good leadership ensures everybody’s right, and only then claims his own: integrity and self-control.
• Jos 19:51   Allotment made by Joshua (political leader), High priest Eleazar (spiritual leader), the heads of the families fo the tribes before the Lord. An official, open, inclusive, involving, transparent and just process (lots). This results in peace, acceptance and ownership of the division. There is no record of tribal infighting due to land disputes later. Only when Israel falls apart into a northern and a southern kingdom (931 BC), border wars become common place.

CHAPTER 20   CITIES OF REFUGE

• Jos 20:1-6    Purpose of the cities of refuge is reviewed (as in Num 15:1-3, Deu 19:1-13): to save a person that committed unintentional man slaughter from vengeance, ensuring proper process and just judgment.
• Jos 20:7-9    In addition to the Transjordan cities of refuge (Bezer in Reuben, Ramoth-Gilead in Gad, Golan in West Manasseh) three more cities of refuge are chosen in the West (Hebron of Judah, Shechem of Ephraim, Kedesh of Naphatli).

CHAPTER 21   LEVITICAL CITIES

• Jos 21:1-2          Same as up to now: Joshua, Eleazar and the heads of the families of all the tribes, including heads of the Levites allot the Levites’ possession. Moses’ instruction is reviewed and obeyed.
• Jos 21:3-42 48  Levitical cities set aside, the number corresponding to the size of the land / size of the tribe they are from. All cities of refuge are Levitical cities. Every city comes with the surrounding pasture lands.
• Jos 21:4-40
  • Kohathite priests get cities from Judah, Simeon, Benjamin.
  • Kohathite Levites get cities from Ephraim, Dan, Manasseh.
  • Gershonite Levites get cities from East Manasseh, Issachar, Asher, Naptali
  • Merarite Levites get cities from Zebulun, Reuben, Gad
• Jos 21:43-45      Summary of the book: They have complete victory, all land is conquered and given to the tribes to possess, fulfilling all God promised to Abraham. God’s power, care and covenant faithfulness is exalted.

CHAPTER 22   MISCOMMUNICATION AND STRIFE

• Jos 22:1-9   Israel at peace and in consensus. Joshua at Shiloh (tabernacle site) releases the 2½ Transjordan tribes (Reuben, Gad, East Mana-sseh) in peace, commending them for their faithfulness (Jos 22:1-3), reminding them to stay obedient (Jos 22:5), blessing them (Jos 22:6) and allowing them part in the spoil of the Canaan conquest (Jos 22:8).
• At this point the relationship between the Eastern and Western tribes is very good, they have supported each other, seen God’s victory and blessing on them, divided the land in mutual consensus. Word has been kept. There is peace and mutual trust.
• Jos 22:10-11 Eastern tribes build an Altar at the Jordan. During their journey East when crossing the Jordan, the 2 ½ tribes build a great altar on the Western side of the river.
• What could be the reasons for building this altar? > to sacrifice? to worship God? to commemorate? to remind? Why is this altar potentially contentious? > God commanded in that all sacrifices must be made at the central burnt offering altar at the tabernacle (currently at Shiloh, eventually it will be at Jerusalem). This applies to all sacrifices in general (Deu 12:5, 11). Specifically mentioned are freewill offerings (Deu 12:18), tithes offerings (Deu 14:23-25), firstborn sacrifices (Deu 15:20), passover (Deu 16:2, 6-7), festival of weeks (Deu 16:11), festival of booths (Deu 16:15), festivals 3x a year (Deu 16:16), first fruit offerings (Deu 28:2), and mentioned in contrast to eating meat in towns (Deu 12:21-16). Clearly this is a very strong and highly repeated command: no sacrifices anywhere except at the central tabernacle altar by an Aaronitic priest.
• Why? God wants a center of spiritual life. He wants unity among the tribes: this is the nation’s common ground and spiritual foundation. He wants a law-trained, ordained, obedient, teaching priest to sacrifice. To allow ‘everybody to sacrifice in their backyard’ is a sure and quick slide into idolatry, lack of teaching, ignorance of the law, decentralization and disunity. So an alternative altar at the Jordan is a problem and a breach of law.
• Jos 22:12   The Reaction of the Western tribes. They assemble at Shiloh to make war against the Eastern 2½ tribes. Why is the reaction so strong, so immediate? > They fear that again (!) and so quickly (!) the Eastern tribes are slipping into idolatry, bringing down the wrath of God on them (like at Baal Peor, Num 22:17 or when Achan sinned Jos 7). They fear God’s judgment, the weakening of Israel, defeat, loss of blessing and disunity of the nation.
• Jos 22:13-14   Western delegation sent. The Western tribes engage in the conflict quite wisely: Though they came together to make war against the Eastern tribes, they decide to send a delegation first: Phinehas (current high priest) with a head from each tribe > representative group ahead of any troops.
• Phinehas is a wise choice for a representative, as he is the spiritual leader over all tribes, knows the law, can act as conscience. One head from each tribe is wise also, not a huge threatening band, but a representative one. This is not just a random band of flustered neighbor, this is a carefully chosen delegation.
• Jos 22:15-20   Accusation and Offer. The Western delegation bings up the issue: an altar has been built. They bring up their interpretation of this, they accuse of rebellion, warn the Eastern tribes, remonstrate, explain, talk about consequences, plead with them. They lay their thinking, worries, fears open. They are direct, honest, serious. They remind of earlier sin (Baal Peor, Achan) and the consequences. They seek communication and hope to convince them otherwise.
• They make a sacrificial offer of sharing their land with the Easterners rather than seeing them slip into idolatry. By this they prove the purity of their motivation: prevention of sin and its consequences at all price. They have done well. The only thing they could have done better is before accusing of idolatry to ask for the reasons behind building the altar.
• Jos 22:21-29   The Eastern tribes explain themselves. The Eastern tribes answer by upfront confessing God as LORD, God of gods. They call on God as the one who knows what their motives were, they call for his vengeance, they swear to be not guilty of what they are accused for. They explain what their motivation really was, they agree with Western Israel’s judgment on an idolatrous altar but assert strongly that that never was the intention. They give a clear explanation, laying open their motivations and reasoning. They are not as reproachful and assuming as West, swallow hurt pride, keep to the issue.
• How does their answer change your view of the conflict? > motivation is crucial. > the law is not legalistically applied here, and all are fine with that.
  Jos 22:30-32   The Western tribes accept the explanation. The reaction of the Western delegation upon hearing the explanation is believing what was said, trusting them to speak truthfully, accepting the explanation. They do not insist on mistrust, they are not un-convinceable. They are relieved, satisfied. They rejoice that the evil they thought was happening is not a reality.
• Their motivation to come was good, they can trust others to have good motivation also. Love does not rejoice in wrong doing, but rejoices in the truth (1 Co 13:6).
• Jos 22:30-32   The conflict is resolved fully. The reaction of the Western tribes is the same as that of the delegation: they trust the Eastern tribes, believe their explanation, are satisfied. They praise God and abandon the plan to make war.
• In the future they will probably be more careful not to misjudge, careful to communicate first, careful to consider motivation or other explanations.
• What can we learn from this story? Be careful with assumptions about other people’s motives! Be careful to communicate directly, to seek understanding, to ask first, rather than reproach and attack. Stories can look completely different when you hear the other side

CHAPTER 23   JOSHUA’S CHALLENGE TO THE LEADERS

• Jos 23:1-2     Many years later, Joshua nearing the end of his life, he calls the elders, heads, judges and officers (two groups!) and gives them a final speech, not unlike Moses did in Deuteronomy.
• Jos 23:3-13   He reminds them of God’s promised, their fulfillment, the God-given victory, the allotment, the taking possession.
• He challenges them to be steadfast, to obey the entire law, to not mix or intermarry with the surrounding nations and to absolutely not slip into idolatry. He reinforces the covenant: As God has blessed and obedience and faith-filled Israel, so surel will negative consequnces come if Israel rejects God and worships idols.
• Jos 23:14-16  Joshua announces his impending death and puts the covenant before them one more time: obedience > blessing, disobedience and idolatry > curse, both with equal surety. He reminds them that the choice is theirs.
• This entire passage is Joshua trying to ensure the pass down to the next generation, every word he speaks is diectly challenging his audience and equally directly his third generation readers.

CHAPTER 24   JOSHUA’S COVENANT RENEWAL WITH THE 3rd GENERATION

• Jos 24:1-2    After addressing the leaders, Joshua assembles all Israel, every tribe, elders, heads, judges, officers and all the people in general.
• Jos 24:3-13  Joshua recounts Israel’s history speaking for God: ‘I took…I gave… I sent…’. He covers the history from Terah > Abraham > Isaac > Jacob and Esau > Moses and Aaron > Exodus (plagues, Red Sea parting) > wilderness > Transjordan conquest > Balaan > Canaan conquest > taking possession: “I gave you a land on which you had not labored, and towns that you had not built, and you live in them, you eat the fruit of vineyards and oliveyards that you did not plant.”
• Jos 24:14   Joshua (like Moses before him in Deuteronomy) lays before the thrid generation the covenant, stressing that the choice is theirs: Either they love God, serve him in sincerety, renounce idols and obey him … or not.
• Jos 24:15     Joshua strongly states his choice: “as for me and my household, we will serve the Lord.”
• Jos 24:16-18  The people respond: they choose God.
• Jos 24:19-27  Joshua reminds them of the seriousness and the consequences of their choice. He writes everything down and calls on the covenant document he has written as well as on the great stone that ‘heard everything’ as witnesses to the decision of the thrid geneartion that day > Joshua’s seventh memorial.
• Jos 24:28   “So Joshua sent the people away to their inheritances” … what a sweet way to end his life, what great thing to be able to do, send everybody to their very own land.
• Jos 24:29-30 Joshua’s death and burial in his own town, Timnath-Serah.
• Jos 24:31   “Israel served the Lord all the days of Joshua, and all the days of the elders who out-lived Joshua and ha dknown all the work that the Lord had done for Israel.” This is a later added comment, possibly by Phinehas who lives to see quite severe deterioration.
• Jos 24:32   Joseph’s bones, brough up from Egypt were buried at Shechem, in the portion of land that Jacob bought from Hamor.
• Jos 24:33   The High priest Eleazar, son of Aaron dies and is buried at Gibeah, the Levitical city given to him to live in. His (only) son Phinehas succeeds him. It is likely that Phinehas is the one adding the later comments.

Some points to learn from Joshua

• Joshua had a long training for leadership > don’t rush, don’t become impatient, just serve, be faithful and train others along the way.
• Joshua makes a strong stand ‘As for me and my house…’ > living this out in daily matters is crucial, belief must lead to action.
• Help others to receive their inheritances, to live up to their callings, to be initiative and to be faithful.
• Inheritance is from God, must be possessed pro-actively, fought for in God’s way and by his plan.
• Don’t co-habit with the enemy. Don’t play with idolatry. The enemy needs to be finished off before sundown. Deal ruthlessly with sin. Devote to destruction what leads to evil.
• Make memorials in your life – for yourself and others.
• Enjoy the good God gives and celebrate his faithfulness.
• Obedience remains crucial, before, during and afte a victory.

Repeated Theme The Seven Memorials of Joshua

The purpose of Memorials

• to actively and intentionally remember an event, ‘let’s make a memory’
• to teach future generations
• to mark a location (for example site, boundaries, …)
• to be a witness to a treaty or covenant or promise

First Memorial               Jos 4:1-9 12        Stones from the middle of the Jordan

• God commands for 12 stones (representing the 12 tribes) to be taken from where the priests with the ark stood in the middle of the Jordan river bed and to be set up (on the Western side?) as a memorial of the miraculous crossing, a sort of re-enactment of the Red Sea deliverance (Exo 15). Joshua (own initiative?) also takes 12 stones and places them in the river bed where the priests stood (an ‘under water memorial’).

Second Memorial               Jos 7:22-26         Heap of stones over dead Achan

• Achan (and his family) is stoned to death, burned and a great stone heap is raised over the site. This punishment is executed in accordance with the will of God and results in God turning away his burning anger (Jos 7:26).

Third Memorial                  Jos 8:29              King of Ai’s grace at the gate of Ai

• The King of Ai’s body is first hung on a tree (a sign of curse Deu 21:23), then thrown at the city gate of Ai and a great heap of stones is raised up over it.

Fourth Memorial                Jos 8:30-35        Law stones on Mount Ebal

• Joshua builds an altar of unhewn stones on Mount Ebal as commanded by Moses and sacrifice burnt offerings and offerings of welll-being on it (Deu 27:5-7). They set up large plastered stones (Deu 27:2) and write on them a copy of the law.
• Then 6 tribes each stand on the two sides of the ark, towards Mount Ebal and Mount Gerizim and all the words of the law, blessings, and curses are read out.

Fifth Memorial                   Jos 10:12-27        Amorite Kings at cave of Makkedah

• Five Amorite kings unite to fight against Israel. Joshua is helped by God in this battle for southern Canaan in several supernatural ways: > he throws the enemy into a panic (Jos 10:10), he throws hail stones, killing more than the warfare by Joshua (Jo 10:11) and extends the day (Jo 10:12-14).
  The five kings flee and hide themselves in the cave at Makkedah. Joshua first imprisons them there while the warfare is still going, then comes back, strikes them down, hangs their bodies on trees, then throws them into the cave and closes the mouth of the cave with large stones, a memorial remaining ‘to this very day’.

Sixth Memorial                 Jos 22:10              Altar by the Transjordan Tribe near Jordan

• This was not meant as an altar to sacrifice (in competition with the one at the tabernacle) but as a witness to the covenant. This is misunderstood and leads to an almost civil war. The mis-communication is cleared up by a delegation lead by Phinehas and the conflict is resolved.

Seventh Memorial           Jos 24:26-28           Stone under the oak in tabernacle

• Joshua sets up this stone as his final challenge and witness to Israel to follow the Covenant. The stone ‘has heard all the words’ of the law and stands as witness.

Application of the Memorial Theme

• We need to remember, to keep alive the memory, to hold on to God’s miraculous deliverances in the past, to God’s words spoken to us, to the covenants we made.
• We need ‘memory aids’, we need ‘to go back there’, we need sites that remind us of historic realities.
• We need to pro-actively and intentionally remind ourselves, to build our faith, to keep ourselves accountable.