"OVERVIEW OF JOSHUA"
Notes
Transcript
Review themes –
Background info –
Author – there is a lot of speculation as to who wrote the book of Joshua –
9 So the men went and passed through the land, and described it by cities in seven divisions in a book; and they came to Joshua to the camp at Shiloh.
26 And Joshua wrote these words in the book of the law of God; and he took a large stone and set it up there under the oak that was by the sanctuary of the Lord.
Date – 1406 BC.
Audience – Nation of Israel
Theme – “Conquer and Divided”
Talk Thru The Bible – “Through three military campaigns involving more than thirty enemy armies, the people of Israel learn a crucial lesson under Joshua’s capable leadership: victory comes through faith in God and obedience to His Word, rather than military might or numerical superiority.”
Key Word - “Conquest”
Key Verses -
8 “This book of the law shall not depart from your mouth, but you shall meditate on it day and night, so that you may be careful to do according to all that is written in it; for then you will make your way prosperous, and then you will have success.
23 So Joshua took the whole land, according to all that the Lord had spoken to Moses, and Joshua gave it for an inheritance to Israel according to their divisions by their tribes. Thus the land had rest from war.
Key Chapter - 24 -
Talk thru the Bible Keys to Joshua
Some of the most critical periods in Israel’s history are the transitions of leadership: Moses to Joshua; Joshua to the judges; the judges to the kings, and so on. Before his death and in preparation for a major transition of leadership by one man (Joshua) to many (the judges), Joshua reviews for the people God’s fulfillment of His promises and then challenges them to review their commitment to the covenant (24:24–25), which is the foundation for all successful national life.
24 The people said to Joshua, “We will serve the Lord our God and we will obey His voice.” 25 So Joshua made a covenant with the people that day, and made for them a statute and an ordinance in Shechem.
Talk thru the Bible Contribution to the Bible
Joshua acts as a historical link that continues the story left off in the Pentateuch. It is a theological history that teaches moral and spiritual lessons as it brings Israel from the wilderness up to the time of the judges. In Genesis God’s people were prepared, in Exodus they were redeemed, in Leviticus they were taught, and in Numbers they failed God’s test at Kadesh-barnea. The new generation was taught in Deuteronomy and tested in Joshua (Jericho). This time they passed the test of belief and received God’s blessings. Israel moved from prospect to possession, from vision to venture. One of the key concepts in Joshua is the importance of the written Word of God (see 1:8; 8:32–35; 23:6–16; 24:26–27).
Today we are going to see how the Israelites gain victory through: First, faith in God, and Secondly, obedience to God’s Word
Recap in Joshua 1:1-9
Joshua 1:1–9 (NASB95)
1 Now it came about after the death of Moses the servant of the Lord, that the Lord spoke to Joshua the son of Nun, Moses’ servant, saying, 2 “Moses My servant is dead; now therefore arise, cross this Jordan, you and all this people, to the land which I am giving to them, to the sons of Israel.
3 “Every place on which the sole of your foot treads, I have given it to you, just as I spoke to Moses. 4 “From the wilderness and this Lebanon, even as far as the great river, the river Euphrates, all the land of the Hittites, and as far as the Great Sea toward the setting of the sun will be your territory.
5 “No man will be able to stand before you all the days of your life. Just as I have been with Moses, I will be with you; I will not fail you or forsake you. 6 “Be strong and courageous, for you shall give this people possession of the land which I swore to their fathers to give them.
7 “Only be strong and very courageous; be careful to do according to all the law which Moses My servant commanded you; do not turn from it to the right or to the left, so that you may have success wherever you go. 8 “This book of the law shall not depart from your mouth, but you shall meditate on it day and night, so that you may be careful to do according to all that is written in it; for then you will make your way prosperous, and then you will have success.
9 “Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous! Do not tremble or be dismayed, for the Lord your God is with you wherever you go.”
Reminds Joshua of His promise (I will give you the land)
God says I will deliver you/Trust in God – 5
Be strong and courageous and obey/Obedience to God’s Word – 7
Follow God’s law – 8
1. The conquering of the Promise Land – 6-12
1. The conquering of the Promise Land – 6-12
The cities of Joshua’s conquest are 34 different cities - (Holman’s book of maps)
1) Gilgal – 4:19-20 – became a worship center
19 Now the people came up from the Jordan on the tenth of the first month and camped at Gilgal on the eastern edge of Jericho. 20 Those twelve stones which they had taken from the Jordan, Joshua set up at Gilgal.
Remember what God has done for you –
2) Jericho – 6:1-6 – Rahab spared; oldest walled city; Achan sinned
1 Now Jericho was tightly shut because of the sons of Israel; no one went out and no one came in. 2 The Lord said to Joshua, “See, I have given Jericho into your hand, with its king and the valiant warriors. 3 “You shall march around the city, all the men of war circling the city once. You shall do so for six days. 4 “Also seven priests shall carry seven trumpets of rams’ horns before the ark; then on the seventh day you shall march around the city seven times, and the priests shall blow the trumpets. 5 “It shall be that when they make a long blast with the ram’s horn, and when you hear the sound of the trumpet, all the people shall shout with a great shout; and the wall of the city will fall down flat, and the people will go up every man straight ahead.” 6 So Joshua the son of Nun called the priests and said to them, “Take up the ark of the covenant, and let seven priests carry seven trumpets of rams’ horns before the ark of the Lord.”
Great Victory
If Israel obeys the Lord will deliver them
What would be going through your mind?
3) Ai – 7:1,4-5,10-15 – Israel defeated at first for Achan’s sin; Ai means “Ruin”
Joshua 7:1–5 (NASB95)
1 But the sons of Israel acted unfaithfully in regard to the things under the ban, for Achan, the son of Carmi, the son of Zabdi, the son of Zerah, from the tribe of Judah, took some of the things under the ban, therefore the anger of the Lord burned against the sons of Israel.
2 Now Joshua sent men from Jericho to Ai, which is near Beth-aven, east of Bethel, and said to them, “Go up and spy out the land.” So the men went up and spied out Ai.
3 They returned to Joshua and said to him, “Do not let all the people go up; only about two or three thousand men need go up to Ai; do not make all the people toil up there, for they are few.” 4 So about three thousand men from the people went up there, but they fled from the men of Ai.
5 The men of Ai struck down about thirty-six of their men, and pursued them from the gate as far as Shebarim and struck them down on the descent, so the hearts of the people melted and became as water.
Joshua 7:10–15 (NASB95)
10 So the Lord said to Joshua, “Rise up! Why is it that you have fallen on your face? 11 “Israel has sinned, and they have also transgressed My covenant which I commanded them. And they have even taken some of the things under the ban and have both stolen and deceived. Moreover, they have also put them among their own things.
12 “Therefore the sons of Israel cannot stand before their enemies; they turn their backs before their enemies, for they have become accursed. I will not be with you anymore unless you destroy the things under the ban from your midst. 13 “Rise up! Consecrate the people and say, ‘Consecrate yourselves for tomorrow, for thus the Lord, the God of Israel, has said, “There are things under the ban in your midst, O Israel. You cannot stand before your enemies until you have removed the things under the ban from your midst.”
14 ‘In the morning then you shall come near by your tribes. And it shall be that the tribe which the Lord takes by lot shall come near by families, and the family which the Lord takes shall come near by households, and the household which the Lord takes shall come near man by man.
15 ‘It shall be that the one who is taken with the things under the ban shall be burned with fire, he and all that belongs to him, because he has transgressed the covenant of the Lord, and because he has committed a disgraceful thing in Israel.’ ”
Israel defeated cause of sin (disobedience)
Israel delivered cause of obedience
4) Shechem – 8:30-35, 24 – Became a worship center
Joshua 8:30–35 (NASB95)
30 Then Joshua built an altar to the Lord, the God of Israel, in Mount Ebal, 31 just as Moses the servant of the Lord had commanded the sons of Israel, as it is written in the book of the law of Moses, an altar of uncut stones on which no man had wielded an iron tool; and they offered burnt offerings on it to the Lord, and sacrificed peace offerings.
32 He wrote there on the stones a copy of the law of Moses, which he had written, in the presence of the sons of Israel. 33 All Israel with their elders and officers and their judges were standing on both sides of the ark before the Levitical priests who carried the ark of the covenant of the Lord, the stranger as well as the native. Half of them stood in front of Mount Gerizim and half of them in front of Mount Ebal, just as Moses the servant of the Lord had given command at first to bless the people of Israel.
34 Then afterward he read all the words of the law, the blessing and the curse, according to all that is written in the book of the law. 35 There was not a word of all that Moses had commanded which Joshua did not read before all the assembly of Israel with the women and the little ones and the strangers who were living among them.
5) Gibeon – 9:8-15, 27– Entered covenant with Israel to be servants a worship place
Joshua 9:8–15 (NASB95)
8 But they said to Joshua, “We are your servants.” Then Joshua said to them, “Who are you and where do you come from?” 9 They said to him, “Your servants have come from a very far country because of the fame of the Lord your God; for we have heard the report of Him and all that He did in Egypt, 1
0 and all that He did to the two kings of the Amorites who were beyond the Jordan, to Sihon king of Heshbon and to Og king of Bashan who was at Ashtaroth. 11 “So our elders and all the inhabitants of our country spoke to us, saying, ‘Take provisions in your hand for the journey, and go to meet them and say to them, “We are your servants; now then, make a covenant with us.” ’
12 “This our bread was warm when we took it for our provisions out of our houses on the day that we left to come to you; but now behold, it is dry and has become crumbled. 13 “These wineskins which we filled were new, and behold, they are torn; and these our clothes and our sandals are worn out because of the very long journey.”
14 So the men of Israel took some of their provisions, and did not ask for the counsel of the Lord. 15 Joshua made peace with them and made a covenant with them, to let them live; and the leaders of the congregation swore an oath to them.
Saw what happened to Jericho and AI
Deceived and made a covenant with Israel
Outcome is slavery
God continued to provide and conquer
6) Jerusalem – 10:1-27 – Part of coalition Joshua defeated but city not conquered
Joshua 10:1–27 (NASB95)
1 Now it came about when Adoni-zedek king of Jerusalem heard that Joshua had captured Ai, and had utterly destroyed it (just as he had done to Jericho and its king, so he had done to Ai and its king), and that the inhabitants of Gibeon had made peace with Israel and were within their land,
2 that he feared greatly, because Gibeon was a great city, like one of the royal cities, and because it was greater than Ai, and all its men were mighty. 3 Therefore Adoni-zedek king of Jerusalem sent word to Hoham king of Hebron and to Piram king of Jarmuth and to Japhia king of Lachish and to Debir king of Eglon, saying,
4 “Come up to me and help me, and let us attack Gibeon, for it has made peace with Joshua and with the sons of Israel.” 5 So the five kings of the Amorites, the king of Jerusalem, the king of Hebron, the king of Jarmuth, the king of Lachish, and the king of Eglon, gathered together and went up, they with all their armies, and camped by Gibeon and fought against it.
6 Then the men of Gibeon sent word to Joshua to the camp at Gilgal, saying, “Do not abandon your servants; come up to us quickly and save us and help us, for all the kings of the Amorites that live in the hill country have assembled against us.” 7 So Joshua went up from Gilgal, he and all the people of war with him and all the valiant warriors.
8 The Lord said to Joshua, “Do not fear them, for I have given them into your hands; not one of them shall stand before you.” 9 So Joshua came upon them suddenly by marching all night from Gilgal. 10 And the Lord confounded them before Israel, and He slew them with a great slaughter at Gibeon, and pursued them by the way of the ascent of Beth-horon and struck them as far as Azekah and Makkedah.
11 As they fled from before Israel, while they were at the descent of Beth-horon, the Lord threw large stones from heaven on them as far as Azekah, and they died; there were more who died from the hailstones than those whom the sons of Israel killed with the sword.
12 Then Joshua spoke to the Lord in the day when the Lord delivered up the Amorites before the sons of Israel, and he said in the sight of Israel, “O sun, stand still at Gibeon, And O moon in the valley of Aijalon.” 13 So the sun stood still, and the moon stopped, Until the nation avenged themselves of their enemies. Is it not written in the book of Jashar? And the sun stopped in the middle of the sky and did not hasten to go down for about a whole day.
14 There was no day like that before it or after it, when the Lord listened to the voice of a man; for the Lord fought for Israel. 15 Then Joshua and all Israel with him returned to the camp to Gilgal. 16 Now these five kings had fled and hidden themselves in the cave at Makkedah. 17 It was told Joshua, saying, “The five kings have been found hidden in the cave at Makkedah.”
18 Joshua said, “Roll large stones against the mouth of the cave, and assign men by it to guard them, 19 but do not stay there yourselves; pursue your enemies and attack them in the rear. Do not allow them to enter their cities, for the Lord your God has delivered them into your hand.”
20 It came about when Joshua and the sons of Israel had finished slaying them with a very great slaughter, until they were destroyed, and the survivors who remained of them had entered the fortified cities, 21 that all the people returned to the camp to Joshua at Makkedah in peace. No one uttered a word against any of the sons of Israel. 22 Then Joshua said, “Open the mouth of the cave and bring these five kings out to me from the cave.” 23 They did so, and brought these five kings out to him from the cave: the king of Jerusalem, the king of Hebron, the king of Jarmuth, the king of Lachish, and the king of Eglon.
24 When they brought these kings out to Joshua, Joshua called for all the men of Israel, and said to the chiefs of the men of war who had gone with him, “Come near, put your feet on the necks of these kings.” So they came near and put their feet on their necks. 25 Joshua then said to them, “Do not fear or be dismayed! Be strong and courageous, for thus the Lord will do to all your enemies with whom you fight.”
26 So afterward Joshua struck them and put them to death, and he hanged them on five trees; and they hung on the trees until evening. 27 It came about at sunset that Joshua gave a command, and they took them down from the trees and threw them into the cave where they had hidden themselves, and put large stones over the mouth of the cave, to this very day.
7) Hebron – 10:1-27, 36-37 – Coalition partner whose city was destroyed; patriarchal city; given to Caleb; city of refuge
8) Jarmuth – 10:1-27 – Coalition partner
9) Lachish – 10:1-27, 31-32 – Coalition partner whose city was destroyed
10) Eglon – 10:1-27,34-35 – Coalition partner whose city was destroyed
11) Makkedah – 10:16-17,28 – Scene of battle with coalition
12) Libnah – 10:29-30 – Levitical city
29 Then Joshua and all Israel with him passed on from Makkedah to Libnah, and fought against Libnah. 30 The Lord gave it also with its king into the hands of Israel, and he struck it and every person who was in it with the edge of the sword. He left no survivor in it. Thus he did to its king just as he had done to the king of Jericho.
13) Gezer – 10:33 – Old, large city whose king Joshua defeated; city no occupied; levitical city
33 Then Horam king of Gezer came up to help Lachish, and Joshua defeated him and his people until he had left him no survivor.
14) Debir – 10:38-39 – Captured by Joshua and Othniel; levitical city; name of king of Eglon
38 Then Joshua and all Israel with him returned to Debir, and they fought against it. 39 He captured it and its king and all its cities, and they struck them with the edge of the sword, and utterly destroyed every person who was in it. He left no survivor. Just as he had done to Hebron, so he did to Debir and its king, as he had also done to Libnah and its king.
15) Hazor – 11:1-15 – Largest city in canaan; ancient history; head of northern coalition; destroyed by Joshua
Joshua 11:1–15 (NASB95)
1 Then it came about, when Jabin king of Hazor heard of it, that he sent to Jobab king of Madon and to the king of Shimron and to the king of Achshaph, 2 and to the kings who were of the north in the hill country, and in the Arabah—south of Chinneroth and in the lowland and on the heights of Dor on the west—
3 to the Canaanite on the east and on the west, and the Amorite and the Hittite and the Perizzite and the Jebusite in the hill country, and the Hivite at the foot of Hermon in the land of Mizpeh. 4 They came out, they and all their armies with them, as many people as the sand that is on the seashore, with very many horses and chariots.
5 So all of these kings having agreed to meet, came and encamped together at the waters of Merom, to fight against Israel. 6 Then the Lord said to Joshua, “Do not be afraid because of them, for tomorrow at this time I will deliver all of them slain before Israel; you shall hamstring their horses and burn their chariots with fire.” 7 So Joshua and all the people of war with him came upon them suddenly by the waters of Merom, and attacked them.
8 The Lord delivered them into the hand of Israel, so that they defeated them, and pursued them as far as Great Sidon and Misrephoth-maim and the valley of Mizpeh to the east; and they struck them until no survivor was left to them. 9 Joshua did to them as the Lord had told him; he hamstrung their horses and burned their chariots with fire. 10 Then Joshua turned back at that time, and captured Hazor and struck its king with the sword; for Hazor formerly was the head of all these kingdoms.
11 They struck every person who was in it with the edge of the sword, utterly destroying them; there was no one left who breathed. And he burned Hazor with fire. 12 Joshua captured all the cities of these kings, and all their kings, and he struck them with the edge of the sword, and utterly destroyed them; just as Moses the servant of the Lord had commanded.
13 However, Israel did not burn any cities that stood on their mounds, except Hazor alone, which Joshua burned. 14 All the spoil of these cities and the cattle, the sons of Israel took as their plunder; but they struck every man with the edge of the sword, until they had destroyed them. They left no one who breathed. 15 Just as the Lord had commanded Moses his servant, so Moses commanded Joshua, and so Joshua did; he left nothing undone of all that the Lord had commanded Moses.
16) Madon – 11:1 – Northern coalition partner Joshua defeated; Greek Septuagint calls it Meron; compare Waters o Merom
1 Then it came about, when Jabin king of Hazor heard of it, that he sent to Jobab king of Madon and to the king of Shimron and to the king of Achshaph,
17) Shimron – 11:1 – Has various spellings in mss; appears in ancient Egyptian sources
18) Achshaph – 11:1 – Means “place of sorcery”; mentioned in ancient Egyptian sources
19) Geder – 12:13 – Mystery city unknown elsewhere; sometimes seen as scribe’s notation or city of longer name
13 the king of Debir, one; the king of Geder, one;
20) Hormah – 12:14 – Southern border city; defeated by Simeon and Judah
14 the king of Hormah, one; the king of Arad, one;
21) Arad – 12:14 – Defeated by Moses and named Hormah; occupied by Kenites
22) Adullam – 12:15 – Patriarchal ties
15 the king of Libnah, one; the king of Adullam, one;
23) Bethel – 12:16 – Strong patriarchal ties; means “house of God;” associated with Ai; Joseph defeated it
16 the king of Makkedah, one; the king of Bethel, one;
24) Tappuah – 12:17 – Border city between Ephraim and Manasseh
17 the king of Tappuah, one; the king of Hepher, one;
25) Hepher – 12:17 – Name of a clan in Manasseh
26) Aphek – 12:18 – In ancient Egyptian sources
18 the king of Aphek, one; the king of Lasharon, one;
27) Lasharon – 12:18 – Unusual Hebrew construction; means, “of Sharon;” may modify Aphek
28) Taanach – 12:21 – In ancient Egyptian sources; levitical city; Manasseh could no occupy it
21 the king of Taanach, one; the king of Megiddo, one;
29) Megiddo – 12:21 – Major ancient city guarding military pass; in Egyptian sources; Manasseh could not occupy
30) Kedesh – 12:22 – City of refuge; levitical city; home of Barak
22 the king of Kedesh, one; the king of Jokneam in Carmel, one;
31) Jokneam – 12:22 – Also spelled Jokmeam; levittical city; in Egyptian sources
32) Dor – 12:23 – Manasseh could not occupy
23 the king of Dor in the heights of Dor, one; the king of Goiim in Gilgal, one;
33) Goiim in Gilgal – 12:23 – Compare Gen. 14:1; uncertain scribal reading in text; appears to be in Galilee
34) Tirzah – 12:24 – Ancien city; became capital of Israel.
24 the king of Tirzah, one: in all, thirty-one kings.
God continued to conquer these cities for the nation of Israel b/c they (Israel) had faith in God and obeyed His Word.
Making it personal -
How are you doing at obeying God’s Word?
Where and how are you excelling in this area?
2. Dividing of the Promise Land – 13-21
2. Dividing of the Promise Land – 13-21
The twelve tribes are –
Reuben
Simeon
Levi
Judah
Dan
Naphtali
Gad
Asher
Issachar
Zebulun
Ephraim and Manasseh
Benjamin
3. Keeping the Promise Land – 22-24
3. Keeping the Promise Land – 22-24
22:1-6 – Obedience to the Lord
Joshua 22:1–6 (NASB95)
1 Then Joshua summoned the Reubenites and the Gadites and the half-tribe of Manasseh, 2 and said to them, “You have kept all that Moses the servant of the Lord commanded you, and have listened to my voice in all that I commanded you.
3 “You have not forsaken your brothers these many days to this day, but have kept the charge of the commandment of the Lord your God. 4 “And now the Lord your God has given rest to your brothers, as He spoke to them; therefore turn now and go to your tents, to the land of your possession, which Moses the servant of the Lord gave you beyond the Jordan.
5 “Only be very careful to observe the commandment and the law which Moses the servant of the Lord commanded you, to love the Lord your God and walk in all His ways and keep His commandments and hold fast to Him and serve Him with all your heart and with all your soul.” 6 So Joshua blessed them and sent them away, and they went to their tents.
22:15-20 – If you forsake the Lord
Joshua 22:15–20 (NASB95)
15 They came to the sons of Reuben and to the sons of Gad and to the half-tribe of Manasseh, to the land of Gilead, and they spoke with them saying, 16 “Thus says the whole congregation of the Lord, ‘What is this unfaithful act which you have committed against the God of Israel, turning away from following the Lord this day, by building yourselves an altar, to rebel against the Lord this day?
17 ‘Is not the iniquity of Peor enough for us, from which we have not cleansed ourselves to this day, although a plague came on the congregation of the Lord, 18 that you must turn away this day from following the Lord? If you rebel against the Lord today, He will be angry with the whole congregation of Israel tomorrow.
19 ‘If, however, the land of your possession is unclean, then cross into the land of the possession of the Lord, where the Lord’s tabernacle stands, and take possession among us. Only do not rebel against the Lord, or rebel against us by building an altar for yourselves, besides the altar of the Lord our God.
20 ‘Did not Achan the son of Zerah act unfaithfully in the things under the ban, and wrath fall on all the congregation of Israel? And that man did not perish alone in his iniquity.’ ”
23:1-13 – If you wanna keep the land keep faithful to the Lord
Joshua 23:1–13 (NASB95)
1 Now it came about after many days, when the Lord had given rest to Israel from all their enemies on every side, and Joshua was old, advanced in years, 2 that Joshua called for all Israel, for their elders and their heads and their judges and their officers, and said to them, “I am old, advanced in years.
3 “And you have seen all that the Lord your God has done to all these nations because of you, for the Lord your God is He who has been fighting for you. 4 “See, I have apportioned to you these nations which remain as an inheritance for your tribes, with all the nations which I have cut off, from the Jordan even to the Great Sea toward the setting of the sun.
5 “The Lord your God, He will thrust them out from before you and drive them from before you; and you will possess their land, just as the Lord your God promised you. 6 “Be very firm, then, to keep and do all that is written in the book of the law of Moses, so that you may not turn aside from it to the right hand or to the left,
7 so that you will not associate with these nations, these which remain among you, or mention the name of their gods, or make anyone swear by them, or serve them, or bow down to them. 8 “But you are to cling to the Lord your God, as you have done to this day. 9 “For the Lord has driven out great and strong nations from before you; and as for you, no man has stood before you to this day.
10 “One of your men puts to flight a thousand, for the Lord your God is He who fights for you, just as He promised you. 11 “So take diligent heed to yourselves to love the Lord your God. 12 “For if you ever go back and cling to the rest of these nations, these which remain among you, and intermarry with them, so that you associate with them and they with you,
13 know with certainty that the Lord your God will not continue to drive these nations out from before you; but they will be a snare and a trap to you, and a whip on your sides and thorns in your eyes, until you perish from off this good land which the Lord your God has given you.
24:14-15 – Final challenge
14 “Now, therefore, fear the Lord and serve Him in sincerity and truth; and put away the gods which your fathers served beyond the River and in Egypt, and serve the Lord. 15 “If it is disagreeable in your sight to serve the Lord, choose for yourselves today whom you will serve: whether the gods which your fathers served which were beyond the River, or the gods of the Amorites in whose land you are living; but as for me and my house, we will serve the Lord.”
SO WHAT??
Are you obeying God? How?
Remember as a Christian it is an awesome privilege to live for Jesus Christ
“Active faith leads to obedience which in turn brings blessing”