Conclusion of the Conquest

Joshua 11:16-13

Joshua 13:6–7 KJV 1900

6 All the inhabitants of the hill country from Lebanon unto Misrephoth-maim, and all the Sidonians, them will I drive out from before the children of Israel: only divide thou it by lot unto the Israelites for an inheritance, as I have commanded thee. 7 Now therefore divide this land for an inheritance unto the nine tribes, and the half tribe of Manasseh,

reuben, gad, 1/2 manasseh had already received their allotment, but came in to help their brothers fight for the land across the jordan

started the process of dividing up the land

Joshua 14:7–14 KJV 1900

7 Forty years old was I when Moses the servant of the Lord sent me from Kadesh-barnea to espy out the land; and I brought him word again as it was in mine heart. 8 Nevertheless my brethren that went up with me made the heart of the people melt: but I wholly followed the Lord my God. 9 And Moses sware on that day, saying, Surely the land whereon thy feet have trodden shall be thine inheritance, and thy children’s for ever, because thou hast wholly followed the Lord my God. 10 And now, behold, the Lord hath kept me alive, as he said, these forty and five years, even since the Lord spake this word unto Moses, while the children of Israel wandered in the wilderness: and now, lo, I am this day fourscore and five years old. 11 As yet I am as strong this day as I was in the day that Moses sent me: as my strength was then, even so is my strength now, for war, both to go out, and to come in. 12 Now therefore give me this mountain, whereof the Lord spake in that day; for thou heardest in that day how the Anakims were there, and that the cities were great and fenced: if so be the Lord will be with me, then I shall be able to drive them out, as the Lord said. 13 And Joshua blessed him, and gave unto Caleb the son of Jephunneh Hebron for an inheritance. 14 Hebron therefore became the inheritance of Caleb the son of Jephunneh the Kenezite unto this day, because that he wholly followed the Lord God of Israel.

this generation of Israelites were markedly different from their mothers and fathers

they were loyal to God, faithful, therefore God enabled them to do what they did

their parents seemed to be infected by a bad attitude, were constantly murmuring, and had consistent problems with idolatry

hence we see different outcomes

We see this in caleb as well, a lifetime of service to God, remember when he was first mentioned? scoping out the promised land?

now he finally gets his allotment in the promised land

he has seen God’s work, from humble beginnings in the desert, to having conquered essentially all of canaan

Joshua 18:8–10 KJV 1900

8 And the men arose, and went away: and Joshua charged them that went to describe the land, saying, Go and walk through the land, and describe it, and come again to me, that I may here cast lots for you before the Lord in Shiloh. 9 And the men went and passed through the land, and described it by cities into seven parts in a book, and came again to Joshua to the host at Shiloh. 10 And Joshua cast lots for them in Shiloh before the Lord: and there Joshua divided the land unto the children of Israel according to their divisions.

the tribes had met at shiloh in the beginning of chapter 18 asking how much longer it would be before everyone knew where their allotment was

3 men from each tribe are sent out into the land to survey/map it and are to report back to Joshua

interesting to see how the tables had turned, they went from scouting from the wilderness in fear of the canaanites, to mapping as the dominate power in the region

just like how God turned the bad to good, and a hard situation into a victorious siuation, God can do the same thing for us

Joshua 19:49–50 KJV 1900

49 When they had made an end of dividing the land for inheritance by their coasts, the children of Israel gave an inheritance to Joshua the son of Nun among them: 50 According to the word of the Lord they gave him the city which he asked, even Timnath-serah in mount Ephraim: and he built the city, and dwelt therein.

Joshua, for all his efforts and faithfulness, finally receives his earthly reward, his own city in the hill country

at this point, all the tribes have received their inheritance and all that’s left is to designate the cities of refuge and the designated levite cities

cities of refuge = cities where a person who accidentally killed someone could seek asylum until the matter could be judged by the priests

Joshua 22:1–5 KJV 1900

1 Then Joshua called the Reubenites, and the Gadites, and the half tribe of Manasseh, 2 And said unto them, Ye have kept all that Moses the servant of the Lord commanded you, and have obeyed my voice in all that I commanded you: 3 Ye have not left your brethren these many days unto this day, but have kept the charge of the commandment of the Lord your God. 4 And now the Lord your God hath given rest unto your brethren, as he promised them: therefore now return ye, and get you unto your tents, and unto the land of your possession, which Moses the servant of the Lord gave you on the other side Jordan. 5 But take diligent heed to do the commandment and the law, which Moses the servant of the Lord charged you, to love the Lord your God, and to walk in all his ways, and to keep his commandments, and to cleave unto him, and to serve him with all your heart and with all your soul.

joshua sends them home after a grueling and hard fought war

but they had kept God’s commandments, been loyal, and worked hard for God and their brethren

FOR all of their efforts, their finally get their rest in the land God promised to give them

sound familiar? - will come back to this

let’s look at some of the qualities

dilligence to obey commandments

love the Lord God

walk in all His ways - keep His commandments

cleave unto Him

serve Him with ALL your heart and soul

Joshua 23:3 KJV 1900

3 And ye have seen all that the Lord your God hath done unto all these nations because of you; for the Lord your God is he that hath fought for you.

Joshua 23:9–16 KJV 1900

9 For the Lord hath driven out from before you great nations and strong: but as for you, no man hath been able to stand before you unto this day. 10 One man of you shall chase a thousand: for the Lord your God, he it is that fighteth for you, as he hath promised you. 11 Take good heed therefore unto yourselves, that ye love the Lord your God. 12 Else if ye do in any wise go back, and cleave unto the remnant of these nations, even these that remain among you, and shall make marriages with them, and go in unto them, and they to you: 13 Know for a certainty that the Lord your God will no more drive out any of these nations from before you; but they shall be snares and traps unto you, and scourges in your sides, and thorns in your eyes, until ye perish from off this good land which the Lord your God hath given you. 14 And, behold, this day I am going the way of all the earth: and ye know in all your hearts and in all your souls, that not one thing hath failed of all the good things which the Lord your God spake concerning you; all are come to pass unto you, and not one thing hath failed thereof. 15 Therefore it shall come to pass, that as all good things are come upon you, which the Lord your God promised you; so shall the Lord bring upon you all evil things, until he have destroyed you from off this good land which the Lord your God hath given you. 16 When ye have transgressed the covenant of the Lord your God, which he commanded you, and have gone and served other gods, and bowed yourselves to them; then shall the anger of the Lord be kindled against you, and ye shall perish quickly from off the good land which he hath given unto you.

this is Joshua’s last speech, he has gotten very old by this point and has served as a faithful and courageous leader

as a leader does, he prepares his people for what’s to come after he is gone and leaves them with correct instruction

he tells them to follow the greatest leader

Joshua 24:15 KJV 1900

15 And if it seem evil unto you to serve the Lord, choose you this day whom ye will serve; whether the gods which your fathers served that were on the other side of the flood, or the gods of the Amorites, in whose land ye dwell: but as for me and my house, we will serve the Lord.

Joshua 24:24–28 KJV 1900

24 And the people said unto Joshua, The Lord our God will we serve, and his voice will we obey. 25 So Joshua made a covenant with the people that day, and set them a statute and an ordinance in Shechem. 26 And Joshua wrote these words in the book of the law of God, and took a great stone, and set it up there under an oak, that was by the sanctuary of the Lord. 27 And Joshua said unto all the people, Behold, this stone shall be a witness unto us; for it hath heard all the words of the Lord which he spake unto us: it shall be therefore a witness unto you, lest ye deny your God. 28 So Joshua let the people depart, every man unto his inheritance.

after his speech, God said “i have given you a land for which ye didn’t labour, cities which you didn’t build, and vineyards which ye didn’t plant”, and Joshua tells them to decide who will should serve

tells them that God will not tolerate anyone having any other God

they are essentially renewing their covenant, or rededicating in a sense

God has given this generation the land, and t his is their opportunity to start fresh

we were slaves to sin before we were saved, we wandered like a lost sheep, but when we are saved we get this fresh start, a chance to start anew, because of our leader, Jesus

there are many parallels like this in the book of joshua

first of all, Jesus and Joshua is the same name in hebrew “God saves/ God is deliverance”

there is a leader who takes a people conquers evil, and takes them into a land promised to them

very clear type/foreshadow/parallel

Joshua 24:29–32 KJV 1900

29 And it came to pass after these things, that Joshua the son of Nun, the servant of the Lord, died, being an hundred and ten years old. 30 And they buried him in the border of his inheritance in Timnath-serah, which is in mount Ephraim, on the north side of the hill of Gaash. 31 And Israel served the Lord all the days of Joshua, and all the days of the elders that overlived Joshua, and which had known all the works of the Lord, that he had done for Israel. 32 And the bones of Joseph, which the children of Israel brought up out of Egypt, buried they in Shechem, in a parcel of ground which Jacob bought of the sons of Hamor the father of Shechem for an hundred pieces of silver: and it became the inheritance of the children of Joseph.

the last verse in the book refers to eleazar being buried

LEADERSHIP

there are many reasons why people need leadership, with God being the ultimate leader

without God, our life is just a vapor, it’s meaningless, God is what truly elevates us over the animals

look at the world now, they decided they didn’t need God as their leader, and the world is coming unglued morally, and will eventually in every other way

a leader is able to take a bunch of individual parts and make a better whole

when God is our leader, we connect to a larger, greater purpose, with what we were made for

people need guidance, we all don’t just come out of the womb knowing how to live life how God wants us to, which ultimately leads to s uccess, in this life or the next

God gives us perfect guidance through His word and spirit

God created the family structure as a small view of the big picture

God has ingrained the need for leadership in our very nature

when we look at a great leader like Joshua, what are some qualities seen?

1st - always reiterates to stay close to God, follow His commandments, and love Him with all your heart, soul, mind, and strength

2 - is not a tyrant

3 - knows his people, he was once part of them

4 - works hard and was courageous