Introduction to Joshua

 

I. Joshua the Man

A. His Name  (['vu/hyÒ)=”Yahweh Saves”=Ihsou" =“Jesus”

B. Background—

            1. Born in Egypt

            2. Tribe of Ephraim

            3. Began as “servant of Moses.”

            4. On the mountain with Moses in Ex. 24.

            5. “Guardian of the Tent of Meeting”—apparently official overseer.

                        6. Led the attack against Amalekites in Ex. 17.

7. One of 12 spies sent into the land, one of two who wanted to take the land.

            8. Commissioned as leader to follow Moses in Dt. 32, 34.

 

Chart No. 1

 

LIFE OF JOSHUA

 

IN

EGYPT

IN THE

DESERT

IN

CANAAN

A

WARRIOR

AN

ADMINISTRATOR

 

 

 

3

Great

Campaigns

Land

Division

A

SLAVE

A

SERVANT

A

SPY

chs.1-12

chs.13-22

PREPARATION

 

c. 90 Years

 

Death of Moses

1407 BC

LEADERSHIP

 

c. 20 Years

 

 

 

C. Pictured as Faithful leader—in the past & in the Book of Joshua.

 

             D. From “Servant of Moses” (Josh. 1:1) to “Servant of the Lord” (Josh 24:29).

 

II. The Composition of the Book of Joshua

 

1. Authorship—Dates of authorship range from Joshua to Deuteronomic editors in 6th century BC. We really do not know.

a. Some argue that the book was written within 1-2 generations of Joshua (1400-1200)—Recognizes that Joshua did record some matters.

b. Time of Monarchy (1000-900)—“Until this day” (15:63, 16:10) suggests a time when Jebusites were in control of Jerusalem and Canaanites in control of Gezer, both of which ceased to be true before 900.

c. Late Monarchy or Exile (700-500)—This is because of connection with Deuteronomy and Deuteronomistic History. This theory recognizes the interconnectedness of Joshua-Kings, as well as their affinities with Dt., as well as Jeremiah.

 

d. Synthesis—Joshua wrote some material. Much of the book is probably from early monarchy. But the final form probably was not achieved until after the end of the monarchy as recorded in 2 Kings.

 

            2. Canon—

a. Scholars have long debated the connection of Joshua with the Pentateuch. The Book of Joshua serves as an ending as well as a beginning.

 

b. Hexateuch—Some scholars argue that the Book of Joshua should be connected with the Pentateuch, thus emphasizing the connection with what precedes. The current move seems to be away from this.

 

c. Tetrateuch—Deuteronomy is often seen as the beginning of the Deuteronomistic History, from Dt.-1 Kings. This emphasizes the connections between Dt and what follows, but it destroys the unity of the Pentateuch.

 

d. Synthesis—Joshua is indeed a transition book. There is tension between what precedes & what follows. Accept that! Joshua is part of a historical work that is tied together by language, themes, and prophetic outlook.

 

III. The Historical Context of the Events in the Book of Joshua

 

            A. Early Date—1400 B.C.

            1. 1 Kings 6:1—480 years after the exodus=1440 BC.

            2. Several sites conquered about 1400 BC.

            3. Habiru could represent Hebrew groups of people in hill country.

            4. Problems:

                        a. Capital of Egypt in Upper Egypt, not in delta.

                        b. Amarna letters show Egyptian control over Canaanite city-states.

                        c. No widespread settlement changes.

 

B. Late Date—

            1. Ex. 1:11—“Pithom” & “Ramses”—Ramses reigned after 1300.

            2. Capital of Egypt at Memphis in Lower Egypt, i.e. the delta.

            3. Several sites conquered during this period.

4. Settlement patterns begin to change in 13th & 12th centuries, with large numbers of settlements in the hill country of Judah and Ephraim.

            5. Merneptah mentions “Israel” as a people he fought in Palestine, 1220-1200.

 

C. Synthesis—

1. If the “conquest” took place in 1400, it was probably less dramatic than presented in the Book of Joshua. Israel was more of a small people in the hill country than a major people group vying for control.

2. By 1200 Israel had become a people to reckon with (either because of conquest at this time or because they had become stronger & more settled).

3. Archaeology does not completely support either opinion, but would seem to better support the 1200 date, primarily because of settlement patterns.

 

IV. Conquest/Settlement Models

A. Military Conquest

As presented in Joshua, the army of Israel entered the land and conquered a large portion of it, then divided the land & settled it.

 

Strengths/Weaknesses—Takes the Bible literally, but archaeology would seem to contradict this view, at least in its totality. There’s no evidence for widespread conquest in Palestine at any of these time periods.

 

B. Peasant Revolt

Groups of people began to rise up against their Canaanite overlords. These can be seen at least partially in the Habiru. These groups later joined together into tribes, which later became Israel.

 

Strengths/Weaknesses—Takes the lack of archaeological evidence seriously. The people who became Israel came out of the Canaanites rather than from Egypt, so change would be minimal. Of course, this ignores much of the Bible.

 

C. Settlement

Nomadic people settled down during this period. They had or developed tribal allegiances and joined together to become Israel.

 

Strengths/Weaknesses—Takes seriously the gradual nature or changes seen in the archaeological record. Recognizes the sometimes tenuous nature of the tribal affiliations, which is also seen in the biblical record. But this ignores the clear word of military battle in the Book of Joshua.

 

D. Synthesis

            There is probably truth in all three theories!

1. Joshua led military campaigns against several Canaanite kings & cities. This is not as widespread as it first appears. Josh. 12ff & Judges make this plain.

 

2. Certain groups of people of the land probably did join Joshua and Israel, as evidenced in the ceremony near Shechem in Josh. 8.

 

3. Israel would produce evidence of nomadic people slowly settling in the land. The tribes were never totally unified, as seen in Judges, Samuel, & Kings. The tribes appear separated by large stretches of unconquered territory & cities. They settled in available areas.

 

 

 


Joshua 1-11

 

I. Joshua 1:1-9—God’s Charge to Joshua

 

            A. Moses is dead.

            B. Joshua is the leader to take the land. (Note boundaries)

            C. The land is the fulfillment of the promise to Moses.

            D. God is in control

                        1. God will be with them.

                        2. God gives the land

                        3. God gives the leaders, Moses & now Joshua.

            E. Be faithful to the Torah/Law. The leader of God’s people must study, know, and obey God’s Word to His people.

            F. Primary Word:  Be bold/courageous & do not fear.

 

II. Joshua 1:10-11—Joshua’s 1st Command

            --Prepare yourselves to take the land!

 

III. Joshua 1:12-18—Transjordan Tribes

            A. Call to Remembrance—A reminder of prior commitments, which they remembered & agreed to obey, even to the point of executing violators.

            B. Call to Unity—God’s people must go forth unified.

            C. Call to Loyalty—Loyalty to God & to the nation.

 

IV. Joshua 2:1-24—Rahab “the Harlot”

                        1. Why a prostitute?

                                    a. No suspicion

                                    b. God uses the unexpected.

 

                        2. Her testimony—

            a. Yahweh has given you this land—her faith is beyond that of Jericho’s king or most of the Israelites. (i.e. Hebrews 11:31, James 2:25)

            b. We are afraid! Why? Past victories of the Hebrews.

 

3. Her Agreement w/Spies

Red cord from window guarantees safety for those inside

            a. 2nd Passover

            b. Sign of her faithfulness.

            c. Church fathers saw type of Christ here, with cord=blood of Christ & Rahab=the church. (it’s interesting, but a stretch).

 

V. Joshua 3:1-4:24—Israel Enters the Promised Land

            A. 3:1-6—Preparation for crossing the Jordan

            1. Holiness—The people must sanctify & cleanse themselves in preparation for the miracle to come. WHY?  Because God would be among them!

                        2. The role of the Ark—What is it?

                                    a. Throne of God—As seen in other religions of the day.

                                    b. Palladium=A safeguard in battle. The ark led the way (i.e. Ebenezer).

            c. The sign of God’s presence with His people. This is certain, while the others are less than certain. This partially explains the need for purity & for standing 2000 cubits (=3000 feet) from the ark.

 

            B. 3:7-17—The crossing of the Jordan

                        1. The ark, as the symbol of Yahweh, leads the way into the river.

            2. This is 2nd Red Sea, i.e. 2nd exodus. God miraculously brought their parents’ generation out of Egypt, now He miraculously brings into the land of promise.

 

C. 4:1-9, 19-24—The Stones of Remembrance

            1. A sign of God’s deliverance & protection from Jordan.

            2. A sign of Israel’s presence in the land, i.e. fulfillment of promise.

            3. A sign of the covenant faith of the people, i.e. their relationship with God.

            4. A sign carried on to future generations—both inside Israel and to the world.

 

D. 4:10-18

            1. 40,000 equipped for war—just 3 tribes or all 12? The term eleph (#l,a,) can mean:

                        a. 1000

                        b. Legion of troops

                        c. Tribal unit

            2. Joshua’s leadership confirmed (v. 14)

            3. Passover at Gilgal

 

VI. Joshua 5:1-15—Events at Gilgal

            A. 5:2-9--Circumcision at Gilgal

            1. Officially made the 2nd generation part of the covenant, their parents had been judged with death in the wilderness because of rebellion. They were now His covenant people because of faithfulness.

            2.Gilgal named because the punishment for disobedience has been “rolled away.” Here the punishment is finished. It is a covenant renewal.

 

            B. 5:10-12— Passover at Gilgal

            --They eat of the produce of the land. They are now in the land of promise and will not need God’s provision of manna. They can eat from the land—God’s gift!

 

            C. 5:13-15—Joshua meets God

            1. “Captain of the Host of the Lord”—God is the warrior of His people. The “Host” = “Angelic Army.”

            2. Joshua submits to him & worships him—the only proper response that would guarantee victory, i.e. servanthood.

            3. Who was this?

                        a. God Himself

                        b. An Angel

                        c. Preincarnation of Jesus

 

 

VII. The “Central Campaign”

A. Victory at Jericho--Joshua 6:1-27

1. Battle plan—March once each day for 6 days. March 7 times on 7th day. Trumpets blow, shout, walls fall. Trumpets are a call to action.

2. Rahab & her household spared.

3. Everything else is destroyed. This is holy war, cherem, (mr,j,)=”devoted to the Lord.” How does this complete destruction fit with our fuller revelation of God?

a. God’s Holiness—The battle & victory is devoted to the Lord, thus everything that survives must be holy/pure. So everything connected to the Canaanites is destroyed.

b. Punishment for Sin of Canaanites—God is punishing them for their sinfulness. They had chosen to sin. This is a high level of inspiration/conscience. They should have known better.

c. Influence of Sin of Canaanites—They would keep Israel from serving Yahweh totally. This was true. They influenced Israel with false worship, prostitution, & idolatry.

d. Progress of revelation—God meets people where they are. **NOTE that this order was temporary, and not followed everywhere.

 

B. Defeat at Ai—7:1-26

1. 7:1—Achan kept items “under the ban”= cherem, (mr,j,). Thus Israel was guilty of sinning against the Lord. The actions of one person can greatly affect the rest of God’s people.

2. 7:2-5—Defeat in battle against a small town. The hearts of the people “melted.”

3. 7:6-15—After the Defeat

            a. Joshua seeks God (as Moses had done many times)

            b. God reveals the problem. Someone took things under the ban.

c. The people will lose without God’s presence, which will be removed by unfaithfulness (v. 12).

d. The guilty party must be removed.

4. 7:16-26— Removing the Problem

 

a. Achan chosen by lot.

b. He admits his sin.

c. He & his entire family is stoned to death & burned.

d. Why?

1. God often deals severely with sin, as here.

2. At other times He is more gracious.

3. He is God!

 

C. Victory at Ai—8:1-29—

            1. An ambush is set up and the city of Ai is defeated.

            2. They are allowed to keep “spoil” & “cattle.” They cannot take prisoners.

            3. Note the comparison of Joshua’s javelin with Moses’ rod (8:18, 26)

 

D. Covenant Ceremony at Shechem—8:30-35

            1. Covenant ceremony followed the victory.

2. This ceremony at Mt. Ebal/Gerizim is modeled after the instructions given in Dt. 27-30.

3. They set up altar, offer sacrifices, & renew their covenant.

 

E. Treaty with Gibeonites—9:1-27

1. Joshua & leaders are fooled by Gibeonites. They are tricked into making a “covenant” or “treaty,” even though God had told them not to make a covenant with anyone in the land. They thought the Gibeonites were from a long way off.

2. Note that Joshua & leaders do not consult the Lord, which is a grave error

3. “Made a covenant”—lit. “Cut a covenant” (tyrib tr'k;)—The ceremony involved cutting the sacrificial animal in half, each half is laid out and each party walks between the halves of the sacrifice. Gibeon is the vassal (servant) and Israel is the suzerain (lord).

4. Once the covenant was made, Israel had to honor it, even though the Gibeonites entered into it falsely.

 

VIII. The “Southern Campaign”—10:1-43

 

THE SOUTHERN COALITION

Joshua 10

KING

CITY

AMARNA

LETTERS

LOCATION

Adoni-zedek

Hoham

Piram

Japhia

Debir

Jerusalem

Hebron

Jamuth

Lachish

Eglon

yes

no

yes

yes

yes

 

19 Miles SSE of Jerusalem.

16 Miles W of Jerusalem.

25 Miles SW of Jerusalem.

Near Lachish (?).

 

 

            A. 10:1-5 Coalition led by Adoni-Zedek of Jerusalem came against Gibeon as a traitor. The coalition included Hebron, Jarmuth, Lachish, & Eglon, all south of Gibeon.

            B. 10:6-The Gibeonites requests that Israel come to assist them.

            C. Joshua seeks God, who affirms Israel in the battle.

            D. The battle is the Lord’s

            1. Forced all night march (v. 9)—25-30 miles uphill. They would have been weakened w/o God’s help.

            2. The Lord sent confusion (v. 10)

            3. The Lord sent hailstones (v. 11)

            4. “The sun stood still” (vv. 12-15)

                        a. Miracle in which the day was lengthened

            b. Hailstorm blocked out the sun, bringing relief from heat & showing God’s presence.

            c. Vv. 12b-13a are a prayer/incantation calling upon God to bring victory & not directly referring to the halting of the sun.

5. The real miracle—God listened to a man, Joshua!

            E. Note the procession south—Beth-Horon, Azekah, Makkedah, Libnah, Lachish, Eglon, Hebron, Debir, Kadesh-Barnea, Gaza—Note there is no mention of Jerusalem. It was not conquered.

            F. 10:42 is an example of hyperbole=exaggeration—They in fact did not capture all of the lands of the kings in the battle, just those mentioned specifically as defeated.

 

IX. The “Northern Campaign”—11:1-15

            A. Jabin, king of Hazor leads a 2nd coalition.

            B. Battle is at Merom, in upper Galilee.

            C. The Lord tells Joshua to go to battle. He then “delivers them” to Israel.

            D. Israel wins the battle & burns Hazor.

            E. Note emphasis on the obedience of Israel (v. 15).

 

X. Miscellaneous Conquests—11:16-23

            A. All the land was defeated from the Negev to the foot of Mt. Hermon.

            B. Only a few Anakim in the Philistine cities were left.

            C. This is contradicted in the following chapters & in the Book of Judges.

            D. Thus we should see this section as hyperbole, a theological description of total victory by God, which would be totally known until much later, i.e. when the Book of Joshua was put into final form?

 

 

 

 


Joshua 12-24

 

I. Joshua 12-Defeated Kings

             1. List of defeated kings, east & west of Jordan.

             2. Some are added when compared to previous chapters.

 

CONQUERED KINGS

Joshua 12

 

Kings East of Jordan

Defeated by Moses

Sihon

Og

 

Kings West of Jordan

Defeated by Joshua

 

 1. Jericho

 2. Ai

 3. Jerusalem

 4. Hebron

 5. Jarmuth

 6. Lachish

 7. Eglon

8. Gezer

9. Debir

10. Geder

11. Homah

12. Arad

13. Libnah

14. Adullam

15. Makkedah

16. Bethel

17. Tappuah

18. Hepher

19. Aphek

20. Lasharon

21. Madon

22. Hazor

23. Shimron-meron

24. Achshaph

25. Taanach

26. Megiddo

27. Kedesh

28. Jokneam

29. Dor

30. Gilgal

31. Tirzah

 

 

II. Joshua 13:1-7—Lands Still to be Conquered

             1. Land of the Philistines

             2. The land of the Sidonians

             3. The land north of Galilee

 

III. Joshua 13:8-19:51—Division of the Land

             1. Tribal allotments for all the tribes (13 in all).

             2. Important to Note:

                        a. 14;6-15—Caleb receives Hebron for his faithfulness.

                        b. 15:63—Jebusites in Jerusalem

                        c. 16:10—Canaanites in Gezer

                        d. 17:11-12—Canaanites in Beth Shan, Dor, Taanach, & Megiddo.

e. 18:1—The tent of meeting is set up in Shiloh, where it remains into the time of Samuel.

                        f. 19:47—Dan was forced to resettle to Leshem/Laish (cf. Judges 18).

 

IV. Joshua 20—Cities of Refuge

             1. Place of refuge for those who have committed unintentional homicide.

             2. They must be protected & allowed to stand trial in that city.

3. Modification of Tribal tradition of blood avenger.

4. It recognizes the changes required by settled life & urbanization.

             5. They are: Kedesh, Shechem, Hebron, Bezer, Ramoth-Gilead, Golan.

 

V. Joshua 21:1-42—Levitical Cities

 

Chart No. 5

THE LEVITICAL CITIES

LEVITICAL CLANS

LOCATION OF CITIES

NUMBER

Family of Aaron

Judah-Simeon(9)

Benjamin(4)

13

Other Kohathites

Ephraim(4)

Dan(4)

manasseh West(2)

10

Gershonites

Issachar(4)

Asher(4)

Naphtali(3)

Manasseh East (2)

13

Merarites

Zebulun (4)

Reuben (4)

Gad (4)

12

  TOTAL LEVITICAL CITIES

48

 

 

 

             1. City & surrounding land for the Levites.

             2. 48 Levitical Cities throughout the land.

             3. Why?

                        a. Administer affairs of the tribes.

                        b. Political stability

c. Theological safeguard against influence of Canaanite religion, i.e. by scattering priestly families throughout the land. (Note that many of these cities are major Canaanite cities, i.e. Beth Shemesh, Gezer, Tanaach, Beth-Shan

             ***NOTE—ch. 20-21 continues Promise-Fulfilment Theme. Moses had told them to set aside Levitical cities & cities of refuge.***

 

VI. Joshua 21:43-45—Conclusion of Conquest

            1. The Lord gave them the Promised Land.

            2. The promise to forefathers is fulfilled.

            3. The Lord directs the history of His people.

            4. The Lord gave them rest. Their needs are met. (See below under “Theology”)

            5. They defeated all of their enemies. Is this true? Why not?

                        a. Either it’s a mistake, i.e. an anachronism.

b. It’s hyperbole—exaggeration. The point is theological—God has accomplished what He promised. Even if the conquest was incomplete He had still given them the land, at least a significant portion of it.

                        c. It’s proleptic—Viewing a future event as if already true.

 

VII. Joshua 22—Transjordan Tribes

            1. 22:1-9—Fulfilment--Reuben, Gad, East Manasseh  return home.

2. 22:10-33—Peace Threatened—Altar built by eastern tribes threatens peace. The other tribes prepare to go to war to protect sanctity of Yahweh worship.

3. Eastern tribes profess their innocence—the altar is only a memorial.

4. 22:34—Unity Declared—The altar is named “A Witness Between Us that Yahweh is God.”

 

VIII. Joshua 23—Joshua’s Farewell Address

            1. Historical Summary—God has brought victory

            2. Charge:

                        a. Conquer the remaining land

                        b. Keep the Law of Moses.

                        c. Love the Lord your God

                        d. Avoid the “nations,” i.e. Canaanites, for they will be a snare to you.

            3. Theology:

                        a. God’s gift, the land, can be lost through unfaithfulness.

            b. God’s covenant people must reflect God’s character. Otherwise, they will cease to be His people (i.e. Hosea, Lo-Ammi).

            c. God will not allow His name to be defamed/dishonored, & He will judge those who do so.

 

 

IX. Joshua 24:1-27—Covenant Renewal at Shechem

            1. Covenant Renewal Ceremony—probably an annual event.

            2. Summary of Historical Events—2-13

            3. Joshua’s charge & people’s response—14-24

                        a. Joshua proclaims his commitment to Yahweh &challenges the people.

                        b. The People respond with their own commitment

                        c. Note the antiphonal nature (charge/reponse)

            4. Publication & Memorial—25-27

 

X. Joshua 24:28-33—Conclusion

            --Joshua dies

            --Eleazar dies.

            --Joseph’s bones buried.

 

 

 


Theology of Joshua

 

I. Promise & Fulfillment

1. Promise to the patriarchs—Their descendants would possess this land & be a nation. Joshua is the fulfillment of these promises.

            2. God is faithful to his promises. You can believe Him & trust Him.

            3. Continuing fulfillment will require obedience.

 

II. Covenant

            1. “Covenant” is used 16 times in the Book of Joshua.

2. Most of these refer to the “Ark of the Covenant.” Often the Hebrew almost suggests that the Ark is the Lord, i.e. “the ark of the covenant of the Lord,” where “of” is not technically in the Hebrew. The LORD’s presence is represented in the ark.

3. Covenant Renewal—Joshua 8:30-35 & 24:1-27—The people of each generation were required to submit themselves to the covenant with the LORD.

 

III. The Land

            1. This is part of the promise & covenant that is brought to fulfillment.

            2. The land belongs to the LORD. He gives it to the people. Under the terms of the covenant, He also has the right to take it back if the people are disobedient to the covenant.

            3. The people of Israel are only sojourners on God’s land. They must keep the covenant to remain in the land.

 

IV. Rest

            1. By being in possession of the land & being in covenant with God, Israel had rest.

            2. “Rest” presupposes devotion to God. Without The Lord’s favor, rest was impossible.

            3. “Rest” suggests peace in the land.

            4. In Hebrews 4, the author refers to the concept of rest as ultimately coming through relationship with Christ.

 

V. Holiness/Purity

            1. God is holy & requires holiness from His people.

            2. The people were required to prepare themselves for entry into the land and to conquer the land.

            3. Sin among the people had to be removed. Sin among the people, as Howard pointed out, made them in essence Canaanite. God’s people were to be characterized by holiness & purity, not sin.

            4. cherem (mr,j,)—These items (people, material goods, cities) are “devoted to the LORD” or set apart to Him. They are “holy.”