BACKGROUND AND INTRO TO BOOK OF JOSHUA
Title
Joshua is the first of 12 historical books that link the five books of Moses, Genesis through Deuteronomy (Pentateuch) with the subsequent history of Israel. The name of the book is derived from the exploits of Joshua, the servant of Moses whom Moses prayed for and commissioned as a leader in Israel (Num. 27:12–23).
The name Joshua means “Jehovah saves,” or “the Lord is salvation,” and corresponds to the NT name “Jesus.”
Moses was not allowed to bring the nation of Israel into the promised land; that work was given to Joshua.
In bible typology, Moses was a representative of the law. John 1.17 tells us that the law was given by Moses, but grace and truth came by Jesus Christ. The law can only identify sin, but it does not have the power to save you from your sin. It is only by grace, through faith in the perfect atoning sacrifice of Jesus Christ that we are both saved and redeemed from sins debt and sins power over our lives.
Author and Date
Although the human author of the book is not named specifically, the most probable human author is Joshua, who was the key eyewitness to the events recorded (cf. 18:9; 24:26). Ultimately, we know from 2 Tim 3.16,17 that all Scripture is given by inspiration of God and is profitable. Joshua was born in Egyptian slavery, trained under Moses, and by God’s choice rose to his key position of leading Israel into Canaan. An assistant whom Joshua groomed could have finished the book by attaching such comments as those concerning Joshua’s death (24:29–33). The most likely writing period is ca. 1405–1385 b.c.
When Moses passed the baton of leadership on to Joshua before he died (Deut. 34), Israel was at the end of its 40-year wilderness wandering period.
JOSHUA 1
As we begin our exposition of the book of Joshua, we see that the first chapter of Joshua is divided into three sections.
The first section (vv. 1–9) contains the Lord's words to Joshua, charging him to assume the leadership position opened up by Moses' death.
The second section (vv. 10–15) recounts Joshua's initial response, charging the “officers of the people” and the Transjordanian tribes (those 2 ½ tribes who would dwell east of the Jordan River) to prepare to cross the Jordan into Canaan.
The final section records the people's resolve to follow Joshua as they had followed Moses (vv. 16–18).
1 ¶ Now after the death of Moses the servant of the LORD it came to pass, that the LORD spake unto Joshua the son of Nun (an Ephramite), Moses' minister, saying, 2 Moses my servant is dead; now therefore arise, go over this Jordan, thou, and all this people, unto the land which I do give to them, even to the children of Israel.
Moses, the servant of The Lord. Being a servant of The Lord is the highest calling that a human being can have in life. The words servant and minister basically mean the same thing, to wait upon; to meet the needs of others.
The greatest example of selfless service is non other than our Lord Jesus Christ: Mr 10:45 For even the Son of man came not to be ministered unto, but to minister, and to give his life a ransom for many.
After Jesus washed the disciples feet in John 13, He said these words: John 13:15 For I have given you an example, that ye should do as I have done to you.16 Verily, verily, I say unto you, The servant is not greater than his lord; neither he that is sent greater than he that sent him. 17 If ye know these things, happy are ye if ye do them.
The love that a healthy saint or congregation has for their Master can only be measured by their denial of self and use of their God given talents and abilities for the glory of God and the service of one another.
The church is a workshop, not a dormitory; and every Christian man and woman is bound to help in the common cause. -MacLaren
Joshua….Moses servant. While being a servant of The Lord is the highest calling in life, every person in the kingdom of God is called to serve in submission to God ordained authority. There are no lone rangers in the kingdom of God.
We see Joshua serving as a military commander when the nation , fought against the Amalekites shortly after Israel's exodus from Egypt while Moses sat atop a nearby hill with his hands lifted toward heaven (Ex. 17:8–13). (Great lessons on the importance of prayer as necessary for victory in spiritual warfare).
We also see Joshua serving in (Ex. 24:13; 32:17) as he accompanied him at least partway up Mount Sinai.
We see Joshua serving as he assisted Moses at the tent of meeting, where the Lord would “speak to Moses face to face” (Ex. 33:11).
Joshua was among the 12 men sent to explore the land of Canaan (Num. 13:8). He alone joined Caleb in exhorting the people to trust God for victory (Num. 14:6–9)—an act of faith for which only he and Caleb, among their generation, were allowed to enter the Promised Land.
God used all of these experiences to prepare him to succeed Moses and be the person that would lead them into the Promised Land. Be sensitive to the fact that God’s providential dealings in your life are preparatory to what He is calling to do or how He is calling you to serve.
By the way, if you think that you are too old for God to use you, think again; Joshua was approaching 90 years of age when he was called by God to become Israel’s leader.
The reference to the land at the end of verse 2 is the land God promised in His covenant with Abraham and often reaffirmed later (Gen. 12:7; 13:14–15; 15:18–21). A prominent theme of the book of Joshua is God’s faithfulness to fulfill His promise of giving the Land to Abraham’s descendants.
3 Every place that the sole of your foot shall tread upon, that have I given unto you, as I said unto Moses.
The whole land was given, but they could only posses that which they claimed (every place that the sole of your foot will tread upon I have given you). What they took must be fought for against a determined opposition.
God certainly could have simply eliminated all their enemies with a mere thought; but He calls Israel into partnership with Himself to see His will done.
The fact that the Lord is sovereignly giving Israel the land does not negate their responsibility to step out in faith and take what is given.
This reveals the balance in the ways that God fulfills His promises. He gives the assurance of the promise, but His people must step out by faith and possess the promise.
Please note that God does not say I will give you the land; no, He says I have given you the land. In other words, all of the Promised Land was theirs for the taking, but the extent of how much land they would actually possess would be in direct proportion to their stepping out with faith in the promise of God.
This verse is a key aspect of faith. As it says in Heb 11:1 Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen.
Faith is not a sense, nor sight, nor reason, but taking God at his word. -Evans
4 From the wilderness and this Lebanon even unto the great river, the river Euphrates, all the land of the Hittites, and unto the great sea toward the going down of the sun, shall be your coast.
Borders of the Promised Land are: west, the Mediterranean seacoast; east, Euphrates River far to the east; south, the wilderness over to the Nile of Egypt; north, Lebanon.
5 There shall not any man be able to stand before thee all the days of thy life: as I was with Moses, so I will be with thee: I will not fail thee, nor forsake thee.
God promises Joshua divine power for the task He has called him to do. Fortified by the assurance of the Lord's abiding presence, Joshua would find the strength and power to step into this calling of God with courage and confidence even at the age of 90!
Victory is assured not because Joshua is a great leader, or because Israel is a great nation, but because God is a great God and faithful to keep all of His promises.
6 Be strong and of a good courage: for unto this people shalt thou divide for an inheritance the land, which I sware unto their fathers (Abraham, Isaac and Jacob) to give them.
Three times the Lord charges Joshua to be strong and courageous. The encouragements of Scripture to step out in faith are always verbal. Scripture never exhorts us to be self confident, but confident in God.
Pr 14:26 ¶ In the fear of the LORD is strong confidence: and his children shall have a place of refuge.
Eph 3:12 In whom we have boldness and access with confidence by the faith of him.
Our confidence tonight beloved is in our God, not our circumstances or our feelings or the economy.
7 Only be thou strong and very courageous, that thou mayest observe to do according to all the law, which Moses my servant commanded thee: turn not from it to the right hand or to the left, that thou mayest prosper whithersoever thou goest. 8 This book of the law shall not depart out of thy mouth; but thou shalt meditate therein day and night, that thou mayest observe to do according to all that is written therein: for then thou shalt make thy way prosperous, and then thou shalt have good success.
This book of the law- A reference to Scripture, specifically Genesis through Deuteronomy, written by Moses (cf. Ex. 17:14; Deut. 31:9–11, 24).
Joshua did not only need to read God’s word. It had to be on his lips (shall not depart from your mouth), in his mind (meditate in it day and night), and he had to do it (observe to do according to all that is written).
Meditate in it. Not to be confused with the demonic counterfeit of TM. To meditate means to chew on or ruminate in your mind, to read with thoughtfulness, to linger over God’s Word.
Meditating on Scripture has always been the main spiritual food of those who served Him, e.g., Job (Job 23:12 Neither have I gone back from the commandment of his lips; I have esteemed the words of his mouth more than my necessary food.); Jeremiah (Jer 15:16 Thy words were found, and I did eat them; and thy word was unto me the joy and rejoicing of mine heart: for I am called by thy name, O LORD God of hosts.); and Jesus (Matt 4.4 Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceedeth out of the mouth of God.).
Please note that being fruitful is linked to one’s meditation and application of God’s Word. Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly. Spirit filled people or congregations are those who meditate in the Word, devote themselves to the study of the Word, edify one another with God’s Word and apply the word to their everyday lives.
Living God honoring lives is what it means to be prosperous and successful in the kingdom of God. Christian success is not measured by the same standards as worldly success.
9 Have not I commanded thee? Be strong and of a good courage; be not afraid, neither be thou dismayed: for the LORD thy God is with thee whithersoever thou goest.
Did you catch it beloved? God commanded Joshua to be strong and courageous.
The Lord thy God is with thee- This assurance has always been the staying sufficiency for His servants such as: Abraham (Gen. 15:1); Moses and his people (Ex. 14:13); Isaiah (Is. 41:10); Jeremiah (Jer. 1:7, 8); and Christians through the centuries (Matt. 28:20; Heb. 13:5).
10 ¶ Then Joshua commanded the officers of the people, saying, 11 Pass through the host, and command the people, saying, Prepare you victuals; for within three days ye shall pass over this Jordan, to go in to possess the land, which the LORD your God giveth you to possess it. 12 And to the Reubenites, and to the Gadites, and to half the tribe of Manasseh, spake Joshua, saying, 13 Remember the word which Moses the servant of the LORD commanded you, saying, The LORD your God hath given you rest, and hath given you this land.
The three tribes mentioned here (actually 2 1/2) had chosen to receive their inheritance east of the Jordan. However they had promised to help the rest of the tribes of Israel when God called them to go into the land west of the Jordan to possess it (Num. 32:16-32, Deut. 3:12-20).
The Hebrew word for rest here carries the idea of freedom from threat, the enjoyment of one's inheritance, security within the borders of the land, and a state of all-around well-being. ESV Study Bible
Please note that rest is something that God gives us; it is a gracious gift of God. Hebrews 3, 4 tells us that the Jesus Himself is the believers rest. Mt 11:28 Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. 29 Take my yoke upon you, and learn of me; for I am meek and lowly in heart: and ye shall find rest unto your souls.
14 Your wives, your little ones, and your cattle, shall remain in the land which Moses gave you on this side Jordan; but ye shall pass before your brethren armed, all the mighty men of valour, and help them; 15 Until the LORD have given your brethren rest, as he hath given you, and they also have possessed the land which the LORD your God giveth them: then ye shall return unto the land of your possession, and enjoy it, which Moses the LORD'S servant gave you on this side Jordan toward the sunrising.
As I said a moment ago,God gave them these lands directly across the Jordan River on the E. (cf. Num. 32). Yet, it was their duty to assist the other tribes of Israel to invade and conquer their allotted land to the W.
16 ¶ And they answered Joshua, saying, All that thou commandest us we will do, and whithersoever thou sendest us, we will go. 17 According as we hearkened unto Moses in all things, so will we hearken unto thee: only the LORD thy God be with thee, as he was with Moses. 18 Whosoever he be that doth rebel against thy commandment, and will not hearken unto thy words in all that thou commandest him, he shall be put to death: only be strong and of a good courage.
In the ancient Near East, a change of leadership would typically involve a pledge of loyalty to the new leader.
Beloved, our Greater than Joshua, The Lord Jesus Christ is our Captain and Shepherd in life. We have the promise of His presence. He has given unto us the light of His Word. He has promised unto us the empowerment of The Holy Spirit to be His witnesses. Therefore saints, be strong in The Lord and in the power of His might.
JOSHUA 2
Jos 2:1 ¶ And Joshua the son of Nun sent out of Shittim two men to spy secretly, saying, Go view the land, even Jericho. And they went, and came into an harlot's house, named Rahab, and lodged there.
Joshua … sent two men … as spies. The sending of the two spies, to gather intelligence about the hostile territory, underscores Joshua's skill as a leader and his concern for prudent preparation. Even though God had promised him success in the conquering of Jericho it did not minimize his sense of responsibility to do what he could do in preparing them for the battle.
Remember that all this takes place during the three days Joshua has commanded the nation to wait on the banks of the Jordan (Joshua 1:11). God has a special purpose for these three days.
Shittim, which means “the Acacia trees,” was east of the Jordan River, though its exact location is unknown. Shittim was the site of an earlier instance of Israelite prostitution, both physical and spiritual (Num. 25:1–3). Jericho lay 7 miles West of the river
Into the harlots house (house of a prostitute). Their purpose for coming to Rahabs house was not impure. In fact, it was by divine appointment because the narrative carefully avoids any suggestion of a sexual relation between the spies and Rahab.
Rahab is one of four women mentioned in the genealogy of Jesus in the first chapter of Matthew; the other three are Tamar (Matt. 1:3), Ruth the Moabitess (Matt. 1:5), and the “wife of Uriah” (Matt. 1:6).
According to verse 15 we read that her house was located on the city wall and would provide a quick getaway after they completed their fact finding mission. Although Rahab was a prostitute, she had come to saving faith in The God if Israel and she is noted as a woman of faith in (Heb. 11:31) and for her good works (James 2:25).
Jos 2:2 And it was told the king of Jericho, saying, Behold, there came men in hither to night of the children of Israel to search out the country. 2:3 And the king of Jericho sent unto Rahab, saying, Bring forth the men that are come to thee, which are entered into thine house: for they be come to search out all the country.
The NKJV reads, Behold, men have come here tonight from the children of Israel to search out the country. To say the least, the spies' intent to remain “undercover” was singularly unsuccessful!
Jos 2:4 And the woman took the two men, and hid them, and said thus, There came men unto me, but I wist not whence they were: 5 And it came to pass about the time of shutting of the gate, when it was dark, that the men went out: whither the men went I wot not: pursue after them quickly; for ye shall overtake them.
Rahab's deceptive response about the whereabouts of the spies has been the subject of many discussions and ethical questions. The narrative, in fact, does not address this ethical issue, and the NT, while commending Rahab for protecting the spies, offers no explicit comment regarding her methods
Lying is sin to God (Ex. 20:16), for He cannot lie (Titus 1:2). God commended her faith (Heb. 11:31; James 2:25) as expressed in vv. 9–16, not her lie. He never condones any sin.
As He does with all sinners, God met Rahab where she was at, and as the narrative unfolds, we see that by His grace accepts her solely upon her declared faith that He is indeed the True and Living God.
Jos 2:6 But she had brought them up to the roof of the house, and hid them with the stalks of flax, which she had laid in order upon the roof.
Flax is the plant from which linen is made by a process of alternately drying and soaking the flax fibers. The flat rooftops of houses were convenient places for drying the stalks.
Jos 2:7 And the men pursued after them the way to Jordan unto the fords: and as soon as they which pursued after them were gone out, they shut the gate. 2:8 And before they were laid down, she came up unto them upon the roof; 9 And she said unto the men, I know that the LORD hath given you the land, and that your terror is fallen upon us, and that all the inhabitants of the land faint because of you. 10 For we have heard how the LORD dried up the water of the Red sea for you, when ye came out of Egypt; and what ye did unto the two kings of the Amorites, that were on the other side Jordan, Sihon and Og, whom ye utterly destroyed.
I know that the Lord has given you the land. Rahab shows a remarkable awareness of The Lord's intention to give Israel the land of Canaan. Her confession here is a divine recognition of the supreme power of Israel's God, but her later assimilation into Israel and inclusion in the “hall of faith” chapter reveals a genuine saving faith.
Dried Up the Red Sea - This miracle God performed for the former generation of the Jews had become an irrefutable historical fact in the surrounding area that brought great glory to God. The miracles that God does in out lives are a living testimony of His greatness and power.
The defeat of Sihon and Og is recorded in Numbers 21:21-35.
Jos 2:11 And as soon as we had heard these things, our hearts did melt, neither did there remain any more courage in any man, because of you: for the LORD your God, he is God in heaven above, and in earth beneath.
He Is God - Rahab further defines her faith in God as she proclaims Him The One and only supreme God. This is an amazing cofession in light of the culture she was living in that was steeped in idolatry, fertility rites with temple prostitutes, and sacrificing children to the god Molech.
Like Jesus response to Peter’s declaration, Matt 16.16 Thou art the Christ, the Son of the living God.17 And Jesus answered and said unto him, Blessed art thou, Simon Barjona: for flesh and blood hath not revealed it unto thee, but my Father which is in heaven.
It is by God gracious Spirit and grace that our hearts are opens to divine truth.
Jos 2:12 Now therefore, I pray you, swear unto me by the LORD, since I have shewed you kindness, that ye will also shew kindness unto my father's house, and give me a true token: 13 And that ye will save alive my father, and my mother, and my brethren, and my sisters, and all that they have, and deliver our lives from death.
She now intercedes for deliverance on behalf of her family. She is concerned for the welfare of her family members.
14 And the men answered her, Our life for yours, if ye utter not this our business.
They hold her accountable to the need for secrecy in this matter.
And it shall be, when the LORD hath given us the land, that we will deal kindly and truly with thee.
We will deal kindly and faithfully with you. The response of the spies (v. 14) comes as a surprise, given that Israel was to dispossess and destroy the inhabitants of the land God had promised to Israel (see Num. 33:50–52; Deut. 7:1–2). This underscores the gracious character of the God of Israel and the fact that the boundary between Israel and Canaan was not drawn along ethnic lines but in terms of allegiance to the Lord. It also shows that there was room for exceptions in the general instruction to destroy the Canaanites, for people who came to genuine faith in the God of Israel
Jos 2:15 Then she let them down by a cord through the window: for her house was upon the town wall, and she dwelt upon the wall.
Her house was built into the city wall. This interesting architectural note explains how Rahab lowered the spies through a window to the outside of the city. Those houses abutting the outer wall may well have had a window in the wall.
Jos 2:16 And she said unto them, Get you to the mountain, lest the pursuers meet you; and hide yourselves there three days, until the pursuers be returned: and afterward may ye go your way. 17 And the men said unto her, We will be blameless of this thine oath which thou hast made us swear. 18 Behold, when we come into the land, thou shalt bind this line of scarlet thread in the window which thou didst let us down by: and thou shalt bring thy father, and thy mother, and thy brethren, and all thy father's household, home unto thee.
Scarlet cord. The instructions that Rahab should gather and retain her entire family in her house recall the procedure prescribed at the time of the first Passover (Ex. 12:22 and context). If you wanted to be safe when the destroyer passes over, you needed to be inside a house that had blood on its door posts.
The cord's color would enable it to stand out clearly. This cord would have been seen each time the Jewish army marched around the city, thereby giving all of the soldiers ample time to mentally locate this house.
As early as the first century, commentators such as Clement of Rome, Justin Martyr, Ireneaus, Origen and more saw this scarlet cord as a symbol of the blood of Jesus.
Jos 2:19 And it shall be, that whosoever shall go out of the doors of thy house into the street, his blood shall be upon his head, and we will be guiltless: and whosoever shall be with thee in the house, his blood shall be on our head, if any hand be upon him.
This place of protection provided inside the house with the scarlet cord becomes a graphic example of the safety any person may have from judgment for their sin by placing their sin under the blood of Jesus Christ.
The call to come into Noah's Ark - get into the ark if you want to be safe from the flood. The call of the gospel of God -Christ is Only The Ark of salvation for all that call upon His Name.
20 And if thou utter this our business, then we will be quit of thine oath which thou hast made us to swear. 21 And she said, According unto your words, so be it. And she sent them away, and they departed: and she bound the scarlet line in the window.
22 ¶ And they went, and came unto the mountain, and abode there three days, until the pursuers were returned: and the pursuers sought them throughout all the way, but found them not. 23 So the two men returned, and descended from the mountain, and passed over, and came to Joshua the son of Nun, and told him all things that befell them: 24 And they said unto Joshua, Truly the LORD hath delivered into our hands all the land; for even all the inhabitants of the country do faint because of us.
The news that the spies brought provided Joshua with a solid confirmation that would not only strengthen him but the people he must lead into battle.
God has given unto all things that pertain to life and godliness, but He doesn’t hand it to us on a silver platter beloved. In this life there is testing and tribulations…..temptations and worldly distractions that vie for our hearts and affections. Spiritual maturity as a Christian, learning to obtain God’s promises, requires both faith and discipline.
· You don’t become a mature Christian without walking down some difficult roads.
· You don’t become a mature Christian without facing some enemies.
· You don’t go to bed an immature Christian, and wake up the next morning having learned all the lessons you need to learn in life.
Psalm 1.1-3 Blessed is the man that walketh not in the counsel of the ungodly, nor standeth in the way of sinners, nor sitteth in the seat of the scornful. {2} But his delight is in the law of the LORD; and in his law doth he meditate day and night. {3} And he shall be like a tree planted by the rivers of water, that bringeth forth his fruit in his season; his leaf also shall not wither; and whatsoever he doeth shall prosper.
May we purpose tonight more than ever to be a Psalm 1 congregation….may we not only read God’s word….may it be on our lips (shall not depart from your mouth), on our mind (meditate in it day and night), and may we do it (observe to do according to all that is written).