JOSHUA
Unlike the wilderness wanderings, these are more faithful times.
Joshua is moving the people into the promises of God.
Joshua parallels the second coming of Jesus
Military commander dispossessing the usurpers
2 messengers sent ahead (Rev.11 - 2 witnesses)
Adoni-Zedek, king of Jerusalem (Rev. Anti-Christ)
Trumpets, hailstones and fire, hiding in caves
Twelve relevant steps found in Joshua:
1. Be strong and courageous.
2. Meditate on God’s truth day and night.
3. God goes first.
4. Remember His-Story.
5. Remove Abominations.
6.The Valley of Achor (trouble) IS the door of Hope.
7. Remember the how AND why.
8. Father May I?
9. Leave nothing undone.
10. The Lord gives rest.
11. Be very careful. Hold fast.
12. Choose this, and every, day.
Josh.1
1:4 Again states the territory size (Med.Sea to Euphrates).
1:5 I will not fail you nor forsake you.
1:6,7 Be strong and courageous (10x, 7 in Deut/Josh).
Josh.1:8 “...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...”
When is a good time for devotions?
Does the morning and evening news get priority over morning and evening devotions?
Josh.2
2:2 How many spies sent out? [Two, not twelve]
Rahab hides them, tells them: 2:10-11 “...For we have heard how the Lord dried up the water of the Red Sea before you when you came out of Egypt, and what you did to the two kings of the Amorites who were beyond the Jordan, to Sihon and Og, whom you utterly destroyed. "When we heard it, our hearts melted and no courage remained in any man any longer because of you; for the Lord your God, He is God in heaven above and on earth beneath...”
Notice that God is recognized, both as above, but on earth.
Josh.3
Joshua’s stature of authority is being solidified.
People, as always, need to know (3:10) "...that the living God is among you...”
They cross the flood stage Jordan on dry ground, just as Moses took their parents through the Red Sea 40 years earlier.
3:15 First in? The Ark (Miracles always require God is first)
4:18 Last out? The Ark
Josh.4
Standing stones taken from?
4:3 “...out of the middle of the Jordan...”
Where were the stones placed?
4:9 “...Joshua set up twelve stones in the middle of the Jordan...”
4:20 “...twelve stones which they had taken from the Jordan set up at Gilgal...”
Fast forward almost 1500yrs to the Jordan river at the time of John the Baptist:
Matt.3:5-9 “...Then Jerusalem was going out to him, and all Judea and all the district around the Jordan; and they were being baptized by him in the Jordan River, as they confessed their sins. But when he saw many of the Pharisees and Sadducees coming for baptism, he said to them, "You brood of vipers, who warned you to flee from the wrath to come? "Therefore bear fruit in keeping with repentance; and do not suppose that you can say to yourselves, 'We have Abraham for our father'; for I say to you that from these stones God is able to raise up children to Abraham...”
What stones? Remember His-Story.
Josh.5
Those born in the wilderness hadn’t been circumcised.
What do you think about the timing - they have just crossed the Jordan and are about to do battle?
1. God did His part - exalted Joshua as their new leader.
2. They need to do their part - commit to the Lord, deny the flesh, and all reliance on it.
5:12 Manna ceases, after 40 years.
5:13-15 Joshua must remove sandals, holy ground, before the captain of host of the Lord (Jesus?). Moses was given an assignment on Holy ground. Joshua is about to embark on his assignment, and he finds himself on Holy ground.
INTERACTION in the affairs of men.
Moses to get them OUT of captivity.
Joshua to get them INTO the promise.
Josh.6
NOTE: Jericho is now the P.L.O. Headquarters for Islamic interests in the region. Bot-Yerah - house of the moon god.
Who fought the battle of Jericho? [God, Joshua, Israel]
Battle plan? [Walk quietly around city once a day for six days, 7 times on the 7th day, trumpet, shout, walls collapsed.
Josh.6:18 “...But as for you, only keep yourselves from the things under the ban, so that you do not covet them and take some of the things under the ban, and make the camp of Israel accursed and bring trouble on it...”
Clear instructions?
Josh.7:1 “...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...”
Clear disobedience? Living life from “self desires” rather than from “God intentions”?
World promotes Self gratification. God promotes Self denial.
Josh.7:7 “...Joshua said, "Alas, O Lord God, why did You ever bring this people over the Jordan, only to deliver us into the hand of the Amorites, to destroy us? If only we had been willing to dwell beyond the Jordan!...”
Not a “be strong and courageous” response.
Seeing current events without the context of heaven.
Josh.7:12 “...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...”
What prevents God’s intended outcomes? [Not the world’s resistance, but His people’s sin]
God’s intentions for America?
Must get rid of Abominations.
What was Achan’s sin? Josh.7:21
1. Keeping something God wanted destroyed - mantle.
2. Keeping something that belonged to God - silver/gold.
Can one man thwart God’s purposes for a whole nation?
Josh.7:26 “...They raised over him a great heap of stones that stands to this day, and the Lord turned from the fierceness of His anger. Therefore the name of that place has been called the valley of Achor to this day...”
The Valley of Achor is “a door of hope” in Hos.2:15
We walk through our trouble with God - it’s a doorway of Hope.
Josh.8
8:3 30,000 troops sent out at night to set up an ambush.
8:12 5,000 more the next day set between Bethel and Ai
How do you hide 35,000 people?
What took place at the conclusion of the victory?
Josh.8:34-35 “...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. 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...”
Why? [Remember how (why) things work]
Josh.9
Gibeonites trick Joshua into a treaty (old clothes, moldy food).
Are they inhabitants (destruction) or aliens (compassion)?
This is like a game of “mother may I”, which Israel lost because they forgot the “Father may I” Josh.9:14 “...So the men of Israel took some of their provisions, and did not ask for the counsel of the Lord...”
Josh.10
5 Kings attack Gibeon.
Joshua marches all night from Gilgal(10:9)
How did they win the battle?
1. God “threw large stones from heaven (10:11)
2. The sun stood still a whole day (10:13)
Was this natural or supernatural?
Interesting astronomy lesson about the orbit of Mars, which at one time passed close to earth
Why was there a calendar shift in 701 BC, when the Romans added 5 ¼ days to a year? Did the orbit of Mars change?
Is this an explanation for why the ancients had such a fear of Mars, which passed close to earth every 108 years, rising over the horizon at 50x the size of the moon?
10:29-43 Completed the southern campaign without any spectacular interventions from God.
Josh.11
Northern kings unite against Joshua.
Josh.11:15 “...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....”
Reminds me of Jesus saying “It is finished” when He completed what He was sent to do.
Was everything done? [Yes and no. Finishing what a person is called to do doesn’t mean there’s nothing left to do]
Joshua: Sinful men died at the hand of God.
Jesus: God died at the hands of sinful men.
Josh.12
List of the kings that were defeated.
What did they have in common? [they all thought that they were controlling their own destiny, but God had the final say]
Every kingdom on earth has this same erroneous thought.
Josh.13
Land is divided.
Still have issues with the Philistines to the south and the Geshurites to the northeast.
Josh.14
Caleb “...followed the Lord my God fully...”, was “...eighty-five years old...”, and “...still as strong...”
Josh.15,16,17
Not all were driven out (unfinished)
15:63 Jebusites in Jerusalem
16:10 Canaanites in Gezer
Joshua finished his job, but there was more to do.
Josh.18,19
Tabernacle set up at Shiloh.
Land distributed to the last seven tribes by lot (chance?)
Josh.20
48 cities for the Levites (by lot)
Josh.21:44-45 “...And the Lord gave them rest on every side, according to all that He had sworn to their fathers, and no one of all their enemies stood before them; the Lord gave all their enemies into their hand. Not one of the good promises which the Lord had made to the house of Israel failed; all came to pass...”
Josh.22
Reuben, Gad and ½ tribe of Manasseh sent back across the Jordan, with warnings:
Josh.22:5 “...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..."
Josh.22:18 “...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...”
Does the whole congregation suffer if some are unfaithful?
Josh.23,24
Joshua’s farewell comments:
23:3 the Lord ...has been fighting for you
23:6 be very firm ...to keep and do all that is written ...that you may not turn ...to the right ...or the left
23:7 no syncretism
23:8 cling to the Lord
23:11 take diligent heed to love the Lord your God
23:16 when you transgress ...and serve other gods ...you will perish quickly.
24:14 fear ...serve Him in sincerity and truth.
24:15 choose for yourselves today whom you will serve ...but as for me and my house, we will serve the Lord.
24:23 put away the foreign gods which are in your midst, and incline your hearts to the Lord.
Joshua dies at 110 years old.
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