Category: <span>Joshua with Select Psalms</span>

Joshua’s farewell address reflects Moses’ final speech in Deuteronomy 28-32. Like Moses, Joshua argued that God’s faithfulness to His people ought to inspire their commitment to the Lord. Joshua reminded Israel that their place in the land was the result of the Lord fighting for His people (Josh 23:1-5). Israel’s success in the Promised Land, Joshua said, was inextricably linked to practicing the law of Moses (Josh 23:6-8). Joshua inferred that if the people associated with the remaining pagan nations of Canaan and committed idolatry, they would be in violation of the covenant and removed from the Promised Land (Josh 23:9-16).

In Josh 24:1-13, Joshua chronologically reviewed God’s work in Israel’s history. Joshua’s analysis emphasizes the dynamic character of Israel’s past. From the time Abraham entered Canaan until Jacob went to Egypt, God had been faithful (Josh 24:1-4). From the time God called Moses and Aaron until the exodus, God had been faithful (Josh 24:5-7). From the southern edge of the Transjordan until Israel took that territory, God had been faithful (Josh 24:8-10). From the occupation of the Transjordan to the conquest of Canaan, God had been faithful (Josh 24:11-13).

This catalogue of God’s faithfulness to Israel inspired them to renew the Sinaitic covenant (Josh 24:14-28). The scene is composed of call-and-response between the Lord’s spokesman Joshua and Israel. Two themes dominate Joshua’s speech: devotion to monotheistic religion (Josh 24:14-15, 23) and Israel’s inability to carry out their commitment (Josh 24:19-20; 25-28). Likewise, two themes structured Israel’s reply: commitment to monotheistic religion (Josh 24:16, 21, 24) and a recounting of God’s faithfulness from the exodus through the conquest of Canaan (Josh 24:17-18).

The burials of Joshua, Joseph, and Eleazar in the land (Josh 24:29-33) served to place an exclamation point on God’s faithfulness to His people. Sarah’s grave was the first property God’s people possessed in Canaan (Gen 23:14-20), and the burials of Joshua, Joseph, and Eleazar signified the Lord’s blessing upon His people since the early days of the Abrahamic covenant. The burial of Joseph’s bones recalled not only the exodus event, but also the reality that Israel had preserved the patriarch’s remains from one generation to the next, fulfilling Joseph’s request to be buried in Canaan (Gen 50:24-25; see Psalm 81). The account of the burial of Joshua and Eleazar in Canaan is fitting since these two men divided the Promised Land among the descendants of Jacob (Josh 14:1).

Joshua’s farewell address in Joshua 23-24 demonstrates that Joshua understood his call, and that of Israel, to be part of something larger, ultimately the storyline of Scripture. After reviewing the history of Israel from the patriarchs to the present, Joshua made predictions about their future. His sentiments echoed the pessimistic phrases Moses spoke on the plains of Moab in Deuteronomy 28-32. Joshua predicted that Israel would fail in the land, and the book of Judges wastes no time detailing the truth of Joshua’s prophetic words. Ultimately, Israel failed to heed Joshua’s exhortation concerning the jealousy of their God and the corresponding demand that they avoid idolatry (Josh 23:11-13). It is no wonder then that Paul so sharply warned the Corinthians—those who had experienced God’s grace in Christ, been made rich in every spiritual ability, and been called into fellowship with Christ (1 Cor 1:4-9)—about their idolatrous tendencies. Paul urged the Corinthians to flee from idolatry and cling wholly to Christ lest they provoke the Lord to jealousy (1 Cor 10:14-18, 21-22).

In Joshua 20-22, Israel enjoyed God’s blessing and began to live faithfully in Canaan. By establishing cites of refuge, Israel displayed a commitment to justice and mercy. By granting cities to the Levites, they showed devotion to God’s presence among them. By insisting on purity in the incident over the Transjordan altar, they revealed the degree of their zeal for the Lord.

In ancient Israel, retribution for murder was handled by the family of the deceased. Since emotional vengeance in this kind of a matter has a large margin of error, cities of refuge were established so that those who maintained their innocence could flee there and await trial (see Num 35:19-27; Deut 19:6-12). These cities were thus places of protection and legal procedure (Josh 20:1-6). Other cities were also noteworthy in the settlement of the Promised Land, especially the cities for the Levites (Joshua 21). After the distribution of land and cities was completed, the author paused for doxology saying, “The LORD gave them rest on every side according to all He had sworn to their fathers…None of the good promises the LORD had made to the house of Israel failed. Everything was fulfilled” (Josh 21:44-45).

When the Transjordan tribes returned home, Joshua dismissed them with great wealth (Josh 22:6-8) and the exhortation to love the Lord and keep his commands (Josh 22:1-5). Yet upon crossing the Jordan, these tribes, without statement of rationale, “built a large, impressive altar” (Josh 22:10). The Israelites living in Canaan immediately interpreted this as a brazen act of idolatry and gathered for war against their brothers (Josh 22:12). Phinehas the priest (introduced in Num 25:6-13) and the representatives of the ten tribes argued against the Transjordan settlers, reminding them of their solidarity as a people and that God would discipline all Israel for the sin of the Transjordan altar (Josh 22:18-20; see Joshua 7). The two-and-a-half tribes maintained their innocence, saying that the altar was built out of concern that future generations of tribes dwelling on the western side of the river might chastise and separate from the Transjordan Israelites (Josh 22:24-25). Phinehas and the leaders with him were pleased with the response, saying, “Today we know that the LORD is among us, because you have not committed this treachery against Him” (Josh 22:31).

Joshua 20-22 provides the opportunity to synthesize the concept of Sabbath rest in the storyline of Scripture. God rested on the seventh day of creation, signifying His satisfaction with His creative work (Gen 2:2-3). After the exodus, God tested Israel’s reliance upon Him by withholding manna on the seventh day (Exodus 16). In the ten commandments, God ordered Israel to rest on the Sabbath day because it was the day He rested after creation (Exod 20:8-11) and because the exodus itself testified to His ability to provide for Israel’s needs (Deut 5:12-15). All of these find their initial fulfillment in Josh 21:44, which says, “The LORD gave them rest on every side according to all He had sworn to their fathers.” Jesus told his followers, “Come to Me, all of you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. All of you, take up My yoke upon you and learn from Me, because I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for yourselves. For My yoke is easy and My burden is light” (Matt 11:28-30). The author of Hebrews noted the temporary nature of Israel’s rest under Joshua and exhorted his audience to labor toward rest in Christ (Heb 4:1-2, 8, 11).

The allotment of the Promised Land in Joshua 12-19 synthesizes the flow of Scripture from Genesis 12 onward. Jacob’s departure to Egypt (Genesis 46), the exodus (Exodus 12-15), the giving of the law at Mount Sinai (Exodus 19-31), the failure of faith at the report of the twelve spies at the southern edge of Canaan (Numbers 13-14), and the conquest recorded in Joshua 1-11 lead to the distribution of the Promised Land in Joshua 12-19.

The list of defeated kings in Joshua 12 was arranged not only as an historical record for Israel but also as a basis for future generations to praise the Lord. The psalmist wrote, “He [the Lord] has shown His people the power of His works by giving them the inheritance of the nations” (Ps 111:6; see also Psalm 117). Nonetheless, the Lord’s words to Joshua, “You have become old, advanced in years, but a great deal of the land remains to be possessed” (Josh 13:1), underscore the fact that while Israel had secured the boundaries of the Promised Land, many foreign peoples still occupied its territories. In the meantime, Joshua was to “distribute the land as an inheritance for Israel” (Josh 13:6).

The bulk of Joshua 12-19 records this process of distribution. Two phases are evident. First, Joshua allotted land east of the Jordan to the two-and-a-half tribes, Rueben, Gad, and East Manasseh (Josh 13:8-32). Their inheritance fulfilled the agreement that Moses had made with them in Numbers 32 (see also Deut 3:8-20), which said that after they helped their brothers take the land west of the Jordan, they could return to the east of the Jordan and settle there.

Joshua then distributed the land west of the Jordan to the remaining tribes (Josh 14:1-19:51). Because of his faithfulness in scouting out Canaan from the south (Numbers 13-14), Caleb was the first to receive any inheritance, even though he was not one of Jacob’s sons (Josh 16:6-15). Caleb’s faithfulness was matched by that of his future son-in-law, Othniel, who captured Debir (Josh 15:13-19). The tribes of Judah (Josh 15:63), Ephraim (Josh 16:10), West Manasseh (Josh 17:12-13), and Joseph (Josh 17:16-17) received a portion of the land but had yet to drive out the Canaanites from around them.

Despite the celebratory tone of Joshua 12-19, the goal of the Promised Land was never realized. God wished for His people to have rest and fellowship with Him in Canaan, demonstrating His greatness to the surrounding nations. But Israel failed to drive out the remaining Canaanites, disobeying the commands of Deuteronomy 7. In the storyline of Scripture, the Promised Land would not function as the second Eden. Only in an entirely new creation—inaugurated by the death and resurrection of Christ—would God’s people finally have uninhibited fellowship with Him. In the New Testament, this new creation is depicted by a new city, the new Jerusalem. The author of Hebrews reminded his audience that “here we do not have an enduring city; instead, we seek the one to come” (Heb 13:14). John noted that though the new Jerusalem was heavenly and eternal and distinct in Christ, it yet reflected God’s promise to the tribes of Israel. In Rev 21:9-14, John wrote that the heavenly Jerusalem had twelve gates, each inscribed with a name of the twelve tribes of Israel.

In Joshua 1-4, God demonstrated His provision for Israel by establishing Joshua as their new leader. In Joshua 5-8, Joshua led the people to follow God’s law in the conquest of the Promised Land. When Israel obeyed the demands of the old covenant, they enjoyed success in Canaan. But the disobedience of one man, Achan, brought harm to many. The reference to Rahab in Josh 6:25 links chs. 1-4 with chs. 5-8. Having entered Canaan, Joshua spared Rahab and her family just as he had promised.

The initial scene of Joshua 5 demonstrates the significance of the law in the conquest of Canaan. Israel’s battle was spiritual as well as physical. Rather than marching straightaway into the land and attacking the inhabiting nations, Israel obeyed the Lord’s command that males born after the exodus should be circumcised (Josh 5:2-9; see Gen 17:9-14; Exod 12:48; Lev 12:3). Israel also kept the Passover according to the law (see Exodus 12; Numbers 9; Deuteronomy 16) before their military conquest (Josh 5:10-12).

Israel’s devotion to the law demonstrated their dependence upon God in the conquest of Canaan. And in the battle plan to take Jericho (Joshua 6), God showed His jealousy to fight for Israel. Jericho was especially fortified because it was a city within range of any seeking to conquer it by way of the Transjordan plains (Josh 6:1). Israel followed God’s plan, marching around the city for six days (Josh 6:6-14). After receiving the final instructions on the morning of the seventh day (Josh 6:15-19), the volume of their corporate shout at the sound of the trumpets demolished the fortified walls of Jericho (Josh 6:20-21). According to the word of the Lord, Israel placed the gold and silver plunder of the battle into the Lord’s treasury (Josh 6:24-26). The degree of success in the initial conquest of Canaan was evident in the cursing of any who attempted to rebuild Jericho (Josh 6:26-27).

But all had not gone as well as Joshua thought. Joshua 7 begins with “However” (Josh 7:1). Achan had stolen some of the plunder that was to be set apart for destruction (Josh 6:18-19, 24; see Deut 7:2; Num 31:11, 12, 21-23). Achan’s sin had several consequences: the Lord’s anger burned against all of Israel (Josh 7:6:18; 7:2, 10-18), Israel’s first combat mission ended in defeat and the death of three dozen soldiers (Josh 7:3-5), and Achan was destroyed, along with the stolen plunder, his family, and all that he had (Josh 7:20-26).

Nevertheless, as is clear in Genesis-Deuteronomy, God’s word of discipline is never His last word to those who turn to Him in repentance (see Exodus 32-23; Numbers 12-15). The successful conquest of Ai, through another divine plan of attack in Joshua 8, confirmed that the Lord would not abandon His covenant faithfulness to His people. Established in the land, Joshua and Israel gave allegiance to the Lord by enacting the ceremony of commitment to the law on the peaks of Mount Ebal and Mount Gerazim (Josh 8:30-35), just as the Lord had commanded in Deut 27:1-8.

The faithfulness of Rahab, Israel, and God in Joshua 5-8 provide windows for observing how New Testament writers employed the Old Testament.

(1) In Matt 1:5, Matthew noted Rahab’s place in the genealogy of Jesus. Rahab was a foreigner and a prostitute in Jericho. But when she feared the Lord and His people, she acted faithfully in hiding the spies Joshua had sent to scout out the city (Joshua 2). Joshua spared her and her family (Josh 6:25) and Matthew provides snapshots of what followed. Rahab became a part of Israel through her marriage to Salmon. They had Boaz, who would be the great grandfather of King David. Rahab’s story anticipates God’s grace to Gentiles and Jews together in Christ.

(2) In Heb 11:30, the author wrote, “By faith the walls of Jericho fell down after being encircled for seven days.” The author’s concern was not with Israel or Joshua or the particular individuals who marched. Faith works, Hebrews notes, it acts and has an effect. The unseen God alters the visible, even mighty walls, as God’s people trust Him.

(3) References to trumpets in 1 Cor 15:52, 1 Thess 4:16, and in the seven trumpet judgements in Revelation 8-11 recall the blowing of the trumpets at the battle of Jericho in Josh 6:4 (see also Num 10:1-10). In Scripture’s storyline, trumpets call God’s people to remember Him and signal that He is about to remember them in deliverance.

In Exodus-Deuteronomy, the Lord spoke directly to Moses more than 100 times, but nowhere had the Lord ever spoken to Joshua. The opening phrase of the book of Joshua, “After the death of Moses the LORD’s servant, the LORD spoke to Joshua son of Nun” (Josh 1:1), places Joshua in the position Moses once enjoyed as mediator between the Lord and His people. The Lord spoke to Joshua saying, “I will be with you, just as I was with Moses. I will not leave you or forsake you” (Josh 1:5). The remainder of Joshua 1 records God’s encouragement and warning to Joshua regarding faithfulness to the law (Josh 1:6-9) and his role in holding the two-and-a-half tribes accountable for fighting alongside their brothers in Canaan (Josh 1:12-18; see Numbers 32; Deut 3:8-20).

The commissioning of the spies and the faithfulness of Rahab in Joshua 2 reveal that the people of Jericho understood their days as free people to be numbered. Rahab confessed to the spies, “I know that the LORD has given you this land and that dread of you has fallen on us, and everyone who lives in the land is panicking because of you” (Josh 2:9). Rahab’s act of faith to hide the spies should also be seen as an act of fear (Josh 2:12-13). She told the spies, “Everyone’s courage failed because of you, for the LORD your God is God in heaven above and on earth below” (Josh 2:11). Upon returning to the camp, the spies reported to Joshua, “The LORD has handed over the entire land to us. Everyone who lives in the land is also panicking because of us” (Josh 2:24).

As Israel crossed the Jordan, the Lord further encouraged Joshua saying, “Today I will begin to exalt you in the sight of all Israel, so they will know that I will be with you just as I was with Moses” (Josh 3:7). In response, Joshua declared God’s faithfulness and reminded the congregation that the Lord would dispossess the nations in Canaan (Josh 3:9-10). As the priests entered the Jordan, the waters were cut off and the nation crossed into the Promised Land (Josh 3:14-17; see Ps 114:3)—an act so significant that twelve stones were taken from the dry Jordan river bed to remind future generations that they should fear God (Josh 4:1-18). The Lord had been faithful to His people under Joshua at the Jordan just as He was to those under Moses at the Red Sea (Josh 4:19-24; see Exod 14:15-31).

In the storyline of Scripture, Rahab is noted as an example of faith and faithfulness.

(1) In Jas 2:25, James argued that Rahab, like Abraham, was justified by her works of faith. When Rahab received the spies and sent them out by a different route (Joshua 2), she trusted God with her life. Her desperation mirrored Abraham’s desperation when he offered Isaac (Jas 2:20-23). Faith that justifies before God is faith that is desperate for God’s intervention alone.

(2) In Heb 11:31, the author wrote, “By faith Rahab the prostitute received the spies in peace and didn’t perish with those who disobeyed.” The fact that Rahab was faithful in the days of the old covenant, before God’s faithfulness had been revealed in Christ, was noteworthy for the author of Hebrews. Rahab trusted God in the age when those walking by faith did not receive what was promised, since God made those promises in the days of anticipation, before the death and resurrection of Christ. Old Testament saints were thus perfected in Christ along with all those believing in Him since the days of His ministry recorded in the New Testament (Heb 11:39-40). The author of Hebrews cited Rahab and others listed in Hebrews 11 to exhort his audience to be faithful to all that they had received in Christ. If some who lived in the era of the old covenant could walk by faith and trust God for an inheritance in Canaan, then his present audience—who knew of God’s faithfulness in Christ, and forgiveness of sins, and unfettered access to God, and an eternal inheritance in heaven—should do no less.