Moses had died, God is now speaking to Moses'
minister, Joshua (1:1). You are now my leader, Be strong, obey
the law, straight down the middle, turning not from the left or right (Josh.
1:7) "..go over this Jordan..", I have given you every place that your foot has
tread upon. You must conquer in behalf of the children of Israel (1:3). Joshua
would serve the Lord many years, strong and courageous, knowing he could not
fail because "...I will not fail thee, nor forsake thee." (1:5). And this still
applies to God's children now. ( God has blessed me seventy one years, many
storms and trials, chastened many times, but this is God's love for his
children. When we sin He chastens us, just as our parents correct us for wrong
doing. He blessed me with a devoted wife, and after she passed away, He provided
me with another devoted wife) God had promised Abraham many years ago this land
of Canaan (Gen. 17:8) and now they must cross this Jordan and conquer it. Moses
had already given Gad, Reuben, and one half tribe of Manasseh their land East of
the Jordan and now must fight for the other nine and one half tribes, on
condition they fight with their brethren (Num.32:6,20,33)
Joshua was now camped at the Jordan
River a few weeks preparing for battle of Canaan. He had experience in the
wilderness in leading Israel to victory over the Amalekites (Ex. 17:9). God had
replaced him for Moses to lead the children, and Joshua had no fear. He now
faced a tremendous task against Jericho, with its great walls of defense, but
Joshua knew God was with him, God's strength would make it easy. "..I can do all
things through Christ which strengthens me..."(Phil. 4:13) ). Spies were sent in
to Jericho and would have been captured had it not been for Rehab the harlot(or
former harlot) hiding them on the roof of her lodge.She was a believer with
faith (Heb. 11:31 James 2:25)). She told them of God's power (Josh.
2:10,11) and then asked them to spare all her family. The spies gave her a
scarlet cord (type of Christ's saving blood) to hang out her window when Jericho
was taken, and her family was spared (Josh. 6:22,25) The men, sent to find the
spies, went on their way from hunting the two spies. Later years Rahab married
Salmon, had a child by her named Boaz, the great grandfather of David, in the
lineage of Jesus. (Matthew 1:5). The spies reported back to Joshua (Josh.2:24)
"....Truly the Lord hath delivered..." all the land to us. What a difference
these two spies reported from the ten of the twelve that reported to Moses (Num.
13:31-33)
Joshua rose early in the morning and
lodged at the river three days before the officers commanded the people to stay
three thousand feet away from the ark as they started across the river. God told
Joshua he would magnify him before the people that they may know that I will be
with them (Josh. 3:7). When the feet of the priests shall rest in the waters of
the Jordan, I will cut off the water (water stopped) , just as it did at the Red
Sea for Moses (Ex.15:8) and the people then crossed over on dry land while the
priests stood in the middle of the river. What a miracle (some try to say that
the water was only a foot deep at Moses crossing, but thank God it buried the
Egyptians and their chariots in that foot of water (that would have been a
miracle alone). The Lord had them to take twelve stones out of Jordan's midst and
set them up for a memorial at the edge of the water, and then set twelve stones
in the middle of Jordan. Then the people hurried over and then the ark passed
over. Then tell your children "..Israel came over this Jordan on dry
land."(Josh.4:22). And the manna stopped, and they ate of the fruit of the land
(Josh.5:11,12)
The people of Jericho were frightened,
but not Joshua, and never went in or out. The Lord assured Joshua a victory over
the king and Jericho. God was precise in how they were to defeat them, even
though it may have seemed strange to the people, but God told them to circle the
city once for six days, then on the seventh day circle the city seven times (God
gave them time to settle peaceable) returning to the camp after each circle
(Josh. 6:15). The priests blew the trumpets, and Joshua told the people
"....shout; for the Lord hath given you the city." What faith....Praise the
Lord. Joshua told them to save only Rahab and all that are with her, but take
all the silver, gold, brass, and iron and put it in the treasure of the Lord
(Josh. 6:19). Jericho was utterly destroyed, men, women, children , and all the
cattle and flocks. The Lord was with Joshua and his fame was shouted over all
the country.(6:27)
Then sin entered the camp (Satan is ready after
victory). Joshua was now preparing to take Ai, and sent men to survey the
country. After returning, the men told Joshua only a few people were there, so
send only two or three thousand to take it. Thirty five of Joshua's men were
killed as they fled from little Ai,
shocking the Israelites. God appeared while Joshua was mourning, telling him
"...Israel hath sinned,...". They have stolen and I will not be with you until
the accursed thing (Achan) is destroyed (Josh.7:12). Achan of the Judah tribe was
the guilty person. He and all his family with all their possession were burned
(Josh. 7:25).
Later, God gave Joshua the strategy to now take Ai, by laying ambush around the city, putting
thirty thousand warriors behind the city. Joshua told them when he goes into the
city to draw them out "...be ye ready:..."(Josh. 8:4) and go into the city and
seize it. Joshua pretended to be beaten and all followed after him, leaving the
city empty, letting all the ambush men to take Ai (Josh. 8:19). The king of Ai
was taken, hanged, and a memorial of stones were set up (similar to Achan's...Josh. 7:26).
The news of Joshua's victories spread, causing
all the kings to gather in one accord, ( Joshua 9:2) , to fight
against Joshua and Israel. The Gibeonites also heard and disguised themselves as
wearily travelers, wearing worn clothes, worn shoes, and having mouldy bread
(Josh. 9:5,12), then asking Joshua to make peace with them. Joshua made
peace with them but after three days found out they had lied, that they were
neighbors (" a lying tongue lasts only a moment.."
(Prove. 12:19). Israel smote them not because
they had sworn unto them, but Joshua made them slave to them (Josh. 9:23). This
later became a blessing to the Gibeonites (Josh. 10:10-14) when all at Gibeon
were slaughtered.
The king of Jerusalem heard of Joshua's
victories and Gibeon (a great city 10:2) joining them, and being scared,
gathered with four other kings, making war against Gibeon. They came to Joshua
for help and he gathered all his mighty men of war and went up. Joshua was not
scared because he knew God was with him, physically and spiritually ("...fear
them not: for I have delivered them into thine hand:..." (Josh. 10:8), and God
discomfited and slew them. As they fled from Joshua, God slew more of them with
hailstones from heaven (Josh. 10:11) than the swords of Israel. Joshua asked God
for more daylight to fight the enemy (Josh. 10:12), and God answered his
prayer..."...And the sun stood still, (Josh. 10:13). Rotation of earth stopped
or slowed down at other times.....Hab.3:11 Ex. 10:21 Mark
15:33 . The five kings of the Amorites fled and hid in a cave, Joshua had men to
put great stones over the mouth of the cave to keep them until the enemy was
defeated. Joshua then had the cave opened (Josh. 10:22), took the kings out, the
soldiers killed them, and hang them on five trees til the sun went down, then
cast back into the same cave they had hid in (Josh. 10:27). Joshua then took six
more kings and their land (Josh. 10:28-42) delivered to them by the
Lord.
After this Joshua would face a
multitude of warriors and horses with chariots (Josh. 11:1-4) The Lord said to
Joshua "...be not afraid..." I will deliver them up to you, but cut the horses
hamstrings so you cannot use them (Josh.11:6) because I want you to trust in me
for victory. ("Some trust in chariots, and some in horses: but we will remember
the name of the Lord our God" (Psalm 20:7). The leader, Hazor, was slain by
Joshua and burned. The war with all these kings lasted a long time (Josh. 11:18)
and only Gibeon made peace with Israel, the others they took in battle. After
destroying the Anikims (Giants) the land was divided to the tribes and the land
rested from war (Josh. 11:23).
A review of the land taken by Moses east of the
Jordan for Gad, Reuben, and Half tribe of Manasseh and the land taken by
Joshua for the other nine and half tribes west of the Jordan. (Josh. 12:1_24).
The Lord told Joshua he was old and stricken and very much land yet to be possessed to be divided between the
nine tribes and the half tribe of Manasseh. The children of Israel did not expel
all of the pagan people out of their possessions, which later would cause
trouble. The tribe of Levi was given no inheritance. They were given cities
within the others inheritance for services of ministering to them.
Caleb stood before the people, telling
them he was forty years old when Moses sent him to spy out the land, promising
him the land because he wholly followed the Lord. I am now eighty five years
old, as strong now as I was when Moses sent me to search out the land, now give
me this mountain (land of the Anakim giants) where I drove those giants out.
Joshua blessed Caleb with Hebron (Josh. 14:14) and they rested from war
(14:15).
The borders for Judah was set up but they could
not drive out the Jebusites (Jerusalem) (Josh. 15:63). Seven tribes remained
that had not yet received their inheritance....Benjamin, Simeon (within the
inheritance of Judah), Zebulun (this city of Bethlehem was not the city of
Jesus' birth (Josh.19:15) ... Ephrarath (Micah 5:2), Issachar,Asher,Naphtali,
and the seventh tribe,of Dan. After all the land was divided, Joshua was given
an inheritance, Ephraim, which the Lord had promised (Josh. 19:50) Cities of
refuge were set up, for those who unintentional killed someone (Josh.
20:3)
And now, Joshua's last praise before
all the people. He was old and told them to obey the law, serve no other
gods, "...But cleave unto the Lord your God...." (Josh.23:8).Then no man can
stand against you. "One man of you shall chase a thousand:...." (Josh. 23:10)
"...choose you this day whom ye will serve;..." "...but as for me and my
house, we will serve the Lord." (Josh. 24:15). And the people said unto Joshua
"....we will serve the Lord." (Josh. 24:21). And Joshua died at the age of one
hundred ten (Josh. 24:29). And Israel served the Lord all the days of Joshua and
all the days of the elders that outlived Joshua (Josh.
24:31).
I know this was very long but I really
got a blessing studying and writing this. May God bless
everyone.
