The Book of Joshua is a very unique book in many ways, but several things stand out in particular to distinguish this period of time in the history of God’s people from others:
- It marks a period of leadership crisis as the most respected and important spiritual leader of all times, Moses, had just passed away. It was not so much a matter of whether God would raise up another leader to lead His people, but that Moses was simply irreplaceable in the mind of the people.
- It also marks the realization of God's promise, the possession of the Promised Land without which there could not be the nation of Israel.
- Amazingly, in spite of the continued complaints and conflicts among God’s people, it was also a rare period of reconciliation and unity.
- The spiritual implication to the Christian life is very vivid in that victory over sin has already been achieved by Christ, just as the land had already been given to the people, but how to claim our victory over sin finds parallel in how the Israelites could actually claim and possess their Promised Land.
(1) What kind of crisis did the death of Moses present to the people of God?
(2) At the beginning of the study of this book, maybe it is helpful to read how God prepared and commissioned Joshua before the death of Moses, including Exodus 17:9ff, 24:13ff; Numbers 14:6ff, 26:65, 27:18; Deuteronomy 3:21ff and 31:1ff. What kind of leadership qualities do you see in Joshua?
(3) Now, at the death of Moses, Joshua was to finish the task commissioned by God and in reiterating this commission, what kind of guarantee did God give him in terms of geography, duration, power and conditions in vv. 3-5? How will you describe such a guarantee? (Would you call it a life-time guarantee or total guarantee?)
(4) Count and see how many times God has repeated the command to be strong and courageous? Why did God have to say this to Joshua so many times? (i.e. What might the implications be?)
(5) Do you think these repetitions really helped Joshua? Why or why not?
(6) In guaranteeing success, God also set conditions. What were the conditions?
(7) What might be the key to being able to be strong and courageous and to obey all the law (v. 8)?
(8) What is meant by meditating on the Book of the Law day and night? What would Joshua have to do in order to do so? What might it look like in your case?
(9) If you have time, why not complete a word study on the word, “meditate”. You may want to use the following chart to help your word study (based on the NIV Concordance):
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Why |
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Gen. 24:63 |
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Jos. 1:8 |
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Ps. 48:9 |
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Ps. 77:12 |
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Ps. 119:15 |
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Ps. 119:23 |
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Ps. 119:27 |
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Ps. 119:48 |
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Ps. 119:78 |
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Ps. 119:97 |
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Ps. 119:99 |
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Ps. 119:148 |
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Ps. 143:5 |
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Ps. 145:5 |
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Ps. 39:3 |
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Ps. 1:2 |
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Ps. 19:14 |
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Ps. 104:34 |
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Does this word study help you gain deeper insight into meditation? If so, how?
(10) What is the main message to you today and how might you apply it to your life?
As Joshua took over the leadership from Moses in leading God’s people into the Promised Land, the Lord reiterated many times to Joshua that he should not be afraid, but be strong and courageous. But it is easier said than done—not to be afraid of such an impossible task. At the same time, God also laid down the key to his success in that in order to be able to be strong and courageous and be obedient to the Law, Joshua needed to meditate on His Word day and night. So, the important question to ask is what does meditating on the Word of God entail in a practical sense?
A simple word study (for example using the NIV Concordance which lists at least 18 Old Testament verses that touch on meditation) will be helpful. The following is a summary:
The Object:
- 9 out of the 18 verses make the Law or the Word of God the object of the meditation.
- 4 out of the 18 verses make the works of wonders of God the object of the meditation
- 1 verse makes God’s unfailing love as its object
- 1 verse makes the psalmist’s own situation as the object of meditation (and the result was disastrous as his heart burnt)
- The remaining three simply refer to the act of meditation which points to an act of the heart.
The time or duration:
When time is mentioned, it mostly refers to a continuous process of meditation of “all day/night long” or “day and night”.
While it is obvious that the act of meditation takes place in the heart, one verse talks about meditating all night long with the eyes open.
The reasons:
The reasons given by the psalmists range from being in a time of trial (surrounded by the wicked, being taunted or needing help) to simply being a habit based on an intimate and worshipful relationship with God (out of awe, sensing His love and greatness, simply loving the Law, or with a desire to please God). The one in Genesis 24 describes Isaac’s meditation in the field, after the loss of his beloved mother.
It is therefore safe to say that Christian meditation is a habit cultivated by God’s children out of a growing desire for intimacy with God, with His word as the object through which to appreciate God’s character through experience and His works of wonders.
But if our meditation focuses on anything other than God and His word, like in Psalm 39:3 where the psalmist focuses on his own situation, it will only be harmful to us.
(1) Upon hearing God’s command and repeated encouragement, what might your response be, if you were Joshua? What was his immediate response?
(2) Back in Numbers 32, Moses gave permission to the Reubenites, the Gadites and the half-tribe of Manasseh to stay in (and possess) their land east of the Jordan. Now Joshua was to lead the rest of Israel to cross the Jordan and engage in battles to possess the rest of the land. What risk might Joshua be taking in asking them to join and help their brothers?
(3) If they refused, would God’s plan be put into jeopardy? What damage might be done should they refuse?
(4) What reasons might these two and a half tribes have in not being willing to help their brothers?
(5) Do you have any idea, should they agree to help their brothers, how long they would have to leave their children and wives? (See Jos. 22:3 to get an idea.)
(6) How did they respond to Joshua’s request?
(7) What might be the reasons that caused them to agree to make such a big sacrifice?
(8) What did their action mean given it was at the beginning of Joshua’s leadership and at a critical juncture of their journey?
(9) What is the main message to you today and how might you apply it to your life?
It is true that back in Numbers 32 that the Reubenites and Gadites, probably because of the size of their herds and flocks, decided to stay in the land east of Jordan. At the time, they gave Moses their word that their armed men would join their brothers to cross to the other side of Jordan to help subdue the land before they would return to enjoy their land and their family.
Now that the people of Israel were about to cross the Jordan, the two tribes, together with the half-tribe of Manasseh would have built their homes and begun enjoying the land they had possessed. To leave at this time would mean not only leaving the fruit of their labor, but their families rather unprotected. Also, who knew how long it would take for the rest of the nine and half tribes to subdue the enemies and possess their allotted land? As it turned out, in Joshua’s own words, it took “a long time” (Jos. 22:3). Some estimate that it had taken over 20 years!
At the time of their request, Moses was afraid that their action would anger the Lord and cause discouragement and division to Israel.
Now, in spite of their sacrifice, they remained faithful to their commitment to the Lord and their people. Furthermore, in so doing, they pledged their support to Joshua. Such a commitment was really precious and significant at this critical time of the history of Israel. Instead of deepening the leadership crisis because of the death of Moses, their action had helped reinforce the leadership of Joshua and enhance an almost unprecedented unity among the people of Israel.
Their action has indeed defined what true commitment is which is so rare these days, even among the children of God.
(1) Why did Joshua choose to send people to spy on Jericho? Was it a prudent act or a sign of his lack of faith?
(2) As they eventually gave a report of their exploration in v. 24, do you think Joshua had achieved his intended goal of spying?
(3) Archeological findings of the Ancient Near East find parallels in having prostitutes live near the entrance of the ancient cities. What risks was Rahab taking in hiding the two spies of Israel?
(4) What were the reasons given by Rahab in committing this act of treason?
(5) From the reasons given by Rahab, what do we know about the impact of God’s power over the region?
(6) What did Rahab know about the God of Israel? In invoking the name of the God of Israel (the Lord means Yahweh), and by hiding the spies, what spiritual significance did her action have?
(7) Read Matthew 1:5. How did God reward her change of allegiance from her god(s) to Him?
(8) What does the fact that God can even use a prostitute to bring about the deliverance of His people (and the salvation of mankind) say to you?
(9) What is the main message to you today and how might you apply it to your life?
Some Christians struggle with whether faith in God means that we should not do anything on our own and what actually constitutes doing things on our own.
In their journey into the Promised Land, Moses sent spies to explore the land of Canaan. It was not only a common-sense military tactic, it was a clear command of the Lord (Num. 13:1). Jesus also used a military parable to express the need for His disciples to count the cost before following Him. Knowing the strength of the enemy, in this case, implies spying as well.
The result of the spying of Canaan, as we know, was disastrous. The people chose not to focus on the reports of Joshua and Caleb about the abundance of the land, but on the impossibility of the task. The purpose of spying in this case was for the people to know the difficulties ahead, so that they might trust totally in the Lord and not on their own strength. Thus, spying in no way is a sign of lack of faith. It is something prudent, and something that should usher us into greater, if not total dependence on God.
Joshua simply followed the example of Moses and did what was prudent as well, again not with the intention of depending on their own strength and wisdom, but to help devise a strategy that is in tune with their dependence on God. The result was very rewarding in that they had come to know that God had already melted the heart of the enemies. They knew that God was already at work, even before they would be engaged in the battle. Then, Joshua would turn to God for wisdom and strength in devising the proper strategy and plan of action.
I guess the lesson for us is that we need to do what is prudent in assessing the challenges ahead of us, and then turn to the Lord for wisdom and strength as we devise our strategy and carry out our plan of action. This way, we are in true partnership with God.
(1) What spiritual significance might the use of the scarlet cord in the deliverance of Rahab have?
(2) How did the deliverance of the entire household of Rahab echo that of the jailer in Acts 16:31?
(3) How does the incidence of Rahab speak to the limitations of patriotism?
(4) What impact might the report of the spies have on Joshua and the people of Israel?
(5) We are often puzzled by the total destruction of these Canaanites by the people of Israel as commanded by God. Why did God not wipe out all the people of Jericho, including Rahab and her household? Was it an exception that God made? Or, was it His principle all along? If so, what might this principle be?
(6) What is the main message to you today and how might you apply it to your life?
“Few of the many issues raised by the book of Joshua created more difficulty than the question of how a loving God could command the wholesale extermination of nations that inhabited the Promised Land." (Hess, TOTC, Joshua, 42)
Of course, there is no easy or simple solution to this problem. It is true that such a mandate carries significance to New Testament believers in that ours is also a spiritual warfare against the principalities of the air and the powers of sin and evil (Eph. 6:10-18). As such, we need to exterminate our enemy totally, leaving no room for Satan in our life. (Eph. 4:27)
On a very practical level though, the immorality and idolatry of Canaan were well attested by history and archeological findings. Nothing short of total elimination of anything Canaanite would safeguard the singular devotion of Israelites to the Lord.
However, such total elimination of old and young and everything that breathes seems inconsistent with the character of God, and it is!
Deuteronomy 20:10-11 does allow peace to be made with any fortified town that opens its gates to Israel. However, it appears such mercy only applies to towns not within the Promised Land, as some have asserted.
However, the incident with Jericho speaks volumes of a very important principle that points to the very essence of God’s character and that is, whether they are people within or without the Promised Land, should they change their allegiance from their gods and take Yahweh as their God, like Rahab and her household did, they would be spared. And in the case of Rahab, she was not only spared, but was also ushered into the Hall of Faith and became the ancestor of the Messiah (Heb. 11:31 and Matt. 1:5).
(1) What practical purposes did the ark serve in the crossing of the River Jordan?
(2) What spiritual purposes did the ark serve in the crossing of the River Jordan?
(3) What lesson(s) can we learn from this?
(4) Was it important that Joshua be exalted “in the eyes of all Israel”? Why or why not?
(5) Why did Joshua ask the people to consecrate themselves in v. 5? What lesson does it have for us?
(6) Why did the river only stop flowing at (or after) the priests’ feet touched the edge of the water?
(7) Was the Jordan at the stage of flooding at the time or a coincidence?
(8) Reflect on v. 17. How miraculous was this act of God?
(9) How important was this miracle to Joshua and to the people of Israel as a first step of claiming the Promised Land?
(10) What is the main message to you today and how might you apply it to your life?
In commanding Joshua to lead the people to cross over Jordan, the Lord made an interesting statement in 3:7, “Today I will begin to exalt you in the eyes of all Israel…”
One wonders why it was important for Joshua to be exalted in the eyes of men. Would it not become a temptation to Joshua down the road?
Of course, the statement did not end there, and the Lord went on to say that “so they may know that I am with you as I was with Moses.”
Whether we like it or not, biblical history consistently portrays God’s way of accomplishing His plans and that is through raising an individual leader to lead His people. He did it through Moses and now He was doing it through Joshua. Just as He exalted Moses, so that the people would obey His law through Moses, now it was imperative that the people would continue to obey Him through the leadership of Joshua. As a result, it was important that the Lord would affirm Joshua’s leadership "in the eyes of Israel”. It was done, not so much for Joshua, but for the good of the people.
Certainly, as one was exalted, especially to the extent that Moses was, there was a danger that of falling prey to pride. And that was exactly what happened to Moses when he struck the rock twice on his own (Num. 20:11). Such an action dishonored God (Num. 20:12) and invited a very severe punishment in that Moses would not be able to see the fruit of his labor, the entrance into the Promised Land.
Joshua, however, must have learned this lesson from Moses. As much as he was exalted like Moses by the Lord, at the end of his life, he was not only able to lead the people into the Promised Land, he could also testify that, “…as for me and my household, we will serve the Lord.” (Jos. 24:15)