Joshua Joshua
Joshua
Introduction
At a Glance
Author: Traditionally Joshua
Audience: Originally Israel, but this theological history speaks to everyone
Date: 1451–1426 BC
Type of Literature: Theological history
Major Themes: Land of promise, covenant and obedience, typology of Christ, and conquest and God’s character
Outline:
Entering the Land — 1:1–5:12
Conquering the Land — 5:13–12:24
Dividing the Land — 13:1–22:34
Farewell and Burial in the Land — 23:1–24:33
About Joshua
A new beginning stretches out before us! When we read the book of Joshua, we learn the ways of God: how he moves us forward, how we triumph over our enemies, and how we do the impossible. Joshua, a former slave in Egypt, became the leader of God’s people after the death of Moses. A generational transfer took place as a younger generation rose with fresh vision, a bold faith, and renewed passion to possess all that God had given them. All this and more is contained in the sacred book you have in your hand, the book of Joshua.
Joshua is the hinge of Israel’s history. The wilderness wandering was now over as the promised land was before them. The manna ceased, the Jordan was behind them, a new leader rose, and a new beginning opened up for the people of God. Walled cities and fierce enemies are no match for the living God. But it would still require a faith-filled people to move in and possess what God had given to them.
As the sixth book of the Bible, Joshua begins the section of Israel’s history. Bundled together, Joshua through Esther make up the biblical, inspired history of the Jewish people. Our Jewish friends call this section of the Bible (Joshua, Judges, Samuel, Kings) the “Former Prophets.” Since this section of the Bible can be considered prophecy, Joshua prophesies to the church today (see 1 Cor. 10:11), giving us instruction for how to live before God. The truths of Joshua are as much for today as the teachings of Paul or Peter. These Former Prophets lay out in front of us the secrets of victory.
The title Former Prophets demonstrates the prophetic nature of God’s dealing with his people and also the nations. It is the story of God’s redemption by the power of his mighty hand and empowering Spirit, giving revelations, performing signs and wonders, and testifying to Yahweh’s faithfulness in all things.
The book of Joshua shows us that we can go into the promised land of what God wants us to be. We can become the delight of God. The book of Joshua is the Ephesians of the Old Testament. Joshua was blessed with every earthly blessing in the land of Canaan. We are blessed with every heavenly blessing in Christ (see Eph. 1:3). Joshua lays out a road map to victory for us so that we can advance into our destiny; and our true destiny is for the better Joshua, Jesus, to lead us into his kingdom (see Eph. 1:13–14).
Purpose
The book of Joshua contains an important and fascinating part of Israel’s history. It describes the transition of God’s chosen people from wilderness wanderers to courageous conquerors. Joshua is written as more than history. It is a “sermon” meant to activate believers today. We have an inheritance that we must fight for in faith. We have every blessing heaven contains (see Eph. 1:3), but we must claim and implement those blessings.
The church today needs the courage to conquer. Many modern believers act more like prisoners of war instead of passionate conquerors. Followers of Jesus must see themselves as soldiers in a disciplined army prepared to fight spiritual battles. The book of Joshua is a book of conquest, emboldening the church to move from passivity to passion. Like Joshua, our battles are spiritual battles, for we fight not against flesh and blood but against forces of darkness (see footnote on Josh. 24:11).
Author and Audience
Joshua was one of the twelve spies who first went into the land of Canaan. Along with Caleb, Joshua was the only one to give a good report. Indeed, Israel recognized Joshua as their prophet and something similar to a “king,” # See Rashi, Yoma 73b; Rambam, Hil. Melachim 1:3, 3:8; Hil. Sanhedrin 18:6. although they had not yet come into possession of their kingdom. According to the Jewish historian Josephus, Joshua succeeded Moses when he was eighty-five. He was a military commander who conquered seven nations (kingdoms) in seven years. He died at the age of one hundred and ten and was buried in Timnath Serah.
Joshua’s original name was Hoshea, but Moses changed it to Yehoshua (see Num. 13:8, 16), which can be translated as “Yahweh is salvation” or “Yahweh save.” In fact, the name Yehoshua is nearly the Hebrew equivalent of the name Jesus (Yeshua). The Greek word for Jesus is Iesous and means the same as the name Joshua. One could almost say there is a book in the Bible named Jesus. That’s one book I would want to read, wouldn’t you?
Although certain portions were added after Joshua’s death, translators believe the author was Joshua himself for several reasons: Certain episodes of the book bear the mark of an eyewitness, such as where the author states “we” passed through the waters on dry ground in chapter three; Joshua’s description of Canaanite wickedness parallels the well-known Ras Shamra tablets, written in Joshua’s time; Joshua’s list of boundaries for the twelve tribes (see Josh. 13–19) accurately reflect the known situation of Canaan prior to the Jewish monarchy; descriptions of certain cities, such as Jerusalem still being a Jebusite city (see 15:63) and Gezer still being a Canaanite city (see 16:10), imply the author was living in the time of Joshua; and the author seems to write about things that happened in his lifetime, not about anything happening previously.
For the people of Israel, the book of Joshua was an important “hinge book” between the Torah and Prophecy. This conquering military hero who ushered in the salvation of Yahweh wrote this book to a people wrestling with establishing the nation in the land Yahweh provided, understanding God’s divine revelation-word of promise, and waiting for the fullness of his provision and promises to be realized. Similarly, we, too, wait for Yahweh’s promises to be fully realized, awaiting the day of his promised-land rest!
Major Themes
The Land of Promise and Promised Gift. The book of Joshua is the book of the land. It is this long-ago-promised gift of a specific land by Yahweh that is the central animating theme. The verses offered just after Israel takes possession of the land could be a fair summary of the entire book: “So Yahweh gave Israel all the land he had promised their ancestors. They took possession of the land and settled there. Yahweh kept his promise and gave them peace in the land. . . . Not one of their enemies could stand against them. Yahweh didn’t break a single promise that he made to the people of Israel” (21:43–45).
This central theological theme in Joshua is intimately connected with Israel’s national and ethnic identities and to Yahweh’s fulfillment of his promises to the patriarchs Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob to gift their generations such a land of promise. We find six aspects of this gift throughout the book of Joshua: (1) God promised the land-gift to the forefathers; (2) God gave the gift to Israel; (3) Joshua divided it as an inheritance for the people; (4) this gift was closely connected to the land on the east side of the Jordan River; (5) it would not be difficult to take from those still living there because God had caused its inhabitants to tremble with fear; and (6) the land-gift was filled with other gods who tempted Israel.
The promised land wasn’t just land; it was a gift. A gift a good Father (Yahweh) gave to his beloved children (Israel). God promised this gift from the day he called out the man (Abraham) who would birth the nation, and he ultimately fulfilled that promise in this wonderful book. But God also extends this gift to committed hearts and obedient hands today. The book illustrates the tragedy of neglecting this gift, offering a foreshadowing of Israel’s wandering ways that would ultimately lead to exile from the land and separation from the gift of Yahweh.
Covenant and the Obedience of God’s People. The promised land given to the children of Israel as a promised gift is at the heart of a covenant Yahweh made with them generations ago. Genesis 17:7–9 outlines the terms of this covenant:
“I will be your children’s God, just as I am your God.
I will give to you and your seed
the land to which you have migrated.
The entire land of Canaan will be yours and your descendants’
as an everlasting possession.
And I will be their God forever!”
God explained to Abraham, “Your part of the covenant is to obey its terms, you and your descendants throughout the ages.”
Throughout the book of Joshua, the ark of the covenant went before the people as a constant reminder of this relationship, symbolizing Yahweh’s mercy, power, and holiness. At every juncture of Israel’s journey in this book—from the floodwaters of the Jordan to the gates of Jericho and to the covenant’s renewal at Mount Ebal—they were to march in a new manner, with their eyes on the ark and their hearts set on Yahweh.
Obedience was at the core of this covenantal relationship, realized and renewed in Joshua. The people who still lived in the land, with their pagan gods and pagan ways, constantly challenged the obedience of God’s people. Israel was to worship and obey Yahweh alone, practices which Joshua outlined in several ways: they were to meditate on the Torah day and night, learn the commands of Yahweh, practice circumcision, keep the Passover, worship at the place of Yahweh’s choosing, and obey the written laws of Yahweh.
Perhaps the climax of the covenant in the book comes at the end, just before Joshua’s death was reported. He led the people in renewing their relationship with Yahweh at Shechem and put into the starkest terms possible Israel’s need to fully embrace their covenantal relationship with Yahweh and obey him completely: “Make your decision today which gods you will worship—the gods which your ancestors worshiped in Mesopotamia or the gods which the Amorites worship in the land where you are now living—but I and my family, we will give our lives to worship and serve Yahweh” (Josh. 24:15).
The ark not only beautifully illustrates God’s covenant with Israel, it is also a wonderful picture of Jesus Christ, who “is the catalyst of a better covenant which contains far more wonderful promises” (Heb. 8:6). The power of Christ within us enables us to pass over into our full inheritance. Jesus, our forerunner, leads us in, and we are to join with the same obedient voices as those of Israel, declaring “We, too, will worship and serve Yahweh, for he alone is our God” (Josh. 24:18).
The Typology of Jesus. To read the book of Joshua and not see Jesus would be unfortunate. Joshua is a clear type of Jesus, for he took the Israelites into a realm that the law (Moses) was unable to experience. The church father Eusebius offers this connection between the name Joshua and the name Jesus:
Moses was inspired by the divine Spirit to foresee clearly the name of Jesus; and he deemed this name of special honor. Till it was made known to Moses, it had never been on man’s lips before. He bestowed the name of Jesus on him first of all, and only on him, who he knew would succeed, in type and symbol, after his death. His successor had not previously been called Jesus, but his parents had called him Hoshea. # See Hist. Eccles. I 3.
For the believer, the typology of Joshua is apparent. First, the name Joshua is wonderfully similar to Jesus (Yeshua). Secondly, the promised land for the follower of Christ becomes a picture of the untold blessings that are ours in Christ (see Eph. 1:3). Canaan was a fertile land. It symbolizes the abundant life of the victorious believer. Canaan had to be conquered, and so our promises and blessings must be claimed by faith. The law of Moses did not attain Canaan but only the grace of God did. Heathen hordes inhabited Canaan, and God’s people had to purge the land of the powers of darkness and idolatry, just as we must purge our hearts (see Eph. 6:12; Heb. 9:23).
The miracle-crossing of the Jordan River typifies crossing over into a life of abundance and union with Jesus Christ. Our Savior was the One who descended into judgment for our sins. The Jordan was miraculously rolled back all the way to a town called Adam; Jesus rolled back the waters of judgment all the way back to the sin of Adam. The rending of the Jordan corresponds to the rending of the veil in the Holy of Holies when Jesus was crucified (see 2 Cor. 3:1–18; Heb. 10:20). We are now those who cross over into union and intimacy with God.
Additionally, the pushing back of the waters (as the dividing of the Red Sea previously) displayed the power of Israel’s God over all other gods, including those of the seas and rivers (that were believed to be untamable in the ancient world). Yahweh showed his power to destroy every other power and authority in carrying out his victory of life for a people he had made his own. This is what caused fear to enter the hearts of the inhabitants of the land who had previously heard of the strong and mighty outstretched arm of Yahweh that split the Red Sea in two and now divided the river. No god can stand before this God! This is even more significant when gods are associated with particular territories or spheres of influence. This God travels and has power over all territories and powers.
Aside from the clear name association, we can see Jesus in the book of Joshua in a number of ways:
The Heavenly Joshua (Heb. 4:8)
The Pioneer of Our Salvation (Heb. 2:10)
The Crimson Rope (Josh. 2:18)
The Ark of the Covenant of the Lord of All the Earth (Josh. 3:11)
The Memorial of Twelve Stones (Josh. 4:19–24)
The Passover Lamb (Josh. 5:10–12; 1 Cor. 5:7–8)
The Altar (Josh. 8:30–35; Heb. 13:10)
The Commander of Yahweh’s Armies (Josh. 5:13–15; Eph. 6:12–18)
The Heavenly Refuge (Josh. 20:1–9; Heb. 6:19–20)
Conquest and God’s Character. The book of Joshua is a road map, a manual for conquest. It contains the secrets of conquest with its amazing, jaw-dropping victories and sadly disappointing defeats. And yet, many point to the book of Joshua as an example of God behaving badly because of this theme of conquest, which seems to touch a raw nerve. Some view these battles as morally dubious, filled with nationalistic violence and terror. However, note several things about the context of the time in which this history of Israel’s conquests unfolds.
First, war was a normal fact of life; it still is. The Bible reminds us there is a time for war (see Eccl. 3:8) and a justifiable war (see Gen. 14), which the book of Joshua illustrates. However, the modern military cannot claim the right to destructive warfare based on Israelite wars, for they served a divine purpose in unfolding Yahweh’s plans. Also the sort of holy war we find in Joshua was not invented by Israel nor limited to the nation. Further, the Canaanites were by no means innocent, for their sexual perversion, child sacrifice, and pagan idolatry could not go unpunished by a righteous God.
Finally, the theme of conquest reveals the character of God. In the book of Joshua, we see God’s mercy unfold, such as in his sparing of Rahab and her family. Also, consider the fact that Yahweh mercifully waited hundreds of years before commencing the conquest, giving the inhabitants of the land ample time to repent (see 2 Pet. 3:9). God waited until their cup of iniquity was filled. No doubt this aspect of Joshua can be troubling. However, in this way the conquest shows us God’s anger, justice, and wrath—important elements of his character.
God’s character is further unfolded through the many conflicts that arise. We discover, along with Israel, that God not only initiates covenant relationships, but he also punishes disobedient people. He also gives his people victory over their enemies on their way toward possessing the land and nationhood. This God is a God who fights for his people, standing with them in the midst of their oppression and suffering, raising them up to the plateau of victory, and assuring them they have no reason to “yield to fear nor be discouraged, for I am Yahweh your God, and I will be with you wherever you go!” (Josh. 1:9).
Joshua
A New Beginning
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