Week 11: Conquest of the Promised Land

(Joshua)

The book of Joshua is named after the central figure in the book, and covers about 25 years. It is the transition book between the Pentateuch (first five books of the Old Testament) and the historical section of the Old Testament.

Joshua may be divided into three sections. In Part I, Israel enters the land (1-5). In Part II, they engage the enemy (6-12). In Part III, they establish their territories (13-24). It is the story of the Israelites going in, battling through, and settling down, in the Promised Land. These three divisions answer to the three charges of Joshua to the people.

At the beginning (3:1-6), he calls them to sanctify themselves for entering in. In the midst of the battles (8:30-35; Dt. 27), he calls them to recognize the real battle between blessing and cursing, between good and evil, between obedience and disobedience. So the middle charge was to stand for God and continue in His Word. At the end (23-24), Joshua calls Israel together again to Shechem. There he calls the people to serve the Lord (24:14-25) all their days. In fact, the word serve occurs fourteen times in the last two chapters.

JOSHUA – Conquest

Tribal Allotments of IsraelJoshua 13:8-19:49

Scanned from Beitzel, Barry, The Moody Atlas of Bible Lands, Chicago: Moody, 1985.

Week Eleven Reading Plan 1:1-18 Learn It and Live It 2:1-24 Effective Christian Leadership 3:1-4:14 Crossing the Jordan River 5:13-6:27 And the Walls Came Tumbling Down 8:1-35 The Defeat of Ai 10:1-11:23 The Southern and Northern Conquest 23:1-24:33 “Choose Ye this Day”

Yeshua is the Hebrew name for the Lord. It means “Yahweh is Salvation.” The English spelling of Yeshua is “Joshua.” In Greek the name Yeshua becomes Iēsous. The English spelling for Iēsous is “Jesus.”

Basically, what this means is Joshua and Jesus are the same name. One is translated from Hebrew into English, the other from Greek into English.

JOSHUA & THE CONQUESTChapter

1Chapter

24

1-5PREPARING THE PEOPLESpies find refuge with Rahab

Crossing the Jordan River

Memorials

6-8 BEGINCONQUESTCentral Campaign

Victory in Jericho with trumpets

Defeat and then victory in Ai

18-21 LAND FOR 7 TRIBESAllocation toBenjamin, Simeon, Zebulun, Issachar, Asher, Naphtali, Dan and Joshua

9-12COMPLETE CONQUESTFalling for a lie

Southern and Northern Campaigns

13-17LAND FOR 5 TRIBESAllocation to 2.5 eastern tribes

Caleb’s story

Allocation to 2.5 western tribes

22-24 FINAL WORDS AND DEATHCivil war threat

Passing the Torch

Covenant Renewal

JOSHUA AS A WHOLE BOOKConquest

1 22 235 212013 1910 126 22 249

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Distribution

Entering Warning

Securing the Land

Conquering

Settling the Land

Dividing

Chapters

Topics

Place

Time7 years 18 years

Both Sides of the Jordan (The Promised Land)

Obedient faith brings blessing}

MOAB

AMMON

BASHAN

GILEAD

GALILEE

JOSHUA – Victory

Week 11: Overcoming Sin in our Lives

(1) FINAL PREPARATIONSOn the Plains of Moab (1-2)

(2) THE CENTRAL CAMPAIGNAt Gilgal, Jericho, and Ai (3:1-8:29)

(3) TIME OUT AT SHECHEMThe Covenant Renewed (8:30-35)

(4) THE GIBEON CAMPAIGNDefeating the 5 Southern Kings (9-10)

(5) THE WATERS OF MEROM CAMPAIGNDefeating the Northern Confederacy

(6) THE LAND ALLOTTEDPossessing their Possessions (12-22)

(7) JOSHUA’S LAST CHARGEThe Covenant Repeated (23-24)

Jerusalem

Gaza

Lachish Hebron

Dor

Debir

Jericho

Gilgal

Hazor

Sea ofChinneroth

Shechem

AiAjalon

Gezer

Gibeon

Makkedah

PHILI

STIA

CANAAN

JarmuthAzekah

Lessons from the battle of Ai

Joshua provides warnings. At the very beginning of the conquest, right after the triumph at Jericho, there is the humiliating defeat at Ai. The four reasons for failure there are the same for it today. They...

1) asked not counsel of the Lord; 2) underestimated the enemy; 3) had unjudged deceit in the camp; and 4) were not united in their efforts.

But thank the Lord, the book does not end there. Our God is a restoring God, giver of second chances!

Joshua demonstrates his faith in God as he follows the orders given to him and takes leadership of the nation. Joshua truly was strong and courageous (1:7).

In chapters 1-4, Joshua and the Israelites enter the promise land in an amazing fashion. As they arrive at the Jordan River, we find details of an incredible, miraculous crossing. God shows His inclusive grace to a prostitute named Rahab, the ancestress of King David.

Then in chapters 5-12, courageous Joshua first conquers the central part of the promise land. This includes the supernatural manner in which they conquered the grand fortress of Jericho. Ai was the next town and although it took two tries (the first one failed due to corruption in the camp), but on the second attempt God showed Himself strong on their behalf. Next, the Israelites occupied the southern land and then the northern land to complete the occupancy of the Promised Land. However, although they controlled the region, they never did completely conquered it.

Finally, in chapters 13-24, the land is divided up and distributed among the tribes of Israel. Some of the larger cities are placed aside for the Levitical priests who did not receive a portion of land, due to their duties. Lastly, Joshua dies but before he passes he gives one of the greatest challenges that lasts for all generations, “Choose for yourselves today whom you will serve...as for me and my house, we will serve the Lord” (24:15).

They on the heights are not the soulswho never erred nor went astray;who trod unswerving to their goalsalong a smooth, rose-bordered way.Nay, those who stand where first comes dawnare those who stumbled—but went on.