[Biblemat] S:> Joshua
Ethan R. Longhenry
disciple_of_iesus at hotmail.com
Mon Nov 17 19:26:47 CST 2008
Joshua
I. Introduction
A. The book of Joshua
1. Known for its conflicts
2. War!
B. A book of ideals and fulfillments
1. A generation faithful to God
2. Israel obtains its land
3. Aspects of God's promises meet their fulfillment
C. There is much to learn from Joshua; let us consider it now
II. Joshua: The Details
A. Authorship
1. The author is unknown
2. Narrator shows consistency with Deuteronomy, Judges
3. Acts 7:45, Hebrews 4: authenticity of the events described
validated
4. Author is inspired, whoever he may be
B. Dating
1. Joshua brings Israel into Canaan ca. 1400 BCE
2. The book takes place over 30-40 years
3. The book is written probably just before the time of David
(cf. Joshua 15:63)
C. Audience
1. Original audience is Israel after the conquest of the land
2. We can derive understanding and lessons from it
D. Purpose
1. To relate Israel's conquering of the land of Israel
2. To recount God's work for Israel
3. Points to Jesus Christ
III. Joshua: The Story
A. Main Sections
1. Crossing the Jordan and conquering Jericho and Ai (Joshua 1-8)
2. Southern and northern conflicts (Joshua 9-11)
3. The Land and Allotments (Joshua 12-19)
4. Joshua's Final Preparations and Exhortations (Joshua 20-24)
B. Preparations to Cross the Jordan (Joshua 1-3)
1. God speaks with Joshua, encourages him (Joshua 1:1-9)
2. Joshua readies the people, especially the men of Reuben,
Gad, and Manasseh (Joshua 1:10-15)
3. They respond eagerly (Joshua 1:16-18)
4. Joshua sends spies to Jericho; they come to Rahab's inn
(Joshua 2:1)
5. Rahab hides the spies, covers for them (Joshua 2:2-7)
6. Rahab indicates her recognition that God is with Israel,
pleads for mercy (Joshua 2:8-13)
7. Rahab and spies make agreement, its stipulations; spies led
out another way, return to Joshua (Joshua 2:14-24)
8. Final preparations and instructions made; follow the Ark
(Joshua 3:1-6)
9. Declaration of the event to take place: God will part the
Jordan as He parted the Red Sea (Joshua 3:7-13)
10. When priests carrying Ark in the riverbank, waters recede
(Joshua 3:14-17)
C. Israel in Canaan (Joshua 4-5)
1. 12 stones gathered, set in the Jordan as a memorial of
Israel's crossing; men of war of Reuben, Gad, and Manasseh
cross over; priests come forth, waters return to their banks;
instruction for children (Joshua 4)
2. Men of Israel circumcised (Joshua 5:1-9)
3. Passover observed; manna ceases (Joshua 5:10-12)
4. Joshua sees commander of the LORD's host (Joshua 5:13-15)
D. Jericho (Joshua 6)
1. Jericho shut up; God instructs Joshua about marching around
it (Joshua 6:1-5)
2. Marching around for six days (Joshua 6:6-14)
3. The seventh day: seven times around the city; horns blow,
walls fall down (Joshua 6:15-20)
4. Jericho as firstfruits for God, placed under the ban: all
things devoted for destruction, save Rahab's family, metal
objects (Joshua 6:21-25)
5. Joshua curses the one who would rebuild Jericho
(Joshua 6:26-27)
E. Achan and Ai (Joshua 7-8)
1. Anger of God because of Achan (Joshua 7:1)
2. Spies sent to Ai; small army sent, beaten back (Joshua 7:2-5)
3. Joshua and elders mourn; God indicates that one has taken of
the devoted things (Joshua 7:6-12)
4. Israel presented before God; lot eventually falls before Achan
(Joshua 7:13-18)
5. Achan's confession (Joshua 7:19-23)
6. Achan, family, and property stoned, burned; thus the Valley of
Achor (Joshua 7:24-26)
7. God will now give Ai into Israel's hand; ambush to be
developed (Joshua 8:1-2)
8. Joshua sends out the ambush squad (Joshua 8:3-9)
9. Joshua takes army out, flees before Ai; all of the men of Ai
pursue (Joshua 8:10-17)
10. Signal given; city taken; men of Ai see it, flee; 12000 of
Ai die (Joshua 8:18-25)
11. Everything taken; city made a heap of ruins (Joshua 8:26-29)
12. Joshua builds altar on Ebal, reads blessings and cursings
on Gerizim and Ebal as Moses directed (Joshua 8:30-35)
F. Gibeon's Treachery (Joshua 9)
1. Preparations for war against Israel (Joshua 9:1-2)
2. Gibeonites devise treachery; pretend as if they are distant
travelers, seek to make covenant with Israel (Joshua 9:3-13)
3. Israel does not consult God (Joshua 9:14)
4. Covenant made; treachery discovered; Israel feels compelled
to honor covenant; Gibeonites as servants (Joshua 9:15-27)
G. The Southern War (Joshua 10)
1. King of Jerusalem disturbed at recent events, makes coalition,
wages war with Gibeon (Joshua 10:1-5)
2. Gibeonites appeal to Joshua; march made in one evening;
coalition put to rout (Joshua 10:6-10)
3. God fought for Israel with hail; Joshua prays for the sun to
remain in its place; wish granted (Joshua 10:11-15)
4. Five kings hide in Makkedah; Joshua brings them out, executes
them (Joshua 10:16-27)
5. Makkedah, Libnah, Lachish, Eglon, Hebron, Debir attacked,
conquered; Joshua and Israel in control of the southern part
of Canaan (Joshua 10:28-43)
H. The Northern War (Joshua 11)
1. King of Hazor develops coalition to fight Israel
(Joshua 11:1-5)
2. God delivers them into Joshua's hand; Hazor burned, other
cities captured but not
destroyed (Joshua 11:6-15)
3. Land conquered; Joshua did what he was charged to do; end of
Anakim; rest for the land (Joshua 11:16-23)
I. Recounting of kings killed by Moses and Joshua (Joshua 12)
J. Land to Take, Previous Grants (Joshua 13)
1. Land left to be captured; charge to allot land to tribes
(Joshua 13:1-7)
2. Transjordan land allotted (Joshua 13:8-13)
3. No land to Levites (Joshua 13:14, 33)
4. Reuben's allotment (Joshua 13:15-23)
5. Gad's allotment (Joshua 13:24-28)
6. Half of Manasseh's allotment (Joshua 13:29-32)
L. Allotments (Joshua 14-19)
1. Inheritances to be given out by lot (Joshua 14:1-5)
2. Caleb receives Hebron as special inheritance from Moses'
promise (Joshua 14:6-15)
3. Judah's allotment (Joshua 15:1-12)
4. Caleb attacks, conquers Hebron (Joshua 15:13-15)
5. Attack on Debir; Othniel takes Debir and thus Achsah, Caleb's
daughter, as wife; gift of springs (Joshua 15:16-19)
6. Cities of Judah (Joshua 15:20-63)
7. 2 tribes of Joseph's allotments (Joshua 16)
8. Manasseh's allotment; lack of contentment with it (Joshua 17)
9. Seven portions of rest of land cut out, rest of tribes to get
portion each by lot (Joshua 18:1-10)
10. Benjamin's allotment and cities (Joshua 18:11-28)
11. Simeon's cities and allotment (Joshua 19:1-9)
12. Zebulun's allotment and cities (Joshua 19:10-16)
13. Issachar's allotment and cities (Joshua 19:17-23)
14. Asher's allotment and cities (Joshua 19:24-31)
15. Naphtali's allotment and cities (Joshua 19:32-39)
16. Dan's original allotment and cities; later conquering of
Dan (Joshua 19:40-47)
17. Joshua given his allotment (Joshua 19:48-51)
M. Cities of refuge explained, appointed (Joshua 20)
N. Cities and pasturelands given to Levites throughout Israel
(Joshua 21)
O. The Altar of Witness (Joshua 22)
1. Joshua blesses the men of Reuben, Gad, Manasseh; they return
home (Joshua 22:1-9)
2. They build a large altar; all Israel gathered for war;
Phinehas and delegation sent to three tribes to ascertain
situation (Joshua 22:10-20)
3. Tribes explain their purpose- not to offer sacrifices, but
as a witness of their share in the LORD (Joshua 22:21-29)
4. Phinehas, others satisfied; war averted (Joshua 22:30-34)
P. Joshua summons Israel, presents message of encouragement;
warning to observe God's statutes (Joshua 23)
Q. Joshua's Final Speech (Joshua 24)
1. History lesson: God's design from Nahor to their own day
(Joshua 24:1-13)
2. Declaration of need to decide whom Israel will serve
(Joshua 24:14-15)
3. Israel chooses the LORD (Joshua 24:16-18)
4. Joshua brings witness against the people that they have
chosen the LORD (Joshua 24:19-24)
5. Covenant with God renewed; Joshua again writes the Law of God;
Israel sent to their tribal holdings (Joshua 24:25-28)
6. Joshua's death at 110; his burial; faithfulness of his
generation (Joshua 24:29-31)
7. Interment of Joseph's remains (Joshua 24:32)
8. Eleazar the High Priest dies; Phinehas takes his place
(Joshua 24:33)
IV. Joshua: Important Passages
A. Joshua 2:9-11
1. God successful in His purposes: the nations know what He
does for Israel and they fear
2. Rahab's belief in God
3. cf. Matthew 1:5
B. Achan (Joshua 7)
1. A good warning about trifling with that which belongs to God
2. Consider how much was lost for his sin!
C. Joshua 9:14
1. Rash decisions by Israel lead to difficulty
2. Demonstration of value of consulting God!
D. Joshua 22: need to communicate before acting!
E. Joshua 24:15
V. Conclusion
A. Joshua: faithfulness to God
1. People conquer the land
2. Their hearts inclined toward God
3. The best Israel would get
B. Seeds of problems sown
1. Acceptance of some Canaanites in the land
2. Not all the land conquered
C. As Joshua led Israel to conquest, so Jesus will lead us to
victory!
D. Let us be faithful to God and have the victory in Jesus
(1 Corinthians 15:55-58)!
E. Invitation/songbook
Ethan R. Longhenry / disciple_of_iesus at hotmail.com
Evangelist, church of Christ in Norwalk, Ohio [norwalkchurch.org]
Homepage: deusvitae.com
AIM: Deus Vitae / ICQ: 28317056
Y! IM: discipuliiesus
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