Introducing the Book of Joshua: a study of Joshua 1:1-9

Are we going to trust and obey? Or not?

Bible Study Ideas and Commentary for Joshua 1

Even in the midst of massive change, we can count on God to keep His promises; however, we have to remember that some of them are conditional on our obedience and trust! And yet, because we know that God is with us, we should be strong and courageous in obeying Him in our daily lives.

Do not be afraid or discouraged, for the Lord your God is with you wherever you go. (1:9)

Getting Started: Things to Think About

Leadership Transitions.

Your leader guide gives a discussion topic of “have you ever been asked to take a larger leadership role?” which I definitely like. Our passage today is about Joshua stepping into the role of Moses (no pressure!), which I’m sure would have been very intimidating. If it helps your discussion, you might note that Joshua had been a leader for many years, so it wasn’t like David going from shepherd to king’s official. But there’s another approach you can take that might apply to even more group members: have you ever been in an organization that underwent a significant leadership change? I’ll bet you have! Maybe your employer was bought by another company. Maybe your long-time pastor retired or moved on. Maybe the president of your company suddenly died or was fired. Or maybe changes in local government. You would ask how the changes went. How did they feel about the change ahead of time? What did it make them think about the future? How did they respond to it? The point would be that whether you like it or not, a major change in leadership has a significant impact on your life (or employment). Now try to put yourself in the shoes of an Israelite. Moses has led you for more than a generation. He was undoubtedly appointed by God. And though you may have heard lots of grumbling against him, he was still Moses (have your group read Deut 34:9-12 to see how serious this was to them). Now you have a new leader. And not only that, but you’re also about to enter the Promised Land for the first time. That’s not just change, that’s major change. What’s it going to take for that change to be successful? Ask your group to dig into their own experiences—probably a lot of cooperation, support, belief, and patience. How would they respond to major changes like these

The Importance of Home.

There are countless movies and books based on the theme of “home”. If you’re into sci-fi/fantasy, you could use The Hobbit in that Bilbo decided to help the dwarves because he wanted them to have their home back. If you’re into history, you could use countless displacement stories, from the memoirs of Native Americans defending (or desiring) their ancestral homelands to the action of the U.N. to create the nation of Israel for the Jews to have a home. If you’re into music, you could use lots of great songs, from cheesy (“Sweet Home Alabama”, “Home” by Daughtry) to sweet (“Our House” by Madness, “Small Town” by John Cougar Mellencamp, “Homeward Bound” by Simon and Garfunkel) to significant (“I’ll Be Home for Christmas”, “Wayfaring Stranger”, even “Georgia”). What is home to you? What’s the importance of home? Your childhood house? Your hometown? If you have a place you consider home, how does it change your view of life? God obviously thinks that having a home is important because He gave the Israelites one. And over and over again, they screwed up and got kicked out of their home. And they always desperately wanted to go back. Maybe the theme of “Home” will help your group relate to these books of the Bible.

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Where We Are in the Bible

Timeline of a New Nation

I need to see spatial relationships to understand the kind of history we’re talking about. Maybe this abbreviated timeline will help you.

The Book of Joshua

Joshua the man didn’t actually lead the Israelites for very long; he was about 90 when Moses died, and he lived to be 110. He had been born in Egyptian slavery and was one of the early Israelite generals (Exod 17), performing so well that he became Moses’ personal servant (that’s not a bad thing; for example, he was the one with Moses on the mountain who actually wrote down the law Moses received—Exod 32). He was one of the 12 spies (Num 13), and with Caleb gave the minority positive report; consequently, Joshua and Caleb were the only two adult Israelites allowed to enter the Promised Land. God selected Joshua to be Moses’ successor long before Moses died (Num 27)—Joshua was a capable administrator, apparently a brilliant military tactician, and a respected spokesman. Joshua had some very big shoes to fill, and God believed him up to the task.

The Book of Joshua chronicles the conquering of the Promised Land, with Joshua at the helm, though God is throughout the central Character of the action.

It begins with the miraculous crossing of the Jordan and the fall of Jericho, and it ends with Joshua’s challenge to the Israelites to remain true to their God, followed by the report of his death and burial. Obviously, Joshua did not write the entire book, and there is some question if he wrote any part of this book. Jewish tradition said he did, so it’s certainly a possibility. It makes more sense to me that, like the other history books, this book was compiled from the “court records” that Joshua’s officials would have kept; the repeated phrase “to this day” implies a passage of time, though it doesn’t have to be a long time.  Some argue that Samuel wrote the book, which is possible, but seems to me to be too long after.

The major theme of the book is the Promised Land. Really, that’s all the book is about: the conquering of the land (chs 1-12) and the dividing of the land (chs 13-24). In America, we might not fully appreciate the importance of the Promised Land, but we might understand the importance of “home”. God was faithful in giving the Israelites a home (as long as they were faithful in obeying His commands; their failures to do so dominates the next book: Judges).

This quarter, we are covering this entire segment of Jewish history, recorded in Joshua, Judges, and Ruth. With Christmas and Sanctuary of Life Sunday, we only have 11 sessions to cover all 3, which is tight. Four sessions on Judges (which you’ll appreciate not dwelling on the awfulness) and 2 on Ruth (which isn’t enough). I’ll talk about those books when we get to them. We’re also essentially covering Joshua 1-5 this week, which includes the wonderful story of Rahab and the spies as well as crossing the Jordan River. At the very least, encourage your group to read those chapters.

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This Week's Big Idea: The Date of the Exodus

This can be a nasty debate, although it really doesn’t have to be. Essentially, there are two schools of thought about the Exodus (well, three, if you count the theory that the Exodus was a myth, which I don’t): (1) the “Late Date”, which puts the Exodus around 1275 BC, and (2) the “Early Date”, which puts it around 1450. All of the other events in the timeline are the same; the difference is primarily the length of the rule of the judges. We don’t have much to go on in the Bible. The main data point is 1 Kings 6:1, which puts the Exodus 480 years before Solomon started building the Temple. Most scholars put that event between 966 and 957 BC, yielding a date of the Exodus at 1446 BC. The main objection to that date is the name “Rameses” in Exodus 1:11, a name that Egyptian records do not use until about 1300 (and thus would yield the late date). The common response is that the author of the book would have used the contemporary name of the city, not its name when the events actually happened, so that evidence is inconclusive. A second objection is the nature of the pharaohs of the time. The early date pharaoh, Amenhotep II, ruled at the very height of Egypt’s power. The late date pharaoh, Rameses II, was much weaker and thus a more likely candidate for such a colossal upheaval. The response to this data is that God would have deliberately chosen the strongest time in Egypt’s history to prove His power. Plus, Amenhotep’s successor was not his first-born son. Coincidence?

A third objection to the early date is the lack of archeological evidence of a major military campaign in Canaan before 1300. And after that date, there are very mixed evidences of cultures, destruction, and records. The response is usually that such findings do not contradict an early date; plus, there is strong evidence of a destruction layer in Jericho from before 1400.

I would ordinarily say that this isn’t a terribly big deal, that we simply don’t have enough information to make sure declarations. But here’s what seems to be going on. The early date has become associated with the conservative (inerrant) view of the Bible, and the late date has become associated with a more liberal view of the Bible. The evidence in the Bible points to the early date. The evidence in history points to the late date (so they say). Are we going to believe the Bible, or history (as if the two are at odds)? For that reason alone, I lean toward the early date. I’m always going to trust the Bible over an archeological dig. Archeology has a tendency to confirm the Bible as more discoveries are made, not reject it. I also find the evidence for the late date to be circumstantial and conditioned—certainly not strong enough to make me doubt a literal interpretation of 1 Kings 6:1. However, I’m also not going to lose any sleep over this date. Even the conservative Bible scholar acknowledges that there is a range of dates that could fit the timing (is 480 a “round number”?). It doesn’t change what happened in the book of Joshua, only when it happened. (By the way, the Exodus did happen. Just because we debate when it happened doesn’t mean it’s a myth.)

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Part 1: A New Leader (Josh 1:1-5)

After the death of Moses the Lord’s servant, the Lord spoke to Joshua son of Nun, who had served Moses: “Moses My servant is dead. Now you and all the people prepare to cross over the Jordan to the land I am giving the Israelites. I have given you every place where the sole of your foot treads, just as I promised Moses. Your territory will be from the wilderness and Lebanon to the great Euphrates River—all the land of the Hittites—and west to the Mediterranean Sea. No one will be able to stand against you as long as you live. I will be with you, just as I was with Moses. I will not leave you or forsake you

Joshua quite literally picks up where Deuteronomy left off. These words confirmed what Joshua already knew (Num 27 & Deut 31), but didn’t solve every problem. After all, God had said the same thing to Moses, and that hadn’t stopped the people from rebelling! There is no greater honor than being called the Lord’s servant (shared only with Abraham, David, and Jesus); the word used of Joshua means “aide”—only at the end of his life (Jos 24:29) was he called by the same word for servant as Moses. Being a servant of God is the first qualification for true biblical leadership.

Telling him “Moses is dead” is God’s way of forcing Joshua to turn the page. It’s a common literary technique (including movies); when someone has died, there’s no going back. The past is gone. But the future is still intact, and God’s promises haven’t changed. Essentially, God’s promise to His people (going back to Abraham) was threefold: (1) people/descendants, (2) land/nation, and (3) blessing to and through. Now, the promise of the land was literally before them.

from foundationsforfreedom.net

There is more than a little debate over the exact extent of the Promised Land. Do a Google search on it and you will find a crazy range (some very politically driven). Here’s a very plain map (that has the added benefit of giving us the geographical context for the start of the Bible!). Their land will extend south to the wilderness—certainly south of Beersheba and possibly all the way to the Red Sea as is claimed today. It will extend north to Lebanon, which includes the mountain range north of Damascus, containing a very lush and fertile valley, and the coast of the Phoenicians. It will extend east to the Euphrates. Now, this is misleading to us because we think in terms of rectangles. But in fact, David’s kingdom did extend to the Euphrates. And it will extend west to the Mediterranean. This was the same promise given to Moses (Deut 11:24). The reference to the Hittites (whose empire went through Turkey) is odd, but records show that Egypt called Palestine “Hittite country”. All of the people living in this territory were used to war, living in fortified cities, and formidable foes. But God’s promise, “I will never leave you nor forsake you” is repeated from Deut 31:6.

Aside: The Jordan River

We skip over the miraculous crossing of the Jordan in chapter 3. The Jordan is mentioned 197 times in the Bible, 70 times in Joshua. It’s the largest river in the region; just about everything around drains into the Jordan. Because rainfall is so scarce, it is just about the only source of agriculture. The various mountain streams collect into a river that flows through the Sea of Galilee (700 feet below sea level) and down the Jordan Valley. Nearly all of the major towns of the area are located somewhere near its flood plain. It was commonly used as a territory marker, and it also served as a line of defense: during the dry season, it still had a steady flow, and during the rainy season it varied unpredictably between major flood stage to complete cutoff due to landslides (by the way, this is how some scholars try to explain how the Israelites crossed the Jordan on dry land). During that period, it was not safe to go anywhere near the river. Crossing the Jordan would be like crossing the Rubicon—it would be a point of no return because there would be no escape.

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Part 2: A New Task (1:6)

Be strong and courageous, for you will distribute the land I swore to their fathers to give them as an inheritance.

This gets into the controversy I discuss more fully below. Distributing the land means taking it from the people who live there and killing them in the process. That seems harsh. But when we see the Israelites as a picture of the cosmic battle waged against God that is ultimately fulfilled in Jesus Christ, we should instead take from this a greater impetus to share the gospel with the people around us before they face God’s permanent judgment. These words echo Deut 31:7, 23. Knowing what they mean, we should take this promise very strongly. As I said before, the Israelites are about the invade the difficult terrain of a strong, well-entrenched, military populace. It will come with great hardship, sacrifice, and loss of life. But the goal is kept firmly in sight: the Promised Land. Promised by whom? Not Abraham. Not Moses. Not Joshua. By God.

The conditions and circumstances for us have changed today. We are no longer trying to conquer a territory by force. But the promise and the goal have not changed. We are still marching toward our promised home (Zion, but the new Zion—the new heavens and earth), and we are still conquering our enemies. But now we know that our enemies aren’t flesh and blood, but evil and demonic. Peter had more than a little to say about this in the pervious quarter, and you wouldn’t be remiss to remind your group what we learned last quarter! You might remember that I referenced Paul’s command to “be strong in the Lord” and to put on the full armor of God (Eph 6). When literally going to war, it might be easier to take such precautions seriously. But see if you can help your group understand that we go to war every day against an enemy far stronger than any army. We would be fools not to claim the promises and support of God Almighty, the only One who can defeat our enemy.

Aside: Controversy in Joshua

Joshua is one of the most controversial books in the Bible, not for its text but its content. Essentially, Joshua is the story of God commanding the Israelites to wipe out the indigenous people of the land God wanted for the Israelites. If you read enough anti-Christian literature, you will find this to be a regular theme: a real God wouldn’t command the murder of innocent children for no reason other than they lived in the wrong place. We covered this idea in 1/2 Samuel. Sometimes, the reasons for certain battles were fairly clear: those people were exceedingly wicked, or they were a clear and present danger to the Israelites. Sometimes we aren’t given the reason for the conquest other than they were in the Land.

For a Christian, we can accept the story (however grudgingly). The truth is that God sent His own children into slavery for 400 years to give those Canaanites time to repent of their wickedness and idolatry (remember what I said about the “iniquity of the Amorites” Gen 15:16). When they failed to repent, God brought His judgment upon them in the form of the Israelites. Whereas today we think of God’s judgment being carried out mostly in terms of the final, eternal judgment, we know that God has brought judgment in this life in the form of plagues, disasters, and war.

For a non-Christian, that explanation rings hollow, again usually going back to the idea of murdering “innocent” women and children. I don’t think you’ll ever be able to explain that to a non-Christian. The truth is that there are no innocents. Our existence is a testimony of God’s grace, but a non-Christian hates the idea of that accountability. 

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Part 3: A New Trust (1:7-9)

Above all, be strong and very courageous to carefully observe the whole instruction My servant Moses commanded you. Do not turn from it to the right or the left, so that you will have success wherever you go. This book of instruction must not depart from your mouth; you are to recite it day and night so that you may carefully observe everything written in it. For then you will prosper and succeed in whatever you do. Haven’t I commanded you: be strong and courageous? Do not be afraid or discouraged, for the Lord your God is with you wherever you go.

These words have bite. While it is God’s absolute promise that He will be with Joshua and will make Joshua succeed in all things, it is a conditional promise. The fact that even Moses was not allowed to enter the Promised Land because of his disobedience (Num 27) meant that God was equally serious about the conditions. The author of Joshua repeats a lot of things from the Pentateuch (in this case, Deut 11:24-25) in order to demonstrate that what Joshua led the people to do fulfilled God’s promise to Abraham, but it also reminds us of the major theme of the Law. The references here to “mouth” and “recite” refer to the common, ancient practice of repetition for memorization (“must not depart from” means “don’t forget”). Learn the Law. Do the Law. Be blessed. It’s a simple formula. The failure at Ai (Jos 7) will be a quick and stark confirmation of how this covenant would work. Verse 8 is the key verse to the whole book of Joshua. If the people would keep God’s instructions, God would bless them. The prophets and the New Testament then help us understand God’s plan to deal with the fact that we cannot keep His instructions. The word “instruction” is related to torah, which is the Hebrew word used to name the first five books of the Old Testament (the Pentateuch). There are laws scattered throughout those books, and I do think God refers to all of them here. If you want to obey them, you have to know them. But you have to know them so well that you don’t mess them up. That takes a lot of patient, careful study. How carefully do you study the Bible?

Importantly here, God speaks of prosperity and success. Our world has defined those terms in very selfish ways, but early Israel was all about community. Prosperity meant the good of the people, not just a few individuals. Joshua, as the new leader, represented the whole nation. As he succeeded, their joint goals would be met. And who could stand against God? What army could keep Him from victory? None. So don’t be afraid or timid.

Obviously, if you’re a leader tasked with critical and enormous decisions and risks (like Joshua), this sort of encouragement is indispensable. But what about the rest of us, whose decisions don’t affect the lives of millions? Well, everything here said to Joshua is just as true of us; all that’s changed is our understanding of the Law. Your leader guide pointed out that Heb 13:5 repeats the truth that God will never leave us or forsake us. And what’s the context of Hebrews 13? A new law. Have your group read it: show brotherly love, show hospitality, remember prisoners, respect marriage, don't love money, be satisfied with what you have, remember your leaders, don't be led astray. Phew! That looks like a list of laws to me. But realize that they are simply expressions of the true law: love God and love your neighbor. Those commands aren’t about how we feel—they are about action. Love means nothing if it doesn’t do something. So, do we want to be successful in life? We need to get to know Jesus so well through His Word (focusing on the New Testament) that we live the way He would live. Then we will conquer our true enemies—the powers that keep the people around us in despair and darkness—and achieve true victories—the spreading of the gospel of life. See? Not so different after all.

Closing Thoughts: Rahab and the Spies

One of my favorite episodes in the Bible is the somewhat odd tale of Rahab in Joshua 2. If you have time to bring it up with your group, feel free to do so. The symbolism is very rich (people have written some wild allegorical interpretations of it), and it sets up some very far-reaching themes in the Bible. Things to note. (1) Joshua sending spies was not a lack of trust in God but an expression of human responsibility. Trust and obey, as we sing, and Joshua wanted to do his part. (2) They went to a prostitute’s house because that would be the one place men could stay incognito. “Prostitute” and “innkeeper” were synonymous in that culture. Furthermore, by being on the city wall, they could escape quickly. (3) The word “stayed there” means “lay down” but does not have to mean “with a prostitute”. (4) Because most of the Canaanites were basically city-states, the leader of each city was its “king”. The fact that he found out about the spies implies that they were not as secretive as they should have been.

Here’s the critical question: why did Rahab harbor them? Her patriotic duty (a very big deal) was to turn them in. Instead, at great risk to her entire family, she hid them. Did she believe in God? Did she simply fear the Israelite army? Whatever the reason, Hebrews 11:31 lists her as a hero of the faith. (It’s possible that she is the same Rahab from Matt 1:5.)

There are two major truths I gather from this episode. (1) It is proof that God’s patience with the Canaanites had a purpose—here is at least one woman who repented and was saved. The Israelites didn’t wipe everybody out. (2) That “scarlet cord” sure is tantalizing. The image is so much like Passover (the blood on the doorpost, the command to stay at home)! However, the scarlet cord is not specifically mentioned anywhere else in the Bible. The spies thought they would be fighting house-to-house, which is why they asked for this sign. It’s a great question, though: what’s your “scarlet cord” in the face of God’s final judgment?