Lesson 7 Joshua

The Book of Conquest

A. Introduction to the Historical Books

Joshua is the first book that is not part of the first five Books
of Moses, sometimes referred to as the Torah or the
Pentateuch. It is the first of the historical books in the Old
Testament of which there are twelve. The following chart
will help to visualize the
relationship of the historical books to each other.
 The following chart will help to visualize the
relationship of the historical books to each other.
B. What do we know about Joshua?

1. He was the son of Nun of the tribe of Ephraim (Num. 13:8).

2. His name was changed from Hosea (salvation) to Joshua (Jehovah

is salvation) by Moses (Num. 13:16).

3. He was a warrior who fought on Moses’ behalf against Amalek

(Ex. 17:8-16).

4. He was not involved in idol worship (Ex. 32:17). 5. He was faithful

to Moses and to the Lord (Ex. 33:11).
Moses took his tent and pitched it outside the camp, far from the camp, and called it the
tabernacle of meeting. And it came to pass that everyone who sought the LORD went out
to the tabernacle of meeting which was outside the camp. 8 So it was, whenever Moses
went out to the tabernacle, that all the people rose, and each man stood at his tent door
and watched Moses until he had gone into the tabernacle. 9And it came to pass, when
Moses entered the tabernacle, that the pillar of cloud descended and stood at the door of
the tabernacle, and the LORD talked with Moses. 10All the people saw the pillar of cloud
standing at the tabernacle door, and all the people rose and worshiped, each man in his
tent door. 11So the LORD spoke to Moses face to face, as a man speaks to his friend. And
he would return to the camp, but his servant Joshua the son of Nun, a young man, did not
depart from the tabernacle.

Exodus 33:7-11
6. He was one of the twelve spies that went into the land (Num. 13:8).
7. He was a man of faith (Num. 14:6, 30, 38).
8. He was a man of the Spirit (Num. 27:18-22).
9. He was God’s choice to replace Moses (Num. 34:17).
10. He was accepted as God’s choice by the people (Deut. 34:9).

Now Joshua the son of Nun was full of the spirit of wisdom, for Moses had laid his hands
on him; so the children of Israel heeded him, and did as the LORD had commanded Moses.
Deuteronomy 34:9
C. How did Joshua compare to Moses?
D. How do the Books of the Pentateuch prepare for the Book of Joshua?

1. Genesis gives us the Promise of the Land.

2. Exodus gives us the Leaving for the Land.
3. Leviticus gives us Laws for Living in the Land.
4. Numbers gives us Wanderings Outside of the Land.
5. Deuteronomy gives us Preparation for Receiving the Land.

Note the previous promises of God concerning the land:

• To Abraham (Genesis 12:1-3; 15:18)
• To Isaac (Genesis 22:26)
• To Jacob (Genesis 28:32)
• To All of Israel (Exodus 23:31; Numbers 34:1-15)
• To Joshua and the New Generation (Joshua 1:4)

Read Joshua 1:1-9

E. What is a simple outline of the Book of Joshua?

1. The Entrance into the Promised Land (Joshua 1-4).

2. The Preparation for Conquest of the Land (Joshua 5).
3. The Conquest of the Land (Joshua 6-13:7).
4. The Division of the Land (Joshua 13:7-22).
5. The Joshua’s Farewell and Conditions for Continued Possession
(Joshua 23- 24).
F. What is the main theme of the Book of Joshua?

The main theme in the Book of Joshua is Conquest. It presents to us the natural process of possessing God’s promised
inheritance. It should be noted that there is a difference between “inheritance” and “possession.”

1. Inheritance is “that which is given by promise to one’s heirs” (Josh. 11:23). It is that over which someone
has legal right.
2. Possession is “that part which is actually claimed or appropriated. In this case that part which was actually
taken by force, if necessary, and occupied (Josh. 21:43-45).

So the LORD gave to Israel all the land of which He had sworn to give to their fathers, and they took
possession of it and dwelt in it. The LORD gave them rest all around, according to all that He had sworn to
their fathers. And not a man of all their enemies stood against them; the LORD delivered all their enemies
into their hand. Not a word failed of any good thing which the LORD had spoken to the house of Israel. All
came to pass.

Joshua 21:43-45
F. What is the main theme of the Book of Joshua?

The main theme in the Book of Joshua is Conquest. It presents to us the natural process of possessing God’s promised
inheritance. It should be noted that there is a difference between “inheritance” and “possession.”

3. God has promised us an inheritance in Christ, but we must possess that inheritance,
because there a spiritual enemy who will contest it.
G. How did they position themselves for conquest in the Book of Joshua?

If the Children of Israel were to possess their inheritance three things needed to be in order.

1. They had to possess their inheritance in proper relationship to the Lord. This involved three things:

• Celebration of Passover (5:10-11)

• Circumcision of the New Generation (5:1-5)
• The Ark of the Covenant (Presence of the Lord) Leading the Way (3:11)

2. They had to possess their inheritance in proper relationship to each other. They came out harnessed, by ranks of five,
in battle array with everyone in their place (Ex. 13:18 with Joshua 1:14).

3. They had to possess their inheritance in proper relationship to the leadership. God’s
chain of command was the same as it had been with Moses.

• God spoke to Joshua (1:1; 5:13-15).

• Joshua spoke to the officers of the people (1:10).
• The officers spoke to the people (1:11).
H. What were the main events covered in the Book of Joshua?

1. God commissions Joshua and gives him orders to cross Jordan (1:1-18).
2. Joshua sends spies into Jericho who are preserved by Rahab (2:1-24).
3. Israel crosses over Jordan (3:1-17).
4. Israel sets up twelve memorial stones from the Jordan (4:1-24).
5. The second generation is circumcised (5:1-2).
6. Joshua encounters the Commander of the Lord’s army (5:13-15).
7. Jericho is taken (6:1-26).
8. Achan sins and Israel fails at Ai (7:1-26).
9. Israel takes Ai and covenant is reestablished (8:1-35).
10. The land of Canaan is generally subdued (9-13:7)
11. The land is divided and allotted to the various tribes (13:8-19:51).
12. The cities of refuge and the cities of the Levites are set up (20-21).

Note: Six cities of refuge were set up, three on either side of the Jordan to provide sanctuary for people who may have
killed someone by accident. They needed protection from the “avenger of blood,” a near relative who would have
considered it
H. What were the main events covered in the Book of Joshua?

Note: Six cities of refuge were set up, three on either side of the Jordan to provide sanctuary for people who may have
killed someone by accident. They needed protection from the “avenger of blood,” a near relative who would have
considered it his duty to avenge the death of his kin. A judge would determine if such refuge was appropriate in such a
case.
13. Joshua gives his farewell address and reaffirms the covenant (22-24:28).

I have given you a land for which you did not labor, and cities which you did not build, and you dwell in them; you eat of
the vineyards and olive groves which you did not plant.’ “Now therefore, fear the LORD, serve Him in sincerity and in truth,
and put away the gods which your fathers served on the other side of the River and in Egypt. Serve the LORD! 15 And if it
seems evil to you to serve the LORD, choose for yourselves this day whom you will serve, whether the gods which your
fathers served that were on the other side of the River, or the gods of the Amorites, in whose land you dwell. But as for me
and my house, we will serve the LORD.”
Joshua 24:13-15

14. Joshua and Eleazar the priest die (24:29-33).

I. Were there any failures on the Book of Joshua?
The book of Joshua is a book with some high and some lows.

1. Some of the highs (reflecting God’s faithfulness) include:

a. The miraculous opening of the Jordan river (Josh. 3:1-17)

b. Rahab gets out of Canaan and into the godly line (Josh. 18-21; Matt. 1:5)
c. The miraculous collapse of the walls of Jericho (Josh. 6:1-27)
d. God fought for Israel with hailstones from heaven (Josh. 10:11)
e. The miraculous standing still of the sun (Josh. 10:1-15)
f. Caleb receives his mountain and kills his giants (Josh. 14:6-15; 15:13-19)
g. The Tabernacle was set up in Shiloh (Josh. 18:1).
h. God fulfilled His promises to them (Josh. 21:45; 23:14).
I. Were there any failures on the Book of Joshua?
The book of Joshua is a book with some high and some lows.

2. Some of the lows (reflecting man’s weakness) include:

a. Israel failed on their first attempt to take Ai because they presumed and underestimated the enemy (Josh. 7:2-5).

Lesson: Presumption leads to failure. Self-confidence spells defeat.

b. Achan disobeyed and caused the rest of Israel to suffer (Josh. 7:1, 10-12).

Lesson: Disobedience always brings disaster

I. Were there any failures on the Book of Joshua?
The book of Joshua is a book with some high and some lows.
c. Israel only experienced incomplete victory by leaving some strongholds in tact (Josh. 15:63; 16:10; 17:12-13; 23:9-13).

Lesson: Incomplete victory eventually brings a snare (See also: Ex. 23:33; 34:12; Deut. 7:16).

9. For the LORD has driven out from before you great and strong nations; but as for you, no one has been able to stand
against you to this day.
10. One man of you shall chase a thousand, for the LORD your God is He who fights for you, as He promised you.
11. Therefore take careful heed to yourselves, that you love the LORD your God.
12. Or else, if indeed you do go back, and cling to the remnant of these nations—these that remain among you—and
make marriages with them, and go in to them and they to you,
13. know for certain that the LORD your God will no longer drive out these nations from before you. But they shall be
snares and traps to you, and scourges on your sides and thorns in your eyes, until you perish from this good land which
the LORD your God has given you.

Joshua 23:9-13