Introduction to Joshua

24 chapters

1. Author and Time of Writing

The entire book does not mention that Joshua is the author. And yet, the Jews have since long considered Joshua as the author. The Talmud says that Joshua has written the book except for the last few verses (Joshua 24:29-33), which Phinehas shall have added.

In Joshua 24:26, we read: "And Joshua wrote these words in the book of the law of God"; that is, he wrote a document that he added to the book of the law that Moses had given the people. This hint and the fact that the description of an eyewitness marks many events emphasizes the authorship of Joshua (compare chapters 6:25 and 15:63).

Joshua (his name means "Jehovah is salvation") was well qualified to become Moses' successor in the land of Canaan. When still a young man, Joshua stood by the side of Moses, fought with Amalek (Ex. 17:9), went up to Mount Horeb with Moses (Ex. 24:13), went to Canaan as one of the twelve spies (Num. 13) and was finally called to be Moses' successor by Divine appointment (Num. 27:18ff; Deut. 31:1-8).

The book of Joshua describes the time from the entrance into Canaan (around 1406 BC) until Joshua's death about ten years later.

2. Purpose of Writing

The book of Joshua describes the passing through Jordan, the Canaanites' conquest, and the country's distribution among the twelve tribes. Israel received the promised land according to God's promise to Abraham (Gen. 13:14-17; 15:7.16). But the people needed obedience and energy of faith for it.

In this story, we see figuratively how the believers appropriate God's blessings by the power of the Holy SpiritThe Holy Spirit is God, a divine person in the Trinity of God; in the Old Testament, the Holy Spirit works, for example, in creation or on individuals. The Holy... More. In the river Jordan, we not only see a picture of Christ's death and resurrection for the saint (as in the Red Sea) but also the believer's rising together with ChristA title of the Lord Jesus, which is also used as an epithet; Messiah (Hebrew) and Christ (Greek) mean "anointed one". The title refers to the fact that Jesus is... More (Eph. 2:6; Col. 3:1). Canaan is a picture of the spiritual blessings in the heavenliesExpression from Ephesians 1:3 for the riches/blessings that a Christian has through his relationship with Jesus Christ. In Christ, every believer already has a place in the heavenly world. The... More (Eph. 1:3). Therefore the battles between Israel and the heathen Canaanites are a picture of the Christian's battle against the spiritual powers of wickedness in the heavenliesExpression from Ephesians 1:3 for the riches/blessings that a Christian has through his relationship with Jesus Christ. In Christ, every believer already has a place in the heavenly world. The... More (Eph. 6:12). We may see out of this that the book of Joshua corresponds to the Epistle to the Ephesians in the New Testament.

3. Peculiarities

a) The Extermination of the Canaanites

To many Bible readers, the general command of Jehovah to Israel to exterminate all Canaanites causes real difficulties, for it appears to be cruel and incomprehensible.

In Gen. 15:16, God had already said to Abraham: "For the iniquity of the Amorites is not yet full." The Amorites were one of the leading nations of Canaan. The idolatry of the Canaanites with their idols Baal ("Lord"), Moloch ("King"), and Astaroth ("Spouse") was linked with dreadful moral excesses such as child offering and prostitution. And yet God showed graceTo the one who earns something through performance, the reward is not according to grace but according to debt (Rom. 4:4). Grace is a favor that is not given by... More towards these nations for more than 400 years. But once Israel came to live in Canaan, the extermination of these idolatrous nations was a necessary spiritual task. On the one hand, God used Israel to punish the ungodliness of these nations. On the other hand, this was the only way to preserve the people of God from defilement and from taking over these sinful customs. Israel became God's instrument, so to say, to fulfill His moral goals (Sodom and Gomorra likewise had been exterminated by God for the same reason - but without human intervention). The disobedience of Israel in this respect, unfortunately, let idolatry creep in amongst the people of God. - The Christian likewise is called to exterminate every evil out of his life (1 Cor. 5:7; 2 Cor. 7:1; Col. 3:5; 2 Tim. 2:21).

b.) The Long Day in Joshua 10:7-14

While in battle against the Amorites, Jehovah made the sun and moon stand still for one day upon the request of Joshua until he had defeated the enemies. At the same time, great hailstones fell from heaven. Different explanations for these miracles have been given:

• Some expositors wrongly think it was only an apparent prolongation of a day on which the Israelites (who did not have clocks or watches) achieved a performance they would have needed much longer under normal circumstances. Then, the miracle would only have been psychological, and the hailstorm would have helped them.
• We find ancient reports from China, India, and Egypt mentioning a very long day. And in the legends of Indians in South America, we see reports of a very long night. If the hailstones consisted of genuine stones, one could be thinking of a cosmic catastrophe by which the rotation of the earth was slowed down or changed so that there was a day on which the sun shone for a longer time than usual (while it was night on the other side of the globe).

If we believe the entire Word of God to be inspired, there is no doubt whether God has wrought this miracle. Unbelievably, the Creator and Sustainer of all things cannot fulfill such a miracle. "Whatsoever the Lord pleased, that did he in heaven, and earth, in the seas, and all deep places." (PsalmPsalm simply means "song." In the Old Testament, this word only occurs in connection with the Psalms of David and the Book of Psalms. Singers sang a psalm with instrumental... More 135:6)

c.) Gilgal

One remarkable characteristic of the book of Joshua is the continuous return of the people to Gilgal, the place of circumcisionThe rite of circumcision is the sign of God's covenant with Abraham and his descendants (Genesis 17: 1-14). The act represented the keeping of the covenant and separation from God.... More. At the circumcisionThe rite of circumcision is the sign of God's covenant with Abraham and his descendants (Genesis 17: 1-14). The act represented the keeping of the covenant and separation from God.... More in Canaan, the abominationAbomination refers to something despicable in God’s eyes. This can be actions (e.g., abominations, see Leviticus 18:27), character traits (e.g., arrogance, see Luke 16:15), objects (e.g., idols, see Deuteronomy 7:26... More of Egypt was shifted off to Israel. Phil. 3:3 and Col. 3:5-11 explain the spiritual meaning of circumcisionThe rite of circumcision is the sign of God's covenant with Abraham and his descendants (Genesis 17: 1-14). The act represented the keeping of the covenant and separation from God.... More for the Christian in the New Testament.

The return to Gilgal signifies daily anew the practical realization of the fact that the sinful fleshThe term "flesh" is used in different meanings in the Bible: a) as an expression of physicality or humanity, which is inextricably linked to our life on earth. Examples: “the... More of the believer (who has been raised with ChristA title of the Lord Jesus, which is also used as an epithet; Messiah (Hebrew) and Christ (Greek) mean "anointed one". The title refers to the fact that Jesus is... More) has no right to exist anymore. Compare Joshua

4. Overview of Contents

1. Joshua 1-12: The Conquest of the Land of Canaan

Chapters 1 - 5: The Passage of the Jordan

• Chapter 1 Joshua, the New Leader of Israel

• Chapter 2 Rahab and the Two Spies

• Chapter 3 The Passage of the Jordan

• Chapter 4 Setting Up of the Memorial Stones

• Chapter 5 CircumcisionThe rite of circumcision is the sign of God's covenant with Abraham and his descendants (Genesis 17: 1-14). The act represented the keeping of the covenant and separation from God.... More at Gilgal and Celebrating the PassoverPassover is translated as "sparing, passing by". It refers, on the one hand, to the Passover feast itself and, on the other, to the sacrifice, the Passover lamb (a foreshadowing... More

Chapters 6-12: The Conquest of the Land of Canaan

• Chapter 6 Taking of Jericho

• Chapter 7 The SinThe Bible carefully differentiates between sin and sins. • Sin: the evil power at work in man that causes him to engage in sinful activities (Rom 7:17, 18). God pronounced... More of Achan and its Consequences

• Chapter 8 Ai is Taken; the AltarPlace of sacrifice, i.e., place where a sacrifice is made. The Old Testament knows both the personal erection and use of an altar (usually made of earth or stones) and... More on Mount Ebal

• Chapter 9 The Ruse of the Gibeonites

• Chapter 10 Defeat of the Kings in the South of Canaan

• Chapter 11 Defeat of the Kings in the North of Canaan

• Chapter 12 Enumerating of the Defeated Kings on Either Side of Jordan

2. Joshua 13-22: Distribution of the Country among the Twelve Tribes

• Chapter 13 The Commission of God and the Two Tribes and a Half

• Chapter 14 Caleb Receives Hebron as an Inheritance

• Chapter 15 Inheritance of the Tribe of Judah

• Chapter 16-17 Inheritance of the Sons of Joseph (Ephraim and Manasseh)

• Chapter 18 The TabernacleThe Tabernacle is sometimes also called “the tent of meeting” or “the tent of testimony.” This was the place recognized by God where he dwelt among his people and wanted... More is Set Up at Shiloh; Inheritance of the Tribe of Benjamin

• Chapter 19 Inheritance of the Tribe of Simeon, Zebulon, Issachar, Asher, Naphtali and Dan

• Chapter 20: The Six Cities of Refuge for the Slayer

• Chapter 21 The 48 Cities for the Levites

• Chapter 22 Returning of the Two Tribes and a Half: the AltarPlace of sacrifice, i.e., place where a sacrifice is made. The Old Testament knows both the personal erection and use of an altar (usually made of earth or stones) and... More on the Other Side of Jordan

3. Joshua 23-24: The End of Joshua's Life

• Chapter 23 Joshua's Exhortation to the Elders, Heads, and Judges

• Chapter 24 Joshua's Covenant with the People at Shechem and His Death