Wini's Sunday School lesson on Joshua 1

One of the prominent themes of the book of Joshua is the fulfillment of God’s promise to Abraham of a land for his offspring. Let’s look at that one of the passages where that promise is made: Gen. 15:12-21.

As the sun was setting, Abram fell into a deep sleep, and a thick and dreadful darkness came over him. Then the LORD said to him, “Know for certain that your descendants will be strangers in a country not their own, and they will be enslaved and mistreated four hundred years. But I will punish the nation they serve as slaves, and afterward they will come out with great possessions. You, however, will go to your fathers in peace and be buried at a good old age. In the fourth generation your descendants will come back here, for the sin of the Amorites has not yet reached its full measure.” When the sun had set and darkness had fallen, a smoking firepot with a blazing torch appeared and passed between the pieces. On that day the LORD made a covenant with Abram and said, “To your descendants I give this land, from the river of Egypt to the great river, the Euphrates— the land of the Kenites, Kenizzites, Kadmonites, Hittites, Perizzites, Rephaites, Amorites, Canaanites, Girgashites and Jebusites.”

Historically, Joshua records the establishment of Israel in the promised land. Theologically, it describes how God fulfills and remains true to his promises. It is also the story of how God, the sovereign Lord of the universe, metes out judgment on sin. Throughout the book God will remain the main actor, and we will learn much about his character and his ways.

Joshua is the bridge between the Pentateuch and the historical books of the OT. The transition from the Pentateuch to Joshua comes at the end of Deuteronomy, in Deut. 34:9 — "Now Joshua son of Nun was filled with the spirit of wisdom because Moses had laid his hands on him. So the Israelites listened to him and did what the LORD had commanded Moses."

The context of Joshua is formed by the opening words of the first verse of chapter 1: "After the death of Moses..."

A huge new chapter in the life of Israel is about to begin. They have a new leader. They are finally about to experience the fulfillment of God’s promise to Abraham regarding the Land.

Joshua 1:1-5

After the death of Moses the servant of the LORD, the LORD said to Joshua son of Nun, Moses’ aide: “Moses my servant is dead. Now then, you and all these people, get ready to cross the Jordan River into the land I am about to give to them—to the Israelites. I will give you every place where you set your foot, as I promised Moses. Your territory will extend from the desert to Lebanon, and from the great river, the Euphrates—all the Hittite country—to the Great Sea on the west. No one will be able to stand up against you all the days of your life. As I was with Moses, so I will be with you; I will never leave you nor forsake you.

At the end of Deuteronomy Moses publicly passed the torch of leadership on to Joshua, laying his hands on him in front of all Israel.

Deut. 34:9 says: “Joshua son of Nun was filled with the spirit of wisdom because Moses had laid his hands on him.” Now it is time for Joshua to take over that role. The Lord affirms him in his role by coming to him personally and saying: “Moses my servant is dead. Now then, you and all these people, get ready to cross the Jordan River into the land I am about to give to them—to the Israelites.

The Lord says the land they are about to enter is the land he had promised to Moses. God first promised the land to Abraham. He reaffirmed his patriarchal promise to Moses in Deut. 34:4. The reason for the mention of Moses in Josh. 1:3 is to emphasize Joshua’s position as successor to Moses in leading the people according to God’s plan. The continuity of Joshua’s service with that of Moses is stressed throughout this chapter.

The Land is a gift from God, but Israel, now by faith, has to claim the gift. “I will give you every place where you set your foot.” They must go out and take it for themselves. They will have to engage in battle, but they can expect victory through God’s support. They must fight according to God’s directions, and apportion the land according to his guidance. Victory will come because God promises to be present personally and powerfully. (v.5)

This promise is of the utmost importance to Joshua. Remember after the Golden Calf incident, the Lord said to Moses:

Ex. 33:3 Go up to the land flowing with milk and honey. But I will not go with you, because you are a stiff-necked people and I might destroy you on the way.”

But Moses plead with him: "Then Moses said to him, 'If your Presence does not go with us, do not send us up from here'" (Exod. 33:15), and the Lord relented.

The boundaries of the land are given in verse 4: The “wilderness” describes the southern and eastern boundaries of the land. The Lebanon and the Euphrates are the northern boundaries on both east and west. The Great Sea, the Mediterranean, marks the western boundary. The Hittite country most likely refers to Syria, where many Hittite groups settled after the fall of the Hittite empire about 1200 B.C.

These boundaries were never reached until David’s and Solomon’s days. The “conquest” would continue long after Joshua’s day.

Josh. 1:6-9 “Be strong and courageous, because you will lead these people to inherit the land I swore to their forefathers to give them. Be strong and very courageous. (1) Be careful to obey all the law my servant Moses gave you; (2) do not turn from it to the right or to the left, that you may be successful wherever you go. (3) Do not let this Book of the Law depart from your mouth; (4) meditate on it day and night, so that you may (5) be careful to do everything written in it. Then you will be prosperous and successful. Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous. (6) Do not be terrified; (7) do not be discouraged, for the LORD your God will be with you wherever you go.”

Question: Verse 9 might lead us to believe that Joshua was feeling very timid and afraid right now. The Lord commands him three times to be strong and courageous. What other commands are given here?

What would be the key to his finding courage and strength?

• Being ever mindful of God’s Word.
• Learning from it how to fight the battles.
• Obeying it.
• Never straying from it.

Question: What constituted the Book of the Law?

• Moral law
• Ceremonial law
• Social justice
• Government
• Warfare (e.g., Deut. 7)

The Lord commanded Joshua to keep his Word on his mind constantly so he would remember his responsibilities before God and find encouragement ot carry them out.

Josh. 1:10-11 So Joshua ordered the officers of the people: “Go through the camp and tell the people, ‘Get your supplies ready. Three days from now you will cross the Jordan here to go in and take possession of the land the LORD your God is giving you for your own.’”

The first step the Israelites must take in order to possess the Land is to cross the Jordan, so Joshua orders the officers of the people to take action; get ready, assemble your supplies. They have three days.

The journey of the Israelites began with a crossing. That first crossing was a flight from enemies. This second crossing is done with preparation. They are not fleeing an enemy, but are preparing to do battle. The supplies they are assembling are supplies for war.

This was to be a holy war. This war would be their action in faith to take the gift God had reserved for them.

John Lilley says:

“In the process, judgment fell on Canaan. (Lev. 18:25 Even the land was defiled; so I punished it for its sin, and the land vomited out its inhabitants. ) [also Gen. 15:16 that we read earlier]. This has often been felt as a moral difficulty, but there could be no other way until the New Covenant brought in a published gospel and the outpouring of the Holy Spirit; to this the whole OT was leading.”

Notice throughout this chapter (ch. 1 of Joshua) that the emphasis is on spiritual preparation, the real cause of victory, not on military preparedness. We don’t see any details about the nature of the supplies in v 10, though undoubtedly those supplies would have included weapons of war. Nor do we have any detail about the military strategy. The emphasis here is on spiritual preparedness...meditating on God’s Word; being ever mindful of it; obeying it; remembering and trusting in God’s promises; having faith in his constant presence.

Josh. 1:12-15 But to the Reubenites, the Gadites and the half-tribe of Manasseh, Joshua said,

“Remember the command that Moses the servant of the LORD gave you: ‘The LORD your God is giving you rest and has granted you this land.’ Your wives, your children and your livestock may stay in the land that Moses gave you east of the Jordan, but all your fighting men, fully armed, must cross over ahead of your brothers. You are to help your brothers until the LORD gives them rest, as he has done for you, and until they too have taken possession of the land that the LORD your God is giving them. After that, you may go back and occupy your own land, which Moses the servant of the LORD gave you east of the Jordan toward the sunrise.”

Question: Aside from added numbers militarily, why was it important for the tribes who had already settled east of the Jordan to join in on the conquest west of the Jordan?

Unity. “You are to help your brothers” (v.14). The two parts of Israel are to remain a unity.
God had given them the lands they now occupied. Under Moses’ leadership those lands were won in battle. It was there turn to help the other tribes gain their land.

Joshua’s leadership must be accepted by all of Israel if he is to be recognized as Moses’ successor. And so he appeals to them in the name of Moses, reminding them that this was Moses’ command. (See Deut. 3:18-20).

How do the Transjordanian tribes respond?

Josh. 1:16-18 Then they answered Joshua, “Whatever you have commanded us we will do, and wherever you send us we will go. Just as we fully obeyed Moses, so we will obey you. Only may the LORD your God be with you as he was with Moses. Whoever rebels against your word and does not obey your words, whatever you may command them, will be put to death. Only be strong and courageous!”

Just as we fully obeyed Moses, so we will obey you, they say. Joshua may not have been very reassured by this statement. Israel had certainly not always listened to or obeyed Moses. They had often rebelled against him. Nonetheless, they had respected him and acknowledged him as their leader, and they always looked to him to plead with God on their behalf to get them out of their difficulties. So this statement shows that they now accept Joshua as their new leader.

And this pledge of loyalty guarantees a united front as Joshua prepares to possess the Land - their inheritance.

Verse 18 shows that they were serious about their commitment and would impose accountability upon themselves. This punishment actually took place in the case of Achan (Josh. 7).

And finally they bless Joshua, echoing The Lord’s own words to him: "Only be strong and courageous!”

Conclusion

In conclusion let us think about the concept of “rest” as found in Joshua, and how it applies to the Christian.

Question: What is the “rest” that is promised in vv. 13 and 15?

The people crossed the Jordan and entered their rest, however it is not rest in the sense of freedom from conflict, but in contrast to journeying. Even after the seven-year conquest there was still much land that the Israelites had to take from the Canaanites and possess (13:1). Rather this rest was the entrance into and initial participation in the inheritance the Lord had promised his people.

In Christian experience the crossing of the Jordan parallels the believer’s entrance into and enjoyment of eternal life now through Jesus Christ. We have entered salvation rest by faith in the person and work of Christ. We are no longer journeying, wandering, searching for allusive peace and rest.

Heb. 4 speaks of the fact that Israel’s entering Canaan under Joshua was only a partial and temporary entering of God’s rest. He continued to issue an invitation to them to enter his rest. As Hebrews points out, that rest is entered by faith in the work of Jesus, God’s Son.

Heb. 4:8-10 For if Joshua had given them rest, God would not have spoken later about another day. There remains, then, a Sabbath-rest for the people of God; for anyone who enters God’s rest also rests from his own work, just as God did from his.

As believers we have entered salvation rest, but on the way to eternity and our final rest we still face conflicts, just as Israel did. We struggle against our own sin, and (to quote Paul) “against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms...” (Eph. 6:12).

We need strength and courage. What is the source of our strength and courage? God’s Word.
The teachings of Moses as found in the Book of the Law would show the tribes how to take the land and how to live in it.

For us to gain victory over our spiritual enemies, like Israel we must meditate on God’s word, learning what God requires, maintaining an awareness of it at all times, being consistently obedient to it in our daily experience remembering and trusting in God’s promises, and having faith in his constant presence.

Concluding Application

Throughout the book of Joshua, God is one of the main actors.

Question: What do we learn about the character of God in chapter one?

1. He is sovereign
2. He fulfills his promises
3. He requires obedience
4. He is always with us
5. He chooses the right person for the right task.