Book of Joshua

Author: The Book of Joshua does not explicitly name its author. More than likely Joshua the son of Nun, the successor of Moses as leader over Israel, penned much of this book. The latter part of the book was written by at least one other person after the death of Joshua. It is also possible that several sections were edited / compiled following Joshua's death.

Date of Writing: The Book of Joshua was likely written between 1400 and 1370 B.C.

Purpose of Writing: The Book of Joshua provides an overview of the military campaigns to conquer the land area that God had promised. Following the exodus from Egypt and the subsequent forty years of the wilderness wonderings, the newly formed nation is now poised to enter the Promised Land, conquer the inhabitants and occupy the territory. The overview that we have here gives abbreviated and selective details of many of the battles and the manner in which the land was not only conquered, but how it was divided into tribal areas.

Key Verses: Joshua 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. 7 Be strong and very courageous. Be careful to obey all the law my servant Moses gave you; do not turn from it to the right or to the left, that you may be successful wherever you go. Do not let this Book of the Law depart from your mouth; meditate on it day and night, so that you may be careful to do everything written in it. Then you will be prosperous and successful. Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be terrified; do not be discouraged, for the LORD your God will be with you wherever you go."

Joshua 24:14-15, "Now fear the LORD and serve him with all faithfulness. Throw away the gods your forefathers worshiped beyond the River and in Egypt, and serve the LORD. But if serving the LORD seems undesirable to you, then choose for yourselves this day whom you will serve, whether the gods your forefathers served beyond the River, or the gods of the Amorites, in whose land you are living. But as for me and my household, we will serve the LORD."

Brief Summary: The twenty-four chapter divisions of the Book of Joshua can be summarized as follows.

Chapter 1: Provides the commissioning of Joshua and the Lord’s instruction and encouragement.

Chapter 2: The spies enter Jericho and are hidden by Rahab the harlot.

Chapters 3 and 4: The crossing of the Jordan River on dry ground, a miracle reminiscent of the early parting of the Red Sea, which the ancestors of this generation of Israelites had experienced. A memorial was established to aid future generations to remember God’s faithfulness.

Chapter 5: The ceremonial ritual of male circumcision was reestablished. The supply of manna ends, and the people eat food that was the produce of Canaan. At the end of the chapter the Lord appears to Joshua with further instruction on God’s methods of conquering the land.

Chapter 6: The Lord continues His instructions. Jericho falls as the people under those instructions march around the city.

Chapter 7: Sin is in the camp, and as a result several men die in minor battle for Ai. The camp is purged of sin by the execution of a man named Achan (the sinner) and his family.

Chapter 8: The defeat of Ai, as the people once again follows God’s precise instructions.

Chapter 9: Trickery perpetrated by some of the land’s occupants and their subsequent enslavement.

Chapter 10: Further victories as the Lord throws enemy armies into confusion. It is also in this chapter that the miracle of the stopping of the earth’s revolution occurs.

Chapters 11 and 12: A lengthy list of battles and of areas conquered.

Chapters 13-19: The allotment of the land by tribes and by families. Here we also find the tragic statements that in may cases Israel did not drive out and destroy the godless people living in the land.

Chapter 20: The establishments of the cities of refuge.

Chapter 21: Further details on the allotment of the land.

Chapter 22: A near disaster is adverted through Godly confrontation and Spirit-led intervention.

Chapters 23 and 24: Joshua is advanced in years. He recounts the faithfulness of Jehovah God to Israel, and admonishes them to live in obedience to God’s law. Joshua dies at the age of 110.

Practical Application: Joshua is a prime example of the benefits of a worthy mentor. For years he remained close to Moses. He watched Moses as he followed God in an almost flawless manner. He learned to pray in a personal way from Moses. He learned how to obey through the example of Moses. Joshua apparently also learned from the negative example that cost Moses from actually entering the Promised Land.

If you are alive, you are a mentor. Someone, somewhere, is watching you. Some younger person or someone that you are influencing is seeing how you live and how you react. Someone is learning from you. Someone will follow your example.

Mentoring is far more than the words that are spoken by the mentor. His or her entire life is on display. How do you measure up today? How worthy are you to be a person worth imitating? How carefully and fearfully are you living with this awesome privilege and responsibility?

Recommended Resources: Joshua, New International Commentary on the Old Testament by Martin Woudstra.
Joshua: Holman Old Testament Commentary by Kenneth Gangel.
Joshua, New American Commentary by David Howard.

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Book of Joshua