Journey through Joshua

[OracleX]

As I read my Bible there is a color system that I use to underline those verses that stand out to me.  All the verses that I quote will be in NASB and will use this color system.  Warning, Gods promises or attributes, salvation, commands and hope and encouragement.  Green and purple tend to be the same at times as Gods promises and attributes so often do bring us hope and encouragement.

The Book of Joshua

1:5-9  "No man will be able to stand before you all the days of your life. Just as I have been with Moses, I will be with you; I will not fail you or forsake you. Be strong and courageous, for you shall give this people possession of the land which I swore to their fathers to give them. Only be strong and very courageous; be careful to do according to all the law which Moses My servant commanded you; do not turn from it to the right or to the left, so that you may have success wherever you go. This book of the law shall not depart from your mouth, but you shall meditate on it day and night, so that you may be careful to do according to all that is written in it; for then you will make your way prosperous, and then you will have success. Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous! Do not tremble or be dismayed, for the LORD your God is with you wherever you go."
Three times God commands them to be strong and courageous.  God also commands them to meditate on His Word day and night so that we may be careful to do all that is written.  With our mighty God, what do we have to fear?

1:16  "All that you have commanded us we will do, and wherever you send us we will go."
A popular verse used for those on missions.

2:11b  "... for the LORD your God, He is God in heaven above and on earth beneath."
The women that helped the spies had heard of the God of Isreal and knew that He was the God and wanted to help those sent by him.

3:10  Joshua said, "By this you shall know that the living God is among you, and that He will assuredly dispossess from before you the Canaanite, the Hittite, the Hivite, the Perizzite, the Girga****e, the Amorite, and the Jebusite.""
The way God would show His promise that He was among them.

Chapter 6 is the story where Jericho falls to the shouts and trumpets of Isreal.

 

[OracleX]

Things have been for the most parts history of wars up to chapter 9 so there are not really any quotes to come out. Not to say that they are not important, they are actually quite interesting to see how they waged war and also the results of sin in chapter 7. One persons sin caused the failure of the whole camp. There was one thing that caught my attention at the end of chapter 8 though.

8:34,35
"Then afterward he read all the words of the law, the blessing and the curse, according to all that is written in the book of the law. There was not a word of all that Moses had commanded which Joshua did not read before all the assembly of Israel with the women and the little ones and the strangers who were living among them."
You see a few verses like this throughout the OT that mention the reading of the Word to the people. And it is not just a little bit but all of it. Have you ever noticed how people get figity in church when the service goes long? How about sitting for as long as it took to read all that Moses had commanded? Could you sit and listen to someone read a book of the Bible to you from begining to end? Could you imagine doing that with your children with you? It seems that in our fast paced socity that everything needs to go quicker and be condensed. It would be a shame if we allowed our church services to go the same way, wouldn't it?

 

[OracleX]

For the most part chapters 9 to 21 have been wars and spliting up of the land. The records of the wars are interesting. The manner in which they took cities, how the Lord in some battles killed more of the enemy than Isreal did with the sword. Couldn't imagine what it would have been like to be fighting a war then see their God start to fight for them by raining hail stones on their war parties. Many times they are commanded not to fear as the Lord will fight with and for them. The other interesting thing was that most of their battles were very quick. Many of the wars were fought and won in a day or two - others do not say. It is also see that after the land was taken that it says that the land rested in peace.

21:45 "Not one of the good promises which the LORD had made to the house of Israel failed; all came to pass."
God will not fail to follow through with what He has promised. I like the wording, 'not one' then followed up with 'all.' God does not fail, ever.

 

[OracleX]

Sorry for the delay ... haven't stopped reading but have been sick and haven't been able to post.

In Joshua 21 there is a interesting story of a misunderstanding and the resolving of it. It shows both some good and some bad things that happen in a misunderstanding.

23:6 "Be very firm, then, to keep and do all that is written in the book of the law of Moses, so that you may not turn aside from it to the right hand or to the left"
Joshua is reminding the people not to forget what has been taught to us as if we do we can turn from God.

23:8 "But you are to cling to the LORD your God, as you have done to this day."
Cling to God. I like the wording. Stick to Him. And the second part of the verse 'as you have done this day,' we can compare to when we accept Christ. Cling to Chirst as strong as you did when you accepted Him as Lord and Savior.

23:11 "So take diligent heed to yourselves to love the LORD your God."
This is a reminder that it is not easy. Just like any relationship we have here on earth, our relationship with God takes time and effort. Joshua here is reminding the people to be diligent in loving God, being diligent in their relationship with God.

24:15,16 "If it is disagreeable in your sight to serve the LORD, choose for yourselves today whom you will serve: whether the gods which your fathers served which were beyond the River, or the gods of the Amorites in whose land you are living; but as for me and my house, we will serve the LORD. The people answered and said, "Far be it from us that we should forsake the LORD to serve other gods.""
This is a popular verse. Choose this day who you will serve. Will you choose God? Choose this day as you may not have another. The other interesting thing here is that Joshua says that 'for me and my house' that we choose God. As men of God and fathers and husbands we need to choose for our family. We can not make their decision for them but we can choose what will go on in our house and choose to raise it to Gods glory.

 

[OracleX]

Well that is the end of Joshua. There is a lot of history in there but there are some great gems of truth that we can apply to our lives in there too. Please comment on anything that I didn't mention or that you want to discuss.

 

[Bsign24]

I've read the Book of Joshua, many times also.  And it amazes me how God's mighty hand would be on Israel despite their stubborness and sin.  But their is one thing that disturbs me about Joshua, the fact that God uses warfare to get His people settled in the land.  I mean God could have easily drove the Cannanite nations out by other means: change of climate, famine, plague, etc.  My question is why would God use war, since God forbids that people kill each other.



I'm pretty sure what the answer is, but if you could, tell me what think.  Send a PM or reply to this posy.

 

[OracleX]

OK I have done a bit of reading this is what I have found so far.

The taking of the promise land was a 'holy war' as the land was given to Isreal by divine convenat of God.  Anyone who was in the land that defended it against Isreal was tresspassing in a sacred land that belonged to God's people.  They incurred the divine wrath.  Because of this, the complete destrution of of the enemies of Isreal was necessary and was done with a great umph when the people in the land were pagan and morally corrupt, which most of them were.

When Isreal came across enemy cities that were in the promise land, they were to completly destroy them, a practice known as 'the ban.'  I looked in to the ban and this is what I found.  "Religious practice wherby those hostile to God are devoted to destruction.  It is especially associated with Isreal's wartime tactics involving the total destruction of the Cannaanites because of their wickedness and abominable practices."  This speaks closely to the wars that were in Joshua. They were going up against wicked nations that were corrupt and wicked.  To leave them alive would cause the polution of Isreal.

Not destroying all the inhabinants of the land was actually a good part of Isreals down fall.  They did not purge the land of the wickedness and so it worked its way through Isreal until it was just as bad and in some cases worse than the nations they were to destroy.  The complete destruction was for their protection.  It was to help them stay a pure and holy nation before God.  But they failed in this as they allowed cities and nations to go undestroyed.

You can read the effects of this in Judges.  Hope you have a strong stomach though, they did some really awful things.

Hope this helps.

 

[Bsign24]

Thanks, Oracle X, I appreciate the info. I kind of had an idea that was the case; I just wanted some confirmation. God bless.