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CHAPTER 23:
This chapter is the first of two of Joshua’s farewell addresses to the nation. He is now 110 years old (Joshua 24:29), which means that approximately three decades have passed since Israel entered the promised land. Though scripture doesn’t say for certain, it is reasonable to infer that Caleb and Joshua are approximately the same age, and since Caleb was 85 years old at the conclusion of the conquest and the start of the division of land among the tribes (Joshua 14:10), that means Joshua was also about the same age. Furthermore, because of Caleb’s earlier statement to Joshua in that same chapter (v.7), we know that the conquest of Canaan took about 7 years. Therefore, it’s been about 32 years since Israel first entered the promised land to begin their campaign of conquering and settlement. Verse 1 affirms that God has “…given rest unto Israel from all their enemies round about…”, and now Joshua is on his deathbed. Just as Moses had done prior to his passing of the leadership mantle to Joshua, Joshua now summons all the men of Israel to give them one last exhortation and warning. He begins by reminding them of how God fought for them during the military campaigns thus far (v.3), but that there still remains land and nations to be conquered. (v.4) Joshua exhorts the men of Israel to continue the conquest, that God “…shall expel them from before you, and drive them from out of your sight…”. (v.5) But that will only open if Israel is faithful to the covenant that God made with their fathers via the law given to them by Moses. “…turn not aside therefrom to the right hand or to the left…”. (v.6) He warns them not to mingle with those heathen nations whom God has condemned and that must be driven out of the promised land. (v.7) The reason for this is because of the idolatry that is practiced by those people. There’s a good reason the LORD made that the first commandment when giving the law to Moses on Mount Sinai. Over and over again, Israel’s greatest weakness since being brought out of Egypt is their penchant for worshiping false gods. Joshua now pleads with the men to “…cleave unto the Lord your God, as ye have done unto this day.” (v.8) It’s no coincidence that the previous chapter told of the misunderstanding between the western and eastern tribes regarding the building of the monument at the bank of the Jordan river. That’s what Joshua is referring to here. Ever since entering the promised land, this second generation has displayed a righteous zeal for the LORD their God, and has obeyed His every direction and law. This was evidenced in the account of Achan and his sin at Jericho. Now, the second generation has given birth to the third, and those sons and daughters are coming of age, and there will be a tendency to forget what happened to their grandfathers when they forgot God and turned to the idols of the heathen nations around them. Joshua circles back to his main point in verses 9-11, reminding the men of how the strength of those foreign nations utterly crumbled before the might of God. It was He that fought for Israel and gave them the victory, not them in their own might. Therefore, Israel will continue to have victory in the rest of their conquest and settlement, but only if they continue to be faithful and obedient to “…the LORD your God.” (v.11) As with Moses in his final address to the nation, Joshua warns of the consequences if Israel does not remain faithful and obedient. God will cease fighting for them, and those heathen people will instead “…be snares and traps unto you, and scourges in your sides, and thorns in your eyes…”. (v.13) Israel will end up losing their inheritance entirely and becoming the conquered rather than the conquerors. Joshua closes with the familiar theme of blessings and cursings. (Deuteronomy 27-28) He reminds the men of Israel “…that not one good thing hath failed of all the good things which the LORD your God spake concerning you…”. (v.14) God had kept His promises to Israel regarding the inheritance of the promised land for Abraham’s descendants. But just as His blessings would come for faithfulness and obedience, so would His judgment and wrath for rebellion and disobedience. (v.15) (Deuteronomy 28:63) If Israel failed to keep their end of the covenant, “…then shall the anger of the LORD be kindled against you, and ye shall perish quickly from off the good land which He hath given you.” (v.16) As we already well know from the remainder of the Old Testament, that is exactly what happened. Israel remembered God for a time, but their obedience didn’t last very long, and they did exactly what Moses and Joshua had warned them not to do. They failed to completely drive out the heathen nations, and instead mingled among them, strayed from the Lord and His law, and God severely chastened them accordingly. Even unto today, Israel is still waiting for that coming time when God will fulfill His promise to Abraham and they will have complete possession of that promised land from which they will rule the whole earth with King Jesus on the throne for a thousand years. CHAPTER 24: The second farewell address is given to the whole nation. (v.1) The previous one was for only the elders of the tribes, the men who are the leaders of their families. This one is for all the people. As with the giving of the law at Mount Sinai, this chapter follows the structure of a treaty between a lord and his subjects in the tradition of the ANE at this time period. Just as Moses had done with his farewell sermons in the book of Deuteronomy, Joshua now reminds the people of their covenant with the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob; the same God that had brought them forth from the land of Egypt into this promised land. The preamble & historical prologue (v.2-13): God called Abraham to come out of the land of Ur of the Chaldees, to leave behind the false gods of his fathers, and to set out for a new home in Canaan. The LORD “…multiplied his seed, and gave him Isaac.” (v.3) When Jacob and his children went down to Egypt, they were few in number. But the nation that God delivered from slavery 430 years later was as numerous as the stars of the night sky. (Genesis 15:5) God performed miraculous signs and wonders in the process of delivering His chosen people from bondage. (v.5-7) He gave the fledgling nation many great victories in the process of bringing them into the promised land. (v.8-10) Balak hired Balaam to curse Israel, but God ignored him and blessed Israel instead. And then, when the second generation arrived in the promised land, God granted them even greater victories over the heathen nations there. (v.11-13) Israel didn’t have to build new cities or plow new fields for crops. All of that was already present and theirs for the taking. Covenant stipulations (v.14-18): Because of all that God has done for Israel, and because of the covenant that He made with them at Mount Sinai which their fathers agreed to, Joshua exhorts the nation to “…fear the LORD, and serve Him in sincerity and in truth…”. (v.14) This generation has a clear choice before them. They can serve the false gods of Egypt, or the false gods of the heathen nations whom they just conquered in the promised land, or they can serve and obey the one true God of their fathers Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. (v.15) “But as for me and my house,” Joshua proclaims, “we will serve the LORD.” As they did with Moses at Mount Sinai, Israel answers Joshua’s call with a resounding affirmative. (v.16-18) They echo his confirmation of God’s miraculous deliverance of their fathers from Egypt as well as His almighty hand in their victories over the Amorites. “…therefore will we also serve the LORD; for He is our God.” Covenant sanctions (v.19-20): Here Joshua gives the warning of the consequences of Israel’s violation of this covenant. His response to Israel’s affirmation of their allegiance and faithfulness seems contradictory at first. “Ye cannot serve the LORD: for He is an holy God; He is a jealous God; He will not forgive your transgressions nor your sins.” (v.19) Joshua is testing the people’s words and intentions. Their fathers had made the same vow at Mount Sinai and yet they disobeyed by demonstrating a complete lack of faith when it came time to follow God’s direction at the border of the promised land. So Joshua is emphasizing once more God’s holiness and His righteous jealousy. He reminds the people yet again of what will happen if they renege on their vow: “…He will turn and do you hurt, and consume you, after that he hath done you good.” (v.20) Covenant ratification (v.21-25): Israel swears once more, “…Nay; but we will serve the LORD.” (v.21) So Joshua solemnly affirms that they are witnesses against themselves, that they have chosen to serve the LORD, and the people confirm this. (v.22) He exhorts them yet again to turn away from the false gods and “…incline your heart unto the LORD God of Israel.” (v.23) And yet again the people answer, “…The LORD our God will we serve, and His voice will we obey.” (v.24) Joshua ceremonially confirms the covenant. (v.25) Covenant deposition and witnesses (v.26-28): Joshua then writes down the covenant and also places a memorial in the form of a large stone set under an oak tree near the tabernacle. (v.26) He declares the stone will be a witness unto the people of what has transpired this day, of their vow to serve and obey God alone. (v.27) After all this the people return to their homes. (v.28) Verses 29-33: Joshua is 110 years old at the time of his death, and he’s buried on the land that is his inheritance, near Mount Ephraim. (v.30) Israel kept their covenant with the LORD for at least another generation, possible two. (v.31) They also made sure to bury the bones of Joseph in Shechem as he had requested before his death. (v.32) He, too, had died at 110 years old. This coda by the author is meant to connect the promises of God to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob in the book of Genesis to the current generation that has just conquered and settled in the promised land. God had fulfilled His word to Abraham and his descendants, and now it’s up to the people to continue in faith and obedience to the renewed covenant that Joshua has just reaffirmed with them. Eleazar also passes away and is buried near Mount Ephraim on the land belonging to his son, Phineas. (v.33) He, Joshua, and Caleb are the last of that first generation that came out of Egypt. (Caleb, too, is presumably dead by this point in the narrative.) The book of the conquering and settling of the promised land is now closed, and a new chapter - both literal and figurative - in the history of Israel is about to begin with a whole new generation.
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CHAPTER 16:
Moving northward, the next two territories on the list are Ephraim and Manasseh. Even though Ephraim was the younger son of Joseph, his tribe is always mentioned before Manasseh because Jacob gave the first blessing to Ephraim. (Genesis 48:17-19) Ephraim’s southern boundary begins at Jericho, which it shares with the tribe of Benjamin, and extends westward to Beth-el. (v.1) Earlier in Genesis 28:19, Beth-el and Luz are referred to as the same place, but here there is a distinction made between the two locales. Ataroth-addar (v.5) and Ataroth (v.7) are two different cities. Hushai, the friend of King David (2 Samuel 15:32), is an Archite, which is the name of the original inhabitants of those cities. As is evident from that cross reference, the Archites are never completely eliminated from the land per God’s original instructions to Moses and Joshua. Janoah (v.7) is mentioned in 2 Kings 15:29 as one of the cities captured by Tiglath-pileser. Gezer was previously mentioned in Joshua 10:33 as already being conquered and its people wiped out as part of the southern campaign described in that chapter. Yet here in verse 10 it’s apparent that either all of Gezer’s inhabitants were not completely driven out or killed, or some escaped the original conquest and returned sometime later to rebuild the city. (Keep in mind the seven year span of the conquest of the promised land.) Gezer is mentioned in 1 Kings 9:16 as part of Pharaoh’s gift to Solomon’s wife. As with other passages in the conquest narrative, the author makes it a point to say that Israel failed to completely wipe out all the inhabitants of Canaan. Whether it was because of weariness from war or due to lack of faith is not clear from the text. Either way, they failed to follow through completely with God’s commandments in this regard and, just as God had predicted, this became a major weakness and a source of grievous sin for this generation’s descendants. CHAPTER 17: This passage details Manasseh’s borders, and verse 1 tells us that this tribe was renowned for their military prowess and might. That’s another reason that Moses granted them some of the land east of the Jordan River where Gilead and Bashan are located. Verses 2-6: Unlike the previous chapter, Manasseh’s clans are listed here by name, descended from the sons of Manasseh. (v.2) His firstborn, Machir, who was the father of Gilead, had a great grandson named Zelophehad who bore only daughters. These are the same daughters who came before Moses in Numbers 27 to dispute the laws of inheritance, and here in verse 3 they’re again listed by name, starting with the oldest. (Numbers 26:33) Later on, another dispute arose regarding the possibility of these daughters marrying into other tribes and thus causing their inheritance to leave the tribe of Manasseh. (Numbers 36:2-4) The final resolution for this matter was that the daughters were forbidden to marry outside of their tribe. Now they come before Eleazar and Joshua to receive their family’s portion of the land inheritance, and Joshua gladly grants it to them, “…according to the commandment of the Lord…”. (v.4) This made the total portions – or districts – of Manasseh’s land east of the Jordan ten instead of just five. (v.5-6) Verses 7-13: The land granted to West Manasseh is among the largest of all the tribes. (Refer back to the map in chapter 13.) Its eastern border is the Jordan River and the western border the Mediterranean Sea. (v.9) Along the southern border at Tappuah, Manasseh shares the land with Ephraim to whom belongs the city of Tappuah. (v.9) (Joshua 16:8) The town of Endor (v.11) is where King Saul will meet secretly with a witch (1 Samuel 28:7), and it’s also mentioned in Psalm 83:9-10 as the site where Israel will have victory over the Midianites. Once again, the author makes a footnote regarding the Canaanites that dwelled in the cities listed in verse 11. Israel fails to completely drive them out, but instead makes them slaves. This was not God’s command, and it will cause the Israelites much grief later on. (Judges 1:27-28) Verses 14-18: Both tribes of Ephraim and Manasseh complain to Joshua about the size of their land, saying that it’s too small for both their tribes! They don’t think it’s fair that they both receive only one lot together instead of one lot for each of them. (v.14) The reason for this complaint is that God has blessed their tribes with many offspring, and thus there isn’t enough land for all of their families to settle. Joshua’s answer is simple: clear out the highland forests that are currently inhabited by “…the Perizzites and of the giants…” (v.15) Notice the contrast between the great faith of Caleb (Joshua 14:12) and the utter lack of faith of the men of Ephraim and Manasseh! (v.16) These men took one look at the chariots of iron used by the Canaanites, and they trembled with fear instead of going forth boldly in faith, taking hold of the promise that God had given them at the start of this whole campaign! Joshua’s response is a stern rebuke for their doubt and lack of faith. (v.17-18) He again reminds them of the great number of warriors in their two tribes and that God is with them. “…Thou shalt drive out the Canaanites, though they have iron chariots, and though they be strong.” Sadly, however, verses 12 and 13 confirm that the men of Ephraim and Manasseh did not heed Joshua’s advice. They settled for the path of least resistance and instead made the Canaanites slaves. Their lack of faith and their disobedience will cause them – and all of Israel – much grief later on.  CHAPTER 13:
Verses 1-6: Despite all of the victories in the military campaign thus far, there still remains for Israel much of the promised land left to conquer and subdue. (v.2-6) But Joshua is now old and close to the end of his life. (v.1) God promises him that He will drive out of the remaining land Israel’s enemies, but Joshua’s only responsibility now is to properly divide the land Israel has conquered thus far among the twelve tribes as originally instructed by God to Moses. (v.6) (Refer to the map above, courtesy of the Thomas Nelson KJV Study Bible.) Verses 7-14: This is a summary of the land east of the Jordan river that Moses granted to the tribes of Reuben, Gad, and half of Manasseh. (Numbers 32:33, Deuteronomy 3:12-13) However, the Israelites failed to completely drive out the Geshurites and the Maachathites, as noted in verse 13. There’s also a reminder in verse 14 that the Levites are excluded from any land allotments and inheritance because of God’s decree to Moses that their service in the tabernacle is their unique privilege and inheritance from the LORD. (Numbers 18:20, 23-24, Deuteronomy 18:1) Verses 15 – 33: Now the author of Joshua goes into detail regarding the land given to Reuben, Gad, and half of Manasseh. This may seem tedious to modern readers, but remember that the point of the book of Joshua is the conquering and settling of the promised land by Israel. As such, passages like this one are designed to be an official record for future generations. Remember also that this was a custom for the people of this time living in the ANE, so while it may seem repetitive and somewhat dull to us today to read what has already been recorded in earlier books, it’s written here for good reasons. CHAPTER 14: This chapter is divided into two parts: a summary of the division of the newly conquered promised land among the rest of the tribes on the western side of the Jordan River (v.1-5); and the special request by Caleb for the land of Hebron (v.6-15). Verses 1-5: The author gives a summary of the division of all the land west of the Jordan among the remaining nine and a half tribes. He confirms that Israel divides up the land according to lot, “…as the Lord commanded by the hand of Moses…”. (v.2) The same phrase is repeated in verse 5, affirming Israel’s obedience to all that Moses had instructed them, according to the word of the Lord. There’s also yet another reminder in verse 3 that the Levites have no land inheritance, and this is partly because of the two tribes that came out of the lineage of Joseph. (v.4) Only twelve tribes divided up the land, although there are technically thirteen tribes because of Joseph’s two sons, Ephraim and Manasseh, hence the additional explanation for the reader in verses 3-4. The Levites have no land inheritance because God had set apart their men for the priesthood and full time service in the tabernacle as their inheritance. Instead, that tribe would be given specific cities and pastures for their dwelling and habitation as they served in the tabernacle. (v.4) (Numbers 35:2) Verses 6-15: Caleb, the son of Jephunneh, a Kenezite, (v.6) now appears on the page for the first time in the book of Joshua. Caleb’s heritage was first mentioned in Numbers 32:12, and the name “Kenizzite” first appears in Genesis 15:19 where God lists the foreign nations and peoples that are currently occupying the promised land which He will give to the descendants of Abraham. That means that Caleb is not a direct descendant of the twelve sons of Jacob, but because he is listed as a member of the tribe of Judah (Numbers 13:6) when Moses is naming and commissioning the twelve spies, we can logically infer that Caleb’s father or grandfather must have been absorbed into Israel at some point after the exodus from Egypt; or possibly even his great grandfather, at some point during the four hundred and thirty years of Israel’s slavery. There is continual mention throughout Exodus and Leviticus of the strangers that are not Israelites, many of whom came with them out of Egypt. It appears that Caleb and his ancestry fall into that category. Caleb comes to Joshua with a special request. He reminds Joshua of God’s promise to the two of them because of their faithfulness in the aftermath of the scouting mission that doomed all of Israel to wander for another thirty-eight years in the wilderness. All of that first generation, except for Caleb and Joshua, died because of their disobedience to God and their unfaithfulness. (v.8) But “…because thou hast wholly followed the LORD my God…” (v.9), Caleb was promised by Moses a portion of the promised land. In verse 7 Caleb states that he was forty years old when he was selected by Moses as one of the twelve spies. In verse 10, Caleb is now eighty-five years old, which means the conquest of the promised land took seven years. (Thirty-eight years total of wandering in the wilderness following the mission of the twelve spies.) Caleb affirms to Joshua that “…I am as strong this day as I was in the day that Moses sent me…”. (v.11) He goes on to say that he is even ready for war today, just as he was forty-five years ago! The phrase “… to go out, and to come in…” means that he had returned from all his battles unharmed. It’s hard for us today to imagine an eighty-five year old man as healthy, fit and robust enough to lead an army into battle, but this is clearly the case as we will see in the coming verses. It also helps to keep in mind that this period in history was a much different time than our modern era today. Even with so many generations now come and gone since the global flood of Noah’s day, men and women still lived to be well over a hundred years old, primarily by the grace of God. It’s even one of His promises for all those that honor and obey their parents. (Exodus 20:12, Deuteronomy 5:16, Ephesians 6:1-3) So it shouldn’t be that surprising that both Caleb and Joshua were still mighty men of war even though they were both pushing ninety! Caleb’s request is for the land containing the city of Hebron (v.14) that is still currently occupied by the Anakim. (v.12) (Numbers 13:28, 33) (Refer back to the map at the top of this post.) Caleb’s faith is just as great as it was forty-five years earlier. He has no doubt that God is with him, and He will give Caleb and the army of Israel victory over the heathen giants that currently occupy that city. This is confirmed in verses 14-15. Hebron was originally named Kirjath-Arba after one of the giants that lived there. (v.15) Following Caleb’s victorious conquest of that city “…the land had rest from war.” Caleb’s faith and patience should be an example for all believers today. Sometimes we must wait several years – or even decades – for God’s promises in our lives to be fulfilled, and that is often a test or trial in and of itself. Our timing is rarely God’s timing, and we should never try to rush ahead nor lag behind. Instead, as we see with Caleb in this passage, we are to simply go where the LORD leads us, serving him faithfully and consistently each day wherever He has placed us until such time as He deems fit to fulfill His ultimate plan for our life. Waiting on God and His timing will always be worth the years of pain, struggle, and – often – tears! There is always joy in the morning, and God always rewards the faithfulness of His children, and always more bountifully than we could have imagined!  CHAPTER 11:
Verses 1-5: During the various battles between Israel and the southern cities of Canaan, news of Israel’s victories reaches the northern cities and their kings. (v.1) According to the notes in my study Bible, Hazor is a heavily fortified city located on the main road between Egypt and Mesopotamia, about 10 miles northwest of the Sea of Galilee (or Chinneroth, as it was known before Israel conquered the promised land) in northern Palestine. As did King Adoni-zedek in the previous chapter, King Jabin of Hazor forms an alliance with his fellow rulers of the nearby cities of Madon, Shimron, and Achshaph, as well as the regions of Chinneroth and Dor. (v.2) Verse 3 makes it clear that he even sends word to the Amorites, Hittites, and the Perizzites, all of whom are currently engaged in battle against the Israelites as described in the previous chapter. Verse 4 states that the army which Jabin assembled at Merom (v.5) is as great in number “…as the sand that is upon the sea shore…with horses and chariots very many.” The Moody Bible Commentary quotes the renowned Roman historian Josephus as saying, “…the number of the whole army was three hundred thousand armed footmen, and ten thousand horsemen, and twenty thousand chariots…”. That is a mighty and powerful force indeed! It very likely outnumbers the Israelite forces at least two to one, else God would not have spoken encouraging words to Joshua in verse 6. Verses 6-15: Once again, God promises the victory to His chosen people. He tells Joshua to not be afraid of the enemy, “…for to morrow about this time will I deliver them up all slain before Israel…”. (v.6) The word “hough” is found four times in scripture, the first two being here in Joshua 11. (The other passages are 2 Samuel 8:4 and 1 Chronicles 18:4.) The term refers to the severing of the tendons in the horse’s hind legs, thus permanently crippling it. Horses and chariots were the primary symbols of military might and power in the ANE. Thus, when God tells Joshua that the Israelite army will easily hamstring the enemy’s horses and then burn their chariots, this is indeed a great promise and encouragement! Emboldened by the word of the LORD, the Israelite army descends upon the enemy camps at Merom with sudden ferocity and soundly defeats all of the kings’ forces. (v.7-9) Just as he did with the five southern kings, Joshua executes all of the northern kings, and then burns the city of Hazor. (v.10-13) King Jabin of Hazor was the ringleader and orchestrator of the alliance against Israel (v.10), so that’s why Hazor is destroyed. All the other cities, however, are left standing, and all their spoil is plundered by Israel. (v.14) As Moses had commanded by God’s word (v.15), the Israelites “…smote all the souls that were therein with the edge of the sword, utterly destroying them: there was not any left to breathe…”. (v.11) This is confirmed again in verse 14. Verses 16-20: With the exception of Achan’s sin and the alliance with the Hivites, the Israelites had done all that God had commanded them in regards to conquering the promised land. (v.16-17) Verse 20 confirms that God had hardened the hearts of the Canaanites, just as He did with Pharoah and the Egyptians, in order that His judgment against them for their rebellion and wickedness would be fulfilled. (Genesis 15:16) Like the Egyptians, it was the choice of the Canaanites to reject God first, and because of that God hardened their hearts. Now His judgment against them is complete. (v.20) Verses 21-22: There is a footnote here regarding the Anakim, the giants that the ten spies were so fearful of. (Numbers 13:32-33) Joshua and Caleb had, of course, been right in their defense of God’s power and ability to deliver even these into Israel’s hand, as proven in this chapter. The author notes that the only giants now left alive are in the Philistine cities of Gath and Ashdod. Gath, as we already know, is the home of the giant named Goliath whom David, the future king of Israel, will slay with a single stone. (1 Samuel 17:4, 49) Verse 23: All of the land that was promised to the descendants of Abraham is now under the dominion of Israel, “…according to all that the LORD said unto Moses…”. (Exodus 33:2, Numbers 34:2) The next step is for Joshua to divide up the land among the twelve tribes as instructed by Moses. (Numbers 26:53) “And the land rested from war.” God had promised to deliver this land into the hands of His chosen people as the inheritance of Abraham, and He had made good on that promise. Now, as a reward for this generation’s obedience, He gives the Israelites rest from all their enemies. (Deuteronomy 12:9-10, 25:19, Hebrews 4:8) CHAPTER 12: As is common with oral and written records of the ANE, this chapter is a closing summary/recap of Israel’s victorious conquering of the promised land. The Moody Bible Commentary puts it this way: Chapter 12 “…has the feel of a formal, holy convocation, a stately march through the fraternal graveyard of deceased kings sharing alike in a failed attempt to thwart God’s purposes.” Verses 1-6: These are a summary of the victories led by Moses before the Israelites crossed the Jordan into the promised land. (v.1) Sihon and Og were the kings defeated there, and the dimensions of all their land and kingdoms is stated again in verses 2-5. Their land is what was given to the tribes of Reuben, Gad, and half of Manasseh. (v.6) (Numbers 32:29, Deuteronomy 3:12, Joshua 13:8) There is mention again of Og being related to the Anakim. (v.4) Verses 7-24: The remainder of the chapter is a list of the kings conquered on this side of the Jordan, starting with Jericho. The only people missing from the list in verse 8 are the Gibeonites. The total number of conquered kings and armies is thirty-one (v.24), and they are listed in the order of the battles from south to north. (v.9-24) (Deuteronomy 7:24) It’s necessary to note here that while the kings and their armies were defeated, not all the cities were actually conquered by Israel in this initial campaign. Jerusalem and Gezer, for example, will not be taken for many centuries yet. (2 Samuel 5:6-9, 1 Kings 9:16) Verse 14 mentions the kings Hormah and Arad, two victories that were actually achieved first under Moses. (Numbers 21:1-3) A possible explanation of this is that in the time between those initial battles and the campaigns led by Joshua, some of the Canaanites had re-settled in those two cities, thus requiring the Israelites to conquer them a second time. Also, the fact that Beth-el is not listed as being conquered until after the battle at Makkedah indicates that, while its armies had initially assisted the King of Ai, the king of Beth-el and his city was not actually defeated by Israel until later on. Verses 1-3: Although this the first mention of the proper name “Jerusalem” in the Bible (v.1), it was already mentioned once before in Genesis 14:18 as its original name, “Salem”. “Jerusalem”, from the original Hebrew word “yerûshâlaim” (also spelled “yerûshâlayim”), means “teaching of peace” according to Strong’s Concordance and the Brown-Driver-Briggs Bible dictionary. Here in Joshua 10, at the time of Israel’s southern conquest of Canaan, Jerusalem’s king is named in verse 1 as Adoni-zedek. When the news of Jericho’s and Ai’s destruction – as well as Gibeon’s new alliance with Israel – reaches the king, he is understandably fearful and sends messengers to four other nearby cities (Hebron, Jarmuth, Lachish, Eglon). (v.3) Gibeon is described in verse 2 as “…a great city, one of the royal cities…”, and Adoni-zedek is afraid that their alliance with Israel will spell certain doom for him and the kings of those nearby cities.
Verses 4-9: Jerusalem’s king proposes a conquest of Gibeon (v.4), and the four other kings agree. All five of them – and the Gibeonites – belong to the people known as the Amorites (v.5), and they waste no time in setting up an offensive perimeter around Gibeon. The king of Gibeon immediately dispatches men to Joshua and the elders of Israel to ask to ask for their help. (v.6) Because of the oath made in chapter 9, Joshua and all the army of Israel answer the call of the Gibeonites, marching all night to reach the city. (v.7, 9) God tells Joshua to “Fear them not: for I have delivered them into thine hand…” (v.8) Verses 10-15: God’s method of judgment against the Amorites is to “…cast down great stones from heaven upon them…” (v.11) which causes so much confusion and chaos in the enemy camps that the soldiers are already fleeing from Israel as soon as Joshua and his army arrive at Gibeon. The term “hailstones” in verse 11 indicates a meteorological event instead of just a meteorite shower. Once again, God proves Himself to be the creator and master of all things, manipulating the physical world and its natural elements to bring about His divine will. Verse 11 also confirms that it was the Lord who did most of the killing of the enemy, not Israel. But the battle has only just begun by the time day breaks, and Joshua asks the Lord to make the sun and the moon to stand still above Gibeon and the valley of Ajalon, respectively. (v.12) God honors the request, and the Israelites are victorious in their defeat of the Amorites. (v.13) There is no other record in scripture of a day such as this one, where the earth’s orbit around the sun is temporarily suspended by the supernatural power of God. (v.14) Many supposed “Biblical scholars” – as well as unbelievers – scoff at the notion that the earth was, in fact, halted in its orbit around the sun. They put their faith in science, stating that this violates all the known laws of physics. They claim that if the earth was indeed stopped in its orbital path that it would have disastrous consequences for all life on the planet. The counter argument that they present is that this account in chapter 10 is a poetic style of writing, using mythological imagery to depict a day where time only seemed to stand still for the Israelites and their enemies. The Bible is the divinely inspired, holy word of God. It’s not just another great work of literature. It’s not mythology or poetry, although it does contain passages of poetic songs. And while the New Testament contains passages of parables spoken by Jesus that are meant to be read as allegories, the whole of scripture is not an allegory. The Bible is history. It is literal, historical fact. The Bible is the recorded history of the creation of the universe, the planet earth, and mankind. Every event described therein is literal, historical fact. Sodom and Gomorrah were destroyed by fire from heaven, not just a random meteorological event. The ten plagues on Egypt were miraculous signs and wonders caused by Almighty God, not just some random weather phenomena. The Red Sea which God parted for His people was exactly what the label says: a massive, deep body of water which could not be crossed without a ship. It was not a pond, or a river, or some shallow, narrow pool of water that could be easily traversed on foot. And when Joshua cried unto the LORD and asked for the sun and the moon to stand still in the sky so that the Israelites could have the victory that God had promised them, God honored His servant’s request and did just that. He stopped the earth’s orbit around the sun for as long as was needed for Joshua and the army to utterly defeat the Amorites. The God that hung the stars upon nothing in the vastness of outer space, that spoke the sun into being and then set the planets of our solar system in their orbits, hanging them upon nothing, is the same God that can easily stop those planets in their orbit while also preserving all life on the earth. It is the hand of God that holds together the atom, that breathed life into dust to create Adam, and that allows by His grace and mercy the lungs of every living being to draw breath. To recognize this is to truly understand our utterly helpless state as mortal, fragile beings in the presence of Almighty God, the creator and sustainer of all things. And once we understand and accept that, it’s easy to believe that the sun and the moon stood still in the sky on this day when the LORD gave glorious victory to His people! Verse 13 references the book of Jasher as further proof of this miraculous act of God. That book is also mentioned in 2 Samuel 1:18. Jude 14 references the prophecies of Enoch which, along with the book of Jasher, was obviously not included by God in the final text of His holy word that you and I are reading today. Jasher and Enoch are part of what is commonly known today as the Apocrypha, a collection of ancient writings from the first century that were eventually included in the Catholic bible. But the Apocrypha is not true scripture, and that’s one reason that Catholicism is a false religion, for much of the Apocrypha directly contradicts divinely inspired scripture. Only the 66 books of the KJV 1611 AV Bible are God’s perfectly preserved holy word in modern English. Therefore, even though those non-canonical texts are occasionally mentioned within scripture, they shouldn’t be treated as divinely inspired, and one should be very careful when reading and studying them. They do provide some interesting and fascinating historical context for the writing that was included in the final version of the Bible as we know it today, but that is all. The Apocrypha should not be taken as God’s divinely inspired and preserved word. There’s something else worth noting here: God honored the newly formed alliance between Israel and the Gibeonites even though Joshua and the elders had sinned by not consulting with God first. And because of that pact the Gibeonites were spared from God’s judgment against all the peoples of Canaan, which means that Israel compounded that sin by disobeying God’s original command to Moses to wipe out all of the Canaanites. Yet God still promised Joshua victory against the Amorites and, as I noted in the commentary of chapter 9, God even punished Israel because King Saul killed some Gibeonites during his reign, an act that directly violated that vow of Joshua and the elders. (2 Samuel 21:1-2) This, then, begs the interesting question of why God did not punish Israel by causing the Amorites to defeat them. In essence, God seems to approve of Israel’s sin by giving them the victory over the Amorites as well as punishing Israel later on for Saul’s killing of the Gibeonites. The best answer to this is that God always allows us the consequences of our actions, even if those choices made of our own free will directly conflict with His will and direction for our lives. God also chooses at His discretion whether or not He will bless us or chasten us, even when we directly disobey His commands. Because the Israelites did not wipe out the Gibeonites from the start, there was disastrous consequences for the nation many generations later. Israel and Judah’s apostasy and eventual enslavement by the Babylonians was a direct result of their ancestors’ disobedience here during the conquest and settlement of the promised land. In the meantime, however, God chose to be merciful to Joshua and the Israelites by giving them the victory over the Amorites. That doesn’t necessarily mean that He approved of their treaty with the Gibeonites, but it does demonstrate His faithfulness to His chosen people even when they were unfaithful and disobedient to Him. This is proven time and again throughout scripture, especially here in the Old Testament. God might reward the Israelites with victories in the short term, but He never withheld the consequences of their disobedience in the long run. Our sinful choices will always bear some form of fruit, but sometimes that fruit doesn’t appear until many years – or even decades – later in our lives. It also helps to keep in mind that God is omniscient, meaning that He already knows what choices we’re going to make in our lives, and He’s already worked those outcomes into His divine will and plan for our lives. Yes, every impulsive and stupid choice we make – which then forces us to live with those adverse consequences – has already been factored in to God’s plan for each of our lives, just as it was here for Joshua and the Israelites. God is never taken by surprise or caught unawares by our choices and actions. There’s no such thing as a last minute change of plan on His part. So the fact that He gave Israel the victory over the Amorites was always part of His plan from the beginning. Verses 16-27: The five Amorite kings are discovered to be hiding in a cave, and Joshua orders the entrance to be sealed, thus imprisoning the kings. (v.18) There’s no need to post guards, for God has given the Israelites the victory over all the kings’ armies. (v.19) When the battle is finally over, and all the enemy forces have been defeated, Joshua orders the kings to be brought before him and the elders of Israel. (v.22-23) Naming each of the kings and the city that he commanded was a tradition in the ANE, a solemn pronouncement of death for those vanquished in war. (v.23) Joshua summons the captains of Israel’s army and orders them to pin each king to the ground by placing their feet upon their necks. (v.24) This, too, was a tradition in the ANE, for the warlords who had gained great victory in battle against their foes. Joshua then declares victory in the name of the Lord, reminding all the people that they have no need to fear their enemies. God will do to Israel’s enemies what Joshua is about to do to the five Amorite kings. (v.25) While the text doesn’t give details, we can logically presume that Joshua either decapitated the kings or simply drove his sword through their backs. Afterwards, the bodies are hung on trees for all to see, a warning to all the other Canaanite nations of what is coming for them. Per Mosaic law, the bodies are taken down at sunset and cast into the same cave where the kings had hid themselves earlier. (v.27) (Deuteronomy 21:22-23) At the time of the writing of this book the stones are still present at the mouth of that cave. Verses 28-43: The remainder of the chapter describes the conquering of the southern cities of Makkedah, Libnah, Lachish, Gezer, Eglon, Hebron, and Debir. Every last citizen is killed and each of their kings executed in the same manner as the five Amorite kings and the king of Jericho. (v.28, 30, 32-33, 35, 37, 39) Verse 40 confirms that that Joshua “…left none remaining, but utterly destroyed all that breathed, as the Lord God of Israel commanded.” From Kadesh-barnea to Gaza to Goshen and Gibeon, the Israelites are victorious “…because the Lord God of Israel fought for Israel.” (v.42) With the southern campaign completed, Joshua and the army return to the camp at Gilgal. (v.43) Verse 1-2: News of Israel’s victories at Jericho and Ai spread quickly throughout the nearby nations, and their kings, no doubt fearful of suffering the same fate, form an alliance to fight against Israel. These are the same kings mentioned at the beginning of chapter 5. (Joshua 5:1) One of the peoples mentioned in verse 1 are the Hivites.
Verses 2-15: Gibeon is one of the cities of the Hivites (v.7), and its leaders come up with an additional plan to avoid destruction at the hands of Israel. They send ambassadors to Joshua, disguised in old, tattered clothing and with moldy food to make it appear as if they came on a long journey from a far country. (v.4-5) Even their shoes are worn and full of holes. Israel is camped at Gigal (v.6), and the Gibeonites meet with Joshua and the elders. Notice, however, that they don’t give a proper name of their country – or even a specific name of their people. This, of course, raises the suspicions of the elders, and they question the strangers further. (v.7) “…Peradventure ye dwell among us; and how shall we make a league with you?” can be read as “What if you’re from one of these nearby cities? We can’t make an alliance with you because you’re our enemies.” The Gibeonites, however, neatly sidestep the question by saying simply, “We are thy servants.” (v.8) But Joshua is still not convinced, and he presses them further, again demanding to know the identity of their country and their people. The Hivites again neatly avoid a direct answer by repeating that they are “…from a very far country…” (v.9) and then bring up the old news of Israel’s deliverance from Egypt and her victories against the Amorites and the kings Sihon and Og. (v.10) They also emphasize once more that “We are your servants…” (v.11) and then point out their moldy bread (v.12), wineskins that have holes in them and their shoes with worn out soles. (v.13) At this point is when Joshua should have told the strangers to stand by while he consulted with God. But Joshua and the elders fail to do this, instead taking the men at their word and trusting in the physical evidence presented to them. (v.14) Joshua then makes an alliance with the strangers, and it’s confirmed by the elders of Israel. (v.15) Verses 16-27: Of course it doesn’t take long for the Hivites’ deception to become known to Joshua and all of Israel. (v.16) Although the text doesn’t say so specifically, the implication in verse 16 is that Joshua and the elders received word from the neighboring cities of the Hivites that the men they had just made an alliance with were, in fact, the inhabitants of Gibeon. (v.17) The fallout from this deception and from Joshua’s grave error of not consulting the LORD is disastrous for all of Israel. Because they are now allies, Israel is prevented from destroying the Hivites and conquering all the cities listed in verse 17. Furthermore, this causes dissension among the people and rebellion against the elders. (v.18) The elders, however, remind the people that they swore an oath in the name of the LORD to not destroy the Hivites. (v.19) To violate that oath will bring the wrath of God upon Israel. (v.20) It is puzzling, though, why the lie on the part of the Gibeonites wouldn’t have nullified that oath. The text doesn’t say, and the elders are correct in their interpretation of the Mosaic law regarding oaths. (Numbers 30:2) This is why God, through Moses, warned the Israelites not to be rash with their vows. God takes oaths seriously, and to go back on one’s word is sin in the eyes of the LORD. (Deuteronomy 23:21-23) In their initial meeting with the Gibeonites, Joshua and the elders had granted the strangers’ request to be servants to Israel. The elders now remind the people of this agreement. (v.21) The Hivites will still be conquered, but they will serve as slaves to the Israelites rather than being utterly destroyed as God had originally commanded be done to all the Canaanites. Joshua then summons the Gibeonites who had deceived them and demands an explanation. (v.22) Because of their deception there is now a curse upon them and all their people. (v.23) They and all their descendants will be slaves of Israel with no hope of buying their freedom or being released from their perpetual servitude. The men respond with an explanation for their trickery: they had heard of God’s judgment against all the nations of the promised land, and they were, naturally, afraid of Israel. (v.24) Therefore, in order to avoid the judgment that had fallen upon Jericho and Ai, the Hivites had concocted this plan, and it succeeded. The men acknowledge that they are at the mercy of Joshua and the elders, and they willingly submit to being Israel’s slaves in perpetuity. (v.25) There are two major lessons to be learned here. 1) We should never fail to ask God for guidance daily, especially for decisions that could affect the direction of our lives. Even choices that to us seem simple and obvious (i.e. buying a new car or accepting a new job offer that comes with a pay increase) can have hidden consequences for our daily lives that only God can see. Those decisions may not seem to us to have negative consequences, but too often it’s only in hindsight, when we have to live with the unexpected fallout of those choices, that we realize we should have consulted the Lord first before deciding what direction to take. That new car might end up having so many mechanical issues that it would have been better for the monthly budget if you had stuck with the older but reliable vehicle. Or that new job with the higher pay might come with a boss that requires you to work on Sundays. 2) The consequences of our rash choices can often adversely affect us for a very long time, perhaps even the remainder of our lives. The decision by Joshua and the elders to form an alliance with the Hivites had long term consequences for Israel. (2 Samuel 21:1-2, 6) This is the main reason we should always seek the LORD’s guidance for every decision that could potentially affect the course of our lives. What may seem obvious or inconsequential to us can often come with unintended side effects that we don’t experience until it’s too late to reverse course. What’s especially disheartening in this account of the deception of Joshua and the elders is that they had just experienced the disastrous consequences of sin when Achan disobeyed God’s commandment. Joshua should have known better than to take the word of the strangers before seeking God’s guidance. The fact that the answers from the men of Gibeon were deliberately vague, as well as their testimony of God’s power in delivering the Israelites from slavery in Egypt, should have been enough to warn Joshua and the elders that something was not quite right with these “ambassadors”. How often have we today allowed ourselves to be deceived because of the flattery of non-believers? How often have we decided to go with our gut rather than ask God for guidance? There was a good reason God had commanded Moses and the Israelites to annihilate all the peoples of Canaan. Even though the Hivites were slaves of Israel they still exerted some adverse influence in the lives of the Israelites that had unfortunate consequences in later generations, as we well know from the book of Judges, Samuel and Kings. Joshua and the elders allowed themselves to be deceived because they looked only on the outward appearance. They trusted the physical evidence presented to them instead of trusting God. (1 Samuel 16:7) Only God can see what lies in the heart of man, and that’s why we need to rely on Him to guide us in every step of our walk with Him. Our five senses can easily fool us, and our heart is desperately wicked. (Jeremiah 17:9) Only God can keep us on the right path and away from the snares that only He can see because He knows the future, and He loves us who are His children. When He says “No” to a prayer request or changes the course of our lives in a direction that we don’t understand, we must remember that He is omniscient, and His directions are only for our good because He loves us. He wants only what’s best for us. That’s what it means to walk by faith and not by the fallacy of our own weak, sinful sight. (Romans 1:17, 2 Corinthians 5:7, Galatians 3:11, Hebrews 10:38) Verses 1-2: God commands Joshua to prepare for battle against Ai, affirming that He will give Israel the victory. (v.1) Not only that, but all the spoil of the city, including all the livestock, may be kept by the Israelites for themselves. If only Achan had trusted God and waited, then he would have had for himself far more treasure than just the little bit that he stole from Jericho. This is another tragic truth of our sin: when we give in and deviate from God’s plan because we want instant gratification instead of waiting for God’s perfect timing, then we miss out on the far richer blessings that God had planned for us. Waiting on the LORD and trusting in His plan is always better than rushing ahead because of our own shortsightedness and our lust for the temporary pleasures of this life.
Verses 3-9: Joshua explains the battle plan to Israel’s army. Per God’s command (v.2), he selects a battalion of thirty thousand men to go behind the city of Ai, on its west side near Bethel, and hide themselves. The rest of the army, led by Joshua, will attack the city from the front and draw out all of its fighting forces. The Israelites will feign fear and retreat, causing the enemy to pursue them. At that time the thirty thousand soldiers lying wait in ambush will attack the city, setting it on fire, and thus surrounding Ai’s army. Take note of the primary reason that this plan will get Israel the victory. Joshua states in verse 6 that the soldiers of Ai will believe Israel’s ruse at the beginning of the attack because that’s what gave Ai the victory before. The enemy will believe they have another easy victory in sight, and so they won’t hesitate to pursue the Israelites. Notice how God uses the prior defeat to ensure the success of this new plan. Even when we stumble in our walk with God and turn to sin, He still weaves that into His divine plan for our lives, especially after we repent and get back on the right path. In other words, when God devised His plan for your life He already took into account all the times that you’re going to fail Him and disobey His leading. That doesn’t mean that you won’t suffer the consequences of that sin – Israel lost 36 good men in the first failed attack – but God will often use our mistakes & failures to bring about unexpected blessings in our lives. Verses 10-17: On the day of the battle, Joshua moves the army in position on the north side of Ai. He selects a contingent of five thousand men and assigns them to a position further away, near Bethel. (This is a separate strategy from the other thirty thousand men already hidden behind Ai, also near Bethel.) Joshua waits until after nightfall to advance on Ai, which, of course, doesn’t go unnoticed by the king of the city. He and his army respond in kind, as well as the soldiers of Bethel. The king foolishly orders all the fighting men of both cities to pursue the retreating Israelites. (v.17) Verses 18-29: Joshua’s signal to the thirty thousand men hiding south of Ai is reminiscent of God’s command to Moses at the Red Sea. God tells Joshua that He has given the victory to Israel and to raise his spear as a signal to the ambush unit behind Ai. (v.18) The men swarm the city, plundering it and setting it on fire. When Joshua and the main army see that Ai is burning, they turn and fight the Canaanites, and the battle is joined by the thirty thousand men, thus completely surrounding the enemy. (v.22) Once the whole of Ai’s and Bethel’s armies are slaughtered, the Israelites return to Ai to finish the battle. They utterly destroy the city, killing any remaining survivors of the initial attack, except for the king, and taking only the livestock and possessions as spoil for themselves. (v.27) Throughout all of this, Joshua remains on the hill above the battle, his spear raised, similar to Moses in the battle with the Amalekites. (v.26) (Exodus 17:11-12) The total population of Ai was twelve thousand (v.25), including the women and children. This fact helps to explain why the scouts in the previous chapter had advised Joshua to send only three thousand soldiers to battle Ai’s relatively small army. Only the king is spared so that he can be executed by hanging. (v.29) At sundown Joshua commands the soldiers to cast the body at the remains of the city gate where the men pile upon it “…a great heap of stone…”. God’s judgment against the cities of Ai and Bethel is complete. Verses 30-35: Joshua and all of Israel now carry out the final command of Moses. (Deuteronomy 27:4) Joshua builds an altar of uncut stones upon which is offered up to the Lord the required sacrifices for atonement and for peace. (v.31) Joshua then writes upon the stones of the altar the law of Moses, after which all of Israel assembles on either Mount Ebal or Mount Gerizim to recite the blessings and cursings as described by Moses in Deuteronomy 27-28. (v.33) Verses 33 and 35 also mention the strangers that have been absorbed into Israel’s population by this point, the most recent being Rahab and her family. They, along with all the descendants of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob listen as Joshua reads aloud the law of Moses (v.34). CHAPTER 5:
Verse 1: Because this is the season of harvest the river Jordan is overflowing its banks and, thus, the Canaanites believed that Israel would not be able to get to them anytime soon. However, once word reaches them of Israel’s miraculous crossing of the river, the heathen nations are now paralyzed with fear. Verses 2-8: But before Israel can officially begin its military campaign against her enemies, there are three things that must be addressed. The first is a critical issue regarding the disobedience of the first generation that died in the wilderness. In these verses we find out that those who came out of Egypt had been circumcised according to the Abrahamic covenant in obedience to God’s directive. (v.5) However, in the course of their travels to Mount Sinai, and then later in their journey to the border of the promised land, they had failed to circumcise their sons. (v.7) This is another indication of their lack of faith and rebellion against God, especially after the Lord had specifically commanded circumcision in the laws he gave to Moses at Mount Sinai. (v.6) This relates back to the need for sanctification before God as described in the previous chapter. There were many issues of obedience and holiness that remained unresolved from the first generation that needed to be corrected by their children before they could proceed with God’s plan of conquest and settling the promised land. Therefore, as the first order of business after crossing the Jordan, Joshua commands the people to set up camp at Gilgal (v.9-10), and then all the males are circumcised. (v.8) Verses 10-12: The next order of business is the annual observance of the Passover. (v.10) Additionally, there is a note here that God will no longer be providing the daily manna that had sustained the Israelites during their sojourn in the wilderness. (v.11-12) Now that they are in the promised land, there is no need of that particular provision. There is plenty “…of the fruit of the land of Canaan…” for the people to consume as they conquer and settle in their new home. Verses 13-15: And, finally, there is a meeting between Joshua and the captain of the Lord’s host. We can logically conclude from verses 14-15 that this is another preincarnate appearance of Jesus Christ. (Genesis 18:1-2, 32:24, 30, Exodus 23:23, Numbers 22:3, Judges 13:3) In all other places in scripture when a man or woman attempts to worship any supernatural being other than God or Christ, he/she is immediately corrected and ordered to stand. But not so here. In fact, the captain tells Joshua to take off his shoes because the ground on which he is lying prostrate is holy. (Exodus 3:5) The Lord’s appearance here is an indication of Joshua’s and the nation’s obedience to all that God has commanded of them. It’s also a sign for Joshua that God is with His people, and that He will give them the victory in their battle against Jericho. CHAPTER 6: Verses 1-5: The city of Jericho is under lockdown. Whether it’s because of the orders of its king due to the imminent attack by Israel, or because Israel has waged a successful siege campaign against it is not clearly stated in the text. The former is probably the best explanation due to verse 1 of the previous chapter. God now gives His battle plan to Joshua. The nation is to march around the city, led by seven priests bearing the ark of the covenant, one time each day for six days. On the seventh day they are to march around it seven times, after which the priests will sound their trumpets and all the people will give a shout. (v.3-4) The walls of the city will then fall, providing a means for Israel’s army to invade and conquer. (v.5) The story of the conquest of Jericho contains some parallels to the seven years tribulation following the rapture of the New Testament church in the book of Revelation. Here it is seven days leading up to the final judgment, there it is seven years leading up to the battle of Armageddon. Just as Rahab and her household are spared from death here, there will be tribulation saints that are received into heaven during that future apocalypse. Just as it is God’s chosen people here that sound the battle cry as they wage a successful victory, so it will be with us who return to earth for that final battle, led by Christ himself, to conquer Satan and all his host. The rams’ horns that the priests blow are the same ones that are used every year on the day of atonement, which is celebrated in the seventh month. (Leviticus 25:9) Verses 6-14: Joshua assembles the priests and gives the instructions to the people. Verses 9 and 13 refer to the soldiers that march in front of the ark of the covenant and behind it, but this is not because God needs help guarding His ark. This is to protect the ark from any accidental defilement from the Israelites. Joshua also makes a specific point that the people are not to shout – nor even speak or make any sound at all with their voice – until the seventh day when he will give them the signal to do so. (v.10) Joshua and the people rise early each day, forming up ranks and marching around the city once before returning to camp. (v.12, 14) From the Moody Bible commentary: “This sounds like a staggering amount of ground to cover for the Israelite soldiers, but Jericho was only about 350 yards long north to south, and about 180 yards wide east to west.” Notice that verse 11 highlights the fact that “…the ark of the Lord compassed the city, going about it once…”. From start to finish, this whole operation is of God and for His glory alone. The children of Israel are merely messengers and servants carrying out God’s divine plan. For the people of Jericho this sight must have been strange and perhaps even foolish. They must have wondered why their enemy was not attacking directly. Some probably waited with fear and anxiety, knowing what this foreign God had done for His people in Egypt. But, like so many today, they dismissed their fear, trusting instead in their fortified walls and their own strength. They knew judgment was coming, yet they scoffed and refused to believe, even when it was too late to change their fate. Verses 15-16, 20-25: On the morning of the seventh and final day, the Israelites rise at dawn and march around the city seven times. On the seventh lap, after the priests blow the trumpets, Joshua commands the people, “Shout; for the Lord hath given you the city.” (v.16) One of the reasons that Jericho was such a mighty and fortified city was because it had been built upon a hill. When all of Israel shouted with triumph the wall of Jericho collapsed outward and down the slope of the hill. This fact has long been vindicated by numerous archeological digs many centuries later in this area. This is yet another indication of the supernatural power of God at work here. It was not necessarily the force of sound that collapsed the wall as much as God bringing it down by His own hand. This is even more remarkable considering that Rahab’s house was directly on the outer wall of the city. (Joshua 2:15) By the laws of physics her home should have been destroyed with the rest of the houses that were built on the wall. But, again, by God’s hand her house was the only portion of the wall left standing. (v.22-23) She, her parents, and the few family members that had believed her report of the coming judgment are safely transported out of Jericho before the army of Israel utterly destroys it and all its people. (v.24-25) The only objects that are spared are certain vessels of brass and iron that are consecrated to the priests for use in the house of God, as well as all the gold and silver. (v.19, 24) Verses 17-19: These are the instructions Joshua had given to the people prior to their seven day march around Jericho. He begins by stating that God has cursed Jericho and all who live there except for Rahab and anyone within her house at the time of the final attack. (v.17) Joshua then warns the people not to touch any of the accursed things of Jericho during the battle. To do so will bring the anger and punishment of God upon the whole camp of Israel. (v.18) (This is, sadly, exactly what happens with Achan whose story is told in the next chapter.) Only the silver, gold, and the vessels of brass and iron are to be taken for the house of the Lord. (v.19) “And ye, in any wise, keep yourselves from the accursed thing, lest ye make yourselves accursed…” (v.18) That which God has cursed should not be touched by we who are His children, called by His name unto salvation and good works. (Ephesians 2:10) That is what it means to be separated, to no longer walk in the ways of the flesh. For God has cursed the things of this world and the sin of our flesh that manifests itself in the many vices which stem from pride and the love of self. Those things are contrary to the commandments of God. Just as Israel was delivered out of bondage and set apart as God’s chosen people, so are we today called to walk in the way of the Spirit and to not have anything to do with “…the accursed thing…” of the flesh. Verses 26-27: When the battle is over and all of God’s judgment has been successfully carried out against the city and all its people, Joshua makes a proclamation for all to hear. Because God has forever cursed and condemned Jericho, there is also a curse upon anyone who attempts to rebuild it. (v.27) The firstborn and the youngest of whomever defies this divine decree will be taken by God as punishment. This prophecy was fulfilled several generations later during the reign of King Ahab. (1 Kings 16:34) This episode concludes with the statement that the fame of Joshua is spread throughout all of Canaan, which answers Joshua’s question to the captain of the Lord’s host in the previous chapter. (Joshua 5:13) God is clearly on the side of Joshua and all of Israel, and though the text doesn’t say so specifically, it can be logically presumed that Israel’s victory at Jericho causes even more fear in the hearts of her enemies. CHAPTER 1:
Verses 1-9: Moses is referred to as “…the servant of the Lord…” (v.1-2), a title that indicates his revered status in both the eyes of God and the nation of Israel. Joshua, by contrast is called Moses’ minister (v.1). But by the end of his life he, too, will have gained that honored status of God’s servant. (Joshua 24:29) God reiterates to Joshua His command for the children of Israel to go into Canaan and conquer all the land. (v.2-5) The dimensions and measurements of the promised land are also repeated here. (Genesis 15:18, Exodus 23:31, Numbers 34:3-12, Deuteronomy 11:24, Joshua 11:23) The same promise which God made to Moses also applies to Joshua: “…I will be with thee: I will not fail thee, nor forsake thee.” (v.5) (Exodus 3:12, Deuteronomy 7:24) The exhortation to “…be strong and of a good courage…” (v.6, 9) and “…be thou strong and very courageous…” (v.7) is a recurring theme in the book of Joshua. (Joshua 10:25, 23:6) It was also the last command from Moses to Joshua in the presence of the whole nation. (Deuteronomy 31:7) Here, in verses 6-9, it serves as a bracket for the command of obedience. (v.7-8) The Lord repeats Himself in verse 8, emphasizing the same command He gave to Moses who then passed it on to the whole congregation of Israel. (Deuteronomy 5:32, 17:18-19, 29:9, 31:24, 26, Joshua 8:34, Psalm 1:1) The only path to any blessing of God and any success in this life is complete obedience to God and His word. When God commands Joshua and the Israelites to be strong and a courageous, He is not referring only to physical strength against Israel’s enemies. The Moody Bible Commentary puts it this way: “The root idea is holding firmly to something. It means ‘to be in firm control of one’s faculties.’ Far from the absence of fear, courage holds the energy of fear under control and channels it toward positive ends.” The man of God must practice self discipline and self control in all areas of his life if he is to be a successful warrior and leader of his home, church, and community. The command to “meditate therein day and night” (v.8) appears frequently in the OT with regards to the law of God, especially in the book of Psalms. The man of God must always be thinking of God’s words and His precepts, keeping them in the back of his mind at all times. This will cause him to strive for obedience as he seeks God’s favor and blessing in his life. To always be mindful of God’s commands is to abhor sin and strive for holiness. This is key to the ongoing process of sanctification as we grow in our walk with God. Studying His word and meditating upon day and night – as well as teaching it to our children – is crucial to having a close, personal relationship with our Lord and savior Jesus Christ. Verses 10-18: Just as Moses was faithful and obedient to pass on God’s commands to the people, so is Joshua. (v.11) The officers that are mentioned in verse 10 are probably the appointed elders of each tribe. Joshua orders the people to make provisions and prepare themselves for crossing the Jordan river. (v.11) He then also reminds the men of the tribes of Reuben, Gad and Manasseh of their vow to Moses. (v.12-15) The men respond heartily, promising that if any of them renege on this vow, he shall be put to death. (v.16-18) They echo the Lord’s words to Joshua: “…be strong and of good courage.” This current generation of Israelites had learned well the lesson of disobedience that had cost their parents the promised land. Their fathers had not “…hearkened unto Moses in all things…” (v.17) and they’re not going to make the same mistake. CHAPTER 2: The account of Rahab and the two spies from Israel, as well as the fall of Jericho, is probably the most famous story from the book of Joshua and one of the most well known in the OT. The character of Rahab herself and her saving faith in the Lord God of Israel was referenced by James and the author of Hebrews. (Hebrews 11:31, James 2:25) She became the mother of Boaz who later married Ruth who begat Obed, the grandfather of King David. In this manner Rahab, a gentile prostitute, became a key figure in the lineage of Jesus Christ. (Matthew 1:5) Verse 1: Israel is still camped at Shittim. (Numbers 25:1, Joshua 3:1) Notice the difference here from the last time that spies were sent to scout the promised land. (Numbers 13-14) Joshua sent these “…two men to spy secretly…”, indicating that this was probably not known to anyone in Israel except Joshua himself. He most likely feared a repeat of the previous incident of rebellion and disobedience by this second generation and therefore chose a covert scouting mission rather than a public one. Another possibility for the secret operation was Jericho itself. The previous mission by the twelve spies was for the purpose of scouting the whole promised land, but this one is limited to Jericho specifically as indicated by the fact that Joshua names the city in his directive to the spies. There are some Biblical scholars and theologians who have tried to whitewash Rahab’s true occupation by claiming that she was an innkeeper and that her house was just a hostel. According to the Moody Bible commentary, this effort started with Josephus in the first century and has continued to the present day. But the Biblical text is clear in verse 1. Joshua sent the spies to scout the land, specifically Jericho, and the spies “…came into an harlot’s house, named Rahab, and lodged there.” There is no ambiguity in that verse. Two things are clear: 1) the spies come to Rahab for the express purpose of gathering information about Jericho and its defenses, and 2) Rahab is a harlot. In the King James Bible, the word harlot always refers to a prostitute. Therefore, the scripture here is clear: she was not an innkeeper or any other such nonsense. Rahab was an immoral woman who sold her body for sex with many different men. The reason that scholars and historians have tried to downplay this fact or obscure it is because they do not understand – or refuse to accept – that God is capable of saving even the worst of sinners. He accepts the most wicked, the most vile, and the most despicable of us who truly repent and believe, and He uses them for His honor and glory. Time and again throughout history, God has chosen men and women who are the worst of sinners, yet willing to repent and submit to God, to bring about His divine will. Moses is an excellent example of this, as is Abraham, Jacob, Joseph, David, Rahab, Matthew, Paul, and many others. It doesn’t matter if they were merely tax collectors or men who lacked self control or adulterers or harlots. God accepted and used every single one of them to bring about His divine plan for all mankind, and Rahab’s story here in Joshua is a prime example of this. Rahab’s occupation makes her an excellent source of intel on Jericho and its habitants. That’s why the spies go to her. Furthermore, the fact that her house is on the wall suggests her wealth – and possibly her status – among the city’s elite, as is typical for the culture and societies of the ANE at this time. Verses 2-7: When the king of Jericho learns of the presence of the spies from Israel and that they have been to Rahab’s house, he sends his men to fetch them. (v.2-3) But Rahab acts quickly to hide the two spies on the roof of her house by covering them with large stalks of flax. (v.4, 6) She then lies to the king’s men, telling them that the spies have already left the city, and that she doesn’t know where they went. But she encourages the soldiers to go after them, giving the impression that the spies are not far outside the city and the soldiers should be able to easily catch up with them. (v.5) The king’s men believe her, and they depart the city. Frequently in scripture we find spiritual conundrums such as the one in this scene where Rahab lies to protect the men of God. The ninth commandment (Exodus 20:16) clearly forbids lying, yet it seems that God also rewards those who do so in order to carry out His will. (Exodus 1:17-19) The simple truth is that when men and women of faith defy evil men in order to serve God, God rewards him or her. In all the examples in scripture, the believers who lie are doing so because the orders of men are in direct opposition to the will of God. In this case, Rahab is protecting the two Israelite spies from the king who wishes to kill them. The city of Jericho and its people are enemies of God whom the Lord has condemned to death for their pride and disobedience. Rahab is acting out of faith to protect the spies, and therefore her lying is excused. It’s also worth noting that the author of Hebrews is extolling Rahab’s faith, not her specific act of lying. Her faith is what is more important, not her sins. Verses 8-13: After the king’s men depart, Rahab retrieves the spies and then gives a simple yet profound confession of faith. The mighty acts of the God of Israel in His deliverance of His people from their bondage in Egypt has been heard by the people of Canaan. Rahab describes in detail the parting of the Red Sea and the conquest of the kings Sihon and Og, and how this news made the people of Jericho sore afraid and utterly faint of heart. (v.10-11) She then concludes with a simple declaration of truth: “…for the Lord your God, He is God in heaven above, and in earth beneath.” Rahab’s words reflect her genuine belief and faith in God, and this is why she is saved from the judgment and utter destruction of Jericho. But Rahab doesn’t stop there. She demonstrates even greater faith in God by asking the spies to show her kindness because of her kindness towards them in saving them from the king’s men. (v.12) (1 Samuel 20:14-15, 17) Rahab recognizes her current state and her complete inability to save herself, and she throws herself upon the mercy of the God of Israel whom she has only heard about from the words of others. (v.13) This is the essence of eternal salvation for all believers – past, present, and future until the second coming of Christ. It is this simple, childlike faith that earned Rahab her place in the genealogy of Christ the Messiah as well as the Hall of Faith in Hebrews 11. Verses 14-21: The spies answer Rahab’s faith with assurance that she and all who are within the walls of her house will be saved from death when Israel launches its attack on Jericho. (v.14) Notice that Rahab’s salvation also depends on her keeping her secret about the spies until the day of judgment. Because she showed them mercy and kindness, she will receive mercy and salvation in return. (Matthew 5:7) After helping the spies to get safely outside the city wall via her window, Rahab instructs them to flee into the nearby mountains to hide for three days until the king’s men have given up their pursuit of them. (v.15-16) There is one further condition for Rahab’s deliverance from the coming judgment: she must hang in her window a scarlet cord. (v.18) The exact reason for this is unclear. Perhaps the men thought it was necessary in order to distinguish which house was Rahab’s after the conquest so that she would not be harmed by Israel’s soldiers. Or perhaps it was merely one more test of her saving faith as it would undoubtedly draw the attention of the king and his men later on. Whatever the case, the color of the cord is a beautiful picture of the salvation of the New Testament believer who is saved by his/her faith the shed blood of Jesus Christ on the cross at Calvary. The two spies also remind Rahab of the necessity of being inside her house at the time of the battle. (v.18-19) Only those physically inside the house will be spared. Anyone who steps outside will most certainly die. Furthermore, if Rahab betrays the spies to the king before they are able to escape back to Israel, then she and her household will not be saved from the coming judgment. (v.20) Rahab affirms once more her promise to keep this oath, and then she binds the scarlet cord in her window. (v.21) “According to your words, so be it.” Rahab takes the spies at their word, with no other proof than her faith that they will not betray her when the day of judgment comes. Verses 22-24: The spies return to Joshua with the good news that God has already delivered Jericho into their hands. How do they know this? “…for even all the inhabitants of the country do faint because of us.” (v.24) When God is on the side of the righteous, no man or woman can stand against them. Israel was but a tiny nation compared to all the nations of the promised land that were entrenched behind the fortified walls of their great cities such as Jericho. Yet, the spies, too, displayed a faith as great as Rahab’s because they believed her word about the fear in the hearts of Canaan’s people. They knew by faith that God had kept His word to Moses and Joshua, that He would deliver Israel’s enemies into their hands and the land promised to their father Abraham would be theirs. (Exodus 23:31, Joshua 21:44) |
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