Joshua 2

Study Guide 22: Joshua 1-8 VICTORY PRINCIPLES Overview After the death of Moses, the people of Israel went on to conquer the Promised Land. This book tells the story, and demonstrates that God is well able to keep the promises He makes to His people. JOSHUA. Joshua, Israel’ s new leader, is the central personality in this book. He had always been the military leader in Israel (cf. Exodus 17:8-16). This has led some to believe that before the Exodus, Joshua was an Egyptian army officer. Josephus, a first-century Jewish historian, reports a tradition that Joshua once led an Egyptian army against Ethiopia. Joshua played an important supportive role during Moses’ leadership (cf. Exodus 24:13; Exodus 32:17; Exodus 33:11), and was one of only two adults who left Egypt to live long enough to enter Canaan, a privilege he won by his total faithfulness to the Lord (cf. Numbers 14:6-9; Numbers 26:65; Numbers 32:11-12; Deuteronomy 1:34-40). CANAANITES. At the time of the Conquest, a variety of peoples were settled in smaller city-states in Canaan. The cities were well fortified, and the people warlike. But the design of the buildings, with established drainage systems, shows a high level of development. Also the metalwork and pottery of the peoples were advanced. And they carried on extensive trade with other nations. Yet for all their material advancement, the religion and morals of Canaan were degraded. Deuteronomy 18:9-13 lists some of the religious practices for which this people must now be dispossessed.

The diplomat paced the floor, thinking how to answer this latest dispatch from the East. How was he ever to sort out the conflicting reports! Which of the splinter parties was really loyal to his own nation? Was it the group in power now? Or were they just using the military and economic aid to feather their own nests? Of course they were corrupt, but would a different set of leaders prove any more effective? If he could only know which of the factions were under control of that other world power, then. . . . He continued pacing. If only he could see some light at the end of the tunnel.

The man we’ re watching is no Kremlin diplomat concerned with the Middle East. He is an Egyptian diplomat, pacing in an office in the city of Akhetaton, about the time of the Hebrew conquest of Palestine! And it is Palestine that is his concern. Far to the north of Egypt, the last decades have seen the rise of a powerful rival empire — the Hittites. Egypt and the Hittites came into conflict when the Hittites removed parts of Syria and Phoenicia from Egyptian control. Syria and Palestine had been in Egypt’ s sphere of influence for some time. But now in many of the smaller city-states a nationalistic fervor was growing. Eager to cast off the imperialistic yoke of Egypt’ s influence, local princes already hoping to rebel and gain independence were encouraged by the Hittites. Conflict between rebels and loyalists broke out. Both sides sent letters to Egypt affirming their loyalty and accusing the other. Often both sides had lobbyists in the Egyptian court to look after their interests. Confused by the conflicting reports and the intrigue, the Egyptian state department seemed unable to distinguish between its friends and its foes. Soon the influence and power of Egypt in Asia were sapped. Confused and uncertain, hesitant and indecisive, this once-great world power, though still one of the strongest nations of the ancient world, lost her grip over her former territories.

The Amarna Letters This day in history, which sounds all too much like our own, is well known today because of the recovery of diplomatic correspondence between Egyptian government officials and various groups in Syria and Palestine. The ruins of Akhetaton, known now as Tell el-Amarna, have given up some 400 letters (written on clay tablets) since the first accidental discovery in 1887. In them, we get a revealing picture of an area which included the land that God’ s people, under the leadership of Joshua, were about to conquer. Earlier we traced Bible history from Creation through the Exodus. In Genesis we saw God choose Abraham and give him covenant promises (Genesis 12:1-20; Genesis 15:1-21; Genesis 17:1-27). The Abrahamic Covenant was God’ s announcement of His purposes in our world. Abraham would have a host of descendants, some of whom would be formed into a special people (the Jews) through whom God would work out His plan. God promised Abraham He would set aside the land of Palestine for this people. Through this people God promised, looking forward to the Messiah (Christ), that “ all the peoples of the earth” would be blessed. The rest of Genesis tells the story of the line through which the promises would be fulfilled — Isaac, Abraham’ s son, and Jacob (later renamed Israel), Abraham’ s grandson. Genesis also tells how God providentially sent Joseph, 1 of Israel’ s 12 sons, down into Egypt to prepare that land for a coming famine, and to prepare a place for the family of Israel to stay and multiply. As we trace the history of the Israelites beyond the Book of Genesis, we see that the chosen people were in Egypt for more than 400 years. After a time they were enslaved, and for decades experienced great hardship. Finally God sent a specially prepared leader, Moses, to bring Israel out of servitude and lead them to the land promised to Abraham. Deliverance from Egypt was accomplished only by direct and miraculous divine intervention. God brought a series of plagues on Egypt in judgment. Finally Pharaoh, ruler of Egypt, did release Israel — only to change his mind and pursue them with an army. The army was destroyed at the Yam Suf (The Reed, or Red, Sea), which opened to permit the Israelites to cross, and then rushed together to drown the Egyptians. The now-freed slaves moved rejoicing out into the wilderness. But centuries of servitude had weakened the fiber of the people. They consistently resisted and rejected God and Moses’ leadership. As an aid to discipline, and to reveal God’ s moral character and expectations for His people, the Israelites were led to Mount Sinai. There the Law was given. The people were promised that while disobedience would bring discipline and disappointment, obedience would lead to blessing. Israel willingly accepted God’ s standards and promised to obey. But Israel’ s promise was made too lightly. In fact, disobedience continued to distinguish the generation that came out of Egypt with Moses. Their rebellion reached a climax when the nation, poised on the border of the Promised Land, was commanded to go in. Moses sent 12 spies into the land to survey and to report. Ten of them returned, terrified by the strength of the fortified cities and by the stature of the inhabitants. Only 2, Joshua and Caleb, came back enthusiastic, confident that God would give them the land. Characteristically, the people of Israel listened to the 10 and doubted God. All the urging of Moses and Aaron and the insistence of Joshua and Caleb that they were well able to take the land went for nothing. The people would not obey. Israel had made a basic choice. Because this people would not trust God or obey Him, that generation could not enter the Promised Land. God forced them back out into the wilderness. There the people of Israel wandered for 38 years, until the generation of adults who had refused to trust God died in the wilderness. All but Joshua and Caleb. These two men of faith survived, and over the years the old generation was replaced by a new one. The new generation grew up with a greater trust in God. Tested in battle, they obeyed. Finally, as the Book of Deuteronomy describes, the new generation was once again camped outside the Promised Land, awaiting God’ s command to cross over the Jordan and to take their inheritance. In his last act as leader, Moses reviewed the love of God for His people and urged the new generation to keep His Law. This generation also stood, and made a personal commitment by accepting Law as their standard, and promising to obey the Lord. This time the promise was not made lightly. The discipline of the previous years had produced a committed band. LINK TO LIFE: YOUTH / ADULT If your group is not familiar with the Old Testament story, summarize it, following the emphasis of the text (above). To understand Joshua, people need to know the sequence of events leading up to this point in history. With the death of Moses and the appointment of Joshua to lead God’ s people on to victory, the adventure recorded in the Book of Joshua begins. And the Amarna letters? They tell us that God had quietly been at work, preparing the stage for Israel’ s Conquest. During much of the 400 years that Israel was in Egypt, Palestine served as a land bridge between Egypt and a succession of world powers to the north. It had also been their battleground. The people of Israel, who multiplied from 70 people to more than 2 million in Egypt, could never have increased to such numbers if God had left them in the Promised Land. Then, just at the time when Israel was ready to enter that land, Egypt’ s power waned in Palestine. In the power vacuum which existed — into a land divided into petty kingdoms — God’ s people moved, ready to overcome peoples more numerous than themselves, but divided. Diplomatic success and failure serves only to further the outworking of God’ s plan. It’ s important to keep this point in mind. So often when we read the Bible we think of the people and events as distant, or some how unreal. But the Egyptian diplomat in one of the luxuriously decorated brick buildings of Akhetaton who puzzled over the complex world situation is not so different from the State Department undersecretary in modern Washington. Their problems would be much the same. At night each would return to a suburban home, passing crowded and disorganized clusters of apartment houses. Cocktail parties and political maneuvering (if not between Re publicans and Democrats, then between the Amon priesthood party and the party of Pharaoh), shaped the lifestyle then as now. And even as emerging nations struggle today to establish their existence, so in Palestine the people of Israel were about to emerge as a nation, and to challenge a people long established there. How real it all is! Just as real, just as living, as today’ s current events. But what took place then has a unique timelessness. Events occurring in Washington today affect us and our future. But so do the events of Scripture. In the people and events described in God’ s Word, we discover timeless truths about ourselves and our relationships with God. The Bible’ s word of history becomes, by the activity of the Holy Spirit, God’ s voice guiding us today. As we listen, learn, and respond to One who speaks to us through the heritage of our sacred past, you and I can see our own years of darkness fade away, and welcome the days of glory that God intends to unfold for us. Opening God’ s Word to Joshua is both to revisit a living history, and to open up our own lives to our loving God.

Commentary Foundation for Conquest: Joshua 1-8 The Book of Joshua opens with the phrase, “ After the death of Moses.” There is a great transition here. It’ s the kind of transition that takes place when a young person leaves the family, and starts off on his or her own. Or when a marriage takes place, and the young couple leave their fathers and mothers to establish a new home. For some 40 years — and for four entire books of the Old Testament — the man Moses had been the dominant figure in Israel. But now this people must strike out and face the challenge of the future without him. It’ s helpful to look at these early chapters of Joshua and discover the resources that God provides for His people. An equipped leader (Joshua 1:1-18). God does not want a leaderless people. But He needs leaders who are uniquely equipped. Joshua’ s previous experience had prepared him for leadership. He had led the Israelite defense against an attack by the Amalekites (Exodus 17:8-16), indicating previous battlefield experience. It’ s likely he had served in the Egyptian army: foreigners were often enlisted in the military services. As 1 of the 12 spies, Joshua had learned firsthand the topography of Palestine. At that time his trust in God had led him to advise immediate attack when all the other spies but Caleb urged the people to disobey. Later, at God’ s direction, Joshua was invested with some of Moses’ authority (Numbers 27:20). Usually the road to significant leadership is a long one, with many choices along the way. What you and I do with our less significant opportunities determines the part we’ ll play later! But leadership demands more than character and experience. This first chapter of the book bearing Joshua’ s name makes it clear that the leader’ s relationship with God is crucial. Joshua had basic spiritual resources that are ours as well. How Joshua used the divine resources would make the difference between victory and defeat. What were his resources? (1) Joshua had a promise in God’ s stated purpose. “ I will give you every place where you set your foot, as I promised David” (Joshua 1:3). God’ s announced purpose was to give Israel the Promised Land. (2) Joshua had the promise of God’ s presence. “ As I was with Moses, so I will be with you; I will never leave you or forsake you” (Joshua 1:5). God had committed Himself to be with His servant and to take on Himself the burden of bringing success. (3) Joshua had the promise of God’ s faithfulness. “ You will lead these people to inherit the land I swore to their forefathers to give them” (Joshua 1:6). God had committed Himself to a cause, and He would not let His promise fail. In view of these commitments made by God, there was only one thing required of Joshua: “ Be strong and very courageous. Be careful to obey 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” (Joshua 1:7). Neither discouragement nor fear were to influence Joshua to hesitate or to disobey. If Joshua would live in close relationship to the Lord, being responsive and obedient to Him, victory was assured. The leader must be a person who follows. A person strong enough and courageous enough to follow God. LINK TO LIFE: YOUTH / ADULT God’ s promises are intended to free us to follow the Lord. Ask your class to determine the promises in Joshua 1-9. Discuss: “ How might having these promises have helped Joshua fulfill the commission of Joshua 1:7?” Then have teams look for promises of Jesus in John 14:1-31. When the promises have been found and discussed, go around the circle. Each person is to begin, “ The promise of Jesus that will help me to obey God is _______.” After specifying the promise, then each is to explain why he or she sees this having an impact on his or her life. The emphasis in this first chapter on the vital role of obedience is repeated, not only in Joshua and in the Book of Judges which follows, but in every period of Old Testament history. Every event, every individual, reflects the basic principle: obedience brings victory, disobedience brings defeat. Responsiveness to God, the willingness to live as He directs and to stay in close fellowship with Him, is not only a prerequisite for leadership, It is also prerequisite for any kind of blessing. Then and now. LINK TO LIFE: CHILDREN The stories of Joshua and the fall of Jericho are told to children of every age. How vital to make these stories and their lessons live for boys and girls. One way to do it is with a tabletop adventure. Trace the events week-by-week on scenes constructed on construction-paper sheets laid end to end. Make figures of chenille wire (pipe cleaners), and tape them on the paper. Use real objects where possible, and crayon in features like the Jordan River. Here are a few of the scenes you might want to construct for these Joshua chapters: (1) Joshua kneels before the Angel of the Lord (Joshua 1:1-18). (2) Rahab helps the spies escape (Joshua 2:1-24). (3) The people construct a stone altar across the Jordan (Joshua 4:1-24). (4) The people march around Jericho (Joshua 6:1-27). (5) The walls fall down (Joshua 6:1-27). (6) Achan hides his stolen booty (Joshua 7:1-26). Israel wins at Ai (Joshua 8:1-35). Be creative in constructing each scene: use a pile of rocks for the altar, dominoes or small blocks for the walls of Jericho, etc. To help the children bring each lesson home, make small wire figures to attach to 3 x 5 or 4 x 6 cards. For instance, for Joshua 1:1-18 have a kneeling Joshua, and Joshua 1:7 printed on the card. Or give another reminder, like a piece of red yarn for Joshua 2:1-24 or a small stone for chapters 3-4. The theme of each story is of the importance of obedience to God, and how obedience brings victory while disobedience brings defeat. What a practical message for boys and girls, who can show their love for Jesus by doing what is right. Faith responds (Joshua 2:1-24). One of the most striking statements in the Bible was made by Rahab, a woman of Jericho who hid the Israelite spies. Jericho was not a particularly large city. But it was strongly fortified. And most important, it controlled entry to the passes that led up into the interior of Canaan. Israel had to pass this way to reach the rest of the land. While the people were shut inside the high walls of the city, they were still terrified. Rahab voiced their conviction when she said, “ We have heard how the Lord dried up the water of the Red Sea for you when you came out of Egypt, and what you did to . . . the two kings of the Amorites east of the Jordan. When we heard of it, our hearts sank and everyone’ s courage failed because of you, for the Lord your God is God in heaven above and on the earth below” (Joshua 2:10-11). Rahab, a prostitute, heard and truly believed, for she acted on her conviction to save the spies. The rest, rather than turning to the Lord, locked themselves up, and trusted in stone walls. First steps (Josh. 3-4). The Jordan River was in flood stage, blocking Israel from Palestine. These chapters tell how God began to demonstrate that He was with Joshua and with this generation. The flow of water stopped, and the people crossed on dry ground. A stone altar was constructed from stones that had lain underwater, to serve as a reminder of this fresh wonder God performed. The miracle also served to authenticate Joshua as one who himself followed God’ s directions; one whom others could safely follow (Joshua 3:7-8). But there was also a great change about to take place. The text says that after their crossing, Israel ate some of the produce of the land. “ The manna stopped the day after they ate this food from the land; there was no longer any manna for the Israelites, but that year they ate of the produce of Canaan” (Joshua 5:12). This is both a fulfillment, and a challenge. God had brought them to a land where they would find plenty. Yet the manna that had given daily evidence of the Lord’ s care now ceased. From now on the people of Israel would have to walk by faith in the unseen, where before they had had visible evidence of God’ s presence. We can look at what happened next at Jericho and Ai as powerful lessons to Israel and to us concerning the walk of faith. Jericho — “ point” (Josh. 5-6). When Joshua went to reconnoiter Jericho he was met by a Figure holding a drawn sword. This Figure announced that He Himself was “ Commander of the army of the Lord” (Joshua 5:14). Joshua bowed low, to await orders. From a military standpoint, the orders this captain gave were ridiculous. Joshua was to march the people of Israel around the city of Jericho once a day for six days. On these circuits no one was to make a sound. On the seventh day, seven circuits were to be made. Then, at a signal, all the people were to shout. And, so the promise, when the people shouted, the walls of the city would fall down. Israel could then attack and was to utterly destroy the city, saving only those in Rahab’ s house. Nothing was to be salvaged. No booty was to be taken. All was to be destroyed. Joshua may have felt foolish giving such orders. And Israel may have felt foolish too. Certainly, after a day or so of fearful observation, the people of Jericho would have become bolder and in relief have shouted out taunts and ridicule. But Joshua was strong enough to do what he had been commanded. And the people too obeyed. On the seventh day, when the people shouted with a great shout, the walls did come tumbling down. It is this kind of belief, which expresses itself in obedience even when the nature of the command seems foolish or unclear, that is the kind of “ trust” God calls all of us to have in Him. Ai — “ counterpoint” (Josh. 7-8). At Jericho, one of the Hebrew warriors, a man named Achan, disobeyed God’ s command and took gold and silver. This hidden sin led to Israel’ s defeat at Ai, a minor city higher up the pass. Sin had broken fellowship with God, and the flow of divine power was interrupted. Achan was sought out and he and his family were stoned. Perhaps the place Achan chose to bury his stolen treasure suggests a reason why the whole family had to die. He had buried the gold and silver and the garment he took “ inside [his] tent.” While he was responsible for his act, his family had been responsible to denounce that act of disobedience to God. But why was Achan’ s sin deserving of the death penalty? Because like other sins that merited death under the Law, this one endangered the survival of Israel as a theocratic community. In Achan’ s case, the defeat might have so reduced the terror of the people of the land that they would gather against Israel (cf. Joshua 7:9). Perhaps more important, 36 men of Israel had died needlessly in the battle against Ai. The sin of Achan had caused the death of some of his companions. After Achan was put to death, Ai was taken and completely destroyed. A graphic lesson had been taught. Obedience to God was vital after all. Obedience brought victory; disobedience resulted in disastrous defeat. With both these lessons deeply impressed, Israel stood as Joshua read the whole of the divine Law. The way of blessing and the way of curses was laid out before them all once again. And so, with God’ s guiding truth again before them, the people of Israel went on to take the Promised Land.

Teaching Guide Prepare Look back over your own experiences as a Christian. Can you identify personal Jericho’ s and Ai’ s?

Explore

1. Give a minilecture covering Bible history up to this critical point in time.
2. Or do a group character study of Joshua. Divide into teams, giving each team the verses noted in the overview. Discuss: “ What do we learn from Joshua that we can apply to ourselves?”

Expand Have one of your group members prepared to report — without comment — on the facts of the story of Jericho and Ai as told in Josh. 6-8. Let your group members ask any factual questions (“ what happened?” but not “ why?” or “ how come?” ) until the situation is completely understood. Then ask your group to pretend they are Israelites, one or two of whom may have known Achan, or have known one of the men who perished in the first attack on Ai, talking around a fire at night after the victory at Ai. The task: talk about what it all means, how you feel, and what you’ ve learned.

Apply Ask your group members to think back and identify any Jericho’ s or Ai’ s in their own lives. Encourage any who wish to share and experience he thought of, and what that experience has meant to him. In closing, thank God that He gives us both victories and defeats, and teaches us to live close to Him.