The book of Joshua is, among other things, the historical record of a military campaign. It is the account of one long triumph, one which took seven years to complete, during which only one major battle was lost. As Bible teacher Irving Jensen has shown, the relation of Joshua to the two books preceding it is simple:
Numbers: Journey to Canaan
Deuteronomy: Preparation to enter Canaan
Joshua: Conquest of Canaan.
If the conquest of Canaan was completed circa 1400 B.C. as most Old Testament scholars hold, the book of Joshua was probably written soon thereafter. The history contained in this book includes a detailed account of the seven years of conquest as well as a less detailed one of the ensuing seventeen years, during which the land was divided among the twelve tribes of Israel and the administrative affairs of the infant nations were set in order.
We were reminded last week that the book of Joshua is more than a history text.
"Joshua is known as one of the former prophets, and this particular section of the Bible is recognized as part of the historical books. Like the rest of Scripture, the book of Joshua sets forth the gospel of the grace of God. It does so in an entirely different way from that of the Gospel of John, for example.
But in Joshua no less than in John, we see that God works out the salvation of men. In a body the hand does not have the same function as the eye, but both are members of a living body and work together, each with a separate and yet distinct responsibility. So it is with these books. Each part of the Scripture contributes to our total biblical portrait of the Lord Jesus Christ." ( Paul E. Toms: This Land is Your Land )
Yet there are important historical lessons to learn in this book: the continuing history of God's relationship with mankind in a time-space continuum. Contained within its pages is an "official" and authoritative account of a vital part of this historical relationship. The flow of Biblical history moves smoothly from the last verses of Deuteronomy (the fifth of the five books which make up the Pentateuch) to the opening passage of Joshua. This is not the work of a clever editor or the product of happenstance. The events recorded in the book of Joshua demonstrate the Law of God in praxis. The great doctrines established and delineated in Deuteronomy spring to life as God moves directly in the affairs of His chosen nation. This is history as "H __ __ S __ __ __ __." Among its great themes are:
1. the covenant f __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ of God
2. the h __ __ __ __ __ __ __ of God
3. the c __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ of sin arising from God's inescapeable j __ __ __ __ __ __ __ of it
4. the p __ __ __ __ of God, and the utter failure of human effort apart from His divine directive
5. the vital importance of the w __ __ __ __ __ __ Word of God
We will spend the remainder of Part 2 of our series in consideration of the last two of these "history lessons."
The son of Nun was not originally named "Joshua." He was born "Hoshea," a name which is the Hebrew word for "s __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __." Moses took it upon himself to change his name to "Joshua," which means "J __ __ __ __ __ __ brings salvation." ( Numbers 13:8, 16 ) The specific reason for this name change is not provided in Scripture, but it may well have been the result of the young warrior's victory over the Amalekites, as recorded in Exodus 17:8-16.
As you may recall, that battle produced a great victory for the homeless nation of Israel -- but not without God's direct intervention. Who could forget the verbal picture of Moses standing on a high hill, overlooking the battlefield, his arms outstreched toward heaven, the "rod of God" held high? As long as he maintained that posture, the armies of Joshua prevailed in the fight. But, as the battle raged, the great old man's arms grew heavy, and he no longer had the strength to hold them high. As they fell to his side, the Amalekites gained the upper hand.
But Moses' hands became heavy; so they took a stone and put it under him, and he sat on it. And Aaron and Hur supported his hands, one on one side, and the other on the other side; and his hands were steady until the going down of the sun. So Joshua defeated Amalek and his people with the edge of the sword. ( Exodus 17:12-13, NKJV )
After the battle ended, God made a demonstrative gesture, and did so deliberately, it would seem, for the benefit of Joshua. Then the Lord said to Moses, "Write this for a memorial in the book, and recount it in the hearing of Joshua, that I will utterly blot out the remembrance of Amalek from under heaven." ( Exodus 17:14, NKJV )
The armies of Israel won a great victory on that day, and the brave young military leader learned two important lessons of history.
1. P __ __ __ __ -- real, effective and mighty power -- is not the power of the sword, or the purse, or the high office. Real power -- all of it -- belongs to God. He manifests that power whenever and wherever He wills, and nothing can prevail against it.
Joshua's bravery did not defeat the Amalekites that day. His careful planning, his strategic tactics, the number of troops at his disposal -- none of these would have provided victory. It was the power of God, dramatically revealed in the gestures of Moses, Aaron and Hur, that carried the day.
2. The vital importance of the w __ __ __ __ __ __ Word of God was forcefully presented.
a. "There was an authoritative body of written Scripture in the days of Joshua and this consisted of the books of Moses. There is no appeal to contemporary customs or oral tradition." ( John J. Davis: Conquest and Crisis )
b. "In the plain of Moab, with the forty-year wandering over, the writing still continued under the command of God. Deuteronomy 31 portrays the growth of the Pentateuch, emphasizing that Moses wrote in the book. Of course, one of the liberal theories is that the Pentateuch was carried down through the spoken word for a long period prior to the writing. But this theory directly contradicts what the Pentateuch itself claims, because in Deuteronomy 31:9 we read, And Moses wrote this law, and delivered it unto the priests, the sons of Levi. So Moses not only spoke; he also wrote. He gave propositional verbalized communication from God to man in written as well as spoken form. We are told about the production of Exodus, Numbers, and Deuteronomy. Something was written." ( Francis A. Schaeffer: Joshua and the Flow of Biblical History )
c. Yes, God had spoken through Moses. And He would later speak through the Urim and Thummim, His annointed prophets and, still later, through the Apostles. But the final authority -- then as now -- was the written book. We turn at last to Joshua 1. It is some forty years after the stirring victory over the armies of Amalek. Except for Joshuah, Moses, and Caleb, every adult who was alive after that battle has died during the years of wandering in the wilderness. Joshua, an eighty-year-old man now, stands before the assembled nation of Israel. He has just been publically proclaimed as Moses' successor and "approved" by the Urim before Eleazar, the priest. Surely, as he struggles to comprehend the magnanimity of this moment, his mind is filled with memories of the events of his life since that incredible day when he and his fellow Hebrews crossed over the Red Sea. So many things had happended! He had experienced times of great blessing and times of great testing. He had witnessed much with his own eyes and ears. Perhaps, as he reviewed the history of his personal relationship with God on this great day, Joshua reflected on all that he had learned.
1. At Sinai, with Moses on the great mountain as he received the Law, Joshua learned that God is real and very near; that there is no vast chasm between the "seen" and "unseen" worlds. ( Exodus 24:9-18 )
2. Upon descending that mountain with Moses and seeing the idolatous debauchery of the rebellious nation before the golden calf, Joshua learned of the horrible awfulness of sin before the face of the holy God and saw the terrible consequences of it. But he also learned of the power of intercessary prayer, as Moses sought to turn aside God's anger against His disobedient people, and he caught a glimpse of God's mercy when He did not so much as scold Moses for smashing to bits the stone tablets as he vented his righteous anger at the sin of the people. ( Exodus 32 )
3. As he stood guard at the door of the Tabernacle Joshua learned that God is both willing and able to provide guidance for those who would serve and obey Him. ( Exodus 33:7-17 )
4. When the Holy Spirit fell on the annointed elders, Joshua learned that the desired effect of service to God is to give Him glory. He also learned that God is not bound by the rules or the expectations of man's religious traditions. ( Numbers 11:24-29 )
5. Upon filing his report after his mission as a spy in the Promised Land, Joshua found himself, along with Caleb, in a distinct minority. He learned that day that one must sometimes stand publically for the truth, even when heavily outnumbered, and to the point of personal risk. He also would learn, during the next forty years, of the tragic consequences of disobedience. ( Numbers 14:6-10 )
6. And now, on this day of his being ordained by God as the new leader of the nation of Israel, Joshua surely thought back to the great lessons he learned on that day of battle with the Amalekites, particularly, we might assume, as God spoke directly to him.
Joshua 1:1-9 [ NKJV ]
After the death of Moses the servant of the Lord, it came to pass that the Lord spoke to Joshua the son of Nun, Moses' assistant, saying, "Moses My servant is dead. Now therefore, arise, go over this Jordan, you and all this people, to the land which I am giving to them -- the children of Israel. Every place that the sole of your foot will tread upon I have given you, as I said to Moses. From the wilderness and this Lebanon as far as the great river, the River Euphrates, all the land of the Hittites, and to the Great Sea toward the going down of the sun, shall be your territory. No man shall be able to stand before you all the days of your life; as I was with Moses, so I will be with you. I will not leave you nor forsake you. Be strong and of good courage, for to this people you shall divide as an inheritance the land which I swore to their fathers to give them. Only be strong and very courageous, that you may observe to do according to all the law which Moses My servant commanded you; do not turn from it to the right hand or to the left, that you may prosper wherever you go. This Book of the Law shall not depart from your mouth, but you shall meditate in it day and night, that you may observe to do according to all that is written in it. For then you will make your way prosperous, and then you will have good success. Have I not commanded you? Be strong and of good courage; do not be afraid, nor be dismayed, for the Lord your God is with you wherever you go."
Outline of this passage:
1. (v.1) Joshua receives the c __ __ __ of God.
2. (v.3) God provides the v __ __ __ of the inheritance.
3. (v.5) God declares the a __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ of success for Joshua.
4. (v.7) God inserts the c __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ for this success.
5. (v.9) God repeats the c __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __.
God calls upon Joshua to be s __ __ __ __ __ and c __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __. Why? Because the armed cities of Canaan were so frightening? Because this conquest would take seven long years?
No! It would require strength and courage for Joshua to consistently o __ __ __ the w __ __ __ __ __ __ Word in the face of difficult circumstances, his own common sense, and the "tyranny of the immediate." In v.6-8 God provides us with a "recipe" for being strong and courageous to obey His Word.
a. Don't get "c __ __ __ __ __ __" in your obedience. God commanded Joshua to obey His Law explicitly when He said, ..do not turn from it to the right hand or to the left...
"Knowledge of God's law is not enough; one must also "be careful to do" what it commands. Thus the law of God is to control all thought and action. 'Everything written in it' must be observed, because obedience to certain parts only is no obedience at all." ( Donald H. Madvig: "Joshua" in The Expositor's Bible Commentary )
b. "This Book of the Law shall not depart from your mouth." What on earth does that mean? Could God be telling Joshua to not speak His Word? Not hardly!
"The phrase 'from your mouth' refers to the custom of muttering while studying or reflecting. The Hebrew word translated "meditate" literally means "mutter." When one continually mutters God's Word to himself, he is constantly thinking about it." ( Donald H. Madvig, Ibid. )
c. "You shall m __ __ __ __ __ __ __ in it d __ __ and n __ __ __ __." "Joshua had been walking beside Moses (the young man beside the older) for forty years, yet God's command to Joshua was not just general. It was not 'Try to remember what Moses told you and follow it.' Rather, Joshua was to search out and constantly study the sharp and definite commands in the written book.
Meditation is a cognitive activity; it takes place in the area of reason. God's law is not something that should be mechanically reproduced, nor is it without content." ( Francis A. Schaeffer: Joshua and the Flow of Biblical History )
Just as the nation of Israel was gathered together on the east bank of the Jordan River, facing the challenge of taking the land which God has promised to give them, the Church of the Saviour is gathered together here at the Myersville School, faced with the task of pursuing the work of the ministry in the "land" into which God has placed us. Some of us have "wandered" all over Frederick County, trying church after church, witnessing in some instances the powerful blessings of God and in others the tragic consequences of disobedience. Our personal lives, too, have not been models of consistent obedience and faithfulness. We have trusted God completely in some instances and have virtually ignored His Word in others.
Let us draw the line here, shall we? Let us -- each of us -- commit to the Lord on this day to obey Him explicitly in the days and weeks to come. Let us -- each one of us -- purpose to "mutter" His Word constantly as we meditate on it day and night.
Do you have a "sense" of history? I do not refer to an aptitude for memorizing historical facts or the ability to chronologically list series of historical events.
The "sense of history" of which I speak -- and to which all Christians would do well to exercise -- is the purposeful appreciation of the personal Spiritual history of one's own life; particularly:
an acute awareness of the passing of time, and
a deliberate cognizance of the presence and movement of God in your life.
The disciplined exercise of his sense of history served Joshua well, preparing him for that magnanimous moment when God chose him for specific and important service in His kingdom. Having learned to focus intently on the "here and now" of his life was a hallmark of Joshua's life. He learned from the past; he anticipated God's faithfulness in the future. He was neither "lost" in the past nor fearful of the future, so he was entirely free to serve confidently and obediently in the present. Each of us needs to do the same. This church cannot pursue God's purpose for it until all the body parts are willing, ready, and able to follow Christ daily in their own lives.
Church of the Saviour
24 September 1995
Sermon Series: "Themes from Joshua"
Part 2: "The Flow of Biblical History"
JOSHUA 1:1-9
discussion guide__________________________________________________________
1. Read the following passages: Matthew 6:34
Philippians 3:12-14
Philippians 4:6-7
Luke 9:23
a. Based on these passages, what should the believer's relationship with
(1) the past:
(2) the future:
(3) the present:
2. Our study of Joshua thus far has emphasized the difference between knowing, meditating on, and obeying the written Word of God.
a. Read the text passage from this morning's sermon, Joshua 1:1-9. List the promises (5)of God given in this passage.
b. What is God's condition for this promise?
c. Peek ahead to Joshua 23:1-10. Sound familiar? Did the nation of Israel heed Joshua's advice?
3. When Joshua thought of "God's Word," he was thinking only of the Pentateuch, The Five Books of Moses.
a. How did God's Word expand beyond the Pentateuch?
ref: 2 Peter 1:19-21
2 Peter 3:2
2 Peter 3:15-16
Galatians 1:13-17
1 Corinthians 14:37
2 Thessalonians 2:15
Revelation 22:18-19
b. Read Deuteronomy 18:20-22. What was the Old Testament "rule" for the accountability of prophets?
c. BUT, what if someone today utters a "strange" prophecy (and identifies it as having come directly from God) which does come to pass?
(1) Where did that prophecy come from ?
(2) How can you tell?
d. Read Deuteronomy 12:32 - 13:5 and Acts 5:22-39.
5. Read the attached article reprinted from Christianity Today. Be prepared to share your thoughts.
