Objective

In this study, we’ll see that God fulfilled His promise to bring Israel into the Promised Land and discover how Joshua points us to Jesus, our ultimate leader who brings us into God’s eternal rest.

Key Verse

Joshua 24:24: And the people said to Joshua, “The Lord our God we will serve, and his voice we will obey!”

Introduction

After forty years of wandering in the wilderness, Israel finally stood at the edge of the Promised Land. The book of Joshua tells us the amazing story of how God kept His promise to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob by giving their descendants the land He had sworn to give them. This book shows us that God always keeps His promises, no matter how long it takes or how impossible they might seem.

The name Joshua means “The Lord saves,” which is the same meaning as the name Jesus. This is not a coincidence. Joshua was chosen by God to lead His people into their earthly inheritance, just as Jesus leads us into our heavenly inheritance. As we study this book, we will see many pictures of how God saves His people and gives them victory over their enemies.

Joshua teaches us powerful lessons about faithfulness, spiritual warfare, and resting in God’s promises. We learn that victory comes not through our own strength, but through trusting and obeying God. We see that God fights for His people when they walk in obedience to Him. We also discover that partial obedience leads to problems that can last for generations. (Notebook Moment: Think about a time when you had to wait for God to fulfill a promise. How did that waiting period strengthen your faith?)

When Moses died, Joshua was ready to take over as leader of Israel. God had been preparing him for this moment throughout his entire life. Joshua had been trained in battle when he led Israel’s army against the Amalekites. He had ministered side by side with Moses on Mount Sinai. He had spent time with God in the tabernacle, remaining there even after Moses left. He was one of the twelve spies who explored the Promised Land, and one of only two who gave a faithful report, believing that God could give them victory. Finally, Moses had laid hands on Joshua and publicly appointed him as the next leader of Israel. God prepares His servants carefully for the work He calls them to do.

In this study, we’ll explore the book of Joshua through four main sections:

• The preparation for war (chapters 1-5)
• The conquest of the land (chapters 6-12)
• The division of the land (chapters 13-21)
• The dedication of the people (chapters 22-24)

Preparation for War (Chapters 1-5)

The book begins with God speaking directly to Joshua after Moses’ death. God knew that Joshua might feel overwhelmed by the enormous task ahead of him. Leading over two million people into enemy territory would frighten anyone. So God gave Joshua powerful promises and clear instructions to strengthen his faith and prepare him for what lay ahead.

Joshua 1:5-9: No one will be able to stand against you all the days of your life. As I was with Moses, so I will be with you; I will never leave you nor forsake you. Be strong and courageous, because you will lead these people to inherit the land I swore to their ancestors to give them. Be strong and very courageous. Be careful to obey all the law my servant Moses gave you; do not turn from it to the right or to the left, that you may be successful wherever you go. Keep this Book of the Law always on your lips; meditate on it day and night, so that you may be careful to do everything written in it. Then you will be prosperous and successful. Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged, for the Lord your God will be with you wherever you go.

Notice that God told Joshua three times to be strong and courageous. God understands our fears and repeatedly encourages us when we face difficult challenges. God also reminded Joshua that success would come through knowing and obeying God’s Word. This principle remains true for us today—spiritual victory comes through staying close to God’s Word.

Joshua immediately put his faith into action by sending two spies across the Jordan River to scout out the land, especially the fortress city of Jericho. These spies found shelter in the house of Rahab, a woman whose life was about to be completely transformed by faith in the God of Israel. Rahab’s story shows us the amazing grace of God. She was a Canaanite, an enemy of God’s people. She was a prostitute, someone whom religious people would avoid. Yet she had heard about the mighty works of the God of Israel, and she believed.

Joshua 2:11: When we heard of it, our hearts melted in fear and everyone’s courage failed because of you, for the Lord your God is God in heaven above and on the earth below.

Rahab risked her life to hide the spies because she believed that Israel’s God was the true God. In return, the spies promised to save her and her family when Israel conquered Jericho. They told her to tie a scarlet cord in her window as a sign of protection. This scarlet cord reminds us of the blood on the doorposts at Passover and points forward to the blood of Jesus that saves us from judgment.

When the spies returned with their encouraging report, Joshua prepared the people to cross the Jordan River. This crossing would be no ordinary river crossing. God was about to perform another mighty miracle to show both Israel and the Canaanites that He was with His people. The priests carrying the ark of the covenant stepped into the flooding river, and immediately the waters stopped flowing. They piled up in a heap upstream while the entire nation crossed on dry ground.

Joshua 3:5: Joshua told the people, “Consecrate yourselves, for tomorrow the Lord will do amazing things among you.”

After crossing the river, Joshua commanded the people to take twelve stones from the middle of the riverbed and build a memorial. This pile of stones would serve as a permanent reminder of God’s faithfulness to future generations. When children would ask about these stones, parents would tell them the story of how God brought His people through the Jordan River on dry ground.

Joshua 4:6-7: In the future, when your children ask you, ‘What do these stones mean?’ tell them that the flow of the Jordan was cut off before the ark of the covenant of the Lord. When it crossed the Jordan, the waters of the Jordan were cut off. These stones are to be a memorial to the people of Israel forever.

Before the conquest could begin, God appeared to Joshua in a remarkable way. Joshua saw a man standing with a drawn sword and asked whether he was friend or foe. The man’s answer revealed that this was no ordinary person.

Joshua 5:13-15: Now when Joshua was near Jericho, he looked up and saw a man standing in front of him with a drawn sword in his hand. Joshua went up to him and asked, “Are you for us or for our enemies?” “Neither,” he replied, “but as commander of the army of the Lord I have now come.” Then Joshua fell facedown to the ground in reverence, and asked him, “What message does my Lord have for his servant?” The commander of the Lord’s army replied, “Take off your sandals, for the place where you are standing is holy.” And Joshua did so.

This divine visitor, likely the pre-incarnate Christ, came to encourage Joshua and remind him that the real leader of Israel’s army was God Himself. Joshua would lead the people, but God would fight their battles.

Conquest of the Land (Chapters 6-12)

The conquest began with Jericho, one of the strongest fortress cities in Canaan. Its walls were so thick that houses were built on top of them. From a military perspective, Jericho seemed impossible to conquer. But God had a plan that would demonstrate His power and teach His people important spiritual truths.

God’s instructions for conquering Jericho seemed foolish by human standards. The army was to march around the city once a day for six days, with seven priests carrying trumpets and the ark of the covenant. On the seventh day, they would march around the city seven times, the priests would blow their trumpets, the people would shout, and the walls would fall down. This was not a normal military strategy! (Notebook Moment: Why do you think God sometimes asks us to do things that seem foolish to the world? What can we learn from obeying even when we don’t understand?)

Joshua 6:2-5: Then the Lord said to Joshua, “See, I have delivered Jericho into your hands, along with its king and its fighting men. March around the city once with all the armed men. Do this for six days. Have seven priests carry trumpets of rams’ horns in front of the ark. On the seventh day, march around the city seven times, with the priests blowing the trumpets. When you hear them sound a long blast on the trumpets, have the whole army give a loud shout; then the wall of the city will collapse and the army will go up, everyone straight in.”

The story of Jericho teaches us several important spiritual truths. First, God wants to receive all the glory for our victories. Israel could never boast that they conquered Jericho through their military might. Second, God’s ways often seem foolish to human wisdom, but His plans always succeed. Third, God demands complete obedience from His people. He told them not to take anything from Jericho for themselves—everything was to be devoted to destruction or brought into the Lord’s treasury. Fourth, even in judgment, God shows mercy. Rahab and her family were saved because of her faith.

Immediately after this great victory, Israel experienced a devastating defeat at the small city of Ai. Only thirty-six men died, but this defeat shook the entire nation’s confidence. Joshua fell on his face before God, asking why this had happened. God revealed that someone had disobeyed His command by taking forbidden items from Jericho.

Joshua 7:1: But the Israelites were unfaithful in regard to the devoted things; Achan son of Carmi, the son of Zimri, the son of Zerah, of the tribe of Judah, took some of them. So the Lord’s anger burned against Israel.

The sin was traced to Achan, who had taken a beautiful robe, silver, and gold from Jericho and hidden them in his tent. His confession reveals how sin deceives us:

Joshua 7:20-21: Achan replied, “It is true! I have sinned against the Lord, the God of Israel. This is what I have done: When I saw in the plunder a beautiful robe from Babylonia, two hundred shekels of silver and a bar of gold weighing fifty shekels, I coveted them and took them. They are hidden in the ground inside my tent, with the silver underneath.”

Achan’s sin had to be judged severely because it threatened the holiness of God’s people and their relationship with Him. This reminds us of Ananias and Sapphira in the book of Acts, who also tried to deceive God and faced severe judgment. God requires His people to be holy.

But Israel had also sinned by relying on themselves instead of seeking God’s guidance. They had sent spies to Ai and decided based on human observation that only a few thousand men were needed. They didn’t pray or ask God for direction.

Joshua 7:3: When they returned to Joshua, they said, “Not all the army will have to go up against Ai. Send two or three thousand men to take it and do not weary the whole army, for only a few people live there.”

After dealing with the sin, God gave Israel victory over Ai. This time, they sought the Lord’s guidance and followed His battle plan exactly. The contrast between the two battles at Ai teaches us the importance of depending on God rather than our own understanding.

Not long after, Israel made another mistake by failing to seek God’s guidance. The Gibeonites, who lived nearby, knew they were doomed to destruction. So they devised a clever deception, pretending to be travelers from a far country who wanted to make a peace treaty with Israel. They wore old clothes and carried moldy bread to make their story believable.

Joshua 9:14-15: The Israelites sampled their provisions but did not inquire of the Lord. Then Joshua made a treaty of peace with them to let them live, and the leaders of the assembly ratified it by oath.

This deception caused problems for Israel for generations to come. The Gibeonites lived among them as servants, but their presence was a constant reminder of what happens when God’s people make decisions without seeking His guidance. This story pictures how sin deceives us when we rely on our own wisdom instead of God’s.

Despite these failures, Joshua led Israel to victory over the kings and nations of Canaan. The conquest took about seven years, during which God showed His power by fighting for Israel. In one famous battle, God even made the sun stand still to give Israel time to defeat their enemies completely.

Joshua 11:15: As the Lord commanded his servant Moses, so Moses commanded Joshua, and Joshua did it; he left nothing undone of all that the Lord commanded Moses.

Division of the Land (Chapters 13-21)

After the major battles were won, it was time to divide the land among the twelve tribes of Israel. This was not just a political division of territory, but the fulfillment of God’s promise to give Abraham’s descendants their inheritance. Each tribe received its portion according to God’s plan, which had been revealed through Moses.

The tribe of Levi was unique—they received no land inheritance like the other tribes. Instead, they were given cities scattered throughout all the tribal territories. God Himself was their inheritance, and they served Him by teaching His law to all the people and maintaining the worship in the tabernacle.

Joshua 13:14: But to the tribe of Levi he gave no inheritance, since the food offerings presented to the Lord, the God of Israel, are their inheritance, as he promised them.

Caleb, Joshua’s fellow spy who had given a faithful report forty years earlier, received a special inheritance. Now eighty-five years old, he was still strong and ready to fight for his promised possession. He asked for the hill country of Hebron, where the giant descendants of Anak lived—the very giants that had terrified the other spies decades before.

Joshua 14:10-12: Now then, just as the Lord promised, he has kept me alive for forty-five years since the time he said this to Moses, while Israel moved about in the wilderness. So here I am today, eighty-five years old! I am still as strong today as the day Moses sent me out; I’m just as vigorous to go out to battle now as I was then. Now give me this hill country that the Lord promised me that day. You yourself heard then that the Anakites were there and their cities were large and fortified, but, the Lord helping me, I will drive them out just as he said.

Despite the victories, some Canaanites remained in the land. Israel had not completely finished the job of driving out all the inhabitants as God had commanded. These remaining peoples would become a source of temptation and trouble for Israel in the years to come.

Joshua 15:63: Judah could not dislodge the Jebusites, who were living in Jerusalem; to this day the Jebusites live there with the people of Judah.

It would be many years later, during King David’s reign, that Jerusalem would finally be conquered and become the capital of Israel.

Among the cities given to the Levites, six were designated as cities of refuge. These special cities provided protection for anyone who accidentally killed another person. Without these cities, the family of the dead person might seek revenge and kill the person who caused the accidental death. But if the person could reach a city of refuge, they would be safe until they could receive a fair trial.

Joshua 20:2-4: Tell the Israelites to designate the cities of refuge, as I instructed you through Moses, so that anyone who kills a person accidentally and unintentionally may flee there and find protection from the avenger of blood. When they flee to one of these cities, they are to stand in the entrance of the city gate and state their case before the elders of that city. Then the elders are to admit the fugitive into their city and provide a place to live among them.

These cities of refuge paint a beautiful picture of Jesus Christ, our refuge from the judgment we deserve. The cities were centrally located so anyone could reach them quickly—just as salvation in Christ is available to all. The gates were always open—just as we can come to Jesus at any time. The cities were well-stocked with provisions—just as Christ provides everything we need. Refuge could only be found inside the city—just as salvation is found only in Christ. The cities were open to everyone, including foreigners—just as Jesus welcomes people from every nation. The person was declared free when the high priest died—just as we are set free through the death of Jesus, our High Priest. (Notebook Moment: How does knowing that Jesus is your city of refuge change the way you think about your sins and mistakes?)

This section concludes with a powerful summary statement about God’s faithfulness:

Joshua 21:43-45: So the Lord gave Israel all the land he had sworn to give their ancestors, and they took possession of it and settled there. The Lord gave them rest on every side, just as he had sworn to their ancestors. Not one of their enemies withstood them; the Lord gave all their enemies into their hands. Not one of all the Lord’s good promises to Israel failed; every one was fulfilled.

Dedication to God (Chapters 22-24)

As Joshua grew old and knew his death was approaching, he gathered all Israel together to give them his final instructions. Like Moses before him, Joshua wanted to ensure that the people would remain faithful to God after he was gone. He reminded them of everything God had done for them and warned them about the dangers of turning away from the Lord.

Joshua 22:5: But be very careful to keep the commandment and the law that Moses the servant of the Lord gave you: to love the Lord your God, to walk in obedience to him, to keep his commands, to hold fast to him and to serve him with all your heart and with all your soul.

In his final speech, Joshua presented the people with a clear choice. They could serve the Lord who had brought them out of Egypt and given them the Promised Land, or they could serve the false gods of the nations around them. Joshua made his own position crystal clear:

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

The people responded with enthusiasm, declaring that they too would serve the Lord. They remembered all that God had done for them and promised to obey Him alone. Joshua set up a large stone as a witness to their commitment, reminding them that their words had been recorded and they would be held accountable for their promise.

What Do We See of Christ?

The book of Joshua is filled with pictures that point us to Jesus Christ. First and most obviously, Joshua himself is a picture of Christ. Their names are the same—Joshua is the Hebrew form of the name Jesus, and both mean “The Lord saves.” Just as Joshua led Israel into the Promised Land, Jesus leads us into eternal life. The writer of Hebrews calls Jesus the captain or pioneer of our salvation:

Hebrews 2:10: In bringing many sons and daughters to glory, it was fitting that God, for whom and through whom everything exists, should make the pioneer of their salvation perfect through what he suffered.

We also see a beautiful picture of salvation through the blood of Christ in the story of Rahab. The scarlet cord she hung in her window protected her from destruction, just as the blood of Jesus protects us from God’s judgment. Rahab’s faith saved not only her but her entire household, showing us that God’s salvation extends to all who believe, regardless of their past.

Joshua 2:18: Unless, when we enter the land, you have tied this scarlet cord in the window through which you let us down, and unless you have brought your father and mother, your brothers and all your family into your house.

Rahab’s story doesn’t end with her rescue from Jericho. She married an Israelite named Salmon and became the great-great-grandmother of King David. Even more amazingly, she is one of only four women mentioned in the genealogy of Jesus Christ in Matthew’s Gospel. God took a Canaanite prostitute who believed in Him and made her an ancestor of the Messiah. This shows us the transforming power of God’s grace.

Matthew 1:5: Salmon the father of Boaz, whose mother was Rahab, Boaz the father of Obed, whose mother was Ruth.

The conquest of Canaan also pictures our spiritual warfare against sin and Satan. Just as Israel had to fight to possess their inheritance, we must fight the good fight of faith to experience the fullness of our salvation. The book of Ephesians in the New Testament has many parallels with Joshua, teaching us how to be victorious in spiritual warfare through the armor of God.

Conclusion

The book of Joshua shows us a God who keeps His promises. Four hundred years after promising Abraham that his descendants would inherit Canaan, God fulfilled that promise completely. Not one word of His promise failed. This gives us confidence that God will keep all His promises to us in Christ Jesus.

We also learn that God’s people experience victory through faith and obedience. When Israel trusted God and obeyed His commands, they won impossible victories. When they relied on themselves or disobeyed God’s word, they faced defeat. The same principle applies to our spiritual lives today.

Joshua reminds us that God has given us a great inheritance in Christ, but we must actively possess it by faith. Just as Israel had to fight to take the land God had already given them, we must stand firm in faith to experience the blessings God has provided for us in Christ. We have been blessed with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places, but we must claim these blessings through faith and obedience.

Finally, Joshua teaches us about the importance of choosing whom we will serve. Every generation must make this choice for themselves. We cannot rely on the faith of our parents or grandparents. Like Joshua, we must declare, “As for me and my household, we will serve the Lord.”

The story of Joshua is ultimately the story of God’s faithfulness to bring His people into rest. The physical rest that Israel found in the Promised Land points forward to the spiritual rest we find in Jesus Christ. Through Him, we enter God’s eternal rest, not through our own works, but through faith in what He has accomplished for us.

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