![]() ![]() In 1:10-15, Joshua commanded Israel to prepare themselves. Next, our author introduced Joshua's commands in response to God's directives. ![]() In verse 2, God told Joshua, "Arise, go over this Jordan, you and all this people." He then told Joshua three times in verses 6, 7 and 9, "Be strong and courageous." Joshua's Commands We first read God's commands to Joshua in 1:1-9. This section on Israel's preparations for victory divides into three steps that introduce the appropriate chain of command for every upcoming battle in our book. This area is sometimes called Cisjordan, meaning "beside the Jordan." But in the opening of our book, God commanded Joshua to prepare to lead Israel westward into victory over the land of Canaan. The book of Joshua opens with Israel on the plains of Moab, east of the Jordan River, an area often called Transjordan, meaning "across the Jordan." These territories were so bountiful that, according to Numbers 32, the tribes of Reuben, Gad and half of the tribe of Manasseh asked for, and received, Moses' permission to settle there. Let's begin with an overview of its structure and content. Time will only permit us to look briefly at two aspects of Israel's preparations for victory: first the structure and content of this portion of our book, and then some aspects of its original meaning. Let's look first at Israel's preparations for victory. Then we'll close with some comments on Christian application. Our lesson on Israel's victorious conquest will look at each of these three sections. These chapters divide into three main sections: Israel's preparations for victory in chapter 1 Israel's initial victories over two cities in chapters 2–8 and Israel's later victories over two alliances in chapters 9–12. It does this by drawing attention to Israel's extensive victorious conquest over the land of Canaan. The first major division, in chapters 1–12, addresses the original audience's challenges associated with warfare. And the book was designed to guide these Old Testament Israelites as they continued to face the challenges of pursuing their victorious conquest, securing their tribal inheritances and renewing their covenant loyalty. The book of Joshua was written about Israel's victorious conquest, tribal inheritances and covenant loyalty in Joshua's day to address similar challenges facing later generations.Īs we've learned, Joshua was originally written for Israelites who lived either in the period of the judges, during the monarchy, or as late as the Babylonian exile. In our preceding lesson, we summarized the original meaning of the book of Joshua in this way: And we've entitled it, Israel's "Victorious Conquest." In this lesson, we'll deal with the first major division of the book, Joshua 1–12. This is the second lesson in our series on The Book of Joshua. And as Christ's followers, we are called to embrace this outlook as well. But, contrary to our modern inclinations, the book of Joshua actually honors God, not for tolerating, but for commanding, leading and empowering Israel's conquest. We wonder how the loving, merciful God we know in Christ could have tolerated Israel's attempt to destroy the inhabitants of Canaan. ![]() ![]() If there's one portion of the Old Testament that troubles most modern Christians more than any other, it has to be the chapters of the book of Joshua that describe Israel's conquest of the Promised Land. Southeastern Baptist Theological Seminary.He Gave Us Scripture: Foundations of Interpretation.Your Kingdom Come: The Doctrine of Eschatology.Kingdom, Covenants & Canon of the Old Testament.Kingdom & Covenant in the New Testament. ![]()
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