Key Study Verse Archive
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Stop listening to instruction, my son, and you will stray from the words of knowledge
(Proverbs 19 v27).
"Listen to advice and accept instruction, and in the end you will be wise.
(Proverbs 19 v20).
Mon fils, si tu cesses d'écouter l'instruction, tu te détourneras des paroles de la connaissance.. (Proverbes 19 v27).
Écoute les conseils, et reçois l'instruction, Afin que tu sois sage dans la suite de ta vie
(Proverbes 19 v20).
Soyez vigilants, demeurez fermes dans la foi, faites preuve de courage, soyez forts.
Que l'amour inspire toutes vos actions.
Be on your guard; stand firm in the faith; be men of courage; be strong. Do everything in love.
1 CORINTHIANS
16V13-14
"For to us a child is born, to us a son is given, and the government will be on his shoulders. And he will be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace...
Car un enfant nous est né, un fils nous est donné, Et la domination reposera sur son épaule; On l'appellera Admirable, Conseiller, Dieu puissant, Père éternel, Prince de la paix"
Soyez vigilants, demeurez fermes dans la foi, faites preuve de courage, soyez forts.
Que l'amour inspire toutes vos actions.
Be on your guard; stand firm in the faith; be men of courage; be strong. Do everything in love.
1 CORINTHIANS 16V13-14
"For the eyes of the LORD range throughout the earth to strengthen those whose hearts are fully committed to him"
(2 Chronicles 16v9)
"Car l'Eternel parcourt toute la terre du regard pour soutenir ceux dont le coeur est tourné vers lui sans partage"
(2 Chroniques 16v9).
It is written in Isaiah the prophet: "I will send my messenger ahead of you,
who will prepare your way...a voice of one calling in the desert,
'Prepare the way for the Lord, make straight paths for him.'And so John came, baptizing in the desert region and preaching a baptism of repentance for the forgiveness of sins.
Selon ce qui est écrit dans Ésaïe, le prophète: Voici, j'envoie devant toi mon messager, Qui préparera ton chemin;C'est la voix de celui qui crie dans le désert: Préparez le chemin du Seigneur, Aplanissez ses sentiers. Jean parut, baptisant dans le désert, et prêchant le baptême de repentance, pour la rémission des péchés Marc 1v 2-4
"For the Son of Man came to seek and to save what was lost" (Luke 19v10).
"Car le Fils de l'homme est venu chercher et sauver ce qui était perdu"
(Luc 19v10).
Glory in his holy name; let the hearts of those who seek the LORD rejoice ( I chronicles 16v10).
"Have faith in the LORD your God and you will be upheld; have faith in his prophets and you will be successful"
( 2 Chronicles 20v20).
"De même, je vous le dis, il y a de la joie devant les anges de Dieu pour un seul pécheur qui se repent"
(Luc 15v10).
"In the same way, I tell you, there is rejoicing in the presence of the angels of God over one sinner who repents"(Luke 15v10).
"I am the vine and you are the branches. If a man remains in me and I in him, he will bear much fruit; apart from me, you can do nothing" (John 15v5).
"Je suis le cep, vous êtes les sarments. Celui qui demeure en moi et en qui je demeure porte beaucoup de fruit, car sans moi vous ne pouvez rien faire" (Jean 15v5).
"... How long would you waver between two opinions? If the Lord is God, follow Him; but baal is God, follow him" (I Kings 18v21).
"...Combien de temps encore sauterez-vous des deux côtés? Si l'Eternel est le vrai Dieu, suivez- le. Si c'est Baal, alors ralliez-vous à lui!" (1 Rois 18v21).
"Je puis toutes choses en celui qui me fortifie (Philippiens 4v13).
"I am able to do all things through him who gives me strength (Philippians 4:13). "
"So be strong, show yourself a man, and observe what the LORD your God requires: Walk in his ways, and keep his decrees and commands, his laws and requirements, as written in the Law of Moses, so that you may prosper in all you do and wherever you go... (I Kings 2v2-3).
"Fortifie-toi, et sois un homme; et prends garde à ce qui doit être observé devant l'Éternel, ton Dieu, en marchant dans ses voies, en gardant ses statuts, et ses commandements, et ses ordonnances, et ses témoignages, comme il est écrit dans la loi de Moïse, afin que tu réussisses dans tout ce que tu fais et où que tu te tournes (I Rois 2v2-3)."
AN INTRODUCTION TO THE BOOK OF JOSHUA
The Conquest and the Ethical Question of War
Many readers of Joshua (and other OT books) are deeply troubled by the role that warfare plays in this account of God’s dealings with his people. Not a few relieve their ethical scruples by ascribing the author’s perspective to a pre-Christian (and sub-Christian) stage of moral development that the Christian, in the light of Christ’s teaching, must repudiate and transcend. Hence the main thread of the narrative line of Joshua is an offense to them.
It must be remembered, however, that the book of Joshua does not address itself to the abstract ethical question of war as a means for gaining human ends. It can only be understood in the context of the history of redemption unfolding in the Pentateuch, with its interplay of divine grace and judgment. Of that story it is the direct continuation.
Joshua is not an epic account of Israel’s heroic generation or the story of Israel’s conquest of Canaan with the aid of her national deity. It is rather the story of how God, to whom the whole world belongs, at one stage in the history of redemption reconquered a portion of the earth from the powers of this world that had claimed it for themselves, defending their claims by force of arms and reliance on their false gods. It tells how God commissioned his people to serve as his army under the leadership of his servant Joshua, to take Canaan in his name out of the hands of the idolatrous and dissolute Canaanites (whose measure of sin was now full; see Ge 15:16 and note). It further tells how he aided them in the enterprise and gave them conditional tenancy in his land in fulfillment of the ancient pledge he had made to Israel’s ancestors, Abraham, Isaac and Jacob.
Joshua is the story of the kingdom of God breaking into the world of nations at a time when national and political entities were viewed as the creation of the gods and living proofs of their power. Thus the Lord’s triumph over the Canaanites testified to the world that the God of Israel is the one true and living God, whose claim on the world is absolute. It was also a warning to the nations that the irresistible advance of the kingdom of God would ultimately disinherit all those who opposed it, giving place in the earth only to those who acknowledge and serve the Lord. At once an act of redemption and judgment, it gave notice of the outcome of history and anticipated the final destiny of humankind and the creation.
The battles for Canaan were therefore the Lord’s war, undertaken at a particular time in the program of redemption. God gave his people under Joshua no commission or license to conquer the world with the sword but a particular, limited mission. The conquered land itself would not become Israel’s national possession by right of conquest, but it belonged to the Lord. So the land had to be cleansed of all remnants of paganism. Its people and their wealth were not for Israel to seize as the booty of war from which to enrich themselves (as Achan tried to do, ch. 7) but were placed under God’s ban (were to be devoted to God to dispense with as he pleased). On that land Israel was to establish a commonwealth faithful to the righteous rule of God and thus be a witness (and a blessing) to the nations. If Israel became unfaithful and conformed to Canaanite culture and practice, it would in turn lose its place in the Lord’s land—as Israel almost did in the days of the judges, and as it eventually did in the exile.
War is a terrible curse that the human race brings on itself as it seeks to possess the earth by its own unrighteous ways. But it pales before the curse that awaits all those who do not heed God’s testimony to himself or his warnings—those who oppose the rule of God and reject his offer of grace. The God of the second Joshua (Jesus) is the God of the first Joshua also. Although now for a time he reaches out to the whole world with the gospel (and commissions his people urgently to carry his offer of peace to all nations), the sword of his judgment waits in the wings—and his second Joshua will wield it (Rev 19:11–16; see notes there).
Title and Theological Theme
Joshua is a story of conquest and fulfillment for the people of God. After many years of slavery in Egypt and 40 years in the desert, the Israelites were finally allowed to enter the land promised to their fathers. Abraham, always a migrant, never possessed the country to which he was sent, but he left to his children the legacy of God’s covenant that made them the eventual heirs of all of Canaan (see Ge 15:13,16,18; 17:8). Joshua was destined to turn that promise into reality.
Where Deuteronomy ends, the book of Joshua begins: The tribes of Israel are still camped on the east side of the Jordan River. The narrative opens with God’s command to move forward and pass through the river on dry land. Then it relates the series of victories in central, southern and northern Canaan that gave the Israelites control of all the hill country and the Negev. It continues with a description of the tribal allotments and ends with Joshua’s final addresses to the people. The theme of the book, therefore, is the establishment of God’s people Israel in the Lord’s land, the land he had promised to give them as their place of “rest” in the earth (1:13,15; 21:44; 22:4; 23:1; see also Dt 3:20 and note; 12:9–10; 25:19; 1Ki 5:4 and note; 8:56). So the Great King’s promise to the partriarchs and Moses to give the land of Canaan to the chosen people of his kingdom is now historically fulfilled (1:1–6; 21:43–45).
In the story the book tells, three primary actors play a part: “the Lord” (as Israel’s God), his servant Joshua, and his people Israel (the last a collective “character” in the story). We meet all three immediately in ch. 1, where all three are clearly presented in the distinctive roles they will play in the story that follows. Ch. 1 also introduces the reader to the main concern of the book as a whole.
The role of the central human actor in the events narrated here is reinforced by the name he bears. Earlier in his life Joshua was called simply Hoshea (Nu 13:8,16), meaning “salvation.” But later Moses changed his name to Joshua, meaning “The Lord saves” (or “The Lord gives victory”). When this same name (the Greek form of which is Jesus; see NIV text note on Mt 1:21) was given to Mary’s firstborn son, it identified him as the servant of God who would complete what God did for Israel in a preliminary way through the first Joshua, namely, overcome all powers of evil in the world and bring God’s people into their eternal “rest” (see Heb 4:1–11 and notes).
In the Hebrew Bible the book of Joshua initiates a division called the Former Prophets, including also Judges, Samuel and Kings. These are all historical in content but are written from a prophetic standpoint. They do more than merely record the nation’s history from Moses to the fall of Judah in 586 b.c. They prophetically interpret God’s covenant ways with Israel in history—how he fulfills and remains true to his promises (especially through his servants such as Joshua, the judges, Samuel and David) and how he deals with the waywardness of the Israelites. In Joshua it was the Lord who won the victories and “gave Israel all the land he had sworn to give their forefathers” (21:43).
Author and Date
In the judgment of many scholars Joshua was not written until the end of the period of the kings, some 800 years after the actual events. But there are significant reasons to question this conclusion and to place the time of composition much earlier. The earliest Jewish traditions (Talmud) claim that Joshua wrote his own book except for the final section about his funeral, which is attributed to Eleazar son of Aaron (the last verse must have been added by a later editor).
On at least two occasions the text reports writing at Joshua’s command or by Joshua himself. We are told that when the tribes received their territories, Joshua instructed his men “to make a survey of the land and write a description of it” (18:8). Then in the last scene of the book, when Joshua led Israel in a renewal of the covenant with the Lord, it is said that “he drew up decrees and laws” (24:25). On another occasion the narrator speaks as if he had been a participant in the event; he uses the pronouns “we” and “us” (5:1,6).
Moreover, the author seems to be familiar with ancient names of cities, such as “the Jebusite city” (15:8; 18:16,28) for Jerusalem, Kiriath Arba (14:15; 15:54; 20:7; 21:11) for Hebron, and Greater Sidon (11:8; 19:28) for what later became simply Sidon. And Tyre is never mentioned, probably because in Joshua’s day it had not yet developed into a port of major importance.
But if some features suggest an author of Joshua’s own lifetime, others point to a writer of a somewhat later period. The account of the long day when the sun stood still at Aijalon is substantiated by a quotation from another source, the Book of Jashar (10:13). This would hardly be natural for an eyewitness of the miracle who was writing shortly after it happened. Also, there are 12 instances where the phrase “until this day” occurs.
It seems safe to conclude that the book draws on early sources. It may date from the beginning of the monarchy. Some think that Samuel may have had a hand in shaping or compiling the materials of the book, but in fact we are unsure who the final author or editor was.
The Life of Joshua
Joshua’s remarkable life was filled with excitement, variety, success and honor. He was known for his deep trust in God and as “a man in whom is the spirit” (Nu 27:18). As a youth he lived through the bitter realities of slavery in Egypt, but he also witnessed the supernatural plagues and the miracle of Israel’s escape from the army of the Egyptians when the waters of the sea opened before them. In the Sinai peninsula it was Joshua who led the troops of Israel to victory over the Amalekites (Ex 17:8–13). He alone was allowed to accompany Moses up the holy mountain where the tablets of the law were received (Ex 24:13–14). And it was he who stood watch at the temporary tent of meeting Moses set up before the tabernacle was erected (Ex 33:11).
Joshua was elected to represent his own tribe of Ephraim when the 12 spies were sent into Canaan to look over the land. Only Joshua and Caleb, representing the tribe of Judah, were ready to follow God’s will and take immediate possession of the land (see Nu 14:26–34). The rest of the Israelites of that generation were condemned to die in the desert. Even Moses died short of the goal and was told to turn everything over to Joshua. God promised to guide and strengthen Joshua, just as he had Moses (Dt 31:23; cf. Jos 1:5 and note).
Joshua was God’s chosen servant (see 24:29 and note on Dt 34:5) to bring Moses’ work to completion and establish Israel in the promised land. To that special divine appointment he was faithful—as the leader of God’s army, as the administrator of God’s division of the land and as God’s spokesman for promoting Israel’s covenant faithfulness. In all this he was a striking OT type (foreshadowing) of Christ (see notes on Heb 4:1,6–8).
Historical Setting
At the time of the Israelite migration into Canaan the superpowers of the ancient Near East were relatively weak. The Hittites had faded from the scene. Neither Babylon nor Egypt could maintain a standing military presence in Canaan, and the Assyrians would not send in their armies until centuries later.
As the tribes circled east of the Dead Sea, the Edomites refused them passage, so Israel bypassed them to the east. However, when Sihon and Og, two regional Amorite kings of Transjordan, tried to stop the Israelites, they were easily defeated and their lands occupied. Moab was forced to let Israel pass through her territory and camp in her plains. Also the Midianites were dealt a severe blow.
Biblical archaeologists call this period the Late Bronze Age (1550–1200 b.c.). Today thousands of artifacts give testimony to the richness of the Canaanite material culture, which was in many ways superior to that of the Israelites. When the ruins of the ancient kingdom of Ugarit were discovered at modern Ras Shamra on the northern coast of Syria (see chart, p. xxiii), a wealth of new information came to light concerning the domestic, commercial and religious life of the Canaanites. From a language close to Hebrew came stories of ancient kings and gods that revealed their immoral behavior and cruelty. In addition, pagan temples, altars, tombs and ritual vessels have been uncovered, throwing more light on the culture and customs of the peoples surrounding Israel.
Excavations at the ancient sites of Megiddo, Beth Shan and Gezer show how powerfully fortified these cities were and why they were not captured and occupied by Israel in Joshua’s day. Many other fortified towns were taken, however, so that Israel became firmly established in the land as the dominant power. Apart from Jericho and Ai, Joshua is reported to have burned only Hazor (11:13), so attempts to date these events by destruction levels in the mounds of Canaan’s ancient cities are questionable undertakings. It must also be remembered that other groups were involved in campaigns in the region about this time, among whom were Egyptian rulers and the Sea Peoples (including the Philistines). There had also been much intercity warfare among the Canaanites, and afterward the period of the judges was marked by general turbulence.
Much of the data from archaeology appears to support a date for Joshua’s invasion c. 1250 b.c. This fits well with an exodus that would then have taken place 40 years earlier under the famous Rameses II, who ruled from the Nile delta at a city with the same name (Ex 1:11). It also places Joseph in Egypt in a favorable situation. Four hundred years before Rameses II the pharaohs were the Semitic Hyksos, who also ruled from the delta near the land of Goshen.
On the other hand, a good case can be made for the traditional viewpoint that the invasion occurred c. 1406 b.c. The oppression would have taken place under Amunhotep II after the death of his father Thutmose III, who is known to have used slave labor in his building projects. The earlier date also fits better with the two numbers found in Jdg 11:26 and 1Ki 6:1, since it allows for an additional 150 years between Moses and the monarchy. See also Introductions to Genesis: Author and Date of Writing; Exodus: Chronology; Judges: Background; and note on 1Ki 6:1.
Outline
The Entrance into the Land (1:1—5:12)
The Exhortations to Conquer (ch. 1)
The Reconnaissance of Jericho (ch. 2)
The Crossing of the Jordan (chs. 3–4)
The Consecration at Gilgal (5:1–12)
The Conquest of the Land (5:13—12:24)
The Initial Battles (5:13—8:35)
The victory at Jericho (5:13—6:27)
The failure at Ai because of Achan’s sin (ch. 7)
The victory at Ai (8:1–29)
The covenant renewed at Shechem (8:30–35)
The Campaign in the South (chs. 9–10)
The treaty with the Gibeonites (ch. 9)
The long day of Joshua (10:1–15)
The southern cities conquered (10:16–43)
The Campaign in the North (ch. 11)
The Defeated Kings of Canaan (ch. 12)
The Distribution of the Land (chs. 13–21)
The Areas Yet to Be Conquered (13:1–7)
The Land Assigned by Moses to the Tribes in Transjordan (13:8–33)
The Division of the Land of Canaan (chs. 14–19)
Introduction (14:1–5)
The town given to Caleb (14:6–15)
The lands given to Judah and “Joseph” at Gilgal (chs. 15–17)
The allotments for Benjamin, Simeon, Zebulun, Issachar, Asher, Naphtali and Dan at Shiloh (18:1—19:48)
The town given to Joshua (19:49–51)
The Cities Assigned to the Levites (chs. 20–21)
The 6 cities of refuge (ch. 20)
The 48 cities of the priests (ch. 21)
Epilogue: Tribal Unity and Loyalty to the Lord (chs. 22–24)
The Altar of Witness by the Jordan (ch. 22)
Joshua’s Farewell Exhortation (ch. 23)
The Renewal of the Covenant at Shechem (24:1–28)
The Death and Burial of Joshua and Eleazar (24:29–33)
| Do not let this book of the law depart from your mouth; 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" (Joshua 1 v 8-9). Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light for my path (Psalm 119v105). Great peace have they who love your law, and nothing can make them stumble (119v165). "Que ce livre de la loi ne s'éloigne point de ta bouche; médite-le jour et nuit, pour agir fidèlement selon tout ce qui y est écrit; car c'est alors que tu auras du succès dans tes entreprises, c'est alors que tu réussiras." "Ta parole est une lampe à mes pieds, Et une lumière sur mon sentier.(119v105)". Il y a beaucoup de paix pour ceux qui aiment ta loi, Et il ne leur arrive aucun malheur. (Psaume 119 v 165). | JULY 2010 DAILY BIBLE DEVOTION JUILLET 2010 Dévotion Biblique Journalier | Dates of the Month of JULY 2010 Les dates du mois du JUILLET 2010 |
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| Matthiew Chapters 13 & 14 | Matthieu Chapitres 13 & 14 | Jeu/Thur 01/07/2010 |
| Matthiew Chapters 15 & 16 | Matthieu Chapitres 15 & 16 | Ven/Fri 02/07/2010 |
| Matthiew Chapters 17 & 18 | Matthieu Chapitres 17 & 18 | Sam/Sat 03/07/010 |
| Matthiew Chapters 19 & 20 | Matthieu Chapitres 19 & 20 | Dim/Sun 04/07/2010 |
| Matthiew Chapters 21 & 22 | Matthieu Chapitres 21 & 22 | Lun/Mon 05/07/2010 |
| Matthiew Chapters 23 & 24 | Matthieu Chapitres 23 & 24 | Lun/Mon 06/07/2010 |
| Matthiew Chapters 25 & 26 | Matthieu Chapitres 25 & 26 | Mer/Wed 07/07/2010 |
| Matthiew Chapters 27 & 28 | Matthieu Chapitres 27 & 28 | Jeu/Thur 08/07/2010 |
| Joshua Chapters 1 & 2 | Josué Chapitres 1 & 2 | Ven/Fri 09/07/2010 |
| Joshua Chapters 3 & 4 | Josué Chapitres 3 & 4 | Sam/Sat 10/07/2010 |
| Joshua Chapters 5 & 6 | Josué Chapitres 5 & 6 | Dim/Sun 11/07/2010 |
| Joshua Chapters 7 & 8 | Josué Chapitres 7 & 8 | Lun/Mon 12/07/2010 |
| Joshua Chapters 9 & 10 | Josué Chapitres 9 & 10 | Mar/Tues 13/07/2010 |
| Joshua Chapters 11 & 12 | Josué Chapitres 11 & 12 | Mer/Wed 14/07/2010 |
| Joshua Chapters 13 & 14 | Josué Chapitres 13 & 14 | Jeu/Thur 15/07/2010 |
| Joshua Chapters 15 & 16 | Josué Chapitre 15 & 16 | Ven/Fri 16/07/2010 |
| Joshua Chapters 17 & 18 | Josué Chapitre 17 & 18 | Sam/Sat 17/07/2010 |
| Joshua Chapters 19 & 20 | Josué Chapitre 19 & 20 | Dim/Sun 18/07/2010 |
| Joshua Chapters 21 & 22 | Josué Chapitre 21 & 22 | Lun/Mon 19/07/2010 |
| Joshua Chapters 23 & 24 | Josué 23 & 24 | Mar/Tues 20/07/2010 |
| Luke Chapters 13 & 14 | Luc Chapitres 13 & 14 | Mer/Wed 21/07/2010 |
| Luke Chapters 15 & 16 | Luc Chapitres 15 & 16 | Jeu/Thur 22/07/2010 |
| Luke Chapters 17 & 18 | Luc Chapitres 17 & 18 | Ven/Fri 23/07/2010 |
| Luke Chapters 19 & 20 | Luc Chapitres 19 & 20 | Sam/Sat 24/07/2010 |
| Luke Chapters 21 & 22 | Luc Chapitres 21 & 22 | Dim/Sun 25/07/2010 |
| Luke Chapters 23 & 24 | Luc Chapitres 23 & 24 | Lun/Mon 26/07/2010 |
| Psalm Chapter 119v1-40 I John Chapter 1 | Psaume Chapitres 119v 1-40 I Jean Chapitre 1 | Mar/Tues 27/07/2010 |
| Psalm Chapters 119 v 41-80 I John Chapter 2 | Psaume Chapitre 119 v 41-80 I Jean Chapitre 2 | Mer/Wed 28/07/2010 |
| Psalm Chapters 119 v 81-120 I John Chapter 3 | Psaume Chapitres 119 v 81-120 I Jean Chapitre 3 | Jeu/Thur 29/07/2010 |
| Psalm Chapters 119v 121-160 I John Chapter 4 | Psaume Chapitres 119v 121-160 I Jean Chapitre 4 | Ven/Fri 30/07/2010 |
| Psalm Chapter 119v 161- 176 I John Chapter 5 | Psaume Chapitre 119v 161-176 I Jean Chapitre 5 | Sam/Sat 31/07/2010 |
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