Where Is The Book of Joshua In The Bible?
Joshua is the 6th book in the Old Testament of the Bible. Joshua follows the book of Deuteronomy where Moses reassures the Israelites of God’s faithfulness to lead them to the promised land. Near the end of Deuteronomy Joshua is commissioned to lead Israel when Moses dies.
How Old Was Joshua When Moses Died?
Joshua was around 60 – 80 years old when he took over as leader of the Israelites after Moses died. The bible is not specific on these dates. However, we do know that Joshua was over 20 years old when he was a spy with Caleb and the ten others because of Numbers 32:11-12. And that he still had to wait 40 years on the wilderness because of Joshua 5:6.
Numbers 32:11-12 NIV
“Because they have not followed me wholeheartedly, not one of those who were twenty years old or more when they came up out of Egypt will see the land I promised on oath to Abraham, Isaac and Jacob— not one except Caleb son of Jephunneh the Kenizzite and Joshua son of Nun, for they followed the LORD wholeheartedly.’”
Joshua 5:6 NIV
“The Israelites had moved about in the wilderness forty years until all the men who were of military age when they left Egypt had died, since they had not obeyed the LORD. For the LORD had sworn to them that they would not see the land he had solemnly promised their ancestors to give us, a land flowing with milk and honey.”
Was Moses Related To Joshua?
No, Moses was not related to Joshua. Joshua was Moses’ assistant, helping him part of the way up Mount Sanai and at the tent of meeting. Joshua was the son Nun as found in Numbers 13:8.
Why Did Moses Change Joshua’s Name?
The name, Joshua, made it clear that the Israelites would not only be saved, but be delivered by God alone. Joshua’s original name was Hoshea, which means “deliverer” in Hebrew. Moses changed Hoshea’s name to Joshua, which means “Jehovah saved.”
Who Wrote The Book of Joshua And Why?
The book of Joshua was possibly written by Joshua and at least one other person because it records the events around Joshua’s death but, ultimately it is anonymous. The author of Joshua uses a theological perspective to retell Israel being captured and settling in Canaan while focusing on God fulfilling his promises to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob.
What Happened In The Book Of Joshua?
Some of the well known events of the book of Joshua are Rahab hiding the Israelite spies, the Israelites crossing into the promised land and the battle of Jericho. Other events include dividing up the promised land between the twelve tribes and death of Joshua and his generation.
Why Is Joshua Important In The Bible?
The book of Joshua completes what was started in the previous book, Deuteronomy. In Deuteronomy the Israelites renew their covenant with God, by recommitting to following Him alone. And in Joshua, God fulfills His end of the covenant by leading the Israelites into the promised land. While the Israelites needed to do their part and step out in faith, they found many victories because of God’s covenant.
Why Did God Choose Joshua And What Made Him A Great Leader?
When Joshua was Moses’ assistant he was often found praying. When Moses went up Mount Sinai to meet with God, Joshua was praying on the the mountain instead of joining the Israelites in making their golden calf. Joshua also remained in the tent of meeting when he did not need to in order to have more time with God. Joshua shows the character of someone who values time in the presence of God. Ultimately, what made Joshua a great leader is found in Joshua 1:5. God had promised Joshua that He would be with him wherever he went.
Joshua 1:5 HCSB
“No one will be able to stand against you as long as you live. I will be with you, just as I was with Moses. I will not leave you or forsake you.”
How Was Joshua Commissioned?
In Joshua 1:2-3 we read that the Lord spoke to Joshua directly telling him to take all of the Israelites and enter the promised land because Joshua was their new leader now that Moses had died.
Joshua 1:2-3 ESV
““Moses my servant is dead. Now therefore arise, go over this Jordan, you and all this people, into the land that I am giving to them, to the people of Israel. Every place that the sole of your foot will tread upon I have given to you, just as I promised to Moses.”“
What Does Rahab Mean And Who Was She In The Bible?
Rahab is Hebrew for “proud.” Rahab was a prostitute who hid the two Israelite spies from the king of Jericho’s men. Rahab is also mentioned in Matthew 1:5 as an ancestor of Christ.
Matthew 1:5
“Salmon the father of Boaz, whose mother was Rahab, Boaz the father of Obed, whose mother was Ruth, Obed the father of Jesse.”
How Old Was Rahab?
The book of Joshua does not tell us Rahab’s age. We know that she was young enough to still be the mother of Boaz later on, but we don’t know her specific age.
How Did Rahab Show Faith?
Rahab demonstrated her faith by believing in the Israelites’ God because of the stories of miracles she had heard of God performing. Rahab’s description of what she had heard is in Joshua 2:10, and how it caused her change of heart in 2:11.
Joshua 2:10-11 ESV
“For we have heard how the LORD dried up the water of the Red Sea before you when you came out of Egypt, and what you did to the two kings of the Amorites who were beyond the Jordan, to Sihon and Og, whom you devoted to destruction. And as soon as we heard it, our hearts melted, and there was no spirit left in any man because of you, for the LORD your God, he is God in the heavens above and on the earth beneath.”
Who Were The Two Spies That Went To Jericho?
While the two spies in Joshua 2:1 are not named we do know that Joshua was once a spy, along with Caleb and ten others, when Moses sent spies to explore Canaan in Numbers 13. I believe Joshua would have personal experience that helped him choose men who would be well suited for this task.
Joshua 2:1
“And Joshua the son of Nun sent two men secretly from Shittim as spies, saying, “Go, view the land, especially Jericho.” And they went and came into the house of a prostitute whose name was Rahab and lodged there.“
How Did Rahab Hide The Spies And For How Long?
In chapter 2 of Joshua Rahab hides the spies on her roof, under stalks of flax, for a matter of hours. The king of Jericho found out about the spies the night that they arrived and started searching for them right away. When Rahab was done being questioned by the kings men she told the spies which way to flee to stay safe from the kings men.
What Did Rahab Ask Of The Spies?
When Rahab agreed to save the lives of the spies she asked that they spare the lives of her household when they returned to conquer Jericho. The two spies promised to “deal kindly” with Rahab because of the way she helped them. The spies told Rahab to tie a scarlet red cord in the window they escaped from as a sign to the Israelites not to harm anyone in that household. Just as the symbol of the lamb’s blood protected the Israelites during Passover the red cord protected all those in Rahab’s home.
What Can We Learn From Rahab In The Bible?
Rahab teaches us that God uses people right where they are in life, perfectionism not needed. Rahab, and the book of Joshua as a whole, are a great example of how God’s perfect Will can still come to fruition through sinful people because of God’s power being in use.
When Did Israel Cross The Jordan River?
The Israelites crossed the Jordan River around 1400 B.C. Once the two spies waited in the hills for three days, they made it back to Shittim with their reports of the promised land. In Joshua 3:1-3 we read that they set out the next morning for the Jordan River and camped near it for three days before crossing.
What Is The Significance Of The Jordan River?
The Jordan River signifies that when we trust in God’s promises He is faithful to fulfill them. In the Old Testament the Israelites couldn’t reach the promised land without crossing the Jordan River. In the new testament Jesus is baptized in the Jordan River.
Matthew 3:13 NIV
“Then Jesus came from Galilee to the Jordan to be baptized by John.”
How Did Israel Cross The Jordan River And How Long Did It Take?
The Jordan River dried up and the Israelites crossed on dry land because they carried the Ark of the Covenant into the water as God had instructed Joshua in chapter three. While the Bible does not say specifically how long it took, there were 40,000 men who needed to cross a river that is only 33-60 feet across.
Joshua 3:12-13 ESV
“Now choose twelve men from the tribes of Israel, one from each tribe. When the feet of the priests who carry the ark of the LORD—the Lord of all the earth—touch down in the waters of the Jordan, its flowing waters will be cut off and will stand up in a heap.”
What Do The 12 Stones Under The Jordan River Mean?
The twelve stones from under the Jordan River, mentioned in Joshua chapter 4, are proof that the river had dried up so much that the Israelite men were able to grab large stones from the river bed. They were then set up together as a reminded to all future generations that “Israel passed over this Jordan on dry ground.”
Joshua 4:4-7 ESV
“Then Joshua called the twelve men from the people of Israel, whom he had appointed, a man from each tribe. And Joshua said to them, “Pass on before the ark of the LORD your God into the midst of the Jordan, and take up each of you a stone upon his shoulder, according to the number of the tribes of the people of Israel, that this may be a sign among you. When your children ask in time to come, ‘What do those stones mean to you?’ then you shall tell them that the waters of the Jordan were cut off before the ark of the covenant of the LORD. When it passed over the Jordan, the waters of the Jordan were cut off. So these stones shall be to the people of Israel a memorial forever.”
Final Thoughts
The book of Joshua holds a valuable place in Christian history. In the first four chapters we learned that God is always faithful to fulfill His promises despite our sins. We found out that God can use anyone, even a Canaanite prostitute. And we learned that even when things feel impossible He can clear a path to our promised land.
Joshua Chapters 5-8 Coming Soon!