TPT The Book of Joshua (eBook)

LESSON 1

The Prophet’s Apprentice

(various Scriptures)

From the east side of the Jordan River, Joshua prepared to embark on a military campaign. Almost a half millennia before, God promised Abram that the territory of Canaan would ultimately belong to his many descendants. Countless offspring? A permanent place to call home? To an old, childless desert nomad, this was almost too good to be true, but Abram believed God (Genesis 12:1–4; 15:1–21).

Abraham died in Canaan, and the only land he possessed was the plot he was buried in (25:7–10). Centuries would pass before his descendants would return to claim this promised land. In the intervening years, his promised children faced withering trials. Family strife, famine, emigration, chattel slavery, hostile armies, and wilderness wandering, each in their turn threatened the very survival of Abraham’s lineage. But through God’s faithfulness and intervention, Abraham’s children returned to claim the promised land.

To settle this land, it would take a military conquest, and this included espionage, violence, and destruction. There were battle strategies and diplomatic treaties. There were glorious victories and humiliating defeats. And, as usual when people work in cooperation with God, there were miraculous interventions that accomplished divine purposes.

Therefore, we will embark on a spiritual campaign with these ancient people. In 1 Corinthians 10:1–13, Paul wrote that the experiences of Israel were recorded as encouragement, warnings, and examples for Christians. The history recorded in Joshua is a treasure trove of lessons for the followers of Jesus. We will witness the fledgling nation of Israel taking its first steps without Moses, experiencing firsthand the power and patience of God. We will learn from them as they choose to follow him into their rest.

A New Chapter Begins

“Marley was dead: to begin with. There is no doubt whatever about that. The register of his burial was signed by the clergyman, the clerk, the undertaker, and the chief mourner. Scrooge.”2 So begins Victorian England’s most popular Christmas story.

From the first sentence of Dickens’ classic, we learn that Jacob Marley’s time had passed. He would influence the story, of course, but his chapter was over. Ebeneezer Scrooge was the next person named and the central character of the next chapter. His partnership with Marley and the reputation they forged together undergirded this well-worn tale.

Similarly, the opening lines of the biblical book of Joshua highlight two key leaders, Moses and Joshua. “After Moses, Yahweh’s servant, died, Yahweh spoke to Joshua son of Nun, Moses’ faithful assistant” (Joshua 1:1). Moses’ chapter was closed, and with his passing, Joshua became the central figure of the next chapter in the story of God’s covenant people Israel. Scripture had never mentioned Joshua by name without reference to Moses. For decades they were inseparable. Death had now separated these two men, and Joshua had to go forward alone at the head of this nomad nation as they secured their new homeland.

Joshua’s leadership skills did not materialize suddenly. His experiences as a common Israelite and then companion to Moses forged Joshua’s character and competence. He established his place in the hearts of his fellow Israelites as Israel’s undisputed leader of the conquest through many years of challenges together and through his steadfast faith.

An Israelite

Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob were the first fathers of this people. In their lifetimes, there was no nation of Israel for them to belong to. Moses was an Israelite but exceptional in his infancy, upbringing, and calling. When he arose as a deliverer, he was decidedly an outsider. However, before Joshua made a name for himself among the covenant people of God, he was a common member of that nation. So before considering the events that distinguish Joshua from his people, let’s review the soul-forming experiences he shared with them.

Like all Jacob’s descendants of his generation, Joshua was born a slave. He was born under the oppressive rule of the Egyptian pharaoh who had no regard for God or his covenant people. Exodus 1:6–22 describes the cruelty and hopelessness of this era for Israel.

• This new pharaoh mentions specific concerns he has about this immigrant community in Egypt. What did he worry about (Exodus 1:8–10)?

• What three strategies did Pharaoh employ to diminish the Israelite population in Egypt?

• Who had to cooperate with him to accomplish these strategies (vv. 11, 15, 22)? Did they cooperate?

Joshua was born about a generation after this oppression began. He was a forced laborer, toiling to turn raw materials into buildings, temples, pyramids, and monuments. His Egyptian masters channeled his efforts to build the Egyptian empire, honor Egyptian culture, and worship Egyptian gods. This was an inauspicious beginning for a man who would rise to lead the people of the one true God.

Like the rest of Israel, Joshua was delivered from slavery through the miraculous intervention of God. When Moses recounted the wonders of God that led Israel to the edge of the promised land, he reminded them of the slavery they came from and especially how God set them free (Deuteronomy 7:7–19). Moses expected all the generations that followed to remember these wonders.

• How did Moses describe Israel’s unpromising beginnings (Deuteronomy 7:7)?

• What motivated God to come to their rescue (v. 8)?

• What miraculous troubles did God inflict on Israel’s oppressors (vv. 15, 19)? How does God describe his power in setting the Hebrews free (vv. 8, 19)?

• Was it Israel’s strength that broke them out of bondage? Was it Israel’s strength that would enable them to conquer the promised land?

• What did Moses expect his people to conclude from the wonders God showed them in Egypt (vv. 18–19)?

Joshua, like all his countrymen, walked through the Red Sea on dry ground (Exodus 14:13–31). Getting free from Egypt was the first step; staying free was the next. When Pharaoh changed his mind and chased down the newly freed slaves with his army, the Hebrews were trapped against the sea. Everyone expected a slaughter and re-enslavement, but God showed his power again.

• Did Israel have to fight Egypt for their freedom? Did they have to defend themselves (Exodus 14:13–14)?

• What sequence of miracles did God perform to rescue them in this instance (vv. 19–20, 21, 24–25, 27–28)?

• How did the Egyptian army bring glory to God (vv. 17–18)?

• What effect did this miracle have in the hearts of the Hebrews (vv. 30–31)?

With the rest of his people, Joshua spent forty years of his life wandering in the wilderness (Deuteronomy 8:1–9). When they could have been conquering and settling, they were condemned to wandering tantalizingly close to the promised land, facing the elements, and living in tents.

• What did God plan to accomplish through the wilderness wanderings of the Hebrews (Deuteronomy 8:2, 5)?

• How did God provide for their physical needs in the wilderness (vv. 3–4)?

• The contrast was stark between resources in the wilderness and the promised land. What did their new homeland have that they lacked in the wilderness (vv. 7–9)?

• What did God demand of the Hebrews, whether they were wandering or settled in the new land (vv. 1, 6)?

Joshua shared in all these experiences as an ordinary citizen of Israel. He was part of the national identity shaped by slavery, deliverance, walking through the sea, and God’s provision in the wilderness. The lessons he learned from these common experiences informed the rest of his life as a leader of God’s people.

WORD WEALTH

Joshua actually has two names in the Bible. In Numbers 13:8, he is called Hoshea, the son of Nun. A handful of verses later, we read that Moses changed his name to Joshua (v. 16). This name is more than a tag identifying the man. It is the description of his life’s work and a reminder about the nature of his God.

His birth name Hoshea, pronounced /hoe-SHAY-uh/, means “salvation.” When Nun placed this name on his infant son, born into bondage, he expressed hope for a rescue. Maybe this generation would be free. Moses’ change to his name was slight but important. Joshua means “the Lord is salvation.” Altering his name moved the meaning from a vague hope to the certain source of that hope. The salvation the Hebrews longed for was realized in the Lord Yahweh. He alone could deliver them. He alone saved them. Joshua would wear this declaration for the rest of his life.

Centuries later, when an angel visited Joseph, the fiancé of Mary, with miraculous challenging news, this name is used purposefully once again. “She will give birth to a son, and you are to give him the name Jesus, because he will save his people from their sins” (Matthew 1:21 NIV). The NIV footnote reads, “Jesus is the Greek form of Joshua, which means the Lord saves.” Like Joshua, Jesus would have heard this confident declaration every time his mother...