JOSHUA

A New Beginning

Joshua’s Great Commission

1 Anda after Moses, Yahweh’s servant, diedb, Yahweh spoke to Joshuac son of Nun,d Moses’ faithful assistant, and said,e 2“My servant Moses is dead. Now get up! Prepare to cross the Jordanf River, you and all the people. Lead themg into the land that I am giving to the Israelites. 3Every part of the land where you marchh I will give you, as I promised Moses.i 4Your borders will extend from the southern desert to the northern mountains of Lebanon, and from the great river Euphrates in the east, to the Mediterraneanj in the west—including all the land of the Hittites.k 5Joshua, no one will be able to defeat you for the rest of your life! I will be with you as I was with Moses,l and I will never failm nor abandon you. 6You must be strong and brave. You will lead the people to acquire and apportion the land that I promised their ancestors I would give them. 7You must remain very strong and courageous!n Be faithful to obey all the teachingo that my servant Moses commanded you to follow. Do not deviate from himp to the right or to the left, so that you will have overwhelming successq in everything you undertake. 8Recite this scroll of the law constantly.r Contemplate its day and night and be careful to follow every word it contains; then you will enjoy incredible prosperity and success.t 9I repeat,u be strong and brave! Do not yield to fear nor be discouraged, for I am Yahweh your God, and I will be with you wherever you go!”v

Preparation to Cross Over

10Joshua ordered the leaders of the people: 11“Go through the camp and instruct the people, ‘Pack your bags;w for within three days you will cross the Jordan to conquer and occupy the land that Yahweh your God is giving you to possess.’ ”x

12Then Joshua addressed the Reubenites, the Gadites, and the half-tribe of Manasseh:y 13–14“Remember the words that Yahweh’s servant Moses commanded you: ‘Yahweh your God is giving you this land on the east side of the Jordan as your homeland.’z Therefore, your wives, your little ones, and your livestockaa may remain here, but all your valiant warriors must cross over with us armed.ab They will take the lead and help their brothers 15until they take possession of the land that Yahweh your God is giving them as their homeland.ac Afterward, you will be free to return to your own land and possess the land that Moses, Yahweh’s servant, gave you here on the east side of the Jordan.”ad

16They answered Joshua: “We will do everything you have told us and will go wherever you send us. 17We always obeyed Moses, and we will always obey you. May Yahweh your God stand beside you as he stood with Moses. 18And anyone who questions your authority or disobeys whatever you commandae shall be put to death. So, Joshua, be strong and brave!”af

a1:1 The book of Joshua begins with the word “And.” What writer uses the connective “And” to start a new production? This indicates the close connection between the books of Deuteronomy and Joshua. In the Hebrew text every book from Joshua through 2 Kings (with the exception of Ruth) begins with “And,” demonstrating that the history of Israel is one connected narrative and inspired by one divine author, the Holy Spirit.

b1:1 Jewish tradition states that Moses died on the seventh of Adar, the twelfth month of the Jewish calendar. The book of Joshua takes up the story right after the thirty-day mourning period for Moses (see Deut. 34:5–8). Leaders may die, but God’s prophetic promises live on.

c1:1 Joshua is the name Moses gave him, changing it from Hoshea to Joshua (Yehoshua), which means “Yahweh is salvation,” “may Yahweh save,” “Yahweh makes triumphant,” or “Yahweh is the Deliverer.”

d1:1 Nun means “eternal,” “perpetual,” “to re-sprout,” or “eternal increase.” Joshua was the son of Nun. One greater than Joshua is Jesus, Son of the Eternal God. Joshua is introduced into the story as the “son of Nun.” In western culture we are identified by our profession, by what we do or have accomplished. But in Hebrew culture, we are introduced in the language of sonship—as a son or daughter. In English, we, too, use patronyms to identify persons, which is nearly the same as “son of.”

e1:1 Seventeen times in Joshua we read the words “Yahweh spoke to Joshua” or “Yahweh said.” Perhaps it was through an audible voice, in a dream, in a vision, in a divine encounter, through a prophecy, through the Urim and Thummim (see Num. 27:21), or by some other way. God has multiple ways of speaking to his servants.

f1:2 Jordan comes from two Hebrew root words meaning “to descend” and “to judge.”

g1:2 Joshua was the successor to Moses. The leadership of Israel was given not to one of Moses’ children but to the one whom God chose, prepared, and anointed. Leadership is not hereditary but established by the call of God on one’s life. God chose Joshua in part because of his lifetime of service to Moses and his longing to be in the presence of God. See Ex. 33:11. Moses (representing the law) was not able to take God’s people into their inheritance, but Joshua (representing Jesus) could.

h1:3 Or “Every place you put the sole of your foot upon,” a figure of speech for the power to conquer. To place the sole of your foot upon the land or upon your enemies was a metaphor for military victory. See Gen. 49:8; Josh. 10:24.

i1:3 See Deut. 11:24.

j1:4 Or “the Great Sea.”

k1:4 God mentioned the Hittites because they were the strongest and most warlike of the tribes, but in this passage, they are representative of all the seven tribes of the land. There were other inhabitants of the land as well—seven particular tribes are listed in several texts, including Deut. 7. The Hittites controlled a vast empire (with a capital far off to the north in modern Turkey) whose population stretched to the borderlands of Egypt (this very region that was now no longer under Egyptian domination).

l1:5 What an amazing promise God gave to Joshua! In the same way Yahweh was with Moses (think burning bush, hearing God’s voice, speaking “mouth to mouth” with God [Ex. 33:11], performing miracles, divine encounters, defeating enemies), so he would be with Joshua. Throughout this book, God repeatedly assured Joshua of his presence (see Josh. 2:24; 3:7, 10; 4:14; 6:27; 10:14, 42; 13:6; 14:12; 21:44; 23:3, 10).

m1:5 Or “I will not weaken you” or “allow you to be weak.” At least one Jewish scholar renders it, “I will not part from you.” (See Reuven Drucker, Yehoshua, Art Scroll Tanach Series, 1988.)

n1:7 To be courageous means to translate your convictions into bold actions.

o1:7 Or “law [Torah].”

p1:7 This phrase could mean “Don’t deviate from [the instruction of] Moses” or “Don’t turn from Yahweh.”

q1:7 Or “be prosperous,” “push forward,” or “break out.”

r1:8 Or “Don’t let this book of the law depart from your mouth.”

s1:8 Or “meditate,” “ponder,” “imagine,” “mutter,” or “talk to oneself.” See Ps. 1:2; Prov. 3:1–2.

t1:8 Or “understanding.” See Prov. 3:4.

u1:9 Or “Have I not commanded you?”

v1:9 God gave Joshua seven promises: (1) He would possess a vast territory (see vv. 3–4). (2) No one would be able to defeat him (see v. 5). (3) God would be with him as he was with Moses (see v. 5). (4) God would never fail him (see v. 5). (5) God would never abandon him (see v. 5). (6) He would enjoy prosperity and success (see v. 8). (7) God would be with him wherever he went (see v. 9). Remember, what God promised Joshua, he also promises you, for all that was promised to this Joshua is fulfilled in the better Joshua (Jesus) in whom we are included for receiving all of God’s promises as yes and amen.

w1:11 Or “Prepare supplies” or “Gather what you need.”

x1:11 Many scholars conclude that Joshua did not give this command until after the spies he sent...