Old Testament - Joshua 1 & 2 - May 23, 2022

 5/23/2022 – Joshua 1 & 2


I love the study manual’s introduction to Joshua: “After Moses was translated, the Lord directed Joshua to lead Israel into the promised land. The Lord assured Joshua that He would be with him and commanded him to be strong and courageous, Keep the Law of Moses, divide the land among the people, and study and meditate on the word of God continually.” These are especially good instructions for all of us! 

The Israelites are on the verge of reaching a long-awaited goal after 40 years of learning by trial and error in the desert. Every Israelite who was over 20 years old when they left Egypt is now dead except for Joshua and Caleb…and Moses has been translated. I found it quite interesting to learn that Joshua is of the tribe of Ephraim. 

This chapter begins with the Lord speaking directly to Joshua, telling him to take everyone into “the land which I do give to…the children of Israel”. That is a huge undertaking, especially when the Canaanites do not want them there. Once the Lord gives Joshua this tremendous task, He then begins to assure Joshua that he can do it. In v 5 He promises: “I will not fail thee, not forsake thee.” He continues on through v 9: “Be strong and a good courage….that  thou mayest observe to do according to all the law which Moses my servant commanded thee: turn not from it to the right hand or to the left, that thou mayest prosper whithersoever thou goest. (v 8, in my words, tell Joshua to “meditate day and night” on the scriptures He has given them) “….for then thou shalt make thy way prosperous, and then thou shalt have good success.”  His next words are for Joshua to “be not afraid, neither be thou dismayed; for the Lord thy God is with thee withersoever thou goest.”

The next thing we hear is that Joshua is commanding the Israelites as the Lord commands him. And the Israelites are now ready to fully support this change in leadership. “And they answered Joshua, saying, All that thou commandest us we will do, and whithersoever thou sendest us, we will go.” And they assure Joshua: “According as we hearkened unto Moses in all things, so will we hearken unto thee: only the Lord thy God be with thee, as he was with Moses” (v’s 16-17)

Joshua 2

Joshua sends two men into Canaan to get information that will help the Israelites when they go forward to take over the land of Canaan. The spies come to a woman’s house, whose name is Rahab. She hides the spies and explains to them that she knew “the Lord hath given you the land, and…your terror is fallen upon us”. (v 9) She went on to say they had heard of the miracles of the Lord of the Israelites, “for the Lord your God, he is God in heaven above, and in earth beneath.”  (v 11). She then promised to protect and help them if they would allow her and her family to not be killed as the Israelites took over the land of Canaan, and she told them the best way to for them to return to the Israelite camp. They promised that because of her help, and her plea for their help, if she brought her family into the house and if they stayed there throughout the battles, they would remain unharmed. (v’s 18-20)

The two spies followed her instructions, and were able to return to Joshua without trouble. As they gave their report to Joshua, they told him “Truly the Lord hath delivered into our hands all the land; for even all the inhabitants of the country do faint because of us.”

The Israelites are now showing their faith in the Lord through their actions as they go forth to do hard things.




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