Joshua
JOSHUA – INTRODUCTION
“THE ONLY PROMISE KEEPER”
The Book of Joshua is included within a division of books called “The Prophets.” Later traditional Jewish scholarship then narrows this division by distinguishing between the “Former Prophets” and the “Latter Prophets,” with the “Former Prophets” comprised of Joshua and the Books of Judges, 1 & 2 Samuel and 1 & 2 Kings. It is noteworthy that this selection of the title “Former Prophets” does have some biblical merit and isn’t entirely a man-made device. It surfaces in Zechariah 1:4 and 4:7. The name has remained with us to this day and so aptly points to the prophetic history of God’s dealings with His covenant people Israel from the time of Moses’ death until the Babylonian captivity – that is, the former times. Thus the Book of Joshua picks up after the death of Moses and focuses on the events that transpire within God’s dealings with Israel to occupy the promised land. Several decades ago, an area of biblical study called textural criticism was born. With it, the authorship of Joshua came under serious attack by this group of critics who believed there existed multiple writers of Joshua, called sources, which are also part of the first five books of the Bible. They suggest that the first six books of the Bible, called the hexateuch, were the work of various sources, called JEDP (from Jehovist, Elohist, Deuteronomist, and Priestly documents) and thus that the first five books of the Bible were not written by Moses but by various sources. At best, however, their proposal is a hypothesis that continually contradicts itself. So why even mention it? To help you more fully understand that the authorship of Joshua is not uniformly accepted in all Bible camps. All criticism, including textural criticism, is not always instructive; it can be destructive. Such is the case here with regard to the Book of Joshua. For our purposes, the author of this book clearly appears to be Joshua, from which the name of the book is derived. However, lest we be naive and uninformed and left clueless and speechless to the skeptics of the Bible, room must be allowed for minor additions by another writer or writers. A case in point for this accommodation occurs at the end of the book in 24:29. You can’t write about your own death and burial! Enough said, now let’s consider the book as a whole and, as in so doing, see
TWO MAJOR THRUSTS FROM THE BOOK
OF JOSHUA CONCERNING GOD’S WORD
1. It Creates Purposeful Tension
A. Emphasis Upon Complete Conquest
The first thrust from Joshua is that God’s Word creates purposeful tension. Tension isn’t always and necessarily bad. Tension is purposely created in the Scriptures and isn’t simply and solely an earthly phenomena. Let’s take a brief look at how this tension is developed. The Book of Joshua throughout trumpets a major emphasis upon the taking, the possession, and the conquest – the complete conquest – of the land – the promised land. A fast-paced, “hold-onto-your-seat,” “get-your-fingers-ready” excursus through the book will confirm this emphasis. The idea is first introduced in Joshua 2 as the spies sent by Israel return from viewing and checking out the land of Canaan. Their report is given in 2:24 which sets the tone for this “complete conquest” focus throughout. In Joshua 10:28-39 and 10:40-42, this “complete conquest” emphasis continues as the battles with those in the southern part of the land are listed. This total conquest focus then continues in the summary statements of Joshua 11:16 and 11:23. It’s hard to miss the concentration upon total and complete conquest. There’s still another ecample in 18:1. Indeed there is strong attention to the complete conquest of the land in the Book of Joshua.
B. Reality Of Incomplete Conquest
The reader of the Book of Joshua finds himself “set up” with regard to this seemingly total conquest of the land by the end of Joshua’s tenure as leader of the nation. Why? A number of passages (13:1,13; 15:63; 16:10; 17:12-13) leave a different impression than this total conquest emphasis. There were still remnants of Canaanite people occupying the land. At times in the Book of Joshua, complete conquest is the emphasis and at other times, incomplete conquest is the result. How are we to respond to this contrast? There are two typical reactions. First, we could take a liberal position, emphasize the obvious contradictions in the book, and have a lessened confidence in God’s Word (which would lead us to accept double redaction and/or extensive editorializing. In other words, the original text has been changed or revised or reedited). That shouldn’t even be a consideration for we who love God’s Word, since that liberal position directly attacks, at the minimum, our doctrine of inerrancy, inspiration and infallibility. There’s a second reaction, one I’ll label conservative over-reaction. As we ride this wave we zealously attempt to defend the unity of the text and may become guilty of “manipulating the Scriptures” in order to “make them fit.” In the process, sometimes we overlook the realities of what may really be going on in the text. Both options are to be faulted in that both allow their predispositions toward the Scriptures to get in the way of looking at it objectively. Now don’t get lost in this discussion! It’s not meant to confuse but inform you. Here’s the point! The liberal individual assumes that “one hand” would not be responsible for such glaring and obvious contradictions. On the other hand, the conservative individual assumes that since Scripture is in harmony with itself, that Scripture must say the same thing and hence, there should be no tensions or ambiguities in a “harmonized text.” However, that may be forcing something on the text that the Author never intended. Such an incorrect view of the harmony of Scripture can then result in a distorted text. Old Testament scholar B.S. Childs writes: “the Book of Joshua was shaped in such a way as to preserve a good number of tensions within the text” (Introduction to the Old Testament as Scripture). If I haven’t totally lost you in this discussion, the dilemma can be summarized with this question: Why are tensions purposely created in the Bible like the one here in Joshua between complete and incomplete conquest of the land, where the text says they conquered all the land but, in reality, they didn’t really conquer all the land? Perhaps the traditional approach to the book that is often used is misguided and needs to be refocused. Could it be that we must rethink the traditional approach to the Book of Joshua and it’s overemphasis upon taking and subduing the land? Only 1/4 of the first twelve chapters relate to military activity and in fact, only 1/8 of the entire book relates to military activity. Could it be that something else or Someone else is at the forefront of this book? Could it be that what we have in this book is a theology of war motif where the emphasis is on a holy war. And that through this tension of incomplete and complete conquest, God is directing our thoughts to the One who is really fighting on behalf of His people – that it is God and not man who is ultimately contending in battle.
2. It Finds Faithful Fulfillment
A. Possession of Land
A second thrust of the Book of Joshua is that God’s Word finds faithful fulfillment. What He has promised He has said He would do He does – always! This reality of faithful fulfillment evidences itself in two ways in Joshua. First, the Promise-Keeper makes assurances concerning possession of the promised land. The inception of this initial promise of the promised land surfaces many years earlier in Genesis 12 with Abram on a journey. Though occupying the land, he’s not yet possessing the land. Then after a brief troubling excursus to Egypt, Abram returns to Canaan in Genesis 13:12-15, where God promises to Israel the land forever. In Genesis 15:18-21, the boundaries of the land are given. Genesis 17:19-21 then unfolds God’s affirmation of the rightful recipients of this promised land. That brings us to Joshua 21, where we now have the record of this faithful fulfillment of God’s promise to Abram as Israel finally appropriates the land pledged to her years earlier under the Abrahamic Covenant. Time may have a way of eroding our confidence, but it does nothing to hinder God’s commitment. We see the fruition of that commitment displayed in 21:43-45. God will always faithfully fulfill His Word. Never a broken promise or an idle word. Instead, a God who shows Himself to be the One true Promise-Keeper! How refreshing in a world where handshakes mean little and contracts filled with fine print, loopholes and escape clauses dominate.
B. Consequences of Choices
The second way in which God’s Word finds faithful fulfillment occurs in the consequences of choices which God allows man to make. For example, from Deuteronomy 28 and 30, the declaration is to obey and receive blessing of life and prosperity; disobey and receive cursing of death and failure! Pretty straightforward! Their obedience brought God’s hand of blessing in the form of land and their disobedience brought God’s hand of judgment in the form of defeat. Count on it – God is faithful to fulfill His Word. Someone might ask, but didn’t Israel latter get carried away into exile and lose her land to enemy nations? Absolutely! But Israel’s being dispossessed of her land reflects not on the character of God but on the fickleness of His people. Israel took divine blessings for granted, fell into the worship of their neighbors’ gods and consequently came under the chastisement God had warned them of in Deuteronomy. That is a grave warning and a sober reminder for America today when we take God’s blessings for granted and prostrate ourselves before the gods of the land. What God promises in His Word, we can take it to the bank! His promises are better than pure gold! Christian, are you living in light of and in the confidence of this surety? Or are you living as though your God is a promise-breaker and evidencing a spotty trust in His plan?
3. It Intends Godward Focus
A. Typical Approach
The third thrust of the Book of Joshua is that God’s Word intends Godward focus. Too often, as we read the Bible, we may find ourselves focusing on the characters of the Bible – the important men and women in the Scriptures. For example,
– In Genesis, we have Adam and Eve, Noah, then the Patriarchs – Abraham, Isaac, Jacob and Joseph.
– Exodus begins with the introduction of the next Bible character, Moses.
- That takes us through the Pentateuch to the Book of Joshua and the man Joshua
- Next up is the Book of Judges, of whom some leap out at us, namely Gideon and Samson
- Then we come to Ruth, only to turn the corner to 1 & 2 Samuel, Kings and Chronicles where we find the characters of Samuel, Saul, David, Jonathan, Solomon, Elijah and Elisha
- Ezra and Nehemiah follow in hot pursuit and then comes Esther
Many times we may find ourselves focusing on Bible characters and their various deeds. If we’re not careful, we may end up subtly moving man to the foreground and God to the background and ultimately lose sight that it is God who sovereignly moves man. When that happens, man becomes big and our God takes on a diminutive appearance. Consider much of today’s Sunday School material for children. Often it centers on Bible characters and their related Bible stories. A glance at children’s videos and music reveals the same preoccupation. Topical studies on Bible characters are as numerous as the sand of the sea. Visit a Christian bookstore and what you will find are voluminous resources centering around Bible characters and the principles from their lives with regard to devotion, delegation, commitment, faithfulness, conviction, perseverance, patience and leadership. In a commentary on the Book of Joshua, Donald K. Campbell, ex-president of Dallas Theological Seminary, trumpeted this same emphasis on principles in the lives of Bible characters in his opening comments from chapter one, entitled “Filling the Leadership Vacuum,”
Where do leaders come from? … In America and around the world, the search is on for new, effective leaders… The Bible is a rich source of such models, from Moses the liberator to David the King to Jesus the Lord to Paul the apostle to Joshua – that great Old Testament man of action. Each of these biblical models has unique strengths and character traits, and the identifying marks of Joshua – that great military genius of the Old Testament – are his fierce loyalty to God, his forthrightness and his courage under pressure.
Jesus got simply a passing mention, whereas an emphasis on the man Joshua consumes the introductory remarks. What about God and His faithfulness? Philip Keller, in his book, “A Shepherd Looks at Psalm 23, writes in his opening comments:
God, our Father, has given us formidable lessons in faith clearly displayed in the life of Joshua… Joshua stands steady in fearless faith… He demonstrates the fearless faith in the Almighty which is always honored with remarkable results (It is?)… Despite the dark unbelief all around him, despite the rebellion of His people, despite the dreadful delays of forty desert years, Joshua emerges triumphant. He is the commanding character who finds his faith in God vindicated in resounding victories. Let us learn from his example!
What about God and His faithfulness?
B. Proper Approach
Certainly focusing on Bible characters does have merit. But the danger exists that in doing so one overlooks the aim of biblical history which is not to focus on the human agents of the redemptive drama or to exploit their good and evil deeds for purposes of moral example or deterrent. God’s Word is His story! Certainly that involves mankind, but it’s all about God! Thus a deliberate effort should be made to avoid putting mankind front and center. Bible stories tend to be weighted too heavily on making man the center of attention. When man is positioned here, biblical narrative all too often is searched for moral examples that can be followed or shunned, as the case may be. Consequently, biblical history is reduced into a number of instances of human conduct, moral or immoral. Then we may become guilty of the very thing we accuse others of – taking things out of context. When we focus primarily on Bible characters, we ignore the historical context within which the events are placed by the biblical writer. If we are not careful, everything may turn on the lesson. Biblical events can then be lifted out of their redemptive-historical context by being made into timeless examples of moral behavior. This is not consistent or true to the design and purpose of Scripture. This common Bible study approach, replete with moral lessons taken out of context, inevitably leads to widespread moralism. Morality becomes the watchword. That may and does have some merit, but morality as such cannot save. Only when morality is woven into the fabric of redemption and flows from the redemptive work which God accomplishes for His people can it receive its rightful due. God’s Word is a story of redemption, not morality. In contrast to the heavy dosage of Bible characters we inhale today, it’s quite refreshing to see where Joshua places the emphasis upon history. In Joshua 24:1-13, he summarizes God’s past dealings with His people. Throughout this summary, the emphasis is unequivocally upon what God, the covenant Lord, has done. Henceforth, this book is not first about military victories or the life of Joshua, but instead upon holy wars with our faithful God at the helm as Commander-in-chief. He’s at the forefront and in charge. That is a main thrust of the Book of Joshua, that God’s Word purposes vertical, Godward focus; not horizontal, man-centeredness! It intends to continually point us first to our relationship with God and His workings in, to, through and on behalf of His children!
4. It Promotes Structural Harmony
A. Within the Book
A fourth and final thrust of the Book of Joshua is that God’s Word promotes structural harmony, both within the book and outside of the book. Despite those who attack the unity and harmony of the Book of Joshua, there are clearly numerous features within the book that trumpet its unity and harmony of composition. That in no way contradicts or conflicts with the tension created in Joshua between the complete and incomplete conquest of the land. These passages are not the result of disunity and deharmonization in the text but purposely created tension by God. To be sure, unforced harmony abounds in Joshua. First, the phrase, “to this day,” is used as a memory device for the Israelites concerning God’s past dealings with His people. Its repetitious occurrence isn’t a divine stutter or mistake but instead, signals harmony of the chapters within the book (4:9; 5:9; 6:25; 7:26; 8:28-29; 9:27; 10:27; 13:13; 14:14; 15:63; 16:10). Secondly, the first and last chapters both have a challenge/acceptance tone that also creates structural harmony within the book. In 1:10, Joshua commands the officers to command the people to prepare to cross the Jordan and then issues special orders to the tribes of Reuben, Gad and Manasseh. 1:16 gives their reply. That same challenge/acceptance motif is repeated in the last chapter of the book. In Joshua 24:15, he summarizes the challenge and their response is found in the next verse. A third factor that promotes structural harmony within the book is the clear correspondence between the promise of 1:3 and 1:6 and the summary in 11:16 and 11:23. The promise God made to Abraham is reconfirmed to Joshua in chapter one and ultimately fulfilled in chapter eleven. Still another factor promoting structural harmony is the division of the land west of the Jordan in Joshua 14-19. Immediately before this allotment of the promised land, the giving of another land to a certain man is described in 14:6-13. Then immediately after the allotment of land to Israel, the giving of land to another individual is listed in 19:49. The account of Caleb’s inheritance opens the story of the allotment while the account of Joshua’s inheritance closes it. The two men, who as spies stood alone by returning a good report concerning this land during the wilderness period 45 years earlier, open and close the account of this allotment to the tribes of Israel in the Book of Joshua. It is clear from these four factors alone that theological and structural harmony occurs throughout the book.
B. Outside the Book
The harmony continues in Joshua’s placement alongside the Book of Deuteronomy which precedes it and the Book of Judges which succeeds it. While a dose of topical preaching can be beneficial, a steady intake of expository preaching is the only rightful approach to communicating the Scriptures. Expository preaching heralds the Scriptures, verse by verse, chapter by chapter, book by book. Yet expository preaching can do a great disservice if it isolates the books of the Bible from each other, fails to show how their theologies flow together, and ignores God’s purposeful superintending in the ordering of the books. As such, Joshua harmonizes alongside Deuteronomy because it follows up the blessings and cursings summary statement in Deuteronomy 30 with the carrying out of those consequences for Israel’s choices in the Book of Joshua. The harmony also is evident in the closing words of Moses to Joshua in Deuteronomy 31:7 and the opening words of God to Joshua in Joshua 1:6-7. The Book of Joshua also has harmony alongside the Book of Judges. Judges 1 overlaps Joshua as it summarizes much of the activity from Joshua 15-19. There is also a direct correlation between Joshua 19:40-48, which speaks of the Land of Dan and its naming and Judges 18:27-31, which speaks of the Land of Dan and its naming. So too, Joshua 13:30 and Judges 10:3-5 speak of the towns of Jair. There are still more examples. Suffice it to say that God’s Word promotes harmony within each of the 66 individual books and among books ordered alongside each other and ultimately, together with all 66 books!
CONCLUSION
Indeed, there are four thrusts of God’s Word from the Book of Joshua:
1) it creates purposeful tension, a tension that keeps us open and teachable and discards our presuppositions;
2) it finds faithful fulfillment, that God will always keep His word, even if it takes 1,000 years;
3) it intends Godward focus, pointing our hearts and minds to the God above man who really fights the battles; and
4) it promotes structural harmony, that one God gave us all 66 books that flow together and are God-ordered.