RETURN TO SYLLABUS
JOSHUA
LESSON #1
INTRODUCTION AND BACKGROUND

AUTHOR AND DATE:

JOSHUA WAS A MAN WHO SERVED GOD IN FAITH ALL HIS LIFE. WHEN HE WAS YOUNG, HE SERVED GOD IN THE TABERNACLE. (EXO 33:11) HE AND CALEB WERE THE 2 SPIES AMONG THE 12 WHO GAVE A GOOD REPORT UPON SEEING THE PROMISE LAND (NUM 13). THESE TWO WERE READY TO MOVE BY FAITH TO ENTER THE PROMISE LAND. HOWEVER, THE PEOPLE REJECTED GOD’S PLAN TO TAKE THE LAND. GOD PREPARED JOSHUA FOR LEADERSHIP DURING THE 40 YEARS OF DESERT LIFE. GOD LED MOSES TO APPOINT JOSHUA AS HIS SUCCESSOR AT ABOUT THE AGE OF 80 YEARS. THEREFORE, JOSHUA WAS THE MAN WHO LED THE ISRAELITES INTO THE PROMISE LAND. JOSHUA WROTE THIS BOOK ABOUT THE 14th CENTURY B.C.

THE NAME JOSHUA MEANS = GOD IS SALVATION AND IS THE SAME NAME IN HEBREW AS JESUS IS IN THE NEW TESTAMENT. JOSHUA IS THEREFORE A TYPE OR PREFIGURE OF JESUS CHRIST AS THE CAPTAIN OF OUR SALVATION (HEB 2:10).

1. HE IS THE CAPTAIN OF OUR SALVATION (HEB 2:10).

2. HE FOLLOWS MOSES AND THE LAW (JOH 1:17).

3. HE LEADS US TO VICTORY (ROM 8:37 2COR 2:14).

4. HE IS AN ADVOCATE WHEN SUFFERING TEMPORARY DEFEAT (JOS 7:5-9 1JOH 2:1-2).

5. HE ALLOTS THE INHERITANCE (EPH 1:11,14).

6. HIS SWORD PRONOUNCES JUDGMENT ON THE HEATHEN AS THE KINGDOM IS MINIFEST ON EARTH (REV 19:11-16).

IT IS INTERESTING THAT IN SEVERAL INSTANCES IN THE BIBLE, BOTH OLD AND NEW TESTAMENTS THAT PEOPLE’S NAMES ARE CHANGED WHEN THEY COME TO HAVE FAITH IN THE LORD. SOME EXAMPLES ARE:

ABRAM TO ABRAHAM

SARAI TO SARAH

JACOB TO ISRAEL

SAUL TO PAUL

JOSHUA’S NAME WAS ALSO CHANGED, THOUGH IT IS NOT OFTEN STRESSED. HIS NAME WAS CHANGED FROM OSHEA TO JOSHUA. (NUM 13:8)

SPIRITUAL BACKGROUND:

THE PEOPLE OF ISRAEL HAD WANDERED IN THE WILDERNESS FOR 40 YEARS BECAUSE OF THEIR UNBELIEF AND DISOBEDIENCE AGAINST GOD. THEREFORE, THE BOOK OF JOSHUA BEGINS AT A LOW POINT IN ISRAEL’S HISTORY. HOWEVER, GOD HAD PROMISED THEY WOULD ENTER THE PROMISE LAND WHEN THE OLD GENERATION HAD DIED IN THE WILDERNESS AND A NEW GENERATION WAS READY TO MOVE WITH GOD (40 YEARS LATER). THEREFORE, THE BOOK OPENS WITH GREAT EXPECTANCY TO SEE GOD FULFILL A PROMISE MADE TO ABRAHAM 400 YEARS EARLIER THAT WOULD GIVE THE LAND TO THE ISRAELITES.

THEME OF THE BOOK: POSSESSING OUR POSSESSIONS

GOD MADE PROMISES TO HIS PEOPLE, THE ISRAELITES.

HOWEVER, HE EXPECTED THEM TO TAKE POSSESSION OF THE LAND HE PROMISED THEM. THEY HAD TO FIGHT FOR IT. THEY HAD TO HAVE FAITH FOR THE VICTORY BECAUSE THERE WAS AN ENEMY THAT WOULD TRY TO STOP THEM. THE SAME IS TRUE OF THE NEW TESTAMENT BELIEVER. GOD MAKES PROMISES TO YOU, BUT THEY DO NOT COME AUTOMATICALLY. YOU MUST TAKE POSSESSION OF THEM. YOU MUST HAVE FAITH FOR THE VICTORY. THEREFORE, WE CAN LEARN MUCH FROM THE BOOK OF JOSHUA AS TO HOW TO POSSES OUR POSSESSIONS.

BASIC SOURCES FOR THIS STUDY:

JOSHUA AND THE FLOW OF BIBLICAL HISTORY BY FRANCIS A. SCHAEFFER

THIS LAND IS YOUR LAND BY PAUL E. TOMS

MISC. NOTES

OUTLINE FOR THE BOOK:

I. PREPARATION TO ENTER THE LAND (JOS 1-5)

II. CONQUERING THE LAND (JOS 6-12)

III. DISTRIBUTION OF THE LAND TO THE 12 TRIBES (JOS 13-22)

IV. JOSHUA’S MESSAGE AND DEATH (JOS 23-24)

HOMEWORK:

HOMEWORK SHEETS FOR EACH CHAPTER WILL HELP PREPARE

YOU FOR THE CHAPTER AHEAD AS WELL AS HELP YOU APPLY THE WORD OF GOD TO YOUR LIFE. EACH HOMEWORK SHEET HAS A MEMORY VERSE AT THE BOTTOM OF THE PAGE SO YOU CAN BUILD THE WORD OF GOD INTO YOUR LIFE. THIS IS A SELF-STUDY. THEREFORE, THE HOMEWORK SHEETS ARE NOT TO BE TURNED IN TO THE TEACHER.

THIS IS A SELF-STUDY. DO NOT SEND HOMEWORK TO THE TEACHER FOR CORRECTION.

PREPARATION FOR JOSHUA 1

READ EXODUS 17:9-13

WHO WAS JOSHUA?

READ EXODUS 24:12-13 EXODUS 32:15-20 EXODUS 33:10-11

WHO WAS JOSHUA?

READ NUMBERS 11:24-29 NUMBERS 13:16-21 NUMBERS 14:6-9

WHO WAS JOSHUA?

READ NUMBERS 27:18-23 DEUTERONOMY 31:2-8

DEUTERONOMY 34:7-8

WHO WAS JOSHUA?

READ JOSHUA 1:1-18

WHAT DOES GOD PROMISE JOSHUA?

WHAT CONDITIONAL COMMANDS ARE GIVEN TO JOSHUA?

IN JOSHUA 1:8 HE IS TOLD TO MEDITATE ON THE WORD OF GOD. IS THERE A DIFFERENCE BETWEEN MEDITATING ON THE WORD OF GOD AND MEMORIZING SCRIPTURE? IF THERE IS, WHAT IS THE DIFFERENCE?

MEMORY VERSE: JOSHUA 1:9