Joshua 9: Silent God =? Merciful God

Summary

After hearing the news of the defeat of Ai, six nations of Canaan came together to wage war against Joshua and Israel. In contrast, the Gibeonites took a different approach and acted craftily to make a covenant (peace treaty) with Joshua and Israel. Not having asked for the counsel of the LORD, Joshua and Israel accepted a covenant with the Gibeonites to let them live. Three days later, Israel found out that the Gibeonites were their neighbors, not a nation far away, and the Israel congregation started to grumble. Because of the oath made before the LORD, however, Joshua let them live as wood cutters and drawers of water for the congregation and for the altar of the LORD.

Conventional Message vs. Unconventional Perspectives

When a message is preached from this passage, a usual focus is on two aspects: 1) a national mistake committed by Joshua and Israel by not having asked for the counsel of the LORD when the Gibeonites approached to make a covenant; and 2) the deception and trick displayed by the Gibeonites. Often, the main application that arises from this chapter is that we should be diligent to seek God’s counsel for every matter in order not to be deceived.

Although I do not entirely disagree with these interpretations and associated applications, I would like to extract a new insight by examining this event from the perspective of the Gibeonites and by focusing on the grace and inclusiveness of the LORD our God.

What Gibeon Did Well

Although not explicitly stated in the book of Joshua, here’s my educated imagination of what the Gibeonites did prior to sending their delegates to Joshua. The Gibeonites took a different approach from the rest of the Canaan nations. Having heard many mighty miraculous acts by the LORD, including the crossing of the Red Sea and the Jordan River on a dry ground and the defeating of many kings on both sides of the Jordan River, Gibeonites started to fear and recognized that the land of Canaan was given to the Israelites by the LORD God. They finally concluded that they would not stand a chance against the Israelites. Having made this decision, Gibeonites formulated a strategic plan to maximize their survival and devised two major tactics to do so.

From the Gibeonites’ “negotiation” with Joshua and Israel, we can learn a few lessons on what the Gibeonites did well. From verse 6, what the Gibeonites said to Joshua, “We have come from a far country; now therefore, make a covenant with us” indicates that the Gibeonites conducted a thorough research of the Law of Moses. In this statement, I want to highlight two elements: first, they told Joshua that they came from a far country; second, they want Joshua to make a covenant with them.

First, the Gibeonites told the Israelites that they were a far away nation because the LORD instructed the Israelites through Moses that if a nation that is far away offered a peace treaty, Israelites were to accept it (Deut 20:11-15). If the nations were nearby, such as the nations in the land of Canaan, they were to be utterly destroyed (Deut 7:1-2). The Gibeonites knew this aspect of the law of Moses and used this to maximize their chance for survival.

Second, the Gibeonites wanted to make a covenant. Gibeonites also knew that the oath made in the name of the LORD was not to be recanted in Israel (Numbers 30:1-2). Therefore, if the Gibeonites were somehow able to make a covenant with Israel, they knew that their chance of survival would be assured.

In addition, in order to make their case of a far country more compelling, the Gibeonites showed the worn out sandals, crumbled bread, and torn wine skins.

Finally, the Gibeonites timed their delegation well. They might have looked for an opportune time to send their delegates. Israel and Joshua just came from a difficult, one day fight against the Ai inhabitants. It was possible that Joshua and Israel were spiritually and physically exhausted, and perhaps, for that reason, they did not ask for the counsel of the LORD. Also, the food that the Gibeonites brought could have won the hungry Israelites. Anyways, the Gibeonites fully used their knowledge to convince the Israelites to form a covenant with them.

It worked!

What does God think about this?

Achan’s sin in chapter 7 was taken very seriously by God. The anger of the LORD burned against Israel (Josh 7:1). Regarding making a covenant with the Gibeonites, however, the LORD God did not say anything to Joshua. Nor did God let Israel be defeated by enemies in the subsequent battles. Why did God overlook the covenant made between the Israelites and the Gibeonites?

Although we cannot possibly fully understand God’s silence in chapter 7, we may be able to project God’s mercy and encompassing heart for all the nations. When God commanded the Israelites to completely destroy nations that resided in the land of Canaan, it was primarily because of their evil acts (Lev 18:25-30). Absent evil practices and institutions, God, being merciful, may have given an opportunity for the Gibeonites to live. Perhaps, seeing a softening process of the heart of the Gibeonites as a whole nation, leading to a genuine attempt to turn around from evil acts, God kept His silence to give an opportunity for them to live.

Joshua’s Brilliant Decision

Joshua decided to put the Gibeonites close to the presence of God. God forewarned that the nations in Canaan, if they were not utterly destroyed, would lead the Israelites away from worshiping the LORD. Perhaps for this reason, Joshua placed the Gibeonites very close to the presence of the LORD by forcing them to serve the altar. Even though Joshua cursed them to do this job, it could have been a blessing for the Gibeonites to be influenced by the presence of the LORD.

Gibeonites vs. Rahab

Rahab and the Gibeonites were the only survivors from the expedition of the Israelites. The major difference between the two was the degree of their confession before the LORD. Rahab made an explicit, full confession that the LORD God is the God of heaven above and on earth beneath (Josh 2:11) whereas the Gibeonites greatly feared the power of the LORD God, but stopped there. If the Gibeonites had made a full confession, they might have been integrated to the Israelites in a different way.

Gibeonites Many Years Later

The decision that God and Joshua made in regards to the Gibeonites did not turn out in vain. Many years lates (about 900 years after), when Nehemiah, a cupbearer to King Artaxerxes, came to Jerusalem to rebuild the city wall from the Susa Palace, men from Gibeon played an important role in repairing the wall (Nehemiah 3:7).

Lessons

The Gibeonites had some fear of the LORD, although not perfect. The LORD grasped that small seed of the fear of the LORD and gave an opportunity for the Gibeonites to live.

I see the God the LORD who gives a second chance. Our God gave many second chances for us. Let this encourage you today.

Joshua 8: Luring/Ambush and Crush Tactics

Extension of the LORD’s Grace

Even after the first fatal failure by the second-generation Israelites due to Achan’s sin, the grace of the LORD continued to abound. Not only did the LORD give a second chance, but also injected courage to Joshua again. Besides, the LORD, by factoring in Israel’s first defeat to Ai people, provided a new set of war strategy – Ambush (Joshua 8:2). This is our God: God who extends His grace and gives us a new strategy everyday to live a victorious life.

Military Genius

With the introduction of an ambush strategy by the LORD, Joshua, as an innovative military officer, improvised and improved the strategy by adding an element of luring. Note that the LORD God did not specifically tell Joshua how to lure the enemies out to have a successful ambush strategy. Joshua with his prior experience and military prowess, however, developed his own specific implementable tactics to maximize the LORD’s strategy. He chose 30,000 men of valiant warriors and 5,000 of them were set in ambush between Bethel and Ai.

Having tasted their first victory against Israel, Ai soldiers went all out to meet Joshua and Israel, leaving its city empty. Israel pretended to be beaten and was chased by Ai soldiers. With the sign of Joshua stretching out the Javelin, however, 5,000 ambushed men took over the unguarded Ai city, which created terror and panic to Ai soldiers, who initially chased Joshua.

Once and for All

As soon as Joshua saw the beginning of the successful ambush, he was determined to “crush the enemy” once and for all. “Crush the enemy” was one of the key strategic messages by Sun-Tzu, the author of the Art of War written around the 4th century in China. About 2300 years later, from the 1930s to the 1940s, two leaders were battling for the supremacy of China. The leader who practiced this strategic tenet better than the other eventually rose to lead the whole China.

Mao Tse-tung, the Communist leader, and his 75,000 soldiers were pushed into the desolate mountains of western China by a better-equipped, larger army led by Chiang Kai-shek, the leader of the National Revolutionary Army in 1934. Over the next three years, Chiang Kai-shek relentlessly pushed the Communist army, reducing their size to fewer than 10,000 soldiers. By 1937, when China was invaded by Japan, Chiang made a mistake by judging the Communists were no longer a threat, and started to concentrate only to repel the Japanese. While Chiang was occupied with the Japanese, Mao slowly, but firmly, rebuilt the Communist army. Mao eventually gained enough strength to defeat Chiang ten years later. Mao fully deployed Sun-Tzu’s wisdom of “crush the enemy” by completely destroying the National Revolutionary Army in China mainland and until all remnants had fled to the island of Taiwan. Mao practiced this wisdom whereas Chiang, when he had a chance in 1937 to completely crush Mao, failed (48 Laws of Power by Robert Greene).

As Mao did when he repelled Chiang out of the mainland China, Joshua fought as if there would be no tomorrow. 5,000 ambushed Israel soldiers and 25,000 soldiers surrounded the Ai army front and back. Determined to finish the battle with Ai this day, Joshua did not withdraw his hand with which he stretched out the javelin until Israel had completely destroyed all inhabitants of Ai, including the king (Joshua 8:26).

A complete destruction of enemies in a single battle, though it can be an exhausting task, served as a paramount importance. First, Israelites were in a foreign land. A quick, thorough ending of a battle reduces their vulnerability against other nations. Second, as an example of Mao and Chiang demonstrated, remaining enemies have a potential to muster and strike back. Tragically, during the period of Judges, Israelites often were attacked and suffered from the remnants of Canaan nations whom they failed to destroy prior.

This may be a strange message. Remember: crush your enemies. For the followers of Christ, enemies are any thoughts or ideas or institutions that are contrary to the character of God. Anything that entices you to sin, crush that “anything” as Joshua did to Ai.

Celebration – Dedication to the LORD

A character of men is manifested by what he does in a position of pinnacle. In the world, an army general, after a huge victory such as the battle of Ai, would march in a celebration parade. I do not necessarily imply that a celebration parade is detrimental. In fact, soldiers, who fought to protect the nation, deserved to be honored. My point in this chapter highlights the humility that Joshua demonstrates to give honor to the ultimate provider of the victory – the LORD God.

Therefore, I want to say that the highlight of the chapter is this latter part (verses 30 to 34), not the brilliant strategic and tactical execution of Israel in defeating Ai. After the victory, Joshua and Israel walked 10 to 15 miles to Mount Ebal to obey the command that God gave through Moses. There on the mountain, Israel built an altar to offer burnt and peace offerings to the LORD. Then, he personally wrote a copy of the Law of Moses – we do not know how long this took – in the presence of ALL, including all the sons of Israel, priests, officers, judges, and the strangers.

Let’s imagine this scene. After the war victory, the highlight of the celebration was to write God’s Law on the stone in the presence of everyone. The victory of the war was to lead everyone in Israel to know the LORD more, to love Him and to honor Him. Joshua fully obeyed.

How do you celebrate your victory?

Joshua 7: Seriousness of Sin

After a series of successful events, including a miraculous crossing of the Jordan River, having a national circumcision, spending the Passover, and conquering Jericho, Israel ran into its first major failure since Joshua assumed the leadership. Let’s dig deeper into the importance of the failure highlighted in this chapter.

Summary

The LORD commanded a complete destruction of Jericho and all the things to be devoted to Him. However, Achan son of Karmi, the son of Zimri, took some of the banned items. As a result, the LORD’s anger burned against Israel.

Oblivious of what Achan did, Joshua sent only three thousand men to conquer Ai. Without the presence of the LORD, Israel was defeated by Ai and lost thirty-six (36) lives. This defeat placed a great fear into Joshua and Israel. God the LORD, by casting lots, revealed to Israel that Achan was the culprit. As commanded by the LORD, the entire family of Achan was stoned to death and all of their remains were burned with fire. It must have been a solemn day for Israel.

Cruel Punishment?

Was this too cruel of a punishment by the LORD on Achan? If you have to imagine the death of young children and the old by thrown stones, this would be a difficult scene to witness.

First, let’s remember the initial results of Achan’s sin. Thirty six lives were lost in the battle of Ai. These casualties had brought insurmountable sorrow to at least thirty six families, which were likely to include parents, children, wives, and relatives. The death punishment on Achan, in some aspect, was to propitiate the death of the thirty six lives and all the affected people. These affected families might have been those who stoned Achan’s family to death.

Second, this event served as a reminder of a seriousness of sin to Israel. Also, this event is a great lesson for all the followers of Christ on the seriousness of sin and how God detests it. The event teaches us to never underestimate the impact a single person can make in sin. Through Adam’s trespass, many died (Romans 5:15). By taking a census on his kingdom, David committed a sin against the LORD, causing 70,000 men to perish (2 Samuel 24:15). Korah’s rebellion against God and Moses resulted in 14,700 men’s death (Numbers 16:49). These were just a few examples of a devastating, outsized consequence of one person’s sin.

Practical Advise

How do we avoid sinning as Achan did? In his confession before Joshua, Achan told him, first, he saw, second he coveted, then third, he took a mantle from Shinar and silver and gold (Joshua 7:20-21). The progression of sinning originated from seeing, then coveting, then taking. Ask God to provide His divine protection on what we see to guard our eyes and hearts all together from sinning as Achan did.

Grace of God

Joshua was spared. In any military conquest, it was not going to be unusual to hold a general accountable for the failure. Even Joshua let himself succumb to fear when Israel was defeated by Ai in their first attempt. The LORD God, however, did not hold Joshua accountable for this failure. Although Joshua prayed to God after the defeat (Joshua 7:7-9), the ideal timing for his prayer would have been before sending 3,000 men. If Joshua had prayed before sending 3,000 men, then he might have been able to save 36 lives. The LORD God spared Joshua in His grace. Also, in overall, the LORD spared the entire Israel.

Christ

We all are sinners. As sinners, we are bound to die as Achan did in Joshua 7. However, Jesus Christ took our sin on the cross. We live by His grace. Joshua chapter 7 reminds us of Christ’s grace on all of us.

Joshua 6: Ram’s Horns and Conquest

Chapter 5 came to a rather abrupt end. Joshua encountered the captain of the host of the LORD. What Joshua learned from the captain of the host of the LORD was that the land on which he stood was holy. Nothing related to conquest tactics was given. Then, what was the significance of the holiness of the land? How did Joshua take the meaning of the holiness of the land?

Holy means “set apart for the LORD.” The land was given to the Israelites, but the land was set apart for the LORD. Joshua needed to be reminded of this important fact.

Brief Content Summary

The LORD placed a great fear into Jericho and the city was tightly shut. The LORD commanded Joshua to march around Jericho for seven days. For the first six days, Israel was to circle around the city once. Then on the seventh day, Israel was to circle around the city seven times and with the blow of the trumpets, everyone was to make a great shout. Israel followed the command and the wall of Jericho collapsed. Joshua and Israel thoroughly destroyed Jericho, leaving no survivor except Rahab’s household.

Partnership with the LORD and Israel

In the command given by the LORD to Joshua from verse 2 to verse 5, we can see a partnership between the LORD and Israel. The role of Israel was to march around Jericho for seven days with priests blowing the trumpets and make a great shout. The role of the LORD was to cause the fortress of Jericho to collapse.

This command gives a glimpse of one of God’s attributes: his desire to work with his people. God in His omniscience does not need to work with His creations. Yet, He does. This character of God was manifested originally in Genesis 2. God formed man of dust from the ground and placed the man to take care of the garden while God caused to grow every tree (Gen 2:7-9). A division of labor between God and the man in taking care of the Garden of Eden was evident in Genesis 2. So was the division of labor between God and Israel in the conquest of Jericho.

Significance of Ram’s Horns

The LORD commanded Joshua to tell the priests to carry and blow seven trumpets – trumpets made of ram’s horns. There are two kinds of trumpets mentioned in the Law of Moses. The first type was those mentioned in Numbers 10. In Numbers 10, the LORD commanded Moses that when Israel would go to war against the adversary, Moses should sound an alarm with the trumpets. The second type of the trumpets were those made of rams’ horns mentioned in Leviticus (Lev 25:8-9). In Leviticus, the use of trumpets of rams’ horns was designated to a few specific events. They were mainly used to declare and announce the national atonement all through the land every year. Also, an additional role was to announce the start of the Jubilee Year on the day of atonement of that year. It was the second type of trumpets (made of rams’ horns) that God commanded the priests to carry when marching around Jericho.

Therefore, the presence of trumpets of rams’ horns when marching around the city of Jericho was a rather strange command. Regular trumpets mentioned specifically for war in Numbers seemed more suitable for the Israel who were marching to conquer Jericho.

Then, what was the significance of ram’s horn? Was there any relation between atonement and the conquest of Jericho? Was there any relation between the year of Jubilee (which took place every 50 years when slaves were freed, debts were forgiven and the land was returned to the original owner) and the conquest of Jericho? These are difficult questions to answer. I think the whole message was to show the war was part of the repentance and setting people free. Repentance of the land from its despicable practice of worshipping idols and evil practices of human sacrifices, for example, of Canaan. A freedom of the land and people from an oppressive political and economic institution of Canaan could be a possible significance shown by the ram’s horns.

Significance of the Collapse of Jericho Wall: Implicative Analysis

The most notable significance of the collapse of the wall of Jericho was the almightiness of the LORD. Yet, I wanted to dig deeper into the practical meaning of this to the next subsequent battles that Israel waged against the rest of the Canaan kings.

The collapse of the wall should have alarmed the rest of the cities and kings of Canaan. They might have determined that the specialty of the God of Israel was to destroy the wall and fortress. Perhaps, for this reason, almost all the battles after Jericho took place outside of the city. None of the Canaan kings fought the Israelites using their city walls as their defensive tactics. For this reason, Israel had an easier time to fight them. Also, the byproduct was a minimal destruction of properties and the cities from the war. These infrastructure being intact must have been a boon to Israel when they were able to inherit the houses, roads, vineyards, and other amenities. If all the cities in Canaan were burnt to the ground, it would have taken a significant effort for Israel to rebuild those to be habitable. This was where I found a practical significance of the collapse of Jericho Wall in addition to a spiritual significance.

Joshua 5: Walk in Worshiping the LORD

Content Summary

All the kings of Canaan melted in fear when they heard that the Israelites had crossed the Jordan River. After crossing the Jordan River, the Israelites circumcised, leaving themselves in the most vulnerable state in the territory of their enemies. Regardless of the presence of their enemies, as a nation, Israel commemorated the Passover, had their first taste of the fruit of the land of Canaan, and experienced the cease of manna provision for the first time in 40 years.

God’s Part

God took care of the enemy. The heart of the enemies melted in fear so that they would not have courage to attack the Israelites in their most vulnerable state after the circumcision.

The meaning of circumcision

God commanded circumcision to Joshua and the Israelites. This was a strange timing of circumcision. Why was not this done before the crossing of the Jordan? Having crossed the Jordan River, the Israelites were in fact in the enemy’s territory. Circumcision would place them in an extremely vulnerable state. Collective invasion by the kings of Canaan could completely wipe out the entire Israelites.

No panic. This command by Joshua could have met with resistance by the military officers. Yet no one objected to his commands.

Remember the past, but do not dwell in it

A fair amount of text is devoted to explaining why the first generation Israelites failed. Perhaps, the reason for this text is to remind the Israelites of the failure, but only to remind and learn, not to dwell. God wanted them to move on and be circumcised again to signify that the Israelites belong to the LORD.

Then, why weren’t they circumcised in the wilderness?

I believe there is a significance in the location of circumcision. The wilderness was only to be a temporary place for the Israelites before inheriting the land that God promised to them. A 40-year wandering in the wilderness was supposed to be a short journey of 40-day. Therefore, it was not God’s original plan to circumcise the Israelites in the temporary residence. God wanted to place a sign of circumcision to the Israelites in the land that He promised through their forefathers.

Remember that you are second in command

After the circumcision and the Passover, Joshua encountered the captain of the host of the LORD nearby Jericho. This encounter was to ensure that he knew that he was just in second in command and to let him know that the land was to be given by the LORD – the meaning of which was encapsulated in the word, “holy.” The LORD was, is, and always to be the commander of chief. However exalted by the LORD, Joshua had to remember that he was second in command and to remain on the side of the LORD. The LORD is not required to be on the side of Joshua.

The Process of Worship

This conquest was preceded by many steps. Starting from chapter 1, people were commanded to consecrate. They were told to follow the Ark of the Covenant carried by the priest. They crossed the Jordan River still guided by the Ark of the Covenant. Memorial stones were set up to remember the LORD. Circumcision was done in the promised land. The Israelites had their Passover. The land was holy, for it was set apart by the LORD to give to His people.

The LORD guided the whole process. This whole process was indeed of worship.

Let your daily step and long-term journey be a process of worship and holiness.

Joshua 4: Children, fear the LORD your God FOREVER

Content Summary

Under the guidance of the LORD their God, the entire nation of Israel finished crossing the Jordan on a dry ground. The priest, carrying the ark of the covenant, stood in the middle of the dried Jordan River until the entire nation had crossed. The LORD commanded Joshua to collect twelve stones to be a memorial to the children of Israel – FOREVER.

Twelve Stones

The LORD commanded Joshua to appoint one man from each tribe to take up twelve stones out of the middle of the Jordan. This command was given to Joshua in the previous chapter, chapter 3. Additionally, a similar command was given to Moses by the LORD to set up large stones and coat them with lime and inscribe the words of the law. Therefore, including the command in chapter 4, the same command to collect twelve stones was repeated three times to Joshua.

Why was this command so important that it was given to Moses and twice to Joshua in a span of one to two months?

Let’s find out.

The Concept of Forever

The word that captured my attention in Joshua 4 was “forever.” This word is repeated in verses 7 and 24. Verse 7 states that “… so these stones shall become a memorial to the sons of Israel forever [emphasis added].” The last verse, verse 24, states that “… so that you may fear the LORD your God forever [emphasis added].”

“Forever” is an interesting word once we start to ponder a deep meaning of the term. We human beings are finite and we certainly have not witnessed anything that lasts forever. Then, how did we happen to grasp this word?

As we are created in the image of God, who is the alpha and omega, God placed eternity in our hearts (Ecc 3:11). However, as mankind fell to sin (Gen 3), the eternal aspect of soul became trapped under finite flesh. Despite being trapped in finite flesh, soul yearns for eternity – that is eternity with God.

I think the commands given by Joshua to the Israelites partially express this longing. The original soul, before tainted by sin, long to have eternity with God. Therefore, in verses 7 and 24, Joshua gave these commands to the Israelites to remember and fear the LORD FOREVER.

The crossing of the Jordan River was not just for the conquest of the land of Canaan. Every miracle and guidance, including the crossing of the river, provided by the LORD is to be met by the restoration of the yearning of the soul. That is to worship and fear the LORD forever in eternity.

The Importance of Teaching the Way of the LORD to the Children

Do not dwell in the past, but remember the past.

The first generation Israelites grumbled and perished in the wilderness. The second generation was not to make the same mistake. The twelve stones from the Jordan River were to serve as a memorial to the sons of the Israelites to remember and fear the LORD forever.

The Old Testament is incredibly practical and important. Some people may dismiss the Old Testament, some events of which may have written more than a few thousand years ago, as impractical to today’s life. The fourth chapter of Joshua highlights the importance of inheriting our trust in God to our children.

Let’s go over a few biblical examples of how difficult it is to teach the fear of the LORD to the next generation. David, a man after God’s heart, had a son, Solomon, who started great in following the LORD, but fell astray and deviated from the way of the LORD in his later life. Samuel, who was considered the greatest of all judges in the history of Israel, was not able to educate his sons to fear the LORD. After Hezekiah, king of Judah who feared the LORD, Manasseh, his son, was considered one of the most evil kings in the history of Judah, who facilitated the fall of God’s people from the grace of God. Although there were some successful examples of teaching the fear of the LORD to his/her children, such as Rahab and Boaz, generally, inheriting the fear of the LORD to children seemed to be an incredibly difficult task.

Lesson

In this chapter, the importance of inheriting the fear of the LORD to the children was the main topic as manifested in the role of the twelve stones. Joshua commanded the Israelites to remember and fear the LORD forever – forever with your soul as if you were given eternal life.

Let’s apply this to our lives. Everything good and perfect gifts come from God. Let us be thankful and teach the fear of the LORD to our children forever in this turbulent time.

Joshua 3: Communication and Action (Grace and Clash)

The Overall Structure

Communications and action. A series of communication took place among the LORD God, Joshua, officers, priests, and the people. Then, the whole Israel marched forward to cross the Jordan River on a dry ground.

Content Summary

Joshua rose early in the morning and all the Israelites moved from Shittim to the east side of the Jordan River. Then a series of communication took place. First, officers told the people that the priests carrying the ark of the covenant would be leading, and people would follow it no closer than 2,000 cubits. Second, Joshua spoke to the people and the priest. To the people, Joshua commanded them to consecrate themselves. To the priests, Joshua told them to take up the ark. Third, the LORD spoke to Joshua that he would be exalted and provided more specific instructions on what he would need to do when crossing the Jordan. Fourth, Joshua spoke to all the people, reminding them of the LORD’s promise to dispossess all the nations and the land of Canaan, and the LORD will lead them by wonder.

After the end of this series of communications, Joshua led the Israelites to cross the Jordan.

Officers to the people (v2-4)

The chapter begins with the communication between the officers and the people. The most important content of the communication was the role of the ark of the LORD, carried by priests, in the crossing of the Jordan River. The rest of the Israelites would follow the ark of the covenant from a distance when crossing the Jordan River.

What is the symbolic meaning of the ark of the covenant leading the march? The ark of the covenant is a rectangular structure covered with gold, and inside the ark were three items: the law of Moses, jar of manna, and Aaron’s budded staff. Based on the content of the ark of the covenant, I would classify its significance in two terms: 1) grace; 2) clash.

First, grace. Aaron’s budded staff represented God’s grace of sparing the Israeites despite their deliberately rebellious actions and attitudes. Back in Number 16 and 17, Korah, Dathan and Abiram rebelled against Mose and Aaron, and other tribes joined the revolt despite seeing the sign of God. When the LORD was about to wipe out the whole community, Moses and Aaron interceded before the LORD not to destroy them. The LORD showed a supernatural sign of sprouted, blossomed bud on Aaron’s staff to serve as a warning to the rebels. Despite the rebellious attitude, the LORD was leading the Israelites personally into the land of Canaan.

Second, clash. What kind of clash? The LORD is often described as the LORD of hosts – in other words, the LORD of heavenly army. Well, in this case, I would like to point out the clash of “ideas and institutions” between the Law of Moses and the Law of Canaan. This would be too deep of a topic to address in this paragraph, let me try to make this brief. The Law of Moses from Exodus to Deuteronomy outlined a whole institutional arrangement laid out by God, including worshiping the only true God and setting up political and economical institutions that would be pivoted on the concept of “loving your neighbor as yourself.” On the other hand, the law of Canaan was likely to be based on worshiping the false gods and idols, resulting in political and economic institutions that allow a small minority to rule over and extract from the vast majority of people. The ark of the covenant, which contained the Law of Moses, was invading the rules and institutions of the Canaan. Therefore, I termed this as “clash.”

Joshua to the people (v5-6)

Joshua told people to consecrate themselves. What was the significance of this command? Consecrating involved some external actions such as washing clothes and oneselves (Exodus 19:10-11). However, back in Exodus when the LORD was about to lead the Israelites to experience the passover (Exodus 13:2), the consecration activity was to mainly signify that the Israelites belonged to the LORD. Consecration was to remind them of their identity in the LORD. They belonged to the LORD. It was essential for the Israelites to be cognizant of their identity in the LORD God before conquering the new land of Canaan.

My question for all the readers: How do you identify yourself?

The LORD to Joshua (v7-8)

The LORD provided a more detailed description for Joshua what to tell the priest. This command again signified the importance of the role of the ark of the covenant carried by the priest. In addition, the LORD assured that Joshua would be exalted in the sight of all Israel.

Joshua to all the people (v9-13)

Empowered by a direct injection from God, Joshua reminded the Israelites of the promise that the LORD made to their ancestors. The LORD reminded of this promise to Joshua back in Chapter 1 (Joshua 1: 4-5). Joshua knew that the LORD would do wonder by having His presence in the waters of the Jordan. Joshua’s words to the people must have boosted the morale of the Israelites.

End of the Communication and Action (v14-17)

Finally, the people set out from their tents to cross the Jordan.

Try to imagine crossing the Jordan River as one of the Israelites who was following the ark of the covenant 2,000 cubits (about half a mile) behind. The road to Shittim to the Jordan River was likely downhill, which allowed most of the Israelites to witness the parting of the Jordan River even though they were far away. When the priests dipped their feet in the Jordan River, the parting began and the rest of the Israelites were witnessing this amazing scene of parting of the Jordan River and the appearance of the dry ground. What a scene! It would have been natural for the people to be in awe of the LORD.

Conclusion and Application

Communication must be followed by action. In the end, this chapter would be useless without the actual crossing of the Jordan River no matter how intimate conversations among the LORD, Joshua, and the Israelites.

Are you afraid of taking action? Be comforted that the LORD God personally led the Israelite despite their sins in the past. I pray that you would experience this victorious marching forward everyday with our Lord Jesus Christ.

Joshua 2: God the pursuer and Rahab the responder

Summary

Joshua sent two spies to scout out the land of Canaan. Rahab found them and hid them from the pursuers. Amazingly, Rahab knew that Jericho was given to the Israelites and confessed the God of Israelites as the true God. To the two spies, Rahab asked them to spare her household from the destruction. They made a vow and agreed to have a concrete, clear sign to be separated from destruction – a scarlet rope. The spies went back to Joshua and reported that the heart of the Canaan had melted for they were in the fear of the Israelites.

The purpose of the two spies

What was the purpose of sending out the spies? Back in Numbers 13-14, about 40 years prior to Joshua chapter 2, when Moses was leading the Israelites, twelve spies were chosen and sent to scout out the land of Canaan. This expedition turned out to be a disaster as ten out of the twelve spies reported and displayed a pessimistic view of the opportunity, leading the whole congregation into fear, to the point of disobeying and sinning against the LORD. As a result, 40 days of wilderness journey ballooned into a 40-year wilderness life.

Perhaps, because of the failed expedition 40 years ago with the twelve spies, Joshua sent out just two spies secretly this time. OK. This may explain why Joshua sent them secretly. Notice the stark difference in the faith displayed by these two spies in (verse 14) as they trusted fully that the LORD had already given the land to the Israelites. These two spies chosen by Joshua, placed their full trust in the promise of the LORD.

But why was sending out the spies necessary? Was it absolutely necessary? If it was evident that the LORD had given the land, then the Israelites could have just invaded the land. I think the expedition of the two spies served different purposes for different people: For the LORD, for Rahab, for Joshua, and the Israelites. For each, bullets below provide the overall purpose for each player.

For Joshua: Joshua might have been a very deliberate, careful person. He was in charge of the Israelites and especially assuming leadership after Moses was likely to be an extraordinary burden. For that reason, Joshua wanted to be assured that the LORD had given the land by assessing the condition of the people in Jericho.
For Rahab by the LORD: The LORD is a pursuer of His people. Probably the most strategically personal role of the spies was to find (or to be found by) Rahab so that Rahab can be spared from the destruction. Just from a strategic viewpoint, this expedition may not have been that necessary. However, we can see that the LORD wanted to ensure that His people are saved. The LORD probably inspired Joshua to send two spies to search for God’s people and ensure that they would not perish.
For the Israelites: Knowing the melted heart of Jericho and other Canaan people would have been a tremendous boost to the morale of the Israelites.

Chosen one vs. Responding one

Then, why was only Rahab (and her family) saved? Would this be considered unfair?

I believe an equal opportunity to turn back was given to all people in Jericho. Based on Rahab’s confession, the rest of Jericho people heard the miraculous crossing of the Red Sea by the Israelites, which had taken place 40 years ago, and the crossing of the Jordan River, which took place just a few days prior (Josh 2:8). The same input was given to people in Jericho universally. All of them heard the same news about what the LORD and the Israelites had done. However, only Rahab and her family responded to seek the true God of Heaven.

Many were called. Although their hearts melted, they did not turn back. People of Canaan were given an opportunity to turn back from their evil ways and seek the true LORD. However, only Rahab responded.

A clear communication between Rahab and Spies

For Rahab, her encounter with the two spies was a life-or-death situation. The two spies also took their responsibility very carefully. For this reason, two spies ensured that the sign and communication with Rahab remained crystal clear. The two spies told her to tie the cord of scarlet in the window and made a strong warning to her that no one would go out of the doors of her house. Rahab agreed. In this expedition, I see that two spies made this sign very clear to absolutely remove any sign of ambiguity to ensure Rahab and her family would be spared from destruction.

Conclusion

The LORD seeks. David made this confession in Psalm 23: the LORD will follow me all the days of my life – a better translation is “the LORD will pursue me….” The LORD personally reached out to Rahab and moved Joshua to send spies to find Rahab so that she and her household would be saved from this judgment.

The LORD sought you. He sent Jesus Christ to save you.
Let this chapter be a comfort and peace to you all.

Introduction to Joshua – Military Perspective

Book Overview

Personally, the book of Joshua is one of my favorite books in the Bible. The book portrays a victorious living through overcoming battles in Christian life. The book can be divided into three sections: 1) Entering the land; 2) Conquering the land, and 3) Distributing the land. From a military standpoint, Joshua’ sequence of attack reveals many insights. First, the Israelites’ attack route dissected the Canaan area into half by first tackling Jericho and Ai. Then, Joshua defeated the coalition of southern kings. Subsequently, the Israelites fought against the northern kings and defeated them as well. His strategy – guided by God – although not a perfect comparison, reminded me of “blitzkrieg” of Germany during the Second World War. Germany planned to quickly defeat and subdue France with an overwhelming force, then focus on the eastern front to fight against Russia. If failed, Germany knew that it would face a two-front war. Although Germany failed, Joshua and the Israelites, empowered by God, succeeded. After defeating Jericho and Ai, he was able to swiftly dispatch the southern kings, who formed a coalition, with the help of the LORD. Then, Joshua defeated the northern kings. Military strategy was brilliantly executed under the guidance of the LORD God.

The book teaches us to take risks and challenges – in full trust based on our intimate relation with God. Without intimate relation with God, these risks and challenges become a reckless gambling. The size of the land God promised to the Israelites was a moving variable – it depended on the risks and challenges that the sons of Israelite took to conquer the land. His promise was “wherever the sole of your foot treads, I have given it to you.”

Most of the book is filled with victorious achievement by the Israelites. However, the book also reminds us of falling short of reaching our potential that God envisioned for us. For instance, the total land size promised in Joshua 1:4 amounts to approximately 300,000 square miles. However, even at the zenith of the Israel Kingdom, under the reign of Solomon, Israel’s territory reached only 30,000 square mile, 1/10th of the promise made by God. Was the expectation of the LORD too much, or the sons of Israelites failed to live out their full potential? We shall find out.

Joshua as a General

Before diving deeper into the first chapter of Joshua, it is noteworthy to pinpoint a few events and verses about Joshua in the prior books. It was not a sudden rise that took Joshua to a leadership position. For many years through a variety of roles, including a military general, gatekeeper, servant of Moses, and spy, the LORD God slowly prepared him to lead the Israelites. In this section, I would like to focus on Joshua as a general.

The very first episode of Joshua took place in Exodus 17, not very long after the miraculous crossing of the Red Sea into the wilderness. The first fight broke out, although a reason was not exactly known, with the Amalekites at Rephidim. Moses appointed Joshua to lead the fight. With the LORD’s help and the supporting prayer of Moses, Joshua was able to overwhelm Amalek with the EDGE of THE SWORD. Then, the LORD told Moses a very specific instruction to write this victory as a memorial and recite to Joshua. The LORD gave this victory.

The fight with the Amalekite could have been the turning point in the life of Joshua. Moses’ first encounter with the LORD was through a burning bush. Joshua’s first encounter with the LORD was through a battle against the Amalek. A very unique experience for Joshua was that his very first “ministry” experience was a fight against the despicable Amalek.

What prompted the fight against the Amalkites in Exodus 17? Also, what prompted the LORD to declare such a strong statement that says “I will be at permanent war against the Amalkite?” Although Exodus 17 did not provide any explicit explanation about the cause of this fight, the book of Deuteronomy provided a few clues. Duet 25:17 showed that the Amalekites attacked all the stragglers at their rear front when the Israelites were faint and weary – this action was considered despicable with no fear of God. Who would be the stragglers at the rear of the march? Naturally, the old, the weak, the young, nursing mothers, lame, and etc. Amalek’s attack must have enraged the LORD, who subsequently declared His judgment against the Amalek.

The LORD’s rage was passed onto Joshua through Moses. In the fight against the Amalek, Joshua became one with the LORD in (justified) anger. Moses, Aaron and Hur prayed on top of the mountain in the vicinity. By the sun set, the Israelites prevailed

What was the lesson of this war? Holy and powerful God. God who defends the weak.

Imagine as if you were Joshua. The first attribute of God that he experienced was the God who judged the evil – truly the LORD of hosts and the chief commander of the army.

I think this is very cool – experiencing the God of power and justice in your first personal encounter.

Joshua 1: We must move on

The book of Joshua starts with the inevitable destination for all men: death. The LORD told Joshua that Moses was dead and commanded him to lead the Israelites to cross Jordan to the land that He promised (Josh 1:2). The book of Joshua starts with death and a new mission for the Isrealites.

Mortal Man and Immortal God

However great they may be, all leaders die at some point. The work of God continues, however. God assigns and raises up a new leader. Although Moses made multiple requests before God to allow him to enter the land of Canaan, the LORD placed a hard stop on Moses. Moses passed away on top of the mountain and the LORD God Himself buried him in the valley in the land of Moab (Deut 34:6).

However extraordinary Moses was – whom the LORD knew face to face (Duet 34:10) – he died, but the work of God never stops. The work of God to redeem His people from the world began right at the moment when Adam and Eve sinned in Genesis 3. This work was carried out by Moses, and to be handed over to Joshua.

Repeated Verse: “Be strong and very courageous”

The command “be strong and courageous” is repeated three times in the first chapter. The same command and encouragement were given to Joshua twice prior to this chapter directly by Moses (Deut 31:7) and God (Deut 31:23). The LORD began to instill His encouragement to Josua before the start of the actual conquest. Repeating a phrase three times is held an important value in the Hebrew language, and what can we say about five times? These five repetitions were to remind Joshua of the LORD’s wholeheartedly support of Joshua’s leadership for the conquest of the land of Canaan.

God’s Partnership with His People: Simply Amazing

Let’s take a brief moment to meditate on Joshua 1:6:

“….YOU shall give this people possession of the land which I [the LORD God] swore to their forefathers to give them [emphasis added]”

“You” in this verse was Joshua. Although God was the ultimate leader of this conquest and the all the redemptive work, God was telling Joshua that Joshua would give this people possession of the land. This is simply amazing. God, who is sufficient and perfect, wants to work with His people. God desires to have deep fellowship and partnership with us in accomplishing His work! This attribute of God gives us the followers of Christ immense comfort and encouragement.

As soon as Joshua was empowered by the LORD, he took swift action to speak with the officers of the people for preparation.

Virtuous Cycle

The last three verses of this chapter, from verse 16 to 18, highlight the importance of oneness in the LORD within the community.

The leaders of Israel spoke back to Joshua to be strong and courageous (Josh 1:18). Where did this statement originally come from? Let’s follow the flow of communication in this chapter.

The message flowed from God to Joshua, then from Joshua to the officers of the Israelites, then from the Israelites back to Joshua. The original message of God was the encouragement to be strong and courageous. Then, Joshua received this back from the officers of the Israelites. What was flowing among the Israelite community was a virtuous cycle, essential for living out the promise of God.