Covenant Possession Joshua and The Land

Who Is Joshua?  Name:  Literally “Hoshea” (“Salvation”) (Numbers 13:8)  Moses chose to call him “Joshua” (“Yahweh is Salvation”) (Numbers 13:16)

Who Is Joshua?  Chosen by Moses as personal attendant (Exodus 33:11)  Present on Mt. Sinai when Moses received the Torah (Exodus 24:13ff)  Leader of soldiers sent to repel Amalek at Rephidim (Exodus 17:9)  One of the twelve spies sent to survey Canaan (Numbers 13:8)  Permitted, with Caleb, to enter the Promised Land (Numbers 14:30)  Commissioned by Yahweh & Moses to succeed Moses as leader of Israel (Deuteronomy 31:14, 23; Joshua 1)

When Did Israel “Invade” Canaan? (Three Theories) BBBBy Invasion: TTTThe story told in Joshua ++++/ B.C. BBBBy Infiltration: TTTThe “Hapiru” migrating slaves of history ++++/ B.C. BBBBy Internal Struggle: CCCCompeting clans uniting against external foes ++++/ B.C.

How Is the Book Shaped?  It’s all about “The Land”:  Penetrating the Land (1-5)  Purging the Land (6-12)  Possessing the Land (13-21)  Promising the Land (22-24)  Remember: this is the land promised to Abraham (Genesis 12, 13, 17)

Penetrating the Land (1-5) NNNNote the unique way in which the commissioning of Joshua is told (1): YYYYahweh to Joshua JJJJoshua to the Elders TTTThe Elders to the People TTTThe People back to Yahweh in obedience NNNNote the unusual positioning of the story of the spies in Jericho with Rahab (2): PPPPeople are ready to go; why insert this story here when it likely had taken place earlier? WWWWhy is it shaped the way it is?

Literary Device: “Chiasm” (from the Greek letter X – “chi”)  Our typical ways of communicating:  Inductive:  A variety of ideas or information leading to a conclusion  Often used in good story-telling  Deductive:  Thesis stated up front followed by implications and corollaries  Scientific argumentation  Reflexive mirror parallelism in Hebrew poetry & story-telling:  Idea A  Idea B  Idea C  Idea B 1  Idea A 1  Main idea/implications declared at the center of the passage (“C”)

Joshua 2 Is Told Chiastically  Spies Commissioned (1)  Officers of King [of Jericho] address Rahab (2-3)  Rahab saves the spies (4-7)  Rahab declares God’s victory (8-10)  Rahab’s great testimony (11): “Yahweh your God is God in heaven above and on the earth below.”  Rahab declares God’s victory (12-13)  Rahab saves the spies (14-16)  Officers of the King [of Heaven & Earth] address Rahab (17-21)  Spied Debriefed (22-24)

Implications:  Story is told later as encouragement to Israel:  The land belongs to Yahweh  All Israel has to do is follow Yahweh  Rahab’s declaration is a religious and political testimony:  Yahweh is not merely a tribal god owned by Israel  Yahweh is the supreme divinity over both territory and lesser gods; all nations ought to bow to Yahweh

Penetrating the Land (1-5)  The Jordan Crossing: (3-4)  Note similarities & differences from Red Sea crossing (Exodus 14)  Both divine acts overcoming natural barrier (Jordan at “flood stage” making crossing impossible)  There, Moses as agent; here, Ark carried by priests  Memorial: smooth stones from river as permanent reminder

Penetrating the Land (1-5)  Chapter 5:  Miraculous act of crossing terrifies nations  Circumcision: incredible act of either lunacy or faith (in the shadow of Jericho)  Passover: crossing takes place at same time of year as leaving Exodus—divine leading  Joshua, sleepless before the big battle, encounters night-time warrior:  “Are you for us or for them?”  “No!”  “As commander of the army of Yahweh I have come.”  Israel is only one regiment in Yahweh’s campaign to take back the creation in turmoil under civil war.

Purging the Land (6-12)  Method of taking Jericho (7):  Image of “Ark” floating on sea (of people)  Divine judgment against Jericho  Rahab & family saved (like Noah) by faith  Why total destruction of Jericho?  “Firstborn”? (cf. 10 th plague in Egypt)  “Doorway” message? (note Jericho location)  Achan & Ai: disobedience & consequences (8)  The problem of war in the Old Testament:  Cleanse the land?  Reveal Yahweh’s power?  Create a sterilized environment for Israel’s early development?  Covenant renewal at Shechem (8; cf. Deuteronomy 27)

Purging the Land (6-12) TTTThree stages (9-11): DDDDeceptive alliance with Gibeonites (9) SSSSouthern campaign: (10) IIIInitiated by attack against Gibeonite ally IIIInvolved miraculous divine support NNNNorthern campaign: (11) CCCConclusion (11:23): “So Joshua took the entire land, just as the LORD had directed Moses, and he gave it as an inheritance to Israel according to their tribal divisions. Then the land had rest from war.” LLLList of conquests (12)

Possessing the Land (13-21)  Incomplete Conquest (13)  General Distribution & Caleb’s Unique Story (14)  Specific Distribution (15-19)  “Cities of Refuge” (20)  Towns for the Levites (21)

Promising the Land (22-24)  The future of the Trans-Jordan tribes (22)  Joshua charges the Elders (23)  Joshua renews the covenant with the whole of the nation and “sent them to their inheritance” (24)  Concluding note: three graves; HOME!  Joshua—the overall leader  Joseph—the ancestor  Eleazer—the priest (spiritual leader)

Big Question: “Why this land?”  Many better lands in the ancient near east and certainly in the world  What is so important about this land that God promised it to Abraham and brought Israel to it?  One word: LOCATION!

Why this land?  Here Yahweh’s community of witness could not be ignored by the other nations and civilizations of the world.  Here Israel would stand as a light to the nations:  See our culture!  Understand our values!  Find our (your!) God!