Joshua

"Moses my servant is dead." So begins the book of Joshua (1:2). The great leader and deliverer of God’s
chosen seed died while Israel camped outside of Canaan, their inheritance yet to be claimed. Despair might
have overtaken some, but Joshua recognized that there was work yet to be done, and that God would yet
accomplish his purpose and fulfill his promises among his people. The Lord continued, "Now therefore arise,
go over this Jordan, you, and all this people, unto the land which I do give to them, even to the children of
Israel." Joshua is the record of God’s giving Israel their promised land.

Joshua the Son of Nun

Joshua was a great military leader under Moses (Ex. 17:8-16); he was also a close companion and personal
minister to Moses (Ex. 24:13). Joshua did not take part in the calf worship at Sinai (Ex. 24:13; 32:17ff), and
he stood faithful and courageous while unbelief and fear overtook virtually all of his people (Num. 14:1-9).
God saw in him a fit and capable leader to succeed Moses. Joshua’s success, however, would be entirely
dependent upon his obedience to God’s plan for conquering Canaan (Josh. 1:3-9).

The Land Promise

God promised to give Abraham’s seed a land called Canaan (Gen. 12:5, 7). Moses prepared them for
entering Canaan, but was not allowed to lead them in; that responsibility and privilege fell to Joshua. There
is no question that purpose of this book is to provide an inspired record of the fulfillment of God's land
promise to Abraham and Israel.

While Israel obeyed God, they were triumphant over their enemies. When they cleaved to their Lord, they
enjoyed success and prosperity. When sin and doubt prevailed, however, all of their military planning and
efforts could avail them nothing against their foes. These truths are best demonstrated in Israel's battles
with Jericho (6:1-27) and Ai (7:1-26). Jericho was the first fortified city encountered by Israel. It was strong,
much stronger than either Ai or Israel from any human perspectives. But, with God as their captain, Israel
overwhelmed Jericho in battle. Ai should have been an easier battle, but disobedience and sin within Israel
brought defeat, postponing victory until the problem had been rectified. This pattern prevailed all the days of
the invasion and settlement of Canaan. While Israel obeyed, God was with them; when they failed in faith,
God left them to their enemies.

Ultimately, under the leadership of Joshua and by the might power of God the land promise to Abraham was
fulfilled. Joshua took "the whole land," and there was "rest from war" (11:23). Near the conclusion of the
book, it is again affirmed that "the Lord gave unto Israel all the land which he sware to give unto their
fathers; and they possessed it, and dwelt therein. And the Lord gave them rest round about, according to all
that he sware unto their fathers: and there stood not a man of all their enemies before them; the Lord
delivered all their enemies into their hand. There failed not ought of any good thing which the Lord had
spoken unto the house of Israel; all came to pass (21:43-45)."

Should there be any doubt that God fulfilled the Abrahamic land promise in the life of Joshua, inspired men
would later write, "You are the Lord the God, who did choose Abram, and brought him forth out of Ur of the
Chaldees, and gave him the name of Abraham; and found his heart faithful before you, and made a
covenant with him to give the land of the Canaanites, the Hittites, the Amorites, and the Perizzites, and the
Jebusites, and the Girgashites, to give it, I say, to his seed, and have performed your words; for you are
righteous…You brought them into the land, concerning which you had promised to their fathers, that they
should go in to possess it. So the children went in and possessed the land… (Neh. 9:7-8, 23-24)." And again,
"You have brought forth your people Israel out of the land of Egypt with signs, and with wonders, and with a
strong hand, and with a stretched out arm, and with great terror; and have given them this land, which you
did swear to their fathers to give them, a land flowing with milk and honey; and they came in, and
possessed it…(Jer. 32:21-23)."

Israel no longer has any special entitlement to the land of Canaan. Joshua, with these noted and similar
passages, establishes that the land promise was kept by God--Canaan was indeed possessed by the
descendants of Abraham. Just as surely as God promised to bring them into the land to possess it, however,
he also promised to take away that inheritance and disown Israel if their sins and rebellion persisted (Deut.
4, 28-29, et al.), which, according to scripture, is exactly what happened.

Joshua's Rest

Possession of and rest in Canaan was a tremendous blessing to Israel and an amazing attestation to the
faithfulness and power of God. What many fail to recognize, however, is that the strip of terra firma
enclosed by the Mediterranean Sea and Jordan river on the east and west, and by the rivers Euphrates and
Egypt to the north and south was but a type of far greater possessions and blessings to be enjoyed by all
people of all ages through Christ.

The Hebrews epistle writer argued for Christ's superiority over Moses in chapter 3. The next chapter
demonstrates Christ’s superiority over Joshua. Joshua's rest (Canaan) was material and temporary. The rest
and land (forgiveness of sins and heaven) made available in the death of Christ is spiritual and enduring
(Heb. 4:1-11).

People are consumed with a physical plot of land in the Middle East; they ought rather to be fearing, striving,
and laboring to enter into a spiritual and eternal rest (Heb. 4:1, 11).

Grace, Faith, and Obedience

Joshua perfectly demonstrates the eternal truth, "by grace ye are saved through faith" (Eph. 2:8). It makes
clear the relationship between God's grace, and man's faith and obedience. It reveals the nature of true,
saving faith.

Throughout the book it is echoed that Jehovah saved Israel; God delivered their enemies; the Lord secured
victory. But for the grace of God, there would have been no Israel, and there certainly would have been no
victories over Jericho and the rest of the Canaanites, and no possession of the land of Canaan. The Lord told
Joshua, "I give them this land" (1:2); Joshua told Israel, "the Lord your God gives you to possess it"
(1:11); and the children of Israel acknowledged "the Lord drove out from before us all the people…which
dwelt in the land" (24:18). Blessings were always attributed to the grace and might of God. Israel did not
earn a right to the land; they did not achieve victory by military prowess or hard work. God gave them
victory, and God gave them the land. Grace saved Israel.

But, just as certainly as Jericho was won by grace, the Bible also affirms it was won by faith. "By faith the
walls of Jericho fell down…" (Heb. 11:30). It has already been noted that where faith was present, God
blessed Israel; when they disbelieved, God gave them up for destruction. Hebrews 3-4 expresses the
relationship between Israel's belief and their obtaining rest. Faith saved Israel.

Obedience is the response of faith to God's grace. The same grace of God that saves man teaches him (Titus
2:11-12). Faith believes God and heeds that teaching. While Israel's successes and "salvation" are always
attributed to the grace of God in Joshua, they are also always correspondent to Israel's faith and obedience.
[You could almost use "faith" and "obedience" interchangeably. Where there is no obedience, "faith" is not
really faith, just a lifeless imitation of it (James 2:14-26; Gal. 5:6). Where there is no faith, there cannot be
true God-pleasing obedience, though some works of God might be performed (John 6:28-29).] So, the
Hebrews writer went on, "By faith the walls of Jericho fell down, after they were compassed about seven
days" (Heb. 11:30). It reflects an important principle, and it is an indisputable historical fact--Israel would not
have conquered Jericho had they not believed and obeyed God's words, "I have given into your hand
Jericho…and you shall compass the city…and the wall of the city shall fall down flat" (Josh. 6:2, 3, 5).
Obedience saved Israel.