1. Entering the Promised Land

Camped east of the Jordan river

1:1-9

• God says to Joshua:
• ‘Cross the Jordan & enter the [Promised] Land;
• Wherever you [Israelites] set your feet, you will receive that land

[cf. Moses’ sermon (Dt 11:24-25) & God’s promise (Gen 13:17)];

• Be strong and brave (cf. Dt 3:21-22, 31:7-8, v23), and keep the Law’

1:10-18

• Joshua says to the people, ‘Prepare to enter the Land’
• Joshua reminds the eastern tribes of their promise to enter the land and fight [see Num 32:5-32]; the tribes reaffirm their promise

ch. 2

• Joshua sends two spies to Jericho;
• The spies meet Rahab (a prostitute) who hides them & says, ‘Everyone is afraid of the Israelites!’ [cf. God’s promise in Dt 2:25];
• The spies promise to spare Rahab’s household, but she must tie a Scarlet Cord in her window and remain in her house to stay safe.

[i. Rahab was shown to be right with God because she had acted to save the spies (see James 2:25), but this kindness was prompted by her decision to put faith in the Hebrew God (see Heb 11:31):

ii. Rahab also demonstrated faith by remaining inside her house which was in the city wall (Josh 2:15) - the wall which would be destroyed by God (6:20);

iii. Rahab also demonstrated faith by tying the Scarlet Cord to her window. It would initially signpost Rahab's property to the other Israelites, but in some ways Rahab experienced a similar situation to the Israelites in Egypt when her house was the only one that was 'passed over' and kept from destruction, cf. Ex 12:22-23]

Day 10, Month 1, [Year 41]: Crossing the Jordan

ch. 3

• The Israelites travel to the Jordan river; the Levites carry the Ark of the Covenant into the river & it stops flowing [by God’s power]; all the people cross the Jordan on dry land

ch. 4

• The memorial stones: Twelve stones are taken from the Jordan to build a memorial to the crossing

5:1

• The Amorite & Canaanite kings hear of the [miraculous] crossing, and their hearts melt in fear

Camped in the Promised Land at Gilgal

5:2-9

• The men are circumcised [cf. Gen 17:10-11]
• God rolls away the reproach of Egypt [in Ex 32:12]

5:10

• Day 14 [Month 1, Year 41]: The Israelites celebrate the Passover [as instructed in Ex 12:25-27]

5:11

• [Day 15]: The people eat the produce of the [Promised] Land by eating bread & roasted grain

5:12

• [Day 16]: The manna ceases [the miraculous bread that had arrived each morning, see Ex 16:4, v14-16, v31]

2. Taking the Promised Land

The battle against Jericho

5:13 – 6:5

• The Captain of Yahweh’s army [cf. Num 22:31] meets Joshua & says, ‘March around Jericho!’

6:6-27

• The priests & the people march around Jericho for 7 days;
• on the 7^th day of marching, the people shout & the walls collapse [by God’s power];
• Rahab is saved; the city is burnt down

Achan’s sin / The battles against Ai

7:1

• [At Jericho:] Achan steals some things [a robe, some silver & gold, see 7:21] that should have been devoted to God [see Joshua’s warning at 6:18-19], so God’s anger burns towards the Israelites

7:2-5

• The Israelites assume they will easily defeat the city of Ai, but the natives of Ai defeat them

7:6-26

• Joshua prays; God says that a sin has occurred;
• Achan is discovered & is sentenced to death

8:1-29

• God tells Joshua to attack Ai; this time the natives of Ai are defeated & the city is burnt down

At Mount Ebal & Mount Gerizim

8:30-35

• Joshua builds an altar & writes the Law on stones [cf. Dt 27:2-8];
• The people stand on the mountains & Joshua reads the Law, the blessings & the curses [cf. Dt 11:29, 27:12 – 28:68]

The Gibeonites deceive Israel

ch. 9

• All the kings in the Land join together to fight Israel, except for the men of Gibeon who go to Israel’s camp to make peace; they pretend to be from a distant land so a treaty is made

Further battles in the Land

10:1-27

• Five Amorite kings attack Gibeon;
• Joshua fights back & God sends hailstones on the enemy;
• Joshua prays and the sun & moon stand still during the battle;
• Joshua kills the five kings

10:28-43

• The Southern Campaign: Joshua attacks Makkedah, Libnah, Lachish, the king of Gezer (who came to help Lachish), Eglon, Hebron* & Debir* & kills everyone he fights (*see 15:13-17)

11:1-14

• The Northern Campaign: The king of Hazor calls all the other kings in the Land to join him (at the waters of Merom) to fight Israel; Joshua defeats them all & captures all their cities

11:15-23

• List: Areas of land taken by Joshua (nobody made peace with him except the Gibeonites)

ch. 12

• List: The 33 defeated kings = 2 east of the Jordan [cf. Num 21:21-35] + 31 west of the Jordan

Num / Deut / JOSH / Jdg / Ruth