90 Days Thru the Bible (Chris Tiegreen)

Joshua

The book of Joshua is about taking territory. It has obvious, literal meaning for its time, but also many spiritual parallels
for ours. God has called each of us to enter into His promise, receive an inheritance as coheirs with His Son, and help
shape His Kingdom by working for Him and allowing Him to work through us. Along the way, we will need to be strong
and courageous, adhere unwaveringly to God’s ways, avoid compromise and unhealthy alliances, and persevere through
trials and long battles. We see all of these lessons in the historical parable of the conquest of Canaan. It’s a template for
how we enter God’s promises.

It’s significant, then, that the book begins with God Himself repeatedly encouraging Joshua to be strong and courageous
and to immerse himself in God’s Word. These are vital keys to living a Kingdom lifestyle. Other keys follow: a time of
consecration (this generation of Israelites had not been circumcised), a strange encounter with God’s presence (the angel
identifies himself only as the commander of God’s armies), a hard lesson in obedience (one man keeps some of Jericho’s
plunder for himself and causes the nation to lose its next battle), a hard lesson in compromise (the leaders are duped into a
treaty with locals that limits their choices in the future), and so on. By following God’s instructions, the people are able to
put the past behind them and press on into the promise—albeit with stumbling, at times. Their conquest is decisive,
though not always thorough; many Canaanites remain in the land by the time the book ends. But God fights on behalf of
His people when they trust and depend on Him, even altering physical laws to extend a day. He will fulfill His plans on
behalf of those who believe.

This theme is reinforced in the portrayal of several characters who demonstrate great faith. Aside from Joshua himself, the
first is a prostitute named Rahab, a resident of Jericho who is put in the position of choosing sides. When Joshua sends
two spies to scout the land—the same number that came back with a good report forty years earlier—Rahab becomes their
key contact, hiding them and helping them strategize in exchange for her life and the lives of her family members. When
Israel conquers Jericho, Rahab’s life is preserved and she is honored for her assistance. Centuries later, her name will
appear in the genealogy of the Messiah.

Another great figure of faith is Caleb, one of the two surviving spies from the previous generation (the other is Joshua, of
course). Despite his firm belief that God would overcome the giants and give His people the land He had promised, Caleb
spent forty years suffering the consequences of the people’s rebellion. Now in his eighties, he is still full of life and vigor
and zealous to receive his piece of the promise. God has preserved Caleb’s life and rewarded his faith.

Interwoven with the accounts of these two prominent characters are the stories of parted waters and generally steady
conquest. God waits until the Jordan’s waters are at flood stage before parting the river for His people to pass through—a
revealing illustration of how He steps into our problems when the obstacles are greatest. The famous story of the battle of
Jericho shows us that no obstacle is too great for God, nor any method too strange. The varied approaches to each battle
show us that while God’s character never changes, His methods very frequently do—evidence that we can never follow
Him simply by understanding His principles, but only by having a direct relationship with Him. God’s instructions to
establish cities of refuge throughout the land are an early example of how His justice and compassion meet; there are
penalties for wrongdoing as well as protection for suspected wrongdoers.

There is a reason God has called His people to be separate and to live in a separate land: He is in the process of revealing
His nature to them through the events in their lives. The book ends with a warning that being chosen doesn’t mean
immunity from God’s chastisement and with a challenge for the people to make a decision to serve God alone. Joshua and
his household make that decision, and the people join in. They declare their undying allegiance to the Lord in the land He
has given. Their future will be determined by how well they maintain their devotion.

Questions for Reflection

What “territory” do you think God wants you to take for His Kingdom? for your family? in your work? What truths from
Joshua will be most helpful as you do that?