Through The Bible
6 Joshua

March 3 - Joshua 1 - 2

​Life Lesson … “Have not I commanded thee? Be strong and of a good courage; be not afraid, neither be thou dismayed: for the LORD thy God is with thee whithersoever thou goest." (Joshua 1:1-9) What a comforting thing to know!   Do you know... that in Joshua 1:8 we see the only time that the word, "success", is used in the Bible?  We are entering into the first historical book of the Old Testament, the book of Joshua, as the Children of Israel are getting ready to enter into the Promised Land. Four times in this chapter Joshua is told to be strong and of good courage. It may have been hard for Joshua to take the place of such a strong leader such as Moses, but we have seen how the Lord prepared Joshua along the way. 

"1  Now after the death of Moses the servant of the LORD it came to pass, that the LORD spake unto Joshua the son of Nun, Moses' minister, saying,
2  Moses my servant is dead; now therefore arise, go over this Jordan, thou, and all this people, unto the land which I do give to them, even to the children of Israel.
3  Every place that the sole of your foot shall tread upon, that have I given unto you, as I said unto Moses.
4  From the wilderness and this Lebanon even unto the great river, the river Euphrates, all the land of the Hittites, and unto the great sea toward the going down of the sun, shall be your coast.
5  There shall not any man be able to stand before thee all the days of thy life: as I was with Moses, so I will be with thee: I will not fail thee, nor forsake thee.
6  Be strong and of a good courage: for unto this people shalt thou divide for an inheritance the land, which I sware unto their fathers to give them.
7  Only be thou strong and very courageous, that thou mayest observe to do according to all the law, which Moses my servant commanded thee: turn not from it to the right hand or to the left, that thou mayest prosper whithersoever thou goest.
8  This book of the law shall not depart out of thy mouth; but thou shalt meditate therein day and night, that thou mayest observe to do according to all that is written therein: for then thou shalt make thy way prosperous, and then thou shalt have good success.
9  Have not I commanded thee? Be strong and of a good courage; be not afraid, neither be thou dismayed: for the LORD thy God is with thee whithersoever thou goest."  (Joshua 1:1-9)

In Chapter 2 we learn of Rahab, who hid the two spies that Joshua sent to Jericho.  She mentioned that they heard how the Lord dried up the Red sea, and that was forty years before.

"9  And she said unto the men, I know that the LORD hath given you the land, and that your terror is fallen upon us, and that all the inhabitants of the land faint because of you.
10  For we have heard how the LORD dried up the water of the Red sea for you, when ye came out of Egypt; and what ye did unto the two kings of the Amorites, that were on the other side Jordan, Sihon and Og, whom ye utterly destroyed.
11  And as soon as we had heard these things, our hearts did melt, neither did there remain any more courage in any man, because of you: for the LORD your God, he is God in heaven above, and in earth beneath.
12  Now therefore, I pray you, swear unto me by the LORD, since I have shewed you kindness, that ye will also shew kindness unto my father's house, and give me a true token:
13  And that ye will save alive my father, and my mother, and my brethren, and my sisters, and all that they have, and deliver our lives from death.
14  And the men answered her, Our life for yours, if ye utter not this our business. And it shall be, when the LORD hath given us the land, that we will deal kindly and truly with thee.
15  Then she let them down by a cord through the window: for her house was upon the town wall, and she dwelt upon the wall.

The men told her to bind the line of scarlet thread in the window, and all her family that was in her house would be saved.  The two spies hid three days in the mountain and then returned, "And they said unto Joshua, Truly the LORD hath delivered into our hands all the land; for even all the inhabitants of the country do faint because of us."  (2:24)  The faith of Rahab is mentioned in the book of Hebrews.  "By faith the walls of Jericho fell down, after they were compassed about seven days.  By faith the harlot Rahab perished not with them that believed not, when she had received the spies with peace."  (Hebrews 11:30-31)  

March 4 - Joshua 3 - 5

Life Lesson… Don’t rush through life, or try to get ahead of what God has planned for you, especially down new paths and directions. I am starting a new journey, taking chemotherapy, and I have not passed this way before. My verse today is Joshua 3:4. "And Yet there shall be a space between you and it, about two thousand cubits by measure: come not near unto it, that ye may know the way by which ye must go: for ye have not passed this way heretofore."
In Chapter 3 of Joshua the Lord made the waters to stand up in a heap in the Jordan River and the Israelites crossed over on dry ground.

"5  And Joshua said unto the people, Sanctify yourselves: for to morrow the LORD will do wonders among you.
6  And Joshua spake unto the priests, saying, Take up the ark of the covenant, and pass over before the people. And they took up the ark of the covenant, and went before the people.
7  And the LORD said unto Joshua, This day will I begin to magnify thee in the sight of all Israel, that they may know that, as I was with Moses, so I will be with thee.
8  And thou shalt command the priests that bear the ark of the covenant, saying, When ye are come to the brink of the water of Jordan, ye shall stand still in Jordan."  (3:5-8)

"And the priests that bare the ark of the covenant of the LORD stood firm on dry ground in the midst of Jordan, and all the Israelites passed over on dry ground, until all the people were passed clean over Jordan."  (3:17)  Chapter 4 tells how one man from each tribe carried a stone from the midst of Jordan across the river and set up the twelve stones for a memorial in Gilgal.  They were set up so they could tell their children how the Lord dried up the waters of Jordan for them to cross over.  And Joshua set up twelve stones in the midst of Jordan.  "On that day the LORD magnified Joshua in the sight of all Israel; and they feared him, as they feared Moses, all the days of his life."  (4:14)

Chapter 5 begins, "And it came to pass, when all the kings of the Amorites, which were on the side of Jordan westward, and all the kings of the Canaanites, which were by the sea, heard that the LORD had dried up the waters of Jordan from before the children of Israel, until we were passed over, that their heart melted, neither was there spirit in them any more, because of the children of Israel."  (5:1)  The Israelites were circumcised and they encamped in Gilgal and kept the Passover on the fourteenth day.  They ate of the food in Canaan and the manna ceased and they never had manna again.

"13  And it came to pass, when Joshua was by Jericho, that he lifted up his eyes and looked, and, behold, there stood a man over against him with his sword drawn in his hand: and Joshua went unto him, and said unto him, Art thou for us, or for our adversaries?
14  And he said, Nay; but as captain of the host of the LORD am I now come. And Joshua fell on his face to the earth, and did worship, and said unto him, What saith my lord unto his servant?
15  And the captain of the LORD'S host said unto Joshua, Loose thy shoe from off thy foot; for the place whereon thou standest is holy. And Joshua did so."  (5:13-15) 

We saw how the Jordan River dried up for them to cross over, just as when Moses lifted his rod over the Red Sea.  And here we remember what God said to Moses at the burning bush in Exodus 3:5, "And he said, Draw not nigh hither: put off thy shoes from off thy feet, for the place whereon thou standest is holy ground."

​March 5 - Joshua 6 - 7

Life Lessons... When we sin it hurts those around us.  We can't hide our sin.  "... and be sure your sin will find you out."  (Numbers 32:23)  We don't have victory with sin in our lives.

In Joshua Chapter 6 we have a most unique battle plan. Imagine the people in the city of Jericho.  They were afraid of the Israelites.  They heard trumpets, and saw priests carrying a gold covered box, the ark of the covenant, and the army marched silently behind them.  The people of Jericho didn't expect this type of attack, but they would be ready... then, the Israelite army marched back to their camp.  Early the next morning, it started all over again. (The word rereward, would be like our word, rearward.)

"12  And Joshua rose early in the morning, and the priests took up the ark of the LORD.
13  And seven priests bearing seven trumpets of rams' horns before the ark of the LORD went on continually, and blew with the trumpets: and the armed men went before them; but the rereward came after the ark of the LORD, the priests going on, and blowing with the trumpets.
14  And the second day they compassed the city once, and returned into the camp: so they did six days.
15  And it came to pass on the seventh day, that they rose early about the dawning of the day, and compassed the city after the same manner seven times: only on that day they compassed the city seven times.
16  And it came to pass at the seventh time, when the priests blew with the trumpets, Joshua said unto the people, Shout; for the LORD hath given you the city.
17  And the city shall be accursed, even it, and all that are therein, to the LORD: only Rahab the harlot shall live, she and all that are with her in the house, because she hid the messengers that we sent.
18  And ye, in any wise keep yourselves from the accursed thing, lest ye make yourselves accursed, when ye take of the accursed thing, and make the camp of Israel a curse, and trouble it.
19  But all the silver, and gold, and vessels of brass and iron, are consecrated unto the LORD: they shall come into the treasury of the LORD.
20  So the people shouted when the priests blew with the trumpets: and it came to pass, when the people heard the sound of the trumpet, and the people shouted with a great shout, that the wall fell down flat, so that the people went up into the city, every man straight before him, and they took the city."  (Joshua 6:12-20)

The two spies went in and saved Rahab and all her family that was with her in her house.  "And Joshua adjured them at that time, saying, Cursed be the man before the LORD, that riseth up and buildeth this city Jericho: he shall lay the foundation thereof in his firstborn, and in his youngest son shall he set up the gates of it.  So the LORD was with Joshua; and his fame was noised throughout all the country."  (6:26-27)  ("In his days did Hiel the Bethelite build Jericho: he laid the foundation thereof in Abiram his firstborn, and set up the gates thereof in his youngest son Segub, according to the word of the LORD, which he spake by Joshua the son of Nun."  I Kings 16:34)  Chapter 7 tells of the sin of Achan.  "But the children of Israel committed a trespass in the accursed thing: for Achan, the son of Carmi, the son of Zabdi, the son of Zerah, of the tribe of Judah, took of the accursed thing: and the anger of the LORD was kindled against the children of Israel."  (7:1)  Israel went up to battle against Ai and because it was a little city they said only two or three thousand men needed to go.  The men of Ai killed 36 men of Israel and they ran from them.  Joshua fell on his face before the Lord.  

"10  And the LORD said unto Joshua, Get thee up; wherefore liest thou thus upon thy face?
11  Israel hath sinned, and they have also transgressed my covenant which I commanded them: for they have even taken of the accursed thing, and have also stolen, and dissembled also, and they have put it even among their own stuff.
12  Therefore the children of Israel could not stand before their enemies, but turned their backs before their enemies, because they were accursed: neither will I be with you any more, except ye destroy the accursed from among you."  (7:10-12)  The next morning Israel was brought by their tribes and the tribe of Judah was taken, and Achan was taken.  

"20  And Achan answered Joshua, and said, Indeed I have sinned against the LORD God of Israel, and thus and thus have I done:
21  When I saw among the spoils a goodly Babylonish garment, and two hundred shekels of silver, and a wedge of gold of fifty shekels weight, then I coveted them, and took them; and, behold, they are hid in the earth in the midst of my tent, and the silver under it.
22  So Joshua sent messengers, and they ran unto the tent; and, behold, it was hid in his tent, and the silver under it."  (7:20-22)

Achan and all that he had were stoned with stones and then burned with fire.  Notice that only Achan had taken the accursed things but the Lord said, "Israel hath sinned."  We also see that 36 men of the army of Israel died because of one man's sin.  Sometimes we suffer because of the sins of the world.  Achan tried to hide his sin.  What could he do with the Babylonish garment and the silver and gold?  He hid them under his tent.  We can't hide our sin from God.  The last thing I notice is that Israel could not have victory with sin in the camp.

March 6 - Joshua 8 - 10

Before we talk about the battle at Ai, I want to say that I desire your prayers. The doctor has set up my battle plan against cancer and I am struggling. 

In Joshua Chapter 8 the Lord told Joshua how to fight the battle at Ai.  He sent 30,000 men away by night, to go and lie in ambush behind the city.  He also set about 5,000 men on the west of the city between Bethel and Ai.  Joshua planned to approach the city with his men and then flee so the men of the city would follow them as before.  All the men of Bethel and Ai followed Joshua and his men.  "And the LORD said unto Joshua, Stretch out the spear that is in thy hand toward Ai; for I will give it into thine hand. And Joshua stretched out the spear that he had in his hand toward the city."  (Joshua 8:18)  I can imagine the sun glistening off the spear and signaling the ambush.  They rushed into the city and set the city on fire. The men of Ai had nowhere to flee and not one escaped.  Then Joshua built an altar to the Lord and he read all the words of the law to all the people.  Chapter 9 tells of the Gibeonites.

"3  And when the inhabitants of Gibeon heard what Joshua had done unto Jericho and to Ai,
4  They did work wilily, and went and made as if they had been ambassadors, and took old sacks upon their asses, and wine bottles, old, and rent, and bound up;
5  And old shoes and clouted upon their feet, and old garments upon them; and all the bread of their provision was dry and mouldy.
6  And they went to Joshua unto the camp at Gilgal, and said unto him, and to the men of Israel, We be come from a far country: now therefore make ye a league with us.
7  And the men of Israel said unto the Hivites, Peradventure ye dwell among us; and how shall we make a league with you?
8  And they said unto Joshua, We are thy servants. And Joshua said unto them, Who are ye? and from whence come ye?
9  And they said unto him, From a very far country thy servants are come because of the name of the LORD thy God: for we have heard the fame of him, and all that he did in Egypt,
10  And all that he did to the two kings of the Amorites, that were beyond Jordan, to Sihon king of Heshbon, and to Og king of Bashan, which was at Ashtaroth.
11  Wherefore our elders and all the inhabitants of our country spake to us, saying, Take victuals with you for the journey, and go to meet them, and say unto them, We are your servants: therefore now make ye a league with us.
12  This our bread we took hot for our provision out of our houses on the day we came forth to go unto you; but now, behold, it is dry, and it is mouldy:
13  And these bottles of wine, which we filled, were new; and, behold, they be rent: and these our garments and our shoes are become old by reason of the very long journey.
14  And the men took of their victuals, and asked not counsel at the mouth of the LORD.
15  And Joshua made peace with them, and made a league with them, to let them live: and the princes of the congregation sware unto them.
16  And it came to pass at the end of three days after they had made a league with them, that they heard that they were their neighbours, and that they dwelt among them."  (9:3-16)

Joshua let them live and be "hewers of wood and drawers of water".  Chapter 10.  Gibeon was a great city and all the men were mighty, so the surrounding kings decided to go to war against them because of their league with Joshua.  Five kings went to war against Gibeon, so they sent to Joshua to come help them.  

"7  So Joshua ascended from Gilgal, he, and all the people of war with him, and all the mighty men of valour.
8  And the LORD said unto Joshua, Fear them not: for I have delivered them into thine hand; there shall not a man of them stand before thee.
9  Joshua therefore came unto them suddenly, and went up from Gilgal all night.
10  And the LORD discomfited them before Israel, and slew them with a great slaughter at Gibeon, and chased them along the way that goeth up to Bethhoron, and smote them to Azekah, and unto Makkedah.
11  And it came to pass, as they fled from before Israel, and were in the going down to Bethhoron, that the LORD cast down great stones from heaven upon them unto Azekah, and they died: they were more which died with hailstones than they whom the children of Israel slew with the sword.
12  Then spake Joshua to the LORD in the day when the LORD delivered up the Amorites before the children of Israel, and he said in the sight of Israel, Sun, stand thou still upon Gibeon; and thou, Moon, in the valley of Ajalon.
13  And the sun stood still, and the moon stayed, until the people had avenged themselves upon their enemies. Is not this written in the book of Jasher? So the sun stood still in the midst of heaven, and hasted not to go down about a whole day.
14  And there was no day like that before it or after it, that the LORD hearkened unto the voice of a man: for the LORD fought for Israel."  (10:7-14)

​The chapter continues with their battles and victories.  "And all these kings and their land did Joshua take at one time, because the LORD God of Israel fought for Israel."  (10:42)

​March 7 - Joshua 11 - 13

I had a much better day on Monday.  Thank you for your prayers!
The battles continue in Chapter 11.  Jabin, king of Hazor sent to all the kings of the Canaanites, the Amorites, the Hittites, the Perizzites, the Jebusites and the Hivites to gather and fight against Israel.

"4  And they went out, they and all their hosts with them, much people, even as the sand that is upon the sea shore in multitude, with horses and chariots very many.
5  And when all these kings were met together, they came and pitched together at the waters of Merom, to fight against Israel.
6  And the LORD said unto Joshua, Be not afraid because of them: for to morrow about this time will I deliver them up all slain before Israel: thou shalt hough their horses, and burn their chariots with fire.
7  So Joshua came, and all the people of war with him, against them by the waters of Merom suddenly; and they fell upon them.
8  And the LORD delivered them into the hand of Israel, who smote them, and chased them unto great Zidon, and unto Misrephothmaim, and unto the valley of Mizpeh eastward; and they smote them, until they left them none remaining."  (Joshua 11:4-8)

"15  As the LORD commanded Moses his servant, so did Moses command Joshua, and so did Joshua; he left nothing undone of all that the LORD commanded Moses.
16  So Joshua took all that land, the hills, and all the south country, and all the land of Goshen, and the valley, and the plain, and the mountain of Israel, and the valley of the same;"  (11:15-16)

​When I read these verses, I wondered if this was the same Goshen where Israel and his sons went to live in Egypt.  "And Pharaoh spake unto Joseph, saying, Thy father and thy brethren are come unto thee:  The land of Egypt is before thee; in the best of the land make thy father and brethren to dwell; in the land of Goshen let them dwell: and if thou knowest any men of activity among them, then make them rulers over my cattle."  (Genesis 47:5-6)  Joshua 15 gives a listing of all the cities and villages that God gave to Israel for their inheritance and I believe this is the same Goshen where they were in bondage.  "Ashdod with her towns and her villages, Gaza with her towns and her villages, unto the river of Egypt, and the great sea, and the border thereof:...  And Goshen, and Holon, and Giloh; eleven cities with their villages:"  (Joshua 15:47 and 51)  

There is a sadness in the end of the chapter.  "There was none of the Anakims left in the land of the children of Israel: only in Gaza, in Gath, and in Ashdod, there remained.  So Joshua took the whole land, according to all that the LORD said unto Moses; and Joshua gave it for an inheritance unto Israel according to their divisions by their tribes. And the land rested from war."  (11:22-23)  Gaza was where the Philistines put out Samson's eyes. (Judges 16:21)  Gath was where the champion of the Philistines, Goliath, was from.  (I Samuel 17:4)  Ashdod was where the ark was taken by the Philistines and put in the house of Dagon their god.  (I Samuel 5:1-3)  Chapter 12 lists the names of the kings they conquered.  I like the beginning of Chapter 13.  "Now Joshua was old and stricken in years; and the LORD said unto him, Thou art old and stricken in years, and there remaineth yet very much land to be possessed."  (13:1)  No matter how much we try, how hard we work, it seems that we can't do it all.  There is always more to be done.  The chapter tells the land that remained and how some of the land was to be divided for their inheritance.  It tells the end of Balaam.  "Balaam also the son of Beor, the soothsayer, did the children of Israel slay with the sword among them that were slain by them."  (13:22)

​March 8 - Joshua 14 - 17

We have been looking at the life of Joshua, as he became the leader after the death of Moses.  What about Caleb?  He was the other spy with Joshua that wanted to go into Canaan.  We learn about Caleb in Joshua 14.  

"6  Then the children of Judah came unto Joshua in Gilgal: and Caleb the son of Jephunneh the Kenezite said unto him, Thou knowest the thing that the LORD said unto Moses the man of God concerning me and thee in Kadeshbarnea.
7  Forty years old was I when Moses the servant of the LORD sent me from Kadeshbarnea to espy out the land; and I brought him word again as it was in mine heart.
8  Nevertheless my brethren that went up with me made the heart of the people melt: but I wholly followed the LORD my God.
9  And Moses sware on that day, saying, Surely the land whereon thy feet have trodden shall be thine inheritance, and thy children's for ever, because thou hast wholly followed the LORD my God.
10  And now, behold, the LORD hath kept me alive, as he said, these forty and five years, even since the LORD spake this word unto Moses, while the children of Israel wandered in the wilderness: and now, lo, I am this day fourscore and five years old.
11  As yet I am as strong this day as I was in the day that Moses sent me: as my strength was then, even so is my strength now, for war, both to go out, and to come in.
12  Now therefore give me this mountain, whereof the LORD spake in that day; for thou heardest in that day how the Anakims were there, and that the cities were great and fenced: if so be the LORD will be with me, then I shall be able to drive them out, as the LORD said.
13  And Joshua blessed him, and gave unto Caleb the son of Jephunneh Hebron for an inheritance.
14  Hebron therefore became the inheritance of Caleb the son of Jephunneh the Kenezite unto this day, because that he wholly followed the LORD God of Israel.
15  And the name of Hebron before was Kirjatharba; which Arba was a great man among the Anakims. And the land had rest from war."  (Joshua 14:6-15)

​(Hebron was where Abraham and Sarah were buried.  Genesis 23:2 & 19 and Genesis 25:9-10)  Chapter 15 explains the lot of the tribe of Judah with the borders and cities.  And we read more about Caleb.  (When we get to the book of Judges we will see that Othniel was the first judge.)

"13  And unto Caleb the son of Jephunneh he gave a part among the children of Judah, according to the commandment of the LORD to Joshua, even the city of Arba the father of Anak, which city is Hebron.
14  And Caleb drove thence the three sons of Anak, Sheshai, and Ahiman, and Talmai, the children of Anak.
15  And he went up thence to the inhabitants of Debir: and the name of Debir before was Kirjathsepher.
16  And Caleb said, He that smiteth Kirjathsepher, and taketh it, to him will I give Achsah my daughter to wife.
17  And Othniel the son of Kenaz, the brother of Caleb, took it: and he gave him Achsah his daughter to wife.
18  And it came to pass, as she came unto him, that she moved him to ask of her father a field: and she lighted off her ass; and Caleb said unto her, What wouldest thou?
19  Who answered, Give me a blessing; for thou hast given me a south land; give me also springs of water. And he gave her the upper springs, and the nether springs."  (15:13-19)

Chapters 16 and 17 tell the land that Manasseh and Ephraim inherited.  They told Joshua they didn't get enough inheritance and he told them that they were strong, and they could go to the mountain and cut down the wood and drive out the Canaanites.

March 9 - Joshua 18 - 21

Do you think the Lord ever looks at us and asks why we don't reach out and take what He has given us?  Do we draw wisdom from His Word?  Do we find victory in the power of prayer?  Do we find fellowship and peace and knowledge in His house of worship?  Joshua asked the people, "How long are ye slack to go to possess the land, which the LORD God of your fathers hath given you?"

"1  And the whole congregation of the children of Israel assembled together at Shiloh, and set up the tabernacle of the congregation there. And the land was subdued before them.
2  And there remained among the children of Israel seven tribes, which had not yet received their inheritance.
3  And Joshua said unto the children of Israel, How long are ye slack to go to possess the land, which the LORD God of your fathers hath given you?
4  Give out from among you three men for each tribe: and I will send them, and they shall rise, and go through the land, and describe it according to the inheritance of them; and they shall come again to me.
5  And they shall divide it into seven parts: Judah shall abide in their coast on the south, and the house of Joseph shall abide in their coasts on the north.
6  Ye shall therefore describe the land into seven parts, and bring the description hither to me, that I may cast lots for you here before the LORD our God."  (Joshua 18:1-6)

After the men returned with the description of the land, Joshua cast lots to divide the land for the children of Benjamin.  In Chapter 19 the lot was cast for the children of Simeon, Zebulun, Issachar, Asher, Naphtali, and Dan.  "When they had made an end of dividing the land for inheritance by their coasts, the children of Israel gave an inheritance to Joshua the son of Nun among them:  According to the word of the LORD they gave him the city which he asked, even Timnathserah in mount Ephraim: and he built the city, and dwelt therein."  (19:49-50)  In Chapter 20 three more cities of refuge were given, as had been done on the other side of Jordan. (Numbers 35)  

"7  And they appointed Kedesh in Galilee in mount Naphtali, and Shechem in mount Ephraim, and Kirjatharba, which is Hebron, in the mountain of Judah.
8  And on the other side Jordan by Jericho eastward, they assigned Bezer in the wilderness upon the plain out of the tribe of Reuben, and Ramoth in Gilead out of the tribe of Gad, and Golan in Bashan out of the tribe of Manasseh.
9  These were the cities appointed for all the children of Israel, and for the stranger that sojourneth among them, that whosoever killeth any person at unawares might flee thither, and not die by the hand of the avenger of blood, until he stood before the congregation."  (20:7-9)  

In Chapter 21 the different tribes gave cities for the Levites to dwell in because they did not get an inheritance.  We see Caleb mentioned again... "And they gave them the city of Arba the father of Anak, which city is Hebron, in the hill country of Judah, with the suburbs thereof round about it.  But the fields of the city, and the villages thereof, gave they to Caleb the son of Jephunneh for his possession.  Thus they gave to the children of Aaron the priest Hebron with her suburbs, to be a city of refuge for the slayer; ... (21:11-13)

"43  And the LORD gave unto Israel all the land which he sware to give unto their fathers; and they possessed it, and dwelt therein.
44  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.
45  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)

March 10 - Joshua 22 - 24

​Can you say, "As for me and my house, we will serve the Lord"?  (Joshua 24:15)

"1  Then Joshua called the Reubenites, and the Gadites, and the half tribe of Manasseh,
2  And said unto them, Ye have kept all that Moses the servant of the LORD commanded you, and have obeyed my voice in all that I commanded you:
3  Ye have not left your brethren these many days unto this day, but have kept the charge of the commandment of the LORD your God.
4  And now the LORD your God hath given rest unto your brethren, as he promised them: therefore now return ye, and get you unto your tents, and unto the land of your possession, which Moses the servant of the LORD gave you on the other side Jordan.
5  But take diligent heed to do the commandment and the law, which Moses the servant of the LORD charged you, to love the LORD your God, and to walk in all his ways, and to keep his commandments, and to cleave unto him, and to serve him with all your heart and with all your soul.
6  So Joshua blessed them, and sent them away: and they went unto their tents."  (22:1-6)

They built an altar by Jordan and when the Children of Israel heard about it they gathered at Shiloh and planned to go to war against them.  "Thus saith the whole congregation of the LORD, What trespass is this that ye have committed against the God of Israel, to turn away this day from following the LORD, in that ye have builded you an altar, that ye might rebel this day against the LORD?"  (22:16)  Then they explained that the altar was for their children to know that they had a part in the Lord.  

"26  Therefore we said, Let us now prepare to build us an altar, not for burnt offering, nor for sacrifice:
27  But that it may be a witness between us, and you, and our generations after us, that we might do the service of the LORD before him with our burnt offerings, and with our sacrifices, and with our peace offerings; that your children may not say to our children in time to come, Ye have no part in the LORD.
28  Therefore said we, that it shall be, when they should so say to us or to our generations in time to come, that we may say again, Behold the pattern of the altar of the LORD, which our fathers made, not for burnt offerings, nor for sacrifices; but it is a witness between us and you.
29  God forbid that we should rebel against the LORD, and turn this day from following the LORD, to build an altar for burnt offerings, for meat offerings, or for sacrifices, beside the altar of the LORD our God that is before his tabernacle."  (22:26-29)

In Chapter 23 Joshua called for the elders, and judges, and officers of Israel and said unto them, "I am old and stricken in age:  And ye have seen all that the LORD your God hath done unto all these nations because of you; for the LORD your God is he that hath fought for you."  (23:2-3)

​"6  Be ye therefore very courageous to keep and to do all that is written in the book of the law of Moses, that ye turn not aside therefrom to the right hand or to the left;
7  That ye come not among these nations, these that remain among you; neither make mention of the name of their gods, nor cause to swear by them, neither serve them, nor bow yourselves unto them:
8  But cleave unto the LORD your God, as ye have done unto this day.
9  For the LORD hath driven out from before you great nations and strong: but as for you, no man hath been able to stand before you unto this day."  (23:6-9)

"14  And, behold, this day I am going the way of all the earth: and ye know in all your hearts and in all your souls, that not one thing hath failed of all the good things which the LORD your God spake concerning you; all are come to pass unto you, and not one thing hath failed thereof.
15  Therefore it shall come to pass, that as all good things are come upon you, which the LORD your God promised you; so shall the LORD bring upon you all evil things, until he have destroyed you from off this good land which the LORD your God hath given you.
16  When ye have transgressed the covenant of the LORD your God, which he commanded you, and have gone and served other gods, and bowed yourselves to them; then shall the anger of the LORD be kindled against you, and ye shall perish quickly from off the good land which he hath given unto you."  (23:14-16)

In Chapter 24, the last chapter of Joshua, he told them of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob and how God chose them and multiplied them.  He reminded them of Egypt and how God brought them out under the leadership of Moses and Aaron.  He told them how God had given them the Promised Land.  

"14  Now therefore fear the LORD, and serve him in sincerity and in truth: and put away the gods which your fathers served on the other side of the flood, and in Egypt; and serve ye the LORD.
15  And if it seem evil unto you to serve the LORD, choose you this day whom ye will serve; whether the gods which your fathers served that were on the other side of the flood, or the gods of the Amorites, in whose land ye dwell: but as for me and my house, we will serve the LORD.
16  And the people answered and said, God forbid that we should forsake the LORD, to serve other gods;"  (24:14-16)

Have you made that commitment to the Lord?  Can you say, "As for me and my house, we will serve the LORD"?  Joshua died at 110 years of age.  They buried the bones of Joseph they had brought from Egypt and carried 40 years in the wilderness.  And the book ends, "And Eleazar the son of Aaron died; and they buried him in a hill that pertained to Phinehas his son, which was given him in mount Ephraim."  (24:33)