1

Journey Through the Bible Part 6 Joshua - Promise Fulfilled

Bible Readings:Joshua 24:1-13 (page 168)Revelation 19:11-16 (page 877)

The Journey

• Book of Joshua - the first of the history books.

• The first five books - Pentateuch - Genesis, Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers, Deuteronomy.

• Focus - Law of the Covenant

2

Three Levels of History in the Bible

3

The history of the things that happened.Eg. Moses returned to Egypt, con!onted Pharaoh and led the people to !eedom.

1The history of what God did to the cause the events in level one to happen.Eg. God spoke to Moses, hardened Pharaoh’s heart, caused the 10 plagues, and directed their journey. Jos.24

2

The history of Salvation : the goal to which God is moving all history.3

The Book of Joshua

4

• Chapters 1-11: the conquest of the land.

• Chapters 12-24: the division of the land between the 12 tribes.

5

The Book of Joshua

6

• Joshua was Moses successor chosen by God. A huge challenge.

• “Be strong and courageous!”

The Book of Joshua

7

• Jericho was totally destroyed every thing living killed, (except Rahab & her family)

• Battle after battle hundreds of thousands are killed.

• “That day Joshua took Makkedah. He put the city and its king to the sword and totally destroyed everyone in it. He left no survivors. And he did to the king of Makkedah as he had done to the king of Jericho.” (Joshua 10:28, NIV84)

8

9 city states totally destroyed in five years of war

9

Morally Controversial• In carrying out these acts of total destruction Joshua was

carrying out God’s instructions.

• “So Joshua subdued the whole region, including the hill country, the Negev, the western foothills and the mountain slopes, together with all their kings. He left no survivors. He totally destroyed all who breathed, just as the Lord, the God of Israel, had commanded.” (Joshua 10:40, NIV84)

• “For it was the Lord Himself Who hardened their hearts to wage war against Israel, so that He might destroy them totally, exterminating them without mercy, as the Lord had commanded Moses.” (Joshua 11:20, NIV84)

10

Joshua’s War Instructions.Deuteronomy 20:10-20

• Only 9 cities set down for total destruction.

• All other cities to be given a choice: surrender and be ruled by the Israelites, or fight.

• When a city was defeated all fighting men to be killed; women and children enslaved. City may or may not be burned.

11

Digging Deeper

• Bible records four occasions when God initiates total destruction and death.

• Noah’s Flood

• Sodom and Gomorra

• Conquest of Canan

• Final Judgement

12

Digging Deeper• “The earth also was corrupt

before God, and the earth was filled with violence. So God looked upon the earth, and indeed it was corrupt; for all flesh had corrupted their way on the earth. And God said to Noah, “The end of all flesh has come before Me, for the earth is filled with violence through them; and behold, I will destroy them with the earth.” (Genesis 6:11–13, NKJV)

13

Judgement

• “And the Lord said, “Because the outcry against Sodom and Gomorrah is great, and because their sin is very grave, I will go down now and see whether they have done altogether according to the outcry against it that has come to Me; and if not, I will know.” (Genesis 18:20–21, NKJV)

14

Judgement

• “But in the fourth generation they shall return here, for the iniquity of the Amorites is not yet complete.” (Genesis 15:16, NKJV)

15

Judgement

• ““When you come into the land which the Lord your God is giving you, you shall not learn to follow the abominations of those nations. There shall not be found among you anyone who makes his son or his daughter pass through the fire, or one who practices witchcraft, or a soothsayer, or one who interprets omens, or a sorcerer, or one who conjures spells, or a medium, or a spiritist, or one who calls up the dead. For all who do these things are an abomination to the Lord, and because of these abominations the Lord your God drives them out from before you.” (Deuteronomy 18:9–12, NKJV)

16

Judgement• Abomination = disgusting,

filthy.

• “Burning his son or daughter” refers to the cult of Molech.

• Cult Baal involved ritualised sex.

• Sins so disgusting the land was sickened and vomited out the inhabitants.

17

Judgement

• When man’s behaviour becomes too morally sick God will refuse to tolerate it any more and judgement falls.

• Joshua and the army carried out God’s judgement on the Canaanites.

18

Was repentance possible?Rahab recognised God and asked for mercy.

• “Before the spies lay down for the night, she went up on the roof and said to them, “I know that the Lord has given this land to you and that a great fear of you has fallen on us, so that all who live in this country are melting in fear because of you. We have heard how the Lord dried up the water of the Red Sea for you when you came out of Egypt, and what you did to Sihon and Og, the two kings of the Amorites east of the Jordan, whom you completely destroyed. When we heard of it, our hearts melted and everyone’s courage failed because of you, for the Lord your God is God in heaven above and on the earth below.” (Joshua 2:8–11, NIV84)

19

Learning from Joshua1. Obedience is critical for success.

When people obeyed God they won. When they disobeyed they were defeated.

2. Choose to serve the Lord wholeheartedly.“Now fear the Lord and serve Him with all faithfulness. Throw away the gods your forefathers worshipped beyond the River and in Egypt, and serve the Lord. But if serving the Lord seems undesirable to you, then choose for yourselves this day whom you will serve, whether the gods your forefathers served beyond the River, or the gods of the Amorites, in whose land you are living. But as for me and my household, we will serve the Lord.” (Joshua 24:14–15, NIV84)