Joshua Lesson 2 Joshua 1 Theme Be strong

Joshua Lesson 2

Joshua 1 • Theme: Be strong and courageous; the Lord is with you • Why be strong and courageous? Because HE was going to take them into the Promised Land • How? By obeying the book of the Law and meditating on it day and night, not departing from it • The Lord was with him. The people were ready to follow him. • He had led them in battle before and been victorious • Time to take possession of the land

Joshua 2 • Theme: Joshua sent 2 spies to Jericho; Rahab • Vs. 1 -7 Joshua sent 2 spies from Shittim on the east, to Jericho on the west side of the Jordan, at flood stage • They end up at a harlot’s/prostitute’s house and stay there • The king heard about it and sent men to ask Rahab about the spies • Why her? How did he know they were there? • She hid AND protected the two men. • Men of Jericho went away to look for the two men • What possible harm can two men do?

Joshua 2 • Vs. 8 -21 Facts about Rahab • She knew the Lord had given the land to Israel • Terror/fear of Israel had fallen on the people in Jericho • All the land’s inhabitants had melted before Israel • The Lord dried up the Red Sea (40 years earlier) • Israel destroyed the two Amorite kings: Sihon and Og • Hearts melted and no courage remained in them • Rahab knew the Lord is God in heaven and on earth • Rahab believed the spies could save her from death • God used Rahab even before the spies got there

Cross References • Heb. 11: 31 By faith she didn’t perish along with the rest of Jericho. She acted on her belief. • James 2: 25 Her works of protecting the spies showed her faith: justification • Joshua 6: 22 -25 Because of her faith in action, her whole household was saved and she lived with Israel the rest of her days • Matt. 1: 5 Rahab married an Israelite and became the great-great grandmother of King David, therefore she is in Jesus’ genealogy.

Joshua 2 • Covenant with Rahab and the two spies: • Who initiated it? Rahab • What was the pledge? Safety for her and all her household • Instructions for them to return safely to Israel • She had to tie the scarlet cord in the window of her house ON the city wall • SHE had to gather ALL of her family into her house and they could not go out into the street • Israel had to keep her safe

Joshua 2 • Vs. 22 -24 Report from the two spies • The land was given to them by the Lord • The land’s inhabitants had melted away before Israel (as Rahab had confirmed) • GOOD report!!

Joshua 3 • Theme: Israel crossed the Jordan on dry ground • The two spies did NOT cross on dry ground when they spied out Jericho and the land • Vs. 1 -4 Israel is still on the east of the Jordan in Shittim • After three days (1: 11) the officers went through the camp commanding the people to get ready • The Levitical priests would carry the ark • The people would follow at a distance. Why? • There’s 2 million of them, and being about ½ mile away from it enables them to SEE it. • They had never been this way before… • Why the Ark of the Covenant first? ?

Joshua 3 • Ex. 25: 10 -22 The Ark of the Covenant represented and WAS the presence of God • It contained the tables of stone Moses received from God on Mt. Sinai • Manna • Aaron’s rod that budded • The mercy seat covered the ark, mercy over Law, where God met with man • Israel, now in the plains of Moab, was to follow the presence of God in obedience, NOT like their forefathers before them.

Joshua 3 • Vs. 5 -13 Joshua told the people to consecrate themselves. The NEXT day the Lord would do wonders among them…. how did he know that? • He is God’s spokesman, just like Moses was • The priests were told to take the ark and go ahead of the people • The Lord exalted Joshua THAT day. The Lord is the one who exalts His leaders in His timing. • Joshua called God the Living God and they would know He was among them. The ark of the Lord of All the Earth was crossing the Jordan ahead of them. • The waters will be cut off when the priests stand in the water (priests had to have faith)

Joshua 3 • Joshua told them in detail what would happen BEFORE it did! God told him the wonders (vs. 5), then he told the people (vs. 13) • Vs. 14 -17 When the priests went into the Jordan, the water stopped and people crossed on dry ground. • Don’t miss this wonder: the priests had to be in amazement as well • Num. 26: 51 says there were 601, 730 men twenty years old and upward, so, with wives and children there were at least 2 million people. • The Lord of all the earth dried up the Jordan River just as He had dried up the Red Sea for their forefathers.

Joshua 4 • Theme: Memorial 12 stones at Gilgal, 12 stones in the Jordan • Vs. 1 -7 One man from each tribe carried a stone from the middle of the Jordan and placed it on the other side, in the Promised Land. • These were to be a memorial for their children to remind them of what God did. • God, the Lord of earth below and heaven above, made the ground in the middle of the Jordan, dry • Vs. 8 -13 Joshua set up 12 stones in the middle of the Jordan, where the priests had stood. Why? • The tribes with land on the east, 40, 000 men of war crossed that day ready to help their brothers fight

Joshua 4 • Vs. 14 -18 The Lord exalted Joshua just as He had exalted Moses, performing miracles through him • Moses parted the Red Sea, Joshua parted the Jordan River • The Lord is the One who exalts His leaders in the sight of His people, in His time. • Imagine the sound of those waters coming back to their place after being held up for that long. How long would it take 2 million people to cross? • Vs. 19 -24 The people came up from the Jordan on the 10 th day of the first month and camped in the Promised Land.

Joshua 5 • Theme: Circumcision, Passover and Captain of the Lord’s host • Vs. 1 -9 God tells Joshua to circumcise all the men in the midst of their enemies. • Joshua completely trusts the Lord to fight for them • The place is called Gilgal because the Lord rolled away Egypt’s reproach from Israel • Cross references: • Gen. 17 Circumcision was the sign of the Abrahamic Covenant. Break it and you are cut off • Ex. 4: 24 -26 God almost killed Moses for not circumcising his son

Joshua 5 • Vs. 10 -12 On the 14 th day of the 1 st month, 4 days after crossing the Jordan, Israel celebrated Passover in the Promised Land. 40 years after celebrating it the first time in Egypt • The next day, the manna they had gotten every day, ceased and they ate the produce of the land. The land had produce enough for 2 million people!! • Both the provision of manna and the provision of the produce showed God’s faithfulness to provide for His people.

Joshua 5 • Vs. 13 -15 Joshua saw the captain of the Lord’s host, with a drawn sword in his hand • Warrior to warrior. Joshua the head of Israel’s army, the captain/commander of the Lord’s host • As Moses was told he was standing on holy ground, so Joshua is told he is standing on holy ground and to remove his sandals • This is Joshua’s “burning bush” moment

Application • Have YOU set up memorials for you and your family? • Has God exalted you or are you still waiting on His timing? • Exalt: to grow up, to advance, bring up, increase, lift up, nourish • Are YOU a leader? • Are people following you? Do they see Jesus because they see you following Him?