The Promised Land

After Moses died, his assistant Joshua was given the task of bringing the Israelites across the Jordan River and into Canaan, the Promised Land. The only problem being that there were Canaanites already living there who didn’t want to leave. (Joshua 1:1,10)

Joshua thus had to lead these nomadic former slaves into battle against various well-trained armies, and based upon his success we can conclude that he must have been a charismatic and shrewd warrior. Of course, it was helpful that God was with Joshua, and performed miracles along the way.  (Joshua 1:5-7)

They first came to the major city of Jericho, and when Joshua’s spies sneaked in to reconnoiter, a prostitute named Rahab bravely hid them from the king’s soldiers in exchange for a promise that they would spare her family from the coming carnage. (Joshua 2:4,12) It was a fortunate promise; Rahab was the mother of Boaz, who married Ruth. Boaz and Ruth became the great-grandparents of King David.

As God instructed, Joshua and his army marched around Jericho’s fortified walls, blowing trumpets for seven days, and carrying the Ark of the Covenant—a chest made of acacia wood and lined with gold, containing the two stone tablets inscribed with the Ten Commandments. (Joshua 6:6) On the seventh day—as the song says—the walls came a’tumbling down. (Joshua 6:15)

The Israelites then fought an army mustered by several Canaanite kingdoms, and once again God assisted them in battle, creating a hailstorm on one occasion and on another causing the sun to stop in the sky so that there would be enough daylight to succeed. (Joshua 10:12) If you are familiar with the Joshua Tree of the Mohave Desert, it is so named because its branches seem to imitate a man lifting his arms in supplication to God.

After most of Canaan was conquered, Joshua divided the land between the twelve tribes and lived to a ripe old age. (Joshua 13:1) Joshua is believed to have been buried at a Samarian site that is today known as Kifl Haris, where a mausoleum stands in his honor.

Fun fact: Jesus was probably named after Joshua. “Jesus” is actually the Greek translation of “Yeshua” (remember, the New Testament was originally written in Greek). Yeshua is Aramaic for Joshua, and was the name that Jesus was probably known by.

Next time: Rule by Judges