Today’s passage: Joshua 13:1-33

Helpful thoughts:

• After all of the victories of the previous chapters, we see there is much to be done.
  • Joshua is older.  His final task would be to communicate to Israel their allotted lands.
  • There is more land to possess.
  • There are people who have not been driven out.
• The Lord now begins to parcel out and give the land.  First to those who would settle east of the Jordan River

Questions to consider:

1. Why is it right that God would be giving the land for certain tribes of the Israelites to settle and dwell within?  Whose land has it been all this time (Since creation…)?
2. In what way is the Lord an inheritance for the Levites?  Was their inheritance better than the rest if the tribes? And if so, in what ways?
3. How does the idea of the Lord being inheritance inform passages like 1 Corinthians 9:13-14 and Philippians 3?

Today’s passage: Joshua 12:1-24

Helpful thoughts:

• This chapter serves as a summary or appendix to the first unit of the book of Joshua (Chapters 1-12).
  • The first six verses give the description of the territory won on the east of the Jordan.
  • Verses 7-24 gives the info for the land to the west of the Jordan.
• Moses and Joshua are both named along with the portion of the land which God used the to lead Israel to obtain.
  • They are men who served the Lord.
  • The Lord was ultimately responsible.  He could use Moses and He could use Joshua.
• This point in the book almost makes it sound like the job is done, but we are going to find that it isn’t.

Questions to consider:

1. Why did God put Israel in this land (Deuteronomy 9:5)?  What did this successful campaign and Israel’s impending settlement confirm?
2. If Israel were to stop obeying the Lord once they were satisfied with what they had, what would have been the motive for their obedience?  What kind of obedience does the nature of God rightly demand?
3. Was God successful in these campaigns because He had faithful leaders like Moses and Joshua? -or- Were Moses and Joshua successful in these campaigns because God is faithful?  Who should we be most amazed by at this point in the narrative?

Today’s passage: Joshua 11:1-23

Helpful thoughts:

• After the summary of the southern campaign, chapter 11 turns to the north.
• Joshua’s role as leader and Moses’ successor is heavily reiterated.
• This chapter sums up a series of battles that took “a long time”.  These battles didn’t take place in a day.
• Remember, the death of these peoples was God’s plan for the judgment of their sin (Genesis 15:16).

Questions to consider:

1. Why did these people continue to fight against Israel?  What does it say in verse 20?
2. How is the hardening similar to the hardening of Pharaoh’s heart?  What was the purpose of the hardening?  Were these people trying to repent and trust in the Lord before their hearts were hardened?
3. In what ways does God’s perfect justice display His glory?  How can God be just and declare believers righteous (2 Corinthians 5:21)?

Today’s passage: Joshua 10:29-43

Helpful thoughts:

• The Israelites entered into Canaan in the middle and then headed south.  Today’s passage gives the summary of defeats through the southern region.
• The narrative shift from giving detailed accounts to a general overview seems to depict an ease with which Israel conquered the land.
• The summary statements of the passage reaffirm:
  • Joshua was obeying God’s commands.
  • Israel was winning because the Lord was fighting for Israel.

Questions to consider:

1. It’s good that Joshua was obeying God, but why does it specifically say Israel was winning?
2. Why would it be troubling to take away from this passage the idea that if I do right, God will have to bless me with victories?
3. What is the basis of our blessing?  God is giving us victory!  Why and on what basis? (Romans 8)

Today’s passage: Joshua 10:16-28

Helpful thoughts:

• This passage gives detail of the completion of the battle of Gibeon.
• Joshua was now passing on God’s command to him, “Do not be afraid or dismayed; be strong and courageous.”
  • But, not because he was the most amazing leader or because Israel was full of so many great warriors.
  • “For thus the Lord will do…”
• Israel now knows that whether on the offensive or when being attacked, the Lord would give them the victory as they obeyed Him.

Questions to consider:

1. What was to bring the Israelites confidence in their battles?
2. How would this knowledge and witness to all that the Lord was doing have influenced their lives on a day to day basis?  How would these feats have motivated them to righteous living?
3. Why do we have this book of the Bible?  What are we learning about the Lord?  How should it impact us today?

Today’s passage: Joshua 10:1-15

Helpful thoughts:

• Gibeon wasn’t just a city close by…it was a great city close by.
• The Israel-Gibeon treaty resulted in an immediate challenge from a coalition of five kings.
• God promised Joshua total victory, and God delivered it in a way that could not be confused as being the work of any man.
  • More soldiers were killed by hailstones during their twenty mile retreat than by any men.
  • The day was prolonged to allow for total destruction of the enemy forces.

Questions to consider:

1. What characteristic of Israel was being tested in this passage?  Did they really love the GIbeonites?  Why did they come to their aid?
2. What was the most amazing aspect of this day according to verse 14?  What was even more impressive than the hail stones and the prolonging of the day?
3. What would be an appropriate encouragement for application from this passage?  What kind of application would be “taking it too far”?

Today’s passage: Joshua 9:1-27

Helpful thoughts:

• At this point, it is clear that Israel has come for conquest. The peoples seemed to have two options:
  • Unite and fight, or
  • Deceive and hopefully survive…the people of Gibeon chose the second option.
• While it is clear the Israelites had their doubts concerning the claims of the Gibeonites, they did not consult with the Lord.
• This treaty would continue into the reign of King David (2 Samuel 21:1-6), and eventually resulted in some assimilation as evidenced by the Gibeonites return from the Babylonian exile and participation in rebuilding the walls of Jerusalem (Nehemiah 3:7, 7).

Questions to consider:

1. In what ways did Israel fail in the midst of this deception by the Gibeonites?  What could they have done if they had doubts?
2. How can choosing the right actions get harder and harder when the situations we are in are the consequence of sin (Either the sin of others or our own)?
3. How should Christians today consult the Lord during difficult decision making times?  Where can we go to find the help we need (2 Timothy 3:16-17)?

Today’s passage: Joshua 8:30-35

Helpful thoughts:

• This altar’s location and the details of the events that occurred here were commanded in Deuteronomy 27:4-5, 11:26–32, and 27:12–13.
• The people of Israel were stationed on two hillsides facing each other, like a natural arena or stadium.
• After a time of sin, it was appropriate for Israel to pause, give sacrifices and review the content of their covenant, including the blessings and curses in the Law.
• It would take approximately fourteen hours to read the first five books of the Bible, which Moses wrote.

Questions to consider:

1. What does the fact that the people gathered included natural-born citizens of Israel and those who had joined along the way remind us of concerning God’s redemptive plan?
2. Why was it so important for Israel to stop, sacrifice, and study the Law together? Other than obeying what God had commanded, what would this have accomplished for them as the people of God?
3. How does this reading of the entire Law compare with Paul’s effort to declare the “whole counsel of God” to the church at Ephesus (Acts 20:27)?  What is the purpose of the sermon?  Why is it important for all of us to be there?

Today’s passage: Joshua 8:1-29

Helpful thoughts:

• Israel’s loss in the previous battle served as a tactic for the second and final battle.
• Every man in the nearby city of Bethel joined this fight, so it would make sense that Israel actually defeated two cities on this day, though they focused on the initial goal of taking Ai.
• Israel brought thirty thousand or more men for the battle.  The entire city of Ai had a population of twelve hundred.

Questions to consider:

1. What was Joshua’s lifted hand with javelin symbolizing?  Why did he not take it down until all of Ai was finally destroyed?
2. What was confirmed for Joshua and Israel after this battle victory?  Of what were they reassured and reminded?
3. Why would it be wrong to say that God had abandoned Israel in chapter 7 but “came back” in verse 8?  Did He ever leave them?  Does God abandon you when you sin?  (Hebrews 12:3-11)