Joshua 9

Study Guide 23: Joshua 9-24 VICTORY WON Overview The story of the Book of Joshua is not so much the record of a Conquest, but the report of entry into rest. The thrust of the book is summed up in Joshua 21:43-45 : “ And they took possession of [the land] and settled there. The Lord gave them rest on every side. . . . Not one of their enemies withstood them. . . . Not one of all the Lord’ s good promises to the house of Israel failed; every one was fulfilled.” MILITARILY. The Conquest of Canaan is still studied in Israeli and other war colleges. It featured a quick attack in the center to divide the land, then forced marches and surprise attacks in Southern and then Northern campaigns. But the emphasis of the book on rest can be seen in this outline of Joshua.

Outline

I. Preparation1:1-5:12 II. Central Campaign5:13-9:27 III. Northern, Southern Campaigns10:1-12:24 IV. The Land Divided13:1-24:33COVENANT RENEWAL. The covenant of Law defined the relationship between God as Israel’ s Ruler and the people as God’ s subjects. It spelled out how God expected His people to live and promised blessings for obedience. But each generation and individual had to ratify — to personally agree to — this national contract with God. Near his death, Joshua led the next generation in a service (Joshua 24:1-33), like the service led by Moses just before the Conquest (Deuteronomy 27:1-26).

Commentary Conquest: Joshua 9-12 After the Transjordan nations (those across the Jordan River to the east of Palestine) had been conquered, Joshua’ s campaign began with an attack on Jericho. This key city, just above the Israelite base of Gilgal, gave access both to the heart of Palestine and to Joshua’ s source of supply across the Jordan. It also controlled two trade routes up into the central highlands. In taking Ai and Bethel (Joshua 8:17; Joshua 12:16), Joshua cut the land in two and was then able to campaign against a divided enemy. He dealt first with the Southern and then with the Northern kings. The taking of Jericho first was thus of great strategic importance. And here divine intervention seemed essential. Leon Wood, in A Survey of Israel’ s History (Zondervan) describes Jericho’ s walls: [They] were of a type which made direct assault practically impossible. An approaching enemy first encountered a stone abutment, 11 feet high, back and up from which sloped a 35 degree plastered scarp reaching to the main wall some 35 vertical feet above. The steep smooth slope prohibited battering the wall by any effective device or building fires to break it. An army trying to storm the wall found difficulty in climbing the slope, and ladders to scale it would find no satisfactory footing. The normal tactic used by an army to take a city so protected was siege, but Israel did not have time for this, if she was to occupy all the land in any reasonable number of months. Any impression we may have that Palestine was some rustic backwater and that Joshua’ s army was like some overwhelming horde of savages, is quickly dispelled by this description. The men of Palestine were acquainted with war; their offensive and defensive skills were highly sophisticated. But they had no defense against Israel’ s God. Jericho’ s walls, which normally would have held off Israel for months or even years, fell down in a moment. While God’ s power did provide victory in times of crisis, Joshua usually employed field tactics to defeat his enemies. Surprise attacks, forced marches, and flying columns which dashed ahead to cut off lines of retreat, were all tactics known by Hittite commanders of that day and used brilliantly by Joshua. As in Israel’ s Six-Day War with the Arab states, Israel, by aggressive tactics, defeated an enemy with forces much more powerful than its own. The purpose of Joshua’ s campaign was not to destroy all the peoples living in Palestine, but rather to eliminate all effective opposition. The power of the Palestinian people to threaten the existence of Israel was to be crushed. Thus Joshua did not concentrate on the Conquest of land but on the defeat of enemy armies. Some of the cities against which the Israelites fought were taken and their populations destroyed. But other cities were not burned. Later those unrazed cities were reoccupied by survivors. However, the principal cities were “ devoted” to God; they and their entire populations were completely destroyed. Questions about the Conquest. Commentators have been universally impressed with Joshua’ s military strategy. The Israeli War College today features a study of his campaigns! But there are also questions the teacher of the Bible wants to explore. (1) The Gibeonites’ deception (Joshua 9:1-27). Peoples of one city in Palestine’ s central highlands resorted to trickery. Sure they were doomed otherwise, they sent representatives to Joshua with worn clothing, and dry, moldy food. Pretending they had come from a great distance, they begged for a treaty. The terms were attractive. “ We are your servants” (Joshua 9:8), meant that this “ distant” nation would be completely subject to Israel, in exchange for a promise that Israel would not war against them. God had commanded His people to “ make no treaty” with the peoples of Palestine. But He had said nothing about a treaty with people beyond its borders. The Bible says that “ the men of Israel sampled their provisions but did not inquire of the Lord” (Joshua 9:14). They trusted the evidence of their eyes, and the word of strangers. They trusted their own ability and reason. And because they did, they failed to ask God for direction. What a lesson for us. There are severe limits on our capacities. We should never make crucial, life-shaping decisions relying simply on our own wisdom. We, like Joshua, need to inquire first of the Lord. After the treaty was made, Joshua learned that he and Israel had been tricked. The Gibeonites were actually near neighbors! But because the leaders had “ sworn an oath to them by the Lord, the God of Israel,” there was nothing they could do (Joshua 9:18). Too many decisions, once made, can never be taken back. But even this situation was redeemed by God. When other inhabitants of the land heard of the treaty, they determined to attack the Gibeonite cities. In a surprise attack, Joshua shattered the besieging armies. God had turned Joshua’ s mistake in making the treaty into an opportunity for victory! LINK TO LIFE: YOUTH / ADULT The experience of Joshua with the Gibeonites may well reflect our own. Outline the sequence of events in a minilecture: Joshua relied on self to make decision; Joshua learned too late the decision was wrong; God acted to redeem the situation. Ask: “ Have you seen this pattern in your own life?” Give about three minutes for pairs to share experiences. Then discuss: “ In your experience, did you have doubts about your decision? Why did you act without clear guidance — no time, didn’ t think to ask, or what? What do we learn about God from such experiences? What do we learn about ourselves, and about Christian decision-making?” LINK TO LIFE: CHILDREN Appropriate themes for telling this story to children are, “ Don’ t forget to ask,” or, “ Ask when you aren’ t sure.” While boys and girls can ask God directly for guidance, the Lord has given children adults who better understand His Word and who have a developed Christian judgment to guide them. So why not have your boys and girls make up a number of stories about hard choices children like them have to make. Each should be a “ What-should-I-do?” kind of situation. For instance: My friend wants me to give him answers when we take tests. He says he won’ t be my friend if I don’ t. What should I do? In-class time might be used for this project. Then when the Sunday School department comes together, a panel of adults — a teacher, a parent, a pastor — can answer the question. Choose wise Christians, who can explain and draw on Bible knowledge in giving his or her answers. (2) The long day (Joshua 10:12-14). Israel made a surprise attack on an army gathered by five Southern kings. This enemy was routed and fled. During the panicked rout, the enemy soldiers were struck down by great hail stones falling from the sky, as well as by Joshua’ s men. Determined to crush their enemy before they could reach the safety of their walled cities, Joshua cried out, “ Sun, stand still over Gibeon!” (Joshua 10:12) The biblical text reports, “ The sun stood still, and the moon stopped” (Joshua 10:13). Some have suggested that what happened here was a miracle involving refraction of light. The day was apparently lengthened. Others have argued that the request really was for the sun to “ be silent” ; that is, to stop shining so strongly that its heat would sap the strength of the pursuing Israelites. However, the language of the text, and particularly the statement that this day was unique and twice the normal length between noon and sunset, seems to indicate that the day was miraculously prolonged. LINK TO LIFE: CHILDREN God truly was a powerful Leader for His people Israel, who acted to help His people. God also helps boys and girls today, giving them strength to overcome in their own inner, spiritual battles. Talk about the “ right thing to do” in some of the situations the children described (see previous “ link-to-life” ). Ask the children whether doing the right thing seems hard or easy. Talk about why. Then tell the story of the miracles God did to help Israel. Let the children draw a bright yellow sun on a 3 x 5 card on which you’ ve printed one of these verses, which give God’ s promise of the strength we need to win spiritual victories: 2 Samuel 22:33; Psalms 18:32; Psalms 29:11; Psalms 105:4. Encourage the children to memorize their verses, and remember to ask God for His strength when it seems hard for them to do what is right. (3) Total destruction. The ruthlessness with which Israel dealt with the Canaanites has raised a theological question, since the extermination was done at God’ s express command (cf. Deuteronomy 7:1-5; Deuteronomy 20:16-18; Joshua 11:20). How can this be reconciled with the New Testament picture of a God of love? Materially and culturally the Canaanites had an advanced culture. Archeology has shown well-planned cities with homes of good design and construction. Drainage systems had been installed, trade was carried on with distant countries, skilled workmanship was shown in metals and pottery. But for all the cultural advancement, the Palestinian religious and moral life was in a great decline. When Abraham lived in Palestine, there was no developed cult of Baal (a nature and fertility god). But over the centuries the worship of Baal and his female counterpart had come to dominate Canaan, and with this worship had come a host of associated immoral practices described in Leviticus 18:1-30. The sentence of destruction was passed to protect Israel from contamination by the surrounding peoples. But it is also important to realize that the Canaanites were not destroyed out of hand. In Abraham’ s day there had been some knowledge of God (see Genesis 14:17-20). In fact, God refused to dispossess the Canaanites in Abraham’ s time because “ the sin of the Amorites has not yet reached its full measure” (Genesis 15:16). We must look at the events of the Conquest in the light of divine judgment on sin. God did not command Joshua to destroy an innocent people. God chose to use Israel as the means by which He brought a well-deserved judgment on one of the most immoral cultures of the civilized world. And even within that context, those like Rahab who would turn to God could hope for deliverance. And so, within a number of months, the army of the Lord completed the rout of the enemy and was ready to take its rest.

The Land Divided: Joshua 13-19 The majority of the Book of Joshua describes not the Conquest but the distribution of the inheritance to the 12 tribes of Israel. Large portions of territory were blocked out and the different tribes challenged to possess their land. This often meant continuing to battle with Canaanites who still lived there. The power to resist Israel in a massive way had been shattered in Joshua’ s campaigns. Yet pockets of resistance were still found in each tribe’ s allotment. These mopping-up operations would keep God’ s people dependent on Him — and would make sure that they did not lose their skill in war. With the victory won, the fighting men of those tribes which had settled across the Jordan but had come into the land with their brothers to help them fight, could return home. Throughout the occupied land of Palestine, the victorious Hebrews began to enjoy the rest which God had promised, and which through His faithfulness had now come true.

Rest’ s Lifestyle: Joshua 20-21 These chapters tell of the establishment of cities of refuge and of cities for the Levites within the allotments of the other tribes. These provisions remind us that the people of Israel were now to begin a lifestyle which was carefully planned and revealed by God long before the Conquest. If you’ ve studied the earlier books of the Old Testament, you’ re familiar with God’ s careful definition of His people’ s lifestyle. This definition included not only moral and religious injunctions; it also carefully structured every aspect of the new society. The case law chapters (Ex. 20-24) spelled out a number of specific implications that the Ten Commandments had for life in the land. Commitment to love of God and to love of neighbor was to mark God’ s people as His own distinctive possession. As the people of Israel followed God’ s laws for holy living, then poverty, injustice, and all the social ills which warp human society could be dealt with compassionately. In the lifestyle sketched by divine revelation there was no central government or administrative bodies. Obedience was to God. Elders had responsibilities in local communities. As Wood notes (A Survey of Israel’ s History), they “ served as judges of persons who had killed someone (Deuteronomy 19:12), conducted inquests (Deuteronomy 21:2-8), heard family problems (Deuteronomy 21:18-21), settled matrimonial disputes (Deuteronomy 22:13-30; Deuteronomy 25:7), and settled cases of controversy at the gate of the city (Rth 4:2).” Local courts shared cases with the elders, and when a case could not be settled, it was sent to the central sanctuary at Shiloh. There, before the tabernacle of the Lord, a court of priests and lay judges made a final and binding determination. The tabernacle, which had been built to God’ s specifications and remained the symbol of God’ s presence with Israel, was now the great unifying center of Israel’ s life. Here the sacrifices commanded by God were made, and no sacrifices were to be made at any other location. Three times a year every healthy male citizen was to gather here for the feasts around which the worship and religious life of Israel centered. The first of these feasts was the Passover (Exodus 12:1-13; Deuteronomy 16:1-8), which began the religious year and commemorated God’ s deliverance of His people from Egypt. For seven days the people gathered (in April) to renew and reaffirm their commitment to the God of the Exodus. At the close of the wheat harvest some 50 days later, a 1-day observation (called the Feast of Weeks, see Exodus 23:16; Leviticus 23:15-22; Numbers 28:26-31; Deuteronomy 16:9-12) was held. The third feast was a week-long commemoration in September-October of Israel’ s life in the wilderness. Families lived in tents or booths outside, and the occasion was called the Feast of Tabernacles (Exodus 23:16; Leviticus 23:34-43; Deuteronomy 16:13-15). These three feasts were not, however, the only way in which the unity of the 12 tribes was maintained. There were other feasts they had in common, and all the tribes kept the Sabbath as a day of rest. Common customs and common laws, with a common language and history, bound Israel together as a larger family of God. The common custom is well illustrated by the cities of refuge established by Joshua in obedience to God’ s earlier command through Moses. In Israel, a murderer was to be put to death. This sentence — already placed by God on one who killed another — was to be executed by a relative of the murdered man, “ the avenger of blood” (Joshua 20:5). But the Old Testament recognized an important distinction between premeditated murder and accidental death. The murderer was to be executed without fail. But one guilty of manslaughter was permitted to flee to a city of refuge. There he lived until the death of the high priest, after which he could return to his home without fear of retribution. There were six such cities scattered throughout the territories of the 12 tribes. These cities were the common possession of the whole people. The common law is represented by the establishment of levitical cities through the land. When God established the tabernacle worship system, He set aside the family of Levi to serve Him. The descendants of Aaron served as priests; descendants of the other family members were singers, caretakers, and teachers. The role of teacher is particularly significant when we see the levitical cities placed in the allotments of the other tribes. Only the tribe of Levi did not receive its own territory. God was its portion. But they did live among the others, with men from the levitical cities taking their turn at serving in the central sanctuary. Taught themselves there, these men returned to serve as teachers of the Law throughout the land. The tribes of Israel did retain their separate identities, and were directly responsible to God rather than to a central human authority. But the lifestyle God established for them constantly reaffirmed their unity as the special people of God, and provided for continuous instruction in His ways. The structure of early Israel, so briefly described here, was a theocracy — a government in which God is the Head of state. The tragedy of Israel is that she did not continue in an obedient relationship with God. Soon Israel abandoned rest’ s lifestyle. The society broke down. Social injustice, poverty, unrest, conflict, fear, and pain all followed. In God’ s church today, as in early Israel, our rest and peace depend on committing ourselves to trust in God — and to obedience.

The Empty Altar: Joshua 22:1-34When the Reubenites, the Gadites, and the half-tribe of Manasseh which had chosen land across the Jordan were released from military service, they hurried home. But they stopped along the way to build an imposing altar beside the Jordan. This startled the other Israelite tribes, who viewed it as apostasy! After all God had commanded that Israel worship in only one place, sacrifice at one altar, live by one Law, and recognize Him as the one and only God. When an angry delegation confronted the Transjordan tribes and accused them of breaking faith with the God of Israel, their brothers explained. The altar was not for sacrifice. It was built on the pattern God ordained as a witness to the unity of the tribes across the Jordan with their brothers in Canaan proper. The minority had feared that in time the river that divided them would be viewed as a separating barrier, and they would be denied a part in the worship of Yahweh. These people named the altar: A WITNESS BETWEEN US THAT THE LORD IS GOD (Joshua 22:34). LINK TO LIFE: YOUTH / ADULT Give a minilecture covering the basic elements of the unity of Israel — the elements of common life which bonded this people together. Discuss: “ Was the fear of the tribes across the Jordan that one day they might be viewed as ‘ others’ rather than part of Israel, reasonable or not?” After this discussion ask, “ What is it that makes Christians one today? What’ s basic to our faith?” Discuss also, “ What things make us think of other Christians as different — and not like us? How have these things happened to separate us in view of all the things that make us one?

Joshua’ s Death: Joshua 23-24 Joshua had led Israel to victory and guided the people in establishing the theocratic society. In these concluding chapters, Joshua looked back, and he also looked ahead. In view of all that God had done for Israel, Joshua demanded total commitment. “ Now fear the Lord, and serve Him with all faithfulness” (Joshua 24:14). Standing before this venerable saint who had led them to experience God’ s rest, the people reaffirmed their commitment to obey. And the biblical record echoes that commitment: “ Israel served the Lord throughout the lifetime of Joshua and of the elders who outlived him and who had experienced everything the Lord had done for Israel” (Joshua 24:31). Obedience to God had won them rest.

Teaching Guide Prepare Read and meditate on Ephesians 4:3-6.

Explore

1. Begin with a minilecture on Joshua 9-10, outlining what happened with the Gibeonites. Use the “ link-to-life” teaching idea above to help your group examine their own personal experiences.
2. Or give a minilecture on the elements of unity in Israel once they were in the land of promise.

Expand

1. Present the principle of guidance presented in Proverbs 3:5-6 and repeated in Psalms 37:4-5. Discuss how it related to the experience with the Gibeonites. Then focus on Christian decision-making. Ask your group members to share experiences in which they have turned to God, and ways that He has communicated to them a sense of His will.
2. Or talk further about our relationships with other Christians who differ from your group. What are the specific things that bother your members about some they recognize as brothers and sisters? Why do these differences bother — how do they make group members feel? What might serve as a modern WITNESS BETWEEN US THAT THE LORD IS GOD?

Apply

1. Tell each other about decisions which you sense a need for God’ s leading. Then pray together.
2. Or plan how you will affirm Christian unity in your relationship with other Christians.