Summary of the Book of Joshua

Author:
The Book of Joshua does not explicitly name its author. Most likely, Joshua the son of Nun, who succeeded Moses as the leader of Israel, wrote a significant portion of this book. The latter part of the book was authored by at least one other individual after Joshua’s passing. It is also plausible that various sections were revised or compiled following Joshua’s death. Full article: Who wrote the book of Joshua? Who was the author of Joshua?

Date of Writing:
The Book of Joshua was likely written between 1400 and 1370 B.C.

Purpose of Writing:
The Book of Joshua offers a summary of the military campaigns undertaken to conquer the land that God had promised. After the exodus from Egypt and the ensuing forty years of wandering in the wilderness, the newly established nation is now ready to enter the Promised Land, defeat its inhabitants, and take possession of the territory. The summary provided here presents concise and selective accounts of many battles and how the land was not only conquered but also divided into tribal regions.

Key Verses:

Joshua 1:6-9, “Be strong and courageous, for you will lead these people to inherit the land I promised to their ancestors. Be strong and very courageous. Be sure to obey all the law my servant Moses gave you; do not turn from it to the right or to the left, so that you may prosper wherever you go. Do not let this Book of the Law depart from your mouth; meditate on it day and night, so that you may be careful to do everything written in it. Then you will have good success. Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged, for the LORD your God will be with you wherever you go.”

Joshua 24:14-15, “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.”

Brief Summary: The Book of Joshua continues the story of the Israelites after the exodus from Egypt. The book chronicles the approximately 20 years of Joshua’s leadership of the people after Moses anointed him at the end of Deuteronomy. The twenty-four chapter divisions of the Book of Joshua can be summarized as follows:

Chapters 1-12: Entering and conquering the Promised Land.

Chapters 13-22: Instructions for distributing the portions of the Promised Land.

Chapters 23-24: Joshua’s farewell address

Foreshadowings: The story of Rahab the harlot and her great faith in the God of the Israelites give her a place with those honored for their faith in Hebrews 11:31. Hers is a story of God’s grace to sinners and salvation by faith alone. Most importantly, by God’s grace she was in the Messianic line «and Salmon begat Booz of Rachab; and Booz begat Obed of Ruth; and Obed begat Jesse; », (Matthew 1:5).

One of the ceremonial rituals of Joshua 5 finds its perfect fulfillment in the New Testament. Verses 1-9 describe God’s commandment that those who were born in the wilderness were to be circumcised when they came into the Promised Land. By doing so, God “rolled away the reproach of Egypt” from them, meaning that He cleansed them from the sins of their former life. Colossians 2:10-12 describes believers as having been circumcised in their hearts by Christ Himself, by whom we have put off the sinful nature of our former lives without Christ.

God established cities of refuge so that those who accidentally killed someoneOne could dwell there without fear of retribution. Christ is our refuge to whom we have turned to grasp the hope offered to us, “that by two immutable things, in which it was impossible for God to lie, we might have a strong consolation, who have sought refuge to lay hold upon the hope set before us” (Hebrews 6:18).

The Book of Joshua carries an overarching theological theme of rest. The Israelites, after wandering in the wilderness for 40 years, finally entered the rest God had prepared for them in the land of Canaan. The writer of Hebrews uses this incident as a caution to us not to let unbelief prevent us from entering into God’s rest in Christ (Hebrews 3:7-12).

Practical Application: One of the key verses of the Book of Joshua is 1:8 “Do not let this Book of the Law depart from your mouth; meditate on it day and night, so that you may be careful to do everything written in it.” The Old Testament is filled with stories of how the people “forgot” God and His Word and suffered terrible consequences. For the Christian, the Word of God is our lifeblood. If we neglect it, our lives will suffer accordingly. But if we take to heart the principle of verse 1:8, we will be complete and able to be of use in God’s kingdom (2 Timothy 3:16-17), and we will find that God’s promises in Joshua 1:8-9 will be ours as well.

Joshua is a prime example of the benefits of a worthy mentor. For years, he remained close to Moses. He observed Moses as he followed God in an almost flawless manner. He learned to pray in a personal way from Moses. He learned how to obey through the example of Moses. Joshua apparently also learned from the negative example that cost Moses the joy of actually entering the Promised Land. If you are alive, you are a mentor. Someone, somewhere, is w

Someone is watching you. A younger individual or someone you are influencing is observing your way of life and your reactions. Someone is gaining knowledge from you. Someone will emulate your behavior. Mentoring encompasses more than just the words uttered by the mentor. The mentor’s complete life is being showcased.