Pathways through the Bible: Classic Selections from the Tanakh (Third Edition)

Joshua

Joshua Cc Anew period of great achievements opened for Israel when Joshua became their leader. The great task ahead of Joshua and the Israelites was to enter the Promised Land, conquer its inhabitants, and then hold possession of the land upon which they settled. Did the Israelites have competent leadership? Did they possess the courage required to defeat their foes? Did they have the necessary patience and hardihood to suffer much before they finally possessed the land? What kind of nations would they have to overcome? Would the land be worth the struggles and sacrifices they had to undergo to possess it? The Book of Joshua answers such questions. The leader of Israel was Joshua, of the strong tribe of Ephraim, and the beloved lieutenant of Moses. He was an old, seasoned warrior, of tested courage. He had been one of the two spies who had been confident that Israel could conquer the land. His military ability had been proven. He had fought against the Amalekites and had defeated them. Israel’s faith in God and in the Covenant gave them unfailing powers of endurance and kept their hopes of victory bright. They were not discouraged or daunted by the many years it took them to conquer the nations opposing them. Many small nations lived in the ancient Land of Israel with names that sound strange to us today, names such as Amorites and Canaanites. They were warlike peoples, who used weapons of iron and chariots drawn by horses. They lived in cities, many of them perched on the top of hills. The cities were surrounded by high, thick walls, which made them easy to defend but hard to attack. Each city was under the rule of its own king. Nevertheless, at times these kings united their forces against a common enemy. The Israelites, if successful, were to be rewarded with the possession of a wonderful land. To our ancestors, the Land of Israel, or Canaan as ■ 151 ■ it was then called, was a land “flowing with milk and honey.” After their many years in the hot, dry wilderness, the Israelites found Canaan a fruitful paradise. The wars and conquests of Joshua are described in the book which bears his name. The Book of Joshua is the first book in the second large division of the Hebrew Bible, called Nevi’im (“Prophets”). The first part of Nevi’im consists mainly of a series of tales that span the six hundred years following the death of Moses. The four books that cover this history are: Joshua, Judges, Samuel, and Kings; together they are known as the Former Prophets (in Hebrew, Nevi’im Rishonim). 152 ■ Pathways Through the Bible 1. JOSHUA TAKES COMMAND When Joshua takes command of the Israelites, God sets loyalty to the Teaching of Moses as the main condition of his leadership. Joshua is a person of action. He immediately decides to carry out his mission. He prepares to cross the Jordan River. God’s Charge to Joshua After the death of Moses the servant of God, God said to Joshua: “My servant Moses is dead. Prepare to cross the Jordan River, together with all this people, into the land that I am giving to the Israelites. Every spot on which your foot treads I give to you, as I promised Moses. “As I was with Moses, so I will be with you; I will not fail you or forsake you. Be strong and resolute, for you shall apportion to this people the land that I swore to their fathers to assign to them. “But you must be very strong and resolute to observe faithfully all the Teaching that My servant Moses directed you. Do not deviate from it to the right or to the left, that you may be successful wherever you go. Let not this Book of the Teaching cease from your lips, but recite it day and night, so that you may observe faithfully all that is written in it. Only then will you prosper in your undertakings and only then will you be successful. “I charge you: Be strong and resolute; do not be terrified or dismayed , for Adonai your God is with you wherever you go.” The People’s Pledge Joshua thereupon gave orders to the officials of the people: “Go through the camp and charge the people thus: Get provisions ready, for in three days’ time you are to cross the...