Joshua - Week 1: Introduction & Background

Teaching by Josh Clark

Week 1: Introduction & Background

1. Background

Author

• Joshua 
• Eye witnesses
• Later Editorial remarks - “to this day”

Dating 

• Abraham: 2000 BC
• Exodus: 1446 BC 
• Joshua around 1405 BC 

Outline

1. Crossing into the Land (Josh 1-5)
2. Taking the Land (Josh 6-12)
3. Dividing the Land (Josh 13-21) 
4. Retaining the Land (Josh 22-24)

Context

• Backdrop of the People- Num 13:25-14:45
  • Spies Return (13:25-33)
  • People Grumble (14:1-10)
  • Moses Intercedes (14:11-19)
  • God Judges (14:20-38, especially 28-33)
  • Israel’s Regret and Defeat (14:39-45)
  • This is the next generation
• Backdrop of the Circumstance- 
  • Canaanite Expulsion
    • Deut 9:4-5
      • Deut 18:9-12
      • Lev 18
      • Gen 15:16
      • Deut 34
• Backdrop of the Promise- 
  • Abraham- Gen 12:1-9;13:14-15; 15:7, 18-21; 17:8
  • Isaac- Gen 26:3-4
  • Jacob- Gen 28:13-14; 35:12; 48:3-4; 
  • All 3 Above- Gen 50:24

2. Joshua’s Succession of Moses (Josh 1:1-18) 

1:1-9

• Into the land I am giving them. (Josh 1:2, 3, 6, 11, 13, 15)
  • God has given them a promise that they are to lay hold of. 
• I will not leave you or forsake you. (1:5, 9, 17; 3:7; 6:27, Deut 31:8; 23)
• Be strong and courageous (Josh 1:6, 7, 9, 18; Deut 31:6-7)
  • What does being strong and courageous look like?

1:10-18

• This is a different group of Israelites than the previous generation 
  • Num 32 
    • Ruben, Gad, and half tribe of Manasseh want to dwell on the East side of Jordan because it is good for livestock 
    • Moses is suspicious and reminds them of Num 13 & 14
    • The 2 ½ tribes agree to fight with the rest of Israel and will come back to the east side of the Jordan after
  • The keep their word- Point of unity

3. Rahab’s Passover (Josh 2:1-24)

2:1-7

• Num 25:1-5

Rahab (Josh 2) | Exodus Correspondence
The king of Jericho seeks to destroy the Israelite spies (Josh 2:2–3) | Pharaoh seeks to destroy the Hebrew males and suppress Israel (Exod 1–2)
Rahab hides the spies from the king's agents (Josh 2:4–6) | Hebrew midwives preserve Hebrew children (Exod 1:15–21)
Rahab deceives the king's messengers (Josh 2:4–5) | The midwives mislead Pharaoh (Exod 1:19)
King's messengers pursue Israelites to overtake them at the Jordan (Josh 2:5) | Pharoah pursues Israelites and overtakes them at the Red Sea (Exod 1:9)
A scarlet cord marks her house (Josh 2:18) | Blood marks Israelite houses at Passover (Exod 12:7, 13)

• Are there circumstances where it is okay to lie?

2:8-21

• “Melt away” - Song of Moses Ex 15:15
• “For we have heard” - Fulfillment of Ex 9:16
  • Rahab believes based on what she’s heard 
  • Rahab acts based on what she has heard 
    • James 2

2:22-24

• 1:2 & 2:24 bookend Chapter 1 and 2.
  • “I am giving” 1:2
  • “The Lord has given” 2:24

4. Christ Connection

• Rahab didn’t just recite the events of the Passover, she rehearsed them. She experienced her own passover. 
• Christ is our passover lamb (1 Cor 5:7; John 1:29; 19:14, 36; Matt 26; Mark 14; Luke 22)