The Conquest of Canaan, Lessons I-VI. The Period of the Judges, Lessons VII-XI. LESSON I.-OCTOBER 6 JOSHUA, ISRAEL'S NEW LEADER. -Josн. 1. 1–11 [Read Num. 27. 12-23; Josh. 1] HOME READINGS (selected by the International Bible Reading Association).-Monday (September 30), Joshua, Israel's New Leader, Josh. 1. 1-11. Tuesday, Loyalty of the people, Josh. 1. 12-18. Wednesday, Chosen by God, Num. 27. 15-23. Thursday, The book of the law, Deut. 17. 14-20. Friday, Reading the law, Josh. 8. 30-35. Saturday, Obedience and trust, Prov. 3. 1-10. Sunday, Keeping the commandment, 1 John 2. 1-8. THE GOLDEN TEXT "I will not fail thee, nor forsake thee."-Josh. 1. 5. These words follow Jehovah's command to Joshua to cross the Jordan and take possession of the Promised Land, the wide boundaries of which have been described. Difficulty in the way of its conquest has been intimated by calling it "the land of the Hittites," one of the most warlike races of ancient western Asia; then come three promises. First, "There shall not any man be able to stand before thee all the days of thy life." Second, "As I was with Moses so I will be with thee." Third, "I will not fail thee, nor forsake thee." Invincibility is promised to Joshua conditional on God's presence with him. The same divine support that had secured success for Moses, is to be given to Joshua. Literally, the words of the text are, "I will not be weak toward thee, relax toward thee." God is ever the same, to us as well as to Joshua. It is not he who ever changes, but ourselves. The command to be strong and of a good courage naturally follows our Golden Text. Compare Deut. 31. 6, 8; 1 Chron. 28. 20. A beautiful Christian application is given in Hebrews 13. 5, 6: "Be ye free from the love of money: content with such things as ye have; for himself hath said, I will in no wise fail thee, neither will I in any wise forsake thee." So that with good courage we say, "The Lord is my helper: I will not fear: Most of the worriments of life, most of the anxieties as to "how to make ends meet," would melt away if we kept this truth constantly in our hearts. THE MEANING MADE PLAIN The book of Joshua, from which our next six lessons are taken, bears its name not because Joshua was its author, but because he is the chief actor in the history that the book covers. This history begins with Joshua's assuming the leadership of Israel upon the death of Moses, and ends with Joshua's and Eleazar's death and burial, and also with the burial of the bones of Joseph. The book falls into two main parts: (1) the conquest of Palestine, chapters 1-12; and (2) the division of the land among the tribes of Israel, followed by an exhortation and covenant that is to assure to Israel its perpetual possession, chapters 13-24. It will be noticed that in contents (as also in literary character) it is closely akin to the preceding five books, particularly in that it tells of the accomplishment of the promise given to the patriarchs that their seed should inherit the land of Canaan. In the hope of the fulfillment of the promise Joseph had given commandment concerning his bones (Gen. 50. 24, 25), and in the same hope the Israelites had carried them out of Egypt and through all their journeyings in the wilderness (Exod. 13. 19); and in the possession of the land and the burial of the bones is reached the fulfillment of God's gracious promise. It is for this reason that many modern scholars prefer to link the book of Joshua more closely to the preceding, and speak of a Hextateuch (that is, six books) rather than a Pentateuch (that is, five books). 1 Now after the death of Mo'ses the servant of the LORD 1 Now it came to pass after the death of Moses the servant of Jehovah, it came to pass, that the LORD spake unto Josh'u-a the son of Nun, Jehovah spake unto Joshua that the son of Nun, Mo'ses' minister, saying, 2 Mo'ses my servant is dead; now therefore Moses' minister, saying, 2 Moses my servant is dead; now therefore arise, go over this Jor'dan, thou, and all this people, unto the land arise, go over this Jordan, thou, and all this people, unto the land The text in this edition printed in small type in the lower line is taken from the American Standard Edition of the Revised Bible, copyrighted 1901 by Thomas Nelson & Sons, New York. All marginal notes and references are taken from the same version. I. THE COMMAND TO POSSESS THE LAND OF PROMISE. Verses 1-4 1. After the death of Moses-If we connect this closely with Deut. 38. 8, it might mean as soon as the thirty days of mourning were over. Jehovah spake unto Joshua the son of Nun, Moses' minister-The installation of Joshua as the successor of Moses, with all due formality, by the imposition of the hands of Moses before the high priest Eleazar and in the presence of all the congregation of the children of Israel, is narrated in Num. 27. 15-23. Another public transference of the commission to bring Israel into the land of promise, in which Moses encourages Joshua with the promise of Jehovah's presence, is given in Deut. 31. 7; and once more the succession of Joshua and the people's obedience to him is told, Deut. 34. 9, where Joshua is described as "full of the spirit of wisdom; for Moses had laid his hands upon him." Joshua must have exhibited special fitness for such important and responsible position long before he was called publicly to assume it. As the "minister," that is, attendant, or servant, but not slave (the Hebrew has two separate words to indicate the difference, which the Authorized Version ignores by translating both "servant"), of Moses, we meet Joshua when he accompanies Moses "up into the mount of God," that is, Sinai-Horeb, to receive the tables of the law (Exod. 24. 13); or when Jehovah speaks with Moses "face to face, as a man speaketh unto his friend," in the tent (Exod. 33. 11). The first time Joshua is mentioned is when he leads the Israelites in their war against Amalek (Exod. 17. 8-15); and he was also one of the twelve spies, and one of the two that brought an encouraging report (Num. 14. 6). 2. Arise, go over this Jordan-Before which they lie encamped. It is of historical interest to note that the Israelites failed to force an entrance into Canaan by the South, or Negeb, the nearest and directest route from Kadesh; and that the way in which they successfully entered was by first settling on the east side of the Jordan, and entering Canaan from that side. Unto the land 3 Every place 3 Every place which I do give to them, even to the children of Is'ra-el. which I do give to them, even to the children of Israel. that the sole of your foot shall tread upon, that have I given unto that the sole of your foot shall tread upon, to you have I given it, you, as I said unto Mo'ses. 4 From the wilderness and this Leb'a as I spake unto Moses. 4 From the wilderness, and this Leba non even unto the great river, the river Eu-phra'tes, all the land of non, even unto the great river, the river Euphrates, the Hittites, sun, shall be your coast. sun, shall be your border. before thee all the days all the land of the Hittites, and unto the great sea toward the going down of the and unto the great sea toward the going down of the 5 There shall not any man be able to stand 5 There shall not any man be able to stand of thy life: as I was with Mo'ses, so I will be before thee all the days of thy life: as I was with Moses, so I will be with thee: I will not fail thee, nor forsake thee. 6 Be strong and of a with thee; I will not fail thee, 6 Be strong and of good courage: for unto this people shalt thou divide for an good courage; for thou shalt cause this inheritance the land, which I sware unto their fathers to give them. the land which I sware unto their fathers to give them. inherit nor forsake thee. people to which I do give to them-Or, better, "which I am about to give to them." The land in which their forefathers had sojourned, and for which they themselves were longing, was about to come into their possession; but it was necessary for them to "arise" and conquer it. 3. Every place that the sole of your foot shall tread upon-A figurative way of expressing the completeness of the surrender of the land. As I spake unto Moses-See Deut. 11. 24. 4. From the wilderness-In the south. And this Lebanon-The range of mighty mountains in the north. Even unto the great river, the river Euphrates-In the east. All the land of the Hittites-Standing for the designation for the north of Palestine, as in 1 Kings 10. 29 and 2 Kings 7. 6. And unto the great sea toward the going down of the sun-That is, the Mediterranean Sea, the boundary in the west. Shall be your borderA look upon the map will show that these boundaries cover more, particularly in the north and east, than what is commonly included in the land of Israel; the boundaries are ample and ideal. 5, 6. These verses indicate that Joshua's task was beset with serious difficulties. The promise, There shall not any man be able to stand before thee all the days of thy life implied, nevertheless, serious opposition that he would have to face. The difficulties of the conquest of Palestinę were still the same as when the Israelites were frightened enough over the report of the spies to think of choosing a leader who would take them back into Egypt (Num. 14. 4, etc.). The great and fortified cities, and "the giants," and all the Canaanitish civilization, were still there, and to invade this land and capture it would need all the heroism and faith that Joshua could muster. This explains the oftenrecurring, "Be strong and of good courage." The promise of Jehovah's presence to aid him in bringing about Israel's inheritance of the land according to the divine purpose was greatly needed. 7 Only be thou strong and very courageous, that thou mayest observe strong and very courageous, to 7 Only be observe to do according to all the law, which Mo'ses my servant commanded to do according to all the law, which Moses my servant commanded thee: turn not from it to the right hand or to the left, that thou thee: turn not from it to the right hand or to the left, that thou mayest prosper whithersoever thou goest. 8 This book of the law mayest 1have good success whithersoever thou goest. 8 This book of the law shall not depart out of thy mouth; but thou shalt meditate therein day shall not depart out of thy mouth, but thou shalt meditate thereon day and night, that thou mayest observe to do according to all that is and night, that thou mayest observe to do according to all that is written therein: for then thou shalt make thy way prosperous, and for then thou shalt make thy way prosperous, 9 Have not I commanded thee? 9 Have not I commanded thee? written therein: and then thou shalt have good success. then thou shalt 1have good success. Be strong and of a good courage; be not afraid, neither be thou dis be not affrighted, neither be thou dis Be strong and of good courage; mayed: for the LORD thy God is with thee whithersoever thou goest. mayed: for Jehovah thy God is with thee whithersoever 1 Or, deal wisely. III. GUIDED BY THE BOOK OF THE LAW. Verses 7-9 thou goest. When read 7-9. Only be strong and very courageous, to observe to do according to all the law—While this and the following exhortations may in one sense have reference to the law of Moses in general, in the light of the book of Joshua as a whole it must be taken to refer to that particular part of the law that required the utter destruction of all the Canaanites and all that belonged to them— in other words, the enforcement of the herem, “ban," or "devoted to destruction." The command on this subject referred to in the words, which Moses my servant commanded thee, is found in Deut. 7. 1-5 and 20. 16-18, which may be summed up in the words, "Thou shalt save alive nothing that breatheth; but thou shalt (Hebrew, herem, devote) utterly destroy them." With these references should be compared such passages in the book of Joshua as 6. 18, 21; 10. 30, 32, 35, 37, 39, 40, etc.; but particularly the story of Achan, who "committed a trespass in the devoted thing," and the disastrous consequences in the defeat of the armies of Israel, in the account occupying the whole of chapter 7. in the light of these references the exhortation receives pointedness. the need of extra courage, emphasized in be strong and very courageous, be strong and of good courage; be not affrighted, neither be thou dismayed. Have not I commanded thee? It also explains the emphasis upon thoroughness: Observe to do according to all the law, ... turn not from it to the right hand or to the left. This book of the law shall not depart out of thy mouth, thou mayest observe to do according to all that is written therein. It also explains, particularly in the light of the defeat at Ai, and its explanation in chapter 7. 10-12, the references to success: That thou mayest have good success whithersoever thou goest. : for then thou shalt make thy way prospercus, and then thou shalt have good success. Courage and thoroughness in obedience to the law should bring success; and what was to be true of this particular law would prove equally so in others. The reason given ... that |