Mennonite Weekly Review

Let’s imagine we’re playing Bible Trivia. Can you correctly answer these questions? Which son of Nun, born in Egypt, was appointed Moses’ commander? Who attended Moses on Sinai and guarded his tent and position? Who represented Ephraim in spying out Canaan? Who succeeded Moses in leading the Israelites? Whose name did Moses change so its new meaning was “Jehovah is salvation.” Who led Israel’s military conquest of Canaan? If you answered, “Hoshea” or “Joshua,” to all of these questions, you are right.

Joshua is the man of the hour. A faithful aide to Moses, Joshua learned leadership skills and military tactics. Faithful to his calling, he overtook the whole land of Canaan through military campaigns.

The Book of Joshua is rich in theology. The Promised Land symbolizes a heavenly reward for those who follow Jesus. The name of the river Jordan refers to freedom and passage into the next life. We might ask, Was Joshua singing the spiritual “Deep River” as he passed over the Jordan and into the Promised Land?

The promise fulfilled

It’s important that we study this book as theology rather than history. What is God telling us? What kind of ideal life does God direct us to? One of the book’s concerns is that of uniting all the tribes of Israel together. Another theme is that of obedience to the law.

Written by an unknown author, the Book of Joshua, the sixth book of the Old Testament, spans events that happened over only a couple dozen years.

“The Book of Joshua is one of the Bible’s greatest testimonies to the mighty acts of God on behalf of Israel. It reports how the Lord gave Israel the land of Canaan and allotted it as an inheritance, to fulfill the promises made to Abraham. [It] … is pivotal to the theology and literature of the Old Testament,” writes Jerome F.D. Creach in Joshua: Interpretation.

In today’s lesson God commissions Joshua for the work (chapter 1), and with a military campaign defeats the powerful Canaanite army led by Jabin, king of Hazor (chapter 11).

Let’s talk about commissioning services. God encourages Joshua, describes the mission and promises assistance. What similar words have you heard at services that commission people in our churches to new tasks of service? Do we tell them to “be strong and courageous”?