Joshua 1:1 ¶ Now after the death of Moses the servant of the LORD it came to pass, that the LORD spake unto Joshua the son of Nun, Moses’ minister, saying,
Joshua 1:2 Moses my servant is dead; now therefore arise, go over this Jordan, thou, and all this people, unto the land which I do give to them, even to the children of Israel.
Joshua 1:3 Every place that the sole of your foot shall tread upon, that have I given unto you, as I said unto Moses.
Joshua 1:4 From the wilderness and this Lebanon even unto the great river, the river Euphrates, all the land of the Hittites, and unto the great sea toward the going down of the sun, shall be your coast.
Joshua 1:5 There shall not any man be able to stand 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.
Informational note: The name Joshua means “The Lord is salvation, savior, deliverer.” It is the Hebrew name for Yeshua or Jesus.
This book opens with a new leader over Israel, Joshua the son of Nun, Moses’ primary assistant. The LORD commissions Joshua to lead the people across the Jordan River to take possession of the land of Canaan—defining an area from where they were in the wilderness to the south to Lebanon in the north to the River Euphrates, including all the land of the Hittites, to the Mediterranean Sea to the west. The LORD declared that, in fact, the people of Israel would take possession of every piece of ground upon which Joshua stepped. Not one man would be able to stand up against Joshua because the LORD promised to be with him just as surely as He had been with Moses.
The LORD promised to be “with him,” and I think that means through the presence of His Holy Spirit. The LORD promised never to fail or forsake Joshua.
Every true believer in Jesus Christ is blessed in the same way that Joshua was. We are privileged to have the permanent indwelling of the Holy Spirit to comfort, strengthen, teach and encourage us; and the LORD has promised never to fail or forsake us.
John 14:16–17 “And I will pray the Father, and he shall give you another Comforter, that he may abide with you for ever; Even the Spirit of truth; whom the world cannot receive, because it seeth him not, neither knoweth him: but ye know him; for he dwelleth with you, and shall be in you.”
1 Corinthians 3:16 “Know ye not that ye are the temple of God, and that the Spirit of God dwelleth in you?”
Hebrews 13:5 “Let your conversation be without covetousness; and be content with such things as ye have: for he hath said, I will never leave thee, nor forsake thee.”
Matthew 28:20 “…lo, I am with you alway, even unto the end of the world.”
John 14:26 “But the Comforter, which is the Holy Ghost, whom the Father will send in my name, he shall teach you all things, and bring all things to your remembrance, whatsoever I have said unto you.”
Ephesians 3:16 “That he would grant you, according to the riches of his glory, to be strengthened with might by his Spirit in the inner man;”
Once again it is clear that the land belongs to the LORD, and He will give it to whomsoever He chooses—and He chose the children of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob. The people of the world seem to think that the LORD has forgotten all about this promise. They refuse to recognize the truth of scripture as declared throughout scripture and detailed by the prophet Ezekiel. Though Israel rejected Jesus their King, the day is coming soon when He will return and reestablish the throne of David from which He will rule all nations. No matter what the nations plot against Israel, she will survive because the LORD has declared it.
Ezekiel 36:22–28 “Therefore say unto the house of Israel, Thus saith the Lord GOD; I do not this for your sakes, O house of Israel, but for mine holy name’s sake, which ye have profaned among the heathen, whither ye went. And I will sanctify my great name, which was profaned among the heathen, which ye have profaned in the midst of them; and the heathen shall know that I am the LORD, saith the Lord GOD, when I shall be sanctified in you before their eyes. For I will take you from among the heathen, and gather you out of all countries, and will bring you into your own land. Then will I sprinkle clean water upon you, and ye shall be clean: from all your filthiness, and from all your idols, will I cleanse you. A new heart also will I give you, and a new spirit will I put within you: and I will take away the stony heart out of your flesh, and I will give you an heart of flesh. And I will put my spirit within you, and cause you to walk in my statutes, and ye shall keep my judgments, and do them. And ye shall dwell in the land that I gave to your fathers; and ye shall be my people, and I will be your God.”
Joshua 1:6 Be strong and of a good courage: for unto this people shalt thou divide for an inheritance the land, which I sware unto their fathers to give them.
The LORD is basically putting an exclamation point on the fact that “this people,” the ones that Joshua is leading, are the very ones that will get to divide the land as an inheritance among them. This will be done according to the LORD’s promise to Abraham, Isaac and Jacob. He encourages Joshua to “be strong and of good courage” because he has witnessed a multitude of evidence that testifies to the LORD’s ability to keep His promises.
Joshua 1:7 Only be thou strong and very courageous, that thou mayest observe 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 mayest prosper whithersoever thou goest.
Joshua 1:8 This book of the law shall not depart out of thy mouth; but thou shalt meditate therein day and night, that thou mayest observe to do according to all that is written therein: for then thou shalt make thy way prosperous, and then thou shalt have good success.
Once again the LORD tells Joshua to be strong and courageous. This time the context ties it to being obedient to God’s law as communicated to them by Moses. He warns Joshua not to deviate from His law even one little bit. If he is obedient, he will be prosperous in all that he does.
This is actually similar to many prayer promises found in the New Testament.
John 15:7 “If ye abide in me, and my words abide in you, ye shall ask what ye will, and it shall be done unto you.”
John 15:10 “If ye keep my commandments, ye shall abide in my love….”
1 John 3:21–22 “Beloved, if our heart condemn us not, then have we confidence toward God. And whatsoever we ask, we receive of him, because we keep his commandments, and do those things that are pleasing in his sight.”
The best way to ensure that you stay obedient to the LORD and gain victory over the enemy is to meditate in the word of God day and night. The word for prosperous references pushing forward and becoming profitable; Webster states “answering to hope.” The word for success references being intelligent and having good understanding and wisdom; Webster refers to attaining one’s objective. All these ideas are affirmed in scripture in light of meditating in and being obedient to God’s word.
Psalm 1:1–3 “Blessed is the man that walketh not in the counsel of the ungodly, nor standeth in the way of sinners, nor sitteth in the seat of the scornful. But his delight is in the law of the LORD; and in his law doth he meditate day and night. And he shall be like a tree planted by the rivers of water, that bringeth forth his fruit in his season; his leaf also shall not wither; and whatsoever he doeth shall prosper.”
1 Kings 2:3 “And keep the charge of the LORD thy God, to walk in his ways, to keep his statutes, and his commandments, and his judgments, and his testimonies, as it is written in the law of Moses, that thou mayest prosper in all that thou doest….”
Psalm 111:10 “The fear of the LORD is the beginning of wisdom: a good understanding have all they that do his commandments….”
Psalm 119:99 “I have more understanding than all my teachers: for thy testimonies are my meditation.”
Courson: “Meditation is different from reading the Bible. Reading produces information. Meditation produces transformation.”
Joshua 1:9 Have not I commanded thee? Be strong and of a good courage; be not afraid, neither be thou dismayed: for the LORD thy God is with thee whithersoever thou goest.
Yet again the LORD tells Joshua to be strong and of good courage. He has no reason to be afraid since the “LORD thy God is with thee” wherever he goes. Again, I believe this is in reference to a special gifting of the Holy Spirit that was only given to chosen people for special empowerment according to God’s purposes during Old Testament times.
This is a popular memory verse to which I think every believer can make personal application. So often, I hear people declare that the Old Testament promises were only applicable to Israel, or in this case to a specific person. What they choose to forget is that the LORD is unchangeable; He is always the same.
Malachi 3:6 “For I am the LORD, I change not….”
James 1:17 “Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, and cometh down from the Father of lights, with whom is no variableness, neither shadow of turning.”
Hebrews 13:8 “Jesus Christ the same yesterday, and to day, and for ever.”
Every true believer can claim promises such as these because the LORD always act in accordance with His unchanging character toward those who look to Him in faith.
Joshua 1:10 ¶ Then Joshua commanded the officers of the people, saying,
Joshua 1:11 Pass through the host, and command the people, saying, Prepare you victuals; for within three days ye shall pass over this Jordan, to go in to possess the land, which the LORD your God giveth you to possess it.
At this point Joshua issues a command to the leaders of the people telling them to command everyone to make preparations because in three days they were going to cross over the Jordan River and begin to take possession of the land that the LORD had promised to give them.
Joshua 1:12 And to the Reubenites, and to the Gadites, and to half the tribe of Manasseh, spake Joshua, saying,
Joshua 1:13 Remember the word which Moses the servant of the LORD commanded you, saying, The LORD your God hath given you rest, and hath given you this land.
Joshua 1:14 Your wives, your little ones, and your cattle, shall remain in the land which Moses gave you on this side Jordan; but ye shall pass before your brethren armed, all the mighty men of valour, and help them;
Joshua 1:15 Until the LORD have given your brethren rest, as he hath given you, and they also have possessed the land which the LORD your God giveth them: then ye shall return unto the land of your possession, and enjoy it, which Moses the LORD’S servant gave you on this side Jordan toward the sunrising.
Joshua singled out the leaders of the tribes of Reuben and Gad and the half tribe of Manasseh to remind them of their commitment before Moses to help the other tribes as they went to battle to take the land. He reminded them that the LORD had agreed to let them take possession of the land on the east side of the Jordan, but only if they joined their brothers in battle to conquer Canaan. They were to leave their wives, children and livestock to occupy the land, but they were to send their armed “mighty men of valor” to join the army of Israel. Once the other tribes had gained the victory and taken possession of the land west of Jordan, the soldiers would be allowed to return home to their families.
Implied is the fact that the LORD will protect their possessions and their families until they return if they are obedient.
Joshua 1:16 ¶ And they answered Joshua, saying, All that thou commandest us we will do, and whithersoever thou sendest us, we will go.
Joshua 1:17 According as we hearkened unto Moses in all things, so will we hearken unto thee: only the LORD thy God be with thee, as he was with Moses.
Joshua 1:18 Whosoever he be that doth rebel against thy commandment, and will not hearken unto thy words in all that thou commandest him, he shall be put to death: only be strong and of a good courage.
The leaders of the 2.5 tribes promised to do as Joshua commanded and go wherever he sent them. They promised to obey him as surely as they had obeyed Moses. They prayed that the LORD “thy God” would be with Joshua as He had been with Moses. They further declared that anyone that disobeyed his command would be put to death.
Some commentators reason that the last part of verse 17 states a condition for their continued obedience to Joshua. In other words, as long as it is obvious that the LORD is with you, we will follow your command.
It was interesting to note that the leaders referenced the LORD as Joshua’s God instead of “our God.” Was this just another way of encouraging Joshua?
It was also interesting to me that these leaders closed their answer with an exhortation for Joshua to “be strong and of a good courage,” mirroring the LORD’s exhortation.
Joshua 2:1 ¶ And Joshua the son of Nun sent out of Shittim two men to spy secretly, saying, Go view the land, even Jericho. And they went, and came into an harlot’s house, named Rahab, and lodged there.
Joshua 2:2 And it was told the king of Jericho, saying, Behold, there came men in hither to night of the children of Israel to search out the country.
Joshua 2:3 And the king of Jericho sent unto Rahab, saying, Bring forth the men that are come to thee, which are entered into thine house: for they be come to search out all the country.
Joshua 2:4 And the woman took the two men, and hid them, and said thus, There came men unto me, but I wist not whence they were:
Joshua 2:5 And it came to pass about the time of shutting of the gate, when it was dark, that the men went out: whither the men went I wot not: pursue after them quickly; for ye shall overtake them.
Joshua sent two men to spy out the city of Jericho in preparation for their attack; this is just prudent military preparation. They ended up at Rahab’s house; she was identified as a harlot but evidently also rented out rooms. It seems that some in the city had recognized them as Israelites and immediately assumed they were spies. When the king was informed of their presence, he sent messengers to Rahab and told her to send the men out of her house because they were spies. She had evidently suspected this would happen and had hidden the two spies. She acknowledged to the king’s representatives that the men had come to her house, but she didn’t know where they were because they had left since it was about time for the gates to shut. It was dark, so she didn’t see which way they went. She then suggested that if they took off after them quickly, they would probably overtake them.
Obviously, Rahab lied; but she lied to protect life (similar to the Israeli midwives in Egypt who refused to kill the boy babies) and would be blessed by God because of it (as were the midwives).
The New Bible Commentary offers this insight: “…we do not accuse the participants of acting according to the unethical principle that a right end justifies a wrong means. Rather, we recognize that in such situations deception is legitimate, not wrong. So also the Old Testament recognizes that in war intelligence, counter–intelligence and decoys are all part of ‘the game.’”
Wiersbe re Jericho: “The city covered about eight or nine acres, and there is archaeological evidence that double walls about fifteen feet apart protected the city. Rahab’s house was built into the wall.”
Joshua 2:6 But she had brought them up to the roof of the house, and hid them with the stalks of flax, which she had laid in order upon the roof.
Joshua 2:7 And the men pursued after them the way to Jordan unto the fords: and as soon as they which pursued after them were gone out, they shut the gate.
We are told that Rahab had hidden the men on the roof of the house among the stalks of flax that were drying on her roof. The men of Jericho took off after them toward the likely spots for crossing over the Jordan, and the gates of the city were shut.
Joshua 2:8 ¶ And before they were laid down, she came up unto them upon the roof;
Joshua 2:9 And she said unto the men, I know that the LORD hath given you the land, and that your terror is fallen upon us, and that all the inhabitants of the land faint because of you.
Joshua 2:10 For we have heard how the LORD dried up the water of the Red sea for you, when ye came out of Egypt; and what ye did unto the two kings of the Amorites, that were on the other side Jordan, Sihon and Og, whom ye utterly destroyed.
Joshua 2:11 And as soon as we had heard these things, our hearts did melt, neither did there remain any more courage in any man, because of you: for the LORD your God, he is God in heaven above, and in earth beneath.
Before the two Israelis lay down among the flax, Rahab came up to the roof to talk to them. She informed them that she knew that the LORD had given them the land. Evidently, so did the other inhabitants of the land, because she noted that they were all afraid of the people of Israel. They had heard how the LORD had dried up the waters of the Red Sea when they left Egypt (40 years earlier) and how they had utterly destroyed the kingdoms of Sihon and Og that were east of the Jordan River. Rahab declared that everyone became afraid as soon as the news reached them.
The last part of verse 11 seems to be a personal declaration by Rahab. She recognized that the LORD, the God of Israel, was the one true God in heaven above and on earth below.
The people of that time may not have had television news or computers, but the news sure got around somehow.
Joshua 2:12 Now therefore, I pray you, swear unto me by the LORD, since I have shewed you kindness, that ye will also shew kindness unto my father’s house, and give me a true token:
Joshua 2:13 And that ye will save alive my father, and my mother, and my brethren, and my sisters, and all that they have, and deliver our lives from death.
Joshua 2:14 And the men answered her, Our life for yours, if ye utter not this our business. And it shall be, when the LORD hath given us the land, that we will deal kindly and truly with thee.
Rahab proceeded to plead for her life and the lives of her family in light of the protection she had provided the spies. She wanted the men to make this promise to her with an oath “by the LORD.” She was smart enough to understand that this was the strongest promise she could expect from them. The men didn’t hesitate; they promised to honor her request as long as she kept their business secret. They promised to do as she asked when the LORD gave them the land.
I think it is important to note that they were very careful to declare that they would take the land because the LORD was giving it to them—not because they were taking it in their own strength.
Principle: We can only and will always be victorious with the LORD on our side and acting on our behalf.
John 15:5 “I am the vine, ye are the branches: He that abideth in me, and I in him, the same bringeth forth much fruit: for without me ye can do nothing.”
Romans 8:31 “If God be for us, who can be against us?”
Joshua 2:15 Then she let them down by a cord through the window: for her house was upon the town wall, and she dwelt upon the wall.
Joshua 2:16 And she said unto them, Get you to the mountain, lest the pursuers meet you; and hide yourselves there three days, until the pursuers be returned: and afterward may ye go your way.
Rahab let the men down by a strong cord through her window, since her house was on the wall of the city. She warned them to get to the mountain to avoid the men that were hunting them. They should remain hidden in the mountain for three days to make sure that their pursuers had given up the search. They could then return to their camp safely.
Coffman offers the following insight on the mountains: “These were the rugged hills that rise 1,500 feet to 2,000 feet above the Jericho plain within a mile or so of the city. These limestone hills with many caves and grottoes were the very ones where the Dead Sea Scrolls have been discovered in recent times, only about eight or ten miles southward from Jericho!”
Joshua 2:17 And the men said unto her, We will be blameless of this thine oath which thou hast made us swear.
Joshua 2:18 Behold, when we come into the land, thou shalt bind this line of scarlet thread in the window which thou didst let us down by: and thou shalt bring thy father, and thy mother, and thy brethren, and all thy father’s household, home unto thee.
Joshua 2:19 And it shall be, that whosoever shall go out of the doors of thy house into the street, his blood shall be upon his head, and we will be guiltless: and whosoever shall be with thee in the house, his blood shall be on our head, if any hand be upon him.
Joshua 2:20 And if thou utter this our business, then we will be quit of thine oath which thou hast made us to swear.
Joshua 2:21 And she said, According unto your words, so be it. And she sent them away, and they departed: and she bound the scarlet line in the window.
Before leaving, the men made sure that Rahab understood their agreement. When they came to take possession of the land, she was to tie the same cord of scarlet that she was using to help them escape in the same window. She was responsible for seeing that her father, mother, and siblings were in her home. If any of them went outside her home, their death would be their own fault. If anyone in her house died, the men of Israel would be guilty of their death. If she didn’t keep quiet about their business, their agreement was null and void. Rahab readily agreed and sent them away. It sounds like she tied the scarlet cord in the window right after they left.
Principle: The LORD never turns anyone away that seeks His salvation through faith in His provision. This reminds me of the words of Jesus recorded by John.
John 6:37 “All that the Father giveth me shall come to me; and him that cometh to me I will in no wise cast out.”
Joshua 2:22 ¶ And they went, and came unto the mountain, and abode there three days, until the pursuers were returned: and the pursuers sought them throughout all the way, but found them not.
Joshua 2:23 So the two men returned, and descended from the mountain, and passed over, and came to Joshua the son of Nun, and told him all things that befell them:
Joshua 2:24 And they said unto Joshua, Truly the LORD hath delivered into our hands all the land; for even all the inhabitants of the country do faint because of us.
The two spies went to the mountain as Rahab had advised and stayed there for three days until the men hunting them had returned home. They then went down the mountain and reported back to Joshua, telling him everything that had happened. They delivered a report that was confident of victory. They reported that the LORD had caused all the inhabitants of the land to fear them.