A few months ago I restarted my study (after an extended time focusing solely on the NT). I will not go through the entire OT with the same degree of attention that I gave the Pentateuch, but I still wanted to record a few of my observations here. So here goes Joshua:
1: The land is given to them, and Joshua has taken on Moses's authority in an explicit manner. God is with them, but they must obey the law, and this is laid on very heavy right from the start. God and man are in a partnership together. "Be strong and courageous" seems to be a new theme.
2: The people of the land fear the people of God, and rightly so, for God is creating circumstances to protect his people. Deal-making is highlighted, and Rahab the prostitute is quite an unlikely hero. What were the men doing in her house anyway - a fantastic sociological question at several levels.
3: Strongly focused on the miraculous sign of God's presence, in the Ark and in the crossing of the Jordan. Joshua, leading the people through the water, is once again like Moses.
4: The commemoration of God's great deeds in their history is heavily emphasized. Joshua is once again like Moses, with the people in awe of him.
5: Ritual is stressed heavily here, and connected to a broader obedience. Several transitions make clear that a new age is entered, and the Lord is with them in it.
6: God is in control, and the people trust God for the city's destruction. Rehab is remembered and the promise kept. A very violent passage, but in line with the reoccurring, "Trust in God, not in your own strength" message - it is not the people's violence that leads to victory, but God's strength.
7: For the first time in Joshua, Israel is disobedient. They fail, for the Lord is not with them. 36 people, mostly women and children, are killed for the disobedience of one man. God makes the purification process clear, and they execute the sinner and all his children to appease God.
8: God establishes that he is still in control. Even with planned strategy, the victory is God's. "Slaughtering" the people includes women and children. Ends with a focus on the law of Moses.
9: Gibeonites' cunning is somewhat rewarded, but they are cursed for saving their own lives. The Israelites' making of peace with them is contrary to God.
10: Once again, God is responsible for the victory. "Sun stood still" is an interesting phrase, showing a focus on the people's experience rather than the actual science (for the sun to remain in position in the sky, it is the Earth that would have to stop moving, not the sun...of course, stopping the Earth's rotation would be an incredibly violent force with repercussions across the globe...but once again, the passage is about the people's experience and has nothing to do with science, so it's pointless to try to go into all that).
11: Even an impossibly large army is no match for God. The focus is on utterly destroying everything.
12: Conquered kings and territory listed (though some of the list conflicts with later list in Judges).
13: An acknowledgement that more land remains to be conquered. The land east of the Jordan is described in full.
14: Land is distributed faithfully to the Levites and to Caleb, as it had earlier been proclaimed.
15: Judah's land is designated. Not all of the "foreigners" have been expelled.
16: Joseph's land designated, foreigners do forced labor.
17: More of Maneseh receives land, daughters of Zelophehad get their promise, Josephites ask for more.
18: Last 7 tribes lightly berated for slacking, Benjamin's land is designated.
19: Simeon, Zebuiun, Issachor, Asher, and Naphtali get land. Joshua is also given a town. Dan given land, but must later relocate.
20: Cities of refuge designated, a really interesting issue to focus on of all things. Hints at a vengeance culture which is being partially pushed back against.
21: Levites are given their towns, explicit mention made of land given to Israel and all God's promises coming to pass.
22: Eastern tribes go back to their land, promise future obedience. They set up a symbol of understanding with Western tribes which is initially misunderstood. Narrow rules around worship of God emphasized.
23: Acknowledgement that many years later, still not all non-Israelite tribes have been driven out. Call to continue that work, call to obedience. Mini blessing-and-curses passage similar to the one near the end of Moses's life.
24: A second closing summoning, but this message direct from God. Short history of Israel to this point, focus is on God rescuing them from enemies, and the call to obedience. People promise obedience despite strange warnings from Joshua. Ends with deaths and burials of Joshua and Eleazar, reminiscent yet again of Moses and Aaron.
Summary: Joshua is tied together with very clear and simple themes that permeate the entire book. They are:
Israel has been given the land
God is in control and Israel's trust should be placed in Him
God asks for obedience and worship
Joshua is a type of Moses
Non-Israelites must be eliminated or driven out, but not all are
1: The land is given to them, and Joshua has taken on Moses's authority in an explicit manner. God is with them, but they must obey the law, and this is laid on very heavy right from the start. God and man are in a partnership together. "Be strong and courageous" seems to be a new theme.
2: The people of the land fear the people of God, and rightly so, for God is creating circumstances to protect his people. Deal-making is highlighted, and Rahab the prostitute is quite an unlikely hero. What were the men doing in her house anyway - a fantastic sociological question at several levels.
3: Strongly focused on the miraculous sign of God's presence, in the Ark and in the crossing of the Jordan. Joshua, leading the people through the water, is once again like Moses.
4: The commemoration of God's great deeds in their history is heavily emphasized. Joshua is once again like Moses, with the people in awe of him.
5: Ritual is stressed heavily here, and connected to a broader obedience. Several transitions make clear that a new age is entered, and the Lord is with them in it.
6: God is in control, and the people trust God for the city's destruction. Rehab is remembered and the promise kept. A very violent passage, but in line with the reoccurring, "Trust in God, not in your own strength" message - it is not the people's violence that leads to victory, but God's strength.
7: For the first time in Joshua, Israel is disobedient. They fail, for the Lord is not with them. 36 people, mostly women and children, are killed for the disobedience of one man. God makes the purification process clear, and they execute the sinner and all his children to appease God.
8: God establishes that he is still in control. Even with planned strategy, the victory is God's. "Slaughtering" the people includes women and children. Ends with a focus on the law of Moses.
9: Gibeonites' cunning is somewhat rewarded, but they are cursed for saving their own lives. The Israelites' making of peace with them is contrary to God.
10: Once again, God is responsible for the victory. "Sun stood still" is an interesting phrase, showing a focus on the people's experience rather than the actual science (for the sun to remain in position in the sky, it is the Earth that would have to stop moving, not the sun...of course, stopping the Earth's rotation would be an incredibly violent force with repercussions across the globe...but once again, the passage is about the people's experience and has nothing to do with science, so it's pointless to try to go into all that).
11: Even an impossibly large army is no match for God. The focus is on utterly destroying everything.
12: Conquered kings and territory listed (though some of the list conflicts with later list in Judges).
13: An acknowledgement that more land remains to be conquered. The land east of the Jordan is described in full.
14: Land is distributed faithfully to the Levites and to Caleb, as it had earlier been proclaimed.
15: Judah's land is designated. Not all of the "foreigners" have been expelled.
16: Joseph's land designated, foreigners do forced labor.
17: More of Maneseh receives land, daughters of Zelophehad get their promise, Josephites ask for more.
18: Last 7 tribes lightly berated for slacking, Benjamin's land is designated.
19: Simeon, Zebuiun, Issachor, Asher, and Naphtali get land. Joshua is also given a town. Dan given land, but must later relocate.
20: Cities of refuge designated, a really interesting issue to focus on of all things. Hints at a vengeance culture which is being partially pushed back against.
21: Levites are given their towns, explicit mention made of land given to Israel and all God's promises coming to pass.
22: Eastern tribes go back to their land, promise future obedience. They set up a symbol of understanding with Western tribes which is initially misunderstood. Narrow rules around worship of God emphasized.
23: Acknowledgement that many years later, still not all non-Israelite tribes have been driven out. Call to continue that work, call to obedience. Mini blessing-and-curses passage similar to the one near the end of Moses's life.
24: A second closing summoning, but this message direct from God. Short history of Israel to this point, focus is on God rescuing them from enemies, and the call to obedience. People promise obedience despite strange warnings from Joshua. Ends with deaths and burials of Joshua and Eleazar, reminiscent yet again of Moses and Aaron.
Summary: Joshua is tied together with very clear and simple themes that permeate the entire book. They are:
Israel has been given the land
God is in control and Israel's trust should be placed in Him
God asks for obedience and worship
Joshua is a type of Moses
Non-Israelites must be eliminated or driven out, but not all are
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