Introduction to the Book of Joshua -- Joyful Heart Ministries

Introduction to the
Book of Joshua

by Dr. Ralph F. Wilson

The Book of Joshua is the sixth book in the Bible, and covers the period from the death of Moses to the Conquest of the Promised Land under the leadership of Joshua. While the history is interesting in its own right, we are looking particularly at the lessons of faith taught in the book. It is the faith of people like Joshua, Rahab, and Caleb that I want to learn and emulate. At age eighty-five, Caleb, one of the original 12 spies of Canaan asked for the hill country around the walled city of Hebron to be his inheritance and Joshua granted it to him. "Give me this mountain," he said, and proceeded to take it from its giant inhabitants that had caused the Israelites to fear forty years before. I want that kind of bold faith. Joshua is faith-food for believers.

Title

The book is named after its chief character Joshua, Moses' successor. Joshua's name means "the Lord is Salvation." Centuries later Jesus was given the same name. Another form of the name is Hoshea, the name of one of the prophets whose prophecy is found in the book of Hosea.

Historical Background

Scholars debate the dates of the Exodus and the Conquest. You'll find skeptics who see these as little more than myths, hence Christianity Today's recent defense in their September 7, 1998 issue, "Did the Exodus Never Happen?" by Kevin D. Miller (http://www2.christianity.net/ct/8TA/8TA044.html). Among those of us who believe there is plenty of good evidence -- beginning with the Bible itself -- there is discussion about the "early date" of the Conquest (c. 1400 BC) vs. the "late date" (1250 BC). The key questions for dating are the interpretation of 1 Kings 6:1; Judges 11:26; and Exodus 12:20. You can find the issues discussed in a Bible dictionary under some topic such as "Old Testament Chronology." I would favor an earlier date for the Conquest. I also believe that the book of Joshua accurately reflects the historical events it represents -- even the miracles. Of course, we must judge it by the historical standards and methods of its own time, not ours.

Authorship and Date

There has been much debate about the author and date. The book contains several references which indicate that it was written not too long after the events. For example, the 12 memorial stones to commemorate the crossing of the Jordan "are there to this day" (4:9; see also 7:26; 8:28; 10:27), so perhaps these events were recorded within one or two hundred years, and perhaps sooner, we just don't know. Nor do we know the author, and none is mentioned in the text. The book of Joshua has been accepted as part of the Jewish and Christian canons from earliest times.

Studying Joshua

I recommend that you read the book in two or three sittings to get an idea of the whole span of the Conquest. Read it with a Bible atlas open or the maps in the back of your Bible handy, since you'll find it more interesting if you can follow what's going on geographically. Then go back and study in some detail the passages we've outlined for the study. We'll be skipping part of the book, but hitting some of the high points, especially those points where we can learn important faith lessons.

You'll find questions at the beginning of each lesson to guide you in your thinking and meditation. We'll be discussing those via e-mail discussion group, though we'll also make a bulletin board and a chat room available to discuss certain issues.

You might consider memorizing some of the key verses of Joshua during the study. Print them on cards and tape them to the mirror to help you remember. Plan to come out spiritually richer than when you began. Some of the memorable verses in the book include: 1:8-10; 5:14; 14:12; 23:14; and 24:15. You'll probably find some of your own favorites.

Prayer

Our Father. We ask you to instruct us as we study, read, meditate, and discuss. Change our lives and thinking so that we might become, through faith, all you want us to be. In Jesus' name we pray. Amen.

Resources

You can find several commentaries on Joshua. Some of the more accessible conservative commentaries are:

Joshua: An Introduction and Commentary (Tyndale Old Testament Commentaries), by Richard S. Hess (InterVarsity Press, softcover). I've found commentaries in this series sound, helpful, relatively inexpensive, and not too technical to understand. Helpful for both laypeople and pastors. Recommended.
Book of Joshua (New International Commentary on the Old Testament) by Marten H. Woudstra (Eerdmans, 1984, hardcover). A solid commentary on Joshua by an evangelical scholar from Calvin College. I am using this with profit.
Joshua (Word Biblical Commentary), by Trent C. Butler (Word Books, 1995, hardcover). This series is more technical, and may be helpful for pastors who know some Hebrew.
Be Strong (Joshua, in the "Be" Series), by Warren W. Wiersbe (Victor Books, 1993, softcover). Not a commentary, per se, but an inexpensive exposition on the text. Wiersbe always has helpful insights.

Each of these may be purchased for about 20%-30% discount directly through the links above from Amazon.com. We list other Old Testament reference works that can be purchased at http://www.joyfulheart.com/books/study-fr.htm. I have purchased a number of books from Amazon, and have found their customer service excellent. Note: We earn about 15% commission on the books you purchase from a direct link to Amazon from this page.