This precisely describes why many fighting pornography or similar evil habits fall. The Hittite pantheon had about eighty gods in one peace treaty that included the natural elements; the mountains, the rivers, the springs, the great Sea, heaven and earth, the winds (and) the clouds let these be witness to this treaty and to the oath (Ancient Near Eastern Texts, by James Pritchard, p.205). The Bible, in contrast, is claimed by many believers to be infallible, inerrant and perfect. The man of blood and glory, he is the one sought out when someone is needed to throw himself into the fray, to push back or attack the enemy. Joshua's faith is unwavering as seen in the 7 Examples of Faith in Joshua's Life. It is always amazing to see how people act when they only know a small percentage of the facts. He is the archetypal of Christ the archetype. Why was the mountain angry? Of those spies, only Joshua and Caleb survived. which I would argue is also visible in ch. Lets now look at another point in verses 2-3. The words here used are interesting, The hearts of the people melted and became as water. This is the meltdown of faith. It is only in the midrashic literature that there is interest in Joshuas private life. Yehoshua and the sons of Israel saw the land, and enter the land and inherit it, as God promised to Avraham in , not before he circumcised them, Yehushua and the people of israel have to live with the concrete Israel, not with the dream of Israel and reality is sometimes rough. "From the land of Canaan," they replied. FREE ebook: Ancient Israel in Egypt and the Exodus. The incident of Achan and the defeat which followed (Joshua ch.7) were the fault of an individual, not of Joshua. The city of Ai was completely destroyed. It was not because they were in the right place or suddenly lost fortitude. Do we? c. angels Joshua had been Moses' right-hand man since his youth (Numbers 11:28), and his chief disciple; and was constantly found in the tent of Torah where Moses taught (Exodus 33:11), so as not to miss a single word of Moses' teaching. That said, Moses always has confidence in Joshua, and we do too. According to the legend, Joshua was then married. Too much destruction at every turn. Terrified, the people rise up with cries and lamentations against Moses and Aaron: If only we had died in the land of Egypt In vain, Joshua and Caleb try to reason with and to encourage the demoralized Israelites. It means that there was some clear rule that one crossed over or broken. We need you Lord. They look at the appearance. 7. It was a miracle that God's people were able to cross the Jordan. Probably. Try. Remember 36 men are now dead. the LORD" - Numbers 32:12. Their families are decimated. b. divine ones, superhuman beings including God and angels. Your email address will not be published. Knowing God's Voice 3.4 4. Moses also gave the name as an acknowledgment that all Joshua's future victories would depend on God fighting the battle for him. There can be no doubt that these figures in both accounts in Numbers are correct, but this would not square with some other historical data that are found in the account of the Exodus. God works a miracle, causing the sun to stop in the sky (10:13) and giving the Israelites more daylight to defeat the Amorites. The survival of the whole nation was suddenly threatened. Moses inspired Yehoshua with good eye, as Rashi says with both hands: and to summarize it: Moses and Yehoshua had different realities to cope with: Moses with the belief and Yehoshua with the notion. We make some pretty bad decisions when we are only partially informed. Insisting that they came on a long journey to pay respect for the power of God and the Israelites and wanted to be allowed to serve as servants. Revelation 19:11-16 Now I saw heaven opened, and behold, a white horse. "Joshua - Faithful Follower of God." Expand the kingdom of God by your power.. Perhaps he was one that was help getting things for the Lord. After the Hittite empire collapsed and was replaced by the Neo-Hittie city-states, the records of the Assyrian empire refer to the city-sate region of Carchemosh as the land of Hatti. Carchemosh was the origin of the monumental ruler sculptures that became a fixture in Neo-Hittite culture. You say that the two good report spies were from Judah and Benjamin, but that is false. But once your parents are gone, you despise them and their rules. It is interesting that, of the twelve spies sent by Moses from the twelve tribes, only the spies from the tribes of Benjamin and Judah bring back a positive report, and only those two spies are allowed to enter the Promised land. Ellis, E. Earle. The same can be said for its theology. The failure of Joshua was that he neglected to consult God and it caused a perplexing problem. But you make sure that the television is off and cooled down well before they return home. as scorning the waters of Shiloah which flow along gently (Isaiah 8:6). In Numbers 11:28-29 Joshua may have shown pride for a brief a. rulers, judges. It could have been a great tragedy, but he responded in a godly way. The Greek text clearly has the name (Iesous) which is the name of Jesus (kind of). An example are the human-animal hybrid type not unlike the Cheribum described in Ezekiel 10. That blindness leads to mistakes and in the end failure. So I just kept pursuing my course of life. Changes are not easy to make. What is interesting is that the ark of the covenant, carried by the priests, stood firm on dry ground in the midst of the Jordan while the people crossed. This may be a reference, however to a mythical creature in Hittite culture called the KAL which is the Hebrew word for all as in Genesis 1:31; And saw Elohim the All which he had made and behold it was good, exceedingly. The creature was represented as a stag, often with oversize antlers, and with its legs tapering down to a point and mounted on the tip of a scepter. I have had to make many. Dig into the illuminating world of the Bible with a BAS All-Access membership. Read an interview BAR Editor Hershel Shanks conducted with Elie Wiesel and Biblical scholar Frank Moore Cross, republished from BAR, July/August 2004 >>. And you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. And as a result of defeat, which is common, fear came upon the people. It is as if all that God did in the past is washed away with a wave. Now at the age of 120, he views the Promised Land from a distance and then dies atop Mount Nebo. They believe they are capable of discerning things by their own judgment. In exchange, legend gives her Joshua as bridegroom. In the Scriptures, his position is assured. Perhaps we are short on financial commitment or gifted workers. If so, we transgress. When Joshua chose to OBEY God, God was no longer angry with His people, and once again, God blessed them. 31:22, 23. Look at verse 13. You cannot stand in battle We see the seeds of self-confidence rather than confidence in God (faith) in verses 2-5. This is what is being taught here and it is a truth that every Christian must master. Blindness often accompanies self-confidence. God accomplished miracles for Joshua. The word ban literally means accursed. But the sons of Israel acted unfaithfully in regard to the things under the ban, for Achan, the son of Carmi, the son of Zabdi, the son of Zerah, from the tribe of Judah, took some of the things under the ban, therefore the anger of the LORD burned against the sons of Israel. The reason success leads to failure is that we again do not similarly lean upon the Lord as we did in the first place. Dont believe people when they say or insinuate that God in His perfect way is always loving and never angry or upset. Even Jesus said to ask and it will be given unto you.. Crossing of the Jordan River Bible Study Guide, Battle of Jericho Bible Story Study Guide, Scripture Readings for Ash Wednesday Through the First Week of Lent, Biography of Moses, Leader of the Abrahamic Religions. Be careful to obey all the law my servant Moses gave you; do not turn from it to the right or to the left, that you may be successful wherever you go. The ten make up an overwhelming majority, but it is the minority of two who carry the day. Learn Religions. While serving Moses, Joshua was also an attentive student, learning much from the great leader. Never would he disturb Moses in his solitude. Wiesel notes an immense sadness about Joshua in the Bible, a sadness caused perhaps by the noise and fury of Joshuas life. It does appear that this Joshua led an idealist youth (thus hope) when scripture says he never left the tabernacle (Exodus 33:11). They were confident that they could win the battle as they marched to Ai, but after only a few hours, they had lost all their faith. There is a clear rule which was broken. Fine Art Images / Heritage Images / Getty Images. Alleged Bible Contradictions Explained (DeHoff Publications). Or perhaps because we did it before, we think we know we can do it again. They played on their ego and sense of pride. the Soleb Inscription, Hatshepsuts mention of Hyksos being banished, and Amarna Tablets. Having fulfilled the mission that God and Moses had entrusted to him, Joshua retired and lived in the isolation of memory. He died alone and was buried in a place called Har gaasha kind of angry mountain, a sort of volcano. I) JOSHUA RELIED ON SELF TO MAKE DECISIONS. Joshua gives God the glory for their victories, Solomon asks God for wisdom instead of riches and long life, and ultimately Jesus humbles himself to become a servant. He is unfaithful. 6 When Joshua dismissed the people, the people of Israel went each to his inheritance to take possession of the land. He is at Moses side only when he is called. We do not see him asking the Lord about His solutions. See e.g. He provided a bold example for us to follow. Of course there are errors and mistakes in the Bible; the only people who deny the presence of errors and mistakes are those with a strong ideological commitment to a belief that the Bible is somehow infallible, inerrant, or perfect. Had Joshua sought God before the attack, he would have learned of the sin and been able to address it before the defeat! Joshua knows neither fear nor doubt. The first war fought by Israel after the depature from Egypt was against Amalek, whose memory the Lord promised to blot out from under heaven (Exodus 17:14). To a fundamentalist, this foreshadowing would be considered prophetic; to a scientific scholar, since the Torah received its FINAL edited form during the Exile, the story may have been altered to act as a lesson about doubting Gods promises. (2020, August 26). They had foolishly made a covenant with the enemy. The book of Joshua is not a simple work. seems too late a date, 1400-1450 B.C. The right response would be that we take the issue to the Lord in prayer and see what He says. He remained standing with the crowd. Joshua 10:34 - 35 The Israelite army leaves Lachish and journeys to Eglon. He will also have to exercise faith in Jehovah and prove to be courageous and strong.Deut. Clark, Gordon. Does that mean the Bible's accuracy is in question? Did you not tell us to go to this one place. The Death of Joshua. To read his book is to move forward into the ashes, among disfigured corpses. It could have been a great tragedy, but he responded in a godly way. Learn Religions, Aug. 26, 2020, learnreligions.com/joshua-faithful-follower-of-god-701167. They, on the same day they encamp around the city, attack it. Remember the command in 1 Peter 5:8 to cast your worries on Him because He cares for you. Israel's Bodies of Water; Israel's Natural Geography; 1948-1949 Map of Israel; Israel in the Time of Jesus; Map of Lower Galilee; Map of Upper Galilee; Map of Samaria; Map of Israel's N. Coast; Map of Israel's S. Coast; Map of Asia in Roman Times; 7 Churches of Revelation; Map of the Roman Empire; The Ancient Near East; Map of Philistine Cities . His personality is too dark, involved in too many battles, too many confrontations. That is ALL Joshua needs IS GODS remembrance of him. HE believed in the TRUE GOD. Leviticus 21. Anyone who believes God made the sun stand still in the sky is unbelievably ignorant or gullible. God was the victor and would reap the reward. And Moses said unto him, Artist Tissot, James Jacques Joseph (1836-1902). Of 12 spies sent to scout out Canaan, only Joshua and Caleb had confidence in God, and only those two survived the desert ordeal to enter the Promised Land. Joshua took seriously the Ten Commandments and ordered the people of Israel to live by them as well. Bible Review's Supporting Roles by Elie Wiesel. The words are here to let us undeniably know that the defeat did not come about because of incidental unwise battle plans or the such. The faith that comes and goes like the sun is only as good as long as one has it. He is the author "Hope for Hurting Singles: A Christian Guide to Overcoming Life's Challenges.". It was my way of filling the vacuum in the book of Joshua since the bulk of it apparently never happened. Trouble comes upon our lives because we have despised God. . He utilizes his faith during the dark times to guide Him closer to God and His truth. God was left out. Was He More than an Exodus Hero? But Moses, more humane and more generous than ever, rebukes him: Are you so concerned about my honor that you think you need to protect me? Joshua was a very different person from Moses. Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational. Unfortunately, he did not do so when the people of Gibeon entered into a deceptive peace treaty with Israel. The mature Christians faith continues to aid him through the darkest of times. We think we can handle this mission. Look at verse 12. I will not be with you any more unless Was it because of poor battle plans? (NIV). Copyright 2003-2022 | Outreach, Inc., All rights reserved. (Since the enemy knows how to use the Word of God for their own purposes, Gods people must keep alert). Scripture: Joshua 9:1-11:23, Joshua 9:1. Joshuas apparent rejection after the conquest of the land reminds me of the British public voting Churchill out of office after World War II . Joshua stated this special rule very clearly. Joshua 10, Joshua 10:12, Joshua 10:16-18, Joshua 10:28-11:23, Joshua 10:6-7, Joshua 11:8, Joshua 9, Joshua 9:1, Joshua 9:1-11:23, Unlock sermon series kits for every holiday of the year, 52-week preaching calendar to help you plan your sermons, Customizable sermon manuscripts for verse-by-verse preaching, Preach with creativity and impact throughout the year, An easy way to discover the key elements of faith, [Advent Series] Jesus is at the hear of it all, [Holiday Series] Strong churches stand together, [Christmas Eve] The night that changed the world. During the 40 years the Jewish people wandered in the wilderness, Joshua served as a faithful aide to Moses. M.A., English Composition, Illinois State University, B.S., English Literature, Illinois State University. Don't make the same mistake twice - One mistake was not counseling the Lord. Moses gave Hosea son of Nun his new name: Joshua (Yeshua in Hebrew), which means "the Lord is Salvation" or "Yahweh saves." Also, a loving God knew that not all of us would know Hebrew and the different translations. See Joshua 3:17. The prophet Moses has taken the lead. Thank you Herb. Relying upon ourselves to make decisions without consulting God will get us into trouble every time. When Moses sent 12 spies to scout the land of Canaan, only Joshua and Caleb, son of Jephunneh, believed the Israelites could conquer the land with God's help.