By way of an INTRODUCTION.
“ ‘It
is not so much what you study: the question is, With whom you study.’ Such was the
counsel given by Ralph Waldo Emerson
to his daughter when she was leaving home to attend a famous school. In this he rightly estimated the value of the
personal element in the make up of the teacher.
“Never man spake like this Man,” was the testimony given regarding Him who “taught with authority.” Was it not that the uniqueness of His teaching came largely from the strength and beauty of
the personality of the Teacher? His teaching was Himself. He was “the Word made flesh” – truth personified” …
“I have a motto printed on a card hanging in my room which
reads thus:- God First. ‘In the beginning of the year, God.
In the beginning of every Christian activity, God. In the beginning of each
day, God.’ It is a constant and helpful reminder to me
of the proper order of things, of the importance of remembering the highest
things first, of the necessity of putting eternal [and millennial*] virtues before everything else.”
[* God is the only channel through which the pastor’s influence and
helpfulness must reach the pupils in His school; and if God’s responsibility truths and conditional promises are being neglected
or dammed up, He will either replace
the teacher, block his work, or cause an overflow of divine truth to emerge that
will swamp the school. God’s grace and truth will create a
divine atmosphere in the school, and its acceptance or rejection will determine
whether each individual member will be “hot”
with spirituality, obedience and devotion, or “cold”
with indifference and worldliness, (Rev. 3:15):
and let us not forget the Man Christ
Jesus - (our Saviour and Lord) - who sees all, knows all, is
everywhere present; and who will pass judgment and determine the position
of each saved soul in the age to come.]
God holds His pastors, elders, and deacons responsible for His Church’s organisation,
discipline, growth and for the character of teaching done. In short, it is in their hands to make or
mar the school, to make it ‘a soul-saving or a
soul-harrowing institution’. A position like that needs to be filled with great care.
While
we are saying so much about teacher training and pastoral leadership, let us
not forget about the “Prize” to be
won (1 Cor. 9: 24),
and the “Crown” which can
be lost (Rev. 2: 11); and the MAN who is now seated in a heavenly
position - the Righteous Judge - of who will decide who the recipients of “the recompense of the inheritance” (Col. 3: 24, 25), will be on that “Day”, (2 Peter 3: 8.).]
-------
Lesson 1.
Joshua:
LESSON INTRODUCTION
Golden Text
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.”
Bible
Monday - Joshua 1: 1-11.
Tuesday – Joshua 1: 12-18.
Wednesday
– Numbers 27: 15-23.
Thursday – Deuteronomy 17:
14-20.
Friday – Joshua 8: 30-35.
Saturday, Proverbs 3: 1-10.
Sunday
(Lord’s day) – 1 John 2:
1-8.
Time
B.C. 1451, according to our Bible margin, directly
after the last lesson, forty years after the Exodus.
Place
The plain of the
Connection
Moses
had been laid to rest, but the purposes of God will not fail of their
accomplishment. No man is
indispensable. Hence we can read on
without a break from Deuteronomy into Joshua.
The story goes from the lonely [unmarked] grave to the bustling camp and the new leader. “Moses, my servant,
is dead; now therefore arise, go over this Jordan, thou and all
this people.”
It
is worth while to pause here for a moment and inquire who and what manner of
man this was who took the place of the great leader, and henceforth filled so
large a place in the history of the chosen people.
Joshua
In
tracing their pedigree the Jews usually counted back to the son of Jacob who
was the head of their tribe. To Joshua
it must have been no small gratification to know that he was sprung from so
good and so great a man as Joseph;
and then from Ephraim. Joseph’s son, whom the dying Jacob so expressly placed before the
other as heir of the richer blessing
(1 Chronicles 7: 20-27). From Numbers 1:
10 and 2: 18 we learn that Elishama was the captain or head of the
tribe. He was the man of the tribe who
was, according to the Divine direction, to stand with Moses (2: 18), and he is called the captain of the sons
of Ephraim. In Numbers
2: 19 it is stated that the great tribe of Ephraim consisted of no fewer
than forty thousand and five hundred. At
the head of this vast multitude Elishama would march with Nun, his son, and Joshua,
his grandson, at his side. To this tribe
on the march in all likelihood would be entrusted the bones of Joseph (Exodus 13: 19), which were never lost sight of in
their wanderings until they were solemnly deposited in the last resting-place
at Shechem (Joshua 24: 32).
The
coffin containing the embalmed body of his great ancestor would naturally be regarded
as something supremely sacred by the youthful Joshua, and it can hardly have failed to fire his enthusiasm for righteousness, and
to create within his ardent soul the determination that he would follow in the
footsteps of a servant of God so eminent and so honoured. The patriarch’s bones journeying, according
to directions given by himself, with the host was a powerful stimulus to faith in the
future of the people. In Hebrews 11: 22 it is set down as proof of the
patriarch’s own faith. Could the life be
better spent than in the service of a people to whom so great a destiny was
assured? Under such conditions, then,
the early days of Joshua were spent; and we shall be better able to understand
the man’s lofty patriotism, invincible faith, and absolute devotion to the
service of God and his fellows when we have some knowledge of the circumstances
which went to the making of him.
It
is evident that Moses, who must, from his large experience, have been a very
good judge of character, detected some special qualities in Joshua – a
disposition more congenial to his own than that of either the father or the
grandfather. In no other way can we
account for the extraordinary mark of confidence which he received from Moses
when, from all the thousands of
For
some eight-and-thirty years we hear nothing more of Joshua. “Like Moses, he had
an interesting youth, then a long burial
in the wilderness, and then he emerges from his obscurity and does a great
work, second only to that of Moses himself.” The next mention of him after this long
eclipse is immediately before the death of Moses. God virtually appoints him then to be Moses’
successor, and commands both of them to present themselves in the tabernacle of
the congregation (Deuteronomy 31: 14). Moses then calls him to office and gives him
a charge (verse 23). We should like to know how these
eight-and-thirty years were spent; what fresh influences he came under, what
doughty deeds he performed, what further preparation he received for his [latter] life’s
work. But here, as in the case of other
eminent servants of God, knowledge is denied us. Joshua was one of the great military heroes
of the faith; and in singleness of purpose, self-sacrificing devotion to duty,
and lofty patriotism, he is not excelled by the very greatest.
Joshua
died at the age of one hundred and ten years (Judges
2: 8; Joshua 24: 29). It is said
that he was 27 years in
The Book of Joshua consists mainly of two parts – one historical, the
other geographical. There are
twenty-four chapters in the book, of which the first twelve make up the history
of
The
book forms the necessary supplement to the completion of the Pentateuch. In Genesis 12: 7,
etc., God had promised the land to Abraham* and
his descendants; and this book records the fulfilment of the promises [in part* and] gives an account of the entrance and settlement in
the land.
[*
Note. When comparing Acts 7: 7b
with Acts 7: 4, 5: “God
removed him (‘our father Abraham’) into this land, … and he gave him none inheritance
in it, no, not so much as to set his foot on: and he promised that he
would give it to him in possession, and to his seed after him…”. Here we discover that the earthly ‘inheritance’ promised to Abraham in the
The
loss of the that inheritance - for wilful sin and disobedience (Heb. 10: 26-30) - is stated by the LORD Himself to disobedient and redeemed
family members:- “…but in very deed, as I live, and as all the earth shall be
filled with the glory of the Lord: because all those men which
have seen my glory, and my signs, which I wrought in Egypt and in the
wilderness, yet have tempted me these ten times, and have not hearkened to my
voice; surely they shall not see the land which
I sware unto their fathers, neither shall any of them that despised
me see it…” (Num. 14: 21-23,
R.V.) See also Gal.
5: 19-21; Eph. 5: 5.]
Lesson Analysis.
TOPIC. –
Conditions essential to a useful life.
1.
DIVINE DIRECTION – verses 1-9.
(a) Difficulties in the way – verse
2.
(b) Ample provision promised – verses 3 & 4.
(c) Victory assured – verse
5.
(d) Courage needed –6
& 7.
(e) Meditation enjoined – verse 8.
2. OBEDIENCE – verses 10 & 11, involving
(a) Foresight – verse 11.
(b) Faith - verse 11.
Lesson:- Revised Version.
Joshua 1: 1
Now it came to pass after the death of Moses the servant of the Lord, that the
Lord spake unto Joshua the son of Nun, Moses’ minister, saying, 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. 3
Every place that the sole of your foot shall tread upon, to you have I given
it, as I spake unto Moses. 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 border. 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. 6 Be
strong, and of good courage: for thou shalt cause this people to inherit the
land which I sware unto their fathers to give them. 7
Only be strong and very courageous, to 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 have good success whithersoever thou goest. 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. 9
Have not I commanded thee? Be strong and
of good courage; be not affrighted, neither be thou dismayed: for the Lord thy
God is with thee whithersoever thou goest.
10
Then Joshua commanded the officers of the people, saying, 11
Pass through the midst of the camp, and commanded the people, saying, Prepare
you victuals; for within three days ye are to pass over this Jordan, to go in
to possess the land, which the Lord your God giveth you to possess it.
Lesson Notes.
Verse
1. Moses
… the servant of the Lord. This is the most noble title which any man can receive. It originally implies the position of a
slave, whether born in the house or bought with money (Leviticus
25: 39; Genesis 9: 25). It is
applied to David, the prophets, the Messiah, etc., and very frequently to
Moses. His position as the household
servant of the Most High, His steward and representative, ruling over the
family, renders the application of the title to him specially
appropriate.
Joshua
the son of Nun. Joshua’s name was originally Hoshea, and
meant simply salvation, or deliverance; but it was changed,
either when he entered into Moses’ service, or when about to fight the
Amalakites, into Jehoshua. “Je” stands for Jehovah; hence the name means, “Jehovah is salvation,” or “Jehovah
will save.” In the form of Joshua
it is the same as Jesus – Acts 7: 45, and Hebrews 4: 8.
It was a common name in latter times, as Colossians
4: 11, Acts 13: 6 will serve to show.
Moses’
Minister. This word is principally used of service in
the house of God. Thus it is used by Aaron
and his sons (Exodus 28: 43), and of Samuel
(1 Samuel 2: 11). Joshua was the intimate attendant of Moses.
Verse
2. Now therefore arise,
go over this
Verse
3. Every
place that the sole of your foot shall tread upon. These words
are a quotation, almost word for word, from Deuteronomy
11: 24. It was God’s purpose that
the whole land should belong to the children of
Verse
4. From the wilderness and this
The
wilderness. This means the
[* Compare Psalm 95: 7-11
and 1 Corinthians 10: 1-11, with Hebrews 4: 11 and Num.
14: 20-23.]
The Great River, the river
Euphrates, was the eastern boundary.
The Great Sea, the
Verse
6. There shall not any
man be able to stand before thee … as I was with
Moses, so I will be with thee. This is the ground of Joshua’s
confidence. He was a smaller man than
Moses, but the God who gave Moses so much success is still the same, and is his
God also.
Verse
8. The
book of the law. The law which God had given them, and which
was embodied in a written document when the book of Joshua was written. How much of the Pentateuch was included in
the book we do not know, but that some part of it was is beyond dispute.
Thou shalt meditate therein. The word for
meditate is the one used in Psalm 1: 2, and
suggests a deep, dull mode of utterance, hovering, as it were, between within and
without; the quiet soliloquy of one who is searching and meditating.
Verse
10. Then Joshua commanded the officers of the people. Different
ideas have been entertained as to the duties of these officers. Probably their business originally was to keep
records, and it is likely that they exercised some kind of judical functions as
well.
Verse
11. Prepare you victuals; literally, game; the term being applied to meat
obtained by hunting. Thus it is supplied
to Esau’s venison in Genesis 27. Here it means food of any kind, but
especially animal food. It is evident
that the miraculous supply of manna was soon to cease.
Lesson Suggestions
(1) No person is indispensable. We sometimes think that when the greatest
leader falls the work will come to a standstill; that another big enough to
take his place will not be found. When
we reason in this way we leave God out of our calculations. The tools are changed, and in the changing of
them there may be some interruption of the work; but the Master-hand is still
the same, and He will take care that there be no loss. “Moses, my servant, is dead.” What then?
Abandon the enterprise? No. “Now therefore arise and go over this Jordan, thou and all this people.”
In Westminster Abbey is a
small tablet containing the medallion portraits of the Wesleys combined together, and
underneath is the inscription, “God buries the worker,
but carries on the work.” When we feel disposed to magnify our own
little selves and to place a corresponding value on our work, it would be well
for us to take this truth home to our hearts. Others will be found to step in and take our
place, and the work will be going on when we are quite forgotten.
(2) God graduates the burden to the
strength of the bearer. Joshua was a much smaller man than
Moses. Moses was the teacher, Joshua the
pupil. Moses was the hero, Joshua the
hero-worshipper. But Moses’ work was not
expected from Joshua. A wind-swept sea
at midnight, with the fearful sound of a marching host fast appearing, was not
too much for Moses; a river in flood between harvest fields was enough for
Joshua. It was no doubt a difficult task
to lead the multitude across the river, but it was a small affair when compared
with the crossing of the
(3) There is a great difference between [a conditional]
promise and possession. A thing promised is not therefore possessed [without
its accompanying obedience to “to observe to do”.] The whole land
was [initially] promised to [all of] the people [when
they left
(4) We ought to make the law of God - [See The
Sermon on the Mount (Matt. 5-7)] - our constant companion. Joshua was commanded to meditate on the “book of the law”
day and night. We should make earnest
efforts to acquire a [correct interpretation and] knowledge of God’s Word. Let us be sure that no other possession will
prove so valuable. They are best guided
whom God guides, and God guides those
who love and follow the teaching of His Word.
(5) God’s promises do not free us
from the necessity of using foresight and discretion. The people could count on the supply of every
need, nevertheless Joshua commanded them to
look ahead and prepare victuals [spiritual
food, i.e., a mature knowledge of God’s Word] for the journey.
They could do this, and therefore they
were expected to do. “God helps those
who help themselves.”
Lesson Questions.
1. Who was the successor of Moses?
2. Why was Moses not allowed
to lead the people into the promised land? 3.
From what great patriarch was Joshua sprung?
4. To what tribe did he
belong? 5. Name his father and grandfather.
6. What precious relic may we
believe accompanied the tribe of Ephraim on the journey? 7.
Of what does the author of the Epistle to the Hebrews regard Joshua’s
commandment concerning his bones as an evidence? 8.
In what great battle was Joshua leader? 9. Name some special marks of favour
which he received after this? 10. Of what other great man does Joshua
remind us? 11. How many chapters are in the book of Joshua, and how may the
book be divided? 12. What age was Joshua at the Exodus, when he led the people into
the promised land, and when he died? 13.
Name the boundaries of the promised land? 14.
What does the name Joshua mean?
* *
* * *
* *
Lesson 2
Joshua 3: 5-17.
Read Joshua 2-4. Commit verse 17.
LESSON INTRODUCTION
GOLDEN TEXT.
Psalm 107: 7. – “And he led them also by a straight way,
that
they might go up to a city of habitation.”
Bible
Monday -
Joshua 3: 5-17.
Tuesday, -
Joshua 4: 1-11.
Wednesday,
-
Joshua 4: 12-24.
Thursday,
- 2 Kings 2: 1-14.
Friday,
-
Psalm 114.
Saturday
[the Sabbath],
-
Psalm 78: 1-8.
Sunday,
- [the first day of the new week] Isaiah 43: 1-13.
TIME
The
PLACE
At
Abel Shittim, near the fords of the
CONNECTION
After
Joshua had been duly installed as leader in succession to Moses, he commanded
the people, through the officers, to make provision for passing over the river
“within three
days.” He then turned his
attention to the conquest which the crossing would involve; and, realising that
it would require the services of every available man, he proceeded to address
the two and a half tribes – the Rubenites, the Gadites, and half the tribe of
Manasseh (chapter 1: 12-18).
From
Numbers 32 we learn that when on the march,
under Moses, the lands of Sihon and Og were reached, these tribes made the
request that they might be allowed to settle there and not cross the Jordan
with their brethren, owing to the suitableness of these lands for their
abundant flocks and herds. Their request
was granted on condition that they would
cross with their brethren and help in the war; this being successfully
ended, they could return and settle in the lands of their choice. Happily they were honourable men; Joshua had
only to remind them of the arrangement.
Not only did they express their readiness to keep the word they had
given, but they declared that the man
who would not yield obedience to Joshua should be put to death.
These
faithful people furnish a perpetual lesson for all who,
having made a promise under pressure are tempted to recede from it when the
pressure has been withdrawn. Fidelity to engagements is a noble quality,
just as laxity in regard to them is a miserable sin. In the 15th. Psalm we have a portrait of the man who is to abide in God’s tabernacle and dwell in His
holy place; and, among other things, we are told that he “sweareth to his hurt and changeth
not.”
According
to chapter
4: 13 there were only about forty thousand men belonging to the two
and a half tribes who crossed the Jordan to take part in the war; whereas,
according to Numbers
26: 7, 18, 34, there were over one hundred and ten thousand
(110,580) in these tribes who were able to carry arms. Hence over seventy thousand must have
remained behind to protect the women and children, flocks and herds.
Knowing
well that the promise of God does not preclude the necessity for human effort,
Joshua, now proceeds to do what was possible on his part to secure the success
of the enterprise. He had been a spy himself, hence it was natural that he should think of this
method of finding out the kind of the country, now that they were on the eve of
making the entrance into it, which they should have made forty years
before. The experiences of the two
courageous men who were chosen for this dangerous
mission, and their dealings with Rahab
the harlot, are fully set forth in chapter 2.
When
the reassuring report (2: 23, 24) has been received, Joshua proceeds
to complete the arrangements for crossing the river at once; and it is with the crossing of the river that
to-day’s lesson deals.
Lesson Plan.
(1) Commandment received – verses 7, 8.
(2) Commandment rehearsed – verses 9-13.
(3) Obedience rendered – verses 14, 15.
(4) Promise verified – verse 16.
(5) Possession attained – verse 17.
Lesson:- Revised Version.
Joshua 3: 5 And Joshua said unto the people, Sanctify yourselves: for
to-morrow the Lord will do wonders among you.
6 And Joshua spake unto the
priests, saying, Take up the ark of this covenant, and pass over before the
people. And they took up the ark of the covenant, and went before the people. 7 And
the Lord said unto Joshua, This day will I begin to magnify thee in the sight
of all
9
And Joshua said unto the children of
Lesson Notes
Verses 5, 6 PREPARATION.
Verse 5. Sanctify yourselves. The form of
the verb used here is frequently employed to donate ceremonial purification (Exod. 19: 22; 1 Chron. 15: 12-14; 2
Chron. 5: 11).
We may conclude, however, that the sanctification enjoined on this
occasion was not of this outward kind, because for the performance of the
elaborate ceremonies prescribed there would not have been sufficient time. Rather, we think, it consisted of spiritual
purification, i.e,
in turning the heart to God, in faith
and trust in His promise and in willing obedience to His commandments.
Wonders, or rather Miracles. The verb from which the word comes means to
remove, separate, distinguish. The people might expect to see things on the
morrow different from the ordinary course of God’s providence.
Verse
6. And Joshua spake unto the
priests. This shows
that the occasion was an extraordinary one.
On ordinary occasions this was the duty of the Kohathites
(Num. 4: 15).
And they took up the Ark of the covenant. The symbol of God’s
presence and His covenant promise, as
well as their covenant of obedience. There was no longer the pillar of fire to
guide them – that was a wilderness symbol of God’s presence, now superseded by
a more permanent symbol – the
Went before
the people. There was to
be a space of 2,000 cubits, or nearly three-quarters of a mile, between the
Verses 7, 8. GOD’S COMMAND.
Verse
7. To-day will I begin to magnify thee. This miraculous guidance of the people through the
Verses 9-13. JOSHUA’S REPETITION OF
GOD’S COMMAND.
Verse
10. The living God. By the following
announcement the people will learn that there is a living God in the midst of
them. They have not with them some idol
of wood or stone, but the living God, who
shows by His acts that their faith in Him is not vain. The phrase is very commonly applied to God in
the Old Testament.
The
Canaanites. The descendants of
The Hitites. They were the
descendants of Heth (Gen.
10: 15).
The Hivites. The name of
this tribe is not found in the first enumeration of the nations of Canaan (Gen. 15: 19-21); but we find the name in the list
of
The Perizzites. “The word Perizzite signifies
countrymen, as distinguished from the dwellers in houses.” It is generally thought that the reason why
their name is omitted in Gen. 10 and 1 Chron. 1 may be that
they were of no particular tribe, but were a collection of men from every tribe
engaged in agriculture.
The Girgashites. They are
mentioned in Joshua 24: 11; Gen. 15: 21; Deuter. 7: 1. They were no doubt a small tribe inhabiting,
it has been supposed, the country of Geresa, or Gerasa (Matt. 8: 28),
upon the
The Amorites. These were the most powerful of the Canaanitish peoples (see Amos
2: 9). They not only inhabited
the mountains (Num. 13: 29; Joshua 11: 3),
but crossed over
The
Jebusites. The highlands
round about
Verse 11 The Lord of all
the earth. This description of Jehovah as “Lord of all the
earth” is repeated in verse 13, and it is no doubt for strengthening the
confidence of the people in the Omnipotence of the Lord. He was about to prove Himself “Lord of all the
earth” by the mighty miracles He would perform for the establishment
of the Israelites in the land of promise.
Verse
12. Take you
twelve men. If a modern writer was describing the event,
he would say that the nation received the democratic constitution. Every tribe was allowed a share, for every
tribe was commanded to send a man, and the selection rested with the
people. The twelve picked men were to
take each man a stone, presumably as big as he could carry, and the stones were
to be placed on the spot where the host lodged the first night after reaching
the Promised Land. The heap of stones
was to stand as a memorial of the miraculous deliverance. It would necessarily be a rough,
un-pretentious, un-ornamental structure, unlike the proud temples and great
pyramids of
Verse
13. The waters of
the
14-17.
THE FACT RECORDRD
Verse
15. For
Lesson Suggestions
(1) We should put away everything which
tends to obscure our vision of God. There
was to be a clear space between the people and the
(2) If we would see and experience the
wonders of God’s grace we must cultivate the pure heart and the expectant
disposition. The Lord
was to do wonders on the morrow, and the people were commanded to sanctify
themselves. When Joseph was summoned and they brought him hastily out of the
dungeon, he shaved himself and changed his raiment, and came in unto Pharaoh. The poorest subject in the realm would wear
his best and try to look his best in the presence of the sovereign. And can we believe that our approach to God
will bring us any benefit if we rush into His presence without expectation and with
evil thoughts occupying our minds? But
indeed when in this condition we do not enter the presence of the Eternal at
all; we only drag our unwilling bodies to the place where He has promised to
meet with His people. That is the real
explanation of how people can attend church Sabbath after Sabbath [i.e.,
Sunday after Sunday – always remember the ‘Sabbath’ is Saturday] and not feel that they are getting any real
good. They do not expect anything; and
they never think of making a serious effort to cast out all evil thoughts from
their minds. The same is true of our
study of God’s Word. We should expect to
hear God’s voice. Let us be sure that we shall not see God’s wonderful works if we do
not sanctify ourselves. Matt. 5: 8; Ps. 5: 5.
(3) We cannot tell how great things God
will do for us and through us if we only consecrate our lives to His
service. Joshua was to see great things that day, but these
things were only the beginning of all that God would accomplish through
him. “This day will I begin to magnify thee.” When Moses reached the end of his life and
reflected on all God’s goodness, he cried – “O Lord God, thou hast begun.” Joshua had hearkened to all that God had
said; in every detail he had obeyed,
and now he has the promise of favours
great as the God who gave the promise.
We cannot all be Joshuas, but we can all devote ourselves to God’s
service as he did, and then rest assured that God will “magnify” us. We cannot tell how great in point of
usefulness our lives here may be, and we cannot conceive what awaits us
beyond. We never see more than the
beginning.
(4) If we trust and obey, God
will remove obstacles from our path; will enable us to accomplish the seemingly
impossible. He assured them He would drive out the Canaanites, the
Hittites, etc. Then He commanded the people
to march into the river when it was in flood.
They obeyed, and He saw to the making of the passage. We need not be afraid to face the seemingly
impossible when we know that we have the living God behind us. “The things which are impossible with men are possible with
God.” Luke 18: 27. “All things are
possible to him that believeth.”
Mark 9: 23.
Lesson Questions
1. Name the two and a half tribes who did not settle beyond
* *
* * *
* *
Lesson 3.
The Capture of Jerico
Joshua 6: 8-20
Read Joshua 5-8. Commit verse 20.
LESSON INTRODUCTION
Golden Text.
Hebrews 11: 30. – “By faith the walls of
after they had been compassed about for seven days.”
Bible
Monday,
- Joshua
5: 10-15.
Tuesday, -
Joshua 6: 1-8.
Wednesday, -
Joshua 6: 9-20.
Thursday,
- 2
Chronicles 20: 14-24.
Friday, - Deuteronomy
7: 1-11.
Saturday, -
2 Corinthians 10: 1-6.
Sunday,
- Isaiah
25.
TIME.- B.C. 1451, according to the margin of our Bible.
PLACE.- Gilgal and
CONNECTION.
– After crossing the river, the people
encamped at Gilgal, on the eastern border of the
The
most immediate duty which devolved upon him in this respect was to perform the
rite of circumcision upon the generation that had been born in the wilderness,
and had grown up without circumcision, so that the whole congregation might be
able to keep the Passover, which was to be celebrated in a few days, in the
manner prescribed by the law (see chapter 5: 2-9). This act of circumcision was regarded as the
removal of a reproach which had long rested on the people. This we are not to regard as the miseries of
the Egyptian bondage, or the still further miseries the people had suffered
during the journey, but the reproach involved in the thoughts and sayings of
the Egyptians, that Jehovah had brought the people out of Egypt to destroy them
in the wilderness (see Exodus 32: 12; Numbers 14:
13-16; Deuteronomy 9: 28). But
now since the rite which declared them to be God’s covenant people had been
renewed, the heathen could no longer fling this taunt at them; they called the
place at which the rite was observed Gilgal, because
the reproach of
The
instructions for the possession round the city are now given, and promptly
obeyed. First came
the armed men: then seven white-robed priests blowing upon their rams’ horn
trumpets; then the
Lesson Analysis.
TOPIC.- Faith’s
Triumph – Hebrews 11: 30.
FAITH TRIED.
(a)
A seemingly hopeless task imposed.
(b)
A seemingly futile method prescribed.
(c) A severe act of
self-denial demanded.
2. FAITH VINDICATED.
(a) Way cleared.
(b)
City taken.
Lesson:- Revised Version.
Joshua 6: 8 And it was so, that when Joshua had spoken unto the people,
the seven priests bearing the seven trumpets of rams’ horns before the Lord
passed on, and blew with the trumpets: and the ark of the covenant of the Lord followed
them. 9 And the armed men went before the priests that blew the
trumpets, and the rearward went after the ark, the
priests blowing with the trumpets as
they went. 10
And Joshua commanded the people, saying, Ye shall not
shout, nor let your voice be heard, neither shall any word proceed out of your
mouth, until the day I bid you shout; then ye shall shout. 11
So he caused the ark of the Lord to compass the city, going about it once; and
they came into the camp, and lodged in the camp.
12
And Joshua rose early in the morning, and the priests took up the ark of the
Lord. 13
And the seven priests bearing the seven trumpets of rams’ horns before the ark
of the Lord went on continually, and blew the trumpets: and the armed men went
before them; and the rearward came after the ark of the Lord, the priests
blowing with the trumpets as they went. 14
And the second day they compassed the city once, and returned into the camp: so
they did six days. 15
And it came to pass on the seventh day, that they rose
early at the dawning of the day, and compassed the city after the same manner
seven times; only on that day they compassed the city seven times. 16
And it came to pass at the seventh time, when the priests blew with the
trumpets, Joshua said unto the people, Shout; for the Lord hath given you the
city. 17
And the city shall be devoted, even it and all that is therein, to the Lord:
only Rahab the harlot shall live, she and all that are with her in the house,
because she hid the messengers that we sent.
18 And ye, in any wise keep
yourselves from the devoted thing, lest when ye have devoted it, ye take of the
devoted thing; so should ye make the camp of
Lesson Notes
Verse
8. The seven priests … before
the Lord. Before the Lord, instead of
before the
Verse
10. Ye shall not shout. “Very
impressive would be the grim silence of it all.
Tramp, tramp, tramp, round and round, six days on end, without a word
spoken they marched, and went back to the camp, and subsided into inactivity
for another four-and-twenty hours, until they ‘turned out’ for the procession
once more.”
This
solemn, silent procession could not fail to deepen the feeling of awe with
which the inhabitants of the city already regarded this strange people (see chapter 2: 9-11, 24). The history of the Exodus and the strange
doings of the great lawgiver, as agent of the Eternal, were known to them. The miraculous passage of the river clearly
showed that his supernatural qualifications had descended to his
successor. And now this awful silent
march, with the army equipped for battle, but not attempting to engage in it,
could only be the prelude to some interposition from on high; the foreshadowing
of some unheard of calamity which should befall the city.
Verse
13. The rearward. Literally, the gathering
together, and then the body of troops which collects the stragglers, the
rear-guard.
Verse
15. And it came to pass on the seventh day … at the dawning of the day. On the
seventh day the men commenced very early, that they might go round the city
seven times. We may incidentally note
here that, compared with modern cities,
Verse
16. At the seventh time when the priests blew with the trumpets. The first
time we read of a trumpet-blast is at Sinai, when the Lord announced His
descent upon the mount to the people assembled at the foot by a loud and
long-continued trumpet-blast, as well as by other fearful signs. (Exodus
19: 16, 19; 20: 18). After
this we find the blowing of trumpets prescribed as a part of the Israelitish worship in connection with the observance of
the seventh new moon’s day (Leviticus 23: 24),
and at the proclamation of the Great Year of Jubilee (Leviticus
25: 9). The trumpet-blast at
Sinai announced the coming of Jehovah to complete His covenant and establish
His kingdom upon the earth. In
connection with the round of feasts the blowing was intended to bring the people into remembrance year
by year before the Lord that He might come to them and grant them the Sabbath
rest of His Kingdom; while at the end of every seven years the purpose was
to announce on the great day of atonement the coming of the year of grace and
freedom which would bring the people of God deliverance from bondage, return to
their own possessions, and afford them a
foretaste of the glorious liberty to which the children of God would attain
at the return of the Lord to perfect His kingdom. But it clearly follows that when the Lord
comes [to establish His millennial kingdom] on the earth, He comes also to overthrow and
destroy the worldly powers which stand in opposition.
The
revelation of grace and mercy to His [redeemed] children always goes side by
side with the revelation of justice and judgment towards [1] the [disobedient
and unrepentant within His redeemed family, (Joshua
7: 20, 25, 26, cf. 1 Cor. 10; 6, 11; Heb. 10: 26-30; Rev. 2: 23;] and [2] the
ungodly who are his foes. If therefore
the blast of the trumpet announced the gracious arrival of God to enter into
fellowship with His own, it no less announced the commencement of judgment to
the ingodly world.
This shows us clearly enough the meaning of the trumpet-blast at
There
is much significance in the frequency with which the number seven is repeated
throughout the narrative. The march was
to be continued seven days, the seven times on the seventh day. The number seven is a symbol in Scripture of
the work [and also the coming millennial
“rest”
(see, Psalm 95: 11. cf. Num.
14: 21-23; Heb. 4: 8, 9, 11)] of God and
of the perfection produced, or eventually to be secured, by Him. The
walls of the town which was the key of Canaan falling, after they had been
marched around seven days and seven times on the seventh day, was intended to become a type of the
final destruction of the power of this world [age] which exalts itself against God. It would also teach the faithful that they
need not expect the final overthrow at once, but only after long-continued
conflict – [for some “that
are left unto the coming of the Lord;” who were “Left” because they did not “prevail
to escape all these things that shall come to pass” – i.e., the Great Tribulation persecutions
under antichrist, (1 Thessalonians 4: 15, 17; Luke 21: 34-36)]; while the enemies of the Kingdom might learn
from the same that, however long their power might sustain itself in
opposition to the Kingdom of God, it would at last be destroyed in a moment.
Verse
17. The city shall be devoted. Authorised version, accursed. The word in the original is derived from a
word which means to shut up. Hence it
meant a net. Hence it comes to
mean, under a ban, devoted generally to utter destruction under the
pressure of a vow to God (Numbers 21: 2). Because the Lord had given
The
only exemptions here were Rahab, the harlot, and her people. Of property, the gold,
silver, and vessels of brass and iron.
For
Rahab see chapter 2. Of her repentance and reformation we have
abundant evidence. According to Matthew 1: 5, she married Salmon, prince of the
imperial tribe of Judah, the great-grandfather of David, and ancestor of the
Messiah. In the golden roll of Hebrews 11 she is the only woman who shares with
Sarah the honour of a place among the heroes of the faith. She is also mentioned by James (James 2: 25).
Lesson Suggestions
(1.) In the conduct of the siege of
(a)
In verse 9 we read that “the armed men went before the priests.” Had the men been without arms there would
have been no difficulty. There is no
temptation to use what we have not got; but we have the weapons and to march
along as though we had them not – to refrain from using them – is what tests us
all. Yet to teach us to do that is
surely the purpose for which all the disciplines of life are intended. To know, for example, that I have the power
to inflict an injury on the enemy which I should like to inflict, and for which
opportunity offers, and yet to conquer natural inclination and keep myself from
it is what puts me to the test. It is
hard not to use for the purpose of self-gratification the power possessed, but
it cannot always be done. It was hard
for the armed men to march round the city and make no use of their arms.
(b) In verse
10 the same lesson is taught. Silence is there enjoined. “Ye shall not shout nor let your voice be heard,
neither shall any word proceed out of your mouth.” That seems very easy. But it is not easy to keep silent, especially
at times of excitement. On the
difficulty of controlling the tongue, see James, chapter
3; Psalm 39: 1. Not even to make a remark in the way of
criticising the methods adopted by the leader must have been a great trial to
these men. We must learn self-control on
this point. How mush happier a place the
world would be to-day if only people could hold their tongue! How much misery is created
everywhere by ill-considered words – words that never should have been spoken.
(c)We have further enforcement of the
same truth in verses 18, 19. It was no easy
matter for these men to see gold and silver in great abundance around them, and
yet to know that they were not to take any of it. But that is what we must all learn to
do. There are many things we should like
to have, which we might have, and there are many things we should like to do,
which we might do; yet we must learn to look on the course which promises
sinful pleasures, and refuse to budge in its direction, and on many an object
we should like to have, and refuse to put forth a finger to take it.
The
art of self-control is the hardest of all arts to master, but only in
proportion as we master it do we resemble Jesus, “Who pleased not Himself.”
(2.) When we discover what the will of
God is we should go forward without rear in that course. The means at
our disposal may seem utterly inadequate, and so we may yield to despair. But when we reason in this way we leave God
out of account. The work is His, and He is far more anxious for its success than ever
we can be. No man goes in a warring at his own charges in the service of
God. The blast of the trumpet seemed
quite inadequate to the task before it, but not when you put God behind it.
(3) All that is done may seem for a long
time to be labour lost. Six days the priests carried the
[* See, Isaiah 42: 1-4; 65: 19-25; Jeremiah 30: 8, 9; Zechariah
8: 3-8; Malachi 1: 11. cf. Romans 8: 19-23; James 1:
12; 2 Timothy 2: 12; Revelation 3: 21; 20: 1-6.]
Lesson Questions.
1.What did
the priests bear round
* *
* * *
* *
Lesson 4.
Caleb’s Faithfulness Rewarded.
Joshua 14: 6-15.
Read Joshua 14, and
Joshua 7-13.
Commit verses 7, 8.
LESSON INTRODUCTION.
Golden Text
Matthew 25: 23 – “His Lord said unto him,
Well done good and faithful servant; thou hast been faithful over a few things,
I will set thee over many things; enter thou into the joy of thy Lord.”
Bible
Monday,- Joshua 14: 6-15.
Tuesday,
- Numbers 13: 21-30.
Wednesday, -
2 Chronacles 32:
1-8.
Thursday,
- Romans
8: 24-31.
Friday,
- Psalm 18: 25-35.
Saturday,
- Luke
19: 12-24.
Sunday, - Matthew
25: 14-30.
TIME. About
six years after the last lesson, towards the close of the first conquest of
PLACE.
– At Gilgal. Gilgal was Joshua’s
capital. Caleb’s inheritance was at
CONNECTION
– Many events of great importance come in
between this lesson and last Sunday’s.
Immediately after the capture of
The
division was to be made by lot, but before the casting of lots commenced Caleb
came to Joshua along with the sons of Judah, and asked for the mountains of
Hebron for his possession, appealing to the fact that forty-five years before
Moses had promised it to him on oath, because he had not discouraged the people
and stirred them up to rebellion as the outer spies had done, but had
faithfully followed the Lord. This
occurred at Galgal where the casting of lots was to
take place, and the record of it is the subject of the present lesson.
Lesson Analysis.
SUBJECT CALEB.
1. HIS CHARACTER – verses 6-10.
He
was (a) Trustworthy (b) Truthful (verse 7). (c) Courageous – (verse
8). (d) Patient – (verse 10).
2. HIS REWARD – verses
10-15.
(a)
A Long Life – (verse 10). (b) Unimpaired strength – (verse 11).
(c) Promised Possessions – (verse 13). (d) Rest – (verse
15).
Lesson:- Revised Version.
Joshua 14: 6 Then the children drew nigh unto Joshua in Gilgal: and Caleb the son of Jephunneh
the Kenizzite said unto him, Thou knowest the thing
that the Lord spake unto Moses the man of God concerning me and concerning thee
in Kadesh-barnea.
7
Forty years old was I when Moses the servant of the Lord sent me from Kadesh-barnea to spy out the land; and I brought him word
again as it was in mine heart. 8 Nevertheless my brethren
that went up with me made the heart of the people melt; but I wholly followed
the Lord my God. 9 And Moses sware on that
day, saying, Surely the land whereon thy foot hath trodden shall be an
inheritance to thee and to thy children for ever, because thou hast wholly
followed the Lord my God. 10 And now, behold, the
Lord hath kept me alive, as the wilderness: and now, lo, I am this day fourscore
and five years old. 11 As yet I am as strong
this day as I was in the day that Moses sent me; as my strength was then, even
so is my strength now, for war, and to go out and to come in. 12 Now therefore give me this mountain, whereof the Lord spake in
that day; for thou heardest in that day how the Anakim
were there, the cities great and fenced: it may be that the Lord will be with
me, and I shall drive them out as the Lord spake. 13 And Joshua blessed him; and he gave
Lesson Notes
Verse
6. Caleb, the son of Jephunneh the Kenizzite. We are not
told much about Caleb in Scripture, but enough to make it clear that he was an
eminently faithful and fearless servant of God.
It is generally believed that his family did not belong originally to
the chosen people, but became members of the tribe of
Verse
7. Forty years old was I. He was born
when the Israelites were still in slavery in
I brought him word again as
was in my heart. He did not attempt to bring his report into
agreement with the wishes of any man, but
acted according to his convictions without regard to the favour of the people. (See Numbers 13:
30; 14: 7-9; Deuteronomy 1: 36.)
Verse
8. Nevertheless my
brethren that went up with me, &c. The
reference here is to the rest of the spies, with the exception of Joshua, to
whom he was speaking
But I wholly followed the Lord
my God. Literally, “I
fulfilled after.” By this he means that he rendered a full
obedience to the precepts of the Most High.
Verse
9. And Moses sware
… surely the land whereon thy foot hath trodden shall
be an inheritance to thee. This oath is not mentioned in Numbers 14: 21, 24, nor in Deuteronomy 1: 35, 36, where Moses repeats the account of the
whole occurrence to the people. The oath
of Jehovah, mentioned in Numbers 14: 21, 24,
cannot be the one referred to, for it only stipulates that none of the
murmuring people should see the
Verse
10. Forty and five years. The expression
is a general one, and the years occupied by the conquest of Canaan, during
which
Verse
11. As
yet I am as strong this day as I was in the day that Moses sent me. Nature’s law
is that a vigorous and healthy and respected old age is the reward of a
virtuous youth and a temperate manhood.
Caleb’s devotion to the service
of God had saved him not only from the sins [which
lost the future inheritance] of the murmuring
Israelites, but also from their [future] penalties.* Had he chosen the transgressor’s path in early life,
he could not have enjoyed undiminished strength at the age of eighty-five.
[* NOTE ON FUTURE PENALTIES.
See Gal. 5: 7, 8 and translate end of
verse 8: “…reap age-lasting
live.” See also Heb. 5: 9, where our initial and future
“salvation” is “age-lasting” and not “eternal,”
as our translators have interpreted.
Hence the urgent need of regenerate believers (if they should die in the
Lord) to be judged worthy to “attain to that age, and the resurrection
out from the dead” (Luke 20: 35, lit
Gk.). cf. Phil 3: 11; Heb. 11: 35b, etc.). If we fail to rise from the place of the dead
“in the heart of the earth” - (See,
Matt. 12: 40. cf. Matt. 16: 18; 2 Tim. 2: 17, 18; Rev. 6: 9-11,
etc.) - at the “First Resurrection”
(Rev. 20: 6), it will mean our “flesh” lying under corruption for “a thousand years”: we will then reap what we sow;
the millennial
inheritance will be lost; and a future penalty will have to be paid by all
disobedient and unrepentant disciples of Messiah/Christ.
Keep
in mind: As a disembodied soul, Christ remained in Hades for as long as
His body lay In Joseph’s tomb: presumably we must wait for the
time of resurrection (when soul and body are reunited) as He, our
Forerunner, did. To teach otherwise is
to fall into the error of which Paul warns Timothy against, (2 Tim. 2: 18). ]
Verse
12. Give me this mountain. He means the neighbourhood of
Wherefore the Lord spake in that day. The particular part of the district referred
to in general terms in the Divine promise was defined by Moses’ declaring as by
God’s authority what the promise intended.
From 11: 21 we learn that Joshua had
cut off the Anakim from the mountains and from
Verse
15. And the name of
Lesson Suggestions
1. We should learn to think for
ourselves on religious questions. As we have already seen the preponderance of
evidence is in favour of the opinion that Caleb’s family were originally outside
the covenant, but became proselytes.
They were so deeply concerned about religion that they went to the
trouble of comparing their own with that of
2. We should always tell the truth no
matter what the cost may be. Caleb says, “I brought him word again as it was in mine
heart.” It was no easy matter for Caleb and Joshua to stand out against the
[beliefs and conclusions of the] other ten spies. For six weeks these men had been their close
companions. No doubt to
many of them they were under obligations.
Indeed the dangers of the work in which they had been engaged would tend
to foster the spirit of comradeship in quite an exceptional degree. It was not easy then, when the time for giving the report came,
for the two men to contradict
the ten, and to recommend a course the
opposite of theirs. It is never easy
to break away from one’s own set, but that at times we must be prepared to do if we would live to any purpose. Many go down to destruction* simply because they cannot say no. Shadrach,
Meshach, and Abednego,
Paul, Luther, Knox, Carey, were all men who stood out for truth against
fierce opposition, and we should follow in their steps.
[* See Heb. 10: 39, where “perdition”
in the R.V. should be translated “destruction”;
and compare the future “salvation” (of 1 Peter 1: 5), with (1): “The end of the (your) faith [the] salvation of [your] souls,” (verse 9), (2)
with Acts 2: 27, 31
and (3) with Matthew 16: 25-27.]
3. We should aim at constancy in God’s
service. Religion suffers greatly from the conduct of those who make strong profession when circumstances
makes professing easy and pleasant, but who go back to their old ways when
circumstances change. When
4. We should learn to wait with
patience for the fulfilment of God’s promises. It was now
forty-five years since Caleb had received the promise. During all these years he had gone on helping
Joshua, and we have no hint that there was any friction between the two
men. Caleb knew that he would come to
his own because God had given him promises, and, therefore, he could wait and
work (See James 5: 7-11).
5. We should remember that there cannot
be a happy and prosperous old age without a well-spent youth. Caleb was hale
and hearty at the age of eighty-five. If
we disregard the laws of nature and trample upon the laws of God in our
youthful days, we may expect enfeebled constitutions and countless miseries in
after life. (See Galatians 6: 7, 8; 1 Timothy 4: 8).
6. We should, in [receiving
and] choosing our sphere of service, be
guided by consideration of possible usefulness rather than by consideration of
gain or of ease. The brave old Caleb was willing to face the
giants – Anakim
– and by God’s grace to cast them out.
If we rest on God as Caleb did, and not on self, we need not fear the
giants, whether in the shape of evil desires within or [evil
spirits and]
enemies without. “My grace is sufficient for thee.”
Lesson Questions
1. With what other great man is Caleb always associated? 2.
How many men were sent to spy out the land?
3. How did Joshua and Caleb
differ from the others in the report they gave?
Refer to passages of Scripture bearing on the point. 4.
Name the principal events which took place between this lesson and last
Sunday’s? 5. Account for the defeat at Ai?
6. What was done to Achan and what
method was adopted for capturing the city?
7. What was the stratagem of
the Gibeonites and what did they become? 8.
What was the name of Caleb’s father and what may we learn from the way in which
he is described in verse 6? 9.
By whom was he sent to spy out the land and what was
his age at that time? 10. What oath did Moses swear to him
because of his faithfulness? 11. What age was he at that time? 12.
What was his body condition? 13. What place did he claim for his
inheritance? 14. By what kind of people was it inhabited? 15.
What was the state of the land after this?
From Caleb learn to be Independent,
Truthful, Courageous, Unselfish, Patient.
[“To-day if ye shall hear his voice, Harden not your hearts.
For if Joshua had given them rest, he would not have spoken afterward of
another DAY:” (Hebrews 4: 8, R.V.). cf. Psalm
95: 7-11; 1 Corinthians 10: 6, 11; 2 Peter 3: 8, 9.]
“As thou goest step
by step the way shall open up before thee.”
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