see the basis of what our attitude should be. Do not get your eye on the crowd. Keep your eye on the Word that God is bringing forth. Otherwise you will see many faults to criticize. Nothing else can ever be as important as the purpose God has to fulfill. For this reason we must have a compassion that refuses to judge harshly. Moses anger kept him out of the Land. We must contend for the fulfillment of the will of God despite the opposition of those around you. This is the attitude we see in Joshua, and in some ways he was more successful than Moses. Moses saw the glory of God, and he was transformed as few men have ever been in all of history (Exodus 34:29). Few have ever known the things that Moses experienced as he talked with God (Exodus chapters 33 and 34). In spite of all that God spoke to Moses, he had a way of focusing on the people and their problems. When he came down from the mountain after a visitation from God, and saw what the people were doing, he smashed the stone tablets (Exodus 32:15–19). Then he had to go up for another forty days to get another set. Something within his heart was constantly reacting to those about him.
At times Moses fell on his face and cried out to God. At other times, he was filled with anger. Once he smote the rock when he was supposed to speak to the rock only (Numbers 20:7–11). He reacted to the people. They drove him beyond his limitations because he was focused too much upon them, in spite of his great focus on the Lord. We never find this true of Joshua.
Joshua was so focused on the Lord that he never reacted in a bad sense to the people who were following him. The secret of his success was not how he handled people. It was not military strategy; it was not what he did in any sense. He had one key: “This book of the law shall not depart from your mouth” (Joshua 1:8).
God promised Joshua: “No man will be able to stand before you all the days of your life. Just as I have been with Moses, I will be with you; I will not fail you or forsake you. Be strong and courageous, for you shall give this people possession of the land which I swore to their fathers to give them. Only be strong and very courageous; be careful to do according to all the law which Moses My servant commanded you; do not turn from it to the right or to the left, so that you may have success wherever you go. This book of the law shall not depart from your mouth, but you shall meditate on it day and night, so that you may be careful to do according to all that is written in it; for then you will make your way prosperous, and then you will have success” (Joshua 1:5–8). If your focus is on the things that are taking place around you, something can happen, or someone can do something against you that will offend you or make you stumble for a little while. A lot of things can reach us that way—reports of problems in the people; their focus on little undercurrents of criticism. Joshua must have had this feeling in his spirit, yet he had this simple key for success: he focused only on the Word. Diligently press in with all your heart as Joshua was told to do. You may become occupied with spiritual battles, but keep meditating on the Word continually. You may face difficult situations which require wisdom, but keep your heart focused on the Word that God is bringing. As you read this Book keep your mind of the man Joshua and apply his spirit to your life. As Paul said: “Therefore I exhort you, be imitators of me” (1 Co 4:16). Be imitators of Joshua and you cannot go far wrong.
OUTLINE OF CONTENTS
I. Introduction: transfer of leadership to Joshua (1:1-18)
A. God’s instructions and promises to Joshua (1:1-9)
B. Joshua’s instructions to the people (1:10-18)
II. The conquest of Canaan (2:1-12:24)
A. In central Palestine; the crossing of the Jordan (2:1-9:27)
B. In the south (10:1-43)
C. In the north (11:1-23)
D. Summary list of defeated kings (12:1-24)
III. The distribution of the land (13:1-22:34)
A. God’s instructions to Joshua (13:1-7)
B. Moses’ allotments to Transjordanian tribes (13:8-33)
C. Tribal allotments made by Joshua (14:1-19:51)
D. Designation of cities of refuge and Levitical cities (20:1-21:42)
E. Summary of conquest: promises fulfilled (21:43-45)
F. Dismissal of Transjordanian tribes (22:1-34)
IV. Concluding speech and historical notices (23:1-24:33)
A. Farewell address of Joshua (23:1-16)
B. Covenant at Shechem (24:1-28)
C. Death and burial notices: Joshua, Joseph, Eleazar (24:29-33)[iii]
[iii] Achtemeier, Paul J. ; Harper & Row, Publishers ; Society of Biblical Literature: Harper's Bible Dictionary. 1st ed. San Francisco : Harper & Row, 1985, S. 509
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