Joshua

Joshua 1
After Moses died, God spoke to Joshua and commanded him to lead the Israelites across the Jordan River into the Promised Land of Canaan. God assured Joshua of victory, telling him to be strong and courageous in obeying the laws Moses had given. Joshua then instructed the Israelites to prepare to cross over the river in three days.

Joshua 2
Joshua secretly sent two spies into Jericho. They stayed at Rahab’s house. When the king sought them, Rahab hid the spies, who then escaped. Before fleeing, the spies promised to spare Rahab and her family when Jericho fell. Rahab expressed faith that the Lord had given Israel the land.

Joshua 3-4
The Israelites came to the Jordan River. The Lord instructed Joshua that the ark of the covenant would go first into the river, and the waters would be cut off upstream. So when the priests stepped into the river, the waters parted, and the Israelites crossed over on dry ground. Joshua had 12 memorial stones set up in the riverbed and 12 more stones erected on the western side as reminders.

Joshua 5
After crossing the Jordan, Joshua had all the younger generation of Israelite males circumcised at Gilgal. The nation celebrated Passover and began eating produce of Canaan, and the daily manna ceased. Near Jericho, Joshua met the commander of the Lord’s army, who instructed him to remove his sandals due to the holiness of the place.

Joshua 6
Following the Lord’s instructions, the Israelite men silently marched around Jericho once each day for six days, with priests carrying the Ark. On the seventh day, they circled the city seven times. When the priests sounded a long blast on their rams’ horns, the people shouted, and the walls of Jericho miraculously collapsed. The Israelites destroyed everyone in the city except Rahab and her family.

Joshua 7
The Israelites attacked the town of Ai but were repelled because one man, Achan, had disobeyed God by taking artifacts devoted to destruction. After casting lots, Achan confessed, and he and his family were executed. Israel then successfully conquered Ai.

Joshua 8
The Lord gave Joshua an unusual strategy to capture Ai – setting up an ambush behind the town. Joshua pretended to retreat, luring the men of Ai out, then turned and attacked along with the ambush troops. Ai was utterly destroyed. Joshua then renewed the covenant at Mt. Ebal and Mt. Gerizim as Moses had instructed.

Joshua 9
Inhabitants of Gibeon tricked the Israelites into making a peace treaty with them by pretending to be from a distant land. Three days later the Israelites realized Gibeon was nearby. Though sparing them due to the vow made, the Gibeonites became permanent woodcutters and water carriers for Israel due to their deception.

Joshua 10
Five Canaanite kings attacked Gibeon, but the Gibeonites appealed to Israel for help based on their treaty. Joshua marched all night to surprise the Canaanites, and God struck the enemy with hailstones. Joshua prayed for the sun and moon to stand still to extend the daylight for battle. After total victory, Joshua hanged the five kings. This began Israel’s conquest of the southern cities.

Joshua 11
A coalition of northern kings gathered a huge army and forces with many horses and chariots to fight Israel. But the Lord instructed Joshua not to fear as He would defeat them. In a miraculous victory, Israel captured all the cities and spare nothing that breathed in the lands, as God commanded.

Joshua 12
This chapter lists all the kings conquered by Moses east of the Jordan River, and all the kings that Joshua and the Israelites conquered in Canaan.

Joshua 13-19
These chapters describe the boundaries and allotment of land given to each of the 12 Israelite tribes after the conquest of Canaan was completed by Joshua. The tribes of Reuben, Gad, and half of Manasseh received lands east of the Jordan as Moses had given them.

Joshua 20-21
Six cities are designated as “cities of refuge” where someone who accidentally committed murder could flee for safety. 48 cities and pasturelands were also assigned to the Levites who did not receive a full territorial inheritance.

Joshua 22
The tribes settling east of the Jordan erected a replica altar, causing misunderstanding that they were rebelling. But after clarifying it was merely a memorial altar, crisis was averted between the eastern and western tribes.

Joshua 23
In his old age, Joshua exhorted the Israelites to be fully committed to God’s laws and to avoid intermarriage with Canaanites who remain in the land. He reminded them of all God had done for Israel in conquering nations greater and stronger than themselves.

Joshua 24
Joshua recounted God’s dealings with Israel from Abraham through the Exodus and conquering the Promised Land. He challenged them to make a decisive commitment to worship God alone. After the people promised to serve only God, Joshua renewed the covenant with them before his death at age 110.