The Book Of Joshua Essay, Research Paper

The book of Joshua begins with the readying of Joshua and the people of Israel for

invasion of Jericho under the Lord & # 8217 ; s presence and leading. First, Joshua ordered the

people who were to traverse the Jordan to Jericho to fix themselves. Then, he placed

them under rigorous orders of obeisance to his authorization ( 1:10-18 ) . Following, he sent out two undercover agents

to Jericho to recover information about the enemy. The undercover agents went to the house of a

prostitue name Rahab, as a screen for their actions. This program did non work because the male monarch

of Jericho sent work forces to Rahab & # 8217 ; s house to seek to happen them. She had hidden the well, nevertheless,

and was able to convert the male monarch & # 8217 ; s work forces that they weren & # 8217 ; T in her house. Since Rahab & # 8217 ; s

place was on the wall of the metropolis, she was able to allow them down by a rope on the exterior of

the wall. Returning to Joshua, they gave their study ( 2:1-24 ) .

There followed another one of the events that Israel saw as a & # 8220 ; inquire & # 8221 ; of God. The

river Bankss of Jordan were undercut in such a manner, that they formed a natural dike that

holds the river in cheque for drawn-out periods of clip. Harmonizing to the transition 3:14-16, the

Waterss were flooded when this was necessary, and the people boarded the Ark of the

compact and passed easy over opposite Jericho. The Ark of the compact, symbol of the

Lord & # 8217 ; s presence with the Israelites, was carried to the thick of the river bottom to remind them

that it was the Lord & # 8217 ; s workings that enabled them to traverse the flooded river ( 3:17 ) . A heap

of rocks was resurrected as a commemoration to the event. The rocks were to function as a instruction

assistance for the seniors. When asked by kids of future coevalss what the rocks meant, the

seniors would state them of God & # 8217 ; s rescue of the people ( 4:1- 5:1 ) .

After traversing the Jordan, all the work forces and male childs underwent Circumcision as an act of

consecration to the Lord ( 5:2-12 ) . When they had recovered, readyings got under manner

for the onslaught on Jerricho. In a vision, Joshua saw the leader of the Lord & # 8217 ; s ground forces. The

intent of this seems to hold been to guarantee Joshua of godly leading in the yearss in front

( 5:13-15 ) .

The Numberss here are important other than for their numerical value. Seven symbolized

completion, 10 flawlessness, and 12 completeness ( 6:12-16 ) . Joshua was given orders to

transport the discharge of the compact up to Jericho with seven priests transporting seven random-access memory & # 8217 ; s horns.

Armed military personnels were to process in front of the priests blowing horns besides. However no 1 was

to give the conflict call until Joshua gave the signal. They marched around the walls of Jericho

one time in this manner, and so retired to bivouac. This was done six yearss in a row, and so on

the 7th twenty-four hours they marched around the walls seven times before Joshua gave the signal,

and the people yelled a conflict call. The walls crumbled, and the soldiers flooded into the

metropolis. Everything was to be destroyed as an act of dedication to God. Merely the prostitue

Rahab, who had helped the undercover agents, was to be spared ( 6:17-25 ) . Finally, when the metropolis was

conquered, a expletives was pronounced upon it to forestall its rebuilding ( 6:26-27 ) .

Equally harsh as the demands of the holy war might look, an incident affecting an

Israelite named Achan would do it look even more rough. Rigorous ordinances governed

the disposal of the goods that were captured in the holy war. A misdemeanor on the prohibition of

taking any spoils of war for personal usage was punishable by decease. In the conflict for Ai, the

Hebrewss were driven back. Unknown to Joshua, Achan had taken certain banned points at

Jericho ( 7:1 ) . Undoubtedly, word passed that Achan had taken the goods. Such cognition

would hold had a dissentious consequence on the ground forces if it were known, since others likely had

been tempted to take the spoils of war but had resisted enticement. In any instance, when the

conflict for Ai was begun, Israel suffered a cutting licking ( 7:2-5 ) .

Joshua was perplexed, experiencing that the Lord had let him down ( 7:6-9 ) . But Joshua

was made to recognize that such was non the instance. Alternatively, the word came from God that

person had violated the prohibition against taking spoils of war ( 7:10-15 ) . An probe

revealed Achan as the perpetrator and, in due class, he confessed his wickedness ( 7:16-26 ) .

What follows following, describes the atrocious penalty that Achan received. & # 8220 ; Joshua

and all of Israel took Achan & # 8230 ; and all Israel stoned him with rocks ; they burned them with

fire, and stoned them with rocks ( 7:24-25 ) . Not merely was Achan punished, but besides his

household. The devastation of Achan, his household, and all his ownerships was looked upon as

the lone manner to unclutter the people as a whole of Achan & # 8217 ; s wickedness. When the penalty was

carried out, the conflict was renewed and was won ( 8:1-29 ) . There follows an history of

constructing an communion table on Mount Ebal in the Shechem country.

Gibeonites, holding heard of the conquering of nearby towns by the Israelites, decided

that they would instead non hold to confront such a destiny. They put on their most ragged apparels

and have on

-out sandals, took stale staff of life and wineskins that were brittle with age, and set out

for the Israelite cantonment. When they arrived, they told the Israelite leaders a narrative they had

heard about the Israelites illustriousness and that of their God ( 9:3- 10 ) . They so claimed that

they were looking for these people to do a compact with them.

The Israelites were taken aback by the narrative and instantly made a compact with

the Gibeonites. Under the term of the compact, the Gibeonites were to be spared and therefore

would go a portion of Israel ( 9: 11-15 ) . After, the compact was made, the truth was

discovered. However, the compact could non be broken, but the Gibeonites were made

& # 8220 ; hewers of wood and shortss of H2O for the fold & # 8221 ; ( 9: 27 ) .

Next, the book of Joshua discuss the connection of forces between the male monarchs of

Jerusalem, Hebron, Eglon, Lachish, and Jarmuth in alarmed response to the success of the

Israelties. The conflict took topographic point in the vale of Aijalon. The onslaught was aided by a violent

hailstorm. The great hailstones killed many of the enemy and do the Israelite folk singers to

sing a vocal about the Sun standing still at Gibeon ( 10:15- 27 ) .

The male monarchs were captured, and a symbolic ceremonial was conducted in which the

Israelite leaders placed their pess on the male monarchs & # 8217 ; cervixs. As they did, Joshua charged them to

be strong. He promised that the Lord would take them to be merely as successful against all

Israel & # 8217 ; s enemies if they remained faithful to him ( 10:15- 27 ) .

The following chapters of Joshua discusses the success in conflict of Joshua and the

Hebrewss. It was a war of extinction with the Lord & # 8217 ; s aid. For, & # 8220 ; they should be

absolutely destroyed, and should have no clemency, but to be exterminated.. & # 8221 ; ( 11:20 ) .

The following chapters describe the sequence over the environing metropoliss and how the

land is to be distributed amongst the folks. They are to be grateful for their good luck

and non take any other adult male & # 8217 ; s. Of particular involvement are the metropoliss assigned to the Levites ( 21:1-

42 ) . They were to recieve metropoliss within each of the districts, centrally located to supply

accessible worship centres and besides to include safety centres where an accused felon

could be held to his instance was resolved. Otherwise, the felon would be at the clemency of the

& # 8220 ; retaliator of blood & # 8221 ; who was a member of the household of the condemnable & # 8217 ; s victim. The retaliator

felt a moral duty to penalize the condemnable since there was no province to transport out

penalty.

An penetration on how the Israelites dealt with dissension among the folks can be seen

in the narrative of the edifice of an communion table by the folks E of Jordan. Upon, having word of

this, the folks in the West became concerned. Such an communion table would look to go against a prohibition on

idolizing anyplace except at one cardinal shrine ( 22:12 ) . in a tribal assembly it was

decided to direct the priest Phinehas, accompanied by 10 tribal representatives, to

look into the state of affairs. They were tools that the shrine was & # 8220 ; a informant between us and

you & # 8230 ; that we do execute the service of the Lord in his presence with our burned offerings

and forfeits & # 8221 ; ( 22:27 ) . Satisfied about the intent of the communion table, the tribal representatives

returned and the planned onslaught was averted ( 22:30- 34 ) .

A acknowledgment that Joshua & # 8217 ; s conquest was non complete appears in Joshua & # 8217 ; s farewell

reference to the Israelite leaders. God had given them the land from the Jordan to the & # 8220 ; Great

seas to the West & # 8221 ; , and he would enable them to suppress the people who still occupied the

land provided Israel was faithful to the jurisprudence as given to Moses ( 23:1- 13 ) .

The flood tide of the book of Joshua is the covenant-renewal ceremonial described in

Joshua 24:1-28. The site of the ceremonial was Schechum. An communion table was built, forfeits were

offered, a transcript of the jurisprudence was written and read to the people, and a ceremonial of blessing

and cursing was carried out, half of the Levites standing on Mount Gerizam and the other

half standing on Mount Ebal ( 8:33 ) .

The of import work forces of Israel gathered at the sanctuary ( 24:1 ) . Joshua recounted God & # 8217 ; s

call of the patriarchs- how he brought the people out of Egypt through the leading of

Moses and Aaron and how he brought them into the land of Canaan ( 24:2- 13 ) . After

reminding them of the Lord & # 8217 ; s approval, he called on them to accept the duties of the

compact. Joshua 24:14 indicates that non all of the people present were posterities of

those who came from Egypt, for he spoke of those who were idolizing & # 8220 ; the Gods which

your male parents served & # 8230 ; beyond the river or the Gods of the Amorites in whose lands you

dwell. & # 8221 ; Furthermore, the Gibeonites were non-Israelite people who had earlier tricked Israel

into doing the compact with them ( 9:1- 27 ) .

The intent of the book of Joshua seems to be the glorifying of the Lord by giving

illustrations of the fantastic manner he led the people to the patriarchs promised land. Further, the

book says that any failure was a failure on the portion of Israel to walk in the religion with God.