Overview
Well done! You have made it to the end of Joshua. Take some time to reflect over the book and your notes.
What do you think the key themes of Joshua are?
What are some of the ways this book points forward to Christ?
What are a couple of verses you’d like to memorise?
Death of Joshua
Joshua at his death is given the title ‘servant of the Lord’ for the first time (24:29). Previously this title had been used over a dozen times to refer only to Moses (see for example 1:1-2). What is the significance of it now being applied to Joshua?
The patriarch Jacob was greatly concerned that he not be buried in Egypt but in the promised land (Gen 46:3-4, 46:28-31, 49:29-50:14). His son Joseph had the same concern! Read Genesis 50:24-26 and Exodus 13:19. Now in Joshua 24:32 his bones are finally buried in the land! Why was it so important for Jacob and Joseph to be physically buried in the land? (check Heb 11:22 for some help)
Today’s Prayer Suggestion: Pray for our MTS trainees this year: Jo Clark, Josh Allen, Sam and Pip Budden, Hugh Jonas.
What choice does Joshua put before the people?
How true was verse 19-20 for Israel? Is it a true statement of all people?
The New Testament explains that all of us are unable to serve God yet he has mercy and grants us live, salvation and even faith itself (Eph 2:1-10). Yet Joshua’s resolve for himself and his household to serve God is echoed in the New Testament too (1 Thess 1:8-10). Will you resolve to serve the LORD this day, this year and for your whole life?
Today’s Prayer Suggestion: Pray for the Sprout teachers who serve each Sunday morning.
Joshua’s speech to people 1
Joshua now speaks not only to the leaders but to all the people a message from God. This is a remarkable history of Israel. What are all the things God has done for individuals and the nation as a whole?
Read Ephesians 1:1-11. As Christians we haven’t been blessed with military victories and land. How have we been blessed instead?
Today’s Prayer Suggestion: Pray for Jenny and Mark Jefferys and their family. Pray for Women’s Bible Study which Jenny leads, especially the Simply Christianity course running there.
Joshua’s speech to leaders 2
What mistakes must the people avoid?
What will be the consequences if they fail?
Israel eventually did break (and continually and repeatedly break) the Lord’s covenant and were expelled from the land. Yet God’s mercy prevailed. Read Isaiah 52:13-53:12. How did God ultimately deal with people’s sin and rebellion?
Today’s Prayer Suggestion: Pray for the missionary / missionary family that your Growth Group has adopted.
Joshua’s speech to leaders 1
How does Joshua interpret the events of the previous years?
What must Israel do in the future?
Read Hebrews 4:8-11. There was rest in Joshua’s day yet a more fuller future rest awaits. Where do we stand in relation to God’s ultimate rest?
Today’s Prayer Suggestion: Pray for the state and federal government, especially as they legislate about ethical issues such as marriage, euthanasia and adoption.
Eastern tribes return home
In the OT there is the special altar that is part of the tabernacle or temple, then there are several other altars that serve purposes such as a commemoration or remembrance (eg Gen 12:6-8, 31:43-53, Ex 17:14-16. Josh 8:30-35). There are also pillars or monuments that serve a similar function (eg Gen 31:43-53, Josh 4:19-24, 24:25-27). According to this chapter the Eastern tribes built the altar for this purpose rather than for use in an alternative religion.
What are some of the values or priorities you see in both the Eastern and Western tribes. What can we learn from them?
Today’s Prayer Suggestion: Pray for the elders and advisors for HBC.
Promise fulfilled
List out the things God did for Israel as described in these verses.
How does this passage fit with other parts of Joshua that describe land yet to be taken and ongoing Canaanite resistance (eg 13:1ff, 13, 15:63, 16:10)?
Today’s Prayer Suggestion: Pray for an opportunity this week to share the gospel with someone.
Levi
So far its been made clear the tribe of Levi was not to inherit a particular portion of land. This was because ‘the offerings made by fire to the LORD, the God of Israel are their inheritance’ (13:14), ‘the LORD, the God of Israel, is their inheritance’ (13:33) and ‘the priestly service of the LORD is their inheritance’ (18:7). In other words, the special blessing the Levites received from God was not physical land but the ministry of being priests and looking after the tabernacle.
This special position came about because the Levites sided with God against their fellow Israelites after the episode of the golden calf (Ex 32:27-29). They also had a special position because God chose them to be his own special possession. They somehow took the place of every firstborn Israelite male who by rights should have belonged to God (Num 3:11-13). Intriguing!
Here we see the Levites being provided for even though they did not receive a whole region of Israel.
Today’s Prayer Suggestion: Pray for the work of Compassion and other ministries for the poor. Pray for your sponsor child/family if you have one.
Simeon, Zebulun, Issacher, Asher, Naphtali, Dan, Joshua
The remaining 6 tribes are allotted their portion here. Many of these tribes make up the northern parts of Israel (to become ‘Galilee’ in the future). They were often exposed to advancing armies such as the Assyrians coming down from the North. In Isaiah they are described as ‘people living in darkness’ (Isa 9:1). But Jesus brings hope:
“When Jesus heard that John had been put in prison, he returned to Galilee. Leaving Nazareth, he went and lived in Capernaum, which was by the lake in the area of Zebulun and Naphtali– to fulfill what was said through the prophet Isaiah:
‘Land of Zebulun and land of Naphtali, the way to the sea, along the Jordan, Galilee of the Gentiles– the people living in darkness have seen a great light; on those living in the land of the shadow of death a light has dawned.’ “ (Matthew 4:12-16)
Today’s Prayer Suggestion 1: Praise God that Jesus brings light into darkness
Today’s Prayer Suggestion 2: Pray for Dave and Donna Allen and their family. Pray for the Membership ministry at HBC that people would be living partners in the gospel.