Themes and Challenges In Joshua

Themes

- The fulfillment of the promises made to Moses
- The people’s faithful adherence to all that God had commanded them
- Joshua leading the people of Israel during the conquest
- God faithfulness in driving out the inhabitants of the land for the Israelites
- God’s presence with His people in the land He gave
- The promised land allotments to the ten tribes given
- Do not fear/be of good courage (trust in the word of the LORD)
- Exhortation to continue following after the LORD and not other gods
- Salvation- remembered, promised and given: Rahab spared, the Jordan crossing ( // Red Sea), the Cities of Refuge; cf. the rest established after the conquest

Challenges

- The allotments to the 10 tribes- any post-exilic applications?
- The ruthless extermination of the inhabitants of Canaan (although I don’t really see this as a problem per se, if parallels are drawn to Christ’s utterly defeating His enemies, and the command for us to ruthlessly rid of sin in our lives)
- The miracles performed (crossing the Jordan, fall of Jericho, the sun and moon standing still)- are there modern miracles and can we count on God to perform them today?
- Tribes east of the Jordan setting up their own memorial altar- does it demonstrate a lack of trust in God, or just practical faith?
- Some of the peoples NOT driven out (eg. the Jebusites in Jerusalem)
- The promise of Hebron to Caleb, then it is passed on to the Levites as a city of refuge- a true fulfillment of the promise to him and his family?
- Keeping all the commands of God would bring blessing- works righteousness?
- Giving equal division of land to 5 daughters of Zelophehad from Manasseh
- The mention of the death of Balaam
- The burial of Joseph’s bones