Joshau

Theme 1: Trusting the Lord and being obedient to his commands allows a person to experience the Lord’s work in their lives. Through being obedient Joshua was able to be courageous and lead the nation across the Jordan River into the Promised Land ( Joshua 1). Rahab was obedient to the spies as she had heard about the Lord and believed in him and through this trust her family and her were spared. (Joshua 2). The people of Israel prepared themselves to meet God by spending time in prayer and worship and examining their lives and confessing sin so that they were holy and in doing so they witnessed the miracle of being able to cross over the Jordan River which the Lord caused to part for them. (Joshua 3). As a way of worshipping , obeying and trusting the Lord , the nation set up a monument of 12 stones one from each tribe to serve as a way to remember what the Lord had done and to help the people have faith in and trust the Lord. ( Joshua 4).

Theme 2 : The Lord has a purpose and plan for every person and part of that plan is to trust the Lord by obeying the commands given to us in the Bible. The Lord had promised to bless the nation of Israel but they had to obey the Law he gave them. (Joshua 5). When they conquered the city of Jericho , they had to march around the city for a week each time facing possible death. ( Joshua 6). Chan disobeyed the Lord and for his disobedience the nation suffered defeat and he was put to death. ( Joshua 7). The renewal of the covenant reminds me that the purpose and plan God has for each person is found when a person seeks him and follows his commands. (Joshua 8).

Theme 3: The Lord is in control of all situations and those who disobey him will face punishment. The nation of Israel made a treaty with the Gibeonites and were therefore required to share their resources with another people as they had disobeyed God. (Joshua 9). Joshua 10 & 11 tell of further victories of Israel noting the Lord’s faithfulness in blessing the work of their hands. Joshua 12 describes the conquest of the land noting that hundreds of years later the Lord had fulfilled his promise to Abraham.

Theme 4: The Lord accomplishes wonders beyond our imagination when we follow him. Caleb at 85 conquers the city of Hebron promised to him 40 years earlier. ( Joshua 14). Caleb and his sons drive out people living among them , conquering more territory as they obey the Lord’s commands to do so. (Joshua 15).

Theme 5 The Lord is just and gives us what we need to live a productive life. Joshua 17 describes the division of the land among the people and noted how the daughters of Ziploc who had died , were given land. Joshua 20 noted how cities of refuge were people who had committed accidental murder could be spared.

Theme 6 : The need for followers of the Lord to pledge to follow him and to establish ways of remembering his commands. Joshua 22 describes how an altar of remembrance was set up to remind the people what the Lord had done. Joshua 23 noted the final address of Joshua in which he urged the people to remember the Lord and to be faithful to him. Joshua 24 concludes the book by noting how the people pledged to follow the Lord and how an altar was erected as a way of remembering this.