Summary
After the death of Moses, God calls on Joshua to lead
the Israelites across the Jordan River and take possession of the
promised land. God guarantees victory in the military campaign
and vows never to leave the Israelites so long as they obey his
laws. The people swear their allegiance to Joshua, and he sends
two spies across the river to investigate the territory. The men
enter Jericho, where a prostitute named Rahab hides them in her
home and lies to the city officials regarding the spies’ presence.
Rahab tells the spies that the Canaanites are afraid of Israel and
its miraculous successes. Professing belief in the God of the Israelites,
she asks for protection for her family when the Israelites destroy
Jericho. The spies pledge to preserve Rahab and return to Joshua,
telling him of the weakened condition of Israel’s enemies.
The Israelites cross the Jordan River, led by a team
of priests carrying the Ark of the Covenant. As the priests enter
the water, the flow of the river stops and the Israelites cross
the river on dry land. Arriving on the other side, the Israelites
commemorate the miracle with an altar of twelve stones from the
river bed (representing the twelve tribes of Israel). The people
begin to eat the produce of the new land—thus halting the daily
supply of manna—and the Israelite men perform the ritual of circumcision
in preparation for battle.
Approaching Jericho, Joshua encounters a mysterious man
who explains that he is the commander of God’s army but that he
is neither for nor against Israel. Joshua pays homage to the man
and passes on. Following divine instructions, Joshua leads the Israelites in
carrying the Ark around Jericho for six days. On the seventh day, the
Israelites march around the city seven times. Joshua rallies them to
conquer the city and kill everyone except for Rahab. They are to refrain
from taking any of the city’s religious items. At the sound of the
Israelite war cry, the walls of Jericho collapse, and the Israelites destroy
the city and its inhabitants.
Joshua’s fame spreads throughout the land, but
the Israelites are humiliated in their attempts to take the next
city, Ai. God attributes the disaster to the disobedience of Achan,
an Israelite who has stolen religious items from Jericho. After
the people stone Achan, the renewed attempt against Ai is successful
as Joshua masterminds an elaborate ambush against the city’s forces.
The Israelites celebrate by erecting an altar to God and publicly
reaffirming their commitment to God’s law.
Fearful of the marauding Israelites, the people
of Gibeon visit the Israelite camp in disguise, claiming to be travelers
in the land and requesting peace with Israel. Joshua does not inquire
with God and makes a hasty treaty with the men, only to discover
later that the Gibeonites are natives of the land to be conquered.
The Israelites refrain from attacking the city, but five other local
kings attack Gibeon for making peace with Israel. The Israelites
come to Gibeon’s aid and destroy the five armies. Joshua helps by
commanding God to make the sun stand still during the fight. God
listens and stops the sun’s movement—the only time in history, we
are told, when God obeys a human.
The Israelites continue to destroy the southern
and northern cities of Canaan, killing all living inhabitants, as
God has stipulated. While much of the promised land still remains
to be conquered, the people of Israel begin to settle in the land,
dividing it amongst the twelve tribes. After God gives Israel rest
from its enemies for many years, an ailing Joshua makes a farewell
pronouncement to the nation of Israel. Joshua goads the Israelites
to be strong and to obey all of God’s laws, throwing away any idols
and refraining from intermarriage with the native people. The people
assure Joshua they will be faithful to the covenant, but Joshua
reluctantly accepts this assurance, worried that obedience for Israel
will prove quite difficult.
