TIME TO GO IN-God is with us
It was now time to enter and possess the promised land (ch1 1-5). Joshua, we know, had been commissioned as Israel’s new leader but with his mentor, Moses, now dead, perhaps Joshua felt a little vulnerable and inadequate for the great task in front of him. The Lord had special encouragement for him to be strong and courageous (v6) and to trust in his promises:
(v3) to give him every place where he sets his foot.
(v5) no-one will be able to stand against him.
(v5) God will be with him and never leave him or forsake him.
To be successful,  Joshua should be strong and courageous (v7), obey God’s word and not to turn from it “to the right or to the left”. He should (v8) speak it, meditate on it day and night and be careful to do everything written in it. The leaders promised to obey Joshua, as they had Moses, for as long as they saw the Lord with him (v17).

PLACE OF “REST”
In verse 15 we read again of the Lord’s purpose to give them “rest” in the promised land. Remember God had sworn that everybody over 20 would perish in the desert and not enter his rest. In Deuteronomy (ch12v10) God had promised rest from the enemies around them so that they would live in safety and worship him. In Hebrews (ch4) we read that the rest is a picture of heaven where we will go if we are obedient. Heaven will be a place of joyful worship and complete freedom from the sickness, death, troubles and enemies we have on earth.

THE FAITH OF RAHAB
In chapter 2 we read of the two spies sent into Jericho and the faith of Rahab, a  woman who recognised the greatness of God (v10,11) and protected the spies from harm. For this, Rahab would later be saved and find a place in the geneology of Jesus. The spies found, as God had promised, that he had made the inhabitants “melt in fear” because of what he had already done for them (2v24).

GOD OF MIRACLES
Chapter 3 and the people cross the Jordan just as Moses crossed the Red Sea. This miracle was all the more amazing because the river was in flood at that time of the year. It was the ark of the covenant, the place of God’s presence, which appropriately led the way (v3). This miracle, we see in verse 10, was there to encourage the people that God was with them and would drive out the inhabitants of the land before them. Chapter 4 v14 tells us that it was that day that the Lord exalted Joshua in the eyes of Israel and they went on to revere him all the days of his life. Also evidence to the whole earth (v24) “that the hand of the Lord was powerful” and that they should always fear him. Following the Lord’s command they took 12 stones and set them up at Gilgal which was going to become their military base (v19-23). The Lord said to Joshua “Today I have rolled away from you the disgrace of Egypt” and so the place was called Gilgal which means “to roll.” In chapter 5 they started to eat the produce of the land and on that very the manna stopped (v12).

JERICHO –a victory of faith
On the way to Jericho (ch5v13) Joshua met a man with a drawn sword who came as captain of the Lord’s army (v14).  Joshua fell on his face and worshipped and was assured, like Moses had been at the burning bush, that God and his army would be fighting with him. God in chapter 6 explained to Joshua how Jericho will fall and Hebrews 11 tells us that this happened through faith. Again God’s presence, the ark of the covenant, was significant and the walls just fell down before them. The whole city was devoted to destruction and nobody was allowed to take anything for himself.

ACHAN-we must do things God’s way
Unfortunately, a man called Achan (ch7v1) took a robe, some silver and gold and buried it in his tent. The whole community suffered and when the Israelites expected an easy victory at the town of Ai, events turned disastrously against them (v4,5). Success in life can only be achieved by doing things God’s way and once the problem had been resolved another great victory was won.

OBEDIENCE- the key to blessing
Joshua was a great warrior, yes, but his success was dependent on obedience and faith and with the people he declared God’s blessings for obedience from Mount Gerazim and the consequences of disobedience from Mount Ebal. We are told that “not a word” (8v35) of Moses commands was missed when he read them before the whole assembly. It is also evident that not only did Joshua read the word he consequently, obeyed and lived that word. As a result of which, the promise became true, his success was unstoppable. Likewise we, if we follow God, in everything we will also receive the inheritance that God intends for us.

It sometimes seems that Satan has stacked all of his considerable resources against us. In Chapter 9 the kings of six tribal groups joined forces against Israel (v2) but what does it matter, they look more formidable, but to God there is no difference at all-they are defeated just as easily.

GIBEON-always ask the Lord
Never assume the obvious with the Lord; take the story of the people of Gibeon who prepared a careful trick to negotiate a peace treaty with Israel (ch9 v 3-15). We read (v14) that Israel did not enquire of the Lord and they, consequently, made an oath which they had to keep. The people of Gibeon were not destroyed but assigned to becoming wood-cutters and water-bearers (v27). Five kings came against Gibeon and in their support another great victory was won. Large hailstones rained on the fleeing troops and the sun stopped to give them more time to finish the job. The five kings met their deserved end. One thing led to another and in just one campaign a whole region of southern cities were conquered (10v42). We are reminded in verse 42 that the reason for their success was that the Lord, the God of Israel, fought for Israel.

God is not impressed by numbers
Soon after (ch11) Jabin, king of Hazor, formed an almighty allegiance of northern kings and they mustered a fighting force of horses, chariots and a large army, as numerous as the sand on the seashore (v4). God needed to encourage Joshua (v6) to obedience when humanly speaking he was probably scared stiff. No problem to God who promised that they would all be defeated in one day only (v6). Did Joshua obey the Lord? Yes (v15) “As the Lord commanded his servant Moses, so Moses commanded Joshua, and Joshua did it; he left nothing undone of all that the Lord commanded Moses”. It took some time, step by step, as God had forewarned them but eventually Israel took control of the whole land and we are told (v23) that the land had “rest from war”. All the defeated kings are listed in chapter 12, thirty one in all.

Although under Israel’s overall control, there was still a lot of land that they had not yet occupied. And when Joshua was old the Lord spoke to him (13v1) and said, “you are very old and there are still large areas of land to be taken over”. So God told Joshua to divide the land between the tribes and Joshua with Eleazer the priest and the heads of clans did this with scrupulous detail (see chapters 13-19). Remember, of course, that the Levites did not have an inheritance (13v33) because the Lord, the God of Israel, was their inheritance. They did have their towns and some nearby pasture land for their flocks and herds (14v4).

Caleb and Joshua receive their promised inheritance
In chapter 14 we read the well-known passage when Caleb claimed his inheritance, promised by Moses, because (14v9) he followed the Lord wholeheartedly. It was wonderful to see that although 85 years old (v10) God had kept him strong and vigorous and he had not lost out because of the disobedience of others. The Anakites, a people of giants, were still there but Caleb’s faith was still unshaken-“the Lord helping me, I will drive them out just as he said”(14v12). We read in chapter 15 that Caleb went on to do the job and drove out three descendants of Anak-Shesham, Ahiman and Talman (v14). We learn a little about Caleb’s daughter, Acsah, who took on her fathers’ desire for an inheritance and asked for springs of water to complement (v19) her land in the Negev. And so we learn that if we serve the Lord wholeheartedly, trusting in God’s help and strength, bold and courageous then we will receive our full unique inheritance from the Lord, whatever that might be. What is more, our children stand a good chance as well. Likewise Joshua (ch19 v49,50) also received, according to God’s promise, Timnath Serah in the hill country of Ephraim. The cities of refuge were set up as commanded (ch20) to be a safe haven for those who accidentally killed someone. The Levites (ch21) were also given their own towns and some like Hebron were also cities of refuge.

JOB DONE
And at the end of chapter 21(43-45) it says that “the Lord gave them rest on every side, just as he had sworn to their forefathers. Not one of their enemies withstood them; the Lord handed all their enemies over to them. Not one of all the Lord’s good promises to the house of Israel failed; every one was fulfilled”. With the exception of the Achan problem, which was dealt with correctly, the people had obeyed the Lord and they received their “rest” in the promised land. Similarly, for those who follow God wholeheartedly today there is the promise of our inheritance, victory over the evil one and our promised rest. God on his part will always keep his promises but we must believe, trust and conquer in faith.

Tribes east of Jordan
Remember, warriors from the 2 ½ tribes had committed to helping their Israelite brothers take their inheritance. Chapter 22v2 explains that they had done everything asked of them and Joshua gladly gave them permission to return to their families east of the river. I love Joshua’s parting advice to them in chapter 22v5-“but be very careful to keep the commandment and the law that Moses the servant of the Lord gave you; to love the Lord your God, to walk in all his ways, to obey his commands, to hold fast to him and to serve him with all your heart and with all your soul”. He blessed them and they went on their way. A little later a confusion arose over a replica altar that the eastern tribes had built (ch22) and it nearly resulted in civil war. But they had built it for good reasons; it was never to be used for sacrifice but was there to remind everyone for posterity that their God was the same God. The altar was given a great name (22v34) “a witness between us that the Lord is God”.

CHOOSE WHO YOU WILL SERVE
Joshua, now very old, gave his farewell sermon encouraging Israel to go God’s way in the future; including those classic words (23v10) “one of you routs a thousand, because the Lord your God fights for you, just as he promised”. But if they break the covenant and follow other gods then they cannot expect to stay in the land, the place of their inheritance (23v16). Joshua recounted how their faithful God had led his people, right from Abraham to the current day (ch24) and they had a choice to make (v15) “choose for yourselves this day whom you will serve….but as for me and my house we will serve the Lord”. Joshua was not one to bow to peer pressure and on this occasion the people also made the right choice (v18) “we will serve the Lord”. A large stone was set up to commemorate the new covenant at Shechem.

JOSHUA DIES
And so, the “servant of the Lord” (24v29) died at the age of 110. No one deserved more than Joshua to be buried in the land of his inheritance (v30) because surely, he left the country in probably the best state of any leader of Israel, “each to their own inheritance” (v28). In verse 31 we read that “Israel had served the Lord throughout the lifetime of Joshua and of the elders who outlived him”. Now was even the time for Joseph’s bones (v32) to have their final resting place. Joseph, hundreds of years before, knew that his family inheritance was not in Egypt (typifying the world) but in God’s promised land. Eleazer, the priest (Aarons’ son) also died and was replaced by his son Phinehas.

RECEIVE YOUR INHERITANCE
No man was more single-minded for God than Joshua. That is until the birth of our Saviour Jesus, whose name is a derivative of Joshua. If we follow Jesus whole-heartedly we also will find the place of our destiny and inheritance.