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O l d T e s t a m e n t G u i d e
JOSHUA
By ANTONIO FUENTES
JOSHUA was the person designated by Moses to succeed him in the
governing of Israel: "Be strong and of good courage," Moses told him,
"for you shall go with this people into the land which the Lord has sworn
to their fathers to give them" (Deut. 31:7). Moses passed all his authority
on to Joshua, with the exception of his priestly powers, which went to Eleazar
(cf. Num. 27:18-23; Deut. 31:14-23; 34:9).
Joshua had been Moses' closest collaborator during the period of the pilgrimage
in the wilderness. It was Joshua who led the Hebrews to victory over the
Amalekites while Moses remained in prayer (Ex. 17:8-16). He was elected as
Ephraim's representative in the group of twelve sent to reconnoitre the land of
Canaan (Num. 13:8). He and Caleb were the only people over the age of twenty
when the Jews left Egypt who lived to enter the promised land: all the rest died
in punishment for their infidelity (Num. 14:30-38; 26-65; 32:13). Biblical
tradition is unanimous in extolling Joshua as a great warrior, a man of
unshakeable faith, ever-obedient to God's commands. In accordance with his name,
which means salvation, he became a great savior of God's elect, the avenger of
their enemies, and their leader into the promised land. No one could resist him,
for he wages the wars of the Lord (cf. Sir. 46:110).
The book of Joshua is divided into three sections:
1. Preparations and conquest (chap. 1-12).
Joshua is charged to conquer the land which Yahweh promised the patriarchs.
Before crossing the Jordan he reminds all the tribes of Israel about their
commitments to Yahweh and then chooses spies who manage to enter Jericho with
the aid of Rahab and report back to Joshua, "Truly the Lord has given all
the land into our hands; and moreover all the inhabitants of the land are
fainthearted because of us" (Jos. 2:24).
By a special providence of God they cross the Jordan whose waters open to let
them pass, and they erect twelve stone columns to commemorate this miracle. The
Jordan is in full flood at this season—springtime-and often overflows its
banks: The snows of Lebanon melt just around the time of the first harvest. Some
Fathers (for example, Gregory and Augustine) see this turning back of the waters
as symbolizing the effects of baptism, whereby man goes back to the origin from
which he deviated.
After they cross the Jordan, everyone is circumcised at Gilgal (5:2ff). This is
highly significant. Augustine says it is "not the person but the
people" who revive the practice of circumcision, which was interrupted when
they left Egypt. Circumcision was unnecessary when they were living in the
wilderness: it was a sign of belonging to Israel and therefore served no useful
purpose while they were moving around uninhabited territory. Also, Jerome says,
God dispensed them from circumcision in the desert because it would have been
difficult or dangerous to carry out properly in that situation.
They then move on and conquer Jericho after a seven day siege, putting all to
the sword except Rahab and her family (6:17-25). How did they manage to do this?
"By faith the walls of Jericho fell down after they had been encircled for
seven days" (Heb. 11:30). What could have been more ridiculous than
silently circling a strong, defended city? Clearly the methods the Israelites
used were completely disproportionate to what they achieved--an example of how
God confounds human reason by apparent foolishness (cf. 1 Cor. 1:19-25).
After this comes a first, unsuccessful, attack on Ai. Joshua discovers in prayer
the reason for the failure: An Israelite had taken booty, which God had
explicitly forbidden should be done. Achan confesses his crime and is punished
and then the Israelites succeed in taking the city (chap. 8). At the end of this
chapter the covenant is renewed at Mount Ebal, to the east of the plain of
Shechem.
The first part of the book ends with the account of two more conquests: that of
southern Palestine (chap. 9-10) with the episode of the Gibeonites who shrewdly
make a treaty with Joshua and obtain his aid in their struggle with the
Amorites: This is when Joshua "stops" the sun to give himself an
advantage; and that of southern Palestine, with the account of his victories
(chap. 11) and the list of conquered kings (chap . 12).
2. Distribution of lands.
Chapters 13-19 give details of the division of territory among the tribes and
the establishment of cities of refuge (chap. 20) and of cities allocated to the
Levites (chap. 21). Chapter 22 finishes with the return of the Trans-jordanian
tribes and the erection of an altar beside the Jordan.
3. Last dispositions (chap. 23-24).
The book closes with a kind of appendix in which Joshua states his mind about
the as yet unconquered territory and which reports his great address to the
people assembled at Shechem on the subject of fidelity to God's Law. And finally
we are told where Joshua, Eleazar, and Joseph are buried.
The book of Joshua reports on key events in the history of the people of Israel.
But we should remember that it is both a history book and a doctrinal book: In
reporting historyand doing so accurately--it is also teaching religious and
moral lessons. Although the conquest of Canaan comes across as a great
achievement, it is one which could not have happened without Yahweh's continuous
support. Over this period of almost thirty years Joshua is conscious that God is
at his side in all his difficulties: Sometimes he actually sees this help--at
the pushing back of the Jordan, his vision as he approaches Jericho, the staying
of the sun, etc. The whole book speaks eloquently of God's fidelity to his
promise, which makes it a source of encouragement to Israel to remain faithful
to him.
Throughout the book of Joshua we can see that it prefigures the New Alliance,
which will come about centuries later in the person of Jesus Christ, the
promised Messiah. Even Joshua's name (= Yahweh saves) is a symbol of Jesus, for
only in him can we find true salvation, which neither the Law nor the priesthood
nor the sacrifices of the Old Testament can bring about. Faith in Jesus Christ,
when accompanied by works, has power to bring a person into the new and final
land--Jerusalem which comes down out of heaven from God (Rev. 21:12).
Even the division of Canaan by drawing lots is a figure of the gratuitous nature
of the calling which Christians receive in Jesus Christ; "even as he chose
us in him," Paul says, "before the foundation of the world, that we
should be holy and blameless before him . . . he destined us in love to be his
sons through Jesus Christ, according to the purpose of his will" (Eph.
1:45).
It is important that we remember that God has assured us that the source of true
prudence lies in faithfulness to the divine Law, and the only way to achieve
success in our undertakings is to keep in line with God's will. Hence we should
frequently check on our actions and motives to make sure they are in line with
our beliefs.
Unfortunately some people do not take God's law into account when shaping the
structures of society and support the introduction or maintenance of laws which
are in conflict with the natural law and therefore with the common good (for
example, divorce laws); in cases like these people's minds and wills are bent
out of their true pattern and they have come a long way from the model conduct
of Joshua.
Antonio Fuentes teaches Scripture at the University of Navarre and is the author of A Guide to the Bible.