We have met Joshua, a descendant of Joseph, a man ordained by God to be the successor to Moses. Joshua calls Israel to be faithful to their covenant and always remember that God sustains us and gives us courage and strength.
Upon reaching the Promised Land, this man of faith must now answer God’s call to be His warrior. The people who have been living there for centuries will not give it up easily; to take it from them will be a brutal and bloody path. The first of many battles is the battle for Jericho, a highly fortified Canaanite city and trading port along the Jordon River. There is a very specific way that God instructs Joshua to take the city; it is a test of faith for both Joshua and the people who trust him. Another test of faith comes after the battle when Israel learns the price of obedience to God, which costs them dearly.
Israel’s third battle begins an unbroken string of military victories. There would not be another military defeat under Joshua for the rest of his entire leadership. Israel ultimately conquered 32 kings; their fortified cities fell like dominoes before Joshua and his mighty men of valor.
The stories in the book of Joshua are not for the faint of heart. The battles were led by God, who was carving out the Promised Land for the Israelites. After all those years of fighting, the people finally came to rest; the battles were done. But even when Joshua died at the age of 110, there were still significant portions of the Promised Land that had not been taken. So the baton would be passed to those who followed Joshua… but not until King David appeared 300 years later.
