Alamo Drive
Church of Christ

Series on the Book of Joshua: Entering the Promised Land 

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Chapter:   1  |  2 |  3  |  4  |  5  |  6  |  7  |  8  |  9  |  10  |  11  |  12  |  13 - 21 | 22 - 24

Joshua 1
Preparing to Enter the Promised Land

I. GOD’S COMAND: GO FORTH, I AM WITH YOU (1-9)

            A. With each new generation, there is a need for new leadership. (v. 1)

            B. Human beings participate in the things that God is doing (v. 2)

            C. God’s promise is to make his servants prosper (v. 3)

            D. God’s promise is to give his servants a great land (v. 4)

            E. God’s promise is irresistible and constant (v. 5)

            F. One man’s strength and courage can bless a whole people (v. 6)      

            G. God’s law is for the purpose of our success! (v. 7)

            H. God’s law is for the mouth, mind and heart (v. 8)

            I. God reminds: DO NOT FEAR (v. 9)

II. TRUE LEADERSHIP (10-18)

            A. Joshua is a leader over leaders (v. 10)

            B. Joshua is a man with a plan (v. 11)

            C. Joshua remembers the least (v. 12)

            D. Joshua reminds the people of what God promised (v. 13)

            E. Joshua requires service of the younger generation (v. 14)        

            F. Joshua speaks of victory as certain (v. 15)

            G. Good leadership doesn’t have to beg for submission of coerce it. (v. 16)

            H. The presence of God brings order to chaos (v. 17)

            I. Strength and courage (v. 18)

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Joshua 2

THE IMPORTANCE OF A DISHONORABLE GENTILE WOMAN

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I. A Lie for God (v. 1-7)

            A. Why send spies in the first place? (v. 1a)

            B. The complicated meanings of the name “Rahab.” (v. 1b)

            C. These “spies” were immediately known to the King of Jericho (v. 2-3)

            D. A bald-faced lie (for God) (v. 4-5)

            E. Spies hidden, men of Jericho sent on wild goose chase (v. 6-7)

II. An Unclean Woman’s Intelligence (v. 8-14)

            A. Rahab more convinced of the Israelite victory through God than the Israelites! (v. 8-9)

            B. Rahab demonstrates the keen observation of those without faith, who sometimes see  more than                       those of us with faith. (v. 10)

            C. Rahab, though relatively unacquainted with the God of Israel, submits her will to his in                                            recognition of his great power. (v. 11)

            D. Rahab’s plea for mercy (v. 12-13)

            E. Rahab’s contagious confidence (v. 14)

III. Anatomy of a Covenant (v. 15-21)

            A. Being built into the wall, Rahab’s home would be in the line of fire when the Israelites will                                      breech the city walls later in the book. (v. 15)

            B. Rahab, again provides for the spies by warning them how long they should hide before going their                      way. (v. 16)

            C. Rahab is to mark her home and gather her whole family into the safety therein, so there are                                 preliminary actions Rahab must take. (v. 17-18)

            D. The spies lay out conditions which Rahab must meet, but they are not extreme or burdensome and                      involve the freewill of the participants (v. 19-20)

            E. Rahab submits to the conditions of the covenant and takes the steps required (v. 21)

IV. Report to Joshua (v. 22-24)

            A. Rahab’s benevolent lies did in fact thwart the men of Jericho (v. 22)

            B. Israelite men return home safe and give report to Joshua (v. 23)

            C. Interesting how the report they give to Joshua sounds suspiciously like what God told  Joshua would                   happen when they entered the land. (v. 24)

V. Applications

            A. Women are of great importance to God and God’s plan.

            B. Sinners, outcasts, and undesirables are important to God and a part of God’s plan.

            C. Rahab’s integration into Israel prefigures our integration into Israel.

            D. Rahab’s salvation out of the Gentile city prefigures our resurrection from our formerly vulgar life                         and our glorious new life in Christ.

            E. Rahab is an ancestor of the Christ. This lowest of women of low birth, through simple faith and                             shrewdness, groped her way toward the kingdom of God, and found herself  (probably to her own                     surprise as much as anyone’s) participating in the battle plans of that kingdom. So can we.

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Joshua 3 and 4

Planting our Memorial Stones

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I. THE ARK GOES BEFORE THE PEOPLE (3:1-6)

            A. Joshua made no delay in leading the people to the brink of the water’s edge (3:1-2)

            B. The ark of the covenant went first, BEFORE the people (3:3-4)

            C. Joshua’s command to the people—consecrate yourselves (3:5-6)

II. JOSHUA’S PROPHECY (3:7-13)

            A. God tells Joshua he will be exalted, and tells him what to do (3:7-8)

            B. Joshua tells the people what God is going to do (3:9-13)

III. THE ARK GOES BEHIND THE PEOPLE (3:14-17)

            A. This was a great miracle, like the parting of the Red Sea (3:14-16)

            B. The ark goes in front of AND behind (3:17)

IV. TWELVE MEN FOR TWELVE STONES (4:1-7)

            A. God sets aside 12 men (4:1-3)

            B. Joshua puts them to God’s purpose (4:4-7)

V. GOD’S GENERATIONAL PROVISION (4:8-14)

            A. Stones at the camp memorializing Israel’s safe deliverance (4:8)

            B. Stones in the river memorializing the place where the ark of the Lord stood (4:9)

            C. Still, however, the faith of the people was small (4:10-13)

            D. And God did, in fact, exalt Joshua (4:14)

VI. PLANTING OUR MEMORIAL STONES (4:15-24)

            A. It is keeping in vision the covenant of God that stops the waters (4:15-17)

            B. There comes a time when children look at their parents and say, “What do these things mean?”                             (4:18-21)

            C. Tell them the miracle (4:22)

            D. Tell them why the miracle (4:23)

            E. Tell the world the miracle (4:24)

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JOSHUA 5
WHAT WE MUST REMEMBER (AND THANK GOD FOR)

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I. Remembering the Covenant (5:1-9)

            A. The spirits of the opposing kings melted away as Rahab had promised. (v. 1)

            B. Because of their wanderings, Israel was in need of re-circumcision. (v. 2-7)

            C. This was not a great strategic move from a military standpoint (v. 8-9)

            D. In this crazy time, we must remember first and foremost, our covenant with God, and become                            circumcised of heart!

II. Remembering God’s Provision (5:10-12)

            A. They remembered God’s previous deliverance from Egypt even though a new deliverance was just                       behind them.

            B. They began to eat freely from the produce of the land, because this was given to them by God, the                       beginning of the product of their labors.

            C. No more mana, no more stopgap provision from God, God is about to do for them FOR REAL,                               exactly what he promised when he lead them from Egypt. They are now ready to take the land.

            D. We too, need to remember all that God has provided us with in the past, even as we wait for him to                    provide in his time in the present.

III. Remembering Who Fights on Our Behalf (5:13-15)

            A. WHICH SIDE ARE YOU ON?!? Asks Joshua, at the sight of a man with a drawn sword. (v. 13)

            B. And the Lord’s reply—“No.” And he explains that he commands the Lord’s Army (v. 14)

            C. And note Joshua’s response. He worships this person, which the person accepts, and asks what “his                     lord” had to say to his “servant.” And his Lord tells him!—take off your shoes.

            D. And we need to remember that that same commander of the Lord’s Army, Jesus Christ, the true and                  righteous and compassionate and vengeful judge of all the earth! That is who is at our backs when                      we go into battle!

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