Brief Notes on Joshua 1-10

(Originally Written May 26, 2008 in the Journal)

Notes on Joshua

Chapter 1

The Lord told Joshua to be firm and steadfast and meditate on the Law day and night. He told Joshua not to fear because the Lord was with him.

Chapter 2

Joshua sent two spies and the woman Rahab hid them because she feared the Lord. They returned to Joshua and told them that the people feared the Israelites.

Chapter 3

The Lord stopped the Jordan River flowing and the Israelites crossed it.

Chapter 4

The Israelites erected twelve stones to mark the crossing of the Jordan River, one for each tribe.
The Lord exalted Joshua as He had Moses, and the people respected him as they did Moses.

Chapter 5

The kings of Canaanites and the kings of the Amorites became disheartened when they found that the Israelites had crossed the Jordan River on dry land.
The Israelites were all circumcised at Gilgal because they had not been circumcised in the desert.
Joshua met the captain of the host of the Lord (an angel) on the path to Jericho.

Chapter 6

The Israelites took Jericho by following the orders of the Lord. They marched around the city for seven days and let out a great yell on the seventh. The walls came down and they slaughtered all the men, women, children and animals inside. Rahab and her kin were spared and lived with the Israelites from there on out.

Chapter 7

While in Jericho, Achan took some of the loot that was banned. It was for this reason the Israelites were defeated at the city of Ai. Achan was stoned to death for his sin, with all his family and possessions.

Chapter 8

The Lord trapped Ai. Joshua sent 30,000 men to ambush it in the back and the rest of the force he led to the front. He then retreated and drew all the soldiers from Ai out with pursuit. The ambush squad sacked the city and burned it. The entire population of Ai was killed.

Joshua built an altar to the Lord on Mount Ebal. There he read the Law to the people.

Chapter 9

The Hittites, Amorites, Canaanites, Perizzites, Hivites and Jebusites formed an alliance against Israel.
The Gibeonites deceived Joshua into making an alliance with them. The Gibeonites were spared their lives but made slaves to the Israelites.

Chapter 10

Adonizedek, king of Jerusalem formed an alliance with the kings of Hebron, Jarmuth, Lachish and Eglon against Gibeon. Joshua marched up from Gilgal and slaughtered the five Amorite kings.

Chapter 10:13 - What is the book of Jashar?

The Israelites doomed Makkedhah, Libnah and Lachish, killing everyone. They doomed Eglon, Hebron and Debir. They conquered the mountain regions, the Negeb and the foothills, leaving no survivors. They captured Kadesh-barnea to Gaza, Goshen to Gibeon.