Title: The Book of Joshua, the son of Nun, the disciple of Moses, the first book to bear as its title a name of a person because it was written by him (Joshua 24:26).

Place in bible: Old Testament (sixth book), first book after the Law, considered to be the first book of the "former Prophets" by the Jews (Zechariah refers to the former Prophets three times in his prophecy.)

Author: Joshua the son Nun (24:26), whose name was originally Oshea (or Hoshea) Numbers 13:8), which Moses changed to Jehoshua or Joshua (that is, "God's salvation").

Date: Approximately 1400 – 1450 before Christ (BC). Many seem to indicate the crossing of Jordan was closer to 1400 BC than later.

Genre: Historical narrative, but has a dispensational aspect for Israel, and speaks to Christians of their walk in this world.

Main idea: This is a connecting book between Israel born as a nation and wandering for 40 years in the wilderness, and Israel in the Promised Land. The relationship between God and his People is epitomised: God's covenant and their obedience based on the relationship between God and his people (Chapter 24).

This book bears the name of Joshua, because it is about him and his actions in the land of Canaan. It tells the story of Israel doing what she should have done immediately after departing from Egypt, that is, crossing the Jordan into Canaan and taking the land, since God would have fought their battles, as promised. The book shows the power of God and the outcomes of the one who obeys the Lord.

Although an Old Testament book, it is rich in encouragement for Christians, their walk with the Lord, and their conflict with the world. In it Joshua, represents Christ ('Jesus' is the Greek of the Hebrew 'Joshua'), as the one who leads his people by the Holy Spirit and his power and of God who dwells in the midst of this people (Matthew 18:20 etc).

Arno Gaebelein[3] divides the book into three:

A. The entrance of the people into Canaan and the conflicts.

B. The division of the land

C. The final words of Joshua and the epilogue.

Key events/themes:

The two spies and Rahab's faith (2:1-24)

The crossing of the Jordan led by the Levites (3:1-17)

The memorial stones laid at the crossing as a reminder of God's grace (4:1-24)

Circumcising the men (at a place God called Gilgal 5:9), the first Passover in Canaan at Gibeath-haaraloth (5:1-12)

Joshua meets the commander of the Lord's army (Christ) (5:13-15)

The fall of Jericho (6:1-27)

Achan's sin and Israel's defeat (7:1-26)

The overthrow of Ai (8:1-35)

The Gibeonites and their victory (9:1-27)

The land is divided among the people of Israel, by tribe (13 – 21)

Key prophecies:

This Book of the Law shall not depart from your mouth, but you shall meditate on it day and night, so that you may be careful to do according to all that is written in it. For then you will make your way prosperous, and then you will have good success. Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be frightened, and do not be dismayed, for the LORD your God is with you wherever you go." Joshua 1:8-9

Key verse: Joshua 24:14

"Now therefore fear the LORD and serve him in sincerity and in faithfulness. Put away the gods that your fathers served beyond the River and in Egypt, and serve the LORD.

"Moses my servant is dead. Now therefore arise, go over this Jordan, you and all this people, into the land that I am giving to them, to the people of Israel. Every place that the sole of your foot will tread upon I have given to you, just as I promised to Moses. From the wilderness and this Lebanon as far as the great river, the river Euphrates, all the land of the Hittites to the Great Sea toward the going down of the sun shall be your territory. Joshua 1:2-4

Key characters:

Caleb, a contempary of Joshua, also forsaw that Israel could take Canaan, since they had God on their side. He was a faithful man and is commended: "My servant Caleb, because he had another spirit, and hath followed Me fully, him will I bring into the land where unto he went, and his seed shall possess it." Numbers 14:24. Some suggest he was not of the children of Israel, but was given a placed it by Joshua (hence God) (15:13).

Lord: God's name as Jehovah is repeated 229 times in 173 verses (out of 618 in total) (God 73 times in 63 verses)

Joshua, son of Nun, a commander of Israel was born when Moses escaped to Midian for 20 years. He came to the attention of Moses when he returned, and became his assistant (Exodus 24:13, Numbers 11:28). He also worked for a time in the tent of meeting (Exodus 33:11), and was one of the spies (with Caleb) who urged Moses to take the land. Due to disbelief, ten spies convince Israel that they could not take the land and God punished them by delaying their entry by 40 years – and in this time a whole generation died. Moses died prior to crossing the Jordan and God made Joshua commander of Israel. Joshua, like Joseph has very little to tarnish his record, learning to obey as a young man, he follows the Lord unceasingly.

Eleazar: Aaron's third son, a priest who helped Joshua divide the land (14:1).

Rahab: A prostitute who ran an inn that was located in the wall of the city of Jericho. She may have been a manufacturer of fine clothes, having flux drying on the roof, under which she hid the spies of Joshua. By her faith in the Lord God Jehovah and her unnerving desire to serve him, she was saved along with her father, mother and brothers. "By faith Rahab the prostitute did not perish with those who were disobedient, because she had given a friendly welcome to the spies." Hebrews 11:3. She entered the lineage of Jesus by marrying Salmon who fathered Boaz, the husband of Ruth, who became David's great grandfather. (Matthew 1:5)

Key Places:

Ai:The first defeat of Israel due to the sin of Achan, which involved taking spoils from Jericho which God had cursed.

Jericho: Destroyed by the hand of God, utilising the priests and the whole tribe of Israel, and cursed by God (6:26).

Gilgal: The LORD said to Joshua, "Today I have rolled away the reproach of Egypt from you." And so the name of that place is called Gilgal to this day." (5:9), where the first Passover was celebrated and renewed the rite of circumcision performed.

Mount Gerizim: The mount of blessing (Deuteronomy 11:29), in contrast to Mount Ebal, perhaps Mount Moriah, the place Abraham offered Isaac where half the children of Israel met (8:33)

Mount Ebal: The mount of cursing (Deuteronomy 11:29), upon which the curse of the law was read (8:33), written (8:32) and where an alter was built by Joshua (8:30) as commanded by Moses (Deuteronomy 27:4)