RPG Adults
INTRODUCTION TO THE BOOK OF JOSHUA
LORD’S DAY, OCTOBER 1
Joshua 1:1-4
Proverbs 10:27-32
“The fear of the LORD
prolongeth days…”
INTRODUCTION TO THE BOOK OF JOSHUA
The book of Joshua is a historical book. It is the first of the books classified as history up to the book of Esther. It comes after the first five books commonly called “The Law.” The title of this book comes from the main character of the book, Joshua. According to Numbers 13:16, Joshua’s Hebrew name was “Oshea,” meaning “salvation,” and Moses had changed his name to “Jehoshua” meaning “Yahweh is salvation.” It is also the Hebrew name for Jesus. This book gives a clear picture of Christ as Lord and Saviour. Joshua is a type of Christ.
Authorship: Joshua is the author of the book as it is attributed to him in Joshua 24:26: “And Joshua wrote these words in the book of the law of God, and took a great stone, and set it up there under an oak, that was by the sanctuary of the LORD.” He also wrote as an eyewitness of the events described in the book. Born in Egypt, he witnessed the accounts in the book of Exodus. In Joshua 5:1 and 6, he spoke of his experience in these words: “And it came to pass, when all the kings of the Amorites, which were on the side of Jordan westward, and all the kings of the Canaanites, which were by the sea, heard that the LORD had dried up the waters of Jordan from before the children of Israel, until we were passed over, that their heart melted, neither was there spirit in them any more, because of the children of Israel… For the children of Israel walked forty years in the wilderness, till all the people that were men of war, which came out of Egypt, were consumed…” Joshua belonged to that generation that perished in the wilderness, but he and Caleb were not among those who had rebelled against Moses and God. Both were among the twelve spies whom Moses had sent. They were the only two who had urged the people to go immediately and occupy the land of Canaan by faith. It was then that God promised that He would allow them to see and live in Canaan. That experience forms the content of this book.
THOUGHT: Historical records are instructions by example.
PRAYER: Father, may my life be a worthy example that will teach future generations.