T. A. Pruett's Commentary on Old Testament Prophets: The Nevi’Im

By T. A. Pruett

Having led an online Bible Study for many years, I began compiling my notes initially as a legacy to leave to my children. As I have continued to refine my notes through the research, it is my desire and prayer that the thoughts compiled help each person deepen their understanding of God’s Love Letter we call the Bible and enrich their individual relationship with our Creator - God the Father.

• Language: English
• Publisher: LifeRich Publishing
• Release date: Sep 27, 2021
• ISBN: 9781489733993

T. A. Pruett

When Tom was 6 years old, he went fishing with his grandfather at a nearby catfish pond. While fishing, holding onto his cane pole, a fish hooked on the line, as Tom wrestled to keep the fish while his grandfather came to help, he was pulled in. Not wanting to lose the fish, he held on. His Grandfather had a choice, jump in after his grandson or be creative. His grandfather used his own pole to hook Tom's pant leg and pulled both Tom and the fish onshore. When they got home, Tom's grandfather used the account to tell him the Matthew 4:19 account when Jesus is calling Peter and Andrew to be disciples "...Follow me, and I will make you fishers of men." This began Tom on a path that later in his life led to the composition of this commentary that he hopes will enrich lives and set others on the path to be "Fishers of Men."

Book preview

Copyright © 2021 T. A. Pruett.

All rights reserved. No part of this book may be used or reproduced by any means, graphic, electronic, or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, taping or by any information storage retrieval system without the written permission of the author except in the case of brief quotations embodied in critical articles and reviews.

LifeRich Publishing is a registered trademark of The Reader’s Digest Association, Inc.

LifeRich Publishing

1663 Liberty Drive

Bloomington, IN 47403

www.liferichpublishing.com

844-686-9607

Because of the dynamic nature of the Internet, any web addresses or links contained in this book may have changed since publication and may no longer be valid. The views expressed in this work are solely those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of the publisher, and the publisher hereby disclaims any responsibility for them.

Any people depicted in stock imagery provided by Getty Images are models, and such images are being used for illustrative purposes only.

Certain stock imagery © Getty Images.

Scripture taken from the King James Version of the Bible.

Scripture quotations are from The Holy Bible, English Standard Version® (ESV®), copyright © 2001 by Crossway, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers. Used by permission. All rights reserved.

Scripture taken from the New Century Version. Copyright © 2005 by Thomas Nelson, Inc. Used by permission. All rights reserved.

ISBN: 978-1-4897-3398-6 (sc)

ISBN: 978-1-4897-3399-3 (e)

LifeRich Publishing rev. date:  09/23/2021

Contents

Survey of Joshua

Joshua 1

Joshua 2

Joshua 3

Joshua 4

Joshua 5

Joshua 6

Joshua 7

Joshua 8

Joshua 9

Joshua 10

Joshua 11

Joshua 12

Joshua 13

Joshua 14

Joshua 15

Joshua 16

Joshua 17

Joshua 18

Joshua 19

Joshua 20

Joshua 21

Joshua 22

Joshua 23

Joshua 24

Survey of Judges

Judges 1

Judges 2

Judges 3

Judges 4

Judges 5

Judges 6

Judges 7

Judges 8

Judges 9

Judges 10

Judges 11

Judges 12

Judges 13

Judges 14

Judges 15

Judges 16

Judges Supplemental

Study Regarding 17-21

Judges 17

Judges 18

Judges 19

Judges 20

Judges 21

Survey on 1 Samuel

1 Samuel 1

1 Samuel 2

1 Samuel 3

1 Samuel 4

1 Samuel 5

1 Samuel 6

1 Samuel 7

1 Samuel 8

1 Samuel 9

1 Samuel 10

1 Samuel 11

1 Samuel 12

1 Samuel 13

1 Samuel 14

1 Samuel 15

1 Samuel 16

1 Samuel 17

1 Samuel 18

1 Samuel 19

1 Samuel 20

1 Samuel 21

1 Samuel 22

1 Samuel 23

1 Samuel 24

1 Samuel 25

1 Samuel 26

1 Samuel 27

1 Samuel 28

1 Samuel 29

1 Samuel 30

1 Samuel 31

Survey of 2 Samuel

2 Samuel 1

2 Samuel 2

2 Samuel 3

2 Samuel 4

2 Samuel 5

2 Samuel 6

2 Samuel 7

2 Samuel 8

2 Samuel 9

2 Samuel 10

2 Samuel 11

2 Samuel 12

2 Samuel 13

2 Samuel 14

2 Samuel 15

2 Samuel 16

2 Samuel 17

2 Samuel 18

2 Samuel 19

2 Samuel 20

2 Samuel 21

2 Samuel 22

2 Samuel 23

2 Samuel 24

Survey on 1 Kings

1 Kings 1

1 Kings 2

1 Kings 3

1 Kings 4

1 Kings 5

1 Kings 6

1 Kings 7

1 Kings 8

1 Kings 9

1 Kings 10

1 Kings 11

1 Kings 12

1 Kings 13

1 Kings 14

1 Kings 15

1 Kings 16

1 Kings 17

1 Kings 18

1 Kings 19

1 Kings 20

1 Kings 21

1 Kings 22

Survey on 2 Kings

2 Kings 1

2 Kings 2

2 Kings 3

2 Kings 4

2 Kings 5

2 Kings 6

2 Kings 7

2 Kings 8

2 Kings 9

2 Kings 10

2 Kings 11

2 Kings 12

2 Kings 13

2 Kings 14

2 Kings 15

2 Kings 16

2 Kings 17

2 Kings 18

2 Kings 19

2 Kings 20

2 Kings 21

2 Kings 22

2 Kings 23

2 Kings 24

2 Kings 25

Survey on Isaiah

Isaiah 1

Isaiah 2

Isaiah 3

Isaiah 4

Isaiah 5

Isaiah 6

Isaiah 7

Isaiah 9

Isaiah 8

Isaiah 10

Isaiah 11

Isaiah 12

Isaiah 13

Isaiah 14

Isaiah 15

Isaiah 16

Isaiah 17

Isaiah 18

Isaiah 19

Isaiah 20

Isaiah 21

Isaiah 22

Isaiah 23

Isaiah 24

Isaiah 25

Isaiah 26

Isaiah 27

Isaiah 28

Isaiah 29

Isaiah 30

Isaiah 31

Isaiah 32

Isaiah 33

Isaiah 34

Isaiah 35

Isaiah 36

Isaiah 37

Isaiah 38

Isaiah 39

Isaiah 40

Isaiah 41

Isaiah 42

Isaiah 43

Isaiah 44

Isaiah 45

Isaiah 46

Isaiah 47

Isaiah 48

Isaiah 49

Isaiah 50

Isaiah 51

Isaiah 52

Isaiah 53

Isaiah 54

Isaiah 55

Isaiah 56

Isaiah 57

Isaiah 58

Isaiah 59

Isaiah 60

Isaiah 61

Isaiah 62

Isaiah 63

Isaiah 64

Isaiah 65

Isaiah 66

Survey on Jeremiah

Jeremiah 1

Jeremiah 2

Jeremiah 3

Jeremiah 4

Jeremiah 5

Jeremiah 6

Jeremiah 7

Jeremiah 8

Jeremiah 9

Jeremiah 10

Jeremiah 11

Jeremiah 12

Jeremiah 13

Jeremiah 14

Jeremiah 15

Jeremiah 16

Jeremiah 17

Jeremiah 18

Jeremiah 19

Jeremiah 20

Jeremiah 21

Jeremiah 22

Jeremiah 23

Jeremiah 24

Jeremiah 25

Jeremiah 26

Jeremiah 27

Jeremiah 28

Jeremiah 29

Jeremiah 30

Jeremiah 31

Jeremiah 32

Jeremiah 33

Jeremiah 34

Jeremiah 35

Jeremiah 36

Jeremiah 37

Jeremiah 38

Jeremiah 39

Jeremiah 40

Jeremiah 41

Jeremiah 42

Jeremiah 43

Jeremiah 44

Jeremiah 45

Jeremiah 46

Jeremiah 47

Jeremiah 48

Jeremiah 49

Jeremiah 50

Jeremiah 51

Jeremiah 52

Survey on Ezekiel

Ezekiel 1

Ezekiel 2

Ezekiel 3

Ezekiel 4

Ezekiel 5

Ezekiel 6

Ezekiel 7

Ezekiel 8

Ezekiel 9

Ezekiel 10

Ezekiel 11

Ezekiel 12

Ezekiel 13

Ezekiel 14

Ezekiel 15

Ezekiel 16

Ezekiel 17

Ezekiel 18

Ezekiel 19

Ezekiel 20

Ezekiel 21

Ezekiel 22

Ezekiel 23

Ezekiel 24

Ezekiel 25

Ezekiel 26

Ezekiel 27

Ezekiel 28

Ezekiel 29

Ezekiel 30

Ezekiel 31

Ezekiel 32

Ezekiel 33

Ezekiel 34

Ezekiel 35

Ezekiel 36

Ezekiel 37

Ezekiel 38

Ezekiel 39

Ezekiel 40

Ezekiel 41

Ezekiel 42

Ezekiel 43

Ezekiel 44

Ezekiel 45

Ezekiel 46

Ezekiel 47

Ezekiel 48

Survey on Hosea

Hosea 1

Hosea 2

Hosea 3

Hosea 4

Hosea 5

Hosea 6

Hosea 7

Hosea 8

Hosea 9

Hosea 10

Hosea 11

Hosea 12

Hosea 13

Hosea 14

Survey on Joel

Joel 1

Joel 2

Joel 3

Survey on Amos

Amos 1

Amos 2

Amos 3

Amos 4

Amos 5

Amos 6

Amos 7

Amos 8

Amos 9

Survey on Obadiah

Obadiah 1

Survey on Jonah

Jonah 1

Jonah 2

Jonah 3

Jonah 4

Survey on Micah

Micah 1

Micah 2

Micah 3

Micah 4

Micah 5

Micah 6

Micah 7

Survey on Nahum

Nahum 1

Nahum 2

Nahum 3

Survey on Habakkuk

Habakkuk 1

Habakkuk 2

Habakkuk 3

Survey on Zephaniah

Zephaniah 1

Zephaniah 2

Zephaniah 3

Survey on Haggai

Haggai 1

Haggai 2

Survey on Zechariah

Zechariah 1

Zechariah 2

Zechariah 3

Zechariah 4

Zechariah 5

Zechariah 6

Zechariah 7

Zechariah 8

Zechariah 9

Zechariah 10

Zechariah 11

Zechariah 12

Zechariah 13

Zechariah 14

Survey on Malachi

Malachi 1

Malachi 2

Malachi 3

Malachi 4

136529.png

SURVEY OF JOSHUA

136535.png

This is the first of 12 historical books in the OT. Joshua, Moses’ successor, was prayed for and charged to lead the Israelites by Moses in Numbers 27:12-23. Joshua’s name means Jehovah saves. IT was after Moses passes and the mantle of leadership is Joshua’s that the people begin to enter the Promised Land.

The authorship and writing of this book is not detailed in Joshua. It is generally held that Joshua is the likely author. Verses like Joshua 18:9 and 24:26 are told from an eyewitness perspective. The final appendix to the book, Joshua 24:29-33 would seem likely someone penned the epithet to this book – perhaps the High Priest Eleazar or Joshua’s son Phineas. Rehab is another possibility. The book was available in David’s reign (based on Joshua 15:63; 2 Sam 5:5-9) so the likely writing period is dated at 1405-1385 BC.

The man born into Egyptian slavery and trained under Moses, was God’s choice to lead His people. Distinguishing life events of Joshua include life as a soldier, serving as a scout, and numerous activities demonstrating that he lived a faithful and dedicated life before God.

The setting of this book has Joshua assuming the mantle of leadership at nearly 90 years of age. This ends the wilderness wanderings of the Jews. Joshua rules for ~20 years until his death (Joshua 24:29) at the age of 110. At his death, most of the Canaanites are out of the land and the 12 tribes have been assigned their portion. Joshua waited on the Lord for direction in their many battles – which is a good lesson for us: trust in the Lord’s timing and not be so concerned with our own timing. There were many people in the land that had fallen into moral decay and polytheistic observances. Joshua, the faithful and patient servant of God, led the people under God’s direction successfully during his tenure.

The book highlights one of the main themes of the Bible: God’s faithfulness and delivering of His promises. The descendants of Abraham (Genesis 12:7: 15:18-21; 17:8) inherit the land! It also highlights the need for us, His Creation, to faithfully honor our God. This inheriting of the land lays the foundation for Israel’s Kings and Prophets to come and help guide the people and be the testimony to all people (Gen 12:1-3).

Highlights specific to Joshua include:

• Joshua was the eldest son of Nun.

• As the eldest child, He would have had a special interest in the sprinkling of the blood the night of the Passover in Egypt.

• Studying of his genealogy (1 Chr 7:20-28) reveals that some of his relatives did not have a good reputation—they were cattle thieves.

• Exodus records Joshua fighting the enemies of God only two months after the exodus from Egypt (Ex 17:8-16).

• On Mt Sinai: Ex 24:18; 32:1-18; 33:11 (Joshua, not Aaron, left in charge of tent of meeting.) Num 11:28.

• Joshua was one of the 12 sent to spy out the land; only he and Caleb report back with a favorable report—thus they were the only two to survive the 40 years! Cf. Num 13:1- 14:39.

o They had traveled from Egypt to Sinai in only two months. The Lord kept them there for a year. Their unbelief stretched out their journey another 40 years.

o Leaving Egypt was a simple matter, getting the Egypt out of the people, unfortunately took 40 years in the wilderness.

Book of Joshua: Organization

• Entering the Land, Ch. 1 - 5;

• Overcoming the Land, Ch. 6 - 12;

• Occupying the Land, Ch. 13 - 24

• The victory of faith.

136574.png

JOSHUA 1

136580.png

As we look at the first 4 verses today, we see the passing of the torch being complete. Moses has passed away and now the Lord is speaking directly to Joshua. As the Lord speaks to Joshua, He once again emphasizes that the Land is His gift to the people. Now this may seem a small detail, but a gift is only effective if one accepts it. For this gift to be accepted, possession had to occur. Similarly, a check is only good if it is cashed. Our gift of redemption by Christ is only applicable if we embrace Christ’s love and accept him as our Savior!

God makes a very strong promise to Joshua in verse 5 that He will personally be with Joshua all of His days. He will never taste defeat. He would never leave Joshua. We too as Christians can have that same promise if we wish to seize it. We are promised His personal presence in Matthew 28:19. We are promised to always have as our companion in John 14:6 the Holy Spirit. If we trust in the promise of 1 John 4:4 we never need let fear consume us since the Lord is greater than the evil in this world. If we trust in the promise of Romans 8:37 then we know that Christ will conquer Lucifer and his minions and that We Christians will be More Than Conquerors.

In verse 6, God is giving Joshua (and us) personal encouragement. We are to trust His purposes. What I find amazing is that despite our bungling efforts at times, God can still use us in a way that we know we have contributed in His master plan for the Human Race. Part of that plan is for us to come to a personal relationship with the Lord – John17:3. Part of that plan, as we see with Moses’ efforts and now under Joshua’s leadership, is direct involvement, which sometimes involves conflict with other people and even outright warfare.

Verses 7 and 8 are considered key verses to understanding and handling prosperity. In verse 7 we have a strong exhortation from the Lord that is personal: It takes courage to deal with one’s self, more so than it does to deal with others. The other is to keep close to your soul the teachings of Scripture. Moses kept a written record of God’s Word and committed its safe keeping to the priests in Deuteronomy 31:9. He wrote a reminder to Joshua in Exodus 17:14. Meditation on the Word was mandatory (Deuteronomy 32:46, Proverbs 4:26, Haggai 1:7, Luke 9:44, Philippians 4:8, Psalms 1:1-2.).

Side note: reflecting on the charge of the safe keeping of the Word. Though the priests dutifully carried out the charge for generations, its safe keeping does have an interesting past:

■ It was read every 7 years – Deuteronomy 31:11-13

■ David left it to Solomon’s charge – 1 Kings 2:1-4

■ It was Lost until found in Josiah’s reign – 2 Kings 22:8, 23:2-3

■ Ezra used it as a foundation for rallying the people – Nehemiah 8:1-8, 13:1

In verse 9, God again encourages Joshua, one of the two faithful spies whom scouted the land in Numbers 13 and 14.

In verses 10 – 15 Joshua addresses the people. He tells the people to gather supplies. Now this may seem routine, but from Joshua 5:12, when the people entered the land, God did not supply manna for the people anymore. He also calls out the Reubenites, Gadities, and the ½ tribe of Manasseh and holds them to their oath to support the other tribes in the conquest of Israel.

These 2 ½ tribes numbered some 136,930 fighting men (Numbers 26). It is interesting that only 40,000 men crossed over the Jordan to fight (Joshua 4:13). The remainder stayed behind to protect the women in the cities that were seized in Jazer and Gilead from Numbers 32. On their return along the way, the 40,000 men shared the spoils of war with their brothers (Joshua 22).

There is an interesting rabbinical teaching regarding these 2 ½ tribes. There were more concerned about making a living (as they asked for this land because it was favorable for cattle) than they were in making a life for themselves. They would rather dwell in a place they believe they will prosper than be with their brothers in a land promised to them by the Lord. They were so far from the place of Worship – the Temple – that they had to erect a special monument to remind their children of their heritage (Joshua 22:10). The teaching here is that they seem to represent the borderline believers who get close to an inheritance but never seem willing or able to claim it, regardless of success in life.

Closing this chapter with verses 16 – 18 with people responding to Joshua’s charge. They promised to follow his leadership. They also prayed for the Lord to be with their new leader. This is an important teaching for us today. We too should pray for our leaders to be godly men. I would submit to you that no Christian warrior can succeed without the power of prayer bonding one to His God. This would also explain Joshua 7 and 9 where Joshua did not seek the Lord’s council and why he failed so miserably.

136574.png

JOSHUA 2

136580.png

Looking at verse 1, the first recorded act of Joshua as leader preparing to conquer the land is what Moses did some 38 years earlier except that Joshua was a part of only 12 he sent out with 2 spies to scout the land. He sent these 2 from Acacia (which is called Shittim in the KJV). Acacia, according to Numbers 25:1 is as far as Moses ventured. Two were sent, I believe, because of Deuteronomy 17:6 & 19:15 where the law requires 2 to be a trustworthy witness.

It is interesting that Hebrews 11:31 and James 2:25 texts call these 2 messengers and not spies. James states that she (Rahab) received the spies just as the Lord receives on his right hand those that receive Him.

Now Jericho was pagan central. The name Jericho means House of the Moon God. It is located 5 miles west of the Jordan and 7 miles north of the Dead Sea. It was the capital of the Amorites and likely the dominant city of Jordan at that time.

In verses 2 – 7, it seems the Amorites had their counterespionage team on their toes as they immediately conclude that these two individuals were Hebrews scouting the lay of the land and that they sought refuge in the home of Rahab. Therefore, the king sent men to fetch the spies from Rahab’s home. Rahab, for reasons undisclosed to us (to this point) hides the men and tells the king’s men that they have already fled the city just prior to the city gates closing (likely at sundown) and that they should look for them on the countryside. The fact that she has a flax of stalks on her roof is very unusual which tells us this was a woman of resourceful wit.

In verses 8 – 14, we get an understanding as to why she helped the two Hebrew spies – she confesses that she is aware of God, that he has given the Israelites the land they currently occupy, and that the great miracles of the Red Sea and the conquest of the Amorite Kings bear witness to the power of the One True God. It is also likely that since Sodom and Gomorrah laid bare just south of Jericho means that they would know of God’s power also. The fact that she was also aware of God’s promise to give these people the land also testifies that the people were not caught unawares by the coming conquerors but chose to willfully oppose the Lord and His people. I cannot help but speculate to the wonderment of the spies by Rahab’s knowledge on this matter.

What we can also gather from this text is that Rahab, despite living in a culture of polytheism and of poor reputation, she embraced God as the One True God and had faith in Him and those under his employ. She believed that God would give this land to the Israelites. She also had to have known that by being a Citizen of Canaan and a Gentile, she was under a death sentence, just as we as sinners are also under a death sentence. To that end, she pleads for mercy and makes an appeal for herself and her family.

From verse 13, we know that at this moment she is single but from Ruth 4 and 1 Chronicles 2:11-12 that she will marry Salmon, give birth to Boaz and from that eventually the House of David will grow. She is listed in Matthew 1:4-6 in the Messiah’s lineage. It is interesting that a harlot can be included in the Savior’s lineage. What that goes to show is despite all of the human frailties and foibles we possess, that the Lord can use anyone in His plan that is willing to participate. We are all His children and He will reach out to each of us.

In verses 14 – 21, we see that her home was conveniently located on the exterior wall of the city (and I submit to you that this was no accident or coincidence) and so prior to letting the men down for escape into the nearby hills, they come to terms as to how she and her family could be spared: she had to mark the house with the same red rope and her family had to be in her dwelling and nowhere else. They agree to these terms and the men safely hide for 3 days before returning to Joshua to report. Some commentators also point out that they were able to agree to these terms without first consulting Joshua which would imply that they had what we might call today ambassadorial privileges.

Concluding the chapter with verses 22 – 24 where we see that the Lord not only provided safe passage for these two men but also provided means for them to do so. God helps those that help themselves, or more accurately put their trust in Him! When they report, they give almost the identical report that Joshua and Caleb themselves gave 38 years earlier, the people are afraid and our success in inevitable with the Lord on our side.

But as we will read in the coming chapters, Joshua had some unfinished business before they could deal with Jericho.

136574.png

JOSHUA 3

136580.png

As we look at the first 5 verses, we see that the people are about to cross into the Promised Land. They are encamping at Acacia, which is as far as Moses ever ventured (Numbers 25:1). The Ark is made of Acacia wood – not that I know what you do with that tidbit, but there it is.

Joshua sends word throughout the people that they are to follow the priests carrying the Ark when they see them on the move, but at a distance. I believe it was to teach them that the Lord should lead them in their lives.

Also in verse 5, Joshua foretells the people of a miracle to come, this was in a sense a sanctification of Joshua’s authority for the people and to validate in their eyes that the Lord was with him.

In verses 7 – 13, Joshua gives the marching orders to head up to the Jordan River. He also proclaims that this is the beginning of the Israelite reputation for all to know that they are blessed of God. Their conquest of the 7 occupying nations in the land will also be a testament to the Lord being with them and that He is truly the One True God. If you consider that they already conquered Sihon, Og, and the Amalekites, what we see is an interesting parallel to the Book of Revelation where 10 nations are in opposition and in the end only one nation stands (Daniel 7:8-24, Revelation 12, 13, & 17).

In verse 11 the Ark is described for the first time as the Ark of the Covenant of the Lord of all the world. This is an interesting description that betrays that the Lord was not just for the descendants of Abraham but for all mankind. God just chose to honor Abraham and his descendants by using them as a means to testify of God to all man.

The chapter concludes in v. 14 – 17 with the miracle of the water flow being halted. Now what is more amazing, perhaps to the people, is that this was springtime so the snows on Mt. Hermon were melting and the Jordan was overflowing through to the Dead Sea. Another interesting aspect to this miracle is the mention that the Jordan all the way to the city of Adam.

136574.png

JOSHUA 4

136580.png

Examining the first 8 verses, we have the first of 2 memorial pillars that were to be erected to remind the people of how the Lord provides for them and demonstrates His power to them. The first memorial, discussed in the first 8 verses, were gathered by one man from each of the 12 tribes which carries the teachings that these stones were laid in a place of death (being buried beneath the waters of the Jordan). But the Ark (as a type of Christ) came through the water full of life. Idiomatically, this is representative of the people being lifted from death (the riverbed) and setup to live vibrantly in a place of deliverance (which happened to be at the camp of where the Israelites camped in Gilgal).

The presence of these stones were established to remind the generations that followed of the power and presence of the God of Jacob (Psalms 114:7). This crossing also has an interesting comparison to the deliverance of the Red Sea for this generation of Israelites’ parents. This act of crossing is also symbolic of baptism and like this generation’s parents, they were not allowed to take part of God’s plan until they were washed.

Remark: This comment of the symbolism of baptism comes from men smarter than I and none of them from same religious background that I have. When they comment that the Israelites were not allowed to cross until washed (like this symbolic baptism) and then comment in the New Testament that baptism is an act but not a necessary one, I have to wonder if people get tripped up over baptism because it has become a point of contention between people due to the grace vs. works debate. I do not see this as a work but as a part of Christ’s established set of desires for us to follow him through baptism, something He himself did for our benefit.

In verse 9 we have the second pillar erected by Joshua himself. These stones also carry a representational teaching. They were placed where the feet of the priest stood. The teaching here is that those that are dead to sin are buried with Christ in baptism unto death (Romans 6:4).

These two groups of stones are symbolic teachings of our having died with Christ (Colossians 2:20) and having been raised by Him. Some even say that these two stone pillars are viewed as living stones similar to 1 Peter 2:5’s teaching.

In verses 10 – 24 we see a display of unity by the people whom have seen personally that the Lord is truly with Joshua. They are ready to stand shoulder to shoulder against common foes – just as we as Christians should today.

The Israelites made this journey on the 10th of Nisan which is 40 years to the day after they began the Passover preparations as told in Exodus 12:3.

136574.png

JOSHUA 5

136580.png

Verse 1 tells us that the word has gotten out how the Lord revealed Himself and His blessings on the Israelites as they crossed the Jordan. This has put the fear of the Lord into all the Amorites in the area. As we would likely think, now is the time to attack. They are afraid, in doubt, and likely easy prey. However, this was not a matter of human tactics or brute force. This is a matter of spirituality and honoring the One that is constant and consistent regarding His Word. So just as is the case today, when you are involved in spiritual warfare, you must prepare yourself properly which involves praying, reconciling one’s self with God, and understanding what is involved for furthering the Kingdom of Heaven (as much as one can anyway).

So to that end, in verses 2 – 9, we have the sanctification of Israel by affirming their covenant with God through circumcision (Genesis 17:9-14). For us as Christians, we have do not have to go through the physical circumcision as an affirmation of our Covenant as Christ gave us a new sign: Colossians 2:11-12 states:

¹¹Also in Christ you had a different kind of circumcision, a circumcision not done by hands. It was through Christ’s circumcision, that is, his death, that you were made free from the power of your sinful self. ¹²When you were baptized, you were buried with Christ, and you were raised up with him through your faith in God’s power that was shown when he raised Christ from the dead.

What is also interesting about the timing of this affirmation is that they are now behind enemy lines and vulnerable to attack, yet they trusted the Lord to care for them. It’s not really mentioned here but their trust should not be overlooked.

I also find from verse 5 that it seems that Moses apparently dropped the ball by not circumcising the people while they wandered in the desert so the Lord saw fit to correct this oversight (Exodus 4:24-26).

Also, Joshua’s renaming of the location to Gilgal means rolled away which is symbolic of how the sins of the Israelites were treated with the affirmation process of the covenant.

In verses 10 – 12 we see the people literally apply Psalms 23:5 as they prepare a meal in front of my enemies to observe Passover for the first time in 38 years when they last observed it at Sinai in Numbers 9:5. After this feast, the provision from Heaven of Manna ceased. Commentators see the observance here to remind them of their redemption from Egypt and the manna as a reminder of their desire to return back (Exodus 16:3).

The chapter closes with verses 13 – 15 with a mysterious appearance by a man with a sword. Joshua asks him whose side is he on and the reply is a clue to the person’s identity. Some speculate that this is some arch-angel like Michael of Gabriel but I suspect strongly that it is Christ for a couple of reasons: One – He identifies Himself as the captain of the army, Two – He uses the same language as was used with Moses at the Burning Bush, and Three – He allows Himself to be worshipped by Joshua. The last time I checked the only angel to allow himself to be worshipped got into some big trouble!

Now many English translations state in verse 14 that Joshua bowed face down and then asked a question (the NCV is one example) but here is the KJV (and the ESV) render the encounter more clearly regarding the worshipping aspect: "And he said, Nay; but as captain of the host of the LORD am I now come. And Joshua fell on his face to the earth, and did worship".

Now the Lord promised Joshua (Joshua 1:5) to be with him as He was with Moses. Abraham had a similar encounter in Genesis 18. So did Jacob in Genesis 32. You could point out another incident in Daniel 3 with the 4th member in the fiery furnace.

In summary, what we have in this chapter is the need for one person (or a group of people) to prepare themselves. Spiritual warfare is a serious matter. We must be humble in our persona, walk holy, and be prepared to defend our Creator by all that is within us. To do less is to give our enemies a free ride and potentially risk someone’s soul entrance into Heaven.

136574.png

JOSHUA 6

136580.png

Examining the first 5 verses, this would make a wonderful comedy routine. Imagine what Joshua’s war council must of thought at that staff meeting when Joshua comes and says,

Here is how we are going to conquer the town of Jericho. We know they are afraid of us. We know that they have shut their gates. So rather than just march up and get’em like we did Sihon and Og, we are going to march around the city, parading the Ark, and come back to camp for 6 days. On the 7th day, we will do it 7 times and then shout at them. After that we will simply walk over rubble and kill all that it left.

Can you imagine the looks around the table? I am sure there were some raised eyebrows. Not only for the battle plan but also some of the inherit violations of the Torah. Levites were excluded from battle and yet they would lead the army. Work on the Sabbath was prohibited and yet they were to do 7 times the work on the Sabbath. Not your routine battle plan.

So in verses 6 – 14 we have them executing the battle plan. They march up to Jericho with the Levites and Ark leading the procession and no one speaking. The army that was marching is believed to be somewhere around 600,000 men (based on Numbers 26). I would also envision, probably due to the influence of the Veggie Tale video about Jericho where the peas taunted and threw things at the Israelites, that these Israelites likewise endured similar indignities.

In verses 15 – 25, the Israelites executed that final phase of the plan by marching 7 times, trumpeting, shouting and then watching as the walls collapsed. I also read an article a while back, I believe it was in Biblical Archaeological Review, that there is archaeological evidence that these walls fell outward which is ordinarily not possible. Assuming this to be so, it is perhaps just one more evidence of God’s supernatural intervention, unfortunately, the Joshua account does not provide more specifics on the walls coming down.

A couple of noteworthy points here:

1. Joshua instructs the soldiers to take the precious valuables (silver, gold, bronze, and iron) and save those for the Lord, these apparently were to be the tithe or first fruits of war for the Lord.

2. Rahab and family were to be treated with respect and dignity – hence honoring the promise the 2 spies made with her.

3. The Israelites were also to completely destroy any potential influence that would undermine their faith or morality. This meant that they were to destroy all aspects of the lifestyle that was observed in Jericho, including human lives. I know it seems harsh from our perspective but as Matthew 10:28 teaches: "you should fear the one who can destroy the soul and the body".

Regarding Rahab’s family, we know that her home was built on the wall, so the fact that they were safe tells me that though the walls came down, it would stand to reason that God supernaturally kept that portion of the wall sturdy enough for the family to be extracted by the Israelites.

I also suspect that the edict to burn the town to the ground has some symbolic meaning as well. Deuteronomy 4:24 and Hebrews 12:29 allude to God being a consuming fire. The rabbinical teaching is that fire is a symbol of judgment. So Jericho would be a picture of God’s judgment.

I close with verses 26 and 27 with the curse that Joshua put on Jericho and any potential rebuilding effort that might occur. It is worth pointing out from 1 Kings 16:34 that King Ahab’s endeavor to rebuild Jericho did indeed cost him his eldest and youngest son.

In fact today, this ancient city is still uninhabited. The present city called Jericho is near but not residing on the actual ruins of the ancient city that is the topic of this chapter.

As another interesting tidbit to this city, it also happens to be a stronghold for the PLO and is called Bet Yerah – The City of the Moon God.

As a result of their resounding success at Jericho, Joshua and the Israelites reputation was becoming that of legends throughout the land.

136574.png

JOSHUA 7

136580.png

Examining the first verse, we see what many have often learned, when you have a success it often is followed up with a defeat. Either through arrogance, overconfidence, or a thought of invulnerability, people often fall to defeat when they have had success. At the end of the first sentence in verse one, the non-obedience mentioned in English has a little different connotation in the Hebrew. The term used is Cherem ( 131992.png ) which means accursed thing of devotion – in other words an intention to do something regardless of consequence. Now obviously each individual is responsible for their own sins but those actions can often reflect on the group. In this case Achan’s covetousness, resulted in the nation as a whole having a blight on its character and resulted in defeat in battle. Some modern-day examples could be tele-evangelist foibles reflecting poorly on Christians (in ways like being hypocritical) as a whole or a nation’s leader lying publicly about personal conduct. I would also point out that this exposes the myth often perpetrated in our society that the actions of one person do not harm the society. Achan’s actions, solely private and alone, not only harmed the reputation of the nation, it directly caused the death of 36 countrymen. Think of the blight on our society with abhorrent lifestyles and the murder of the inconvenient children in utero – how it has affected our society and our faith, especially the bodies of Christians that have now compromised God’s Word for social conformity.

There is another aspect here in verse one that I suspect goes unnoticed. Why would the Holy Spirit provide us a genealogy of Achan? If we review Genesis 38:15-30 we learn that the Zerah line stems from an illegitimate union with Tamar (the daughter-in-law). Some see this as Lucifer’s attempt to foil the prophecy of Genesis 49:8-12.

In verses 2 – 9, Joshua continues the plan to conquer the land. He starts by sending spies to Ai which is about 15 miles from Jericho (approximately 1700 ft above sea level). The report comes back that they do not need the might of the entire army. Here in lies a partial reason why defeat often follows victory. Fear makes the opponent seem greater that they actually are and pride makes them seem less than they are.

So from the feedback we have detailed for us is that some 3000 men go up to Ai and are routed and flee for their lives. Prior to this, the only other documented defeat Israel suffered at the hands of the Amalekites is in Numbers 14:41-45. Now in this case, I suspect Israel felt like they could just show up and win the day. I think in our spiritual walks we know what our strengths and weakness are however, Lucifer often times knocks us down on a perceived strength because of inadequate preparation or proper reverence before the Lord.

When word comes back, Joshua is crushed, shocked, and disheartened. He tears his clothes and lies face down before the Ark of the Lord. When he finally speaks to God regarding the matter, the Lord gives him a bit of a rebuke for his actions as a whipped dog. It’s one of those Pull yourself together man! admonishments. I think the lesson for us is that unbelief or unpreparedness in spiritual matters is a quick way to receive a rebuke from God. We cannot take things for granted, to do so alludes to someone having more trust in their own actions than in the Lord’s graces. Here their defeat robs God of Glory and the potential to witness to others. Joshua understands this and fears now for the Lord’s reputation.

In verses 10 – 15, I contend that the language used here indicates that had Joshua gone before the Lord prior to the Ai battle, that the iniquity staining the nation would have been revealed to him, but as it stands he did not and some portion of the responsibility for the defeat lies with Joshua. As the Lord points out, one man’s actions carry repercussions. David’s indiscretion over a census cost 70000 lives, Jonah nearly lost a ship at sea (and the lives on it), and Abraham nearly lost a wife in Genesis 12. Sin may be an individual matter but as a corporate body of believers we all carry a responsibility to deal with it.

The Lord lays the law in verse 12 stating that if Joshua and the people do not utterly destroy all that He has mandated He will deprive them of His presence. The defeat was bad. The repercussions were bad. The withdrawal of the Lord’s presence is perhaps the worst thing that could happen to them, or anyone. Look at what happened in Hosea 4 (v.6) when the people out of their wickedness caused the Lord to put a famine of the Word on them – can you imagine being deprived of the ultimate Love letter ever given to mankind?

In verses 16 – 21 the Lord provides insight for Joshua in determining where the stain of sin lies within the nation. From a sifting of the tribes, it is determined that the culprit is in the royal tribe of Judah. From Judah it was traced to Zerah, to Zabdi to Achan. At that point Joshua basically tells Achan to come clean and he does.

In verses 22 – 26, what we see is that all sins are revealed (whether confessed or not). Even though Achan came clean, that still did not absolve him of the punishment. God takes His mandates seriously. To that end he was stoned for his sins. Fortunately, we live in a more gracious period, but the ramifications are no less serious. We must be vigilant in our actions and duties as the Lord’s servants.

I close with a Hebraism from verse 24 and 25. The family of Achan was taken to the valley of Ancor which is a play on words. Achor means trouble and Achan means troubler. The valley was hence named for what transpired. It is interesting that the Hebrew language often reveals a deeper understanding if you grasp the meaning of the words, especially in context to the situation.

136574.png

JOSHUA 8

136580.png

As we look at the first 2 verses, the Lord encourages Joshua and the people to not lay down in the midst of defeat. To just lay there and lose hope over a defeat is the worst thing a person can do. So the Lord in essence tells Joshua to learn from past mistakes, be faithful and encouraged, and go out and conquer the land promised in His name. In doing so, he also lays out the battle plan for Joshua.

In verses 3 – 9, we see that Joshua informs the troops of the plan and they set out for the 15-mile march to Ai. Joshua tells his special forces to set up behind the city (by stealth) on the path to Bethel – which cuts off the escape route and prevents a surprise attack from that direction.

Once in place, Joshua would exploit the overconfidence of the men of Ai whom had just routed the Israelites and forced their retreat. Joshua was to present the troops, feign fear and retreat, and Ai’s forces would likely chase them down. The men in the rear would enter the city, burn it, and put the soldiers of Ai between the proverbial rock and hard place.

It is interesting that where Joshua and his men stayed is the same place that Abram setup an altar before and after his travels to Egypt.

In verses 10 – 17, we see that the plan laid out by God is worked to perfection. The king of Ai saw the Israelites, sent his soldiers to deal with them. They cut and ran and Ai’s soldiers followed them. Now I ask you, how often have you followed God’s plan in your life completely? How often has it let you down? I would venture a guess that those following God’s plan have a 100% satisfaction rate.

In verses 18 – 29, once the smoke of the city was visible, Joshua signals the troops by holding out his spear (a weapon of offense) to take the attack to the men of Ai. So they do and now it was the Israelites turn to rout them. The men of Ai soon learn that the forces of Israel surround them and they all die in the battle. After the battle, the men have earned their reward by fighting and the Lord allows them to take all the spoils of war which is consistent with Numbers 31:9-54, pity that Achan’s greed could not hold out for one more battle.

The last thing here is that the king of Ai was hung on a tree until dusk. Because of Deuteronomy 21:22-23 and Galatians 3:13 (for our reference since Joshua did not have the NT) they took him down and buried him because of the curse for a man to hang on a tree.

In verses 30 – 35, we close with Joshua giving honor and glory to God and also by teaching the people (and reminding them) who they are, where they came from, and to whom they owe everything to: God!

Joshua begins by erecting an altar at Mt. Ebal. Ebal is 3077 ft above sea level (a nice climb!). I should mention that Mt. Gerizim is 2895 ft above sea level so when the people form 2 groups (v.33), they form a sort of amphitheater. Both Ebal and Gerizim mean barren.

This altar was setup as Moses had done so: with unhewn stone. Once setup, peace offerings were made (Leviticus 7:15). Now why would he use unhewn stones? Perhaps as a symbol of a denial of humanism and to show that man’s actions cannot pollute God’s workmanship.

This is now the 4th public monument setup by Joshua: Gilgal, when they crossed the Jordan (Joshua 4:20), the Valley of Achor (because of a judgment of sin – Joshua 7;26), and the Entrance to Ai (a victory following repentance – Joshua 8:29).

The two groups were divided as follows:

1. Mt. Gerizim group – Simeon, Levi, Judah, Issachar, Joseph, and Benjamin. This was the Mount of Blessing.

2. Mt. Ebal group – Reuben, Gad, Asher, Zebulun, Dan, Naphtali. This was the Mount of Curses.

I would point out that this organization is not by accident either as on the Mount of Blessings were the children of Rachel and Leah. On the Mount of Curses were the children of Zilhah and Bilhah as well as Reuben and Zebulun. Reuben’s presence is easy to understand because of his actions against his father in Genesis 35:22, 49:3-4.

I would point out that Joshua does not publicly read the Law until there was an altar established in the Land promised them. The altar was the getting right place and now that there was an altar on the Mount of Blessings, the people had a place to honor, worship, and be reconciled with God.

I should also point out that the geography is also identified as Shechem in Genesis. This location later becomes the capital of the Samaritans (John 4).

Rabbis also teach that in this general assembly, the two groups in effect put themselves under the law which included all the blessings and potential curses – a rare occurrence in the Bible. We Christians are very fortunate that we are not bound by this law as we are bound by the Grace the Messiah established – See Galatians for that teaching.

136574.png

JOSHUA 9

136580.png

As we look at the first 6 verses, we have a listing of the conquered. Of this list, one is omitted for some reason. This, I am sure is up for some debate as to why, but the Girgasites did not make the list. Those that study Gematria (numerical significance’s in the Bible) suspect that 6 – the number of man or incompleteness {because of the erroneous nature of man} could be one reason). I suspect skeptics would point to this as an error, and I am sure liberal scholarship might point to this as a potential reason to not take the Word literally. I believe that the Holy Spirit has purposely done this for reasons that have yet to be made clear. Regardless, the fame and reputation of the Lord’s people is spreading and now Gibeonites having learned of the events of Jericho and Ai are looking to save their own necks after years of rebellion against God.

Gibeon was only 25 miles from Gilgal. I understand that the people of Gibeon are close relatives of the Hivites (which Hivites translated means serpent, play with that one and look at Eph 6:11, 2 Cor 2:22, 11:3, & John 8:44). Also if you reflect back to Genesis 34, it was the Hivites at Shechem that dishonored Dinah and that led to a couple of Jacob’s sons’ treachery on those Hivites dwelling there.

So using deception and wits, the Gibeonites reasoned that if they could convince Joshua and company that they were from a distant land they could spare their people.

In verses 7 – 15, we see that Joshua was suspicious of these people but the Gibeonites apparently had some understanding and knowledge of the Law and knew of the teaching in Deuteronomy 20:10-11 where they were to embrace an offer of peace and become the Jews’ slaves. So they pitched their fabricated story to Joshua, provided some circumstantial evidence, and slyly did not mention Jericho or Ai which would have tipped Joshua off that they were locals.

So, the Israelites tried the bread and bought the story. Here is where Joshua made a mistake and did not heed the warning of Moses in Exodus 34:12 (¹²Be careful that you don’t make an agreement with the people who live in the land where you are going, because it will bring you trouble) by agreeing to a treaty with the people by taking them at their word and not consulting the Lord first, especially in the midst of a Holy War that they have been tasked to execute. I do not blame the Gibeonites as they were just preserving their lives but Joshua as the leader should have shown better judgment, but we are all people and make many mistakes in life. This is one great thing about the Bible that I draw encouragement from because there are many great men in the Bible and all of them (except Christ) have documented mistakes for us to learn from.

As we look at 16 – 27, we see that all lies are in the world and they are quickly uncovered. The Israelites do learn that they have been deceived but they are already on the hook by their oath. To break it would be a greater dishonor before the Lord. The problem for Israel here is not the deal per se but it was the fact that they swore this oath on the name of the Lord. Now they were honor bound to compromise to some extent what the Lord was willing to do for them and give them.

Now another interesting aspect to this is even though Joshua made a mistake, it is amazing how God uses our human blunderings to fulfill His plan. The Gibeonites were Hivites. The Hivites were Canaanites. From Genesis 9:25 we see that there was a curse put on the Canaanites: May there be a curse on Canaan! May he be the lowest slave to his brothers. This was literally fulfilled and by their own request and thus they were enslaved in verse 26.

I close with an interesting footnote about the Gibeonites. There is no Biblical evidence that the descendants of the Gibeonites ever cause problems. In fact, their faithfulness is a testament to how they served. We know from 1 Chronicles 9:2, Ezra 2:43-58, 8:20, Nehemiah 7:60 that they served in places of privilege in religious services. Gibeon was one of the cities given to Aaron’s descendants. 400 years after this text, the Tabernacle would be located there. One of David’s mighty men and close comrade’s in battle was a Gibeonite. Also, some 500 years before Christ’s ministry in the time of Zerubbabel, some of the returnees from Babylon are listed as Gibeonites and these Gibeonites helped rebuild the walls of Jerusalem.

136574.png

JOSHUA 10

136580.png

The first 5 verses provide an account of the other major Canaanite kings in the area. Rallied by Adoni-Zedek (whose name means Lord of Righteous and is an ironic moniker in this case), are shaken by the events of Ai and Gibeon and decide to attack Gibeon (their former ally) because they were sly enough to form an alliance with the conquerors that were sweeping through the land.

In verses 6 – 11 word reaches Joshua that their new allies/slaves are under attack. Since they formed an alliance, Joshua was duty bound to defend them and comes to their aid. Enroute, the Lord reveals to Joshua that the enemy will be handed over to him. So in their zeal to do a preemptive strike, the Canaanite confederation does the Israelites a favor because instead of having to conquer each army one by one, it is a five for one attack and thus cuts out some time that would otherwise have been consumed with multiple battles.

Joshua leads a nearly unheard of (for the era) nighttime march in order to gain the element of surprise. That combined with the providence of the Lord in confusing the men lead to a huge one-sided victory for the Israelites. We also see that the Lord was truly and actively fighting with Israel in this engagement as he sent huge hailstones in order to cut down the enemy even as they were being pursued in full retreat by the Hebrew army.

Then in verses 12 and 13 we have the account of the famous long day of Joshua. There is much discussion and controversy surrounding this event. There is some urban legends around NASA researching and proving that they can account for this event. Here are a couple of research articles that spell out this as myth and the potential damage in propagating such misinformation:

http://www.answersingenesis.org/docs/1117.asp

http://www.answersingenesis.org/articles/web/1998/

04/03/nasa-long-day

http://www.khouse.org/articles/1996/45/ (this one has nothing to do with the urban legend but provides more information that you may or may not find meaningful in your personal studies)

The bottom line here is that I am sure that those that started this legend had good intentions but we can defend the Word of God easily without relying on embellishments. To do so only hinders our ability to defend the Truth from skeptics.

So, the question is from these 2 verses. Did God really do this? I believe unequivocally that He did. So I will pose this question with a couple of others. Is God held hostage by His own Creation? Is anything too difficult for Him? Can he do as Job 9:7 states and command that the sun not to rise? Can he not make the sun go back as He did for Hezekiah in Isaiah 38:8? The Psalmist in 74:16 states that the Days and nights belong to the Lord. Perhaps C.S. Lewis states it best in his book entitled Miracles when he says on p.133 "The mind which asks for a nonmiraculous Christianity is a mind in process of relapsing from Christianity into mere religion".

Our faith is authenticated by God through miracles. The Red Sea, the Flood, manna, water from a rock, and to this point even the Long Day asked for by Joshua. To deny these is not only a measure of arrogance but to try and elevate ourselves as the fact that we are able to reason out the unimaginable, which in itself is a pretense to deny God of His omniscience. Job 38:4 says it as well as can be states: Where were you when I laid the foundations of the earth? Speak if you can understand..

In verses 13b – 28, we have an account of the pursuit that is apparently excepted from a book lost to us in antiquity – the Book of Jashar. Here is a link that you can pull up to get a little more background on the lost book: https://www.christiancourier.com/articles/1026-what-was-the-book-of-jashar. I should point out that there is a copy of the book that has been circulated since the mid-1700’s but it is believed to be a forgery by most scholars. There is considerable debate regarding Jashar’s authenticity. You can google book of jashar and get multiple hits.

What we have recorded in these verses and authenticated in the lost book of Jashar is still not something that is hotly disputed by theologians or secular historians. Israel pursued and eliminated their enemies. A couple of interesting aspects to the account is from v.24 which is the cultural sign of victory (affirmed in Romans 16:20) with the foot on the neck. The other is a prophetic utterance of Joshua regarding Joshua’s proclamation of how God will deal with enemies in the future – also affirmed in Psalms 110:1 and 1 Corinthians 15:25.

What we can gain from this account is that we must be prayerful in our actions. Faithful discharge is what the Lord would have us to do. Also, be careful about alliances we might form, they are not always in our best interest.

In verses 29 – 43, Joshua’s strategy is laid out for us to complete the southern conquest. His plan is to cut across the land, in essence divide it, and then take the southern cities before turning his attention to the northern cities. As we read the accounts of the cities falling one by one, the measure of it is graded by the previous city that they had conquered. So each victory is the standard for the next engagement. Lachish took 2 days. It is interesting to compare this two-day success to the siege of Sennacherib (the Assyrian King) in 2 Kings 18. He personally laid siege to Lachish (2 Chronicles 32:9) and abandoned his attempt to reduce it to rubble (2 Kings 19:7-8). In Jeremiah 34:7, this city was one of the last to fall to Nebuchadnezzar when he invaded Judah in the last days of the reign of the kings. So this was no simple task and God’s hand should be evident, especially in comparison to the world powers that followed and attempted similar feats.

The accounts of conquest in the south come to an end, interestingly enough, at the place where their faith failed them some 40 years previous: Kadesh Barnea.

What I gain from this, in a nutshell, is the following:

1 – Walk by faith and not sight.

2 – Be cautious about alliances that you may form.

3 – Trust that God will take our foibles and turn them into victories in His name and for His cause (1 John 5:4).

136574.png

JOSHUA 11

136580.png

We saw in the last chapter that Joshua’s strategy for conquest was to cut across the middle, take the southern part of the land and then turn his attention northward. This divide and conquer strategy worked well in the last chapter and in this chapter, Joshua turns his attention to the north.

Looking at the first 4 verses, we see that Jabin (which could be a title as well based on Judges 4:2) rallies all the kings in the north and musters an army that was vast in numbers, military might, and cavalry in order to oppose Israel. The mention of chariots is worth noting as the Law prohibited for Israel to acquire these (Deuteronomy 17:16). So when victory happened, Joshua would have to burn these items of war.

In verse 5, all the armies of the north are present and integrated for battle. Josephus reckons the army as: 300,000 soldiers, 10,000 Cavalry, and 20,000 chariots. The location of the waters of Merom we might know today as the Huleh valley or the Plain of Esdraelon as it overlooks Megiddo.

In verses 6 – 9, we see that as a military leader Joshua was exceptionally skilled. He shows great leadership, cunning, and has an ability to get the troops to move with speed and stealth in any terrain. I understand that West Point, the Prussians, and even the IDF have studied Joshua’s tactics and applied many of them into their military training. Also, the term