Joshua in 2min

Connecting Joshua to the Big Picture of the Bible

The Key Ideas of Joshua

To understand the book of Joshua in 2 minutes, let's place it within the big picture of the Bible. The Bible reveals God's plan to rescue humanity through Jesus Christ. We can see why rescue is necessary in the Old Testament because that's where the problem arises, the separation between God and man. And the historical books show through the history of Israel that separation from God leads to destruction.

The book of Joshua marks the very beginning of the historical books. It shows that through closeness to God, any obstacle or boundary can be overcome. So with that, let's dive in. Under the leadership of Moses, Israel was freed from slavery in Egypt. His successor Joshua then led the people into the promised land of Canaan. The conquest of the land begins with the battle for the seemingly invincible city of Jericho.

The battle is won, but only with God's help. Point being, Israel is only victorious when it remains in connection with God. And Israel is defeated when it distances itself from God, as seen with the small, inconspicuous city of I, which cost the Israelites significant losses. Joshua therefore exhorts the people to stay close to God and warns them of the dangerous influences of the foreign gods in the new land.

The conquered territories of Canaan are divided among the 12 tribes of Israel. Hebron, a special place where Israel's ancestors cultivated communion with God, is given to the heroic scout Caleb. In addition, places of refuge are set up where persecuted people can find rescue. The Levite tribe of priests who are meant to continuously unite the people with God are also given their cities.

Summary + Application to Christ

But amidst all the victory, Israel's weaknesses are revealed. On the one hand, they didn't fully obey God to take the whole land and secure lasting peace. And on the other hand, a theological overzealousness almost triggers a civil war. The book of Joshua shows that true success is only possible through a close connection with God. The Israelites conquered most of the land under Joshua.

Action Steps

But in order to achieve lasting peace and true salvation, they still had to wait for another savior, Jesus Christ. Take a look at the book of Joshua to see how closeness to God determines between victory and defeat. Are you close to God right now?