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Who wrote the book of Joshua in the Bible?
According to Jewish tradition, around 1406 BC Joshua himself wrote the entire book of Joshua except the passage about his funeral. The story spans about 25 years starting before the invasion of Canaan and after the death of Moses.
Where is Joshua in the Bible?
Joshua is the sixth book in the Old Testament and the first of the History Books. It is also the first book in the second section of the Tanakh (tanOCK), which is the Hebrew Bible.
Is the Tanakh the same as the Old Testament?
The Old Testament as we know it in the Christian Bible was compiled after Jesus and is a re-organization of the Tanakh, which is the Hebrew Bible. The Tanakh has the same books as the Christian Old Testament. However, the Tanakh organizes those books into three divisions called the Torah, Nevi’im, and Ketuvim. The Old Testament organizes these same books into five sections. See how the Tanakh is organized verses the Old Testament in our show notes.
What is the difference between Torah and Tanakh?
The Torah is a part of the Tanakh. It is the first of three sections of the Tanakh and includes the five books we covered in seasons 1-5 of the Bible Book Club:
What are the contents of the Nevi’im?
Nevi’im (knee vee IM) means “prophets.” It is the second section of the Tanakh and combines some of the historical books of the Old Testament with the Major and Minor prophets. See a list of all the books of the Nevi’im in our Tanakh Book show notes.
What is the Ketuvim?
The Ketuvim (ket OOV im) which means “writings” is the third section of the Tanakh. It includes the rest of the Old Testament stories such as Esther and poetry like the Psalms. See a full list of all the books of the Ketuvim in our Tanakh Book show notes.
How many books are in the Old Testament?
Like the Tanakh, the Old Testament has 39 books. In the Old Testament, these books are organized into the following five divisions:
- Pentateuch: This section includes the first five books of the Bible, which we covered in seasons 1-5 of the Bible Book Club. These are the same books as the Torah, which is the first section of the Tanakh or Hebrew Bible.
- History Books: This section contains 12 books starting with Joshua and ending with Esther. They are aptly named because they describe Israel’s history in Canaan.
- Poetry: The section includes 5 books.
- Major Prophets: This section is 5 books.
- Minor Prophets: This section has 12 books.
Who was Joshua in the Bible?
We know a lot about Joshua because he is mentioned in several other books of the Old Testament that we have already covered in the Bible Book Club. From his military experience to his faith and leadership, we get a good picture of who Joshua was in the Bible.
A Military Leader, Protective and Devoted to Moses
- In Exodus 17 Joshua makes his first appearance in the Bible as a young aide to Moses, and he wins his first battle against the Amalekites.
- By Exodus 24 we learn Joshua is more than just an aide to Moses, because he accompanies Moses up Mount Sinai while the Israelites below rebel in the Golden Calf incident.
- In Exodus 32 Joshua speaks for the first time as he and Moses descend Mount Sinai. Upon hearing the raucous noise from the calf worshiping Israelites, he clearly reveals he’s a military man saying, “There is the sound of war in the camp.”
- In Numbers 11 we learn Joshua is loyal to Moses when he protects Moses’ leadership by protesting against two prophesying men.
Discerning, Filled with the Spirit, and Faithful to God
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- In Exodus 28 God outlines how He will use Joshua in the Bible, filled with the Holy Spirit, in partnership with the priests to reveal His will for Israel. This is the first place we see the mention of the Urim and the Thummim, which represent light and integrity. They are thought to be tools the priests used to determine God’s will, like casting lots, but we don’t know exactly what they looked like or how they functioned.
- Numbers 14 tells us out of the entire generation God saved from Egypt only Joshua and Caleb will survive the 40 years of wandering, because they faithfully believe God will give them victory over the Canaanites. Clearly, at this point, Moses is aware this man is his succession plan.
Trusted by Moses to Protect the Tent of Meeting and Lead the Israelites
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- In Exodus 33 we learn Joshua is diligent and determined. While Moses goes back and forth between the tent, Joshua never leaves. Perhaps it’s his task to guard the tent.
- By Numbers 27 God makes it clear He is choosing Joshua when He commands Moses in verses 18-22. The Hebrew word used in these verses is Ru-ach which means breath, wind, spirit. The word is first used in Genesis 1:2. Here in Numbers, the King James version of the Bible translates it as “in whom is the spirit.” The NIV version adds the word leadership. The use of this word tells us that, like Moses, the Holy Spirit is with Joshua, and the man is inspired.
- In Deuteronomy 31, before his death, Moses commissions Joshua. For the first time, we hear the theme phrase as Moses tells first Israel and then Joshua to be strong and courageous.
One of the Top 10 Leaders in the Bible
Joshua didn’t get a direct mention in the Hebrews 11 hall of fame, but he surely gets credit for verses 30 and 31. And by most accounts he is considered one of the top 10 leaders in the Bible along with many others:
- Abraham
- Joseph
- Moses
- Joshua
- David
- Nehemiah
- Isaiah
- Daniel
- Peter
- Paul
Name of Joshua Meaning
In Numbers 13 we learn that Joshua’s original name was Hoshea. However, before Moses sent out the 12 spies to explore the Promised Land, he renamed Joshua (and only him). Hoshea, son of Nun, became Joshua, which means “the Lord is salvation.”
Joshua’s name is strikingly close to the name Jesus which means “savior.” Joshua’s story of victory foreshadows the story of Jesus’s victory over sin and the promise of eternal life rather than the promise of land. We also know from this chapter that he is from the tribe of Ephraim and, therefore, a descendent of Joseph.
What kind of man was Joshua in the Bible?
As we discuss the life of Joshua in the Bible, we will see he has a heart and devotion like Jesus with a desire to do God’s will. He picks up where Moses left off, completes the task for which Moses prepared him, and gets the people settled in the land.
How does Joshua do it? How does he succeed when so many in the Old Testament failed? He listens when God speaks and never forgets His commands.
- Be strong and very courageous.
- Carefully obey all the laws Moses gave you.
- Don’t turn from the law to the right or to the left.
- Keep the Book of the Law always on your lips and meditate on it day and night.
More than 25 years after God spoke these commands to Joshua, at the end of this book and the end of his life, he addresses the nation of Israel and repeats God’s instructions almost verbatim to them.
Reflection Question
Joshua was a man on a mission who stayed on mission for his entire life, from the time he was old enough to be an aid for Moses until the time he died. He loved God, meditated on God’s laws, obeyed God’s commands, executed God’s plan, and served God with his life. Can we do the same? Isn’t that one of the reasons we are reading The Bible?
Book of Joshua Summary
The book of Joshua in the Bible is the story of how Joshua leads the Israelites to conquer the Canaanites and settle in the land God promised to Abraham. It is the story of a promise-keeping God, a purpose-driven leader, and a victory for the people that is 440 years in the making.
The Israelites spent 400 years in Egypt and 40 years in the desert. Now they have finally arrived. This is the beginning of their life in Canaan, the Promised Land. If the Old Testament ended here, it would be a happy ending because God fulfilled His part of the covenant and gave the land He promised to Israel.
However, the people failed to keep their part of the covenant. They didn’t obey and were unfaithful. Even from the start, they stopped short of possessing the land completely, allowing some Canaanites to remain. The Canaanite people became a tempting influence on Israel leading them down a commandment-breaking path.
The Promised Land victory celebrated in the Book of Joshua will be followed by over 1,400 years of fickle faithfulness as we march through the rest of the Old Testament. The result will be what God also promised…exile and an ongoing battle to return to the Promised Land.
The Book of Joshua in the Bible
As Joshua’s story begins, the nation of Israel is camped near the banks of the Jordan River. In front of them, across the river, is a highly developed land made of well-fortified city-states that could, when necessary, ally against them.
Archeological evidence shows the Canaanites had a high degree of civilization and a dark and destructive spirituality. They worshipped more than 100 gods, including the fertility gods Baal and Asherah, through child sacrifice and sexual ceremonies.
What did Joshua do in the Bible?
Up until this point, the nation of Israel has followed one man, Moses, for 40 years. God delivered them from slavery in Egypt. He disciplined them in the wilderness. Then he brought them to the land He promised their ancestors Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob.
For this generation of Israelites standing on the brink of the Promised Land, Moses and the wilderness is all they know. Most of them were born after Egypt or were very small children when they left, and not one adult male who lived in Egypt is alive except Caleb and Joshua.
Now Moses is dead, and Joshua must lead the people in the conquest and settlement of the Promised Land. They have little military experience, limited resources, and likely look like a rather un-intimidating, ragtag group.
But they have a secret ally, greater than any ally the world has ever known…God.
The Forgotten Ally
Throughout the Old Testament, Israel often forgets they have God as an ally. Certainly they do in the book of Exodus, and they continue this pattern throughout the books that follow.
We often roll our eyes at their repetitive stupidity. Yet how often do we forget we have an ally in God? A secret weapon in the Holy Spirit?
All. The. Time.
How often do we worry? Forget to pray? Are fearful? Retreat or forge ahead with our own plans rather than seeking God’s will? We could easily be the worst of the Old Testament Israelites.
The End of an Age for Israel
The book of Joshua is the beginning of the historical books, but it will mark the end of an age for Israel. After Moses and Joshua die, there won’t be a commissioned leader of the whole nation. Instead, Israel will move into an age of judges during which time God will periodically raise leaders to deliver them from their enemies.
🎧 Ready to dive deeper? Listen to this episodes of the Bible Book Club Podcast here.
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