The History Of Joshua And The Israelites

By Cathy Mercer


The history of Joshua really becomes interesting after he became the leader of the children of Israel. He enjoyed the assistance of God in several battles. During one, the Lord sent hailstones crashing down to earth and these helped to slay many of Joshua's enemies. Despite such tales, he was also known for governing Israel and dividing the land up for the tribes. He was over 100 years old when he died.

It has been said that he was the first general of Israel. This happened long before he followed Moses as the leader. The first recollection of this occurred after the Exodus, when a a fierce nomad tribe had attacked the Israelites. Despite not being trained to fight, they actually won with help from his leadership.

Some time after the Exodus, Moses instructed him to take control of the group and be their leader. It was not so long afterwards that Moses passed away. In Joshua 1:1, 2:1, which was apparently written in 1398 B. C., the time he becomes leader is mentioned. Under the instruction of God, they go over to the Jordan River, where the walls of Jericho are located.

One of the most famous parts of his reign is when God tells him they must cross over the Jordan River. It's the height of the rainy season and the river is at its highest. Additionally, there were no bridges or crossings back in those days. The priests carried the Ark of the Covenant across and the Israelites were with them. That's when the water subsided and they were able to cross unhindered. This was seen as a test of their faith in God, which they obviously passed.

Joshua actually means The Lord is Salvation. His original name was Hoshea, but Moses changed it. His mum was actually a nun who gave birth to him about forty years prior to the Exodus. Those who want more information on his birth mother and his birth should consult 1 Chronicles 7:20,27.

Most people know that Moses was the one who carried the Ten Commandments up Mount Sinai, but what they may not know is that Joshua was so trusted that he was allowed to accompany Moses part of the way. There are many other instances in which he was to assume trusted positions, such as the time he was sent as a spy by Moses to scout cities and give reports.

God gave him instructions as to which places to invade after they had conquered Jericho. There was a rather large list and he conquered them all. Many of the tales of his conquests are in Joshua 11:18-23, 12:24. After he had finished the work of God and made it to The Promised Land, Canaan, the land was shared between tribes and his reward from God was Timnath-serah.

The history of Joshua is strewn with miracles, bloodshed and the power of faith. What becomes clear is that he totally puts his trust in God to deliver on His promises, and it's this that helped him overcome what were huge odds in many of the battles. If nothing else, it's a story of how the underdog can come through if they believe they can.




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