Joshua

We continue the people of Israel’s story from the preparation of the entrance in the Promised Land. We are in chapter 1 and following of the Book of Joshua. «Now it happened after the death of Moses the servant of the LORD, that the LORD spoke to Joshua the son of Nun, Moses’ servant, saying, Moses my servant is dead; now therefore arise, go over this Jordan, you, and all this people, to the land which I give to them, even to the children of Israel. I have given you every place that the sole of your foot will tread on, as I told Moses. From the wilderness, and this Lebanon, even to the great river, the river Euphrates, all the land of the Hittites, and to the great sea toward the going down of the sun, shall be your border. No man will be able to stand before you all the days of your life. As I was with Moses, so I will be with you. I will not fail you nor forsake you. Be strong and of good courage; for you shall cause this people to inherit the land which I swore to their fathers to give them. Only be strong and very courageous, to observe to do according to all the law, which Moses my servant commanded you. Do not turn from it to the right hand or to the left, that you may have good success wherever you go. This book of the law shall not depart out of your mouth, but you shall meditate on it day and night, that you may observe to do according to all that is written therein: for then you shall make your way prosperous, and then you shall have good success». Paradoxically, the Promised Land is both a gift and a conquest. God’s gift does not exclude man’s collaboration; conversely, the Lord stimulates and encourages it, giving success to human good actions.

When the people cross the Jordan, led by the Lord’s ark, its waters open, as happened forty years before with the Red Sea. The manna, which accompanied them all the way in the wilderness, ceases when the Hebrews can finally eat the products of the Promised Land. Joshua’s first conquest is the city of Jericho, well-fortified and seemingly impregnable. The Lord destroys its walls and the only inhabitants who are saved are Rahab the prostitute and her family (I will tell her story in the next post).

 

 

When the Israelites remain faithful to the Lord their advance is unstoppable; many foreign kings are defeated and the country is divided among the people’s tribes. Only to the Levites (Moses and Aaron’s tribe) is assigned less property. «The LORD said to Aaron, “You shall have no inheritance in their land, neither shall you have any portion among them. I am your portion and your inheritance among the children of Israel. “To the children of Levi, behold, I have given all the tithe in Israel for an inheritance, in return for their service which they serve, even the service of the Tent of Meeting» (Num 18,20-21).

The Promised Land, however, is not fully conquered during Joshua’s days. Before dying, advanced in years, he decided to call a meeting of Israel’s tribes in Shechem. There they renew the covenant with the Lord, reminding the young of all the wonders he made ​​to free his people from slavery and establish them in Canaan. «‘[…] I gave you a land whereon you had not labored, and cities which you did not build, and you live in them. You eat of vineyards and olive groves which you did not plant.’ Now therefore fear the LORD, and serve him in sincerity and in truth. Put away the gods which your fathers served beyond the River, in Egypt; and serve the LORD. If it seems evil to you to serve the LORD, choose this day whom you will serve; whether the gods which your fathers served that were beyond the River, or the gods of the Amorites, in whose land you dwell: but as for me and my house, we will serve the LORD.” The people answered, “Far be it from us that we should forsake the LORD, to serve other gods; for it is the LORD our God who brought us and our fathers up out of the land of Egypt, from the house of bondage, and who did those great signs in our sight, and preserved us in all the way in which we went, and among all the peoples through the midst of whom we passed». The people commit to the covenant again, well knowing that the Lord takes very seriously the pacts stipulated with him and does not hesitate to punish transgressions. «If you forsake the LORD, and serve foreign gods, then he will turn and do you evil, and consume you, after he has done you good». We will see in the next book, the Judges, if Israel manages to meet the alliance, achieving peace and deliverance from enemies, or not. «It happened after these things, that Joshua the son of Nun, the servant of the LORD, died, being one hundred ten years old. They buried him in the border of his inheritance in Timnath Serah, which is in the hill country of Ephraim, on the north of the mountain of Gaash. Israel served the LORD all the days of Joshua, and all the days of the elders who outlived Joshua, and had known all the work of the LORD, that he had worked for Israel. They buried the bones of Joseph, which the children of Israel brought up out of Egypt, in Shechem, in the parcel of ground which Jacob bought of the sons of Hamor the father of Shechem for a hundred pieces of money».