Joshua 10 tells about one day of battle. But that day was part of a much bigger story. God was giving Israel the land He had promised to Abraham hundreds of years before.
The first promise. When Abram first came into Canaan, “the Lord appeared to Abram and said, ‘To your descendants I will give this land’” (Genesis 12:7). Descendants means children, grandchildren and all the families that would come after him.
Promised again. Before Moses died, God showed him the land from a mountain and said, “This is the land of which I swore to give Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob” (Deuteronomy 34:4).
The borders. God told Joshua how far the land would reach: from the desert in the south to the mountains of Lebanon in the north, and from the great river Euphrates to the Great Sea in the west (Joshua 1:4). The heart of it lay between the Jordan River and the sea.
A small land. From Dan in the north to Beersheba in the south was only about one hundred fifty miles. You could walk it in about a week.
Four kinds of land. After the battle at Gibeon, Joshua took “the mountain country and the South and the lowland and the wilderness slopes” (Joshua 10:40). There were hills for vineyards, valleys for wheat, desert for sheep and goats, and a coast along the sea.
A good land. God called it “a land flowing with milk and honey” (Joshua 5:6). Milk came from the flocks, and honey came from bees and from sweet fruit like dates.
Between the nations. The land sat between Egypt and the great kingdoms to the north and east. Traders and armies passed through it. God put His people where the whole world would see what He is like.
A light. God said of His Servant, “I will also give You as a light to the Gentiles, That You should be My salvation to the ends of the earth” (Isaiah 49:6). Gentiles means people who are not Jewish. Jesus is that light.
God owns it all. “The earth is the Lord's, and all its fullness” (Psalm 24:1). Israel did not earn the land. God gave it as a gift.
Abraham's faith. Abraham lived in tents in that land and never owned it, “for he waited for the city which has foundations, whose builder and maker is God” (Hebrews 11:10).
A bigger rest. “For if Joshua had given them rest, then He would not afterward have spoken of another day. There remains therefore a rest for the people of God” (Hebrews 4:8-9). The land pointed to the rest Jesus gives.
What we learn. God keeps His promises, even when they take hundreds of years. The land was a gift, and so is the forever home Jesus is preparing for His people.
What to do. Thank God for the place where you live. Ask Him to help you be a light for Jesus there.
Once the land was taken, it had to be shared. God made sure every tribe and every family received a place to live.
Shared by lot. Joshua and the priest Eleazar divided the land by casting lots, the way God had told Moses (Joshua 14:1-2). The lot showed God's choice, so no tribe could say the leaders played favorites.
Twelve tribes. The tribes came from the twelve sons of Jacob. Joseph's two sons, Ephraim and Manasseh, each became a tribe, so Joseph received a double share.
East of the Jordan. Reuben, Gad and half the tribe of Manasseh had already asked for land on the east side of the Jordan River (Numbers 32). Their men still crossed over and fought beside their brothers until the work was done.
A tribe with no land. The tribe of Levi received no region of its own. The Lord Himself was their share (Joshua 13:33). Levi served God at the tabernacle and taught His law.
Cities for Levi. Instead of one region, the Levites received forty-eight towns spread through all the other tribes (Joshua 21). That way, people who taught God's Word lived near every family in Israel.
Cities of refuge. God also set apart six cities of refuge (Joshua 20). If someone caused a death by accident, he could run to one of these cities and be kept safe until his case was heard fairly.
Close enough to reach. Three cities of refuge were west of the Jordan and three were east, so no one was too far from safety. Roads to them were kept clear.
Hebron. One of those cities was Hebron (Joshua 20:7). Its king had joined the attack on Gibeon in Joshua 10:3. Later it became Caleb's city and a city of refuge.
A picture of Jesus. Many Christians see the cities of refuge as a picture of Jesus. Hebrews 6:18 speaks of believers “who have fled for refuge to lay hold of the hope set before us.” Jesus is the safe place for sinners who run to Him.
Joshua last. After every tribe had its share, Joshua asked for one small town for himself, Timnath Serah (Joshua 19:49-50). The leader took his share last.
A promise kept for Joseph. “The bones of Joseph, which the children of Israel had brought up out of Egypt, they buried at Shechem” (Joshua 24:32). Joseph had believed God would bring His people home.
Our share. God “has blessed us with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places in Christ” (Ephesians 1:3). Everyone who trusts Jesus belongs to God's family.
What to do. When you feel afraid or guilty, run to Jesus the way a person ran to a city of refuge. He will keep you safe.
Complete all sections to finish!
Read each section and answer the questions correctly.