Josh 21 :43-45; 24
Full Lesson HERE
INTRODUCTION. As the leader of the children of Israel and the captain of their army, Joshua needed courage, strength, and faith in God. He was chosen by God to succeed Moses in the sight of all the people (Num. 27:18-23). He was filled with the spirit of wisdom by the laying on of Moses' hands (Deut. 34:9). The Lord assured Joshua He would not fail him nor forsake him, but his success depended upon his observing the law and meditating on it day and night (Josh. 1 :5, 8). Joshua proved to be a man of faith, a humble servant, and a keeper of the law.
Joshua was also a military captain and master of strategy. In order to conquer Canaan, it was necessary first to conquer the strategically located city of Jericho which lay in the Jordan River valley just west of the fords of the river. After accomplishing this victory, Joshua then conquered the cities of Ai and Bethel in the heart of the central hill country, thus dividing the land in two (Josh. 8:1-29; 12:7-9, 16). He could then conduct separate military campaigns against the cities in the south and the cities in the north.
After the battle with the five kings of the south, Joshua and the Israelites engaged in more battles with other cities in the south and left none remaining (Josh. 10:40-43). Next Joshua and the army turned to the north and defeated an alliance of northern kings. "So Joshua took the whole land, according to all that the Lord said unto Moses; and Joshua gave it for an inheritance unto Israel according to their division by their tribes. And the land rested from war'' (Josh. 11 :23).
With the land at rest from war, Joshua became the peace administrator. Joshua, Eleazar (the high priest and son of Aaron), and heads of the tribes divided the land by lot among the twelve tribes (Josh. 18:10; 19:51). Each of Joseph's two son Manasseh and Ephraim, received a portion of land along with the other sons of Jacob. However, the Levites did not receive an allotment of land. Instead they were given forty-eight cities in which to dwell. Since the Levites' responsibility was to serve the religious needs of the people by teaching the law and caring for the tabernacle, they were scattered throughout the entire land (Josh. 21 :1-42).
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