Simmons TPT The Book of Joshua

12-Lesson Study Guide
1. Auflage 2024
ISBN: 978-1-4245-6756-0
Verlag: BroadStreet Publishing Group, LLC
Format: EPUB
Kopierschutz: 6 - ePub Watermark

E-Book, Englisch, 224 Seiten

Reihe: The Passionate Life Bible Study Series

The book of Joshua documents a vital stage in Israel's history as God's people leave the wilderness to conquer and possess the promised land. God's miraculous, jaw-dropping power is on constant display, transforming his people from wanderers to conquers. This incredible account activates us today to overcome strongholds and claim the full promises of God. This 12-lesson study guide on the book of Joshua, designed for both individual and group study, provides a unique and welcoming opportunity to immerse yourself in God's precious Word as expressed in The Passion Translation®. Begin your journey with a thorough introduction that details the authorship of Joshua, date of composition, first recipients, setting, purpose, central message, and key themes. The lessons then walk you through every portion from the book and include features such as notable verses, historical and cultural background information, definitions of words and language, cross references to other books of the Bible, and character portraits of figures from the Bible and church history. Enrich your biblical understanding of the book of Joshua, experience God's love for you, and share his heart with others.  

DR. BRIAN SIMMONS is a passionate lover of God. After a dramatic conversion to Christ, Brian knew that God was calling him to go to the unreached people of the world and present the gospel of God's grace to all who would listen. With his wife, Candice, and their three children, he spent eight years in the tropical rain forest of the Darien Province of Panama as a church planter, translator, and consultant. Having been trained in linguistics and Bible translation principles, Brian assisted in the Paya-Kuna New Testament translation project. After his ministry overseas, Brian was instrumental in planting a thriving church in New England (U.S.) and currently travels full time as a speaker and Bible teacher. He is the lead translator of The Passion Translation®.

Autoren/Hrsg.

Simmons, Brian

Leseproben

LESSON 1

The Prophet’s Apprentice

(various Scriptures)

From the east side of the Jordan River, Joshua prepared to embark on a military campaign. Almost a half millennia before, God promised Abram that the territory of Canaan would ultimately belong to his many descendants. Countless offspring? A permanent place to call home? To an old, childless desert nomad, this was almost too good to be true, but Abram believed God (Genesis 12:1–4; 15:1–21).

Abraham died in Canaan, and the only land he possessed was the plot he was buried in (25:7–10). Centuries would pass before his descendants would return to claim this promised land. In the intervening years, his promised children faced withering trials. Family strife, famine, emigration, chattel slavery, hostile armies, and wilderness wandering, each in their turn threatened the very survival of Abraham’s lineage. But through God’s faithfulness and intervention, Abraham’s children returned to claim the promised land.

To settle this land, it would take a military conquest, and this included espionage, violence, and destruction. There were battle strategies and diplomatic treaties. There were glorious victories and humiliating defeats. And, as usual when people work in cooperation with God, there were miraculous interventions that accomplished divine purposes.

Therefore, we will embark on a spiritual campaign with these ancient people. In 1 Corinthians 10:1–13, Paul wrote that the experiences of Israel were recorded as encouragement, warnings, and examples for Christians. The history recorded in Joshua is a treasure trove of lessons for the followers of Jesus. We will witness the fledgling nation of Israel taking its first steps without Moses, experiencing firsthand the power and patience of God. We will learn from them as they choose to follow him into their rest.

A New Chapter Begins

“Marley was dead: to begin with. There is no doubt whatever about that. The register of his burial was signed by the clergyman, the clerk, the undertaker, and the chief mourner. Scrooge.”2 So begins Victorian England’s most popular Christmas story.

From the first sentence of Dickens’ classic, we learn that Jacob Marley’s time had passed. He would influence the story, of course, but his chapter was over. Ebeneezer Scrooge was the next person named and the central character of the next chapter. His partnership with Marley and the reputation they forged together undergirded this well-worn tale.

Similarly, the opening lines of the biblical book of Joshua highlight two key leaders, Moses and Joshua. “After Moses, Yahweh’s servant, died, Yahweh spoke to Joshua son of Nun, Moses’ faithful assistant” (Joshua 1:1). Moses’ chapter was closed, and with his passing, Joshua became the central figure of the next chapter in the story of God’s covenant people Israel. Scripture had never mentioned Joshua by name without reference to Moses. For decades they were inseparable. Death had now separated these two men, and Joshua had to go forward alone at the head of this nomad nation as they secured their new homeland.

Joshua’s leadership skills did not materialize suddenly. His experiences as a common Israelite and then companion to Moses forged Joshua’s character and competence. He established his place in the hearts of his fellow Israelites as Israel’s undisputed leader of the conquest through many years of challenges together and through his steadfast faith.

An Israelite

Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob were the first fathers of this people. In their lifetimes, there was no nation of Israel for them to belong to. Moses was an Israelite but exceptional in his infancy, upbringing, and calling. When he arose as a deliverer, he was decidedly an outsider. However, before Joshua made a name for himself among the covenant people of God, he was a common member of that nation. So before considering the events that distinguish Joshua from his people, let’s review the soul-forming experiences he shared with them.

Like all Jacob’s descendants of his generation, Joshua was born a slave. He was born under the oppressive rule of the Egyptian pharaoh who had no regard for God or his covenant people. Exodus 1:6–22 describes the cruelty and hopelessness of this era for Israel.

Joshua was born about a generation after this oppression began. He was a forced laborer, toiling to turn raw materials into buildings, temples, pyramids, and monuments. His Egyptian masters channeled his efforts to build the Egyptian empire, honor Egyptian culture, and worship Egyptian gods. This was an inauspicious beginning for a man who would rise to lead the people of the one true God.

Like the rest of Israel, Joshua was delivered from slavery through the miraculous intervention of God. When Moses recounted the wonders of God that led Israel to the edge of the promised land, he reminded them of the slavery they came from and especially how God set them free (Deuteronomy 7:7–19). Moses expected all the generations that followed to remember these wonders.

Joshua, like all his countrymen, walked through the Red Sea on dry ground (Exodus 14:13–31). Getting free from Egypt was the first step; staying free was the next. When Pharaoh changed his mind and chased down the newly freed slaves with his army, the Hebrews were trapped against the sea. Everyone expected a slaughter and re-enslavement, but God showed his power again.

With the rest of his people, Joshua spent forty years of his life wandering in the wilderness (Deuteronomy 8:1–9). When they could have been conquering and settling, they were condemned to wandering tantalizingly close to the promised land, facing the elements, and living in tents.

Joshua shared in all these experiences as an ordinary citizen of Israel. He was part of the national identity shaped by slavery, deliverance, walking through the sea, and God’s provision in the wilderness. The lessons he learned from these common experiences informed the rest of his life as a leader of God’s people.

WORD WEALTH

Joshua actually has two names in the Bible. In Numbers 13:8, he is called Hoshea, the son of Nun. A handful of verses later, we read that Moses changed his name to Joshua (v. 16). This name is more than a tag identifying the man. It is the description of his life’s work and a reminder about the nature of his God.

His birth name Hoshea, pronounced /hoe-SHAY-uh/, means “salvation.” When Nun placed this name on his infant son, born into bondage, he expressed hope for a rescue. Maybe this generation would be free. Moses’ change to his name was slight but important. Joshua means “the Lord is salvation.” Altering his name moved the meaning from a vague hope to the certain source of that hope. The salvation the Hebrews longed for was realized in the Lord Yahweh. He alone could deliver them. He alone saved them. Joshua would wear this declaration for the rest of his life.

Centuries later, when an angel visited Joseph, the fiancé of Mary, with miraculous challenging news, this name is used purposefully once again. “She will give birth to a son, and you are to give him the name Jesus, because he will save his people from their sins” (Matthew 1:21 NIV). The NIV footnote reads, “ is the Greek form of , which means Lord .” Like Joshua, Jesus would have heard this confident declaration every time his mother...