SENIOR
AGE
GROUP: 14 - 15 YEARS
STANDARD
(GRADE): IX & X
Joshua, the son of Nun
Joshua was Moses’ successor as leader of Israel. He was known
as "a man in whom is the spirit" (Numbers 27:18). After
Moses brought the Israelites out of slavery and while travelling towards
Canaan, Moses sent 12 spies to Canaan to look over the land. Joshua, the son of
Nun was elected to represent his own tribe of Ephraim. When they returned from
their trip, only Joshua and Caleb, brought the right report and were willing to
follow God's will to take immediate possession of the promised land, Canaan.
The rest of the spies brought a bad report about the land and the Israelites also
rebelled along with them. So, all of them were condemned to a 40-year wild journey
and death in the desert except Joshua, Caleb and the children born in the
desert (Numbers 13 & 14). Soon Moses, the leader of the Israelites also
died at the age of 120 years. Joshua succeeded as the leader of the Israelites
and was given the huge task of conquering Canaan, the promised land.
Canaan, the Promised Land
We have already learnt about the Call of Abraham and God’s
covenant with Abraham (Senior - I, Lesson -7). God called Abraham to go to an
unknown land that would be revealed to him. Abraham
trusted in God and made the journey of faith. God led Abraham to that
land, Canaan, but
Abraham lived there as a “stranger,” and God promised that his descendants
would own it (Genesis 17:8).
God also told Abraham that his descendants would be captive in a foreign nation
for about 400 years but that God would bring them back to the land He had
promised. They would conquer the land, and this conquering would be a judgment
upon the inhabitants of the land at that time (Genesis 15:13-16). This
was fulfilled when Joshua led the Israelites in the conquest of Canaan.
The Conquest of Canaan
Before Joshua and the Israelites began their conquest of
Canaan, they had to cross the Jordan river. The overflowing Jordan river was
supernaturally separated by God and the Israelites easily crossed the river. After
crossing the river, the Israelites camped at a place called Gilgal. It was here that the Israelites celebrated their first
Passover meal in the promised land.
The Israelites began to
eat the produce of their new land in Gilgal, and the manna that the Lord had
provided the Israelites during their years of wandering stopped. From Gilgal
Joshua led three important military campaigns westward
into the land of Canaan. This area is also called Cisjordan, meaning
"beside the Jordan."
Ø the first
military campaign was against the Canaanites in the sparsely-populated central
highlands, beginning with the fort city of Jericho.
Ø the
southern campaign resulted in the capture of numerous Canaanite cities (Joshua 10:1)
Ø Joshua's
third and last military campaign was in northern Canaan. In that region King
Jabin of Hazor brought together his neighboring kings to battle with the
Israelites. Joshua made a surprise attack upon them at the waters of Merom,
defeating them (Joshua 11:1-15).
Map by Garry Stevens, historyinthebible.com
Cities captured by Joshua (Cisjordan Cities)
When Joshua launched his military campaign, Canaan was not a
nation but a land area where kings ruled over cities and territories. Joshua had defeated 31 kings and captured 31 cities by the
end of his campaign. The 31 cities captured by Joshua are
|
1. Jericho
2. Ai, which is beside
Bethel
3. Jerusalem
4. Hebron
5. Jarmuth
6. Lachish
7. Eglon
8. Gezer
9. Debir
10. Geder
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11. Hormah
12. Arad
13. Libnah
14. Adullam
15. Makkedah
16. Bethel
17. Tappuah
18. Hepher
19. Aphek
20. Lasharon
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21. Madon
22. Hazor
23. Shimron-meron
24. Achshaph
25. Taanach
26. Megiddo
27. Kedesh
28. Jokneam in Carmel
29. Dor in sNaphath-dor
30. Goiim in Galilee
31. Tirzah
|
Main gate of Lachish at modern day Shephela, Israel
During the conquest of
Canaan, God intervened miraculously on several occasions, including the day the
sun stood still (Joshua 10).
Israelites were mostly successful in defeating or driving out the Canaanites.
However, they left out small groups of Canaanites who continued to rule
themselves, and sometimes they enslaved the Canaanites (Jugdes1). Both
of these things had been forbidden by God, who told Israel to drive them out
completely (Deuteronomy 7:2).
As a result, the Canaanites remaining in the land became a temptation and a
snare to the people of Israel. At times Israel would worship the Canaanites’
gods, and at times God would allow those remaining Canaanites to rule over them.
These are recorded in the book of Judges.
A portion of the gate of the city, Ai (Biblearchaeology.org)
The conquest in context
The conquest of the Canaanites in the book of Joshua is among the most
challenging passages in the Bible for modern readers, since it is unimaginable to
think that God commissioned his chosen nation to destroy an entire nation of
Canaanite men, women, and children. The Holy Bible tells a unified story that happened across thousands of years and,
like all stories, we cannot read and understand the Canaanite conquest in
isolation, we have to understand the history in its entirety. We have to interpret
the Canaanite conquest in the context of an ancient world, and not in the context of our present world or our modern
understanding of war and peace. The conquest also has a spiritual context, and
that context takes us into the heart of the biblical story of the fall of man,
condemnation and redemption.
Transjordan Tribes
There were few Israelite tribes who got their land allotted
before the death of Moses itself, beyond the Jordan river before they crossed
it. They were called the Transjordan tribes. When the Israelites arrived on the
plains of Moab in the Transjordan (beyond the Jordan) at the end of their 40-year
wilderness journey, they defeated two local kings, Sihon and Og who ruled there.
Some of the Israelite tribes—Reuben, Gad, and half of the tribe of
Manasseh—chose to settle in this newly conquered territory (Numbers 32:1),
which was fertile and bountiful, hence they thought was suitable for their
cattle. These two and a half tribes (Reuben, Gad, and half of the tribe of
Manasseh) are called the Transjordan tribes.
Jordan River - Transjordan Plateau
Allotment of Land to the other Israelite tribes in
Cisjordan
The other nine and a half tribes received their
land in the land of Canaan by casting of lot. Eleazar, the priest, Joshua, son
of Nun, and the heads of families of the tribes of Israel were given the task of
allotting the Promised Land to the tribes of Israel by casting lots. God
had commanded the Levites not to receive any inheritance, because God is their
only inheritance. So, the Levite tribe did not receive any share in the land,
apart from some towns to live in, with their pasture lands for their livestock
and their possessions. Each of the tribes donated some of their cities to
be given to the Levites. Totally 48 cities were given by the other tribes to
the Levites, so the Levites were dispersed across the land and lived between
the other tribes. The Levites also received suburbs for their cattle which were
to extend two thousand cubits in every direction from the city. Joshua, by Divine authority, set up the Tabernacle of God at
Shiloh (Joshua 18:1)
The stone altar used during Temple era at Shiloh
Photo: creative commons license
Six cities allocated to the Levite tribe were marked as cities
of refuge. The Cities of Refuge were cities that were allocated as places of safety
for those who had unintentionally killed someone that they may be legally
protected from those trying to take revenge on them until they could come to
trial. When a situation arose where an individual had unintentionally killed
someone, the person was to flee to one of the six Cities of Refuge. Once
arrived, he had to stand in front of the gate and inform the elders inside the
city of refuge of his situation. The elder had to admit the fugitive inside
their gates and offer them asylum. If any person who wanted to take revenge approached
the gates of the city of refuge the elders were not allowed to hand over the
person in hiding. They were responsible for his safety until he got a fair
trial. This was done to avoid injustice and prevent the shedding of innocent
blood in the promised land.
The cities of refuge were strategically placed, in order that
they could be easily reached within one day of travel or less (Joshua 20:9). The
Cities of Refuge also offered asylum to foreigners. The roads leading to the
six cities were well maintained in order to ensure a quick and easy passage for
those seeking refuge. Clearly marked signposts were placed at crossroads which
read Miklat meaning “Refuge.” These cities were Kedesh, Shechem, and
Hebron west of the Jordan; and Bezer, Ramoth and Golan east of the Jordan (Joshua 20:1-9).
Remains of Shechem one of the cities of refuge
Map by Scott Richardson
Joshua’s Farewell Address
Toward the end of Joshua's
life, Joshua gathered all Israel together at Shechem, and called for the chief
men of the nation together. He rehearsed some of the important events in their
history and he exhorted them to serve the Lord faithfully, and to make their
choice that day, declaring that he and his family would serve the Lord. The
people answered that they would not forsake the Lord, because He had done great
things for them. Joshua entered into a covenant with the people, made a record
of it in the book of the law, and set up a stone as a witness to what they had
promised to do ( Joshua 24:25-27 ). The massabah (standing stone) at Schechem supposed to be the one erected by Joshua, biblearchaeologyreport.com
After this he dismissed the people and they
returned to their homes. Joshua died at the age of one hundred and ten years,
and was buried in the border of his inheritance in Mount Ephraim. After the
death of Joshua, the leadership of Israel was taken over by various judges.
An Israelite four room house excavated in Canaan
Memory Verse: But if serving the Lord seems
undesirable to you, then choose for yourselves this day whom you will serve,
whether the gods your ancestors served beyond the Euphrates, or the gods of the
Amorites, in whose land you are living. But as for me and my household, we
will serve the Lord.”- Joshua 24:15
Click this link to learn how to organize VBS / Retreats
ASSESSMENT
ACTIVITY
I.
Give one-word
answers:
1. It was at ………………………. that the
Israelites celebrated their first Passover meal in the promised land.
2. The land westward of Jordan into the land of Canaan is also
called ……………………, meaning "beside the Jordan."
3. Joshua
had captured ………………….. cities by the end of his campaign.
4. Joshua,
by Divine authority, set up the Tabernacle of God at ……………………
II.
Give short answers:
1. Why is Canaan called
the promised land?
2. Why did the Canaanites
become a temptation and snare to the people of Israel?
3. Who are the “Transjordan
tribes”? Why are they called so?
4. Write about the
inheritance of the Levite tribe.
III.
Give
brief answers:
1.
Write in brief about the cities of refuge?
