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Sunday, April 3, 2022

Joshua and the Conquest of Canaan, Senior - I, Lesson - 13

SENIOR

AGE GROUP: 14 - 15 YEARS

STANDARD (GRADE): IX & X

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LESSON – 13

JOSHUA AND THE CONQUEST OF CANAAN

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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

11. Hormah

12. Arad

13. Libnah

14. Adullam

15. Makkedah

16. Bethel

17. Tappuah

18. Hepher

19. Aphek

20. Lasharon

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

Cities of Refuge

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

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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?

 

 

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