Outline of Joshua

The name, Joshua, has the same meaning as Jesus—‘Savior, deliverer, or Jehovah-save

An Outline of Joshua

I. The invasion and conquest of the land (1-12)

A. Entering Canaan (1-5)

B. Conquering Canaan (6-12)

1. Central conquest

2. Southern conquest

3. Northern conquest

II. Dividing the Land (13-24)

A. The distribution of the land to the tribes (13-22)

B. The last messages of Joshua (23-24)

Leading the Israelites into the Promised land. By Elana Roth

Joshua's Life & Death

The book of Joshua contains many similarities to the story of Moses:
-          Moses leads the Israelites out of Egypt. Joshua leads them into Canaan.
-          Moses leads Israelites miraculously across Red Sea. Joshua leads them miraculously across the Jordan River.
-          Moses sends out spies into Canaan. Joshua sends out two spies to Jericho.
-          Moses allocates land on the east side of the Jordan. Joshua allocates land on the west side of the Jordan.
-          And finally, Moses gives a prolonged address before dying, as does Joshua. This farewell address at the end of the book brings the parallelism between the two leaders full circle.

Joshua died when he was 110 years old. Only one other patriarchal figure lived exactly to 110--Joseph. And the Book of Joshua connects these two leaders in the final lines of the book. After Joshua has already passed away, we find this: "The bones of Joseph, which the Israelites had brought up from Egypt, were buried at Shehem" (24:32).

 Joseph was responsible for bringing the Israelites down to Egypt. But Joshua has led the people back to the Land of Canaan, officially ending the exile and opening a new chapter in Israelite history in which the people inherit their homeland.

The Land of Canaan - 7 nations

We know next to nothing of the earliest inhabitants of the land of Canaan. There were the Rephaim (a race of giants), the Anakim or sons of Anak (also giants, "long necked ones"), and the Avim or Avites (dwellers in ruins) who lost their land to the Philistines.

The descendants of Noah’s grandson Canaan took possession of this land, except for Philistia. Canaan himself had 11 sons and each bore a tribe. 6 of them dwelt in Syria and Phoenicia, and the remaining 5 in Canaan. The Lord mentioned 7 nations by name who inhabited the land of Canaan in the time of Abraham unto the time of Joshua.

The Canaanites, Amorites, Hittites, Jebusites, Hivites, Perizzites, and Girgashites.

God swore that the Israelites would possess this land and that if they had not done the land would "vomit them out."

Their religion, like the nations that surrounded them, was idolatrous. They made their sons and their daughters to pass through the fire to Moloch, and they worshipped Baal and Ashtaroth, which included temple prostitution. 

“Take the Land Little by Little”

"When the LORD your God brings you into the land where you are entering to possess it, and clears away many nations before you, the Hittites and the Girgashites and the Amorites and the Canaanites and the Perizzites and the Hivites and the Jebusites, seven nations greater and stronger than you," (Deuteronomy 7:1)

The judgment of the nations of Canaan was a milestone in the fulfillment of God’s covenant to Abraham & Sarah, it is central to the establishment of the nation of Israel, the chosen people of God. The promise of a ‘nation of descendants’ to the childless old man & woman, reflects the faith nature of God, who asks for trust in Himself and His character, before any proof is given. Though the obstacles are much bigger than us, and remaining permanently beyond what we can grasp for ourselves, God offers His Word as the only proof, and by trusting, miraculous results follow, and we change. Abraham “believed God” and righteousness was given him as a free gift. (Gen. 15:6)

In Abraham’s time, God spoke of the Amorites, one of the seven nations, who were even then in pursuit of evil, and He gave them 400 more years before His judgment would come. 

"Then in the fourth generation they will return here, for the iniquity of the Amorite is not yet complete." (Gen 15:16)

But over that time, their wickedness increased from generation to generation. Can you imagine the presence and power of Satan imbedded and contagiously spreading through the doorway nations of Canaan? Can you imagine darkness so expansive through a culture, that the people who carry God’s plan of redemption were at risk of being overwhelmed and destroyed? These Canaanite nations were offering up their live babies as burnt offerings to the demonic false gods they worshipped. After 400 years, the evil was complete; the dominance of darkness deep-rooted, wide-spread, and in control. God’s judgment was also full and complete. The Lord said of them:

“Even the land itself became polluted and I punished it for its iniquities--the land vomited up its inhabitants." (Lev. 18:25)

God rose up in defense of His plan to redeem mankind, and to rid the earth of Satan’s effort to prevent it. He took His land, which He created, back. He gave it to His redemptive people. But for His plan to work, Israel would have to co-labor with Him, and by faith, would have to fight for it, inch by bloody inch. 

The conquest of the Promised Land is a type or ‘symbolic template’ of all the promises of God for believers in Christ. Their promised land was physical; our promised land is spiritual. Their battle was against seven demon possessed nations that had to be conquered, “little by little”. 

"The LORD your God will clear away these nations before you little by little; you will not be able to put an end to them quickly, for the wild beasts would grow too numerous for you." (Deuteronomy 7:22)

"I will drive them out before you little by little, until you become fruitful and take possession of the land." 
Our battle is against the demonic powers that stand in the way of our promises being fulfilled. Our promised land, is our own nature, much of it, still occupied territory, unsanctified by the transforming power of God’s Holy Spirit. Our promised land are the sheep of God yet to be brought into the fold. Our promised land is ultimately heaven. We place one foot in front of the other, trusting God for His mercy and strength to persevere, we “suit up and show up, we will, like Joshua and Caleb, be among those who inherit promises, one by one, step by step, inch by bloody inch, and little by little. And there is no deeper joy, than inheriting the land God promised you, by faith.

God is able and willing, to help us overcome those problems that are “greater and stronger” than we. (Deut. 7:1) Let’s trust Him walk forward, and little by little, together with God, we will overcome.

A City of Refuge.....

After this, Joshua removes the Tabernacle and the Ark of the Covenant from Gilgal to Shiloh, and takes up his residence there.
He continues the work of apportioning the rest of the land by lot according to the families. Cities of refuge, in which men who had accidentally killed another person can escape the blood vengeance of their victims' relatives, are also appointed. Joshua himself receives the city of Timnath-serah in Ephraim for an inheritance. Having thus completed his task, he gives Reuben, Gad, and half of Manasseh permission to return to their east Jordanic territory.
When he is "old and stricken in age" Joshua convenes the elders and chiefs of the Israelites and exhorts them to have no fellowship with the native population. At a general assembly of the clans at Shechem he takes leave of the people, admonishing them to be loyal to their God, who had been so mightily manifested in the midst of them. As a witness of their promise to serve God, Joshua sets up a great stone under an oak by the sanctuary of God. Soon afterward he dies, at the age of 110, and is buried in Timnath-serah.


Joshua is regarded by the ancient rabbis as the type of the faithful, humble, deserving, wise man. He was always at the front of the army, not at the rear.

A Ruthless Conqueror

Now begin the wars of conquest which Joshua carried on for many years, the record of which is in the Book of Joshua.
Joshua besieges the city of Jericho, finally capturing it. According to the Book of Joshua the men of war circle the city for six days in silence, and on the seventh day, seven priests circle it seven times, each blowing a shofar or ram's horn. Finally and all the Israelites shout as one, and the walls of Jericho fall. A curse is pronounced over the ruins, and every man, woman, and child in the city is killed except Rahab and her family.
Joshua becomes famous by this victory, but meets a surprising reverse at Ai. God has removed his support of the war in consequence of the sin a man named Achan, who had not honored the curse against Jericho but has selfishly taken and hidden plunder. Achan, his wife, and even his sons and daughters are stoned to death for this sin, and Joshua promptly makes himself master of both Ai and Bethel.^[2] Hearing of the absolute slaughter of any settlements that resist Joshua's advance, the Gibeonites make peace with him, by means of a clever ruse. After this, on the Mount Ebal, Joshua establishes a sacred altar and causes the blessings and the curses of the Law of Moses to be read from Ebal and Gerizim in an act of renewing the people's covenant with God.^[3]
While Joshua is engaged in the north, five of the southern Canaanite rulers join to punish Gibeon for its collaboration with the Israelites; but they soon are routed at Makkedah by Joshua. During this battle a furious hailstorm sets in, proving more deadly than the sword. On this occasion also, at Joshua's command, the sun stands still in Gibeon and the moon in the valley of Ajalon. The fugitive five kings are discovered hiding in a cave. By Joshua's orders the cave is closed with huge stones until the battle ends. The kings are then thoroughly humiliated and slain, their bodies being hanged on trees until the evening, when they are taken down and cast into the cave.
Then follows the conquest of Libnah, Lachish, Eglon, Hebron, and Debir. In the south, Joshua penetrates as far as Kadesh-barnea; in the west as far as Gaza. Later on he routes the allied kings of the north at Lake Merom—Hazor being the head of these kingdoms— killing the inhabitants and burning the city of Hazor.

Joshua at the "stone of witness"

In this manner Joshua within a few years makes himself master of virtually the whole country with the exception of the Philistine and Phoenician coasts.^[4] He maintains a fortified camp in Gilgal and from there he governs the land, and there he began to allot the districts to the various tribes. The Judah, Ephraim, and half of Manasseh are the first to be settled, Caleb being allowed to take Hebron

Hurray for Rahab!

Near the end of the 40 years in the wilderness, God instructs Moses to appoint Joshua as his successor (Num. 27). With Aaron already deceased, the ceremony, involving the laying on of hands, is conducted by Eleazar, Aaron's son and new high priest. The Book of Deuteronomy adds Moses' words of encouragement to his successor: "Be strong and courageous, for you must go with this people into the land that the Lord swore to their forefathers to give them, and you must divide it among them as their inheritance" (Deut. 31:7). Moses continues to lead the Israelites into the country east of the Jordan River, where they win several military victories. Moses appoints Joshua and Caleb to begin the apportionment of tribal lands in Canaan. He then ascends Mount Nebo in the territory of Moab, sees the "promised land" for himself, and dies.
Joshua emerges fully at this point as his successor: "Now Joshua son of Nun, was filled with the spirit of wisdom because Moses had laid his hands on him.^[1] So the Israelites listened to him and did what the Lord had commanded Moses" (Deut. 34:9). The people encamp at Shittim when Joshua assumes the command before crossing the Jordan River. According to the Book of Joshua, God encourages him to be strong and to cling to the Law, which was never to "depart out of his mouth." This includes an admonition to engage in holy war, burning those cities captured and leaving no enemy alive.
After enlisting the cooperation of the kindred east Jordanic tribes of Gad and Reuben, his first concern was to spy out Jericho. His agents receive crucial aid in this task from a local harlot named Rahab. On receiving their report, Joshua instructs the Israelites to cross the Jordan. With the Ark of the Covenant carried by the priests in the van, the river miraculously divides, enabling the people to cross on dry land. In memory of this occurrence Joshua erects a monument of 12 standing stones. Here, at Gilgal, Joshua pitches his camp and remains for some time. In order that all might be able to participate in the Passover, he directs that every Hebrew male that had been born in the desert should be circumcised. Nearing Jericho, Joshua encounters a mysterious "man" who identifies himself as the "commander of the army of the Lord" and Joshua prostrates himself before him in worship (Josh. 5).

The Beginnings.... Joshua's Life

Joshua was the son of Nun, of the tribe of Ephraim. The Hebrew pronunciation of his name would normally be Yehoshēa, and in three places he is called Hoshēa. In Greek he is called Ιησούς (Iēsoûs), the same as the name as Jesus of Nazareth and others bearing the Hebrew name Yēshua.


Joshua first appears in the biblical narrative as a young man in Exodus 17, when Moses appoints him to lead a battle against the Amalekites at Rephidim. While Joshua commands the fighting forces, Moses stands atop a nearby mountain assisted by Aaron and Hur. The battle goes the Amalekites' way whenever Moses lowers his hands, but the fighting goes Joshua's way when when Moses' hands remain uplifted. In the end, "Joshua overcame the Amalekite army with the sword."
Joshua alone accompanies Moses when the great prophet is called by God to ascend Mount Sinai to receive the Ten Commandments. Here he is identified as Moses' "aide" (Exod. 24:13). They remain on the mountain 40 days. Joshua is the first to hear a commotion in the camp as they descend, believing it to be the sound of a battle; but Moses recognizes it as an idolatrous festival centering on the Golden Calf.


Exodus 33 states that Joshua also attends the "Tent of Meeting," erected before the construction of the more formal Tabernacle, where Moses would speak to God "face to face." Joshua remains inside the tent when Moses leaves it to return to the camp. Later, when God expands the gift of prophecy to include 70 elders at the tent, Joshua is also present. Hearing a report that two additional elders had received the prophetic gift without being present at the tent, Joshua objects, saying, "Moses, my lord, stop them!" Moses, however, responds: "I wish that all the Lord's people were prophets and that the Lord would put his Spirit on them!" (Num. 11:24-29).

Joshua's faithfulness is demonstrated particularly in his role in the episode of spying in Canaan. Here (Numbers 13) his name is initially given as "Hoshea son of Nun." The spies are sent up through the Negev Desert into the hill country of Canaan. The spies return, all agreeing that the land is a good one, "flowing with milk and honey," but also reporting that its towns are well fortified and that some of the area is inhabited by the giant Anakites, descendants of the legendary Nephilim (Gen. 6:4). Only Joshua and Caleb testify in favor of attempting to conquer the land, saying "Do not be afraid of the people of the land, because we will swallow them up. Their protection is gone, but the Lord is with us. Do not be afraid of them" (Num. 14:19). The assembly, however, sides with the faithless spies and attempts to stone Joshua and Caleb. Moses intervenes on their behalf, prophesying that all of the Israelites born in Egypt except Joshua and Caleb will die before entering Canaan. Moreover, for every day of spying, the Israelites would have to spend a year wandering in the wilderness, a total of 40 years in all. The other ten spies soon meet their deaths in a plague.

Never to be Bible lazy....

"We do not want you to become lazy, but to imitate those who through faith and patience inherit what has been promised!" (Heb. 6:12)