Promised Land

The Jews wandered in the wilderness for 40 years before God finally led them into the promised land. Moses time was over, and Joshua led them in, to take the land city by city, as God gave them the victories.

The Promised Land

• Found: Joshua 1-4

Joshua Crosses the Jordan (Joshua 1-4)

The children of Israel were on one side of the river Jordan. The promised land was on the other. Moses had died after seeing the land and been buried by God. The only men left alive from the time when the twelve spies had entered Canaan were the two good spies, Joshua and Caleb. Joshua had been appointed leader of the Israelites. God came and spoke with Joshua, promising to be with him as long as the people kept his commandments, and showed Joshua what he had to do to cross the river.

The people gathered together their belongings, got food ready and prepared their weapons. Joshua sent the priests ahead, carrying the ark of the covenant. They marched up to the river and kept walking. As soon as the first priest's foot touched the water, it drew back, revealing a path by which the people could cross. The priests walked to the middle of the river and stood there while the people crossed. After everyone was across, the priests went the rest of the way and the water started flowing again. They had crossed the mighty Jordan river by a miracle, and were now in the promised land.

When the people had crossed the Jordan, Joshua made one man of each tribe take up a stone from the river bed and carry it to the far side. After they crossed, Joshua set up a monument using the twelve stones. After that day, when anyone asked the reason for the monument they were to be told that Israel had crossed the Jordan on dry land.

Joshua Takes Jericho

• Found: Joshua 2, 6

Rahab Helps the Spies (Joshua 2)

Before attacking Jericho, Joshua sent in two spies to assess the city. The spies came to the house of a woman called Rahab, and asked her to stay there. She took them in, not knowing they were spies. Someone in the city had spotted them, though, and went to the king, telling him two spies were in the city. When Rahab learned they were spies, she took them and hid them on her roof, under some drying flax. When the king's guards came to Rahab's house, she said the spies had been there but had moved on. Bringing the spies down, she told them she believed their God was the true God, because of the things she had heard of him. She let them down a rope out of the city, her house being on the wall, and they told her if she wanted to be saved when they came to destroy the city she should hang a red cord out of her window. If she did this, she and everyone in her house would be saved.

Joshua Attacks the City (Joshua 6)

God had told Joshua how he was to attack Jericho, and it was a strange plan. The city was large and well protected with a great wall. The people were to go to the city and march round it, the priests with the ark led by priests holding trumpets at the front, the soldiers after and all the peole after that. They marched once round the city and retired to the camp. The next day they came and did the same thing. They did this for six days.

On the seventh day the Israelites came and marched round the city again; but they didn't stop this time. They went round and round, seven times. After the seventh time Joshua shouted that the Lord had given them the city. The people shouted, the priests blew their trumpets and the walls fell down. God had commanded that they destroy everyone in the city, and that all the spoils should go to him. Every person in the city was killed, with the exception of Rahab, who was saved along with her family. Rahab later married into the Israelites and was an ancestor of David, who was an ancestor of Jesus.

Achan

• Found: Joshua 7-8

Achan's Sin Affects Israel (Joshua 7)

The Israelites had taken Jericho. The Lord had commanded them to kill everyone in the city and give all the spoils to him. They had done this, killing everyone except for Rahab and her family and gathering all the riches together to give to the Lord. One of the Israelites was tempted to keep some of the spoils, though. His name was Achan. He had found, while going through the city, a precious robe, some silver coins and a wedge of gold. Hiding them in his clothing, he went back to his tent and buried them, thinking no one had seen him.

Israel was triumphant. They had destroyed Jericho and were now about to attack a smaller town, Ai. Joshua's spies had said this task would only take a few thousand men, so he had sent his army out to conquer. Amazingly, his men were defeated. They lost about 36 men and were chased away by the locals. Joshua couldn't understand it, and turned to the Lord to ask why he had deserted him. God told Joshua that someone had broken his commandment; that they had taken some of the spoil from Jericho for themselves and they must be killed for it.

The next morning, Joshua got the twelve tribes to march past him. The Lord pointed out the tribe of Judah. He made the families of Judah march before him and the Lord pointed out the family of the Zarhites. Then he narrowed it down to the family of Zabdi, and finally Achan himself. Achan confessed to his sin and the treasure was dug up from his tent. Achan, his family and all his possessions were taken away. The people were stoned to death and everything burned.

Ai Taken (Joshua 8)

Once Achan had been punished, God told Joshua that he would give him Ai, and this time they could take the spoil for themselves. Joshua sent his army out to attract out the people of Ai. All their men came out and chased Israel. But Joshua had set up an ambush. His men set fire to the city and burned it down. Both sets of men then attacked the Ai soldiers and killed them all.

12,000 people were killed that day in Ai, and the city was left in destruction.