Bible: Beginning to End - Joshua 1-12: God Brings Israel Into the Land of Promise and Gives Israel Victory

Episode Date: June 21, 2022

Joshua 1-12 (Read) Important Links for the Podcast  Click Here for our YouTube Channel Discuss each episode on Reddit Contact Us Visit our Website          On Instagram @biblebeginningtoend ��   On Twitter: @biblebeginning1      Via email: [e-mail] Supporting the Show Financial contributions are never required, but if you'd like to support the show, here are a couple of ways: Be a listener and share the show with your friends! ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Click here to become a monthly supporter via Spotify.⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠* ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Click here to make a one-time contribution via Paypal⁠⁠⁠.* *Note that the Bible Beginning to End podcast is not a registered 501(c)3 or charitable organization. Therefore, any monetary support provided is not tax deductible. 10% of any profits made from this podcast via ad revenues or listener support will be donated to ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Asha's Refuge⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠, a Christ-centered nonprofit that "exists to assist the most disadvantaged refugees/asylees in achieving a successful resettlement in the Memphis, TN area.". Episode Timestamps 00:00 - Intro   2:27 - Ad Break 2:28 - Joshua 1 8:02 - Joshua 2 14:19 - Joshua 3 18:26 - Joshua 4 24:22 - Joshua 5 29:42 - Joshua 6 37:51 - Joshua 7 49:42 - Joshua 8  58:47 - Joshua 9  1:06:18 - Joshua 10 1:16:16 - Joshua 11 1:22:43 - Joshua 12 1:28:16 - Outro Bible Verse Copyright Statement Scripture quotations are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright ©1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved. To purchase an NLT, please visit https://amzn.to/3wUpUef

Hello and welcome back to Bible beginning to end, where we are reading through the scriptures from Genesis to Revelation a little bit at a time. And if you have been listening for a little while, you may notice that the episodes are about to get a bit longer so that I can accommodate the copyright regulations from the publishers of the New Living Translation Bible that I am using. But don't let that stop you from continuing through on the journey. You can listen just as you always have. You just might want to take time to break up the episodes into sections

so that you don't feel like you have to listen all at once. There are always time codes in the descriptions of each episode to let you know when we read each chapter so you can easily come back and jump right in. Now today, we are starting a new book. We are starting the book of Joshua. And this isn't only a new book, but it marks the beginning of a new section in the Old Testament. This starts the historical texts of the Old Testament. Before we had read, you know, how the world was created by God and the story of Abraham and his descendants, the story of the Israelites being rescued from exile. And now we're going to go into the history of Israel from its entrance into the promised

land to its return to exile. And this will cover the books Joshua all the way through to Esther. A little history on Joshua right before we start. Joshua is the account of Israel's conquest of the promised land. So we still haven't seen them enter the promised land. This is going to be the story of their conquest. Today, we are going to read through chapters 1 through 12. You might want to break it up as 1 through 6 and then come back and listen to 6 through 12.

but we are going to cover these first 12 chapters of Joshua today. So we are going to start with Joshua chapter 1. And if you notice, this is the first book of the Bible named after a person. So we might want to start asking the question, who is Joshua? And what do we already know about him? So let's get started with Joshua 1. As always, I'll be asking questions along the way, but I won't be. offering commentary, but there will be quite a few questions to help us as we read through on our

journey through the scriptures. This first section of Joshua is called God brings Israel into the land of promise, and this first section is the Lord's charge to Joshua. Joshua 1 verse 1. After the death of Moses, the Lord's servant, the Lord spoke to Joshua, son of none, Moses's assistant. he said, Moses, my servant is dead. Therefore, the time has come for you to lead these people, the Israelites, across the Jordan River, into the land I am giving them. I promise you what I promised Moses. Wherever you set foot, you will be on land I have given you. From the Ngev wilderness in the south to the Lebanon mountains in the north, from the Euphrates River in the east, to the Mediterranean Sea in the West, including all the land of the Hittites. No one will be able to stand against you

as long as you live, for I will be with you as I was with Moses. I will not fail you or abandon you. Be strong and courageous, for you are the one who will lead these people to possess all the land I swore to their ancestors I would give them. Be strong and very courageous. Be careful to obey all the instructions Moses gave you. Do not deviate from them, turning either to the right or to the left. Then you will succeed in everything you do. Okay, so pause there. Why does God repeat that phrase, be strong and courageous? Verse 8. Study this book of instruction, continually. Meditate on it day and night, so you will be sure to obey everything written on it. Only then will you prosper and succeed in all you do. This is my command. Be strong and courageous.

Do not be afraid or discouraged, for the Lord your God is with you wherever you go. Okay, so pause there. Do you think they are scared? And why does God tell them, not to be afraid. The next section is Joshua's charge to the Israelites. Joshua then commanded the officers of Israel, go through the camp and tell the people to get their provisions ready. In three days, you will cross the Jordan River and take possession of the land the Lord your God is giving you.

Then Joshua called together the tribes of Ruben, Gad, and the half-tribe of Manasseh, He told them, Remember what Moses, the servant of the Lord commanded you. The Lord, your God, is giving you a place of rest. He has given you this land. Your wives, children, and livestock may remain here in the land Moses assigned to you, on the east side of the Jordan River.

But your strong warriors, fully armed, must lead the other tribes across the Jordan to help them conquer their territory. Stay with them until the Lord gives them rest as he has given you rest. And until they too possess the land the Lord your God is giving them only then, may you return and settle here on the east side of the Jordan River in the land that Moses, the servant of the Lord assigned to you. So pause there. Why do you think John, Joshua is having to remind the Israelites of these things. Remember what Moses commanded you. Remember what God is giving you. Verse 16, they answered Joshua, we will do whatever you command us and we will go wherever you send us. We will obey you just as we obeyed Moses. And may the Lord your God be

with you as he was with Moses. Anyone who rebels against your orders and does not obey your words and everything you command will be put to death. So be strong and courageous. So pause there. We hear that strong and courageous again. And then the question you might ask is, do you think that Israelites will follow through with this promise, this affirming of what Joshua has asked them. Okay, the next chapter is Joshua 2, and this starts a section called Joshua sends spies into Jericho. This first section is called Rahab protects the spies. If you've read the Bible before, you might know the character of Rahab, and so you can ask yourself, what do you already know about her as we enter into this chapter? So Joshua 2, verse 1, then Joshua is secretly,

sent out two spies from the Israelite camp at Acacia Grove, he instructed them, scout out the land on the other side of the Jordan River, especially around Jericho. So the two men set out and came to the house of a prostitute named Rahab and stayed there that night. Okay, so pause there. The first question you might want to ask is, why did Joshua send the spies secretly? And then you might be asking, why did they decide to stay at the house of a prostitute? Verse two. But someone told the king of Jericho, some Israelites have come here tonight to spy out the land.

So the king of Jericho sent orders to Rahab, bring out the men who have come into your house, for they have come here to spy out the whole land. Rahab had hidden the two men, but she replied, Yes, the men were here earlier, but I didn't know where they were from. They left the town at dusk, as the gates were about to close.

I didn't know where they went. If you hurry, you can probably catch up with them. Actually, she had taken them up to the roof and hidden them beneath bundles of flax she had laid out. So the king's men went looking for the spies along the road, leading to the shallow crossings of the Jordan River. And as soon as the king's men had left, the gate of Jericho was shone.

Before the spies went to sleep that night, Rahab went up on the roof to talk with them. I know the Lord has given you this land, she told them. We were all afraid of you. Everyone in the land is living in terror. For we have heard how the Lord made a dry path for you through the Red Sea when you left Egypt. And we know what you did to Sihon and Og, the two Amarite kings east of the Jordan River, whose people you completely destroyed. No wonder our hearts have melted in fear. No one has the courage to fight after hearing such things, for the Lord your God is the supreme God of the heavens above and the earth below.

Now swear to me by the Lord that you will be kind to me and my family since I have helped you. Give me some guarantee that when Jericho is conquered, you will let me live along with my father and mother, my brothers, and sisters, and all their families. Okay, so pause here. And one question you might be asking is, well, Rehab lied to protect the Israelites spies. Was that a sin? What do you know of the person of Rehab? Is she a person of faith? Does she know the laws as deeply as the Israelites do? Has she just confessed her faith in God? is it our place to condemn or condone what she did? What might you have done if you were in her situation?

Verse 14, We offer our own lives as a guarantee for your safety, the men agreed. If you don't betray us, we will keep our promise and be kind to you when the Lord gives us the land. Then, since Rehab's house was built into the town wall, she let them down by a rope through the window. Escape to the hill country, she told them. Hide there for three days from the men searching for you. Then, when they have returned, you can go on your way.

Before they left, the men told her, we will be bound by the oath we have taken only if you follow these instructions. When we come into the land, you must leave this scarlet rope hanging from the window through which you let us down. And all your family members, your father, mother, brothers, and all your relatives must be here, inside the house. If they go out into the street and are killed, it will not be our fault. But if anyone lays a hand on the people inside this house, we will accept the responsibility for their death. If you betray us, however, we are not

bound by this oath in any way. I accept your terms, she replied, and she sent them on their way, leaving the scarlet rope hanging from the window. The spies went up into the hill country and stayed there three days. The men who were chasing them searched everywhere along the road, but they finally returned without success. Then the two spies came down from the hill country, crossed the Jordan River, and reported to Joshua all that had happened to them.

the Lord has given us the whole land, they said, for all the people in the land are terrified of us. Okay, so pause there at the end of chapter two, and you can ask yourself, do you think that the agreement the Israelites spies and Rehab came to was fair? And then what do you think about that final verse, for all the people in the land are terrified of us? What does that teach us about God's power? Okay, so chapter three starts this section of the Israelites crossing the Jordan River, and chapter three starts with them preparing to cross the Jordan River.

So Joshua 3, verse 1, early the next morning, Joshua and all the Israelites left Acacia Grove and arrived at the banks of the Jordan River, where they camped before crossing. Three days later, the Israelite officers went through the camp giving these instructions to the people. When you see the Levitical priests carrying the Ark of the Covenant of the Lord your God, move out from your positions and follow them, since you have never traveled this way before, they will guide you. Stay about a half a mile behind them, keeping a clear distance between you and the Ark. make sure you don't come any closer.

Then Joshua told the people, purify yourselves, for tomorrow the Lord will do great wonders among you. In the morning, Joshua said to the priests, lift up the ark of the covenant and lead the people across the river, and so they started out and went ahead of the people. The Lord told Joshua, today I will begin to make you a great leader in the eyes of all the Israelites. They will know that I am with you just as I was with Moses.

Give this command to the priests who carry the Ark of the Covenant. When you reach the bank of the Jordan River, take a few steps into the river, and stop there. So Joshua told the Israelites, come and listen to what the Lord your God says. Today you will know that the living God is among you. He will surely drive out the Canaanites, Hittites, Hivites, Parasites, Gurgishites, Amorites, and Jebusites ahead of you. Look. Look, the Ark of the Covenant, which belongs to the Lord of the Whole Earth, will lead you across the Jordan River. Now, choose 12 men from the tribes of Israel, one from each tribe. The priests will carry the Ark of the Lord, the Lord of all.

all the earth. As soon as their feet touch the water, the flow of water will be cut off upstream and the river will stand up like a wall. Okay, so pause there. Does this remind you of anything? Another story in the Old Testament. The next section is Israel crosses on dry ground. Verse 14. So the people left their camp to cross the Jordan and the priests who were carrying the Ark of the Covenant went ahead of them. It was the harvest season, and the Jordan was overflowing its banks, but as soon as the feet of the priests who were carrying the ark touched the water at the river's edge, the water above that point began backing up a great distance away at a town called Adam,

which is near Zarathen, and the water below that point flowed on, to the Dead Sea until the riverbed was dry. Then all the people crossed over near the town of Jericho. Meanwhile, the priests who were carrying the Ark of the Lord's covenant stood on dry ground in the middle of the riverbed as the people passed by. They waited there until the whole nation of Israel had crossed the Jordan on dry ground. Okay, so pause there at the end of chapter 3. How does God, God keep showing his provision to the Israelites? How is God showing here that he is with them and that he is protecting them and guiding them on this journey? The next chapter is Joshua 4, which is called Memorials to the Jordan Crossing.

Chapter 4 verse 1 When all the people had crossed to the Jordan, the Lord said to Joshua, now choose 12 men, one from each tribe. Tell them, take twelve stones from the very place where the priests are standing in the middle of the Jordan. Carry them out and pile them up at the place where you will camp tonight. So Joshua called together the twelve men he had chosen, one from each of the tribes of Israel. He told them, Go into the middle of the Jordan in front of the ark of the Lord, your God. each of you must pick up one stone and carry it out on your shoulder, 12 stones in all,

one for each of the 12 tribes of Israel. We will use these stones to build a memorial. In the future, your children will ask you, what do these stones mean? Then you can tell them. They remind us that the Jordan River stopped flowing when the Ark of the Lord's Covenant went across. these stones will stand as a memorial among the people of Israel forever. So pause there. Why do you think it's important for Israel to build a memorial here for this crossing of the Jordan River? What is on the other side of the Jordan River that they're trying to get to? Verse 8.

So the men did as Joshua had commanded them. They took 12 stones from the middle of the Jordan River, one for each tribe, just as the Lord had told Joshua. They carried them to the place where they camped for the night and constructed the memorial there. Joshua also set up another pile of 12 stones in the middle of the Jordan at the place where the priests who carried the Ark of the Covenant were standing. And they are there to this day. Okay, so pause there because another good question you might want to ask is when the Bible says things like they are there to this day. Do you think that that means they are there currently in modern times or that they were there until at least when this book was written? That might be an

interesting question to think on. Verse 10. The priests who were carrying the ark stood in the middle of the Jordan until all of the Lord's commands that Moses had given to Joshua were carried out. Meanwhile, the people hurried across the riverbed, and when everyone was safely on the other side, the priests crossed over with the Ark of the Lord as the people watched. The armed warriors from the tribes of Rubin, Gad, and the half-tribe of Manasseh led the Israelites across the Jordan just as Moses had directed. These armed men, about 40,000 strong, were ready for battle, and the Lord was with them as they crossed over the plains of Jericho.

that day the Lord made Joshua a great leader in the eyes of all the Israelites and for the rest of his life they revered him as much as they had revered Moses okay so pause there what does that mean as much as they had revered Moses when they say that the Israelites revered Joshua just as much as they had Moses what does that tell us about Joshua about his character about who he is verse 15 The Lord had said to Joshua Command the priests carrying the Ark of the Covenant to come up out of the riverbed

So Joshua gave the command As soon as the priests carrying the Ark of the Lord's covenant Came up out of the riverbed And their feet were on high ground The water of the Jordan returned And overflowed its bank as before The people crossed the Jordan on the 10th day of the first month.

Then they camped at Gilgall, just east of Jericho. It was there at Gilgall that Joshua piled up the 12 stones taken from the Jordan River. Then Joshua said to the Israelites, In the future, your children will ask you, what do these stones mean? Then you can tell them, this is where the Israelites crossed the Jordan on dry ground, for the Lord your God dried up the river right,

before your eyes, and he kept it dry until you were all across, just as he did at the Red Sea, when he dried it up until we had all crossed over. He did this so all the nations of the earth might know that the Lord's hand is powerful, and so you might fear the Lord your God forever. To pause there at the end of Chapter 4, what does it mean to try? truly fear the Lord. And why is that an important thing to teach other generations about? Okay, so before we go into chapter five, some other questions I might want you guys to sit with and reflect on. So the Israelites have made it across the Jordan River. What does that mean for them? And think about the miracle of them crossing on dry ground.

What does that signify? How significant is that? Okay. Chapter 5 starts. Picks up right where chapter 4 left off. And it starts with Joshua 5, verse 1, when all the Amarite kings west of the Jordan and all the Canaanite kings who lived along the Mediterranean coast,

heard how the Lord had dried up the Jordan River so the people of Israel could cross, they lost heart and were paralyzed with fear because of them. So pause here and juxtapose the difference, the difference in fear. Before we had the Israelites talking about how important it was to fear the Lord. And now the Amarite kings are paralyzed with fear. Is this a different kind of fear? Is this the same kind of fear? Who are the Amarite kings afraid of?

Are they afraid of God? Or are they afraid of the Israelites? Or is it both? It's an interesting depiction of two instances of fear. So it's always good to pick up on those things and really think through them and think about what's being told and what's being conveyed through each section that we read. The next section is Israel reestablishes covenant ceremonies. Verse 2.

At the time, the Lord told Joshua, make flint knives and circumcise the second generation of Israelites. So Joshua made flint knives and circumcised the entire male population of Israel at Gibbeth, Hearluth. Joshua had to circumcise them because all the men who were old enough to fight in battle when they left Egypt had died in the wilderness. Those who left Egypt had all been circumcised, but none of those born after the Exodus during the years in the wilderness had been circumcised. The Israelites had traveled in the wilderness for 40 years until all the men who were old enough to fight in battle when they left Egypt had died, for they had disobeyed the Lord, and the Lord

vowed he would not let them enter the land he had sworn to give us a land flowing with milk and honey. So Joshua circumcised their sons, those who had grown up to take their father's places, for they had not been circumcised on the way to the promised land. After all the males had been circumcised, they rested in camp until they were healed. Then the Lord said to Joshua, Today, I have rolled away the shame of your slavery in Egypt. So, that place has been called Gilgall to this day. When the Israelites were camped at Gilgol on the plains of Jericho, they celebrated Passover on the evening of the 14th day of the first month.

The very next day they began to eat unleavened bread and roasted grain harvested from the land. No manna appeared on the day they first ate from the crops of the land, and it was never seen again. So from that time on, the Israelites ate from the crops of Canaan. Okay, so pause. at the end of that section. What rituals do we see the Israelites following in this section? What is the significance of circumcision to the Israelites? What is Passover and what is its significance to the Israelites? The next section is the Lord's commander confronts Joshua.

Verse 13. When Joshua was near the town of Jericho, he looked up and saw a ma'am. standing in front of him with a sword in hand. Joshua went up to him and demanded, Are you friend or foe? Neither one, he replied, I am the commander of the Lord's army. At this, Joshua fell with his face to the ground in reverence. I am at your command, Joshua said. What do you want your servant to do? the commander of the Lord's army replied take off your sandals for the place where you are standing is holy and Joshua did as he was told okay so pause there at the end of chapter five who is this figure who do you think that he is where have you heard that phrase take off your sandals for the place where you are standing is holy have you heard that before Why do you think God has sent someone from the Lord's army to Joshua?

What do you think is going to come of this interaction? What does Joshua's response in verse 14 tell us about Joshua? The response he has once the stranger says who he is. The next chapter is Joshua 6, which is all about the fall of Jericho. This may be a story from the Bible that you've heard before or you might be familiar with. So really take time to listen to this with new eyes and hear what God is telling you about this. Now that you know the full context of this piece of history from the Bible. So here we go with Joshua 6, the fall of Jericho.

Now the gates of Jericho were tightly shut because the people were afraid of the Israelites. no one was allowed to go out or in. But the Lord said to Joshua, I have given you Jericho, its kings, and all its strong warriors. You and your fighting men should march around the town once a day for six days. Seven priests will walk ahead of the ark,

each carrying a ram's horn. On the seventh day, you are to march around the town seven times with the priests blowing the, horns. When you hear the priests give one long blast on the ram's horns, have all the people shout as loud as they can, then the walls of the town will collapse and the people can charge straight into the town. So pause there. Why do you think God gave Joshua these specific instructions? Do you think they will follow these instructions?

Verse six. So Joshua called together the priests and said, Take up the Ark of the Lord's covenant and assigned seven priests to walk in front of it, each carrying a ram's horn. Then he gave orders to the people, march around the town, and the armed men will lead the way in front of the Ark of the Lord. After Joshua spoke to the people, the seven priests with the Rams' horns started marching in the presence of the Lord, blowing the horns as they marched. and the ark of the Lord's covenant followed behind them. Some of the armed men marched in front of the priests with the horns,

and some behind the ark, with the priests continually blowing the horns. Do not shout, do not even talk, Joshua commanded, not a single word from any of you until I tell you to shout. Then shout! So the ark of the Lord was carried around the town once that day, and then everyone returned to spend the night in the camp. Joshua got up early the next morning,

and the priests again carried the Ark of the Lord. The seven priests with the Rams' horns marched in front of the Ark of the Lord, blowing their horns. Again, the armed men marched both in front of the priests with the horns and behind the Ark of the Lord. All this time, the priests were blowing their horns. On the second day, they again marched around the town once and returned to the camp. They followed this pattern for six days.

On the seventh day, the Israelites got up at dawn and marched around the town as they had done before. But this time, they went around the town seven times. The seventh time around, as the priests sounded the long blast on their horns, Joshua commanded the people, shout. for the Lord has given you the town. Jericho and everything in it must be completely destroyed as an offering to the Lord. Only Rehab, the prostitute, and the others in her house will be spared, for she protected our spies. Do not take any of the things set apart for destruction or you yourselves will be completely destroyed,

and you will bring trouble on the camp of Israel. Everything made from silver, gold, bronze, or iron is sacred to the Lord and must be brought into his treasury. So pause there. Why do you think God gave the Israelites instructions to destroy everything in Jericho? Why do you think Rahab and her family were the only ones spared during the Israelites taking of Jericho. Verse 20. When the people heard the sound of the ram's horns, they shouted as loud as they could. Suddenly, the walls of Jericho collapsed and the Israelites charged straight into the town and captured it. They completely destroyed everything in it with their swords, men and women, young and old, cattle, sheep, goats, and donkeys.

Meanwhile, Joshua said to the two spies, keep your promises, go to the prostitute's house and bring her out along with all her family. The men who had been spies went in and brought out Rahab, her father, mother, brothers, and all the other relatives who were with her. They moved her whole family to a safe place near the camp of Israel. Then the Israelites burned the town and everything in it. Only the things made from silver, gold, bronze, or iron were kept for the treasury of the Lord's house. So Joshua spared Rahab the prostitute and her relatives who were with her in the house

because she had hidden the spies Joshua sent to Jericho, and she lives among the Israelites to this day. At that time Joshua invoked this curse. May the curse of the Lord fall on anyone who tries to rebuild the town of Jericho. At the cost of his firstborn son, he will lay its foundation. At the cost of his youngest son, he will set up its gates. So the Lord was with Joshua and his reputation spread throughout the land. Okay, so pause there at the end of chapter 6. Ask yourself a couple of questions.

One of the questions I want you to ask is, why do you think God had them keep the silver, gold, bronze, and iron in the treasury of the Lord's house? From this story, what can we learn about God's faithfulness? Similar to the story in Joshua, what might God be telling you that sounds a little strange, that might bring you out of your comfort zone, that you might think, God, I don't know if that's going to work. What might God be asking you to do? That you could follow in faithfulness just as the Israelites did and just see what God might have in store for you.

And then lastly, what does the story of Rehab teach us about becoming a part of God's family? She was a prostitute who helped the spies, and it says that she lived with the Israelites to this day. What might that teach us about how God brings us into his family, how he transforms us and changes us and brings us into a new family? Okay, so chapter six ended that first section of Joshua culture. God brings Israel into the land of promise. So maybe take a moment to just reflect on what that means. Since Genesis, since Abraham, we have been waiting for God to bring the Israelites into the land of promise. And we have just seen them take their first steps into the promised land.

So what does that make you think of? What does that show us of God and what does that teach us about God's people when they stay faithful to him? The next section that we're about to start is called God gives Israel victory. So maybe even begin to start thinking on that word victory. What does it mean? What do you think this section is going to be about? Joshua 7 Aiken's sin, Israel's judgment.

And the little first section is called Aiken's sin. Joshua 7, verse 1. But Israel violated the instructions about the things set apart for the Lord. A man named Aiken had stolen some of these dedicated things, so the Lord was very angry with the Israelites. Aiken was the son of Karmie, a descendant of Zimri, son of Zara, of the tribe of Judah. Okay, so pause there. Have we seen the Israelites do something like this before?

Have we seen them disobey the instructions God gave them? What do you think God's response is going to be? Do you think God will give up on the Israelites this time? Or will he forgive them? Verse 2. Joshua sent some of his men from Jericho to spy out the town of I. east of Bethel, near Beth Avon. When they returned, they told Joshua,

there's no need for all of us to go up there. It won't take more than two or three thousand men to attack Ai. Since there are so few of them, don't make all of our people struggle to go up there. So approximately three thousand warriors were sent, but they were soundly defeated. The men of I chased the Israelites from the town gate as far as the quarries, and they killed about 36 who were retreating down the slope.

The Israelites were paralyzed with fear at this turn of events, and their courage melted away. Joshua and the elders of Israel tore their clothing in dismay, threw dust on their heads, and bowed face down to the ground before the Ark of the Lord until evening. Then Joshua cried out, O sovereign Lord, why did you bring us across the Jordan River if you're going to let the Amorites kill us? If only we had been content to stay on the other side, Lord, what can I say now that Israel has fled from its enemies? For when the Canaanites and all the other people living in the land hear about it, they will surround us and wipe our name off the face of the earth. and then what will happen to the honor of your great name.

Okay, so pause there. Why is Joshua so worried about what the other people, the Canaanites, will think of them? Why is he worried that they will attack them? Why do you think the Israelite army was so easily defeated? And then we're about to hear God's response, but maybe take a second to think about how you think God will respond. Verse 10, but the Lord said to Joshua, get up. Why are you lying on your face like this? Israel has sinned and broken my covenant. They have stolen some of the things that I commanded

must be set apart from me. And they have not only stolen them, but have lied about it and hidden the things among their own belongings. That is why the Israelites are running from their enemies in defeat. For now, Israel itself has been set apart for destruction. I will not remain with you any longer unless you destroy the thing among you that was set apart for destruction. Get up. Command the people to purify themselves in preparation for tomorrow. For this is what the Lord the God of Israel says, hidden among you, O Israel, are things set apart for the Lord. You will never defeat your enemies until you remove these things from among you. In the morning, you must present yourselves by tribes, and the Lord will point out the tribe

to which the guilty man belongs. That tribe must come forward with its clans, and the Lord will point out the guilty clan. That clan will then come forward, and the Lord will point out the guilty family. Finally, each member of the guilty. family must come forward one by one. The one who was stolen, what was set apart for destruction, will himself be burned with fire, along with everything he has, for he has broken the covenant of the Lord and has done a horrible thing in Israel. Okay, so pause there. What do you think of God's response? Why do you think Aiken's sin brought judgment over the entire nation of Israel, like you see in verse 11, where God's saying that Israel has

sin and broken my covenant. Why do you think one person's sin reflected on the entire community? And then lastly, what might this story teach us about how we should deal with sin in our own lives? Of course, we don't live in that kind of society. And when Jesus comes on the cross in the New Testament, as we know now, God has given us ultimate forgiveness through his son, Jesus. But we should still take sin very seriously. And what can this teach us even symbolically about how seriously we should take sin within our own lives? If we are aware of sin, what should we do to try to fight sin within ourselves? Who should we be going to? Who should be helping us through that? Who should be giving us the strength? Who should we be listening to? And I know I said lastly just a second ago, but another question came to mind, should we be confiding in each other about our sin? What do we see here in this story? Did Aiken come to the leaders of Israel and confess his sin? Or did we see here in this story? Did Aiken come to the leaders of Israel and confess his sin? Or did he say here? Did Akin come to the leaders of Israel? Or did?

he hide it and keep it to himself. The next section is Aiken's sin, verse 16. Early the next morning, Joshua brought the tribes of Israel before the Lord, and the tribe of Judah was singled out. Then the clans of Judah came forward, and the clan of Zara was singled out. Then the families of Zara came forward, and the family of Zimri was singled out.

Every member of Zimri's family was brought forward, person by person, and Aiken was singled out. Then Joshua said to Aiken, my son, Give glory to the Lord, the God of Israel, by telling the truth. Make your confession and tell me what you have done. Don't hide it from me. Aiken replied, it's true. I have sinned against the Lord, the God of Israel. Among the plunder, I saw a beautiful robe from Babylon, 200 silver coins and a bar of gold weighing more than a pound. I wanted them so much that I took them. They are hidden in the ground beneath my tent, with the silver buried deeper than the rest. So Joshua sent some men to make a search. They ran to the tent and found the stolen goods hidden there, just as Aiken had said,

with the silver buried beneath the rest. They took the things from the tent and brought them to Joshua and all the Israelites. Then they laid them out on the ground in the presence of the Lord. Then Joshua and all the Israelites took Aiken, the silver, the robe, the bar of gold, his sons, daughters, cattle, donkeys, sheep, goats, tent, and everything he had, and they brought them to the Valley of Aker. Then Joshua said to Aiken, Why have you brought trouble on us? The Lord will now bring trouble on you.

And all the Israelites stoned Aiken and his family. and burned their bodies. They piled a great heap of stones over Aiken, which remains to this day. That is why the place has been called the Valley of Trouble ever since. So the Lord was no longer angry. Okay, so pause there at the end of Chapter 7. That might be a difficult story to hear. You might be asking, why did Aiken's

entire family have to be punished for Aiken's sin. Why was their punishment death? Why was their punishment death in this way? Why does it say that after their punishment the Lord was no longer angry? This might be, like I said, a difficult passage to read because it does bring up a lot of questions and you might wonder why God would punish them in this way. And I encourage you to ask those questions, to pray through them, and to really see what God is telling you about this passage, even if it's a difficult one, because there might be a lot of difficult things to work through in the scriptures

and sit with them on your own. But then you can, you know, after you've done that, go and seek out, commentary and what scholars might say and other people who have studied the scriptures might say. But first, I encourage you to sit with them on your own and in prayer. Okay, the next chapter is Joshua 8, which is the section called the Israelites defeat I. The first section is Joshua lays an ambush against I.

Then the Lord said to Joshua, do not be afraid or discourage. Take all your fighting men and attack I, for I have given you the king of I, his people, his town, and his land. You will destroy them as you destroy Jericho and its king. But this time, you may keep the plunder and the livestock for yourselves, set an ambush behind the town. So Joshua and all the fighting men set out to attack I. Joshua chose 30,000 of his best warriors and sent them out at night. With these orders, hide an ambush close behind the town and be ready for action. When our main army attacks, the men of I will come out to fight as they did before,

and we will run away from them. We will let them chase us until we have drawn them away from the town, for they will say the Israelites are running away from us, as they did before. Then, while we are running from them, you will jump up from your ambush and take possession of their town for the Lord your God will give it to you. Set the town on fire as the Lord has commanded. You have your orders. So, they left and went to the place of ambush between Bethel and the west side of I, but Joshua remained among the people in the camp that night. Early the next morning, Joshua rowed, his men and started toward Ai, accompanied by the elders of Israel.

All the fighting men who were with Joshua marched in front of the town and camped on the north side of I with a valley between them and the town. That night, Joshua sent about 5,000 men to lie in ambush between Bethel and I on the west side of the town. So they stationed at the main army north of the town and ambush west of the town. Joshua himself spent that night in the valley. Okay, so pause there. Why do you think God is now having them take this town, this town of I?

Why do you think God gave them these specific instructions for taking this town? Why do you think in this situation God allowed them to keep the plunder and cattle during this siege? The next section is Joshua captures and destroys I. Verse 14. When the king of I saw the Israelites across the valley, he and all his army hurried out early in the morning and attacked the Israelites at a place overlooking the Jordan Valley. But he didn't realize there was an ambush behind the town.

Joshua and the Israelite army fled toward the wilderness as though they were badly beaten. Then all the men in the town were called out to chase after them. In this way, they were lured away from the town. There was not a man left in I or Bethel, who did not chase after the Israelites, and the town was left wide open. Then the Lord said to Joshua, point the spear in your hand toward I, for I will hand the town over to you.

Joshua did as he was commanded. As soon as Joshua gave this signal, all the men in ambush jumped up from their position and poured into the town. They quickly captured it and set it on fire. When the men of eye looked behind them, smoke from the town was filling the sky, and they had nowhere to go. For the Israelites who had fled in the direction of the wilderness now turned on their pursuers, when Joshua and all the other Israelites saw that the ambush had succeeded and that smoke was rising from the town, they turned and attacked the men of I. Meanwhile, the Israelites who were inside the town came out and attacked the enemy from the rear. So the men of I were caught in the

middle, with Israelite fighters on both sides. Israel attacked them, and not a single person survived or escaped. Only the king of I was taken alive and brought to Joshua. Okay, so pause there. Why do you think, again, God is having them completely destroy the town and everyone in it? Why do you think the king of I was allowed to be taken alive and brought to Joshua? What do you think is going to come of that? Verse 24. When the Israelite army finished chasing and killing all the men of I in the open fields, they went back and finished off everyone inside.

So the entire population of I, including men and women, was wiped out that day, 12,000 in all. For Joshua kept holding out his spear until everyone who had lived in I was completely destroyed. Only the livestock and the treasures of the town were not destroyed, but the Israelites kept these as plunder for themselves as the Lord had commanded Joshua. So Joshua burned the town of I, and it became a person. permanent mound of ruins desolate to this very day. Okay, so pause there. Why do you think that the town was left as a heap of ruins? Why do you think they didn't build on that site or do something with that land? And by they, I mean the Israelites. Verse 29, Joshua impaled the king of I,

on a sharpened pole and left him there until evening. At sunset, the Israelites took down the body as Joshua commanded and threw it in front of the town gate. They piled a great heap of stones over him that can still be seen today. Okay, so pause there. Now we see what became of the king of I. So why do you think this was the king's fate? The next section is the Lord's Covenant Renews.

Then Joshua built an altar to the Lord, the God of Israel, on Mount Ebel. He followed the commands that Moses the Lord's servant had written in the book of instruction. Make me an altar from stones that are uncut and have not been shaped with iron tools. Then, on the altar, they presented burnt offerings and peace offerings to the Lord. And as the Israelites watched, Joshua copied onto the same. stones of the altar the instructions Moses had given them. Then all the Israelites, foreigners, and native-born alike, along with the elders, officers, and judges were divided into two groups. One group stood in front of Mount Gerasim, the other in front of Mount Ebel. Each group faced

the other, and between them stood the Levitical priests carrying the Ark of the Lord's covenant. This was all done according to the commands that Moses, the servant of the Lord, had previously given for blessing the people of Israel. Joshua then read to them all the blessings and curses Moses had written in the book of instruction. Every word of every command that Moses had ever given was read to the entire assembly of Israel, including the women and children and the foreigners who lived among them. Okay, so pause. there and I want you to think about the picture of the Israelites now. They include both foreigners and native-born Israelites. So what can that tell us about the nation of Israel? And then how is that a

picture of the community of believers we should be building and we should be seeing today? And then lastly, why do the Israelites need to renew their covenant with the Lord? Why? Why? Why is that important for them? The next chapter is Joshua 9, which is called the Ghibeonites deceive Israel. Now all the kings west of the Jordan River heard about what had happened. These were the kings of the Hittites, Amorites, Canaanites, Parasites, Hivites, and Jebocytes who lived in the hill country in the western foothills, and along the coast of the Mediterranean sea, as far north as the Lebanon mountains. These kings combined their armies to fight as one

against Joshua and the Israelites. But when the people of Gibbon heard what Joshua had done to Jericho and I, they resorted to deception to save themselves. They sent ambassadors to Joshua, loading their donkeys with weathered saddlebags and old patched wine skins. They put on worn out, patched sandals and ragged clothes, and the bread they took with them was dry and moldy. When they arrived at the camp of Israel at Gilgall, they told Joshua and the men of Israel, We have come from a distant land to ask you to make a peace treaty with us. The Israelites replied to these Hivites, How do we know you don't live nearby?

For if we do, we cannot make a treaty with you. They replied, we are your servants. But who are you? Joshua demanded, where do you come from? They answered, your servants have come from a very distant country. We have heard of the might of the Lord your God and of all he did in Egypt. We have also heard what he did to the two Amarite kings east of the Jordan River, King Cyan and Hesham and King Ag of Boshan, who lived in Osteroth? So our elders and all our people instructed us take supplies for a long journey. Go meet with the people of Israel and tell them, we are your servants.

Please make a treaty with us. This bread was hot from the ovens when we left our homes. But now, as you can see, it is dry and moldy. These wine skins were new when we filled them, but now they are old and split open. And our clothing and sandals are worn out. from our very long journey. So the Israelites examined the food, but they did not consult the Lord.

Then Joshua made a peace treaty with them and guaranteed their safety, and the leaders of the community ratified their agreement with a binding oath. Okay, so let's pause there, because something really interesting is happening in this story. So first of all,

this nation that's coming to them with worn clothes and old wine, skins and moldy bread. Why are they scared of the Israelites? Why are they trying to fool the Israelites? Why is it important that the Israelites think these people are from far away? And did you catch what it said in verse 14? The Israelites examined the food, but they did not consult the Lord.

Why is that important? They made a treaty with this other nation without consulting the Lord. So how do you think this is going to turn out for the Israelites? What do you think is going to happen? And as we see how this unfolds, how do you think the outcome might have been different if they had consulted the Lord before they made this treaty? Verse 16.

Three days after making the treaty, they learned that these people actually lived nearby. The Israelites set out at once to investigate and reached their towns in three days. The names of these towns were Gibyan, Kefirah, Beiroth, and Kiryoth Jerram. But the Israelites did not attack the towns, for the Israelite leaders had made a vow to them in the name of the Lord the God of Israel. The people of Israel grumbled against their leaders because of the treaty. But the leaders replied, since we have sworn an oath

in the presence of the Lord, the God of Israel, we cannot touch them. This is what we must do. We must to let them live, for divine anger would come upon us if we broke our oath. Let them live.

So they made them woodcutters and water carriers for the entire community as the Israelite leaders directed. Joshua called together the Ghibianites and said, Why did you lie to us? Why did you say that you live in a distant land

when you live right here among us? May you be cursed. From now on, you will always be servants who cut wood and carry water for the house of my God. They replied, We did it because we, your servants, were clearly told that the Lord your God commanded his servant Moses

to give you this entire land and to destroy all the people living in it. So we feared greatly for our lives because of you. That is why we have done this. Now we are at your mercy, due to us whatever you think is right. So Joshua did not allow the people of Israel to kill them, but that day he made the Ghibeonites, the woodcutters, and water carriers for the community of Israel and for the altar of the Lord. wherever the Lord would choose to build it.

And that is what they do to this day. Okay, so pause there at the end of chapter nine. We saw what happened once they made this peace treaty with the Gibionites. And I said to think about how that might have been different if they had consulted the Lord before they made the treaty. And in this section, we didn't see God come and talk to Joshua or say anything to them or admonish them for making this treaty without consulting him. Why do you think that is? Why do you think the Israelites weren't punished in this situation?

And why do you think that Ghibeonites were allowed to live? They're working as servants, but they are allowed to live, despite their. deception. And lastly, why do you think the Israelites had to honor the oath that they made with him? Why did God not say that the oath was nullified once the Israelites found out that the Gippianites were deceiving them? Why did they have to honor this oath that they made without consulting the Lord? The next chapter is Joshua 10. Israel defeats the southern armies. Adonai Zedek, king of Jerusalem, heard that Joshua had captured and completely destroyed I and killed its king. He also learned that the Gibianites had made peace with Israel and were now

their allies. He and his people became very afraid when they heard all of this because Gibbon was a large town, as large as the royal cities and larger than I. And the Gibianite, men were strong warriors. So King Adonizedek of Jerusalem sent messengers to several other kings, Hoham of Hebron, Pyrrham of Jarmath, Japhia of Lachish, and Deborah of Eglon. Come and help me destroy Gibbon, he urged them, for they have made peace with Joshua and the people of Israel. So these five Amarite kings combined their armies for a united attack. They moved all their troops into place and attacked Gibbon. The men of Gibbon quickly sent messengers to Joshua at his camp in Gilgall.

Don't abandon your servants now, they pleaded, come at once, save us, help us. For all the Amarite kings who live in the hill country have joined forces to attack us. So Joshua and his entire army, including his best warriors, left Gilgall and set out for Gibbean. Do not be afraid of them, the Lord said to Joshua, for I have given you victory over them. Not a single one of them will be able to stand up to you. Joshua traveled all night from Gilgall and took the Amarite armies by surprise. The Lord threw them into a panic, and the Israelites slaughtered great numbers of them. at Gibbean. Then the Israelites chased the enemy along the road to Beth Horan, killing them all

along the way to Azaka and Makkadah. As the Amarites retreated down the road from Beth Horan, the Lord destroyed them with a terrible hailstorm from heaven. They continued until they reached Azaka. The hail killed more of the enemy than the Israelites killed with the sword. On the the day the Lord gave the Israelites victory over the Amarites, Joshua prayed to the Lord in front of all the people of Israel. He said, let the sun stand still over Gibian and the moon over the valley of Aijalon. So the sun stood still and the moon stayed in place until the nation of Israel had defeated its enemies. Is this event not recorded in the book of Joshua? The sun stayed in the middle of the sky, and it did not set as on a normal day. There is never been a day

like this one before or since when the Lord answered such a prayer. Surely the Lord fought for Israel that day. Then Joshua and the Israelite army returned to their camp at Gilgall. Okay, so pause there. Why were these kings so afraid of the Israel. Israelites, why did they want to join forces and bring all their resources together to fight the Israelites? What is the difference here that we see between them fighting these five Amarite kings and what happened with the Ghibionites in the previous chapter? Did the Israelites consult God before this attack? And then what do you make of this event that has? And then what do you make of this event that happened where Joshua prays for the sun to stand still? And it does. What is happening there and what

might we be able to learn from that? The next section is Joshua kills the five southern kings. During the battle, the five kings escaped and hid in a cave at Makkadah. When Joshua heard that they had been found, he issued this command, cover the opening of the cave with large rocks and place guards at the entrance to keep the kings inside. The rest of you, continue chasing the enemy and cut them down from the rear. Don't give them a chance to get back to their towns. For the Lord your God has given you victory over them. So Joshua and the Israelite army continued the slaughter and completely crushed the enemy.

They totally wiped out the five armies except for a tiny remnant that managed to reach their fortified towns. Then the Israelites returned safely to Joshua in the camp at Makkadah. After that, no one dared to speak even a word against Israel. Okay, so pause there. Why do you think after this attack, after this victory, that's when no one dared to even speak a word against Israel? Verse 22. Then Joshua said, remove the rocks covering the opening of the cave

and bring the five kings to me. So they brought the five kings out of the cave, the kings of Jerusalem, Hebron, Jarmooth, Lachish, and Eglon. When they brought them out, Joshua told the commanders of his army, come and put your feet on the king's necks. And they did as they were told. Don't ever be afraid or discouraged, Joshua told his men, be strong and courageous.

For the Lord is going to do this to all of your enemies. Then Joshua killed each of the five kings and impaled them on five sharpened poles where they hung until evening. As the sun was going down, Joshua gave instructions for the bodies of the kings to be taken down from the poles and thrown into the cave where they had been hiding.

Then they covered the opening of the cave, with a pile of large rocks which remains to this very day. The next section is Israel destroys the southern towns. That same day, Joshua captured and destroyed the town of Makada. He killed everyone in it, including the king, leaving no survivors. He destroyed them all, and he killed the king of Makada as he had killed the king of Jericho. Then Joshua and the Israelites went to Libna and attacked it. There too, the Lord gave them the town and its king.

He killed everyone in it, leaving no survivors. Then Joshua killed the king of Libna as he had killed the king of Jericho. From Libna, Joshua and the Israelites went to Lakhish and attacked it. Here again, the Lord gave them Lachish. Joshua took it on the second day and killed Eirich. everyone in it, just as he had done at Libna. During the attack on Lakhish, King Horam of Gezer arrived with his army to help defend the town. But Joshua's men killed him, and his army, leaving no survivors. Then Joshua and the Israelite army went on to Eglon and attacked it. They captured it that day

and killed everyone in it. He completely destroyed everyone just as he had done at Lachish. From Eglon, Joshua and the Israelite army went up to Hebron and attacked it. They captured the town and killed everyone in it, including its king, leaving no survivors. They did the same thing to all of its surrounding villages, and just as he had done it, Eglon, he completely destroyed the entire population. Then Joshua and the Israelites turned back and attacked Deber. He captured the town, its king, and all of its surrounding villages. He completely destroyed everyone in it, leaving no survivors.

He did to Deber and its king, just what he had done to Hebron and to Libna and its king. So Joshua conquered the whole region, the kings and people of the hill country, the Negev, the western foothills, and the mountain slopes. He completely destroyed everyone in the land, leaving no survivors, just as the Lord the God of Israel had commanded. Joshua slaughtered them from Kadesh Barnea to Gaza and from the region around the town to Goshen up to Gibbon Joshua conquered all these kings and their land in a single campaign for the Lord, the God of Israel was fighting for his people. Then Joshua and the Israelite army returned to their camp at Gilgol.

So pause there at the end of chapter 10 and think about all the land that the Israel's, Israelites have conquered. How does this play in to God's promise that he originally made to Abraham? Why is this important in that covenant? And then who do the Israelites attribute these victories to? And why is that important? The next chapter is Joshua 11, where Israel defeats the northern armies. So this is going to be similar to the last chapter, but instead of the southern towns, we are now talking about the northern armies. Okay, Joshua 11, verse 1. When King Jobin of Hazor heard what had happened, he sent messages to the following kings, King Jobab of Madden, the king of Shimran, the king of Akshaf,

all the kings of the northern hill country, the kings in the Jordan Valley south of Galilee, the kings in the Galilean foothills, the kings of Nafath, on the west, the kings of Canaan, both east and west, the kings of the Amorites, the Hittites, the Parasites, the Jebocytes, in the hill country, and the Hivites in the towns on the slopes of Mount Hermon in the land of Mizpah. All these kings came out to fight. Their combined armies formed a vast horde, and with all their horses and chariots, they covered the landscape, like the sand on the seashore. The kings joined forces and established their camp around the water near Miram to fight against Israel. Okay, so pause there and just picture that image. Picture that army as vast as

the sand on the seashores. Think about how large that army was. Do you think that Israel, were scared. Do you think they're going to be able to defeat this army? And if so, how do you think they're going to be able to do it? Verse six, then the Lord said to Joshua, do not be afraid of them. By this time tomorrow, I will hand all of them over to Israel as dead men. Then you must cripple their horses and burn their chariots. So Joshua, in all his fighting men, traveled to the water near Merrim, and attacked suddenly. And the Lord gave them victory over their enemies. The Israelites chased them as far as greater Sidon,

and Mizrafoth ma'am, and eastward into the valley of Mizpah, until not one enemy warrior was left alive. Then Joshua crippled the horses and burned all the chariots, as the Lord had instructed. Joshua then turned back and captured Hazor and killed its king. Hayser had at one time been the capital of all these kingdoms.

The Israelites completely destroyed everything living in the city, leaving no survivors, not a single person was spared. And then Joshua burned the city. Joshua slaughtered all the other kings and their people, completely destroying them just as Moses, the servant of the Lord had commanded. But the Israelites did not burn any of the towns built on the mountains except Hazer, which Joshua burned. And the Israelites took all the plunder and livestock of the ravaged towns for themselves. But they killed all the people, leaving no survivors. As the Lord had commanded his servant Moses, so Moses commanded Joshua. And Joshua did as he was told, carefully obeying all the commands that the Lord had given Moses.

So Joshua conquered the entire region, the hill country, the entire Negev, the whole area around the town of Goshen, the western foothills, the Jordan Valley, the mountains of Israel, and the Galilean foothills. The Israelite territory now extended all the way from Mount Halak, which leads up to Sayer in the south, as far north, as Bal Gad at the foot of the mountain Hermon in the valley of Lebanon. Joshua killed all the kings of those territories, waging war for a long time to accomplish this.

No one in this region made peace with the Israelites except the Hivites of Gibbon. All the others were defeated, for the Lord hardened their hearts and caused them to fight the Israelites, so they were completely destroyed without mercy, as the Lord had commanded Moses. Okay, so pause there. Where have you heard in scripture before that God hardened someone's heart?

Why do you think he does that in this situation? What do you think about the fact that God hardened their hearts? What do you think that means that they didn't have any free will? Or was there something in their history that led? to this, it could be many things. So think on that topic and think about why God did that. And lastly, what is this section, this story, this piece of our history teaching us about obedience? Verse 21. During this period, Joshua destroyed all the descendants of Anok who lived in the hill country of Hebron, Debra, Anab, and the entire hill country of Judah and Israel.

He killed them all and completely destroyed their towns. None of the descendants of Anok were left in all the land of Israel, though some still remained in Gaza, Gath, and Ashdad. So Joshua took control of the entire land just as the Lord had instructed Moses. He gave it to the people of Israel as their special possession dividing the land among the tribes. So the land finally had rest from war. Okay, so our final chapter for today is going to be Joshua 12. And chapter 12 is going to be a summary chapter. It's going to summarize Israel's conquests east and west of the Jordan River.

So some of these conquests are going to be ones that happened when Moses was leading the Israelites, and then the ones on the west of the Jordan River are going to be the ones. are going to be the ones that we read about in Joshua in the first half of Joshua that Joshua led. So as you're reading, I want you to think about this story so far. What do you remember from it? What are your takeaways? As you hear these names and this history, this sort of summary of what we've read, what stands out to you?

what is God asking you to maybe focus on as you read it this time? So here we go. The first section of chapter 12 is kings defeated east of the Jordan. These are the kings east of the Jordan River who had been killed by the Israelites and whose land was taken. Their territory extended from the Arnon Gorge to Mount Hermon and included all the land east of the Jordan Valley. King Syhon of the Amarites who lived in Hesbun was defeated. His kingdom included Aror on the edge of the Arnangorge, and extended from the middle of the Arnangorge to the Jabic River, which serves as the border for the Ammonites. This territory included the southern half of the territory of Gilead.

Scyon also controlled the Jordan Valley and regions to the east. from as far north as the Sea of Galilee to as far south as the Dead Sea, including the road to Beth Jeshamath, and southward to the slopes of Piscah. King Ag of Boshan, the last of the Refayites, lived at Asturoth and Edriai. He ruled a territory stretching from Mount Hermon to Slechah in the north and to all of Boshan in the east,

and westward to the borders of the kingdoms of Gesher and Makkah. This territory included the northern half of Gilead, as far as the boundary of King Sihon of Heshben. Moses, the servant of the Lord and the Israelites, had destroyed the people of King Sihon and King Ag. And Moses gave their land as a possession to the tribes of Ruben Gad, and the half tribe of Manasseh. Okay, so pause there,

reflect for a moment on the conquests that the Israelites made while Moses was leading them. Okay, the next section is Kings defeated west of the Jordan. The following list is a list of the kings that Joshua and the Israelite armies defeated on the west side of the Jordan, from Balgad in the valley of Lebanon to Mount Halak, which leads up to Sayer. Joshua gave this land to the tribes of Israel as their possession, including the hill country, the western foothills, the Jordan Valley, the mountain slopes, the Judean wilderness, and the Negev. The people who lived in this region were the Hittites, the Amarites, the Canaanites, the Parasites,

the Hivites, and the Jebusites. These are the kings Israel defeated. The king of Jericho, the king of Ai near Bethel, the king of Jerusalem, the king of Hebron, the king of Jarmath, the king of Lachish, the king of Eglon, the king of Gezer, the king of Deber, the king of Getter, the king of Horma, the king of Arad, the king of Libna, the king of Adelam, the king of Makadah, the king of Bethel, the king of Tapua, the king of Heifer, the king of Afik, the king of Lasharan, the king of Madan, the king of Hazor, the king of Shimran Miran, the king of Akshaf, the king of Tannik, the king of Megadu,

the king of Kadesh, the king of Joknyam and Carmel, the king of Dor, in the town of Nafath Dor, the king of Goyam and Gilgall, the king of Turza. In all, 31 kings were defeated. Okay, so pause there at the end of chapter 12 and reflect on the amount of kings who were defeated by the Israelites. How were the Israelites able to defeat so many nations? Why did they have to defeat all of these nations and kings? Why do you think that the kingdoms had to be completely defeated rather than letting them just move to a different land or something like that.

Why do you think it had to happen this way? And then lastly, now that the Israelites have conquered the land, the Lord promised to give to Abraham and his ancestors, what do you think their next step is going to be? Okay, thank you so much for listening to another episode of Bible beginning to end. you probably notice this episode is quite a bit longer than my episodes have been in the past. I am having to increase the length of episodes so that I can comply with, you know, copyright requirements for the new living translation of the Bible. So hopefully you guys understand.

If you listen to my update that I released, you'll kind of get some more insight into that. And I am so glad that you're all listening and reaching out. I love hearing from each of you and getting to see how God is speaking to people through this project and really just through his spirit and through his word. And so thank you for listening. I hope you keep listening and I will keep recording and I will talk to you in the next one.