Handbook to Joshua (with slight omissions), for the use of teachers and students

Front matter

Be

MESSRS. RIVINGTONS’

The Modern French Series.

Preface

THE general title to the series, of which this book is one, explains the purpose. It is ‘a Handbook designed to help Teachers, especially those engaged in primary schools, in their own study for examination, and in their teaching, especially in the latter.’ Those who are acquainted with the number of lessons teachers have to prepare for their daily work, and the consequent difficulty they find in making any adequate preparation for the religious instruction they must give, will be surprised that the lessons given are, on the whole, so good. The facts are usually well taught; it is their bearing which, from want of time for thought, is so frequently missed. A chapter, or part of one, is explained in detail, and the children are left with a scattered number of facts having but little relation to one another. If the blackboard is used, it is generally in explanation of words or names that the children did not know how to explain or spell. No complaint can reasonably be made, because the teachers have not the time at their disposal which is necessary for arranging and drawing out their Bible lessons. This Handbook has been arranged with the view of helping them, In the first place, the book has been divided into such sections as teach a complete lesson without any regard to the lil lv THE BOOK OF JOSHUA division of chapters. It is true that one or two of these would be too long for reading round in class; but it is doubtful whether reading round does not stifle the curiosity so essential for good teaching, and tend to produce the scrappy information so much to be deplored.

Secondly, the notes and references are purposely curtailed with a view to the small amount of time that can be given to the preparation of the subject. It is hoped that all real difficulties have been noted, and that if the notes seem brief, the text may stand out the more prominently as being of first importance.

Thirdly, in selecting the subjects for the Lessons, the author has been guided entirely by the general trend of the section to be studied: for example, the Chapter on the destruction of Jericho offers many tempting lessons more striking and easier than that selected, ‘National Faith’; but as this seemed to sum up the teaching of the whole section, it was chosen.

Fourthly, the arrangement of the Lessons under Matter and Method has been adopted as being most familiar. It is true, as Mr. Barnett, H.M.L, points out in Common Sense vn Education, ‘that this division is generally unsatisfactory, because the two things are hardly separable, and what appears as method in most notes of lessons is usually not method, but procedure’; yet no substitute for it has as yet appeared, and it seemed better to work with an order well known than to invent a new one.

Lastly, the summary for the blackboard has been added in order that the teacher may see at a glance what has been aimed at. It is not intended that the summary or

PREFACE v the arrangement phould be slavishly feller sae Sill imitation must inevitably rob the lesson of that freshness which ought to be its chief charm. What is hoped is that the outlines may suggest the lines on which the lesson could best be taught.

In conclusion, he trusts that those teachers for whom he has written may share with him the enjoyment and help which the study of the book has brought, and realise in their teaching that they have not only brought refreshment to their scholars, but that ‘through contact with it, as with a new world, they have studied, enlightened, and developed themselves.’

ao

INTRODUCTION,

Map oF PALESTINE,

CHAPTER

Joshual., .

Joshua ii., .

Joshua iii., ‘Joshua iv.,

Joshua vy. 1-12,

Contents

Joshua vi. 6-27, .

Joshua vii., Joshua viii. 1-29, Joshua ix.,

Joshua x. 1-15, Joshua x. 16-27, Joshua x. 28-43, Joshua xi.,

Chapter I

OW after the death of Moses the servant of the | \ Lorp it came to pass, that the -Lorp spake unto ents ioe. Joshua the son of Nun, Moses’ aninister, saying, 2. Moses my servant is dead ; now therefore arise, go over this Jordan, thou, and all this people, unto the land which I do give to them, even to the children of Israel. 3. bch. xiv.9. Every place that the sole of your foot shall tread upon, that have I given unto you, as I said unto Moses. 4, From the wilderness and this Lebanon even unto the great river, the river Euphrates, all the land of the Hittites, and unto the great sea toward the going down of the sun, shall 1 border. be your coast.!' 5, There shall not any man be able to stand

NOTE.—Marginal readings not in italics are from the Revised Version.

1. Now after the death of Moses. Moses had died in the land of Moab (Deut. xxxiv. 6) at the great age of 120 years. Before dying he had ‘laid his hands’ upon Joshua, virtually appointing him his successor, and in consequence of this ordination Joshua was ‘full of the spirit of wisdom.’

Joshua the son of Nun—of the powerful tribe of Ephraim. 1 Chron. Vii. 20-27.

Note the following particulars of his life—(a) His boyhood and early

manhood passed in slavery and amidst an idolatrous people in Egypt. 9) (6) The ripe years of his manhood from forty to eighty years of age were spent in Sinai under the stern discipline of war, privation, and hardship. It was during this time that he acted as Moses’ ‘minister,’ and as such was chosen to be one of the spies, and so became acquainted with the land which he was now about to conquer. So he was trained by experience of life for the work which now lay before him.

-The Lord spake. Whether through the High Priest (Num. xxvii. 21), or in a dream (Num. xii. 6), or in a trance (Num. xxiv. 3-4), we do not know—probably immediately—and in such a manner that Joshua had no doubt that God was giving him a command.

4, From the Wilderness—+.¢. from the Desert of Arabia in the South to Mount Lebanon in the North, which could be seen from Joshua’s camp.

5. As I was with Moses. Joshua had very clear knowledge of what this meant. Again and again he had seen his master in peril, and when

THE PROMISE OF VICTORY 7 3 before thee all the days of thy life: as I was with Moses, so I will be with thee: °I will not fail thee, nor forsake thee. ¢ Heb. xiii. be

6. 7 Be strong and of a good courage: for * unto this people g Deut.xxxi.23 hen ae : é : 2 Thou shalt shalt thou divide for an inheritance the land, which I sware cause this unto their fathers to give them. 7. Only be thou strong Peonle fo in. and very courageous, that thow mayest observe to do accord-

ing to all the law, which Moses my servant commanded

thee : ‘turn not from it to the right hand or to the left, that ¢ Deut. v, 32. thou mayest prosper whithersoever thou goest. 8. This

book of the law shall not depart out of thy mouth ; but

thou shalt meditate therein day and night, that thou mayest

observe to do according to all that is written therein: for then thou shalt make thy way prosperous, and then thou 3 deal wisely. shalt *have good success. 9. Have not I commanded thee? (¥: ™4"8in-) Be strong and of a good courage ; be not afraid, neither be thou dismayed: for the Lorp thy God is with thee whithersoever thou goest.

the danger was most imminent then the divine protection had been most Striking.

6. Be strong and of a good courage. This ig repeated three times. Moral strength to follow God’s will in spite of the voice of the people, and courage to face great difficulties with calmness, are the two essentials for every great leader.

7. Prosper. The R. V. (margin) gives the better translation ‘deal wisely,’ and this too is the better sense. God does not promise success to those who keep the path of His commandments, but He does guarantee that they shall be guided to take the best possible course under the circumstances, and this, the ability to act wisely, is the highest reward.

8. This book of the law. It is not clear as to what this roll or book | really contained, but we know from Deut. xxxi. 9 that Moses wrote a book of instruction before he died, and that he delivered it to the Levites for safe keeping. We have it in Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers, and Deuteronomy, with such additions as were made to it in after years. Joshua’s deep reverence for God and his affection for his master would _ lead him to make it the paramount guide of his life, against which there

could be no appeal. :

Thou shalt meditate therein day and night. This direction might seem impossible for a busy soldier responsible for the welfare of thousands of others, were it not that General Gordon and others have showi us that it is the main secret of influence in a crowded life.

4 JOSHUA I. 1-18

EE eee 10. Then Joshua commanded the officers of the people,

4 midst of the Saying, 11. Pass through the *host, and command the

vapet people, saying, Prepare you victuals; for within three days ye shall pass over this Jordan, to go in to possess the land, which the Lorp your God giveth you to possess it. 12. And to the Reubenites, and to the Gadites, and to half yNum. xxxii, the tribe of Manasseh, spake Joshua, saying, 18.’ Remember 9 aiVe the word which Moses the servant of the Lorp commanded you, saying, The Lorp your God hath given you rest, and 5 willgiveyou. Shath given you this land. 14. Your wives, your little

ones, and your cattle, shall remain in the land which Moses 6over before. gave you on this side Jordan; but ye shall pass ° before your brethren armed, all the mighty men of valour, and help them; 15. until the Lorp have given your brethren rest, as he hath gwen you, and they also have possessed the land which the Lorp your God giveth them : then ye shall

10. Then Joshua commanded. No hesitation or questioning, the command is at once obeyed.

The Officers. It is estimated that the camp contained at least two millions of people. The fighting men alone amounted to 600,000men. This great host was divided into tribes ranged under great chiefs, and contained a large number of civil and military officers. Allusions are made to them from time to time. See Num. xi. 16; xxxi. 14, 48; Deut. i. 15.

11. Prepare you victuals. This seems to be an indication that the miraculous sustenance of the manna is about to cease. Yet we know from v. 12 that it did not cease ‘till the morrow after they had eaten of the old corn of the land,’ 7.¢e. some six days afterwards. Itis not necessary, however, to suppose that there is any reference to the manna, but only to the other food which they were accustomed to eat with it.

Within three days. ‘This address was not given before but ajter the spies were despatched, for eight days intervened between the sending of the spies (ii. 1), and the actual passage of the river (iii. 2 sqq.). These ‘three days’ are identical with those mentioned in iii. 2. The chapters in the Bible do not always follow chronological order, the authors of the books have their minds fixed on moral rather than temporal sequence unless they state the opposite. Bishop Wordsworth is doubtless right in saying that it is not likely that after Joshua has been commanded to do a thing he would send spies to see whether it was wise for him to attempt it.

12, And to the Reubenites and to the Gadites. See Deut. iii. 18-20, from which we learn that one of the conditions on which the land was given Was, that they should help Israel to get possession of West Palestine as Israel had helped them to obtain East Palestine.

THE COMMISSION 5

7 possess. 8 beyond, return unto the land of your possession, and 7 enjoy it, which Moses the Lorp’s servant gave you 8on this side Jordan toward the sunrising. 16. And they answered Joshua, saying, All that thou commandest us we will do, and. whithersoever thou sendest us, we will go. 17. According as we hearkened unto Moses in all things, so will we hearken unto thee: only the Lorp thy God be with thee, as he was with Moses. 18. Whosoever he be that doth rebel against thy commandment, and will not hearken unto thy words in all that thou commandest him, he shall be put to death: only be strong and of a good courage.

16. All that thou commandest us. Their reply was in every way satisfactory. They would not only do what they promised Moses, but take their orders from Joshua with the same readiness and confidence that they had taken those of his great predecessor. Note that the exhortation of

God to Joshua finds an echo in their reply. They too wish that their leader may be strong and full of courage.

LESSON I A Great Commission

InTRoDUCTION. — Explain the word Commission, e.g. the Queen’s Commission—to-day we speak of the Commission of the King of Kings. Show that this is given to every one, to serve God in labour, trade, business, teaching. This commission solemnly conferred at Confirmation. By what sign? When was Joshua’s conferred? See Deut. xxxiv. 9. When explained? Read Josh. i. 2-5.

MATTER. METHOD.

1. Joshua’s Commission explained.

Not merely to succeed Moses and rule this great host of two millions of people, but to carry them into a strange country unknown to all except Joshua and Caleb, to conquer fierce and savage nations, some noted for their size, others for their iron chariots, others for their walled cities, and then to divide thislandamongst his countrymen, who were still fickle, jealous, and quarrelsome. Note further that his own people werenot a disciplined army, but a host of men, women, and children just out of slavery.

1. Describe the country to be conquered.

Name the seven nations and their characteristics.

Show thata boy’s profession often takes him toa strange place, to new faces, but there he will find a kingdom to be won for God.

a JOSHUA I. 1-18

Lesson I—continwed. A GREAT COMMISSION

MATTER.

2. His Preparation.

Joshua had been well trained as a soldier at Rephidim (Ex. xvii. 9) as Moses’ private confidential servant at Sinai (Exod. xxxii. 17), as the accredited representative of the nation in Palestine (Num. xiii. 17), and in these and many other trying positions he had fulfilled his trust well. And because he had been faithful in a little, God will now commit to him a great position.

He had already done his best in despatching the spies, and so had made himself ready for the command.

3. The helps by which it is to be carried out.

Though Joshua had had a wide experience of life and must have recognised that he had many valuable gifts, he is not told to rely on these for his success. His great temptations would be weakness and cowardice, kindness leading him to the one and tremendous dangers to the other. He is taught to avoid them by perpetual meditation in God’s law. God’s word is to be his main help. Besides this he is promised the presence of God, ‘I will be with thee.’

4, The spirit in which he received it.

Trained as a soldier to obey instantly he does so here. He asks no questions, suggests no difficulties, but at once issues orders to the

METHOD.

2. Now speak of the necessity of preparation for divine commissions.

Even the Son of God, Jesus Christ, did not begin His work till He had waited thirty years in Nazareth— so S. Paul—so Joshua. God does not give His work to raw recruits.

Here point out the importance of school life, of the time spent as an apprentice, on our use of this the future depends. ‘To him that hath shall be given.’

3. Show that whilst preparation is very useful and necessary, it largely fails unless it has taught a boy to rely chiefly on God. What is the great stimulus to faith? The Bible. Now readi. 5-8. What does God teach Joshua to rely on?

The law so important to Joshua, what must the Bible be to us?

Sbow here how small Joshua’s Bible was compared to ours, how poor when compared with the wealth of teaching given us in the New Testament.

Speak of Gordon’s Bible, black with underlinings, now amongst the treasures of Windsor Castle. It was his guideand comfort all through his life.

Show also that the Presence of God promised to Joshua is given to us in the gift of the Holy Ghost at Confirmation. Show from the New Testament how He was the great Strength, the Comforter to all the Christians.

4, Wehave seen whata very difficult piece of work was given Joshua, we now note how he received it.

Read verse 10. Contrast his calm faith with the hesitation of Gideon (Judg. vi. 36-40).

THE COMMISSION 7

Lesson I—continued.

MATTER.

host to break up camp and advance to the river—the river now in flood, now impossible to cross. God will make that and other things clear at the right time. ‘Sufficient unto the day is the evil thereof.’ Note also how Joshua’s faith stimulates the faith of the host.

A GREAT COMMISSION

METHOD.

Note faith is obedience without asking questions.

When we are sure of God’s Will, only one thing remains, to do it.

‘Theirs not to make reply,

Theirs not to reason why, Theirs but to do and die.’

Nothing so catching as faith.

The faith of one boy may excite the faith of a whole school,

BLACKBOARD SKETCH.

A Great Commission.

He gave them ten pounds, and said unto them, Trade ye herewith till I come—S. Luke xix. 13.

1. The Object. To work for God.

Difficulties—strange country—seven powerful nations—poor war material—undisciplined army.

‘Not by might, nor by power, but by My Spirit, saith the Lord.’

2. The Officer. Highty years old—tried in courage (Amalekites)—devotion (Sinai)—loyalty (Kadesh)—not found wanting.

‘To him that hath shall be given.’

3. The Helps. God’s Law—day and night.

‘Thy Word isa lamp unto my feet.’

The Holy Spirit—‘ I will be with thee.’

. The Obedience. Soldiers ask no questions, but do what they are told.

Command issued in the face of difficulties.

When we know God’s will, the next thing is to do it.

8 JOSHUA I. 1-18

ADDITIONAL NOTES TO LESSON I

2. Jordan (1) Name. It means the ‘ descender,’ so called because of its very rapid fall. It descends 1500 feet in 200 miles, and in one place 610 feet in 60 miles.

(2) Source. It rises in the fork of the two ranges of Anti-Libanus.

(3) Course. First falls as a stream into the mountain tarn of Merom, then as a rapid river into the Lake of Gennesareth, and then as a torrent, plunging through twenty-seven rapids with a fall of 1000 feet into the Dead Sea.

(4) Windings. If it took a straight course the distance would not be much above 150 miles, but its course is so crooked that it traverses a distance of 200 miles before it reaches the Dead Sea.

(5) Banks. It has three banks. One, the bed of the stream when it is — low ; the second an extent of soft banks of sloping sedimentary deposit. The third, a dense thicket of jungle, tree, bush, and rush—the haunt of wild boar, wolves, and other animals.

Lebanon. A mountain rarige in the north of Palestine, called Lebanon or White, either because so often covered with snow, as Mont Blane, or because of the white colours of its limestone peaks. There are two distinct ranges, the western being called Lebanus or Lebanon, the eastern Anti- Libanus. The average elevation of the peaks of Lebanon is from 6000 to 8000 feet, but the mountain is cultivated up to 6000 feet. The vine, olives, figs, mulberries still flourish on the mountain side, and there are also remnants of pine, oak, and cedar. High up ata level of over 6000 feet lies the last grove of cedars, once the glory of Lebanon.

LHuphrates. ‘The good and abounding river,’ so called because it is the © largest, longest, and most important river of West Asia. It rises in the Armenian Mountains, flows first west and then south-east, and after a course of 1780 miles empties itself into the Persian Gulf. Quite early in Jewish history, 7.e. as early as the time of Abraham, it was chosen as the eastern limit to the promised possessions of Israel (Gen. xv. 18). Hittites, Chethites or Hethites descended from Heth, the second son of

anaan.

It was from them that Abraham bought the field and cave of Machpelah. Their land therefore at that time lay in the south, but afterwards, perhaps owing to the pressure of the Amalekites, they went north to the mountainous country in the centre of the land. They are best known to us through David’s faithful officer Uriah the Hittite, but to Joshua as the enemies of the Lord. In this chapter they are put for the inhabitants of the land generally.

THE SPIES 9

Chapter II

ND Joshua the son of Nun sent out of Shittim two A men to spy secretly, saying, Go view the land, even Jericho, And they went, and “came into an 4 Jeb. xi. 31; harlot’s house, ?named Rahab, and lodged there. 2. And ea. . it was told the king of Jericho, saying, Behold, there came 21. men in hither to-night of the children of Israel to search out the country. 3. And the king of Jericho sent unto Rahab, saying, Bring forth the men that are come to thee, which are entered into thine house: for they be come to search out all the country. 4. And the woman took the two men, and hid them, and said thus, ! There came men unto me, but I wist not whence they were: 5. and it came to pass about the tume of shutting of the gate, when it was

1 Yea, the men came.

1. Shittim—acacia trees—the place of the encampment being so called from the number of acacias growing there. See Num. xxv. 1, and Xxxill. 49.

Jericho. Naturally the first point of attack, as commanding the main passes which lead into Palestine—a very strong place, surrounded by high walls, and yet able to stand a long siege, as possessing abundance of water. ‘By crossing Jordan, destroying Jericho, occupying the heights by a night march, and delivering the crushing blow of the battle of Bethhoron, Joshua executed the favourite manceuvre of the greatest captain by sea or land since the days of Nelson and Napoleon—he broke through and defeated the centre of the enemy’s line, and then stood in a position to strike with his whole force successively right and left’ (Note to Lenormant’s, Manual of Oriental History, i. p. 111, quoted in Cambridge Bible for Schools).

Rahab afterwards married a Jew, and became the mother of Boaz, grandfather of Jesse, but earned a greater title to fame by the inclusion of her name in the genealogy of our Lord (S. Matt. i.5). Both the writer of the Epistle to the Hebrews (xi. 31) and S. James (ii. 25) glorify her faith.

4-5. I wist not, etc.—It is never right to deceive with a view of saving one’s own life, but it is a question not easily settled whether, in time of war, it is not right to deceive an enemy in order to save the lives of others. Scripture does not approve Rahab’s answer, though it approves the faith which led her to risk her own life in order that God’s cause might conquer. We cannot determine the question one way or the other from the Bible—it must be decided on its own merits.

Shutting of the gate. ‘A necessary precaution, owing to the absence of all artificial light from the streets of Oriental cities’ (Maclear).

10 JOSHUA II. 1-24

2 came. dark, that the men ? went out: whither the men went I wot not: pursue after them quickly ; for ye shall overtake them. 6. But she had brought them up to the roof of the house, and hid them with the stalks of flax, which she had laid in order upon the roof. 7. And the men pursued after them the way to Jordan unto the fords: and as soon as they which pursued after them were gone out, they shut the gate.

8. And before they were laid down, she came up unto them upon the roof; 9. and she said unto the men, I know that the Lorp hath given you the land, and that your terror is fallen upon us, and that all the inhabi-

3meltaway. tants of the land *faint because of you. 10. For we have

c¢ Ex. xiv.21; heard how the Lorp “dried up the water of the Red sea

erie oh a 4for you, when you came out of Egypt; and what you did

5 beyond. unto the two kings of the Amorites, that ° were on the other

dNum. xxi.24. side Jordan, “Sihon and Og, whom ye utterly destroyed. 11. And as soon as we had heard these things, our hearts did melt, neither did there remain any more courage in any man, because of you: for the Lorp your God, he 7s God in heaven above, and in earth beneath. 12. Now therefore,

6. Roof of the house. Roofs of Eastern houses were, and still are, for the most part flat (S. Mark ii. 4). There, on the bot summer days,

people sit and take the air, and also transact business. It would be a natural place for drying the damp moist stalks of flax. For various uses of roofs inthe East, see 1 Sam. ix. 25, 26; 2 Sam. xi. 2; Dan. iv. 29 (marg.).

9. Your terror. Forty years before, Moses had prophesied that the destruction of the host of Pharaoh in the Red Sea would cause amazement to the Dukes of Edom, trembling to the mighty men of Moab, and such fear to the Canaanites that they would melt away, and now all was fulfilled. See how the uninterrupted success of the Israelites increased the fear excited by the story of these supernatural wonders.

1l. The Lord your God—He is God. This remarkable confession is like that of the Centurion of the New Testament. Moses had endeavoured to bring home the truth it contained to his own people (Deut. iv. 39), and had he heard it from the lips of this heathen, might have exclaimed, ‘Verily I say unto you, I have not found so great faith, no, not in Israel.’ It practically acknowledged the God of Israel as the Ruler of the Universe.

12. A true token. i.e. Some proof of your truth. This was given in the oath of fidelity the spies made, in the words ‘Our life for yours,’ 7.e. may God take our lives instead of yours if we fail to keep our word.

THE FAITH OF RAHAB 11

I pray you, swear unto me by the Lorp, since I have shewed you kindness, that ye will also shew kindness unto

my father’s house, and give me a true token: 13. and

that ye will save alive my father, and my mother, and my brethren, and my sisters, and all that they have, and

deliver our lives from death. 14. And the men answered

her, Our life for yours, if ye utter not this our business.

And it shall be, when the Lorp ®hath given us the land, °siveth. that we will deal kindly and truly with thee. 15. Then

she let them down by a cord through the window: for her

house was upon the town. wall, and she dwelt upon the

wall. 16, And she said unto them, Get you to the moun-

tain, lest the pursuers 7meet you; and hide yourselves 7 light upon. there three days, until the pursuers be returned : and afterward may ye go your way. 17. And the men said

unto her, We will be blameless of this thine oath which

thou hast made us swear. 18. Behold, when we come into

the land, thou shalt bind this line of scarlet thread in the window which thou didst let us down by: and thou shalt

Spring thy father, and thy mother, and thy brethren, and game ee all thy father’s household, home unto thee. 19. And it house. shall be, that whosoever shall go out of the doors of thy | house into the street, his blood shail be upon his, head, and

we will be guiltless : and whosoever shall be with thee in

the house, his blood shall be on our head, if any hand be

upon him, 20. And if thou utter this our business, then

we will be quit of thine oath which thou hast made us to

swear. 21. And she said, According unto your words, so

be it. And she sent them away, and they departed: and

16. To the mountain. The mountains behind Jericho where the spies went are full of natural caves, which would make good hiding-places.

18. This line of scarlet thread. The spies evidently point out the sign they desire to be used. They choose a red cord because red was the symbol of their own redemption. They remembered a time when, amidst a general destruction, only those houses marked with red were spared, In the destruction that was about to overtake Jericho it was suitable that the same symbol of salvation should be used.