Introduction To Joshua (Part B) Series

THE BOOK OF JOSHUA

(Introduction: Part B)

Calvary Baptist Church

July 20, 2003

I wish to thank Warren Wiersbe for much of the material in our study today. I highly recommend to you without reservation His Be Series, now being collected as the Bible Exposition Commentary, His Expository Outlines, and his With the Word.

Warren Wiersbe reminds us that in the book of Joshua, the children of Israel will receive:

1) A New Leader - This was the Title of our message last week.

2) A New Land - This is the title of our message for today.

3) A New Life - Next week’s message. Don’t miss this one!

REVIEW:

• Last week we looked at the preparation and calling of Joshua as the new leader.

• We learned that you do not appoint men to leadership to make them faithful.

• Rather, faithful men are appointed to leadership.

• We learned that leaders are not developed overnight!

• We learned that Joshua had proven himself faithful to God, to Moses, and to Israel.

• We learned that sometimes, a man is most faithful when he tells us what we DO NOT want to hear!

• We saw that Joshua had served as a son, a slave, a solder, a servant, a spy.

• He will in our study be seen as a savior, a statesman and a saint!

• Finally, we learned that when God must bury His worker, His work will go on!

• NOTE: In our message today, you will need to keep a finger in the book of Deuteronomy!

• A * will mark passages for the congregation to turn to.

II. The New Land

• Wiersbe reminds us that the word “land” is found 87 times in the book of Joshua.

• In the book of Deuteronomy, the second giving of the law, the word “land” had been used 200 times and the word “possess” over 50 times.

A. A Precious Land

Ezekiel 20:6 In the day that I lifted up mine hand unto them, to bring them forth of the land of Egypt into a land that I had espied for them, flowing with milk and honey, which is the glory of all lands:

1. Because of Its Production

*Deut. 8:7-10 For the Lord thy God bringeth thee into a good land, a land of brooks of water, of fountains and depths that spring out of valleys and hills; [8] A land of wheat, and barley, and vines, and fig trees, and pomegranates; a land of oil olive, and honey; [9] A land wherein thou shalt eat bread without scarceness, thou shalt not lack any thing in it; a land whose stones are iron, and out of whose hills thou mayest dig brass. [10] When thou hast eaten and art full, then thou shalt bless the Lord thy God for the good land which he hath given thee.

*Deut. 11:8-14 Therefore shall ye keep all the commandments which I command you this day, that ye may be strong, and go in and possess the land, whither ye go to possess it; [9] And that ye may prolong your days in the land, which the Lord sware unto your fathers to give unto them and to their seed, a land that floweth with milk and honey.

floweth - This means, “A place of peaceful pastures and gardens where the herds could graze and the bees could gather pollen and make honey.” (Wiersbe)

[10] For the land, whither thou goest in to possess it, is not as the land of Egypt, from whence ye came out, where thou sowedst thy seed, and wateredst it with thy foot, [irrigation] as a garden of herbs: [11] But the land, whither ye go to possess it, is a land of hills and valleys, and drinketh water of the rain of heaven: [12] A land which the Lord thy God careth for: the eyes of the Lord thy God are always upon it, from the beginning of the year even unto the end of the year.

[13] And it shall come to pass, if ye shall hearken diligently unto my commandments which I command you this day, to love the Lord your God, and to serve him with all your heart and with all your soul, [14] That I will give you the rain of your land in his due season, the first rain and the latter rain, that thou mayest gather in thy corn, and thy wine, and thine oil.

2. Because of Its Position

*Ezekiel 5:5 Thus saith the Lord God; This is Jerusalem: I have set it in the midst of the nations and countries that are round about her.

midst - Heb., navel, or lifeline. The suggestion is that Israel is the worlds’ lifeline to God!