Moses Dies And A New Leader Rises

Jacqui 0:00

Moses is dead. Israel has waited 40 years to enter the land God promised them. Now Joshua must lead them across the Jordan and into the land Moses never entered. Everything around Joseph is changing, but the God who has led Israel this far has not changed.

Why Joshua Matters In The Story

Jacqui 0:24

Well, welcome everyone. I'm your host, Jacqui Adewole, and this is the Bible Basics Podcast, where every two weeks we break down the basics of the Bible into understandable bite-sized chunks. Last time we looked at the history books of the Bible as a whole, 12 books, Joshua through Esther, telling the story of Israel becoming a nation. Today we start walking through that story one book at a time. And it begins here with Joshua. This book carries Joshua's name, but keep three characters in mind God, Joshua, and Israel. Joshua takes over as Israel's leader after Moses dies. But God is the one who leads them all. God works through people, but ultimately God is the one who's at work. The death of Moses could not and would not stop the fulfillment of God's promise to his people. The story opens at the end of a long wait. God had rescued Israel from enslavement in Egypt, but the generation that left Egypt refused to trust him enough to enter the promised land. After forty years in the wilderness, a new generation now stands at the edge of that land. Now, finally, that waiting was about to end. Joshua covers three, let's call them seasons. First, Israel enters the promised land and fights a series of campaigns. Second, the land is divided among the twelve tribes. And last, Joshua gathers Israel and calls them to renew their commitment to serving God alone.

Entering the Promised Land

Jacqui 2:30

So let's start with that first season. Joshua steps in as Israel's new leader. After crossing the Jordan River, the first fortified city they face is Jericho, a walled city directly in their path. God gives Joshua an unusual battle plan and has nothing to do with normal siege tactics. For six days, the armed men circle the city once. On the seventh day, they circle it seven times. Then the priests sound the trumpets, the people shout, and God brings down the walls. Joshua fought the battle of Jericho, Jericho, Jericho, Joshua fought the battle of Jericho, and the walls come tumbling down. That's it. That's the whole plan. Now let's look at Joshua chapter six verse twenty. When the trumpet sounded, the army shouted, and at the sound of the trumpet, when the men gave a loud shout, the wall collapsed. So everyone charged straight in and they took the city. This is a test of trust. The plan makes one thing clear. Jericho is one of the Bible's difficult stories. After the walls fall, the accounts include the destruction of the city and its people. The book presents this conquest as God's judgment during a specific period in Israel's history. It does not give God's people general permission to seize land or use violence. Yet at Jericho, judgment is not the whole story. Rahab and her family are rescued. This Canaanite woman recognizes Israel's God, acts on what she believes, and becomes part of Israel's story. This pattern runs through the book. Israel's victories do not come from military strength alone. Their progress is tied to trusting God and following his commands. When Achan disobeys God and keeps what was forbidden, Israel suffers defeat at a much smaller city called Ai. So then let's look at the second season.

Land Division And The Name Yeshua

Jacqui 5:18

Once the fighting slows, Jericho divides the land among the twelve tribes. Each tribe gets a place to call home. But staying loyal to God as one people, spread out across all that territory, turns out to be a lot harder than winning the land in the first place. That tension is exactly where the next book, Judges, picks up. Underneath it all is a promise God made to generations earlier, to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, that this land would belong to their family. The book of Joshua shows God keeping that promise. It's the same thread that runs through the whole Bible, God following through on what he said he would do. Here's something that's easy to miss. Joshua's name in Hebrew is Yeshua. It means the Lord saves. That's the same name we translate today as Jesus. So Joshua led Israel into the promised land. Centuries later, Jesus, carrying that same name, leads people into an even bigger rescue, one no army or wall could ever give them.

Promise Kept And A Call To Recommit

Jacqui 6:40

Now let's talk about the last season and talks about why all this is important. For the people first hearing this story, Joshua answered a real question. Could God actually be trusted to follow through on what he said? Near the end of the book, Joshua stands before Israel one final time. He points to everything they just lived through as the proof. Let me read to you what happened what he says in chapter 23, verse 14. You know with all your heart and soul that not one of all the good promises the Lord your God gave you has failed. Every promise has been fulfilled. Not one has failed. That's Joshua's own verdict, not ours. Not one failure. And that's exactly why he urges Israel one last time to hold on to what God commanded them instead of drifting toward the nations and gods around them. A God who keeps every promise is worth staying committed to. Now you may never stand in front of a walled city, but you've probably stood at the edge of something that felt just as impossible. A decision, a change, a step you couldn't practice for first. Joshua doesn't promise that every difficult step will end the way we want. It shows us that God's presence doesn't disappear when we enter unfamiliar territory. We can trust what God has already said, obey what He has made clear, and take the next faithful step. So here's something to consider. Where are you facing a change that's taken you into unfamiliar territory? How might remembering God's past faithfulness help you take that next faithful step? Now, as we close, let's look at a few things we can carry from today's episode. God didn't abandon Israel when Moses died before they ever set foot in the promised land. He raised up Joshua to carry them forward. God doesn't abandon you either, even when the purpose or the plan you are counting on is gone. In our relationship with God, there'll be seasons, the way Joshua led Israel through different seasons, taking the land, settling into it, and staying faithful once they had. And God's direction will not always make sense to us. Our understanding or lack of it will not stop God. All he asks of us is trust and obedience. So here's an invitation. Try seeing your own hard seasons differently, not as proof that God has stepped back, but as a chance to trust him again. Hebrews chapter 11 puts it simply: God rewards those who earnestly seek him. That's not something we have to earn. It's just who he is. Next time we turn to the book of Judges and see what happens when Israel settles in the land, but repeatedly turns away from God, away from the God who brought them there. If you don't want to miss where the story goes next, now's a good time to follow, comment, or subscribe. Until then, keep reading, keep seeking, and keep growing in your faith.