ADS

vendredi 2 août 2013

The History Of Joshua And The Israelites

By Cathy Mercer


The history of Joshua really becomes interesting after he became the leader of the children of Israel. He enjoyed the assistance of God in several battles. During one, the Lord sent hailstones crashing down to earth and these helped to slay many of Joshua's enemies. Despite such tales, he was also known for governing Israel and dividing the land up for the tribes. He was over 100 years old when he died.

He fought many battles and was known as the first military leader of the Israelites. This reputation started after Moses led the slaves out of Egypt. They were in the desert at Rephidim when a nomad tribe called the Amalekites attacked them. They did not have an army at this juncture but they did beat the tribe with Joshua's help.

After the Exodus, Moses let him take command of the people. Moses actually died not long after this. At the time of his death they were in Shittim. The passages that detail this are in Joshua 1:1, 2:1, a book that was said to have been written around 1398 B. C. The new leader then headed north to Jordan, not far from the city of Jericho, known for the high imposing walls which kept out invaders.

One of the most famous parts of his reign is when God tells him they must cross over the Jordan River. It's the height of the rainy season and the river is at its highest. Additionally, there were no bridges or crossings back in those days. The priests carried the Ark of the Covenant across and the Israelites were with them. That's when the water subsided and they were able to cross unhindered. This was seen as a test of their faith in God, which they obviously passed.

He was born a slave, around forty or so years before the Exodus. His mother was a nun from the Ephraim tribe, and part of the story is told in 1 Chronicles 7:20-27. His original name was actually Hoshea, but Moses decided to change it. His name actually means The Lord is Salvation.

While most people can tell you that Moses was the one that carried the Ten Commandments of God up Mount Sinai, they probably were not aware that Joshua accompanied him at least some of the way. In fact, he was a very loyal servant of Moses and of God. It was he who was entrusted, in his early years, to go to towns and cities they wanted to invade, spy on the inhabitants and report back to Moses.

Once Jericho's walls caved in and the Israelites took the city, he was commanded by God to take further lands. Once he'd achieved the will of God, he divided land among the various tribes and was given Timnath-serah as a gift from God. A full twenty-five years after entering The Promised Land of Canaan, he died and was laid to rest in Timnath-serah.

The history of Joshua chronicles various battles and bloodshed, but it's really about more than that. It's a tale of how faith can help the underdog come through, even against great odds. By putting his trust in God, the odds were overcome.




About the Author:



0 comments:

Enregistrer un commentaire