Deep Dive into An Old Testament Theology by Bruce K. Waltke - The Gift of Land, Part 1: Joshua

The Book of Joshua details the history of one generation, spanning from the death of Moses to the death of Joshua, and is unified by the central theme of claiming the sworn land by faith. This theme integrates God’s promises (the indicative) with Israel’s required obedience (the imperative). The book is deeply connected to Deuteronomy, beginning immediately after Moses’ death and featuring Joshua, his aide, as the successor appointed by I AM, who promises, "As I was with Moses, I will be with you." Israel's ability to possess the Land depends entirely on their courageous obedience to the Book of the Law.

The structure is divided into three sections, marked by a refrain stating that "the LORD gave the Land and Israel took it":

1. Taking the Land: Conquest and Compromise (Joshua 1–12): This section, focusing on military subjugation, culminates in the declaration that "the land had rest from war." However, this narrative is marked by tension between closure and suspense, as demonstrated by the failure at Ai due to Achan’s disobedience and the inclusion of historical exceptions to the total victory rhetoric. Before conquest, Israel performed ritual preparations, including circumcision, Passover, and reverence for I AM’s heavenly commander.
2. Allotting the Land (Joshua 13–21): This phase concerns the distribution of territories by lot, administered by Joshua, Eleazar, and the tribal heads. It is marked by the tension of "already—not yet," affirming that God fulfilled His promises (the "already"), yet huge tracts of land remained to be possessed (the "not yet"), presenting an ongoing challenge to the tribes' faith. The Levites received I AM and His offerings as their inheritance, along with forty-eight cities and pasturelands.
3. Retaining the Land (Joshua 22–24): The final section stresses the necessity of covenant fidelity to retain the Land. Joshua renewed the covenant at Mount Ebal and later at Shechem, where he warned that Israel would not be able to keep faith and would eventually apostatize. This section highlights the priority of mercy (ḥeseḏ) over destruction (ḥerem), exemplified by Rahab, a Canaanite whose faith secured her life and integration, contrasting sharply with the disloyalty of the Israelite Achan.

Reformed Theologian GPT: https://chat.openai.com/g/g-XXwzX1gnv-reformed-theologian

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