After the death of Moses, Joshua was filled with the Spirit of God and Israel now turned to him as their new leader. Yahweh said to Joshua. “Moses, my beloved servant, is dead. The time has come for all the people to cross the Jordan River into the land that I have promised. No one will be able to overtake you all the days of your life, as it was with Moses, because I will be with you, and will not fail you, nor abandon you. Be strong and courageous. Obey all of the law that Moses taught you so that you may prosper wherever you go. This book of the law should never depart from your thoughts, words, or actions.”
So Joshua gave the order for the people to ready themselves to cross the Jordan River in three days. Joshua also sent word to the tribes of Reuben, Gad, and Manasseh to muster their soldiers to fulfill the promise they had made to Moses.
As they were preparing, Joshua sent two spies to Jericho, the first city they would encounter upon crossing into Canaan. There they happened upon a woman, named Rahab, who agreed to let them come into her home. But word soon reached the king that foreigners, who had been investigating the city, were now staying with Rahab. He became suspicious and quickly dispatched soldiers to her home to arrest them. When they arrived, she told them, “Yes, two men came here, but I had no idea where they were from or why they were here. They have already left the city through the nearest gate. I don’t know where they are headed, but if you hurry you might catch them.”
In truth, she had hidden them under the stalks of flax that comprised her roof. After the soldiers dispersed, she uncovered them and said, “I know that your God has given this land to you. Everyone in Canaan has heard what happened to the Egyptians, the Amorites, and the Midianites who opposed your God and they are terrified. But that fear makes them dangerous and many would rather face you in battle than submit to your God. With people such as this, there can be no peace. But I have shown you kindness, so please show kindness to me and spare my family when this city falls.”
Now Rahab’s home was on the outer wall of Jericho, so when night fell, she lowered a rope over the side allowing the men to escape. But before they left, they said to her, “Bring your entire family into your house. Tie this scarlet cord to the outside of this window and we promise that everyone under your roof will be safe as long as you do not betray us. But if any of your family will not enter your house, their blood will not be on our hands” The spies then quietly returned to Joshua and shared everything that had happened with him.
After their preparations were made, Yahweh said to Joshua, “Today I will begin to make you great in the eyes of all of Israel. Then they will know that I am with you, as I was with Moses. Have the people follow the ark of the covenant, but say to the priests carrying it, ‘When you have come to the edge of the Jordan River, you will walk to its center.” Everyone did as Yahweh had told Joshua, but when the priests reached the river’s edge, the water stopped flowing a long distance away from them so the entire nation was able to cross while the priests stood in the middle of the dry riverbed.
Yahweh told Joshua to choose one person from each tribe to pick up a stone out of the riverbed as they crossed. The stones were to remind every future generation about the miracle Yahweh did that day. These stones were stacked together at the site where they camped after crossing the river. Once the entire assembly had crossed, the priests followed behind. The moment their feet touched the shore, the river began flowing again. That day, the people were in awe of Joshua because they knew that Yahweh was with him.
The next day, they celebrated the Passover together, making unleavened bread from the grain that grew there. Then, for the first time in decades, Yahweh stopped providing manna for the people because they had finally entered this bountiful promised land. When the kings in the area heard about how the Israelites had crossed the Jordan on dry ground, their hearts melted with fear and they no longer had the courage to face them in battle.
That night, Joshua saw someone just outside their camp wielding a sword. He called to him, “Are you here to join our army or are you here to battle us?”
“Neither,” he replied, “I am Michael, leader of the angelic army of Yahweh.”
Joshua laid flat on his face and said, “What message does Yahweh have for his servant?”
Michael replied, “Take off your shoes, for the place where you stand is holy.” Once Joshua had done this, Michael continued, “Yahweh has delivered Jericho into your hands. But this victory will not be achieved using your methods. Instead, you will silently march your army around the city once, for six days. Along with your army, seven priests will march in front of the ark blowing seven shofars. On the seventh day, you will circle the city seven times, with the priests all the while blowing their shofars. And it will come to pass, that when they make a long blast and all the people shout, the city walls will crumble, and your army will immediately enter.”
Michael then left and Joshua gathered his army to explain this unorthodox strategy. The next day, they approached Jericho and did as Michael had instructed, circling the city once each day, accompanied by the sound of the shofars, before returning to their camp. On the seventh day, after they had circled the city seven times, the priests let out a mighty blast on their shofars which echoed all around them. At that moment, Joshua yelled, “Shout! For Yahweh has given us this city, but take care you do not touch anything that they used to worship their false gods.”
As the entire army shouted triumphantly to God, the walls crumbled and they took the city. When they came to Rahab’s house they safely escorted her family to safety and gave her a new home. Everything of value that they removed from the city was offered to Yahweh. With fire, they cleansed the city of every vestige of idol worship. But one of the Israelites did not obey Yahweh’s commands and stole some valuables that were used for idol worship.
With the conquest of Jericho over, Joshua sent his spies to scout the town of Ai. They soon reported back, “You only need to send a few thousand soldiers, not many people live there. There is no need to tire out the whole army.” But when Joshua dispatched a battalion to that city, they were easily defeated by the army of Ai, who chased them from their city walls. Because of this defeat, the people of Israel grew fearful.
In anguish, Joshua tore his clothes, covered his head with dust, and laid face down before the ark of the covenant for an entire day along with many other elders of Israel. He called out, “Yahweh, why did you bring us here to be destroyed by our enemies? We would have been content with the land you gave us east of the Jordan River. What am I supposed to say to the people now that we have been defeated like this? Our enemies will hear of it and band together to destroy us.”
Yahweh replied, Why do you lie like this upon on your face? Evil has been done in Israel, breaking a commandment which I gave you. Someone has stolen an accursed thing, and they have hidden it among their own belongings. This has tainted the entire community. The children of Israel could not stand before the armies that opposed them because I was not with them. This will continue until you uncover this treachery. Say to the people, ‘Purify yourselves tomorrow, for we must uncover the evil that has been done among us. Gather according to your tribes. The tribe that Yahweh selects will come forward and gather by family. The family that Yahweh selects will come forward and gather by household. The household that Yahweh selects will come person by person. Then, the one who has done this will be put to death and their possessions burned because of this sin they have committed against Yahweh and for bringing evil to all of Israel.’”
The next morning, the people did as they were commanded. Yahweh selected the tribe of Judah, then the Zerahite clan, then the Zimri family. Each person in the family came forward and Achan, the grandson of Zimri was chosen. Joshua said to him, “Honor Yahweh by confessing what you have done. Do not keep anything hidden.”
Achan replied, “It is true. I saw a beautiful robe, some silver coins, and a bar of gold and I wanted them for myself, so I took them and hid them under my tent.” Joshua then immediately sent someone to retrieve the items.
Joshua said to him, “Why have you brought this trouble on the entire nation? Yahweh’s judgment is on you today.” Then Achan was killed, his possessions burned, and the curse was lifted.
Yahweh then said to Joshua, “Fear not, take all your army with you and go to Ai. I have given them into your hands. You will do to Ai as you did to Jericho.”
Joshua instructed his soldiers, “A portion of you will hide behind the city. The rest of us will approach the city from the front. They come out to attack us and we will feign a retreat. They will assume they have overwhelmed us once more and give chase. Once we have led them far from the city gates, those that are hidden will enter the city and take it.”
Joshua and his soldiers carried out the plan. When the soldiers of Ai looked back at their city saw that it was burning, the soldiers who had entered the city charged out while Joshua’s soldiers stopped their retreat and pressed the attack against their enemy. Surrounded, the army of Ai was quickly defeated and the city was burned to the ground by the army of Israel.
When the nearby tribe, known as the Gibeonites, learned the fate of Jericho and Ai they sent a delegation to the Israelite camp with donkeys loaded with worn-out sacks, broken sandals, torn clothes, and dry moldy bread. When they reached Joshua, they said, “We have come from a distant country and we would like to make a treaty with you.”
Joshua responded, “How do we know that you are not counted among the people of this land? Who are you and where do you come from?”
“We came because we heard about what your God did to the Egyptians and to the kings east of the Jordan River. We decided to make the long journey to seek a treaty with you. Our bread was warm when we left and our sandals, clothes, and sacks brand-new, but now behold the toll of our journey.”
The Israelite leaders were convinced by the Gibeonites and went about drawing up a treaty with them. But three days after the treaty was finalized, they learned the truth about their neighbors. All of Israel grumbled against those who had sought this treaty. But the leaders replied, “We have made a promise to them in the name of Yahweh and so must honor our agreement.”
Joshua went to the Gibeonites and said, “Why did you do this? For your trickery, your people must become the woodcutters and water-bearers of this nation.”
The leaders of the Gibeonites replied, “We heard that Yahweh had promised this land to your people and we were frightened for our lives. We are at your mercy, do with us whatever you think is right.”
But when Adoni-Zedek, the king of the city of Jerusalem, heard about what had happened to Jericho and Ai, and also of the treaty that had been made with the Gibeonites, he was alarmed because Gibeon was a powerful city filled with seasoned warriors. He banded together with four other cities in a preemptive strike against the Gibeonites. As their armies advanced on Gibeon word was sent to Joshua, “Do not abandon your servants. Come quickly and save us. We are surrounded by enemies.” So Joshua marched his army to Gibeon.
Yahweh said to Joshua, “Fear them not: for I have delivered them into your hands; not one of them will be able to oppose you.”
After an all-night march, Israel’s forces surprised the armies that had combined against the Gibeonites. Amidst their confusion Yahweh struck the opposing force with large hailstones, greatly weakening them. In that moment Joshua called out to Yahweh in front of the Israelite army, “Yahweh, make the sun stand still so that this army cannot escape when night falls.” So the sun stayed in the middle of the sky for an entire day. Never before or since had Yahweh done anything like this. Joshua pursued the four-army alliance and in one quick campaign took control of a large region of Canaan.
Yet still more kings banded together and attacked the Israelites with their massive combined armies, but they were also defeated by the power of Yahweh on display in Israel’s army. No one except the Gibeonites made peace with Israel, instead meeting them in battle, for their hearts were hardened. After defeating 31 city-states, Canaan was under the control of Israel and there was finally rest. Then Joshua instructed the Israelites to spread throughout the regions by tribe, with Asher, Gad, Zebulun, and Issachar in the north, Dan, Ephraim and Benjamin in the center, Judah and Simeon in the south, and Manasseh, Gad, and Reuben in the east across the Jordan River.
Even though the majority of Canaan was under the control of Israel, as time passed and Joshua became an old man, there were still many tribes who had not settled in the land allotted to them. So Joshua met with the entire nation of Israel and asked them, “How long will you wait to take the land promised to you by God?” He sent scouts from each tribe out to survey the land and then divided it up among the remaining tribes.
After the remaining land had been claimed, Joshua met with leaders from the tribes of Gad, Reuben, and Manasseh, and said, “You have kept your commitment to the rest of Israel and to Yahweh. Now that the fighting has stopped you can return to your homes east of the Jordan. But do not let the river which separates us cause you to forget the love you have for Yahweh and your responsibility to serve and obey your God.” And with this admonition, the Eastern tribes marched their soldiers towards home.
But news soon came to Joshua that these tribes had stopped on the Western banks of the Jordan River and had built a large altar there. Because this altar was not overseen by the Levite priests, the rest of Israel feared that this was a sign the Eastern tribes had already turned away from Yahweh. So they sent Phineas, son of Eleazar the high priest, along with a representative from each of the other tribes to the leaders of the tribes of Reuben, Gad, and Manasseh and said to them, “How could you betray Yahweh by building this altar to another god? Wasn’t it enough that we were tempted to worship a false god by the Moabites and Midianites in the desert? And yet you turn from Yahweh again? Surely we will all share in your punishment if we do not put a stop to this.”
They replied, “The mighty God of Israel knows our hearts and now all of you will as well. If we have rebelled against Yahweh then we do not deserve to live. No, we built this altar because we were afraid that your descendants might one day say to our descendants, ‘What do you have to do with the God of Israel. The Jordan River is the boundary between our two lands and you are not a part of Yahweh’s people.’ If we were cut off from the tabernacle our people might forget about Yahweh. This altar serves to remind both our tribes and yours of our connection to Yahweh and to each other.” Everyone was pleased by this and so they all returned home to share this information with the people.
Many peaceful years passed before Joshua again summoned all of the leaders of the tribes of Israel and said, “I’ve grown old and my time has nearly come. But first I want to give you this message from the heart of Yahweh. Long ago your ancestors lived in a land far from here. But Yahweh led Abraham out of that land and brought him here. Yahweh gave him Isaac, and to Isaac, Jacob and Esau. Then Jacob went with his family to Egypt and his descendants were enslaved. So Yahweh sent Moses and Aaron to our parents and brought them out of Egypt. Yahweh parted the Red Sea and destroyed the Egyptians pursuing them. As Moses held his hands up in prayer, Yahweh defeated the Amalekites. When Balak, king of Moab, hired Balaam to curse Israel, Yahweh had him pronounce blessings on us again and again. As we waited in the wilderness, Yahweh destroyed the Amorites and Midianites. When our time came and we crossed the Jordan, the land was ours, not by the power of our swords and bows, but by Yahweh’s hand. Yahweh gave us cities we did not build and farmland we did not plant. So always remember Yahweh’s love for you. If you will not serve Yahweh choose for yourselves today whom you will serve. As for me and my house, we choose Yahweh.”
The people called out, “We would never turn away from Yahweh, who brought our parents out of Egypt, protected us, and gave us this land. We will serve Yahweh always.”
Joshua said, “Your zeal outmatches your ability, for you are incapable of being holy as Yahweh is holy. You must rely on Yahweh for this as well, for if your lack of holiness turns you away from Yahweh, disaster will be brought on you all.”
“No!” they replied, “We will serve Yahweh.”
Joshua told them, “Then you are all witnesses to the promise you make today. You have seen for yourselves what Yahweh has done for Israel. Be courageous and always follow the law given to you by Moses. Do not be like those who lived in these lands and linger still. Do not follow their false gods. They will ensnare you and then Yahweh will no longer fight your battles for you. You know that Yahweh has kept every promise. So too will Yahweh keep the promise that you will be cursed if you turn away.” Then he wrote all these words into the book of the law and built a cairn to remind every generation of the promise made that day. And Joshua, who had carried the weight of leadership for so long, now looked out over the assembly as his own words echoed in his mind, “Your zeal outmatches your ability, for you are incapable of being holy.” But he would not allow himself to despair. He could not know the future, so he turned his mind’s eye towards Yahweh and thought, “When their need is greatest, please rescue your people.”
So Joshua gave the order for the people to ready themselves to cross the Jordan River in three days. Joshua also sent word to the tribes of Reuben, Gad, and Manasseh to muster their soldiers to fulfill the promise they had made to Moses.
As they were preparing, Joshua sent two spies to Jericho, the first city they would encounter upon crossing into Canaan. There they happened upon a woman, named Rahab, who agreed to let them come into her home. But word soon reached the king that foreigners, who had been investigating the city, were now staying with Rahab. He became suspicious and quickly dispatched soldiers to her home to arrest them. When they arrived, she told them, “Yes, two men came here, but I had no idea where they were from or why they were here. They have already left the city through the nearest gate. I don’t know where they are headed, but if you hurry you might catch them.”
In truth, she had hidden them under the stalks of flax that comprised her roof. After the soldiers dispersed, she uncovered them and said, “I know that your God has given this land to you. Everyone in Canaan has heard what happened to the Egyptians, the Amorites, and the Midianites who opposed your God and they are terrified. But that fear makes them dangerous and many would rather face you in battle than submit to your God. With people such as this, there can be no peace. But I have shown you kindness, so please show kindness to me and spare my family when this city falls.”
Now Rahab’s home was on the outer wall of Jericho, so when night fell, she lowered a rope over the side allowing the men to escape. But before they left, they said to her, “Bring your entire family into your house. Tie this scarlet cord to the outside of this window and we promise that everyone under your roof will be safe as long as you do not betray us. But if any of your family will not enter your house, their blood will not be on our hands” The spies then quietly returned to Joshua and shared everything that had happened with him.
After their preparations were made, Yahweh said to Joshua, “Today I will begin to make you great in the eyes of all of Israel. Then they will know that I am with you, as I was with Moses. Have the people follow the ark of the covenant, but say to the priests carrying it, ‘When you have come to the edge of the Jordan River, you will walk to its center.” Everyone did as Yahweh had told Joshua, but when the priests reached the river’s edge, the water stopped flowing a long distance away from them so the entire nation was able to cross while the priests stood in the middle of the dry riverbed.
Yahweh told Joshua to choose one person from each tribe to pick up a stone out of the riverbed as they crossed. The stones were to remind every future generation about the miracle Yahweh did that day. These stones were stacked together at the site where they camped after crossing the river. Once the entire assembly had crossed, the priests followed behind. The moment their feet touched the shore, the river began flowing again. That day, the people were in awe of Joshua because they knew that Yahweh was with him.
The next day, they celebrated the Passover together, making unleavened bread from the grain that grew there. Then, for the first time in decades, Yahweh stopped providing manna for the people because they had finally entered this bountiful promised land. When the kings in the area heard about how the Israelites had crossed the Jordan on dry ground, their hearts melted with fear and they no longer had the courage to face them in battle.
That night, Joshua saw someone just outside their camp wielding a sword. He called to him, “Are you here to join our army or are you here to battle us?”
“Neither,” he replied, “I am Michael, leader of the angelic army of Yahweh.”
Joshua laid flat on his face and said, “What message does Yahweh have for his servant?”
Michael replied, “Take off your shoes, for the place where you stand is holy.” Once Joshua had done this, Michael continued, “Yahweh has delivered Jericho into your hands. But this victory will not be achieved using your methods. Instead, you will silently march your army around the city once, for six days. Along with your army, seven priests will march in front of the ark blowing seven shofars. On the seventh day, you will circle the city seven times, with the priests all the while blowing their shofars. And it will come to pass, that when they make a long blast and all the people shout, the city walls will crumble, and your army will immediately enter.”
Michael then left and Joshua gathered his army to explain this unorthodox strategy. The next day, they approached Jericho and did as Michael had instructed, circling the city once each day, accompanied by the sound of the shofars, before returning to their camp. On the seventh day, after they had circled the city seven times, the priests let out a mighty blast on their shofars which echoed all around them. At that moment, Joshua yelled, “Shout! For Yahweh has given us this city, but take care you do not touch anything that they used to worship their false gods.”
As the entire army shouted triumphantly to God, the walls crumbled and they took the city. When they came to Rahab’s house they safely escorted her family to safety and gave her a new home. Everything of value that they removed from the city was offered to Yahweh. With fire, they cleansed the city of every vestige of idol worship. But one of the Israelites did not obey Yahweh’s commands and stole some valuables that were used for idol worship.
With the conquest of Jericho over, Joshua sent his spies to scout the town of Ai. They soon reported back, “You only need to send a few thousand soldiers, not many people live there. There is no need to tire out the whole army.” But when Joshua dispatched a battalion to that city, they were easily defeated by the army of Ai, who chased them from their city walls. Because of this defeat, the people of Israel grew fearful.
In anguish, Joshua tore his clothes, covered his head with dust, and laid face down before the ark of the covenant for an entire day along with many other elders of Israel. He called out, “Yahweh, why did you bring us here to be destroyed by our enemies? We would have been content with the land you gave us east of the Jordan River. What am I supposed to say to the people now that we have been defeated like this? Our enemies will hear of it and band together to destroy us.”
Yahweh replied, Why do you lie like this upon on your face? Evil has been done in Israel, breaking a commandment which I gave you. Someone has stolen an accursed thing, and they have hidden it among their own belongings. This has tainted the entire community. The children of Israel could not stand before the armies that opposed them because I was not with them. This will continue until you uncover this treachery. Say to the people, ‘Purify yourselves tomorrow, for we must uncover the evil that has been done among us. Gather according to your tribes. The tribe that Yahweh selects will come forward and gather by family. The family that Yahweh selects will come forward and gather by household. The household that Yahweh selects will come person by person. Then, the one who has done this will be put to death and their possessions burned because of this sin they have committed against Yahweh and for bringing evil to all of Israel.’”
The next morning, the people did as they were commanded. Yahweh selected the tribe of Judah, then the Zerahite clan, then the Zimri family. Each person in the family came forward and Achan, the grandson of Zimri was chosen. Joshua said to him, “Honor Yahweh by confessing what you have done. Do not keep anything hidden.”
Achan replied, “It is true. I saw a beautiful robe, some silver coins, and a bar of gold and I wanted them for myself, so I took them and hid them under my tent.” Joshua then immediately sent someone to retrieve the items.
Joshua said to him, “Why have you brought this trouble on the entire nation? Yahweh’s judgment is on you today.” Then Achan was killed, his possessions burned, and the curse was lifted.
Yahweh then said to Joshua, “Fear not, take all your army with you and go to Ai. I have given them into your hands. You will do to Ai as you did to Jericho.”
Joshua instructed his soldiers, “A portion of you will hide behind the city. The rest of us will approach the city from the front. They come out to attack us and we will feign a retreat. They will assume they have overwhelmed us once more and give chase. Once we have led them far from the city gates, those that are hidden will enter the city and take it.”
Joshua and his soldiers carried out the plan. When the soldiers of Ai looked back at their city saw that it was burning, the soldiers who had entered the city charged out while Joshua’s soldiers stopped their retreat and pressed the attack against their enemy. Surrounded, the army of Ai was quickly defeated and the city was burned to the ground by the army of Israel.
When the nearby tribe, known as the Gibeonites, learned the fate of Jericho and Ai they sent a delegation to the Israelite camp with donkeys loaded with worn-out sacks, broken sandals, torn clothes, and dry moldy bread. When they reached Joshua, they said, “We have come from a distant country and we would like to make a treaty with you.”
Joshua responded, “How do we know that you are not counted among the people of this land? Who are you and where do you come from?”
“We came because we heard about what your God did to the Egyptians and to the kings east of the Jordan River. We decided to make the long journey to seek a treaty with you. Our bread was warm when we left and our sandals, clothes, and sacks brand-new, but now behold the toll of our journey.”
The Israelite leaders were convinced by the Gibeonites and went about drawing up a treaty with them. But three days after the treaty was finalized, they learned the truth about their neighbors. All of Israel grumbled against those who had sought this treaty. But the leaders replied, “We have made a promise to them in the name of Yahweh and so must honor our agreement.”
Joshua went to the Gibeonites and said, “Why did you do this? For your trickery, your people must become the woodcutters and water-bearers of this nation.”
The leaders of the Gibeonites replied, “We heard that Yahweh had promised this land to your people and we were frightened for our lives. We are at your mercy, do with us whatever you think is right.”
But when Adoni-Zedek, the king of the city of Jerusalem, heard about what had happened to Jericho and Ai, and also of the treaty that had been made with the Gibeonites, he was alarmed because Gibeon was a powerful city filled with seasoned warriors. He banded together with four other cities in a preemptive strike against the Gibeonites. As their armies advanced on Gibeon word was sent to Joshua, “Do not abandon your servants. Come quickly and save us. We are surrounded by enemies.” So Joshua marched his army to Gibeon.
Yahweh said to Joshua, “Fear them not: for I have delivered them into your hands; not one of them will be able to oppose you.”
After an all-night march, Israel’s forces surprised the armies that had combined against the Gibeonites. Amidst their confusion Yahweh struck the opposing force with large hailstones, greatly weakening them. In that moment Joshua called out to Yahweh in front of the Israelite army, “Yahweh, make the sun stand still so that this army cannot escape when night falls.” So the sun stayed in the middle of the sky for an entire day. Never before or since had Yahweh done anything like this. Joshua pursued the four-army alliance and in one quick campaign took control of a large region of Canaan.
Yet still more kings banded together and attacked the Israelites with their massive combined armies, but they were also defeated by the power of Yahweh on display in Israel’s army. No one except the Gibeonites made peace with Israel, instead meeting them in battle, for their hearts were hardened. After defeating 31 city-states, Canaan was under the control of Israel and there was finally rest. Then Joshua instructed the Israelites to spread throughout the regions by tribe, with Asher, Gad, Zebulun, and Issachar in the north, Dan, Ephraim and Benjamin in the center, Judah and Simeon in the south, and Manasseh, Gad, and Reuben in the east across the Jordan River.
Even though the majority of Canaan was under the control of Israel, as time passed and Joshua became an old man, there were still many tribes who had not settled in the land allotted to them. So Joshua met with the entire nation of Israel and asked them, “How long will you wait to take the land promised to you by God?” He sent scouts from each tribe out to survey the land and then divided it up among the remaining tribes.
After the remaining land had been claimed, Joshua met with leaders from the tribes of Gad, Reuben, and Manasseh, and said, “You have kept your commitment to the rest of Israel and to Yahweh. Now that the fighting has stopped you can return to your homes east of the Jordan. But do not let the river which separates us cause you to forget the love you have for Yahweh and your responsibility to serve and obey your God.” And with this admonition, the Eastern tribes marched their soldiers towards home.
But news soon came to Joshua that these tribes had stopped on the Western banks of the Jordan River and had built a large altar there. Because this altar was not overseen by the Levite priests, the rest of Israel feared that this was a sign the Eastern tribes had already turned away from Yahweh. So they sent Phineas, son of Eleazar the high priest, along with a representative from each of the other tribes to the leaders of the tribes of Reuben, Gad, and Manasseh and said to them, “How could you betray Yahweh by building this altar to another god? Wasn’t it enough that we were tempted to worship a false god by the Moabites and Midianites in the desert? And yet you turn from Yahweh again? Surely we will all share in your punishment if we do not put a stop to this.”
They replied, “The mighty God of Israel knows our hearts and now all of you will as well. If we have rebelled against Yahweh then we do not deserve to live. No, we built this altar because we were afraid that your descendants might one day say to our descendants, ‘What do you have to do with the God of Israel. The Jordan River is the boundary between our two lands and you are not a part of Yahweh’s people.’ If we were cut off from the tabernacle our people might forget about Yahweh. This altar serves to remind both our tribes and yours of our connection to Yahweh and to each other.” Everyone was pleased by this and so they all returned home to share this information with the people.
Many peaceful years passed before Joshua again summoned all of the leaders of the tribes of Israel and said, “I’ve grown old and my time has nearly come. But first I want to give you this message from the heart of Yahweh. Long ago your ancestors lived in a land far from here. But Yahweh led Abraham out of that land and brought him here. Yahweh gave him Isaac, and to Isaac, Jacob and Esau. Then Jacob went with his family to Egypt and his descendants were enslaved. So Yahweh sent Moses and Aaron to our parents and brought them out of Egypt. Yahweh parted the Red Sea and destroyed the Egyptians pursuing them. As Moses held his hands up in prayer, Yahweh defeated the Amalekites. When Balak, king of Moab, hired Balaam to curse Israel, Yahweh had him pronounce blessings on us again and again. As we waited in the wilderness, Yahweh destroyed the Amorites and Midianites. When our time came and we crossed the Jordan, the land was ours, not by the power of our swords and bows, but by Yahweh’s hand. Yahweh gave us cities we did not build and farmland we did not plant. So always remember Yahweh’s love for you. If you will not serve Yahweh choose for yourselves today whom you will serve. As for me and my house, we choose Yahweh.”
The people called out, “We would never turn away from Yahweh, who brought our parents out of Egypt, protected us, and gave us this land. We will serve Yahweh always.”
Joshua said, “Your zeal outmatches your ability, for you are incapable of being holy as Yahweh is holy. You must rely on Yahweh for this as well, for if your lack of holiness turns you away from Yahweh, disaster will be brought on you all.”
“No!” they replied, “We will serve Yahweh.”
Joshua told them, “Then you are all witnesses to the promise you make today. You have seen for yourselves what Yahweh has done for Israel. Be courageous and always follow the law given to you by Moses. Do not be like those who lived in these lands and linger still. Do not follow their false gods. They will ensnare you and then Yahweh will no longer fight your battles for you. You know that Yahweh has kept every promise. So too will Yahweh keep the promise that you will be cursed if you turn away.” Then he wrote all these words into the book of the law and built a cairn to remind every generation of the promise made that day. And Joshua, who had carried the weight of leadership for so long, now looked out over the assembly as his own words echoed in his mind, “Your zeal outmatches your ability, for you are incapable of being holy.” But he would not allow himself to despair. He could not know the future, so he turned his mind’s eye towards Yahweh and thought, “When their need is greatest, please rescue your people.”
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