CHAPTER ONE

Contents: Joshua's commission and command.

Characters: God, Moses, Joshua.

Conclusion: Those who make the Word of God their rule and conscientiously walk by that rule will both do well and make great progress. We will be animated and emboldened for God's work as we keep our eyes upon the divine warrant.

Key Word: Strong, vv. 6, 7, 9, 18.

Strong Verses:   8, 9.

Striking Facts: Joshua, type of Christ as Captain of our Salvation. 2:10, 11. He comes after Moses, John 1:17. 8:37. Our Advocate when we have met defeat, portions, Eph. 1:11, 14. Heb. Leads to victory, Rom. 1 John 2:1. Allots our portions, Eph, 1:11,14

CHAPTER TWO

Contents: Rahab and the Jericho spies.

Characters: Joshua, two spies, Rahab, king of Jericho.

Conclusion: Let not God's people be afraid of their most powerful enemies, for their God can, when He pleases make their worst enemies afraid of them.

Key Word: Spies, v. 1.

Strong Verses:   18, 24.

Striking Facts: v. 21. Rahab's scarlet line speaks, by its color, of the safety that comes to our households through the sacrifice of Christ if it be exhibited by faith in the believer. Heb. 9:19, 22.

CHAPTER THREE

Contents: The passing of Jordan.

Characters: God, Joshua, priests.

Conclusion: The believer is to go on in the way of duty, though foreseeing great difficulties, depending on the divine sufficiency for that which he finds himself not sufficient for. "Is anything too hard for Jehovah?"

Key Word: Pass-over, v. 6.

Strong Verses:   5, 17.

Striking Facts: The passing of the Jordan is a type of the believer's death with Christ (Rom. 6:6-11; Eph. 2:5, 6; Col. 3:1-3) in which we pass from an old world into a newness of life.

CHAPTER FOUR

Contents: The memorial stone.

Characters: God, Joshua, priests, 12 men.

Conclusion: God's works of wonder on our behalf ought to be kept in everlasting memory and means devised for preserving our memory of them.

Key Word: Memorial, v. 7.

Strong Verses: 22, 24.

Striking Facts: The Lord Jesus, our Joshua, passed through the Jordan of death, opening the Kingdom to all believers. He appointed his twelve apostles according to the tribes of Israel by the memorial of the Gospel to transmit the knowledge of this to the remote places and to the future

CHAPTER FIVE

Contents: Reproach of Egypt rolled away. New food for the new place. The unseen captain.

Characters: God, Joshua, Christ.

Conclusion: (Circumcision, the seal of the covenant in their flesh, was neglected in the wilderness wanderings. They were hereby owned as freeborn children of God, the reproach of the bondage in Egypt being removed.)

God is jealous for the honor of His people and is ready to roll away whatever reproach they may for a time lie under, if they become "circumcised in heart."

Key Word: Reproach (rolled away), 9.

Strong Verses:   14, 15.

Striking Facts: The N. T. uncircumcision is world conformity, the failure openly to take a believer's place with Christ in death and resurrection. Gal. 6:14-16; Rom. 6:2-11.

CHAPTER SIX

Contents: Conquest of Jericho.

Characters: God, Joshua, priests, Rahab, 2 spies.

Conclusion: The victories of faith are often to be won by means, and upon principles utterly foolish and inadequate in the view of human wisdom. If faith is obedient to God's precepts, He will certainly confound the mighty with the weak things.

Key Word: Pall (of Jericho), v. 5.

Strong Verses:   16, 27.

Striking Facts: By the foolishness of preaching, fitly compared to the sounding of the ram's horns, the devil's kingdom is thrown down and the weapons of our warfare, though not carnal, nor seeming to a carnal eye able to accomplish anything, are yet mighty, through God, to the pulling down of strongholds. 2 Cor. 10:4, 5.

CHAPTER SEVEN

Contents: Sin of Achan and the defeat at Ai.

Characters: God, Joshua, Achan.

Conclusion: Let all men know that it is nothing but sin that separates themfrom God and if it be not sincerely repented of and put away, will bring disaster, not only upon themselves, but those associated with them.

Key Word: Accursed, v. 13.

Strong Verses:   12, 13, 19.

Striking Facts: The story illustrates the truth of the oneness of the church in Christ. 1 Cor. 5:1-7; 12:12, 14, 26. The whole cause of Christ is injured by the unspirituality of one believer.

CHAPTER EIGHT

Contents: Conquest of Ai. The blessings and cursing of Ebal.

Characters: God, Joshua, king of Ai.

Conclusion: The believer, clad in the whole armor of God, meeting the enemy of God as God directs, will see the scale easily and quickly turned against those who have not God on their side.

Key Word: Victory (took the city), v. 19.

Strong Verses:   26, 35.

Striking Facts: Achan, caught with forbidden spoil, lost it, his life and all. The people who had conscientiously refrained from the accursed Thing were given the spoil of Ai. The way to have the comfort of what God allows us through Christ is to forbear what He forbids us.

CHAPTER NINE

Contents: The league with the Gibeonites.

Characters: God, Joshua, ambassadors of the Gibeonites.

Conclusion: We make more haste than good progress in any business when we do not stop to take God along with us and by the Word and prayer to ascertain His will.

Key Word: League, v. 15.

Strong Verses :  14, 25.

Striking Facts: vv. 4, 5, 12, 13. God's people have often been deceived and imposed upon with a show of antiquity. Those who will be caught with the Gibeonitish strategem prove that they have not consulted God.

CHAPTER TEN

Contents: Victory at Gibeon, Makkedah, etc. Sun's action halted.

Characters: God, Joshua, Adonizedek, king of Makkedah.

Conclusion: When enemies set themselves in array against us and threaten to swallow us up, we may by faith and prayer, apply to Christ, our Joshua, for strength and succor and will assuredly receive the answer of victory and faith.

Key Word: Delivered, vv. 8, 30, 32.

Strong Verses:   8, 14, 25.

Striking Facts: v. 25. A figure of Christ's victories over the powers of darkness and the believer's victories through Him. All enemies shall be made His footstool. Psa. 110:1. All things will be put under Him, Heb. 2:8, and principalities and powers made a show of. Col. 2:15. v. 12. Astronomy demands this day and histories of several countries declare it took place. Astronomical calculations have shown a period of 23 1/3 hours to be accounted for somewhere in this period of time, v. 13. (About a whole day). See 2 Kings 20:11 ten degrees, 40 minutes, the exact balance wanted to make up another 24 hours.

CHAPTER ELEVEN

Contents: Final conquest of Canaan.

Characters: God, Joshua, Jabin, Jobab.

Conclusion: Those who, through obedience to His precepts, have God on their side, need not be disturbed as to the number and power of their enemies. "More are those that are with us than those that are against us."

Key Word: Delivered, vv. 6, 8.

Strong Verses:   6, 23.

Striking Facts: As Israel, at first forwarded by miracles, and now left to make their own way, so the war carried on against Satan's kingdom was at first advanced by special miracles, but being sufficiently proved by them to be of God, we are now left to the ordinary assistance of divine Grace in Christ in the use of the Sword of the Spirit and need not look for hailstones nor the standing still of the sun.

CHAPTER TWELVE

Contents: The roster of the kings of Canaan.

Characters: God, Moses, Joshua.

Conclusion: Fresh mercies must not drown the remembrance of former mercies, nor must the glory of present servants of God be allowed to diminish the honor due those who have gone before them, paving the way for later victories, (v. 6).

Key Word: Kings, v. 1.

Strong Verses:   6.

Striking Facts: vv. 6, 7. The triumphs and grants of the law were glorious but those of the Gospel far exceed in glory. Jesus, the true Joshua, has provided for all the children of promise, spiritual blessings the privilege of His presence and heaven hereafter.

CHAPTER THIRTEEN

Contents: Joshua instructed concerning the division of the land.

Characters: God, Moses, Joshua.

Conclusion: All people, and especially old people, should set themselves to do that quickly which must be done before they die, lest death prevent them, vv. 1, 7.

Key Word: Divide (the land), v. 7.

Strong Verses:   1.

Striking Facts: Joshua had the honor of dividing the land as Christ, the true Joshua, who has conquered for us the gates of hell and opened to us the gates of heaven, purchasing an eternal inheritance for all believers, will in due time, have the honor of putting them in possession.

CHAPTER FOURTEEN

Contents: Land divided, the portion of Caleb.

Characters: God, Joshua, Caleb, Eleazar.

Conclusion: Whatever we undertake, God's favorable presence with us is all in all to our success, therefore we should make sure of it by conformity to His will and an eye to His favor, vv. 8, 9.

Key Word: Divided (land), v. 5.

Strong Verses:   10, 11, 12.

Striking Facts: v. 12. Because it was formerly in God's promise, Caleb shows how he values the promise and insists on the mountain the Lord had spoken of. The man of faith values that which is given by promise far above that given by providence only.

CHAPTER FIFTEEN

Contents: Land divisions; the portion of Judah.

Characters: God, Joshua, Caleb, Othniel, Achsah.

Conclusion: It is no breach of God's law moderately to desire those comforts and conveniences of life which are attainable in a fair and regular way and will make us more efficient workmen for God.

Key Word: Borders.

Strong Verses:   19.

Striking Facts: v. 10. The blessings of the upper springs illustrate those which relate to our souls, and those of the nether springs speaks of those which relate to the body and the life that now is.

CHAPTER SIXTEEN

Contents: Land divisions; portions of Manasseh and Ephriam.

Characters: None mentioned.

Conclusion: It is a brand of failure upon the Christian, when through carelessness, cowardice or want of faith in God, he fails to drive out the Canaanite (world) as commanded. Coveteousness often brings us into compromise and leads eventually to being infected with the world's idolatry.

Key Word: Borders, v. 5.

Strong Verses:   10.

CHAPTER SEVENTEEN

Contents: Land divisions; portion for Manasseh.

Characters: God, Joshua, Eleazar, Moses, Zoplehad's daughter.

Conclusion: (v. 14). Many covet larger possessions who do not cultivate and make the best of what they have. If we would have more talents bestowed upon us, we should trade with those with which we are entrusted.

Key Word: Portions, v. 5.

Strong Verses:   13, 15, 18.

Striking Facts: v. 13. Many Christians try to serve their own ends by conniving with the Canaanites, whom Christ has distinctly commanded must be driven out. To thus court compromise with the world is to court failure.

CHAPTER EIGHTEEN

Contents: Tabernacle set up; apportionment of land to seven tribes.

Characters: God, Joshua, three surveyors.

Conclusion: Many Christians stand in their own light and forsake their own mercies for the sake of lying vanities. With the title to a good land, given us by the sacrifice of Christ, we must not allow ourselves to be slack in possessing it all, because of seeming difficulties that are in the way.

Key Word: Borders, v. 12.

Strong Verses:   1, 3.

Striking Facts: The setting up of the tabernacle (v. 1) in Shiloh, gives a hint that in the coming Shiloh (Christ) of whom Jacob had spoken, all the ordinances of the worldly sanctuary would have their accomplishment in a greater and more perfect tabernacle. Heb. 9:1, 11.

CHAPTER NINETEEN

Contents: Land divisions for six more tribes.

Characters: God, Joshua, Eleazar.

Conclusion: (v. 49. The last served was the eldest and greatest man of Israel). Men in great public places should learn to prefer the common welfare before their own private satisfaction.

Key Word: Inheritance, v. 11.

Strong Verses:   47, 49.

Striking Facts: v. 10. Within the lot of Zebulun were places made illustrious in the N. T. Within it was Nazareth where the Saviour spent so much of His time and mount Tabor on which He was transfigured and the coast of the Sea of Galilee on which He preached so many sermons and wrought so many miracles.

CHAPTER TWENTY

Contents: Cities of refuge.

Characters: God, Joshua.

Conclusion: Other refuge have we none, in any 'trouble, save Him in whom our trust is stayed.

Key Word: Refuge, v. 2.

Strong Verses :  9.

Striking Facts: Cities of refuge typify the relief which the Gospel provides for poor, penitent sinners and their protection from the curse of the law and the wrath of God, in our Lord Jesus Christ, to whom believers flee for refuge. Heb. 6:18.

CHAPTER TWENTY-ONE

Contents: Land divisions; portions for Levites.

Characters: God, Joshua.

Conclusion: God performs His promises to the utmost (v. 45) and if in anything the promise seems to come short, the saint must confess that upon himself rests all the blame.

Key Word: Inheritance, v. 3.

Strong Verses:   44, 45.

Striking Facts: There is an inheritance provided for all the saints, God's royal, priesthood (Levites) for which they must petition through the true Joshua, Christ who has said, "Ask, and it shall be given you."

CHAPTER TWENTY-TWO

Contents: Two and a half tribes dismissed to their homes. Altar of Reuben and Gad.

Characters: God, Joshua, Phinehas.

Conclusion: Unhappy strifes will be prevented or soon healed by an impartial and favorable inquiry into that which is the matter of the offense. God, does, and men MUST often overlook the weakness of an honest zeal.

Key Word: Witness, v. 27.

Strong Verses:   5, 18, 29.

Striking Facts: v. 28. Those who have found the benefits of God's ordinances cannot but desire to perpetuate them upon their children and use all precaution lest their children cease from following the Lord Jesus. To this end the believer should set up a constant witness of Christ in the home.

CHAPTER TWENTY-THREE

Contents: Last counsels of Joshua.

Characters: God, Joshua.

Conclusion: As all good things come upon the believer according to the promise, so long as we have kept close to God, so all evil things will befall, according to His threatenings, if we forsake Him.

Key Word: Counsel (said unto them), v. 2.

Strong Verses:   3, 6, 8, 10, 14.

Striking Facts: v. 16. The goodness of the heavenly Canaan and the thought of the possession they might have had, will aggravate the misery of those who shall be shut out from that which they might have enjoyed through God's free grace in Christ.

CHAPTER TWENTY-FOUR

Contents: Last charge of Joshua and his death. Eleazar's death.

Characters: God, Joshua, Eleazar.

Conclusion: v. 15. It is the will of God that all should make religion their serious and deliberate choice and to resolve upon a life of godliness because upon honest investigation, it is found to be the best way.

Key Word: Counsel, v. 2.

Strong Verses:   15, 16, 20, 24.

Striking Facts: The book which began with triumphs here ends with funerals by which all the glory of man is stained.