Joshua 12 - 14

Joshua lists all of the kings and people who were conquered in battle, and the boundaries of the tribes of Reuben, Gad, and the half tribe of Manasseh are called out. Hebron, and the surrounding region is given to Caleb as previously promised.

Joshua 9 - 11

After destroying Jericho and Ai, the people living in Gibeon deceived Joshua and the people into making a peace treaty with them. Joshua and the elders in Israel failed to seek the Lord before making this treaty, so they would become temple servants going forward. God brought about a great victory over 5 Amorite kings who attempted to punish the inhabitants of Gibeon.

Chapters 10-11 recount many battles against the nations of that land, and the Lord gave Joshua total victory over every king and city and nation they fought against. First conquering most of the nations in the south, and then into Galilee and to Mount Herman in the north. However, not all of the nations were destroyed and ejected.

Joshua 5 - 8

After crossing the Jordan God commands that all the men be circumcised, as circumcision had not been practiced during the 40+ years since coming out of Egypt. It’s interesting that God commands this after crossing the Jordan, where they are camping outside the walls of Jericho, and now 600,000 men are essentially disabled until they are healed. God will demonstrate through this first encounter with Jericho that He is in complete charge of the care of His people, and the destruction of His enemies. Circumcision was the covenant God made with Abraham, and those descendants who would inherit Canaan land must be identified as his children through that rite.

Joshua meets Jesus, the commander of the Lord’s armies, Who tells him to remove his sandals because he was standing on holy ground. The Lord proceeds to give Joshua the battle plan for the destruction of Jericho, which will be God’s victory alone. Following the Lord’s battle plan, the walls fell down when the people shouted on the last day of circling the walls (except for that part of the wall where Rahab lived), and the city completely wiped out. Rahab and her family were rescued.

God commanded that everything in Jericho be killed, and all plunder belonged to the Lord alone, but Achan took some of the plunder, and Israel was routed in their next attempt to take the small city of Ai. Once the sin of Achan was exposed and purged, Ai was destroyed according to the battle plan given from God, and then the people were allowed to take plunder.

After these initial victories Joshua took all the people to Mount Ebal and Mount Gerizim, where the laws of God were read aloud, and the people declared the cursings and blessings that would befall Israel for either disobeying, or obeying God’s laws. This fulfilled what Moses had commanded just before he died.

Joshua 1 - 4

God ordains Joshua to lead Israel in place of Moses. Joshua shares the name of Jesus in the Hebrew, which means Jahweh is Salvation, and is a foreshadowing of Christ, Who will save His people when the law proves incapable.

Joshua sends two unnamed spies to Jericho, but their primary accomplishment will be to save Rahab, who marries into the tribe of Judah, and becomes an ancestor of both David and Jesus. Rahab is instructed to hang a blood red rope out of her window, and the whole house will be protected, just like the homes in Egypt were protected behind the blood of the Passover lamb.

God divides the Jordan river, so that the nation crosses over on dry ground, and monuments of 12 stones are set up in the middle of the river, and on the western side of the river to commemorate God’s work in bringing them in.

Deuteronomy 29 - 31:29

The Lord also tells the people that when they pervasively disobey, He will allow their enemies to take them captive in foreign lands, and when they later repent He will bring them back to the good land He is giving them.

I call heaven and earth as witnesses today against you, that I have set before you life and death, blessing and cursing; therefore choose life, that both you and your descendants may live
- Deuteronomy 30:19 NKJV

It is this same call today for every person, who is able to choose between life and death - choose life!

Moses is 120 years old, and God calls him and Joshua to appear before His Presence, where Joshua is inaugurated to succeed Moses in leading the nation of Israel. Moses also gives to the Levites the written book of the law, which was the Pentateuch, or the first 5 books of the Bible. God then gives Moses a song, with instructions for him to give that song to all of Israel.

As God commanded in Deuteronomy 31:30, Moses taught that song to the people, so that they would remember it in years to come when they find themselves abandoned in slavery among foreign nations, and God would hear them and answer.

Moses also declares his blessings upon the tribes of Israel, and then goes up to Mount Nebo, where the Lord shows him the promised land from afar. Moses dies at 120 years of age, and the Lord Himself buries Moses near that place. Joshua is presumed to have penned the final 2 chapters of this book, declaring the final words of Moses, and recounting his death.

Deuteronomy 26 - 28

The law of first fruits defined, where the new fruit of the harvest is given to the Lord, and in certain years with Levites and even strangers. God commands that all the people plan to gather at Mount Ebal and Mount Garazim after going into the promised land, and call out in detail all the blessings that God will pour out on them when they obey His laws, and all the curses He will afflict upon them when they refuse to obey His laws. Joshua, and all the people did this in Joshua chapter 8.

Deuteronomy 22 - 25

Various rules pertaining to civil discourse and commerce between Israelites. Mercy and grace demanded upon those who cannot help themselves.

Chapter 25 details the law of the levirate marriage, which is designed to provide a legacy for a man who dies childless, as it was God’s command that the land each family inherited would remain in that same family going forward. The story of Ruth and Boaz provides an example of this, where Boaz married Ruth in order to raise up children in the name of Elimelech, and is a picture of Christ and His gentile bride.

Deuteronomy 18 - 21

Speaking through Moses, God says that He will raise up a prophet from among the people of Israel, and it was this prophecy that Israel was looking to be fulfilled in the days of Jesus (John 1:21). In Acts 3 Peter tells the people that Jesus was this prophet Who they missed and rejected. Even today Israel is looking for this prophet, who they believe will be their messiah, as they do not believe He is God, but will be just a man like Moses.

God commands three cities of refuge be established in the land for men to flee who are accused of murder, but innocent of ill intent. Three also were commanded on the east side of the Jordan, which had already been given to Reuben, Gad, and the half tribe of Manasseh.

God commands the rules of war and plunder, but also making clear HIs expectations in how the Amorites, Canaanites, Perrizites, Hivites, and Jebusites are to be dealt with, who are sworn enemies of God.

Deuteronomy 14 - 17

Moses recounts the laws of kosher, the differences between the clean and unclean animals. All the people must bring a tithe of their increase to the Lord, which goes to the Levites and priests for their living.

Debts are to be wiped out in the 7th year, and all who sold themselves into slavery to pay their debts will go free. The law concerning bond slaves is described in chapter 15, where a man can voluntarily choose to serve his master for the rest of his life, when he might have otherwise been freed.

The laws of Passover, and the 7 annual feasts of the Lord, are outlined again in chapter 16.

The laws of corporal punishment are called out for the good of the people, so that the nation will not become corrupted. God predicts that the people will eventually want a king to reign over them, and tells them in advance that He will choose who is to be king in Israel.

Deuteronomy 11 - 13

God promises to bless those who love Him and obey His commands, and He will likewise curse those who hate Him, and go after other gods. The Lord commands the people to bring sacrifices to Him only in the place where He chooses to place His Name, after they conquer the people of the land. They must destroy all forms of idol worship in the land. That place God will choose is going to be first established in Shiloh under Joshua’s leadership, but some 400 years later it will be in the place God shows David in the city of Jerusalem.

The Lord commands diligence in guarding against false prophets, and in following anyone who would lead people away from serving Jahweh only.

Deuteronomy 8 - 10

Meditate on the words God spoke in chapter 8, and how they apply to you! The Lord warns Israel against pride in thinking they are more righteous or special in going into the promised land, and Moses recounts their oft repeated offenses against God. The Lord is judging the wickedness of the nations in Canaan land, He is fulfilling His promises to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, and He is doing all of that for the glory and honor of His own Name - not because Israel was anything special - the same is true for us to remember of ourselves.

Deuteronomy 5 - 7

Moses reminds the people that they themselves were witness to the awesome presence of God at Mt Horeb, and they all heard His voice, restating His commandments to the nation.

The greatest commandment in all of the Bible…

Hear, O Israel! The LORD is our God, the LORD is one! You shall love the LORD your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your might. Remember these Words. Teach them to your children and their children. In the future, when you are blessed in great prosperity in the land, do not forget them.
- Deuteronomy 6:4-5

The Lord promises great blessings upon Israel in the land He will take them to, but they must not assimilate with the people in that land, and they must remain faithful to all of God’s commands, or He will bring judgement on them.

Deuteronomy 3 - 4

Moses retells the destruction of God upon Bashan and the Amorites, and the extent of the territory east of the Jordan that was given to the tribes of Reuben, Gad, and half of Manasseh.

He reminds all the people of the incredible works that God did for them, and challenges them to look and see if any other god has done anything like them in the history of the world. He stresses the vital importance of remembering the things that God has done, and in teaching all of them to our children and grandchildren.

Know therefore today, and take it to your heart, that the LORD, He is God in heaven above and on the earth below; there is no other.
- Deuteronomy 4:39

Deuteronomy 1 - 2

The name of the book of Deuteronomy means “second law”, and it represents the final words of Moses to the nation of Israel in the days before he died. Israel is encamped east of the Jordan river, across from Jericho near the end of the 40th year after leaving Egypt.

Moses recounts the history of Israel over the 40 years since leaving Egypt, and how God finally brought them to the land of the Amorites after all who had rebelled against the Lord had died in the wilderness.

Numbers 34 - 36

The Lord defines the boundaries of the land that Israel will inherit, and names the leaders of the tribes.

Forty eight cities are to be given to the Levites throughout the territory of Israel, with six of those cities designated as Cities of Refuge. Anyone who kills another inadvertently, or by accident can flee to the nearest city of refuge, and if he is judged innocent of murder, then he can live in that city and be protected from the avenger of blood (the nearest relative of the one who was killed).

However, when the High Priest dies, then all such refugees are free to go home, and the avenger of blood is no longer allowed to exact revenge. Each of us have been declared not-guilty as a consequence of our High Priest having died, and we were set free.

This book ends with a clarification of the laws of inheritance.

Numbers 32 - 33

The tribes of Reuben, Gad, and half of Manassah are allotted land as their inheritance on the east side of the Jordan, in the land of Gilead and the territories taken from the kings of Moab and Midian.

Moses recounts all the places that the Lord led Israel from the day they left Egypt until they arrived at Mt Nebo to the east of the Jordan, opposite Jericho

Numbers 30 - 31

God provides direction on vows made before Him. Israel goes to war against Midian, and utterly wipes them out (and Balaam dies in the battle).

Numbers 27 - 29

Near the end of the wilderness wanderings, God provides clarification on the inheritance rules. God instructs Moses to choose Joshua as his successor, who is anointed by the High Priest, Eleazar (Aaron’s son). God gives instruction regarding the sacrifices to be brought before Him during the Spring and Fall feasts.

Numbers 25 - 26

Many sons of Israel play the harlot with the daughters of Moab and Midian, and even then they started bowing down to worship Baal, and some 24,000 died from God’s judgement. Phinehas, the grandson of Aaron, pleases God by acting to kill a leader in the tribe of Simeon, who was flaunting his illicit relationship with the daughter of a Midianite king.

In Numbers 26 we see the second census of Israel, which is happening at the end of their 40 years of wandering, and in preparation for the people to go into the land of promise. The census of fighting age men was virtually the same as it had been 40 years earlier, with 601k men. With this census, God provides instruction on how the land of Canaan will be divided between the tribes.

Numbers 22 - 24

Balaam was a gentile prophet of Jahweh, and the king of Moab sought to bribe him to curse the countless multitude of Israel in the desert east of the Jordan river, and opposite Jericho. Balaam had a divided heart, where he wanted to serve God, but he wanted riches even more, and looked for every opportunity to stay within God’s command, but to also please Balak.

In Numbers 31 Balaam will be killed when Israel defeats the Midianites, and he becomes a model of compromise for us to avoid (2 Peter 2:15). He never cursed Israel, but he advised Balak to have the daughters of Moab intermarry with the Israelites, so as to perpetuate idolatry in Israel.