Bible Study – Book Outlines (6): Joshua

I. PREPARATION TO ENTER THE LAND – LEARNING THE SUFFICIENCY OF THE LORD (chs.1-6)

  1. Confirmation of the New Leader (ch.1)
  2. Comfort of Conscious Guidance (ch.2)
  3. Crossing the Jordan (chs.3-4)
  4. Crisis in Lordship (ch.5)
  5. Crucible of Faith (ch.6)

II. POSSESSING THE LAND BY WARFARE – LEARNING THE SUBTLETY OF THE FOE (chs.7-12)

  1. Covetousness and Confidence – Weakness from Within (ch.7)
  2. Conquest of Ai (ch.8)
  3. Cunning Ways of the Foe – Wiles from Without (ch.9)
  4. Conquering the Foe (ch.10)
  5. Confederation (ch.11)
  6. Complete History of Israel’s Warfare (ch.12)

III. PARTITIONING THE LAND – LEARNING THE SOVEREIGNTY OF GOD (chs.13-21)

  1. Contrast in Choices (ch.13)
  2. Compensation to Caleb and Judah (chs.14-15)
  3. Casting of Shadows (chs.16-17)
  4. Challenge to Israel and her Response (chs.18-19)
  5. Cities of Refuge (ch.20)
  6. Claim of the Levites (ch.21)

IV. PARTING COMMENTS – LEARNING THEIR SUSCEPTIBILITY IN THE LAND (chs.22-24)

  1. Inherent Problems of Partial Obedience (ch.22)
  2. Infallible Promises (ch.23)
  3. Imperative of the Presence of God (ch.24)

Summary Verses

  • Chs.1-11 (11:23) – Land rested from war
  • Chs.12-14 (14:15) – Land rested from war
  • Chs.15-18:1 (18:1) – Land was subdued before them
  • Chs.18:2-19:51 (19:51) – They made an end of dividing the country
  • Chs.20-21 (21:43-45) – There failed not ought of any good thing which the Lord had spoken
  • Chs.22-24 (24:31) – And Israel served the Lord all the days …

Recurrent Words or Phrases

  • Three days – 1:11; 2:16,22; 3:2; 9:16
  • Stones – 4:3,5-9,20,21; 7:25-26; 8:29,31-32; 10:11; 15:6; 18:17; 24:26-27
  • Monuments in the Land (mostly the stones) – chs.3, 7, 8, 10, 22, 24
  • Rest – 3x in chs.1-3; 4x in chs.14-23
  • It came to pass – 24x in chs.1-11; 4x chs.12-24
  • Three miracles – Water went up, walls came down, sun stood still
  • Land – 107x; (Good land – ch.23:13,15,16)
  • Inheritance – 1:6; 11:23 and then 47x in chs.13-24 (in almost every chapter except 20,22)
  • Feet – 1:3 (pilgrim); 3:13,15; 4:3,9 (priests); 5:15 (prince); 9:5 (pretenders); 10:24;14:9 (people)
  • Lord commanded Moses – 8:31,33; 11:12,15,20,23; 14:2,5; 17:4; 21:8

There are Five Requests

  • Give me this mountain (ch.14): Caleb – promise believed – faith
  • Give me a spring (ch.15): Caleb’s daughter – prosperity desired – fruitfulness
  • Give us our inheritance (ch.17): Daughters of Zelophehad – potential appreciated – future
  • Give us our cities (ch.21): Levites – possession claimed – fidelity
  • Give me more (ch.17): Ephraim – pride that bloomed – failure