Joshua and Israel’s Conquest
Our week's lesson is found wholly in Joshua, chapters 1 to 22. The book was doubtless largely written by Israel's leader. His name means "saviour," even as does "Jesus" in Greek. He was one of the two of his generation that "wholly followed the Lord" during the forty years of temptation and the time of the wilderness. He entered upon his greatest work when about eighty years of age. He led the children of Israel through the Jordan, divided for them the land, set them in a fair way to conquer all their foes and find the promised rest. In all his work of victory the Captain of Jehovah's hosts was with him. When Jericho, the first-fruit of that evil land, fell, it was the invisible army of God that leveled its walls; but when Israel failed to trust, they were defeated, as at Ai. How soon they might have possessed the land had they been faithful! From the triumph of Jericho there was general backsliding. Captivity came again and again, and Israel lived in adversity the years she might have lived in prosperity.