The book of Joshua opens a new chapter in the history of Israel. Moses has died, and it falls to a new leader to bring the people into the land God had promised centuries before to Abraham.
Right in the first chapter, God speaks to Joshua and repeats an invitation that becomes the motto of the whole book. Be strong and courageous, says the Lord, for I will be with you wherever you go.
The narrative follows the crossing of the Jordan River on dry ground, the fall of the walls of Jericho, and the battles that follow through the south and north of Canaan. None of this happens by Israel’s military strength, but by the presence of God fighting for his people.
The book does not hide the failures along the way. Achan’s hidden sin brings defeat and mourning, and the deception of the Gibeonites exposes the frailty of even the most experienced leaders.
Even facing these setbacks, God remains faithful to his plan. After the conquests comes the careful division of the land among the twelve tribes, each family receiving its inheritance.
At the end of his life, Joshua gathers the people at Shechem and lays before them a choice that reaches across the centuries. Choose today whom you will serve, he says, and as for me and my household, we will serve the Lord.
Joshua reveals a God who fulfills every word he speaks, even when the path crosses rivers to be forded and walls to be brought down. The same faithfulness that sustained Israel in that land sustains today all who trust in him.
It is worth reading Joshua paying attention to the small notes of fulfillment scattered through the text. They remind us that not one of God’s promises is left unkept.