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The Story of the Book of Joshua - How Israel Defeated Its Enemies and Conquered the Promised Land · truthunedited

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Speaker 1: After forty years of wandering through the desert, the Israelites
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Speaker 1: now stand before the Jordan River, gazing upon the promised land. Moses,
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Speaker 1: the great leader who led them out of Egypt, has
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Speaker 1: just died, and now Joshua, his faithful assistant, steps into
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Speaker 1: leadership by divine command. The mission ahead seems impossible to
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Speaker 1: conquer fortified cities, defeat powerful armies, and take possession of
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Speaker 1: a land inhabited by warrior nations. Yet God makes a
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Speaker 1: bold promise to Joshua, no one will be able to
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Speaker 1: stand against you all the days of your life. As
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Speaker 1: I was with Moses, so I will be with you.
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Speaker 1: What follows is one of the most extraordinary military campaigns
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Speaker 1: in history, filled with stunning strategies, jaw dropping miracles, and
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Speaker 1: profound lessons about faith, obedience, and courage. From the supernatural
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Speaker 1: fall of Jericho's walls to the day the sun stood
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Speaker 1: still in the sky, the conquest of Canaan reveals how
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Speaker 1: how God fulfills his promises when his people follow his
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Speaker 1: instructions get ready to embark on this epic journey that
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Speaker 1: transformed a group of former nomadic slaves into the nation
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Speaker 1: that would forever alter the course of human history, Moses,
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Speaker 1: the great servant of God, was dead. The people of
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Speaker 1: Israel were camped on the plains of Moab by the
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Speaker 1: banks of the Jordan River, looking across at the land
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Speaker 1: God had promised to give them. It was at this
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Speaker 1: moment that the Lord spoke to Joshua, son of Nun,
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Speaker 1: who had served Moses faithfully for many years. In Chapter one,
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Speaker 1: verse two, God says to Joshua, Moses, my servant is dead. Now,
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Speaker 1: then you and all these people get ready to cross
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Speaker 1: the Jordan River into the land I am about to
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Speaker 1: give to the Israelites. God gave Joshua a clearly defined
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Speaker 1: territory to conquer. In verses three and four, he promises,
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Speaker 1: I will give you every place where you set your foot.
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Speaker 1: As I promised Moses, your territory will extend from the
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Speaker 1: desert to Lebanon, and from the Great River the Euphrates
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Speaker 1: all the Hittite country to the Mediterranean Sea in the west.
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Speaker 1: But Joshua faced an enormous challenge. He had to lead
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Speaker 1: an entire nation to conquer fortified cities and face well
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Speaker 1: trained armies. That's why God encouraged him with words that
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Speaker 1: would become the motto of his life. In verse five,
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Speaker 1: the Lord assures him, no one will be able to
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Speaker 1: stand against you all the days of your life as
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Speaker 1: I was with Moses, so I will be with you.
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Speaker 1: I will never leave you nor forsake you. Then God
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Speaker 1: gives Joshua a command he would repeat three times, showing
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Speaker 1: just how crucial it was. In verse six, he says,
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Speaker 1: be strong and courageous, because you will lead these people
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Speaker 1: to inherit the land I swore to their ancestors to
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Speaker 1: give them. To succeed in this mission, Joshua would need
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Speaker 1: to follow God's instructions to the letter. In verse seven,
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Speaker 1: the Lord continues, be strong and very courageous. Be careful
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Speaker 1: to obey all the law my servant Moses gave you.
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Speaker 1: Do not turn from it to the right or to
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Speaker 1: the left, that you may be successful wherever you go.
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Speaker 1: Victory would not come through military power, but through obedience
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Speaker 1: to God's word. In verse eight, God explains, keep this
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Speaker 1: book of the Law always on your lips. Meditate on
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Speaker 1: it day and night, so that you may be careful
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Speaker 1: to do everything written in it. Then you will be
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Speaker 1: prosperous and successful. For the third time, God reinforces his
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Speaker 1: encouragement in verse nine, he emphasizes, have I not commanded
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Speaker 1: you be strong and courageous, Do not be afraid, do
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Speaker 1: not be discouraged, for the Lord your God will be
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Speaker 1: with you wherever you go. Joshua wasted no time. He
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Speaker 1: immediately summoned the officers of the people and gave instructions
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Speaker 1: to prepare. In verse eleven, he says, go through the
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Speaker 1: camp and tell the people get your provisions ready. Three
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Speaker 1: days from now you will cross the Jordan here to
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Speaker 1: go in and take possession of the land. The Lord
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Speaker 1: your God is giving you for your own. The tribes
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Speaker 1: of Reuben Gad and the half tribe of Manassa, who
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Speaker 1: had already received their inheritance on the eastern side of
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Speaker 1: the Jordan, were also called to help their fellow Israelites
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Speaker 1: conquer the land. In verses sixteen and seventeen, they respond,
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Speaker 1: whatever you have commanded us, we will do, and wherever
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Speaker 1: you send us we will go. Just as we fully
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Speaker 1: obeyed Moses, so we will obey you. Only. May the
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Speaker 1: Lord your God be with you as he was with Moses.
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Speaker 1: Before launching the conquest, Joshua needed intelligence on the first
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Speaker 1: city they would face, Jericho from the camp at Shittim,
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Speaker 1: he sent two men on a secret mission. In chapter two,
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Speaker 1: verse one, we read, go look over the land, especially Jericho.
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Speaker 1: The spies crossed the river and entered the city. Jericho
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Speaker 1: was a formidable fortress, with walls so thick that some
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Speaker 1: houses were built directly on them. One such house belonged
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Speaker 1: to Raehab, a prostitute. It was there that the spies
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Speaker 1: decided to stay. The King of Jericho soon learned that
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Speaker 1: Israelite spies had entered the city and sent messengers to
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Speaker 1: Raehab's house. In verse three, he commands, bring out the
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Speaker 1: men who came to you and entered your house, because
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Speaker 1: they have come to spy out the whole land. But
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Speaker 1: something unexpected happened. Raehab hid the spies and lied to
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Speaker 1: the king's messengers. In verses four and five, she says, yes,
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Speaker 1: the men came to me, but I did not know
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Speaker 1: where they had come from. At dusk, when it was
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Speaker 1: time to close the city gate, they left. I don't
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Speaker 1: know which way they went. Go after them quickly, you
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Speaker 1: may catch up with them. In reality, Rahab had taken
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Speaker 1: the men up to the roof and hidden them under
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Speaker 1: stalks of flax. She had laid out there while the
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Speaker 1: king's men rushed off in pursuit. The city gate was
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Speaker 1: shut behind them. Before the spies went to sleep, Raehab
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Speaker 1: came up to the roof and revealed why she had
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Speaker 1: chosen to help them. In verses nine to eleven, she confesses,
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Speaker 1: I know that the Lord has given you this land,
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Speaker 1: and that a great fear of you has fallen on us,
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Speaker 1: so that all who live in this country are melting
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Speaker 1: in fear because of you. We have heard how the
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Speaker 1: Lord dried up the water of the Red Sea for
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Speaker 1: you when you came out of Egypt, and what you
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Speaker 1: did to Sihon and Og, the two kings of the
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Speaker 1: Amorites east of the Jordan, whom you completely destroyed. When
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Speaker 1: we heard of it, our hearts melted in fear, and
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Speaker 1: everyone's courage failed because of you. For the Lord, your God,
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Speaker 1: is God in heaven above and on the earth below.
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Speaker 1: Rahab then asked for protection for herself and her family
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Speaker 1: when the Israelites came to conquer the city. In verses
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Speaker 1: twelve and thirteen, she pleads, now, then, please swear to
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Speaker 1: me by the Lord that you will show kindness to
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Speaker 1: my family, just as I have shown kindness to you,
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Speaker 1: give me a sure sign that you will spare the
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Speaker 1: lives of my father and mother, my brothers and sisters,
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Speaker 1: and all who belonged to them, and that you will
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Speaker 1: save us from death. The spies made an agreement with Rahab.
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Speaker 1: In verse fourteen, they promise our lives for your lives.
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Speaker 1: If you don't tell what we are doing, we will
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Speaker 1: treat you kindly and faithfully when the Lord gives us
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Speaker 1: the land. Because Reehab's house was part of the city wall,
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Speaker 1: she helped the men escape by lowering them down through
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Speaker 1: a window using a rope. She also gave them instructions.
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Speaker 1: In verse sixteen, she advises, go to the hills so
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Speaker 1: the pursuers will not find you. Hide yourselves there for
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Speaker 1: three days until they return, and then go on your way.
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Speaker 1: The men also gave Raehabs specific instructions in verses eighteen
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Speaker 1: and nineteen. They explain, when we enter the land, tie
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Speaker 1: this scarlet cord in the window through which you let
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Speaker 1: us down. Bring your father, your mother, your brothers, and
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Speaker 1: all your family into your house. If any one goes
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Speaker 1: outside your house into the street, his blood will be
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Speaker 1: on his own head. We will not be responsible. Rahab
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Speaker 1: agreed and tied the scarlet cord in the window. As
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Speaker 1: soon as they left. The men hid in the hills
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Speaker 1: for three days, just as she advised, while their pursuers
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Speaker 1: searched everywhere for them. When they returned to Joshua, they
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Speaker 1: reported everything that had happened and ended with encouraging news.
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Speaker 1: In verse twenty four, they say, the Lord has surely
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Speaker 1: given the whole land into our hands. All the people
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Speaker 1: are melting in fear because of us. Following the spy's
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Speaker 1: hopeful report, Joshua and all the people set out early
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Speaker 1: and traveled from Setim to the Jordan. Before crossing, they
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Speaker 1: camped there for three days. The officers went throughout the camp,
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Speaker 1: giving instructions to the people. In chapter three, verses three
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Speaker 1: and four, they instruct when you see the ark of
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Speaker 1: the Covenant of the Lord your God, and the levitical
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Speaker 1: priests carrying it, you are to move out from your
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Speaker 1: positions and follow it. Then you will know which way
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Speaker 1: to go, since you have never been this way before.
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Speaker 1: But keep a distance of about a thousand yards between
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Speaker 1: you and the ark. Do not go near it. Joshua
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Speaker 1: said to the people in verse five, consecrate yourselves for tomorrow,
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Speaker 1: the Lord will do amazing things among you. He also
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Speaker 1: gave instructions to the priests in verse six, take up
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Speaker 1: the Ark of the Covenant and pass on ahead of
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Speaker 1: the people. The Lord spoke to Joshua in verse seven
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Speaker 1: to day, I will begin to exalt you in the
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Speaker 1: eyes of all Israel, so they may know that I
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Speaker 1: am with you as I was with Moses. At that
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Speaker 1: time of year, the Jordan River was at flood stage,
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Speaker 1: making it extremely dangerous crossing. It would have been impossible
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Speaker 1: for thousands of people, including children, the elderly, and live stock.
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Speaker 1: But God had a plan. Joshua announced in verses ten
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Speaker 1: to thirteen. This is how you will know that the
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Speaker 1: Living God is among you, and that he will certainly
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Speaker 1: drive out before you the Canaanites. Look, the Ark of
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Speaker 1: the Covenant of the Lord of all the Earth will
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Speaker 1: go into the Jordan ahead of you. As soon as
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Speaker 1: the priests who carried the Ark of the Lord, the
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Speaker 1: Lord of all the Earth set foot in the Jordan,
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Speaker 1: its waters flowing down stream will be cut off and
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Speaker 1: stand up in a heap. And that's exactly what happened.
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Speaker 1: In verse sixteen, it says that as soon as the
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Speaker 1: priests carrying the ark stepped into the river. The water
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Speaker 1: from upstream stopped flowing. It piled up in a heap
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Speaker 1: a great distance away at a town called Adam in
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Speaker 1: the vicinity of Zarathan, while the water flowing down to
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Speaker 1: the sea of the Arabah. The salt sea was completely
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Speaker 1: cut off. So the people crossed over opposite Jericho. The
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Speaker 1: priests who carried the ark stood firmly on dry ground
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Speaker 1: in the middle of the Jordan while all the Israelites
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Speaker 1: passed through. Verse seventeen says they remained there until the
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Speaker 1: whole nation had completed the crossing on dry ground. But
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Speaker 1: God had a greater purpose for this miracle. In Chapter four,
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Speaker 1: verse twenty four, It's explained he did this so that
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Speaker 1: all the peoples of the earth might know that the
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Speaker 1: hand of the Lord is powerful, and so that you
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Speaker 1: might always fear the Lord your God. After every one
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Speaker 1: had crossed, the Lord said to Joshua in verses two
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Speaker 1: and three, choose twelve men from among the people, one
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Speaker 1: from each tribe, and tell them to take up twelve
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Speaker 1: stones from the middle of the Jordan, from right where
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Speaker 1: the priests stood, and carry them over with you and
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Speaker 1: put them down at the place where you stay to night.
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Speaker 1: These men took twelve stones from the river bed, one
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Speaker 1: for each of the tribes of Israel, and brought them
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Speaker 1: to the camp. Joshua also set up twelve stones in
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Speaker 1: the middle of the Jordan at the spot where the
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Speaker 1: priests had stood. Verses seven to nine explained the meaning
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Speaker 1: of these stones. These stones are to be a memorial
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Speaker 1: to the people of Israel forever in the future. When
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Speaker 1: your children ask you what do these stones mean, tell
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Speaker 1: them that the flow of the Jordan was cut off
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Speaker 1: before the Ark of the Covenant of the Lord. These
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Speaker 1: stones are to be a lasting memorial to the people
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Speaker 1: of Israel. After everyone had crossed, including the priests carrying
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Speaker 1: the ark. Verse eighteen tells us, the waters of the Jordan,
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Speaker 1: returned to their place and ran at flood stage as before.
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Speaker 1: It was the tenth day of the first month when
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Speaker 1: the people came up from the Jordan and camped at
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Speaker 1: Gilgull on the eastern border of Jericho. There, Joshua set
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Speaker 1: up the twelve stones they had taken from the Jordan.
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Speaker 1: After the miraculous crossing of the Jordan, the people of
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Speaker 1: Israel were finally in Canaan. The Promised Land. Word spread quickly.
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Speaker 1: In chapter five, verse one, we read, now when all
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Speaker 1: the Amorite kings west of the Jordan, and all the
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Speaker 1: Canaanite kings along the coast heard how the Lord had
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Speaker 1: dried up the Jordan before the Israelites until they had
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Speaker 1: crossed over, their hearts melted in fear, and they no
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Speaker 1: longer had the courage to face the Israelites. But before
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Speaker 1: the conquest could begin, there were important matters to address.
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Speaker 1: The first was circumcision, the sign of the covenant God
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Speaker 1: had made with Abraham. In verse two, the Lord tells
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Speaker 1: Joshua make flint knives and circumcise the Israelites again. During
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Speaker 1: the four years in the wilderness after leaving Egypt, all
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Speaker 1: the men of military age had died without entering the
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Speaker 1: Promised Land because of their disobedience. Their sons born during
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Speaker 1: the journey through the desert had not been circumcised. In
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Speaker 1: verses three to seven, it's explained, so Joshua made flint
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Speaker 1: knives and circumcised the Israelites at Gibeath Hahraloth. He circumcised
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Speaker 1: them because all the men who came out of Egypt,
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Speaker 1: all the men of military age died in the wilderness
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Speaker 1: on the way. After leaving Egypt, their sons, whom the
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Speaker 1: Lord had sworn, would never see the land he had
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Speaker 1: promised their ancestors, a land flowing with milk and honey.
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Speaker 1: It was these that Joshua circumcised. After the circumcision, they
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Speaker 1: remained in the camp until they healed. In verse nine,
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Speaker 1: the Lord says to Joshua, today I have rolled away
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Speaker 1: the reproach of Egypt from you. That is why the
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Speaker 1: place was called gilt bilgaal, meaning to roll away. Then
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Speaker 1: they celebrated the passover. It was a special occasion because
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Speaker 1: they were now in the promised land. In verse ten,
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Speaker 1: we read on the evening of the fourteenth day of
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Speaker 1: the month, child camped at Gilgal on the plains of Jericho.
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Speaker 1: The Israelites celebrated the passover. The next day they ate
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Speaker 1: produce from the land, unleavened bread and roasted grain, and
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Speaker 1: something significant happened. Verse twelve reports the day after they
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Speaker 1: ate this food from the land, the manna stopped. There
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Speaker 1: was no longer any manner for the Israelites. But that
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Speaker 1: year they ate the produce of canaan. For forty years
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Speaker 1: in the desert, God had fed his people with manner,
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Speaker 1: a supernatural food that appeared each morning. Now in Canaan,
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Speaker 1: they could eat the fruit of the land. It marked
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Speaker 1: the beginning of a new chapter for the people of Israel.
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Speaker 1: Near Jericho, Joshua had an extraordinary encounter. As he looked up,
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Speaker 1: he saw a man standing in front of him with
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Speaker 1: a drawn sword. Joshua approached him and asked, in verse thirteen,
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Speaker 1: are you for us or for our enemies? The answer
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Speaker 1: was unexpected. In verse fourteen, the man replied neither, he replied,
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Speaker 1: but as commander of the army of the Lord, I
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Speaker 1: have now come. Joshua fell face down to the ground
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Speaker 1: in reverence and asked in the same verse what message
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Speaker 1: does my Lord have for his servant. The commander of
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Speaker 1: the Lord's army replied in verse fifteen, take off your sandals,
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Speaker 1: for the place where you are standing is holy, and
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Speaker 1: Joshua did so. This encounter was a reminder to Joshua
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Speaker 1: that the battle was not his alone. It was the
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Speaker 1: Lord's God was in command, and the victory would come
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Speaker 1: from him. Jericho was a tightly shut fortified city. No
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Speaker 1: one went out or came in because of the Israelites,
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Speaker 1: but the Lord had a plan for its conquest, one
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Speaker 1: that didn't follow any known military strategy. In chapter six,
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Speaker 1: verse two, the Lord said to Joshua, see, I have
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Speaker 1: delivered Jericho into your hands, along with its king and
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Speaker 1: its fighting men. God gave precise instructions in verses three
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Speaker 1: to five. He explained, march around the city once with
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Speaker 1: all the armed men. Do this for six days. Have
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Speaker 1: seven priests carry seven trumpets of Ram's horns in front
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Speaker 1: of the ark. On the seventh day, march around the
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Speaker 1: city seven times, with the priests blowing the trumpets. When
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Speaker 1: you hear them sound a long blast on the trumpets,
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Speaker 1: have the whole army give a loud shout. Then the
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Speaker 1: wall of the city will collapse and the army will
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Speaker 1: go up every one straight in. Joshua assembled the priests
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Speaker 1: and said, in verse six, take up the ark of
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Speaker 1: the Covenant of the Lord, and have seven priests carry
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Speaker 1: trumpets in front of it. And to the people. He
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Speaker 1: ordered in verse seven, advance march around the city with
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Speaker 1: an armed god, going ahead of the ark of the Lord.
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Speaker 1: When Joshua finished speaking, the seven priests carrying the seven
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Speaker 1: trumpets before the Lord went forward, blowing their trumpets, and
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Speaker 1: the ark of the Covenant of the Lord followed them.
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Speaker 1: The armed guard marched ahead of the priests, blowing the trumpets,
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Speaker 1: and the rear guard followed the ark. The trumpets kept
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Speaker 1: sounding continuously. In verse ten, Joshua commanded the people, do
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Speaker 1: not give a war cry, do not raise your voices,
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Speaker 1: do not say a word until the day I tell
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Speaker 1: you to shout, Then shout. So the ark of the
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Speaker 1: Lord was carried around the city once, and then they
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Speaker 1: returned to the camp and spent the night there. The
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Speaker 1: next day they did the same, and so for six days.
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Speaker 1: On the seventh day they rose at daybreak and marched
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Speaker 1: around the city seven times in the same manner. On
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Speaker 1: the seventh time, when the priests sounded the trumpets, Joshua
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Speaker 1: said to the people in verse sixteen, shout, for the
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Speaker 1: Lord has given you the city. Joshua also gave specific
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Speaker 1: instructions in verse seventeen, the city and all that is
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Speaker 1: in it are to be devoted to the Lord. Only Rahab,
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Speaker 1: the prostitute, and all who are with her in her
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Speaker 1: house shall be spared, because she hid the spies we sent.
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Speaker 1: In verse eighteen, he added a warning, but keep away
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Speaker 1: from the devoted things. So that you will not bring
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Speaker 1: about your own destruction by taking any of them, Otherwise
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Speaker 1: you will make the Camp of Israel liable to destruction
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Speaker 1: and bring trouble on it. The people shouted, the trumpets sounded,
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Speaker 1: and then the miracle happened. In verse twenty we read
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Speaker 1: when the trumpets sounded, the army shouted, and at the
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Speaker 1: sound of the trumpet, when the men gave a loud shout,
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Speaker 1: the wall collapsed. So everyone charged straight in, and they
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Speaker 1: took the city. Everything was devoted to destruction, men and women,
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Speaker 1: young and old, cattle, sheep and donkeys. Joshua said to
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Speaker 1: the two men who had spied out the land in
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Speaker 1: verses twenty two and twenty three, go into the prostitute's
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Speaker 1: house and bring her out and all who belonged to her,
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Speaker 1: in accordance with your oath to her. So the young
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Speaker 1: spies went in and brought out Rahab, her father and mother,
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Speaker 1: her brothers, and all who belonged to her. They brought
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Speaker 1: out her entire family and put them in a safe
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Speaker 1: place outside the Camp of Israel. Then they burned the
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Speaker 1: whole city and everything in it, except for the silver
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Speaker 1: and gold, and the articles of bronze and iron, which
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Speaker 1: were put into the treasury of the Lord's house. But
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Speaker 1: Joshua spared Rahab, the prostitute, along with her fathers, family,
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Speaker 1: and all who belonged to her, because she had hidden
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Speaker 1: the men Joshua had sent to spy out Jericho, and
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Speaker 1: she has lived among the Israelites to this day. At
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Speaker 1: that time, Joshua pronounced a solemn oath recorded in verse
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Speaker 1: twenty six, Cursed before the Lord is the man who
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Speaker 1: undertakes to rebuild this city Jericho, at the cost of
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Speaker 1: his first born son, he will lay its foundations, at
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Speaker 1: the cost of his youngest, he will set up its gates.
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Speaker 1: And the Lord was with Joshua, and his fame spread
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Speaker 1: throughout the land. After the stunning victory at Jericho, the
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Speaker 1: Israelites faced an unexpected setback. The people of Israel had
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Speaker 1: been unfaithful regarding the things devoted to destruction Binch, chapter seven,
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Speaker 1: verse one. It's revealed Ashan, son of Karmi, son of Zimri,
21:42
Speaker 1: son of Zia, of the tribe of Judah, took some
21:45
Speaker 1: of the devoted things. So the Lord's anger burned against Israel.
21:50
Speaker 1: Joshua sent men from Jericho to Aye to scout the land.
21:54
Speaker 1: When they returned, they reported in verses three and four,
21:58
Speaker 1: not all the people need to go up against Ai.
22:01
Speaker 1: Send two or three thousand men to take it. Don't
22:04
Speaker 1: make the whole army go, for there are only a
22:06
Speaker 1: few people there. Following their advice, about three thousand men
22:11
Speaker 1: went up, but they were defeated. The men of I
22:14
Speaker 1: killed around thirty six Israelites and chased the rest from
22:17
Speaker 1: the city gate to the quarries, striking them down on
22:21
Speaker 1: the slopes. As a result, the people were filled with
22:24
Speaker 1: fear and lost all courage. Joshua tore his clothes and
22:28
Speaker 1: fell face down to the ground before the ark of
22:31
Speaker 1: the Lord, remaining there until evening. Along with the elders
22:35
Speaker 1: of Israel. They put dust on their heads in mourning.
22:39
Speaker 1: In verse seven, Joshua cried out, alas, Sovereign Lord, why
22:44
Speaker 1: did you ever bring this people across the Jordan? Was
22:47
Speaker 1: it to hand us over to the Amorites to destroy us?
22:50
Speaker 1: If only we had been content to stay on the
22:53
Speaker 1: other side of the Jordan. The Lord responded in verses
22:57
Speaker 1: ten and eleven, stand up what you doing on your face?
23:01
Speaker 1: Israel has sinned. They have violated my covenant, which I
23:06
Speaker 1: commanded them to keep. They have taken some of the
23:09
Speaker 1: devoted things. They have stolen, they have lied, they have
23:13
Speaker 1: put them with their own possessions. Because of this, God
23:17
Speaker 1: explained that the Israelites would not be able to stand
23:20
Speaker 1: against their enemies and would have to flee from them.
23:24
Speaker 1: He added in verse twelve, I will not be with
23:27
Speaker 1: you any more unless you destroy whatever among you is
23:31
Speaker 1: devoted to destruction. The Lord instructed Joshua to consecrate the
23:36
Speaker 1: people and to find the guilty party by a process
23:39
Speaker 1: of selection by lot. The next morning, all of Israel
23:44
Speaker 1: came forward, tribe by tribe. The tribe of Judah was chosen.
23:49
Speaker 1: Then the clan of Zia was chosen from Judah, from
23:52
Speaker 1: Zira's families, the family of Zimri was chosen, and finally
23:57
Speaker 1: Achan was selected from among them. Joshua said to Achan
24:02
Speaker 1: in verse nineteen, my son, give glory to the Lord,
24:06
Speaker 1: the God of Israel, and honor him. Tell me what
24:10
Speaker 1: you have done, Do not hide it from me. A
24:13
Speaker 1: Shaan confessed in verses twenty and twenty one. It's true
24:17
Speaker 1: I have sinned against the Lord, the God of Israel.
24:21
Speaker 1: This is what I did when I saw in the
24:24
Speaker 1: plunder a beautiful robe from Babylonia, two hundred shekels of
24:29
Speaker 1: silver and a bar of gold weighing fifty shekels. I
24:33
Speaker 1: coveted them and took them. They are hidden in the
24:36
Speaker 1: ground inside my tent, with the silver underneath. Joshua sent
24:40
Speaker 1: messengers who ran to the tent and found everything hidden there,
24:44
Speaker 1: with the silver underneath. They brought it all out and
24:48
Speaker 1: laid it before the Lord in front of every one.
24:51
Speaker 1: Then Joshua, together with all Israel, took a khan son
24:55
Speaker 1: of Zira, the silver, the robe, the gold bar, his
24:58
Speaker 1: sons and daughters, cattle, donkeys and sheep, his tent, and
25:03
Speaker 1: all his belongings to the valley of a Kor. In
25:06
Speaker 1: verse twenty five, Joshua declared, why have you brought this
25:10
Speaker 1: trouble on us? The Lord will bring trouble on you
25:13
Speaker 1: to day. Then all Israel stoned him, and after they
25:17
Speaker 1: had stoned them, they burned them over a chan. They
25:21
Speaker 1: raised a large pile of stones, which remains to this day.
25:25
Speaker 1: Then the Lord turned from his fierce anger. After dealing
25:28
Speaker 1: with the chan sin, God once again spoke to Joshua
25:32
Speaker 1: in chapter eight, verses one and two. He said, do
25:35
Speaker 1: not be afraid, do not be discouraged. Take the whole
25:39
Speaker 1: army with you, and go up and attack Ui. For
25:42
Speaker 1: I have delivered into your hands the King of Ay,
25:45
Speaker 1: his people, his city, and his land. You shall do
25:49
Speaker 1: to Ay and its king as you did to Jericho
25:51
Speaker 1: and its king, except that this time you may carry
25:54
Speaker 1: off their plunder and live stock for yourselves. Set an
25:57
Speaker 1: ambush behind the city Josh who were then ordered thirty
26:01
Speaker 1: thousand brave warriors to go by night and hide behind
26:05
Speaker 1: the city, not too far from it, and to stay alert.
26:09
Speaker 1: He and the rest of the army would advance on
26:11
Speaker 1: the city. When the men of I came out to
26:14
Speaker 1: fight them, they would flee just as they had before,
26:18
Speaker 1: to lure them away from the city. The men of
26:21
Speaker 1: I would think they are running away from us as
26:23
Speaker 1: they did before. While they were being lured out, the
26:27
Speaker 1: ambush would rise up and seize the city, for the
26:30
Speaker 1: Lord would give it into their hands. Once the city
26:34
Speaker 1: was taken, they were to set it on fire following
26:38
Speaker 1: the Lord's command. The plan worked perfectly. The men of
26:42
Speaker 1: I chased the Israelites who pretended to flee toward the wilderness,
26:47
Speaker 1: and every man in the city was summoned to pursue them.
26:50
Speaker 1: Verse seventeen says not a single man remained in Iye
26:54
Speaker 1: or Bethel who did not go after Israel. They left
26:58
Speaker 1: the city open and went in. At that moment, the
27:01
Speaker 1: Lord said to Joshua in verse eighteen, hold out toward
27:05
Speaker 1: I the javelin that is in your hand, For into
27:08
Speaker 1: your hand I will deliver the city. As soon as
27:11
Speaker 1: he held out the javelin, the men in Ambush rushed forward,
27:15
Speaker 1: entered the city, captured it, and quickly set it on fire.
27:20
Speaker 1: When the men of i looked back and saw the
27:22
Speaker 1: smoke of the city rising into the sky, they had
27:26
Speaker 1: nowhere to flee for the Israelites, who had been fleeing,
27:30
Speaker 1: turned back against their pursuers. Joshua and all Israel, seeing
27:35
Speaker 1: that the ambush had taken the city and that smoke
27:37
Speaker 1: was rising from it, turned around and attacked the men
27:41
Speaker 1: of Iye. The ambush also came out of the city
27:44
Speaker 1: and attacked them from behind, so they were caught in
27:47
Speaker 1: the middle with Israelites on both sides. Israel struck them
27:51
Speaker 1: down until not one of them was left alive or escaped,
27:55
Speaker 1: but they captured the King of i alive and brought
27:58
Speaker 1: him to Joshua. When Israel had finished killing all the
28:01
Speaker 1: inhabitants of Aye in the open country and in the
28:04
Speaker 1: wilderness where they had chased them, and every one of
28:07
Speaker 1: them had fallen by the sword, all the Israelites returned
28:11
Speaker 1: to Aye and struck down those who remained in the city.
28:15
Speaker 1: In verse twenty five we read that twelve thousand men
28:18
Speaker 1: and women died that day all the people of Iye.
28:22
Speaker 1: Joshua did not lower the hand that held the spear
28:25
Speaker 1: until he had completely destroyed all who lived in Aye.
28:29
Speaker 1: In Verse twenty seven we see that according to the
28:33
Speaker 1: word of the Lord that he had commanded Joshua, the
28:36
Speaker 1: Israelites took the live stock and the plunder of that
28:39
Speaker 1: city for themselves. Then Joshua burned Eye and turned it
28:43
Speaker 1: into a heap of ruins, a permanent desolation, as it
28:47
Speaker 1: remains to this day. He hanged the king of Ie
28:51
Speaker 1: on a tree and left his body there until evening.
28:56
Speaker 1: At sunset, Joshua gave the order for the body to
28:59
Speaker 1: be taken down from the tree and thrown at the
29:02
Speaker 1: entrance of the city gate, and they raised a large
29:05
Speaker 1: pile of stones over it, which remains there to this
29:08
Speaker 1: day after the victory at Eye, Joshua built an altar
29:13
Speaker 1: to the Lord, the God of Israel, on Mount Ibal,
29:16
Speaker 1: just as Moses, the servant of the Lord, had commanded
29:20
Speaker 1: the Israelites. He built it according to what is written
29:23
Speaker 1: in the Book of the Law of Moses, an altar
29:26
Speaker 1: of uncut stones on which no iron tool had been
29:31
Speaker 1: used on it. They offered burnt offerings to the Lord
29:34
Speaker 1: and sacrificed fellowship offerings. There In the presence of the Israelites,
29:39
Speaker 1: Joshua copied on stones the Law of Moses, which he
29:43
Speaker 1: had written. All Israel, the foreigners and native born alike,
29:47
Speaker 1: with their elders, officials, and judges, stood on both sides
29:52
Speaker 1: of the ark of the Covenant of the Lord, facing
29:55
Speaker 1: the levitical priests who carried it. Half of the people
29:58
Speaker 1: stood in front of Mount Gheryzez, and the other half
30:01
Speaker 1: in front of Mount Ebal, as Moses, the servant of
30:05
Speaker 1: the Lord, had previously commanded when giving instructions to bless
30:09
Speaker 1: the people of Israel. After this in verse thirty four,
30:14
Speaker 1: we read Joshua read aloud all the words of the Law,
30:18
Speaker 1: the blessings and the curses, just as it is written
30:21
Speaker 1: in the Book of the Law. There was not a
30:23
Speaker 1: word of all that Moses had commanded that Joshua did
30:26
Speaker 1: not read to the entire assembly of Israel, including the women,
30:31
Speaker 1: the children, and the foreigners who lived among them. In
30:34
Speaker 1: this way, Israel had successfully completed its first major conquests
30:39
Speaker 1: in the Promised Land. Jericho and I had fallen, paving
30:44
Speaker 1: the way for God's people to advance through the land
30:47
Speaker 1: that had been promised to them. The Lord had shown
30:50
Speaker 1: his power and faithfulness, fulfilling his promise to deliver their
30:54
Speaker 1: enemies into their hands. Despite a brief setback caused by
30:59
Speaker 1: Ashan s In, the people had learned an important lesson
31:03
Speaker 1: that obedience to God was essential for success. With the
31:08
Speaker 1: covenant renewed at Mount Ebal, they were now prepared to
31:12
Speaker 1: continue their mission to conquer the Promised Land. News of
31:17
Speaker 1: Israel's great victories quickly spread throughout Canaan. The peoples of
31:21
Speaker 1: the land were gripped with fear. They had heard what
31:25
Speaker 1: had happened to Jericho and I. Some kings chose to
31:28
Speaker 1: form alliances and fight against Israel, but the inhabitants of
31:32
Speaker 1: Gibeon had a different plan. The Gibeonites devised a clever
31:37
Speaker 1: strategy to save their lives. In chapter nine, verse three,
31:41
Speaker 1: we read when the inhabitants of Gibeon heard what Joshua
31:45
Speaker 1: had done to Jericho and I, they resorted to deception.
31:49
Speaker 1: They disguised themselves as if they were envoys from a
31:52
Speaker 1: distant land. In verse four, it says they acted craftily
31:56
Speaker 1: and went and took worn out sacks on their donkeys,
31:59
Speaker 1: and old one wineskins, torn and mended. They paid attention
32:03
Speaker 1: to every detail of the disguise. Verse five tells us
32:07
Speaker 1: they put worn and patched sandals on their feet and
32:11
Speaker 1: wore old clothes. All the bread they carried for the
32:14
Speaker 1: journey was dry and moldy. When they arrived at the
32:18
Speaker 1: Israelite camp at Gilgal, they approached Joshua and the men
32:22
Speaker 1: of Israel. We've come from a distant country. Make a
32:26
Speaker 1: treaty with us. The Israelites were suspicious and asked in
32:30
Speaker 1: verse seven, but perhaps you live near us. How can
32:34
Speaker 1: we make a treaty with you? The Gibeonites replied in
32:37
Speaker 1: verse eight, we are your servants. And when Joshua asked
32:41
Speaker 1: who they were and where they came from, they gave
32:44
Speaker 1: a convincing story. In verses nine through eleven, They said,
32:48
Speaker 1: your servants have come from a very distant country because
32:52
Speaker 1: of the fame of the Lord your God. We've heard
32:55
Speaker 1: reports of him and all he did in Egypt, and
32:59
Speaker 1: all that he did to the two kings of the
33:01
Speaker 1: Amorites east of the Jordan. So our elders and all
33:04
Speaker 1: the people of our land told us, take provisions for
33:07
Speaker 1: your journey. Go and meet them and say, we are
33:10
Speaker 1: your servants. Make a treaty with us. To support their story,
33:16
Speaker 1: they showed their provisions in verse twelve. This bread of
33:20
Speaker 1: ours was warm when we packed it at home the
33:23
Speaker 1: day we left to come to you. But now see
33:26
Speaker 1: how dry and moldy it is. And these wine skins
33:29
Speaker 1: we filled were new, but see how cracked they are.
33:33
Speaker 1: And our clothes and sandals are worn out from the
33:36
Speaker 1: very long journey. The men of Israel examined their supplies,
33:40
Speaker 1: and here came the critical mistake. In verse fourteen, it
33:44
Speaker 1: says the Israelites sampled their provisions but did not inquire
33:50
Speaker 1: of the Lord. Joshua made a peace treaty with the
33:53
Speaker 1: Gibionites and promised to let them live. The leaders of
33:58
Speaker 1: the community confirmed this by oath three days later, the
34:02
Speaker 1: Israelites discovered the truth. Verse sixteen says three days after
34:06
Speaker 1: they made the treaty with the Gibeonites, the Israelites heard
34:10
Speaker 1: that they were neighbors living near them. So the Israelites
34:14
Speaker 1: set out and reached their cities Gibeon, Kepira, Beireth, and
34:20
Speaker 1: Kirioth Jurim on the third day, but they did not
34:24
Speaker 1: attack them because the leaders of the community had sworn
34:28
Speaker 1: an oath to them by the Lord, the God of Israel.
34:32
Speaker 1: The whole assembly grumbled against the leaders, but in verse nineteen,
34:36
Speaker 1: the leaders replied, we have given them are oath by
34:40
Speaker 1: the Lord, the God of Israel, and we cannot touch
34:44
Speaker 1: them now. The leaders then made clear what would be
34:47
Speaker 1: done with the Gibionites in verse twenty one. Let them live,
34:51
Speaker 1: but let them be woodcutters and water carriers for the
34:54
Speaker 1: entire community. And so it was done. Joshua summoned the
34:59
Speaker 1: Jibioni and asked them in verse twenty two, why did
35:03
Speaker 1: you deceive us by saying you lived far away from us,
35:06
Speaker 1: when in fact you lived near us. The Gibeonites explained,
35:09
Speaker 1: in verse twenty four, your servants were clearly told how
35:13
Speaker 1: the Lord your God had commanded his servant Moses, to
35:17
Speaker 1: give you the whole land and to wipe out all
35:19
Speaker 1: its inhabitants from before you. So we feared for our
35:23
Speaker 1: lives because of you, and that is why we did this.
35:26
Speaker 1: Joshua honored the agreement, but added a condition. In verse
35:30
Speaker 1: twenty seven, we read that day he made the Gibionites
35:33
Speaker 1: woodcutters and water carriers for the assembly and for the
35:37
Speaker 1: altar of the Lord at the place the Lord would choose,
35:41
Speaker 1: And that is what they are to this day. When
35:44
Speaker 1: Adoni Zedek, king of Jerusalem, heard that Joshua had captured
35:49
Speaker 1: and completely destroyed Iye and that the Gibeonites had made
35:53
Speaker 1: a peace treaty with Israel, he was terrified. Gibeon was
35:57
Speaker 1: an important city, larger than i and all its men
36:00
Speaker 1: were strong warriors. So in chapter ten, verse three, Aduni
36:05
Speaker 1: Zedek sent this message to Hoham, king of Hebron, Piram
36:09
Speaker 1: king of Jarmuth, Jafia king of Lakish, and Debeia, king
36:13
Speaker 1: of Eglon, come up and help me attack Gibeon because
36:18
Speaker 1: it has made peace with Joshua and the Israelites. The
36:21
Speaker 1: five Amorite kings, those of Jerusalem Hebron, Jarmuth, Lakish, and
36:27
Speaker 1: Eglon joined forces. In verse five. They moved up with
36:32
Speaker 1: all their troops and took up positions against Gibeon and
36:35
Speaker 1: attacked it. The Gibeonites, now in danger, quickly sent for help.
36:40
Speaker 1: In verse six, we read the Gibeonites then sent word
36:44
Speaker 1: to Joshua in the camp at Gilgal, do not abandon
36:47
Speaker 1: your servants. Come up to us quickly and save us.
36:51
Speaker 1: Help us, because all the Amorite kings from the hill
36:54
Speaker 1: country have joined forces against us. Joshua wasted no time.
36:59
Speaker 1: In verse Joshua marched up from Gilgal with his entire army,
37:04
Speaker 1: including all the best fighting men. The Lord assured him
37:08
Speaker 1: in verse eight, do not be afraid of them. I
37:11
Speaker 1: have given them into your hand. Not one of them
37:14
Speaker 1: will be able to withstand you. Joshua and his men
37:18
Speaker 1: marched all night from Gilgal and surprised the Amorites. In
37:23
Speaker 1: verse ten, the Lord threw them into confusion before Israel,
37:27
Speaker 1: so Joshua and the Israelites defeated them completely at Gibeon.
37:31
Speaker 1: Israel pursued them along the road going up to beth
37:34
Speaker 1: Horon and cut them down all the way to Azeka
37:37
Speaker 1: and Makada. As they fled from Israel down the slope
37:40
Speaker 1: of beth Horn to Azaka, the Lord hurled large hailstones
37:44
Speaker 1: from the sky in verse eleven. More of them died
37:48
Speaker 1: from the hail than were killed by the swords of
37:51
Speaker 1: the Israelites. On that day, Joshua did something never seen before.
37:57
Speaker 1: In verse twelve, Joshua said to the Lord, in the
38:00
Speaker 1: presence of Israel, sun stand still over Gibeon, and ywe
38:04
Speaker 1: moon over the valley of Aijalon. And in verse thirteen,
38:08
Speaker 1: so the sun stood still and the moon stopped till
38:12
Speaker 1: the nation avenged itself on its enemies. As it is
38:15
Speaker 1: written in the Book of Jesha, the sun stopped in
38:18
Speaker 1: the middle of the sky and delayed going down about
38:21
Speaker 1: a full day. This was a unique day in history.
38:25
Speaker 1: In verse fourteen, we read there has never been a
38:28
Speaker 1: day like it before or since, a day when the
38:31
Speaker 1: Lord listened to a human being. Surely the Lord was
38:34
Speaker 1: fighting for Israel. Joshua and all Israel then returned to
38:39
Speaker 1: the camp at Gilgal. The five kings fled and hid
38:42
Speaker 1: in a cave at Makadah. When Joshua was told, he
38:46
Speaker 1: ordered large stones to be rolled over the entrance of
38:49
Speaker 1: the cave and guards to be posted. After Israel's complete victory,
38:54
Speaker 1: Joshua commanded the cave to be opened and the five
38:57
Speaker 1: kings brought out. When the army officers came forward, Joshua said,
39:02
Speaker 1: in verse twenty five, do not be afraid, do not
39:06
Speaker 1: be discouraged. Be strong and courageous. This is what the
39:11
Speaker 1: Lord will do to all the enemies you are going
39:13
Speaker 1: to fight. Joshua struck down and killed the five kings
39:17
Speaker 1: and had them hung on five trees. In verse twenty
39:20
Speaker 1: seven we read at sunset, Joshua gave the order, and
39:24
Speaker 1: they took them down from the trees and threw them
39:27
Speaker 1: into the cave where they had hidden. At the mouth
39:31
Speaker 1: of the cave, they placed large rocks, which remained to
39:34
Speaker 1: this day. After this major victory, Joshua led Israel on
39:38
Speaker 1: a campaign through the southern region of Canaan. That same day,
39:43
Speaker 1: Joshua captured Makkadah in chapter ten, verse twenty eight. He
39:48
Speaker 1: put the city and its king to the sword and
39:50
Speaker 1: totally destroyed every one in it. He left no survivors,
39:55
Speaker 1: and he did to the king of Makadah as he
39:57
Speaker 1: had done to the king of Jericho from Makadar, Joshua
40:01
Speaker 1: and all Israel went to Libna and attacked it in
40:05
Speaker 1: verse thirty. The Lord also gave that city and its
40:09
Speaker 1: king into Israel's hands. Joshua put the city and every
40:13
Speaker 1: one in it to the sword. He left no survivors there,
40:16
Speaker 1: and he did to its king what he had done
40:19
Speaker 1: to the king of Jericho. Next was Lakish. Joshua and
40:23
Speaker 1: All Israel moved on from Libna to Lakish, set up camp,
40:27
Speaker 1: and attacked in verse thirty two. The Lord gave Lakish
40:31
Speaker 1: into Israel's hands, and Joshua took it on the second day.
40:35
Speaker 1: He put it to the sword and every one in it,
40:38
Speaker 1: just as he had done to Libna. Meanwhile, Horum, king
40:41
Speaker 1: of Giza, had come up to help Lakish, but Joshua
40:45
Speaker 1: defeated him and his army, leaving no survivors. From Lekish,
40:49
Speaker 1: Joshua and All Israel went to Eglon, camped near it,
40:53
Speaker 1: and attacked in verse thirty five. They captured it that
40:57
Speaker 1: same day and put it to the sword and totally
40:59
Speaker 1: dis destroyed everyone in it, just as they had done
41:02
Speaker 1: to Lakish. From Eglon, Joshua and All Israel went to
41:06
Speaker 1: Hebron and attacked it in verse thirty seven. They took
41:10
Speaker 1: the city and put its king, its villages, and everyone
41:13
Speaker 1: in it to the sword. They left no survivors, just
41:17
Speaker 1: as at Eglon, they totally destroyed it and everyone in it.
41:21
Speaker 1: Then Joshua and all Israel turned back and attacked Debiir
41:25
Speaker 1: in verse thirty nine. They took the city, its king,
41:29
Speaker 1: and its villages and put them to the sword. Everyone
41:32
Speaker 1: in it was totally destroyed. They left no survivors. They
41:37
Speaker 1: did to Debir and its king as they had done
41:40
Speaker 1: to Libna and its king and to Hebron. With these victories,
41:44
Speaker 1: Joshua conquered the entire region, the hill country, the Negev,
41:49
Speaker 1: the western foothills, and the mountain slopes, along with all
41:52
Speaker 1: their kings. He spared no one. He completely destroyed every
41:57
Speaker 1: living being, just as the Lord, the God of Israel,
42:01
Speaker 1: had commanded. Verse forty one summarizes the extent of these conquests.
42:07
Speaker 1: Joshua struck them down from Kadeshbarhnair to Gaza, and from
42:11
Speaker 1: the whole region of Goshen to Gibeon. All these kings
42:15
Speaker 1: and their lands were conquered in a single campaign. Because
42:18
Speaker 1: the Lord the God of Israel fought for Israel. Then
42:23
Speaker 1: Joshua and all Israel returned to the camp at Gilgal.
42:28
Speaker 1: When Jabin, king of Hazor, heard about all these victories,
42:32
Speaker 1: he realized that Israel was an even greater threat, so
42:35
Speaker 1: he decided to form a vast coalition of kings from
42:39
Speaker 1: northern Canaan. In chapter eleven, verse one, we read that
42:43
Speaker 1: he sent word to Jobab, king of Madon, to the
42:47
Speaker 1: King of Shimron, to the King of Akshaf, and to
42:50
Speaker 1: the kings of the northern hill country, the Arabah south
42:54
Speaker 1: of Kinnaith, the western foothills, and the heights of Door
42:58
Speaker 1: to the west. He summoned kings from all directions, the
43:02
Speaker 1: Canaanite kings in the east and west, the Amorites, Hittites, Perizites,
43:07
Speaker 1: and Jebusites in the hill country, and the high ightes
43:10
Speaker 1: below Mount Hermon in the region of Mispah. These kings
43:13
Speaker 1: allied themselves, and in verse four we see that they
43:17
Speaker 1: came out with all their troops, a huge army as
43:20
Speaker 1: numerous as the sand on the sea shore, along with
43:23
Speaker 1: a large number of horses and chariots. The biblical text
43:28
Speaker 1: uses a powerful image to describe the size of this army.
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Speaker 1: It was as numerous as the sand on the sea shore.
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Speaker 1: It was a massive army, far bigger than anything Israel
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Speaker 1: had ever faced. All these kings joined forces, and in
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Speaker 1: verse five we read that they camped together at the
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Speaker 1: waters of Merom to fight against Israel. Facing such an
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Speaker 1: overwhelming threat, the Lord said to Joshua in verse six,
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Speaker 1: do not be afraid of them, for by this time
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Speaker 1: tomorrow I will hand all of them over to Israel slain.
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Speaker 1: You are to hamstring their horses and burn their chariots.
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Speaker 1: With this divine encouragement, Joshua and his entire army launched
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Speaker 1: a surprise attack at the waters of Miram. In verse eight,
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Speaker 1: we read that the Lord gave them into the hands
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Speaker 1: of Israel. They defeated them and pursued them all the
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Speaker 1: way to Greater Sidon, to Misrafoth Maim, and to the
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Speaker 1: valley of Mispah to the east, leaving no survivors. Joshua
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Speaker 1: did to them as the Lord had commanded. He hamstrung
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Speaker 1: their horses and burned their chariots. Then Joshua returned and
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Speaker 1: captured Hazer, striking down its king with the sword. Hazer
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Speaker 1: was the most important city among all those kingdoms. In
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Speaker 1: verse eleven, we read that they struck down every living
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Speaker 1: being with the sword, destroying them completely. Not a single
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Speaker 1: soul was spared, and Joshua burned the city. All the
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Speaker 1: cities of those kings were taken, and therein inhabitants struck
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Speaker 1: down with the sword. Verse twelve says Joshua completely destroyed them,
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Speaker 1: as Moses, the servant of the Lord, had commanded. However,
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Speaker 1: Israel did not burn any of the cities built on mounds,
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Speaker 1: except Hazor, which Joshua burned. The Israelites took for themselves
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Speaker 1: all the plunder and livestock of these cities, but they
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Speaker 1: killed all the people. In Verse fifteen we read, as
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Speaker 1: the Lord commanded his servant Moses, so Moses commanded Joshua,
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Speaker 1: and Joshua did it. He left nothing undone of all
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Speaker 1: that the Lord had commanded Moses. So Joshua conquered the
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Speaker 1: whole land, the hill country, the entire Negev, all of Goshen,
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Speaker 1: the western foothills, the Arabah, and the mountains and valleys
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Speaker 1: of Israel, from Mount Halak, which rises towards Seyr, all
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Speaker 1: the way to Baalgad in the Valley of Lebanon below
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Speaker 1: Mount Hermon. This campaign took a long time. Verse eighteen
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Speaker 1: tells us Joshua waged war against all these kings for
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Speaker 1: a long time, but in the end he was victorious.
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Speaker 1: Verse twenty explains why these battles were so intense, for
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Speaker 1: it was the Lord himself who hardened their hearts to
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Speaker 1: wage war against Israel, so that they might be destroyed
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Speaker 1: without mercy and exterminated. As the Lord had commanded Moses.
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Speaker 1: Joshua also destroyed the Anarkites from the hill country, from Hebron, Debir,
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Speaker 1: and Annab, from all the hill country of Judah and
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Speaker 1: of Israel. In verse twenty one we read Joshua totally
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Speaker 1: destroyed them and their towns, and in verse twenty three,
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Speaker 1: Joshua took the entire land just as the Lord had
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Speaker 1: directed Moses, and gave it as an inheritance to Israel
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Speaker 1: according to their tribal divisions. Then the land had rest
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Speaker 1: from war. Chapter twelve presents a summary of all of
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Speaker 1: israel victories and lists the kings who were defeated, first
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Speaker 1: on the east side of the Jordan under moses leadership,
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Speaker 1: and then on the west side under Joshua's leadership. In
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Speaker 1: verses one through six, the text recalls how during Moses time,
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Speaker 1: the Israelites had already conquered and taken possession of lands
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Speaker 1: on the eastern side of the Jordan. They defeated Sion,
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Speaker 1: king of the Amorites, and og King of Bashan. The
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Speaker 1: tribes of Reuben, Gad, and half the tribe of Manassa
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Speaker 1: received those lands as their inheritance. Then, in verse seven,
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Speaker 1: it continues, these are the kings of the land whom
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Speaker 1: Joshua and the Israelites defeated on the west side of
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Speaker 1: the Jordan, and it follows with a long list of
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Speaker 1: thirty one kings defeated by the people of Israel. The
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Speaker 1: list includes the King of Jericho, the King of Ai,
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Speaker 1: the King of Jerusalem, the King of Hebron, the King
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Speaker 1: of Jarmuth, the King of lakish In, King of Eglon,
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Speaker 1: the King of Gaza, the King of Debir, the King
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Speaker 1: of Gaida, the King of Hormah, the King of Arad,
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Speaker 1: the King of Libna, the King of Adullam, the King
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Speaker 1: of Makadah, the King of Bethel, the King of Tapua,
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Speaker 1: the King of Hefe, and it goes on reaching a
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Speaker 1: total of thirty one kings. This shows the scale of
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Speaker 1: the victories God gave to Israel. In chapter thirteen, the
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Speaker 1: Lord said to Joshua, who was now old and advanced
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Speaker 1: in years. You are now very old, and there is
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Speaker 1: still very much land to be taken over. This is
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Speaker 1: the land that remains all the regions of the Philistines
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Speaker 1: and the Gesherites from the Shihor River east of Egypt
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Speaker 1: to the territory of Ekron in the north, the land
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Speaker 1: of the five Philistine rulers. The Lord had promised to
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Speaker 1: drive out those nations ahead of the Israelites. In the meantime,
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Speaker 1: Joshua was to divide the land among the tribes of
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Speaker 1: Israel as an inheritance, including the regions that had not
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Speaker 1: yet been conquered. Verse seven says distribute this land as
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Speaker 1: an inheritance among the nine tribes and the half tribe
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Speaker 1: of Manassa. The text reminds us that the tribes of Reuben,
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Speaker 1: Gad and half of the tribe of Manasse had already
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Speaker 1: received their inheritance on the east side of the Jordan.
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Speaker 1: In chapter thirteen, verse eight, we read the other half
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Speaker 1: of Manasse, along with the tribes of Reuben and Gad
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Speaker 1: had already received the inheritance that Moses had given them
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Speaker 1: east of the Jordan. The following verses described in detail
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Speaker 1: the territories of these tribes. Chapter fourteen marks the beginning
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Speaker 1: of the distribution of land west of the Jordan. In
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Speaker 1: verse one, we read, this is the land of Canaan
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Speaker 1: that Eliezer, the Prix East, Joshua, son of Nun, and
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Speaker 1: the heads of the Israelite tribal clans distributed by Lot
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Speaker 1: as an inheritance to the nine and a half tribes,
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Speaker 1: as the Lord had commanded through Moses. Before the rest
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Speaker 1: of the tribes received their portions, Caleb, son of Ja'funnah,
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Speaker 1: reminded Joshua of a promise made by Moses. In verse six,
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Speaker 1: he says, you know what the Lord said to Moses,
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Speaker 1: the man of God, about you and me at Kadesh Barnea.
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Speaker 1: I was forty years old when Moses, the servant of
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Speaker 1: the Lord, sent me from Kadesh Barnea to explore the land,
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Speaker 1: and I brought back an honest report. Caleb was one
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Speaker 1: of the twelve spies sent to scout the land forty
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Speaker 1: five years earlier. He and Joshua were the only ones
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Speaker 1: who encouraged the people to trust the Lord and take
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Speaker 1: possession of the land. Now, at eighty five years old,
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Speaker 1: Caleb was still strong and wanted the land the Lord
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Speaker 1: had promised him. In twelve he says, now give me
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Speaker 1: this hill country that the Lord promised me that day.
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Speaker 1: You yourself heard then that the Anarkites were there, and
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Speaker 1: there cities were large and fortified. But with the Lord
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Speaker 1: helping me, I will drive them out, just as he said.
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Speaker 1: Joshua blessed Caleb and gave him Hebron as his inheritance.
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Speaker 1: Verse fourteen tells us so Hebron has belonged to Caleb,
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Speaker 1: son of Jeffuna, the Kenesite ever since, because he followed
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Speaker 1: the Lord, the God of Israel wholeheartedly. Chapters fifteen to
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Speaker 1: seventeen outline the land allotted to the tribes of Judah
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Speaker 1: Ephraim and the remaining half tribe of Manasse. The boundaries
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Speaker 1: are described precisely, listing cities and geographical landmarks. In chapter eighteen,
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Speaker 1: we learned that seven tribes had not yet received their inheritance.
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Speaker 1: Joshua rebuked them in verse three, how long will you
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Speaker 1: wait before or you begin to take possession of the
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Speaker 1: land that the Lord the God of your ancestors, has
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Speaker 1: given you. He commanded each of the seven tribes to
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Speaker 1: send three men to explore and map out the land,
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Speaker 1: then he would cast lots for them. In the presence
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Speaker 1: of the Lord, the men went surveyed the land and
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Speaker 1: divided it into seven portions, recording the cities on a scroll.
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Speaker 1: When they returned to Joshua at Shiloh, he cast lots
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Speaker 1: before the Lord and distributed the land to the tribes
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Speaker 1: of Israel according to their divisions. Chapters eighteen and nineteen
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Speaker 1: detailed the distribution of land to the tribes of Benjamin, Simeon, zebulun, Issaka, Asher, Naftali,
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Speaker 1: and Dan. Each tribe received its portion according to its clans.
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Speaker 1: In chapter nineteen, verse forty nine, we read when they
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Speaker 1: had finished dividing the land into its allotted portions, the
52:59
Speaker 1: Israelites gave Joshua, son of nun An inheritance among them,
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Speaker 1: as the Lord had commanded. Verse fifty continues, they gave
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Speaker 1: him the town he asked for Timnath Serah in the
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Speaker 1: hill country of Ephram. He built up the town and
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Speaker 1: settled there. Chapter twenty addresses the cities of refuge. The
53:20
Speaker 1: Lord had instructed Moses to establish cities where any one
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Speaker 1: who killed someone unintentionally could flee and be safe from
53:28
Speaker 1: the avenger of blood. So they designated Kadesh in Galilee
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Speaker 1: in the hill country of Naftali, Ushechem in the hill
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Speaker 1: country of Ephram, and kiriath Arbor, that is, Hebron in
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Speaker 1: the hill country of Judah on the east side of
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Speaker 1: the Jordan, Bezer in the wilderness plateau from the tribe
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Speaker 1: of Reuben, Ramoth in Gilead, in the tribe of Gad,
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Speaker 1: and Golan in Bashan in the Tribe of Manasseh. Chapter
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Speaker 1: twenty one deals with the levitical towns. The Levites, who
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Speaker 1: were responsible for service in the Tabernacle did not receive
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Speaker 1: a territorial inheritance. Instead, they were given towns within the
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Speaker 1: territories of the other tribes to live in. In total,
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Speaker 1: the Levites received forty eight towns. Verse forty three sums
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Speaker 1: it up. So the Lord gave Israel all the land
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Speaker 1: he had sworn to give their ancestors, and they took
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Speaker 1: possession of it and settled there, and verse forty five ads.
54:29
Speaker 1: Not one of all the Lord's good promises to Israel failed.
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Speaker 1: Everyone was fulfilled with the land distribution complete, it was
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Speaker 1: time for the tribes of Reuben, Gad and the half
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Speaker 1: tribe of Manasse to return to their land east of
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Speaker 1: the Jordan. They had kept their promise and helped their
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Speaker 1: fellow Israelites in conquering the land. In Chapter twenty two,
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Speaker 1: verse one, we read, then Joshua summoned the Rubenites, the Gadites,
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Speaker 1: and the half tribe of Nassah and said to them,
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Speaker 1: you have done all that Moses, the servant of the
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Speaker 1: Lord commanded, and you have obeyed me in everything I
55:08
Speaker 1: commanded for a long time. Now to this very day,
55:12
Speaker 1: you have not deserted your fellow Israelites, but have carried
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Speaker 1: out the mission the Lord your God gave you. Now
55:19
Speaker 1: that the Lord your God has given your fellow Israelites
55:22
Speaker 1: rest as he promised, returned to your homes in the
55:25
Speaker 1: land that Moses, the servant of the Lord, gave you
55:29
Speaker 1: on the other side of the Jordan. Joshua blessed them,
55:33
Speaker 1: praised them for fulfilling their duty, and gave them a
55:36
Speaker 1: heartfelt instruction in verse five, but be very careful to
55:40
Speaker 1: keep the commandment and the law that Moses, the servant
55:43
Speaker 1: of the Lord, gave you. To love the Lord your God,
55:46
Speaker 1: to walk in obedience to him, to keep his commands,
55:50
Speaker 1: to hold fast to him, and to serve him with
55:52
Speaker 1: all your heart and with all your soul. So they
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Speaker 1: returned to their land with great wealth, a large number
55:58
Speaker 1: of livestock, silver, gold, bronze, iron, and a great quantity
56:03
Speaker 1: of clothing. On the way back, when they reached the
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Speaker 1: region of the Jordan, still in Canaan, the tribes of Reuben,
56:11
Speaker 1: Gad and the half tribe of Manasse built a large
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Speaker 1: and impressive altar by the river. Verse ten tells us
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Speaker 1: there by the Jordan, they built an imposing altar. When
56:22
Speaker 1: the rest of Israel heard about this, they were alarmed
56:25
Speaker 1: and gathered at Shiloh to go to war against them.
56:28
Speaker 1: Why were they so concerned, because they interpreted the construction
56:32
Speaker 1: of that altar as an act of rebellion against the Lord.
56:37
Speaker 1: Before attacking, they sent a delegation led by Phineas, son
56:41
Speaker 1: of the priest Eleazar, along with ten leaders, one from
56:45
Speaker 1: each tribe of Israel. In verse sixteen, they said, this
56:49
Speaker 1: is what the whole assembly of the Lord says. How
56:52
Speaker 1: could you break faith with the God of Israel like this?
56:55
Speaker 1: How could you turn away from the Lord and build
56:57
Speaker 1: yourselves an altar in rebellion against him. Now, wasn't the
57:02
Speaker 1: sin of pere enough for us? Even to this day
57:06
Speaker 1: we have not cleansed ourselves from that sin. Though a
57:09
Speaker 1: plague fell on the community of the Lord. And now
57:13
Speaker 1: you are turning away from the Lord. If you rebel
57:17
Speaker 1: against the Lord to day tomorrow, he will be angry
57:21
Speaker 1: with the whole community of Israel. This was a serious accusation,
57:26
Speaker 1: but the response from the Eastern tribes cleared everything up.
57:31
Speaker 1: They explained that the altar wasn't built for sacrifices, but
57:34
Speaker 1: as a memorial for future generations. In verses twenty four
57:38
Speaker 1: to twenty seven, they explain, we did it for fear
57:41
Speaker 1: that some day your descendants might say to ours, what
57:44
Speaker 1: do you have to do with the Lord, the God
57:47
Speaker 1: of Israel. The Lord has made the Jordan a boundary
57:50
Speaker 1: between us and you. You Reubenites and Gadids. You have
57:54
Speaker 1: no share in the Lord, So your descendants might cause
57:58
Speaker 1: ours to stop fearing the Lord. That's why we said,
58:01
Speaker 1: let's build an altar, not for burnt offerings or sacrifices,
58:05
Speaker 1: but as a witness between us and you and the
58:08
Speaker 1: generations to come. When Finihas and the community leaders heard this,
58:13
Speaker 1: they were satisfied. In verse thirty one, Finehas said, now
58:17
Speaker 1: we know that the Lord is with us, because you
58:20
Speaker 1: have not been unfaithful to him in this matter. You
58:24
Speaker 1: have rescued the Israelites from the Lord's anger. Fina Has
58:28
Speaker 1: and the Israelite leaders took this response back to the
58:31
Speaker 1: people in Canaan. In chapter twenty two, verse thirty three,
58:34
Speaker 1: we read, the Israelites were glad to hear the report
58:38
Speaker 1: and praised God. They talk no more about going to
58:41
Speaker 1: war against them to devastate the land where the Rubenites
58:44
Speaker 1: and the Gadites lived. The Rubenites and the Gadites named
58:48
Speaker 1: the Altar a witness, saying it is a witness between
58:52
Speaker 1: us that the Lord is God. Many years passed after
58:55
Speaker 1: the conquest of the land, the Lord had given Israel rest,
59:00
Speaker 1: delivering them from all their surrounding enemies. In chapter twenty three,
59:04
Speaker 1: verse one, we read Joshua was now very old. He
59:08
Speaker 1: summoned all of Israel, their leaders, elders, judges, and officials.
59:13
Speaker 1: In verse two, Joshua begins, I am old and well
59:16
Speaker 1: advanced in years. You yourselves have seen everything the Lord
59:20
Speaker 1: your God has done to all these nations for your sake.
59:24
Speaker 1: It was the Lord your God who fought for you.
59:28
Speaker 1: He reminded the people that the Lord had driven out
59:30
Speaker 1: great and powerful nations before them, and had given them
59:33
Speaker 1: the land as an inheritance, just as he had promised.
59:38
Speaker 1: Joshua then gave an important warning in verse six, be
59:42
Speaker 1: very strong, be careful to obey all that is written
59:45
Speaker 1: in the book of the Law of Moses, without turning
59:48
Speaker 1: aside to the right or to the left. He warned
59:52
Speaker 1: against mingling with the nations that still remained in the land,
59:56
Speaker 1: and against worshiping their gods. In verse seven, he commands,
1:00:01
Speaker 1: do not associate with these nations that remain among you.
1:00:04
Speaker 1: Do not invoke the names of their gods or swear
1:00:07
Speaker 1: by them. You must not serve them or bow down
1:00:11
Speaker 1: to them. Joshua reminded the people that not a single
1:00:14
Speaker 1: one of the Lord's good promises had failed. All had
1:00:18
Speaker 1: been fulfilled, but he also warned of the consequences of disobedience.
1:00:24
Speaker 1: In verse thirteen, he cautions, you can be sure that
1:00:27
Speaker 1: the Lord your God will no longer drive out these
1:00:30
Speaker 1: nations before you. Instead, they will become snares and traps
1:00:35
Speaker 1: for you whips on your backs and thorns in your eyes,
1:00:38
Speaker 1: until you perish from this good land which the Lord
1:00:41
Speaker 1: your God has given you. Joshua was nearing the end
1:00:45
Speaker 1: of his life. In verse fourteen, he says, now I
1:00:48
Speaker 1: am about to go the way of all the earth.
1:00:51
Speaker 1: You know with all your heart and soul that not
1:00:54
Speaker 1: one of all the good promises the Lord your God
1:00:56
Speaker 1: gave you has failed. Every promise has been fulfilled, not
1:01:00
Speaker 1: one has failed. But just as the promises of blessing
1:01:03
Speaker 1: had come true, so would the warnings of judgment if
1:01:07
Speaker 1: the people turned away from the Lord. If you violate
1:01:11
Speaker 1: the covenant of the Lord your God which he commanded you,
1:01:15
Speaker 1: and go and serve other gods and bow down to them,
1:01:19
Speaker 1: the Lord's anger will burn against you, and you will
1:01:23
Speaker 1: quickly perish from the good land he has given you
1:01:26
Speaker 1: verse sixteen. In his final public act, Joshua gathered all
1:01:31
Speaker 1: the tribes of Israel at Shechem. In chapter twenty four,
1:01:35
Speaker 1: verse one, we read that he summoned the elders, leaders, judges,
1:01:39
Speaker 1: and officials of Israel, and they presented themselves before God.
1:01:43
Speaker 1: Joshua recounted Israel's entire history, starting from the time of Abraham.
1:01:49
Speaker 1: In verse two, he says, this is what the Lord,
1:01:53
Speaker 1: the God of Israel, says. Long ago, your ancestors, including Terror,
1:01:58
Speaker 1: the father of Abraham and Nahor, lived beyond the Euphrates
1:02:01
Speaker 1: River and worshiped other gods. He reminded them how God
1:02:06
Speaker 1: called Abraham and led him to Canaan, how he gave
1:02:09
Speaker 1: him Isaac, and to Isaac he gave Jacob and Esau.
1:02:14
Speaker 1: He recalled how Jacob and his sons went down to Egypt,
1:02:17
Speaker 1: how God sent Moses and Aaron to deliver them, and
1:02:21
Speaker 1: how he brought them through the wilderness into the land
1:02:24
Speaker 1: of Canaan. Joshua recalled all the battles in which the
1:02:28
Speaker 1: Lord had given them victory, and how he had delivered
1:02:30
Speaker 1: the promised land into their hands. I gave you a
1:02:34
Speaker 1: land on which you did not toil, and cities you
1:02:37
Speaker 1: did not build, and you live in them and eat
1:02:40
Speaker 1: from vineyards and olive groves that you did not plant
1:02:43
Speaker 1: verse thirteen. After this historical review, Joshua challenged the people
1:02:48
Speaker 1: to choose whom they would serve. In verse fourteen, he says,
1:02:52
Speaker 1: now fear the Lord and serve him with all faithfulness.
1:02:55
Speaker 1: Throw away the gods your ancestors worshiped beyond the Euphrates
1:02:59
Speaker 1: River and in Egypt, and serve the Lord. And then
1:03:03
Speaker 1: comes Joshua's famous declaration in verse fifteen. But if serving
1:03:07
Speaker 1: the Lord seems undesirable to you, then choose for yourselves
1:03:12
Speaker 1: this day whom you will serve, whether the gods your
1:03:15
Speaker 1: ancestors served beyond the Euphrates or the gods of the Amorites,
1:03:20
Speaker 1: in whose land you are living. But as for me
1:03:23
Speaker 1: and my household, we will serve the Lord. The people
1:03:27
Speaker 1: responded by affirming that they too would serve the Lord.
1:03:31
Speaker 1: In verse sixteen, they declared, far be it from us
1:03:34
Speaker 1: to forsake the Lord to serve other gods. And they
1:03:38
Speaker 1: explained why. It was the Lord, our God himself, who
1:03:42
Speaker 1: brought us and our ancestors up out of Egypt from
1:03:44
Speaker 1: that land of slavery. He perform'd those great signs before
1:03:48
Speaker 1: our eyes. He protected us on our entire journey, and
1:03:53
Speaker 1: among all the nations through which we travel'd. But Joshua
1:03:57
Speaker 1: warned them in verse nineteen, you are not able to
1:04:00
Speaker 1: serve the Lord. He is a holy god, he is
1:04:03
Speaker 1: a jealous god. He will not forgive your rebellion and
1:04:06
Speaker 1: your sins. Still, the people insisted they would serve the Lord.
1:04:11
Speaker 1: So Joshua said to them in verse twenty two, you
1:04:14
Speaker 1: are witnesses against yourselves, that you have chosen to serve
1:04:18
Speaker 1: the Lord, and they replied, yes, we are witnesses. Joshua
1:04:23
Speaker 1: then instructed them to throw away the foreign gods among
1:04:27
Speaker 1: them and turn their hearts to the Lord, the God
1:04:30
Speaker 1: of Israel. The people agreed, we will serve the Lord,
1:04:33
Speaker 1: our God, and obey him. Then, in verse twenty five
1:04:38
Speaker 1: we read that on that day Joshua made a covenant
1:04:41
Speaker 1: for the people, and there at Shechem he reaffirmed for
1:04:45
Speaker 1: them decrees and laws. He recorded all of this in
1:04:48
Speaker 1: the Book of the Law of God, and set up
1:04:51
Speaker 1: a large stone as a witness of the covenant the
1:04:54
Speaker 1: people had made with the Lord. After these events, Joshua,
1:04:58
Speaker 1: son of Nune, the servant of the Lord, died at
1:05:02
Speaker 1: the age of one hundred and ten. Verse twenty nine
1:05:05
Speaker 1: simply states after these things, Joshua son of Nun, the
1:05:09
Speaker 1: servant of the Lord, died at the age of one
1:05:12
Speaker 1: hundred and ten. He was buried in the land of
1:05:15
Speaker 1: his inheritance at Timnath Serah in the hill country of Ephraim.
1:05:19
Speaker 1: North of Mount Gash. Verse thirty one highlights how lasting
1:05:24
Speaker 1: his influence was. Israel served the Lord throughout the lifetime
1:05:29
Speaker 1: of Joshua and of the elders who outlived him and
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Speaker 1: who had experienced everything the Lord had done for Israel.
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Speaker 1: The account ends by noting that the bones of Joseph,
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Speaker 1: which the Israelites had brought up from Egypt, were buried
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Speaker 1: at Shechem, in the tract of land that Jacob had
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Speaker 1: bought from the sons of Hamoor. It also mentions the
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Speaker 1: death of Eliaza, son of Aaron, who was buried at Gibeah,
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Speaker 1: the town of his son Fenihas in the hill country
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Speaker 1: of Ephraim. And so the Book of j Joshua comes
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Speaker 1: to a close with the people of Israel firmly settled
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Speaker 1: in the land God had promised. The Lord had fulfilled
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Speaker 1: every one of his promises, and Joshua's mission was complete.
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Speaker 1: Now it was up to the next generations of Israel
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Speaker 1: to remain faithful to the Lord and the covenant they
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Speaker 1: had made with him. Joshua's story reminds us of how
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Speaker 1: faithful God is in keeping his promises. From Jericho to
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Speaker 1: the division of the land, we see how the Lord
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Speaker 1: fought for his people and established them in the Promised Land.
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1:06:39
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Speaker 1: of the Holy Bible.