The History of the Old Testament Methodized, Chapter 4 · Section 94
SECT. XCIV.
WE are now come to the Book of Joſhua, The Book of Ioſhua.which was not probably written by himſelf, (a)If we ſhould ſuppoſe this Book for the main to be written by Joſhua, yet ſome paſſages might be inſerted afterwards by ſome other holy Penman. So in the Books of Moſes we find ſome paſſages which could not be written by Moſes himſelf, but were afterwards added by ſome other holy men, as Deut. 34.5. Qui hanc hiſtoriam ex Sacris Annalibus conſcripſit uſus eſt ſui ſeculi nominibus. Maſius.at leaſt not all of it, though it contains his Acts and Atchievements. Indeed Joſhua either wrote himſelf, or ordered ſome of the Prieſts to write the words of the Covenant (which he cauſed the people to enter into) with all the Circumſtances of it [Ch. 24.26.] in the Book of the Law of God which was written by Moſes, and put in the ſide of the Ark, that ſo it might be a Witneſs againſt them if they tranſgreſſed it. But there are ſome things contained in this Book which are thought to be done after Joſhua's death, as the conquering of Leſhem or Laiſh by the Danites; [Ch. 19.47. Judg. 18.7. to 29.] and Ch. 24. from 29. to 32. his death and burial are mentioned; Some other things ſeem to argue that it was written by ſome Prophet *A Propheta aliquo collectus videtur hic liber ex antiquis diariis, & annalibus. Maſius.long after his death, as that phraſe (b)See Ch. 4. 6. & 6.29. & 7.26. & 8.29. & 9.27. & 10.27. & 13.13. & 14.14. & 15.63.[remains unto this day] ſo frequently uſed doth intimate. And the Book of Jaſher (c)See Sect. 102.is here named, Ch. 10.13. which ſeems written at ſooneſt in David's time, as recording an Act of his, 2 Sam. 1.18. unleſs we ſhould ſuppoſe (which is not improbable) that this Book of Jaſher was begun in Moſes's time, and continued on, and inlarged afterwards by adding ſeveral memorable Acts and Paſſages unto it.
Joſhua was of the Tribe of Ephraim, Numb. 13.8. He was ſix full years in Conquering the Land, and in the ſeventh divided it by lot among the nine Tribes and an half. And divers years he lived and governed after that time, but how many is uncertain; yet it is ſuppoſed to be about ten years. And ſo this Book contains an Hiſtory of ſeventeen years from the beginning of Joſhua's Government to his death, which happened when he was an hundred and ten years old, Ch. 24.29. And ſo much by way of Preface. We now come to the Hiſtory it ſelf.
After the death of Moſes the Lord ſpake to Joſhua, Moſes's Miniſter, who had for many years daily and continual converſation with him, and ſo could not but have learned much thereby to fit him for this great Service.
But whither the Lord ſpake to him by audible Voice, or the ſecret inſtinct of his Spirit, or in ſome Dream, or by the High Prieſts inquiring for him by Ʋrim and Thummim, we cannot determine. But however it was he ſpake to him, and commanded him to ariſe and lead His people over into the Land of Canaan, which he had before promiſed them, and intended now actually to give them.
He tells him, That every place in the Land which the ſole of their foot ſhould tread upon, from the Wilderneſs of Zin, which was the South-bound, to Lebanon which was the North-bound, and the great Sea, or Midland-Sea, which was the Weſtern-bound, and the River Euphrates (d)That the Iſraelites did never extend their bounds thus far is evident. For though in the days of David and Solomon all the Nations as far as Euphrates became Tributary to them, 1 Kings 4.21. yet they never deſtroyed the Inhabitants there, and planted themſelves in their Country as they did in the Land of Canaan. And the reaſon of this was becauſe the Iſraelites failed of keeping Covenant with God, and it was only upon condition of their Obedience that God promiſed thus to inlarge their borders.which was the Eaſtern-bound, even all the Land of the Hittites (which ſeem here mention'd by a Synecdoche for all the ſeven Nations) ſhould be their Coaſt. The Lord tells him, That not a man ſhould be able to ſtand before him all the days of his life, but as He was with Moſes, ſo He would be with him, and would never leave him, nor forſake him. He bids him therefore be ſtrong and of a good courage, for he ſhould divide the Land of Canaan to the people of Iſrael for an Inheritance. Only that he ſhould be careful to obſerve the Law that Moſes gave him, and not turn from it to the right hand or to the left.
He commands him to read over diligently the Copy *The original wrote by Moſes was laid up by the ſide of the Ark, Deut. 31.25, 26.of this Law, and to meditate thereon day and night, that his heart being filled with the knowledge thereof, in all his Judgments he might be able readily to judge and pronounce as it is in that Law determined, and in all things might order himſelf according to the directions there given, and this would be the way to proſper and have good ſucceſs in all that he went about.
Joſhua having received theſe Commands from God, He ſent out two Spies from Shittim, where the Camp now lay, to view the City of Jericho, and the Country about it, to ſee how the City was fortified, and in what poſture the people thereabout were. The Spies paſſing over the Fords of Jordan, and coming thither, betook themſelves to the houſe of Rahab an Hoſteſs or Victualler. (e)See Apoſtol. Hiſtory, pag. 392. on Heb. 11.13.The news of this being brought to the King of Jericho, he preſently ſent Meſſengers to Rahab, charging her to bring forth the men that were come into her houſe. But ſhe having ſome intimation (poſſibly by the muttering of her Neighbours) that her houſe would be ſearched, ſhe preſently took the two men and carried them to the roof of her houſe (that was flat) and there hid them under ſtalks of Flax. It ſeems ſhe had heard of the great things the Lord had done for the Iſraelites, and by a ſpecial and extraordinary perſwaſion of Gods Spirit ſhe did verily believe that God had determined that this people ſhould deſtroy the Inhabitants of Canaan, and dwell in their room; and therefore reſolved to do what ſhe could for the preſerving of theſe Spies (with whom 'tis like ſhe had had ſome Conference before, and had been inſtructed about theſe matters) though it were with the hazard of her ſelf. When the Kings Meſſengers came to her, the told them, There had been indeed two men in her houſe, but whence they came ſhe knew not. They went away from her houſe a little before the ſhutting of the Gates when it was dark. They were but newly gone, and if they immediately purſued after them,Her ſeeking to hide the Spies was an act of faith very pleaſing to God, but the manner of doing it with a Lye cannot be defended. ſhe ſuppoſed they would quickly overtake them. The Meſſengers accordingly went preſently in purſuit of them towards the Fords of Jordan. Rahab, before the Spies had been long laid down among the Flax, came up to them, and told them what had paſſed. Then ſhe ſaid(f)As for their talking thus together, being of two ſeveral Nations we need not wonder at it, for the Language of the Canaanites and other Neighbouring-Nations was not in thoſe times much different from that of the Hebrew, as by many Names both of Men and Cities among the Canaanites is very evident. unto them, I am perſwaded that the Lord hath given you this Land; your Terrour is fallen upon us, and the hearts of this people faint before you. We have heard how the Lord dried up the waters of the Red-Sea for you when you came out of Egypt, and what you did to the two Kings of the Amorites Sihon and Og. The Report of theſe things hath made our hearts melt within us. For the Lord your God He is God in heaven above, and in the earth beneath, and there is none like him. Now therefore I pray you ſwear unto me by the Lord, that ſince I have ſhewed you kindneſs, you will ſhew kindneſs to my Fathers houſe, and that ye will ſave alive my Father and Mother, my Brethren and Siſters, and all that they have, and deliver our lives from death. And give me a ſign or token whereby we may make our ſelves known to you when you ſhall take this City, and upon ſight whereof you will be true and faithful to us, and will ſave us from the general deſtruction. The men anſwered, Our life for yours; This they ſpake (as it ſeems) by way of Oath or Execration, as Rahab had deſired of them, verſ. 12. As if they ſhould have ſaid, May deſtruction light upon us if we take not ſuch order that you and yours ſhall be preſerved, provided none of you reveal this our buſineſs; that is, this our agreement and compact with you to ſpare your lives. Rahab having obtained theſe terms of them, ſhe let them down by a Cord or Line made of Scarlet-thread thorow the Window (her houſe being upon the City-Wall) and bad them to get them to the Mountain, leſt the Purſuers ſhould meet them, and to hide themſelves there three days. Theſe Spies thus let down, giving Rahab (as 'tis like) many thanks for her kindneſs to them, told her, That they would faithfully obſerve this Oath ſhe had made them ſwear to her, when they came to beſiege the City, provided ſhe performed theſe three Conditions: 1. The Line of Scarlet-thread, whereby ſhe had let them down, ſhould be tyed to the Window of her houſe, as a Token by which the houſe ſhould be known from others. 2. Her Father, and Mother, and Kindred, ſhould come to her houſe, and abide there, and not ſtir out of doors. 3. She ſhould not diſcover this Agreement or Compact to any others whatſoever, leſt the Iſraelites ſhould be deluded by others hanging out Scarlet-lines at their Windows as well as they. She agrees to all, and ſays, According to your words ſo let it be. Thus theſe two Spies eſcaped, and came to Joſhua, and told him all that had happened to them, and farther ſaid, Truly the Lord hath delivered into our hands all the Land of Canaan, for the hearts of the people faint for fear of us.
Joſhua hearing theſe things, He commands the Officers to go thorow the Camp, and to tell the people, That within three days they ſhould paſs over Jordan, and therefore they ſhould prepare themſelves Victuals, viz. all proviſions fit for ſuch a Journey excepting bread, for Manna was yet continued to them, and ceaſed not till after they came into Canaan. He puts the Reubenites, Gadites, and the half-Tribe of Manaſſeh in mind of their promiſe made to Moſes, That they would aſſiſt their Brethren in the Conquering of the Land; They promiſe a ready compliance with his Commands, telling him, That as they had hearkned unto Moſes, ſo they would hearken unto him, and prayed unto the Lord to proſper him in all his proceedings, as he proſpered Moſes. And they tell him, That if any man refuſe to obey his Commands he ſhall be put to death, therefore they intreat him to be of good courage.
Joſhua, Ch. 1. whole Chapter.
Joſhua, Ch. 2. whole Chapter.