By: Obed Pineda
After wandering the wilderness forty years, and every Israelite over the age of twenty had perished there (with the exception of Joshua and Caleb) the time of their punishment, as designated by Jehovah God, had expired and a new generation entered and conquered the promised land under the leadership of Joshua, the son of Nun (Numbers 14:26-35, 32:8-13,Joshua 1:1-2). The record of this splendid achievement is found in the book of Joshua, where the value of faithful obedience to God is illuminated by Holy Writ. There is no question that the generation of Israel who attained the promised land had learned from their predecessor’s faults, and broke the vicious cycle that prevented that generation’s entry into Canaan. It is regrettable to hear the Holy Spirit declare that the reason for making them wander in the wilderness forty years was because “according to the number of the days in which you spied out the land, forty days, for each day you shall bear your guilt one year, namely forty years, and you shall know My rejection. I the Lord have spoken this. I will surely do so to all this evil congregation who are gathered together against Me. In this wilderness they shall be consumed, and there they shall die” (Numbers 14:34-35). It is with the fulfillment of this Divine decree where the book of Joshua begins, and sets the tone for the central theme taught by the book. The principal subject of Joshua is to demonstrate Jehovah God’s faithfulness to His promises, thus validating the Hebrew penman’s assurance, “He who promised is faithful” (Hebrews 10:23b). It is wise, however, to comprehend that all of God’s promises were realized as He had spoken; good and bad. Hence, the motive of commencing Israel’s story of conquest by exhibiting that His sentence against the evil generation of unbelievers was carried out exactly as He had pronounced. Very often the word promise is associated with a future gift, ignoring that promises can also forebode an unfavorable result. Having witnessed that God’s punishment had been executed against their fathers, just as He had proclaimed it to be, provided Joshua, and the new generation of Israelites he led into the promised land, with sufficient evidence to fully rely on the promises of God. Therefore, it is unsurprising to read just how different this new generation was from the first one that had been liberated from Egypt’s tyranny. Indeed, it is wonderful to read the Holy Spirit confirm that “Joshua took the whole land, according to all that the Lord had said to Moses; and Joshua gave it as an inheritance to Israel according to their divisions by their tribes. Then the land rested from war” and again, “so the Lord gave to Israel all the land of which He had sworn to give to their fathers, and they took possession of it and dwelt in it. The Lord gave them rest all around, according to all that He had sworn to their fathers. And not a man of all their enemies stood against them; the Lord delivered all their enemies into their hand. Not a word failed of any good thing which the Lord had spoken to the house of Israel.All came to pass” (Joshua 11:23, 21:43-45). The reality that God’s promise to Abraham (Genesis 12:7) was delayed by forty years due to the incredulous hearts of Israel, magnifies even more the devoted hearts and obedience of the generation that did succeed in obtaining the promise. It is irrefutable that their loyalty to God and His chosen leader, Joshua, was instrumental in them achieving the triumphant conquest of the land that flowed with milk and honey. An obedience anchored on an immovable and indomitable faith, sustained by a complete reliance on the instructions that Jehovah God provided them. The pure and sincere dedication this Israel had toward the Lord is evident in what takes place after their successful campaign of conquering Canaan. Prior to Joshua being named Moses’ successor, the tribes of Reuben, Gad, and half of the tribe of Manasseh had requested to be allotted the land east of the Jordan because it was apropos for livestock (Numbers 32). Moses, at first, was not well pleased with the request they had proposed to him, Eleazar the priest, and the leaders of Israel because it meant that they would stay behind and not join the rest of the nation in securing the conquest of Canaan. This, stated Moses, would “discourage the heart of the children of Israel from going over into the land which the Lord has given them…Thus your fathers did when I sent them away from Kadesh Barnea to see the land” (Numbers 32:7, 8). Moses’ concern was valid because it had lamentably happened once before, which he wisely reminds them about (cf. Numbers 13:1-14:38). After listening to Moses’ concern, they assure him that they will join their brethren in securing the promised land, and return to the east of Jordan only after “every one of the children of Israel has received his inheritance” (Numbers 32:16-18). The vow made by these two and a half tribes, Joshua confirms, “You have kept all that Moses the servant of the Lord commanded you, and have obeyed my voice in all that I commanded you. You have not left your brethren these many days, up to this day, but have kept the charge of the commandment of the Lord your God” (Joshua 22:2-3). This faithful adherence of the promise they made to Moses several decades prior, and continued to uphold when Joshua took over the command, is one extraordinary example of how much Israel’s second generation progressed from their fathers. Seeing through their vow until the very end, illustrates a powerful bond of unity that Israel enjoyed under the guidance and leadership of Joshua as well. Yet, this bond was quickly put to the test when the Reubenites, Gadites, and half the tribe of Manasseh returned home. The threat of civil war among the twelve tribes of Israel appeared on the horizon, driven by an unfortunate misunderstanding (cf. Joshua 22:10-12). The decision that the tribes settled on the eastern side of the Jordan made of building “a great, impressive altar” sparked an outrage among their brethren on the western side of the Jordan because it was interpreted as an abandonment of God’s commandments (cf. Joshua 22:15-20). However, civil war was averted and the innocence of the two and half tribes was manifested because “the things which make for peace and the things by which one may edify another” were pursued by all parties involved (Romans 14:19). The manner in which this matter between brothers was resolved unveiled, “that the Lord is among us, because you have not committed this treachery against the Lord. Now you have delivered the children of Israel out of the hand of the Lord” (Joshua 22:31). Undeniably, this was the greatest generation in the history of Israel. A period when they were really near to God, blessings were gained, peace ruled, and true unity was enjoyed by all. Sadly, this was short lived because when this generation ended, “another generation arose after them who did not know the Lord nor the work which He had done for Israel” (Judges 2:10–13). Tragically, Israel never again enjoyed such a glorious experience with God because of their infidelity, and as the old adage goes, the rest is an unfortunate history.