Yahweh and the Gods and Goddesses of Canaan, Research Paper Example

History

In this passage, the Lord explains to Joshua that he is chosen as the leader of the Israelites to lead them to Canaan. In doing so, God tells Joshua that doing so will not be easy, but it is important to trust in Him to ensure that this mission is successful. This passage helps us understand the right that the Israelites have to the holy land due to divine permission from God. As such, we understand that the land is promised to the Israelites in addition to following the necessity of the world of God. The Lord fills Joshua with the strength necessary to undergo this journey, just as He provides the rest of us with strength during great challenges and times of need.

Prior to Joshua 1:1-9, Moses has passed and the people of Israel have become concerned over their leadership. While Moses has encouraged the people of Israel to leave Egypt and wander in the dessert, his death marks the time for these people to enter the Promised Land. The Lord speaks to Joshua in this passage to install him as the new leader of the people of Israel. Joshua is the son of Nun, Moses’ aide. He is given the great responsibility of bringing the people of Israel to the land that they have been promised for the first time.

This passage provides the reader with an understanding of the history of the relationship between the Jewish people and their surrounding lands. For the first time, the Israelites have hope of accessing a land of their own. While enslaved in Egypt, their faith allowed them passage away from the torment they faced. Even though some former slaves lost hope while wandering in the dessert, they continued to obey God’s will because they knew that eventually they would be brought to salvation. Even though the Lord waited for all of the former Egyptian slaves to pass before reaching Canaan, their dedication contributed to the ability of their people to receive a place to call their own in the future. Joshua is the first individual that has the opportunity to lead his people into a place of safety, once it is claimed for their own. He is concerned, because he knows that others currently inhabit the land, but God asks him to be brave and trust his word, so he does so. As such, Joshua becomes the leader that the Israelites need and again demonstrates the importance of following God’s will.

Literature

The book of Joshua explains an important moment in Israel’s history. Joshua is asked to take over for Moses after he leads the Israelites out of Egypt guides them through the dessert, and then subsequently dies of old age. Moses can be considered to be a great leader. Following the word of God, he accomplished great miracles, such as the spreading of the Red Sea, to bring his people to freedom. In this moment, Joshua is asked to take over for an individual that is considered to be great, so he has his doubts. He is not certain why God picked him over all individuals to lead the Israelites into Canaan. However, he also recognizes the importance of this position in addition to the great amount of trust that his friends and family members have placed upon him. As such, this passage marks an important transitory element of this biblical story. Joshua is selected to become a leader and accepts the role that is given to him by God in order to bring happiness and peace to his people.

The Lord Communicates with Joshua

The beginning of this passage states, “After the death of Moses the servant of the Lord, the Lord said to Joshua son of Nun, Moses’ aide:“Moses my servant is dead. Now then, you and all these people, get ready to cross the Jordan River into the land I am about to give to them—to the Israelites” (Joshua 1: 1-2). In this moment, the Lord is communicating with Joshua for the first time, explaining that since Moses has died, it will become Joshua’s responsibility to take over the leadership of the Israelites. The Lord also communicates His intentions to Joshua to make him understand both the purpose and depth of this request. Specifically, Joshua is asked to help the Israelites cross the Jordan River into a land that will become their own. At this moment, Joshua does not respond; he is giving his full attention to the message that is being presented to him.

The Lord Denotes the Land that Will Belong to the People of Israel

The passage continues to read, “I will give you every place where you set your foot, as I promised Moses. Your territory will extend from the desert to Lebanon, and from the great river, the Euphrates—all the Hittite country—to the Mediterranean Sea in the west” (Joshua 1: 3-4). In this segment, the Lord is specifically explaining which parts of the land will belong to the people of Israel. In this manner, He is telling Joshua for the first time the limits of the land that will belong to the people of Israel. Defining the borders is an essential component of this information because it allows Joshua to understand which land will be claimed for the people of Israel. Since the Lord has provided Joshua with this understanding, it is important for him to make sure that he claims only the land that has been promised to him and his people and to understand the extent of the land that has been promised.

The Lord Stands with Joshua

God continues to say, “ No one will be able to stand against you all the days of your life. As I was with Moses, so I will be with you; I will never leave you nor forsake you. Be strong and courageous, because you will lead these people to inherit the land I swore to their ancestors to give them” (Joshua 1: 5-6). This excerpt is important because it shows Joshua that God stands with him and will support his actions. This is said in an attempt to reduce any doubts that Joshua may have with regards to his ability to perform what is being asked of him. Moses is used as an example to highlight the divine help that he received in order to help the Israelites escape from Egypt and survive in the dessert. This is meaningful to Joshua because Moses is seen as an individual with a close connection to God and he is learning that he will have this special connection as well (Finkelstein et al. 2001). The Lord ends by reminding Joshua that his ultimate goal is to help the people inherit the land that has been promised to them. This is an ancient promise that God swore to Joshua’s ancestors, so it is also his responsibility to ensure that this promise is upheld.

Remember and Uphold the Ten Commandments

This passage concludes by saying, “Be strong and very courageous. Be careful to obey all the law my servant Moses gave you; do not turn from it to the right or to the left, that you may be successful wherever you go. Keep this Book of the Law always on your lips; meditate on it day and night, so that you may be careful to do everything written in it. Then you will be prosperous and successful. Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged, for the Lord your God will be with you wherever you go” (Joshua 1: 7-9). In this last part of the passage, God not only asks Joshua to be brave, but to uphold the laws that he has given Moses as well (Pressler 2002). This is important because he reminds Joshua to not deviate from the laws that have been provided to the people of Israel. Doing so will ensure that they are able to access the Promised Land and gain happiness. This method also helps Joshua understand that it is now his responsibility to enforce these commandments. Since he is now the leader of his people, it is now also his responsibility to ensure that the moral behaviors of the people that are following him maintain necessary standards. Thus, Joshua is not being simply asked to lead his people to the Promised Land, he is also being asked to step in for Moses in terms of leading the religious and ethical life of the Israelites. This is a large responsibility because Joshua’s ability to do so had the ability to impact not just the people following him to Canaan, but people living today. He recognized the reach of what he was asked and the importance of maintaining the rules that God had initially given Moses, but that he was now asked to uphold.

When God asks Joshua to meditate and think of the Ten Commandments, He is asking Joshua to lead by example. In order to preserve the words that were passed down to the people of Israel by god, it is important for Joshua to practice them himself. This is an important example of religious moral and ethical behavior (Day 2002). We must treat others well so that others treat us well. This is an important tenet of Judeo-Christian ethics that is mentioned for one of the first times in this passage.

The passage ends by summarizing the fact that God will remain with Joshua during his journey. This is important because it emphasizes the urgency of what is being done and reminds Joshua of what he was asked to do in order to improve the lives of the Israelites. Although this is no small task, Joshua is reminded to approach this with ease and understanding so that he can be successful in carrying out His word.

Theology

“This entry into the land fulfills the promises of the whole Pentateuch–promises to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, as well as promises to Moses and the first generation of Israelites in the wilderness”. Thus, this excerpt from the book of Joshua marks an important moment in history (Nelson 1997). Israel is considered to be the holy land in modern times for many different religions, and this is the first time it is discussed in biblical literature. The Israelites needed a place to call their home after their torment as slaves in Egypt, so this land was provided to them by God in order to provide them with a sense of safety and belonging.

An additional important aspect that is discussed in this passage is the need to practice the word of God. Just as Joshua was asked to practice and enact the principles contained within the Ten Commandments, we are asked to do so today (Younger et al. 2003). By accomplishing this, we are carrying out the will of God. Since the Ten Commandments were passed to Moses by God, Joshua is carrying out an important aspect of the transfer of religious law between individuals of different generations. It is imperative that we continue to pass down the Ten Commandments to our future generations, just as Moses passed down these Commandments to newer generations of followers. In doing so, we are preserving morality and the word of God. This will allow humanity to accomplish happiness in the same manner that Joshua’s obedience set the people of Israel on the right path towards acquiring a homeland.

Bibliography

Day J, 2002,Yahweh and the Gods and Goddesses of Canaan. Sheffield Academic Press.

Day, J, 2002, Yahweh and the Gods and Goddesses of Canaan. Sheffield Academic Press.

Lawson K, 2003, “Joshua”:Eerdmans Commentary on the Bible. Eerdmans.

Nelson RD, 1997,Joshua. Westminster John Knox Press.

Pressler C, 2002,Joshua, Judges and Ruth. Westminster John Knox Press.