Joshua records the consummation of the redemption of Israel of Israel out of Egypt; for redemption has two parts: "out," and "into" ( Deuteronomy 6:23 ). The key-phrase is "Moses My servant is dead" ( Joshua 1:2 ). Law, of which Moses is the representative, could never give a sinful people victory ( Hebrews 7:19 ; Romans 6:14 ; 8:2-4 ).
In a spiritual sense the book of Joshua is the Ephesians of the Old Testament. "The heavenly" of Ephesians is to the Christian what Canaan was to the Israelite and blessing through divine power ( Joshua 21:43-55 ; Ephesians 1:3 )
The government, as before, was theocratic; Joshua succeeding Moses as the ruler under God.
Joshua falls into four parts:
- The conquest, 1-12.
- The partition of the inheritance, 13-21.
- Incipient discord, 22.
- Joshua's last counsels and death, 23,24.
The events recorded in Joshua cover a period of 26 years (Ussher).
