Lesson 74

Joshua 1–2

“Lesson 74: Joshua 1–2,” Old Testament Seminary Student Material (2018)


Prepare to Learn

Prepare your mind and heart to learn. Have faith that the Lord understands your needs and wants to bless you. The Spirit can help you know how to apply the gospel principles you discover.

Begin your study with prayer.

It is not always easy to do what is right. Sometimes we face opposition when we make righteous choices. What can give us strength and courage to make the right choice even when it is hard?

video icon Elder Kevin W. Pearson of the Seventy relates what helped him when he faced opposition from an employer. You can read the text for this video here: “Stay by the Tree,” Ensign or Liahona, May 2015, 116.

Assignments from the Lord

youth pondering

What are some tasks or assignments the Lord asks us to do that some Church members might fear?

Strength and Courage

youth studying scriptures

As you study Joshua 1–2, look for truths that can help you whenever you feel fearful about doing what God asks of you.

In Joshua 1:1–6 we learn that Joshua was commanded to be strong and courageous as the new successor to Moses in leading the Israelites. Joshua was commanded to bring the Israelites into the promised land and to divide the land among the Israelites for an inheritance.

Read Joshua 1:5–7, 9, looking for the Lord’s promise that might have helped Joshua “be strong and of a good courage.”

What principle can we learn from these verses?

Having the Lord with Us

youth typing

One principle we can learn from Joshua 1:5–7, 9 is that knowing that the Lord is with us can help us be strong and of a good courage.

writing icon 1. Answer one or both of the following questions:

  • How can knowing that the Lord is with us help us be strong and courageous?

  • When have you felt that the Lord was with you and gave you strength or courage to do something difficult? If you are unsure whether you have had an experience like this, ask this question to a parent or trusted Church leader.

The Book of the Law

book of Genesis

As recorded in Joshua 1:8, the Lord told Joshua to become familiar with the “book of the law” by meditating on it day and night. This “book” likely referred to scripture in general.

To meditate means to ponder, reflect, or study.

Read Joshua 1:8, looking for a principle that can be identified about the blessings of meditating on the scriptures.

Quiz 1

  1. Along with meditating on the scriptures, what else did the Lord command Joshua to do, according to verse 8?

    1. Tell others “that which hath been written in the scriptures.”

    2. “Do according to all that is written therein.”

    3. “Do nothing save meditate on that which hath been written.”

  2. True or false: The Lord promised Joshua that if he would meditate on the scriptures and live according to the teachings therein, he would prosper and have success.

    1. True

    2. False

Prosperity and Success

The following is one way we can summarize Joshua 1:8 as a principle: If we meditate on the scriptures daily and live according to the teachings therein, then we will prosper and have success.

What kind of success could Joshua expect from meditating on the scriptures? President Ezra Taft Benson (1899–1994) described success this way:

Ezra Taft Benson

“The Lord was not promising Joshua material wealth and fame, but that his life would prosper in righteousness and that he would have success in that which matters most in life, namely the quest to find true joy. (See 2 Nephi 2:25.)” (Ezra Taft Benson, “The Power of the Word,” Ensign, May 1986, 81).

How has meditating on the scriptures helped you “prosper in righteousness” and have success in finding true joy?

Staying Spiritually Fit

video icon In the video “Staying Spiritually Fit,” a few young men describe why hard work is vital to achieving goals and being successful. The same principles that helped them excel in sports can also be applied to ensure spiritual prosperity and success.

writing icon 2. Answer the following question:

  • How will you apply what you learned about meditating on the scriptures and living according to the teachings therein?

The Land of Their Inheritance

youth reading the Bible

From Joshua 1:10–15 we learn that Joshua reminded the men of the tribes of Reuben and Gad and half the tribe of Manasseh of an agreement they had made. They were granted their land inheritances on the east of the Jordan River on the condition that they would assist the remaining tribes of Israel in fighting for and obtaining their land inheritances on the west side of the river (see Numbers 32).

The way that the men of these tribes responded to Joshua says a lot about their character. Read Joshua 1:16–18, looking for how they responded.

Rahab

Rahab helping two spies

Before the children of Israel entered the promised land, Joshua sent two spies across the Jordan River to the city of Jericho. Jericho was the first city on the west side of the Jordan River that the Israelites were commanded to conquer.

From Joshua 2:1–8 we learn that the king of Jericho heard about the spies and sent men to capture them. A woman named Rahab saved the spies from being captured by hiding them on the roof of her house.

Read Joshua 2:9–11, looking for what Rahab told the two Israelite spies.

Who did Rahab testify of?

Making an Oath

youth reading scriptures

The account continues in Joshua 2:12–21 as Rahab asked the two spies to make an oath. She asked them for the Israelite army to spare her life and the lives of her family members in return for her having saved the spies’ lives. The spies agreed and told Rahab to tie a “line of scarlet thread” (verse 18) in the window of her home. This was likely to be a piece of cloth or cord made of red thread and would help the army identify Rahab’s home. After making this oath, the two spies were let down out of the city from Rahab’s window, and they escaped back across the Jordan River to Joshua.

Faith in the Lord

youth holding the Bible

In Joshua 2:1 Rahab was described as a harlot, which meant she was known as an immoral woman. It is likely the spies chose to stay with her because strangers in town would have been received there without question and would be able to remain anonymous (see Old Testament Student Manual: Genesis–2 Samuel, 3rd ed. [Church Educational System manual, 2003], 236–37).

In spite of Rahab’s past as a harlot, two New Testament writers described her as a woman who showed faith in the Lord (see Hebrews 11:31; James 2:25). She joined the Israelites and was blessed because she provided safety for the two spies (see Joshua 6:25). One evidence of Rahab’s faith in the Lord was her willingness to change. She repented of her past and continued in the path of faithfulness.

What You Have Understood and Felt

youth pondering

The following principles were identified in this lesson:

  • Knowing that the Lord is with us can help us be strong and of a good courage.

  • If we meditate on the scriptures daily and live according to the teachings therein, then we will prosper and have success.

Take time to think about what you have understood and felt during this lesson. What specific actions will you take to show your faith in the Lord?

Answer Key

Quiz 1: (1) b; (2) a

  Listen