| JOSHUA |
| Explanatory Footnotes |
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| 2:12 Rahab's Future References to Rahab elsewhere in the Bible show that she gained a unique place in Jewish history. She and her family alone survived the battle of Jericho. By marrying a man named Salmon (possibly a relative of the hero Caleb), she became a direct ancestor of Jesus Christ (Matthew 1:5). The authors of James (2:25) and Hebrews (11:31) hold up Rahab as an example of faith. 3:16 Stopping the Jordan River A 1927 earthquake caused the 40-foot clay banks of the Jordan River to collapse, totally damming the Jordan for 21 hours. Whatever means God used to allow the Israelites to cross, this miracle in Joshua achieved a similar result during the river's swollen flood stage. The miracle echoed the crossing of the Red Sea 40 years before, helping to establish Joshua as a worthy successor to Moses. Joshua and the Israelites crossed at a location very close to where Jesus was later baptised. 6:26 Cursed City Joshua's curse was fulfilled literally when a man attempted to rebuild the city of Jericho in the days of King Ahab (see 1 Kings 16:34). 7:7 A Crisis of Confidence Ai stood near the original location where God had promised the land to Abraham hundreds of years before (Genesis 12:8). Military defeat there, coming so quickly on the heels of a great victory at Jericho, caused even Joshua to tremble. Without God's protection, the Israelites were militarily vulnerable. 8:30 Blessings and Curses The scene in this section, which describes the carrying out of Moses' instructions in Deuteronomy 27-28, was a profoundly symbolic event in the history of the Israelites. It elaborately portrayed what would happen if they obeyed the covenant, |