A. The writer(s), the place, and the time: The book of Joshua is written by Joshua. He was a military leader and a politician. He wrote most of this book in Canaan and a smaller portion in the plains of Moab. The events recorded in this book probably took place between 1450 B.C. and 1426 B.C.
B. The subject: The destruction of the enemies and the entering into rest.
C. The background: [The purpose of God’s calling was not only to bring the children of Israel out of Egypt, the land of bondage, but also to bring them into Canaan, the land flowing with milk and honey (Exo. 3:8, 10, 17). In typology, to bring the children of Israel into the good land signifies the bringing of man into Christ, the all-inclusive One typified by the good land. Today Christ is the good land flowing with milk and honey.]
D. The central thought: The faithful God brought His people into the good land promised to their forefather, Abraham. The righteous God dealt with the sin of His people and the inhabitants of the good land.
E. The general sketch: [God spoke to Joshua, the son of Nun, Moses’ minister, to rise up and cross over Jordan with all the people to the land that He would give to them as their inheritance (Josh. 1:2, 6). Joshua 11:23 says, “Joshua took the whole land, according to all that the Lord said unto Moses; and Joshua gave it for an inheritance unto Israel according to their divisions by their tribes. And the land rested from war.”]
F. The sections: 1) entering of the good land (chs. 1—5), 2) conquering the enemies (chs. 6—12), 3) distributing of the good land (chs. 13—22), and 4) farewell (chs. 23—24).
A. The writer(s), the place, and the time: [There are a lot of contentions about the authorship of Judges, and they are hard to verify. However, many authorities have postulated that it was written by Samuel.] It was probably written between 1425 B.C. and 1120 B.C.
B. The subject: Confusion and revival.
C. The background: After the children of Israel inherited the good land, they rebelled against God; they bowed down to idols, warred among themselves, and were full of the sins of the flesh. It is a dark and painful history.
D. The central thought: Man has a rebellious nature. God is righteous to judge all sins. God is merciful and faithful to forgive and save every time His people repent and call upon Him.
E. The general sketch: [The period from the death of Joshua to the reign of Saul is called the age of the judges. The entire age of the judges lasted about 450 years (Acts 13:19, 20). During this period, the children of Israel could not utterly drive out and destroy the seven tribes in Canaan. Consequently they gradually forsook God, followed the customs of the nations, had mixed marriages with the nations, and worshipped other gods. Therefore, God delivered them into the hands of the nations according to His warnings. But whenever they repented, God would listen to their prayers and would deliver them through the hand of a judge. The children of Israel would forsake God, but they would then repent and God would deliver them. But eventually they would forsake God again. This cycle was repeated, as many as seven times.]
F. The sections: 1) foreword—faith in God (chs. 1—2:5), 2) history of falling—rebellion against God (chs. 2:6—16), and 3) appendix—confusion in religion, in morality, and between the tribes (chs. 15—21).