The Fall of Jericho

Continuing a chronological Bible study:

(Joshua 6:1) Now Jericho was straitly shut up because of the children of Israel; none went out and none came in.

In the last chapter and post, the Israelites had come into their promised land and were camped at Gilgal.  The kings and all their people in the Canaanite lands were terror-stricken because of the Israelites and all the miracles the Lord had wrought for them.  Jericho was nearest the Israelites' camp and where spies had gone to check out the land.  Now the city of Jericho was securely shut so that no one could go in nor go out.  This was surely due to their fear of the Israelites.

(2) And the Lord said to Joshua, "See, I have given into your hand Jericho and its king and the mighty men of valor."

The Lord, who appears to be the Lord Jesus as discovered at the end of the last chapter, spoke to Joshua and told him he could see that Jericho, its king, and its soldiers, had already been delivered into his hand, as was evident by their fear.

(3) "And you shall compass the city, all men of war, and go round about the city once. This you shall do six days."

The Lord told Joshua he and all the Israelite men of war, those of fighting age and fit, were to surround the city of Jericho, and march around the city one time.  They were to do that same thing for six days in a row.

(4) "And seven priests shall bear before the ark seven trumpets of rams' horns, and the seventh day you shall compass the city seven times, and the priests shall blow with the trumpets."

The Lord instructed Joshua that seven priests were to go before the ark of the covenant that was carried by other priests.  The seven priests would carry trumpets of rams' horns and blow their trumpets as the army marched around Jericho.  This was to bring attention to and proclaim the Lord represented by the ark was leading His people around Jericho, so there would be no doubt that the Lord Himself performed the coming miracle for His people.  On the seventh day the Israelites were to march around Jericho seven times.  All these sevens, seven priests, seven trumpets, seven days, were surely significant.  In the Bible, seven usually signifies completion and/or perfection.

(5) "And it shall come to pass that when they make a long blast with the ram's horn, when you hear the sound of the trumpet, all the people shall shout with a great shout, and the wall of the city shall fall down flat, and the people shall ascend up every man straight before him."

On the seventh day, after going around Jericho seven times, the priests or one priest, as the horn is singular, would make one long blast, and when they heard that, all the people were to shout with a great shout and the wall of the city would fall down flat.  It probably wasn't the entire wall of the city, so that the inhabitants could not escape, but a section perhaps just large enough for the Israelite army to go up into the city in a procession just as they had been going around the wall of the city.

(6) And Joshua the son of Nun called the priests and said to them, "Take up the ark of the covenant and let seven priests bear seven trumpets of rams' horns before the ark of the Lord."

Joshua the son of Nun, or Joshua, the understanding one (Joshua 2:1 notes), called the priests and told them to take up the ark of the covenant of the Lord and let seven of them bear trumpets of rams' horns and go before the ark.

(7) And he said to the people, "Pass on and compass the city, and let him who is armed pass on before the ark of the Lord."

Joshua told the people to go forward and encircle the city.  The armed soldiers were to go before the ark probably to clear and make safe the way, then would go the seven priests with trumpets immediately before the ark, and the people would follow the ark.

(8) And it came to pass, when Joshua had spoken to the people, that the seven priests bearing the seven trumpets of rams' horns passed on before the Lord and blew with the trumpets, and the ark of the covenant of the Lord followed them. (9) And the armed men went before the priests who blew with the trumpets, and the rear guard came after the ark while the trumpets went on blowing.

After Joshua spoke to the people, the armed men went out before the ark, followed by the seven priests with their trumpets sounding before the ark of the covenant of the Lord, and the rear guard, or assembly, the people, followed the ark, while the trumpets continually blew.

(10) And Joshua had commanded the people, saying, "You shall not shout, nor make any noise with your voice, neither shall a word proceed out of your mouth, until the day I bid you, 'Shout!' Then you shall shout."

Joshua had commanded the people before they started forth that they were not to shout, nor utter any word or make any sound until Joshua gave the order to shout, and only then were they to shout.

(11) So the ark of the Lord compassed the city, going around it once, and they came into the camp and lodged in the camp.

The ark of the Lord carried by the priests who followed the seven priests who followed the army, and with the people following it, went around the walls of the city of Jericho one time, and then returned to their camp where they lodged for the night.

(12) And Joshua rose early in the morning, and the priests took up the ark of the Lord.

The next morning Joshua rose up early, and the priests took up the ark of the Lord, prepared to go around the city for a second time.

(13) And seven priests bearing seven trumpets of rams' horns before the ark of the Lord went on continually and blew with the trumpets, and the armed men went before them, but the rear guard came after the ark of the Lord, while the trumpets continually blew.

Then gathered the seven priests bearing the seven trumpets to go before the ark, and the armed men went before them, and the assembly of people making up the rear guard went after the ark, while the trumpets continually blew.

(14) And the second day they compassed the city once and returned to the camp; so they did six days.

That second day the people went around the city walls one time and then returned to their camp.  They did that for six days.

(15) And it came to pass on the seventh day, that they rose early about the dawning of the day and compassed the city after the same manner seven times; only on that day they compassed the city seven times.

Then on the seventh day, the people rose early and went around the city seven times.  That was the only day they had gone around seven times.

(16) And it came to pass at the seventh time, when the priests blew with the trumpets, Joshua said to the people, "Shout! For the Lord has given you the city!"

Then after the seventh time around, the priests blew one long blast with their trumpets, and Joshua told the people to shout because the Lord had given them the city of Jericho.

(17) "And the city shall be accursed, it and all that are in it, to the Lord; only Rahab the harlot shall live, she and all with her in the house because she hid the messengers that we sent."

It's interesting, the original word "cherem" that was translated as "accursed" can mean "cursed or doomed" or "devoted or dedicated to," seemingly opposite meanings.  However, it absolutely describes Jericho at that point.  The city was doomed and completely dedicated to the Lord to do with it as He wished.  Not only the city, but all who were in it, except Rahab and her family within her house, because of the kindness she had shown the spies.

(18) "And you, in any way, keep from the accursed thing, lest you become accursed when you take of the accursed thing and make the camp of Israel a curse and trouble it."

Joshua went on to tell the people that they were to avoid in every way possible the cursed thing of Jericho.  Mainly, that was taking of anything in Jericho that was cursed and bringing it into the Israelite camp to curse and trouble it.

(19) "But all the silver and gold and vessels of brass and iron, consecrated to the Lord, they shall come into the treasury of the Lord."

All the silver and gold, brass and iron, again both cursed and dedicated, were cursed for anyone in Jericho and for any of the Israelites, but they were dedicated only to the Lord to be brought into the treasury of the Lord.

(20) So the people shouted when the long blast of the trumpets blew, and it came to pass when the people heard the sound of the trumpet, and the people shouted with a great shout, that the wall fell down flat so that the people went up into the city, every man straight before him, and they took the city.

The people did as Joshua told them and they shouted with a great shout when the long blast of the trumpets blew, and the city wall of Jericho fell down flat so that the people went up into the city in a procession, and they were able to take the city.  There was no doubt that God had toppled that wall.  Nothing that the people had done the past seven days should have made that wall fall except that God willed it.  However, He did command obedience from the Israelites to do as He instructed with regard to going around the wall seven days.  He taught them to trust in Him even when it seemed impossible or didn't make sense.  Just trust God.  He taught patience.  God said the wall would fall when they did as He commanded.  If some soldiers had decided that marching around a wall was fruitless and decided they had a chance to go over the wall and catch the enemy unaware, they would have demonstrated lack of faith in God and displayed faith only in themselves, and their actions would have surely failed.  By trusting in their Lord and obeying His word and believing it even though it took time, they were able to take the city.

(21) And they utterly destroyed all in the city, both man and woman, young and old, and ox, and sheep, and ass, with the edge of the sword.

As God had commanded, the Israelites completely destroyed the city, and every living thing in it, regardless of age or gender, humans and animals alike.  The inhabitants of Canaan were an abominably wicked people and deserved the righteous judgment of God.  The Judge of all the earth can do no wrong, so as this was ordered by Him, you can be sure it was righteous.  If any should worry that innocent children were killed, as God knows all, what was, what will be, and what would have been, you can be sure He is just.  If any children would have grown up innocent, then God took them home to be with Him to escape their life among the heathens.

(22) But Joshua had said to the two men who had spied out the country, "Go into the harlot's house and bring out from there the woman and all that she has, as you swore to her."

However, Rahab and her family were spared because Joshua had told the two spies she had hidden to bring them out of the city, as they had sworn to her they would do.

(23) And the young men who were spies went in and brought out Rahab, and her father, and her mother, and her brethren, and all that she had, and they brought out all her kindred and left them outside the camp of Israel.

The men who had been the spies went in the city and brought out Rahab and her entire family and kinsmen to the outside of their camp.  The entire extended family was saved because of the actions of one woman in their family.  Passages like this have always comforted me.  There are many examples in the Bible, even in the New Testament, that say "you and your household will be saved" (Acts 16:31).  However, we know that to be saved an individual must accept Jesus as their Lord and Savior, but if God said all in the family will be saved, then each individual in that family will come to accept Jesus, I have no doubt.  Jesus said in Matthew 10:34-36 that He had come to set family members against each other.  That is because He would bring truth to one that would be in complete opposition to the beliefs of his family, and we all know how passionate those discussions can become.  However, once again, I believe that if God said your entire family would be saved, then those contentious family members will eventually come around.  But did God tell each of us that our entire household would be saved?  Maybe in some cases He did, but even if in doubt, we should continually pray for our family.  God's will is that all be saved (1 Timothy 2:4), so He will be continually drawing people to Himself.  I can't help but wonder sometimes who it was praying for me that I would eventually come to Jesus.

I had always heard that Rahab even became an ancestor of the Messiah Jesus Christ!  What an honor that one act of faith brought to her.  However, in studying that, I now find that may not be true.  In the genealogy of Jesus in Matthew 1:5, the name is spelled differently.  That in itself doesn't disqualify it from being the same person as Rahab, as Boaz is also spelled differently in the same verse.  Often in the Bible we find different spellings of the same name and person.  However, this very smart article demonstrates that it cannot be automatically assumed that Rachab in Jesus's genealogy was the same as Rahab the harlot.

(24) And they burnt the city with fire and all that was in it; only the silver and the gold and the vessels of brass and iron they put into the treasury of the house of the Lord.

The Israelites burned the entire city of Jericho and everything that was in it, but they brought all the silver, gold, and brass and iron vessels out of the city and put them into the treasury of the house of the Lord.

(25) And Joshua saved Rahab the harlot alive, and her father's household and all that she had, and she dwells in Israel to this day because she hid the messengers whom Joshua sent to spy out Jericho.

Joshua saved Rahab and all her family and all that she had from the destruction of the city.  She still lived in Israel at the time Joshua wrote this account.  This was due to her one faithful act of hiding God's messengers.  This is another passage that gives me great hope and encouragement.  We don't always have to do huge important things for the kingdom of God, but if we are faithful to do His will, whatever it may be, we shall be blessed.

(26) And Joshua charged at that time, saying, "Cursed the man before the Lord who rises up and builds this city Jericho; he shall lay its foundation in his firstborn, and in his youngest he shall set up its gates."

Joshua then pronounced a curse on anyone who rose up to rebuild Jericho.  He would begin building the foundation at the expense of the life of his firstborn and would lose his youngest as he finished the gates, suggesting that all his children would die along the way if he persisted in rebuilding Jericho.  Indeed, that appears to have happened as recorded in 1 Kings 16:34:  

In his days Hiel of Bethel built Jericho. He laid its foundation with Abiram his firstborn, and with his youngest son Segub he set up its gates, according to the word of the LORD, which He had spoken through Joshua the son of Nun.

(27) So the Lord was with Joshua, and his fame was throughout the country.

The Lord was with Joshua as He had been with Moses because of his faith and obedience, and his fame spread throughout the country because of his wisdom and courage, and for the knowledge that the all-powerful God of the universe was with him, and that struck terror in the inhabitants of the land.

A New Generation is Circumcised, and the Captain of the Lord's Host Appears to Joshua

Continuing a chronological Bible study:

(Joshua 5:1) And it came to pass when all the kings of the Amorites who were on the side of the Jordan westward and all the kings of the Canaanites who were by the sea heard that the Lord had dried up the waters of the Jordan from before the children of Israel until we had passed over, that their heart melted; neither was there spirit in them anymore because of the children of Israel.

In the last chapter and post, the children of Israel, having crossed over the Jordan on dry land, placed twelve memorial stones commemorating the miracle their God had performed for them.  When the kings of the Amorites on this west side of the Jordan (the Amorites having already been conquered on the east side) and the kings of the Canaanites who were by the sea, probably the Mediterranean Sea, heard about how the Lord had dried up the waters of the Jordan River to allow the Israelites to safely cross over, they lost all courage and were completely dejected, concluding it was surely all over for them as they could do nothing against so powerful a God.

(2) At that time the Lord said to Joshua, "Make you sharp knives and circumcise again the children of Israel the second time."

After they had crossed over the Jordan River and were encamped at Gilgal, the Lord told Joshua to make sharp knives and circumcise the children of Israel again.  The original word "tsor" that was translated as "sharp" actually means "stone," so he was to make knives of stone or flint, and I'm sure they were to be made sharp as he was to perform circumcisions a second time.  It's not that the people who had been circumcised the first time would need another circumcision, but most of these people had not yet been circumcised, probably it being neglected while they were in the wilderness, so that is what is meant by a second time.

(3) And Joshua made him sharp knives and circumcised the children of Israel at the hill of the foreskins.

Joshua did as the Lord instructed him and made flint knives and circumcised those children of Israel who were not yet circumcised.  The place was evidently afterward called the hill of the foreskins, possibly because a hill of foreskins was made there as they were heaped one upon another.

(4) And this is the reason why Joshua circumcised them: all the people who came out of Egypt, males, all the men of war, died in the wilderness on the way after they came out of Egypt. (5) Now all the people who came out were circumcised, but all the people born in the wilderness on the way as they came out of Egypt had not been circumcised.

Indeed, Joshua explained why a second circumcision was necessary.  All the men who came out of Egypt had been circumcised, but as they had wandered in the wilderness for forty years, those men had died and a whole new generation had been born, and those had not yet been circumcised.

(6) For the children of Israel walked forty years in the wilderness till all the people, men of war, who came out of Egypt were consumed because they did not obey the voice of the Lord, to whom the Lord swore that He would not show them the land which the Lord swore to their fathers that He would give us, a land that flowed with milk and honey.

And the reason why the Israelites had to wander in the wilderness for forty years was because they did not have faith in the Lord and disobeyed Him when they would not go into their promised land and take what He had given them, after ten of the twelve spies came to the people with a bad and scary report of the inhabitants of the land.  The Lord said that none of the people then living twenty years old and older would be allowed to enter their promised land, but they would die in the wilderness (Numbers 14:32-34).  Only Joshua and Caleb, who trusted the Lord and gave good reports of their promised land, were allowed to live and see their inheritance.

(7) And their children whom He raised up in their stead, those Joshua circumcised, for they were uncircumcised because they had not circumcised them on the way.

The children of the nonbelievers whom God raised up to replace their fathers and accept the Lord's gift to them, those Joshua circumcised as they had not been circumcised while they wandered in the wilderness.

(8) And it came to pass, when they had done circumcising all the people, that they abode in their places in the camp till they were healed.

After all the circumcisions were performed, the people stayed in their camp until they were all healed.

(9) And the Lord said to Joshua, "This day I have rolled away the reproach of Egypt from off you." Wherefore the name of the place is called Gilgal unto this day.

The Lord then said to Joshua that the reproach of Egypt, that is the reproach of the uncircumcised heathens, had been rolled away from the Israelites.  It appears that this was the time when the place was first named Gilgal which meant wheel, as one rolling away.

(10) And the children of Israel camped in Gilgal and kept the Passover on the fourteenth day of the month at evening in the plains of Jericho.

The Israelites camped in Gilgal in the plains of Jericho, and on the fourteenth day of the month they celebrated the Passover, according to one of the statutes of the Lord that Moses told the people they were to observe when they came into their promised land (Deuteronomy 12:1, 16:1).

(11) And they ate of the old corn of the land on the day after the Passover, unleavened cakes and parched grain on the very same day.

The day after the Passover, the people ate corn of the past year's harvest that was in the land, as well as unleavened cakes and parched grain.

(12) And the manna ceased on the day after they had eaten of the old corn of the land; neither did the children of Israel have manna anymore, but they ate of the fruit of the land of Canaan that year.

Manna, God's food from heaven, ceased on the day after the Israelites had eaten of the old harvest of the land, and they never had manna again as there was no need because they ate of the fruit of the land of Canaan.

(13) And it came to pass when Joshua was by Jericho, that he lifted up his eyes and looked, and behold, there stood a man opposite him with his sword drawn in his hand, and Joshua went to him and said to him, "Are you for us or for our adversaries?"

It happened that while Joshua was standing at the border of Jericho that he looked up and saw a man with his sword drawn in his hand.  Joshua went to him and because of his warlike posture, asked if he was for the Israelites or for their enemies.

(14) And He said, "No, but as Captain of the host of the Lord, I have now come." And Joshua fell on his face to the earth, and worshiped, and said to Him, "What does my Lord say to His servant?"

The man said no, that He was Captain of the angelic host of the Lord.  The commentaries that I study have convinced me that this was the Lord Jesus Himself.  He was captain of all.  Joshua fell on his face and worshiped Him, which a mere angel would have forbidden him to do (Revelation 22:8-9, Matthew 4:9-10).  Joshua seems to have acknowledged Him as His Lord in human form when he called himself His servant and asked what He wished him to do.  Although I have to admit, that since the King James Version never capitalized the pronouns of the Lord, Joshua could have been asking an angel, a representative of the Lord, what message His Lord was sending to him.  But again, since the Man did not rebuke Joshua for worshiping Him, it does appear that He was the Lord Jesus.

(15) And the Captain of the Lord's host said to Joshua, "Loosen your shoe from off your foot, for the place on which you stand is holy." And Joshua did so.

Indeed, the Captain of the Lord's host told Joshua to remove his shoes for he was standing on holy ground, another indication that he was in the presence of the Lord Jesus Himself.  Joshua did as He told him.  The Lord appearing before Joshua would have served as a great encouragement to him, and therefore, to the people of Israel.  After all, the Lord stopping the manna may have looked as if He was withdrawing His help from His people, but by sending Jesus Himself, He showed that He Himself was leading the people to their victory, and they had nothing to fear.

The Twelve Memorial Stones from the Jordan

Continuing a chronological Bible study:

(Joshua 4:1) And it came to pass, when all the people were clean passed over Jordan, that the Lord spoke to Joshua, saying,

In chapter 3 of Joshua, the Lord had dried up the Jordan River so that His people could pass over into their promised land.  Now that all the people were completely across the Jordan, the Lord spoke to Joshua. 

(2) "Take you twelve men out of the people, out of every tribe a man."

In Joshua 3:12, Joshua had instructed the people to select one man from each of their tribes, twelve men in all, but it was not told to us why.  Now the Lord told Joshua to call those twelve men.

(3) "And command them, saying, 'Take out of the midst of the Jordan, out of the place where the priests' feet stood firm, twelve stones, and you shall carry them over with you and leave them in the lodging place where you shall lodge tonight.'"

The Lord told Joshua to command the twelve men to go back to the place where the priests' feet had stood and collect twelve stones, each man a stone, and carry them to the place where they would lodge for the night.

(4) Then Joshua called the twelve men, whom he had prepared of the children of Israel, out of every tribe a man.

Joshua called the twelve men whom he had already prepared in Joshua 3:12; there was one man from each of the twelve tribes.

(5) And Joshua said to them, "Pass over before the ark of the Lord your God into the midst of Jordan and take up every man of you a stone upon his shoulder, according to the number of the tribes of the children of Israel."

Joshua told the men to pass over before the ark in the midst of the Jordan River.  Many commentators took this to mean they were to go back to where the priests were still standing in the Jordan; they were to pass over the Jordan to right before the ark.  To me it sounds as if the priests had already crossed over with the people, and the twelve men were to pass by the ark and go into the midst of the river where the priests' feet had stood, as God had used that past tense in verse 3, not where they were standing at that present time.  Regardless, the twelve men were to take up twelve stones from the place where the priests had stood bearing the ark of the covenant of the Lord, each man a stone, bearing it on his shoulder, according to the number of tribes of the Israelites.

(6) "That this may be a sign among you when your children ask in time to come, saying, 'What do you mean by these stones?'"

The twelve stones were to be placed on this side of the Jordan, the side of their promised land, and they were to be a sign in times to come that would have their children asking what was meant by the stones.

(7) "Then you shall answer them that the waters of the Jordan were cut off before the ark of the covenant of the Lord; when it passed over Jordan, the waters of Jordan were cut off, and these stones shall be for a memorial to the children of Israel forever."

When their children asked about the meaning of the stones, they would tell them about how the waters of the Jordan River had been cut off before the ark of the covenant of the Lord.  Those stones would be an everlasting memorial of how the waters had been cut off from that area where the ark stood where the people crossed over.

(8) And the children of Israel did so and took up twelve stones out of the midst of the Jordan, as the Lord spoke to Joshua, according to the number of the tribes of the children of Israel, and carried them over with them to the place where they lodged and laid them down there.

The people did as Joshua had told them to do, as commanded by God.  They had a man from each of their tribes go to the place where the ark had stood while the people crossed over the Jordan River, and each man took up a stone and carried it back over the Jordan to the place where they would lodge that night, and they laid the stones there, one stone representing each tribe of Israel, twelve stones in all.

(9) And Joshua set up twelve stones in the midst of the Jordan in the place where the feet of the priests who bore the ark of the covenant stood, and they are there to this day.

It appears that Joshua took another twelve stones and set them up in the place in the Jordan River where the priests had stood bearing the ark, as a memorial to the exact spot, and they were still there at the time Joshua wrote this account which was evidently some time afterward.

(10) For the priests who bore the ark stood in the midst of the Jordan until everything was finished that the Lord commanded Joshua to speak to the people, according to all that Moses commanded Joshua, and the people hasted and passed over.

This is a rather difficult verse, but I believe it refers only to the priests standing in the midst of the Jordan until all the people passed over the river, as Moses had not commanded Joshua anything about the setting of the stones.  I believe it must be the general commandment that Joshua would lead the people over the Jordan into their promised land.  While the priests stood in the midst of the Jordan, and the waters were cut off, the people hurried across the river to their promised land.

(11) And it came to pass, when all the people were clean passed over, that the ark of the Lord passed over, and the priests, in the presence of the people.

Once the people had completely crossed over the Jordan River, then the priests bearing the ark of the covenant crossed over in the presence and sight of all the people.

(12) And the children of Reuben, and the children of Gad, and half the tribe of Manasseh, passed over armed before the children of Israel, as Moses spoke to them.

The men of the tribes of Reuben, Gad, and the half tribe of Manasseh who were settled on the other side of the Jordan, also crossed over the Jordan River, armed and ready for battle, as they had promised Moses they would do (Numbers 32:17).

(13) About forty thousand prepared for war passed over before the Lord to battle, to the plains of Jericho.

40,000 men from those two and a half tribes crossed over the Jordan, prepared for battle with their brethren, to the plains of Jericho.

(14) On that day the Lord magnified Joshua in the sight of all Israel, and they feared him as they feared Moses all the days of his life.

On that day the Lord had magnified Joshua, making him great and honorable in the sight of the Israelites, and the people respected and reverenced him all the days of his life as they had done Moses.

(15) And the Lord spoke to Joshua, saying, (16) "Command the priests who bear the ark of the testimony that they come up out of the Jordan."

Joshua didn't write very smoothly in a clean order, as he already told us in verse 11 that after all the people had crossed over the Jordan, the priests bearing the ark crossed over.  Here he told us that the Lord Himself had told him to command the priests to come out of the Jordan after the people had passed over.

(17) Joshua therefore commanded the priests, saying, "Come up out of the Jordan."

Joshua did as the Lord instructed him and told the priests to come up out of the Jordan River.

(18) And it came to pass, when the priests who bore the ark of the covenant of the Lord had come up out of the midst of the Jordan, and the soles of the priests' feet were lifted up onto the dry land, that the waters of Jordan returned to their place and flowed over all its banks as before.

Once the priests carrying the ark stepped onto dry land on the other side of the Jordan River, the waters of the river began flowing downstream again and flowed over its riverbanks as it had before.

(19) And the people came up out of the Jordan on the tenth of the first month and camped in Gilgal on the east border of Jericho.

The people had crossed over the Jordan River into their promised land on the tenth day of their first month, Nissan or Abib, as it was called; from the time of the people's exodus from Egypt, it was appointed the first month of the year (Exodus 12:2).  Now was their new beginning in their promised land in the first month of the year.  They camped in Gilgal on the east border of Jericho.

(20) And those twelve stones which they took out of the Jordan, Joshua pitched in Gilgal.

Joshua set up the twelve stones that the twelve men had taken out of the Jordan River there at their encampment as a memorial of their passage over the Jordan into their promised land.

(21) And he spoke to the children of Israel, saying, "When your children shall ask their fathers in time to come, saying, 'What are these stones?' (22) Then you shall let your children know, saying, 'Israel came over this Jordan on dry land.'" 

As Joshua had already told the people when he instructed them regarding the twelve stones in verses 6 and 7, the stones were to be commemorative and a visual sign that might prompt their children to ask what they meant, and they could then tell them the story about how the Lord dried up the Jordan River to allow them to cross safely into their promised land.

(23) "For the Lord your God dried up the waters of Jordan from before you until you were passed over, as the Lord your God did to the Red Sea which He dried up from before us until we were gone over, (24) That all the people of the earth might know the hand of the Lord, that it is mighty, that you might fear the Lord your God forever."

The way this is worded, describing how the Lord dried up the waters from before you, this appears to be directed to the people who had just crossed over the Jordan, and not part of what they would tell their children when they asked about the stones.  Joshua reminded the people that the Lord had just done for them what He had done in the days of Moses when He parted the Red Sea to allow their safe escape from Egypt, and that He had done these things that all the people of the earth would know the power of the one true God, and that they themselves would always remember and respect and fear their Lord forever.

The words of Adam Clarke, in his Commentary on the Bible, really struck me, especially one part.  In general, he wrote of how important it was to pass down the things of God to the next generation and that it was God's will that we do that.  That has kept the Bible alive in all the earth for thousands of years.  It's a vital part of how we raise our children, teaching them knowledge and truth.  "A spirit of inquiry is common to every child: the human heart is ever panting after knowledge; and if not rightly directed when young, will, like that of our first mother, go astray after forbidden science."  I can't help but think about the forbidden science our world is going after in this day, science that says people can change their genders and artificial intelligence that men seek after to make them immortal and as gods.  As a society, we have neglected to teach the truths of God.  As a matter of fact, we have forcibly pushed God out of schools and the public square.  It's no wonder so many follow after forbidden science, only the things that God Himself has control over.  After all, there is no wisdom apart from God (Proverbs 21:30).

The Earth Trembles at the Presence of the Lord

I am following a chronological Bible study that was ordered by Skip Andrews.  Although this psalm may or may not have been written at this time in chronology, it does speak of the miracle at the Jordan River which was detailed in Joshua 3 in the last post.  God dried up the Jordan River for His people to cross over it into their promised land.  Continuing with the chronological study:

(Psalm 114:1) When Israel went out of Egypt, the house of Jacob from a people of strange language, (2) Judah was his sanctuary, Israel His dominion.

The psalmist began by telling of God's people Israel, the house of Jacob, coming out of Egypt, out of a foreign country of people of foreign language and customs, into Judah, or Israel, their promised land, their sanctuary given them by the Lord.  Because the King James Version never used capital letters when describing Him, the Lord, it's hard to know whether "his" in verse 2 above means Israel or the Lord.  Different translations of the Bible translated it different ways.  Certainly their promised land was the Israelites' sanctuary and a country of their own dominion, not under the control of another country.  However, it could also be considered the Lord's sanctuary where His temple would stand, and His people Israel were certainly under His dominion.

(3) The sea saw and fled; Jordan was driven back.

Describing the Red Sea as having human characteristics, that it saw the will of God and fled, demonstrated how all things were and are subject to the will of God.  The Jordan River was also driven back by the will of God to allow His people to cross over into their promised land.

(4) The mountains skipped like rams, the little hills like lambs.

Even the mountains moved according to God's will and quaked at His presence as Mount Sinai did when the Lord descended upon it to give the law in Exodus 19:18.  As the mountains were described as moving greatly like great skipping rams, the smaller hills were described as moving in smaller skips as smaller lambs.

(5) What ailed you, O sea, that you fled? You Jordan, that you were driven back?

The psalmist asked what could have been the matter with the sea that it fled in such haste.  What caused the Jordan River to be driven back?

(6) You mountains, that you skipped like rams, you little hills like lambs?

What caused mountains and hills to skip like rams and lambs?  

(7) Tremble, you earth, at the presence of the Lord, at the presence of the God of Jacob, (8) Who turned the rock into a standing water, the flint into a fountain of waters!

All the people of the earth and the earth itself should tremble at the presence of so almighty a God as the God of Israel!  The God who could part the seas and make mountains quake, also turned rocks into fountains of water, a continual supply of water (Exodus 17:6).  How awesome and terrible to His enemies, the inhabitants of Canaan, was Israel's God, that even the earth itself quaked at His presence and did as He commanded?

Israel Crosses the Jordan

Continuing a chronological Bible study:

(Joshua 3:1) And Joshua rose early in the morning, and they removed from Shittim and came to Jordan, he and all the children of Israel, and lodged there before they passed over.

In the last chapter, Joshua had sent two spies into their promised land to check out the land around Jericho.  Rahab hid and protected them and told them that her entire country feared the terror of Israel.  The two spies went back to Joshua and told him that and that they were confident the Lord had delivered that land into their hands.  Joshua rose up the next morning and moved the Israelite camp to the Jordan River where they would soon cross over into their promised land.

(2) And it came to pass after three days that the officers went through the camp, (3) And they commanded the people, saying, "When you see the ark of the covenant of the Lord your God and the priests the Levites bearing it, then you shall remove from your place and go after it."

After three days officers went through the camp telling the people that when they saw the priests bearing the ark of the covenant of the Lord coming through, they were to follow it.

(4) "Yet there shall be a space between you and it, about two thousand cubits by measure; do not come near to it, that you may know the way by which you must go, for you have not passed this way before."

The people were to follow after the priests carrying the ark, but there was to remain a distance of about two thousand cubits, which was a good distance of about a thousand yards, between them and the ark.  But they were to follow after it for it would lead them the way they were to go, as they were about to embark on territory they had never been in before.

(5) And Joshua said to the people, "Sanctify yourselves, for tomorrow the Lord will do wonders among you."

Joshua told the people to sanctify themselves, both in body and in soul, by washing and in prayer and repentance, because the next day the Lord was going to do wonders among them.

(6) And Joshua spoke to the priests, saying, "Take up the ark of the covenant and pass over before the people." And they took up the ark of the covenant and went before the people.

This appears to be the next day when Joshua told the priests to take up the ark of the covenant and go forth ahead of the people, and they did as he instructed.

(7) And the Lord said to Joshua, "This day I will begin to magnify you in the sight of all Israel, that they may know that as I was with Moses, I will be with you."

The Lord told Joshua that that very day He was going to magnify him in the sight of the Israelites so that they would know that He was with Joshua in the same way He had been with Moses.  

(8) "And you shall command the priests who bear the ark of the covenant, saying, 'When you have come to the brink of the water of Jordan, you shall stand still in the Jordan.'"

The Lord told Joshua to command the priests carrying the ark of the covenant that when they had come to the edge of the Jordan River's waters, they were to stop and stand still in the water at the edge of the river.

(9) And Joshua said to the children of Israel, "Come here and hear the words of the Lord your God."

Joshua then called the Israelites to come to attention around him to hear the words of their Lord.

(10) And Joshua said, "By this you shall know that the living God is among you, and He will without fail drive out from before you the Canaanites, and the Hittites, and the Hivites, and the Perizzites, and the Girgashites, and the Amorites, and the Jebusites."

Joshua told the people that by what they were about to see their God do, they would be assured that He was with them, even there among them, and that He would without fail drive out all the seven tribes that inhabited their promised land from before them.

(11) "Behold, the ark of the covenant of the Lord of all the earth passes over before you into the Jordan."

He told the people to take notice that the ark of the covenant of the Lord, not just their Lord, but the one true Lord of all the earth, was passing before them into the Jordan River.

(12) "Now therefore, you take twelve men out of the tribes of Israel, out of every tribe a man."

Joshua instructed the people to select twelve men, one from each tribe.  It is not told to us here why they were selected, but they were appointed for a certain work described in chapter 4 of Joshua.

(13) "And it shall come to pass, as soon as the soles of the feet of the priests who bear the ark of the Lord, the Lord of all the earth, shall rest in the waters of Jordan, the waters of Jordan shall be cut off from the waters that come from upstream, and they shall stand up as a heap."

Joshua told the people that as soon as the feet of the priests carrying the ark stopped in the waters of the Jordan River, signifying that it was the Lord Himself when His ark reached the river, the waters of the Jordan would be cut off from the waters flowing from upstream and they would stand still in walls on each side.  God would perform the same miracle for Joshua at the Jordan River that He did for Moses when He parted the Red Sea; thus, He would magnify Joshua in the sight of the Israelites, demonstrating that He was with Joshua just as He had been with Moses (v. 7).

(14) And it came to pass, when the people removed from their tents to pass over Jordan, and the priests bearing the ark of the covenant before the people, (15) And as they who bore the ark came to the Jordan, and the feet of the priests who bore the ark were dipped in the brim of the water (for Jordan overflows all its banks all the time of harvest), (16) That the waters which came down from upstream stood risen up on a heap very far from the city Adam, that is beside Zaretan, and those that came down toward the sea of the plain, the Salt Sea, failed, cut off, and the people passed over right opposite Jericho.

The people left their tents to follow the priests carrying the ark about 1000 yards behind them.  As soon as the priests who bore the ark reached the water of the Jordan River which had overflown its banks and they stepped into that water, the waters which came from upstream stopped flowing and stood still in big heaps or as walls on either side.  I believe the sense about being very far from the city of Adam which was next to Zaretan was just to indicate that the waters stopped from very far upstream and all the waters that normally flowed down below where the priests then stood were cut off, and the people were able to cross over the Jordan River directly opposite Jericho.

(17) And the priests who bore the ark of the covenant of the Lord stood firm on dry ground in the midst of the Jordan, and all the Israelites passed over on dry ground until all the people were passed clean over the Jordan.

It strikes me that it must have been a very wide path made in the middle of the Jordan River for all the people to pass by the priests bearing the ark of the covenant if they were to stay 1000 yards away from the ark.  The priests stood firm where they were until all the people were completely crossed over the Jordan River.  It was as if it was God present with His ark and He kept the waters at bay while the people passed.  Of course, it was God holding back the waters, but I picture Him at His ark in the middle of the Jordan and the waters had to stay back from Him until all His people passed and He then let them flow again.

It is no wonder the inhabitants of Canaan fainted with fear of the Israelites.  Imagine this sight of them coming into their land and them having no doubt that it was their God in the middle of the Jordan stopping all the waters from flowing and heaping them up on the sides to allow all those people to cross over on dry land.  I had not considered this, but Adam Clarke, in his Commentary on the Bible, wrote that in some respects, this passage over the dry Jordan was more miraculous than the parting of the Red Sea.  With the Red Sea, God caused an east wind to blow all night that caused the waters to separate and make dry land (Exodus 14:21).  This striking miracle at the Jordan could never be explained by any natural means.  There was absolutely no doubt that it was only by the hand of the one true God of the universe, the God of the Israelites.

Rahab Hides the Israelite Spies

Continuing a chronological Bible study:

(Joshua 2:1) And Joshua the son of Nun sent out of Shittim two men to spy secretly, saying, "Go view the land, even Jericho." And they went and came into a harlot's house, named Rahab, and lodged there.

In the first chapter of Joshua in the last post, God had commissioned Joshua to take over in the place of Moses to lead the people into their promised land.  The first thing that comes to mind in this, the beginning of chapter 2, is the fact that Joshua is always called the son of Nun, as if Nun was a very important person.  However, I can find nothing that Nun did other than to father Joshua.  He is mentioned 29 times in the Bible, but always "Joshua, the son of Nun."  When would Joshua become important enough in his own right that "son of Nun" could be dropped?  I found a fascinating possible answer on this page:  Why is Joshua referred to in the Torah as “bin” Nun?  It seems that most of the time when someone was referred to as the son of someone, it was written as "ben."  The author of this page wrote that the Torah actually had the word as "bin" with Joshua and suggested that the words were not meant to be "bin Nun," but "binnun," a form of the word "binah" which meant something to the effect of "the understanding one."  Indeed, Joshua seems to have been an excellent student who would not depart from the tabernacle, even after Moses left (Exodus 33:11).  Therefore, this would have been a sort of new name given to Joshua, as the Lord often renamed His servants, Jacob to Israel, Simon to Peter, etc.  And as Judas Iscariot was almost always referred to as the one who betrayed Jesus, and James and John were the sons of thunder, this was Joshua, the understanding one.

Now back to commentary on Joshua 2:1, Joshua sent out two spies from their camp in Shittim in the plains of Moab, telling them to secretly check out the land, especially the land around Jericho.  The two spies went into the land and found lodging at Rahab the harlot's house.

(2) And it was told the king of Jericho, saying, "Behold, there came men here tonight of the children of Israel to search out the country."

It was told to the king of Jericho that men from the Israelites had come into their land that night to search out their country.

(3) And the king of Jericho sent to Rahab, saying, "Bring forth the men that have come to you, who have entered into your house, for they have come to search out all the country."

It was evidently specifically told to the king that the Israelite men were lodging at Rahab's house, as he sent word to her to bring the men to him because he knew they had come to search out their country.

(4) And the woman took the two men and hid them, and said, "There came men to me, but I knew not where they were from."

However, Rahab hid the two Israelite spies and reported back to the king that men had come to her, but she didn't know where they had come from.  I find it interesting that most of the old commentators I study, John Wesley, Albert Barnes, Matthew Henry, Adam Clarke, and John Gill, made a big deal of Rahab lying, writing that lying was never justified.  I hope that it's not me trying to justify a sin, but I honestly don't read, "Never tell a lie" in the Ten Commandments.  The ninth commandment says, "You shall not bear false witness against your neighbor."  You don't tell a lie about someone that will hurt them.  You don't falsely accuse them of something.  Rahab's lie helped the men.  In Hebrews 11:31, Rahab is honored for her act of faith, and there is no caveat that her unjust lie was forgiven her.  I admit that there are other scriptures that specifically say, "Do not lie" (Colossians 3:9, Leviticus 19:11, Proverbs 6:16-17, and others).  However, most of these refer to cheating and defrauding people.  I concede that telling insignificant lies that don't appear to hurt anyone might lead one down a slippery slope of telling lies more easily, so they should always be avoided.  However, as Peter and the apostles said in Acts 5:29, "We ought to obey God rather than men."  Certainly, when we are called to do or say something against God, we are to obey God even if that requires lying.  My point is not to condone lying, but I don't see that lying to the enemies of God to protect His men should be called out as an evil that had to be forgiven.  As a heathen and a harlot, Rahab surely must have been led by the Spirit of God to protect the men.  So was her lying to save them really an evil sin?

(5) "And it came to pass at the shutting of the gate, when it was dark, that the men went out; where the men went, I do not know; pursue after them quickly, for you shall overtake them."

Rahab went on to tell the men looking for the Israelite spies, that when it was dark, the spies left her house, and she did not know where they had gone.  She encouraged them to pursue them quickly, as they might be able to overtake them, but of course, she was still lying and knew that was not the case.

(6) But she had brought them up to the roof of the house and hid them with the stalks of flax which she had laid in order on the roof.

Rahab had actually brought the spies up to the roof of her house and had hidden them under stalks of flax that she had laid on her roof, probably to dry them.

(7) And the men pursued after them the way to Jordan to the fords, and as soon as they who pursued after them were gone out, they shut the gate.

The men went out to the fords of the Jordan, assuming the spies had gone that way back to their camp.  Verse 5 spoke of the shutting of the gate, but apparently Rahab had meant that it was the time for the shutting of the city gate, but it actually wasn't shut until the men pursuing the spies had gone out of it.

(8) And before they lay down, she came up to them on the roof, (9) And she said to the men, "I know that the Lord has given you the land and that your terror has fallen upon us, and that all the inhabitants of the land faint because of you."

Before the spies had lain down under the flax, probably meaning to go to sleep, as they were already hiding under the flax, Rahab had gone up to the roof to talk to them.  She said that she knew the Lord had given them their land, which would appear to be a divine revelation to her.  She knew God's people were a formidable people who struck terror in the hearts of the inhabitants of their land.

(10) "For we have heard how the Lord dried up the water of the Red Sea for you when you came out of Egypt and what you did to the two kings of the Amorites on the other side of the Jordan, Sihon and Og, whom you utterly destroyed."

Rahab told the spies that she and her people had heard how the Lord had dried up the Red Sea to allow His people to escape from the Egyptians, as well as how they had completely destroyed the Amorites and their kings.

(11) "And as soon as we had heard, our hearts melted; neither did there remain any more courage in any man, because of you, for the Lord your God, He is God in heaven above and on earth beneath."

Rahab said that when she and her people had heard what God was doing for the Israelites, their countrymen melted in fear and had no courage.  Whether others did or not, Rahab herself realized that the Israelites' God must be the one true God of heaven and earth.  I still believe there was some divine revelation to Rahab to have her come to this conclusion about their God.

(12) "Now therefore, I pray you, swear to me by the Lord, since I have shown you kindness, that you will also show kindness to my father's house and give me a true token, (13) And you will save alive my father, and my mother, and my brethren, and my sisters, and all that they have, and deliver our lives from death."

Rahab asked the spies to swear to her that since she had done a great kindness to them in hiding them from their enemies, that they would in return show kindness to her and her father's house.  She asked for some sort of token that would assure her that her entire family would be spared from death.

(14) And the men answered her, "Our life for yours if you do not utter this business of ours. And it shall be, when the Lord has given us the land, that we will deal kindly and truly with you."

The spies pledged their lives for hers as long as she (and her family) did not discuss this arrangement with her to anyone else.  Rahab had done what she did because she had faith in the one true God of the spies.  They could not have people trying to mimic Rahab's actions just to save themselves, so she must keep their agreement to herself.  They assured her that when the Lord had given them their land, they would indeed deal kindly and truly with Rahab and her family.

(15) Then she let them down by a cord through the window, for her house was on the town wall, and she dwelt upon the wall.

Rahab's house was on the town wall.  Perhaps the back wall of her house was part of the town wall which made it possible for escape even though the town gates were shut.  Rahab let the spies down by a cord through a window on the town wall.

(16) And she said to them, "Get to the mountain, lest the pursuers meet you, and hide yourselves there three days until the pursuers have returned, and afterward you may go your way."

Rahab told the spies to go to a mountain that was obviously near the city and hide themselves there so that their pursuers would not meet them on their way back from the fords.  She advised them that they stay in the mountain for three days to be sure the pursuers had returned, and then they could go on their way.

(17) And the men said to her, "We are blameless of this your oath which you have made us swear."

I believe what the spies meant to say to Rahab was that they would indeed faithfully adhere to the oath they made with her, and in that way they would be blameless, providing she upheld her part of the oath and did not tell a soul about their agreement (v. 14) and that she would do the following:

(18) "Behold, when we come into the land, you shall bind this line of scarlet thread in the window which you let us down by, and you shall bring your father, and your mother, and your brethren, and all your father's household, home to you."

The spies told Rahab that when they came back into her land to conquer it, she was to take a scarlet cord, probably the one by which she had let them down, and hang it in the window, the same one by which she had let them down, and bring all her father's family into her home.

(19) "And it shall be, whoever shall go out of the doors of your house into the street, his blood be on his head and we guiltless, and whoever shall be with you in the house, his blood be on our head if any hand be on him."

The spies went on to tell Rahab that as long as every member of her family stayed inside her house, they would be safe.  However, if any of them went outside her house, it would be their own fault when their blood was spilled, but if anyone within her house was harmed, their blood would be on the heads of the spies for not upholding their oath.

(20) "And if you utter this our business, then we will be quit of your oath which you have made us to swear."

The spies reiterated the fact that Rahab must not utter a word about their agreement, or they would not be bound by their oath.

(21) And she said, "According to your words, so be it." And she sent them away, and they departed. And she bound the scarlet line in the window.

Rahab agreed that she would do as the men said, and she sent them away.  She then went ahead and immediately bound the scarlet cord to her window.

(22) And they went and came to the mountain and abode there three days, until the pursuers were returned. And the pursuers sought them throughout all the way but did not find them.

The spies went to the mountain as Rahab had directed them and stayed there three days until the pursuers returned from searching for the spies throughout all the way from Jericho to the Jordan and back again.  They did not find them, of course, because Rahab had hidden them and then directed that they hide in the mountain.

(23) So the two men returned and descended from the mountain and passed over and came to Joshua the son of Nun and told him all that befell them.

After the three days, the men descended from the mountain, passed back over the Jordan River, and returned to Joshua, where they told him everything that had happened to them.

(24) And they said to Joshua, "Truly the Lord has delivered into our hands all the land, for even all the inhabitants of the country faint because of us."

Unlike the spies Moses sent to search out the land of Canaan back in Numbers 13, who reported that they would be unable to go against the people of Canaan, these two spies were confident that their Lord had delivered the land to them because of Rahab's report that their whole country was terrorized and in fear because of the Israelites.  Whereas the spies of Moses did not have faith enough to trust the word of their Lord that they should go in and possess their land He had given them, these two spies had no need to see or hear anymore, but trusted that God had indeed delivered the land to them.

God Commissions Joshua to Succeed Moses

Continuing a chronological Bible study:

(Joshua 1:1) Now after the death of Moses the servant of the Lord, it came to pass that the Lord spoke to Joshua the son of Nun, Moses's minister, saying, 

After an interlude of psalms, I return to a chronological order of Bible events.  Moses had died and was buried at the end of Deuteronomy.  After his death, the Lord spoke to Joshua, Moses's minister or assistant.

(2) "Moses My servant is dead; now therefore, arise, go over this Jordan, you, and all this people, to the land which I give to them, to the children of Israel."

The Lord told Joshua that as His servant Moses was dead, Joshua was to lead the people of Israel over the Jordan River and into their promised land.

(3) "Every place that the sole of your foot shall tread upon, that have I given to you, as I said to Moses. (4) From the wilderness and this Lebanon even to the great river, the River Euphrates, all the land of the Hittites, and to the great sea toward the going down of the sun, shall be your coast."

The Lord told Joshua that every place his foot was about to tread upon He had given to them, from the Wilderness of Zin in the south to the Lebanon mountains in the north to the River Euphrates in the east, all of the land of Canaan, to the Mediterranean Sea in the west.  This is the best map I could find, labelling three of the four boundaries God mentioned:

(5) "There shall not any man be able to stand before you all the days of your life; as I was with Moses, so I will be with you; I will not fail you or forsake you."

Imagine getting such a personal promise from God!  He told Joshua that no man would be able to stand against him all the days of his life.  As He had been with Moses, He promised to be with Joshua, to advise, guide, and protect him, and bring him success.  He promised to never fail or forsake him.

(6) "Be strong and of a good courage, for to this people you shall divide for an inheritance the land which I swore to their fathers to give them."

The Lord told Joshua to be strong and have good courage, for he was going to take possession of the land the Lord had promised to the Israelites' forefathers, and he would divide it among them.

(7) "Only be strong and very courageous, that you may observe to do according to all the law which Moses My servant commanded you; do not turn from it to the right hand or the left, that you may prosper wherever you go."

However, to be assured of God's promise to him, he was to be strong and very courageous in upholding the law which Moses had handed down to the people.  God told him not to veer away from the law so that he might prosper wherever he went.

(8) "This book of the law shall not depart out of your mouth, but you shall meditate in it day and night that you may observe to do according to all that is written in it, for then you shall make your way prosperous, and then you shall have good success."

The Lord told Joshua His book of the law was to be with Joshua continually.  He was to read it, recite it, and speak it.  He was to meditate on it day and night that he might act according to it and that would make his way prosperous and successful.

(9) "Have I not commanded you? Be strong and of a good courage; do not be afraid nor be dismayed, for the Lord your God is with you wherever you go."

The Lord repeated His command to Joshua that he be strong and of good courage.  He told him not to be afraid or dismayed of what might come his way as he went forward, for the Lord would be with him wherever he went.

(10) Then Joshua commanded the officers of the people, saying, (11) "Pass through the camp and command the people, saying, 'Prepare provisions, for within three days you shall pass over this Jordan to go in to possess the land which the Lord your God gives you to possess it.'"

Then Joshua commanded the officers of the people to go through the camp and tell all the people to prepare provisions for themselves because within three days they would pass over the Jordan River to go in and possess the land that the Lord was giving them.

(12) And to the Reubenites and to the Gadites and to half the tribe of Manasseh, Joshua spoke, saying, (13) "Remember the word which Moses the servant of the Lord commanded you, saying, 'The Lord your God has given you rest and has given you this land.'"

Then Joshua spoke to the tribes of Reuben, Gad, and the half tribe of Manasseh, reminding them that Moses had told them in Numbers 32:29 that the Lord would give them the land and rest on that side of the Jordan River if they would agree to send their men into battle with their brethren when they crossed over to their promised land.

(14) "Your wives, your little ones, and your cattle, shall remain in the land which Moses gave you on this side of the Jordan, but you shall pass before your brethren armed, all the mighty men of valor, and help them, (15) Until the Lord has given your brethren rest, as you, and they also have possessed the land which the Lord your God gives them; then you shall return to the land of your possession and enjoy it, which Moses, the Lord's servant, gave you on this side of the Jordan toward the sunrising."

Indeed, Joshua went on to remind the two and a half tribes that their wives, children, and livestock, could remain in the land Moses had agreed to give them on their present side of the Jordan River, but their fighting age men were to go into the promised land on the other side of the Jordan to help the other tribes conquer the land until the time the Lord gave them rest from their battles.  Then their brothers could also have rest in their land as the two and a half tribes had in theirs, and they could then return to their land and enjoy it.

(16) And they answered Joshua, saying, "All that you command us, we will do, and wherever you send us, we will go."

The tribes of Reuben and Gad and the half tribe of Manasseh agreed and told Joshua they would do whatever he commanded and would go wherever he sent them.

(17) "According as we hearkened to Moses in all things, so we will hearken to you; only the Lord your God be with you as He was with Moses."

The two and a half tribes told Joshua that just as they listened to and obeyed Moses, they would obey Joshua, as long as the Lord was with him just as He was with Moses.  I don't believe they meant that as a condition for their obedience, as if they would judge whether or not God was with Joshua, but rather it was a desire and a prayer that He would be with Joshua just as He had been with Moses.

(18) "Whoever rebels against your commandment and will not hearken to your words in all that you command him, he shall be put to death; only be strong and of a good courage."

They assured Joshua that if any man refused to do as Joshua commanded and would not go over the Jordan to fight with his brethren. he would be put to death.  They encouraged Joshua to be strong and of a good courage.  Adam Clarke, in his Commentary on the Bible, reminded his readers that the people's fathers had at one time rejected Moses's authority and mutinied against him and even attempted to stone Joshua to death (Numbers 14:4-10).  However, they now assured Joshua they would heed his commands, and anyone who didn't would be put to death.

Praise the Lord!

I have been following a chronological Bible study proposed by Skip Andrews.  About this and the past few psalms, Mr. Andrews wrote, "Although we may not be able to precisely date these Psalms at this time, their general themes fit the topics we have just read in Deuteronomy."  Continuing with Psalm 135:

(Psalm 135:1) Praise the Lord. Praise the name of the Lord, praise, O you servants of the Lord!

The author of this psalm, as well as the occasion on which it was written, is unknown.  Some commentators believe that the first short sentence was meant to be the title of the psalm--Praise the Lord.  The psalmist indeed began his psalm by exhorting the people, God's own people, meant to be His servants, to praise their Lord.  

(2) You who stand in the house of the Lord, in the courts of the house of our God, (3) Praise the Lord for the Lord is good; sing praises to His name for it is pleasant.

Those who stood in the house of the Lord, the priests and Levites, as well as the people who stood in the courts outside the temple, were exhorted to praise the Lord because He was so good.  They were exhorted to sing praises to His name because it was pleasant.  His very name was delightful to His people and cause for praise, but also it was pleasant to sing praises to Him.  Singing songs of praise very definitely lifts the spirit.  

(4) For the Lord has chosen Jacob to Himself, Israel for His special treasure.

The people were to praise the Lord because He was good, and also because He chose Jacob (Israel) to be His own special treasure, His chosen people.

(5) For I know that the Lord is great, and our Lord is above all gods.

The psalmist professed his knowledge that the Lord was great and above all other gods, that is, those who were falsely worshiped as gods, as there is really only one true God.  

(6) Whatever the Lord pleased, He did in heaven and in earth, in the seas and all deep places.

The Lord did and does whatever He pleases in the heavens, all the universe, and in the earth, in the seas and all the deep places of the earth.

(7) He causes the vapors to ascend from the ends of the earth; He makes lightnings for the rain; He brings the wind out of His treasures.

The Lord causes the "nasi" to ascend from all over the earth.  As this verse speaks of weather-related things, "vapor" is the best translation here.  The Lord causes the mist to rise from the earth to water it.  However, interestingly, the word means more generally something raised or exalted and is literally 126 times out of 130 used in the Bible to mean a prince or some other type of ruler.  The Lord raises up all sorts of things and people for His purposes.  The Lord makes the rain and the lightning and the wind.

(8) Who destroyed the firstborn of Egypt, both of man and beast.

The Lord who raises up also brings down or destroys, as He did the firstborn of men and animals in Egypt.

(9) He sent tokens and wonders into the midst of you, O Egypt, upon Pharaoh and upon all his servants.

The Lord sent many signs and wonders, the miracles and plagues, in the midst of Egypt to Pharaoh and all his people.

(10) Who destroyed great nations and killed mighty kings, (11) Sihon king of the Amorites and Og king of Bashan, and all the kingdoms of Canaan, (12) And gave their land a heritage, a heritage to Israel His people.

Their Lord was the one who destroyed great nations and mighty kings, including Sihon king of the Amorites and Og king of Bashan, and all the nations and kings in the land of Canaan, and He gave their lands to His own people as an inheritance to them.

(13) Your name, O Lord, forever; Your memorial, O Lord, throughout all generations.

The Lord's name and His fame endures forever, throughout all generations, to the present when we still read of His glory and that will continue forever.

(14) For the Lord will judge His people, and He will repent Himself concerning His servants.

I believe the sense of "judge" here means that the Lord will rule and govern His people, more specifically, protect and defend them, because the verse went on to say the Lord would repent, which means to turn away, change Himself concerning His people who deserved complete destruction because of their many sins.  However, the Lord always repented from His plan to completely destroy them for their wickedness and always saved at least a remnant.

(15) The idols of the heathen, silver and gold, the work of men's hands.

The idols of the heathen nations were but silver and gold, something mere men fashioned with their hands.

(16) They have mouths, but they do not speak; eyes they have, but they do not see; (17) They have ears, but they do not hear; neither is there breath in their mouths.

Those manmade idols had mouths, but they couldn't speak; they had eyes and ears, but they couldn't see or hear.  They had no living breath in them; they were only objects made by man.

(18) They who make them are like them, and everyone who trusts in them.

Those who made those idols, as well as everyone who trusted in them, were as blind and stupid as those lifeless idols were.

(19) Bless the Lord, O house of Israel; bless the Lord, O house of Aaron.

The psalmist exhorted God's chosen people, Israel, to bless the Lord, and also the house of Aaron, the Levites and the priests, should also bless Him.  I often wonder how mere people can bless the Lord, as it is He who blesses us.  However, we can bless Him with our praise and worship and our adherence to His word.

(20) Bless the Lord, O house of Levi; you who fear the Lord, bless the Lord.

The psalmist indeed included the Levites among those who should bless the Lord, as well as all people who feared the Lord, those who respected and reverenced Him as Lord.

(21) Blessed be the Lord out of Zion who dwells at Jerusalem. Praise the Lord!

The Lord of Zion, representative of the kingdom of the Lord, also the physical city of Jerusalem, where He dwelt among His people, was to be blessed and praised.

This psalm briefly addressed the history of the Israelites but was mainly a psalm of praise.  It both began and ended with an exhortation to praise the Lord.  Matthew Henry called it one of the Hallelujah Psalms that praised the Lord.

The Lord's Continual Deliverance and Mercy

Continuing a chronologically ordered Bible study set forth by Skip Andrews, who stated, "Although we may not be able to precisely date these Psalms at this time, their general themes fit the topics we have just read in Deuteronomy":

(Psalm 106:1) Praise the Lord! O give thanks to the Lord for goodness, for His mercy forever.

The author of this psalm is unknown as is the occasion on which it was written, but like Psalms 78 and 105, it contains ancient history of the Israelites and was written for instruction in gratitude and admonition.  The psalmist begins by exhorting his listeners to praise their Lord God and thank Him for His goodness and mercy that endures forever.

(2) Who can utter the mighty acts of the Lord? Who can show forth all His praise?

The psalmist asked who could ever have the right words or be able to enumerate the countless mighty acts of the Lord.  Who could ever have words worthy enough to praise Him?

(3) Blessed are they who keep judgment, he who does righteousness at all times. 

Blessed are the people who observe and execute the righteous judgment of God, the one who continually follows the righteousness of God in all times and circumstances.

This hits me hard at this particular time, a time in which people want to separate God from culture and politics.  Today is Election Day and the end of "election season."  There are Christians who won't vote because politics are dirty or won't vote for Donald Trump because he is an immoral man.  However, they would vote for the opposition who kills babies up to the point of live birth, oversees the slave trade of 325,000 lost children coming across our borders, facilitates the death of a million young men in a war that cannot be won in Ukraine, for that matter, is pushing us toward World War III, encourages the sexual mutilation of children without their parents' consent, and on and on and on.  How can any Christian follow the righteousness of God by turning a blind eye and not doing the one small thing he or she can do, vote against unrighteousness?  As far as not voting for Donald Trump because he is immoral, David was an adulterer and a murderer, but he sought the righteousness of God and was called a man after God's own heart.

(4) Remember me, O Lord, with the favor to your people; O visit me with Your salvation.

The psalmist asked that the Lord remember him with the favor that He had for His people.  He asked that the Lord come to him with His salvation.  This looks to be a prophetic reference to the coming of Christ who would bring salvation.

(5) That I may see the good of Your chosen, that I may rejoice in the gladness of Your nation, that I may glory with Your inheritance.

This is a prayer all Christians could pray.  We want to see the blessings of God's chosen people.  We desire to be called His people, and we do rejoice as His nation does.  And we rejoice in the blessings of His people and nation and are grateful that we were allowed to be grafted into it, and we are able to glory with God's inheritance.

(6) We have sinned with our fathers; we have committed iniquity; we have done wickedly.

The psalmist acknowledged that he with his nation of people had sinned and done wickedly just as their forefathers had done.

(7) Our fathers did not understand Your wonders in Egypt; they did not remember the multitude of Your mercies, but rebelled at the sea, at the Red Sea.

Their forefathers had not totally understood the meaning behind God's miracles in Egypt.  They were not just for the destruction of their enemies, but they proved the power of God, the one true God, over all the false gods of Egypt.  As the one and only true God, He deserved all their worship and gratitude, but they did not remember all His mercies and provision for them.  They often doubted God's power and providence when they had no reason to ever doubt it as He had always been there for them.  Even so soon after they had seen all the miracles in Egypt, when they saw Pharaoh and his armies coming behind them at the Red Sea, they doubted God's power to save them and wished to go back to Egypt (Exodus 14:10-12).

(8) Nevertheless He saved them for His name's sake, that He might make His mighty power to be known.

However, God saved His people, even though they had no faith in Him at that moment.  He saved them not for their sake, but that the world might know His mighty power to save His people.  And we who read about that event are able to know of God's mighty power that we may have faith in Him.

(9) He rebuked the Red Sea also, and it was dried up, so He led them through the depths, as through the wilderness.

The Lord rebuked the Red Sea and made it dry up for a path for the escaping Israelites.  He led them through the sea as if it were dry land just as the wilderness was.

(10) And He saved them from the hand that hated them and redeemed them from the hand of the enemy. (11) And the waters covered their enemies; there was not one of them left.

The Lord saved His people from the Egyptians who hated them.  Once His people had crossed through the sea, He brought the waters back down to destroy every one of their enemies.

(12) Then they believed His words; they sang His praise.

THEN they believed the Lord's words.  They had to see it once again to believe, and then they sang His praises.

(13) They soon forgot His works; they did not wait for His counsel, (14) But lusted exceedingly in the wilderness and tempted God in the desert.

However, once again, the people forgot His works of salvation and providence.  They did not ask God for His counsel, but followed their own desires and wishes, like when they lusted after meat when God had provided them with manna, the perfect nutritious food for their needs.

(15) And He gave them their request but sent leanness into their soul.

The Lord gave them their request when He gave them more quail than they could eat, but in their lust and gluttony, they ate till many were sick and died.  I believe the sense of the second part is that giving them what they desired rather than providing what God knew was better for them, it provided no good to them, but killed many and did nothing for their souls that would have greatly benefited if they had trusted in their Lord.

(16) They envied Moses also in the camp, and Aaron, the saint of the Lord.

The people were jealous and gathered themselves against Moses, and Aaron, the Lord's anointed high priest (Numbers 16:3).

(17) The earth opened and swallowed up Dathan and covered the company of Abiram.

The earth opened up and swallowed Dathan, one of the heads of the conspirators against Moses and Aaron.  Likewise, it did the same to the company of Abiram and others not mentioned here (Numbers 16:32 and Deuteronomy 11:6).

(18) And a fire was kindled in their company; the flame burned up the wicked.

The Lord sent a fire after that that consumed 250 men in their company of conspirators (Numbers 16:35).

(19) They made a calf in Horeb and worshipped the molded image.

The people urged Aaron to make an idol of a golden calf that they worshipped while Moses was on the mount with the Lord (Exodus 32:4).

(20) Thus they changed their glory into the image of an ox that eats grass.

The people had reduced their Lord, their glory, to a statue of a lowly ox that eats grass of the ground.  

(21) They forgot God their Savior who had done great things in Egypt, (22) Wondrous works in the land of Ham, terrible things by the Red Sea.

Because Moses had tarried so long on the mount with the Lord, the people had forgotten their Lord and all the wondrous things He had done for them and turned to a false idol of gold to worship (Exodus 32:7-8).

(23) Therefore He said that He would destroy them, had not Moses, His chosen, stood before Him in the breach to turn away His wrath, lest He should destroy them.

The Lord threatened to destroy the people and instead make a great nation from Moses (Exodus 32:10), but Moses beseeched the Lord to not destroy them, not for their sake, but for the sake of His glory in the eyes of the Egyptians and for the sake of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, to whom He had made the promise, and the Lord turned away from His plan (Exodus 32:11-14).

(24) Yes, they despised the pleasant land; they did not believe His word, (25) But murmured in their tents and did not hearken to the voice of the Lord.

The people did not believe God's word about the fact that He was bringing them to their wonderful promised land flowing with milk and honey, but they murmured and complained that they should have never left Egypt (Numbers 14:2 and 14:27).  It's the reason the Israelites had to wander in the wilderness for forty years.

(26) Therefore He lifted up His hand against them, to overthrow them in the wilderness, (27) To overthrow their descendants among the nations and to scatter them in the lands.

God resolved to cut off the present generation of His people from entering the promised land.  That is the whole truth about why they had to wander in the wilderness for forty years.  He told them their children would have to bear their parents' sins against the Lord and wander in the wilderness for forty years until that present generation had died there.  Then their children would be the ones to inherit their promised land (Numbers 14:31-33).  However, their children's nation would be eventually overthrown in the Babylonian captivity, something I have not yet studied in my chronological study, and they would be scattered in foreign lands.

(28) They joined themselves also to Baal of Peor and ate the sacrifices of the dead.

God's people joined with the worshipers of Baal to worship him and eat the sacrifices of false dead idols (Numbers 25:2-3).

(29) Thus they provoked His anger with their inventions, and the plague broke in on them.

The Israelites provoked their Lord to anger with their imaginations and deeds.  The plague that broke out on them referred to a plague of death (Numbers 25:5).

(30) Then Phinehas stood up and executed judgment, and the plague was stayed.

When one Israelite had the audacity to bring a heathen woman into the camp and into his tent, Phinehas went into the man's tent and killed them both, and the Lord's anger was appeased, and the plague was stayed (Numbers 25:8 and 11).

(31) And that was counted to him as righteousness to all generations for evermore.

That action of Phinehas was counted to him as righteousness by the Lord, and He gave him a covenant of peace, to him and his descendants after him forever (Numbers 25:12-13).

(32) They angered Him also at the waters of strife, so that it went ill with Moses for their sakes, (33) Because they provoked His spirit, so that he spoke unadvisedly with his lips.

The people angered the Lord at the waters of Meribah, which means "strife."  Because Moses was angry with the people because they had once again provoked the Spirit of God to anger, he spoke and acted according to his own will and not according to the will of God (Numbers 20:10-12).

(34) They did not destroy the nations, concerning whom the Lord commanded them, (35) But were mingled among the heathen and learned their works.

The Lord had told His people to destroy the nations that inhabited their promised land (Numbers 33:52), but they did not completely destroy them.  This takes place later chronologically, but the Lord had warned about what would happen to them if they failed to completely destroy their enemies (Numbers 33:55-56), and that appears to be just what happened; they were mingled among the heathen they did not destroy and learned their ways.

(36) And they served their idols which were a snare to them.

The Israelites served the false idols of the heathen which proved to be a snare to them.  When we dabble in things we ought not dabble in, we open the door to trouble.

(37) Yes, they sacrificed their sons and their daughters to devils, (38) And shed innocent blood, the blood of their sons and of their daughters, whom they sacrificed to the idols of Canaan, and the land was polluted with blood.

The Israelites actually sacrificed their sons and daughters to false gods.  They shed the innocent blood of their own children in sacrifice to the demon gods of Canaan, and the land was polluted with blood.  The first reaction is to wonder how they could actually do that!  But then immediately comes the realization that we do that in our country on a daily basis.  The innocent blood of babies, sons and daughters, sacrificed to demons of sexual lust and convenience.  Just yesterday I was thinking about this subject.  My niece has a beautiful baby boy, now about two years old.  She loves him dearly, more than life itself, but when she was pregnant and having some doubts and fears, she referred to him as a fetus.  That was her beautiful baby boy all along, growing inside of her, but that "fetus" could have been killed if his complications had been too great.  Would she ever dream of killing him now if he developed great complications?  Of course not!  Well, that was her sweet baby all along.  If a mother chooses to kill that baby just because she hasn't come to know and love him yet, that is pure selfishness for her own feelings with no thought for her baby who can feel the pain of abortion.  "There but for the grace of God go I."  I can just hear my immature selfish self in my 20's saying that the government shouldn't be able to tell me what I could do with my own body.  Totally cringe-worthy now; what about the body of that beautiful precious innocent baby growing inside of mine, totally dependent on me for life?  

(39) Thus they were defiled with their own works and went whoring with their own inventions.

God's people were defiled by their own actions because they sought demon gods to deliver them.  They were whoring after those false gods with their own imaginings of what they could do for them.  God's relationship with His people is often spoken of as a marriage relationship.  Jesus is often called the bridegroom and His elect are His bride.  One is being adulterous if he seeks after a false idol.

(40) Therefore was the wrath of the Lord kindled against His people, insomuch that He abhorred His own inheritance.

Once again the wrath of the Lord was kindled against His people as a flaming fire to destroy them.  Once again we read that the Lord abhorred His own people as we read in Psalm 78:59.  And once again we must understand that God did not really hate His people, for God loves all His creation, including all sinners.  He certainly hated their actions, and He treated them as if He abhorred them, rejecting them for a time.

(41) And He gave them into the hand of the heathen, and they who hated them ruled over them.

Chronologically, these events haven't happened yet in my study, but we know that the Lord would indeed allow their enemies to take them, and they would once again be ruled by people who hated them, back in their same situation before God led them out of bondage.  How often does God lead us out of bondage only to have us return to it basically of our own accord?

(42) Their enemies also oppressed them, and they were brought into subjection under their hand.

Their enemies once again oppressed them, and they were brought into subjection under their hand.  While that surely means they became subjects of their enemies, Dr. John Gill pointed out in his Exposition of the Bible, that the meaning may be that they were brought into subjection to their Lord by their enemies.  By their enemies, they were humbled before the Lord and realized their need for Him.  God's punishment of His people is always about bringing them back to Him, their only salvation.

(43) Many times He delivered them, but they provoked Him with their counsel and were brought low for their iniquity.

Many times the Lord delivered His people, but they always wound up provoking Him again with their thoughts and plans.  Then they would be brought low again, only to call on the Lord again to deliver them.

(44) Nevertheless, He regarded their affliction when He heard their cry.

Their loving and merciful and oh so patient God, knowing how they would always return to their wicked ways, had compassion on them when He heard their cries.  What a beautiful promise!  Even when we are weak and keep falling back into our sins, if we sincerely call out to God for His deliverance, He will hear our cries.

(45) And He remembered for them His covenant and repented according to the multitude of His mercies.

It's not that God ever forgets anything, but for the sake of His people, He turned back toward His covenant and His promise.  That is the Biblical meaning of repenting, changing course, turning back.  He once again because of His unlimited mercy, turned back to His people to fulfill His promises.  

(46) He made them also to be pitied by all those who carried them captives.

The Lord turned the hearts of His people's captors to have pity on them.

(47) Save us, O Lord our God, and gather us from among the heathen, to give thanks to your holy name, to triumph in your praise.

Although we don't know the occasion that prompted this psalm, the psalmist was recalling all the times that the people had sinned against their Lord, but in His great mercy, He always came to their aid.  He was calling out to the Lord again to save His people and to gather them from the heathen where they might once again give thanks to their Lord for their triumph only in Him.  These words could have been said any time in history.  Think how pertinent they would have been after the Holocaust when God ultimately gathered His people back to their own state of Israel in 1948.

(48) Blessed the Lord God of Israel from everlasting to everlasting, and let all the people say, "Amen!" Praise the Lord.

The psalmist ended with praises to the Lord God of Israel who was and is to be blessed forever.  He is to be worshiped and praised forever for His mercies endure forever (Psalm 136).  Let all the people say, "Amen," which literally means "sure, truly, so be it, truth."  Praise the Lord!

Just like other psalms studied chronologically after Deuteronomy, this psalm included a history of the Israelites, but its main purpose was to show the mercies of God and to call on Him again.  As I type this on Election Day 2024, I call on Him to have mercy on our country, a mercy I know we don't deserve, but when has His people ever deserved His goodness and mercy?  Never!  He gives it out of His loving goodness, and I pray for that again.  Thank you, dear Lord! 

Praise the Lord for His Wonderful Works

Following a chronologically ordered Bible study set forth by Skip Andrews, who admits, "Although we may not be able to precisely date these Psalms at this time, their general themes fit the topics we have just read in Deuteronomy," I continue with Psalm 105:

(Psalm 105:1) O give thanks to the Lord, call upon His name; make known His deeds among the people!

Although this psalm is thought to be made by David, it could have just as easily been made by Moses.  It speaks of the time of Israel from Abraham through the exodus from Egypt.  The psalmist exhorts the people to give thanks to their Lord, call upon Him in prayer, and proclaim His works among the people.

(2) Sing to Him; sing psalms to Him; talk of all His wondrous works.

He encouraged the people to sing to the Lord and play music for Him.  The original word "zamar" that was transcribed as "psalms" has a fuller meaning of making music and song.  They were to talk and sing about all their Lord's wonderful works.

(3) Glory in His holy name; let the heart of them rejoice who seek the Lord.

They were to rejoice in the Lord, those who sought the Lord with all their hearts and souls (Deuteronomy 4:29).

(4) Seek the Lord and His strength; seek His face evermore.

The people were encouraged to always seek the Lord, seeking strength and mercy and favor from Him.

(5) Remember His marvelous works that He has done, His wonders and the judgments of His mouth.

The psalmist exhorted the people to remember all the wonderful things the Lord had done, His miracles and His judgments and commandments.

(6) O seed of Abraham, His servant, children of Jacob, His chosen!

He reminds the people that they are the descendants of God's servant, Abraham, descendants of Jacob, His chosen people.

(7) He, the Lord our God, His judgments in all the earth.

The God of Abraham and Jacob, the one true God, was their Lord God.  And as the one true God, His judgments were executed all over the earth.

(8) He has remembered His covenant forever, the word He commanded to a thousand generations.

The Lord had kept His covenant and promise to His people forever, up to that point and to future generations, even though His people often defaulted on their end.

(9) Which He made with Abraham, and His oath to Isaac, (10) And confirmed the same to Jacob for a law, to Israel an everlasting covenant.

The Lord had kept that covenant He had made with Abraham, reiterated with Isaac, and confirmed with Jacob, and promised it to be an everlasting covenant.

(11) Saying, "To you I will give the land of Canaan, the lot of your inheritance," (12) When they were few men in number, yes, very few, and strangers in it.

The Lord's part of the covenant He had made with Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, was to give them and their descendants the land of Canaan as an inheritance.  He made that promise when His people were small in number and strangers in their promised land.

(13) When they went from one nation to another, from one kingdom to another people, (14) He allowed no man to do them wrong; yes, He reproved kings for their sakes; (15) "Do not touch My anointed and do My prophets no harm."

Before they inhabited their promised land, the people wandered from one nation to another with no permanent place to call their home.  While they wandered about, the Lord protected them and even reproved kings for their sakes, telling them not to touch His anointed ones, also called His prophets, to do them any harm.

(16) Moreover He called for a famine on the land; He broke the whole staff of bread.

The Lord called for a famine in the land in the time of Jacob, which was the reason he migrated to Egypt.  The Lord had cut off their supply of food.

(17) He sent a man before them, Joseph, who was sold for a servant, (18) Whose feet they hurt with fetters; he was laid in iron, (19) Until the time that his word came; the word of the Lord tried him.

The Lord had sent Joseph before Jacob and Jacob's sons, Joseph's brothers.  His brothers had sold him into slavery, and he was imprisoned until the time that his vision came to pass that he would be exalted above his brothers.  That vision, that word of the Lord, tried Joseph's faith and patience before it was accomplished.

(20) The king sent and loosed him, the ruler of the people let him go free.

At that point, the king of Egypt had Joseph released from prison.

(21) He made him lord of his house and ruler of all his substance, (22) To bind his princes at his pleasure and teach his senators wisdom.

The king of Egypt made Joseph the lord of his house and ruler of all his possessions and affairs.  Even his princes would be under Joseph's command to learn from him.

(23) Israel also came into Egypt, and Jacob sojourned in the land of Ham.

Jacob (Israel) and Joseph's brothers also came to Egypt when they learned that Joseph was alive, and they all dwelt there in the land of Ham, the father of the Egyptians.

(24) And He increased His people greatly and made them stronger than their enemies.

God increased the people of Israel greatly in the land of Egypt.  He also made them stronger than the Egyptians who would become their enemies.

(25) He turned their heart to hate His people, to deal treacherously with His servants.

Whereas the Egyptians had once highly esteemed Joseph's family, the Lord allowed their hearts to be turned against them.  He may have actively turned them against His people in order to fulfill His will to lead them away and into their promised land.  However, I believe He just allowed it to happen naturally.  By enlarging and blessing His people, the Egyptians would naturally become jealous, and God allowed that to happen for His purposes.  The Egyptians made them slaves and put them to hard labor.

(26) He sent Moses, His servant, and Aaron whom He had chosen.

The Lord then sent Moses as His servant and Aaron, Moses's brother, chosen to be his spokesman (Exodus 4:16).

(27) They showed His signs among them, and wonders in the land of Ham.

Moses and Aaron showed the Lord's signs and miracles in the land of Egypt.

(28) He sent darkness and made it dark, and they did not rebel against His word.

The Lord commanded Moses to stretch forth his hand toward heaven to make a darkness fall upon Egypt, and he and Aaron did just as He commanded (Exodus 10:22).

(29) He turned their waters into blood and killed their fish.

Continuing to describe the signs and wonders from verse 27, the psalmist tells how the Lord turned the Egyptians' waters into blood which killed all the fish (Exodus 7:19).

(30) Their land brought forth frogs in abundance, in the chambers of their kings.

The Lord caused a plague of an abundance of frogs that covered the land, even in the bedchambers of their kings (Exodus 8:3).

(31) He spoke and there came diverse sorts of flies and lice in all their territory.

The Lord spoke and brought a swarm of flies that corrupted the land of Egypt (Exodus 8:24), and He brought forth lice from the dust of the land (Exodus 8:16).

(32) He gave them hail for rain and flaming fire in their land.

The Lord caused it to rain hail on Egypt and caused lightning to run along the ground (Exodus 9:23).

(33) He struck their vines also and their fig trees and broke the trees of their territory.

The hail struck "every herb of the field and broke every tree of the field" (Exodus 9:25).

(34) He spoke and the locusts came, and caterpillars, and those without number, (35) And ate up all the herbs in the land and devoured the fruit of their ground.

The Lord told Moses to stretch out his hand over the land of Egypt to bring locusts to eat up every herb the hail may had left (Exodus 10:12).  They were so numerous that they could not be numbered, and they darkened the sky (Exodus 10:15).  Again we are told of caterpillars that were not mentioned among the plagues in Exodus.  I believe these must refer to young locust nymphs.

(36) He killed also all the firstborn in their land, the chief of all their strength.

The Lord killed all the firstborn of both man and beast in the land of Egypt (Exodus 11:5).  The firstborn were called the first or beginning of all their strength (Genesis 49:3).

(37) He brought them forth also with silver and gold, and not one feeble among their tribes.

God brought the Israelites out of Egypt with silver and gold from the Egyptians (Exodus 12:35), and there was not one person feeble and unable to travel.

(38) Egypt was glad when they departed, for the fear of them fell upon them.

The Egyptians were glad when the Israelites left them because they were afraid of what plague might be next.

(39) He spread a cloud for a covering and fire to give light in the night.

The Lord spread a cloud over the Israelites by day (Numbers 10:34) and a pillar of fire over them at night (Exodus 13:21).

(40) They asked and He brought quails and satisfied them with the bread of heaven.

This refers to the first time that the people asked for meat (Exodus 16:13), and the Lord brought the quails to them and satisfied them with manna the next morning.

(41) He opened the rock, and the waters gushed out; they ran in the dry places like a river.

The Lord opened the rock to bring forth water (Exodus 17:6), and it ran like a river through their dry places.

(42) For He remembered His holy promise and Abraham, His servant.

The Lord did these marvelous things for His people because of the promise He had made to their forefather, Abraham.

(43) And He brought forth His people with joy, His chosen with gladness, (44) And gave them the lands of the heathen, and they inherited the labor of the people.

It pleased the Lord to bring His people out of Egypt to lead them to their promised land, but this may refer more to the joy of the people when they were led out and how they gladly sang praises to their Lord for bringing them out (Exodus 15:1).  The Lord gave His people lands of the heathens in righteous judgment against those countries so that His people were able to dwell in houses already built and fields already worked and wells already dug, etc.

(45) That they might observe His statutes and keep His laws. Praise the Lord!

The Lord did all these things for His people as His part of His covenant with them.  All that was asked of His people was that they should be obedient to the One from whom all blessings flow.  Praise the Lord!  That was the full intent of this psalm.  It is similar to Psalm 78 in that it recited a history of God's people.  However, the 78th psalm pointed out the sins of the people and God's just punishment for those sins, whereas this psalm only pointed to the goodness of God, exciting the people to thanksgiving and praise to and for Him.