Joshua 1:3Meaning & Commentary from the Church Fathers

Hence, due to the transgressions of the law by the Israelites, they could not attain the full promise bestowed upon them.

In contrast, the holy Apostles not only laid claim to the territories they journeyed through but also to the regions where their esteemed writings were shared, thereby transforming the ancient wilderness into the paradise of God. The Prophet Isaiah spoke of this transformation: "Rejoice, thirsty desert" (Isaiah 35:1), and "the desert shall rejoice, and its weights" (Isaiah 42:11). Moreover, the Lord promised to change "the wilderness into water meadows, and the thirsty land into water streams" (Is. 41:18). Isaiah further proclaimed that this wilderness would resemble Carmel (Is. 32:5).

The heralds of the truth also inherited the region beyond Lebanon, which symbolizes the salvation of the Gentiles, as Jerusalem is depicted as Lebanon. It is written, "the eagle of great wings... which hath commandment to enter into Lebanon... the sharpness... the softness... of the cedar and the cypress" (Ezek. 17:3-4). The Prophet likened Babylon to the eagle, Jerusalem to Lebanon, and the leaders to the softness of the cedar and cypress. Our Lord Jesus dispatched these heralds, not merely as scouts, but as leaders. Just as the spies sent by Joshua safeguarded the faith of the believing harlot by providing her with a scarlet cord as a sign of salvation (Hab. 2:18), so the Apostles of our Savior rescued the ancient harlot—the church ensnared by idolatry—from her previous depravity, granting her joy through everlasting blessings, not with a scarlet cord, but through the most holy blood.

Therefore, one should not deem Rahab unworthy as a symbol of the Church. The Apostle speaks to this: "We ourselves also were sometimes foolish, disobedient, deceived, serving diverse lusts and pleasures, living in malice and envy, hateful, and hating one another" (Titus 3:3). He also reminds us, "But then, when ye knew not God, ye did service unto them which by nature are no gods" (Gal. 4:8), and elsewhere, "For ye were sometimes darkness, but now are ye light in the Lord" (Eph. 5:8). In another place, it is warned, "Be not deceived: neither fornicators, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor effeminate, nor abusers of themselves with mankind, nor thieves, nor covetous, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor extortioners shall inherit the kingdom of God," followed by the assurance: "And such were some of you: but ye are washed, but ye are sanctified, but ye are justified in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, and by the Spirit of our God" (1 Cor. 6:9-11). Rahab was indeed a harlot, yet her reception of the spies was an act of faith; when commanded to turn them over, she chose not to comply but hid them, believing in the God of the Hebrews. Her faith is evident in her words: “We know that the Lord God has delivered the land into your hands; fear has fallen upon us. We have heard how the Lord dried up the Red Sea before your eyes when you came out of Egypt, and what you did to the two kings of the Amorites, who were on this side of the Jordan, Sihon and Og, whom you utterly destroyed: and as soon as we had heard these things, our hearts melted, neither did there remain any more courage in any man because of you: for the Lord your God is God in heaven above, and in earth beneath" (Nav. 2:9-11). Thus, the words spoken by the Sovereign God concerning Pharaoh are illustrated: "For this purpose have I raised you up, that I might show My power in you, and that My name might be declared throughout all the earth" (Rom. 9:17). The events that transpired with Pharaoh made the God of the Hebrews known (Rom. 9:9).

The instructions of the spies align with the truth conveyed. They stated, "Every man that goeth out of the door of thy house shall be guilty of himself: but we will be innocent of this thy oath" (Num. 2:19). Salvation is proclaimed within the Church; those outside its embrace will not receive eternal life. The narrative continues to reveal the truth. When the Israelites prepared to cross the Jordan, the Lord spoke to Jesus, "This day will I begin to magnify thee in the sight of all Israel" (Num. 3:7). This reflects the truth that was being articulated. Joshua was recognized as a man of God after the Jordan miracle; likewise, after His own baptism by John, Jesus began His ministry of teaching and miracles. While it may seem paradoxical to ascribe the statement "This day I begin to exalt you" to our Lord and Savior, let us hear His words to the Father: "Father, glorify Me with the glory which I had with Thee before the world was" (John 17:5). The Apostle remarked, "Wherefore God also hath highly exalted Him, and given Him a name which is above every name" (Phil. 2:9). However, when He was exalted, it was not that He received anything new but revealed His inherent glory. The truth about His identity as the Son of the God of all creation was unveiled when the Father proclaimed at the Jordan, “This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased" (Matthew 3:17). The priests who uplift the Lord's covenant are a type of John the Baptist, for he is a priest and the son of a priest. Just as the priests, carrying the ark, first entered the Jordan and then led the people across with Prophet and leader Jesus, so too, after John baptized, Jesus sanctified the waters. Through holy baptism, all the faithful enter the heavenly kingdom. The two dozen men and the corresponding stones represent the divine countenance of the Apostles; they are both builders of the house and its foundation. It is stated that the household was built upon the foundation of the Apostles and Prophets (Eph. 2:20). The term used for "thickness" (Hab. 3:16) is interpreted by Simmachus as a "leathery fur," suggesting that the water held back by the Creator’s command became an adamantine barrier. The crossing of the Jordan occurred before the Passover; they crossed on the tenth day (Num. 4:19), with Passover celebrated on the fourteenth day. Similarly, after the baptism of salvation, participation in the Immaculate Lamb follows.

Though our limited understanding may not grasp the profound reasons for which the wisdom of the Almighty Creator orchestrated the distribution of the land of Canaan to the Hebrews, we must affirm the justice behind God's incomprehensible actions without doubt. It is necessary to reject ungodly thoughts and speech, for our God is just, having accomplished all things as He chose, in heaven and on earth! When we contemplate the inhabitants of the earth in light of the majesty of the Almighty, the Creator of all, we see clearly that every being is insignificant before His greatness, and there is no creature that does not yield to His supreme authority and might. Though His plans and actions may often remain concealed from our understanding, the execution of these actions in accordance with His just laws clearly demonstrates the righteousness of His divine works. The Psalmist proclaims concerning this justice: "Righteous are You, O Lord, and all Your judgments are true" (Psalm 118:137).

From the words spoken by God, we grasp the truth of His concealed intentions and unfathomable workings: "Come into the land that I give you," revealing the unlimited power of the Most High over all creation. With this boundless power, He held the rightful authority to bestow upon the Israelites possessions taken from the Egyptians, as confirmed by the sacred chronicler Moses (Ex. 12:36).

In relation to this reasoning, grounded in the steadfast justice of the wise Creator, additional reasons that do not contradict the truth may suggest why God, after removing the Canaanites from their land, designated it for the Israelites. Firstly, many Church scholars assert that the Promised Land was possessed by Shem, the son of Noah, both before and after the Flood, which he held for a considerable time as an inheritance from his father. However, over time, the nations descending from Canaan, whose father Ham had incurred a curse, invaded the territory where Shem and his descendants lived, thereby displacing Shem's lineage. Since the faithful Abraham's descendants stemmed from Shem's family, they received the Promised Land from God as their rightful heritage, rather than as outsiders: they inhabited the very lands that belonged to their ancestors. Blessed Augustine rightly supports this view.

Secondly, as noted by this same teacher, the Canaanite inhabitants demonstrated great moral depravity before the Lord, committing transgressions daily and ignoring the call to repentance, even in light of the grievous punishments of Sodom and Gomorrah or other instances of divine justice. Although God's patience delayed their due punishment while he destroyed Sodom, as depicted in Genesis (Gen. 15:16), the iniquities of the Amorites had not reached completion. The righteous God, unable to tolerate the escalating wickedness of the Canaanites and Amorites—who not only drove Shem's family from their rightful inheritance but also engaged in further violent acts—decided to act justly, taking away their violent hold on the Promised Land and awarding it to His chosen people.

Lastly, God, as the supreme Owner and Almighty Lord of all creatures, had the authority to grant the Promised Land to any nation after removing it from the Canaanites and Amorites, particularly to those deserving of His divine blessing. Yet, of all the nations at that time, only the blessed descendants of faithful Abraham were honored with a covenant with God. Thus, God desired to distinguish Abraham's faith and piety through His grace and to reward him with a tangible sign of His genuine and unerring worship by promising all the territories occupied by the Canaanites and Amorites as an everlasting inheritance for all his descendants.