(This is literally just scripture folks. A few add-ins here or there. Not each chapter in it's entirety. Just the parts that stood out to me. Choppy excerpts and highlights of a powerful story.)
Numbers 13-14; Deuteronomy 1,3, & 31; Joshua 1-8
Send men to scout out the country of Canaan that I am giving to the people of Israel.
We went to the land to which you sent us.
And, oh!
It does flow with milk and honey!
Just look at this fruit!
The only thing is that the people who live there are fierce.
Their cities are huge and well fortified.
Worse yet, we saw the descendants of the giant Anak.
Caleb interrupted,
called for silence before Moses and said,
"Let's go up and take the land-now,
we can do it!"
But the others said,
"We can't attack those people.
They're way stronger than we are.
--it's a land that swallows people whole.
Everybody we saw was huge.
Joshua and Caleb ripped their clothes and addressed and assembled the people of Israel.
"The land we walked through and scouted out is a very good land
--very good indeed.
He will lead us into that land,
a land that flows,
as they say,
with milk and honey.
And He'll give it to us.
Just don't be afraid of those people.
Why, we'll have them for lunch!
They have no protection and God is on our side.
Don't be afraid of them."
God said to Moses:
"How long will they refuse to trust me?"
Joshua will go in.
Build up his courage.
He's the one who will claim the inheritance for Israel.
Give him courage.
Give him strenth.
Single-handed he will lead this people across the river.
Joshua:
Don't be afraid of them.
God, your God,
He's fighting for you.
Be strong.
Take courage.
And I'll be right there with you.
Get ready to cross the Jordan River.
Into the land I am about to give to THEM.
[Yes, Joshua, this is for you.
And yes, Joshua, this is not just for you; It is for them].
I will give you [you singular and you plural]
every place where you SET. YOUR. FOOT.
[You must set your foot; You must claim it].
Your territory will extend.
No one will be able to stand against you.
Get going.
Cross this Jordan River.
You and all the people.
Cross to the country I'm giving to the people of Israel.
I'm giving you every square inch of land you SET. YOUR. FOOT. ON.
It's ALL yours [yours singular and yours plural].
You are going to lead these people to inherit the land that I promised to give to their ancestors.
Give it EVERYthing you have [all in].
Heart and soul [all in].
[This is not just for you. It is for all my people].
[If you claim this land, they too will claim it].
But you, tough soldiers, all must cross the river in battle formation.
Leading your brothers.
Helping them until God,
your God,
gives your brothers a place of rest.
Just as He has done for you.
[Milk. Honey. Rest. These await you].
He arrived at the Jordan and camped before crossing over.
When you see the covenant-chest of God,
your God,
--start moving.
--follow it.
[Follow Him].
And you'll see clearly the route to take.
You've never been on this road before.
This is how you will know that God is alive among you
--He will completely dispossess before you the Canaanites, Hittites, etc.
When the soles of the feet,
of the priests carrying the chest of God,
touch the Jordan's water,
the flow of water will be stopped,
the water coming from upstream will pile up in a heap.
And that's what happened.
The people left their tents to cross the Jordan.
Carrying the chest of the covenant.
And people crossed,
facing Jericho.
Finally the whole nation was across the Jordan,
and not one wet foot.
When the WHOLE nation was finally across, God spoke to Joshua.
From right here,
the middle of the Jordan,
where the feet of the priests are standing firm,
take 12 stones.
Carry them across with you and set them down in the place where you camp tonight.
Each of you heft a stone to your shoulder.
So you'll have something later to mark the occasion.
When your children ask you,
"What are these stones to you?"
You'll say,
the flow of the Jordan was stopped in front of the chest of the covenant of God as it crossed the Jordan
--stopped in its tracks.
These stones are a permanent memorial for the people of Israel.
All told,
about forty thousand armed soldiers crossed over before God to the plains of Jericho,
ready for battle.
Yes, God, your God,
dried up the Jordan's waters for you until you had crossed.
When all the kings heard how God had stopped the Jordan River
before the people of Israel until they had crossed over,
their hearts sank;
the courage drained out of them,
just thinking about the people of Israel.
At that time, God said to Joshua,
circumcise the people of Israel a second time.
A land flowing with milk and honey.
Right away,
the day after Passover,
they started eating the produce of that country.
As soon as they started eating food grown in the land,
there was no more manna for the people of Israel.
And then this,
while Joshua was near Jericho,
he looked up and saw right in front of him,
a man standing,
holding his drawn sword.
Joshua stepped up to him and said,
"Whose side are you on--
ours or our enemies?"
He said,
"Neither.
I'm commander of God's army.
I've just arrived."
Joshua fell,
face to the ground,
and worshipped.
He asked,
"What orders does my Master have for His servant?"
God's army commander ordered Joshua,
"Take your sandals off your feet.
The place you are standing is holy."
Joshua did it.
Jericho was shut up tight as a drum,
because of the people of Israel;
no one going in,
no one coming out.
God spoke to Joshua.
I've already given Jericho to you.
And then,
a long blast on the ram's horn--
when you hear that,
all the people are to shout at the top of their lungs.
The city wall will collapse at once.
All the people are to enter,
every man straight on in.
Shout!--God has given you this city!
As for you,
watch over yourselves in the city under holy curse.
Be careful that you don't covet anything in it and take something that's cursed,
encouraging the camp of Israel with the curse and making trouble for everyone.
All silver and gold,
all vessels of bronze and iron,
are holy to God.
Put them in God's treasury.
When the people heard the blast of the trumpets,
they gave a thunder clap shout.
The wall fell at once.
The people rushed straight into the city and took it.
Joshua said,
"Oh, oh, oh... Master, God.
Why did you insist on brining this people across the Jordan?
To make us victims of the Amorites?
To wipe us out?"
God said to Joshua,
"Get up.
I can't continue with you if you don't rid yourselves of the cursed things."
God said to Joshua,
"Don't be timid and don't so much as hesitate.
I have turned the king over to you."
Joshua didn't lower his outstretched javelin until the sacred destruction of Ai,
and all it's people,
was completed.
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