Episode Details

Episode 2.73

What if the key to reading the book of Joshua isn’t the battles—but the burials?

In this episode, Michael and Zach look at Joshua through an unexpected lens: four funerals that frame the book and quietly preach its theology. From the opening words after Moses’ death to the closing scene with Joshua, Joseph, and Eleazar laid to rest, these funerals function as bookends that teach us how to read Joshua rightly.

Rather than a man-centered story of conquest, Joshua presents a God-centered testimony of promise, presence, and perseverance. The land is a gift from Yahweh, courage flows from His nearness, and obedience is rooted in His Word—not personal greatness. Even the final burials are not anticlimactic; they are theological monuments, planted in the promised land as physical proof that God keeps His word.

This episode explores:

-Why Joshua opens and closes with death—and why that matters

-How Joshua is intentionally framed as a “new Moses,” without replacing Yahweh

-What the burial of Joseph’s bones reveals about long-term faith and God’s patience

-Why Israel’s unity is emphasized in moments of leadership transition

-How the book ends with both confidence in God’s faithfulness and longing for final victory

The book of Joshua isn’t just reporting history—it’s preaching through history. And when read this way, the funerals don’t close the story. They point forward, reminding us that God’s promises outlive His servants, and that the final rest is still ahead.

Find our videocast here: https://youtu.be/gGFI_HUs85E

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