As part of God’s plan to rescue sinners and restore creation, he promised to make Abraham’s descendants a great nation and to give them the land of Canaan. The book of Joshua shows how God begins to fulfill these promises. Israel’s peace in this land is called “rest” because God blesses them with his protection and presence.

This reminds us of Eden, when humanity was at rest in the garden, experiencing shalom in the presence of God. Canaan is even described as a place of flourishing like Eden. With Israel in the land, God is partially restoring the lost blessings of Eden.

Yet Israel echoes the Bible’s opening chapters in another way: like Adam and Eve, they distrust and disobey the Lord. The book of Judges shows that Israel continually does “evil in the sight of the Lord.” God promised that if they did not trust him and love him, they would eventually be exiled from the land, just like Adam and Eve were banished from the garden.

The following narrative shows Israel’s downward decline of distrust. Yet this spiral into spiritual chaos ultimately serves to magnify God’s mercy. Even though Israel’s sin warrants swift judgment, God proves that he is patient and long-suffering.