WANT TO SEE WHY THE CHIASTIC STRUCTURE APPEARS IN JOSHUA? This new book, Joshua's Spiritual Warfare: Understanding the Chiasms of Joshua, identifies sixty-seven (67) chiasms in the Book of Joshua, reveals a deeper meaning of the events based on the chiastic approach, and then applies them to the topic of spiritual warfare. In this manner, this book shows how Joshua was successful in overcoming the enemy:
- Identification of interwoven chiasms, similar to circles within circles within a circle
- Revelation of many of the events in the Book of Joshua in a fresh way
- Application of principles to today
Identification
Perhaps you stumbled across this site, not knowing what a chiasm (ky'-az-um) is. It is a writing style that – once understood – clarifies, emphasizes and reveals deeper meaning in the Scriptures than is revealed in just a surface reading of these same verses. Chiasms appear throughout the Bible and are particularly prevalent in Joshua. To learn more about chiasms, see
What is a Chiasm? You may also read Chapter 2 which is entitled Introduction to the Chiastic Approach for a more complete understanding of chiasms.
Using Mark 11:12-21 as an example, the following charting method was developed to provide a rigorous approach to identifying chiasms:
When reading these chiasms, the verses under First Presentation are to be read from top to bottom, while the verses under Inversion are to be read from bottom to top. By clearly stating the Theme at each level, there is often greater clarification of what the Lord is saying to us.
Within the Book of Joshua, there are chiasms within chiasms, as illustrated by the circles in the diagram below:
Within Joshua, the outer tier chiasms span many chapters, the middle tier chiasms cover a chapter or two, and the inner tier chiasms are for only a few verses. To make matters more intriguing, the author of Joshua occasionally added randomly placed chiasms, such as the circle with dashes, which overlap into other chiasms.
For example, the first outer tier chiasm includes Joshua 1-12. Within this outer tier chiasm, there are nine middle tier chiasms. Each middle tier chiasm has two or more inner tier chiasms. For example, one of the middle tier chiasms covers Joshua 2; within it, there are four inner tier chiasms.
Suprisingly, the inner tier chiasms are nearly contiguous. In many cases, the end of one chiasm is immediately followed by the beginning of another chiasm. This pattern where one ends and another begins is an illustration of how great and awesome our Lord is!
Revelation
By looking at the Book of Joshua through the lens of chiasms, a whole new and more powerful understanding of the events in Joshua is revealed. Many of these chiasms and associated revelations were provided by the Holy Spirit. By looking at the chiastic structure, we see the Lord emphasizing passages that would often be overlooked for their full meaning. BECAUSE CHIASMS APPEAR SO OFTEN IN THE BIBLE, WE SHOULD ASK OURSELVES 'WHY DID THE LORD PUT THEM THERE?'
Some of the many revelations that this book attempts to resolve are:
| Were the officers correct in instructing the Israelites to have a large separation from the ark? |
| Why was the crossing of the Jordan so significant? |
| Who was the Commander of the Army of the Lord? |
| Why did the walls fall down at Jericho? |
| Was Joshua correct in entering a treaty with the Gibeonites? |
| Why was Caleb given the land near Hebron? |
| Were the eastern tribes incorrect in building an altar near the Jordan? |
Application
The center of each chiasm is normally where we see a deeper and more profound understanding of the verses. The 67 chiasms that are presented in Joshua's Spiritual Warfare help us understand how to obtain victory in our daily spiritual battles. As the chiasms are developed and understood, we see them applied to principles for our lives, such as:
| Principles | Reference |
| The power of the Lord sets the captives free and causes the enemies of the Lord to fear Him. | Josh 2:11 |
| When we come across rebellion, deal firmly and directly with it. | Josh 5:2-8 |
| Protect the presence of the Lord that is in our hearts, for we are in battle every day. | Josh 6:9 |
| Be aware of potentially strong demonic attacks which may come shortly after times of spiritual victory. | Josh 10:6 |
| Truthfulness can often be revealed when a person's story is consistent and he or she shows a willingness to accept the Lord's consequences. | Josh 22:24-28 |
Copyright © 2008 by Thomas B. Clarke
Bible Discernments, Publishing Division of Prayer Gardeners
Available at Amazon: Joshua's Spiritual Warfare for $14.99
The following quote appears on the Amazon website for Joshua's Spiritual Warfare. There are two reviews on this website, both of which gave this book a ***** (5-star) rating:
I've come to appreciate chiasms more and more through study facilitated by this book. In the beginning, I thought they were interesting in a more academic sense, but as I progressed I'd be looking for the meat of the message in each chiasm. God's messages to me in Joshua became more real and alive! Sharon Oppedisano, November 12, 2008.