At God's command, Moses sent twelve spies into the Land of Canaan to explore the Promised Land. They journeyed from south to north and back, observing the land and its inhabitants. Their report described a land flowing with milk and honey, abundant in natural resources and prime agricultural lands, far superior to the wilderness of Paran where Israel dwelt. They brought back fruit as evidence of its fertility, confirming that it was everything God had promised. However, the spies highlighted significant obstacles to occupying the land. They noted that the land was already densely populated by five different peoples: Amalekites in the south, Hittites, Jebusites, and Amorites in the mountains, and Canaanites along the Jordan River and seashore. They argued there was no room for Israel's 2.5 million people to settle among them. Additionally, they feared having to fight these nations in succession, recalling past struggles with the Amalekites and dreading the military strength of the Hittites, the fortified stronghold of the Jebusites, the mountain castles of the Amorites, and the coastal presence of the Canaanites and Philistines. They believed the task was too daunting for their group. The spies further exaggerated the challenges, claiming the land would devour them, either through exposure to attack from fortified positions or depletion of their strength, leaving them vulnerable to other aggressors. They also spoke of giants among the inhabitants, heightening fears with tales of invincible warriors. These reports stirred panic among the Israelites, who wailed in despair, convinced they could not overcome these obstacles to enter the Promised Land. Caleb countered with faith, insisting they could prevail as they had against the Amalekites, with God's support. Yet, the people's fear and rebellion persisted, leading to murmuring against their leaders and a desire to return to Egypt rather than face the challenges of occupying the land. God, angered by their lack of faith, decreed that those over twenty would not enter the Promised Land, sentencing them to wander in the wilderness for thirty-eight more years until they perished, except for Joshua and Caleb. Even after this judgment, some Israelites presumptuously attempted to enter the land, only to be repulsed by the Amalekites and Canaanites, resulting in further loss. In contrast, the next generation, trained in the wilderness under Moses, Joshua, and Caleb, approached the occupation of the land with strength and courage. They were prepared to follow God's command without rebellion or fear, ready to inherit the Promised Land as a place of blessing and rest, a homeland they had long sought after their journey from slavery.

The conquest of the Promised Land under Joshua constitutes a second and improved type of the spiritual journey from baptism to the Kingdom of God. Unlike the wilderness generation that came out of Egypt, the new generation that crossed the Jordan proved more faithful, serving the Lord throughout the days of Joshua and the elders who outlived him. This generation did not refuse God's instruction or rebel as their fathers had done, and though their conquest remained incomplete, the Bible commends them for obeying what the Lord commanded through Moses. The narrative presents this occupation as a distinct stage beyond arrival at the land, concentrating on overcoming enemies and obstacles to take full possession of the inheritance. Joshua himself functions as a clear type of Jesus Christ, the God-appointed leader who leads the people, receives divine presence and wisdom, follows the written law without deviation, and completes what God commands. The events therefore illustrate the Christian fight after conversion, in which spiritual Israel, the church under Jesus Christ, must prevail over sin, Satan, and the world in order to inherit the Kingdom. God aids this process through miraculous interventions that demonstrate His power and presence, such as the stopping of the Jordan and the fall of Jericho. These acts exalt the leader, assure the people of divine help, witness God's might, and instill lifelong fear of the Lord. The miracles require precise obedience, including following the ark, marching in silence, shouting praise, and devoting all accursed things to destruction rather than claiming them for personal use. Failure to maintain this separation, as seen in the case of Achan, contaminates the entire body and brings judgment. The account therefore teaches that God's people enter His rest only by remaining diligent, obedient, and faithful, allowing Him to fight their battles while they follow without interference. In this way the occupation of the land foreshadows the believer's sanctification, the process of overcoming every opposing force until full possession of the inheritance at the return of Jesus Christ.

As Israel approached the Promised Land a second time after thirty-eight years of wilderness wandering, God exercised complete sovereignty over the events surrounding its occupation. The first three nations encountered, Edom, Moab, and Ammon, held lands not designated as Israel's inheritance, so the people passed through peacefully after purchasing supplies, with God controlling the tempers and decisions of all involved to prevent conflict. In contrast, the territories of Sihon and Og formed part of the inheritance, requiring battle in which Israel utterly destroyed every inhabitant of their cities as a direct act of divine judgment on nations saturated with iniquity. This distinction established that portions of the inheritance demanded striving and warfare while other lands did not. Following victory, the land was allotted to Reuben, Gad, and half of Manasseh, yet their fighting men were required to remain with the other tribes until every group possessed its portion, ensuring unity and mutual responsibility rather than independent settlement. Moses was denied entry, and Joshua received the commission to lead the people across the Jordan, demonstrating that even a leader of Moses' stature could not alter God's appointed sequence for occupation. These episodes connect directly to the broader message that preparation for the inheritance involves disciplined spiritual warfare against opposing forces, that sin produces devastating consequences requiring total separation from it, and that unity within the community strengthens collective progress toward the goal while individual self-interest undermines it.

The instructions regarding the Promised Land use the recurring phrase "when you come into the land" to indicate responsibilities that apply once Israel is settled there, rather than immediately upon crossing the Jordan. This phrase appears in multiple passages and is general rather than absolute, as other conditions such as possessing the land, dwelling in it, achieving rest from enemies, and having a designated place where the LORD places His name must first be met. Deuteronomy 26:1-3, for instance, requires the firstfruits offering only after possession and dwelling occur and after going to the chosen place of worship, conditions fulfilled only after the conquest. Deuteronomy 12:5-11, 13-14 similarly specifies that offerings, including those tied to the Wavesheaf, must occur at the chosen place once rest is granted, prohibiting them until the Tabernacle is established following complete subjugation of the land. In Joshua 5, these requirements remain unmet: the tribes have not inherited their portions, the land is not at rest, and the Tabernacle is not yet set up at Shiloh. The events therefore occur before the full occupation allows such offerings. This development underscores the broader point that the Wavesheaf could not have been presented then, reinforcing that its day must align with harvest labor on a common workday without profaning holy time.

God commanded the Israelites at Horeb to turn from the mountain and possess the land He had set before them, extending from the Amorites' territory through the Canaanites to the Euphrates, fulfilling the oath sworn to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. Moses urged them not to fear or be discouraged, assuring them that the Lord their God would fight for them as He had in Egypt and the wilderness. The first generation, however, allowed fear of the inhabitants' size, fortified cities, and military strength to override their knowledge of God's power and promises. They rebelled in their tents, accused Him of hatred, and refused to advance. When He later forbade entry and they presumptuously attacked anyway, they suffered immediate defeat and slaughter by the Amorites. The survivors above age twenty received a thirty-eight-year sentence of wandering around Mount Seir, equivalent to imprisonment, while those under twenty endured the same confinement yet survived to form the next generation. That second group submitted fully, obeyed every command without deviation, and received grace to defeat five successive nations, including the Amorites under Sihon and Og. God judged the episode with measured justice, showing mercy by not dealing with the people according to the full extent of their iniquity, yet He remained faithful to His word by excluding the faithless from the land. These events stand as recorded examples for the church, written to produce patience, comfort, and hope so that believers might live by faith rather than fear as they approach their own inheritance. The same God who narrows His people through trials supplies every need, fights on their behalf, and grants escape when they trust Him, ensuring that those who seek Him wholeheartedly will enter and occupy what He has prepared.