I am using this website ( http://www.oneyearbibleonline.com/ ) to attempt to read through the Bible in a year. I am going to try to blog each day on the reading.
Today, I am reading and commenting on Joshua 23-24.
We often focus on Joshua’s commitment when he asked the Israelite people to renew their covenant with God.
choose for yourselves this day whom you will serve…But as for me, and my household, we will serve the Lord.
And that is a great quote to focus on, Joshua stated that no matter what the group chose, he had chosen to serve God. We too should be willing to go against the crowd to serve God. However, Joshua did not have to stand alone. The people, inspired both by their experience of God’s power and Joshua’s example, also chose to serve the Lord. They agreed with Joshua’s commitment and said, “We too will serve the Lord, because He is our God.”
Today, I am reading and commenting on Joshua 21-22.
As I read this passage I really felt like I wanted to write something about the the cities and towns given to the Levites. However the only thought which truly stuck me was the way in which the Levites became identified with the tribes they lived among without losing their identity as Levites. Which brings me to what followed the warriors of Reuben and Gad being sent home. I want to start by pointing out the final instructions Joshua gave them. He told them to hold fast to God and serve Him with all of their hearts and souls. The fact that all of the Israelites followed this kept a civil war from breaking out among them. Before crossing back to the east side of the Jordan, the warriors of Rueben and Gad built an altar as a monument. However, the other tribes thought they had built the altar as a place to worship God separate from where the Tabernacle and Ark of the Covenant were. The thought the Reubenites and Gadites were preparing to worship a separate god. They remembered what had happened when Achan violated God’s commands, how all of Israel suffered for his sin, and feared similar consequences. Fortunately, rather than acting immediately on the sin they believed the Reubenites and Gadites were preparing to commit, they sent a delegation to talk to them about it. Also fortunately, the Reubenites and Gadites did not respond angrily to the accusation that they had built the altar to sin. Instead, they explained the purpose for which they had built the altar: to remind future generations that those Israelites living east of the Jordan were just as much a part of Israel as those living to the west of the Jordan. Then we have the final good thing which was done. The other tribes accepted the explanation and did not get insulted by the Reubenites and Gadites thinking that such a monument was necessary. We see here two groups who could have easily allowed their pride to be offended instead talk to each other and accept that the others had valid reasons for concern.
Today, I am reading and commenting on Joshua 18-20.
It is not very important, but I never noticed this before. The passage tells us that the Israelites had taken control of the land (except for a few areas described in yesterday’s passage), but that seven of the tribes had not yet received their portion. What I had not noticed was that the tribes of Joseph (Ephraim and Manasseh) controlled the northern portion from their central location in the north and the tribe of Judah controlled the southern portion from their central location in the south. Further, a look at the final allotments of territory described in this passage gives us an insight into the politics of Israel as it played out through the Book of Judges and the kings of the unified kingdom (really through the division of the kingdom).
Today, I am reading and commenting on Joshua 15-17.
For the most part this passage lays out the borders of the territories allotted to the tribes of Judah, Ephraim, and Manasseh. However, there are three stories within it which deviate from that. First, it describes how Caleb motivated those helping him capture his allotment by offering his daughter in marriage. Then, as part of that, it relates how she requested that she, and her husband, be given some springs to go along with the rest of the land Caleb gave them. The next such story, tells us how the daughters of Zelophehad asked Joshua to give them their father’s portion. A request which they had previously made of Moses, who had granted it after consulting God. Joshua followed through on Moses’ commitment to them. Finally, the tribes of Ephraim and Manasseh together requested more territory than their original allotment because they felt the Canaanites in the low country of their allotment were too strong for them. Joshua granted them more land, although less than they requested, and assured them that they would be able to drive out the Canaanites. In all three cases, rather than complain about how they had been shorted, those involved asked for what they wanted.
Today, I am reading and commenting on Joshua 12-14.
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I am not sure that this is of particular note, but it struck me that the kings east of the Jordan whom the Israelites conquered (Sihon and Og) controlled much more land than those whom they conquered on the west side of the Jordan River. This reveals that while Sihon and Og controlled multiple cities, most, if not all, of the cities west of the Jordan were independent of each other. This also suggests that the areas that the Israelites did not conquer under Joshua were controlled by more unified groups (such as the Philistines).
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There are many passages in the Bible which encourage young people to serve God with fervor. Today’s passage provides similar encouragement to those who are older. Caleb had served God his entire life. When he was forty, he was one of the twelve spies who spied out the Land of Canaan for Moses and the people of Israelites. Unlike ten of the twelve, Caleb counseled the Israelites to go into the land, because he could see how God would give them victory. Now, forty-five years later, he was ready to go to battle to claim his inheritance in the land which God had promised him. He was not prepared to go into retirement and leave it to younger men to carry on God’s plans. So, God still has a use for those of us who have a few years on us.
Today, I am reading and commenting on Joshua 10-11.
Shortly after the Gibeonites entered into a treaty of alliance with the Israelites, the kings of the surrounding cities allied together and attacked them. Joshua marched the Israelite army overnight to relieve the siege of Gibeon. I want to note that we see the importance of Joshua quickly relieving the siege in the next little bit when we read how quickly the Israelites destroyed the southern cities. It only took them a day or two to break down the walls of the cities they attacked, so it is unlikely that Gibeon would have held out much longer than that. However, I want to especially point out that the Israelite victory owed a lot to God’s intervention. First, more of Israel’s enemies in this event were killed by the weather, hailstones in particular, than by the Israelite army. Additionally, things were going so well that Joshua requested of God that the sun stay still in the sky to give them more time to pursue their enemies, and the report tells us that the sun did indeed stay still in the sky. The important lesson for us here is that if we do God’s will, He will fight the resulting battles for us.
I never really think about the fact that in Deuteronomy the Israelites were commanded to set up an altar on Mount Ebal as soon as they entered the land of Canaan, but they did not actually do so until after they conquered Ai. However, when I looked at where Mount Ebal is, I realized that they had to conquer Ai before they could occupy the valley between Mount Ebal and Mount Gerizim. I am unaware of any real significance to this, except that it reminds us that some things which appear inconsistent when we read them would have been perfectly clear and consistent to those living as they happened.
We can, however, learn an important lesson from the way in which the Gibeonites fooled the Israelites. The Israelites attempted to do their due diligence before entering into a treaty with the Gibeonites. They carefully examined the Gibeonites provisions, supplies, and equipment, but the Gibeonites had expected that and packed provisions and supplies which were already old before they set out, and they used well-worn equipment. What the Israelites did not do was seek God’s guidance. When entering into a big decision, we must do our due diligence, but we must also seek God’s guidance.
I noticed in today’s passage something I have never noticed before, nor have I heard or seen anyone comment upon it. When the Israelites marched around Jericho they had seven priests blowing seven trumpets. That isn’t the part I just noticed. What I realized today was that the symbolism of these seven trumpets was similar to the symbolism of the seven trumpets referred to in the Book of Revelation. I am sure that someone else has noted this, but I have never come across a reference to that. I was going to stop there, because I was not sure how that symbolism tied together. Bot now that I have written that I realized more about the symbolism which will really help us understand the Book of Revelation. So, at Jericho all seven trumpets were sounded at once, but they were blown on seven consecutive days. In the Book of Revelation, the seven trumpets are sounded successively rather than all together. At Jericho, for six days the trumpets were sounded and life went on as before, on the seventh day the trumpets were sounded seven times. On the seventh time on the seventh day, the walls of Jericho fell and life ended for everyone living there, except Rahab and those who “belonged to her” (everyone sheltering in her house). In Revelation, the first six trumpets are sounded, and things pretty much go on as before (not entirely, but bear with me here). When the seventh trumpet is sounded, the earth will be destroyed and the everyone living there will die, except for those who belong to Christ (simplifying again). So, we see that the destruction of Jericho foreshadows the end of the earth.
I always enjoy reading the introduction to the Book of Joshua. After the death of Moses, as Joshua took over the reigns of leadership, God told him to be strong and courageous and to carefully follow the law which Moses had given the Israelites. We too should be strong and courageous in doing God’s will. Joshua was to meditate day and night on God’s commands, we should do likewise. God told Joshua not to be afraid or discouraged, advice which we should also take to heart. Let us seek to do God’s will and He will be with us always. Advice which I need to take to heart right now. I have recently changed jobs and need to move closer to the job location. So, I am house hunting and the few houses which I am finding which might do, someone is going higher than I am willing to go. Yet, I will put my trust in God and continue to seek His will.
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Then we come to the story of Rahab. She had heard the stories about the Israelites, and knew that they were coming to her land. She could have been frightened and discouraged, and perhaps she was. But she had also heard about their God and when the opportunity came to act, she took it. She believed that God would give them victory and chose to side with Him. I want to note that she hid the Israelite spies before she made her deal with them. Then, as soon as they left, she hung the scarlet cord out her window as a symbol of her alliance with God and His people. Do we have the faith to act?
In many ways Moses’ song recorded here applies to us today. God had blessed us, but we turned from Him to false gods. After World War II, Christians used the opportunities provided by the opening of the world to bring God’s word to places where it had rarely been heard. That message was warmly received in many of these places and people throughout the world were greatly blessed. In the 1970s and 80s great strides were made reducing hunger throughout the world. Then. we put our trust in things which were not God, were not even gods, and God has brought calamity upon the world. God is challenging us to take shelter from the “gods” we have chosen, gods which cannot shelter us, and, to be perfectly clear, would not if they could. As He said through Moses God is once more telling us:
See now that I myself am he! There is no god besides me. I put to death and I bring to life, I have wounded and I will heal, and no one can deliver out of my hand.
God is calling us once more to turn to Him, listen to His word, and obey His instructions. Let us once more pray to God for discernment, and when He offers it to us let us follow what it tells us.
