Year 7, Day 206: Joshua 21

Theological Commentary: Click Here

In Joshua 21, we hear about the land being given to the Levites.  Remember that the Levites were not supposed to get an allotment of territory because they were the line to serve as priests.  Instead, they receive a few cities that are scattered among all the tribes. In this manner, they can dwell among all the people and do their priestly duties from within.  They will be able to remind the people of their devotion to God by dwelling among the rest of the tribes rather than dwelling beside them.

On one hand, I think this is great.  We all can benefit from a mentor.  We all can benefit from someone in our life that we can look upon and be inspired by their faith.  We likely have historical figures like Abraham, Samuel, Peter, Paul, and of course, Jesus.  But it doesn’t hurt to have someone in the flesh and blood that we can actually see and talk to as well.  From this perspective, having the Levites dwell among the people is a great idea.

However, look at what this inherently says about all of humanity.  What is the reason that we need mentors and examples?  We need them because it is not our nature to be faithful and obedient to God.  It is hard work to remain faithful to the Lord.  Therefore, we need bastions of faith in our life to help us when we stumble.  We need bastions of faith in our life to remind us that the things of God are more important than the things of the world.  The struggle against worldly temptation is so strong that we often fail, causing us to need these examples to look up to and to help us fix things when we make mistakes.

God sends the Levites among the Hebrew people because He knows they will need them.  The Hebrew people will sin and fall away.  They will pursue other gods.  God knows this about His people – about all people – and He puts people of faith in our life to help.

This brings us the whole way around to a good point. What this shows us, then, is the provision of the Lord.  This helps us understand the faithfulness of God.  God doesn’t let us face our humanity alone; He knows that we will lose.  God has scattered faithful people all over this globe so that in the midst of our struggle there is someone there.  We have someone to whom we can look and call upon when needed, much like the Levites who dwelt among the Hebrew people.

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Year 7, Day 205: Joshua 20

Theological Commentary: Click Here

I’ve spoken about the cities of refuge at great length.  Understand that the cities of refuge are not a place for guilty people to go and find salvation.  The cities of refuge are for people who accidentally kill someone to find salvation.  There is no way to avoid punishment of execution for the person who premeditates the death of another person.

Naturally, it makes sense in a chapter to put things into perspective.  In this chapter, we are talking about physical punishment as physical consequence.  Regardless of anything said in these kinds of chapters, there is no implication on spiritual salvation.  God forgives the truly repentant. It is entirely possible for a person to find spiritual salvation and rest eternally with God even as they suffer the physical consequences of their actions.

The reason that this is important is because the distinction between spiritual consequence and physical consequence helps us look at justice in life.  If we confuse spiritual and physical consequence, then we are always worrying and fretting over capital punishment.  We worry and fret over death sentences for criminals who intentionally commit murder. 

God’s Word, however, does not spend time worrying and fretting.  If a person dies accidentally at the hands of another – farming accident, construction accident, some other kind of accident – the city of refuge was there to protect them until the case could be heard by the community and the unintentionality declared.  On the other hand, if a person died from the intent of another person, they were executed and the city of refuge is of no help.  The person who committed the crime goes before God, who determines the spiritual consequences of the person’s life.  It’s a very cut and dry process.

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Year 7, Day 204: Joshua 19

Theological Commentary: Click Here

In today’s reading, we have the rest of the allotments.  I use the word allotment intentionally.  In each case, the Bible is quite clear to say that the lot fell to such-and such tribe.

I think this is a great point to draw out of the text after yesterday.  Remember that these tribes are the ones who didn’t go out and claim the land they wanted.  Instead, they had to be told by Joshua to get out, measure the land, and then come back.  As a result, they do get land.  However, it isn’t necessarily the land of their choosing.  This is the land of allotment.  They get an inheritance, but the get what randomness brings their way.

It is important to remember that they do get an allotment.  They did fight hard.  They did earn their land.  But they did not go out and claim it.  In fact, notice that we have a special note to say that the people of Dan had more fighting to do even after the allotment was given out!  They even lost their land for a time being.

Put this in contrast to Joshua, who gets that for which he asked.  Or Caleb or Othniel or the people east of Jordan or Judah or the people of Joseph.  They get their choice because they are proactive about going out and getting it.

What we can conclude is that there are many ways to go about our obedience to God.  Much of what I conclude today ties in with how I ended yesterday.  We can be proactive in our faithful obedience and be in a position to meet our desires.  On the other hand, we can be followers and obey when challenged or shamed into action.  We do get a reward for obedience, but it may not be a reward of our choosing.

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Year 7, Day 203: Joshua 18

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In Joshua 18, we have a very interesting beginning.  Judah, Josephs’ two sons, and the tribes east of the Jordan have all received their land.  The other tribes, however, haven’t gone out and taken up residence.  Joshua needs to come and tell them what to do.  He must come and light a fire underneath them.

I find this highly interesting.  These people just fought for the land.  They had brothers die for possession of it.  They have been wandering through the desert for forty years just to get to this point.  Everything should be pointing to them going out and taking ownership of the land.  Yet, this isn’t the case.  Joshua has to come to them, tell them what to do, and encourage them to get out to work.

I think there is a lesson to be learned here.  There are leaders who, like Joshua, can lead large groups of people.  There are also independent people who, like the tribes of Josephs sons, may not want to lead large groups, but they are certainly capable of going out and doing what is necessary all on their own.  Then there is a great swath of people in the rest of the world.  They are content doing as they are told.  They will buy into the grand schemes of leaders, but they will wait and do as they are told rather than going out and getting it for themselves.

When I read this chapter, I think that in the end there is grace for all three types of people.  Certainly, the leaders in Joshua, Caleb, and Judah are praised.  The independent tribes of Joseph are likewise praised.  The tribes who sit back are initially chastised, but the end well.  They do what they are told.  They follow through with someone else’s plan.  In the end, although they don’t start well, they finish well and receive their inheritance.

Life is about determining what kind of person you want to be.  Are you a leader?  Then go lead!  Are you an independent type?  Determine what God asks of you and go do it?  Are you a follower?  Make sure you buy into God’s plan and then get to it!  The kkey is not sitting back and doing nothing.

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Year 7, Day 202: Joshua 17

Theological Commentary: Click Here

In Joshua 17 we continue with the allotment of the land for the people of Joseph.  Notice how many times throughout this chapter that we hear about the need to drive the Canaanites out.  This should take us back to the message that we had yesterday.

Today, though, let’s talk about why it is Joseph we hear at this point.  Remember that Joseph was the second youngest son.  Yet we hear about the allotment of Joseph’s land second to Judah, whom we heard about two days ago.  Joshua is being elevated here.

There is a reason we hear about Judah first.  The kings of Israel will come through Judah.  Christ will come through Judah.  Judah is often elevated among the sons, especially in lists like this.

Joseph is being elevated here as a memory of the faithfulness of Joseph in Egypt.  Remember that it is through Joseph’s hand that his sons were saved.  In fact, it is through Joseph’s hand that all of Egypt and the neighboring regions were brought through the famine.  The faithfulness of Joseph is absolutely being honored as the people get into the Promised Land.

This really cements home one of the overarching themes of Joshua.  Othniel was faithful because of Caleb’s example.  Caleb and Joshua are faithful because of Moses’ example.  The Hebrew people in Egypt can be faithful because of the faithful example of Joseph.  The book of Joshua is all about lifting up stories of faithfulness to God and watching them sprout and evoke a faithful response in others.

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Year 7, Day 201: Joshua 16

Theological Commentary: Click Here

The division of the land for Joseph’s son’s will occupy the next two days.  We’ll focus on Joseph tomorrow.  Today, I’d like to talk about the way that this chapter ends.  The people of Joseph are granted land.  The possess it, occupy it, and subdue it.  Notice, however, that they don’t occupy it completely.  There are still pockets of Canaanites that they cannot root out.

Whether they can’t root them out because it is hard work or because the people of Joseph aren’t committed to doing the job to its fullest extent we cannot know.  What we can know going forward is that this is a very important reality.  Those Canaanites who are left cause trouble to the Hebrew people from now until the Babylonian occupation.  They band together and plague them in a military sense.  They marry the sons and daughters of the Hebrew people and bring their foreign gods among them.  They teach the Hebrew people to behave in ways that are not pleasing to God.  The fact that these Canaanite people are left behind is bad news.

I’ve toyed with the thoughts of this passage and things like it for several years now.  It seems far too easy to take passages like these and make them about building walls.  It’s far too easy to take a passage like this and talk about why we should be building walls and keeping other people out.  It’s easy to take passages like this and pave the way for genocide, racial turbulence, class systems, etc.

I don’t think that is God’s point here.  I believe that these passages are more about the need to fulfill God’s will and to be obedient than to destroy the people around us who are sinful.  After all, does not Jesus Himself assert that the one who is without sin can cast the first stone?

Remember that these Canaanites were being obliterated at God’s will as God’s judgment.  They weren’t being obliterated because they were Canaanites and not Hebrew, they were being obliterated because they brought themselves under God’s wrath.  God ordered their destruction.  The reason that these Canaanites will cause so much trouble in the future isn’t because they are any worse sinners than the rest of the world.  They will cause trouble because God’s will was not carried out.

What I can learn here is that it is vital to obey God.  When He desires a task to get done, we need to focus on accomplishing it and listening to Him.  It isn’t about doing it well enough to where we are satisfied.  It is about obeying Him and listening to Him.

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Year 7, Day 200: Joshua 15

Theological Commentary: Click Here

Today we meet Othniel, whom we’ll meet again in the first chapter of judges.  While we’ll study this story more deeply then, we can note one thing right here about this story.  Once more we see the repetition of a reoccurring theme.  Caleb’s faith inspires Othniel.

While we don’t know for certain that Othniel was a mentee of Caleb, we can certainly see that Othniel was in good hands.  Caleb is given an allotment of land in Judah.  He immediately sets out to conquest the land.  He does so in relatively short order.  He defeats a popular group of sons and then sets his will against the other inhabitants of his inheritance.

However, notice that Caleb does not do this alone.  He offers part of his inheritance – as well as a daughter – for the person who continues the work.  In other words, he wants to have a son in law who has seen his prowess and desires to imitate it.  He wants to have people living within his inheritance who are like him and who have the same kind of values. 

This is the same principle at work that we saw with Moses and Joshua.  Moses brought Joshua close to him because he was teachable and shared a common desire as Moses.  Caleb and Othniel are no different.

What I think is neat is that as the Hebrew nation sets up we see example after example of mentoring.  We see example after example of people looking for commonalities and then investing in them for the next generation.  Caleb’s work with Othniel directly affects the first judge of Israel and his ability to be used by God to protect his people.

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Year 7, Day 199: Joshua 14

Theological Commentary: Click Here

Do you hear the support for the thoughts that I gave yesterday regarding the age of Joshua?  Today we learn that Caleb was 45 when he was a spy.  We know that they wandered the wilderness for forty years.  In this chapter he asserts that he is 45.  This helps us to understand that the opening of the last chapter wasn’t to tell us that a great time period had passed or that Joshua had been sitting around after conquering the easy parts of the land.  Caleb – and likely Joshua as well – were already advanced in years when they got to the Promised Land!

Having said that, there are two more points that I would like to discuss with you today.  First of all, there is the issue of Caleb’s reward.  What I really like about this is that it shows the proper order of things.  Caleb was indeed faithful when he was one of the spies.  He is promised a reward.  But, he doesn’t fret about the reward until after the work is largely done.  Caleb fights in the army with the rest of the people until the tribes of the Transjordan are dismissed.  At that point, Caleb turns his mind to his reward.

So often we get our mind to the payoff that we forget about the work at hand.  I do this all the time with projects around the house.  I get far more interested in what the end result will be that I become frustrated with the level and intensity of the work to get to the end result.  I’m willing to bet that most of our jobs are that way, too.  We get focused on life will be after we’ve completed a certain task that we forget to enjoy the task and do our best at it.  This is human nature.  It’s not anything to be ashamed of – we all do it.  But it is something about which we should be aware and then resist against.

Second, do you hear the last words of this passage?  The land had rest from war.  God did bring his people into a time of peace.  God honored his covenant.  He is faithful.  Here we have a beautiful counterpoint to the major theme of obedience in Joshua.  Again and again we’ve seen Joshua’s obedience.  What we see here is that God is faithful to Joshua and the people.  Obedience and seeing God’s faithfulness go hand-in-hand.

That doesn’t mean that we always get our way.  You’ll notice that being the richest and most powerful people in the world are not synonymous goals with faithfulness to God.  However, God is faithful to our needs.  He is faithful to His promises.  In the things that really matter, God is absolutely faithful.

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Year 7, Day 198: Joshua 13

Theological Commentary: Click Here

When we hit Joshua 13, we hear that there is work et to be done. We also occasionally hear people being harsh on Joshua, indicating that he hadn’t done his job.  After all, this chapter begins with saying that Joshua was advancing in years.  However, remember that Joshua was already a mature man when he took command.  He was old enough in the community to be sent out as one of the spies to investigate Canaan.  Then, he was there to wander for forty years.  Therefore, Joshua is already at least 55, and probably older than that before he even steps foot into Canaan.  We don’t need to read these words that open this chapter as a critique.  Rather, it is simply just a statement of fact.  Joshua was getting up in age for that time period.  (Jewish tradition actually says that Joshua was 85 when he took over for Moses)

That being said, God doesn’t want the people to be getting complacent when there is still work to be done.  All of the big cities had been taken with help from the Lord.  The easy land had been taken with help from the Lord.  There was plenty of place to settle down.  Only the hard places – places like mountains that are hard to navigate and root out small enclaves of people – remained.  It would be easy for the people to see the task at hand and become satisfied with what they had already been able to accomplish.  God does not want that to happen.

Remember that there are two reasons for the conquest of Canaan.  The people of Canaan had turned to other gods.  They are worshipping beings other than the true Creator.  They have brought judgment upon themselves by their choices.  Second, they were a people who were genuinely living in self-centered pursuit of their own sins.  This had brought judgment upon them as well.

These are important to remember.  If the Canaanites are allowed to remain – and unfortunately, we know they are – then the behavior of these Canaanites will seep into the Hebrew culture.  We know that it does.  This is why God encourages the people to be diligent and complete the work at hand.  It’s a lesson we can all learn.  We must be diligent and see God’s work through to the end.

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Year 7, Day 197: Joshua 12

Theological Commentary: Click Here

Looking at Joshua 12, I am struck by the mirror symbolism here.  We are told about the kings that Moses defeated east of the Jordan.  We are told about the kings that Joshua defeated west of the Jordan.  There is a mirror to this chapter.

This mirrored symbolism leads me back to where I spoke yesterday.  Joshua finishes the work that Moses began.  What Moses obediently begins, Joshua obediently finishes.  Today’s chapter lends itself to continue to lesson from yesterday.

However, today we can extend what we said yesterday.  While Joshua and Moses were obedient, the key is that they were obedient to God.  They are doing God’s plan.  They are fulfilling God’s will.  As I spoke yesterday, they are bearing God’s judgment to the people in Canaan while simultaneous living out the fulfillment of God’s promise to establish the Hebrew people in the Promised Land.

I find that this allows me to fathom the mind and the will of God unlike many other passages.  Remember that God called Abraham out of Ur to dwell in Canaan among the Canaanites.  Then, there was a famine and the Hebrew people went to live in Egypt.  While in Egypt, the Canaanite people grew more and more evil, bringing God’s judgment upon them.  God had a people in Egypt ready to step into that role.  Here is God, setting up the conquest of Canaan well over four hundred years prior in a famine that brings Joseph’s family to him in Egypt.

This is the impressive nature of God.  The God in whom Joshua and Moses had placed their faith and obedience is a God whose plan spans the generations.  This is the God who can even use Joshua, over a millennium in the future, to be a forerunner to Christ.

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Year 7, Day 196: Joshua 11

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Joshua 11 serves as a temporary end to the fighting in Canaan.  Yesterday we had report of the remaining conquest of the south.  Today we hear how Joshua conquered the northern lands.  The Lord was with Joshua, and he was able to subdue the land.

One of the things that I love about this chapter is the return to the concept of obedience.  Obedience is one of the strong themes in the book of Joshua.  We hear again and again – all the way up to the conquest of the north – of how Joshua did what the Lord commanded.  He obeyed in every way, listening to the Lord’s command and being the arm of the Lord.  It is an impressive epitaph to be written over Joshua.

Naturally, I think there is something to be said in this about mentoring as well.  Remember that it was Moses that Joshua stood under.  Moses showed Joshua the ropes.  Moses taught Joshua how to lead.  Moses taught Joshua about relationship with God.  If we look at Moses, we see that Moses was also faithful and obedient.  When we look at the mentoring relationship that Joshua had and the man that Moses was, it is truly no surprise to hear that Joshua was obedient.

There is something else in this passage that is worthy of discussion.  Joshua put all of the people to the sword.  He slaughtered the inhabitants of Canaan.  On the modern ear, this sounds so harsh.  We simply don’t hear of genocide all that often in the modern global community, much less a genocide that is done at the approval of God.

There is the catch.  In our humanity, we wonder how genocide can be righteous.  It is important to remember that God brought the Hebrew people to Canaan for the purposes of conquering the Canaanites and removing them on account of their incredible unethical, immoral, and ungodly behavior.  This is God’s judgment, not Joshua’s genocide.

There are many who would accuse me of hiding behind the veil of God’s righteousness and attributing righteousness to and unrighteous act simply because it is God.  To be fair, I own that.  I don’t see genocide as a righteous act when done by humans.  I struggle to understand how it can be righteous when God does this as well.  But I also own that this is my problem, not a problem with God.

Don’t forget the witness of the Old Testament.  The Old Testament owns the story of God flooding the earth – leading to the death of all but eight human beings – in righteous judgment against sin.  God brings down the Assyrians upon the northern kingdom of Israel is judgment against their sin.  God brings the Babylonians against the Assyrians as judgment upon their sin. God brings the Babylonians upon Judah in judgment against their sin.  God brings the Persians upon the Babylonians as judgment of their sin.  Is it really so hard to conceive that God would bring the Hebrew people against the Canaanites in judgment of their sin?  When placed this way, this is actually demonstrating consistency in God’s action.  Consistency leads me to trust in God’s righteousness.

That’s how I know that the struggle I have in this chapter is really my issue, not God’s issue.

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Year 7, Day 195: Joshua 10

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In Joshua 10 we hear about the subduing of the southern kingdom.  The first thing that we can say about this chapter is regarding the obedience of Joshua.  The chapter ends by stating that Joshua did as the Lord commanded him.  Because of his obedience, the southern land is subdued rather easily.

Of course, there is the manner in which the and is subdued.  Joshua comes to the aid of Gibeon.  He does many things right in this particular part of the story.  Notice that he honors his word and comes to the aid of the Gibeonites.  He has signed a treaty with them and is treating them as servants.  He should come to their aid.

Furthermore, do you notice that he goes before God and makes sure that he is doing the right thing?  God tells him that he should go forth and act because God has blessed the activity.  Joshua doesn’t just do the honorable thing, he humbles himself and pauses to make sure that what he considers the honorable thing actually is the honorable thing.

As we move on in the story, notice what Joshua does when the kings are routed and they hide in the cave.  It would make much sense to stop and deal with the kings.  After all, if you cut off the head of the snake t dies, right?  Joshua could have stopped and killed the kings, figuring that it would signify his victory.  However, Joshua doesn’t do that.  He knows that the opposing military is on the move.  He seals the cave, preserving his moment over the kings.  He pursues the army, ensuring his victory.  He does everything right here.

Last, and certainly not least, is God’s part in this story.  Naturally, we’ve already seen God offer His verbal affirmation of Joshua’s action.  However, it doesn’t stop with God simply being an advocate.  God participates in the battle.  Listen to how God destroys the enemy by throwing down heavy stones in the midst of their retreat.  In fact, more died from God’s hail than from the battle itself!  God is not merely guiding Joshua.  God is actively fighting for the Hebrew people as He promised.

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Year 7, Day 194: Joshua 9

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Joshua 9 is a very interesting study in human behavior, sinfulness, deliverance, and God’s passive will.  There is much to discuss here.  I’ll start with humanity.

The Gibeonites (or Hivites) comes to Joshua dressed as though they had been away from their town on a long march in order to make peace with the Hebrew people.  They are intentionally attempting to deceive Joshua and His men.  Joshua and the Hebrew people smell a trap, but they don’t consult with God.  As a result, they end up making peace with these people.  After the deception is revealed, Joshua is honor bound to have his men honor the terms of the peace.

What can we learn about human behavior and sinfulness here?  From the Hivites we learn that human beings will turn to lies and deception to save our livelihood.  From the Hebrew people we learn that human beings will trust their senses (sight, primarily) even over our greater logic and understanding.  I think that this is a great lesson to learn.  People will believe what they think they see over and above what they reason to be true.  This is such an incredibly dangerous aspect of human beings.  We can also learn from the Hebrew people that we tend to overlook consultation with God.

Look at what we can learn about deliverance here.  The people of Gibeon are delivered.  Granted, they are delivered from destruction into slavery.  The fact remains, though, that they are allowed to live!  Their people are one of the few people in the area of Jericho and Ai that remain alive because they are delivered through deception.  Of course, this leads us to a sticky conversation.  Is it okay to lie in order to get our way?  The short answer is no.  But the real answer is that this lie is no normal lie.  There is truth here.  In order for these Hivites to set up the decpetion, they have to genuinely believe that the God of the Hebrew people is stronger than their own gods or else they wouldn’t be afraid of the Hebrew people.  Therefore, in this lie we can sense at the very least an openness to God.  It is subtly hidden openness to God that bring about their deliverance, not their deception.

Finally, let’s look at the passive will of God.  God allows the Hivites to live.  In spite of their deception and even more in spite of the fact that they are Canaanite and God wanted all of the Canaanites to die, here they are alive as slaves and serving the Hebrew people.  This was not a part of God’s plan any more than Achan’s rebellion and the defeat at Ai.  What we see happening here, though, is that God’s perspective on the course of events is fluid.  He has His plan and what He desires to see happen.  He also knows that human beings are going to muck it up and often cause the plan to come out differently than one might suspect.  God seems to be okay with that.  In most things, perhaps even all things except salvation, God’s passive will is more dominant than God’s active will.

As an adult who spends much time with teenagers, this is a highly important lesson for me to learn.  Most days, I get up with an agenda about how I want the day to go.  Most days, the day does not go as planned because I am interacting with other human beings.  I’m willing to be that most days don’t go as God planned, either, because He is dealing with human beings and allows His passive will to dominate over His active will.  That’s what I need to learn to imitate to become more like God.

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Year 7, Day 193: Joshua 8

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While there are a multitude of directions that I could go with today’s blog post, what I want to talk about today is the concept of forgiveness.  Internally it feels a bit weird to talk about forgiveness on a day when the reading is regarding the sheer and utter destruction of a community.  That is what the Lord has placed upon my heart to discuss.

The Hebrew people utterly destroy Ai.  So where is the forgiveness in this?  The forgiveness is found when we remember the content of the last chapter.  In the last chapter, the people were utterly embarrassed before Ai’s warriors.  What’s the sole difference between chapters 7 and 8?  The difference is God’s favor.  In chapter 8, the people march out to Ai with God’s protection and a plan from God.  In chapter 7, the people march out under their own power and their own plan.

Of course, the good news is that chapter 8 comes after chapter 7.  This feels a bit obvious the way that I stated it.  What I mean to say is that the good news is that a story of success follows a story of failure.  That’s where forgiveness comes into play.  God clearly had an issue with the Hebrew people in chapter 7.  That issue was dealt with, handled, and forgiven.  Because of the forgiveness, God comes beside the Hebrew people and fights beside them and causes them to have a great victory!

This is the great thing about God.  God isn’t worried about holding a grudge.  God isn’t worried about how many times He’s going to get burned by the unfaithfulness of humanity.  God isn’t worried about whether or not He should trust a person or group of people.  God forgives and then gets back to work as if nothing happened.   God truly forgives.  Once the sin has been cleared up, God takes the Hebrew people out and gives them every bit the victory that they experienced at Jericho.

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Year 7, Day 192: Joshua 7

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When the Hebrew people plunder Jericho, there is one among their company who chooses not to listen to God’s decree.  Achan takes some of the plunder because the temptation is too great.  Joshua was clear in the prior chapters that this first battle would have everything of value dedicated to the Lord as the first fruit offering.  Achan chooses not to give.

As I see it, Achan has multiple sins going on in this passage.  He follows his greed.  He is no longer obedient to God.  He steals from the Lord.  He makes his own lust for money an idol and lifts it above the Lord.  He knows it is wrong and he hides the goods under his tent to make sure that he isn’t discovered.

While Achan doesn’t come out and confess the sin without being found out, he does at least admit to the sin when God fids him.  He does seem to show a little sincerity about the admission.

Of course, why wouldn’t he show some sincerity?  The attack on Ai failed because God has lifted his blessing that he placed upon the Hebrew people.  The Hebrew troops are routed badly and the whole company of Hebrew warriors are on the verge of collapse.  Over thirty Hebrew people died in the battle!  Why wouldn’t Achan feel a bit of sincerity about what he has done?

Naturally, this leads to a discussion on consequences.  Achan’s greed leads to his death.  As I mentioned above, it led to multiple deaths of Hebrew people as well.  Achan’s sin has thrown the Hebrew fighting force into doubting God.  Do you hear the prayer of Joshua and the people and how they doubt God’s ability to hand Canaan to them?  Achan’s sin has dire consequences for his own life.  However, Achan’s sin has consequences within the community as well.  That’s important to remember.  Sin always has consequences.  Those consequences often reach into the community beyond us.  Our sin often reaches out to touch the lives of many that we don’t expect to taint in the throes of our sin.

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Year 7, Day 191: Joshua 6

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Three things hold me in absolute awe in Joshua 6.  I love this chapter for so many reasons.  I think I’ll start with the most hidden and move to the most obvious.

The most hidden reason comes from Jewish tradition and not the Bible.  It is very important to understand that it is tradition, and not Biblical truth, out of which this point comes.  Jewish tradition asserts that Joshua and Rahab are married and have children together.  If this is true, look at what this says about faithfulness.  Here is a woman who is considered a prostitute among her own people, yet in her faithfulness to God and the Hebrew people she is married to their leader.

Now, onto truth we can absolutely glean because it is most certainly from the Bible.  Joshua is faithful.  Joshua is faithful to God and he is faithful to Rahab.  First, and most importantly, he brings God’s will to the people and gives them their marching orders from God.  Second, Joshua remembers the promises of the spies into Jericho and sends them in personally to make sure that Rahab is spared.  Here is a man who is trying to live a life in tune with God and in touch with others.  The fruit of that effort is faithfulness.

Finally, look at the people.  Imagine being told to march around a city once a day for six days.  then imagine seeing nothing happen. Oh yeah, imagine being told to say nothing while you are doing it, too.  Then, imagine being told that on the seventh day you would walk around the city seven times and then shout at the end.  It sounds like such a hair-brained scheme.  Don’t forget that this is Joshua’s first military orders, too.  I give much credit to this generation and their faithful obedience.  They are committed to Joshua and to God.  They would have to be in order to be obedient in this first act of war in the Promised Land.

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Year 7, Day 190: Joshua 5

Theological Commentary: Click Here

I wondered as I read this passage today.  I wondered why it is that we are five whole chapters into the book of Joshua and we still haven’t gotten to the battle of Jericho, which signifies the start of the military campaign to take the Promised Land.  Considering that we had the story of the report of the spies several chapters back, it seems strange to be waiting for so long!  Yes, I realize the story is literally right around the corner.

The reason that I start this blog post with my thought is because as I pondered that thought I realized the error of my focus.  While Jericho may be the start of the military campaign, it is not the start of the work of God.  Remember what I wrote a few days ago?  The heart of the native people knew that the God of the Hebrew people had brought them to Canaan to rule it.  God’s already at work.  It is easy to focus on the visible work of men and the start of their military campaign.  But the truth is that the fight for the land began a while ago with God’s hand.  That’s a really important lesson to remember.  God’s work is far more important than our visible human deeds any day.

Look at this chapter for even more proof of this.  What is it that we hear first?  The hearts of the people melt some more.  When the Hebrew people officially cross the Jordan, their fears are confirmed.  Yes, God has brought this plague of Hebrew people upon them to take over the land.

Second, we learn about the consecration of the Hebrew people.  Naturally, this is an important step in these people doing the work of God.  When we are only looking at it from the perspective of humanity, we are left marveling at the idiocy of taking your grown army and causing them to undergo circumcision.  If ever there was a good time for the Canaanites to attack a vulnerable Hebrew nation, that was it!  But this is proof that this is God’s story, not the story of mankind.  The Hebrew people do circumcise themselves.  They are not attacked.  They are made holy before the Lord and are under His protection as they have always been.

Finally, we hear the story of Joshua meeting up with the commander of the Lord’s army.  This is another necessary step in God’s campaign, well before the campaign of mankind begins at Jericho.  God’s commander comes and assures Joshua that God is with him.  I love how this chapter ends.  As we prepare for the battle of Jericho in earnest, we are told the mighty words: you are standing upon holy ground.  Indeed.  This is God’s story of His campaign, not a story of mighty men and their mighty deeds.

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Year 7, Day 189: Joshua 4

Theological Commentary: Click Here

Twelve stones to build an altar from God, taken from the river Jordan.  These stones serve as a permanent reminder to the people that the Lord allowed them to cross over on dry ground.  These stones remind the Hebrew people that God is with them.  For generations – as long as God’s Word was told and now is read – people hear the witness of God’s work.

This is another great lesson for us to learn.  Why does God desire to have the altar built?  God knows the short attention span of human beings.  We see something happen, and we are all abuzz about it for a few hours, maybe even days.  A week later, and life is back to normal.  A month later and the fire that once blazed within us now smolders.  A year or two goes by and we remember having a fire within, but we cannot remember what it felt like.  Eventually we even forget the details of what once was a great moment in life.  As experience comes in, the past fades back in time and memory.  God knows this.  We need to have reminders to help us remember what God has done for us.

In another direction of thought, do you hear how Joshua connects the crossing of the Red Sea with the crossing of the Jordan?  When God led them out of Egypt, they passed through the waters and went from being slaves to freedom.  As God is leading them into the Jordan, they pass again through waters and their identity once more changes.  Now, they are going from wanderers to people with a home.  Granted, there is still more work to do – there always is.

What this signifies is that we see water being a symbol of a change in identity.  When we pass through the water, something changes in us.  It isn’t so much our nature that changes, but our identity changes.  The Hebrew people are still Hebrew people.  But their identity changes from slave to wanderer to people with a home. 

The same thing is true with us in Christianity.  When we pass through the water of baptism, our nature doesn’t change.  We are still sinful people capable of sin.  But when we pass through the water, our identity changes.  We go from being enemies with God to being claimed by God.  Starting with the very first steps of the Hebrew people in the fulfillment of God’s plan, we see that water plays an important role in our identity.

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Year 7, Day 188: Joshua 3

Theological Commentary: Click Here

Here in Joshua 3 we get more transitional relationship building.  God does more to remind the people that He will be with them.  God has the waters of the Jordan River to stand still as the ark and the people pass over it into Canaan.

There are some very interesting dynamics about this story.  First of all, don’t forget that this is not some simple small group crossing the river.  This is a large population of hundreds of thousands of people.  This crossing would take some time.  This is why we are told that the waters back up for a good long way into the preceding town.  The water of the Jordan was still coming from its source, God simply stopped it from coming down until the time of the crossing has passed.  This is a substantial supernatural event.

Second, I’m sure that God is doing more to reinforce Joshua’s mindset.  He’s reminding Joshua that He’s still with Him.  He’s reminding Joshua that He is still in control.  He’s reminding Joshua that His plan is still being followed.  God is going to continue to keep His promises to the Hebrew people.

Third, do you notice that God spoke to Joshua as God spoke to Moses?  This is another important detail, and it goes back to the ending of Deuteronomy.  I think this is part of why Moses could die so peacefully.  Things are continuing on as they had been before Moses died.  God is speaking to Joshua, leading him and guiding him.  The name of the leader may have changed.  The face of the leader certainly got a bit younger.  Nothing else has changed, though.  God is still in control.  God is still communicating with the leader of the Hebrew people.  God is still the primary actor in the story.

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Year 7, Day 187: Joshua 2

Theological Commentary: Click Here

Today we get the opportunity to read the start of one of the iconic stories in the Bible.  Most people who were raised in a family grew up in church singing “Joshua Fought the Battle of Jericho.”  It starts here with the spies heading into Jericho to scout.

This is a great first move on Joshua’s behalf.  He shows wisdom in scouting out the land.  He shows wisdom in sending the spies to Jericho to see about its defenses.  He shows wisdom in choosing scouts who can think for themselves and who will get intel on the mood of the people and not just the defensive arrangements.    Joshua demonstrates why the people were wise to follow him and encourage him to be strong and courageous.

Yet, I think that there is more to this story than just good human leadership.  Do you hear what Rahab says?  She knows that God is with the people.  She knows that He will give the land into their hands.  Before the Hebrew people have stepped into the land, the native Canaanites are already becoming convinced that the Hebrew people are here to dominate.

In other words, God is keeping His promises.  God has gone before the Hebrew people and He has already begun to fight the battle for them.  He has already begun to set up their success.

This is largely what the Old Testament is about and even more specifically what the book of Joshua is about.  God keeps His promises.  Our job is to be obedient as Joshua is obedient here.  In fact, to come back full circle, it is his obedience that allows him to be called wise.

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Year 7, Day 186: Joshua 1

Theological Commentary: Click Here

Today we switch to Joshua.  Moses is dead.  Joshua assumes command.  He’s three days from leading the people across the Jordan and into the biggest conquest of Hebrew history.  How’s that for pressure?

I think that’s exactly why we hear the same message again and again: be strong and courageous.  God says it to Joshua many times.  The people also tell this message to Joshua.  They are behind him.  They will follow him.  They will listen to his commands.  All they ask is that he is strong and courageous.

It's amazing what a little courage can do in life.  With courage, we can accomplish things that are difficult.  With courage, we can inspire the people around us to also do amazing things, too.  We need to live and act with courage.  We need to live and act in strength.

The people have a right to expect strength and courage from Joshua, too.  Joshua has a right to expect them to be willing to follow; they have a right to expect strength and courage.  Both things are necessary for a group to move.  The people must be willing to follow.  The leader must have strength and courage when the people are willing to follow.

Today we turn a page in God’s plan.  Today, several centuries of promise begin to become reality.  What’s important is that the people are ready to act upon it.

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Year 7, Day 185: Deuteronomy 34

Theological Commentary: Click Here

Today we bring the story of Moses to an end once more, my third time since writing this blog.  I am always awed by this ending.  Moses goes up the mountain to view all the land.  It is the Lord that shows Moses the land.  It is the Lord that explains His plan to Moses.  It is God that filled him with unabated vigor into his 120^th year.  It is God that kept his eyesight from waning.  In fact, perhaps the most awe inspiring aspect is that it is God who buries Moses.

Let that sink in for a second.  Nowhere else in the whole Bible are we told that God buried someone.  This speaks to the relationship that Moses had with God.  I’m not saying that Moses was the person with the greatest relationship with God ever, that’s for God to decide and know.  But this relationship that God had with Moses was really pretty special. 

I’d be lying if I didn’t confess that this ending evokes jealousy within me.  It isn’t the kind of jealousy that makes me hate Moses.  Don’t get me wrong.  I’d like to believe that my relationship with the Lord is close.  But I don’t expect God to come down and bury me when I die – although He will claim every individual follower of His into eternal life!  There is something so inspiring about the life of Moses and the relationship with God that was forged through it that causes me to be inspired.

Then, even before the chapter is over, we move on.  Joshua steps up to lead.  Joshua takes over command.  God’s plan moves on.  As special as Moses was, God’s plan marches on just fine because God is the enduring thread of success, not a human being.

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Year 7, Day 184: Deuteronomy 33

Theological Commentary: Click Here

At first glance, this chapter appears to be a blessing upon the tribes.  You can clearly get a sense for the standing of each tribe as the song is read.  Certainly the Levites are elevated, as are the people of Joseph.  The people of Judah – too become one of the most important tribes in David – are all but ignored in this passage.  Gad seems to be the vicious warriors who take the best.  The people of Reuben seem to be important, but there is something within them that needs to be kept in check and restrained.  There are others, but you can see what I mean.  The tribes each get their own blessing and the blessing is unique to their identity.

However, I don’t think the tribes are actually the overarching thrust of this chapter.  They are a central idea, of course.  Look at how this chapter begins and ends.  Look at what it is that bookends the speech regarding the tribes.  Words about God begin and end the talk about the tribes.

Moses has done an excellent job using rhetoric to make his point.  Just as the words in this chapter nestle within words about God, the people of God nestle within the presence of God.  We are best when we are within His hands.  We are best when He is protecting us and guiding us.  We are best when He is God and we are obediently following Him.

As this chapter says, God is our dwelling place.  It is God whose arms protect us.  It is God who keeps our enemies at bay.  It is god who loves us and invites us to follow Him to become more like Him.  We may be unique, but we are His people.  That is the overarching point of this chapter.

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Year 7, Day 183: Deuteronomy 32

Theological Commentary: Click Here

Deuteronomy 32 it a song, recited by Moses.  Let’s be honest.  The song has a pretty negative tone.  It’s easy to focus on all of the warnings that appear in this book.

Before we do that, however, let’s focus on God.  Look at the characteristics of God that are found in this chapter.  God is perfect, just, and faithful.  These characteristics lead God into righteous behavior as also witnessed in this chapter.  God finds the Hebrew people in Egypt, rescues them, guided them, cared for them, and elevated them in status.  These are the righteous actions of a righteous God.

Now, let’s focus on the people.  Whereas God is perfect, just, and faithful, the people are corrupt, crooked, blemished, and twisted.  These characteristics lead them into the behaving poorly.  They kick against God, rebel against God, they scoff at God, they follow foreign gods, and ultimately they forsake God.

This is the dynamic of the song. This is the dynamic that Moses wants to make sure that the Hebrew people hear about themselves before entering into the Promised Land.  Moses knows the corruption that lives within all of us.  He knows the rebellion that can be found.  He desires to put this corruption before the people so that they an be mindful of their humanity.

I find this to be a valuable practice.  I would rather have someone show me my faults – as difficult a process as that may be – than be allowed to bury my faults and pretend they don’t exist.  When I know my faults, I can work on them.  I can struggle against them.  I can prepare for when they rear their ugly heads.  That’s the opportunity that Moses gives us in this song.  It is not an easy song to read or hear, but it is a great perspective on humanity.

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Year 7, Day 182: Deuteronomy 31

Theological Commentary: Click Here

My first take on this chapter is one of sadness.  Here is Moses, faithful servant to God.  He stood up to Pharaoh.  He faithfully crossed the Red Sea.  He went up to Mount Sinai.  He dealt with the people in the wilderness for forty years.  And now he simply passes off the reigns to Joshua right at the great moment of triumph.

However, Moses himself doesn’t seem all that sad.  Granted, this is writing and not a live speech, so it is hard to tell how it was delivered.  Still, Moses doesn’t seem upset in this passage.  He is not wrestling with God.  He is not resisting the will of the Father.  He is doing his part.

This is the wise perspective of Moses that I long to learn.  Moses is in tune with God so much that it truly isn’t about him at all.  Moses is just playing his part in God’s plan.  When Moses’ time is up, Moses knows that God’s plan isn’t about to stop with him.  God’s plan will carry on for generations.  Moses is simply handing off the baton to God’s overarching plan.

What a phenomenal perspective to have.  I believe this is the true core of humbleness right here.  We can genuinely be humble when we see ourselves as a simple piece of God’s overarching plan, because we are no longer concerned with our own perspective.  If I am not trying to make life about me, but rather about God, then then is no need for my pride, hubris, arrogance, self-centeredness, or egotism to get in the way!

There are so many things that I love about Moses.  Perhaps one of the best is that we know that in the end, Moses does get it right.  But remember that it takes him 120 years.  That gives me hope.  One day, I may be able to be like Moses and intuitively focus on God’s will and cast my will off completely.  Some days I already do it well.  Other days, not so well.  But I’m also not 120 years practiced, either!

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