Tuesday: History

[jrabbach]

This thread is for discussion of the readings from this bible reading plan. Feel free to join in at any time!

Todays Reading: Joshua 1-5

I think I am really going to like the history readings, as they will be building on a story each week. That will help to keep engaged for sure.

I had to read most of this twice today because I got stuck on Chapter 1 vs. 3:

I promise you what I promised Moses: ‘Wherever you set foot, you will be on land I have given you

Basically God tells Joshua that whever he goes, he can claim it as his own. I start to think about the traveling that I have been able to do, and what this promise would mean for me.

In some ways it has been prophetic in that the places I have gone have many times felt like home, and I have been able to find God's presense there.

I think that the lesson I got from today was to be able to realize that wherever I go, or wherever I am, I should be claiming it for God by just living in a Christian way and hoping others will follow that example. In that way, when God's presense is recognized, it becomes so much easier to feel at home, to feel 'right', and ultamitley to accept God's promise that whever I go, it is a gift to me (and you!).

[Dason Kurkiewicz]

It's been a while since I've been in Joshua and I forgot how interesting it is. You bring up some good points. One thing that struck me (which also happens to be very close to the beginning of the book) was the end of 1:5 - "I will not fail you or abandon you". Now on previous read throughs I took this mainly as God saying that where Joshua goes they will be able to conquer that land. But looking at it as God's word to us I realize that it doesn't necessarily mean that we will always "defeat" our enemies. But whatever happens isn't necessarily a failure and God will be there with us. It's hard for us to see the big pictures sometimes and it just seems like everything is going wrong when God is really using that to shape us into what we should be.

One other thing that I didn't catch previously is at the end of chapter 4 when it talks about drying up the river. Verse 24 says "He did this so all the nations of the earth might know that the Lord's hand is powerful, and so you might fear the Lord your God forever." - which is inspiring. But now that I look at what happened it's hard to miss some similarities to what Moses did - mainly drying the Red Sea. Joshua had just become the leader of this mighty group of people. Moses was the previous leader and had been for quite some time. Not too many people were still around that remembered what Moses did and was capable of doing. It seems like part of God's plan for having the river dry up on Joshua's command is to parallel what happened with Moses and to make the people realize that Joshua is a mighty Godly leader that should be listened to.

Maybe I'm completely wrong there but it seems pretty powerful to me and it seems like one of God's ways of saying "Hey you people there - I'm still here and right now I'm telling you that this Joshua guy is gonna do a good job so you better pay attention to him".

[jrabbach]

Joshua is definitely a book I am glad we will have a chance to be reading through early in this plan. Not to give away the ending, but I frequently use Joshua 24:15 as an example verse when giving sermons or talks. The verse refers to all the good things God has done for the people, and now they have a choice who they will follow, but Joshua says that he will serve the Lord.

It will be good for me to read through, and remember the journey Joshua took to get to that moment where he so decisively says that he has chosen who he will serve.

As far as the parrallel to Moses, I honestly did not remember the river drying up for Joshua before I had a chance to re-read that. It made me think of a sermon by Rob Bell that we listened to on our way to Grand Rapids where he was talking about Pentacost and how everything is a cycle and we should be looking for God to present Himself in similar ways in our time. I think that Rob Bell also talks about this in "Jesus Wants to Save Christians". What a good book.... I'll have to re-read that.

[jrabbach]

JOSHUA 6-10

It is always interesting to re-read some of these "war stories" now. Especially with the perspectives we hear coming from the middle east, and having visited Israel (including Jericho) in January.

They claim great victory's in the name of the Lord, yet many are dying to achieve the "victory". The crusades were carried out in a very similar fashion.

How does that fit our theology today? I know that we believe in a God of forgiveness and mercy, and not one who looks to single us out from others in order that the group can stone us for our wrongs (including the children and animals) as happened to the guy in this reading for taking some gold from Jericho.

I don't know. The Old Testament, and the lessons we are supposed to cheer or learn from it still perplex me at times...