The Book of Judges covers the first 350 years of Israel’s history in Canaan, the Promised Land. It is a dark and sad time in the life of God’s people. The Israelites served the LORD while Joshua was alive and in the lifetime of the elders who were contemporaries of Joshua. But then we read […]
Living the Kingdom on Earth
90 Day Challenge (Page 8)
The Book of Joshua covers a period of 25 years, and describes one of the most memorable conquests in history. “The occupation of this small strip of territory scarcely larger than the country of Wales, though it led to no further results in the way of conquest, has nevertheless to a great extent molded the […]
[Note: Pastor John asked me if I would post for day 16 an article that I wrote back when I was working through the 90 day challenge in 2010. Hope you find some thought-provoking insights from Joshua in this article. ~ Derek]
Interesting enough the book of Joshua is one of the most difficult books in the bible to wrap my head around. I can deal with Job, Leviticus and Ecclesiastes. But Joshua? How do you deal with a God whose agenda is merciless ethnic cleansing which goes way beyond our moral “war laws” or “humanitarian rules of war”.
How do you deal with a God who says, “don’t just kill the armed men, but slaughter all of the women and all of the children and babies too and don’t forget about the animals”? How do you reconcile the God revealed in Joshua with the God revealed in the Person of Jesus who said, “Suffer not the little children to come after me” and again, “if you cause one little child to stumble, may a millstone be strung around your neck and you be cast into the sea.”
How do you deal with this verse:
When we started our reading in Deuteronomy a couple of days ago, we mentioned how this Book could be looked at as a covenant renewal document. Moses is about to die, and Israel is about to be led by Joshua across the Jordan River into the Promised Land of Canaan. Deuteronomy is filled with references […]
The basic requirement that the LORD makes of His people, Israel, is found in Deut. 10:12,13: “And now, O Israel, what does the LORD your God ask of you but to fear the LORD your God, to walk in all his ways, to love him, to serve the LORD your God, with all your heart […]
The Book of Deuteronomy consists of a series of farewell messages by Israel’s 120 year-old leader, Moses. It is addressed to the new generation of Israelites who survived the 40 years of wilderness wandering. Deuteronomy can be seen as a document outlining God’s renewal of His covenant with the Jewish people. Many times, Moses refers […]
In our reading today, we come across one of the most enigmatic characters in the Bible – the wizard-prophet, Balaam (Num. 22-24). Balaam was from Pethor, near the Euphrates River. In Deut. 23:4, we read that Pethor was in Northwest Mesopotamia, the place where Abraham and his family were from originally. When Abraham sent his […]
In our reading today we see the long-suffering patience of God on vivid display. The LORD is passionately committed to His people. His great purpose for Israel is for them to be a light to the other nations of the world. God’s character and God’s ways are to be demonstrated in and through the Jewish […]
One year has passed since Israel’s exodus from Egypt when the book of Numbers opens. Numbers recounts Israel’s wilderness journeys. It takes its name from the 2 censuses/numberings of the Israelites – the first at Mt. Sinai (Num. 1) and the second on the plains of Moab (Num. 26). Most of the book, however, describes […]
In Leviticus 14:33 – 26:26, we have a great emphasis on the practicality of true holiness. These chapters cover all sorts of relationships with people and everyday situations. If we really love God with all of our heart, mind and soul, it will be evidenced by how we relate to other people. True spirituality is […]