June in Joshua and Judges

1. Joshua 1

2. Joshua 2

3. Joshua 3 & 4

4. Joshua 5 & 6

5. Joshua 7

6. Joshua 8

7. Joshua 9

8. Joshua 10

9. Joshua 11 & 12

10. Joshua 13

11. Joshua 14

12. Joshua 15

13. Joshua 16& 17

14. Joshua 18

15. Joshua 19 & 20

16. Joshua 21

17. Joshua 22

18. Joshua 23

19. Joshua 24

BIBLE STUDY TOOLS: Joshua Chapter Titles

20. Judges 1

21. Judges 2

22. Judges 3

23. Judges 4

24. Judges 5

25. Judges 6

26. Judges 7

27. Judges 8

28. Judges 9

29. Judges 10 & 11

30. Judges 12

Put Joshua Back on Your Shelf

CONGRATULATIONS!You finished your first history book!

Joshua Chapter TItles

1: Be Strong and Courageous
2: Rahab and the Spies
3-4: Consecration, Crossing, and Memorial Stones
5: Circumcision at Gilgal
6: The Fall of Jericho
7: Defeat at Ai Because of the Sin of Achan
8: The Conquest of Ai God's Way
9: The Deceitful Gibeonites
10: Battle with Five Kings
11: The Northern Victories
12: Summaries of Campaigns
13: Distribution of the Land
14: Caleb Who Followed the Lord Fully
15: Allotment for Judah
16-17: Allotment for the Joseph Tribes
18-19: Allotment for the Remaining Tribes
20: Cities of Refuge
21: Cities for the Levites
22: The Witness Altar
23: Cling to the LORD your God
24: Joshua's Final Charge to the People

Joshua 24 - Joshua's Final Charge

LINK: Joshua 24

BACKGROUND

God gave the promise to Abraham that his descendants would be given the land of Canaan in Shechem, northwest of Shiloh (Genesis 12:6-7). How appropriate that this is the location of Joshua's final charge. Also, Jacob buried family idols there (Genesis 35:4), and Joshua built an altar and inscribed the Law of God on stone pillars there on the way into Canaan (Joshua 8:30-35). 

Joshua 24 contains a standard suzerainty (overlordship) treaty common during this time between Hittite kings and their vassal states. God was renewing a suzerainty treaty with His vassal people, Israel. This is the pattern contained in this chapter:

1. Preamble (24:1-2a)
2. Historical prologue (24:2b-13) - contains a review of Israel's history and their blessings from God (note the "I" statements from God)
3. Stipulations and consequences of disobedience (24:14-24)
4. Writing of the agreement (24:25-28)

It was a renewal of the Mosaic Covenant. Remember that this covenant was not an everlasting one like the one with Abraham, and it needed to be renewed in every generation. 

The book of Joshua closes with the burial of Joshua, servant of the LORD, Joseph's bones (Genesis 50:25; Exodus 13:19), and Eleazar, the high priest.

APPLICATION 

At the end of your life, would your gravestone say "Servant of the LORD"?

PRAYER

Lord, make us Your servant. We ask this in Jesus' name. Amen. 

Joshua 23 - Cling to the LORD your God

LINK: Joshua 23

BACKGROUND

Joshua called all the leaders to give them a charge to "cling to the LORD their God" (23:8). If they took diligent heed (23:11) to love Him, they would have the LORD to fight for them, but if they would "cling to the rest of the nations" which remain among them, the LORD [would] not be with them.

REFLECTION (written in 2008)

The last couple of weeks have been interesting for me. My eldest brother died suddenly on July 7th. This makes four deaths in my family in the last fifteen months. My brother's death hit me the hardest because, contrary to my mom (who died on December 7th), Bill did not "cling" to the Lord.

I knew where my mother was going, and it was a joy to sit at her death bed and pray with her in her slide toward heaven. Not so with my brother, he was found utterly alone, face down in his house with evidence of alcohol strewn about the room. He was estranged from his children and divorced from his wife, all because he chose to cling to alcohol.

While I do not know where he was with the Lord at the final moments of his life, I know that he had always rejected every offer, even when he spent a year and a half at Green Oaks Ranch, a Christian drug and alcohol rehab center that also happens to be where I "came to cling" to the Lord in the fall of 1969 when it was just a ranch for kids and not for drug and alcohol rehab. Bill did not "cling to the Lord" but chose to "cling to the bottle" that had become an idol in his life. His end was tragic. I am heartbroken. 

It has been up and down these last couple of weeks for me, but one thing I know and can always count on is the LORD. I always have Him to cling to in times of trials and grief. He is faithful to me through every hill and valley. Praise God!

APPLICATION

Who or what do you cling to? When you go through times of trial, do you cling to the Lord or something/somebody else? Anything we cling to other than the Lord is an idol in our life. Talk to the Lord about that and cling to Him today.

PRAYER

Here is a video called "Clinging to the Cross" for your prayerful meditation:

Joshua 22 - The Witness Altar

LINK: Joshua 22

BACKGROUND

The tribes of Reuben, Gad, and the half-tribe of Manasseh had fulfilled their promise to help the rest of the tribes conquer the land west of the Jordan (Numbers 32:20-22). After seven long years of separation from their wives and families, they could go home to the east side of the Jordan. They had a solemn charge:

Only be careful to observe the commandment and the law which Moses the servant of the LORD commanded you, to love the LORD your God and walk in all His ways and keep His commandments and hold fast to Him and serve Him with all your heart and with all your soul. (Joshua 22:5)

Yet, on the way back, they built an altar on the west side of the Jordan, provoking the rest of the sons of Israel to want to go up against them for war, misconstruing that this altar was a rival altar of sacrifice contrary to Mosaic Law (Leviticus 17:8-9)! Thankfully, wisdom prevailed and instead of acting on their own misconceptions, they sent a contingent led by Phinehas, the priest, to clarify the situation.

Through discussion, they learned that it was not rebellion but an altar to remind the future generations that these tribes, separated by the Jordan River, were indeed part of one unified Israel. Thus, it was called Witness.

REFLECTION

Have you ever had someone do something that you quickly misinterpreted and then reacted in anger or hurt based on that misinterpretation? Or have you ever done or said something that has been misinterpreted only to have someone react in anger or hurt? Either way, I am sure it caused conflict.

One time, I led a mock "underground believers" Bible study where the women were to come to a dark and deserted house at a specified time. They were to give a password and be admitted by a silent person with a flashlight to the deep, dark basement of the house. Other things were going to happen in quick successive order, and we all needed to be in place in the basement by a certain time. One of the girls had not shown up, and I knew that once the "program" started, we would not be able to hear her knock on the front door. Not wanting her to waste a trip in the dark, I went ahead and called her and left a message with her roommate that we were leaving the original location and would not hear her knock. So, I apologized for that and told her roommate that if she had not left yet, she probably should not come.

A little while later, I had one of the guys in our ministry, who lived in the same residence hall with this woman, come up to me, very angry, and yell at me because I had kicked Theresa out of my Bible study. I was shocked. After I had calmed him down, he told me how Theresa had told him that I had left a message telling her to not come to my Bible study. I was horrified that Theresa would think this, and I was able to clear up the misinterpretation of my actions but only after she had told her whole dorm floor that I had kicked her out of my study. Oh dear!

This is a case where clarification rather than confrontation would have led to unity rather than conflict! What a mess!

Thankfully, this is not what happened in Joshua 22! Instead of going forth in war toward their brothers, the other tribes sent a delegation to clarify the situation and bring reconciliation where there could have been disunity.

APPLICATION

Next time you have a situation that could lead to conflict. Make sure you listen to the other person and clarify rather than jump to a conclusion that may lead to conflict.

PRAYER

Lord, thank You for this example of unity. Help us to be at peace with all people around us by listening to one another. We ask this in Jesus' name, Amen.

Joshua 18 - 21: Allocation Completion

LINKS (read over three days):

Joshua 18
Joshua 19-20
Joshua 21

BACKGROUND

Joshua 18-21 deals with the allocation of the land to the remaining seven tribes (18-19), cities for refuge (20), and the 48 cities set aside for the Levites (21).

Benjamin's territory included the Jebusite city of Jerusalem (18:28), the place where the future temple would reside (Deuteronomy 33:12). 

This section concludes with a summary of the conquest and distribution of the land with special emphasis on the faithfulness of God. "Not one of the good promises which the LORD had made to the house of Israel failed; all came to pass" (Joshua 21:45).

REFLECTION

We serve a faithful God, but sometimes we forget that. Meditate on God's faithfulness today!

Do this by doing a word study on the faithfulness of God by looking in a concordance for all the references to God's faithfulness, writing your favorite verses on cards, and carrying them around to remind you!

If you do not have a concordance, they are a very good tool to have in your Bible study tool box! Through thinking about my first concordance, it reminded me of God FAITHFULNESS, and I wanted to share this little story with you!

One summer in college, I did a Bible study called Being a Woman of God (It used to have the subtitle: A Bible Study for Single Women, but the revised one dropped one of the authors). Here is a picture of my copy: 

At the end of that study was a "Personal Goals and Planning Sheet for the Development of the Woman of God." In the "Spiritual Development" section, there were questions about my plans for deeper Bible study, and it asked this question:

Which of the following standard study tools do you not own?

Concordance
One-Volume commentary
Bible dictionary
Bible Atlas
Good, inclusive English dictionary

The only tool that I did own was an English dictionary. So I purposed to start gathering more tools by buying a concordance and Bible dictionary by 11/79 from the Christian Supply store in Corvallis. Of course, being a poor college student, I had no money to buy a concordance and Bible dictionary, but I prayed that God would provide the money for it.

I started my junior year of college (1979), joined a FANTASTIC bible study led by Sheryl Rice, and grew like a weed in my spiritual walk! Sometime during that fall term, the housekeeper for my sorority, whom I had never talked to before, called me aside while I was running out the door and said, "There is something for you in my closet up on the third floor." 

Perplexed, I ran back upstairs to find a brand-new Strong's Concordance and Davis Bible Dictionary. I ran back downstairs and exclaimed, "How did you know I wanted these?" She said, "My son was given two sets of these for donating to The Old-Time Gospel Hour, and I have noticed you coming and going with a Bible in your hand and thought you might like to have these for your Bible study."

Words could not contain my joy and excitement. Our faithful God had answered my specific prayer for two specific books and provided it through someone I had never even talked to before! My concordance is quite tattered since receiving them in 1979, but I cannot bear to part with it because of the special reminder it is of His faithfulness to and provision for me.

APPLICATION

He is a faithful God to you too. After you do a word study on God's faithfulness, try to remember times of God's faithfulness in your own life and journal about it.

I find it really fun to do a Timeline. Through this I track God's faithfulness throughout my life. We forget His faithfulness so easily. Looking over your life helps you to remember!

BIBLE STUDY TOOL: WORD STUDY

If you are reading along in the Bible Book Club from Genesis to Revelation, you will have already seen this in the post on Exodus 36-38. But here is the excerpt of that post devoted to how to do word studies:

Define key words and phrase using an exhaustive concordance, expository dictionary, or English dictionary. Here is a handout to help you do this (Just remember the example is for a Greek study, and you will be doing a Hebrew study in the Old Testament.): 

"How to Do a Word Study"

If you do not have the resources, BibleStudyTools.com has both Hebrew and Greek lexicons. 

Below is an example of a word study of Exodus 36 

You can set this up to have the words hyperlinked in blue. If you click on them, the Hebrew or Greek definition (with pronunciation) will come up. 

In order to do this, you must always be on the New American Standard Bible or King James Version, click on the "settings" button on the far right that I have circled in red:

This will lead you to a drop-down menu: 

When you click on "Strongs Numbers," it will show Hebrew (Old Testament) and Greek (New Testament) words in blue. If you click on the blue words, they will lead you to a new page with the definition! 

The website www.preceptaustin.org also has some amazing study tools. Here are their directions for doing a Hebrew Word study.

If you prefer to not use heavy books or be tied to being online, LOGOS is an amazing Bible software that I have used since 1996. I am completely digital in my Bible Study now. 

Correlate with cross-references - The best way to interpret Scripture is with other Scripture. A concordance has all the verses listed for a particular word. Most Bibles have cross-references in the margins. This is one of the options in the screenshot of the drop-down menu above.

Consult commentaries last. Commentaries can be biased, but they have their place after your own study. I use commentaries after I am done with the above study. It is helpful when I get stuck in my understanding or want to know something historically significant about the passage. The websites I mentioned above also have links to commentaries.

If you prefer to not use heavy books or be tied to being online, LOGOS is an amazing Bible software that I have used since 1996. I am completely digital in my Bible Study now. 

PRAYER

God, I am so ENERGIZED by remembering Your faithfulness to me more than thirty years ago in the provision of the concordance and Bible dictionary! I beg You to help each and every reader in the Bible Book Club to remember Your faithfulness in their own life and give praise and glory to You today. We ask this in Jesus' name, Amen.

Joshua 16 & 17 - Distribution for Ephraim and Manasseh

LINK: Joshua 16 & 17

BACKGROUND

Do not forget the link to that excellent map: http://classic.net.bible.org/map.php?map=ot4

Since Joseph kept the whole family of Israel alive during the famine in Egypt, Jacob said that Joseph's sons, Ephraim and Manasseh, would be heads of tribes (Genesis 48:5). Note that Ephraim's men did not completely drive out the Canaanites in Gezer. In the time of the Judges, these Canaanites rose up and enslaved the Israelites. They did not fully obey the Lord, and it came back to bite them!

Note that the five daughters of Zelophehad received their allotment because their father had died (also see Numbers 27:1-11). Women had and continue to have rights in God's economy!

These tribes did complain about their allotment, even though it was the best in Canaan. This is what the Life Application Bible says about this:

Notice the two contrasting attitudes toward settling the promised land: Caleb took what God gave him and moved ahead to fulfill God's plan for him (14:12). He was confident that God would help him drive out the wicked inhabitants and that he would soon fully occupy his land (15:14, 15). In contrast, the two tribes of Joseph were given rich land and lots of it, but they were afraid to drive out the inhabitants and take full possession of it. Instead they begged for more land. But Joshua asked them to prove their sincerity first by clearing the unclaimed forest areas. They agreed, but they failed to carry through (Judges 1:27). 

REFLECTION

Joseph's descendants were not content with what God had given them, and they longed for something bigger, better, and easier to manage. God does not always give us what we consider to be the ideal, but it is what God planned. Instead of idealizing what could be, we need to ask Him what purposes He has in what has already been allotted to us. 

Recently, I talked with someone who was questioning what God had given. That person was wondering how their life would be different if another situation had been provided. I encouraged that person to not idealize about what could have been but rather ask God what His purpose is in the reality of what He had given.  Letting go of our ideal is so hard for some! There are great difficulties in that person's situation and great faith will be required to clear out the "opposing inhabitants" of that person's land, but I know there is a destiny, and I am praying that God gives that person the faith and attitude of Caleb rather than the descendants of Joseph.

APPLICATION

Are you content with the life that God has allotted to you? Ask God to reveal His purposes for You in the midst of it. Pray for faith and courage to drive out opposing forces. GET HELP if you get stuck!

PRAYER

Lord, I lift up the reader of this post to Your great care. I pray the You would reveal Your good, perfect, and acceptable will, and You would reveal Your battle plan for him or her. Strengthen their faith and give them the heart of a Caleb. I pray this in Jesus' name, Amen. 

Joshua 15 - Allotment for Judah

LINK: Joshua 15

BACKGROUND

Joshua 15:1 - 19:48 explains the allotment for the remaining tribes west of the Jordan. 

Judah, as the largest tribe, was the first to receive an inheritance. Jacob's prophecy in Genesis 49:8-9 is remarkably fulfilled. It was surrounded by foes (Moabites, Edomites, Amalekites, and Philistines). Thus, it would need strong rulers, like David, in order to survive. It was also suited for planting vineyards (Genesis 49:11-12). 

Scarlet Thread of Redemption

Judah was the tribe in which Jesus would come (Genesis 49:10; Matthew 1:1, 3; Luke 3:23, 33)!

REFLECTION

Are your eyes glazing over from all the details of land allotment? If you own a home, you may not know all the details of the deed to your house, but I am sure you are glad you have that deed and know the borders of your land. It provides a sense of security.

This is exactly what these details provided for the Israelites.

APPLICATION

Do you know what you "possess" because of what Jesus did for you? Meditate on Ephesians 1:3-14. This is one "deed" that I never get bored reading!

PRAYER

Lord, thank You for allotting to us a RICH spiritual inheritance in Christ Jesus. We are so grateful! Amen.

Joshua 14 - Caleb Who Followed the Lord Fully

LINK: Joshua 14

BACKGROUND

Joshua 14 begins the allotment of the land west of the Jordan to the nine-and-a-half remaining tribes. Their assignment was by lot (14:2, 18:8, 19:51, Numbers 26:54-56). The Jewish tradition explains that this was done by drawing from two urns. One urn had the name of the tribe, and the other had the boundary lines of the territory.

This chapter also explains how Caleb was promised "the land on which he had set his foot," because he had "followed the LORD fully" (Deuteronomy 1:36). What is very significant in this chapter is that Caleb was NOT an Israelite originally. He was a Kenizzite. Genesis 15:19 explains that the Kenizzites were a tribe of Canaan in Abraham's day. His family was originally outside the covenant. Their faith was not the result of heredity but of true faith in the living God. 

Again, this shows that God loved ALL peoples who would come to Him in faith. Caleb displayed faith by standing up to the pessimistic report given by the other ten spies before they entered the Promised Land in Numbers 13. Because of his faith, God promised him a special reward (Numbers 14:24), and instead of requesting an easy land, he requested a difficult land with difficult inhabitants because he said, "Perhaps the LORD will be with me, and I will drive them out as the LORD has spoken" (14:12).

What faith!

APPLICATION

The secret of Caleb's life was that he "followed the LORD God of Israel fully" (14:14). I find that verse so challenging. Meditate on it. Are you following the LORD fully?

PRAYER

Lord, teach us what it means to follow You fully. Amen.

Joshua 13 - Distribution of the Land

LINK: Joshua 13

Joshua 13-21 involves the division of Canaan. Joshua is estimated to be at least 100 years old at this time. This part can be tedious, but read through it. After many years without a home, they are in Canaan and can settle down!

A picture speaks 1,000 words. Here is a link to a map of the division of the land: http://classic.net.bible.org/map.php?map=ot4

KEEP READING! You are doing great!!! 

Joshua 11 & 12 - The Northern Victories and Summary of Campaigns

LINK: Joshua 11 & 12

BACKGROUND

Joshua 11 includes the Northern Campaign in the conquest of Israel. Joshua 12 is a review of the 31 victories led by Joshua but achieved in the strength of the Lord.

The conquest of the land is estimated at seven years based on the life-span of Caleb. At the beginning of the conquest, he was 78 (Joshua 14:7, Deuteronomy 2:14). The conquest of Hebron occurred when he was 85 years old (Joshua 14:10).

APPLICATION

What are the "victories" you have enjoyed over the last year? Have you had any breakthroughs in the strength of the Lord in any of these areas?

• the use of your tongue
• the use of your money
• your relationship with your spouse, parents, or neighbors
• sharing your faith
• helping people grow in the Lord
• controlling your temper
• self-control in a difficult area of addiction  

(List adapted from The Daily Walk, March 2008)

Have a "review" of your victories like the one in Joshua 12. Spend time in praise to God for His victories in your life this year.

Every February, the pastors and leaders of our valley meet for days of prayer together. This year (2014), we met for a "mini-summit" and part of what we did was report what God had done since February. I went in weighed down with burdens, but I was able to reflect on all He had done in just a few months, and I was so encouraged! We should review victories often!

PRAYER

Lord, You are our strength. You give us victory. Help us to rely on You to overcome strongholds in our life. We ask this in Jesus' name, Amen.

Joshua 10 - Battle with Five Kings

LINK: Joshua 10

BACKGROUND

Joshua had originally attacked the land of Canaan, splitting the country in two and preventing the north and south from uniting against Israel. Now, the five southern Amorite kings from the hill country of Canaan (Genesis 14:13-16) united to attack Joshua's deceitful allies, the Gibeonites. Some believe Joshua was obligated to help the Gibeonites since they had made a treaty with them, but the Scriptural record does not indicate a defense pact. Joshua did it because it was a strategic way to see all these kingdoms conquered in one campaign, not to mention that God said He would give the Israelites the victory. He gave them that victory by providing hailstones and an extra-long day. A fun thing to note is that the sun and the moon were important deities to the Canaanites. At the prayer of Joshua, the Canaanite gods had to obey!

With the defeat of the five kings, southern Canaan was secured!

No Reflection and Application today. It is a "keep reading" day!

PRAYER

Lord, I thank You that the victory is Yours. Teach us to be strong and courageous when You give us something to do that is "God-sized." Lord, I know there are some who are reading this blog who face many fears. I pray for an extra measure of faith today to move forward in spite of fear if You are calling them out to new territory. I ask this in the victorious name of Jesus, Amen.

Joshua 9 - Gibeonite Guile

LINK: Joshua 9

BACKGROUND

Emmanuelm at en.wikipedia [Public domain or CC-BY-3.0 (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0)],
from Wikimedia Commons

A sense of common danger caused the kings over the hill country (that would later belong to Judah and Ephraim), the low country (that stretched from Carmel to Gaza), and the Mediterranean coastal country (that stretched from the Isthmus of Tyre to the plain or Joppa), to unite against a common enemy: Israel. The Hittite, Amorite, Canaanite, Perizzite, Hivite, and Jebusite occupied the majority of Canaan! See the map above for the location of most of them.   

The people of Gibeon and three dependent cities of the Hivites, descendants of Canaan, son of Ham (Genesis 10:17), decided to fight with craft and deceit rather than the sword. The Gibeonites must have known about God's command to wipe out the cities in Canaan (Deuteronomy 20:10-18; 7:1-2), so they lied and said they had come from a distant land. While they mentioned how they had heard of Israel's many victories, they had not mentioned the more recent ones in Jericho and Ai, probably because this would have given away the fact that they were not really from a distant land. 

Sadly, Joshua and the Israelites believed the Gibeonites because they "did not ask for the counsel of the LORD" (9:14). When they discovered their error, they did not break their oath with them though. That is commendable.

In the end, the Gibeonites became slaves to the Israelites. Maybe working as woodcutters and water carriers in the house of God rubbed off on them. Later God worked a great miracle among the Gibeonites (10:10-14), the tabernacle was settled for a time at Gibeon (2 Chronicles 1:3), and the Gibeonites helped Nehemiah rebuild Jerusalem's wall (Nehemiah 3:7). So, in the end, it all worked together for God's glory!

REFLECTION 

This passage reminds me of James 4:13-15:

 Come now, you who say, “Today or tomorrow we will go to such and such a city, and spend a year there and engage in business and make a profit.” Yet you do not know what your life will be like tomorrow. You are just a vapor that appears for a little while and then vanishes away. Instead, you ought to say,  "If the Lord wills, we will live and also do this or that.”

We make a mistake by not asking the Lord's will in everything. This was a significant decision for the Israelites, and they did not seek the counsel of the Lord (9:14). 

It would be easy for me to condemn their actions; but in 2010, I got excited about a proposition made to me about going on a bike trip in Southeast Asia in early August 2011. George had some pause, but I was hearing we should go.  After all, we are bikers, and we love Southeast Asia, right? What could be more perfect? Instead of pressing in more to explore George's pause, we went ahead instead of continuing to pray about it until we got clear and specific direction from the Lord.  Our thoughts were that this was a GOOD thing, but the GOOD is always the enemy of the BEST. 

It is a long story, but the short of it is that we were hearing a "yes" from the Lord about Southeast Asia, but the timing (Later in August instead of early August as originally proposed, thereby running into already committed fall obligations.) and focus of the bike trip changed between November and May. God knew that was all going to happen though, but this was probably in George's "pause" (he is so wise, and I am too enthusiastic sometimes). 

We started "seeking the Lord's counsel" (9:14) again in early May, and God opened up His desires for us. We withdrew from the bike trip, and God left us without doubt within 24 hours that this was the right move!  It was hard to disappoint the leader (a sweet 74 year old leading his last trip), but God knows best, and we are not here on this earth to please people but God (a lesson I am continually learning the hard way, but significant progress has been made as I heal from a relationship with a constantly disappointed and disapproving mother). We could have continued on that course to please others, but it would not be God's BEST! We trust that the other group will have a blast, but we will not be there to enjoy it! Sadly, the sweet leader accused us of being "Jonahs"! Sigh.

BOTTOM LINE: We (I) needed to inquire more of the Lord (9:14). We learned a valuable lesson and will do better next time. Thankfully, we had not made a binding covenant (in fact, the covenant that we were in the process of developing was what made us realize it was not the right direction). So, we felt free to withdraw from the trip. Even as I type this, I have been reviewing all the emails that have gone back and forth over the last few months, and God has again confirmed the decision to not go forward with that trip!  I love how Bible Book Club is always hitting me where I am at on this journey! Yippee!! 

(Update 2014: We ended up going on a trip to Southeast Asia that summer, but we did not go on the bike trip (which turned out to be a disaster for the people who did end up going - they even left early). We went another place God had put on our hearts many years ago. God blessed that trip and amazing things are happening now, and we are not JONAHS! In addition, this trip was earlier in the summer and with the focus the bike trip was supposed to have.) 

APPLICATION 

What is your first reaction when making a decision? Do you pray or plunge into it headfirst without hearing from the Lord? Is there something you need to inquire about? Set aside that time! It is so important!

PRAYER

Lord, we seek Your will in our decision-making. Help us to hear Your voice and to press in for Your good, perfect, and acceptable will (Romans 12:1-2) when we have hesitation. We ask this in Jesus' name. Amen. 

Joshua 8 - The Conquest of Ai God's Way

LINK: Joshua 8

BACKGROUND

After a defeat like Ai, one could see how Joshua might be tentative, but God tells Him to "not fear or be dismayed." The sin of Achan was one thing that prevented the Israelites from taking Ai, but you will also notice that Joshua did not consult God on Ai in Joshua 7 but relied on the advice of his spies. This time, Joshua listened to God's strategy and took the city of Ai and Bethel by means of an ambush. Ai in Hebrew means "the ruin."

Joshua built an altar at Mt. Ebal (Shechem) according to Moses' command in Deuteronomy 27:1-8 which is the same spot where Abraham had built an altar in Genesis 12. They made an altar of uncut stones and sacrifices were made. This was a public act of worship to proclaim faith in the one true God in this pagan land.

REFLECTION

God had given Joshua the general plan of conquering the land, but he employed his own strategy for conquering Ai by listening to the advice of the spies rather than consulting God. Chapter 8 is Joshua's "course correction." He listened to God's strategy and Ai and Bethel were conquered.

I cannot tell you how many times I have gotten a word from the Lord to go forward into uncharted territory and bravely gone forward with great zeal and enthusiasm only to find myself utterly defeated, falling on my face, and crying out to the Lord and asking Him, "Why? Why? Why did you lead me here?" I had heard right about the "general plan," but I had not gotten specifics from the Lord. Bad idea.

In Joshua's case, if he had inquired of the Lord before trying to take Ai the first time, he would have heard from the LORD about Achan's sin and gotten the Lord's strategy; but Joshua did not inquire, he listened to bad advice and zealously went forward.

One specific example from 1985 burns in my memory. God had spoken very directly and specifically to me about discipling a woman. After a year of meeting together, we met some major road blocks in our relationship. I had done with this woman what I had always done before when discipling women, but Jennifer was different from anyone I had ever discipled, and it was tough! I really began to question God's leading.

As I poured out my heart in frustration to my friend, Tom White, he looked at me with his piercing blue eyes and gently said, "Carol, one thing I have observed about you is that sometimes you let your zeal get in the way of the Holy Spirit's leading."

God hit me right between the eyes with that statement. I had gotten the Lord's directive right, but I was not employing the Lord's strategy for helping Jennifer! Zeal has its drawbacks. It was time for course correction. Instead of giving up on Jennifer, God gave me His strategy, and it made all the difference!

I cannot tell you how many times over the years I have replayed those wise words from Tom. (Actually, I would say it was a rebuke, but Tom has a way of making you feel really good while he is rebuking you.) 

In 2005, I heard directly from the Lord about helping women grow to be all that God intended for them to be, but I jumped into a ministry that left me exhausted, defeated, and flat on my face before the Lord again saying "Why? Why? Why?" But God gently reminded me of Tom's words. Now, I go forward with the same vision God gave me, but it is His slow and steady strategy and not my own (or someone else's), and God is blessing! 

2011 Update - I wrote this three years ago, and I am so glad I listened to God's "slow" plan! I was going in a direction in 2008, but I felt hesitation in my spirit about a long-term commitment to that ministry. I loved the people I was working with, but it was not the ultimate plan that God had for me that He opened up in late 2009. This ministry allows me to work with George (the other ministry involved just women and was totally separate from him, and we make a great team), utilizes my gifting, draws on my unique experience, causes me to use the abilities I have gained along the way, and gives me great joy! I am in God's "sweet spot" of ministry! 

Although I no longer work with the people I was working with in 2008, those people have become our biggest prayer warriors! On top of all that, many of the women that I worked with in that ministry to women in 2005 have also become our biggest prayer warriors. God had a purpose in all of it! 

2014 Update - Still doing that ministry with my husband, and we recently spoke to a big group about it. Many of the people there were women from the ministry I led in 2005! One friend came up afterward and said, "You are definitely in your "sweet spot," and I agree! It is so fun to wait and listen to the Lord rather than rush ahead of Him! 

2017 Update - Two of the women from the 2005 leadership group are now doing the ministry we are involved with. That ministry was worth it, even though I fell flat on my face at the end. It keeps me humble.

2023 Update - I get "offers" regularly, but I listen to the Lord's advice, and the advice of people who know me well! I say "no" much more than I say "yes" these days! 

APPLICATION

I see two different responses to this reflection:

Some of you are probably saying, "Well, I do not like to move forward so I am going to just stay in my safe place on the other side of the Jordan. I do not want to end up flat on my face like Joshua (or Carol)."

All I can say is that you will miss out on God's blessing if you play it safe. Joshua learned from his mistake and went forward and was blessed with victory. Move out. You may make some mistakes along the way. Be open to "course correction" from the Lord (and the rebuke of wise friends).

Others of you are like me, you have listened to the Lord and zealously plowed forward and employed your own strategy. Stop and reevaluate! Cultivate a listening and teachable heart every step of the way. Do not let your zeal get in the way of the Holy Spirit's leading like I did!

Move forward my friend! He may have you step out of your comfort zone in sharing Christ with someone or helping others grow in Him. I am sure that God has GREAT things planned for you!

PRAYER

Lord, Your ways are perfect! "Let us hear Your unfailing love in the morning, for we have put our trust in You. Show us the way we should walk, for to You we lift up our souls" (Psalms 143:8). Amen.

Joshua 7: Defeat at Ai and a CHALLENGE

LINK: Joshua 7

BACKGROUND

Because Achan did not destroy the devoted things "under the ban" when they defeated Jericho, Israel suffered the needless slaughter of 36 soldiers at the hands of the "few" inhabitants of Ai. Joshua's fervent prayer revealed Achan's sin. Consequently, Achan, his "things under the ban," sons, daughters, livestock, and property were all destroyed.

The "beautiful mantle of Shinar" was probably a garment made of fine materials from Babylon. Babylon was famous for its garments that were interwoven with pictures of various colors.

Joshua said Achan has been "trouble" for Israel. The name Achan is believed to mean "troubler," and the Valley of Achor means "valley of trouble."

REFLECTION

I am not going to lie. This passage is hard for me. I have struggled for the last half hour to write words, but they are not coming. Achan did a sinful thing. The punishment was death. Yet, even his sons and daughters were killed for Achan's sin? That is tough. 

Deuteronomy 24:16 says that children are not to be punished for their father's sins and everyone will be punished for their own sin. So, can we assume that they were part of the coveting and cover-up and deserved to die along with Achan? I think that we have to since it is a command of God. I have to look at this and trust that God is sovereign, holy, wise, good, loving but also just. 

It is interesting to note that there is no mention of Achan's wife being stoned to death in this passage. We do not know why. Maybe she was not part of it or maybe she was dead.

I also want to look at this and consider where I might be holding on to things that are forbidden and must be destroyed to allow all that I have to be totally devoted to Him.

APPLICATION

Are there any thoughts, practices, or possessions that hinder your devotion to Him? Dispose of them promptly!

Here is a fun application: 

JOSHUA WALK CHALLENGE

Challenge: Take a walk around the perimeter of any area that needs to be claimed for Jesus for six days. Then take seven laps around the perimeter on the seventh day. It could be your neighborhood, children's school, courthouse, workplace; or anywhere you are sensing "spiritual walls" that need to come down.

Come on and get your shoes on!

See more about Prayerwalking HERE.

PRAYER

Lord, we want to be totally devoted to You. You want all of us and when there is sin in our lives, You cannot have all of us. Please root out all those things that are displeasing to You and use us for Your glory. We pray this in Jesus' name. Amen.

Many Aspire, Few Attain

Things were more important to Achan than people! This reminded me of this principle in Many Aspire, Few Attain:

13. Walk by Faith (or Stay in the People Business) 

In the beginning living by faith has an excitement which is unlike anything else. But after a while, the novelty of it begins to wear off and it begins to seem more desirable to have some security--to be able to count on something rather than trusting God all the time. 

And then, slowly things begin to become more important. What you have, rather than what God can provide becomes your security. We can easily push this to the extreme. One woman I know does not like to have people in her home because they mess it up. If your home, or any of your possessions, become more important than people, you are already out of the battle. God is interested in people, and when our security is in Him, what happens to things is no longer important. If your rugs, sofa and cut glass bowls are more important than people, you will never qualify for the battle.

Joshua 5 & 6 - Circumcision at Gilgal and the Fall of Jericho

Sun and Shadows in Jericho, originally uploaded by Flopas.

LINK: Joshua 5 & 6

BACKGROUND

A new generation had entered the Promised Land. Therefore, they needed to be circumcised to fulfill the covenant. For an explanation of this, see the post for Genesis 17 here. 

The Israelites were in the Promised Land with their enemies right there. Circumcision would require a recovery period, but the Israelites had enough faith in God to be circumcised even though an attack could be a real possibility. It was not likely though since the inhabitants' "hearts melted and no longer dared to face the Israelites" (5:1).

After circumcision, they celebrated the Passover for the third time. The first time was before they left Egypt (Exodus 12). The second was at Mount Sinai just before they moved toward Canaan (Numbers 9). Passover could not be eaten until they were circumcised. The inauguration of Passover also marked the end of the manna! Yippee!

Joshua 5 starts a new section...

Conquering the Land (5:13 - 12:24)

Joshua saw a commander of the army of the LORD. It is believed that this was a "theophany": an Old Testament appearance of the Lord Jesus Christ Himself. Joshua's response was worship. Note that the Angel of the LORD's sword was drawn. The iniquity of the Amorites was full, fulfilling God's words to Abraham in Genesis 15:16. The Israelites were to be the instruments of God's divine punishment.

The LORD promised the fall of Jericho, but it was all His battle. He instructed the Israelites to walk around Jericho once every day for six days. They were to do this while following armed guards, seven priests with trumpets, and the Ark of the Covenant. On the seventh day, the priests would blow on the trumpets. At one long blast and a shout, the walls would collapse.

They obeyed, and Jericho was taken. Only Rahab and her family were spared. Note that the New International Version says they were not to take the "devoted things." The New American Standard Bible says "Things under the ban." I like this better! Deuteronomy 20:16-18 said that they were to destroy everything so that they would not be corrupted by the Canaanite practices. They could keep the silver, gold, bronze, and iron because this could be used for the Tabernacle and its services (stay tuned to see if they obey this command).

Then Joshua cursed anyone who tried to rebuild the city, and this was fulfilled in 1 Kings 16:34.

Archaeological note: Jericho was one of the oldest cities in the world. Many archaeologists date its habitation as far back as 7000 B.C. There are extensive pottery remains found on the mound that was once Jericho and in the tombs of the area that point to the occupancy of Jericho until about 1400 B.C. There is a thick burned layer of ash under the pottery that points to major destruction. This seems to match up with Joshua's destruction and eventual burning (Joshua 6:24) of the city (A Survey of Israel's History by Leon Wood, pp. 94-99).

REFLECTION (Written in 2008)

I have lived in my neighborhood for five and a half years. For the first year, I was pretty discouraged. It was almost like there was a big "wall" that surrounded this place much like the walls of Jericho. Then the LORD led me to take "Joshua Walks" around the neighborhood (something I had learned from my mentors in college). I would get up early in the morning and circle the outside perimeter of my neighborhood. Then, I would walk and pray for each house with the neighborhood directory in hand, praying for each person by name. I did this for six days. On the seventh day, I circled the perimeter seven times. I had no trumpet and gave no shout, but . . .

the walls came tumbling down!

There are many stories, but one happened shortly after these walks. To get to know my neighbors, I baked each of them a loaf of bread over 18 months. I had baked a loaf of bread on Easter of 2004, but then I realized that most of our neighbors would probably be doing things with their families. Then, I remembered that we had Iranian neighbors who were Baha'i. So, I assumed they would not be celebrating. George and I went to deliver the bread, and Iraj answered the door. His jaw DROPPED! 

He said, "I told Nourieh (his wife) just before you rang the bell that I would really like to have a loaf of homemade bread!" 

They invited us in, and we spent the rest of that Easter afternoon with our Iranian neighbors. It was delightful! Now, Nourieh and I study the Bible together every week, and they have become great friends! In fact, last July, Nourieh planned a surprise birthday party for me with the women of the neighborhood!

God has made the walls fall down in this neighborhood, and I know it is a result of prayer!

(2014 Update: Sadly, Iraj died of cancer last fall. I saw Nourieh the other day, and we decided to resume meeting again.) 

2023 Update: Just last week, while meditating on Jesus being The Bread of Life, I felt led to bake bread for a recently widowed neighbor. Read a story of the blessed time we had HERE (my personal blog). 

I am challenged to "Joshua Walk" my neighborhood once again. Please read tomorrow's post for more about that. 

APPLICATION

Are there any "walls" of Jericho in your life? Why not put your shoes on and walk and pray them down?

This summary of the stages of life in the book The Critical Journey has "The Wall" in it. I find many people get stuck here. Where are you on your journey? 

Another possible application: Days 21-30 of the 30-Day Prayer Guide for ISIS are based on the events in Joshua 6. You are given an opportunity to "Joshua walk" around their cities by looking at maps.  When I wrote this original post, they were a major threat. While downgraded as a threat, they are still active. Read this article for more information:

ISIS is a Problem Yesterday, Today, and Tomorrow

Stay tuned for the "Joshua Walk Challenge" tomorrow! 

PRAYER

Lord, give us the faith to believe that the battle is not ours but Yours. Help us to fight those battles through prayer. We ask this in Jesus' name. Amen.