We’re finishing up our first quarter of Bible reading! Nearly 25% complete. Let’s keep going – the Lord will honor our efforts to know him better and walk in his ways. We’ll trust the Spirit to transform us into the image of Christ. Further up and further in!
This week, we’ll read about the fulfillment of God’s promise to give the family of Abraham the Promised Land. We’ll see summaries of the people they conquered and how the land was distributed. We’ll see how “not one word has failed of all the good things that the Lord promised concerning Israel.” If you get confused with all the land descriptions, here’s a map for your reference. But in Judges we’ll see a failure of discipleship and Israel’s struggle to love the Lord and walk in his ways. We read of many highs, followed by very low lows. We can resonate with that, I think.
We’ve reached a “review moment” in Joshua as the people look back at the kings defeated by Moses and Joshua and what’s left to conquer, and in chapter 15 we start the specific allotments for each tribe. It seems like this pause in the middle of the action to reflect and plan is a good reminder for us to do the same.
You’ll likely want the map handy for this reading. I’d encourage you to pay attention to 17:12-13, because it’s a hint at the disaster to come and a failure to accomplish the mission. Yet, right after this account we learn the Israelites set up the tent of meeting at Shiloh – this will also become a significant place in 1 Samuel, a place where God continues to reveal himself to his people.
It's probably another good day to have the map in front of you as we allot the boundaries for the remaining nine-and-a-half tribes. I’m so struck by the idea of the cities of refuge – such a wonderful act of grace for accidental murder. I’m reminded that God indeed is our refuge and strength, a very present help in time of trouble. The final paragraph of these verses should absolutely floor us: “Not one word of all the good promises that the Lord had made to the house of Israel had failed: all came to pass.” And to think we have the fullest Word of God’s faithfulness – all God’s promises are ‘yes’ in Jesus.
Joshua 22 is a pretty wild episode – there’s almost a civil war right after they enter the land because the nine-and-a-half tribes think the two-and-a-half tribes have committed a breach of faith. But thankfully the hot heads didn't win the argument. It’s amazing what happens when people make an effort to understand one another before jumping to conclusions. I think that’s a lesson for us in our time. If you want to hear Dr. Robert Smith explain Joshua 22, here’s a clip from a sermon (watch from 18:17-29:45). Joshua’s time as Israel’s leader concludes in chapters 23-24 with a covenant renewal ceremony and a summary of Israel’s faithfulness all the days of Joshua and the elders who outlived Joshua. From Deuteronomy to the end of Joshua, the focus of Israel’s obedience is always about the heart (24:23).
After Joshua, things seem to be in a good place! But, the cyclical pattern happens again: God’s people fail to remain faithful to him. In 1:1-26, it’s a good start as they continue the conquest. But 1:27-36 is a disaster as they fail to be fully obedient to the Lord and they reap the consequences in 2:1-5 as they learn the gods of the Canaanites will be thorns in their sides. It didn’t take long until a generation arose that did not know the Lord and of the work he had done. What a failure of discipleship on Israel’s part. Two questions today:
Here we learn what specific nations are thorns in Israel’s side and then are introduced to the first five judges: Othniel (Caleb’s younger brother!), Ehud, Shamgar, Deborah, and Barak. These judges were no joke and the stories aren’t for the faint of heart. I believe the drastic measures taken here are evidence of the destructive nature of sin and the great lengths we must go to rid ourselves from sin. I love the story of Ehud – it makes me laugh every time! And where to even begin with Jael? What a strong woman of God (see Judg. 5:24-27)! If you read the Song of Deborah and Barak closely, you’ll get a pretty good picture of their awful situation before the Lord delivered them from Jabin king of Canaan.
These chapters begin one of a few lengthy accounts of Israel’s judges – this one is Gideon. A few things stick out to me from these chapters. First, the Lord sends a prophet (which is a rare thing in those days). Second, there’s evidence of rare faithfulness when Gideon says “his fathers recounted to them the Lord’s bringing them out of Egypt.” Third, God uses the weak things of the world to shame the strong (Gideon had the weakest tribe and was least in his father’s house). Pay attention to those three things as you read his story because I think they’re pretty consistent.
