Joshua

7:14 am. I’m actually writing this note before I write anything about Deuteronomy. It took me a few days to get through Deuteronomy only because work and church have monopolized my time. Right now I’m out of the city at a workshop, all my colleagues are probably only now getting ready for the day, but I was able to get up early and read Joshua. What’s weird though is we’re at this fancy resort, and they don’t have Internet access. I typed this in Word initially and copied it later (as per the time stamp).

Now, Moses died before Joshua did all these things written here, but something occurred to me about Moses as I read Joshua. If the speeches are any indication as they are recorded in Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers and Deuteronomy, Moses certainly talked a lot. I say that because the first half of Joshua is action based, clearly outlining the people that Israel defeated and how they acquired the Promised Land. Most of the last half explains the boundaries of this land, but only the last couple pages are dedicated to speeches given by Joshua.

I think it is interesting, because when God called Moses to lead His people out of Egypt, Moses made up excuses why he could not; Exodus 4:10 (CEV) – “Moses replied: ‘I have never been a good speaker. I wasn’t one before you spoke to me, and I’m not one now. I am slow at speaking, and I can never think of what to say.’” So God promised to give him the words, but Moses still wasn’t satisfied, so God gave him Aaron, his brother, to help him.

Fast forward to Joshua’s book, and I’m reminded of Moses self-perceived weakness and God’s promise. Moses talked a heck of a lot more than Joshua. After reading Joshua, I’m reminded of God’s faithfulness to Moses.

As for Joshua, I have to say I enjoyed it, but all the details on the verbal maps were a bit much. I suppose if I knew more about the geography of Israel it might make more sense. I may come back to Joshua one day with the goal of studying these maps more closely, just to see how it lines up with today’s Israel. I‘m sure it has implications to the current fighting between Israel and Palestine.

I think it’s odd how in some cases God told Joshua to wipe out everything in a city, and in other cases they could keep things. It seems it was simply an issue of obedience. People disobey, they die; people obey, they get the Promise. Pretty simple, really.

All in all though, Joshua (the book) is cool because it describes in intricate detail how God allowed his people to collect on his promise to give them this land, a promise that was in place when Moses brought them out of Egypt. A promise that was kept by God, as he said he would, after 40 years of waiting. Inasmuch as he promised to help Moses to speak and kept it, he gave his people the land they were told they’d get.