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Joshua 24 - Paleoacoustics

In the Lazarus Bowl, an episode from the TV Series the X-Files, a pot that was being made while Jesus was raising Lazarus from the dead was found. Using modern technology Jesus' voice was able to be played back from the sound waves captured by the pot. The resulting playback had the ability to raise people from the dead.

Sounds far-fetched? Not really it seems. There is a growing area of scientific study named Paleoacoustics or Archaeoacoustics that is exploring reproducing sounds from inanimate objects such as pottery and paintings. On a similar note, there is an Israeli guy named Ofer Spring that has managed to scan, via a flat-bed computer scanner, phonograph records and then reproduce the music that was etched into them.

Our spoken words are all recorded by God. He hears them all. We are told in Matthew 12:36-37

And I tell you this, that you must give an account on judgment day of every idle word you speak. The words you say now reflect your fate then; either you will be justified by them or you will be condemned.

Now let's look at today's reading.

Joshua 24:24-28 The people said to Joshua, "We will serve the LORD our God. We will obey him alone." So Joshua made a covenant with the people that day at Shechem, committing them to a permanent and binding contract between themselves and the LORD. Joshua recorded these things in the Book of the Law of God. As a reminder of their agreement, he took a huge stone and rolled it beneath the oak tree beside the Tabernacle of the LORD. Joshua said to all the people, "This stone has heard everything the LORD said to us. It will be a witness to testify against you if you go back on your word to God." Then Joshua sent the people away, each to his own inheritance.

It is entirely within the realm of possibility that at some future date science will be able to easily extract sounds from most inanimate objects such as wood, clay or stone. Joshua's huge stone at Shechem probably still exists today. It may be buried. It is doubtful that it was destroyed somehow. So imagine if it could be found and we could actually hear the words that the stone heard!

Heavenly Father, thank You for giving to us words of healing, words of life, words of comfort and hope. Thank You for Your ancient words that we can hear every day. We don't need sophisticated detection equipment. All we need to do is open our bibles and read them. In Jesus' name, Amen.

Listen to the Rock! Jan
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Joshua 23 - And forsaking all others...

The choice of words here caught my attention. Joshua warns the Israelites to be very, or exceedingly, careful to love God.

Joshua 23:11-13 So be very careful to love the Lord your God. "But if you turn away and ally yourselves with the survivors of these nations that remain among you and if you intermarry with them and associate with them, then you may be sure that the Lord your God will no longer drive out these nations before you. Instead, they will become snares and traps for you, whips on your backs and thorns in your eyes, until you perish from this good land, which the Lord your God has given you.

Do the bold words and subsequent warning sound somewhat familiar to you? If you are married or have been, I think they should. To me, they greatly resemble the part of the marriage vows where you pledge to forsake all others.

As I have pointed out in the past, marriage vows are a conditional contract. When the provisions of a contract are broken by one party, the contract is breached and voided. I see here that if Israel is not careful to love God and starts associating with other god's, He will turn His back on them.

It took some time, but wouldn't you know it, they eventually did sin and associate with those they shouldn't to the point that God Himself divorced Israel.

Jeremiah 3:8b I gave faithless Israel her certificate of divorce and sent her away because of all her adulteries...

May we remain pure, may we remain devoted, may we remain careful. Our adversary is no fool. He will catch us when we are weak, alone and down. Surround yourself with people of faith that will lift you in prayer and keep you carefully loving God. If the preponderance of your friends are not committed Christians then you are playing the part of faithless Israel.

Be very careful, Jan
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Joshua 22 - Let's call it Ed!

In the movie "Over the hedge" there is a scene where the woodland creatures awakened from their winter's hibernation come upon something new in their land. It is a hedge the stretches left and right as far as they can see and rises to a height of about 10 feet. They don't know what it is...

Verne the Turtle: [about the hedge] "What should we call it?"
Hammy the Squirrel: "I know! Let’s name it Steve."
Verne the Turtle: "Why Steve?"
Hammy the Squirrel: "It’s a nice name."
Ozzie the Possum: [bows down to the hedge] "Oh great and mighty Steve, what do you want from us?"

In this chapter the Israelites avert a narrow disaster. The western tribes were on their way to wipe out the eastern tribes because of a misunderstanding. The eastern tribes had built a replica of the altar used at the tent of meeting for sacrifices. God commanded that sacrifices could only be offered up at the altar at the tent of meeting. Fortunately wisdom and cool heads prevailed. Rather than launching a preemptive strike, a delegation of officials, led by "Brass Mouth" Phinehas meets with the eastern tribes. The eastern tribes explain...

Joshua 22:26-29 So we built an altar, not to burn sacrifices or make offerings, but instead, as a sign for our people and yours, and for the generations after us, that we do indeed worship the Lord before his sacred Tent with our offerings to be burned and with sacrifices and fellowship offerings. This was to keep your descendants from saying that ours have nothing to do with the Lord. It was our idea that, if this should ever happen, our descendants could say, "Look! Our ancestors made an altar just like the Lord's altar. It was not for burning offerings or for sacrifice, but as a sign for our people and yours.' We would certainly not rebel against the Lord or stop following him now by building an altar to burn offerings on or for grain offerings or sacrifices. We would not build any other altar than the altar of the Lord our God that stands in front of the Tent of his presence.

The delegation satisfied with their reason and answer, bless God and call off the war.

Joshua 22:34 And the children of Reuben and the children of Gad called the altar Ed: for it shall be a witness between us that the LORD is God.

Ed, it's a nice name. It means witness, testimony or evidence. So what does the Ed in your life look like?

May the Ed in your life, like the one in Joshua serve to point people to the one and only true God. May it be visible for all to see and know in the here and now and be remembered in the generations to come. If it is not serving this purpose, then it is a Steve - something blocking your path and keeping others from Christ. I suggest you do some demolition work and build something of lasting value, build an Ed.

Amen, Jan
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Joshua 21 - And they lived happily ever after...

Forgive me for the questioning of God's word, but what's up with this piece of fiction?

Joshua 21:43-45 So the LORD gave Israel the whole land he had sworn to give their ancestors. They took possession of it and settled there. The LORD allowed them to have peace on every side, as he had sworn with an oath to their ancestors. Not one of their enemies stood up to them. The LORD handed all their enemies over to them. Every single good promise that the LORD had given the nation of Israel came true.

Not one of their enemies stood up to them? The LORD handed all their enemies to them?

What about these verses in the preceding chapters?

Joshua 19:47 (But the Danites had difficulty taking possession of their territory, so they went up and attacked Leshem, took it, put it to the sword and occupied it. They settled in Leshem and named it Dan after their forefather.)

Joshua 17:12-13 Yet the Manassites were not able to occupy these towns, for the Canaanites were determined to live in that region. However, when the Israelites grew stronger, they subjected the Canaanites to forced labor but did not drive them out completely.

Joshua 16:10 They did not dislodge the Canaanites living in Gezer; to this day the Canaanites live among the people of Ephraim but are required to do forced labor.

Joshua 15:63 Judah could not dislodge the Jebusites, who were living in Jerusalem; to this day the Jebusites live there with the people of Judah.

Joshua 13:13 But the Israelites did not drive out the people of Geshur and Maacah, so they continue to live among the Israelites to this day.

I don't know about you, but this surely does not look like their enemies not standing up to them, nor all of them being handed over. I suspect that the reason is because of lack of follow-through on the part of the Israelites. Caleb defeated everyone in his territory, and he was over 80 years old. He was wholly committed to doing what God commanded.

God's promises did come true, but only to the point that the Israelites were willing to be obedient. Many, if not most, of God's promises are conditional. We must do our part in order for Him to do His part. The Israelites were unwilling to utterly destroy those that God commanded them to. As a result they later paid the price. But the promises where they kept their part of God's covenant, He kept His.

Father, thank you that we do get to live happily ever after because of what Jesus did for us on the cross. The victory has already been won. We only need to accept it. Amen.

Peace, Jan
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Joshua 20 - Cities of Refuge

I started to look at what I could glean from this chapter and decided to instead go with what Matthew Henry wrote. I cannot add anything of value to it, nor shall I try.

"These cities were designed to typify the relief which the gospel provides for penitent sinners, and their protection from the curse of the law and the wrath of God, in our Lord Jesus, to whom believers flee for refuge.

These cities were upon hills to be seen afar off, for a city on a hill cannot be hid; and this would both direct and encourage the poor distressed man that was making that way; and, though therefore his way at last was up-hill, yet this would comfort him, that he would be in his place of safety quickly, and if he could but get into the suburbs of the city he was well enough off.

These cities, as those also on the other side Jordan, stood so that a man might in half a day reach one of them from any part of the country. God is ever a Refuge at hand. They were all Levites' cities. It was kindness to the poor fugitive, that when he might not go up to the house of the Lord, yet he had the servants of God with him, to instruct him, and pray for him, and to help to make up the want of public ordinances.

Some observe a significance in the names of these cities with application to Christ our Refuge. Kedesh signifies holy, and our Refuge is the holy Jesus. Shechem, a shoulder, and the government is upon his shoulder. Hebron, fellowship, and believers are called into the fellowship of Christ Jesus our Lord. Bezer, a fortification, for he is a strong hold to all those that trust in him. Ramoth, high or exalted, for Him hath God exalted with his own right hand. Golan, joy or exultation, for in Him all the saints are justified, and shall glory."

Jesus is our refuge! Jan
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Joshua 19 - Geography lesson

I was curious as to what the geographic distribution of the tribes of Israel actually looked like. So I found a map on the internet that shows it. If you click on the picture to the left it will open to a larger map.

Note the fact that Dan, Benjamin and Ephraim are all in the middle of the land and touching each other.

Recently I was challenged to look up the twelve tribes of Israel in Genesis and compare them to the twelve tribes mentioned in Revelation chapter seven. You know what I found? Dan and Ephraim are not there, they are missing. Why is that?

These tribes did not do what God commanded. They did not wipe out the former inhabitants and they became a trap to them that eventually led them into idol worship.

In Joshua 16:10 we saw that Ephraim did not get rid of the Canaanites in Gezer.

Today we see in Joshua 19:47 that the tribe of Dan had trouble taking the land so they found easier pickings. In other words they didn't wipe out all of the heathen living around them.

But why did I mention Benjamin, they are in Revelation aren't they? Because of the geography and their gross sin that nearly cost them their entire tribe's very existence.

In Joshua 9:14-16 we saw the Gibeonites tricked the Hebrews into letting them live. Who's land is Gibeon in? It is in the tribe of Benjamin. In Judges 19-21 the entire tribe is hunted to the verge of extinction due their sin and subborness. And where did this sin originate? In the city of Gibeon.

Three tribes, two of which lose the honor of having 12,000 sealed witnesses from their midst preach in the end times, and one that nearly was wiped out, all sharing common borders. A coincidence? I think not. These tribes were in a hotbed of sinful pagan activity. God wanted it all wiped out. He promised that He would help them. But they didn't do it. They paid and heavy price for their lack of action.

Heavenly Father, please give me the courage to act when You command. I do not want to lose out on the blessings that You have promised. In Jesus' name. Amen.

Leave nothing undone. Jan
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Joshua 18 - Indolent and Slack

I see here that some of the Hebrew tribes are too lazy or preoccupied to actually take possession of the land available to them.

Joshua 18:1-3

The whole assembly of the Israelites gathered at Shiloh and set up the Tent of Meeting there.

The country was brought under their control, but there were still seven Israelite tribes who had not yet received their inheritance. So Joshua said to the Israelites: "How long will you wait before you begin to take possession of the land that the Lord, the God of your fathers, has given you?

It was not a question. It was a scolding. He called them indolent, lazy, and relaxed. He was frustrated by their lack of action.

How often have I frustrated God by my lack of action? I know that I am supposed to do good to all men, to preach the kingdom, to visit the fatherless, widows, prisoners... Do I do it? I'm sad to say that no, most of the time I don't. I am relaxed, lazy and comfortable in my recliner. Or else I'm just too busy with the minutiae of life to slow down to do that which has eternal results instead of the temporal.

Father, please forgive me for not having a sense of urgency about the truly important things in life. People's spiritual houses are burning down, the bridge is out, starvation is killing them, and I sit by the sidelines. Please renew a right spirit within me. In Jesus' name, Amen.

Do something! Jan
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Joshua 17 - Primogeniture

God is often accused of being unfair or demeaning of women. However I rarely find God the one that does the demeaning. Usually it is a person speaking, not God. In fact God goes out of his way at times to show that He truly does care about them. In this chapter we see five sisters coming to Joshua and the leaders asking for their family's portion in the promised land.

Joshua 17:3b-4 Their names were Mahlah, Noah, Hoglah, Milcah, and Tirzah. They came to the priest Eleazar, Joshua (son of Nun), and the leaders. They said, "The LORD commanded Moses to give us some land as an inheritance among our male relatives." So they gave them an inheritance among their father's relatives as the LORD had required.

Jump back to the book of Numbers to see the place where the LORD commanded Moses to do so.

Numbers 27:3-8 "Our father died in the desert. He was not a part of Korah's followers who joined forces against the LORD. He died for his own sin and left no sons. Why should our father's name be allowed to die out in his family because he had no son? Give us property among our father's relatives." So Moses brought their case to the LORD, and the LORD said to him, "Zelophehad's daughters are right. You must give them property of their own among their father's relatives. Turn their father's property over to them. "Tell the Israelites: If a man dies and leaves no sons, turn his property over to his daughters.

God changed and further clarified the accepted primogeniture practices of the region. Up until then women rarely if ever inherited property. Now, if a man had no sons, the daughters were treated as heirs.

Thank you Father for allowing all of us, sons and daughters to have an inheritance in Your eternal kingdom. In Jesus' name, Amen.

You are blessed, Jan
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Joshua 16 - Compromise

Amazing what a little "compassion" can bring about.

Joshua 16:10 But they didn't get rid of the Canaanites who were living in Gezer. Canaanites are still living among the people of Ephraim, but they are made to do forced labor.

God told them to wipe out everyone living in the land. Either through compassion or lazyness the Israelites didn't do it. As a result the people living among them became a snare and dragged them into idol worship and eventual punishment by God.

Father, please give me the courage and strength to wholly do Your will. Please keep me from the error of thinking that I know better than You - that I somehow have more compassion - as if that was possible. In Jesus' name, Amen.

Father knows best, Jan
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Joshua 15 - Consanguinity Marriage

Consanguinity - Relationship by blood or by a common ancestor.

Joshua 15:16-17 And Caleb said, "I will give my daughter Acsah in marriage to the man who attacks and captures Kiriath Sepher." Othniel son of Kenaz, Caleb's brother, took it; so Caleb gave his daughter Acsah to him in marriage.

In the bible there is no prohibition against cousin marriage. Many people are surprised to learn this and are even offended. After all aren't cousin marriages going to result in birth defects later down the line? Admit it, when you think of cousin marriages you think of webbed feet and buck teeth, don't you?

The National Society of Genetic Counselors did a review of six major studies conducted from 1965 to August 2000 involving many thousands of births. They determined that there was little or no harm in cousins marrying and having children. The actual statistic is about 1.5 to 2.8 percent increased chance of problems.

No European country currently has a ban on cousin marriage, and it is still common in parts of the Middle East, Asia and Africa.

Think about it this way, God gave exacting, detailed instructions about nearly every aspect of life to the Hebrews in the Old Testament. If cousin marriage was bad, don't you think He would have prohibited it?

Now I'm not saying that we should go out and do it. But what it does mean is that if you should encounter it, treat the couple as you would any other person - God does.

Father, help us to treat everyone in our lives the way that You would want us to. Please give us the grace to see them through Jesus' eyes. Amen.

Blessings to you, Jan
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Joshua 14 - Wholeheartedly

I find here a very different definition of "following God wholeheartedly" (NIV) than I'd ever considered before. I mean, intellectually I can see it quite clearly now. But it never really occurred to me before that this is an aspect of following "God completely" (NLT).

Joshua 14:7-9 I (Caleb) was 40 years old when the LORD's servant Moses sent me from Kadesh Barnea to explore the land. I reported to him exactly what I thought. But my companions discouraged the people. However, I was completely loyal to the LORD my God. On that day Moses swore this oath: 'The land your feet walked on will be a permanent inheritance for you and your descendants because you were completely loyal to the LORD my God.'

There is an old axiom that speaks of what true friendship is - true loyalty.

"A friend will help you move A true friend will help you move a body."

Now this example is not an infallible maxim, for it certainly does not hold true in Christian life. However, it does show a state of mind. It shows that no matter what misgivings, or personal feelings the true friend has, that friend is willing to do what the first friend asked and needs.

Look again at what Caleb says and doesn't say.

Joshua 14:12 Now give me this mountain region which the LORD spoke of that day. You heard that the people of Anak are still there and that they have large, fortified cities. If the LORD is with me, I can force them out, as he promised."

He does not say that he can do it alone. He knows that his own strength is not enough. What he does say is that "If the LORD...". Note the if. He is not presupposing a forgone conclusion. He acknowledges that only with God can he succeed.

Forty-five years earlier Caleb saw the same danger that the rest of the spies sent to Canaan saw. The difference between him and them was in his attitude. He was ready to do what God said.

Numbers 13:30 & Numbers 14:7-9,24
...Caleb said, "Let's go now and take possession of the land. We should be more than able to conquer it."

..."The land we explored is very good. If the LORD is pleased with us, he will bring us into this land and give it to us. This is a land flowing with milk and honey! Don't rebel against the LORD, and don't be afraid of the people of the land. We will devour them like bread. They have no protection, and the LORD is with us. So don't be afraid of them."

(God speaking) But because my servant Caleb has a different attitude and has wholeheartedly followed me, I'll bring him to the land he already explored. His descendants will possess it.

A generation later, Caleb's attitude had not changed despite spending all of that time in the desert. God was still the God who made the impossible possible. Caleb knew that if God was with him, he would succeed.

Father, may my attitude be that of Caleb, who "was completely loyal to the LORD". May I do whatever you ask of me, even if I am afraid or have doubts. The outcome of the thing asked for is in Your hands, not mine. My job is to obey. In Jesus' name, Amen.

Have a different attitude. Jan
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Joshua 13 - Error of Balaam

In this chapter I found a reference to the death of Balaam.

Joshua 13:22 Along with these leaders, the people of Israel also killed Balaam, son of Beor, who used black magic.

Obviously He was violating God's prohibitions against witchcraft and such. But God used him to bless Israel. So why was he killed?

Numbers 22:35 And the angel of the LORD said unto Balaam, Go with the men: but only the word that I shall speak unto thee, that thou shalt speak. So Balaam went with the princes of Balak.

Balaam is told to say only the words he is told to say. Did he obey?

He did bless Israel. He did curse the peoples of Canaan. But he added his own words, telling King Balak how to get Israel to sin - thereby causing the deaths of 24,000 people.

Numbers 31:16 "These are the very ones who followed Balaam's advice and caused the people of Israel to rebel against the LORD at Mount Peor. They are the ones who caused the plague to strike the LORD's people.

God makes it clear that He does not approve of Balaam's actions.

2 Peter 2:15 They have wandered off the right road and followed the way of Balaam son of Beor, who loved to earn money by doing wrong.

Jude 1:11 How terrible it will be for them!...  Like Balaam, they will do anything for money...

Revelaton 2:14 And yet I have a few complaints against you. You tolerate some among you who are like Balaam, who showed Balak how to trip up the people of Israel. He taught them to worship idols by eating food offered to idols and by committing sexual sin.

God used Balaam, He had purpose for his life. Yet he loved money so much that he wanted to get rewarded by King Balak instead of being content with serving as God's messenger. Since he himself couldn't curse Israel (God woudn't let him), he told Balak how to cause them to stumble. May we watch for those in our lives that look good on the outside, wear the right clothes, say the right words, read God's word and even memorize scripture, but inside are ravenous wolves looking for someone to hurt, punish, and kill.

Father, please give us discernment to know what is in the heart of those that we encounter in our lives. Please guard us from the error of Balaam. Help us to desire You more than anything that the world could hope to offer. In Jesus' name, Amen.

1 John 2:15-17 Don't love the world and what it offers. Those who love the world don't have the Father's love in them. Not everything that the world offers--physical gratification, greed, and extravagant lifestyles--comes from the Father. It comes from the world, and the world and its evil desires are passing away. But the person who does what God wants lives forever.

Balaam loved the world and paid the price. May we show by our actions and choices that we Love the Father.

Peace, Jan
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Joshua 12 - Nothing but a footnote

Joshua 12:4-5 And the territory of Og king of Bashan, one of the last of the Rephaites, who reigned in Ashtaroth and Edrei. He ruled over Mount Hermon, Salecah, all of Bashan to the border of the people of Geshur and Maacah, and half of Gilead to the border of Sihon king of Heshbon.

In Deuteronomy there is a more detailed account of the defeat of the kingdom of Og of Bashan who ruled in Ashtaroth and Edrei. However, it was not the details of battle that piqued my interest. It was one detail about King Og's bedroom. This prompted me to do some digging into the meanings of the names mentioned. Og means long necked. I guess it was some ancient way of saying tall. The city name Ashtaroth is the name of a Canaanite fertility godess. No need to go into what that meant that city was famous for and why God wanted it wiped out. And then there is the word Rephaite. This was an ancient race of giants. And when I say giant, I mean it. Look at this verse that prompted my digging.

Deuteronomy 3:11 (Incidentally, King Og of Bashan was the last of the giant Rephaites. His iron bed was more than thirteen feet long and six feet wide. It can still be seen in the Ammonite city of Rabbah.)

OK, this guy's bed was over 13 feet long! This means that he was probably over 10 feet tall. And yet his size is mentioned as almost a footnote in the bible. God makes it clear that he does not look at the height or the physical appearance of a person. He looks at what is inside.

1 Samuel 16:7 But the LORD said to Samuel, "Don't judge by his appearance or height, for I have rejected him. The LORD doesn't make decisions the way you do! People judge by outward appearance, but the LORD looks at a person's thoughts and intentions."

If He doesn't look at outward appearances, we shouldn't either. Therefore we would do well to remember that even if there are giants that we are facing, they too will be nothing but footnotes in that annals of history if we put our trust in the Lord.

Psalm 3:5-8 I lay down and slept. I woke up in safety, for the LORD was watching over me. I am not afraid of ten thousand enemies who surround me on every side. Arise, O LORD! Rescue me, my God! Slap all my enemies in the face! Shatter the teeth of the wicked! Victory comes from you, O LORD. May your blessings rest on your people.

Fear not. Jan
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Joshua 11 - Choose Wisely

The Hivites of Gibeon, albeit through deception, made a peace treaty with Israel. In making this treaty they acknowledged God for who He is. They understood that He alone is God.

Joshua 9:9-10 They said to him, "Your servants have come from a very far country, because of the name of the Lord your God; for we have heard a report of him, of all that he did in Egypt, and of all that he did to the two kings of the Amorites who were beyond the Jordan, King Sihon of Heshbon, and King Og of Bashan who lived in Ashtaroth.

Ultimately they were spared, like the people of Nineveh, because they acknowledged God.

Jonah 3:5-10 The people of Nineveh believed God's message, and from the greatest to the least, they decided to go without food and wear sackcloth to show their sorrow. When the king of Nineveh heard what Jonah was saying, he stepped down from his throne and took off his royal robes. He dressed himself in sackcloth and sat on a heap of ashes. Then the king and his nobles sent this decree throughout the city: "No one, not even the animals, may eat or drink anything at all. Everyone is required to wear sackcloth and pray earnestly to God. Everyone must turn from their evil ways and stop all their violence. Who can tell? Perhaps even yet God will have pity on us and hold back his fierce anger from destroying us." When God saw that they had put a stop to their evil ways, he had mercy on them and didn't carry out the destruction he had threatened.

Like Nineveh, the inhabitants of Canaan were given a chance. But they refused to change. Yes, God hardened their hearts, but as we see from the example of the Hivites in Gibeon, they still had a choice.

Joshua 11:19-20 No one in this region made peace with the Israelites except the Hivites of Gibeon. All the others were defeated. For the LORD hardened their hearts and caused them to fight the Israelites instead of asking for peace. So they were completely and mercilessly destroyed, as the LORD had commanded Moses.

They could have sent out delegations to negotiate. There was plenty of time. However, they chose to fight instead of asking for peace. They chose poorly.

Heavenly Father, please help me to chose wisely when presented with choices. There are so many of them every day, and more often than not I don't even pause to consider what Your will might be. Please give me wisdom and ability to pause and inquire of You. In Jesus' name, Amen.

Choose wisely, choose peace. Jan
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Joshua 10 - God Enlisted in the Army

The Gibeonites are in trouble and they send to Joshua for help. This time he hears from God before doing anything he can't undo.

Joshua 10:8-10 The Lord said to Joshua, "Do not be afraid of them; I have given them into your hand. Not one of them will be able to withstand you." After an all-night march from Gilgal, Joshua took them by surprise. The Lord threw them into confusion before Israel, who defeated them in a great victory at Gibeon.

The Israelites are now in hot pursuit of the fleeing enemy. And God himself joins in the battle. He enlists in Joshua's army and rains rocks from the sky on the Amorites! He killed more of the enemy that way than the Israelites did with the sword.

Something unheard of happens next. Joshua is running out of daylight and still has a lot more people to wipe out. He looks to the sky and...

Joshua 10:12b-14 ...Joshua spoke (ordered) to the LORD while Israel was watching, "Sun, stand still over Gibeon, and moon, stand still over the valley of Aijalon!" The sun stood still, and the moon stopped until a nation got revenge on its enemies... The sun stopped in the middle of the sky, and for nearly a day the sun was in no hurry to set. Never before or after this day was there anything like it. The LORD did (obeyed) what a man told him to do, because the LORD fought for Israel.

As I said earlier, God enlisted in Joshua's army. Joshua commanded that the sun and moon stand still and, because God was part of Joshua's army, He obeyed. That's how I see it.

Father, I am in Your army. Please help me to be willing to obey whatever You command me to do. In Jesus' name, Amen.

Private First Class, Jan
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Joshua 9 - Didn't ask God...

The message I got from this chapter was obvious. The Israelites screwed up big time. They got careless, they thought that the Gibeonites were from far away and would not be subject to their conquest. They had some doubts, but rushed ahead and made a very foolish decision. They tried to do something on their own.

Joshua 9:14-16 The men of Israel looked them over and accepted the evidence. But they didn't ask God about it.

So Joshua made peace with them and formalized it with a covenant to guarantee their lives. The leaders of the congregation swore to it. And then, three days after making this covenant, they learned that they were next-door neighbors who had been living there all along!

Surprise! These people became a snare to them and helped to eventually drag the Israelites into idol worship and worse. But the story doesn't end there. The treaty required Israel to protect the Gibeonites. In the next chapter we see them being called upon to do it.

Skip forward hundreds of years, Saul has just been killed and David is made King in his stead.

2 Samuel 21:1-2 During the reign of David, there was a famine for three successive years; so David sought the face of the Lord. The Lord said, "It is on account of Saul and his blood-stained house; it is because he put the Gibeonites to death." The king summoned the Gibeonites and spoke to them. (Now the Gibeonites were not a part of Israel but were survivors of the Amorites; the Israelites had sworn to spare them, but Saul in his zeal for Israel and Judah had tried to annihilate them.)

Even then, after such a long time period God required His people to maintain their foolhardy treaty.

Father, may I learn the lesson of delay. When in doubt, wait and inquire of the Lord. Please forgive me for my rash decisions and the many times that I try to do things in my own strength. When will I learn that I cannot? It is only through You that I have any hope. Please forgive me and help me to do better.

Inquire of the Lord, Jan
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Joshua 8 - Patience and Reward

What a terrible word that can be at times - patience. It is not something that comes naturally to us. We must be taught patience. I see this with our youngest son more so than our oldest. Why? Because he is younger and has not learned as many lessons in patience as his older brother. Even I have trouble with patience at times. However there are times when the lesson of patience is so wonderfully rewarded that the lesson learned is quite indelible. Yesterday was just such a lesson for Samuel, the older of our two boys. He has been wanting an MP3 player for a long time, but has lacked the money needed to purchase one with the features he'd like to have. There was one in particular that he'd been eyeing. On Sunday I saw that player being advertised in the paper for only $30. He is now the proud owner of this magical little device. But with it comes a whole new realm of responsibility and personal choices, either good or bad - more lessons. Please pray for us and him.

The children of Israel were told to take nothing for themselves from the first city that they'd conquered. Today that changed. They didn't expect it, they had no reason to. What I see happening is that the "first fruits" had been given to God with the destruction of Jericho. The rest of Canaan was His reward for their patient obedience.

Joshua 8:2 You will do to Ai and its king what you did to Jericho and its king. Only this time you may take all the wealth and keep it for yourselves...

May we be willing to patiently do all that the Lord asks of us. For we have a heavenly reward waiting for us that nothing on earth can ever compare to.

Patience, Jan
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Joshua 7 - Injustice?

When I first read this chapter, I was struck by two things. The first being the swiftness and severity of the punishment meted out by God against Achan and his family. I doubt anyone else disobeyed Joshua after that. The second thought was, "Wait a minute, doesn't this punishment violate God's law?!"

Deuteronomy 24:16 The fathers shall not be put to death for the children, neither shall the children be put to death for the fathers: every man shall be put to death for his own sin.

What reason was there for having Achan's entire family stoned to death and then the bodies burned to ash? What sin did they commit? It was Achan who took the robe, gold and silver, not his children or wife.

I was stumped and confused. God does not violate His word, He is Holy, and just. He would not order an injustice to be done. So what is the explanation?

It took a bit of research to come up with this answer.

Achan was not a young man at the time of this incident. He was only five generations removed from Judah. Most likely he was a young boy when the Israelites left Egypt, so he would have been 50-70 years old at this time. This meant that his children were not infants, they were at least teenagers, if not adults. Family units stayed in the same tent until they married. So it would have been impossible for Achan to dig a hole in the middle of his tent and hide something without the rest of his family knowing. Therefore his family was aware of his sin, did nothing about it and subsequently received the same judgment as the one that initiated the offense.

So Yes, the punishment was harsh, it was swift, and it was lawful justice.

Heavenly Father, thank You for Your grace and mercy. There are so many times that I have deserved worse than Achan. But You have shown me kindness. Please forgive my failings and give me the desire and strength to be wholly devoted to You. In Jesus' name, Amen.

God is just. Jan
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Joshua 6 - Proof

The scene is Jericho in the spring of 1350 BC. We see a city on a hill with a large double walled defense system - one circling the top, and one the bottom. It is inhabited by about 1,200 people who are dedicated to the worship of a fertility god and goddess. Inside the city walls is a massively producing fresh-water spring. The city's storehouses are full due to the recent harvest season. The city is shut up tight as a drum due to the threat of attack from the invading Israelites. The inhabitants, although terrified, feel somewhat secure in their fortress, they know that they can hold off an assault for years.

The city fell in just seven days...

Jericho is one of the most excavated sites in all of antiquity. It ranks only behind Jerusalem. So does the empirical evidence give us any proof of the biblical record?

Joshua 6:20 So the people shouted, and the trumpets sounded. When they heard the blast of the trumpet, the people gave a great shout, and the wall collapsed. The people advanced into the city, each man straight ahead, and they captured the city.

Archaeologists have found the remains of the destroyed walls or Jericho, they fell exactly as the Bible says. In fact they have found evidence of an earthquake that corresponds exactly with that same time period. No matter what means God used, the walls fell. Evidence shows that the upper wall collapsed, raining debris down the earthen embankment. This formed a ramp for the Israelites to merely climb up and over the rubble, that was now covering the outer retaining wall, and into the midst of the city.

But wait a minute, wasn't Rahab's house built on the walls of the city? Wouldn't the wall's destruction also signal her and her family's doom, destroying her house?

Joshua 6:22-23 Joshua said to the two men who had scouted the land, "Go to the prostitute's house and bring the woman out of there, and all who are with her, just as you promised her." So the young men who had scouted went in and brought out Rahab and her father, mother, brothers, and all who belonged to her. They brought out her whole family and settled them outside the camp of Israel.

How is this possible, shouldn't they have been dead? A German excavation of 1907–1909 found that on the north a short stretch of the lower city wall did not fall as everywhere else. A portion of the mudbrick wall (upper wall) was still standing to a height of over eight feet. What is more, there were houses built against the wall! This is the section of the city that would have faced the Judean hills where the spies hid for three days.

Joshua 6:24 They burned up the city and everything in it,...

Wherever the archaeologists reached the level in the dig that corresponded to the period of Joshua, they found a layer of burned ash and debris about three feet thick. Archaeologist Kenyon described the massive devastation as follows.

The destruction was complete. Walls and floors were blackened or reddened by fire, and every room was filled with fallen bricks, timbers, and household utensils; in most rooms the fallen debris was heavily burnt, but the collapse of the walls of the eastern rooms seems to have taken place before they were affected by the fire. Kenyon, Excavations at Jericho.

But wait, there's more!

Joshua instructed the Israelites to not loot the city prior to burning it. The only things to be taken were gold and silver for the Lord's treasury.

Joshua 6:17-19 But the city and everything in it are set apart to the Lord for destruction. Only Rahab the prostitute and everyone with her in the house will live, because she hid the men we sent. But keep yourselves from the things set apart, or you will be set apart for destruction. If you take any of those things, you will set apart the camp of Israel for destruction and bring disaster on it. For all the silver and gold, and the articles of bronze and iron, are dedicated to the Lord and must go into the Lord's treasury."

Archaeologists Garstang and Kenyon both found many storage jars full of grain that had been caught in the fiery destruction. This is a unique find in the annals of archaeology. Grain was valuable, not only as a source of food, but also as a commodity which could be bartered. Under normal circumstances, valuables such as grain would have been plundered by the conquerors prior to burning a city. Remember, the manna had stopped raining down a week earlier, the Israelites were now responsible for getting their own food. The fact that they left it behind proves their obedience to the Lord's command through Joshua.

I find it comforting to know that our bible, unlike many other so called sacred texts can be proven by carefully looking at the historical evidence around us. As the Apostle Peter said;

2 Peter 1:16 For we did not follow cunningly devised fables when we made known to you the power and coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, but were eyewitnesses of His majesty.

No, the destruction Jericho is not a fable. The truth is before us. All we need to do is believe what we have had presented to us. Nor should we take the words we read lightly. Joshua pronounced a curse upon anyone that attempted to rebuild the city.

Joshua 6:26 At that time Joshua imposed this curse: Cursed before the Lord is the man who undertakes the rebuilding of this city, Jericho. He will lay its foundation [at the cost of] his firstborn; He will set up its gates [at the cost of] his youngest.

This was no idle curse, he was speaking under the authority and inspiration of God. A man named Heil did rebuild the city during the reign of King Ahab.

1 Kings 16:34 It was during his (Ahab's) reign that Hiel, a man from Bethel, rebuilt Jericho. When he laid the foundations, his oldest son, Abiram, died. And when he finally completed it by setting up the gates, his youngest son, Segub, died. This all happened according to the message from the LORD concerning Jericho spoken by Joshua son of Nun.

Lord, thank you for confirming Your word. Please help me to be a doer, and not a mere reader. In Jesus' name, Amen.

Be blessed, Jan
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Joshua 5 - The Promise

In Exodus 23:20-23 there was an section of scripture that I'd never paid attention to before. Moses was told by God, "I'm sending my Angel ahead of you to guard you in your travels, to lead you to the place that I've prepared. Pay close attention to him. Obey him..." Then the people sinned and spent the next forty years wandering.

In this chapter, forty years later, almost to the day that the Israelites left Egypt, we finally meet this Angel and see that God keeps His promises.

Joshua 5:13 When Joshua was near Jericho, he looked up and saw a man standing in front of him with a sword in his hand. Joshua went up to him and asked, "Are you one of us or one of our enemies?"

Joshua, scouting Jericho, sees a warrior that is unfamiliar to him. So he approaches and asks if he is one of the Israelites or an enemy.

Joshua 5:14a He answered, "Neither one! I am here as the commander of the LORD's army."

Joshua was obviously aware of the promise made to Moses and was expecting the Angel to appear soon. Look at his reaction.

Joshua 5:14b-15 Immediately, Joshua bowed with his face touching the ground and worshiped. He asked, "Sir, what do you want to tell me?" The commander of the LORD's army said to Joshua, "Take off your sandals because this place where you are standing is holy." So Joshua did as he was told.

He didn't go, "Nah, you're pulling my leg. You must be some lunatic." No, he was expectantly awaiting the promise of God and immediately he "did as he was told."

Heavenly Father, may I be a willing to be first-time obeyer. I don't want to spend years wandering around your promises, or worse yet, to miss them, because I refuse to listen when You speak. Please take away my doubts. As the man asked Jesus in Mark 9:24; I do believe, but please help me not to doubt. In Jesus' name, Amen

Believe! Jan
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Joshua 4 - Battle Formation

Reading this chapter reminded me of an awesome scene in The Lord of the Rings - The Fellowship of the Ring.

The battle at Helms Deep is going badly for the side of good. The human and elf warriors are about to make one last heroic charge into the midst of the enemy hoard. Early in the morning just before sunrise they begin their doomed last act of bravery, when suddenly the rays of the sun break over the mountain, blinding the combatants. They recoil at the onslaught of light. Then we see a look of horror overwhelm the enemy and a look of hope and joy spread on the humans and elves, as they see a vast army streaming over the ridge, the sun behind them. Their salvation miracle has come.

Joshua 4:12-13,19,23-24 The Reubenites, Gadites, and half the tribe of Manasseh went in battle formation in front of the Israelites, as Moses had instructed them. About 40,000 equipped for war crossed to the plains of Jericho in the Lord's presence.

The people came up from the Jordan on the tenth day of the first month, and camped at Gilgal on the eastern limits of Jericho.

For the Lord your God dried up the waters of the Jordan before you until you had crossed over, just as the Lord your God did to the Red Sea, which He dried up before us until we had crossed over. This is so that all the people of the earth may know that the Lord's hand is mighty, and so that you may always fear the Lord your God.

It was morning in March or April, the river was at flood-stage as we saw yesterday. The inhabitants of Jericho thought that they were safe for now on the west side of the river due to the flooding. As any kingdom would, they had people scouting the Israelites to see what they were up to. Suddenly the scouts see movement on the opposite bank, people are entering the river and dropping out of sight since the river bank height makes it impossible to see down into the river itself. Inexplicably, the sound of the raging river stops and they hear a new sound take its place. They hear the sound of marching, of weapons clanking and clinking, perhaps even a cadence song was filling the air. "Sound-off; 1 - 2; Sound-off; 3 - 4; 1 - 2 - 3 - 4; 1 - 2 — 3 - 4". They feel the ground trembling with the reverberations of millions of foot-falls. An unseen dread starts to overwhelm them. Then the unthinkable happens! They see soldiers coming up out of the river spilling over the bank, the sun behind them, partially blinding the eyes of the watchers. A vast army in battle formation, fully armed, is streaming onto the plain, a mere five miles from their city! Panic and horror grip their hearts. They run as fast as they can, with weak knees, to report the news.

Joshua 5:1 When all the Amorite kings across the Jordan to the west and all the Canaanite kings near the sea heard how the Lord had dried up the waters of the Jordan before the Israelites until they had crossed over, they lost heart and their courage failed because of the Israelites.

Fear and panic ensues. God has paved the way for an amazing victory. The moral of this story is; when God is for you, nobody can stand against you.

We win! Jan
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Joshua 3 - Isolationism

In the 1930's Adolf Hitler was busy creating a fascist state, Italy joined him in an alliance and soon Europe was at war. In Asia Japan was beginning to conquer its neighbors in their quest for power. And in America we took our traditional position of Isolationism. We thought that we were secure behind our two oceans, an unreachable island. We never thought that war would impact us. Don't forget that in the 1930's we were quite self-sufficient as a country and imported very little that was not obtainable domestically. We didn't need the rest of the world to survive. Well, we know that all that changed on December 7, 1941 with Pearl Harbor. Our "soil" had been attacked, our people killed, we had to respond. But did you know that the United State's mainland was actually attacked twice during World War II?

On February 23, 1942, a Japanese submarine surfaced off Santa Barbara California and shelled the pier and surrounding area. Little damage was done, no lives were lost, and since Santa Barbara was primarily farmland, the news was easy to suppress.

The second attack occurred in the forests of Oregon on September 9, and 10 of that same year. A Japanese floatplane dropped incendiary bombs. Fires were started, but again no loss of life, and the news was suppressed.

The reason for the suppression was that the United States was still reeling from the attack on Pearl Harbor and most Americans felt reasonably safe behind their ocean barriers. If it became widely known that they were in fact vulnerable to attack, morale would have been seriously affected.

Jump back several thousand years to the spring of 1350 BC. You are an inhabitant of the city of Jericho. You've heard that there are several million Hebrews on the other side of the Jordan river that plan to invade your country and they are not taking prisoners. They leave total destruction in their wake. However it is fall, an army cannot cross the Jordan river while it is in flood-stage. That would be sheer madness. So you know that you are safe for now, protected by the river, that you have at least some time to plan and muster your forces...

Joshua 3:14-17 So it was, when the people set out from their camp to cross over the Jordan, with the priests bearing the ark of the covenant before the people, and as those who bore the ark came to the Jordan, and the feet of the priests who bore the ark dipped in the edge of the water (for the Jordan overflows all its banks during the whole time of harvest), that the waters which came down from upstream stood still, and rose in a heap very far away at Adam, the city that is beside Zaretan. So the waters that went down into the Sea of the Arabah, the Salt Sea, failed, and were cut off; and the people crossed over opposite Jericho. Then the priests who bore the ark of the covenant of the Lord stood firm on dry ground in the midst of the Jordan; and all Israel crossed over on dry ground, until all the people had crossed completely over the Jordan.

Note the italics it means they crossed nearby. The people of the city would have seen this miraculous crossing and fled in terror to report the news. There would be no suppressing this report. Their Pearl Harbor Day had come, they did not expect it so soon, and there was no more time to prepare.

Father, help us to be always on the watch. Help us to not become complacent in our Christian walk. You tell us that You will return like a thief in the night, we must be ready. We are not an isolated island, we are to be a lighthouse to a lost world, leading them to safety.

Blessings, Jan
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Joshua 2 - Terror, Fear, and Despair

Faramir and his men ride off to the futile battle in Osgiliath, while Pippin is left alone with Denethor who asks him if he can sing. While Pippin sings a beautiful and sad song, the riders are mercilessly slain by the orc archers... Faramir is the only survivor from the hopeless battle, his body is dragged behind a horse as he arrives in Minas Tirith... The orc army catapult the heads of the dead men into the city, spreading fear and panic. Pippin sees that Faramir is still alive, but Denethor refuses to listen and despairs, commanding his armies to flee for their lives. Panic ensues...

This description from The third installment of the Lord of the Rings trilogy, The Return of the King, describes quite well the feeling that must have pervaded the city of Jericho. Look at these verses.

Joshua 2:9-11"I know the LORD has given you this land," she told them. "We are all afraid of you. Everyone is living in terror. For we have heard how the LORD made a dry path for you through the Red Sea when you left Egypt. And we know what you did to Sihon and Og, the two Amorite kings east of the Jordan River, whose people you completely destroyed. No wonder our hearts have melted in fear! No one has the courage to fight after hearing such things. For the LORD your God is the supreme God of the heavens above and the earth below.

Terror, fear, and despair - a nice recipe for defeat don't you think? Just like Sauron's forces in Middle Earth, the Hebrews were not taking prisoners, they were destroying everything and everyone. It had all been defiled and God wanted them to start fresh.

I've read the end of the book, we win! Like Rahab, we have switched sides. Unlike her however, it was not because of anything we were able to offer, but it was because of God's kindness towards us. He invited us to become one of His own. And just like Rahab, we have been placed into the royal lineage. Her by being a grandmother of Jesus, us by adoption.

Thank you Father that You gave us the gift of eternal life. We take it for granted so often. We too could have been without hope as the people of Jericho, but You showed us grace and mercy. May we remember to show our thanks by telling others of Your greatness.

Be strong and courageous! Jan
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Joshua 1 - Chewing the Cud

In reading this chapter I was drawn to what God told Joshua to do in verse eight regarding His Word, the laws of Moses. Let's look at it in several versions that have all translated this slightly differently.

Joshua 1:8

This book of instruction must not depart from your mouth; you are to recite it day and night, so that you may carefully observe everything written in it. For then you will prosper and succeed in whatever you do. (Holman Christian Standard Bible)

Study this Book of the Law continually. Meditate on it day and night so you may be sure to obey all that is written in it. Only then will you succeed. (NLT)

Let not the book of this law depart from thy mouth: but thou shalt meditate on it day and night, that thou mayst observe and do all things that are written in it: then shalt thou direct thy way, and understand it. (Douay-Rheims)

Never stop reciting these teachings. You must think about them night and day so that you will faithfully do everything written in them. Only then will you prosper and succeed. (God's Word)

Let this book of the law be ever on your lips and in your thoughts day and night, so that you may keep with care everything in it; then a blessing will be on all your way, and you will do well (Bible in Basic English)

the book of this law doth not depart out of thy mouth, and thou hast meditated in it by day and by night, so that thou dost observe to do according to all that is written in it, for then thou dost cause thy way to prosper, and then thou dost act wisely. (Young's Literal Translation)

I get the mental picture of a cow chewing its cud - the food being rolled over and over in its mouth. If we pause to think about this process, we find it is rather revolting to us humans, but a cow will actually regurgitate its food and then re-chew it. The cow will do this over and over again, from six to eight hours a day. It does this because there are nutrients to still be had in that food, and in order for them to be released they need to be chewed, processed and chewed again so that they can be properly absorbed. Here is what happens in each stomach compartment of a cow.

1. Rumen. When a cow grazes grass and other fodder, she swallows it half chewed and stores it in the first stomach, the rumen. In here, digestive fluids and bacteria soften it, then it moves onto the second stomach.

2. Reticulum. In this stomach, big lumps of grass are softened more and formed into smaller lumps called cuds. Each cud returns to the mouth (which looks like the cow burping) and is then chewed for about one minute - or 40 to 60 times! The cow then swallows the well-chewed cud and it goes into the third stomach.

3. Omasum. In here it is broken down even more and some of the nutrients are absorbed into the blood stream. It finally goes into the fourth stomach.

4. Abomasum. This stomach acts rather like ours. In here, the food is mixed with digestive juices which break it down further. Then it passes into the intestine, where the nourishment can be easily absorbed into the blood stream.

Now compare that to God's command to Joshua. He is to think about it day and night, he is to process it, he is to speak it, he is to read it, he is to teach it, he is to live it. Why? So that he will, be blessed, he will understand, he will act wisely - so that the Word will truly nourish and sustain him in all he does.

It takes time and habitual effort for a cow to process grass. We likewise need to take time and to practice the habit of reading and reciting God's word so that we can absorb its nutrients into our lives.

Chew your cud. Jan.
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