Skip to main content

March 8 + Daily notes & readings

DAY 67

The word of the day is conquest.  Joshua and the Israelites continue their advance into the promised land.  Every nation that rises against them is defeated.  A recurring theme to pay attention to is that of the Divine Warrior.  This is a role God plays in Holy War literature.  

God continually stands with the Israelites in battle, often participating (see Joshua 10:11, 15).  It's an interesting observation to watch for.

Image result for the day the sun stood still

DAILY READINGS

Joshua 9-12 & Psalm 67

DAILY NOTES

Joshua 9

  • The Gibeonites hear of Israel's victory and devise a plan to make peace with them so that they are not defeated.  Remember how Jacob's cunning ways play out for him?  
    • Their plan is to act as if they have come from a far away place.  That would entitle them protection from the Israelites.
  • The plan works.  Joshua makes peace with them and a covenant.  
Joshua 10
  • The Israelites defeat another group of nations.  God fights for them.
Joshua 11
  • A telling of the nations Joshua and the Israelites defeat.
Joshua 12
  • A listing of the kings defeated by Moses and Joshua.
Psalm 67
  • Let the peoples praise you, O God!

OTHER OBSERVATIONS

How strong are our commitments to God?

That was my question as I read about the Gibeonites tricking the Israelites.  The Gibeonites may have tricked the Israelites, but the people of God made a commitment, before God, to protect the them.  Of course, we've seen similar promises made before.  Each time, the expectation is that you will follow through with your promise.

What about our promises to each other?  Our promises to the church?  To God?  How willing are we to stand true to our commitments even if, maybe even especially if, we don't want to do so?  I can't image Joshua and the leaders wanted to keep theirs with the Gibeonites.  But, because they swore "to them by the Lord," they did.

Jesus once said, "Let your 'Yes' be 'Yes' and your 'No' be 'No.'"  Maybe a prayer we can take from today's reading should be for us to stay true to the promises we have made to God and to each other.

Stay blessed...john
Labels:

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

January 27 + Daily notes & readings

DAY 27 We'll be reading about atonement today.  T oday's video helps make sense of that biblical theme. DAILY READINGS Exodus 30-31 & Psalm 27 DAILY NOTES Exodus 30:6 Everything has its place.   Exodus 30:10 Once a year would be Yom Kippur (Day of Atonement). Exodus 12-15 The Lord's offering is required of everyone equally (of the appropriate age).  Strangely enough, there is a designation of rich and poor.  Everyone has just come from Egypt.  How has that distinction arisen?   Exodus 31:13 It's interesting to compare how the idea of sabbath here relates to previous mentions of it.   Exodus 31:18 Moses had written the words down.  Now, with merely his finger, God has provided the tablets for all to remember the covenant that has been made.   Psalm 27 Have you ever prayed and prayed and prayed for something?  The psalmist seems to know the feeling.  His final adm...
Post a Comment
Read more

April 11 + Daily notes & readings

DAY 101 The great prophet Elijah leaves the scene (He'll appear again later.  Do you remember where?).  Elisha takes his place and immediately begins to act as prophet among the people.   DAILY READINGS 2 Kings 1-3 & Psalm 101 DAILY NOTES 2 Kings 1 King Ahaziah is injured and he wants to know if he'll live.  He seeks input from the prophets of Baal-zebub.  Elijah finds out and interrupts Ahaziah's men from going to the prophets.   Notice that Elijah, that hairy man, is divinely protected by the captain and his men.   Ahazia never hears from the prophets.  Elijah speaks directly to him to tell him that he will surely die. 2 Kings 2 Where did the idea of a whirlwind come from?  Did anyone expect that Elijah would be taken "to heaven by a whirlwind"?  Everyone seems to know that today Elijah will be gone. Elisha's command to the band of prophets seems to indicate his sense of loss but also a vigor...
Post a Comment
Read more

February 17 + Daily notes & readings

DAY 48 The Israelite population is about to decrease.  Consequently, a new generation of people, and a new leader, will take their place as those who will inherit the promise of God. DAILY READINGS Numbers 25-27 & Psalm 48 DAILY NOTES Numbers 25:1-5 The people (men) became sexually and, consequentially, religiously involved withe Moabite women.  We are to understand that these Israelites began to participate fully in the religious activities of the Moabites.  Numbers 25:4 The people guilty of spiritual idolatry are hanged.   "In the sun" is so that everyone will see them.  Numbers 26 A census is taken of the new generation of people.  No one who was counted in the old census is around to be counted in the new one.   The census, besides indicating military numbers, also provides an avenue to apportion the land the people will be given. Numbers 27:1-4 5 daughters seek to inherit their father's land.  Since h...
Post a Comment
Read more