Joshua 1-8, 23,24

 Welcome!

Before this weeks reading, it would be good to check out Come Follow Me's explanatory note of the histories

There are some rough stories coming up. It is important to understand that this is a different place and a different time recorded by different people in a different way. Rather than passing judgement on who the Israelites were and were not, it is better to seek understanding of what this work means.


How to play very dicey games

The story of this week is the people of Israel playing on the edge of a knife. God gave them them land of Israel and told them to inhabit it. The people knew the Israelites were coming and were preserved miraculously, but the groups described chose to defy the armies of Israel. Joshua's people were surrounded everywhere by enemies and all they had were God's promise/covenant/command to possess the land and follow in His footsteps.

It is at these times that you need to be exactly obedient to the voice of God and hearken very closely. Joshua recounts how Israel was delivered, smitten, and delivered again when they did exactly what God said. I didn't mention it in last blog post but Deuteronomy has some hard words for prophets to live by. In perilous time, we need to be continuously seeking God's will and purifying ourselves.

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