Joshua 9 and 10
So the Gibeonites know that their time is coming. The Israelites would attack at some point and they would be defeated.
They decide to trick Joshua and the people.
All it took was some worn out clothes and some crusty bread.
Some of the leaders came to Joshua and tricked him, pretending to be from a faraway land and asking for peace.
As I am reading this, I am think, "No, no, say it isn't so!" I cannot believe the people fell for this.
But in those verses, there is a key phrase.
They did not ask the Lord what to do.
And that is what got them.
Even though the people made an error here, I liked the outcome. The Israelites kept their promise. They did not kill the Gibeonites. But they did use them for work for years to come. And the Gibeonites accepted this.
The second chapter in today's reading was war, war, war. More war.
The interesting thing in this chapter is that at one point, God made the sun stand still.
It didn't move for a whole day.
And of course, He was behind every Israelite victory.
In fact, everything the people did, God was behind them.
Isn't that a God you want on your side?
Tomorrow's reading: Joshua 11 and 12
Reba
Tuesday, October 11, 2011
Saturday, October 8, 2011
Week 15 Day 3 Divide and Conquer
Joshua 8
Sorry I missed a couple of days. I have been struggling to stay awake once the kids are in bed.
Anywho. I don't know if I can comment a lot on this chapter. I am so not a violence person. I don't watch it, I can't read about it, etc. It makes my stomach turn.
And that is what this chapter was about.
The Israelites continued their move into the Promised Land. And that involved defeating Ai. I have no idea how to say that.
It is times like this, as I read, that I wonder how this was part of God's plan. I mean, did the people of Ai do anything other than be in the wrong place at the wrong time? Yet the Israelites were told to divide, surround the city, then ambush it, killing everyone there. They even got to keep any riches for themselves this time.
After reading it, I still don't understand. And in my human mind, I probably never will.
Just have to trust that God had a plan.
And His ways are not my ways.
The one neat thing was at the end of this chapter, Joshua wrote down the teachings of Moses then stood and read them to the people.
At least it ended on a good note. :)
Tomorrow's reading:
Joshua 9 and 10
Reba
Sorry I missed a couple of days. I have been struggling to stay awake once the kids are in bed.
Anywho. I don't know if I can comment a lot on this chapter. I am so not a violence person. I don't watch it, I can't read about it, etc. It makes my stomach turn.
And that is what this chapter was about.
The Israelites continued their move into the Promised Land. And that involved defeating Ai. I have no idea how to say that.
It is times like this, as I read, that I wonder how this was part of God's plan. I mean, did the people of Ai do anything other than be in the wrong place at the wrong time? Yet the Israelites were told to divide, surround the city, then ambush it, killing everyone there. They even got to keep any riches for themselves this time.
After reading it, I still don't understand. And in my human mind, I probably never will.
Just have to trust that God had a plan.
And His ways are not my ways.
The one neat thing was at the end of this chapter, Joshua wrote down the teachings of Moses then stood and read them to the people.
At least it ended on a good note. :)
Tomorrow's reading:
Joshua 9 and 10
Reba
Tuesday, October 4, 2011
Week 15 Day 2 Thieves Among Us
Joshua 7
Ugh.
I don't like this story.
Not that it doesn't have good meaning.
But it still turns my stomach.
So the Israelites head over to Ai, thinking a victory is in the bag. After all, there are few people in Ai.
But then the people of Ai send the Israelites running in battle.
And Joshua is left on his face before the Lord asking, "God, what happened? Why did you bring us here for this?"
That is when God reveals the truth.
There is a thief among them.
Someone from the Israelites kept things for himself after destroying the city of Jericho.
One person.
All of those people who did it right and it was one person doing it wrong that caused hardship.
Interestingly, it says that the Israelites had done wrong.
The Israelites.
One person broke God's command and the whole group is characterized as sinners.
That is tough.
One person.
That is all it takes.
One.
Tomorrow's reading: Joshua 8
Ugh.
I don't like this story.
Not that it doesn't have good meaning.
But it still turns my stomach.
So the Israelites head over to Ai, thinking a victory is in the bag. After all, there are few people in Ai.
But then the people of Ai send the Israelites running in battle.
And Joshua is left on his face before the Lord asking, "God, what happened? Why did you bring us here for this?"
That is when God reveals the truth.
There is a thief among them.
Someone from the Israelites kept things for himself after destroying the city of Jericho.
One person.
All of those people who did it right and it was one person doing it wrong that caused hardship.
Interestingly, it says that the Israelites had done wrong.
The Israelites.
One person broke God's command and the whole group is characterized as sinners.
That is tough.
One person.
That is all it takes.
One.
Tomorrow's reading: Joshua 8
Monday, October 3, 2011
Week 15 Day 1 Keep Walking
Joshua 6
Oops, read too far yesterday. I was only supposed to read part of 5 then read the rest today with 6.
Oh well.
Today is an exciting part.
It involves the walk.
For six days, the Israelites carried the Ark of the Covenant around the city of Jericho. Seven priests walked in front of the Ark with trumpets made from the horns of male sheep. Armed men surrounded the Ark. The people followed. They walked one time each day around the city. While the priests blew the trumpets, the people remained silent. (I a very curious as to the distance around the city!)
On the 7th day, the priests would make one long blast of their trumpets. Then the people would shout as loud as they could.
All I can think of is this song from Veggietales "Josh and the Big Wall".
"Keep Walking, but you won't knock down these walls. Keep walking, but it isn't going to fall!"
Can you imagine what the people of Jericho thought about this whole spectacle. People just walking around their city with trumpets?
I imagine they thought the Israelites were crazy.
At least until the 7th day, when just as God had said, the trumpets sounded, the people shouted, and the walls came tumbling down.
The only people saved were Rahab and her family.
Just like God had promised.
God always keeps His promises.
Always.
Tomorrow's reading: Joshua 7
Reba
Oops, read too far yesterday. I was only supposed to read part of 5 then read the rest today with 6.
Oh well.
Today is an exciting part.
It involves the walk.
For six days, the Israelites carried the Ark of the Covenant around the city of Jericho. Seven priests walked in front of the Ark with trumpets made from the horns of male sheep. Armed men surrounded the Ark. The people followed. They walked one time each day around the city. While the priests blew the trumpets, the people remained silent. (I a very curious as to the distance around the city!)
On the 7th day, the priests would make one long blast of their trumpets. Then the people would shout as loud as they could.
All I can think of is this song from Veggietales "Josh and the Big Wall".
"Keep Walking, but you won't knock down these walls. Keep walking, but it isn't going to fall!"
Can you imagine what the people of Jericho thought about this whole spectacle. People just walking around their city with trumpets?
I imagine they thought the Israelites were crazy.
At least until the 7th day, when just as God had said, the trumpets sounded, the people shouted, and the walls came tumbling down.
The only people saved were Rahab and her family.
Just like God had promised.
God always keeps His promises.
Always.
Tomorrow's reading: Joshua 7
Reba
Sunday, October 2, 2011
Week 14 Day 7 Walkng on Dry Ground
Joshua 3-5
After the spies returned to Joshua with the news about the land they were entering, God spoke to Joshua and told him it was time to be on the move.
There was a plan.
The priests would be in the front, holding the Ark. The people would walk behind (not too closely).
That was it. That was the plan. Well, there may have been more of a plan but that is the one that God shared with the people.
So the next day, they did exactly what God said.
The priests started walking with the Ark, and the people followed.
When the priests arrived at the banks of the Jordan, they stepped into the flowing water. And the water stopped.
Just like their ancestors before them (with the Red Sea), the people walked across the river on dry ground.
To always remember that day, a member of each tribe was asked to pick up a rock to carry to remind the people about God's provision. Yet again.
The day the people crossed, God made Joshua respected in their eyes. For the rest of his life. Just like Moses had been respected. I had to giggle a little about that...it seemed like the people were always complaining about and to Moses.
Anyway, once the people crossed the river, they camped out at Gilgal.
Then God gave one more command while the people camped.
Circumcision.
All of the men.
I won't speak further on that.
I will just say that the people continued to camp out until healing was complete.
Wonder what will happen tomorrow?
Joshua 6-7 (I think)
Reba
After the spies returned to Joshua with the news about the land they were entering, God spoke to Joshua and told him it was time to be on the move.
There was a plan.
The priests would be in the front, holding the Ark. The people would walk behind (not too closely).
That was it. That was the plan. Well, there may have been more of a plan but that is the one that God shared with the people.
So the next day, they did exactly what God said.
The priests started walking with the Ark, and the people followed.
When the priests arrived at the banks of the Jordan, they stepped into the flowing water. And the water stopped.
Just like their ancestors before them (with the Red Sea), the people walked across the river on dry ground.
To always remember that day, a member of each tribe was asked to pick up a rock to carry to remind the people about God's provision. Yet again.
The day the people crossed, God made Joshua respected in their eyes. For the rest of his life. Just like Moses had been respected. I had to giggle a little about that...it seemed like the people were always complaining about and to Moses.
Anyway, once the people crossed the river, they camped out at Gilgal.
Then God gave one more command while the people camped.
Circumcision.
All of the men.
I won't speak further on that.
I will just say that the people continued to camp out until healing was complete.
Wonder what will happen tomorrow?
Joshua 6-7 (I think)
Reba
Saturday, October 1, 2011
Week 14 Day 6 Spies Like Us
Joshua 2
I know, I know. I am doing a terrible job reading and reporting. Not that I have many readers but that isn't who my true audience should be anyway. And I can feel it. I feel it in my heart, in my thoughts, in my mind. I could give a list of excuses (like the fact I fall asleep each night sitting in the chair in the living room, warm dog curled up on my lap) but there isn't a true excuse other than I need to prioritize better.
Anyway, Joshua 2. A well known story.
Joshua sent spies into Jericho to check it out.
While there, the spies happen upon a prostitute...yes, a prostitute...named Rahab.
Rahab lets the spies hide out in her home, on the roof to be exact. It is a good thing the typical roof at that time was flat.
Meanwhile, all the King's Men and all the King's Horses were on the search for these spies.
Rahab does lie. She tells the king's men that the spies headed on out of town, sending them on a wild goose chase. Or rather wild spy chase.
And I struggle a bit with the whole lying thing. Does the means justify the end? Is lying okay if it is for the good of the people?
I don't know.
God doesn't say one way or another in this particular passage.
I do believe that even if Rahab had told the truth, God was bigger than those king's men. And He would have protected them regardless. Or is it irregardless?
I do like what Rahab tells the spies. She lets them know her people are afraid of their people. They know that God is on their (the Israelites) side. What is even more interesting is why her people know that. It is the things God has done, like drying up the Red Sea when the people left Egypt.
What I find ironic about that is that Rahab's people, unbelievers, could tell that God was God by what He had done while the Israelites seemed to forget. Yet those things had happened TO them and FOR them.
What is even more ironic is that it is easy for me to sit here in disgust that the people have forgotten over and over what God did for them, yet I do the same thing.
Anyway, the spies finally escape with a promise to Rahab that since she saved their lives, they will save hers (and that of her family).
Which leads to tomorrow's reading.
Joshua 3-5.
And I really do hope to make it TOMORROW.
Reba
I know, I know. I am doing a terrible job reading and reporting. Not that I have many readers but that isn't who my true audience should be anyway. And I can feel it. I feel it in my heart, in my thoughts, in my mind. I could give a list of excuses (like the fact I fall asleep each night sitting in the chair in the living room, warm dog curled up on my lap) but there isn't a true excuse other than I need to prioritize better.
Anyway, Joshua 2. A well known story.
Joshua sent spies into Jericho to check it out.
While there, the spies happen upon a prostitute...yes, a prostitute...named Rahab.
Rahab lets the spies hide out in her home, on the roof to be exact. It is a good thing the typical roof at that time was flat.
Meanwhile, all the King's Men and all the King's Horses were on the search for these spies.
Rahab does lie. She tells the king's men that the spies headed on out of town, sending them on a wild goose chase. Or rather wild spy chase.
And I struggle a bit with the whole lying thing. Does the means justify the end? Is lying okay if it is for the good of the people?
I don't know.
God doesn't say one way or another in this particular passage.
I do believe that even if Rahab had told the truth, God was bigger than those king's men. And He would have protected them regardless. Or is it irregardless?
I do like what Rahab tells the spies. She lets them know her people are afraid of their people. They know that God is on their (the Israelites) side. What is even more interesting is why her people know that. It is the things God has done, like drying up the Red Sea when the people left Egypt.
What I find ironic about that is that Rahab's people, unbelievers, could tell that God was God by what He had done while the Israelites seemed to forget. Yet those things had happened TO them and FOR them.
What is even more ironic is that it is easy for me to sit here in disgust that the people have forgotten over and over what God did for them, yet I do the same thing.
Anyway, the spies finally escape with a promise to Rahab that since she saved their lives, they will save hers (and that of her family).
Which leads to tomorrow's reading.
Joshua 3-5.
And I really do hope to make it TOMORROW.
Reba
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