Week 10. Promises fulfilled.

We read through Joshua this week.  The land was divided up and Joshua stepped up as the new leader after Moses died. 

There were a couple familiar Bible stories about Jericho in this week’s readings: The story of quick-thinking Rahab hiding the spies and the story of how the walls of the city fell down.  We toured that area a few years ago and I have a strong memory of standing on the site where the old walled city of Jericho stood.   Jericho is still like an oasis in the desert, and even back then, they called it "The City of Palms".  

There was a surprise for me in this week’s reading:  The Jordan River parted so the people could cross over.   That was the second time God had done that.  I had forgotten that.  Joshua said in Chapter 3 verse 5: “Tomorrow the Lord will do amazing things among you.”  He wasn't kidding!   I liked reading about how they made a pile of 12 stones to designate where it happened.  Memorials are good to help us remember important events.  Several times in our reading thus far we have read that things still existed “to this day”.  So the oral history telling continued, to remind each new generation about what God had done in the past. 

The story of the Sun standing still was another miracle, and a familiar Bible story I remembered from my childhood days in Sunday School. 

But all the conquering of the cities and leaving no survivors is a little unsettling.  It’s one of those questions and mysteries we just need to leave in God’s hands to sort it all out. 

Finally, the Promised Land was allotted for the tribes.  Here is a map from another Bible that shows the territories. 

I like Joshua 21: 45.  “Not one of all the Lord’s good promises to Israel failed; every one was fulfilled.” 

 But God is rarely in a hurry...

  And now, we move into Judges together.