Apr 3 2012

Joshua 5 – First Passover in Canaan

Plains of Jericho

Verse one tells us that the Canaanite kings have heard of the awesome wonder of the crossing of the Jordan by the Israelites, and it has had fearsomely demoralizing effects on them. The Lord orders Joshua to have all of this generation circumcised, and the nation complies. it was a landmark occasion, and just in time to observe the Passover. The people ate the produce of the land, unleavened cakes, and parched grain; and the manna ceased to fall the next day (verses 11-12). God’s people were in their land now.

Joshua sees a man standing with his sword drawn, and inquires of his intentions. He says that he is “the commander of the army of the Lord.” This was promised in Exodus 23:20-33. Joshua bows down and probably rightly believes he is in the presence of the Lord. His statement (“Take off your sandals from your feet, for the place where you are standing is holy”) in verse 15 seems to confirm that this is another manifestation of the Lord as it distinctly reminds of God’s command to Moses when He first appeared to him in Exodus 3:5. As verse 13 tells us, Jericho is close by.

Read or listen to audio of ESV version of this selection from this link.

/Robert

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image © V. Gilbert & Arlisle F. Beers

Please note: I did not design the reading plan that I am following in my blog. All of my comments in this blog, however, are solely my responsibility. When reading ANY commentary, you should ALWAYS refer first to the scripture, which is God’s unchanging and unfailing word. Reading schedules, as well as a link to the site where you can get the reading plan that I’m currently following for yourself can be found on the “Bible Reading Schedules” page of my website at http://graceofourlord.com. For questions and help, please see the “FAQ” and “Summaries” pages there.

Apr 2 2012

Joshua 4 – Twelve Memorial Stones from the Jordan

After all the nation had passed over the Jordan, the Lord told Joshua to appoint 12 men – one from each tribe – to take twelve stones from the earth where the Jordan flows, in the same spot where the priests stood. the stones would be set up as a memorial where they camped at Gilgal. This memorial would serve as a reminder to their children and their heirs (verses 6-7) of the Lord and His power, and His faithfulness to His promise to them. But it would also serve as a reminder to the rest of the people, and a warning as well (verses 23-24) of the might of God.

The word of the river being held back for thousands and thousands of them to cross would soon make their presence feared. In verse thirteen, the troops passed over the “plains of Jericho” which is said to make it only about 5 miles east of Jericho.

Read or listen to audio of ESV version of this selection from this link.

/Robert

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some images © V. Gilbert & Arlisle F. Beers

Apr 1 2012

Preview of April Week 1 \ March Week 3 Summary Posted

Moses Blesses Joshua Before the High Priest, as in Numbers 27:22, by James Tissot (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

With God’s help, Joshua has assumed full leadership and command. Now that the people have crossed over in chapter 3, and have seen that God is with them and their new leader, it is time for them to start taking the Promised Land. The Lord told Joshua in Joshua 1:3 that “Every place that the sole of your foot will tread upon I have given to you, just as I promised to Moses.” Now we will read of the fulfilling of those words and the settling of God’s people before the time of the judges.

Summing Up

Each weekend, I am now posting a small PDF of one week of chapter summaries (on the website’s “Summaries” page), current to the beginning of the previous week. I have posted the summary for Week 12 (March Week 3) of the schedule I am following. This short PDF document contains condensed comments about Exodus chapters 32, 33, 40, and Numbers 13 and 14, with hyperlinks to the ESV version of each chapter for listening or reading, and joins the summaries for other weeks already posted there.

/Robert

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image © V. Gilbert & Arlisle F. Beers

Mar 30 2012

Joshua 3 – Israel Crosses the Jordan

The historical crossing of the Jordan is the place where God intends to show the people not only that He is with them in this long-awaited event, but that He is with Joshua, as He was with Moses (verse 7). This is important because giving them a firm confidence in Joshua as a capable leader matters a great deal now that they no longer have Moses to turn to. The waters of the Jordan at this time of the year are over-flowing the banks, we are told in verse 16, making it both deeper and wider than at other times during the year. So rather than having the people build boats or try to find some safe place and manner to cross, God’s plan is to have them cross as they did the Red Sea in Exodus 14, having the water held back by the Lord while they cross on dry ground.

The Children of Israel Crossing the Jordan (illustration by Gustave Doré) (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

This symbolic gesture of God will further be aided in boosting their spirits by the sight of the Levitical priests carrying the Ark of the Covenant (verse 3). The Lord is leading His people into the Promised Land. With the significance of this event highlighted by both of these spectacles, it is easy to see how the people would be given confidence, and how they would be filled with both hope and awe.

Easy also for us to miss the significance of the wording of the last verse of the chapter:

“Now the priests bearing the ark of the covenant of the Lord stood firmly on dry ground in the midst of the Jordan, sand all Israel was passing over on dry ground until all the nation finished passing over the Jordan.”

Although God had promised to make a great nation of Abraham, and had said in Exodus 19:6 that they will be “a kingdom of priests and a holy nation”, this is the first time the Bible has actually referred to them as a nation – and it occurs as they cross into the Promised Land.

Read or listen to audio of ESV version of this selection from this link.

/Robert

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some images © V. Gilbert & Arlisle F. Beers

Mar 29 2012

Joshua 2 – Rahab Hides the Spies

Joshua send out spies before they get started, but unlike the catastrophe at Kadesh-barnea forty years ago, he only sends two The lodge at Rahab’s house, and she relates in verses 8-11 that the genuine fear at their approach that has spread through the land. the lord’s work in their behalf at the Red Sea and with their victories over the Amorites has been more than simply noticed. Indeed the spies themselves have been noticed, and have been reported to the king of Jericho.

The Flight of the Spies, as in Joshua 2:15, by James Tissot (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Rahab negotiates an agreement with the spies to spare her and her whole father’s house in exchange for her silence about their business. So when the king’s men come for them, she has hidden them away and sends their pursuers off in the wrong direction. After letting them down from the window of her home with a rope, she has them hide in the hills until it is safe to go on their way.

Instructions for her and her family in verses 18-19 for when the Israelites come into the land are distinctly reminiscent of the night before the 10th plague and the passover of Exodus as Moses gives instructions in Exodus 12:22 – she is warned to keep the whole family in the “marked” house after the people of Israel arrive.

Rahab is mentioned in Matthew 1:5 in the ancestry of Jesus Christ.

Read or listen to audio of ESV version of this selection from this link.

/Robert

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some images © V. Gilbert & Arlisle F. Beers

Mar 28 2012

Joshua 1 – God Commissions Joshua

Joshua prepares to lead

We move past the end of Deuteronomy and the death of Moses and into Joshua. God speaks to Joshua and gives him the same charge that Moses did in Deuteronomy 31:6-8. Many of God’s words here are identical to the text in Deuteronomy (Moses was speaking for the Lord, after all), and God repeats that He will be with him, will not leave or forsake him. Three times Joshua is told to be strong and courageous – but he is also told to meditate on, and not to turn aside from, all of the law that the Lord commanded Moses. One can surmise from this that there are going to be times during the taking of the land that it would be easy for Joshua as a leader to become frightened, dismayed, or both.

Indeed, the people he is charged with performing this task will face large numbers of opposing forces and there will be blood shed. But the Lord said in verse 5 “No man shall be able to stand before you all the days of your life.” With that, Joshua takes charge, and has his officers prepare to pass over the Jordan river in three days (verse 11). he then reminds the tribes of Reuben, Gad, and Manasseh of their responsibility. They acknowledge and pledge their allegiance (verses 16-18).

God repeats Himself as He does in the opening verses of Joshua in other places in the Bible, which is a good clue that what He is saying to us has great importance. He reinforces His covenant now with Joshua, and promises that as long as he keeps God’s commandments, he will be successful in achieving the goal. Our charge to keep the Lord’s commandments come from the lips of our Savior, Jesus Christ, and from His apostles repeatedly (John 14:23-24, 1 John 5:3-5,). His promise to us is that if we do so, we will make our home with Him in the end.

As we will see again soon in this very book, God always keeps His promises.

Read or listen to audio of ESV version of this selection from this link.

/Robert

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some images © V. Gilbert & Arlisle F. Beers

Mar 27 2012

Numbers 32 – Reuben and Gad Settle in Gilead

Land divided - TransJordan

The land received after the conquest of the Amorites and their king, Sihon and that of Og and the land of Bashan was found desirable to the tribes of Reuben and Gad for their vast livestock reserves. So they propose to settle there instead of across the Jordan.

This angers Moses, as he reminds them of the consequences to the people when the spies 40 years earlier discouraged entry into the land from Kadesh-barnea. The tribes reassure him that they will cross over to defeat the Canaanites across the Jordan anyway.

So Moses agrees under those conditions (with a stern warning – verse 23), and a portion of the land of Gilead is also set aside for the half-tribe of Manasseh after it was captured. The portion of northern Gilead given to them is described in Joshua 13:29-31.

Read or listen to audio of ESV version of this selection from this link.

/Robert

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image © V. Gilbert & Arlisle F. Beers

Mar 26 2012

Numbers 21:4-9 / Num 25 – Baal Worship at Peor

Image via Wikipedia

Much has happened in the wilderness as we come into this reading. We have skipped over Aaron’s death in chapter 20; and Moses has descended Mount Hor with Aaron’s son Eleazar. The first part of this reading is about the bronze serpent in chapter 21, on the heels of their first victory against the Canaanites (brought on by the attack by the king of Arad). The people have been grumbling about the “miserable food” and God has begun dealing with them in a dramatic way – with fiery serpents. At God’s instruction, Moses makes the bronze serpent, which saves the lives of those who look upon it. Verse 5 suggests that their grumbling was more than just a little bit disrespectful. After the close brush with self-destruction in the golden calf fiasco, it is almost surprising to see that any of them would dare to behave in that way. But, as we will see in the second part of this reading, it gets worse.

So why make such note of the bronze serpent passage – just about 6 verses? Great question, actually. First, it begs some questions – what actually saved the people? Was it just the fact that they looked at the bronze serpent? Did they have to believe that it would save them? Could that belief alone have saved them – without actually doing the act of looking at it? Jesus refers to this event in John 3:14, where he tells Nicodemus (and us) how to achieve salvation. This reference by and about our savior is “sandwiched” between Jesus telling Nicodemus he must be born again, and the baptisms and lessons in obedience to Christ in the verses all the way to the end of John 3. Do yourself a favor and read this entire chapter of John (36 verses) after reading Numbers 21:4-9. Jesus’ references to being lifted up has other meaning here, as it does in John 8:28 and John 12:32.

In chapter 25, Shittim is the last encampment before the people cross the Jordan, and apostasy again rears its ugly head in a horrible affront to God. Some scholars think this may be Tell el-Hammam (about 16 kilometers east of Jericho). The sins are numerous and include the worship of Baal with the Moabites. we do not find out for sure until chapter 31, but it is Balaam who leads them to this. We are not reading his story from the last few chapters in this schedule, but he is referred to again in 2 Peter 2:15 and Jude 1:11. Eleazar’s son, Phineas gains favor with the Lord and keeps the ensuing plague from getting any worse (verses 7-9). But this sin at Peor will not keep the Lord from sending His people to conquer the Canaanites. It is not for their righteousness, as Moses will remind them – but for the evil of the Canaanites themselves.

Read or listen to audio of ESV version of this selection from this link.

/Robert

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image © V. Gilbert & Arlisle F. Beers

Mar 25 2012

Preview – Closing Numbers \ March Week 2 Summary Posted

Moses Sees the Promised Land from Afar, as in Numbers 27:12, by James Tissot (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Our Bible reading in the book of Numbers will end with chapter 32 on Tuesday, as the tribes of Reuben, Gad, and the half-tribe of Manasseh take possession of important land east of the Jordan. This schedule will skip the book of Deuteronomy altogether in our daily reading. This is not to minimize the importance of that book (and this blog will certainly cover much of it in the future) as the New Testament – and Jesus himself – quoted from it often. But this ambitious reading schedule is intended to help give a better understand of the Bible (in a years reading) as a complete story – one that has a beginning, a middle, and an ending.

So, with that in mind, we will sadly say farewell to Moses as we read of God’s charge to Joshua on Wednesday and close out this month with the first three chapters of that book in God’s word. Joshua is a very easy book of the Bible to read and love – and, more importantly, much to learn from.

Summing Up

Each weekend, I am now posting a small PDF of one week of chapter summaries (on the website’s “Summaries” page), current to the beginning of the previous week. I have posted the summary for Week 11 (March Week 2) of the schedule I am following. This short PDF document contains condensed comments about Exodus chapters 16, 17, 19, 20 and 24, with hyperlinks to the ESV version of each chapter for listening or reading, and joins the summaries for other weeks already posted there.

/Robert

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image © V. Gilbert & Arlisle F. Beers

Mar 23 2012

Numbers 14 – The People Rebel

Image via Wikipedia

Once again, the people who have seen the power and the Glory of the Lord with their own eyes forget His promise and this time, believing the report of the spies and (as Joshua and Caleb aptly put it in verse 9) rebelling against the Lord will cost them dearly. God is once again fed up with their disobedience; and in verse 12, He tells Moses (as He did in Exodus 32:10) that He will destroy them and start over with Moses.

But Moses again intercedes and passionately pleads with the Lord in verses 13-19. It is this blogger’s opinion that the Lord relented on their destruction not because of Moses’ argument in those verses about what the nations around them will think. The Lord’s time is His own, and He would do as He wills and the nations would see His power anyway. Consider instead, His simple statement afterward in verse 20. “I have pardoned, according to your word.” That was it. Moses favor and his request were enough to grant their pardon.

So just as Pharaoh decided the fate of his own in Exodus 11:5, siding with the spies and disobeying God would mean that these people decided their own fate. Instead of their little ones becoming a prey as they said in verse 3, those little ones will be the ones to enter Canaan – only after these people all die in the wilderness. But except for Caleb and Joshua, the spies would all meet their doom more quickly (verse 38).

Having received this news, the people have a change of heart and despite Moses’ warning that God would no longer be with them, they make an attempt to enter Canaan anyway – and are soundly defeated (verses 40-45). The time for obeying God is always now.

Read or listen to audio of ESV version of this selection from this link.