The Land:

1
Chapter 5

• The Land
• Finding Hope for the Future in Gods Gift

2
In This Chapter

• Making Sense of the Past
• Joshua Sweeping into the Promised Land
• Judges Saving Israel from itself
• Ruth An Israelite Foreigner with a Great Destiny

3
Trust in God

• The Books of Joshua, Judges, and Ruth share a
  common message
• Total trust and fidelity to God
• God brings good to the peoples lives
• Disastrous situations ? fullness of life
• God transforms human actions
• Message of hope for Babylonian exiles and us
  living today

4
In the Midst of Exile

• Joshua, Judges, and Ruth cover a period from
  Moses death to right before monarchy
• 1250 to 1030 B.C.
• Written by Deuteronomist source during the Exile
• Self-examination for the people of Israel
• Understand what had led to their defeat and
  captivity in Babylonia
• Reflection and transformation
• Allow for a return to the Promised Land after the
  Exile

5
JoshuaSweeping into the Promised Land

• Book of Joshua
• Describes Joshua and accounts of battles and the
  conquest of the Promised Land
• Joshua
• Chosen by Moses to lead the Israelites into
  Canaan
• Sent by God to take Canaan
• Urged to be braved, steadfast, and keep the Law
• Reminder to Exiles
• Need to return to God
• Joshua demonstrated the proper way to live
• Completely faithful and trusting in God

6
Rahab and the Spies

• When spies enter Jericho, they hide out in the
  house of Rahab.
• The authorities hear about the spies, and Rahab
  hides them.
• In return for this action (and her silence) the
  spies promise Rahabs family will be spared,
  using the red cord as a sign.
• Mentioned twice in the New Testament, once as an
  ancestor of Jesus and once as an example of good
  works.

7
Crossing the Jordan

• When the priests carrying the Ark step into the
  river, the waters recede and allow people to
  cross on dry land
• Took twelve stones from the riverbed to place as
  a monument at Gilgal
• Purpose of the story
• Remind the Israelites that their arrival in
  Canaan was a gift from God
• Promised Land as Gods gift
• Recounted over and over in the book of Joshua

8
Israel in the Promised Land

• Once the people move into Canaan, the manna
  ceases
• Begin to eat from the produce of the land
• First celebration of the Passover
• Joshua meets the captain of the Lords army
• Told to remove sandals because he is standing on
  holy ground
• Recalls Moses
• Demonstrates that God will be with Joshua in the
  battle for Jericho

9
Abundance of the Land

• Israelites are now able to settle into the land
• Happiness would be associated with this gift form
  God
• Promised Land
• Source of life, blessing, joy, and security
• Experience Shalom
• The deep peace of God

10
Battle for Jericho

• A walled city, but fearful of the Israelites.
• God commands the people to march once around the
  city for six days in total silence.
• The only sound will be the seven Shofars, the
  rams horns blown by priests.
• On the 7th day, they are to march around the city
  7 times.
• On the 7th time, the people are to shout and God
  will give them the city.
• Jericho falls and only Rahab survives

11
The Ban

• Devotion to God for destruction
• Total destruction of everything in the city.
  Nothing is to be taken from the city as loot.
• Seems rather extreme to us.
• Meant as a reminder to the people to have nothing
  to do with the pagan communities

12
Battle Lessons

• The battle stories in Joshua teach us about
  dependence on God
• Avoid the immoral ways and focus on the Law and
  obeying God
• God can bring good out of evil

13
Defeat at Ai

• The Israelites invade the smaller and weaker city
  of Ai, but they are defeated.
• God tells Joshua they were defeated because
  someone broke the ban.
• Achan is the culprit he is stoned and the loot
  is burned. Once this is done, they defeat Ai.
• Israel must hold nothing back giving their
  complete devotion to God
• True as well in our lives we stumble and fall
  when we forget about God and choose other paths

14
The Sun Stands Still

• Canaanite tribes are petrified of the Israelites
• Joshua makes a treaty with the Gibeonites. The
  Amorite kings hear of it, and attack Gibeon.
• The Israelites come to their defense
• Joshua asks God for help
• sun stands still in the sky until they defeat
  the Amorites.
• Message to the exiles and us
• Blessings and successes in life come from God
• Without God nothing exist

15
Conquest and Division

• Israelites conquered all of Canaan before Joshua
  died (according to Book of Joshua)
• Probably didnt happen this fast.
• Book of Judges shows Israelite tribes living side
  by sides with Canaanite tribes
• This inconsistency was not a problem for the
  authors of Joshua and Judges
• We will see why a little later
• Land is divided among the tribes
• Twelve would become symbolic for both the
  Israelites and Christians (Apostles)

16
The Death of Joshua

• Joshua gives one last speech to the people about
  all God has done for them and the importance of
  not forgetting God
• Covenant is renewed at Shechem
• Joshua dies and is buried
• The Israelites will now continue on with their
  lives in the Promised Land

17
Joshua A Model for Israel

• Joshua was one of Israels greatest leaders
• Strong, courageous, careful, honest, faithful
• Led by example, demonstrated devotion to God
  above all else
• Gave exiles a model for hope
• Contrast between Joshuas faithfulness and the
  following generations

18
Book of Judges

• Does not describe legal matters
• Stories of God sending deliverers to free the
  Israelites from their sinfulness
• Describes the Israelites from the death of Joshua
  until the beginning of 1 Samuel
• (1200 1025 BC)
• Actually written by Deuteronomists during the
  Exile

19
Here Come the Men in Black

• In the wake of Joshuas leadership, the
  Israelites stumble and encounter difficulty
• Essence of a judge
• A hero, military leader, deliverer
• Sent by God to lead the Israelites back
• Book of Judges
• 12 Judges
• 6 major and 6 minor

20
Judicial Cycle

• In each story of a judge, there is a cyclic
  pattern evident
• Fall into idolatry, sin
• Canaanites overcome Israel
• Repentance and cry for help
• God shows mercy gives them a judge
• Triumph and live in peace
• After the triumph, Israel lives in peace until
  another fall into idolatry and sin

21
Called by God

• God chooses peasants, not nobles as to lead the
  people
• Individuals who are like us, humans who sin, but
  are faithful to God
• Six minor judges
• Barely named
• Six major judges
• Othniel, Ehud, Deborah, Gideon, Jephthah, and
  Samson

22
Contradiction?

• The books of Joshua and Judges present different
  versions of the conquest
• Does this mean that one is right and the other
  wrong?
• No, we must understand the intentions of the
  authors
• Joshua presented as an ideal leader
• Exiles see this as the example of faithfulness to
  God
• The Israelites in Judges as the Exiles
• People who often forget about following God

23
Deborah

• Deborah
• prophetess and judge who reveals Gods wishes to
  Barak, general of the Israelite army
• Barak is to lead the Israelites against King
  Jabin who oppressing the Israelites
• Purpose of the story
• God delivers Israel from its enemies
• Message of hope for the Exiles
• God would deliver them

24
Gideon

• People are again unfaithful.
• Midianites moved through, raid the land and
  destroy the crops.
• Israelites cry out to God
• Calls Gideon as a judge the youngest and
  lowliest.
• God chooses the lowly to demonstrate His power
• God tells Gideon to destroy his fathers altar to
  Baal, build an altar to Yahweh
• Baal worship is shown to be quite common

25
Gideons Victory

• Gideon gathers a large army
• Considered to be too large by God
• People would think that the battle was won on
  their own merits not through Gods power
• Gideon, helped by God, reduces the number of
  troops
• Gideons troops win due to trickery
• Want to make Gideon a king
• Gideon refuses, builds a ephod
• People worship the ephod as an idol
• Eventually causes destruction for Gideons family

26
Samson

• Philistines
• People of the sea who clashed with Israelites
• Superior weaponry
• Destructive to the Israelites
• Samson
• Nazirite
• a man who is consecrated to God from birth.
  Cannot drink alcohol or cut his hair.
• Hair strength
• Well-known for defeating enemies with his
  strength

27
Samsons Downfall

• Philistines bribe Delilah to find out his secret
• Tricks Samson into revealing the truth about his
  hair
• Samson falls asleep and Philistines cut his hair
• Why was Samson a judge?
• Opposite of Joshua
• Physically strong, morally weak
• God could still use such a person

28
Ruth

• Set in the same time as the books of Judges and
  Joshua
• Not similar in terms of content
• Example of patience, loyalty, gentle kindness
• Dual message
• To teach how God could create a blessed ending
  out of a difficult situation
• To tell how it came about that Israels noble
  King David had a Gentile (a non-Jew) as his
  great-grandmother