47. Beginner Bible Course: The book of Joshua, Pt. 2

EPISODE 47  The simple Bible overview of…JOSHUA AND ISRAEL CONQUERING THE PROMISED LAND – MOST OF IT

With the smoke still rising from the ashes of Jericho, the people of Israel look West to their next target. A town called AI after scouting it out Joshua is told, this is a piece of cake. We only need two or 3000 soldiers. Let the rest of the people chill. Those 3000 soldiers were routed by the men of AI and thirty-six of Israel. Soldiers were killed in battle. This set off a domino like reaction among the leaders and people of Israel. It was clear to them. God had left them. Something was up. Joshua two was devastated. He hit his knees and said, Oh Lord, why God's replied to Joshua get up.

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00:00:47

I'm not with you because of their sin in Israel's camp. Jericho has to be a burn offering. To me, someone's taken part of my offering. Joshua was told how to find who that someone is. And he does Aiken from the tribe of Judah. Joshua confronts him, give glory to God, ache and confess what you've done. Don't hide anything, give akin credit. There's no minimizing or rationalizing. Yep. I have it. Five pounds of silver, a bar of gold, by the way, the size of a Hershey candy bar in a fine robe. I saw it coveted. It took it. And I hit and under my tent, I have a little fun with my students about all the ways it could have rationalized or minimized what he took.

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00:01:32

But the bottom line was, it belongs to God and he had clear instructions and he ignored them. Joshua his told to take Aiken, his family and all his possessions out into the Valley and stone them. Yes, including his family. My students are rightfully troubled by this. They want to get God off the hook as adjust God by suggesting that his family knew all about it. We're even in on it. Hey, it's pretty hard to hide something under your tent without your family knowing it. But I suggest to them that doesn't necessarily have to be true. It points to that right? In the text, God tells Joshua Israel has sinned.

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00:02:12

They have broken my covenant. They have taken things under my ban. God sees the hidden sin of Aiken and blames it on the whole nation. I then have a discussion with my students about the principle I sin you suffer. We talk about a fallen world where a drunken driver kills a little child on a bicycle. We're connected in community. God set in creation. It's not good for man to be alone. He connected his children. Those made in his image and community. When one does something glorious, we benefit when one does something despicable, we suffer Aiken, sinned, and 36 women and their children stood at their tent flaps for daddy to come home.

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00:02:57

Daddy never came home from a nation, was devastated. And leaders of that nation were disillusioned with God. Here's one of the clearest places in all of scripture, how we're connected in community, in my behavior impacts others with Atkinson dealt with God, returns to the side of Israel. They turned their attention to AI. Read about Joshua was brilliant strategy for capturing it in Joshua chapter eight, the next town in their Divide and conquer plan is Gideon. Before they get to Gideon, the men of Gibeon get to them. The Gibeah night deception. It's brilliant. The men of Gibeon come to Joshua in Israel.

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00:03:39

They're wearing worn out sandals. Their bread is moldy. Their animals are exhausted. We've come from a long way. We've heard about your great God. And we'd like to make a treaty with you. Joshua asks how far away they said we've worked out our sandals and our bread is moldy really far. Joshua and the elders examine the bread and sandals, but they forgot to consult the Lord about it. They make a treaty with this far away group. Three days later, they come to Gibeon and run into these same dudes they'd been had by these Hittites. They put themselves between a rock and a hard place.

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00:04:20

The rock God's command to destroy the EITs and a hard place, their sworn Alliance in the name of God under the treaty, Joshua chooses to keep the treaty he's made in the name of God. Joshua solution is they'll live, but they'll carry water and chop wood for Israel. Tell us where the bucket next is are. We're good with that? The mayor's of the towns around Gibeon however, we're not singing in the hallelujah chorus. They got together to attack Gibeon to teach them a real lesson, give me, and then gets word to their new treaty partners. Israel were in big trouble. Come help us. If you were Joshua wouldn't you be tempted to go karma, baby.

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00:05:03

What goes around, comes around or at least drag your feet and get around to it. When you don't have something better to do. Instead Joshua marches his men all night toward gabion and attacks the five Kings. Here we come to a passage in scripture, another eye roller for skeptics, with the battle going totally Joshua his way. He just needs a little more light to finish off the five, eight Kings. So we praise God, do something with the sun and moon so I can have enough light. The words used our sun and moon stand still. If you're so inclined, you can research this online. Some will suggest Joshua asks God to stop the rotation of the earth.

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00:05:47

Others suggest it was a metaphor. All Joshua wanted was more light to continue the fight, whatever it was, it was pretty special. The text says there was never a day like it ever before, whatever God did, it was sufficient for Joshua and his men to mop up the five EIT Kings, having divided the Western half of the Promised Land in half to cut off supply chains, Joshua and his men swing South. Then North to continue to conquer. One interesting incident. Cited is in Caleb. He was one of the faithful spies and the first reconnaissance of Israel 40 years earlier, Caleb is now in old goat. He comes to Joshua and said 40 years ago.

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00:06:29

And I came in as a spy. It was the people of Hebrew and the anticodon that scared off the 10 spies who gave the bad report causing our 40 year time out in the wilderness. I want Hebrew and I want to demonstrate my God is powerful. Kaleb. The old man asks Joshua for the toughest spot to conquer in the promised land. And he takes it as he read the rest of Joshua Joshua parcels up the land to the 12 tribes of Israel. Remember Levi, get cities and areas around them, but not a specific portion of Land God is their portion, their inheritance. You'll also notice that the Conquering starts to get a bit anemic pockets of EITs are left in place.

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00:07:16

The EITs are cancer and they leave pockets of cancer. That oughta go well Joshua then sets up the city's for the Levites and those six special Levis cities, the cities of refuge, believing they'd done their part to help the tribes conquer the West side of the Jordan. Joshua sends the tribe of Reuben GAD and half the tribe of Manasseh back to their inheritance on the East side of Jordan on their way back, they make an honest mistake. They erected a Memorial, a reminder. Unfortunately, they used an alter is that Memorial, perhaps remembering how angry God got to Jericho over akin, small sin, Joshua and the rest of the tribes were terrified that God would see this as a massive offense.

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00:08:02

Thankfully, this time it was ready and aim before fire, they got together and talked, realizing it was an honest mistake and not an idolatrous competitor. Things settled back down the end of Joshua as much like the end of Deuteronomy Joshua assembles the people and much like Moses urges them to choose to follow the Lord. He had to be skeptical. He draws a proverbial line in the sand and says generation two. You'll either worship the gods of this land or you'll worship the God of Israel. Choose this day whom you will worship and serve. As for me in my house, we're going all in on the Lord.

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00:08:42

The God of Israel, we will serve the Lord. Then Joshua dies on which side will they Land. And what about their children? Generation three, will they be faithful to the Lord? Who's deliver the promise land to them. We'll get that answer in our next wordpicture.