Lesson 9–The Challenge of God’s Covenant

I guess I jumped the gun by talking about covenants in Lesson 8. It doesn’t hurt to repeat the importance of covenants to us as Christians. The lesson talks about the two types of covenants being described in the Bible. First is the promissory covenant which is described by the promises made by God to Noah, Abraham, and David. These promises are unconditional. The second type of covenant is the Suzerain Covenant. This is the type of covenant made with Moses, Joshua and the people of Israel, it requires a response from the people.
To me, the resurrection of Jesus Christ, has established a new covenant, a strong promise of the grace of God being a gift to all who will receive it. Our response is to open our hearts to the love of Christ and live in obedience to that love. This gift is always available to us; our part is to always be open to it. That is not easy; it requires us to be intentional about our relationship with God. By reading the scripture, praying, and conforming our actions to our belief in Jesus Christ we receive a glorious promise.

Lesson 8 — The Place of Rest

Rest, in today’s world this is something we don’t seem to get enough of. Everywhere you look there are magazine articles and news stories about how we as American’s are living stressed out lives. We structure our kids’ activities and spend every waking minute pushing more activity into our lives. Not being a native to Duluth I have been amazed about the role sports, particularly hockey plays in many families. From late fall to early spring families are planning their entire weekly schedules around practice and games. No time of week is out of bounds. Even Sunday morning is a good time for hockey practice and young players have out of town weekend tournaments. Rest, God chose the 7th day to rest, but we do not allow that for ourselves. What would it mean to be free to rest in God, even one day a week? For many of us it would be soul nourishing.
When the people of Israel were given rest, as God directed Moses, it meant freedom from enemies, fighting, and always being on guard for an attack from their neighbor. It was part of the covenant God had with his people but what did God expect in return? Joshua 22:5 tells us we are to “love the Lord your God, to walk in all his ways, to keep his commandments, and to hold fast to him, and to serve him with all your heart and with all your soul”. I think if we were to try to live in response to God’s gift of rest, we would find that what God asks of us does create rest within our hearts and minds.

Lesson 7–Cities of Refuge

What is a City of Refuge? In the time of Joshua, as is true today, revenge is something that may come too easily. Revenge is never satisfied. It is an escalating spiral like a tornado encompassing more and more until the beginning point can no longer be found. Where can that cycle of revenge be stopped, or at least slowed to introduce justice? God recognized a need for Cities of Refuge, he lead Joshua to establish cities, where unintentional killers could flee for justice, a refuge from revenge.
As I read lesson 7 I tried to understand my need for a City of Refuge. What I can easily understand is how emotions can escalate to a place where everyone is hurt. A simple example for me is dealing with my two year old grandson Tanner. Two year olds wear their emotions close to the surface, as do 57 year old grandmothers after a long day. What I have had to relearn is how my reaction to Tanner can either calm or escalate a situation. If I am too judgmental or firm as I correct Tanner I can see his eyes flare and his little shoulders stiffen and I know we are into a battle of wills that neither of us can win. What we both need then is a city of refuge. A place where time is taken to calm ourselves, look at the facts and take the appropriate action. When we do this the outcome is always better. I do this best when I rely on my relationship with God to bring peace into my heart.
Where are the Cities of Refuge today? Do we still need them? I am fortunate to live in a country with a strong judicial system. I know there are places where are court systems do not do a fair job of representing the disadvantaged, and that there are wrongful convictions, but the system is there which with improvements will serve us all. We do have instances of revenge killings with gangs and especially in cases of drug dealing. All of these situations need to be improved as well. So what would be a City of Refuge today? A place without poverty and crime, a place of love and compassion, and a place that is free from addictions and disillusionment. Isn’t this an opportunity for those of us who have found the love of Christ and the empowerment of the Holy Spirit to make a difference. How can we use ourselves and our churches as Cities of Refuge, refuge from oppression, pain and suffering, so others may feel the Peace of God? With faith, prayer and action I believe we can help others find that asylum in Christ.

Lesson Six–Rahab and the Gibeonites

As I read lesson six I thought a lot about what it must have been like to be a woman in the time of Joshua. Many stories in the Bible use the very lowly to help us understand that God cares for all–even us. Rahab would certainly have been considered someone to be avoided at best and most likely to be stoned by the Israelites, yet she has a faith in God that may even surpass the spies she is admitting to her home. Where does Rahab’s knowledge of God come from? She is an outcast in her own society not known by the leaders of the Israelites, yet she says, “for the Lord your God is he who is God in heaven above and on earth beneath.” I believe this knowledge had to come directly from God, He chose her to fullfil the covenant He had with His people, and by doing so had His people create a covenant with her. She became a follower, one of them, and was able to include her entire family. This story makes me hopeful that God has an openness to all, even those we may disagree with or look down upon. It teaches me not to judge but to be open to seeing and hearing of God’s love from those I would least expect to carry that message.

The second story discussed in this lesson, the story of Gibeonites had a very interesting twist. In a sense deceipt is rewarded. This is a perplexing message. My first reaction was that basing an oath upon your relationship with God is more binding and important than God’s original orders. God was backing the promise so it had to be kept even though it had been gotten through lying and cunning. I would have liked the story better if the Gibeonites had found God, but it seems that they never did, they were happy to be alive and willing to serve the Israelites to remain so. What was the lesson I learned? Doing something in the name of God has to be fullfiled.

Lesson 5 Can War Be Holy?

Can War Be Holy? Lesson 5 certainly struck a strong chord for me. I have always been perplexed by the dichotomy of the commandment to not kill and the wars and destruction described in the Old Testament. The author of this study asks some very thought provoking questions about when we would decide a war was just. I do believe there is evil in the world, and that we must not allow it to take control or to do harm. However, how often do we enter into war for other reasons that are political or based on economics? As humans we then use our religious beliefs to justify the actions we take and to ally ourselves with others to strengthen our force.
The lesson of Joshua had me focusing in a different direction. It made me think more about being grateful for what God has provided and what He expects from us in return. Because of this study I read the book of Joshua as a message for my life versus a history lesson. On page 53 there is a column entitled “Encountering the Text”. The text I focused on was Joshua 6:16b—“Shout; for the LORD has given you the city.” Following the instruction God delivers through Joshua, the land of promise is given to the people. Thinking about this beyond physical property, following the instructions of God as brought to us through Jesus Christ, we too are given the land of promise. Our part is to follow those teachings by our faith and actions.
Should Christians ever consider war to be holy? I think a cause may be holy, but in my opinion the unintended consequences of war are not holy, nor the will of God. As Christians I believe we must make the extra effort to find resolutions other than war, and if war occurs to take care of those who are victims of its violence. The prayer on page 59 ends with a few sentences that I will hold in my heart—“Forgive us. Help us understand the worth of all life, and work to prevent all wars. Help us promote life, justice, and reconciliation among the nations. Give us peace in our hearts and in our world. Amen”

Lesson Four: The Land of Promise, or the Promised Land?

The questions asked in the study are thought provoking. What would it be like to be a refugee? How important are our homes and property? What did God intend and how did Abraham understand the promise? Should anyone’s security be maintained on condition of the security of another?

Using our society and culture as a frame of reference I would think it depends.  For those who have had stable ownership of property or life in a single community, I think the pull for the physical location would be very strong. I also believe in today’s society, many people are very mobile.  They relocate on a regular basis and don’t necessarily own any property.  It may not be as much of an issue for them, if the living conditions are of a high enough quality and a community is easily established.  I think back to my family, where the land was their economic livelihood, this may be similar to what the Israelites experienced in their exile to Egypt. Not only were they away from their God, they were away from their ability to take care of their families. As a Christian, God is more personal and not dependent upon a location.  This is where living in a Land of Promise would be more important, for to me a land of promise, is a place that is secure and free enough to allow the worship and beliefs I hold so dear.  What does that mean about what has happened in the current state of Israel?  It is beyond my ability to understand and unwind.  I fear it may no longer be a place of security and freedom,  where the promise to Abraham that “all the families of the earth shall be blessed”(Genesis 12:2-3) can be fulfilled.

Lesson three:

The Biblical story of Joshua seems to be telling us several things. The background of the enmity between the tribal and religious groups in that part of the world runs deep andg oes back centuries. Joshua was the epitome of what a true leader should be: trustworthy, thoughtful in his decisions, and prayerful. He trusted and obeyed God without hesitation. Joshua’s followers didn’t question his decisions, even when they must have seemed surprising, because they had compete confidence in him. One lesson we might learn from this study is to choose leaders wisely and trust their judgment. We can have a little better understanding of the present turmoil in the Middle East by studying these background stories from the book of Joshua.

Lesson 2: Joshua as leader

Wow, there’s so much in Lesson 2!    In discussing the qualities of Joshua as a leader called by God, the lesson asks if these qualities are demonstrated in the lives of leaders we know.

First, Joshua was faithful to God and did as God requested.  How do we always know what God wants us to do?  On p. 30, the author states that when God calls us, there may be difficult choices to make, and not everyone will agree with them, sometimes not at all!  Have you experienced that?

A second quality of Joshua’s leadership is his willingness to delegate some responsibilities to others.  What does that do for those followers?

The author says Joshua listens carefully and accepts the judgment of others, seriously considering their input.  Do you feel your leader, at work or at church or in an organization, does that?  Do you?

Joshua also is good at organization and gives clear instructions.  This sure seems like a lot to ask of someone!

Do you think these qualities apply only to Christian leaders, or are they qualities you find valuable in any leader, in business, education, research, clubs, anywhere you look for leadership?  

On p. 28, the Key Idea states, “When God calls us to a position of leadership, God also gives us the strength and courage to follow God’s call.”   Have you experienced this in your life?

You’re invited to share your thoughts!

Introduction to this year’s study “Joshua: a journey of faith.”

This is a summary of the introduction presented by Jan Morris at the Fall Gathering.

To start the study of Joshua, we must first realize when it was written and why.
Joshua is basically a theological and literary work. It isn’t strictly history. Instead, it tells about God and how God relates to His people.
The book of Joshua was written some 600 years after the events in it took place. In 722 BCE, the Assyrians conquered the Northern Kingdom, Israel. In turn, the Assyrians were conquered by the Babylonians, who then conquered the Southern Kingdom, Judah, and destroyed Jerusalem and the Temple. Many of the Israelites were carried off into captivity. The author or authors of Joshua lived in that time in Babylonia. They wanted to preserve the memories and stories of the people of Israel, and as the author of our study says, piece together a history and identity. They wanted to explain to people who were disillusioned and despairing and in slavery in a country far from their homeland why this had happened.
As Jan promised in her introduction, there’s something for everyone in the study of Joshua – love, war, heroism, triumph, as well as insights into history and archeology. It’s especially a way to help us grow in our faith and understanding.
Thoughts:
Jan likened our study to the PBS program “POV” which looks at issues and lives from a particular point of view. There are at least two POVs in our study. One is that of the writer of Joshua. Another is that of the author of our study. Think about how those “povs” affect the message of Joshua.
Jan also suggests we remove the insert in the middle of the guide, and look over the maps and timeline. Keep these handy as you read each lesson.
It’s best to start our study by reading the whole book of Joshua. The Circles will be asked to read Lesson One – “Who is the God of Joshua?” on their own, and read and prepare Lesson Two – “A Leader is Called” for the October meetings.  Is there someone who would like to write up a summary of Lesson One for discussion?  If so, reply to this blog.

For October: Lesson Two – “A Leader is Called”