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”