Joshua
2:24 – activities of one person (Rahab) inspired a nation to take heart – how little it takes!
3:7 – and 4:14 – "I will begin to exalt you" – to assure the people of God’s continuing presence – the real function and purpose of charisma? – a gift from God to the people. God assures His people of His presence through His activities with His leadership people.
4:6 and 4:24 – "when children ask" – note the stress on future generations remembering and having something to occasion a question – and that it is deemed important to remember key moments in community life. That all might know He is mighty and you may fear him forever.
5:2 – conservatism in ritual – Flint where bronze and copper were a long use.
6:1 – if Jericho was no more than a Fort above the spring, as scholars now believe, then it's a good example of Saul Alinski’s psychology of a sure, small victory at the first as being important.
6:16 – "shout for the Lord has given you the city". In more ways than one! From here on in they were to have "cities" as places to live
- it still stands here and yet they are to shout for it is done – he has given. Work from the stance of victory accomplished.
- Shout while it seems to all to be as strong as ever – but in fact it's already over
- shout for the Lord has given – rejoice – it frightens!
- Here city to be destroyed but done so in order to be inhabited.
- Compared to Ezekiel seeing visions of new Jerusalem in Ezekiel 40:1 while old situation still stood (exile) on the same day of the year as they first entered Palestine
- compare to Christ's living in a "new world" while the old was (to other's view) still all around him. Triumphant and victorious over the same week or so of the year – and his view of the old Jerusalem and its historical record.
Although nothing has changed, everything has changed. Claim the world for the Lord for it is already his. Work from a position of victory accomplished. Christ is the Victor. The New World is already ours. Celebrate – shout!
6:20f – one of the saddest sections of the Bible. War seems to be a reality, but a terribly sad one.
7:6 – Joshua was in a three-quarter-time slump – "how did I ever get into this anyway?" – and a shallow understanding (although sincere) about what God will do for "glory" once his people have been wiped out.
7:10f – likely and aetiological myth regarding the boundary stone pile but interesting features – to the Lord it is obvious what the problem is – men with guilt are not in step with him and can't avail themselves of the strength he gives (he wins battles) until back in step, and this is infectious as heck. Though put in animistic terms, the psychology/spiritual basis for it is true to life.
8:1-3 – rather than feel bad about defeat – return with a different approach – God guides us in being creative as we face the challenges of life – even those that bring defeat at first/through our own lack of contact with him.
11:23b – "and the land had rest from war" – what a blessed statement amongst all the other stuff – like total distraction etc. – and even this is connected with words such as "inheritance", "tribal allotments", etc. which speak of peace being normal but based on (and seeds) conflict.
14:8 – defeatist attitudes in leadership (even lower rank such as "spies") can make the people's "heart melt" with fear – "yet I wholly followed the Lord my God"
14:10 – life begins at 80! If Joshua was the same age then they'd both be about 85.
16:10 – forced labour for the victors – seems to be a common practice – Anglo-Saxons to Normans, Indians to Europeans.
19:40-8 – no pretence of boundaries for Dan – just cities named – like the way in Cambrian presbytery does its work – in the centers but very ill-defined boundaries. Ignore the bush leagues!
20:1-6 – an interesting touch of kindness in the justice level in dealing with the events of life.
22:5 – demobilization words of advice – for any situation? Do we acknowledge the end of a job?
22:5 and 8 – two versions – what a difference!
22:24 – lest your kids say to our kids "what have you to do with the Lord God of Israel?" Wow. A fascinating story – the felt need for concrete reminders to aid the continuing bond between later generations – in the Lord. – the revulsion at rebellion and willingness to persuade (and force) others to change – the miracle of dialogue to eliminate misunderstanding and prevent the loss of blood – the resulting pleasure and praise of God through mutually acknowledgment of Him. – and the motivations of Phineas’s earlier experience in community life – what a beautiful story of human dynamics! This calls for reflection on our approach to problems and compassionate understanding of the motivations of others (especially zealous ones) and a proper dealing with their fears etc.
22:27 – God had His territory – Tabernacle on the west side therefore God not so much with these tribes. Ezekiel reorganizes all tribes on the West Bank as he dreamed of a new country.
23:7f – good speech! Single-minded cleaving to God is so prominent in his thought and life – as are the dangers and problems of moving away.
23:14 – "and now I'm about to go the way of all the earth" – an old man accepts death and moves on to speak of the faithfulness of God (that's not in doubt – though above, he spoke of the potential disloyalty of man).
24:14f – "choose this day whom you will serve, but as for me and my house, we will serve the Lord." His choice is based on the experience of God's love and providence, the "substance of things not seen".
[Marginal note – Peak page 198 and my notes in jottings on the Genesis 29 saga – this is a first meeting of all 12 tribes to set out an anphectioni and they are selecting a common God from the various backgrounds – Yahweh won – Babylonian and Canaanite options lost out – fantastic!]
24:18f – therefore we also will serve the Lord. People respond to challenges of choice – but do fall away after as did these people. Joshua knew that the problem of faithfulness lay with the hearts of men not God. The witness was a challenge to them.
24:31 – the faithfulness lasted as long as the old men – then the lid came off – cf. Sandy Lake in the future – it will be one of the saddest scenes after the elders die.
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