Continuing a plan to get through the entire Bible in a year, follow as I journal through the reading. I have chosen a straightforward approach that begins in Genesis and ends in Revelation. This will not be an in-depth study or a comprehensive commentary. There are plenty of sources for such material. This is stage one Bible reading, taking the text at face value and sharing impressions.
Today’s reading comes from the book of Joshua, chapters 12 through 15, as Israel revels in victory and divides the spoils of war. Some impressions from the text:
- As Chapter 12 lists the thirty-one kings defeated by Moses and Joshua in turn, there’s a sense of scorekeeping in the text. It’s as if God points to a proverbial scoreboard, which indicates a total blowout with no points given up, and revels in the cold hard truth of it all.
- As Chapter 13 lists the vast inheritance distributed to the tribes of Israel, our minds turn back to Abraham and the improbable tale of an insignificant people who have so dramatically prevailed over kings and nations. This alone stands as proof of God. There is simply no other explanation for Israel’s existence.
- As the Israelites’ clothing and provisions were miraculously maintained throughout their trek in the wilderness, Caleb appears to have been kept from the rigors of age. “I am still as strong today as I was in the day that Moses sent me; my strength now is as my strength was then, for war and for going and coming.”
Return soon as we continue our year-long journey through the text of the Bible.
Catch up on the previous entries:
Archived Genesis posts (scroll down in link).
Archived Exodus posts (scroll down in link) .
Archived Leviticus posts (scroll down in link).
Archived Numbers posts (scroll down in link).
Archived Deuteronomy posts (scroll down in link).
Israel crosses the river Jordan. – Joshua 1 through 4
The Lord claims victory at Jericho. – Joshua 5 through 8
Joshua’s conquest of the Promised Land. – Joshua 9 through 11