Joshua 23
Joshua chapter 23 begins Joshua’s final address to the nation. His singular purpose seems to be to remind the nation that in order to avoid the snares and danger in the land they must remain faithful to God. The chapter begins, “After a long time had passed and the Lord had given Israel rest from […]
Joshua 24
Joshua chapter 24 begins with Joshua making his final address to the nation. We read, “Joshua assembled all the tribes of Israel at Shechem… and they presented themselves before God“. He begins by saying, “This is what the Lord, the God of Israel says“. He does not rely on his own eloquence; he simply quotes […]
Judges 1
The Book of Judges covers the history of the nation of Israel from the death of Joshua, until the time of Samuel (almost four hundred years). During this time, there is no national leader. There was no successor to Joshua, and as a result the nation neglects God’s ordinances. They begin to worship false gods […]
Judges 2
Judges chapter 2 reminds us of God’s unfailing faithfulness and our susceptibility to the temptations around us. The chapter begins with another mention of “The angel of the Lord“. This is no ordinary angel. He accepts worship, He declares Himself to be God Almighty and He proclaims judgment. This is what the scholars call a […]
Judges 3
Judges chapter 3 provides great insight into how to live in spiritual peace. It should serve as a great warning that any of us have the potential to stumble if we do not remain diligent. The chapter begins, “These are the nations the Lord left to test those Israelites who had not experienced any of […]
Judges 4
Judges chapter 4 reminds us that God will work through anyone willing to trust in Him as God Almighty. The chapter begins with the same familiar pattern, “After Ehud died, the Israelites once again did evil in the sight of the Lord“. Ultimately, this will happen to all of us if we put our faith […]
Judges 5
Judges chapter 5 is a song of victory and praise. It provides some additional details about Israel’s defeat of the Canaanite general Sisera and reminds us that God ALWAYS orchestrates the battles we fight. The chapter begins, “On that day Deborah and Barak… sang this song“. The previous verse tells us that Israel destroyed the […]