Joshua 1-6, Judges 6-8, 11 & 13-16

For today, we skip several hundred years and look at some narrative material from when the children of Israel crossed into the promised land. Following the miracle of the Exodus, an entire generation of the children of Israel wandered around in circles through the Sinai peninsula for 40 years going a distance that should have taken no more than about six months. As they wandered, they fought small bands of people. Moses dies at the end of Deuteronomy, right before the people enter the promised land,and the reigns of power are passed on to Joshua. But the skirmishes and the faith and morality lessons learned in the Sinai have only prepared them for bigger skirmishes. Canaan may have been "the promised land," but we can never forget that there were people already living there who tought their gods has promised it to them: the city states of the Hittites, Perrizites, and most of all those pesky and quite large Philistines.

Joshua 1-6 tells the story of the entrance into Canaan. It begins with the sending of spies into Canaan who are housed for the night with Rahab the prostitute. She hides them in her roof between stalks of flax and lies to the men who represented the king of Jericho. This reminds me of the scene in the Sound of Music where the nuns (holding the distributor caps of the cars of the Nazis)say "Reverend Mother, I have sinned."

Chapter 3 tells the story of the entry complete with a parting of the Jordan River as a reminder of the Exodus (again reminding them of who and whose they are). But they also needed this reminder for the entire generation that experienced the Exodus died in the Sinai wanderings. The Ark of the Covenant now leads the people in their travels. It contains the ten commandments and the rod of Aaron. The Ark of the Covenant becomes the major symbol of God's presence right up through the reign of David the King.

Chapters 5 & 6 tell the story of the fall of Jericho. The walls of the city fall before the power of God. The children of Israel wipe out Jericho, killing all the people and their animals. They rescue Rahab and her family as promised. Then they burn the city to the ground. The archeological digs of the area show that Jericho was burned to the ground several times in its history.

As we skipped to Judges, we find the most violent book of the Bible. As you teach the book, your students will note just how violent the book is. They also will begin to ask questions about God in relationship to the violence of both Joshua and Judges. For instance, why were they commanded to wipe out even the youngest and oldest in Jericho? Why do the commands of God in battle in the Old Testament often run identical to the battle strategies that armies used in that day and time? Is the warrior God the same one that is the heavenly Father of the Prince of Peace?

Judges 6-8 tells the stories of Gideon. He like Moses is a reluctant leader. He gains confidence only after several tests of God including the fleece. I have known people to follow Gideon's lead and put fleeces before the Lord (requiring a miraculous sign before moving forward). Some have worked and some have not. And how about the reduction of forces before they gain victory over the Midianites? Gideon is learning the same lesson as Joshua learned in Jericho.

In Judges 11, we read the story of Jephthah's daughter. Phyllis Trible calls this one of the "texts of terror" for women in the Bible. Why is this passage here and what do we do with it?

Finally, we read the story of Samson. What a tragedy - to be so gifted, strong and attractive and yet so vulnerable. Who are similar ones in our own day and time who have fallen into temptation and sexual immorality and wrecked their lives and many others? Why do human beings, including us, like to play it so close to the edge? We have yet another miraculous birth in Samson. Notice the contrast of Joshua and Gideon who know they don't have the resources to take on their challenges without divine help and Samson who's sure he can take anybody. How would you creatively teach these passages?