Joshua, Judges, Ruth

Joshua: An Introduction and Chapters 1-2

The Hebrew scriptures are made up of three sections: the Law, the Prophets, and the Writings. We just studied the book of Deuteronomy, the last of the five books of the Law (what the Jews call Torah). Unless you are interested in reading legal documents and instructions on religious rituals for a temple that no longer exists, you may have found some of the Law a bit difficult to read. Translation: “BORING”! But there are lessons for us to learn from these writings even if we are not obligated to observe the 613 laws in the Torah or Law of Moses. It gets even more confusing when you consider that there are several different words for the same books. The Jews use one term, and Christians use another. There is the Law of Moses, the Torah, and the Pentateuch, meaning the five scrolls or books.

Now we move onto a section that focuses more on ACTION rather than ideas. We now move onto the prophet section the Hebrew Scriptures or as we might call it the Old Testament.  The prophet division is divided into the former prophets and the latter, or early in history and later-on in history. The early or former prophets include Joshua, Judges, Samuel, and Kings and the later prophets are Isaiah, Jeremiah, Ezekiel, and the Twelve (Minor) Prophets. The twelve are on a single scroll so they are counted as one. Thus, in the Hebrew canon of the Prophets there are, if you were counting, eight books. Not only that, but the number of books in the Hebrew scriptures varies depending on how they are divided. Some divide I and II Samuels, Kings and Chronicles. Others combine them. How many books are there in the Old Testament or Hebrew Scriptures? It depends on who you ask.

Let’s move from the study of laws and rituals to action in the form of military conquest and settling into the land. During basic military training there is quite a bit of classroom instruction, but you won’t see that part of basic training in any movie. You can study tactics and strategies, but it is a lot more fun to get out into the field and just start blowing stuff up. So, we are moving from the classroom to the field as we study the book of Joshua.

The book of Joshua can be divided into three sections: the conquest of the inhabitants of the land (chapters 1-12); the allocation of the land to the different tribes of Israel (chapters 13-22) and finally, just as Moses did, we have Joshua’s farewell speech.

A theme of the book is the faithfulness of man and God's mercy, and their opposites, the faithlessness of man and God's wrath. It’s the acting out of the “blessings and curses” in the covenant they signed, and which was described in Deuteronomy 28.

You might think that the main character of the book of Joshua is Joshua himself. Others would suggest that it is really God. It is God who leads them into the land, and it is God who defeats the enemy. In some ways, it seems as if Israel is just along for the ride. Without God, nothing would be accomplished by the Israelites. With God, anything could be accomplished.

What do we know about Joshua? His name is the English form of the Hebrew name Johoshua, meaning “Yahweh is salvation.” The Greek form of his name is Jesus.

Unlike a newly assigned military commander or pastor, Joshua was no stranger to the people of Israel. He was the protégé of Moses. Joshua’s history with Israel goes back to Ex. 17:9 where he was a warrior who went after the Amalekites. He was also an aid when Moses went up Mt. Sinai (Ex. 24:13). And he was among the spies who went to scout out the promised land (Num. 13:2). It didn’t come as a surprise that Joshua would be the successor to Moses.

Joshua had some big shoes to fill. Moses was God’s spokesman and the mediator between God and the people of Israel for decades. Moses had been the only leader his people knew, and now he was gone. It reminds me of Vice President Harry Truman who was called to the White House to be told that President Roosevelt was dead. Roosevelt, like Moses, had been president for a long time, twelve years. Truman, feeling overwhelmed by his new role and having to follow in the footsteps of Franklin Roosevelt said, “I felt like the moon, the stars and all the planets had fallen on me. Boys, if you ever pray, pray for me now.” One journalist said: ‘Good luck, Mr. President.’ Truman said: ‘I wish you didn’t have to call me that.’” Unlike the transition from Roosevelt to Truman, the transition from Moses to Joshua was well planned. 

The book of Joshua contains many similarities to the story of Moses:

Both men sent spies into the promised land.

Both men crossed water barriers on dry land.

Both men celebrated Passover at the time of the crossing.

Both men intercede on behalf of the Israelites when God was angry.

Both men were able to defeat their enemies (Amalekites or Ai) only when they obeyed God.

Both men mediated the renewal of the covenant between God and Israel.

Both men delivered a farewell address before they died.

Under Joshua’s leadership the exile which began by Joseph, was officially ended, opening a new chapter in Israelite history. The transition from Moses to Joshua was well planned and went smoothly.

Let’s get into the text.

Josh. 1:3-6, “I will give you every place where you set your foot, as I promised Moses. V. 5, “No one will be able to stand up against you” . . . As I was with Moses, so I will be with you; I will never leave you nor forsake you. Be strong and courageous.”

Joshua may have felt like Harry Truman, asking himself, “Should I be the one to lead these people?” “In spite of my training, am I up to the task?” “Will the people accept and follow me?” God reassured him. He promised Joshua that He would give him every place he sets his feet, no one will stop you and I will always be with you as I was with Moses. Knowing this, God tells him, “be strong and courageous.” Then he repeats this in verse 7 and again in verse 9, adding, “do not be discouraged.”

Joshua 1:10, “So Joshua ordered the officers of the people: “Go through the camp and tell the people, ‘Get your supplies ready. Three days from now you will cross the Jordan here to go in and take possession of the land the Lord your God is giving you for your own.’”

“Ok, sure. In three-days we’ll cross the river right here. How do you propose we are going to do that, Joshua?

Today, a modern army does it this way:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=z3SCycWcE2E

Joshua then speaks with the tribes who were promised land on the east side of the Jordan River and their commitment to first help the other tribes gain control of the territory west of the Jordan. Their response: Josh. 1:16, “Then they answered Joshua, “Whatever you have commanded us we will do, and wherever you send us we will go. Just as we fully obeyed Moses, so we will obey you.”

Would you be reassured by their response? “Just as we fully obeyed Moses, so we will obey you.” The Israelites didn’t have a very good track record for obeying.

Josh. 2:1 “Go, look over the land, especially Jericho.” So, they went and entered the house of a prostitute named Rahab.”

Some claim that Rahab was an “innkeeper” rather than a prostitute. Perhaps the title innkeeper was a euphemism for a madam of a brothel. I mentioned earlier that the vocabulary of the Hebrew language was small, and a single word can have several different meanings. The Hebrew word describing her occupation could mean both harlot and grocer. In the old west, a “general store” was more than a place to purchase merchandise. It could also be the post office and a saloon. Maybe Rahab ran a brothel, but it was disguised or referred to as an inn. To her credit, Rahab chose to have faith in God, she helped the people of God and was rewarded for her faith. In Heb. 11:31 it says this about her, “By faith the prostitute Rahab, because she welcomed the spies, was not killed with those who were disobedient.”

The king of Jericho got word that there were spies so he sent a message to Rahab saying, Josh. 2:3, “Bring the men who came to you and entered your house, because they have come to spy out the whole land.”

When we hear the word “king” today, we think of a powerful head of a country or empire. While I was teaching in Belarus, one of my students was Prince Henry, from an African nation. All that title meant was that he was the son of a village chief. The king of Jericho may have been similar to the mayor of a small village.

Why would the spies go to an inn? Aren’t there a lot of strangers coming and going at an inn? These spies would not arouse any suspicions among the locals.

Rahab acknowledged that the strangers had been there, but she said that they left before dark. Yes, she lied.

Jewish ethics teach that there are times when it is acceptable to lie. In fact, lying might be the only right thing to do in certain circumstances. There are 613 commandments in the Law of Moses. Are they all equal in importance? Isn’t “do not murder” more important than “don’t eat pork”? Jesus knew that some laws were more important than others. When asked what the greatest command was, he gave a two-part answer. He replied, love (remain loyal) to God and treat others in a loving way. Jesus is demonstrating what is called graded absolutism. Unlike moral absolutism, which teaches that certain actions are ALWAYS right or wrong, regardless of context or consequences, graded absolutism teaches that some absolutes are more important than others. Jesus said that being loyal to God and treating others in a loving way are both greater in importance than forgetting to wear your tassels or eating cookies baked with lard.

Was it wrong for Rahab to have lied? No. There are other examples of lying in Scripture. When Samuel went to anoint the next king of Israel, God tells Samuel in I Sam 16:1-3, “Take a heifer with you and say, ‘I have come to sacrifice to the Lord.’” But that wasn’t the truth. In Ex. 1:17, two midwives, Shifra and Puah, lied when they claimed, “Because the Hebrew women are not like Egyptian women; they are vigorous. Before the midwife can come to them, they have given birth.” That wasn’t the truth, either. Did God punish the midwives for lying? No. Verses 20-21 says, “God dealt well with the midwives. . . and He established households for them. Then in I Sam. 20:28 when Saul was plotting to kill David, Jonathan lied to his father as to David’s whereabouts. In Judges 5 Deborah praises Ya’el for her deception of Sisera.

Then there is an example of telling a lie if the truth would hurt someone’s feelings unnecessarily. In Gen. 18:12-13 God asked Abraham, “Why did Sarah laugh, saying, ‘Shall I in truth bear a child, old as I am?’” Here God transmitted to Abraham only part of what Sarah said. She also said, “with my husband so old.” This passage became the basis in Jewish law for altering the truth when reporting a statement that might hurt or anger someone. Imagine you are at a wedding and the father of the bride asks you, “Isn’t my daughter beautiful?” The only correct answer is, “YES.” Even if the bride was 200 lbs. overweight, cross-eyed, with patches of baldness and a complexion that looks like the surface of the moon. When you deliver a eulogy at a funeral, you only say nice things about the deceased. Why? Because it is the loving thing to do, and you want to avoid hurting anyone unnecessarily. Again, it goes back to the greatest commandment, when in doubt, always do the loving thing.

As one Jewish ethicist said, not all people have the right to the truth. A statement should be considered a lie only if it denies the truth to someone who deserves it. If you tell the truth to someone who uses it to do evil, you are partially responsible for that evil.

Not only did Rahab lie, but she also disobeyed the civil law by hiding the spies. Joshua 2:9, “I know that the Lord has given this land to you and that a great fear of you has fallen on us, so that all who live in this country are melting in fear because of you.”  She goes on to say, in verse 11, “the Lord your God is God in heaven above and on earth below. Now then, please swear to me by the Lord that you will show kindness to my family because I have shown kindness to you.”

Does her expression of faith, “The Lord your God is God” remind you of something the Israelites were to recite each morning and evening? The Shema came to my mind from Deut. 6:4, “Hear, O Israel: The Lord our God, the Lord is one (the only one).”

She helped the spies escape but before they left, they told her to, “tie this scarlet cord in the window” and have her family members stay inside and they won’t get hurt when the Israelites attack the city. This also brings to mind something from Exodus. Can you recall a time when the Israelites were told to mark their homes with the blood of a lamb and to remain inside so that the plaque will pass over them? Ex. 12:7, “Take some blood and put it on the sides and tops of the door frames of the houses where they eat the lambs.  V. 13, “the blood will be a sign for you on the houses where you are: and when I see the blood, I will pass over you.”

The spies returned to their camp with a good report. Joshua. 2:24, “They said to Joshua, ‘The Lord has surely given the whole land into our hands; all the people are melting in fear because of us.”

Joshua Chapters 3- 6, Crossing the Jordan River and the Fall of Jericho

Chapter three begins with what resembles a military deployment. The Israelites move to the Jordan River. Joshua 3:3, “After three days the officers went throughout the camp, giving orders to the people: “When you see the ark of the covenant of the Lord your God, and the Priest, who are Levites carrying it, you are to move out. . . and follow it.”  Everyone had to have all their gear packed and ready to move on a moment’s notice.

Joshua gets some reassurance from God in Joshua 3:7, “And the Lord said to Joshua, ‘Today I will begin to exalt you in the eyes of all Israel, so they may know that I am with you as I was with Moses.’” I imagine that was very reassuring for Joshua. He must have wondered how God would do it. This exaltation would send a message to all of Israel that Joshua is in charge and has God’s favor.

Then the Israelites themselves got reassurances that God would be with them in verse 10, “This is how you will know that the living God is among you and that he will certainly drive out before you the Canaanites, Hittites, Hivites, Perizzites, Girgashites, Amorites and Jebusites.” Notice again the promise that God made to “drive out before you.” This is not going to be a military victory based on the strength of the Israelites, but a miracle of God who drives the inhabitants of the land out. Most of the non-combatants may have already been evacuated since the inhabitants knew what God would do and their hearts were filled with terror.

Who were all of these “ites”? They were the groups of people who lived in the land of Canaan, and were descendants of Canaan, the son of Ham. You might recall that after Noah and his family got off the ark Noah had a bit too much to drink and his son Ham did something to him that led God to say in Gen. 9:24-25; “Cursed be Canaan.” Once the Canaanites were driven from the land, they disappeared from history.

Now as the priests were carrying the ark to the edge of the river, they might have wondered, “I hope God does something fast or we’re going to be carried away downstream by the current.” Just as their feet touched the water, and to their great relief of everyone, especially the priests, the “water stopped flowing and it piled up in a heap” (Joshua 3:16). The water parted much like the Red Sea parted when Moses led their parents out of Egypt. For those who thought that their parents made up those stories, this proved otherwise.

God then told the leaders of the tribes to build a memorial to this event. So, when their children ask them, “What do these stones mean.” They can tell them this story (verse 7). A memorial is supposed to encourage people to ask questions and give others an opportunity to explain the historical significance. In the U.S. there have been many statues removed because they represented people of questionable character or values. Some say that removing them removes part of our history and that they should remain in place. Like Rahab, nobody is entirely good nor entirely evil. Statues should be reminders of what was good about a person or actions, in spite of the darker aspects of a life.

Joshua 4:14, “That day the Lord exalted Joshua in the sight of all Israel; and they revered him all the days of his life, just as they had revered Moses.”

Joshua 5:1, “Now when all the Amorite kings west of the Jordan and all the Canaanite kings along the coast heard how the Lord had dried up the Jordan before the Israelites until we had crossed over, their hearts melted, and they no longer had the courage to face the Israelites.” As I’m writing this, there are reports of the evacuation of hundreds of thousands of people from Ukraine, with women, children and the elderly going first. This is in anticipation of a Russian invasion of the nation. I would suggest that by the time the Israelites showed up at the doorstep of Jericho, like the Ukrainians, the women, children, elderly, etc. had already been evacuated from the city.

The Israelites appear to be on the threshold of battle. What should they do now to prepare for battle? How about incapacitating their own soldiers by having a mass circumcision? Joshua 5:2, “Joshua made flint knives and circumcised the Israelites.” No, there is no mention of lidocaine injections or sterile scalpels. They had not practiced this rite since they left Egypt. “Can’t we wait until after the battle to do this?” “NO!” Fortunately, they at least were given medical leave to recover before they moved on. Joshua 5:8, “They remained where they were in camp until they were healed.”

Another rite that they apparently hadn’t observed was the Passover. The last recorded observance of Passover was at Mtn. Sinai. I hope someone took good notes. But now, they had food from the promised land and so they observed the Passover. Now that they had a new source for food. Joshua 5:22 says, “the manna stopped the day after they ate this food from the land; there was no longer any manna for the Israelites.”

This Passover meal must have been a very memorable one. For some people they had known no other food but manna. I wonder if there was any variation in the manna from day to day. Perhaps a crunchy manna on Monday, chocolate flavored on Tuesday, chicken flavored on Friday. Why not? If God can create manna, he can create flavored manna as well.

The good news: no more manna. The bad news: no more free food. Grocery expenses soon skyrocketed.

The Battle of Jericho was about to begin. As Joshua was nearing the town, he says a “man standing in front of him with a drawn sword in his hand” He asks, “Are you for us or for our enemies?” (Joshua 5:13). I guess they weren’t wearing military uniforms back then. Joshua 5:14, this alien, ghost, or whatever, answered Joshua, “Neither, but as commander of the army of the Lord I have now come.” Who this figure was is not clear. He might have been a theophany, which is when god appears in human form. Or, He might have been an angel. The figure tells Joshua to, “Take off your sandals, for the place where you are standing is holy.” Is that it? Is that all we hear from this figure? What was the meaning of his appearance? It is thought that he was telling Joshua, “God’s not working for you, Joshua, You are working for Him. He is in charge, and He will give you the victory.” Imagine if Joshua goes back to his people and says, “Guess who I ran into?” It reminds me of the time Moses approached the burning bush and he was also told to take off his sandals. Imagine Moses going home and saying, “Guess who I ran into while watching over the sheep?”

In Joshua Chapter 6, the Battle of Jericho begins. The city or fort is all tightly shut, everyone safely inside. So, how do you attack a walled fort or city?

Joshua 6:3, “March around the city once with all the armed men. Do this for six days. Have seven priests carry trumpets of rams’ horns in front of the ark. On the seventh day, march around the city seven times, with the priests blowing the trumpets. When you hear them sound a long blast on the trumpets, have all the people give a loud shout; then the walls of the city will collapse.”

Let me see is I understand this correctly. The way to attack a city is to have all the religious leaders blowing trumpets and carrying sacred items, march daily around the fort, then on the seventh day, march around seven time and scream loudly. Is that the plan? Really? Why would they do that? If you go back to Deuteronomy 20, you will find the laws of war, which included allowing the enemy to surrender peacefully. What the Israelites were doing, I think, was to give them time to make peace or escape. They were already terribly scared and most of the inhabitants have probably already escaped. The purpose is to drive them out, not necessarily kill people. The Canaanites were driven out because of their sin. It was not arbitrary. God was patient with them. Gen. 15:16, says that the Israelites would have to wait four generations to take over the land because “the sin of the Amorites has not yet reached its full measure.” God’s patience continues as he gives the remaining defenders seven days to put down their arms. This strange military tactic is not usually taught in Command and General Staff College of our military. In fact, if a commander asked his staff for courses of action for him to consider in conquering Jericho, and they came up with this plan, they might have been referred to the unit psychiatrist. This strange behavior of marching around and blowing trumpets not only gave the enemy time to escape but was also a tool of psychological warfare. Joshua 6:11, “So he had the ark of the Lord carried around the city, circling it once. Then the people returned to camp and spent the night there.”

Again, imagine what the people of Jericho were thinking. “Is that it? Are they going away?” “Are we out of danger?”

The next day the Israelites did the same strange thing, marched around the fort, and then went back to their camp. Then again, and again. Their bizarre behavior only added to the stress of the people of Jericho.

Joshua 6:15-17, “On the seventh day, they got up at daybreak and marched around the city seven times. . . when the priests sounded the trumpet blast, Joshua commanded the people, ‘SHOUT! For the Lord has given you the city! The city and all that is in it are to be devoted to the Lord. Only Rahab the prostitute and all who are with her in her house shall be spared.’”

Then they were cautioned in Joshua 6:18-19, “But keep away from the devoted things, so that you will bring about your own destruction by taking any of them. . . All the silver and gold and the articles of bronze and iron are sacred to the Lord and must go into his treasury.” That’s right, soldier, you can’t grab a bunch of souvenirs to take home with you. The valuables belong to God, and they will go into the tabernacle treasury. Why is this so? Well, remember that strange character who appeared to Joshua 5, the “Commander of the Lord’s Army”? This battle was not won by priests marching and shouting, it was won by God. He gets the valuables. As we used to say in the Army, “rank has its privileges.”

The city was taken, burnt to the ground and those who remained died in defense of a lost cause. The book ends with, Joshua 6:27, “So the Lord was with Joshua, and his fame spread throughout the land.” God did what he promised to do, he exalted Joshua.

Now about that prohibition against taking any plunder. . . well, apparently at least one person didn’t think that the rules applied to him. His story is the subject of Joshua 7.

Joshua Chapters 7-8 Achan’s Greed

In chapter 6 we saw the Israelites following the battle plan given to them by God which led to the fall of Jericho. One aspect of the plan was that all that was in the city was to be “devoted to the Lord.” This means that all the silver, gold, bronze, and iron were sacred to the Lord and must go into the treasury. Soldiers were not to take plunder for themselves.

One Israelite, by the name of Achan, may have thought that he could have gotten away with keeping some items for himself. This didn’t turn out well at all for Achan, his family or for some of the Israelites. What do we know about Achan? Achan was from the tribe of Judah.    1 Chron. 2:7 referred to him as the person who brought trouble to Israel by violating the ban on taking devoted things. How did he bring trouble to the nation when he was the one who committed the sin? Well, there is something called corporate responsibility. Sometimes when someone does something wrong, it impacts others. Just as the rain falls on the just and the unjust, sometimes punishment falls on the just as well as the unjust. When a nation suffers, not everyone in the nation is directly responsible. Before the sin of Achan was uncovered, the Israelites sent spies to scout out their next target, the town of Ai. The spies reported that they wouldn’t need very many men for this battle, the town appeared smaller and less heavily defended than Jericho (Joshua 7:3). Well, that battle didn’t go very well for the Israelites. Joshua 7:5, they were routed by their enemy and their hearts “melted and became like water.” It looked like the table had been turned. Before the battle, the Israelites were confident of victory and the Canaanites were fearful. Now, it was the Israelites who were fearful and running for their lives.

Joshua was shocked and grieved by these events. In Joshua 7:7 he prayed, “Ah, Sovereign Lord, why did you ever bring this people across the Jordan to deliver us into the hands of the Amorites to destroy us.”  Have you noticed that many times when people are emotionally upset, they don’t always think rationally? Joshua’s first thought was to think that God wanted to destroy the Israelites.

God responded to Joshua’s comments, Joshua 7:10, “Stand up! What are you doing down on your face? Israel has sinned; they have violated my covenant. . . they have taken some of the devoted things; they have stolen, they have lied.” The first fruit concept was taught in Deut. 18:4. To not give to God what was to be devoted to him was robbing God. God then tells Joshua to find the guilty person and punish him. Until Joshua does, the Israelites would not win any more victories against their enemies. Joshua may have thought, “Oh, so you’re not trying to destroy us. That’s good to hear. Someone in our group is responsible for our defeat. OK, we’ll find and punish the culprit. And one more thing God, I’m sorry for accusing you of wanting to kill us all.”

An investigation to find the guilty person(s) was conducted by the authorities (verse 14) and it was determined by lots that Achan was the guilty person. When confronted, Achan confessed. Joshua 7:20, “It is true! I have sinned against the Lord. When I saw in the plunder a beautiful robe from Babylonia, two hundred shekels of silver and a wedge of gold weighting fifty shekels, I coveted them and took them.” His explanation sounds a bit like Eve in the Garden of Eden. Gen. 3:6, “When the woman saw that the fruit of the tree was good for food and pleasing to the eye and also desirable for gaining wisdom, she took some and ate it.” Achan used the “pleasing to the eye and desirable” excuse to explain his actions.

Joshua and all of Israel took Achan and his family and all his possessions to the Valley of Achor. Joshua 7:25, “Joshua said to Achan, ‘Why have you brought this trouble on us? The Lord will bring trouble on you today.’” Then all Israel stoned him and after they stoned the rest of his family, they burned them.” He brought trouble onto Israel; hence Achan became known by the title, “troubler of Israel” in I Chron.2:7. I think King Ahab also used that title with Elijah in 1 Kings 18:17 when he addressed him, “Is that you? You troubler of Israel.”

The irony in this event is that, as pleasing to the eye and desirable as the stolen items were to Achan, they were actually worthless. Because his plunder was illegal, he couldn’t wear the robe or jewelry. He risked so much to gain something that he had to bury in the ground under his tent. It sounds like when rich people buy precious jewelry that they must keep “buried” in a safe deposit box. It costs them money to insure the items and then they worry that they might be stolen when they are being worn only occasionally.

Achan’s sin led to the deaths of thirty-six of his fellow soldiers and defeat for the whole army. The Israelites had been specifically warned not to take the devoted things. Joshua had told them, “Keep away from the devoted things, so that you will not bring about your own destruction by taking any of them. Otherwise, you will make the camp of Israel liable to destruction and bring trouble on it” (Joshua 6:18). Achan wasn’t confused or mistaken when he took the plunder. He hid it because he knew that it was wrong. He also had time to repent, he could have come forward early in the investigation. Why would Achan’s family be destroyed with him? Well, his family was involved in the plot, at least in the coverup.

What a contrast between Rahab and Achan. Rahab was an outsider who became an insider when she recognized the power of God. Achan, who had witnessed the power of God became an outsider. Rahab, a Canaanite woman saved her whole family and Achan, an Israelite man, is instrumental in destroying his.

The chain of events in this tragic episode began with Achan seeing something desirable, to coveting what he shouldn’t want, leading to stealing and to death. James 1:14–15 says, “Each person is tempted when they are dragged away by their own evil desire and enticed. Then, after desire has conceived, it gives birth to sin; and sin, when it is full-grown, gives birth to death.”

With this ugly episode behind them, God tells Joshua to attack Ai again, but this time, they would be successful. Joshua 8:1, “Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged. Take the whole army with you. . . For I have delivered into your hands the king of Ai.” Not only that, but now “you may carry off their plunder and livestock for yourselves.” Poor Achan, if only he had waited a bit longer, he could have lived and had the plunder. I imagine the Israelites were highly motivated for this battle. God has said that He has delivered the entire land into their hands, and as a bonus, Joshua 8:2, “you may carry off their plunder and livestock for yourselves.” God even gave them a battle plan, “set an ambush behind the city.”

Joshua divided up his army with some of his soldiers drawing the Canaanite soldiers out of the city to attack the Israelites, who start to turn away. Joshua 8:17, “Not a man remained in Ai or Bethel who did not go after Israel. They left the city open and went in pursuit of Israel.” While they were running with the soldiers of Ai in pursuit, the rest of the Israelite Army entered the city and set it on fire (verse 19). Joshua 8:20, “The men of Ai looked back and saw the smoke of the city rising against the sky.” Then Joshua stopped his retreating troops and turned to attack the soldiers of Ai from one side as the Israelites, fleeing the city attacked them from the other side. There was no escape. Verse 25, “Twelve thousand men and women fell that day-all the people of Ai.” The king (a term used for a military leader) was captured and later executed and buried before sundown as prescribed in (Deut. 21:22-23).

The line, “twelve thousand men and women fell that day” is troubling. It’s one thing to know what the passage says, and it’s another to know what it means. The use of “women” and “young and old” at Jericho and Ai are, as scholars explain, “stereotypical expressions for the destruction of all human life in the fort, presumably composed entirely of combatants.” The text doesn’t require that woman and young and old are in these “cities.” Also, Jericho and Ai were little more than military outposts similar to Ft. Huachuca, Arizona where I was once stationed. Both were built to protect travel routes and borders.

Both Jericho and Ai were small installations. This is shown by the fact that Jericho could be circled seven times and a battle fought all in one day. It suggests that there were probably fewer than 100 soldiers stationed there. Though it was called a “city” the term meant little more than a place for governmental operations. We could call it Ft. Jericho. The rest of the population, women, and children, lived in the surrounding countryside. All archeological evidence indicates that NO civilian populations existed at Jericho, Ai, and other cities mentioned in the Book of Joshua.

After the battle (and the assessing of their plunder) Joshua built on Mount Ebal an altar to the Lord and offered a sacrifice. Then, Joshua 8:34, “Afterward Joshua read all the words of the law-the blessings and the curses-just as it is written in the Book of the Law.” There the Israelites renewed the covenant made earlier.

What a busy day: combat, plunder, sacrifices and a renewal of the covenant. Then, they all collapsed with exhaustion and woke up three days later. Or maybe not.

Jim Elliot was a Christian missionary and one of five people killed during an attempt to evangelize the Huaorani people of Ecuador. He reflected on the dangers of the trip when he wrote in his diary, “He is no fool who gives what he cannot keep to gain what he cannot lose.” Elliot gave his temporary physical life but gained eternal rewards which he could not lose. Achan was a fool; in that he gave up eternal rewards which he could never lose to gain temporary material assets.



When we choose to spend our time and money on things that are of temporary value at the expense of those of eternal value, are we not also making foolish decisions, like Achan?

JUDGES 

THE FIRST THREE HUNDRED YEARS IN THE LAND, CYCLES OF REBELLION, PUNISHMENT, REPENTANCE AND DELIVERANCE

I just read Ariel's Bible Commentary on Judges and Ruth by Dr. Arnold G. Fruchtenbaum, a Messianic Jewish believer and the founder of Ariel Ministries. I found some of his comments fascinating and will share some of them in these notes.

The word “judge” refers to someone who delivers his people from external oppression (a military leader) or one who judges internally (a civil leader). He can also be religious leader. Moses, if you recall was a prophet (spokesman for God) and a judge (Deut 16:18). 

There are thirteen judges mentioned in this book, but only seven have their role as delivers recorded, the other five are mentioned only in passing.

This period in Israel’s history has been called the “Dark Age” of Israel because of their constant rebellion against God. Here we find a series of rebellions against God, followed by retribution, then their repentance, their restoration by God through the action of a Judge and then a period of rest.

Among the pagan gods in Canaan were: El, the head God; Asherah, his wife and the goddess of the sea; Baal, the storm god and god of fertility; Astarte, the goddess of fertility, love and war; and Anath, Baal's sister and wife, goddess of love and war.

Judges 17:6; is the key verse, "In those days Israel had no king; everyone did as he saw fit."

As you read through the first chapter of the book, notice how often the expression, “and the children of (insert the name of the tribe) did not drive out the inhabitants.” In chapter 2:1-3 God says, “You have disobeyed me . . . now therefore I tell you that I will not drive them out before you, they will be a thorn in your sides and their gods will be a snare to you.” 

You will also read that the Holy Spirit came upon individuals. This is not based on their spiritual condition, but only to accomplish a specific task. We find God using the weak things of the world to accomplish great things. We also see God's people being corrupted by the world, rather than influencing the world for good. Does that sound like us today?

Judges 2:10; “After that whole generation had been gathered to their fathers, another generation grew up, who knew neither the Lord nor what he had done for Israel. Then the Israelites did evil in the eyes of the Lord and served the Baals. They forsook the Lord, the God of their fathers, who had brought them out of Egypt.” . . . v 14 “In his anger against Israel the Lord handed them over to raiders who plundered them. . . . v5 “They were in great distress.” v16 “Then the Lord raised up judges, who saved them out of the hands of these raiders.”

The word for "ANGER" literally means "His nose burned," an expression of divine fury. It reminds me of the cartoons where an angry bull has steam coming out of his nostrils just before he charges after you.

Did you notice how long it took for the Israelites to forget about God? Only one generation. How did this happen? Didn’t Moses tell the Israelites that they are to teach their children the way of God in Deut 6:6? Can you imagine them at Mt. Sinai, all shaking their heads in agreement that they would obey God and teach their children the Laws of God? Here it appears they failed to do this.

When everyone does what they see fit to do suggests that there were no community standards. The first five book of the Bible must have been totally forgotten. I sometimes think that this is the way it is in some churches today whose leaders agree among themselves what is right and wrong with little consideration as to what the Bible might have to say.

Notice that they started to serve Baal and the Ashtaroth, among other pagan gods. The worship of these gods would have included temple prostitution. But they did not reject the true God of Israel. The Israelites simply added the worship of these pagan gods to the worship of the true God, sort of covering their bases. One reason the Israelites were attracted to the god of fertility is because they were living in the rocky mountain areas of the land while the Canaanites were living in the more fertile valleys. They thought they should worship the fertility god in order to survive in this area.

Judges 2:19; “When the judge died, the people returned to ways even more corrupt than those of their fathers.”  Notice that with each cycle, the apostasy grew worse and worse. In verse 6 it says that not only did they not drive out the Canaanites, but “They took their daughters in marriage and gave their own daughters to their sons and served their gods.” This proved disastrous for the nation of Israel. It is any wonder that the New Testament teaches that Christians should marry only Christians?

Chapters 3-16; tells the story of the twelve judges. Notice how long it took the Israelites to wise up before they called out to God in repentance. In Judges 3:8 it says that they served their oppressor for eight years before they called out to God. In 3:14 it says that they served their next oppressor for eighteen years, etc. These folks must have been very slow learners and very stubborn. 

Judges 3 tells the story of the assassination of Eglon, the leader of Moab, who was oppressing Israel. He was a very fat man. Ehud (a judge) goes to him to pay tribute from the Israelites and tells him that he has a message for him. Eglon dismisses his staff from the room and locks the door. The two start to talk when Ehud draws a dagger that he hid in his clothing and thrusts it into the fat man’s body. Meanwhile his servants are outside the room and assume that since the door is locked their boss Eglon must be “covering his feet” in the upper chamber. This is an expression that means he was going to the bathroom. 

Meanwhile, Ehud escapes while the aids are waiting for their boss to finish going to the bathroom. After a while they break open the door and find Eglon dead. With Eglon’s death the Israelites rose up and defeated Moab and they had peace for eighty years. This is the longest period of peace that they had, eighty years. 

Judges 4; we find Deborah and Barak. Barak said to Deborah, "If you go with me, I will go; but if you don't go with me, I won't go." I always thought that Barak acted like a coward, needing a woman to go with him. But, according to Dr. Arnold Fruchtenbaum, Deborah was a prophetess and judge, but NOT a deliverer (moshia) or military leader. What Barak wanted was assurance of the presence of God in war by having the prophetess there with him.

Judges 4:17-22; we find the story of Sesera who flees to the tent of Jael, a Kenite. The Kenites were a nomadic people. The tradition was whenever a stranger was admitted to the tent as a guest, he was to be defended or concealed. Sesera felt safe in the tent of Jael. Another point is that it was the women who were responsible for putting up the tents and taking them back down. So Jael knew how to handle a hammer and tent peg. So Sesera felt safe, ate and went to sleep when Jael took a tent peg and hammered it right through his skull and into the ground. How's that for hospitality?

Judges 6-9; tells the story of Gideon. In 6:12 he is described as a "mighty man of valor." This is actually a prophecy of what he would become.  Notice in Judges 6:13 he asks a question that Habakkuk, Job and all of us have asked when we experience a tragedy in our lives: "If Jehovah is with us, why then is all this befallen us?" I have an article on this question under the Frequently asked Questions tab of this website entitled: Why Do Bad Things Happen to Us?

Judges 6:25-32 Gideon destroys the altar to Baal that his own family had in their possession. Notice that he did this at night, when he wouldn't be seen. He is not yet a "mighty man of valor." But, God is working on him, as he is with us.

Judges 8:24-27; Notice that Gideon is the first judge to actually foster idolatry. He started the story as a poor person who became rich and corrupt. He rejected the offer to become their king, but he did accept a lot of war booty. He rejected the title of King, but he wanted to live like one. He probably remembers how many headaches Moses and Joshua had trying to lead a group of rebellious, stiff-necked Israelites. He would rather live like a king without having the responsibilities that go with it. In fact, he even named his son Abimelech, which means, "My father is king." I hope to finish my life better than he did. Don't you?

Judges 10; we hear about the judgeship of Tola. He is mentioned, but little detail is given. Do you think Tola feels a bit slighted. "Hey, is that all you are going to say about me?"

Judges 10-12; we find the story of Jephthah who makes a rash vow that if God gives him victory, he will sacrifice whatever comes out of the door of his house. But lo and behold, after his victory we find that it is his daughter who is the one who first comes out the door, rather than an animal and now he has to sacrifice his daughter (11:30-37). There has been a long standing controversy as to whether he actually offered his daughter as a burnt offering (v31) on an altar or did he offer her as a living sacrifice in full time service in the tabernacle. The second option makes more sense for the following reasons: There were women who devoted themselves to working in the tabernacle (Ex 38:8; 1 Sam 2:22); human sacrifices were clearly forbidden (Lev 18:21; 20:2; Deut 12:31); there is constant emphasis on Jephthah’s daughter’s virginity, not her death; the narrative never says that he killed his daughter, and she was lamenting her virginity, not her impending death. As you read the story you see that she asked for some time to go and into the hills for two months to grieve with her friends (v37). Now if you thought you were going to be used as a human sacrifice, as you headed for the hills, would you even return to your home? If you were going to be killed would you be lamenting the fact that you wouldn't be able to marry? I think that celibacy would be the least of your concerns. 

Judges 13-16; we find Samson and the Israelites being pressed upon from all sides: the Ammonites from the east and the Philistines from the west. Notice that we never read that the Israelites called out to God for deliverance, as they have in the past. It appears as if they simply came to be content living with Philistine oppression. 

Whereas other judges delivered Israel from their enemies, Samson never did. In fact, his mission was not to deliver Israel, but only to “begin to save Israel out of the hand of the Philistines” (13:5). When Samson died, the Israelites were still under their oppression.

Judges 15:9-13; Notice that it was the Jews who bound Samson and turned him over to the Philistines. Here Samson is viewed as a rodef, one who is a pursuer or assailant. This term can be applied to an outsider or a fellow Jew who is a criminal who has endangered the entire community through his misdeeds. These people must be stopped, even killed, to protect the entire community. This was the logic behind the Orthodox Jewish man who assassinated Yitzchak Rabin: he viewed Rabin as a redof who was endangering the Jewish community because of his efforts to make peace with the Palestinians.

Judges 15:14-17; we read that Samson killed a thousand men. How could he do that? The Hebrew reads that he made “heaps, heaps” which indicates that he killed them in stages, one small number at a time, making a pile of dead bodies here, and another pile there. He didn’t kill all of them in one battle.

Poor Samson, he could defeat the strongest of men, but was defeated by the weakest of women. He was a mixed character, as we all are. He showed high points of spirituality and also low points of carnality.

RUTH 

A STORY OF LOVE AND LOYALTY SHOWING THE BEGINNING OF THE MESSIANIC FAMILY OF DAVID DURING THE DARK PERIOD OF JUDGES

Here is some trivia for you. Ruth is one of only two books in the Old Testament named after a Gentile. The other one is Job. And, it is one of only two books named after a woman, the other being Esther. The story takes place during the time of the Judges. A famine is mentioned in Judges 6:3-4, so she may have been a contemporary of Gideon. The fact that Moab, just across from the Dead Sea was not affected leads us to believe that this famine was a form of divine judgment.

Whereas the Book of Judges highlights immorality, idolatry, decline, war, lust, cruelty and spiritual darkness; Ruth shows faithfulness, the worship of one God, devotion, love, peace, kindness and spiritual light.

The Book of Ruth shows that God is in control and that His grace extends to the Gentiles (a lesson that Jonah had to learn the hard way).

Naomi and her husband Elimelech were from Bethlehem in Judah. A famine strikes the land so they and their two sons move to Moab (this shows the severity of the famine). In Moab Naomi's sons married Moabite women, one was Ruth. After ten years (this shows the duration of the famine in Israel) all three husbands died. Naomi and Ruth are both widows. Naomi prepares to return to Judah and suggests that Ruth stay with her people in Moab. Ruth's famous reply is: (Ruth 1:16-17) “Where you go I will go, and where you stay I will stay. Your people will be my people and your God my God. Where you die I will die, and there I will be buried.”

Ruth 1: The widows journey to Judah at the time of the barley harvest (April). 

Ruth 2: The widows survive by gleaning in the fields of a generous man named Boaz. 

Ruth 3: Naomi recognizes Boaz as a distant relative. Boaz could marry Ruth, but only if the closer relative gives up his right to do so. This goes back to Deut 25:5-10 which says that if a brother dies, the other brother has the "right of first refusal" to marry the widow, if he refuses, then she can marry someone else.

Ruth 4: we find Boaz going to the closer relative to Ruth, her kinsman-redeemer, who gives up his right to marry Ruth. This opens the door for Boaz to marry her. 

One of the lessons from the Book of Ruth is that participating in the Kingdom of God is not determined by race or ethnic background, but to living in the will of God, as Ruth did. Another lesson is the same that is taught by the story of Joseph: God is in charge of our lives and as Romans 8:28 tells us, "All things work together for Good.."