Bible in a Year! v. March

[hefdaddy42]

I figured we were overdue for this...

And I'm now caught up in my reading!  Yay!

With today's reading, we are almost halfway through the book of Joshua, the second book of the Deuteronomistic History.  In today's reading, we have the Gibeonite deception (which most likely saved their lives), a coalition of Amorite kings who are defeated by Israel, a southern campaign by Joshua, and the defeat of a Northern coalition by the Israelites, followed by a summary of Israel's victories. Joshua 11:23  "Joshua conquered the whole land, just as the LORD had promised Moses, and he assigned Israel their tribal portions. Then the land was free of war."

One of my favorite passages from this book is Joshua 12-14:

The day the LORD delivered the Amorites over to the Israelites, Joshua prayed to the LORD before Israel:
   "O sun, stand still over Gibeon!
   O moon, over the Valley of Aijalon!"
The sun stood still and the moon stood motionless while the nation took vengeance on its enemies. The event is recorded in the Scroll of the Upright One. The sun stood motionless in the middle of the sky and did not set for about a full day.
There has not been a day like it before or since. The LORD obeyed a man, for the LORD fought for Israel!

[juice]

laefhas;ofij 2 weeks behind.  I'm reading today.

[bosk1]

Joshua is one of my favorite books. 

[hefdaddy42]

Joshua is one of my favorite books. 

Me too.  I also love Judges, 1 & 2 Samuel, and 1 & 2 Kings, so I'm in for a great stretch!

[bosk1]

And before I forget, I must ephasize that even though I would usually never recommend this version, it is imperative to read at least the first half of 1 Samuel in the King James version.  Otherwise, a very important aspect of the story gets lost.

[hefdaddy42]

And before I forget, I must ephasize that even though I would usually never recommend this version, it is imperative to read at least the first half of 1 Samuel in the King James version.  Otherwise, a very important aspect of the story gets lost.

 

[bosk1]

And before I forget, I must ephasize that even though I would usually never recommend this version, it is imperative to read at least the first half of 1 Samuel in the King James version.  Otherwise, a very important aspect of the story gets lost.

 

I'm referring to the annointing of Saul as Israel's first king.  The people were dissatisfied with the leadership of the nation under the judges God appointed, so they requested to have a king so they could be like all the other nations.  We then find Saul tending his father's livestock, and we are told that the asses wandered off.  So Saul spent the next several days searching the countryside for them, as told in 1 Sam 9:

2And he had a son, whose name was Saul, a choice young man, and a goodly: and there was not among the children of Israel a goodlier person than he: from his shoulders and upward he was higher than any of the people.

 3And the asses of Kish Saul's father were lost. And Kish said to Saul his son, Take now one of the servants with thee, and arise, go seek the asses.

 4And he passed through mount Ephraim, and passed through the land of Shalisha, but they found them not: then they passed through the land of Shalim, and there they were not: and he passed through the land of the Benjamites, but they found them not.

Saul is still engaged in this search when Samuel eventually finds him.  God tells Samuel that Saul is the chosen one to be annointed king over all Israel, and it is done.

Now you tell me:  If God didn't have a sense of humor, why would he have given Israel a king who couldn't even find his own ass?

[Ħ]

 

I really like Joshua too.

[hefdaddy42]

lol