This is a "to be continued" post because I have several thoughts regarding the Gideon story that I want to share after finishing the story tomorrow. Let it suffice to say that the paradoxes of Christianity are really amazing to me: the first shall be last and the last shall be first; the rich shall be poor and the poor shall be rich; etc. The one we ... [Continue Reading]
What a guy (Judges 3-4
I like Ehud. First, he was left handed. You've got to like a guy who's left handed. Second, he didn't let his left-handedness get in the way of accomplishing something big for God. In fact, he leveraged it for the Kingdom. As a left handed person, I have to admit that I feel like a minority in society. It's not easy ... [Continue Reading]
Prone to wander (Judges 1-2)
Chris Rice has a song titled, Prone to Wander. The lyrics read: "How can I be so prone to wander, so prone to leave you, so prone to die? How can you be so full of mercy, you race to meet me, bring me back to life." Those lyrics seem awfully fitting to the story we read in the first two chapters of Judges. The Israelites, when without ... [Continue Reading]
Choose whom you will serve (Joshua 23-24)
Sometimes I wish I could force people to do things. Sadly, I can't, and that was a hard realization for me to come to grips with several years ago. I wanted so badly for someone to make a wise choice and to do the right thing, but he didn't. I was disappointed in what happened, but it has since then worked out for good. But at the time, ... [Continue Reading]
By whose strength? (Joshua 11, 14:6-5)
As the story is retold here, it is pretty interesting the emphasis that is placed on the odds of the Israelites winning against the other nations in the Promised Land. Specifically, 11:4 says that the other nations came out with a horde of troops more numerous than the sand in the seashore, horses, and chariots. I don't know about you, but I'd be ... [Continue Reading]
When leadership becomes UNspiritual (Joshua 9-10)
We get some good lessons on leadership in these two chapters, but I specifically appreciate the lesson learned in chapter 9 when Gibeonites deceive the Israelites into believing that they are from a foreign land seeking out more of what God is doing for the Israelites. Truth be told, they were scared out of their wits and conceived the story to save their ... [Continue Reading]
The first portion is the Lord ‘ s (Joshua 7-8)
Big trouble came to Israel when Achan didn't listen to the Lord's command that all plunder from Jericho was to be given to Him. Instead, Achan's usurping of God's portion cost him his life. What's interesting to me is that when the Israelites attack Ai for the second time, God tells them that the plunder is now theirs to keep. ... [Continue Reading]
Between the lines (Joshua 5-6)
Sometimes I read through stories like the wall of Jericho tumbling down and fail to actually think through what went on when this took place. Veggie Tales did a really good job of helping me think between the lines of the text. I can only begin to imagine what the people of Jericho were thinking as they saw the Israelites marching around their city. ... [Continue Reading]
A real step of faith (Joshua 3-4)
I love the way the Lord confirms Joshua's call to leadership in these chapters. Perhaps the people had questions, and perhaps they even wondered if Joshua was truly the person to lead them. Perhaps God knew the situation and chose to use it to reveal His approval of this new leader. Or perhaps God simply wanted the people to enter the Promised Land ... [Continue Reading]
Does vision follow the leader, or does the leader follow the vision? (Joshua 1-2)
I'm not sure how much applicability this thought has to the situation of the modern church, but I think it's pretty interesting that Moses' death did not bring a new direction for Israel's future. It wasn't the sort of situation where Joshua comes rises to power, and he somehow wants to lead the Israelites in a new way. In fact, it's ... [Continue Reading]
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