Blessings to you and yours!
If you live in a country that celebrates Thanksgiving, I hope you had a good celebration. There is so much to thank God for. His blessings and mercies are new every morning. Great is his faithfulness!
Date of the Passover celebration
Today’s story highlights the victory in Jericho. Joshua and the brave warriors conquered the city because they followed God’s instructions to the letter. Rahab was saved together with her family because she followed the instructions of the spies.
In the story we mention the Passover celebration. An interesting fact has to do with the date of the celebration. After crossing the Jordan, and before conquering Jericho, the people of God celebrated the Passover. Forty years before, on the first month of the year and the 14th day, they celebrated their first Passover. It was a hasty celebration before leaving Egypt.
After forty years of wandering in the desert the people of Israel arrived in the Promised Land. They celebrated the Passover in the first month and the 14th day. How interesting with God’s timing! The dates coincided perfectly!
Then the manna ceased. Read about it in Joshua 5:10-12.
The command not to kill
Let’s talk about a matter that may arise when studying the book of Joshua. Today’s story and some of the following are about conquering Canaan. It’s a bit conflictive, because while God gave the Israelites (and us) the command not to kill, they had to conquer entire cities and destroy everyone. I can only speculate about the reason, because only God knows why at that point in time they had to kill and destroy.
The only way for them to receive their land, which had been promised to Abraham and his offspring, was for them to conquer it. I think the main reason they had to destroy the inhabitants was for it to be a land that worshiped God. It was important that the people not get into the pagan practices of worshiping false gods. The Canaanites were very idolatrous. What do you think? Questions may arise from the children and you need to be prepared to answer them.
The Ten Commandments still rule. Jesus gave us a new commandment, that we should love one another as He has loved us (John 13:34,35). The two great commandments are that we should love God with all our heart and our neighbor as ourselves (Matthew 22:37-40).
The events of the Old Testament do not justify breaking God’s laws. I’m sure it wasn’t easy for Joshua to carry out the conquest. The Lord encouraged him several times to be strong and courageous and told him not to fear.
Joshua’s ” job” of conquering the land began with the successful conquest of Jericho. Read about it in Joshua 6. That’s the story for today.
Eleazar and Eliab
I have placed Eleazar and Eliab amid the march around Jericho, to show the beauty of different generations doing the work of God together. To those who are grandparents, I encourage you to spend as much time as possible with your grandchildren. Your love and presence is the best legacy you can leave them. I imagine some little boy at the time of the conquest, who with pride and joy marched around Jericho holding hands with his grandfather. I know what I’m talking about, because I’m a grandmother. Nothing brings me more pleasure than to do something together with a grandchild.
To parents, grandparents and teachers, may the lessons in the book of Joshua bless you and the children in your life.
Welcome to read the story. Promised Land # 4. Conquering a City.
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