hi, friends. i want to start this morning by saying thank you, again and again, for reading the bible with me and for reading these posts! you have no idea what this has meant to me.... i had an idea what it was going to look like in december when i decided to commit to this, but i see it a bit more clearly now and know what will work for me at this time in my life. my expectation and hope was to blog everyday as i read...and i don't want to let this go. i think this is the ideal, and i want to hope for this consistency. i just want to express to you an apology for not meeting the expectations that i kind of started with in january...i don't want to give up on this ideal and will keep trying. :) thank you so much for hangin in with me and encouraging my heart along the way.
today, what i want to do is write about the first 8 chapters of joshua this morning and come back this evening to continue through maybe 16.... then pick up tomorrow through 24 and begin judges. this weekend, i want to find myself reading and studying my old testament survey text and putting some thoughts on here to give perspective on these books that have just seemed to be such quick reads. so, for your expectation...and my goals for this weekend, this is my hope. :)
as we open our eyes and hearts to the israelites' move into their promised land...to the battles fought, set backs, victories...to this dramatic way to fulfill what God set before His people.... this is a stretch this morning, but i have to tell you that i awoke with a song that i just have to share with you as we study. here is the link as we quietly look at these passages this morning and through the weekend: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pXOAA0dNjPk
all throughout history, God has been interested and involved in the story that He created! there is sadness and heartache because of the introduction of sin/because of the fall of man in the garden (genesis 3) and because everyone is born into sin (romans 3:23)...but i believe He hears the outcry. i just want to emphasize again the idea that these nations were "dispossessed" because of their wickedness (as recorded in deut. 9:4-5/12:31). it has seemed to me as i've read that there can come a point in time/in a culture of pain (because of wickedness/sin) when God has had to say, "that's enough. it's over. this has to end." the flood. sodom and gomorrah. and these nations that israel came in to conquer....
i believe He hears the outcry! and i believe that when our hearts break because we hear it!... that we can run to Him...and cry with Him...and sing with Him.
--old testament understanding and continued overwhelming thoughts!--
this morning, i am seeing this in a new way. ahhhh***i've never ever heard the israelites' conquest of the promised land spoken of in this way...i'm still processing this, and i don't even really know how to write this and explain it the way that it's resounding in my head...but could it be? that yes, this all was a fulfillment of a promise to abraham and bringing His people into a new land after 400 years of slavery. but! could it also be that God was dealing with devastation of these cultures of child-sacrifice (deut. 12:31) and evil and that He was allowing His people to accomplish this mission with Him? oh man! this is why i awoke with that song so loud in my head!...
i have a lot...a lot of personal thoughts to share with you about this. how my heart and eyes have been opened during these last few years...and He's making so much make sense to me as i read His Word.
****this is just a start. i will come back when i have more time to write! below is my start on chapters 1-16 which i began before my brain started to hurt. :) **** to be continued, friends....
so, joshua 1 introduced us to israel's new leader...who accepted the challenge with strength and courage. joshua was enabled to lead the israelites on the mission to bring them into the land. i love verse 13, "...'the Lord your God gives you rest (reminds me of david crowder* band's last cd :) ) and will give you this land.'" chapter 2 records rahab's part in the story of their conquest...here in jericho. her talk with the israelite spies clues us in to the respect for the israelites and their God that the people had...they had heard how God had moved/how the waters of the red sea had moved for them/how they had just defeated the two amorite cities.... she said when they heard about how they wiped out these cities that their "hearts melted and no courage remained in any man any longer."
i'm so sorry...i have to get my kids ready for school...my brain is on overload though and i can't wait to get back to this a.s.a.p.! huge love to you....
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