Face it – when we read the book of Joshua, there are parts of the epic saga of Joshua’s lifetime that are easy to skim over. The first couple of chapters are pretty exciting, filled with intrigue, sensational accounts of miracles, Rahab – the “gardener” and Veggie Tale songs (if you don’t count Chapter 5 ….which would just be weird).
By about Chapter 7 or so you get to the battles in foreign lands ruled by kings with names that are hard to pronounce. But even those chapters are still pretty exciting with nuggets of information and descriptive details that spark the imagination.
And long about Chapter 13 you start to stall and it’s easy to skip over the lists of names and places that are like listening to Joshua’s last will and testament as read by a dry, boring attorney.
But – I’d like to encourage you, yet again, to re-read the ENTIRE book and this time REALLY read the names of the people and the places that are listed in this incredibly epic account of a period in the past that ended up being named after just one man.
Joshua was a truly great leader and by all accounts an amazing person. But guess what? This book is NOT about one man! It’s about clans, tribes and relatives – men, women and children claiming their birthrights – friends, neighbors and enemies (and the guy who got stoned ….literally). It is the history of an entire nation of people that went to battle following God’s instructions.
So – think about it like this ….. When you start to assemble that bookshelf from IKEA – you need some women to read the instructions (because – face it – guys just don’t). You need some neighbors to loan you power tools and some relatives to help you move the gi-normous piece of furniture to your new apartment…..not to mention the friends who bring pizzas, a case of beer and their pick-up truck.
THAT’s what the book of Joshua is about – not just one man, but an entire horde of people, following the instructions as they reap God’s blessings on the other side of the Jordan River.
Coming soon to a theater near you – JOSHUA Et Al – The Epic Saga of a Nation