1-6 The Preparation
- They camp at the Jordan River for three days. What a sense of anticipation there must have been! After all this time, the long journey, the experiences they have had, coupled with the recent loss of Moses, who had been such a powerful presence.
- The officers instruct the people to be ready to follow the ark of the covenant
- But they must keep their distance, not coming closer than 2,000 cubits. (3000 feet ~ more than half a mile. That seems like quite a distance, until you think of the multitude of people that will be following it.)
- Joshua to the people: Sanctify yourselves; for tomorrow the LORD will do wonders among you."
9-17 The Red Sea Experience Revisited - Evidence of God's Power to Be Victorious
- Jordan River will stand in a single heap the instant the priests' feet touch the water
- As long as the priests carrying the ark stand in the middle of the river, the waters will be held back, allowing the "entire nation" to cross over.
- Note: Only Joshua and Caleb had experienced the first miraculous crossing.
I'm not sure I understand the order of things here, but I think it's this:
- The priests enter the river, the waters heap up on one side, and they go to the center of the river.
- Joshua sets up 12 large stones where the priests are standing, which will still remain when the book is written.
- The armies of Reuben, Gad, and the half-tribe of Manasseh (40,000 men) cross over, ready for battle at Jericho. Their families have stayed behind.
- The other tribes follow.
- 12 men, one from each tribe, go to where the priests are standing. Each one (as he leads or accompanies his tribe?) lifts a stone up to his shoulder to carry it to the first place they camp, to set up a memorial for their descendants of this crossing. Apparently, this is a different set of stones from what Joshua set up.
- The priests finish their crossing, and the water returns to its place.
- At Joshua's instructions, the second 12 stones are set up at Gilgal.
- This, the 10th day of the 1st month (4 days before Passover) as God has promised Joshua, Israel "stood in awe of [Joshua], as they had stood in awe of Moses, all the days of his life."
1-9 The New Generation Circumcised
- The report of the crossing terrifies the Amorites and Canaanites: "There was no longer any spirit in them."
- These Israelites had not crossed the Red Sea; the ones that had been born in the wilderness also had not been circumcised, so it was given to Joshua to do. Surely it is like the setting up of the stones in the camp; he must have had help.
- To God, this represents at last the removal of the disgrace of Egypt, and he names the place Gilgal, "to roll [away the disgrace]."
- The Israelites keep the Passover at Gilgal, "in the plains of Jericho." What a sight this must have been to the native people.
- "The manna ceased on the day they ate the produce of the land...."
- He sees a man with a drawn sword and asks him if he's friend or foe.
- The man replies, "I am commander of the army of the LORD."
- Joshua falls on his face, worships him, and asks for a command.
- "Remove the sandals from your feet, for the place where you stand is holy."
- Was this an incarnation of the Son of God? In Exodus 3:5, when Moses saw the burning bush on "holy ground," God identified himself as YHWH. Here, he doesn't say he's the LORD, he says he's the commander of the army of the LORD. He accepts Joshua's worship, so he's not just a man or even an angel. In Revelation 1:16, the risen Christ has a sword coming from his mouth. In Ephesians 6:17, the sword of the Spirit is the word. In John 1:1, the Word is Christ. God had been speaking to Moses all along; I think this had to be a different person.
- 1 - In demonstration of their fear, Jericho is "shut up inside and out."
- 3 - The warriors (armed men - v. 9) are to circle the city ahead of the ark.
- 4 - Seven priests bearing 7 trumpets of rams' horns are to go ahead of the ark, followed by the rear guard. They are to blow the trumpets continually (v. 9). I'm supposing the people follow the rear guard. It guards the ark, not the people.
- 12 - On the second day, this happens early in the morning.
- 10 - The people are not to say a word until Joshua tells them to shout (on the 7th day)
- 5 - On the 7th day, after the 7th time around, all the people are to shout, and all the people are to charge ahead.
- 20-24 When they charge the city:
- The walls fall flat.
- All the inhabitants of the city are "devoted to destruction by the edge of the sword."
- As instructed by Joshua, they retrieve silver and gold, bronze and iron, and donate them to the tabernacle.
- They spare Rahab and her family, and "her family has lived in Israel ever since." Apparently at this time Rahab's house was left standing. By the way, after she joins the Israelites, Rahab marries a man named Salmon, who just "happens" to be in the tribe of Judah. They have a son whom they name Boaz. Recognize his name? He's the same Boaz that marries Ruth. Isn't that a great connection? I don't know if she was alive at the time, but that means Rahab was Ruth's mother-in-law! That is a recent discovery of mine -- one I can't believe I didn't know before.
- Joshua curses the city and all who would seek to rebuild it.
10 - "Create in me a clean heart, O God."
12 - "Restore in me the joy of your salvation...."
13 - "I will teach transgressors your ways...."
17 - "The sacrifice acceptable to God is a broken spirit; a broken and contrite heart, O God, you will not despise."
1 Corinthians 4
1-13 The Ministry of the Apostles
Paul continues to speak of the place of apostles and other ministers, to prevent the Corinthians from putting such men on a pedestal.
- They are stewards, and therefore must be trustworthy
- They are not subject to the judgment of men, only of God
- The Corinthians are to respect the Word of God, not one man over another
- The apostles are made "last in the world" by God.
- A bit of sarcasm here, it seems: Unlike the Corinthians -- who are wise, strong, and held in honor -- the real apostles are fools (for the sake of Christ), weak, and in disrepute.
- Furthermore, they are hungry, thirsty, poorly clothed, beaten, homeless, and weary, the rubbish of the world. Not in an elevated position at all, but lower than a slave.
- Paul doesn't write to shame, but as a father -- their earthly father in the faith -- he is admonishing them, as his beloved children, to imitate him.
- He is sending his spiritual son Timothy to remind them of Paul's teachings.
- He will come to see them soon, Lord willing, and will discover the source of the arrogant speech.
- "For the kingdom of God depends not on talk but on power." And Paul has the power of God behind him.
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