Tuesday 10 September 2024
"...t I would not listen to Balaam; therefore he blessed you; so I rescued you out of his hand." (v. 10)
Background
Joshua 24 is the subject of scholarly debate, with disagreement regarding its origin and relationship to the history and religious life of Israel. One link we can make is that it is likely written with the covenant experience and traditions of the books of Genesis and Deuteronomy becoming distant in the rear-view mirror. The words and phrases used point to ancient texts and worship. In verse 1 the tribes are gathered to Shechem, suggesting the writing is in the northern tribal tradition of Israel, telling the earliest stories of a ceremony dating back to the early days of Israel’s life in the Promised Land.
The story begins in Joshua 24 as a survey of history. The people of Israel have finally arrived in the land that was promised to them. Joshua, Moses’ successor, is the son of Joseph, the one sold into slavery in Egypt by his brothers, the one who rose to great power as an aide to an Egyptian Pharaoh. Joseph’s presence and leadership during a famine was a catalyst for the Israelites landing in Egypt in the first place, where they grew numerous in a way that threatened the Pharaoh who proceeded to enslave them. The story from there could be paraphrased as: Moses…Passover…Exodus…Wilderness…Conflict and Conquest… And now Joshua gathers the tribes for a covenant-making ritual in the Promised Land.
This moment is a significant point of transition for the nation. Verses 3 and 4 declare that God has delivered on two earlier promises: to direct the Israelites' journey and gift them a large family. Verse 10 shares a picture of the relationship between a prophet and God. This looks like God does not listen to the prophet but directs the prophetic word and action. God remains free to act as God chooses, the people of Israel understand their relationship with prophets to be potentially dangerous, and yet here they stand in the prophet's hand. But God has demonstrated that the people of Israel have been delivered even from the hands of prophets. The point? As long as Israel remain the people of Yahweh (God), they have nothing to fear – God’s victory over the prophet becomes part of the divine saving of humankind.
To Ponder:
- Do you derive comfort from God saving God's people in the past? Does your answer give you more or less confidence in God saving you today?
- Like it or not, we all have routines and rituals that frame who we are. I wonder if you can identify some of yours and consider how they deepen your relationship with the people around you, or perhaps with God?
Prayer
God of a people whose history is complicated and chequered, I pray that your continuing love and mercy will become increasingly part of who I am and the choices I make. May I build others up, rather than push people down. Amen.
Bible notes author: The Revd Dr Mark Cheetham
Mark is Superintendent Minister of the Salisbury Circuit and Minister at Salisbury Methodist Church.