Meditate on it

The cyclical nature of sin in Judges reminds me of the overarching theme in The Good Earth. Chapters 1-3 As soon as Joshua and the elders pass away, the people forget again.  Isn't this just true?  We make promises. We refocus. We reform our ways with good intentions and a beginning strength that is encouraging.  And, like the people, sometimes we become that leader--either in ourselves or in the larger community that does the right thing.  Ehud with his double-edged sword.  Shamgar with his oxgoad.  But, in time, things get messed up again, don't they.

Pushing and pulling my way through Joshua (the Old Testament always feels like the biggest "chunk" of scripture to cover in most plans, behold Caleb. Caleb was a Kenizzite, a group outside of the Jews.  How did I miss this? As with many figures in the Bible, the text is sparse.  Caleb speaks up at this point in his life---after many years of believing, fighting, and following.  He reminds Joshua of the promise God made to him years ago.  He speaks up at the right time, for the right reason twice in the scriptures--- Once, when the spies were afraid. Once, when inheritances are given out. Both were the exact right times for the exact right reasons. The rest of the time, he holds his peace as far as we are told. I love this commentary from the BKC: "Caleb is introduced in this passage as the son of Jephunneh the Kenizzite. According to Gen_15:19 the Kenizzites were a tribe of Canaan in Abraham’s day. Caleb’s family then was originally outside the covenant an

I'm reading the book of Joshua right now and thought to post my own thoughts only, as a measure of accountability and pushing myself.  I love commentary--it opens my mind and heart to new ideas and angles of understanding.  But sometimes, the voices from my past--overly chirpy and loud southern radio preachers, often well-meaning--obstruct instead of help. I can also get lost in hazy lazy thinking, letting commentators do the medium lifting instead of reading closely. Reading closely, as I encourage my students, has irreplaceable benefits. So, what did I notice today? The first chapters of Joshua read like an epic or a fairy tale, which is not to suggest they are not true--but that they are a certain style.  The true part is separate from the style. God does what He wants, how He wants.  We either believe Him in that and allow Him latitude and greatness, or we can pursue the nitty gritty of a naturalistic perspective, holding Him to the laws of nature He created.  It's